Mitch McConnell vows to unite Republican senators against Biden ‘grab bag’ jobs and family plans
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) says he has 50 votes against President Biden’s ambitious infrastructure and family plans.
Slamming Biden’s sprawling plans as non-starters, the powerful GOP leader insists he can keep the Republicans in line to oppose both plans, which he derides as a smorgasbord of liberal priorities and giveaways to pro-Democratic special interests.
“I don’t think there will be any Republican support — none, zero — for the $4.1 trillion grab bag,” McConnell told a press conference in his home state Kentucky.
McConnell was derisively referring to Biden’s $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan and a $1.8 trillion plan to help families with free child care, community college and a permanent expansion of the child tax credit.
“(It) has infrastructure in it but a whole lot of other stuff,” McConnell said.
Even before McConnell’s hard no, Democrats were resigned to pushing to pass the packages without any Republican support, a tricky process that requires them to keep the support of every single Democratic senator, including moderate kingmaker Sen. Joe Manchin (W.V.)
Biden has sought to maintain lines of communication with Republicans who have proposed a much punier infrastructure bill that would cost about $600 billion. But he is unlikely to scale back his plans that much, especially if it means months of haggling with GOP leaders.
McConnell also says he is 100% opposed to Biden’s plans to pay for the plans with higher taxes on corporations and the Americans making more than $400,000 a year, although he hasn’t said how he would pay for additional spending.
The GOP is proud of the 2017 tax cuts signed by former President Trump, which cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans and corporations.
“We’re not willing to pay for it by undoing the (Trump tax cuts),” McConnell said.
