5 promises Biden made in his State of the Union speech that should scare workers
President Biden delivered his second State of the Union (SOTU) address last night. For you normies out there, this is the annual speech our Commander in Chief gives to update the nation on their progress and paint a picture for what’s still to come under their tenure.
To be honest, it’s mostly a lot of hot air. Presidents tend to overstate their accomplishments, attempt to put a spin on any negative numbers, and rile their supporters up for pet policy projects they have yet to deliver on. This year was much the same.
At BASEDPolitics, we watched so you didn’t have to. You can read Brad Polumbo’s roundup of Biden’s biggest falsehoods from the night here. And I want to draw your eye to five of his most alarming promises for the future—that should concern the workers out there.
1. Forcing Federal Construction Projects to “Buy American”
“Tonight, I’m also announcing new standards to require all construction materials used in federal infrastructure projects to be made in America. American-made lumber, glass, drywall, fiber optic cables. And on my watch, American roads, American bridges, and American highways will be made with American products.”
Buying American is one of those patriotic slogans that sounds warm and fuzzy. Support your fellow countrymen! Ensure America is independent! Keep companies here!
In reality, it’s economically illiterate hogwash that makes everything more expensive. We live in a global economy, and that’s a good thing. Many resources are more plentiful and can be produced more cost effectively elsewhere. That means ultimately, we all pay less for our products, have fewer shortages, and can produce things faster. It also allows us to focus on the products we can produce the most effectively instead of trying to make everything ourselves.
If you want more products made in America you don’t need to force companies to buy products here—you need to make it easy and affordable to make things here. Companies will naturally choose the best and cheapest product available. But currently, American products are rarely the cheapest, and that’s in part because of progressive policies (high business taxes, high employment taxes, and regulations). So, all Biden is doing is ensuring taxpayers have to pay a lot more money to complete our infrastructure goals here.
2. Biden Promises Higher Taxes on American Businesses
“And we pay for these investments in our future by finally making the wealthiest and the biggest corporations begin to pay their fair share. I’m a capitalist. But just pay your fair share.”
If we lived in a just world, lightning would come down and strike anyone who uttered the phrase, “I’m a capitalist, but….” for sheer heresy.
There’s nothing capitalistic about shaking the actual producers and people of consequence in your economy down. American business owners create jobs, deliver products and services, improve everyone’s quality of life, and keep the economy running. It is these people that will have to grow the economy to get us out of the inflation mess Washington DC has created, and it is these people that actually keep our country running.
Their reward? An endless array of attacks, scapegoating, and regulations and taxes that make it very expensive, difficult, and at times downright scary to own and operate a business.
This kind of climate makes fewer people want to go into business, and makes it harder for them to succeed when they do. It also makes their final products and services more expensive because they have to bake these government-thugs tolls’ into their prices. Oh, and tax hikes applied to “Big Business” often end up being passed-along to workers via lower wages. So Biden may just be pushing a de facto wage cut for millions of workers.
3. Biden Refuses to Negotiate on Social Security and Medicare
“So tonight, let’s all agree to stand up for seniors. Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare.”
That’s bad news if you’re a worker who has been paying into Social Security and Medicare all your life and hoping to collect. Because these programs are soon going to be insolvent. At that point, cuts will be forced and benefits will automatically be slashed.
So, refusing to reform (which would require some cuts) these programs is not standing up for seniors. It’s actually just refusing to be the adult in the room, face reality, and do what needs to be done so the programs don’t go belly up entirely.
4. Biden Threatens More Antitrust Measures
“Pass bipartisan legislation to strengthen antitrust enforcement and prevent big online platforms from giving their own products an unfair advantage.”
Antitrust is a trojan horse that the government uses to unconstitutionally control businesses without having to pass unconstitutional laws. Clearly, doing things like dictating free speech practices at private businesses is illegal and would be struck down by any Constitution-fearing judge. So instead of passing legislation telling businesses to perform how the federal government wants them to, they do things like threaten them with antitrust unless they comply.
Do you see the catch 22 now?
Monopolies usually do not exist unless they are government created. The market can handle competition on its own, and the antitrust standards we have in place, namely the consumer welfare standard, have been operating just fine for decades.
If Biden gets his wish, consumers will ultimately pay the price and have worse options on the market.
5. Biden Won’t Let the PRO Act Go
“Pass the PRO Act because workers have a right to form a union. And let’s guarantee all workers a living wage.”
It’s pretty easy to tell when someone is bought and paid for by the unions, because they will just keep trying to force things on workers that they’ve already said they don’t need or want.
The PRO Act is one of the more sinister bills out there floating around, and Biden is LYING about what it does. Workers always have the right to form a union. There’s literally not one state or locality that prevents it. They can't, however, be forced to join a union in the 28 states that have passed Right-to-Work laws and it is this the PRO Act would actually overturn. It also takes away the option to freelance from millions of people.
WATCH: 4 misleading claims from Biden's State of the Union address (highlights)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTz_iu2TK30&t=231s