The Economy Just Won’t Stop Growing
Today’s GDP report shows Bidenomics at work: The economy grew at a solid 2.4% rate last quarter—exceeding expectations—while inflation fell significantly.
- Real personal disposable income increased by 2.5% last quarter.
- Consumer spending increased by 1.6%, thanks to a strong labor market and consumer finances.
- Business investment increased by nearly 8%, and construction of manufacturing facilities contributed more to growth than it has in 40 years.
- Inflation continues to fall—core PCE inflation fell to its lowest quarterly rate in two years.
While doomsayers once predicted 100% chance of recession, Wall Street is now directly crediting Bidenomics for “much stronger” growth this year.
It’s the latest evidence that Bidenomics is growing our economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top-down.
- 13.2 million jobs created under President Biden—nearly 4 million more jobs than before the pandemic.
- 3.6% unemployment—under 4% for 17 consecutive months, the longest stretch in over 50 years.
- More Americans are joining the labor force—the share of working-age Americans with jobs is the highest in 20 years.
- Inflation has fallen for 12 months in a row, and is down two-thirds from last year.
- Wages are rising—wages are higher than they were before the pandemic, accounting for inflation.
Bidenomics is a fundamental break with trickle-down economics in three ways:
- Making smart investments in America—investing in our infrastructure, manufacturing, and clean energy.
- Empowering American workers—increasing wages, more Americans joining the workforce, educating and training workers, and supporting unions.
- Promoting competition to lower costs and help small businesses—fighting to ban non-compete agreements, cracking down on junk fees, and creating a level playing field for small businesses.
But House Republicans continue to push for failed trickle-down policies that fail the middle class:
- Tax cuts for the rich and big corporations that blow up the deficit and never trickle down.
- Shrinking public investments, blatantly undermining priorities like infrastructure and education.
- Shipping good jobs overseas, stripping entire communities of hope.
President Biden’s Strong Economic Record v. Donald Trump’s Failures
Yesterday’s GDP report showed the economy grew at a 2.4% rate last quarter, exceeding market expectations significantly, while inflation continues to fall. That’s Bidenomics at work.
This report comes on the heels of a Morgan Stanley analysis directly crediting the president’s economic plan – Bidenomics – with “much stronger” than expected GDP growth this year.
Bidenomics is growing our economy from the bottom-up and middle-out:
- The U.S. has seen the highest economic growth among leading economies since the pandemic,
- Over 13 million jobs created,
- Manufacturing coming back with nearly 800,000 new manufacturing jobs created, with companies investing in communities often left behind,
- Annual inflation falling for 12 straight months – lowest level in 2 years,
- Historically low unemployment rate for the longest period in more than 50 years,
- Reached record low unemployment rate for African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and people with disabilities,
- Share of women aged 25 to 54 in the workforce is at a 70-year high,
- More small businesses created in first two years of this presidency than ever before,
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law rebuilding roads and bridges, creating good-paying jobs, and spurring economic development,
- Inflation Reduction Act lowering the cost of prescription drugs and health care, tackling climate change, and making investments in clean energy.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s presidency showed what MAGA control of our economy looks like and we can’t go back. His record speaks for itself:
- Left office with the worst jobs record since the Great Depression,
- Proposed cuts to Medicare and Social Security programs every year he was in office,
- Blew up the deficit to give a massive tax cut that rigged the economy for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations,
- Created incentives to ship jobs overseas,
- Turned “infrastructure week” into a punchline that he failed to deliver.
Not Above The Law Coalition Talking Points On Trump Classified Documents Case
No one is above the law – not even a former president of the United States.
After a grand jury of everyday Americans reviewed mountains of evidence, Donald Trump has been indicted on three more criminal counts and now faces 40 charges related to blocking federal law enforcement from retrieving hundreds of classified documents illegally in his possession.
According to the original indictment, we knew that Trump directed his associates to lie to the FBI to avoid returning the classified documents.
According to the new indictment, we now know that he ordered his staff to destroy evidence of his crimes: the surveillance footage showing his staff moving the boxes of classified documents.
Any other individual who obstructed law enforcement attempting to return these would end up in prison. Trump should not be immune from accountability just because he’s rich, famous and a former President.
Here’s what we know:
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE & CONSPIRACY TO OBSTRUCT: According to the indictment:
- Trump repeatedly blocked federal law enforcement attempting to retrieve approximately 300 classified documents that endanger our national security.
- He attempted to hide evidence, lie and obstruct the FBI and grand jury and cause his staff and lawyers to do the same in an attempt to keep them from recovering these documents from his summer resort, Mar-a-Lago.
- This includes ordering them to destroy video surveillance footage of his staff moving boxes of classified documents to keep them from law enforcement.
- These documents from the CIA, Pentagon and National Security Agency contained highly classified national security information.
- They detail our nation’s defense and weapons capabilities of the U.S. and foreign countries, U.S. nuclear secrets, potential military vulnerabilities, and response plans for a possible foreign attack against the U.S.
VIOLATING ESPIONAGE ACT: According to the indictment:
- Trump repeatedly admitted to intentionally taking these classified documents. He says it was not a mistake.
- He even showed the classified national security material to individuals without a security clearance.
Let’s be clear: Any other individual who intentionally took these classified documents and obstructed law enforcement attempting to return them would end up in prison.
- Dozens of others who have committed similar, and, in many cases, lesser offenses, have been prosecuted.
- Trump should not be treated any differently just because he’s rich, famous, or a former president.
- The rule of law is a basic principle – everyone must equally abide by our nation’s laws, and those laws should be equally enforced.
Pushback On Trump’s Defenses: No, Trump is also not being held to a different standard than President Biden and former Vice President Mike Pence.
- Trump’s pattern of statements and actions show that he intended to take the classified documents and he obstructed the government’s efforts to recover them.
- Unlike Trump, both Biden and Pence cooperated with the government’s investigations upon learning they were mistakenly in possession of classified documents.
- There is no evidence to suggest that either Biden or Pence tried to obstruct or hide documents.
- A key point from the indictment: Trump was not criminally charged for the retention of any documents he returned willingly, before he was subpoenaed in 2022.
- In other words, if Trump had returned all of the documents as requested by federal agencies – like Pence and Biden did – he likely would not have been charged by the DOJ at all.
No, the Presidential Records Act (PRA) does not justify Trump’s behavior.
- While Trump and his legal team have posited that the PRA allows Trump to decide unilaterally if any document is personal, and thus legally hold onto it, this is simply not the case. When Trump took documents to Mar-a-Lago, the handling of any classified document, no matter its status under the PRA, was also subject to the limits of Executive Order 13526, which Trump did not follow.
No, Trump’s declaration that he had a standing policy of declassification is baseless.
- At least 18 former top Trump administration officials have also contradicted Trump’s claim that he had standing declassification order, which he has alleged as a defense, calling this claim “laughable,” “ridiculous,” “[t]otal nonsense,” and even “bullsh*t.”
- This defense is also contradicted by other evidence such as the June 2021 tape of Trump admitting to his associates at Bedminster that the Iran attack plans he was showing them had not been declassified. If he had such a standing order, they would have been.
No, presidents do not have unilateral power to declassify documents relating to national security.
- Trump did not follow the specific rules and procedures governed by Executive Order 13526.
- Trump could have abrogated the Executive Order when he was president, but he did not, so its rules govern his post-presidential conduct.
No, there is no credible evidence to suggest that Trump took the steps necessary to declassify the documents.
- Trump and his allies have claimed repeatedly in public that he declassified some or all of the documents bearing classification markings that were recovered from MAL—but there is simply no evidence that he did.
- No president or former president has the power to declassify documents simply by removing them from The White House or thinking they are declassified.
- Reports show that Trump acknowledged on tape in a 2021 meeting that he had retained “secret” military information that he had not declassified.
No, Trump can’t claim ignorance of the rules regarding declassification.
- NARA has provided the DOJ with 16 records showing that Trump and his top advisers had knowledge of the correct declassification process—according to reports.
MAGA Candidates Bring Extreme Agendas to Iowa
As 2024 Republican presidential candidates flock to Des Moines, Iowans can expect to hear more of the same MAGA extremism that drives today’s Republican Party.
These hopefuls are all embracing the most extreme positions in order to win over the MAGA base. Three key toplines:
- The GOP field continues to threaten health care for millions and put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block,
- Every GOP contender has an extreme anti-choice record and support for a federal ban has become a litmus test in their primary,
- GOP contenders have embraced some of the most dangerous elements of their party like banning books, denying free and fair elections, and choosing the NRA over public safety.
We’ve seen what MAGA control looks like: Using power to divide, causing chaos, taking away your freedoms and rights, while benefiting themselves and their special interest and corporate backers. In just the past few weeks:
- Donald Trump claimed credit for the extreme six-week abortion ban passed in Iowa this month because he appointed three of the conservative justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade,
- Ron DeSantis is doubling down on his state’s education standards that will require schools to teach children that some enslaved people actually personally benefited from slavery,
- Tim Scott, once again, embraced an extreme national abortion ban in a town hall with WMUR. He has cosponsored multiple bans and vowed to sign “the most conservative” national abortion ban possible if elected,
- Nikki Haley flip-flopped on her support for Donald Trump yet again, promising to support him if he wins the 2024 Republican nomination – proving that she will say anything to advance the MAGA agenda.
GOP Refuses to Acknowledge the Urgency of Climate Change and Extreme Weather
- As the country faces extreme heat and deals with the rapid impacts of climate change, President Biden and Vice President Harris have been taking historic action to address the climate crisis since Day 1.
- Yesterday, President Biden convened the mayors of Phoenix and San Antonio to discuss how communities like theirs are being impacted by extreme heat and announce new measures to protect workers and communities across the country from extreme heat.
- This announcement builds on numerous actions that the Biden-Harris administration has taken to bolster heat response and resilience nationwide and deliver on the most ambitious climate agenda in American history.
Meanwhile, MAGA Republicans still refuse to acknowledge the urgency of climate change and have actively railed against efforts to combat the climate crisis — all while cozying up to Big Oil and Big Gas.
- Donald Trump: Under Donald Trump’s leadership, his administration slashed critical environmental protections and regulations and he has called climate change a “hoax,”
- Mike Pence: Pence has refused to acknowledge the urgency of climate change and downplayed the climate crisis,
- Ron DeSantis: DeSantis’ climate efforts in Florida were characterized as “catastrophic,” and the League of Conservation Voters gave his environmental voting record in Congress a lousy two percent rating.
Many Republicans in Congress continue to deny the existence of climate change, peddle conspiracy theories, and remain committed to repealing the president’s Inflation Reduction Act – the biggest climate investment bill ever – which would undermine the health and safety of their own constituents.
Medicare and Medicaid’s 58th Anniversary on Sunday
This weekend marks the 58th anniversary of President Lyndon B. Johnson signing Medicare and Medicaid into law – transforming American health care and providing critical, life-saving care to families across the country.
- In the decades since, Democrats have consistently fought for more affordable health care.
In the last 2 and a half years, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats have taken on Big Pharma to bring down health care costs:
- Passing legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices,
- Lowering prescription drug costs thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act,
- Cracking down on junk insurance plans,
- Taking steps to protect consumers from unfair medical debt.
Meanwhile, MAGA Republicans are threatening to repeal these cost saving provisions and undo this progress:
- Donald Trump: Proposed cuts to Medicare and Social Security programs every single year he was in office and has repeatedly attacked the Inflation Reduction Act,
- Mike Pence: Calling to end Medicare as we know it and called the Inflation Reduction Act’s price caps on prescription drugs a “policy failure,”
- Ron DeSantis: Supported proposed cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and railed against the Inflation Reduction Act,
- Tim Scott: Supported putting Medicare on the chopping block and has renewed his calls for ending the program as we know it. Scott voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation that is lowering health care costs for millions of Americans,
- Nikki Haley praised Paul Ryan’s blueprint to jeopardize Medicare and Medicaid as “common sense” and is campaigning on ending Medicare as we know it.
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