Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy pressed White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre about the raise in taxes in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Doocy asked Monday if President Joe Biden will rescind his support for the Inflation Reduction Act, a budget reconciliation bill proposed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, given that Biden promised not to raise taxes on anyone making $400,000 a year.
The press secretary confirmed the president’s continuing support for the bill.
“He promised it wasn’t going to raise taxes on anybody making less than $400,000 a year, but the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) says that is not true,” Doocy said.
“Well, that is incorrect,” Jean-Pierre said.
“So, the Joint Committee on Taxation, which you guys heralded as an effective body when you were selling the infrastructure package, is not to be trusted here?” he said.
The press secretary said the JCT report is “incomplete” because it does not include the benefits the legislation would provide to Americans. She added that several experts disputed the report for excluding the benefits it would have on clean energy, lowering the deficit and prescription drugs.
The bill, if passed, would mandate a 15% minimum tax on corporations making $1 billion or more in profits, Jean-Pierre continued. (RELATED: Sen. Pat Toomey Created A Firestorm. Dems, The Media Crowed. But Who’s Telling The Truth?)
Doocy then asked if Biden is concerned about a University of Pennsylvania Wharton budget model finding that the legislation will increase inflation in 2024.
“So, we agree with Senator Manchin, you heard him a couple times yesterday, and disagree with Penn Wharton, as do a number of qualified experts, which I’m happy to read out,” Jean-Pierre replied. “But, I do want to say that it is quite ironic that congressional Republicans are complaining or have a false outrage on this Inflation Reduction Act that is actually going to do something and help the American people lower costs when they have offered really nothing to do that.”
“What they have offered is to increase taxes on Americans making less than $100,000 a year, and what they have introduced is actually sunsetting Medicare and sunsetting, also, Social Security after 5 years,” Jean-Pierre continued. “And that’s how they want to deal with how to help the American people.”
Doocy then transitioned to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Asia, where she will reportedly make a stop in Taiwan. Chinese officials have issued several dire threats against her suspected trip by threatening to issue a no-fly zone and take military action.
“Where is the president coming out to respond, or at the very least say, ‘Don’t do that?'” Doocy asked.
“Well, [John] Kirby was just here talking about—I have not seen those reports—”
“They said maybe that they were going to shoot down her plane or it would be within their rights to shoot down her plane,” he said.
Jean-Pierre said China’s threats are “unnecessary,” as there has been no change in the one China policy, which affirms that the U.S. recognizes the People’s Liberation Army is the “sole legal government in China.”
“To be clear, the speaker has not confirmed that she is going to Taiwan, it has not been confirmed. The history of this, of congressional members going to Taiwan, is not uncommon. It is something that has happened in the past.”
