The Democrats passed another massive and damaging spending bill over the weekend that economists say will make inflation worse. But according to CNN Newsroom host Pamela Brown on Sunday, President Biden is “one of the most legislatively successful presidents in modern history.” She even got combative with former Trump campaign advisor David Urban and essentially demanded that he adopt her spin as truth.
As she brought on Urban, Brown essentially defined “legislatively successful” as just spending a ton of money:
"So, President Biden has been racking up wins, the American Recovery Act or COVID stimulus package, nearly $2 trillion. Infrastructure and Jobs Act, $550 billion, Chips and Science Act, $280 billion, and now what Democrats are calling the Inflation Reduction Act, which is expected to raise $700 billion in government revenue."
“Would you concede that President Biden is one of the most legislatively successful presidents in modern history?” Brown pressed Urban.
Urban answered (wrongly in Brown’s eyes,) “Well, Pamela, I don’t know about that.” In relation to the total spending numbers she had listed off, he said, “that money is not free. That money is coming from you and me and other taxpayers.”
This answer only led to her pushback in which she tried to defend the Biden Administration, arguing on behalf of what the White House, even mentioning that the President is “on a roll.”
URBAN: Taxes are going to be raised across the board.
BROWN: But in this latest bill, for example, they have ways of also raising money with taxes such as the 15 percent minimum tax on corporations and so forth. But go ahead.
URBAN: Right, and --
BROWN: But hold on. But let's just talk about -- I know you want to -- as I said at the outset, David, there are going to be things you do not like in this bill. That's one of them. You think it's too expensive.
URBAN: Pretty much the entire bill, Pamela.
BROWN: You think it's too expensive. But can you -- can you concede that --
URBAN: Sure.
BROWN: That, look, President Biden has been on a roll lately with these wins, with these legislative wins.
“Listen, Pamela. I don't know if it's Joe Biden's on a roll, but Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi are on a roll. I didn't see Joe Biden up on the Hill twisting arms and making this happen,” Urban pointed out.
After eating up most of Urban’s time by arguing, Brown couldn’t help but yield and wanted to keep things moving. “Okay. Well, we got to move on because we have a lot to get to,” she said.
Though Brown seems to back the legislation Congress has passed racking up trillions in spending and raising taxes for even the average American, she admitted that “economists are mixed on whether this bill [Inflation Reduction Act] will actually reduce inflation.”
When Urban brought this back to the attention of the host at the end of the discussion, Brown retaliated by saying, “You just can’t let it go, can you, David? Can’t let it go.”
How can anyone dare to disgrace the notion of a successful Biden Presidency?
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Click "expand" to read full transcript.
CNN Newsroom with Pamela Brown
08/07/22
7:04:23 p.m. Eastern(…)
BROWN: All right. Now let's get the take from the other side. Joining me now, former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin, and former Trump campaign adviser David Urban.
Hi to you both. So, President Biden has been racking up wins, the American Recovery Act or COVID stimulus package, nearly $2 trillion. Infrastructure and Jobs Act, $550 billion. Chips and Science Act, $280 billion, and now what Democrats are calling the Inflation Reduction Act, which is expected to raise $700 billion in government revenue.
Now, David, first to you. You may not like what is in some of these bills, but would you concede that President Biden is one of the most legislatively successful presidents in modern history?
DAVID URBAN, FMR TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER: Well, Pamela, I don't know about that, and just to take a step back, you're reading off these giant numbers, trillions of dollars. That money is not free. That money is coming from you and me and other taxpayers.
BROWN: Right. But --
URBAN: Taxes are going to be raised across the board.
BROWN: But in this latest bill, for example, they have ways of also raising money with taxes such as the 15 percent minimum tax on corporations and so forth. But go ahead.
URBAN: Right, and --
BROWN: But hold on. But let's just talk about -- I know you want to -- as I said at the outset, David, there are going to be things you do not like in this bill. That's one of them. You think it's too expensive.
URBAN: Pretty much the entire bill, Pamela.
BROWN: You think it's too expensive. But can you -- can you concede that --
URBAN: Sure.
BROWN: That, look, President Biden has been on a roll lately with these wins, with these legislative wins.
URBAN: Li-Li-Li Listen, Pamela. I don't know if it's Joe Biden's on a roll, but Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi are on a roll. I didn't see Joe Biden up on the Hill twisting arms and making this happen. So I would withhold just some applause there. But I would say that the administration and Democrats writ large have had a successful week in passing what is an incredibly progressive legislation.
So, yes, if you're looking at subsidizing Teslas for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, then they had a big week this week.
BROWN: Okay. Well, we got to move on because we have a lot to get to. But in addition to this, of course, you have lowering gas prices. You have the jobs report that came out on Friday that was better than expected.
Alyssa, of course inflation is still a thing, but what do you think?
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, FMR W.H. COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: So, I mean, undoubtedly this was one of the best weeks that President Biden has had in office, and I would actually note the one thing all three of us can agree on is taking out one of the world's foremost terrorist.
BROWN: That one too.
GRIFFIN: That's always a win for America. That said, and I've said this before, I'm not convinced -- you know, you could name this bill anything, but that was actually going to reduce inflation. Time will tell. I hope it does by the way. I think I care more about Americans being able to afford their groceries and gas than I do denying a win to President Biden. But it's late in the game, and just kind of to get into the politics of it.
You know, midterms are here, and even if these victories end up working to slowly bring down the incredibly historically high inflation rate, I don't think it's enough to really swing the economic winds enough to help Democrats, you know, take -- certainly keep the House, but I also think it's going to -- I think the Republicans still have the advantage in the Senate.
BROWN: And economists are mixed on whether this bill will actually reduce inflation.
(…)
7:11:24 p.m. Eastern
URBAN: By the way, back to the Inflation Reduction Act you were talking about earlier, the Penn Wharton budget model said it's going to have zero impact on reducing inflation. So just to put a little flag point on that.
BROWN: You just can't let it go, can you, David? Can’t let it go. As I said earlier, economists have been mixed about whether it will actually reduce inflation, and that is true.
Thank you both.
