CNN anchor Poppy Harlow relentlessly questioned New York Republican Congressman Michael Lawler regarding the proposed budget’s impact on the deficit. Despite Lawler’s emphasis on the bipartisan compromise to cut spending and reduce the deficit, Harlow focused on a single $2.1 billion increase in SNAP funding instead of the overall $1.5 trillion reduction in the budget deficit.
Harlow disputed Lawler’s view that the bill would cut spending citing the CBO prediction of the SNAP funding increase. Lawler argued that the increase would become a decrease due to changes in work requirements and caps on state-level exemptions. Harlow, however, interrupted the Congressman and insisted on citing the CBO’s report which she believed confirmed the bill would increase spending.
Despite Harlow’s relentless questioning and attempts to discredit the Congressman by quoting the CBO’s report back to him, Lawler remained firm on the budget’s overall reduction in deficit aiming to move the economy in a better direction. Harlow’s anti-Republican reporting only served to magnify one aspect of the bill, ignoring the overall positive impact on the deficit.
