Republicans mocked for going silent as Biden leads the 'strongest economic growth since 1984'
In the wake of reports that say economic growth in 2021 reached its highest level in nearly four decades with an economy that created 6.4 million jobs last year, MSNBC's Steve Benen writes that Republicans are ignoring the strongest economic growth since 1984.
After the downturn in 2020, US GDP expanded by 5.7 percent last year, the Commerce Department said in its latest quarterly report. Benen was curious as to how the GOP would respond to the news, but all he found was silence.
"The RNC didn't bother to issue a statement. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell similarly acted as if the developments weren't worthy of acknowledgement," Benen wrote. "In other words, economic growth was so good in Biden's first year in the White House that Republicans literally found themselves at a loss for words."
Benen added that when discouraging economic news was making headlines last year, Republicans didn't hesitate to link the news to President Joe Biden's policies -- like when Mitch McConnell released a press statement that said the "disappointing jobs report" was confirmation that Biden's "tax-and-spend policies are bad for American workers, families, and small businesses."
Biden, whose signature social spending bill is stalled in Congress, cheered the report, highlighting "the fastest economic growth in nearly four decades, along with the greatest year of job growth in American history."
And, he said, "for the first time in 20 years, our economy grew faster than China's."
China's growth slowed to four percent in the fourth quarter, according to official data released last week.
"This is no accident," Biden said. "My economic strategy is creating good jobs for Americans, rebuilding our manufacturing, and strengthening our supply chains here at home to help make our companies more competitive."
"Republican leaders and Trump were quick to praise the economy at GDP growth of 3% or less, and even promised it would hit 4% and 5%. While they never could deliver that kind of growth, President Biden has," the Democratic National Committee said in a statement.
With additional reporting via AFP
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