US Economy: White House Challenges Jeff Bezos On Inflation Comments

The White House continues to push back against criticism from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos about his comments on inflation and its impact on the least affluent Americans. In April, consumer inflation rose at an 8.3% pace, prompting concerns about the U.S. economy.

On Sunday, Bezos asserted in a tweet that the Build Back Better package championed by President Joe Biden's administration would make inflation worse.

In the tweet, Bezos wrote, "the administration tried hard to inject even more stimulus into an already over-heated, inflationary economy."

In fact, the administration tried hard to inject even more stimulus into an already over-heated, inflationary economy and only Manchin saved them from themselves. Inflation is a regressive tax that most hurts the least affluent. Misdirection doesn’t help the country. https://t.co/a8cygcunEG
Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) May 15, 2022

Then, Bezos claimed Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., saved Democrats by voting against the package. Manchin, who represents one of the most Republican-leaning states in the nation, was also the only Senate Democrat to vote against the Women's Health Protection Act.

Manchin's vote against the Build Back Better bill prevented the administration from increasing taxes on the wealthiest 1% of Americans. It also halts climate and social spending initiatives.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates sent a statement Sunday to the Washington Post criticizing Bezos' position.

"It doesn't require a huge leap to figure out why one of the wealthiest individuals on Earth opposes an economic agenda for the middle class," he wrote in the statement.

White House responds to Bezos criticism, points out the very richest would pay more under WH agenda
WH also points out Bezos' criticism of Biden comes after the president met with Amazon labor union leadership
Statement from @AndrewJBates46 https://t.co/DjOoV3oYbx pic.twitter.com/rkGSpBdPsz
Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) May 16, 2022

Bates added that the Build Back Better initiative "cuts some of the biggest costs families face, fights inflation for the long haul, and adds to the historic deficit reduction." The package asks "the richest taxpayers and corporations to pay their fair share."

"It's also unsurprising that this tweet comes after the President met with labor organizers, including Amazon employees," Bates noted.

I think @JeffBezos is mostly wrong in his recent attack on the @JoeBiden Admin. It is perfectly reasonable to believe, as I do and @POTUS asserts, that we should raise taxes to reduce demand to contain inflation and that the increases should be as progressive as possible.
— Lawrence H. Summers (@LHSummers) May 16, 2022

This is not the first time that Bezos criticized the administration's position on inflation. More recently, President Biden tweeted on Friday that his solution to inflation is, "make sure the wealthiest corporations pay their fair share."

You want to bring down inflation?
Let’s make sure the wealthiest corporations pay their fair share.
Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 13, 2022

In response, the former Bezos tweeted, "the newly created Disinformation board should review this tweet." He added that suggesting raising corporate taxes will solve rising inflation is "misdirection."

The newly created Disinformation Board should review this tweet, or maybe they need to form a new Non Sequitur Board instead. Raising corp taxes is fine to discuss. Taming inflation is critical to discuss. Mushing them together is just misdirection. https://t.co/ye4XiNNc2v
Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) May 14, 2022