Tipsheet

Psaki Admits Biden Is Exploiting COVID for 'Fundamental' Economic Change

If it wasn't already clear that the Biden administration was using the Wuhan coronavirus to exert more power and control over the country, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki made it clear in Tuesday's briefing. According to Psaki, President Biden is using the pandemic to pursue significant change in the way the American economy functions.

When asked about the potential of cutting some programs — and thereby reducing the price tag — in Biden's $3.5 trillion budget proposal, Psaki rejected the notion. In the White House's view, all of Biden's priorities must be included and passed as soon as possible. 

"The president wants to make fundamental change in our economy and he feels coming out of the pandemic is exactly the time to do that," she said.

"If we don't do it now, if we don't address the cost of childcare... if we don't address the climate crisis, if we don't ensure that universal pre-k is a reality now, we're not going to have the same opportunity to do it for some time."

So there we have it. Psaki, perhaps saying the quiet part out loud — even though the Biden administration's expansion of federal powers and damaging economic policies have already been quite clear — admitted that the president is using the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic to "make fundamental change in our economy."

It's notable that Psaki highlighted the "climate crisis" and not, say, the border crisis, inflation crisis, supply chain crisis, fuel shortage crisis, or any of the other crises Biden has so far created. 

What Psaki's answer also reveals, though, is urgency from the White House for Democratic leaders in Congress to deliver on the president's legislative agenda sooner, rather than later, as congressional Democrats' fortunes take a bleak turn ahead of the 2022 midterms just more than one year away. 

As Biden's job approval slides and an increasing number of independent voters signal the president has lost their support amid crises at home and abroad, the chances of a Republican majority in at least one chamber of Congress grow. And if Biden thought he was having a tough time getting his woke agenda passed through a House and Senate controlled by Democrats, there's not a chance his radical policies would clear a Republican majority.