Jen Psaki Bristles When Peter Doocy Asks if Biden Build Back Better Plan is ‘Free’: ‘Let’s Not Dumb This Down’

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki bristled at Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy over a line of questioning involving President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan.

As the president tries to get his dual-track agenda across the finish line, Doocy keyed in on a remark Biden has repeatedly made about the plan’s price tag. On several occasions, Biden or members of his administration have said variations on the theme that the plan is “going to cost nothing because we’re going to raise the revenue — raise the revenue to pay for the things we’re talking about.”

Psaki couldn’t help but smile at Doocy’s framing, but pushed back against it nonetheless:

DOOCY: Thank you. Following up on something that you just said: You said that the President is going to have a virtual meeting with House progressives to talk about how this Build Back Better package is now going to be smaller than $3.5 trillion. But you have been saying that it costs zero. So, are you now admitting that the plan does not cost zero? Or is it less than zero?

MS. PSAKI: Well, let’s — let’s not dumb this down for the American public here. What we’re talking about is how much the topline investments are, which are all paid for, so therefore, it costs zero. No matter what the cost or size of the topline investments are, we have ways to pay for it.

So, the point is — that’s important to the American public, all of your viewers too — is that this is not going to cost the American public a dollar. This is going to — we are going to pay for this by asking corporations, the highest incomes — so, people under $400,000, I should say — corporations, highest income to cover the cost of these necessary investments.

DOOCY: So just to not dumb it down then, does the plan cost nothing, or is the plan free?

MS. PSAKI: The plan costs nothing for the American people who make less than $400,000. If you think that —

DOOCY: Not free?

MS. PSAKI: — that companies that paid zero in taxes last year — 50 of the top companies — should continue to pay zero in taxes, we’re happy to have that debate.

Watch above via C-Span.