White House says GOP conservatives would ‘kill tens of thousands’ of red-state manufacturing jobs
Katherine Doyle
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The White House accused Republicans of threatening to “kill” thousands of manufacturing jobs in conservative states while easing the tax burden for big corporations and the wealthy, which is part of its strategy to drive a wedge inside the GOP ahead of the debt ceiling negotiations.
President Joe Biden and his aides have stepped up their offensive against the House Freedom Caucus, fearing that a budget proposal advanced by the group would roll back the Democrats’ signature infrastructure spending bills.
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In a memo Tuesday, Biden’s deputy press secretary warned the repeal “would kill tens of thousands of jobs and send them overseas, as well as raise Americans’ energy costs” while boosting China.
“Killing newly created American manufacturing jobs just so the super-wealthy and big corporations can enjoy tax welfare would be a gut-punch to America’s competitiveness and to thousands of working families in red states,” Andrew Bates said. “And it would be a windfall for China.”
Bates questioned whether Republicans would “stand up against the Freedom Caucus” to protect the jobs that he said “are disproportionately flowing to conservative states.”
It’s an appeal that Biden sought to harness in 2020, when he pitched voters on a trade agenda that he said would promote the interests of America’s workers.
In 2020, Biden recaptured some traditional “blue wall” states from former President Donald Trump, whose focus on trade helped propel the former leader to victory in 2016. Trump pulled again from this base of support to hold on to states such as Ohio in 2020, and he has drawn early battle lines on trade and China in the Republican 2024 nominating contest.
In a recent campaign video, Trump accused Biden of “[claiming] to support American manufacturing, but in reality, he is pushing the same pro-China globalist agenda that ripped the industrial heart out of our country.”
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Among the “accomplishments” listed on Biden’s website, the president has touted the creation of a “manufacturing boom” that would help the United States compete with China by bringing jobs home.
Trump remains the GOP favorite in 2024, even as polls show his potential competitors are beginning to consolidate support.