The President will deliver a speech to Congress this evening. In the light of the information obtained and by analyzing the projects already on the table, there is no doubt that Joe Biden is counting on strong government involvement to get the country out of the pandemic and sustainably revive the economy.
We are a long way from the famous quote from Ronald Reagan. During his inauguration speech forty years ago, the Republican launched: “Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.” Government is not the solution, government is the problem.
Far more progressive than expected, Biden is fully exploiting the Democrats’ control over the presidency and both houses to come up with an ambitious package of measures that almost all have in common that they are government-coordinated and funded. by public funds.
During tonight’s speech, he will announce a third plan estimated to cost more than $ 1 trillion. This time it is about a “Plan for American families” which aims first of all to fight against inequalities, a project which will be accompanied by a rise in taxes for the richest and a better control of tax loopholes. To get the message across, the administration argues that it first wants to reward work, not wealth.
On the strength of favorable polls, the president knows that his work has been appreciated so far and that his projects are well received by the majority of his fellow citizens. Faced with elected Republican officials who refuse any compromise, Joe Biden will rely on the wide dissemination of his speech to speak directly to voters.
For the moment, the 46th president has the wind in his sails and he complicates the work of the opposition. The unemployment rate is falling, vaccination is advancing at a record pace and our neighbors can look forward to an almost normal summer season.
In addition, tonight’s address is already historic in character as two women will appear behind the President for the first time in history. Nancy Pelosi, first speaker of the House of Representatives and Kamala Harris, first vice-president (thus president of the senate) will be found on the screen each time we show Biden.
Republicans will have a hard time balancing this wind of change, and black South Carolina Senator Tim Scott is responsible for responding on behalf of his party.
Scott is a good orator, a rare representative of minorities within his party, but he is also an increasingly present actor in the negotiations, some of them secret, between the administration and the elected members of the Senate. If he refuses to reveal the content of his speech, we are unlikely to be mistaken if we say that he will point in the direction of the astronomical costs of the measures launched by the president.
It doesn’t matter whether you are in favor of a very interventionist state or a more low-key state, investments like the ones Biden suggests require you to act with caution and take the time to fully appreciate the magnitude. We understand the tactics of the president who prefers to bet big from the start before giving in during negotiations, but we have not seen anything like it for half a century.
While Joe Biden embraces government involvement and can still bring Democratic factions together, even more progressive publications like the New York Times have some reservations. This was the case with journalist Steven Rattner in early April.
Rattner rightly points out that if we can promote a greater role for the state, we must also make sure not to let it manage everything to avoid getting lost in administrative intricacies which have the effect of limiting the impact.
For my part, beyond the negotiations between the White House and Congress, this is what I will be watching. How are the various reforms going to be put in place and who will be responsible for coordinating them?
Here again Rattner, a former Obama administration contributor to the auto industry stimulus package, offers a perspective that the Biden administration does not mention. For the journalist, we must turn to the private sector as soon as the opportunity arises.
If Joe Biden hopes to maximize the record sums swallowed up in his ambitious plans, he must carefully study all avenues to ensure that he does not burden the functioning of a state apparatus whose size is already disproportionate. Open the door to the private sector? Progressives before him have already done this successfully.