Trump tax cuts push candy shop owner to hire 80 employees

With the Pennsylvania special election underway, Republicans are hoping President Donald Trump’s tax cuts will be the driving force in getting GOP candidate Rick Saccone elected into Congress.

Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., was on the ground stumping for the Republican candidate at a local candy shop that the small business owner says created 80 new jobs thanks in part to the GOP tax cuts.

“I’m able to hire these people and not charge minimum wage. We can hire them at nine bucks or ten bucks an hour. We get better choices. We get more people looking for jobs and gives the people an opportunity to work full-time,” Sarris Candies owner Bill Sarris told FOX Business’ Liz MacDonald.

The workers are employed during the candy season of August through Easter, according to the Sarris Candies owner.

Sarris says the biggest help to his business has been not having to follow the formula under the Affordable Care Act.

“We had to limit people’s hours to 1,550 hours and laid them off. Otherwise, we’d have to provide health insurance and we couldn’t do that for all those people. But, we do it for our full-time people,” he said.

Tuesday’s Pennsylvania 18th Congressional District special election has Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone and Democrat nominee Conor Lamb battling for the House seat.

Sarris Candies is located in the small community of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, which has voted predominantly for the Democratic candidate, according to Sarris.

“To win an election in our communities here, you have to be a Democrat. Well, times have changed now. As you see things going on, times have changed, so you know it’ll be a surprise if Saccone wins this election. It’ll be a huge surprise,” he said.