The budget blueprint President Joe Biden is set to reveal on Thursday is designed lay out a clear, if aspirational, policy vision for the year ahead.
The proposal also lays down a strategic marker that White House officials plan to put at the center of the high-stakes policy and political battles looming over Washington.
“There’s a vision here and there’s a contrast,” Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young said in an interview with CNN. “You can be fiscally responsible and invest in the American people, or you can pull the rug out from people by going after programs that people absolutely need.”
Biden, over the course of the last several weeks, has repeatedly telegraphed how important he and his top advisers view his 2024 budget to be in creating a favorable environment for the fights ahead.
Advisers stress that the budget, which significantly overlaps with past Biden policy proposals from his first two years, reflects his fiscal vision with significant investments in manufacturing, climate, education, paid leave and health care, all paired with a menu of tax increases on corporations and wealthier Americans.
But each of the key pillars of Biden’s proposal also serve as a carefully constructed contrast with Republicans ahead of near-term fiscal battles and an implicit roadmap for a reelection campaign policy platform if – or in the view of top advisers, when – Biden decides to run.
The decision to unveil his budget in remarks in what will be his 20th visit in his presidential capacity to the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania is hardly subtle.
The nearly $3 trillion in deficit reduction, driven primarily by the tax proposals, aims to undercut GOP attacks on spending and debt.
Medicare and Social Security proposals will serve as a direct challenge to past Republican proposals…
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