Just because Herman Cain isn’t running for president anymore doesn’t mean members of Congress won’t hear about his “9-9-9” tax reform plan in the coming weeks.
The former presidential candidate announced during a conference call Wednesday afternoon that he plans to storm Capitol Hill on April 15 and 16 to aggressively promote “9-9-9,” both in meetings with legislators and at a rally with supporters.
Cain told reporters and bloggers on the call that he plans to have “targeted meetings with representatives and senators in order to show them the level of support on the part of American people for this idea that will revolutionize our tax code.”
“The number one priority will be all the representatives, both Democrats and Republicans, who sit on the Ways and Means Committee,” Cain said of the committee that writes tax legislation. “That’s how we’re going to begin initially; that’s where we’re going to put our efforts.”
Cain also said he plans to hold a rally for supporters of the 9-9-9 plan, which calls for overhauling the tax code and instituting a 9 percent income tax, sales tax and corporate income tax.
“We’re inviting thousands and thousands of people to come to the rally,” he said of the event, which is being called “Cain’s Revolution on the Hill.” (RELATED: More on Herman Cain)
“One of the reasons ‘9-9-9’ is still going so strong, quite frankly, is that a great idea can’t be killed, no matter who the messenger is,” he said.
Since withdrawing from the presidential race, Cain has endorsed former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s presidential bid.
Asked by The Daily Caller if he thinks he can convince Gingrich to adopt “9-9-9,” Cain said: “I have talked to him about it. And it is a gradual process.”
“Newt Gingrich’s tax proposal comes as close to ‘9-9-9′” as any candidate’s plan, he added.
Cain said he’s confident that if a “groundswell” of support emerged from the grassroots calling for the implementation of the plan, Gingrich would support it.
“I can’t say that about any of the other candidates,” he said.