In remarks that focused heavily on the need to better address the coronavirus outbreak, former Vice President Joe Biden (D-DE) did touch on tax policy a few times in his acceptance speech this evening.

As expected, Biden took aim at the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which he described as a "$1.3 trillion tax giveaway to the wealthiest 1 percent and the biggest, most profitable corporations, some of which pay no tax at all." He said the tax code should not reward wealth more than work. "I'm not looking to punish anyone," Biden cautioned. "But it's long past time the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations in this country paid their fair share."

Biden also criticized the president's unilateral order to suspend certain payroll tax withholding during the last quarter of this year. "He's proposing to eliminate the tax that pays for almost half of Social Security without any way of making up for that lost revenue," Biden said. "I will not let it happen. If I'm your president, we’re going to protect Social Security and Medicare."

The full text of Joe Biden's acceptance speech is posted here.

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