ONE STUDENT WAS INJURED AND A SUSPECT IS STILL IN CUSTODY. IN THE NEWSROOM, I’M LOUIS
AGUIRRE, LOCAL 10 NEWS.
>> LOUIS, THANK YOU.
PRESIDENT BIDEN ADDRESSING THE
NATION TODAY AS WE REACH THE
END OF HIS FIRST YEAR IN
OFFICE.
HE ENTERS THE SECOND YEAR OF
HIS TERM WITH ONE OF THE
LOWEST APPROVAL RATINGS OF A
MODERN DAY PRESIDENT.
>> OUR DC BUREAU CHIEF BEN
KENNEDY JOINS US LIVE FROM OUR
NATION’S CAPITAL WITH A LOOK
BACK AT PRESIDENT BIDEN’S
FIRST YEAR IN OFFICE AS HE
GETS READY TO TAKE THE PODIUM,
BEN?
>> EDEN AND CALVIN, WE EXPECT
PRESIDENT BIDEN TO TALK ABOUT
THE ECONOMY COMBATTING COVID
AND HIS LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
DURING HIS FIRST NEWS
CONFERENCE OF 2022.
LET’S TAKE YOU LIVE TO THE
EAST ROOM WHERE THE PODIUM IS
SET UP FOR THE PRESIDENT’S
REMARKS.
IT COMES AMID A LOW JOB
APPROVAL RATING --
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
TOMORROW WILL MARK ONE YEAR
SINCE I TOOK OFFICE.
IT’S BEEN A YEAR OF
CHALLENGES, BUT IT’S ALSO BEEN
A YEAR OF ENORMOUS PROGRESS.
WE WENT FROM 2 MILLION PEOPLE
BEING VACCINATED THE MOMENT I
WAS SWORN IN TO 210 MILLION
AMERICANS BEING FULLY
VACCINATED.
WE CREATED 6 MILLION NEW JOBS.
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DROPPED TO
3.9%.
CHILD POVERTY DROPPED BY
NEARLY 40%.
THE BIGGEST DROP EVER IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
NEW BUSINESS APPLICATIONS GREW
BY 30%.
THE BIGGEST INCREASE EVER.
WE JUST MADE SURPRISE MEDICAL BILLS ILLEGAL IN THIS COUNTRY. YOU KNOW THOSE BILLS YOU GET
GET -- THANKS TO THE AMERICAN
RESCUE PLAN, WE’VE SEEN RECORD
JOB CREATION AND RECORD JOB
GROWTH IN THE PAST YEAR.
NOW THANKS TO THE BIPARTISAN
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, WE’RE
ABOUT TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN
REBUILDING AMERICA THAT WILL
TAKE US TO BE THE BEST
INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE WORLD.
NOW WE’RE WAY BELOW THAT.
WE’LL BE CREATING BETTER JOBS
FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE
MODERNIZING OUR ROADS, OUR
BRIDGES, OUR HIGHWAYS, OUR
PORTS, OUR AIRPORTS.
MAKING CLEAN WATER, REMOVING
LEAD PIPES.
EVERY AMERICAN CAN TURN ON
THEIR FAUCET AND DRINK CLEAN
WATER.
WE’RE GONNA MAKE AFFORDABLE
HIGH SPEED INTERNET AVAILABLE
TO EVERY AMERICAN IN URBAN,
RURAL AND SUBURBAN AREAS.
WE’VE NEVER DONE THAT BEFORE.
NOW WE ARE.
WE’RE IN THE PROCESS OF
GETTING THAT DONE.
STILL, FOR ALL THIS PROGRESS,
THERE’S A LOT OF FRUSTRATION
AND FATIGUE IN THIS COUNTRY.
AND WE KNOW WHY, COVID-19.
OMICRON HAS NOW BEEN
CHALLENGING US IN A WAY THAT
IT’S THE NEW ENEMY.
BUT WHILE IT’S CAUSE FOR
CONCERN, IT’S NOT CAUSE FOR
PANIC.
WE’VE BEEN DOING EVERYTHING WE
CAN, LEARNING AND ADAPTING AS
FAST AS WE CAN, PREPARING FOR
A FUTURE BEYOND THE PANDEMIC.
I KNOW THAT AFTER ALMOST TWO
YEARS OF PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL
AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WEIGHT OF
THIS PANDEMIC AND THE IMPACT
IT’S HAD ON US, FOR MANY OF US
IT’S BEEN TOO MUCH TO BEAR.
WE’RE IN A VERY DIFFERENT
PLACE NOW.
WE HAVE VACCINES, BOOSTERS,
MASKS, TESTS.
75% OF ADULTS ARE FULLY
VACCINATED.
WE’VE GONE FROM 90 MILLION
ADULTS WITH NO SHOTS IN ARMS
LAST SUMMER DOWN TO 35 MILLION
WITH NO SHOTS AS OF TODAY.
AND WE’RE ADDING ABOUT 9
MILLION MORE VACCINATIONS EACH
WEEK.
WE’RE GONNA STICK WITH OUR
VACCINATION EFFORTS BECAUSE
VACCINATIONS WORK.
SO GET VACCINATED, PLEASE.
AND GET YOUR BOOST ERER.
WE’RE ALSO INCREASING TESTING.
SHOULD WE HAVE DONE MORE
TESTING EARLIER, YES.
BUT WE’RE DOING MORE NOW.
WE’VE GONE FROM ZERO AT HOME
TESTS A YEAR AGO TO 375
MILLION TESTS ON THE MARKET
JUST THIS MONTH.
IF YOU BUY TESTS AT A STORE,
YOUR INSURANCE WILL REIMBURSE
YOU.
ON TOP OF THAT, WE’RE MAKING 1
BILLION AT HOME TESTS
AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO ORDER AND
BE DELIVERED TO YOUR HOME FOR
FREE.
IN ADDITION, THERE ARE 20,000
SITES WHERE YOU CAN GET TESTED
IN-PERSON FOR FREE NOW.
NOW WE HAVE MORE TREATMENTS TO
KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF THE
HOSPITAL THAN ANY OTHER POINT
IN THE PANDEMIC, INCLUDING
LIFE SAVING ANTIVIRAL PILLS.
WE PURCHASED 20 MILLION OF
THESE NEW PFIZER PILLS.
MORE THAN ANY COUNTRY IN THE
WORLD.
BOTTOM LINE ON COVID-19 IS
THAT WE’RE IN A BETTER PLACE
THAN WE’VE BEEN AND HAVE BEEN
THUS FAR, CLEARLY BETTER THAN
A YEAR AGO.
WE’RE NOT GOING BACK TO LOCK
DOWNS, WE’RE NOT GOING BACK TO
CLOSING SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS SHOULD STAY OPEN
BECAUSE THE AMERICAN RESCUE
PLAN, WE PROVIDED THE STAIDS
$130 BILLION.
$130 BILLION TO KEEP OUR
STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS SAFE
AND SCHOOLS OPEN.
FUNDING FOR VENTILATION
SYSTEMS IN SCHOOLS, SOCIAL
DISTANCING, HYGIENE FOR
CLASSROOMS.
IN ADDITION, WE’VE ADDED
ANOTHER $10 BILLION FOR
COVID-19 TESTS TO BE ABLE TO
BE ADMINISTERED AT SCHOOLS.
MANY STATES AND SCHOOL
DISTRICTS HAVE SPENT THIS
MONEY VERY WELL.
UNFORTUNATELY, SOME HAVEN’T.
I ENCOURAGE THE STATES AND
SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO USE THE
FUNDING TO PROTECT OUR
CHILDREN AND USE OUR SCHOOLS
OPEN.
USE IT.
COVID-19 IS NOT GONNA GIVE UP
AND ACCEPT THINGS.
IT’S NOT GONNA GO AWAY.
BUT I’M NOT GONNA GIVE UP AND
ACCEPT THINGS AS THEY ARE NOW.
I CALL IT A JOB NOT YET
FINISHED.
IT WILL GET BETTER.
WE’RE MOVING TOWARD A TIME
WHEN COVID-19 WON’T DISRUPT
OUR DAILY
OUR DAILY LIVES. >> THE FEDERAL RESERVE PROVIDED EXTRAORDINARY SUPPORT
DURING THE CRISIS FOR THE
PREVIOUS YEAR AND A HALF.
GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF OUR
ECONOMY AND THE PACE OF RECENT
PRICE INCREASES, IT’S
APPROPRIATE AS A FEDERAL
CHAIRMAN, CHAIRMAN POWELL, HAS
INDICATED TO RECALIBRATE THE
SUPPORT THAT IS NOW NECESSARY.
I RESPECT THE FED’S
INDEPENDENCE AND I’VE
NOMINATED FIVE SUPERB
INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE ON THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
THEY’RE EMINENTLY QUALIFIED,
HISTORICALLY DIVERSE AND HAVE
EARNED BIPARTISAN PRAISE.
I CALL ON THE UNITED STATES TO
CONFIRM THEM WITHOUT ANY
FURTHER DELAY.
HERE AT THE WHITE HOUSE AND
FOR MY FRIENDS IN CONGRESS,
THE BEST THING TO TACKLE HIGH
PRICES IS A MORE PRODUCTIVE
ECONOMY WITH GREATER CAPACITY
TO DELIVER GOODS AND SERVICES
TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AND A GROWING ECONOMY WHERE
FOLKS HAVE MORE CHOICES, MORE
SMALL BUSINESSES TO COMPETE
AND WHERE MORE GOODS CAN GET
TO MARKETS FASTER AND CHEAPER.
I’VE LAID OUT A THREE PART
PLAN TO DO JUST THAT.
FIRST, FIX THE SUPPLY CHAIN.
COVID-19 HAS HAD A GLOBAL
IMPACT ON THE ECONOMY.
WHEN A FACTORY SHUTS DOWN IN
ONE PART OF THE WORLD,
SHIPMENTS ALL OVER THE WORLD
ARE DISRUPTED.
COVID-19 HAS COMPOUNDED THAT
MANY TIMES OVER.
A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, IN
THIS VERY ROOM WE HEARD DIRE
WARNINGS ABOUT HOW THESE
SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEMS COULD
CREATE A REAL CRISIS AROUND
THE HOLIDAYS, SO WE ACTED.
WE BROUGHT TOGETHER BUSINESS
AND LABOR.
AND THAT MUCH PREDICTED CRISIS
DID NOT OCCUR.
99% OF THE PACKAGES WERE
DELIVERED ON TIME AND SHELVES
WERE STOCKED.
THE SHARE OF GOODS IN STOCK AT
STORES IS 89% NOW, WHICH HAS
BARELY CHANGED FROM THE 91%
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.
I OFTEN SEE EMPTY SHELVES
BEING SHOWN ON TELEVISION.
BUT OUR WORK IS NOT DONE.
MY INFRASTRUCTURE LAW WILL
SUPER CHARGE YOUR EFFORT
UPGRADING EVERYTHING FROM
ROADS AND BRIDGES TO PORTS AND
AIRPORTS, RAILWAYS AND TRANSIT
TO MAKE THE ECONOMY MOVE
FASTER AND REDUCE PRICES FOR
FAMILIES.
SECOND THING, MY BUILD BACK
BETTER PLAN WILL ADDRESS THE
PROBLEMS WORKING FAMILIES FACE
EVERY DAY.
IT CUTS THE COST FOR CHILD
CARE.
MANY FAMILIES, INCLUDING THE
PEOPLE SITTING IN THIS ROOM IF
THEY HAVE CHILDREN AND THEY’RE
WORKING FULL TIME, MANY
FAMILIES PAY UP TO $14,000 FOR
CHILD CARE IN BIG CITY.
IT WILL MEAN SO MUCH TO NEARLY
2 MILLION WOMEN WHO LEFT THE
WORK FORCE BECAUSE OF THINGS
LIKE CHILD CARE.
MY BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN CUTS
THE PRICE OF PRESCRIPTION
DRUGS SO INSULIN THAT TODAY
COSTS SOME PEOPLE AS MUCH AS
$1,000 A MONTH WILL COST NO
MORE THAN $35 A MONTH.
IT CUTS THE COST OF ELDER
CARE, LOWERS ENERGY COSTS.
AND IT WILL DO ALL OF THIS
WITHOUT RAISING A SINGLE PENNY
IN TAXES ON PEOPLE MAKING
UNDER $400,000 A YEAR OR
RAISING THE DEFICIT.
IN FACT, MY PLAN CUTS THE
DEFICIT AND BOOSTS THE ECONOMY
BY GETTING MORE PEOPLE INTO
THE WORK FORCE.
THAT’S WHY 17 NOBEL PRIZE
WINNERS FOR ECONOMICS SAY IT
WILL EASE LONG TERM
INFLATIONARY PRESSURE.
BOTTOM LINE, IF PRICE
INCREASES ARE WHAT YOU’RE
WORRIED ABOUT, THE BEST ANSWER
IS MY BUILD BACK BETTER PLAN.
>> CAPITALISM WITHOUT COMPETITION IS NOT CAPITALISM. IT’S EXPLOITATION.
SO I SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
TO TACKLE UNFAIR COMPETITION
IN OUR ECONOMY.
WE’RE GONNA CONTINUE TO
ENFORCE IT ALONG WITH WORKING
WITH CONGRESS WHERE WE CAN.
CHALLENGES TO OUR PUBLIC
HEALTH, CHALLENGES TO OUR
ECONOMY.
BUT WE’RE GETTING THROUGH IT.
NOT ONLY ARE WE GETTING
THROUGH IT, WE’RE LAYING THE
FOUNDATION FOR THE FUTURE.
WHERE AMERICA WINS THE 21ST
CENTURY BY CREATING JOBS AT A
RECORD PACE.
WE’VE DEVELOPED EXTRAORDINARY
LY EFFECTIVE BOOSTER SHOTS.
IT’S NEVER BEEN A GOOD BET TO
BET AGAINST AMERICA.
I BELIEVE THAT MORE THAN EVER
TODAY.
WE’VE SEEN THE GRIT AND
DETERMINATION OF THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE THIS PAST YEAR.
BUT THE BEST DAYS OF THIS