Psaki says $3.5T spending bill costs nothing for people earning less than $400K
Biden had taken flak for a tweet claiming that the Build Back Better package will cost 'zero dollars'
White House press secretary Jen Psaki claimed Monday that President Biden's Build Back Better agenda will cost nothing for Americans who make less than $400,000.
"Let's not dumb this down for the American public here," Psaki said in response to a question from White House correspondent Peter Doocy about whether the package will cost "zero dollars" as the president claimed last week. "What we're talking about is how much the top-line investments are, which are all paid for, so therefore it costs zero. No matter what the size or the cost of the top-line investments are, we have ways to pay for it.
"So the point is that's important to the American public — and all of your viewers, too — that this is not going to cost the American public a dollar," she continued. "We're going to pay for this by asking corporations, the highest income — so people under $400,000, I should say — corporations' highest income to cover the costs of these necessary investments.
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When Doocy pressed for clarification regarding whether the plan costs nothing or if it is free, Psaki added: "The plan costs nothing for the American people who make less than $400,000. If you think that companies that paid zero in taxes last year 50 of the top companies should continue to pay zero in taxes, we're happy to have that debate."
Biden took flak for a tweet claiming that the Build Back Better package will cost "zero dollars," and "add zero dollars to the national debt." The Washington Post gave Biden "Two Pinocchios" for the claim, which they called "misleading," warning the number of his "Pinocchios" on the subject could increase. Both Psaki and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., echoed Biden's claim.