Pawlenty Delivers Policy Address
June 8, 2011
Pitching his plan for the U.S. economy at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy on June 7, Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty argued for deep tax cuts and smaller government as a way to boost business growth.
"It's no longer enough for government to go on a diet," he said. “Government needs to hit the gym, and hit it hard.”
The policy address to University students, guests, and the media marked the former Minnesota governor’s first major speech since declaring his candidacy for the Republican nomination in late May.
Among other proposals, Pawlenty set a goal of 5 percent annual growth for the U.S. economy, more than double the current rate.
Pawlenty also said, if elected, he’d cut the business tax rate from 35 percent to 15 percent, lower individual tax rates, and freeze government spending until the federal budget is balanced.
“We can start by applying what I call ‘The Google Test,’” he said in his remarks. “If you can find a good or service on the Internet, then the federal government probably doesn’t need to be doing it.”
The University event was the first of what Chicago Harris hopes will become a series of policy-focused speeches held on campus during the 2012 election. Plans to extend invitations to all declared presidential candidates are currently underway. The University of Chicago does not endorse any political candidate or party.
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