美国总统乔·拜登(Joe Biden)周二继续对他现在称之为共和党“超级MAGA”的议程进行尖锐攻击，他提出了解决通胀的计划。
美国汽车协会称，他发表上述言论之际，美国每加仑汽油的平均价格达到创纪录的4.37美元。
“我希望每个美国人都知道，我非常认真地对待通货膨胀，”拜登在南法院礼堂的讲台上说。“这是我国内的头等大事。”
通货膨胀是民主党在2022年中期选举前面临的最大问题之一。共和党人抓住更高的成本批评拜登的国内议程，而白宫则把问题归咎于供应链问题、正在发生的冠状病毒疫情和俄国入侵乌克兰。
尼古拉斯·卡姆/法新社
乔·拜登总统发表了他的计划来对抗通货膨胀和降低美国的开支
拜登在周二的讲话中宣扬了他所说的旨在减轻美国人日益增加的财政负担的近期成就，包括历史性地释放战略石油储备，以抵消飙升的油价和减少国家赤字。他还再次呼吁国会通过他议程中的其他部分，降低处方药价格和其他医疗费用。
拜登还利用这个机会继续发表针对共和党的激烈言论，指责共和党没有解决高成本问题的具体计划。
“他们今天没有降低能源价格的计划，”拜登说。"没有计划让我们明天拥有一个更清洁的能源独立的未来."
拜登补充说:“我的计划是通过要求大公司和最富有的美国人不要参与价格欺诈，并支付他们公平的税收份额，来降低勤劳的美国人的日常成本和赤字。”“共和党的计划是增加中产阶级家庭的税收，让亿万富翁和大公司摆脱困境，因为他们提高价格，获得创纪录的利润。而且真的就这么简单。”
拜登特别使用了一个提案作为目标:佛罗里达州共和党参议员里克·斯科特(Rick Scott)的竞选宣传，他是全国共和党参议院委员会的负责人，他要求所有美国人都缴纳一些所得税，以“参与这场游戏，即使数额很小。”这将意味着对目前收入太低而欠不了联邦所得税的美国人增税。
周二，拜登表示，斯科特的计划将伤害消防队员和教师等一线工作者。
尽管拜登关注该计划，但斯科特的提议没有得到共和党领导人的支持。相反，参议员米奇·麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)在该计划宣布后不久就表示要与它保持距离。
麦康奈尔说:“如果我们有幸在明年获得多数席位，我将成为多数党领袖，我将与我的成员协商决定在议会上提出什么。”“让我告诉你什么不会是我们议程的一部分。在我们的议程中，不会有一项在五年内对半数美国人增税、取消社会保障和医疗保险的法案。这不会是共和党参议院多数党议程的一部分。”
在拜登发言之前，斯科特在推特上说，拜登“不适合担任公职”，应该辞职。在他结束讲话后被问及此事时，拜登说，“我认为这个人有问题。”
白宫新闻秘书珍·普萨基(Jen Psaki)周二晚些时候就他们认为谁是“超级”共和党人提供了一些见解，指出了那些表示支持斯科特税收计划的人或那些将取消医疗保险和社会保障计划的人。
“这也是对文化战争、反对米老鼠的战争和禁书的痴迷，”普萨基说，拒绝透露任何具体的立法者的名字。“总统认为这是极端的。”
鉴于麦康奈尔的拒绝，普萨基还被问及拜登对斯科特提议的关注。
“你能想到总统可能会提到目前在我们身后的任何共和党人吗?”一名记者问道。
普萨基强调了共和党全国委员会主席罗娜·麦克丹尼尔的支持描述的斯科特认为共和党的“真正解决方案”之一，参议员罗恩也是如此。约翰逊，谁告诉的布莱巴特上个月同意了该计划的“大部分”。普萨基还强调了斯科特作为国家共和党参议员委员会主席的作用，该委员会是参议院共和党人的竞选机构。
“里克·斯科特不是一个随机的参议员，他实际上负责为共和党赢回参议院，”普萨基说。
拜登在4月份消费者价格指数公布之前发表了关于通货膨胀的言论。美国劳工统计局将于周三上午公布这些数字。今年3月，消费者价格指数较上年同期飙升8.5%，为40年来最大的12个月涨幅。
最近的一次ABC新闻/华盛顿邮报民意调查发现68%的美国人不赞成拜登处理通货膨胀的方式。他在这个问题上的支持率低了40个百分点。调查发现，相比民主党人，美国人更信任共和党人来应对物价上涨。
Biden highlights efforts to fight inflation, attacks 'ultra-MAGA' GOP
President Joe Biden on Tuesday continued his sharpened attack on what he's now calling the GOP's "ultra-MAGA" agenda as he pitched his plan to tackle inflation.
His remarks came as the national average price of a gallon of gas hit a record high of $4.37 a gallon, AAA said.
"I want every American to know that I am taking inflation very seriously," Biden said from the podium in the South Court Auditorium. "It is my top domestic priority."
Inflation is one of the Democratic Party's biggest problems heading into the 2022 midterm elections. Republicans have seized on higher costs to criticize Biden's domestic agenda while the White House is pinning the problem on supply chain issues, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Biden used his speech on Tuesday to tout what he said were recent accomplishments aimed at alleviating the increasing financial burdens on Americans, including a historic release form the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to offset soaring gas prices and reducing the national deficit. He also reiterated calls for Congress to pass other portions of his agenda that would lower the price of prescription drugs and other health care costs.
Biden also used the occasion to continue his ramped-up rhetoric against the GOP, accusing Republicans of having no concrete plan to address higher costs.
"They have no plan to bring down energy prices today," Biden said. "No plan to get us to a cleaner energy independent future tomorrow."
"My plan is to lower everyday costs for hardworking Americans and lower the deficit by asking large corporations and the wealthiest Americans to not engage in price gouging and to pay their fair share in taxes," Biden added. "The Republican plan is to increase taxes on middle class families, let billionaires and large companies off the hook as they raise prices and reap profits in record amounts. And it's really that simple."
Biden has used one proposal in particular as a target: A campaign pitch from Florida GOP Sen. Rick Scott, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, that would have all Americans pay some income tax to "have some skin in the game, even if a small amount." That would mean a tax increase on Americans whose income is currently too low to owe federal income taxes.
On Tuesday, Biden said Scott's plan would hurt frontline workers like firefighters and teachers.
Despite Biden's focus on the plan, Scott's proposal hasn't been embraced by Republican leaders. Instead, Sen. Mitch McConnell made a point to distance himself from it shortly after it was announced.
"If we are fortunate enough to have the majority next year, I'll be the majority leader, I'll decide in consultation with my members, what to put on the floor," McConnell said. "Let me tell you what will not be a part of our agenda. We will not have as part of our agenda, a bill that raises taxes on half the American people, sunsets Social Security and Medicare within five years. That will not be a part of the Republican Senate majority agenda."
Before Biden spoke, Scott tweeted that Biden was "unfit for office" and should resign. Asked about that after he finished his remarks, Biden said, "I think the man has a problem."
White House press secretary Jen Psaki later Tuesday offered some insight into who they consider an "ultra-MAGA" Republican, pointing to those who voiced support for Scott's tax plan or who would sunset Medicare and Social Security programs.
"And it's also the obsession with culture wars and wars against Mickey Mouse and banning books," Psaki said, declining to name any specific lawmaker. "The president thinks that is extreme."
Psaki was also pressed on Biden's focus of Scott's proposal, given McConnell's rejection of it.
"Are there any Republicans that you can think of that the president might be referencing that is currently behind us?" one reporter asked.
Psaki highlighted support from Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel -- whodescribedScott's pitch as one of the GOP's "real solutions" -- as well as Sen Ron. Johnson, who toldBreitbart last month he agreed with "most" of the plan. Psaki also emphasized Scott's role as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm for Senate Republicans.
"Rick Scott is not a random senator, he is literally in charge of winning back the Senate for Republicans," Psaki said.
Biden's remarks on inflation come ahead of the release of April's consumer price index. The Bureau of Labor Statistics will announce those numbers on Wednesday morning. In March, the consumer price index spiked 8.5% from the year prior--the largest 12-month increase in 40 years.
A recentABC News/Washington Post pollfound 68% Americans disapprove of Biden's handling of inflation. His approval rating on the issue was underwater by 40 percentage points. Republicans were more trusted by Americans to handle rising prices than Democrats, the survey found.
