Last year’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 spending plan passed by Congress’ Democratic majority rescued the economy, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said during an interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation” Sunday.
“This is a tough moment for our country, but President Biden has been very decisive in his leadership, beginning with the American Rescue Plan. We rescued the economy, put shots in arms and money in pockets, kids back in school, and laid the foundation for robust economic recovery that has led to more than 8 million good-paying jobs being created and unemployment at 3.6%,” said Mr. Jeffries of New York, the chairman of the Democratic Caucus.
Republicans are pounding Democrats over the spending plan, pointing to a Morgan Stanley report that blames the highest inflation in 40 years on the $1.9 trillion package passed in March 2021.
With gasoline prices above $4.50 and former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke telling The New York Times the U.S. could be heading toward 1970s-style stagflation, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Berg said, “everything that is going wrong with the American economy started with Democrats’ reckless stimulus bill.”
Nevertheless, Mr. Jeffries says Democrats, with Mr. Biden’s help, will pull through this year’s congressional midterm elections, despite the “incredibly difficult circumstances.”
“I’m very confident that we will be able to hold on to the majority. President Biden has done a very good job. Under incredibly difficult circumstances, I understand that the electorate, of course, is going to be unsettled,” he said. “Experiencing COVID fatigue, inflationary pressures, high gas prices, a war in Ukraine, a radical extreme Republican Party that doesn’t appear to believe in democracy any longer.”
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For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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