Biden, who intends to unveil his budget plan on Thursday, had floated the $2 trillion deficit reduction figure during his State of the Union address in February. The Democratic president will propose raising taxes on companies and people earning over $400,000 a year in an effort to curb government red ink, while protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from cuts. "We see this as a value statement" about the future of the country, Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Ultimately, it will be up to Congress, where Republicans
control the House of Representatives, to write related budget
legislation.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Katharine Jackson; writing
by Tim Ahmann; editing by Rami Ayyub and Heather Timmons)