Democrats’ Vast Vote-Buying Strategy — ‘Like We Have Never Seen Before’

Taxpayers are being put on the hook for billions of dollars in permanently higher benefits just as voters go to the polls. Like the student debt bailouts.

Vast Vote-Buying Strategy — ‘Like We Have Never Seen Before’ — Is Laid to Democrats by North Dakota’s Governor

Taxpayers are being put on the hook for billions of dollars in permanently higher benefits just as voters go to the polls.

By: Matt Wedinger, NY Sun, May 23, 2024:

Governor Burgum of North Dakota — a potential running mate with President Trump — is warning that, under the Biden administration, there is “vote-buying going on at a scale like we have never seen before.” Mr. Trump simplifies the charge to just “they get welfare to vote.” What’s the evidence behind those allegations?

The case could start with funding increases for infrastructure projects. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette bluntly summarized the administration’s message to voters in the Keystone State by reporting that President Biden “offers 17 billion reasons for Pennsylvanians to support him this fall.”

Specific projects include “green pork,” the Post-Gazette reports, like $98.5 million for “a statewide network of electric vehicle chargers,” and $143 million for a longtime Biden favorite, Amtrak, to run a second daily train between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

It’s no secret that the oldest president ever is struggling to connect with young people. That’s an openly and widely–cited reason why Mr. Biden has repeatedly proposed canceling college student debt, with the cost to taxpayers now approaching a shocking $400 billion. Mr. Burgum says that “Citizens understand those are like pre-election payoffs. Those are like, hey, folks, please vote for us because we’re relieving your debt.”

The same argument could apply to a Democrat-crafted proposal to expand the child tax credit, which now appears terminally blocked by Republicans in the Senate. If enacted, that would have resulted in millions of expanded benefit checks sent by the IRS in an election year. Not exactly subtle on the message or timing.

For sheer scheduling chutzpah, it would be hard to top the latest Biden administration plan to expand welfare checks. Under a pair of recently-announced regulations, starting in October the administration will expand Supplemental Security Income, a  federal benefit program for low-income children, adults, and seniors. SSI is already one of the nation’s largest cash welfare programs, providing $60 billion in annual benefits to 7.5 million disabled and elderly individuals.

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