Pence attacks Biden for 'man-made economic-crisis,' warns he will 'build us back broke'

Former Vice President Mike Pence doubled down on his attack of President Biden in a FOX Business interview Monday following a blistering speech where he critiqued the administration for "squandering" the economic gains made under Donald Trump.

"All of this is a man-made economic crisis with 100% of the blame going to President Joe Biden and the radical left Democrats driving policies in the Congress of the United States," Pence said Monday evening on "Kudlow" following his address at the University Club of Chicago.

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Pence pointed to the record-high inflation, gasoline prices and supply chain shortages as indications that "the Biden administration has failed." He urged Biden to "unleash American energy" and allow refineries to easily obtain permits and encourage banks to approve refinancing requests for expanded production.

"The very beginning to turn this economy around is to end the war on energy," he said. "And I call on President Biden to do that today here at the University Club in Chicago. 

Pence also called for the return of a balanced federal budget. The last time the U.S. federal budget was balanced dates back to 2001. 

"Now is the time for Joe Biden to live up to the oath that he took, to promote the general welfare of all the American people. Turn our country back to the policies that we know will create prosperity for every American," he said. "And a balanced federal budget is at the very core of where that begins."

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Pence's speech further fuels speculation that the former vice president is considering a run for the White House in 2024. When pressed during an interview with "Mornings With Maria" in March, Pence did not rule out a presidential bid, saying at the time that he will "consider" how he "might participate in that process" when the timing is right.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
USO	UNITED STATES OIL FUND - USD ACC	71.04	-0.57	-0.80%
BNO	UNITED STATES BRENT OIL FUND - USD ACC	28.77	-0.23	-0.79%

In an apparent reference to his earlier comment, Kudlow asked "what would a President Pence do" to ward off mounting economic crises if elected to office. 

"Well, I can tell you that with new Republican leadership in the Congress and a Republican administration in two years in the White House, the first thing to do would be to make those Trump-pence tax cuts permanent," Pence responded.

"The second thing would be to unleash American energy, open up federal lands to permitting, open up the Alaska National Wildlife region, begin again the Keystone pipeline, begin to develop infrastructure necessary to move energy, and on a broad basis," he continued.

Pence touted the Trump-Pence administration's ability to cut "more federal red tape in our four years in office than any administration in history. "

"We need to go back to the idea that for every new federal regulation, we need to find two we can repeal," he said. "Those are just the beginnings of that, having free and fair trade deals, negotiating deals that put American workers first."

Pence said Biden's misguided approach to the economy will "build us back broke."

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"They will not build us back better if they get the deal revived," he said. Pence added that the last thing the country needs "with inflation at a 40-year high, and Americans feeling real pain at the pump, is to raise taxes on American businesses, let alone businesses creating the very energy that’s driving the American economy."