The Democratic National Committee (DNC) accused Republicans of having “no agenda” in a memo released to state parties on Thursday, echoing messaging from President Biden used at a press conference on Wednesday marking his first year in office.
The memo, which was released exclusively to The Hill, appears to be an attempt to flip the script on Republicans, who have slammed Biden and Democrats for what they say is a lack of progress during his first year in office.
“The first major piece of legislation Democrats got to work to pass was the American Rescue Plan, which every Republican in Congress voted against,” the memo read.
“They fought against getting Americans vaccinated, resources for schools to safely reopen, and lifting millions of Americans out of poverty. It was desperately needed and overwhelmingly popular, which explains why Republicans are now desperate to take credit,” it continued.
The memo also touted Biden’s infrastructure package, which was passed last year with some Republican support.
“President Biden and Democrats worked tirelessly across the aisle to pass a historic investment in infrastructure to rebuild our roads, fix our bridges, and deliver clean water. Incredibly, the majority of Senate Republicans and
94% of House Republicans voted against it. These are just the start of the endless headlines Republicans will have to explain to their constituents,” it said.
Democrats also accused Republicans in the memo of working to prevent progress in the fight against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Not only that, but Republican lawmakers have made clear they are anti-science, pro-sickness, and are fighting against our best tools to put the pandemic behind us. Let’s be clear: Republicans are wrong, and Americans
agree with President Biden and science,” the memo said.
The Hill reported on Thursday that DNC insiders were torn over how to handle the disappointments of Biden’s legislative fallouts, including voting rights and the Build Back Better Act, ahead of the midterm elections.
The party faces a tough road ahead with Biden’s approval ratings sinking and Republicans appearing to be on track to take back the House.
The latest messaging push from the committee comes less than a day after Biden blasted the GOP for thwarting his legislative goals for the sake of politics.
“I did not anticipate that there would be such a stalwart effort to make sure that the most important effort was to make sure President Biden didn’t get anything done,” Biden said to reporters at the White House. “Name one thing they’re for.”
The Republican National Committee (RNC) was quick to hit back at the president in a statement on Wednesday, calling him “out of touch.”
“He refused to take responsibility for his failures, but Americans know Biden is to blame and no amount of finger pointing can change that. Biden and the Democrats just don’t care,” RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said.
The RNC marked Biden’s first year in office in a separate statement on Thursday, calling it “disastrous.”
“One year in, the American people are clearly worse off because of Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress. From rising prices to spiking crime to surging COVID cases, people across the country are paying the price for Biden’s failed policies. Americans deserve better, but Biden doesn’t care,” McDaniel said.