Biden’s closing argument: Republicans would wreck the economy
“Hear this closely: The Republicans have made it clear that if they win control of the Congress, they will shut down the government, refuse to pay our bills, and it’ll be the first time in our history America will default — unless I yield and cut Social Security and Medicare,” Biden said Monday in a speech to the Democratic National Committee. “There’s nothing, nothing, that will create more chaos, more inflation and more damage to the American economy than this.”
Less than two weeks before the elections, Biden has settled on a closing message that goes beyond touting his accomplishments and defending his record on the economy, as he has done for months. Instead, he is painting an increasingly dystopian picture of life under divided government should “ultra-MAGA” or “mega-MAGA” Republicans come into power, attempting to seize on Republicans’ own promises to use congressional votes on budgets and debt to force Biden into major spending cuts.
During a speech this month at a Volvo factory in Hagerstown, Md., Biden spent more time criticizing the GOP than talking about his own economic plans, lamenting that voters did not yet know about Republicans’ platform on the economy. With razor-thin majorities in the House and Senate, Democrats risk losing control of both if a handful of seats flip to the opposing party.
“When it comes to the next Congress, this isn’t a referendum — it’s a choice,” Biden said, a refrain he has repeated several times in the last few weeks.
Biden’s new tone reflects the success Republican candidates have found in blaming the president and his party for the high price of food and gas, as well as for perceived increases in crime and immigration. Polls and analysts are increasingly predicting a strong Republican showing on Nov. 8, prompting Biden to search with increasing urgency for ways to change the dynamic.
While Biden’s attacks have grown sharper as the election has drawn nearer, the strategy of calling out Republican economic plans traces back several months to this spring, when Biden seized on the release of an 11-point policy document by Republican Sen. Rick Scott (Fla.), according to a Biden adviser who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy.
The plan from Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial…
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