Biden says States Like Florida Had Bad Economies, Defending Billions Spent During His Term

On his way out, former President Joe Biden rejected the criticism that his administration spent too much money that wasn’t needed.

In one of his final interviews as president, Biden told MSNBC, “Red states (like Florida) really screwed up their economies,” and that is why the federal government came to the rescue to spend billions in GOP-run states to help them out post COVID.

Biden says the programs he signed into law the 2021 Infrastructure bill and 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) saved the economies in states run by Republicans.

Democrats tout the billions spent on green energy programs like EV plants, tax credits for consumers to have rooftop solar panels, and building new parks for local cities.

“These programs weren’t used to bail out red states, they were used to benefit democratic candidates running for office in swing districts,” says David Williams, President of The Taxpayers Protection Alliance.

Williams says the Biden administration purposely spent more money in Republican congressional districts to pick up seats they needed to win in in 2022 and 2024.

Some reports show that 78% of the IRA bill was spent in districts controlled by the GOP, especially in the South.

“Democrats campaigned on delivering for billions for local communities, I mean who would be opposed to new jobs being created and bringing back dollars to the district,” said Williams.

But it goes further than that.

In 2023, NBC News reported the Biden White House was launching the American Climate Corps. The role of this group was to hire more than 20,000 government workers, to travel to states like Florida and interact with voters in swing districts to promote the “benefits” of the 2021Infrastructure bill and IRA.

“These 20,000 workers were nothing more than a front, a campaign arm of the (then Biden reelection) Harris campaign for 2024,” said Wiiliams.  

But Willams and other economist say Bidens comments about saving GOP states doesn’t hold water. The numbers show that Florida’s economy was already leading the nation in job growth and economic recovery post covid.