The Biden administration got slammed by The Washington Post fact-checker for peddling misinformation about Congressional Republicans wanting to raise taxes on the middle-class.
“After their massive tax giveaway to the super-wealthy and giant corporations in 2017, Congressional Republicans now want to raise taxes on middle class families,” Biden tweeted Monday.
Then the White House official Twitter account wrote a message claiming “the Congressional Republican Tax Plan” would result in “24 million families of seniors making less than $100,000 per year would face tax increases.”
White House Press Sec. Jen Psaki also hit at Sen. Scott’s proposal during a press briefing.
Fox News reports:
“But now, led by Senator Scott, Republicans want to raise taxes on the middle class, with one independent analysis showing their plan would hike taxes by an average of around $1,500 each year on 75 million American families, 96 percent of whom make under $100,000,” Psaki continued. “That’s the plan of congressional Republicans: tax hikes for the middle class; tax hikes for the wealthy and big corporations.”
The Post, in its Fact Checker column, points out that this is not a “congressional Republican” plan. The administration’s talking point, the Post explains, stems from Sen. Scott’s “11-point plan to rescue America,” which includes among a list of proposals the statement: “All Americans should pay some income tax to have skin in the game, even if a small amount. Currently over half of Americans pay no income tax.”
Additionally, the Post explains that Scott’s plan does not represent the GOP as a whole, stating that while Scott is chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, “as far as we can tell, not a single other Republican in Congress has embraced Scott’s specific tax proposal.”
“Scott is a Republican, and he is in Congress and part of the GOP leadership. But his snippet of an idea, such as it is, cannot be labeled a ‘congressional Republican’ plan,” the column says. “No legislation has been crafted, and no other Republican lawmakers have announced their support. One cannot instantly assume every person in a political party supports a proposal by a prominent member. “
Fact Check writer Glenn Kessler noted that the lack of another GOP plan led to the Post “just barely” declining to award the full four Pinocchios.