White House pivots to closing argument on economy
by Brett Samuels and Alex Gangitano - 10/27/22 5:00 AM ET
The White House on Wednesday said its closing argument ahead of the midterms will focus on the economy, telling reporters that President Biden and other administration officials will contrast the Democratic agenda with Republican proposals should they retake majorities in Congress.
After employing a somewhat scattershot approach that has touched on abortion, student loan forgiveness, threats to democracy and other topics, Biden and his team this week have tried to put the economy front and center with Election Day less than two weeks away.
On Wednesday, Biden gave a speech saying his administration would target “junk fees” to help bring down costs for consumers, including banking fees, hidden charges and added fees on cable bills, airline tickets and hotel bookings.
And in Syracuse, N.Y., on Thursday, the president will lay out point-by-point how Republican policies will harm the already struggling economy and talk about what he has deemed the “mega MAGA trickle-down economic plan.”
He will focus on five Republican policy issues, including extending the tax cuts made under former President Trump and repealing the Inflation Reduction Act , areas Biden will argue would add to the deficit and make inflation worse.
“We are entering a period here where the choice before the American people is incredibly stark, and the president’s going to continue to illustrate exactly the impact that the mega trickle-down agenda Republicans have put forward is going to have on families and he’s going to continue pressing that case for now, and for the weeks to come,” a senior administration official said.
The president will say that by eliminating his signature legislation, Republicans would raise prescription drug costs for seniors, raise health insurance premiums and increase energy bills by eliminating tax credits for purchasing electric vehicles. Such an elimination is unlikely to happen given Biden’s ability to veto legislation for the next two years, even if the GOP has majorities in Congress.
Biden also will push back against the lawsuits by Republicans against his student loan forgiveness plan after a federal appeals court ruled on Friday that the program should be temporarily halted.
more
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/3705735-white-house-pivots-to-closing-argument-on-economy/
