>> EVERY ELEMENT OF MY
ECONOMIC PLAN IS OVERWHELMINGLY
POPULAR WITH EVERYTHING
HAPPENING, NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS
WHAT’S IN THAT PLAN.
IT IS ZERO PRICE TAG ON THE
DEBT.
PAY, WE’RE GOING TO PAY FOR
EVERYTHING WE SPEND.
NEIL: ALL RIGHT, PRESIDENT
BIDEN OF COURSE TALKING ABOUT
THAT $3 1/2 TRILLION HUMAN
INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE, NOT
EVERYONE IS CONVINCED
EVERYTHING IS PAID FOR,
INCLUDING ESSENTIALLY MY NEXT
GUEST, BRIAN FITZPATRICK,
REPUBLICAN OF PENNSYLVANIA,
HE’S THE HOUSE PROBLEMERS
CAUCUS CO-CHAIR AND A NUMBER OF
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS.
TRYING TO GET SOMETHING DONE.
A CRAZY CONCEPT.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU.
THE PRESIDENT IS MAKING CLEAR,
YOU KNOW, THE 1.2 TRILLION
INFRASTRUCTURE ONLY PACKAGE
NOTWITHSTANDING THAT THIS FAR
BIGGER ONE IS PAID FOR, AND
THAT WE’RE NOT GOING A PENNY IN
DEBT TO MAKE SURE IT’S PAID
FOR.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT?
>> WELL, WE HAVEN’T SEEN IT
YET.
YOU KNOW, IT HASN’T BEEN
DRAFTED SO OBVIOUSLY, THE BILL
THAT HAS BEEN WRITTEN IS THE
$1.2 TRILLION BILL WE’RE
SCHEDULED TO VOTE ON ON MONDAY
WHICH I HAD A PART THIS
CRAFTING, THE PROBLEM SOLVING
CAUCUS AND WE’RE HOPING IT GETS
ACROSS THE FINISH LINE THAT HAS
REAL HARD PHYSICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT DOESN’T OPEN THE TAX CODE UP
AT ALL.
IT’S LARGELY PAID FOR BY
RECAPTURING COVID, UNUSED COVID
RELIEF MONEY, UNUSED
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE
COMPENSATION, SO THAT’S VERY
DISTINCT AND DIFFERENT FROM
THIS $3.5 TRILLION BILL THAT
THE PRESIDENT IS TALKING ABOUT
THAT HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN YET.
CLEARLY IT’S GOING TO INVOLVE
TAX INCREASES IN ALL LIKELIHOOD
ADD TO THE DEBT.
NEIL: SO THIS $1.2 TRILLION, I
KNOW THESE FIGURES ARE ALL OVER
THE MAP FOR JUST THE ROADS AND
BRIDGES, LARGELY, THE
INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE, THAT IS
SLATED, NANCY PELOSI FOLKS, FOR
A MONDAY VOTE.
IF THAT’S PUSHED BACK BECAUSE
SOME PROGRESSIVES IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY WANT IT
ATTACHED TO THE SENATE WRITING
OFF ON THAT 3 1/2 TRILLION PLAN
FIRST, IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT
ALL BETS ARE OFF AT THAT POINT?
>> YEAH, NEIL, THERE’S A BIG
PUSH-PULL GOING ON BETWEEN THE
MODERATES AND PROGRESSIVES, THE
PROGRESSIVES ARE TRYING TO LINK
THE TWO, THE MODERATES, TRYING
TO DELINK THE TWO AND IT ENDS
UP WHICH COMES TO FRUITION.
SPEAKER PELOSI MADE A SPLIT TO
THE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS THAT
SHE WOULD
SHE WOULD --
AND WE’RE HOPING SHE’LL KEEP
HER WORD AND THE SECOND 3.5
TRILLION BILL IS CONTROVERSIAL,
IT HASN’T BEEN WRITTEN YET AND
WE DON’T KNOW WHAT’S IN IT.
THE LINKAGE AND DELINKAGE IT’S
ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE HOW MUCH
SUPPORT, G.O.P. SUPPORT THERE
IS.
NEIL: IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE
THERE WILL BE ANY FOR THAT.
LET ME ASK IN THE MEANWHILE,
ABOUT THE OTHER THING LOST IN
THE SAUCE.
YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL FUNDING,
SHORT-TERM FUNDING EFFORT TO
PREVENT THE GOVERNMENT FROM
SHUTTING DOWN.
TECHNICALLY, THE 30TH, WHEN IT
COULD HAPPEN, OBVIOUSLY, THEY
COULD PUSH THAT BACK.
BUT YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT AND
REPUBLICANS REFUSAL TO HELP
DEMOCRATS OUT ON THIS.
>> WELL, THE REASON THAT THERE
WASN’T COOPERATION, NEIL, WAS
THAT IN THE CR THAT WAS PUT
FORTH LAST WEEK, THEY STRIPPED
SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AND SUPPORT
FOR THE IRON DOME MISSILE
DEFENSE SYSTEM.
THAT HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO
DO WITH WHAT WE WERE
CONSIDERING, BOTH THE DEBT
CEILING AND THE CR.
SO THAT COMES OUT.
I WAS CLEARLY PREPARED, AS WERE
SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES
PREPARED TO VOTE FOR IT.
WE HAVE TO KEEP THE GOVERNMENT
OPEN.
WE HAVE TO PAY OUR BILLS AND WE
WILL DO THAT.
YOU KNOW, IT’S A 60-VOTE
THRESHOLD IN THE SENATE IT’S
PROBABLY BEST THAT IT STARTS
THERE AND WHENEVER THEY CAN
AGREE ON, COME TO THE HOUSE AND
PASS.
>> SO JUST TO BE CLEAR.
THEY COULD DO THIS THROUGH
RECONCILIATION, OR A SIMPLE
MAJORITY TO GET DONE AND THAT
SEEMS TO BE THE PRESSURE THAT
MITCH MCCONNELL IS PUTTING ON
DEMOCRATS, IF YOU’RE DOING THIS
OTHER STUFF ON YOUR OWN, YOU’RE
ON YOUR OWN RAISING THE DEBT
CEILING.
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT
APPROACH?
>> I THINK THAT’S SOMETHING,
NEIL, YOU KNOW, THERE’S ALWAYS
BEEN BIPARTISAN SUPPORT ON, YOU
KNOW, PAYING OUR BILLS,
MAINTAINING THE FULL FAITH AND
CREDIT OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE DEBATE SHOULD BE ON THE
SPENDING SIDE.
ONCE THE EXPENDITURES ARE MADE
WE CLEARLY HAVE TO PAY OUR
BILLS JUST LIKE ANY AMERICAN
FAMILY DOES THAT THE
EXPENDITURES THAT THEY MAKE.
I DON’T THINK THAT SHOULD BE
THE DEBATE.
I WOULD URGE MY COLLEAGUES ON
THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, THAT’S THE
TRACK THAT WE SHOULD BE TAKING,
CUT DOWN ON SPENDING AND ONCE
THE EXTEND--
EXPENDITURES ARE MADE WE HAVE