>>> MORE NOW ON TODAYS OTHER
BIG STORY.
JUST MOMENTS AGO 17 REPUBLICANS
JOINED ALL DEMOCRATS IN VOTING
TO MOVE FORWARD ON A PROCEDURAL
MOTION TO DEBATE A BIPARTISAN
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL ANNOUNCED
EARLIER TODAY.
NOW, AGREEMENT IS JUST THE FIRST
HURDLE.
WHAT COMES NEXT IS A TREACHEROUS
MARATHON FILLED WITH LAND MINES
THAT MAY OR MAY NOT LEAD TO A
FINAL PASSAGE.
TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT HAPPENED
EARLIER TODAY.
ARIZONA SENATOR KYRSTEN SINEMA,
A KEY DEMOCRATIC NEGOTIATOR OF
THE BIPARTISAN DEAL FINALLY
ADMITTED THAT SHE DOES NOT
SUPPORT THE $3.5 TRILLION
RECONCILIATION PACKAGE IN ITS
CURRENT FORM.
NOW, THIS COULD BE A PROBLEM FOR
THE PROGRESSIVE MEMBERS OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY WHO WERE
WILLING TO SACRIFICE A NUMBER OF
ISSUES IN ORDER TO GET THE
BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL
DONE, BUT THIS WAS ONLY WITH THE
UNDERSTANDING THAT MORE WOULD BE
ADDRESSED IN THE RECONCILIATION
PACKAGE.
WITH ME NOW IS NBC NEWS NATIONAL
POLITICAL REPORTER, SAHIL KAPUR.
SAHIL, BUSY DAY ON CAPITOL HILL,
BEFORE WE GET INTO THE POLITICS
ON THIS, I THINK ITS IMPORTANT
FOR THE FOLKS AT HOME TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT EXACTLY IS IN
THIS BILL?
>> ABSOLUTELY, TIFFANY.
THIS IS A BIG VOTE FOR THE BILL,
A MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH FOR A PIECE
OF LEGISLATION THAT SENATORS
HAVE TRIED TO MOVE FOR QUITE A
WHILE NOW.
AND HERES WHAT IT INCLUDES.
ITS $550 BILLION IN NEW
SPENDING ON INFRASTRUCTURE
PROJECTS.
THAT INCLUDES ROADS AND BRIDGES.
THAT INCLUDES HIGHWAYS.
IT INCLUDES PUBLIC TRANSIT.
THERES ABOUT $65 BILLION IN
HERE FOR NEW BROADBAND.
IT INCLUDES WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
AS WELL.
THERE IS A LOT IN HERE THAT
EVERY AMERICAN FROM COAST TO
COAST WILL EXPERIENCE ON SOME
LEVEL IF THIS PASSES.
IT HAS NOT PASSED THE SENATE
YET.
THIS THIS IS JUST THE FIRST
VOTE.
BUT YOU HAD 17 REPUBLICANS
VOTING WITH 50 OUT OF THE 50
SENATE DEMOCRATS TO MOVE FORWARD
WITH THIS.
THAT IS NOT JUST THE CORE FIVE
REPUBLICANS WHO WERE NEGOTIATING
THE BILL, ITS NOT JUST
MODERATES LIKE SUSAN COLLINS AND
LISA MURKOWSKI.
IT IS CONSERVATIVES TOO.
IT IS MITCH McCONNELL, WHO HAS
SELF-STYLED HIMSELF AS THE GRIM
REAPER OF PROGRESSIVE
LEGISLATION.
HE SAYS THIS DEAL SHOULD MOVE
FORWARD AND HE APPEARS OPEN TO
THE FINAL PRODUCT HERE.
SO A BIG DEAL HERE FOR ONE OF
PRESIDENT BIDENS TOP PRIORITIES
ON A SERIES OF PROJECTS THAT
HAVE LONG HAD BIPARTISAN
SUPPORT, TIFFANY.
>> WELL, ITS A BIG DEAL FOR
PRESIDENT BIDEN BUT SEEMS TO HIT
A SOUR NOTE WITH SOME MEMBERS OF
THE PROGRESSIVE WING OF THE
PARTY.
I WANT YOU TO SHOW A TWEET THAT
AOC RESPONDED TO WHEN IT CAME TO
THE SINEMA NEWS THAT SHE WOULD
NOT SUPPORT THE RECONCILIATION.
GOOD LUCK TANKING YOUR OWN
PARTYS INVESTMENT ON CHILD
CARE, CLIMATE ACTION AND
INFRASTRUCTURE WHILE PRESUMING
YOULL SURVIVE A THREE VOTE
HOUSE MARGIN, ESPECIALLY AFTER
CHOOSING TO EXCLUDE MEMBERS OF
COLOR FROM NEGOTIATIONS AND
CALLING THAT A BIPARTISAN
ACCOMPLISHMENT.
SHE WASNT ALONE THERE.
PETER DeFAZIO CALLED THIS BILL
CRAP.
SO IF YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF
SENTIMENT IN THE PROGRESSIVE
WING OF THE PARTY, HOW WILL THIS
IMPACT THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL
OVERALL?
>> THIS IS GOING TO FACE A REAL
HURDLE ONCE IT GETS TO THE
HOUSE, TIFFANY.
HERES HOW DEMOCRATIC LEADERS
ARE TRYING TO FINAGLE THIS.
THERES A $550 BILLION
BIPARTISAN DEAL THAT INCLUDES
INFRASTRUCTURE, HIGHWAYS, ROADS
AND BRIDGES, WHAT I JUST TALKED
TO YOU ABOUT.
THERE IS A SEPARATE BILL, THIS
RECONCILIATION BILL.
THATS A FANCY TERM FOR MAJOR
SAFETY NET EXPANSION THAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS LOOKING AT
PASSING.
THAT INCLUDES MONEY FOR CHILD
CARE, ELDER CARE, CLIMATE CHANGE
INVESTMENTS.
IT INCLUDES HEALTH CARE SPENDING
THAT WOULD EXPAND MEDICARE
BENEFITS TO INCLUDE DENTAL,
VISUAL AND HEARING AIDS AND
LOWER THE ELIGIBILITY AGE.
THAT SECOND PIECE IS THE BIGGEST
PRIORITY OF PROGRESSIVES.
SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI IS ON THE
SIDE OF THE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS
IN SAYING THAT THE HOUSE IS NOT
GOING TO VOTE ON THE BIPARTISAN
INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL UNTIL THE
SENATE PASSES BOTH BILLS.
THAT IS HER LEVERAGE, THAT IS
HER WAY OF SAYING THAT ALL 50
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS HAD BETTER
GET ON BOARD WITH THOSE OTHER
ROUGHLY $3 TRILLION IN PRESIDENT
BIDENS PRIORITIES BEFORE THE
HOUSE MOVES.
>> WOW, SOME OF THE ISSUES YOU
MENTIONED DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND