HOWELL, Mich. (Fwrd Axis) — With his agenda hanging in the balance, President Joe Biden used a trip to Michigan on Tuesday to promote his massive bipartisan infrastructure deal along with the Democrats’ social spending package, both of which are struggling to get through Congress.
Speaking from a union training center in Howell, Biden said despite the attention Congress has gotten over the past week, these two pieces of legislation are about helping the American people.
“I want to set one thing straight: These bills are not about left versus right or moderate versus progressive,” Biden said. “These bills are about competitiveness versus complacency. They’re about opportunity versus decay.”
“To oppose these investments is to create a rising America,” he continued. “To oppose these investments is to be complicit in America’s decline.”
Biden’s trip comes with Congress at a standstill over his legislative agenda. Both moderate and progressive Democrats continue to debate the size and scope of the social spending package. The White House is hoping the President’s trip will get the American people to focus on key parts of his plan, such as free community college and lowering child care costs.
Little is known about what exactly is in the bill but the President made clear to the American people that his proposals would not add to the national debt like the Republicans are suggesting.
“The only thing we’ve been missing is the will from Washington to finally build an economy around you,” Biden said.
Biden acknowledged the bill will be less than the $3.5 trillion that was first proposed. In order for the bill to be less than $3.5 trillion, several programs or spending would have to be cut. However, the White House has not said what programs would be cut.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday that Biden’s only “red line” was his firm stance on not raising taxes for anyone making less than $400,000 a year.
