McConnell warns of ‘radical’ Biden budget as Republicans pile on criticism

President Joe Biden’s budget proposal on Friday drew widespread criticism from Congressional Republicans and approval from Democrats, who embraced it but voiced differences on legislative tactics to make it a reality.

Biden’s fiscal year 2022 budget blueprint calls for slightly over $6 trillion in spending and would put the national debt at 117% of gross domestic product by 2031, marking a new record at a level not seen since the end of World War II. It includes funding for his proposals for infrastructure and social programs that total more than $4 trillion and would remove the Hyde Amendment provision that prevents federal dollars from funding abortion services.

In a statement, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called it “the most reckless and irresponsible budget proposal in my lifetime.” The California Republican added that Biden “wants to double down on the failed economic policies that have derailed our economic recovery in the first five months of his term.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was just as harsh about the Biden fiscal proposal.

“Americans are already hurting from far-left economics that ignores reality,” said McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, in a statement. “The Administration’s counterproductive ‘COVID relief bill’ has slowed rehiring. Families are facing painful inflation, just as experts warned the Democrats’ plans might cause. And the Administration wants to triple down on the same mistakes?”

GOP READIES THREE LINES OF ATTACK AS BIDEN PREPS $6 TRILLION BUDGET PROPOSAL

The president submits a budget proposal to Congress each fiscal year per federal law. But the proposal is not legally binding and is often different from the actual budget that Congress approves and signs into law, allowing for negotiation between parties.

Because Democrats control both chambers of Congress and the White House, the evenly divided Senate has increasingly utilized the “budget reconciliation” process to pass large spending packages, a way to bypass the cloture rule that requires at least 60 votes to overcome a filibuster — which would require support from at least 10 Republicans in today’s Senate.

The release of Biden’s budget prompted those in the Democratic Party’s left-wing to encourage the use of that tool to push for and pass large portions of what Biden outlined in his budget.

“Mitch McConnell said his first priority is stopping the Biden agenda. Ours is to deliver on the promises we made to working families across America,” the Congressional Progressive Caucus said on Friday. “Budget reconciliation, which only requires simple majorities in Congress, is the only way forward.”

McConnell pointed attention to that goal.

“White House budget proposals are often quickly-forgotten messaging documents. But this year, Democrats are threatening to completely bypass Senate committees, short-circuit the legislative process, and unilaterally force this radical vision onto the American people as-is,” he said in a statement.

Other Democrats, though, have not given up on negotiating with Republicans on key items, such as an infrastructure plan. Republicans on Thursday proposed a $928 billion infrastructure counteroffer, and Biden said that he would meet with Republicans again to discuss the deal.

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware told reporters this week he was still optimistic about talks with Republicans on infrastructure. He did not have a deadline for when Democrats need to move to pass a spending package on those priorities alone.

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When it comes to talks, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, said the Biden’s budget is “dead on arrival.”

“There will be serious discussions about government funding,” Graham tweeted. “But the Biden budget isn’t serious, and it won’t be a part of those discussions.”