Second District U.S. Congressman Joe Wilson held a press conference to outline his 2020 Legislative Agenda, Friday, at his West Columbia office.

Wilson, of Springdale, expressed satisfaction with the elimination of the “widows tax.” It’s a financial penalty affecting more than 65,000 military survivors in the US. Elimination of the tax was part of the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. Wilson led the effort in the House of Representatives to have the tax removed.

In addition to helping remove the tax, Wilson touted record employment numbers, including in the African-America and Hispanic communities. He said wages are increasing too. He said he will continue to work to help the economy of the Administration of President Donald Trump grow. Wilson said elimination of regulations and the 2017 federal tax cuts have been factors in the growing economy. He also touted a 10,000-point increase in the Stock Market.

Wilson said the push to totally repeal Obamacare, also known as the Affordable Care Act, will continue. He said Obamacare is not working. 

As for the country’s $22 trillion national debt, Wilson said “it has to be addressed.” He said growth in federal revenues, and a freeze in spending are ways to bring down the debt. He also advocated eliminating the US Department of Education.

Education should be controlled on a local level, said Wilson, not by the federal government.

Wilson also noted that the House just passed the Trump Administration’s United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA.) “It will bring jobs,” said Wilson. He said the agricultural industry would especially benefit from the USMCA.

Other issues Wilson touched on included the military. He said he will continue to work to strengthen it.

As an answer to a question, Wilson called Iran’s Qassem Soleimani, who was killed by a US airstrike a “mass murderer.” He said the elimination of Soleimani was “quite appropriate” and ridded the world of a terrorist.  

Answering another question, Wilson said he “feels very good” about the GOP’s chances to take back the US in the 2020 elections. And he called the impeachment of Trump “a hoax.” 

Wilson was scheduled to travel to Aiken, North Augusta and Barnwell, Friday as a part of his legislative agenda tour. All of the stops are included in the Second District.