But some of these Biden officials incorrectly described one of the figures they put at the center. And while Biden’s Friday description of the same figure was literally accurate, it was still quite misleading by omission.
The figure in question is an estimate by Moody’s Analytics, a Wall Street research firm, of how many jobs the infrastructure proposal will create. Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council of the White House, claimed on Fox News on Sunday that Moody’s estimated that the proposal would ‘create 19 million jobs’.
Transport Minister Pete Buttigieg used similar language in his own Sunday interviews, saying on ABC that an independent analysis had found that it would lead to 19 million jobs and on NBC that it would create 19 million jobs.
The White House official said Deese intends to say Moody’s finds that the infrastructure proposal will help create 19 million jobs, not that the proposal itself will create 19 million jobs. Buttigieg’s staff did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.
Moody’s estimated that between the fourth quarter of 2020 and the fourth quarter of 2030, the economy would have added about 15.7 million jobs if the U.S. pandemic relief plan was not approved and if the infrastructure proposal was never approved. In other words, Moody’s said these two Biden plans accounted for about 3.3 million jobs above a baseline scenario in which the economy was ‘no additional support’.
Bid their language
Biden’s description of the ’19 million ‘statistics was more accurate than that presented by Deese and Buttigieg. But Biden’s language still invites listeners to misunderstand what Moody’s conclusion is.
Biden said in a Friday speech: “Independent analysis shows that if we succeed in this plan, the economy will create 19 million jobs …”
Unlike Buttigieg and Deese, Biden did not say the estimate was infrastructure proposal itself would create 19 million jobs. But the president’s artificial wording could not make clear that Moody’s believes about 16.3 million of these 19 million posts will be added, regardless of whether the infrastructure proposal is signed into law. White House press secretary Jen Psaki also did not make this distinction clear when she used the figure “19 million” in a Friday press conference.
Another White House official, Economic Advisory Board member Jared Bernstein, used the figure of “19 million” much more transparently than his colleagues did. Amber proactive
explain On CBS News Radio on Friday, Moody’s said only some of the estimated 19 million additional jobs could be attributed to the infrastructure proposal, while some of the $ 19 million could be attributed to the US rescue plan signed by Biden in March both plans created.
“They report that over the next decade, they will expect non-farm employment to increase by 19 million. Some of it is the rescue plan, some of it is the work plan, and some of it is underlying growth,” Bernstein said.
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