Republicans are stepping up their criticism of Vice President Biden for his claim that rapes and murders will climb if Congress does not approve proposed aid for police and first responders.

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said the vice president is using "fear tactics." Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said Biden's remarks were "over the top."

And as the Senate Thursday night turned down a pared-back jobs bill to send $35 billion to the states for teachers and first responders, the Republican National Committee threw up a web video accusing Biden of using "scare tactics" to try to push it through. The video excerpted several remarks, including Biden's claim to a reporter this week that "murder will continue to rise, rape will continue to rise" without more aid.

The RNC on Friday morning also forwarded around a study from FactCheck.org claiming Biden was telling a "whopper."

Biden's narrative started last week when he claimed in Flint, Mich., one of the most violent cities in America, that the number of murders and rapes had soared as the number of police officers had dropped. He said that between 2008 and 2010, the number of murders went from 35 to 65, and the number of rapes went from 91 to 229. FoxNews.com reported last week that, according to FBI figures, the city did see a significant rise in murders but the number of reported forcible rapes actually declined -- from 103 in 2008 to 92 in 2010...