Coats outlines his Senate agenda

By Brian Francisco

Before plotting his “roadmap for 2014” on Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Dan Coats acknowledged that many colleagues won’t follow it.

Coats, R-Ind., said there is widespread belief on Capitol Hill that Republicans cannot advance their causes as long as President Barack Obama is in office and Democrats control the Senate.

“I refuse to take no for an answer, and I refuse to pack up my lunchbox and say, ‘Well, OK, we can’t do anything until 2017,’" Coats said at a news conference at Parkview Field attended by about 50 government, political and business leaders.

He released a 10-point agenda he called “the Indiana way.” Among other things, it would delay the individual insurance mandate of the Affordable Care Act, repeal the medical device and federal estate taxes, simplify the income tax code, protect religious freedom, establish public-private partnerships to improve transportation infrastructure, help universities commercialize their federally funded research and provide regulatory relief to coal producers and community banks.

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