Biden’s budget and GOP response offer up a sneak preview of next year’s campaign issues
The budget is a policy document, but this one’s also a campaign document.

President Joe Biden rolled out his budget proposal for the coming fiscal year. It is a wish list of administration priorities on health care, taxes, child care and more — but it’s also a bit of a preview of the 2024 race.
“They’re setting up the areas that there’s going to be a fight,” said Kathleen Searles, who teaches political communication at Louisiana State University.
“So what I imagine is if I’m a strategist, and in thinking about Biden’s reelection, then I know that this debt ceiling fight is looming is coming,” she said.
Even if Congress raises the debt limit, the fight over deficits will carry into 2024, said Michael Franz, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project.
“And so Democrats are going to be pushing for higher taxes on corporations, on the wealthy, and in addition to investments for the middle class, and Republicans are going to be about reducing the size of government lowering taxes and reducing spending,” Franz said.
The narratives about the budget are probably going to sound a lot like sneak previews of next year’s campaign ads.