Biden in Irvine: 'Not a Single, Solitary Biden Man' and 'If Republicans Take Control, the Prices Are Going to Go Up' (October 14, 2022)

Weeks before the 2022 midterms, President Joe Biden opened a speech at Irvine Valley College in California with a joke about his family that got away from him. “My younger sister used to be 3 years younger than me. Now she’s 23 years younger,” he said, to laughter [1].

“There was not a single, solitary Biden man that is as old—younger than any Biden woman,” Biden said [1].

The video above shows that moment from Biden’s Oct. 14, 2022, remarks on prescription drug costs. Quotes are from the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

”Protect My Freedom!”

Before that, Biden addressed the protests in Iran over the death of Mahsa Amini, which the transcript spells with a correction: “Masha [Mahsa]* Amini’s death was—I’ve been in—doing foreign policy a long, long time. It stunned me what it awakened in Iran” [1].

“I want to thank the Persian community here for being so vocal,” Biden said. An audience member shouted, “Protect my freedom!” Biden answered, “That’s one thing you don’t have to tell me” [1].

”Did a Lot of Things”

Biden then promoted the law Democrats had named for inflation. “You know, I wrote and then signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act. They used to call it—and the press has to—poor people have to follow me all over the country—and they’ve heard me say it before. It used to be called ‘Build Back Better,’” he said [1].

“That Inflation Reduction Act did a lot of things. It had, like, just a short amount of money—$368 billion—for the climate,” Biden said [1].

Congress’s budget scorekeeper had said the law would barely move inflation. “In calendar year 2022, enacting the bill would have a negligible effect on inflation, in CBO’s assessment,” the Congressional Budget Office wrote that August. In 2023, it estimated, “inflation would probably be between 0.1 percentage point lower and 0.1 percentage point higher under the bill” [2].

“8.2 Percent”

The speech came a day after a grim report. “The all items index increased 8.2 percent for the 12 months ending September, a slightly smaller figure than the 8.3-percent increase for the period ending August,” the Bureau of Labor Statistics said [3].

Biden spun the cost-of-living raise that followed. “And yesterday we announced that Social Security benefits are going to be going up an average of $140 a month starting next month. And, folks, look, seniors are going to get ahead of inflation next year,” he said [1]. For how he took credit for that raise, see HYGO News’ page on the Florida speech.

”Who, in God’s Name, Do They Think They Are?”

Biden went after drug companies. “This year, drug companies alone raised the price of more than 1,200 drugs—this year, this calendar year—raised the price on 1,200 drugs above the rate of inflation,” he said [1].

“In 2022, the price for one blood pressure drug that millions of Medicare beneficiaries rely on increased by over 500 percent. Who, in God’s name, do they think they are?” Biden said [1].

He also praised a local Democrat, Rep. Katie Porter. “You can tell she’s not passionate about much. [ Laughter ] And you can tell she’s a retiring soul. But all kidding aside, you know, a policy whiz,” Biden said [1].

He repeated a familiar insulin line. “You know how much it costs for them to make that insulin and package it? Ten—T-E-N—dollars. Ten dollars total,” Biden said [1]. For his insulin claims, see HYGO News’ page on the Las Vegas speech.

”If Republicans Take Control”

Then came his midterm warning. “If Republicans take control, the prices are going to go up, as will inflation. It’s this simple,” Biden said [1].

He also repeated his attack on Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., saying Scott “has proposed a plan to put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block every 5 years” [1].

By the Numbers

23: years younger his sister is “now,” by Biden’s joke [1].
$368 billion: what Biden called “just a short amount of money” for the climate [1].
8.2%: the 12-month inflation rate a day before the speech [3].
0.1 percentage point: CBO’s range, up or down, for the law’s effect on 2023 inflation [2].
3.4%: the 12-month inflation rate in December 2023, after Republicans took the House [5].

What Happened Next

Republicans took the House. A month later, “the GOP has now won 218 seats,” Fox News reported [4].

Inflation fell anyway. Biden had warned that a Republican House would mean higher inflation. Instead, the 12-month rate dropped from 6.5 percent in December 2022, “the smallest 12-month increase since the period ending October 2021,” to 3.4 percent in December 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics [5][6].

Scott changed his plan. In February 2023, Scott amended his proposal to exempt Social Security and Medicare. For that, see HYGO News’ page on Biden’s Wisconsin speech.