House Republicans’ campaign arm launched new ads on Monday that hit 17 vulnerable Democrats with President Biden’s tax hike plans, attempting to further drive the wedge between moderates and progressives that threatens to derail Democrats’ massive spending bills.
The TV spots are airing while Democrats are under the gun this week to pass two bills crucial to Mr. Biden‘s agenda, a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package and a $3.5 trillion expansion of the social safety net.
The ad hits the 17 incumbents with the same message, opens with a voiceover referencing Mr. Biden‘s remarks about taxes.
“Sometimes even politicians tell the truth,” the narrator says. The next cut in the ad is of Mr. Biden on the stump saying to supporters, “Guess what, if you’re like me, your taxes are going to be raised, not cut.”
The ad targeting Rep. Cindy Axne of Iowa ends with the narrator saying, “Prices are going up. Paychecks are going down. Now, Biden, [Nancy] Pelosi and Cindy Axne are going to make things worse with the biggest tax hike in decades, crushing small businesses and hurting middle-class families. Tell Cindy Axne we can’t afford this.”
The intraparty fighting has stalled the passage of both spending measures. While progressives refuse to support the infrastructure bill without it being tacked on to the $3.5 trillion social welfare package, more moderate Democrats such as those vulnerable incumbents from swing districts want to vote for a stand-alone infrastructure bill first.
The bigger bill is a tough vote for the moderates, who face punishment from voters for supporting huge spending and higher taxes, despite Mr. Biden‘s assurance that only corporations and the wealthy will pay more taxes.
To offset the cost of Mr. Biden‘s $3.5 trillion social welfare package, House Democrats want to hike the corporate tax rate 26.5%, while increasing the top rate for individuals to 39.6%.
The proposal raises the top capital gains rate from 23.8% to 28.8 percent as well as taxing capital gains upon the death of a family relative.
“House Democrats are helping Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi pass the biggest tax hike in decades. With costs already through the roof, the last thing middle-class Americans need is the government taking more money from their paychecks. Voters will hold every Democrat who votes for this reckless tax and spending spree accountable,” said Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee that launched the ads.
Democratic lawmakers also are scrambling to push through a stopgap spending measure to avoid a government shutdown on Friday, paired with a provision that suspends the nation’s borrowing limit until December 2022. The House passed the bill but Senate Republicans are expected to kill it in a filibuster on Monday.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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