WASHINGTON—With negotiations over a $3.5 trillion antipoverty bill heating up among Democrats, the White House is trying to ensure that inflation fears don’t drive moderates away from supporting the plan as Republicans argue the proposal will accelerate a surge in prices.
The Biden administration acknowledges that rising prices are a problem in the short term. But in memos and blog posts aimed at Democrats in Congress, administration officials contend that the plan to pump funding into education, healthcare and the environment is a long-term investment, spent slowly over the next decade and mostly paid for through tax increases, that will ultimately lower prices and increase productivity.
