Gov. Abbott meets residents at newly built home
Gov. Greg Abbott visited a new housing development in Socorro, discussing affordability with residents and answering questions from local media.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton is taking his economic message to Latino voters across Texas.
Paxton released a Spanish-language ad Monday, Aug. 10, laying out his “Protecting the Texas Promise” agenda, an economic plan his campaign says will “put thousands of dollars back in the pockets of hardworking Texas families.”
Paxton’s economic plan marks the first robust agenda item of his U.S. Senate campaign. He will face Democrat James Talarico, who has also announced a comprehensive economic plan, in the Nov. 3 General Election.
“Washington has made it harder than ever to get ahead, and the American Dream is slipping away as the cost of everything from housing to health care goes up,” Paxton said in a news release. “My agenda is simple: every Texan should be able to buy a home, raise a family, and live a healthy life without the bills burying them. That’s the promise of opportunity in our state, and that’s why I’m unveiling my ‘Protecting the Texas Promise’ agenda — to put thousands of dollars back in the pockets of working Texans.”
Following are the four pillars of Paxton’s economic plan:
- A $25,000 tax deduction for all out-of-pocket medical expenses, including health insurance premiums, for every individual, plus an additional $25,000 deduction for each dependent;
- A $50,000 deduction for first-time homebuyers, and an additional $50,000 down payment deduction for those moving to a new primary residence;
- A $5,000 tax deduction for expenses ties to a healthy lifestyle, including exercise and gym costs, nutrition plans, GLP-1 medications, and sports activities for dependents;
- Make Trump Accounts permanent and double the Child Tax Credit.
While not included in his economic plan, Paxton also committed to protecting Social Security and Medicare, two programs that have been targeted by Republicans in recent years.
“(Our) parents and grandparents paid into Social Security and Medicare with every paycheck of their lives,” he said. “Those benefits are theirs — they earned them and I’m going to protect them. I’m running because the American Dream is still worth fighting for.”
Like Paxton, Talarico’s economic plan includes protecting Social Security and Medicare, and increasing the Child Tax Credit. But it also calls for raising the tax on corporate stock buybacks, raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, protecting SNAP and WIC, and repealing President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
