House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) voiced her frustration with the media over Democrats’ spending bill, saying they could “do a better job” of selling it.
During her press briefing on Tuesday, a reporter noted a CBS News poll shows the majority of Americans do not know the specifics of the spending bill.
She asked Pelosi, “Do you think you need to do a better job at messaging?”
Pelosi responded, “Well, I think you all could do a better job of selling it, to be very frank with you because every time I come here, I go through the list, Family Medical Leave, the issues that are in there.”
She suggested it is “hard to break through when you have such a comprehensive package.”
The House Speaker continued, “Whether they know it or not, they overwhelmingly support it.”
Watch part of Pelosi’s press briefing below:
Responding to CBS News poll showing most Americans don't know specifics of Democrats' spending bill, Pelosi tells @NikolenDC "it is hard to break through when you have such a comprehensive package"
— CBS News (@CBSNews) October 12, 2021
"Whether they know it or not, they overwhelmingly support it," she says pic.twitter.com/G0wQLFR6Ju
According to the poll, only 10% of Americans say they know a lot of specific things about what’s in the Build Back Better plan. More Americans say they’ve heard something about the $3.5 trillion price tag and tax hikes than health-care related issues.
President Joe Biden previously claimed his plan would cost zero dollars.
He tweeted last month, “My Build Back Better Agenda costs zero dollars. Instead of wasting money on tax breaks, loopholes, and tax evasion for big corporations and the wealthy, we can make a once-in-a-generation investment in working America.”
Biden added, “And it adds zero dollars to the national debt.”
My Build Back Better Agenda costs zero dollars.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 26, 2021
Instead of wasting money on tax breaks, loopholes, and tax evasion for big corporations and the wealthy, we can make a once-in-a-generation investment in working America.
And it adds zero dollars to the national debt.
Still, some Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern over the amount, including Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).
In an op-ed published by The Wall Street Journal last month, Manchin wrote, “Now Democratic congressional leaders propose to pass the largest single spending bill in history with no regard to rising inflation, crippling debt or the inevitability of future crises. Ignoring the fiscal consequences of our policy choices will create a disastrous future for the next generation of Americans.”
Manchin stressed he “won’t support a $3.5 trillion bill, or anywhere near that level of additional spending, without greater clarity about why Congress chooses to ignore the serious effects inflation and debt have on existing government programs.”
Similarly, Sinema said in July, “I have also made clear that while I will support beginning this process, I do not support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion.”
