160 Republicans Urge Biden to ’Stop Pushing Socialist-Big Gov’t Agenda’, Address Supply Chain Crisis

Lawmakers have been protesting Biden’s $3.5 trillion “Build Back Better“ plan, which he previously claimed “costs zero dollars“. Initially, the spending bill was supposed to cost $3.5 trillion, but the price tag was scaled down to some $1.9 trillion following negotiations with other Democrats, including Joe Manchin.

160 GOP lawmakers have penned a letter to US President Joe Biden, urging him to tackle the immediate crisis — that is the supply chain bottlenecks — before mulling new social programs spending.

“As House Republicans, we write because we refuse to stand by and watch as your Administration dilutes America’s ability to ensure the safe and efficient movement of goods, people and services throughout our transportation network,“ the letter reads.

“We regret that our efforts have been spurned as Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Schumer, and your Administration use infrastructure as a Trojan horse to push radical polices that make it more difficult and expensive for families to find or afford basic goods and for businesses to continue the long road to recovery from the pandemic,“ it continues.

“Mr. President, it’s time for you to reevaluate your priorities. We must address our supply chain and ports crisis before Congress considers any additional social spending and taxation legislation,“ Republican Leader in the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy tweeted.

GOP congressman Dan Meuser also shared a tweet, with the letter attached.

I joined my colleagues to urge Biden to stop pushing a socialist-big government agenda and address the immediate challenges that are facing our country. The supply chain crisis is devastating small businesses and increasing prices on American consumers.

Read our full letter: pic.twitter.com/gSgaWTizrx

— Congressman Dan Meuser (@RepMeuser) October 20, 2021

Also on Wednesday, President Joe Biden advised Americans not to worry about the price tag of his spending bill, saying “it’s all paid for.“

“When you talk about the number, we shouldn't even talk about the numbers, because it’s all paid for, written in the same piece of legislation,” Biden said.

“Half of it is a tax cut. It’s not spending money, it’s a tax cut for working-class people,“ he added.

Joe Biden again repeats the false claim that his tax-and-spending spree is "paid for":

“When we talk about the number, we shouldn't even talk about the numbers." pic.twitter.com/NLq7mcu3xr

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 20, 2021

Last week, in response to the global supply chain crisis, President Joe Biden announced that two of the nation’s busiest ports — Los Angeles and Long Beach — would operate 24/7 to alleviate bottlenecks. The burgeoning crisis has led to images of more than 70 cargo ships anchored outside the two ports, through which 40 percent of US imports flow.

However, experts told Sputnik that these measures would likely not alleviate the issues.

Labor shortages have also crept up, with many people still not returning to full-time work amid the continued COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, the inflation rate for October has increased, according to Wednesday’s report by the Fed’s Beige Book, with most businesses reporting heightened prices and wage costs.