"Democrats are unifying the country in unhappiness," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the floor of the upper chamber, referring to a poll that 93% of working-age Americans say the economy is either poor or fair, The Hill reported on Tuesday.
The Kentucky Republican, citing a New York Times/Siena College poll that also showed that President Joe Biden has only a 33% job-approval rating, said, "We all know inflation and the economy are the biggest problems facing Americans today. We are a big and a diverse country."
But, he said, "93% of Americans hardly ever agree on anything ... Democrats are unifying the country in unhappiness at the dark path down which they've taken our economy."
McConnell also referred to a recent Monmouth University survey that found 42% of Americans are struggling to stay afloat financially, saying it "the highest rate ever" in the poll.
McConnell said, "63% of Americans name economic issues as their chief concern. And they know who to blame for their misfortune — President Biden and congressional Democrats, who plowed $2 trillion into our economy last year and created the highest inflation in four decades," The Hill reported.
McConnell added: "I'm sure many of my colleagues heard heart-rending stories from constituents struggling with inflation during the past two weeks’ state work period. I certainly did in Kentucky, where the average household now spends more than $500 more a month than they did before President Biden took office."
According to The New York Times/Siena College survey, even 64% of Democratic voters said they would prefer someone other than Biden to be the party's nominee in the next presidential election.
McConnell also warned that a budget reconciliation package being discussed by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and fellow Democrat Joe Manchin could put additional pressure on the economy, citing more than $200 billion in tax increases the package would include to prolong the solvency of Medicare, according to The Hill.
McConnell criticized the proposal, saying that “Kentucky business owners are watching apprehensively as Washington Democrats debate another dose of bad policies. This time our colleagues are reportedly cooking up $1 trillion in massive tax hikes on things like small businesses and domestic energy."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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