President Joe Biden claimed on Saturday that his Build Back Better agenda costs 'zero dollars'
Republican lawmakers and groups have been tearing into President Joe Biden over the weekend into Monday after the 78-year-old commander-in-chief claimed his Build Back Better agenda will cost 'zero dollars.'
On Saturday night the president tweeted in support of his Build Back Better plan, claiming it adds nothing to the national debt.
But an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CRFB) found the proposals in the agenda would require the US to directly borrow $1 trillion, projecting that nearly $3 trillion would be added to the national debt over the next 10 years.
Biden's progressive agenda is comprised of a $550 billion bipartisan infrastructure deal, and Democrats' $3.5 trillion reconciliation package which has no Republican support.
The former measure, which passed the Senate in August, would only offset its own costs by about $200 billion according to the CRFB. That leaves $350 billion to be paid.
'My Build Back Better Agenda costs zero dollars,' Biden said Saturday.
'Instead of wasting money on tax breaks, loopholes, and tax evasion for big corporations and the wealthy, we can make a once-in-a-generation investment in working America. And it adds zero dollars to the national debt.'
But Republicans immediately accused the president of lying to the American public.
'Biden’s statement is just patently absurd,' a Washington Examiner op-ed stated. 'Even granting arguendo Biden's dubious claim that the Build Back Better Agenda is “already paid for,” this is wrong on numerous levels.'
Republican lawmakers immediately seized on Biden's statement and accused him of either lying or being confused
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton said Biden 'is very confused' if he 'thinks his $3.5 trillion reckless spending plan "costs zero dollars"' on Sunday night.
Democrats are pushing through their $3.5 trillion spending package using a legislative process known as reconciliation, allowing them to avoid Republican opposition in the form of the filibuster.
But Republicans in Congress are trying to tie the hefty package to a crucial measure aimed at suspending the debt ceiling and avoiding a government shutdown, which is up for a vote on Monday evening.
Forcing Democrats to add the debt ceiling to the $3.5 trillion package would highlight the price tag - which Republicans say may end up as much as $4.3 trillion - and distract from popular elements such as paid family leave, say insiders.
'The price tag and then the tax hikes that have to go along with that are going to be a core argument for Republicans next year in the mid-terms,' said a Senate GOP aide.
Democrats have insisted that they want to suspend the debt ceiling so the US could pay for the $7 trillion in debt that Donald Trump accrued during his presidency.
But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejected the idea of tying it to the reconciliation package that even earns a cool reception from fiscally-conscious members of her own party.
Numerous other Republicans cast doubt on Biden's claim, which was also disputed by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
West Virginia Democratic
