Biden in Largo: 'Your Biceps Are a Little Small,' a 'Childtare Crax Credit' and 'I'm Going to Get in Real Trouble' (September 14, 2023)

President Joe Biden came to Prince George’s Community College in Largo, Maryland, to sell “Bidenomics.” He started with the state’s governor, Wes Moore, D-Md. “Gov, my problem is, your biceps are a little small. [ Laughter ] I mean, you’re not in very good shape,” Biden said [1].

He ended by explaining why he would not take questions. “I wish I had a chance to take all your questions, but I’m going to get in real trouble if I do that,” Biden said, to laughter [1].

The video above shows the end of Biden’s Sept. 14, 2023, speech. Quotes are from the official transcript and pool reports published by the American Presidency Project [1][5].

”He’s the Guy That Did My Debate Prep”

Biden thanked Maryland’s Democrats one by one. “Chris Van Hollen is one of the reasons why I got elected Vice President. He’s the guy that did my debate prep for me. [ Laughter ] And without it, I’d have been in real trouble,” he said of the state’s junior senator [1].

He also joked about the student who introduced him, saying that one day, “when she’s President,” she had promised not to say “Joe who?” [1].

”For the First Time in American History”

Then Biden turned to jobs. “Even though we’ve had 19 straight months of unemployment under 4 percent for the first time in American history,” he said [1].

It was not the first time. “Unemployment was below 4% for 35 straight months, from January 1951 to November 1953. It was also below 4% for 27 months from November 1967 to January 1970,” PolitiFact reported that June [2].

PolitiFact also noted that “under President Donald Trump, the unemployment rate was 4% or under for 24 months, compared with 18 months under Biden” at the time of its check [2].

“800,000 Manufacturing Jobs”

Biden listed more numbers: “over 13 million jobs, more jobs in 2 years than any President has created in a 4-year term.” He added that “we’ve created 800,000 manufacturing jobs and a manufacturing boom we haven’t seen in decades” [1].

A year earlier in Pittsburgh, he had put his manufacturing number at 700,000. For that speech, see HYGO News’ page on the Pittsburgh trip.

He also attacked the other party’s agenda. “Look, their plan—MAGAnomics—is more extreme than anything America has ever seen before,” Biden said [1].

”We Gave Them Nothing They Wanted”

Biden described his debt-limit deal with House Republicans. “Just months ago, they went further than anyone has ever gone, threatening to default on the debt that’s over 220 years old—default—unless we gave them everything they wanted. We gave them nothing they wanted. We gave them nothing they wanted. And we got a deal,” he said [1].

His budget director had described the same deal differently that May. Shalanda Young said it would “allow Republicans to have some — some curbing of spending, which is flatlined for non-defense discretionary,” and that “there will be a phase-in to add age up to 54” for food-stamp work requirements [3].

”Childtare Crax Credit”

Biden then promoted the child tax credit, and the White House transcript had to fix his words twice. “That’s why I expect [expanded; White House correction] the childcare tax credit,” he said. A moment later: “When you have a childtare crax credit [childcare tax credit; White House correction] and you’re a middle- or lower-middle-class-income person, guess what? It means you can get help for your kid and you can go to work at the same time” [1].

He also said, “We awarded a record $70 billion in Federal contacts [contracts; White House correction] to small, disadvantaged businesses” [1].

”I’m Going to Get Those Gas Prices Down Again”

“And I’m going to get those gas prices down again. I promise you,” Biden said [1].

Regular gas averaged $3.822 a gallon the week of Sept. 11, 2023, compared with $2.379 the week of Jan. 18, 2021, two days before Biden took office, according to the Energy Information Administration [4].

”I Taught at the University of Pennsylvania”

Near the end, Biden described his résumé. “I taught at the University of Pennsylvania for 4 years, and I used to teach political theory,” he said [1]. For that claim, see HYGO News’ page on his Albuquerque speech.

He also recalled “a long talk with my counterpart, who I’ve known for 25 years, Vladimir Putin” [1].

He closed with a challenge. “Name me one objective America has set that they haven’t been able to accomplish if we worked together. Name one,” Biden said [1].

By the Numbers

19: straight months of sub-4% unemployment Biden claimed was a first [1].
35: straight months of sub-4% unemployment from 1951 to 1953, per PolitiFact [2].
27: straight months of sub-4% unemployment from 1967 to 1970, per PolitiFact [2].
$3.822: the average price of regular gas the week of Sept. 11, 2023 [4].
35 minutes: the length of the speech, from 3:17 to 3:52 p.m., per the pool [5].

What Happened Next

No shutdown that month. Biden warned that Republicans were “threatening to shut the Government again this month” [1]. On Sept. 30, the House and Senate passed the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act, which was “Approved September 30, 2023” [6].

For more on the deal Biden said gave Republicans “nothing,” see HYGO News’ page on the May 30 briefing.