12.16.21

Graham: Democrats Misleading American People on True Cost of Reckless Tax and Spend Bill

WASHINGTON – Senate Budget Committee Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today held a press conference with House Budget Committee Ranking Member Jason Smith (R-Missouri) to discuss the Democrats’ Reckless Tax and Spend bill.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) confirmed the true cost of the bill is $4.9 trillion, and it adds $3 trillion in new debt.

On budget gimmicks:

  • GRAHAM: “If you really don’t want to vote for a bill that adds to the deficit, then you can’t vote for Build Back Better. If you don’t want to vote for a bill full of gimmicks, then you can’t vote for Build Back Better.” https://youtu.be/3U_KOsz6A1M?t=1033

 

  • GRAHAM: “To my Democratic colleagues: You have been misrepresenting to the American people the real cost of this bill. CBO scored the bill without gimmicks and it went from $1.75 trillion to almost $5 trillion. It is not paid for. Without gimmicks, it adds $3 trillion to the deficit.” https://youtu.be/3U_KOsz6A1M?t=997

 

  • GRAHAM: “[Congressman] Jason [Smith] and myself asked the CBO to score Build Back Better assuming that [certain provisions] with a sunset clause would actually stay in for ten years – which is reality. Ronald Reagan said the closest thing to immortality on earth is a government program. So we all know that these spending programs Democrats are trying to put in Build Back Better, they don’t want them to go away. And if history is any judge, they won’t go away.” https://youtu.be/3U_KOsz6A1M?t=903

 

On Democrats calling CBO’s analysis “fake”:

  • GRAHAM:  “We didn’t make up the numbers. [CBO] analyzed the bill [without gimmicks]… The White House Spokesperson and Senator Durbin are attacking the CBO because if they can’t successfully pull that off, they’re in trouble.” https://youtu.be/3U_KOsz6A1M?t=737

 

  • GRAHAM: “I want the American people to know that this score from the CBO about the actual cost of the bill is not fake, it’s real. The effect on the deficit is not fake, it’s real.” https://youtu.be/3U_KOsz6A1M?t=779

 

On Democrats saying Build Back Better is fully paid for:

  • GRAHAM: “It is not paid for. If you don’t believe me, let’s look at what CBO said. CBO said that the deficit will increase by $3 trillion. So when the President, the Vice President, the Treasury Secretary, the Speaker of the House, Senator Bernie Sanders, who’s the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, and the Chief of Staff to President Biden say it is fully paid for and it will not add to the deficit – CBO says that’s not true.” https://youtu.be/3U_KOsz6A1M?t=861  

Click Here to Watch the Full Press Conference

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