Where does Trump stand on business?

Talk to job creators today about the issues foremost on their minds (the economy, debt, excessive regulation, taxes) and it’s easy to understand why they and their employees are expected to play an incredibly active role in our elections this year.

{mosads}After his wins in New Hampshire, South Carolina and particularly on Super Tuesday, not to mention Michigan, it’s clear Donald Trump is the leading contender for the Republican nomination and it’s important to take stock on where he stands on the key issues important to American businesses.

On the positive side, there is no question that as a businessman himself, Trump recognizes that our current tax code represents a drag on economic growth and that we must move toward a simpler and fairer system. On the business tax front, Trump proposes cutting our unacceptably high corporate tax rate down to 15 percent while also eliminating the unfair death tax that will allow businesses to be passed on to the next generation. These types of policies encourage savings and investment, instead of penalizing success, and it would be a welcome reversal from the last eight years.

At the same time, Trump’s positioning against free trade and open markets should trouble employers and employees who believe that trade agreements with our allies help expand economic growth into the future. Similarly, Trump’s call for the mass deportation of over 11 million undocumented immigrants — which would cost an estimated $500 billion — is also troubling. The right-leaning American Action Forum estimates that Trump’s proposal would cause real gross domestic product (GDP) to drop by nearly $1.6 trillion and shave 5.7 percent off economic growth. It’s our hope that if he wins the nomination, Trump will reconsider his path on both of these issues.

It’s also critical for Trump to finally fill in the blanks and put forward his specific proposals on other serious issues like healthcare reform, entitlement reform, energy and education.

And above all else, the business community is looking for a leader who can finally break the gridlock in Washington and work to put our country back on a path to prosperity and strong economic growth.

For over 50 years, BIPAC (the Business-Industry Political Action Committee) has helped to guide the American business community through the political process and remains committed today to educating employers and employees about elections, candidates and issues. In the months ahead, we will continue to watch all the candidates closely and they can be sure our voices will be heard in November.

Gerlach is the president and CEO of BIPAC. He previously served Pennsylvania’s Sixth Congressional District for 12 years, where he was a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Subcommittees on Health and Select Revenue.