Republicans boo Biden on Trump, national debt, and Medicare claims
Republicans attending President Biden's State of the Union address react with boos over claims former President Trump added 25% of the entire national debt and Republicans want to sunset Medicare and Social Security.
President Biden made several bipartisan overtures in his second State of the Union address Tuesday night, but if he had hopes to unite Congress and the country behind his agenda, those hopes appear dashed as many Republicans say he was "lying shamelessly" and stoking divisions.
GOP lawmakers are furious with the president, who accused them of wanting to hold the economy "hostage" and sunset Social Security and Medicare. Biden's statements were met with raucous boos in the House chamber, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., was seen shouting "Liar!" at the president. Others joined in on social media during and after Biden's speech.
"The President has devolved into just lying shamelessly about GOP positions to frighten seniors citizens into voting for him," Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, tweeted from his personal account.
In a follow-up statement on his official account, Crenshaw described Biden's address as "a long, disjointed, rambling cacophony of lies with a side of gaslighting for good measure."
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President Biden speaks during a State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
"The SOTU could be an opportunity to actually give us the ‘state of the union.’ Tell us why America is great and why we have many great years ahead," he said. "Instead, President Biden wasted our time spewing campaign-style rubbish, lying about the GOP position on important issues, and causing division instead of unity."
Biden's accusation is a talking point that has been debunked by fact-checkers before. His claim that "some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset" is based on a legislative agenda released by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., last year. Scott proposed that "all federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again."
Though Scott's proposal was widely rejected by Republicans and denounced by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Democrats seized on Scott's proposal and claimed Republicans wanted to sunset Social Security and Medicare entitlements.
The Washington Post and other fact-checkers declared the Democrats' claim to be "false."
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene gives a thumbs down during President Biden's State of the Union address, Feb. 7, 2023, his first to the new Republican-controlled House. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Scott called Biden out after the State of the Union address, saying he is "clearly confused" and "nobody believes his lies about time or my plan to rescue America."
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Carl, R-Ala., the top Republican on the committee that controls spending, said point-blank, "the president is lying to you when he says Republicans want to cut Medicare or Social Security."
House Judiciary Committee Republicans also accused Biden of lying, and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said the president "should be ashamed of himself."
The reaction to Biden's claim in the House chamber was so strong the president actually walked back his comments.
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President Biden waves as he delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
"I'm not saying it's a majority of you. I don't even think it's even a significant – but it’s being proposed by individuals," Biden said. "I'm politely not naming them, but it's being proposed by some of you."
Faced with continued boos, Biden acknowledged that Congress was in agreement to leave Social Security and Medicare untouched.
"Let’s all agree – and we apparently are – let’s stand up for seniors," Biden said.
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"We will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare," he continued. "If anyone tries to cut Social Security, which apparently they’re not going to do, and if anyone tries, and Medicare, I’ll stop them. I’ll veto it."
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., applauded.
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