>>> OUR ENTIRE ECONOMY AND OUR
VERY WAY OF LIFE ARE THREATENED
BY BIDENS PLANS TO TRANSFORM
OUR NATION AND SUBJUGATE OUR
COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE BLUNT
FORCE INSTRUMENT OF FEDERAL
REGULATION AT A LEVEL THAT YOU
HAVENT EVEN SEEN YET.
YOU THINK THAT WAS BAD?
YOU HAVENT SEEN IT YET.
IF HE GETS IN, YOU WILL HAVE A
DEPRESSION, THE LIKES OF WHICH
YOUVE NEVER SEEN.
YOUR 401(k)s WILL GO TO HELL AND
IT WILL BE A VERY, VERY SAD DAY
FOR THIS COUNTRY.
IF HES ELECTED, THE STOCK
MARKET WILL CRASH.
>> WHOS GOING TO TELL HIM?
MORE THAN 100 DAYS INTO JOE
BIDENS PRESIDENCY, WEVE SEEN
THAT THAT GUY WAS WRONG ABOUT
PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING,
ESPECIALLY THAT STUFF.
THERES NO DEPRESSION.
THE STOCK MARKET HAS NOT
CRASHED.
IN FACT, PRESIDENT BIDEN IS
RIDING A WAVE OF GOOD NEWS ABOUT
THE ECONOMY THAT SOME ARE
CALLING THE BIDEN BOOM.
JOINING US NOW, THE FORMER MAYOR
OF BOSTON, NOW THE SECRETARY OF
LABOR, MARTY WALSH.
THANK YOU FOR SPENDING TIME WITH
US, SIR.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
>> SO, THERES A MAN BITES DOG
ASPECT TO THIS THAT NOT ONLY IS
THE ECONOMY RECOVERING AND
RECOVERING MAYBE AHEAD OF WHERE
YOU ALL THOUGHT IT WOULD, BUT
THE FEAR MONGERING THAT MAY HAVE
EVEN HARMED THE PRESIDENT
POLITICALLY, THE OPPOSITE HAS
TURNED OUT TO BE THE CASE.
HOW DO YOU SUSTAIN THAT?
>> WELL, I THINK WE SUSTAIN IT
THROUGH THE FIRST AMERICAN
RESCUE PLAN THAT THE PRESIDENT
PASSED THROUGH CONGRESS A FEW
WEEKS AGO, MAKING IMPORTANT
INVESTMENTS IN THE FUTURE OF
AMERICA IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19.
THE AMERICAN JOBS PLAN THAT HE
UNVEILED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO
NOW, IN WORKING ACROSS PARTY
LINES TO TRY AND MOVE THAT
FORWARD, AN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL
THATS NOT A TYPICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT WE
THINK OF ROADS AND BRIDGES BUT
INVESTMENTS IN THE CARES
ECONOMY, INVESTMENTS IN JOB
TRAINING.
THIS ECONOMY THAT WERE SEEING,
YOU KNOW, ISNT AS BAD AS THE
PAST -- FORMER PRESIDENT SAID IT
WAS, BUT THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE
RIGHT NOW IN AMERICA, PEOPLE OF
COLOR AND WOMEN, THAT ARE STILL
VERY MUCH BEHIND, LAGGING BEHIND
IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY, AND THE
INVESTMENT IN THE AMERICAN JOBS
PLAN, THE AMERICAN INVESTMENT IN
THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN IS
HOPEFULLY GOING TO ADDRESS A LOT
OF THOSE ISSUES.
>> AND ONE OF THE THINGS
SPECIFICALLY IN THAT VEIN IS THE
RELEASE OF $39 BILLION TO HELP
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS AND
CHILD CARE PROVIDERS, WOMEN,
WORKING WOMEN, WOMEN OF COLOR
HAVE BEEN SHELLACKED
DISPROPORTIONATELY,
PROFESSIONALLY AND FINANCIALLY
AND PERSONALLY AND MENTALLY BY
THE PANDEMIC.
TALK ABOUT A POLICY PROCESS THAT
PRIORITIZES THAT DISPARITY.
>> WELL, THATS IMPORTANT RIGHT
THERE, THAT RELEASE OF THE
FUNDS, BY THE HOUSE SPEAKER
EARLIER THIS WEEK, WHEN YOU
THINK ABOUT CITIES ACROSS
AMERICA, FIRST AND FOREMOST,
OVER 2 MILLION WOMEN HAVE BEEN
PUSHED OUT OF THE WORKFORCE FOR
LOTS OF DIFFERENT REASONS, AND
CHILD CARE IS ONE OF THEM.
NUMBER TWO, AS WE THINK ABOUT
REOPENING THE ECONOMY AND
REOPENING SCHOOLS T, THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR HAVING GOOD
CHILD CARE, THOSE PROVIDERS HAVE
GONE OUT OF BUSINESS OR ARE
STRUGGLING.
AS THE FORMER MAYOR OF BOSTON,
WE SAW IT HERE, MAKING THOSE
INVESTMENTS, AND ALSO FOCUSING
ON A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORK
IN THAT INDUSTRY THAT ARE
UNDERPAID AND I CANT -- THAT
DONT MAKE A LIVING WAGE OR
MINIMUM WAGE IN A LOT OF CASES
AND RELEASING THAT FUNDING
ALLOWS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO
FIRST, REOPEN SCHOOLS.
NOW WE GET A CHANCE TO REOPEN
CHILD CARE AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND THATS ALL PART OF THE
PROCESS AS FAR AS MOVING OUR
ECONOMY FORWARD.
THERES ALSO GOING TO BE A FOCUS
ON WOMEN OF COLOR AND PEOPLE OF
COLOR IN THAT INDUSTRY THAT HAVE
BEEN UNDERPAID FOR SO LONG.
>> DO YOU VIEW THE SUCCESS AND
STRENGTH OF THE ECONOMY RIGHT
NOW AS WE SIT HERE TODAY AS
PERHAPS A VEHICLE FOR GETTING
SOME REPUBLICANS TO THE TABLE?
I KNOW THE PRESIDENT HAS SAID
THAT BIPARTISAN TO HIM IS
REPRESENTED BY THE BROAD
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT OF THE COVID
RELIEF PACKAGE AND EVEN THE
INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE HAS BROAD
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE
COUNTRY, BUT I BELIEVE HE WOULD
LOVE TO DO SOMETHING IN A
BIPARTISAN WAY, IF ITS
POSSIBLE.
HOW DOES THE STRENGTH OF THE
ECONOMY POTENTIALLY BRING SOME
REPUBLICANS TO THE TABLE, IF AT
ALL?
>> I THINK THE STRENGTH OF THE
ECONOMY SHOULD BE A FACTOR
THERE.
I ALSO THINK THE STRENGTH OF THE
PLAN.
I MEAN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE
PLAN, THE INVESTMENTS IN THAT
PLAN, FOR EVERY CITY AND TOWN
ALL ACROSS AMERICA, WHETHER ITS
EXPANDING BROADBAND, WHETHER
ITS CLEAN DRINKING WATER OR JOB
TRAINING OR WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT.
IN MY CONVERSATIONS DURING MY
CONFIRMATION PROCESS AND SINCE
THEN, EVERY SINGLE TIME I TALK
TO A MEMBER OF CONGRESS,
DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, ALMOST
EVERY SINGLE ONE, TO A PERSON,
BRING UP WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
AND THE NEED FOR WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT.
THEY ALL BRING UP THE IMPORTANCE
FOR STRENGTHENING OUR COMMUNITY
COLLEGE SYSTEM.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERES LOTS OF
GOOD THINGS AND I WOULD HOPE
THAT IN THIS AMERICAN JOBS PLAN,
ITS TIME FOR US TO PUT POLITICS
ASIDE, PUT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
UP FRONT.
THIS LAST YEAR HAS BEEN
DEVASTATING, AS YOU SAID
EARLIER, TO SO
EARLIER, TO SO MANY DIFFERENT
PEOPLE, TO SO MANY DIFFERENT
COMPANIES, TO SO MANY DIFFERENT
CITIES THAT WE HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD BACK
STRONGER AND BUILD BACK BETTER
AS PRESIDENT BIDEN OFTEN SAYS TO
HOW ARE WE STRENGTHENING THE
MIDDLE CLASS IN OUR COUNTRY.
INFRA
INFRASTRUCTURE IS A MAIN
COMPONENT WITH THAT.
I KNOW THEY PUT UP A PLAN THAT
WE WERE LOOKING AT THE OTHER DAY
FOR STRICTLY THE STRAIGHT UP
INFRASTRUCTURE BRIDGE, ROADS AND
BRIDGES, WHICH IS A GOOD WAY TO
START.
BUT I DO THINK THERE IS AN
OPPORTUNITY HERE FOR US TO
COLLECTIVELY WORK TOGETHER.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT THAT.
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DESERVE
THAT.
AND WE OWE THAT TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE, QUITE HONESTLY.
>> ARE YOU INTERNALLY AND BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS, DOES THE PUBLIC
SUPPORT FOR THE AGENDA EMBOLDEN
THE POLICY OR IS THIS WHAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN RAN ON AND KNEW
WHAT HE WANTED TO DO?
>> I THINK THAT OBVIOUSLY HAVING
POPULAR SUPPORT BEHIND IT IS
VERY NICE TO HAVE.
BUT THE PRESIDENT BELIEVES IN
HIS BONES THAT THIS IS SO
IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR
COUNTRY.
AND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN WAS
IN SOME WAYS A RESPONSE TO
COVID.
YOU GOT PPE, MONEY FOR
UNEMPLOYMENT ENDURANCE, EXPANDED
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS.
BUT IT IS ABOUT RECOVERY.
IT IS ABOUT MOVING OUR ECONOMY
FORWARD, ABOUT MOVING PEOPLE
FORWARD.
SO THERE IS A STARK DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN BOTH PLANS.
AGAIN, I WOULD HOPE THAT AS WE
THINK ABOUT THIS PLAN, A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN AMERICA UNDERSTAND
SAYING, GOD, I WOULD LIKE TO
DRIVE ON A NEW ROAD.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE CLEAN
DRINKING WATER.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ELECTRIC
GRIDS IN MY CITY.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY FOR WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK WE HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION
TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND TO
THE VOTERS BECAUSE THEYRE
SPEAKING RIGHT NOW AND THEYRE
SAYING THAT THEY WANT US TO COME
BACK STRONGER AFTER THIS
PANDEMIC.
THEY DONT WANT US TO GO BACK TO
THE SAME OLD, SAME OLD.
IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES,
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND WOMEN
ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY ARE