04.28.21

‘Centrist Words, Liberal Actions’: Biden’s First 100 Days

Though Joe Biden Ran As A Unifying Figure, The Record Of His First 100 Days Is One Of Partisan Ideological Left-Wing Governance

 

President Biden Pledged Unity But Has Spent His First 100 Days Governing From The Left

Despite Biden’s Call For Unity, His First Actions As President Were ‘To Advance A Liberal Agenda’ And ‘Offer Little Compromise’

The Rhetoric: ‘Unity Is The Path Forward … I Will Fight As Hard For Those Who Did Not Support Me As For Those Who Did,’ ‘[The American People] Want Us To Cooperate’

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: “To overcome these challenges – to restore the soul and to secure the future of America – requires more than words. It requires that most elusive of things in a democracy: Unity. Unity. … I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy. … For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury. … This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward. … I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.” (President Biden, Inauguration Speech, 1/20/2021)

BIDEN: “I ran as a proud Democrat. I will now be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn’t vote for me as (for) those who did. Let this grim era of demonization in America begin to end, here and now. The refusal of Democrats and Republicans to cooperate with one another is not due to some mysterious force beyond our control. It’s a decision. It’s a choice we make. And if we can decide not to cooperate, then we can decide to cooperate. And I believe that this is part of the mandate from the American people. They want us to cooperate. That’s the choice I’ll make. And I call on the Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to make that choice with me.” (Joe Biden, Speech, 11/07/2020)

The Reality: ‘Biden’s Centrist Words, Liberal Actions’

AXIOS: “Biden’s centrist words, liberal actions” (“Biden’s Centrist Words, Liberal Actions,” Axios, 1/22/2021)

  • “President Biden talks like a soothing centrist. He promises to govern like a soothing centrist. But early moves show that he is keeping his promise to advance a liberal agenda. … Never before has a president done more by executive fiat in such a short period of time than Biden. And those specific actions, coupled with a push for a more progressive slate of regulators and advisers, look more like the Biden of the Democratic primary than the unity-and-restraint Biden of the general election.” (“Biden’s Centrist Words, Liberal Actions,” Axios, 1/22/2021)

BLOOMBERG NEWS: “Biden’s First Actions, Proposals Offer Little Compromise to GOP” (“Biden’s First Actions, Proposals Offer Little Compromise to GOP,” Bloomberg News, 1/22/2021)

  • “Joe Biden… three days into his presidency, he has yet to appeal to Republicans who are balking at his sweeping plan for more pandemic relief. … The president continued his call for national unity on Friday, saying the country needs to pull together to confront the challenge of the coronavirus. Republicans, though, say his policy moves and proposals so far haven’t reflected a bipartisan approach. Biden floated an immigration plan that had virtually no support from Republicans, who also blasted his actions on climate change, saying he was killing jobs.” (“Biden’s First Actions, Proposals Offer Little Compromise to GOP,” Bloomberg News, 1/22/2021)

THE NEW YORK TIMES’ MICHAEL SHEAR: “If there’s this call for unity that the president made in his speech yesterday, but there has so far been almost no fig leaf even to the Republican Party. You don’t have a Republican cabinet member like President Obama and I think President Clinton had; you know the executive orders that he has come out the gate have been largely designed as erasing as much of the Trump legacy as you can with executive orders, much of which the Republican Party likes and agrees with; you’ve put forth an immigration bill that has paths to citizenship, but it doesn’t do much of a nod toward the border security; and you have got a $1.9 trillion COVID-relief bill that as folks have said already drawn all sorts of criticism. Where is the--where is the actual action behind this idea of bipartisanship, and when are we going to see one of those you know sort of substantial outreaches that says this is something that you know the Republicans want to do too?” (White House Press Briefing, 1/21/2021)

President Biden Refused To Negotiate With Republicans To Reduce The Size And Scope Of His Stimulus

POLITICO Headline: “Dems to GOP: Take it or leave it” (“Dems To GOP: Take It Or Leave It,” Politico, 1/29/2021)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: “We need Congress to pass my American Rescue Plan that deals with the immediate crisis — the urgency. Now, critics say my plan is too big, that it costs $1.9 trillion.  So that’s too much. We need Congress to pass my American Rescue Plan that deals with the immediate crisis - the urgency. Now, critics say my plan is too big, that it costs $1.9 trillion. So that’s too much. Well, let me ask them: What would they have me cut? What would they have me leave out?” (President Biden, Remarks, 2/19/2021)

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “I’d like to be — I’d like to be doing it with the support of Republicans. I’ve met with Republicans. There’s some really fine people who want to get something done, but they’re just not willing to go as far as I think we have to go. I’ve told both Republicans and Democrats that’s my preference: to work together.  But if I have to choose between getting help right now to Americans who are hurting so badly and getting bogged down in a lengthy negotiation or compromising on a bill that’s — that’s up to the crisis, that’s an easy choice.” (President Biden, Remarks, 2/05/2021)

Senate Democrats Explain Unity Means Passing Their Partisan Agenda Without Compromising

“In defining his mission for history as bringing together a divided country, President Biden has made ‘unity’ the watchword of his fledgling administration. But one thing that divides America is what unity actually means. … Mr. Biden and his allies, however, argue that unity means something different than concession — more of a change in culture, not splitting the difference on policy plans.” (“In Biden’s Washington, Democrats and Republicans Are Not United on ‘Unity,’” The New York Times, 1/21/2021)

CNN’s JOHN BERMAN: “So unity. We heard that word a lot yesterday. It doesn’t necessarily mean meet in the middle?”
SEN. JEFF MERKLEY (D-OR): “No, not at all.” (CNN, 1/21/2021)

CNN’s DANA BASH: “You just heard Mitt Romney say that Republicans like him have shown that they are ready to compromise. So, should Democrats move to pass coronavirus relief with 51 votes, if they can’t get Republicans support, say, before the impeachment trial?”
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): “Well, I don’t know what the word compromise means. … We’re going to use reconciliation -- that is 50 votes in the Senate, plus the vice president -- to pass legislation desperately needed by working families in this country right now. …” (CNN, 1/24/2021)

CNN’s ABBY PHILLIP: “You know, now Republicans are talking about unity, that was also a big theme of President Biden’s Inauguration Address. They also seem to think that unity means compromising, specifically on policy. How do you see it?”
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): “… Unity is about doing things that the American people want to see us do: like a $15 an hour minimum wage, like canceling student loan debt, like expanding Social Security, like giving us more universal childcare and universal pre-K, things that are popular across this country, things that are needed across the country. We want to have unity? Then get on board for the things that the American people want to see us do.” (CNN, 1/24/2021)

Even Self-Described Socialists Say President Biden ‘Definitely Exceeded Expectations That Progressives Had’

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): “The Biden Administration and President Biden have definitely exceeded expectations that progressives had… It’s been good so far…” (“AOC Says Biden ‘Exceeded’ Progressive Expectations In First 100 Days,” New York Post, 4/23/2021)

The Result Was A Nearly $2 Trillion Bonanza Of Ideological Left-Wing Spending, Falsely Sold As ‘COVID Relief’

“At first, Democrats described their $1.9 trillion stimulus as a response to a once-in-a-century economic and health emergency. But then the language began to shift to something much different: an anti-poverty measure with few precedents in US history…. Other Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), described the legislation as potentially more consequential even than the Affordable Care Act … The Democrats’ comments seemed to confirm -- even endorse -- GOP complaints that the sprawling bill does more to address long-held liberal priorities than attack the twin COVID economic and health care crises, which by some measures are already waning.” (“Democrats’ Messaging Shifts As They Pass Biden Relief Bill: From Economic Crisis Rescue To Poverty Relief,” The Washington Post, 3/10/2021)

Biden’s Stimulus Was A ‘Progressive Wish List’ And ‘Represents An Unabashedly Progressive Agenda, Centered On A Strong And Growing Federal Government’

AXIOS: “Biden’s COVID package also progressive wish list” (“Biden’s COVID Package Also Progressive Wish List,” Axios, 1/15/2021)

The White House Even Bragged The Biden Stimulus Bill Was ‘The Most Progressive Bill In American History’

WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF RON KLAIN: “[W]e are hopefully just weeks away from final passage of the most progressive domestic legislation in a generation.” (MSNBC, 2/24/2021)

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI: “I will note that the plan that the Senate passed this weekend puts us one huge step closer to passing one of the most consequential and most progressive pieces of legislation in American history. … Well, first I would say: Senator Manchin and Senator Sanders and a range of Democrats in between just voted to support a $1.9 trillion package that is the most progressive piece of legislation in history.” (White House Press Briefing, 3/08/2021)

  • PSAKI: “We’re about to pass a historic, the most progressive bill in American history. It’s passing today.” (White House Press Briefing, 3/10/2021)

Democrats ‘Quickly [Cut] Out Republicans To Focus On Passing The Biggest Bill Possible On Their Own Terms,’ ‘Seiz[ing] The Opportunity To Load Up The Bill With Liberal Policies’

“[Democrats] moved swiftly on Biden’s relief bill, quickly cutting out Republicans to focus on passing the biggest bill possible on their own terms…. They seized the opportunity to load up the bill with liberal policies that they supported long before the advent of the coronavirus crisis …”  (“Democrats’ Messaging Shifts As They Pass Biden Relief Bill: From Economic Crisis Rescue To Poverty Relief,” The Washington Post, 3/10/2021)

After Passing The Bill Along Party Lines, Democrats Boasted About It As ‘An Ideological Revolution’ And ‘A “Turning Point” That Transforms U.S. Politics By Restoring The Country’s Faith In Government’

HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “This is a momentous day in the history of our country because we have passed historic, consequential, and transformative legislation. … I think I can safely say and I’ve said this to my colleagues in the House on the Democratic side, this is the most consequential legislation that many of us will ever be a party to.” (Speaker Pelosi, Press Conference, 3/10/2021)

SENATE MAJORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY): “This is one of the most consequential pieces of legislation we have passed in decades.” (Sen. Schumer, Press Conference, 3/10/2021)

  • “Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday the $1.9 trillion economic relief legislation headed for President Joe Biden’s desk will be a ‘turning point’ that transforms U.S. politics by restoring the country’s faith in government.” (NBC News, 3/10/2021)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): “The American Rescue Plan is the most significant piece of legislation to benefit working people in the modern history of this country.” (Sen. Sanders, @BernieSanders, Twitter, 03/06/2021)

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): “An ideological revolution on behalf of justice.” (“Democrats’ Messaging Shifts As They Pass Biden Relief Bill: From Economic Crisis Rescue To Poverty Relief,” The Washington Post, 03/10/2021)

EZRA KLEIN, Far-Left New York Times Columnist: “I’m open to counterexamples, but this still looks like the most ambitious and progressive economic package Congress has passed in my lifetime. It will do more to cut poverty, and push full employment, than anything else I’ve covered.” (Ezra Klein, @ezraklein, Twitter, 03/05/2021)

The Liberal Spending Spree Included Such COVID-Unrelated Items As …

A $350 Billion Slush Fund For Big-Spending State And Local Governments …

“California, Texas and New York would receive 29% of the $350 billion in direct aid that President Joe Biden has proposed for states and cities in his COVID-19 relief bill, according to a USA TODAY analysis of the projected allocations. Biden’s legislation, which carries a $1.9 trillion overall price tag, was passed by the Senate Saturday after clearing the House previously by a mostly party-line 219-212 vote. The House will again vote on the Senate’s amended version of the bill before it can head to Biden’s desk. The package includes $350 billion in aid designed to replenish tax revenue collections that decreased during the pandemic …” (“How Much Money Will Your State Get If Biden’s COVID-19 Relief Bill Passes?,” USA Today, 3/04/2021)

In Particular, The Slush Funds Will Wipe Out New York State’s Deficit, Nearly Erase The City Of San Francisco’s Deficit, And Bail Out New York City Taxi Drivers

“The $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package passed by the US Senate wipes out New York State’s projected budget deficit — possibly negating the need for hefty tax hikes or spending cuts, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office said Monday. ‘Ok. Thanks to @SenSchumer NYS budget deficit for this year is…..Zero, nada, niete, zilch (NY terms),’ Schumer spokesman Angelo Roefaro tweeted…. Roefaro continued, ’How NY decides its budgetary policy is a matter for the state legislature and the administration. Our job was to deliver resources to help NY confront and overcome Covid and it’s impacts, including the fiscal impact. And we did that fully and completely.’” (“Schumer Spokesman: Federal Pandemic Relief Eliminates NYS Deficit,” New York Post, 3/08/2021)

“The federal stimulus package likely to be signed by President Biden this week will erase the majority of San Francisco’s projected $650 million budget deficit over the next two years, saving City Hall from having to make painful service cuts and layoffs — for now…. If passed, the stimulus package will inject about $600 million into San Francisco’s coffers over the next two years, [City Controller Ben] Rosenfield said.” (“S.F’s Budget Will Be Saved From Painful Cuts Thanks To Federal Stimulus. What About In The Next One?,” San Francisco Chronicle, 3/09/2021)

“On Tuesday, for the first time, [New York City] announced a concrete plan to aid the [taxi] drivers, who have been battered even more by the pandemic. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a plan to spend $65 million of the money that the city expects to receive from the federal stimulus package to help restructure the loans that drivers obtained to buy medallions, the city permits that let them own their own cabs.… [I]f successful, the program could eliminate hundreds of millions of dollars owed by drivers …” (“New York to Spend $65 Million to Rescue Cab Drivers. Is It Enough?,” The New York Times, 3/09/2021)

Even Washington, DC, Gets A Bailout, More Than 14 States Receive

According to USA Today, the District of Columbia would get $2.275 billion in federal aid, which is more than 14 states will get, among them West Virginia, New Hampshire, Maine, Alaska, and Delaware. (“How Much Money Will Your State Get If Biden’s COVID-19 Relief Bill Passes?,” USA Today, 3/04/2021)

And Tribal Governments Get More Money Than Every State And Territory Except Three

According to USA Today, tribal governments would get $20 billion in federal aid, which is more than every state and territory, save for California, Texas, and New York. (“How Much Money Will Your State Get If Biden’s COVID-19 Relief Bill Passes?,” USA Today, 3/04/2021)

REMINDER: Democrats’ Bailout For Big-Spending State Governments Is Out Of All Proportion To Estimated Revenue Shortfalls

“But at least one important slice of the package ... goes beyond a rescue and is almost certain to further stimulate an economy that is already beginning to rapidly recover. That’s because those proposed cash transfers [to state and local governments] are more than six times greater than the approximately $31 billion of expected tax revenue that disappeared in the current fiscal year, according to pre-pandemic and more recent forecasts compiled by Bloomberg. In other words, that money could make up for that loss and be plowed back into states’ economies, such as their own version of relief checks, infrastructure projects and more, depending on the federal guidelines around the aid.” (“Biden’s State Rescue Dwarfs Tax Hit, Turning It Into Stimulus,” Bloomberg, 3/03/2021)

… The ‘Biggest Change To Obamacare Since 2010’: ‘Supersized Subsidies’ And More Costly Bait For Medicaid Expansions …

“The $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill under consideration by the House after passage by the Senate would increase subsidies to people who buy Affordable Care Act health plans, marking the biggest changes to the health law since its passage in 2010. The subsidy changes would be temporary and expire after two years... The package also includes funding aimed at enticing states that didn’t expand their Medicaid programs earlier to do so now, and subsidies to cover the cost of health insurance for people who lose their jobs. … The legislation would eliminate an income cap that limits who is eligible for ACA tax credits to reduce monthly insurance premiums. It would also limit the amount households pay to only 8.5% of their income on healthcare, and it would boost subsidies to lower-income consumers.” (“Covid-19 Stimulus Bill Contains Biggest Change to Obamacare Since 2010,” The Wall Street Journal, 3/09/2021)

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD: “Enormous sums go to expanding favorite Democratic programs. The package adds $35 billion to pump up subsidies to defray ObamaCare premiums. The bill eliminates the existing income cap (400% of the poverty level) on who qualifies for subsidies, and lowers the maximum amount participants are expected to contribute to about 8.5% of their income, down from 10%. The bill also spends $15 billion to provide a temporary five percentage-point increase in the federal Medicaid match to states that expand eligibility to lower-income adults. This is bait for the dozen or so states that have resisted ObamaCare’s Medicaid expansion, which enrolls working age, childless adults above the poverty line. The political goal overall is to chip away at private coverage on the way to Medicare for All.” (Editorial, “The Non-Covid Spending Blowout,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/21/2021)

  • “Provisions of the $1.9 trillion bill moving through the House make Affordable Care Act subsidies more generous and available even to the affluent. Buying an ObamaCare policy makes sense if a subsidy shields you from fearsome premiums and out-of-pocket costs; more than 85% of enrollees receive such a subsidy. But those who earn too much to qualify for government subsidies have been fleeing the exchanges. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said last fall that unsubsidized enrollment dropped 45% between 2016 and 2019…. Instead of making the underlying product better or less expensive, Democrats now want to pass more of the cost onto taxpayers. More low-income buyers would pay little to nothing for insurance. Democrats would also remove the income cap for receiving subsidies, which is 400% of the poverty line, and reduce a person’s maximum contribution to 8.5% of income from 10%. The ObamaCare ‘subsidy cliff’ is poor policy that punishes Americans for working and earning more, but now government will spend scarce resources on those who don’t need help…. The supersized subsidies would cost $34 billion over two years but that is merely the beginning…. The more generous subsidies will be captured by insurers, who will continue to raise premiums, and the specter of high costs will push lawmakers to intervene again. Rinse, repeat. Smaller businesses may move their workers onto the exchanges instead of offering their own insurance.” (Editorial, “Supersizing ObamaCare Subsidies,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/24/2021)
  • “The House bill also offers a temporary five-percentage-point increase in federal funding to states that decide to expand Medicaid to childless, prime-age adults above the poverty line. This has nothing to do with Covid relief. Texas, Florida and 10 other states declined to expand Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act, and that decision looks smart in retrospect. States have spent more money on more enrollees, without improving emergency room visit rates or other health outcomes, while burning a hole in state budgets.” (Editorial, “Supersizing ObamaCare Subsidies,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/24/2021)

… An $86 Billion ‘Taxpayer Bailout’ For Failing Union Pension Plans ‘That Has Nothing To Do With The Pandemic’ …

“Tucked inside the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill that cleared the Senate on Saturday is an $86 billion aid package that has nothing to do with the pandemic. Rather, the $86 billion is a taxpayer bailout for about 185 union pension plans...” (“Rescue Package Includes $86 Billion Bailout for Failing Pensions,” The New York Times, 3/07/2021)

  • “Both the House and Senate stimulus measures would give the weakest plans enough money to pay hundreds of thousands of retirees — a number that will grow in the future — their full pensions for the next 30 years. The provision does not require the plans to pay back the bailout, freeze accruals or to end the practices that led to their current distress, which means their troubles could recur. Nor does it explain what will happen when the taxpayer money runs out 30 years from now.” (“Rescue Package Includes $86 Billion Bailout for Failing Pensions,” The New York Times, 3/07/2021)
  • “Using taxpayer dollars to bail out pension plans is almost unheard-of. Previous proposals to rescue the dying multiemployer plans called for the Treasury to make them 30-year loans, not send them no-strings-attached cash. Other efforts have called for the plans to cut some people’s benefits to conserve their dwindling money — such as widow’s pensions, early retirement subsidies and pensions promised by companies that subsequently left their pools. … [T]he bill would not change the funds’ investment strategies, which are widely seen as a cause of their trouble. … In hopes of making up for the low contributions, the plans often invest unduly aggressively for their workers’ advancing age. … The new legislation does nothing to change that dynamic.” (“Rescue Package Includes $86 Billion Bailout for Failing Pensions,” The New York Times, 3/07/2021)

MAYA MacGUINEAS, President of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: “Perhaps most concerning, the House Ways & Means Committee appears to have made space for the pension bailout … These multiemployer pensions have been on shaky ground for some time and ought to be dealt with transparently, where lawmakers can appropriately finance and reform these plans. The financial status of these funds shouldn’t be addressed in a piece of crisis legislation, and certainly not at the cost of benefits for unemployed workers. Frankly, no member of Congress should be willing to defend this.” (“COVID Relief Bill Losing Focus as Details Emerge, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, 2/17/2021)

… And ‘A Policy Revolution’ To Undermine Welfare Reform As We Know It: ‘A Children’s Version Of Social Security’

“Obscured by other parts of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion stimulus package, which won Senate approval on Saturday, the child benefit has the makings of a policy revolution. Though framed in technocratic terms as an expansion of an existing tax credit, it is essentially a guaranteed income for families with children, akin to children’s allowances that are common in other rich countries.” (“In the Stimulus Bill, a Policy Revolution in Aid for Children,” The New York Times, 3/07/2021)

  • “[S]upporters have spent decades developing the case for a children’s income guarantee…. Mr. Biden’s embrace of the subsidies is a leftward shift for a Democratic Party that made deep cuts in cash aid in the 1990s under the theme of ‘ending welfare.’ As a senator, Mr. Biden supported the 1996 welfare restrictions, and as recently as August his campaign was noncommittal about the child benefit.” (“In the Stimulus Bill, a Policy Revolution in Aid for Children,” The New York Times, 3/07/2021)

“The $1.9 trillion Covid stimulus that the House is expected to pass Wednesday includes roughly $100 billion in aid to families with dependent children. If that phrase rings a bell, it’s because ‘Aid to Families with Dependent Children’ was the name of the New Deal-era welfare program eliminated by President Bill Clinton’s 1996 welfare reform bill. Back then, Democrats worried (with some reason) that AFDC enabled, for some families, long-term dependency on welfare. To limit time spent collecting welfare and to move low-income mothers off the dole, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act. Now, a quarter-century later, in the midst of a Covid recession, the Democrats are reviving no-strings financial assistance to families with children.” (“Congress Ends Welfare Reform as We Know It,” Politico Magazine, 3/10/2021)

  • “In one sense, this marks the end of a long arc of ‘new Democratic’ politics spearheaded by Clinton, the president who signed into law both welfare reform and the original, more restrained and respectably bourgeois, version of the child tax credit. In 1992, Clinton got himself elected president in part by pledging he’d ‘end welfare as we know it.’ Government aid, Clinton said, should reward work, not idleness. In 1996, Clinton got himself reelected in part by signing into law the welfare-reform bill, which put strict time limits on cash aid and moved welfare mothers into work. Clinton also expanded the earned income tax credit, an income assistance program available only to low-income people who worked.” (“Congress Ends Welfare Reform as We Know It,” Politico Magazine, 3/10/2021)

 

On His First Day in Office, Biden Cancelled The Keystone XL Pipeline Again, Hurting American Energy Independence, Killing Over 1,000 Jobs, And Frustrating Our Canadian Allies

“President Joe Biden formally announced on [January 20th] he was revoking a key permit for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, the second time a Democratic administration has scuttled the $8 billion project in less than a decade. Biden’s action was part of a series of executive orders on his first day in office …” (“Biden Kills Keystone XL Permit, Again,” Politico, 1/20/2021)

“In an email to staff on Wednesday obtained by POLITICO, Keystone XL chief Richard Prior said the permit denial would force the company to cut more than 1,000 positions. ‘Over 1,000 positions will be eliminated in the coming weeks, the majority of these unionized workers representing the building trades,’ he wrote.” (“Biden Kills Keystone XL Permit, Again,” Politico, 1/20/2021)

Laid-Off Pipeline Workers: ‘They Are Taking My Jobs Away’

“The cancellation of Keystone XL not only ended the billion-dollar pipe dream for the oil industry, but it also resulted in the loss of jobs— and economic opportunities— for thousands of workers. That ripple effect fell on Lynn Allen, who was laid off from the Keystone XL pipeline project following President Biden’s announcement. Allen, a father of three, had been working as a welder for 34 years. ‘I got boys to raise, boys to put through college and, you know what, they are taking my jobs away and I don’t expect the government to pay my way in life,’ Allen told FOX Business.” (“Biden’s Keystone XL Pipeline Cancellation Leaves Laid-Off Workers Begging For Answers: ‘They Are Taking My Jobs Away,’” Fox Business, 2/05/2021)

  • “[Ron] Berringer, 60, is a union steward from Clarinda, Iowa, who has worked on pipelines for decades across seven states — just like his father before him and his three brothers today…. The sense of community, plus good benefits and wages, are what make pipeline work so appealing. Berringer said he’s scheduled to work six days a week, ten hours a day, meaning there’s the constant promise of twenty hours of overtime. He calls it the best job he ever had — his ‘bread and butter.’ Without that financial boost, Berringer says his future looks ‘gloomy.’ He can no longer plan on replacing his pickup truck, which has logged 450,000 miles building pipelines. And he’ll have to reduce the financial help he’s used to sending his two adult daughters. Before the pipeline construction was halted, Berringer said friends inside and outside his union, the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 1140 in Omaha, approached him ‘daily’ to ask about  working on Keystone. He said people were often confused about the pipeline’s fate because construction stopped and started as a result of Obama and Trump executive orders.” (“‘It Makes You Want To Give Up.’ Keystone Workers Feel Left Behind By Biden Executive Orders,” CBS News, 2/04/2021)
  • “To these workers, pipelining is more than a livelihood. As a member of LiUNA Local 620, Tyler Noel, 33, said the bonds he’s forged working on pipelines for thirteen years is ‘the only thing I’ve got right now.’ Noel is based in Aberdeen, South Dakota, but spent the last five and a half months of 2020 working on Keystone, about 215 miles away in Murdo, South Dakota. Pipeline laborers relocate for long periods of time during construction, often living in local motels or hauling their own campers…. Without the promise of Keystone, Noel finds himself at a ‘crossroads.’ Work in Murdo ended in December. He has not received a stimulus check. As a result, Noel has been forced to refinance his truck and knows others who have refinanced their homes…. Noel is worried about the possibility that the Biden administration could revoke other pipeline opportunities, especially since he’ll need to accrue more hours on the job in order to be eligible for his pension. ’Anything that was coming in the next few months was supposed to be Keystone,’ he said. ‘If I hadn’t saved my money through the years I would really be in a bind. But I’d say I’ve got at least three months, then I’m gonna have to do something.’” (“‘It Makes You Want To Give Up.’ Keystone Workers Feel Left Behind By Biden Executive Orders,” CBS News, 2/04/2021)
  • “Climate Envoy John Kerry told reporters that workers in the oil and gas industry ‘can be the people who go to work to make the solar panels.’ But Berringer and Noel aren’t convinced. Both said their best hope is to find work maintaining existing pipelines. Berringer, who is now working at a power plant in Omaha, says he’s worked on wind turbine installation in the past and found the work to be ‘piddly’ and less satisfying because it doesn’t offer the same overtime benefits as pipeline work…. For Noel, the idea of transitioning from his long-practiced trade to a new one is ‘just crazy.’ ‘It’s easy for welders,’ he said. ‘I’m a foreman. My trade is in labor. The money is so much better running a crew. I wouldn’t be anywhere near that doing a wind turbine, which I’ve never done.’” (“‘It Makes You Want To Give Up.’ Keystone Workers Feel Left Behind By Biden Executive Orders,” CBS News, 2/04/2021)

Despite President Biden’s Assurances To Stand ‘Shoulder-To-Shoulder With Our Allies And Key Partners,’ Biden Ignored Pleas ‘From Multiple Canadian Government Officials’ On Keystone XL, With The Alberta Premier Calling The Decision An ‘Insult’

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “As I said in my inaugural address, we will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again … America’s alliances are our greatest asset, and leading with diplomacy means standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies and key partners once again.” (“Remarks by President Biden on America’s Place in the World,” U.S. State Department Headquarters, Washington, DC, 2/04/2021)

“The decision came despite pleas to Biden from multiple Canadian government officials to give them time to make their case for the 1,200-mile pipeline, which they argue has dramatically changed for the better, environmentally, since it was first proposed in 2008.” (“Biden Kills Keystone XL Permit, Again,” Politico, 1/20/2021)

  • “Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said Biden’s decision is a gut punch for his province, which has a stake in the project. ‘It is a insult directed at the United States most important ally and trading partner on day one of a new administration,’ Kenney said. ‘The leader of our closest ally retroactively vetoed approval for a pipeline that exists and which is co-owned by Canadian government, directly attacking by far the largest part of the Canada U.S. trade relationship, which is our energy industry and exports.’” (“Keystone XL Pipeline Halted As Biden Revokes Permit,” The Associated Press, 1/20/2021)

Meanwhile, Gas Prices Rose 9% In March, ‘Part Of A 13.2% Increase In Energy Prices’

“Gasoline prices were the biggest contributor to the monthly gain, surging 9.1% in March and responsible for about half the overall CPI increase. Gasoline is up 22.5% from a year ago, part of a 13.2% increase in energy prices.” (“Consumer Prices Rise More Than Expected, Pushed By 9.1% Jump In Gasoline,” CNBC, 4/13/2021)

“Rising gasoline prices will be another marker of inflation that impacts Americans unevenly. Just like soaring food bills, more expensive fuel hits harder for lower-income families, with the costs making up a larger share of spending.” (“Driving Roars Back in U.S., Setting Up Gasoline for 7-Year High,” Bloomberg News, 4/09/2021)

 

Despite CDC Guidance In January Saying Schools Could Reopen Safely With Precautions, The Biden Administration Refused To Take On Teachers’ Unions Whose Obstinacy Delayed School Reopenings

Less Than A Week Into The Biden Administration, The CDC Released A Study Saying With Care And Proper Precautions Schools Can Reopen Safely

“Schools operating in person have seen scant transmission of the coronavirus, particularly when masks and distancing are employed … researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concluded in papers published Tuesday. The CDC team reviewed data from studies in the United States and abroad and found the experience in schools differed from nursing homes and high-density work sites where rapid spread has occurred. ‘The preponderance of available evidence from the fall school semester has been reassuring,’ wrote three CDC researchers in a viewpoint piece published online Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. ‘There has been little evidence that schools have contributed meaningfully to increased community transmission.’” (“CDC Finds Scant Spread Of Coronavirus In Schools With Precautions In Place,” The Washington Post, 1/26/2021)

  • “‘The conclusion here is with proper prevention efforts . . . we can keep transmission in schools and educational settings quite low,’ said Margaret A. Honein, the lead author of the JAMA report. ‘We didn’t know that at the beginning of the year but the data has really accumulated.’ … Still, Honein said, even in places with high infection rates, there is no evidence that schools will transmit the virus at rates that are any higher than those seen in the general community. She said they can operate safely as long as precautions are employed…. ‘With good prevention, we can safely reopen and keep open more schools,’ said Honein, lead for the CDC State and Local Health Department Covid Task Force.” (“CDC Finds Scant Spread Of Coronavirus In Schools With Precautions In Place,” The Washington Post, 1/26/2021)

Teachers’ Unions Gave Increasingly Outrageous Excuses For Why Schools Could Not Open Yet

“The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that the agency might revise its guidance calling for at least six feet of distancing between students in schools in areas with high coronavirus transmission. But one major stakeholder, the American Federation of Teachers, is staunchly opposed to changing the guidance now and plans to try to persuade the agency not to do so…. In an interview, Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers and a close ally of President Biden, described herself as ‘very concerned’ about the possibility that the agency might change the guidance now. She said that instead of reducing distancing, districts should be finding additional space to accommodate students at six feet of distance.” (“Will Classroom Social Distancing Rules Change?,” The New York Times, 3/17/2021)

OAKLAND, CA: “A group of Oakland teachers protested a plan to bring students back to classrooms starting at the end of the month, calling an agreement between the district and their union ‘reckless and foolish’ unless staff, students and families are vaccinated. The organizers of the Wednesday protest, which included the union reps from individual schools … urged district teachers to vote against the deal, which would have the first students — in preschool through second grade — back in classrooms on March 30 …” (“Defying Union Leaders, Oakland Teachers Group Protests April Schools Reopening,” San Francisco Chronicle, 3/17/2021)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: “[T]he [SFUSD] school board approved plans to begin bringing back in-person learning for preschool through fifth-graders, special education students and vulnerable older groups starting April 12, following months of bitter debate with the teachers union…. [S]ome teachers have been critical of the plan, expressing concerns about proposed schedules that leave little time for planning lessons or bathrooms breaks. The union is organizing a car caravan for Sunday to demand changes to the daily schedule, which is separate from the formal agreement.” (“SFUSD Families And Breed To Protest, Demanding Full Reopening Of Schools For All Students,” San Francisco Chronicle, 3/12/2021)

LOS ANGELES, CA: “California’s largest local teachers union on Monday slammed the state’s new school reopening plan as ‘a recipe for propagating structural racism’ hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers unveiled their compromise proposal. The United Teachers of Los Angeles’ strong condemnation is a bad sign for Newsom and Democrats who spent months working to strike a deal on legislation they believe will spur districts to reopen. Los Angeles Unified is the second largest district in the nation with about 600,000 students — and by far the largest in the state with roughly 10 percent of California’s public schoolchildren.” (“LA Teachers Union Slams California Schools Plan As ‘Propagating Structural Racism,’” Politico, 3/02/2021)

MADISON, WI: “The Madison School District announced a plan Feb. 10 to return elementary students and staff to in-person learning…. A letter from Madison Teachers Inc. discouraged educators from supporting an early return to in-person learning due to low numbers of vaccinated individuals, health disparities and unsafe COVID-19 case numbers in Dane County. In the letter, MTI asked for assurance they would quickly receive COVID-19 vaccinations. They also asked for the district’s explicit reasoning for reopening.” (“Madison School District Proposes Early Return To In-Person Learning, Teachers Union Not Ready,” The Badger Herald, 2/28/2021)

SEATTLE, WA: “Seattle, the state’s largest district, is also one of the last districts in the state to return to in-person learning at any significant scale. The latest negotiations over how and when to expand in-person learning began in January, with union concerns hinging primarily on whether the district has put in place sufficient health and safety precautions, including increased ventilation in classrooms and PPE for staff.” (“Seattle Schools Says Many ‘Essential’ Staff Will Be Called Back To Classrooms In March,” KUOW Seattle, 2/27/2021)

  • “Seattle Public Schools informed hundreds of teachers and other school staff that they may be among those called back to buildings beginning March 8 to teach in-person classes. This is before the district reaches a reopening agreement with Seattle Education Association…. Union leaders called the district’s move a ‘union-busting tactic’ and said it is considering filing an unfair labor practice charge…. The district’s move drew harsh criticism from many union members, including many who were notified Friday that they may be required to return to buildings in just over a week.” (“Seattle Schools Says Many ‘Essential’ Staff Will Be Called Back To Classrooms In March,” KUOW Seattle, 2/27/2021)

But The Biden Administration Refused To Take On The Teachers’ Unions To Get Schools Open Sooner

“President Biden made it clear… that he is not blaming teachers and their unions for schools remaining closed during the coronavirus pandemic, telling reporters at the White House that reopening is ‘complicated’ and that all the teachers he knows want to get back to their classrooms. At a time when the Chicago Teachers Union is refusing an order by district and city officials for educators to return to their classrooms, Biden said that districts should prioritize fixing ventilation systems, securing sufficient personal protective equipment and establishing coronavirus testing systems. … Asked by one reporter how the president defines his message of ‘unity,’ Biden talked about Americans coming together to solve problems, including reopening schools. He said people know ‘we have to do something about figuring out how to get children back in school,’ and he rejected blaming teachers and their unions.” (“Biden: I Don’t Blame Teachers Or Their Unions For Schools Staying Closed,” The Washington Post, 1/25/2021)

“Following weeks of standoff in some cities and states where teachers unions are demanding vaccines as a condition of reopening, the issue came to a head Wednesday when Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said vaccination of teachers ‘is not a prerequisite for safe reopening of schools.’ But in a juggling of positions, the White House declined to back Walensky, saying she was speaking ‘in her personal capacity.’ Asked [February 5th] about her earlier comments, Walensky punted.” (“School Reopening Debate Tests Biden’s Ties With Teachers Unions,” The Associated Press, 2/05/2021)

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD: “Mr. Biden figured that his support for the teachers union agenda, along with more money, would get the unions to reopen the schools. Instead he’s discovering what America’s parents have learned in the last year: Unions run the schools, and no one—not parents, not school districts, not mayors, and not even a new Democratic President—will tell them what to do…. This really is one of the great scandals of the pandemic…. If Mr. Biden really wants to lead, he’d use his bully pulpit to say school districts that don’t reopen classrooms won’t get the money.” (Editorial, “The Teachers Unions Roll Over Biden,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/10/2021)

And Democrats Refused To Condition Extra Money For Schools On Those Schools Returning To In-Person Instruction

ABC NEWS’ JONATHAN KARL: “Does the president support the idea of making that funding in the America Rescue Plan contingent on schools reopening? So a requirement, you receive funding, you bring students back.”

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI: “That’s not a contingency that we’re putting in -- that we’re recommending to go in the bill or in legislation, Jon.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 2/21/2021)

All 50 Senate Democrats voted against the Republican amendment to ensure that school reopening dollars are going to support in-person learning, conditioning funding on schools reopening. (S.Amdt. 1026 to S.Amdt. 891, H.R. 1319, Roll Call Vote #80: Rejected 48-51: D 0-48; R 48-1; I 0-2, 3/06/2021)

And Of Course, 95% Of The Money Allocated For K-12 Schools In Democrats’ Spending Bill Would Not Even Be Distributed This Fiscal Year

CBO: “The legislation would appropriate $170.1 billion for the Department of Education mostly to make grants to states, local education agencies, and postsecondary education institutions, which would result in outlays totaling $170.1 billion over the 2021-2030 period, CBO estimates. The Congress previously provided nearly $31 billion for education stabilization in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, enacted on March 27, 2020, and another $82 billion for this purpose in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, enacted on December 27, 2020. Because most of those funds remain to be spent, CBO anticipates that the bulk of spending of funds provided in the reconciliation recommendations would occur after 2021.” (“Reconciliation Recommendations of the House Committee on Education and Labor,” Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate, 2/15/2021, p. 3)

 

During His First 100 Days, President Biden’s Ideological Decisions Have Caused Chaos On America’s Southern Border And Are Risking Lives And Hard Fought Security Gains In Afghanistan

The Crisis On Our Southern Border Continues To Spiral Out Of Control

HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): “The fact is that we’re on a good path at the border under the leadership of President Biden.” (“Pelosi Blames Trump For Border Crisis, Says US Is Now In A ‘Good Path’ Under Biden’s Leadership,” The Floridian, 4/07/2021)

The 172,321 Illegal Immigrants Taken Into Custody In March Was A Nearly-Two-Decade High, An Increase ‘So Large That It Did Not Fit On The Y-Axis Of The CBP Chart That Tracks Changes In Monthly Enforcement Data’

“During the busiest month along the Mexico border in nearly two decades, U.S. authorities took 172,331 migrants into custody in March, according to enforcement statistics released Thursday that provide a stark measure of the challenges facing the Biden administration. The total included 18,890 teens and children who arrived without parents, a record quantity that overwhelmed U.S. shelter capacity and produced crisis-level crowding inside government border tents. The March statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show the fastest-growing group were members of family units: 52,904 were taken into custody in March, up from 19,246 in February.” (“Border Agents Took 172,331 Into Custody In March, Statistics Show,” The Washington Post, 4/08/2021)

Nearly 19,000 Unaccompanied Children Crossed The Mexican Border In March, ‘The Largest Monthly Number Ever Recorded’

“The U.S. government picked up nearly 19,000 children traveling alone across the Mexican border in March, authorities said Thursday, the largest monthly number ever recorded and a major test for President Joe Biden as he reverses many of his predecessor’s hardline immigration tactics.” (“Number Of Kids Alone At Border Hits All-Time High In March,” The Associated Press, 4/08/2021)

  • “The Border Patrol encountered 18,663 unaccompanied children in March, well above previous highs of 11,475 in May 2019 and 10,620 in June 2014. The agency started publishing the numbers in 2009. Before then, adults made up the vast majority of those crossing the border. March’s count was roughly double those encountered by the Border Patrol in February and more than five times the number in March 2020.” (“Number Of Kids Alone At Border Hits All-Time High In March,” The Associated Press, 4/08/2021)

CNN Headline: “Nearly twice as many unaccompanied migrant children apprehended daily at US-Mexico border as at 2019 peak.” (“Nearly Twice As Many Unaccompanied Migrant Children Apprehended Daily At US-Mexico Border As At 2019 Peak,” CNN, 3/23/2021)

In The Last Two Weeks Alone, The Number Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children Detained At The Southern Border Has Tripled

“The number of unaccompanied migrant children detained along the southern border has tripled in the last two weeks to more than 3,250, filling facilities akin to jails as the Biden administration struggles to find room for them in shelters, according to documents obtained by The New York Times. More than 1,360 of the children have been detained beyond the 72 hours permitted by law before a child must be transferred to a shelter, according to one of the documents, dated March 8.” (“Number of Migrant Children Detained at Border Has Tripled in Two Weeks,” The New York Times, 4/22/2021)

Nearly 1,000 People Per Day Are Sneaking Across The Border Without Being Identified Or Taken Into Custody

“Nearly 1,000 people per day are sneaking into the United States without being identified or taken into custody because U.S. border agents are busy attending to migrant families and unaccompanied children while also trying to stop soaring numbers of male adults, according to three U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials familiar with the data.” (“Border Officials Say More People Are Sneaking Past Them As Crossings Soar And Agents Are Overwhelmed,” The Washington Post, 4/02/2021)

FLASHBACK: Biden During The Primary Campaign: ’I Would In Fact Make Sure… We Immediately Surge To The Border All Those People Are Seeking Asylum,’ ‘You Should Come,’ ‘Come To The United States’

JOE BIDEN: “What I would do as president is several more things because things have changed. I would in fact, make sure that there is we immediately surge to the border all those people are seeking asylum. They deserve to be heard. That’s who we are. We are a nation that says if you want to flee and you’re fleeing oppression you should come.” (ABC News Democratic Presidential Debate, 9/12/2019)

JOE BIDEN: “All of the bad things are coming through ports of entry right now. We don’t need a wall and by the way I would immediately as president surge to the border. I would end this notion for the first time in history the people seeking asylum have to be in squalor on the other side of the river and--and desperate situation. They should be-- be-- come to the United States and have a judgment made as to whether or not they qualify. I would also surge to the border immigration judges to make--make decisions immediately and no one, no one would be put in jail while waiting for their hearing.” (CNN and Univision Democratic Presidential Debate, 3/15/2020)

‘And Those Who Come Seeking Asylum, We Should Immediately Have The Capacity To Absorb Them’

JOE BIDEN: “But the fact is that, look, we should not be locking people up. We should be making sure we change the circumstance, as we did, why they would leave in the first place. And those who come seeking asylum, we should immediately have the capacity to absorb them, keep them safe until they can be heard.” (NBC News Democratic Presidential Debate, 6/27/2019)

‘One Clear Message Has Resonated With Migrants’: ‘The Messages From Friends, Neighbors And Family Saying Now Is The Time To Come’

“In the meantime, one clear message has resonated with migrants. The week after Rice’s border visit, [Rep. Henry] Cuellar [D-TX] visited a detention facility for migrant children in Carrizo Springs, Tex. Cuellar said he asked 16- and 17-year-olds whether they had heard Biden when he said not to come to the United States. The teenagers looked at each other and said no, he recalled. Okay, Cuellar pressed, what about the messages from friends, neighbors and family saying now is the time to come — were they hearing those? ‘They all raised their hands and said yes,’ Cuellar recalled. ‘They said, “We see this on TV. We see images of people coming across. . . . We see people coming across, so we’re going to do the same thing.”‘ ’This,’ the migrants told him, ‘is our opportunity to do this.’” (“‘No End In Sight’: Inside The Biden Administration’s Failure To Contain The Border Surge,” The Washington Post, 3/20/2021)

 

President Biden’s Decision To Abandon Afghanistan Regardless Of Conditions On The Ground Will Leave Americans, American Interests, And American Allies Less Secure: ‘The Likely Result Is Disaster’

THE WASHINGTON POST EDITORIAL BOARD: “Biden takes the easy way out of Afghanistan. The likely result is disaster.” (Editorial, The Washington Post, 4/23/2021)

  • “After a brief and seemingly halfhearted effort at diplomacy, Mr. Biden has decided on unconditional withdrawal, a step that may spare the United States further costs and lives but will almost certainly be a disaster for the country’s 39 million people — and, in particular, its women. It could lead to the reversal of the political, economic and social progress for which the United States fought for two decades … And, according to the U.S. intelligence community and a study commissioned by Congress, it could allow al-Qaeda to restore its base in Afghanistan, from which it launched the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001…. At a minimum, it will mean an abandonment of those Afghans who believed in building a democracy that guaranteed basic human rights — and the nullification of the sacrifices of the American servicemen who were killed or wounded in that mission. Mr. Biden has chosen the easy way out of Afghanistan, but the consequences are likely to be ugly.” (Editorial, “Biden Takes The Easy Way Out Of Afghanistan. The Likely Result Is Disaster.,” The Washington Post, 4/23/2021)

‘Biden Rejected Generals’ Views’ In His Rush To Exit Afghanistan

THE NEW YORK TIMES: “Debating Exit From Afghanistan, Biden Rejected Generals’ Views … The current military leadership hoped it, too, could convince a new president to maintain at least a modest troop presence, trying to talk Mr. Biden into keeping a residual force and setting conditions on any withdrawal. But Mr. Biden refused to be persuaded…. There would be no conditions put on the withdrawal, Mr. Biden told the men, cutting off the last thread … and that [Secretary of Defense Lloyd] Austin and [chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] General [Mark] Milley hoped could stave off a full drawdown. They were told, Zero meant zero.” (“Debating Exit From Afghanistan, Biden Rejected Generals’ Views,” The New York Times, 4/17/2021)

  • “The Pentagon’s behind-the-scenes effort got a lift from a congressionally appointed panel led by a friend of all four men: Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., a retired four-star Marine general who was also a former top commander in Afghanistan and past chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On Feb. 3, it recommended that the Biden administration should abandon the May 1 exit deadline negotiated with the Taliban and instead reduce American forces further only as security conditions improved. The report by the Afghanistan Study Group, a bipartisan panel examining the peace deal reached in February 2020 under the Trump administration, found that withdrawing troops based on a strict timeline, rather than how well the Taliban adhered to the agreement to reduce violence and improve security, risked the stability of the country and a potential civil war once international forces left.” (“Debating Exit From Afghanistan, Biden Rejected Generals’ Views,” The New York Times, 4/17/2021)

‘We’ve Seen This Movie Before’: Some Administration Officials Worry Abandoning Afghanistan Will Lead To A Repeat In Kabul Of What Happened In Saigon In 1975

“For Mr. Biden, the specter of helicopters evacuating the stranded, as happened in Vietnam in 1975, or American hostages being executed by Islamist militants clad in black, as happened in Syria in 2014, looms large. ‘We’ve seen this movie before,’ Mr. Austin warned the president during one of several meetings at the White House before Mr. Biden made his decision…. There was another worry circulating in the White House, the Pentagon and intelligence agencies. They feared that once the United States left, it was only a matter of time — maybe months, maybe years — until Kabul fell. The discussion, one participant said, reminded him of accounts he had read of the decision-making over troops exiting Vietnam in 1973. Then, the Nixon administration was seeking a ‘decent interval,’ to use the phrase at the time, before the fall of the Saigon government. It turned out the interval was a little more than two years, before people were evacuated from a rooftop 46 years ago, captured in a photograph that came to symbolize the failure.” (“Debating Exit From Afghanistan, Biden Rejected Generals’ Views,” The New York Times, 4/17/2021)

Even The Biden Administration’s Own National Security Officials Admit ‘Our Ability To Collect Intelligence … Will Diminish’ And There Is ‘Significant Risk’ Of A Resurgence Of Terrorist Groups Following A U.S. Troop Withdrawal

“CIA Director William Burns told lawmakers [April 14th] that the departure of American troops from Afghanistan will leave a ‘significant risk’ of terrorism resurgence in the region -- a sobering assessment from the spy chief just hours before President Joe Biden planned to formally announce his commitment to remove U.S. forces from the war-torn country by September. ‘Our ability to keep that threat in Afghanistan in check … has benefitted greatly from the presence of U.S. and coalition militaries on the ground,’ Burns said at the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual Worldwide Threats hearing. ‘When the time comes for the U.S. military to withdraw, the U.S. government’s ability to collect and act on threats will diminish,’ he continued. ‘That is simply a fact.’” (“US Troop Withdrawal Invites ‘Significant Risk’ Of Terrorism Resurgence In Afghanistan, CIA Director Warns,” ABC News, 4/14/2021)

  • “The plan to pull troops from Afghanistan could give terrorist groups like al-Qaida and Islamic State a chance to regenerate the capabilities they would need to carry out an attack against the United States, according to top U.S. intelligence officials. Their warning … touches on the deep-rooted concerns many current and former U.S. officials have voiced about pulling 2,500 to 3,500 troops from Afghanistan, along with thousands of trainers and contractors…. ‘There is a significant risk once the U.S. military and the coalition militaries withdraw,’ Bill Burns, recently confirmed director of the CIA, told lawmakers [April 14th] … cautioning that al-Qaida and IS in Afghanistan ‘remain intent on recovering the ability to attack U.S. targets, whether it’s in the region, in the West or ultimately in the homeland.’” (“Afghanistan Withdrawal Could Pose ‘Significant Risk’ to US, Intelligence Officials Say,” Voice of America News, 4/14/2021)

CNN’S JOHN BERMAN: “So, the CIA director, William Burns, just testified, one of the concerns has been that if U.S. military presence goes away in Afghanistan, it could create a situation where terrorists could get a toehold again. And he testified yesterday saying his exact words. When the time comes for the U.S. military to withdraw the U.S. government’s ability to collect and act on threats will diminish. That’s simply a fact, says William Burns. Any reason to think that’s not simply a fact?”
NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR JAKE SULLIVAN: “It is simply a fact that our ability to deal with the threat on the ground will change when there aren’t U.S. forces and coalition forces there. But we believe that our posture in the region will remain at a level where we can suppress the terrorist threat in Afghanistan. …”
BERMAN: “He just says -- you don’t dispute that it’s a fact -- the CIA director says the fact that the capabilities will diminish. Change is one thing. Diminish is another. You agree it’s a fact they will diminish?
SULLIVAN: “What I’m saying is our ability to protect the American homeland, in my view, will not diminish. Our ability to collect intelligence on a day-to-day basis against the comings and goings of actors within Afghanistan will diminish. That’s a big difference.” (CNN, 4/15/2021)

Military Commanders Agree It Would Become ‘“Extremely Difficult” For The United States To Watch And Counter Terrorist Threats’ And That ‘The Intelligence Will Decline’

“The top American commander in the Middle East said on Tuesday that it would be ‘extremely difficult’ for the United States to watch and counter terrorist threats in Afghanistan like Al Qaeda after American troops leave the country by Sept. 11. The head of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., offered the first extensive comments by a top commander about the effect of President Biden’s decision to withdraw more than 2,500 American troops from Afghanistan. Mr. Biden rejected the advice of top Pentagon and military advisers to keep a small force in place. Among the major challenges once troops have left will be how to track and potentially attack militant groups in Afghanistan, a landlocked nation far from any major American base…. ‘The intelligence will decline,” General McKenzie said, ‘but we’re going to be able to continue to look into Afghanistan.’” (“General Warns of Challenges to Tracking Terrorist Threats in Afghanistan After U.S. Exits,” The New York Times, 4/20/2021)

Meanwhile, ‘Afghan Women Fear the Worst’

“Afghan Women Fear the Worst, Whether War or Peace Lies Ahead … Fear — even more potent than in years past — is gripping Afghans now that U.S. and NATO forces will depart the country in the coming months. They will leave behind a publicly triumphant Taliban, who many expect will seize more territory and reinstitute many of the same oppressive rules they enforced under their regime in the 1990s. The New York Times spoke to many Afghan women — members of civil society, politicians, journalists and others — about what comes next in their country, and they all said the same thing: Whatever happens will not bode well for them.” (“Afghan Women Fear the Worst, Whether War or Peace Lies Ahead,” The New York Times, 4/18/2021)

  • “Whether the Taliban take back power by force or through a political agreement with the Afghan government, their influence will almost inevitably grow. In a country in which an end to nearly 40 years of conflict is nowhere in sight, many Afghans talk of an approaching civil war…. ‘When the Taliban governed Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, it barred women and girls from taking most jobs or going to school, and practically made them prisoners in their own homes.’” (“Afghan Women Fear the Worst, Whether War or Peace Lies Ahead,” The New York Times, 4/18/2021)

“Over two decades, the United States spent more than $780 million to promote women’s rights in Afghanistan. The result is a generation who came of age in a period of hope for women’s equality. Though progress has been uneven, girls and women now make up about 40 percent of students. They have joined the military and police, held political office, become internationally recognized singers, competed in the Olympics and on robotics teams, climbed mountains and more — all things that were nearly impossible at the turn of the century.” (“Afghan Women Fear the Worst, Whether War or Peace Lies Ahead,” The New York Times, 4/18/2021)

And Afghanis Who Risked Their Safety To Aid American Forces Fear For Their Lives As They Wait For Visas

“Khan’s family is under threat, he’s no longer going to his job site, and he’s swapping sleeping schedules with his pregnant wife to keep watch. That is the new reality sinking in for Afghans working for the United States in Afghanistan who may be Taliban targets once the US military withdraws. There are about 18,000 people who have applied for special immigrant visas to the US who are still awaiting approval, according to a State Department official. But how quickly they can move through the red tape built into the program is unclear, given thorough and years-long vetting that often takes place before a visa is granted. For many, that time could be a matter of life and death.” (“‘I Stay Up Nights’: Afghans Working For US Worry About Their Future After Biden Withdrawal Announcement,” CNN, 4/21/2021)

“‘We’re expecting the security situation to rapidly deteriorate for anyone who’s seen as opposing the Taliban. That will certainly include translators and other employees of the US government,’ said Betsy Fisher, director of strategy at International Refugee Assistance Project.” (“‘I Stay Up Nights’: Afghans Working For US Worry About Their Future After Biden Withdrawal Announcement,” CNN, 4/21/2021)

“The US diplomatic mission in Afghanistan would be impossible without the local partners and translators, US diplomats say. ‘They are our eyes and ears. They have all the contacts we benefit from. They set up meetings and they know the power brokers,’ explained one US diplomat who recently served in Afghanistan. ‘They are also our continuity because the turnover of US diplomats every year is about 90 percent.’ Many of the translators have family members they are also worried about, US diplomats told CNN. It is the fear for their family that has led some of them to finally apply to a program they hoped they would never have to use. ‘These are resilient and determined people. They thought peace was coming so they did not think they would have to go to the US. Now with the Taliban’s possible return they have no other option,’ said a second US diplomat.” (“‘I Stay Up Nights’: Afghans Working For US Worry About Their Future After Biden Withdrawal Announcement,” CNN, 4/21/2021)

  • “The visa program, established in 2009, is intended for Afghan citizens, along with their spouses and unmarried children under 21, who work for the US government in Afghanistan…. Thousands of Afghans, including interpreters for the US military and contractors, have moved to the United States via the visa. The average time to process the visas is an arduous and lengthy process; in recent years the processing for each approved applicant has taken more than 500 days, according to State Department data reviewed by CNN.” (“‘I Stay Up Nights’: Afghans Working For US Worry About Their Future After Biden Withdrawal Announcement,” CNN, 4/21/2021)

“Retired US Army Gen. David Petraeus, who previously oversaw military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and former US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker sent a letter to [Secretary of State Antony] Blinken on Monday pushing for the Biden administration to ‘drastically accelerate’ issuing visas for more Iraqi and Afghan interpreters and others who assisted US service members. ‘Our troops are coming home with the honor they deserve, but if we leave behind to die those who facilitated our mission, our nation’s honor will be indelibly stained,’ they wrote in the letter, obtained by CNN.” (“‘I Stay Up Nights’: Afghans Working For US Worry About Their Future After Biden Withdrawal Announcement,” CNN, 4/21/2021)

 

And President Biden’s Ideological Proposals For The Next 100 Days Are More Left-Wing Taxing And Spending

President Biden’s Infrastructure Proposal Isn’t Focused On Either Infrastructure Or Job Creation, But Is Instead Suffused With ‘The DNA Of The Green New Deal’

Only About 5 Percent Of Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Plan Is Spent On Roads And Bridges…

“Many economic experts agree that significant investments in roads, bridges and other infrastructure is necessary for the country’s long-term health, and spending when interest rates are this low is a wise idea. But some were surprised to see that only about 5 percent of the bill is directed toward roads and bridges, and they question why the administration is mixing other types of policies into a bill designed to upgrade the nation’s infrastructure.” (“Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Faces Controversy Over Price Tag And Design,” The Washington Post, 3/31/2021)

“The plan would invest $115 billion to revamp highways and roads, including 10 major and 10,000 smaller bridges in need of reconstruction.” (“What’s In Biden’s $2 Trillion Jobs And Infrastructure Plan?,” The Washington Post, 3/31/2021)

…And More Is Spent On Electric Vehicles Than On America’s Roads, Bridges, Ports, Airports, And Waterways Combined

“It establishes $174 billion in grant and incentive programs for state and local governments and the private sector to build a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers by 2030.” (“What’s In Biden’s $2 Trillion Jobs And Infrastructure Plan?,” The Washington Post, 3/31/2021)

“The plan would invest $115 billion to revamp highways and roads, including 10 major and 10,000 smaller bridges in need of reconstruction. … The plan invests $25 billion in airports, including programs to renovate terminals and expand car-free access to air travel. Biden is also pitching $17 billion for inland waterways, coastal ports, land ports of entry, and ferries to invest in the nation’s freight system.” (“What’s In Biden’s $2 Trillion Jobs And Infrastructure Plan?,” The Washington Post, 3/31/2021)

‘Nearly 20 Percent Of The Bill Goes Toward Expanding Caregiving… And Another 13 Percent Goes Toward Boosting The U.S. Manufacturing Sector… Those Investments Aren’t Typically Seen As Traditional Infrastructure’

“For example, nearly 20 percent of the bill goes toward expanding caregiving for the elderly and disabled by building more care centers and expanding access to home-based care, and another 13 percent goes toward boosting the U.S. manufacturing sector with large investments in semiconductors and green energy. Those investments aren’t typically seen as traditional infrastructure but align with the administration’s focus on caregiving and reviving U.S. manufacturing.” (“Biden’s Infrastructure Plan Faces Controversy Over Price Tag And Design,” The Washington Post, 3/31/2021)

The Biden White House Proposal Is Stuffed With All Kinds Of Spending And Policies That Have Little To Nothing To Do With Infrastructure From Climate Mandates To Home Care And Medicaid To Union Giveaways

“Biden’s plan also includes measures unrelated to either infrastructure or the climate, such as an approximately $400 billion investment in home-based care for the elderly and disabled that was a top demand of some union groups. Additionally, the plan calls for passage of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a bill aimed at significantly strengthening workers’ rights to organize.” (“White House Unveils $2 Trillion Infrastructure And Climate Plan, Setting Up Giant Battle Over Size And Cost Of Government,” The Washington Post, 04/01/2021)

Biden ‘Declar[ed] It A Pillar Of His Plan To Address Climate Change,’ And Stuffed A Plan To Kill Affordable Coal And Natural Gas Power Generation Into ‘The Sprawling Infrastructure Proposal’

“President Biden confronted Republican hostility toward his $2.3 trillion infrastructure package yesterday by declaring it a pillar of his plan to address climate change. ‘Investing in clean energy to fight the effects of climate change is part of infrastructure,’ Biden said in remarks aimed at pressuring political opponents to support his so-called American Jobs Plan. His comments dovetailed with indications from White House advisers that the sprawling infrastructure proposal could be used as a cornerstone of the administration’s 2030 climate goals, which are widely expected by outside observers to seek a roughly 50% reduction in carbon emissions.” (“Biden Says Infrastructure Is the Pillar of His Climate Plan,” E&E News, 4/08/2021)

Also Included Is A Whopping $400 Billion To Expand Medicaid Into Long-Term And Home Health Care Services

“President Joe Biden is proposing a major expansion of the government’s role in long-term care, but questions are being raised over his using the low-income Medicaid program and piggybacking the whole idea on an infrastructure bill. The White House infrastructure package includes $400 billion to accelerate a shift from institutional care to home and community services through the federal-state Medicaid program. The size of the financial commitment — about 17% of the $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal — leaves no doubt that Biden intends to put his mark on long-term care.” (“Biden’s Ambitious Expansion Of Long-Term Care Sparks Debate,” ABC News, 4/09/2021)

Even More Outrageous Is The Inclusion Of A Giveaway To Big Labor Unions That ‘Would Impose Sweeping Changes To Labor Laws That Have Little To Do With The President’s Spending Plan’

“President Biden has called on Congress to pass the most significant changes to labor laws in decades as part of his $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal. But getting that pro-union proposal through Congress could be a high hurdle for Democrats... Progressives, labor unions and the business community are squaring off over the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. The bill would make it easier for gig workers and other independent contractors to unionize and set an enforceable timeline for union-employer negotiations to commence. It would also undercut states’ ‘right to work’ laws by allowing unions to collect dues from workers who opted out.” (“Democrats Tie Infrastructure Package to Unionization Push,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/11/2021)

  • “If passed as is, the PRO Act ‘would end flexible and independent earning opportunities for millions of app-based workers overnight,’ said Whitney Mitchell Brennan, a spokeswoman for the App-Based Work Alliance, which represents Uber, Lyft and food-delivery services such as Postmates. The Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, which includes the Chamber of Commerce and the National Small Business Association, said it is planning a multimillion-dollar campaign against the legislation, which the group says would be detrimental to business if passed.” (“Democrats Tie Infrastructure Package to Unionization Push,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/11/2021)

Key Biden Administration Officials Keep Saying That The ‘Idea Of Infrastructure’ ‘Should Evolve’ And ‘Expand The Horizon’

PRESIDENT BIDEN: “The idea of infrastructure has always evolved to meet the aspirations of the American people and their needs, and it’s evolving again today.” (Remarks by President Biden on the American Jobs Plan, Washington, DC, 4/07/2021)

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI: “Our view — [the president’s] view is we don’t just fix what is broken today, we build for tomorrow.  And his idea of infrastructure is evolving — is that it should evolve to address the needs of the American people.” (White House Press Briefing, 4/07/2021)

SECRETARY OF ENERGY JENNIFER GRANHOLM: “I mean, what is infrastructure? … You need to make sure that people can actually go to work if they have an aging parent or a child. This is -- as the president said this week, that infrastructure evolves to meet the American people’s aspirations. And it’s not static…. We don’t want to use past definitions of infrastructure, when we are moving into the future …” (ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” 4/11/2021)

SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION PETE BUTTIGIEG: “As the Secretary of Transportation, I’m especially enthusiastic about what it means for roads, bridges, ports, waterways, airports, rail and--and transit, but I think it would be a terrible mistake for us to suppose that that’s all there is to infrastructure. Much has been said about the term traditional infrastructure, but America’s greatest tradition of visionary infrastructure investments has always included decisions that expand the horizon.” (U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 4/20/2021)

SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT MARCIA FUDGE: “The plan lays the foundation for decades of economic growth and reflects what I believe are fundamental truths that the definition of infrastructure has evolved and that indeed housing is infrastructure. … To put it simply, the American Jobs Plan advances physical infrastructure that lays the foundation for human infrastructure. Our country cannot afford to look backward at what we once viewed as the definition of infrastructure. The future of our great nation rests on the decisions we make today.” (U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 4/20/2021)

NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL DIRECTOR BRIAN DEESE: “Well, look, I think we really need to update what we mean by infrastructure in the 21st Century… We believe that the infrastructure of our care economy is something we have to take very seriously. If anybody out there, many of your viewers who are parents, who are taking care of an elderly parent or an adult child with disabilities, they know that if you don’t have an infrastructure of care to support your loved ones, you can’t effectively work. You can’t effectively interact in the 21st Century economy. So, I think investing in the infrastructure of care.” (Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday,” 4/04/2021)

Green New Deal Sponsors Proclaim ‘That’s The DNA Of The Green New Deal’ In Biden Infrastructure Proposals, ‘It’s A Way Of Accomplishing Many Of The Goals Of The Green New Deal’

SEN. ED MARKEY (D-MA), Green New Deal Sponsor: “The Biden Administration is including climate action, environmental justice, and the care economy in its recovery plans. That’s the DNA of the Green New Deal that we introduced.” (Sen. Markey, Press Conference, 4/20/2021)

THE NEW YORK TIMES: “[President Biden’s] advisers are preparing a set of proposals intended to reshape the U.S. economy and other parts of American life…. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told The Times’s Lisa Friedman that she was encouraged by what she had heard about the infrastructure policies and likened them to her Green New Deal plan.” (“Biden’s Big Plan,” The New York Times, 3/23/2021)

  • REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY), Green New Deal Sponsor: “One of the big goals we had when we introduced the Green New Deal was to show how people thought about climate change from being a billion dollar problem to a trillion-dollar opportunity…. This infrastructure package generally seems to be shaping up in that kind of framework.” (“Biden’s Big Plan,” The New York Times, 3/23/2021)

SEN. SHELDON WHITEHOUSE (D-RI): “The Biden administration will seek big climate elements in the infrastructure bill, to the point where it might even be called a climate infrastructure bill.” (“Markey And Progressive Democrats See Infrastructure Bill As A Way To Accomplish Green New Deal Goals,” The Boston Globe, 3/28/2021)

SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION PETE BUTTIGIEG: “I’ve heard it said that the American Jobs Plan should be about roads and bridges but should not address climate change…. The truth is that every infrastructure decision is already, inevitably, a climate decision as well. Our choices on roads, bridges and other infrastructure must recognize and reduce the very real threat that climate change poses to American lives and livelihoods.” (U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing, 4/20/2021)

After Slipping Stealth Tax Increases Into The Partisan Stimulus Bill, President Biden Is Now Demanding ‘The Largest Tax Hike In Generations’

Democrats Slipped Three Tax Increases, Worth $60 Billion, In Their Stimulus Bill

“Democrats are getting an early start on their tax-increase agenda. They’ve tucked a trio of little-noticed tax hikes on the wealthy and big corporations into their coronavirus relief package that together are worth $60 billion. One takes away deductions for publicly traded companies that pay top employees more than $1 million. Another provision cracks down on how multinational corporations do their taxes. A third targets how owners of unincorporated businesses account for their losses. It’s surprising because Democrats were widely expected to put off their tax-increase plans until later.” (“A $60 Billion Surprise In The Covid Relief Bill: Tax Hikes,” Politico, 3/10/2021)

Biden Is Seeking ‘The Largest Tax Hike In Generations’ To Pay For Eight Years Of Spending With 15 Years Of Higher Taxes

“The $2.25 trillion, eight-year proposal is a follow-up to the $1.9 trillion economic relief bill passed earlier this month. To cover the costs, Biden wants to raise corporate taxes to 28% from 21%. The plan also seeks a minimum tax on profits U.S. corporations earn overseas, increasing the rate to 21% from roughly 13%.” (“What’s In Biden’s $2.25 Trillion Infrastructure And Tax Proposal,” Bloomberg, 3/31/2021)

“President Biden intends to pay for the $2 trillion package of infrastructure spending he will propose on Wednesday with a substantial increase in corporate taxes, people briefed on the plan said Tuesday. The scale of the infrastructure program… is so big that it will require 15 years of higher taxes on corporations to pay for eight years of spending, they said.” (“Biden Wants to Pay for Infrastructure Plan With 15 Years of Corporate Taxes,” The New York Times, 3/30/2021)

“Biden is planning to offer what would amount to the biggest set of tax increases since 1993 to help pay for infrastructure...” (“Ex-Pence Aide Helps Lead GOP Assault Against Biden Tax Increases,” Bloomberg, 3/30/2021)

“But it also sets up the administration for an enormous political challenge in convincing Congress to pass a package of tax increases on wealthy Americans and companies that together would represent the largest tax hike in generations.” (“White House Dramatically Increased Tax Proposal As It Sought To Address Tensions Over Next Big Spending Plan,” The Washington Post, 3/29/2021)

The Chamber Of Commerce: ‘We Strongly Oppose The General Tax Increases Proposed By The Administration Which Will Slow The Economic Recovery And Make The U.S. Less Competitive Globally’

U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE’S NEIL BRADLEY, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer: “We need a big and bold program to modernize our nation’s crumbling infrastructure and we applaud the Biden administration for making infrastructure a top priority. However, we believe the proposal is dangerously misguided when it comes to how to pay for infrastructure. Properly done, a major investment in infrastructure today is an investment in the future, and like a new home, should be paid for over time – say 30 years -- by the users who benefit from the investment. We strongly oppose the general tax increases proposed by the administration which will slow the economic recovery and make the U.S. less competitive globally – the exact opposite of the goals of the infrastructure plan.” (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Press Release, 3/31/2021)

President Biden Is Reportedly Proposing To ‘Almost Doubl[e] The Capital Gains Tax Rate’ And Raise The Top Marginal Income Tax Rate For Certain Individuals

“President Joe Biden will propose almost doubling the capital gains tax rate for wealthy individuals to 39.6% to help pay for a raft of social spending… For those earning $1 million or more, the new top rate, coupled with an existing surtax on investment income, means that federal tax rates for wealthy investors could be as high as 43.4%. The new marginal 39.6% rate would be an increase from the current base rate of 20%, the people said on the condition of anonymity because the plan is not yet public. A 3.8% tax on investment income that funds Obamacare would be kept in place, pushing the tax rate on returns on financial assets higher than rates on some wage and salary income, they said.” (“Biden Eyeing Tax Rate as High as 43.4% in Next Economic Package,” Bloomberg, 4/22/2021)

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD: “If you need more evidence that ideology more than common sense is driving the Biden Presidency, look no further than its trial balloon to raise the top tax rate on capital gains to 43.4%. It’s the dumbest way to raise taxes for many reasons, not least because it will cost the government revenue. … The last resort of progressives is that raising the capital-gains tax will raise revenue. They are wrong on that too. As former Federal Reserve Governor Larry Lindsey explains nearby, a 43.4% federal rate will cost the government money. The Congressional Budget Office says the revenue-maximizing rate for capital gains is about 28%. Other economists say it’s lower, and many think the ideal rate is zero. No one outside the fever swamps thinks it is more than 40%, much less the 55% or more that would apply in high-tax states if the Biden proposal becomes law. … So why raise a tax rate that would reduce investment, reduce wage growth and reduce revenue for the government? Temporary economic insanity is one possible explanation. Mr. Lindsey suggests another: punishment for its own sake. Without a rational basis for the tax increase, this sounds right.” (Editorial, “The Dumbest Tax Increase,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/25/2021)

At The Same Time, President Biden Has Proposed A Budget That Would Cut Defense Spending When Adjusted For Inflation At A Time When It’s Essential To Keep Up With Rival Nations That Are Arming Up

‘President Biden’s Budget Proposal Includes Record Spending For Nearly Every Corner Of Government, But There’s One Big Exception: National Defense’

“President Joe Biden plans to request $715 billion for his first Pentagon budget … The $715 billion for the Defense Department is 1.6% higher than the $704 billion enacted for this year, but it would amount to a decrease of about 0.4% in real terms adjusted for inflation…. Republican senators who play prominent roles on defense, led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, condemned the planned Defense Department spending as an effective cut because it fails to keep up with inflation.” (“Biden’s $715 Billion Pentagon Plan Stirs Debate Over Size, Focus,” Bloomberg News, 4/08/2021)

“Biden’s 1st Budget Request Sidelines Defense Spending in Favor of Massive Domestic Investments” (Military.com, 4/09/2021)

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL EDITORIAL BOARD: “President Biden’s budget proposal includes record spending for nearly every corner of government, but there’s one big exception: national defense. Even as global threats rise, notably from China, Mr. Biden is squeezing the Pentagon. Few in the media have noticed, but the White House is proposing a fiscal 2022 Pentagon budget of $715 billion. That’s a 1.6% increase from 2021’s $704 billion, but it’s a cut in the military’s spending power assuming likely inflation of more than 2%. Non-defense domestic discretionary spending will surge 16%, with the Education Department rising 41%, Health and Human Services 23% and the Environmental Protection Agency 21%.” (Editorial, “Biden’s Defense Budget Squeeze,” The Wall Street Journal, 04/18/2021)

  • “The U.S. hasn’t spent less than 3% of its economic output on defense since before the September 11 attacks. But in the 1990s the U.S. military did not face peer competitors. Now the U.S. national defense strategy rightly sees an era of resurgent great power competition, but without the resources to meet the challenge. This mismatch increases the risk of miscalculation and war, as China seeks regional military dominance. Russia, Iran and lesser powers like North Korea also threaten allies and the U.S. homeland with missiles and cyber hacking.” (Editorial, “Biden’s Defense Budget Squeeze,” The Wall Street Journal, 04/18/2021)

‘There Must Be Greater Urgency And Seriousness In Funding National Defense’

U.S. STRATEGIC COMMAND COMMANDER ADMIRAL CHARLES A. RICHARD: “We’re at a point where end-of-life limitations and cumulative effects of underinvestment in our nuclear deterrent and supporting infrastructure against the expanding threat leave me no operational margin. The nation simply cannot attempt to indefinitely life-extend leftover Cold War weapon systems and successfully carry out the assigned strategy. They’re at risk of losing credibility in the eyes of our adversaries and if they continue to work at all, they will likely not be able to pace the threat that they’re intended to deter.” (U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing, 4/20/2021)

BIPARTISAN NATIONAL DEFENSE STRATEGY COMMISSION: “Without additional resources, and without greater stability and predictability in how those resources are provided, the Department will be unable to fulfill the ambition of the [National Defense Strategy] or create and preserve U.S. military advantages in the years to come. There must be greater urgency and seriousness in funding national defense. In accordance with the testimony of [Former Defense] Secretary [James] Mattis and [former] Chairman [of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph] Dunford in 2017, this Commission recommends that Congress increase the base defense budget at an average rate of three to five percent above inflation through the Future Years Defense Program and perhaps beyond.” (“Providing For The Common Defense: The Assessment and Recommendations of the National Defense Strategy Commission,” Commission on the National Defense Strategy for the United States, 11/2018)

Meanwhile, China Continues To Increase Its Military Spending

“China projected defense spending growth of 6.8% this year, the largest gain since 2019, amid tensions with the U.S. and key neighbors. Military expenditure is expected to climb to 1.35 trillion yuan ($208 billion) in the coming year, the Ministry of Finance said Friday. The figure, released at the start of the annual National People’s Congress meeting in Beijing, compares with a projected rise of 1.8% in budgeted fiscal spending.” (“China’s Defense Budget Climbs 6.8% as Economy Recovers,” Bloomberg, 3/04/2021)

“China’s defense spending has seen a nearly seven-fold increase over the past two decades, jumping from $39.6 billion in 1999 to $266.4 billion in 2019. China currently spends more on defense than Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam combined, and China’s military spending is second only to the United States.” (“What Does China Really Spend on its Military?,” China Power, CSIS, 3/08/2021)

 

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