Senate Republicans hammer Biden's $7.3 trillion budget request as 'liberal wish list'

Senate Republicans trashed President Biden's latest budget request for fiscal year 2025 on Monday, calling it "reckless" in light of skyrocketing national debt.

Mar 11, 2024 - 20:18
Senate Republicans hammer Biden's $7.3 trillion budget request as 'liberal wish list'

Republicans in the Senate reacted to President Biden's $7.3 trillion 2025 budget request on Monday, criticizing it as a "liberal wish list" and "reckless."

Biden's requested budget was revealed on Monday, detailing his plan to raise taxes on corporations and high earners, as well as his desire to deliver additional aid to Ukraine. 

"Prices keep going up, interest rates keep going up, and taxes keep going up, but President Biden wants to add another $6.4 trillion in debt over the next four years with more reckless, inflation-fueling spending," Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., slammed the budget in a statement. 

The U.S. national debt is currently just under $34.5 trillion, according to the latest numbers published by the Treasury Department.

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Scott further called the request "an insult to the American people." Scott added that he plans to press Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young tomorrow morning during the Senate Budget Committee's hearing. 

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According to Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Biden's "MASSIVE new taxes on the job creators that make & sell what families need" will cause prices to increase. 

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., claimed Biden's budget doubled down on Biden's inability to relate to Americans. 

"There is no serious plan to secure the border, address crime, lower energy prices, or save seniors from an automatic 24% Social Security benefit cut once the program goes insolvent. This is a failure of leadership," he said in a statement.

"Joe Biden’s budget is not only over a trillion dollars more than what he asked for last year, it mixes in a mishmash of liberal wish list items, programs, and $5 trillion in tax increases while completely disregarding the needs of struggling Americans," echoed Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.

He explained, "The United States took in around $4.5 trillion in revenue in 2023, and now Biden wants to spend just over $7.2 trillion." Schmitt emphasized that the country is already "$35 trillion in debt," calling the budget request "irresponsible and insane."

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., claimed the multi-trillion dollar budget is "to fund a radical wish list spearheaded by the far left."

Biden's budget will project "weakness to every corner of the globe," per Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss. He slammed the president for again proposing cuts to defense spending at a pivotal time with several wars going on around the world. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.

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While Republicans in the upper chamber attacked the latest proposal for fiscal year 2025, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., backed up the president's ask. 

Schumer described the budget as a "bold, optimistic, and responsible path for the nation," which will "grow our economy" and make future investments. 

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"The President’s budget will lower costs for working families, reduce prescription drug prices, create good-paying jobs, provide safety and security at home and abroad, improve our economy, and much more," claimed Durbin.  

The Senate Budget Committee will have the opportunity Tuesday to probe Young over the budget when she sits for a 10:15 a.m. hearing. 

The disagreement over the proposed 2025 budget comes as Congress has yet to fully fund the government for the 2024 fiscal year, only passing the first slate of funding bills on Friday, narrowly avoiding a partial government shutdown. On March 22, Congress will be tasked with passing the last of the funding measures to ensure the government's operation until the end of the fiscal year. Four continuing resolutions were passed following the initial September 30 deadline for appropriations bills.