Biden to double down on message that congressional Republicans would make economy worse

(WASHINGTON) — With less than two weeks until midterm Election Day, President Joe Biden is doubling down on the message that a Republican-run Congress would be worse for the U.S. economy.

Senior White House officials sent out a document to reporters and held a conference call on Wednesday, outlining what they are calling “congressional Republicans’ five-part plan to increase inflation and costs for American families.” The aggressive push reflects a desire by the Biden administration to shift the narrative and convince voters — most of whom think the president is doing a poor job with the economy — that Republicans’ “economic plan will raise costs and make inflation worse.”

Biden, a Democrat, has frequently said that the 2022 midterm elections are a choice, not a referendum. That choice, the White House said, is between Biden and Republicans’ “plan to increase inflation and costs.”

According to the White House, the five parts of congressional Republicans’ economic plan include “$3 trillion in tax cuts skewed to the wealthy — which would add to the deficit and make inflation worse;” “raising prescription drug costs for millions of seniors;” “increasing health insurance premiums;” “increasing energy bills in 2023 and beyond;” and “increasing student loan payments.” As a “bonus,” the White House said Republicans are also “threatening the global economy to cut Social Security or Medicare.”

The White House said Biden will travel to Syracuse, New York, on Thursday to tout Micron, one of the world’s largest microchip manufacturers, for its plans to open a semiconductor plant in the area, which the company said could bring 50,000 jobs to the state. A presidential adviser told reporters that Biden will also talk about the specific ways Republicans would make the economy worse.

“Tomorrow,” the adviser said, “you will hear him lay out in stark relief the specific ways in which congressional Republicans want to take the country backward and undo the progress that we’ve made in lowering prescription drug costs, lowering healthcare costs, lowering energy costs, lessening the impact of student debt on middle class families, and strengthening Social Security.”