‘I will flat veto them’: Biden pledges to reject Republican tax bills

President Joe Biden on Thursday pledged to reject Republican moves to abolish the Internal Revenue Service and replace the federal income tax with a national sales tax. He also hailed weakening inflation in remarks at the White House.

“Let me be very clear,” Biden said. “If any of these bills make it to my desk, I will veto them. I will flat veto them.”

Biden spoke after the release of data that showed the U.S. cost of living fell 0.1% in December, the first decline since the onset of the pandemic in 2020. The data pointed to a further slowdown in inflation after it hit a 40-year peak last summer. The president said the decline was evidence that Americans were getting more “breathing room.”