AND AT END OF THE DAY, I BELIEVE
WE WILL SUCCEED.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A SECOND.
INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A SECOND.
YOU KNOW, SHELDON WHITEHOUSE,
COLLEAGUE OF YOURS, FOCUSED ON
CLIMATE.
HE TWEETED HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT
WAY THINGS WERE GOING.
INITIAL PACKAGE IS
CLIMATE-CENTERED, LOT OF GOOD
STUFF IN THERE.
THERE’S CONCERN THAT ONGOING
NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE
REPUBLICANS WOULD SPRIPTRIP THAT
OUT.
WHERE DOES THAT STAND AS A
CLIMATE VOTER, FOLKS FOCUSED ON
CLIMATE, HOW SHOULD THEY
UNDERSTAND WHERE THINGS ARE IN
THE DYNAMIC PROCESS WITH THE
CLIMATE ASPECTS OF THE
INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE?
>> IT’S A GREAT QUESTION AND I
THINK EVERYBODY WHO UNDERSTANDS
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH CLIMATE
UNDERSTANDS THAT WHAT THE
SCIENTISTS ARE TELLING US, IF WE
DO NOT ACT EXTREMELY BOLDLY
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, THERE
IS NO DEBATE ABOUT IT.
PLANET WE’LL BE LEAVING TO
CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WILL
BE INCREASINGLY UNINHABITABLE
AND UNHEALTHY.
IF WE ACT BOLDLY, CAN CREATE
MILLIONS OF JOBS, TRANSITIONING
ENERGY AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUEL,
MAKING HOMES AND BUILDINGS
ENERGY EFFICIENT, MOVING TO
ELECTIFICATION OF TRANSPORTATION
IN AMERICA.
WE’VE GOT TO DO THAT.
BUT TALKING ABOUT AS IMPORTANT
AS THAT IS, WE HAVE TO
UNDERSTAND LAST 45 OR 50 YEARS
THE WORKING CLASS OF THIS
COUNTRY HAS BEEN DECIMATED.
WE’RE ONLY MAJOR COUNTRY NOT TO
GUARANTEE HEALTH CARE TO ALL
PEOPLE.
PAY THE HIGHEST PRICES IN WORLD
FOR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, HALF OF
OUR PEOPLE LIVING PAYCHECK TO
PAYCHECK, HALF A MILLION PEOPLE
SLEEPING ON THE STREET, ON AND
ON IT GOES.
THIS IS THE MOMENT TO CREATE
MILLIONS OF GOOD PAYING JOBS,
REBUILDING OUR PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE, DEALING WITH
CLIMATE AND DEALING WITH THE
NEEDS OF WORKING FAMILIES,
CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY.
>> RIGHT, BUT I MEAN THE
QUESTION IS, ALL THAT STUFF,
WHAT YOU SAID, YOU’RE SOMEONE
WHO IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE
AMBITION EMBODIED IN THE PACKAGE
PROPOSED BY WHITE HOUSE.
POSITIVE WORDS, YOU’RE
SHEPHERDING IT THROUGH THE
BUDGET COMMITTEE, YOU’RE ON
BOARD.
I DON’T WANT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN
DETAILS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS BUT
THAT’S WHERE WE’RE AT, RIGHT?
ARE THE DEMOCRATS GOING TO MAKE
THE DECISION TO PASS THIS ALONE,
IS IT A POSSIBILITY AND SHOULD
WE HAVE FAITH THEY CAN GET
THERE?
>> FAITH, THAT’S A BIG WORD FOR
WASHINGTON, D.C..
>> THAT IS NOT A REASSURING
ANSWER, SENATOR.
>> IT’S LIKE IF YOU WANT A
FRIEND, GET A DOG, SOMETHING
LIKE THAT.
THIS IS WHAT I DO THINK, CHRIS.
THESE NEGOTIATIONS CANNOT GO ON
AND ON AND ON.
IN MY OWN VIEW, DO I BELIEVE
THAT WE WILL HAVE TEN REPUBLICAN
VOTES TO DO SOMETHING
SIGNIFICANT, PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE, CLIMATE, HUMAN
INFRASTRUCTURE, HEALTH CARE,
EDUCATION -- NO I DON’T.
SO I DO WANT TO TELL YOU, MAYBE
MAKE YOU FEEL A LITTLE BIT
BETTER, AS WE SPEAK WE’RE
WORKING ON A MAJOR, MAJOR
RECONCILIATION BILL TO COMBINE
BOTH BIDEN’S PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS AS WELL AS
FAMILY PLAN, THE HUMAN
INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL.
WE’RE WORKING ON IT RIGHT NOW.
>> RIGHT.
OKAY.
SO HERE’S -- THIS IS SORT OF A
WEIRD TECHNICAL POINT BUT SINCE
YOU BROUGHT IT UP, IT’S WORTH
ASKING THE QUESTION --
>> A WEIRD TECHNICAL POINT?
OKAY, HERE WE GO.
>> YOU’RE IN THE U.S. SENATE,
THIS IS THE HAND FATE HAS DEALT
BOTH OF US SENATOR.
THIS IDEA THAT THERE COULD BE
SOME BIPARTISAN COMPROMISE ON
SOME STUFF THAT GETS PASSED,
MAYBE 60 VOTES FOR THAT AND
OTHER STUFF GOES THROUGH
RECONCILIATION VEHICLE AND
SOUNDS LIKE THAT’S A LITTLE BIT
WHAT IS GAMED OUT WHEN YOU SAY
THAT.
CONFIRM THAT.
>> THAT’S NOT WHAT I’M SAYING.
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE "A" THAT
REPUBLICANS ARE NOT SERIOUS
ABOUT ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT.
SECOND OF ALL, I HAVE MY DOUBTS
IF YOU PASS SOMETHING IT WILL
GIVE PEOPLE AN EXCUSE TO SAY
WELL WE DID SOMETHING, WE DON’T
HAVE TO DO ANYTHING MORE.
SO MY OWN VIEW FOR TWO REASONS,
MOSTLY FOR POLICY POINT OF VIEW,
PEOPLE ARE HURTING.
WE GOT TO DEAL WITH
INFRASTRUCTURE, WITH CLIMATE,
WITH THE HIGH COST OF
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, EXPAND
MEDICARE FOR DENTAL AND HEARING
AIDS AND VISION, ET CETERA, ET
CETERA.
BUT YOU WANT TO HEAR SOMETHING
ELSE, FROM A POLITICAL POINT OF
VIEW, AS YOU WELL KNOW, CHRIS,
HISTORY IS AGAINST US RETAINING
THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
LAST 21 ELECTIONS --
>> GOT TO MOVE FAST.
>> -- 19 CASES THE OPPOSITION