SCENARIO.
BACK TO YOU.
NEIL: THANK YOU, EDWARD
LAWRENCE.
SENATOR JOE LIEBERMAN, FORMER
INDEPENDENT CONNECTICUT SENATOR,
FORMER VICE PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE.
SENATOR ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE YOU.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS MIGHT BE A
TOUGH SLEDDING, MAYBE WE GET
INTO THE WEEKEND WITH ALL THE
MANUEVERS THAT DELAY THIS BUT IT
WILL ULTIMATELY BE APPROVED BUT
PRETTY MUCH ALONG PARTY LINE
VOTES.
I KNOW THEY’RE WORKING ON YOU
KNOW, ALASKA REPUBLICAN SENATOR
MURKOWSKI TO TRY TO GET HER TO
SUPPORT THIS BUT, BARRING THAT,
ANOTHER PART LINE VOTE ON VERY
BIG PIECE OF LEGISLATION.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> I’M DISAPPOINTED IT IS GOING
THIS WAY.
I DON’T THINK IT IS THE RIGHT
WAY FOR THE BIDEN
ADMINISTRATION, NOT THE BEST FOR
OUR COUNTRY.
UNFORTUNATELY, NEIL, I TALKED TO
FORMER COLLEAGUES IN BOTH
PARTIES ON CAPITOL HILL, THEY
SAID THE SAME THING, THE OTHER
SIDE DOESN’T REALLY WANT TO
NEGOTIATE.
A COMPROMISE IS IMPOSSIBLE.
THAT IS REALLY NOT TRUE BUT THAT
IS THE MOOD THEY’RE, IT IS VERY
POSTTRAUMATIC TIME AFTER THE
JANUARY 6th EVENTS AND THEN
IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
I MUST SAY THIS, HISTORY DOES
TELL US, I CAN SAY DURING MY
TENURE, THAT A NEW PRESIDENT
TEND TO GET WHAT THEY WANT FROM
THEIR OWN PARTY BUT, IT IS NOT
THE WAY IT OUGHT TO HAPPEN.
THIS BILL SHOULD BE LESS
EXPENSIVE THAN IT IS, STILL CAN
TAKE CARE OF THE MOST URGENT
NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
I HOPE THAT WE CAN RECOVER FROM
THE PARTISAN SNIPING THAT IS
GOING TO GO ON AND GOING ON NOW.
SO THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER ON THE
NEXT BIG ITEMS LIKE
INFRASTRUCTURE.
NEIL: ONE THING YOU KNOW THE
WHOLE WASHINGTON PROCESS FAR
BETTER THAN I, SENATOR.
WHAT IS INTERESTING HERE, IS
THAT THE CONCESSIONS HERE SOME
MODERATE DEMOCRATS WANTS, JOE
MANCHIN CHIEF OF THEM, NOT HAND
OUT CHECKS TO EVERYBODY, I
THOUGHT THE SAVINGS WOULD GO OFF
THE COST OF THE TOTAL PACKAGE
BUT APPARENTLY CHANNELED INTO
OTHER AREAS.
IT DOESN’T MAKE THE PACKAGE ANY
LESS THAN THE $1.9 TRILLION TAB.
WHY IS THAT?
>> THERE IS NOT A GOOD REASON
FOR IT.
THAT’S THE WAY THE
ADMINISTRATION, DEMOCRATIC
LEADERSHIP WANTED IT.
IT MAY GO BACK TO THIS TENDENCY
THAT I SAW THE PRESIDENTS I
SUPPORT, I SERVED UNBOTH
PARTIES.
THE INCOMING PRESIDENT TENDS TO
WANT TO DO SOMETHING BIG --
[INAUDIBLE].
MANCHIN AND SOME OF THE OTHER
MODERATES DID NEGOTIATE SOME
CHANGES BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THEY
ARE REALLY CLINGING TO THE
1.9 TRILLION.
OH, THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY, IT
ADDS TO THE DEFICIT.
SOME OF IT IS CLEARLY NECESSARY
IN THE SHORT RUN, LIKE, RENEWING
THE UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS BUT,
IT IS NOT THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT
OUGHT TO RUN.
I HOPE IT CAN RECOVER.
NOT THE WAY JOE BIDEN WAS A
SENATOR FOR SO MANY YEARS.
HE ALWAYS WORKED ACROSS PARTY
LINES TO TRY TO GET GOOD THINGS
DONE.
THAT IS WHAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS
NOW.
HOPEFULLY THEY DO IT.
IT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
CLINTON STARTED WITH A
PARTY-LINE VOTE.
BUSH 43 WENT ON TO NEGOTIATE,
COMPROMISE WITH THE OTHER PARTY
AND GET SOME BIG THINGS DONE FOR
THE COUNTRY.
I HOPE THAT CAN HAPPEN NOW.
WE NEED IT.
NEIL: YOU KNOW, SENATOR, WE DO
KNOW THAT WITH THE ADJUSTMENTS
THEY HAVE MADE, WHO GETS THE
STIMULUS CHECKS APPARENTLY
SOMEONE WAS WORKING ON THE MATH,
SAID IT WORKS OUT TO 12 MILLION
AMERICANS WHO GOT STIMULUS
CHECKS LAST TIME, WHO MIGHT NOT
THIS TIME.
IT GOT ME THINKING THE WHOLE
PURPOSE OF THIS WAS TO GET
AMERICANS TO SPEND, I COULD SEE
FOR THOSE WHO ARE WAY OVER ON
INCOME BUT THIS MEANS NOW THAT A
TARGETED AREA, THAT COULD HAVE
IMMEDIATE EFFECT IS LOST.
I’M JUST WONDERING, HOW THAT
HAPPENS, WHAT THAT MAYBE SAYS OF
THIS ENTIRE MEASURE WHERE HALF
THE SPENDING IS PUSHED INTO
FUTURE YEARS?
>> YEAH.
WELL, IT -- [INAUDIBLE].
PARTICULARLY BECAUSE THE
ADMINISTRATION HAS MADE IT CLEAR
THAT A INFRASTRUCTURE BILL,
INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE,
MULTITRILLION IS COMING NEXT.
WE NEED SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
HOPEFULLY IT CAN BE BIPARTISAN
AGREEMENT ON IT, YOU KNOW, IF
YOU LOOK AT THIS 1.9 BILLION,
THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT
ARE REALLY CRITICAL NOW FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE HURTING, LOST
JOBS -- [INAUDIBLE].
SOME PEOPLE ARE REALLY LIVING
HAND TO MOUTH EVERY DAY BUT A
LOT OF THE OTHER STUFF REALLY
COULD BE DELAYED.
AND DONE LATER.
LOOK, I’M NOT THERE.
I DON’T KNOW HOW THE -- ENDED UP
WITH THIS RESULT BUT LOOKS LIKE
AFTER A LOT OF PARTISAN
WRANGLING OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS
WHICH IS NOT PRETTY, THIS
1.9 TRILLION PACKAGE WILL PASS.
LET’S HOPE AND PRAY THAT IT
HELPS THE ECONOMY, MOST OF ALL
PEOPLE REALLY NEED IT AS WE COME
OUT OF THE PANDEMIC.
IT IS NOT THE WAY THE GOVERNMENT
SHOULD RUN, REALLY.
NEIL: YEAH.
THAT IS PROBABLY AN
UNDERSTATEMENT.
SENATOR, ALWAYS GREAT CATCHING
UP WITH YOU.