HAGERSTOWN, Md. — On Friday, President Biden ditched his usual bipartisan tone a month before the midterm elections to give big companies generous tax cuts while raising the “cost of every meal.” Attempts to enact policy clashed with Republicans.
In a speech to Volvo factory workers, Mr Biden defended his economic record and denounced political hypocrisy to profit from the availability of federal funds from bills opposed by Republicans. He also laid out the stakes for the upcoming election, and bluntly warned that if Republicans gained control of Congress, they would try to cut Medicare and Social Security benefits. He accused him of supporting America’s economic success.
“This is a choice between two very different views of the economy,” Biden said.
Biden’s comments showed the U.S. economy added 263,000 jobs in September and the unemployment rate fell to 3.5% from 3.7% the previous month, according to Labor Department figures. The report suggests that the labor market is cooling as the Federal Reserve hikes interest rates, but the central bank will likely need to take further steps to slow the economy to keep inflation in check. doing.
Biden said the numbers show the economy is moving towards steady growth.
“Our job market continues to show resilience as we navigate this economic transition,” he said. “The pace of job growth has slowed, but there is still the strength to push the recovery forward.”
Despite fears of an economic slowdown, Biden’s remarks are the latest attempt by the White House to highlight an example of a resurgence in American manufacturing, with a focus on the auto sector ahead of November’s midterm elections. was.
2022 midterm elections
With the primaries over, both parties are shifting their focus to the November 8 general election.
- Standing by Herschel Walker: After reports that Georgia’s GOP senator candidate paid for his girlfriend’s abortion in 2009, Republicans say a split with the former football star could hurt the party’s chances for a Senate run. Afraid, they gathered in his support.
- Wisconsin Senate Election: Democratic candidate Mandela Burns is teetering in a battle with Republican incumbent Senator Ron Johnson, with an onslaught of Republican offensive ads taking its toll.
- Winning Republican Senators: The shift in polling is clear after signs that Republicans are profiting in the Senate race, writes The Times’ chief political analyst Nate Cohn.
- Democratic Closing Statement: Bolstered by polls marking the end of the Roe v. Wade case, which swayed independent voters, vulnerable House Democrats turned their campaigns around abortion rights in the final weeks before the election. I was.
Volvo’s Hagerstown facility employs more than 1,700 people and manufactures parts for Mack trucks.
The visit also involved political calculations, as Maryland Democrat Rep. David Trone was in a fierce re-election race with Republican challenger Neil Parrott. Hagerstown is also close to the border with Pennsylvania, where senator and gubernatorial elections are two of the most important political contests in the country.
Biden maintained a sharper tone to Republicans when he argued for the benefits of the so-called anti-inflation bill Congress passed in August. He criticized Republicans such as Rep. Paul Gosser of Arizona and Rep. Andy Burr of Kentucky for calling his agenda “socialism” while criticizing the federal government for local projects. accused of asking for money.
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“I didn’t know there were so many socialist Republicans,” Biden joked.
Biden attended a fundraiser at Democratic donor James Murdoch’s Manhattan home on Thursday night. Concern for people in places like Biden’s hometown of Scranton and Hagerstown, Pennsylvania.
Republicans on Friday accused Mr. Biden of mismanaging the economy in signs of a cooling job market.
“The economy is contracting, inflation is rampant and job growth is slowing,” said Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas, the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee.
The White House has thus far appeared very much in line with the Fed’s efforts to tackle the fastest inflation in 40 years, but the tone shifts somewhat as cracks begin to appear in the economy. There is a possibility.
The Biden administration has made it clear that it will respect the Fed’s independence to set policies free from partisan interference, but it will continue to do so if the Fed’s policies hurt the economy and cause pain to workers. It may be difficult for administration officials to accept central bank actions out loud when
Mr Biden acknowledged continued headwinds to the economy and said petrol prices were creeping higher “due to what Russia and Saudi Arabia have done”.
“I’m not done with it yet,” he added.
Biden said he hoped bipartisan cooperation would be possible after the election, although his tone was sharper.
“Hopefully I can get a little bit of my sanity after this election,” Biden said. “Stop this bitterness that exists between parties and let people work together.”