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Vice President Mike Pence to make a stop in Buffalo

whitehouse.gov

Vice President Mike Pence will be making a stop in Buffalo Tuesday, where officials say he will meet with area business and community leaders and New York families to talk about the need for tax reform.

Pence will also be joined by Western New York Republican Congressman Chris Collins at the events.

Speaking on the Senate floor Monday, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York criticized that tax plan because of plans to eliminate a federal tax deduction for state and local taxes.

Schumer says that right now, nearly one-third of all taxpayers in some Western New York congressional districts already claim that deduction. 

“Their constituents get clobbered as do just about all New Yorkers and so many in the rest of the country when you eliminate state and local deductibility and it affects the middle class and the upper class.”

Republicans have said the plan to eliminate the state and local deductions will be balanced by doubling the standard deduction.

But critics have said the benefit will be offset by a proposal to do away with personal exemptions. 

Governor Andrew Cuomo released a statement in the form of a letter to Pence, criticizing federal tax and health plans that Cuomo says will hurt New Yorkers. Cuomo has scheduled an appearance at a Buffalo hospital on Tuesday morning.

Stay tuned to WXXI later in the day for coverage of the Vice President's visit.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.