Emma Geoghegan

COMM 130

10/25/2021

Biden’s Budget Proposal & Political Polarization

A story that is receiving copious new coverage right now is President Biden and the

Democrats trying to pass a $2 trillion budget through Congress, deemed the “reconciliation bill”

(Shear, 2021, p.1). The impact, proximity, timeliness, prominence, relevance, usefulness, and

human interest aspects makes for a newsworthy topic. Many of the things they want to pass most

people in the country want. This includes free community college, free childcare, expanded

healthcare, lower cost drugs, and further assistance that addresses the income inequality in this

country right now. However, the Republicans are fighting them. There have been many stories

written about this budget battle, but the New York Times, which represents the Democratic view,

and the Wall Street Journal, which represents the Republican point of view, have the best

coverage. I will be analyzing both sources and several others and comparing arguments for and

against passing the bill.

Framing plays a role in news coverage through the qualitative nature of news reporting

and how it influences people’s opinions on public issues and their solutions. A similar idea is

agenda setting which determines an issue's salience in the eyes of the public. Agenda setting

theory looks at how the media can sway public opinion about the news or a particular issue.

Walter Lipmann, an American journalist, explores these effects in his book, Public Opinion,

published in 1922. He suggests that our knowledge of the world around us is rooted in what the

media and news streamlines to the general public. Our priorities can become based on the
priorities of the media and the significant elements in the media agenda come to the forefront of

the public’s mind.

Now more than ever, issues have a partisan aspect to them. The divide in this country

seemingly grows stronger as the struggle between Liberal and Conservative bias heightens, and

the moderate middle voters disappear. The left reflects liberal views, while the right remains

conservative. “Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and

partisan antipathy is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in the last two decades” (Pew

Research Center, 2014, p.10). Political polarization is largely driven by the parties’ different

values. With Republicans leaning further to the right and Democrats moving more towards the

left there is a stark contrast of opinions on political issues. This shift of Democrats moving to the

left has greatly affected judgements on both social and economic issues. Societal changes and

political movements have shaped the behaviors of both parties, for example, “the movement of

the Democratic Party to the left on economic issues in the past 50 years is confined to its

Southern members—reflecting the increased influence of African American voters in the South”

(Barber & McCarty, 2015, p. 21). As the demographic of voters change, so do their opinions on

political issues and the media plays a key role in influencing their values and beliefs.

The imminent political polarization is also triggered by recent technology that can cause

individuals to self-select their news and narrow their political horizons. Therefore, extensive

technology adds fuel to the political polarization fire. This era, known as “The 4th Age of

Political Communication” (Bennett & Pfetsch 2018; Blumler 2016; Davis 2019), is categorized

by “the broad influence of the Internet and its associated technologies on commerce, culture,

social relations, movements, politics, and the media” (Esser & Pfetsch, 2020, p.5). With news

being more efficiently spread, the implications are far reaching and fast. Social media has given
way to a revolutionized facet of political communication and news. Due to self-selection people

are likely to lean more towards news sources that favor their political party’s beliefs and the

Internet provides an easy way of doing so. The rise of “fake news,” flashy headlines,

sensationalism, and biased journalism has pushed political polarization to its peak. Meyer et al.

(2020, p. 281) claim that “party messages are more likely to make it into the news if they address

concerns that are already important to the media.” This proves how news and the media’s agenda

setting can contribute greatly to the already rampant Liberal versus Conservative bias and vice

versa.

Examining several sources and considering partisan bias is essential to understanding the

framing of President Biden’s proposed budget plan. A focus on the accredited New York Times

reflects a particularly strong Liberal bias while the Wall Street Journal is notorious for their

Conservative bias. Other sources displayed a pattern of political polarization with only a few

news sources reporting neutrally. In the new age of technology it is exceedingly difficult to find

media coverage that is unbiased and solely provides the facts. Friday, November 19, 2021 is

when the House narrowly passed Biden’s budget, despite outcries of opposition from

Republicans. In order to obtain information surrounding Biden’s bill and the consequent framing

of it, search terms included: Biden’s budget, Biden’s bill, CNN, FOX News, the New York

Times, the Wall Street Journal, Liberal bias, Conservative bias, and political polarization. These

helped to outline the issues and opinions regarding Biden’s budget. Headlines from CNN were

straightforward, “What the Democrats' sweeping social spending plan might include” while FOX

news included controversial headlines such as “Kudlow: Call Biden's budget bill the reckless

social spending, tax hike, and Green New Deal bill,” as the FOX Business host calls to “Kill the

bill, save America” (Kudlow, 2021, p.1). The articles with higher word counts contained more
extensive information on the budget and went more in depth on its consequences. Articles

compiling the positive intentions versus those cherry picking the negative implications are

completely a matter of opinion and most likely dependent on political party preference. Biden’s

bill contains many hot button topics that ignite political polarization on a scale that hasn’t been

witnessed in decades.

In its entirety the budget includes the issues of childcare, paid family and sick leave,

enhanced child tax credit, earned income tax credit, home health care, Affordable Care Act

subsidies, Medicaid coverage gap, Medicare hearing benefits, climate change, affordable

housing, Pell grants, children’s nutrition, immigration, and state and local tax deduction, with

free community college and Medicare dental and vision benefits being cut out (Luhby &

Lobosco, 2021, p.1). Democrats have generally displayed more support of higher taxes on higher

income people which would significantly affect their support of Biden’s bill. The Democratic

party initially fought for “a billionaire tax on the capital gains of the super-wealthy” (Luhby &

Lobosco, 2021, p.1), but were swiftly opposed and had to find funds elsewhere. They settled for

corporate taxes on any company making more than $1 billion, with a small percentage of taxes

on the super wealthy and increased IRS enforcement. This proposition for paying was paired

with two prescription drug provisions; the Medicare drug negotiation, which “would empower

Medicare to negotiate prices of certain costly medications administered in doctors' offices or

purchased at the pharmacy” (Luhby & Lobosco, 2021, p.1), and the drug rebate rule. The latter

goes against the previous Trump administration’s regulation but would help save around $297

billion. These are measures that have to be taken in order to provide the appropriate funding for

the bill, though it leaves many unhappy with footing such a bill.
 President Biden made big promises in his proposed budget that were certain to spark

political polarization among both parties. “His soaring rhetoric about the need for better higher

education, expanded Medicare services and bold advances in the fight against climate change”

(Shear, 2021, p.1), inspired support from the Democrats, however his suggestion of compromise

came as a disappointment for many. He initially pushed for a $3.5 trillion bill but has come to

terms with settling for less than $2 trillion. As a seasoned politician, Biden understands the

importance of agenda setting and relaying the significance of issues to gain public support. As

Doug Elmendorf, the dean of the Harvard Kennedy School and the former director of the

Congressional Budget Office, points out, “in order to make real progress, you have to inspire

people about the importance of the work” (Shear, 2021, p. 1). Many of the issues included on the

bill are issues that Democrats are concerned with, however the fact remains that the Republicans

hold a majority in the U.S. Senate. With three decades of serving on the Senate himself, Biden

has previously complied with the jurisdiction of the Senate, even if it meant neglecting the wants

of liberal activists. This compromise certainly does not meet the demands of such activists and

could cause support to dwindle at the polls.

Biden’s budget also faces the concern of extreme pushback from the Republicans who

“argue the president’s spending program would burden future generations with more debt and

serve as a drag on the economy” (Shear, 2021, p.1). Republicans, who have historically opposed

higher taxes on higher income people, remain steadfast in their belief, while the Democrats voice

their support on doing so. Finding middle ground appears to be nearly impossible with Biden’s

budget as Democratic moderates in both the Senate and the House call for reform and some even

completely resist the spending proposal. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, has openly opposed

some of the provisions in the bill and the economic implications of passing it through Congress.
Because of increased spending due to the coronavirus pandemic, Manchin is cautious and

forewarns of further government spending. “Instead of rushing to spend trillions on new

government programs and additional stimulus funding, Congress should hit a strategic pause on

the budget-reconciliation legislation” (Manchin, 2021, p.1). The issue of inflation gives pause to

politicians like Manchin who hesitate to spend such a large amount on legislation. This is a

significant roadblock for the Democratic party “since the Democrats have only 50 members in

the chamber, they still can't afford to lose a single vote within their own party” (Luhby &

Lobosco, 2021, p.1). The critique of Biden’s bill staunchly outweighs the justifications in this

regard.

Democrats like Sen. Manchin have agreed with Republicans about the economic standing

of this country and the financial consequences of the proposed budget. “What I have made clear

to the President and Democratic leaders is that spending trillions more on new and expanded

government programs, when we can’t even pay for the essential programs, like Social Security

and Medicare, is the definition of fiscal insanity” (Thompson, 2021, p.1). Manchin does not

stand alone in his opposition as Senator Kyrsten Sinema also voiced concerns over the cost. The

increased debt is an issue that cannot be ignored. “According to the Committee For a

Responsible Federal Budget, Mr. Biden’s proposal may require roughly $1 trillion of direct

borrowing, thereby adding 9 percent of GDP to the debt” (Thompson, 2021, p.1). The concern

lies with hurting the economy as well as issues that the right are generally supportive of

restricting, such as illegal immigration and abortion.

Republicans have been vocal about the budget’s implications. Kudlow claims, “It will

increase inflation. It will jack up the cost of all forms of energy. It will provide welfare assistance

without any workfare. By the way, it will provide welfare without workfare to illegal
immigrants” (Kudlow, 2021, p.1). This makes Biden’s plan quite an unpopular one among the

Republican party as they already trend towards reducing the size and power of the federal

government and oppose taxing the wealthy. Their economic priorities align with their opinions

on social issues,“for example, the most anti-tax Republican legislators are generally the most

pro-life, pro-gun, and anti-marriage equality. Similarly, the Democrats most likely to support a

minimum-wage hike are those most supportive of abortion rights and gay marriage” (Barber &

McCarty, 2015, p. 23). Due to these predisposed attitudes political polarization on both sides is

bound to occur. Thompson points out that the decision to proceed with reconciliation excludes

the need for Republican support which divides instead of unifies. He urges that bipartisanship

would have been a better investment in our country, but that the Biden administration “instead

chose to cave to the demands of progressives, leading to the postponement of the bipartisan

measure’s passage until the passage of the reconciliation measure as well” (Thompson, 2021,

p.1). The Biden administration has attempted to appeal to Democrats ideals of social justice and

income inequality but has put off more fiscally conservative Liberals.

The impact of Liberal versus Conservative bias regarding Biden’s budget depends largely

on the audiences as much as those reporting it. “Whereas debate rages as to whether the

American media has an overall liberal or conservative bias, there is substantial evidence that

media outlets vary in terms of their ideological and partisan orientations” (Barber & McCarty,

2015, p. 33). The media sets an agenda that pushes political polarization further at a time when

this country is already at a divide. According to averages from 2019 political surveys by Pew

Research Center, “About half of Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters (47%)

describe their own political views as liberal, including 15% who describe their views as very

liberal” (Gilberstadt, & Daniller, 2020, p.1). This is a smaller number than the “73% of
Republicans identifying as conservative in 2018” (Saad, 2019, p.1). Recent data also reflects that

the country as a whole leans conservative, though the amount of liberals has gradually increased.

Biden’s budget is an agreeably costly endeavor that aims to help working-class Americans, but

aside from the intention, both parties view it through very different lenses. On one side Liberals

believe that this country must take action socially, environmentally, and economically.

Conservatives, on the other hand, believe that this country cannot afford more debts and deficits.

“Each side believes its approach would put the nation’s finances on a more sustainable path by

generating the strongest, most durable economic growth possible” (Tankersley, 2021, p. 1).

Sources such as the New York Times or CNN, that have Liberal bias tend to report more on

social issues and the implications of supporting them versus ignoring them. Sources that have

Conservative bias such as the Wall Street Journal or FOX News, generally warn of the economic

consequences while omitting most of the implications of the social issues. There is a consequent

clash of ideals, while Democrats are encouraging social and environmental justice, Republicans

emphasize economic growth.

The Democrats emphasize the urgency of social issues such as climate change, women

entering the workforce, and providing nutrition and education for vulnerable children. In their

eyes, the risk of not acting is greater in the long-term than spending money to invest in these

issues. For example, climate change is a pressing issue on the Liberal agenda. Their argument is

that investing in it now will save money in the long run and relieve the country of impending

environmental strife, “White House officials say that if the country fails to reduce emissions, the

federal government will face mounting costs for relief and other aid to victims of climate-related

disasters like wildfires and hurricanes” (Tankersley, 2021, p. 1). From this perspective, the

impact of inaction would be detrimental and is worth adding to the federal debt. This belief is
rooted in the desire of social and economic equality, which Liberals fight fiercely for. Combating

the climate crisis has been prioritized on the Liberal agenda due to the disproportionate effects of

climate disasters on minorities and low-income communities. “As Democrats, we believe the

scientists: the window for unprecedented and necessary action is closing, and closing fast”

(Democrats.org, 2021, p.1). The battle between America’s financial standing and environmental

justice is a gap that some Liberals are optimistic can be closed. “Democrats reject the false

choice between growing our economy and combating climate change; we can and must do both

at the same time” (Democrats.org, 2021, p.1). Because of this value, it is understandable why

most Liberals are pushing for Biden’s budget to be passed effectively and quickly. Looking

through this lens of Liberal bias could greatly influence readers to decide for or against Biden’s

bill. For instance, if the audience belongs to a community of color or low-income family, they

most likely will lean towards the more Liberal Democrats, while more wealthy Democrats may

be more financially conservative about the bill, and on the opposite end conservative

Republicans might completely oppose it due to their beliefs.

While the majority of Liberals back Biden’s bill, more Conservative Democrats have

doubts about the enormous cost. Especially figures such as Sen. Manchin have voiced their fear

that “too much additional spending would feed rising inflation, which could push up borrowing

costs and make it harder for the country to manage its budget deficit” (Tankersley, 2021, p. 1).

Recent events such as climate disasters and the coronavirus pandemic have sparked strong

opinions among both parties. While the climate disasters have caused some Democrats to assume

Liberal bias and prioritize environmental issues, the extreme cost and consequences of the

coronavirus pandemic may give pause to others. Democrats may lean towards the opposite end

and give in to Conservative bias because of the economic impact coronavirus and additional
spending has had on this country. The fact remains that “the budget deficit has swelled in recent

years, reaching $1 trillion in 2019 from additional spending and tax cuts that did not pay for

themselves,” as well as efforts to relieve the effects of the coronavirus adding tremendously to

this cost (Tankersley, 2021, p. 1). This may trigger some Democrats to think and act more

conservatively for fear of plummeting further into our federal debt. Sen. Manchin’s reservations

have been repeated by some economists. Though Michael R. Strain, a centrist economist at the

conservative American Enterprise Institute, supported much of the spending programs to combat

the coronavirus, he warned that more spending would “exacerbate pre-existing inflationary

pressures” (Tankersley, 2021, p. 1). Recovery from the recession caused by the pandemic has

been especially taxing on the Biden administration as they battle to reduce inflation. Though

Conservative bias may have some influence on Democrats who have prioritized finances, it

certainly has the most weight on Republicans.

Republicans, known as the “grand old party” (GOP), have historically displayed

conservative ideologies. A study categorized Republicans as sharing several ideologies, “such as

libertarianism, neoconservatism, social conservatism, and fiscal conservatism” (Mair, Rusch, &

Hornik, 2014, p.9). In the past, Republicans have been almost unanimously against raising taxes

as it goes against their value of fiscal conservatism. This value was tested in the 1986 Tax

Reform Act that politically polarized both parties when Congress made the decision to pay for it

by raising the rate on capital gains. Republicans attested that this came with drastic repercussions

such as the savings-and-loan crisis and even the 1990-91 recession itself. Biden’s proposal poses

another financial threat to Republicans as they fear a repetition of the 1990-1 and 2008 recession.

This capital gains tax and its consequences are compared in many Conservative news and media

to Biden’s tax plan. Dan Palmer, a Republican strategist, states that “if passed, the Democrats’
real-estate tax proposals will tank property values” (Palmer & Williams, 2021, p.1). The

Conservative concern about taxes, inflation, and overall economic irresponsibility has put

pressure on Biden to cut parts of his plan. A decision must be made of what can be eliminated

from his proposal which will polarize political parties. Democrats may be disappointed and

Republicans may expect more cuts. Whether he appeals to Conservative bias or Liberal bias is a

smoking gun that could upset either party and even dissuade the more moderate voters. This is a

concern that Biden has to consider as he’s been accused by conservatives of focusing his “entire

economic agenda in the social policy bill” (Tankersley, 2021, p.1). Though Biden is a

Democratic President with generally liberal policies, he cannot ignore the demands and

criticisms from the right.

Conservative bias is particularly significant as Republicans remain a majority

demographic in this country. Economic issues take precedence in this case as

“Republicans...argue that the national economy cannot afford the burden of taxes on high earners

and businesses that Democrats have proposed to help offset their plans” (Tankersley, 2021, p. 1).

Republicans have long since committed to tax cuts and staunchly opposed tax increases. This has

been shown in the past with the Obama administration when President Biden was serving as Vice

President. A compromise on tax cuts was suggested to appease both partie’s ideological desires

but instead spurred extreme political polarization on the issue. “Progressives were particularly

upset with the extension of tax cuts for high-income families and with the estate-tax provisions”

and “Conservatives were similarly dismayed not to receive a more permanent extension of the

tax cuts, and worried that the extension of unemployment benefits would contribute to the

deficit” (Barber & McCarty, 2015, p. 43). The issue of taxing the super rich has been a major

threat to more Conservative Republicans and is one of the main arguments surrounding Biden’s
bill. The top Republican on the Ways and Means Committee states “the tax hikes are going to

slow growth, flatten out wages and both drive U.S. jobs overseas and hammer small businesses,”

(Tankersley, 2021, p.1). The opposition to taxes and persistent fiscal conservatism is a typical

theme in Conservative reporting. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) took to the

Senate floor to say that “There’s little confusion about the devastating economic impacts

Democrats would bring about by ramming through their reckless taxing and spending spree:

more taxes, more debt, and more painful inflation,” (Peterson & Rubin, 2021, p.1). This speaks

to Republican concerns of overextending federal government spending and power.

Political party preference has a strong impact on readers' opinions about the bill but so

does age, gender, place of residency, and education. Depending on the readers’ age there might

be a preference toward Liberal or Conservative bias. Pew Research Center shows that

“Generation Z – diverse and on track to be the most well-educated generation yet – is moving

toward adulthood with a liberal set of attitudes and an openness to emerging social trends”

(Parker, Graf, & Igielnik, 2019, p.1).This may cause younger voters to focus on social issues and

tune into news and media sources with a Liberal bias. Certain policies in Biden’s proposal could

potentially be favored by certain age groups, for example, free community college is an

appealing aspect for many college aged individuals. Those who value education may push for

this agenda among other social policy issues proposed by Biden. However, Biden faced

opposition from the right, “New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, has said he

doesn’t believe college should be free and that his state wouldn’t participate” (Bykowicz &

Belkin, 2021, p.1) His decision to cut free community college from the budget package is a

potentially polarizing choice as he seems swayed in order to gain Republican support but by
doing so could discourage younger voters who may interpret this as a sign of defeat and neglect

of providing adequate education.

Age is not the only factor of focus when considering political party preference.

Conservatives have shown a pattern of drawing an older crowd, concentrated in Midwestern and

Southern areas, who don’t necessarily see education at the top of their agendas. “Other societal

groups with strong conservative leanings include seniors and adults aged 50 to 64, men, residents

of the South and adults with no college education” (Saad, 2019, p.1). Geography can play a key

role when voters must have opinions and make decisions on policies. Areas with more

Conservative voters may be inclined to follow news and media sources with Conservative bias,

such as FOX News. Recent trends show that “the new Southern Republicans were becoming

increasingly conservative” (Barber & McCarty, 2015, p.26). Southern residents are influenced by

this environmental factor, which may make it increasingly difficult for Biden to gain support

from these areas and break through the Conservative bias. It is possible that areas where

communities of color are concentrated or individuals who’ve received higher education may

have more inclination to see past Conservative bias. Pew Research Center states that “Only two

groups show strong liberal tendencies: adults with postgraduate education and blacks” (Saad,

2019, p.1). This could change voter tendencies and public opinion on Biden’s proposal,

especially with Generation Z. The trajectory of Biden’s bill is still underway and it is unclear if it

will be passed, but it is certain that many of these factors will influence its success or failure.

The news and media sources will continue to report on this bill as it has an extensive and

treacherous road ahead in order to pass. The framing of how it is reported is essential to public

opinion as Liberal versus Conservative bias shrouds the facts and sways opinions. How the

headlines are phrased, policies are described, and politicians are viewed will vary from source to
source and continue to cause controversy within the next few weeks, maybe months. With

political polarization on the rise, several policies are likely to be criticized and may even be cut

from the bill if Biden chooses to compromise further. His ambition is apparent, as Biden says

that “it puts us on the path to build our economy back better than before by rebuilding the

backbone of America: working people and the middle class,” (Cochrane & Weisman, 2021, p.1).

Whether it will measure up to the hopes of the President is dependent on which side readers are

on. Not only will agenda setting from news and media sources influence attitudes, so will voter

identification; political party, age, education, and location. Conservative Republicans will be a

hurdle for Biden to overcome in order to move forward with his plan. Ronna McDaniel, the

Republican National Committee chairwoman, voiced her acute antipathy, “Americans will see

through their lies, and the R.N.C. will make sure voters don’t forget the Democrats’ failures

come next November,” (Cochrane & Weisman, 2021, p.1). History has shown in times of

political unrest, the country will divide and it is now unfolding in front of our eyes once again.

Only time will tell who will emerge victorious from the political polarization battle.
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