EARMARK IN THE BIDEN’S PLAN TO
RECONNECT NEIGHBORHOODS CUT OFF
BY HISTORIC INVESTMENTS IN
INFRASTRUCTURE
BIDEN’S INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN IS A
BIG PLAN
IT IS FULL OF BIG IDEAS.
BUT A LOT OF THE MOST
INTERESTING STORIES ARE IN THE
GLAN
GRANULAR DETAILS
BUT AGAIN, THISs IS THE OPENING
GAMBIT
WHAT HAPPENS NOW IS IN THE HANDS
OF THE CONGRESS.
JOINING US ONE OF THE MOST
INFLUENTIAL MEMBER OF THAT BODY,
CONGRESSWOMAN ALEXANDRIA
OCASIO-CORTEZ.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE
TONIGHT.
>> OF COURSE
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO, AS I KNOW YOU SAW THE
PRESIDENT’S SPEECH TODAY, AND
WE’VE ALL BEEN READING ABOUT AND
LEARNING ABOUT WHAT THE
PRESIDENT IS ASKING FOR IN THIS
AMERICAN JOBS PLAN, WHAT DO YOU
THINK OF IT?
>> YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THE
VISION THAT PRESIDENT BIDEN AND
THE ADMINISTRATION HAS LAID OUT,
YOU’RE RIGHT, HAS SURPRISED A
LOT OF US IN A POSITIVE WAY, AND
IN THE DETAIL AND THE THOUGHT
THAT’S HERE, THE SCOPE OF IT IS
REALLY ENCOURAGING
EXCEPT I THINK THE HOW
THAT $2.2 TRILLION,
$2.25 TRILLION OVER EIGHT YEARS,
I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS THAT
IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO REALIZE THE
VERY INSPIRING VISION THAT BIDEN
HAS ADVANCED
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT THOSE OF
US HERE, ESPECIALLY AS
PROGRESSIVES WITHIN THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY, WE KNOW THAT
THERE IS SO MUCH MORE
OPPORTUNITY HERE, AND IN ORDER
FOR US TO REALIZE THIS INSPIRING
VISION, WE NEED TO GO WAY
HIGHER
AND THAT’S WHAT’S GOING TO HELP
US ACTUALLY DELIVER ON THIS
REALLY PROMISING AND INSPIRING
VISION THE PRESIDENT LAID OUT
TODAY.
>> AND WHEN YOU SAY THAT IT
SHOULD BE BIGGER, DO YOU WANT
THE NUMBERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
THINGS THE PRESIDENT WANTS DONE
JUST TO GET BIGGER, JUST DO MORE
OF THE THINGS HE’S SAYING HE
WANTS TO DO, OR ARE THERE WHOLE
NEW CATEGORIES OF POLICY YOU’D
LIKE TO SEE FOLDED INTO THIS
BILL THAT AREN’T THERE NOW
>> I THINK THERE’S -- THERE ARE
A COUPLE OF AREAS THERE.
ONE IS THAT, FIRST OF ALL, THIS
IS $2.25 TRILLION OVER EIGHT
YEARS.
FOR CONTEXT, BECAUSE THESE HUGE
NUMBERS ARE HARD TO UNDERSTAND,
FOR CONTEXT WE PASSED AN ALMOST
$2 TRILLION COVID RELIEF PACKAGE
THAT’S SUPPOSED TO LAST US ONE
YEAR WITH SOME PROVISIONS
LASTING UP TO TWO YEARS.
SO, THE $1,400 STIMULUS CHECKS,
THAT BIG PACKAGE WE FELT IN OUR
LIVES WERE DEPLOYED ON A SHORTER
TIME LINE.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO REALLY
HAVE SOME SHORTER TIME LINES,
SOME URGENCY, GREATER URGENCY IN
THIS PACKAGE, AND I THINK SOME
OF THE INVESTMENTS NEED TO BE
GREATER.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, LET’S TAKE
PUBLIC HOUSING
THIS PLAN, THIS BUILD BACK
BETTER PLAN, IT ADVOCATES FOR A
TOTAL NATIONAL INVESTMENT OF
$40 BILLION IN PUBLIC HOUSING
NATIONWIDE
SOUNDS GREAT, RIGHT?
EXCEPT WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE
FACT THAT THE NEW YORK CITY
PUBLIC HOUSING SYSTEM NEEDS
$40 BILLION ALONE JUST TO GET UP
TO CODE.
DURING THE WINTER TIME, PEOPLE
RUN OUT OF HEAT.
THEY DON’T HAVE HOT WATER.
THEY DON’T HAVE ELECTRICITY
SOMETIMES.
THERE ARE HOLES IN PEOPLE’S
WALLS.
THE NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC HOUSING
AUTHORITY NEEDS $40 BILLION
ALONE JUST SO THAT ITS RESIDENTS
CAN LIVE IN DIGNIFIED HOUSING
BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN STARVED
BY REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS
FOR SO LONG SOME
SO FOR US TO ACTUALLY INVEST IN
NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING
INFRASTRUCTURE, WE NEED TO DO
WAY MORE IN ORDER FOR US TO
DELIVER ON THIS PROMISE IN TERMS
OF A PRICING TO THERE.
IN TERMS OF SCOPE, I THINK,
AGAIN, I REALLY DO HAVE TO
COMMEND SOME OF THESE
INVESTMENTS THAT ARE IN HERE
AND SOME OF THESE DETAILS, LIKE
EXCLUSIONARY ZONING, ARE THINGS
THAT PROGRESSIVES HAVE BEEN
TALKING ABOUT FOR A LONG TIME.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF CREDIT
THERE.
BUT ON CLIMATE, WE CAN ALSO GO
MORE
WE CAN GO DEEPER AND WE CAN HAVE
A MORE INTEGRATED APPROACH IN
HOW WE PUSH ON THIS ISSUE.
AGAIN, I DO COMMEND THE
ADMINISTRATION IN ITS SCOPE, BUT
IN ORDER FOR US TO MEET THAT
VISION, I DON’T -- I HAVE REAL
CONCERNS THAT $2.2 TRILLION
ISN’T ACTUALLY GOING TO GET US
THERE, SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO
MAKE DEEPER INVESTMENTS TO
ACTUALLY RENEW PUBLIC HOUSING,
TO REPEAL THE FAIR CLOTH
AMENDMENT, TO INCREASE OUR
HOUSING STOCK IN THE UNITED
STATES
YOU KNOW, AND THIS -- AT THE END
OF THE DAY IS ONE OF THE
GREATEST SOURCES IN INCOME
INEQUALITY IN THE COUNTRY.
IT’S ROOTED IN HOUSING AND REAL
ESTATE
>> IN TERMS OF HOW THIS IS GOING
TO MOVE, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S SECOND
BIG LEGISLATIVE LIFT, AND I
THINK WE HAVE TO THINK OF THEM
AS A LIVING BREATHING ORGANISM
THAT LEARNS LESSONS ALONG THE
WAY.
CLEARLY I THINK A LOT OF WHAT
WAS GOING ON WITH THE COVID
RELIEF BILL IS THEY WERE
THINKING ABOUT THINGS THEY WISH
THEY HAD DONE BETTER OR HANDLED
DIFFERENTLY UNDER THE OBAMA
ADMINISTRATION
NOW I THINK THEY’RE GOING TO BE
APPROACHING THIS INFRASTRUCTURE
BILL, LEARNING THE LESSONS THAT
THEY JUST LEARNED FOR WHAT
HAPPENED WITH COVID RELIEF
AND IT WAS I THINK A SURPRISE TO
MANY IN THE BELTWAY WHEN
JOE BIDEN SAID FOR COVID RELIEF
HE WANTED $1.9 TRILLION.
EVERYBODY ASSUMED THAT WOULD GET
WHITTLED WAY DOWN AND SOME MUCH
SMALLER PACKAGE WOULD ULTIMATELY
PASS
IT DIDN’T.
IT DID GET CUT DOWN A LITTLE
BIT, BUT NOT THAT MUCH
IT WAS BASICALLY A $1.9 TRILLION
PLAN
SOUNDS TO ME LIKE WHAT I HEAR
YOU SAYING TONIGHT IS BIDEN IN
PITTSBURGH SAYING, I WANT
$2.2 TRILLION, BUT WHEN IT LANDS
IN THE HOUSE, YOU AND YOUR
COLLEAGUES MAY SAY, 2.2 IS A
STARTING POINT, BUT THIS NEEDS
TO GET LARGER BEFORE THE SENATE
GETS A LOOK AT IT.
IS THAT A FAIR WAY TO EXPECT
THAT’S HOW THIS GOES
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IF WE COULD WAVE A MAGIC WAND
AND PROGRESSIVES IN THE HOUSE
WERE ABLE TO NAME ANY NUMBER AND
GET IT THROUGH, WHICH OBVIOUSLY
ISN’T THE CASE, BUT IF WE’RE
LOOKING AT IDEALS AND WHAT WE
THINK IS THE ACTUAL INVESTMENT
THAT CAN CREATE TENS OF MILLIONS
OF GOOD UNION JOBS IN THIS
COUNTRY THAT CAN SHORE UP OUR
HEALTH CARE, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE,
OUR HOUSING, AND DOING IT IN A
WAY THAT DRAWS DOWN OUR CARBON A
FIGURES TO HELP US GET IN LINE
WITH IPCC STANDARDS WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT REALISTICALLY
$10 TRILLION OVER TEN YEARS.
AND I KNOW THAT MAY BE AN EYE
POPPING FIGURE FOR SOME PEOPLE,
BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT
WE ARE IN A DEVASTATING ECONOMIC
MOMENT
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE IN THE UNITED
STATES ARE UNEMPLOYED.
WE HAVE A TRULY CRIPPLED
HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM AND A
PLANETARY CRISIS ON OUR HANDS
AND WE’RE THE WEALTHIEST NATION
IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
WE CAN DO $10 TRILLION
THAT’S A THING OF POLITICAL
IMAGINATION.
HOWEVER WHEN YOU BREAK IT UP
INTO THOSE TWO PARTS, WHAT’S
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IS THIS
ACTUALLY ISN’T A PROGRESSIVE
VERSUS A MODERATE ISSUE.
YOU HAVE SOME OF THE MOST
CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS OF THE
DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS, LIKE JOE
MANCHIN THAT HAVE EVEN SIGNALLED
SUPPORT FOR A $4 TRILLION
INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN WHICH IS
DOUBLE IN THE NUMBERS.
SO I THINK THAT THERE’S SOME KEY
DYNAMICS THAT HAVE CHANGED HERE,
WHICH EXPLAINS SOME OF THIS.
ONE IS THAT THERE IS GENUINE
BUILT POWER IN THE PROGRESSIVE
CAUCUS, WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY, BUT ALSO JUST PROGRESSIVE
IDEALS IN GENERAL IN THE COUNTRY
THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT POWER HAS
BUILT VERY SIGNIFICANTLY, AND WE
ARE IN A FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT
POLITICAL MOMENT
BUT ON TOP OF THAT IS THAT EVEN
WHEN YOU LOOK AT MORE -- AT WHAT
COMEPRISES MORE MODERATE VIEWS I
THE CAUCUS, ECONOMIC POPULISM
THAT WORKS AND CENTERS WORKING
CLASS PEOPLE IS POPULAR.
AND I THINK REPUBLICANS KIND OF
RUN ON THAT AESTHETIC AND
DEMOCRATS TALK ABOUT IT, BUT WE
ACTUALLY ARE ABOUT IT.
SO, BUT I THINK THAT THE COUNTRY
SHIFT -- PEOPLE REALLY I THINK
ARE STARTING TO UNDERSTAND THAT
THESE ISSUES ARE NO LONGER
FROING
FRINGE PROGRESSIVE DEMANDS BUT
THEY ARE CONSENSUS BUILDERS.
WE NEED TO BUILD THE HOUSING
STOCK.
WE NEED TO STOP MAKING IT AN
INVESTMENT FOR CORPORATE -- FOR
CORPORATIONS TO GOBBLE UP OUR
HOUSING STOCK AND AN ACTUAL
THING THAT WE USE AND LIVE IN
AND ENJOY AND DON’T HAVE TO FEAR
THAT OUR KIDS WON’T BE ABLE TO
AFFORD A HOME, A PLACE TO LIVE,
AND MAKE A FAMILY.
SO THOSE KINDS OF INVESTMENTS,
THAT’S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, NOT
TO MENTION RURAL BROADBAND,
ROADS, BRIDGES, MASS TRANSIT,
AND A TRULY NATIONAL SYSTEM OF
EV VEHICLES AND A FULL
ELECTRIC -- FEDERALLY ELECTRIC
FLEET.
>> NEW YORK DEMOCRATIC