The Treasury Secretary is facing questions from lawmakers on President Biden's budget plan.
During a House hearing, Missouri Republican Jason Smith accused the Biden administration of proposing six-point-nine-trillion dollars in spending despite a "staggering debt crisis."
He said the proposed budget will mean more pain for Americans already struggling with inflation. Massachusetts Democrat Richard Neal said Biden's economic plan is working to combat the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. He called on Republicans to lay out their own budget plan.
"We have yet to see any budget plans from their side, and not to mention, the Republicans’ first bill of the Congress not only protected wealthy tax cheats but also added $114B to the deficit. They’ve doubled down on abolishing the IRS in favor of a 30 percent national sales tax all while calling to extend their unfunded tax cuts for the wealthy and well-connected," Neal said.
Biden released his budget Thursday, which includes extending programs like Medicare, increasing taxes on the wealthy to reduce the deficit, and funding for a series of Democratic priorities.
(Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)