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Dave Reichert challenges President Obama on taxes

Feb 13, 2013, 9:01 AM | Updated: 10:57 am

Republican Congressman Dave Reichert liked some of what he heard during the State of the Union spee...

Republican Congressman Dave Reichert liked some of what he heard during the State of the Union speech Tuesday night but said he can't go along with President Obama's plan to stimulate the economy with tax money. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Republican Congressman Dave Reichert liked some of what he heard during the State of the Union speech Tuesday night but said he can’t go along with President Obama’s plan to stimulate the economy with tax money.

“What he wants to do is to take tax loopholes, eliminate those, tax shelters, eliminate those [and] use that revenue to spend more money,” said Reichert. “We can’t continue to spend.”

Reichert tells KIRO Radio Seattle’s Morning News Republicans would take money saved from removing tax loopholes and tax shelters to simplify the tax code and reduce the number of tax brackets to just two, thereby encouraging business to spend.

On looming sequestration, 1st District democrat Suzan DelBene said it’s her impression that Republicans are resigned to failure to reach agreement on spending cuts and debt limit.

“So, if that’s what we’re hearing that’s very discouraging right now.” When asked if some employers should start tapping their savings, DelBene said there are “some employers who’ve had to give notice to employees to say there’s a potential chance they’d be laid off.”

President Obama proposed to raise the federal minimum wage to $9 an hour. Reichert questions how?

“We can’t continue to spend, spend, spend. He’s got to find a way to pay for it. We’re $16 trillion in debt.”

Both Richert and DelBene agree that immigration reform has bipartisan support. Reichert tells Seattle’s Morning News “the time is right.”

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Dave Reichert challenges President Obama on taxes