>>> A MASSIVE CYBER ATTACK THAT
SHUT DOWN A MAJOR U.S. PIPELINE
IS EXPOSING A HOLE IN THE
INFRASTRUCTURE SECURITY AS A
COUNTRY.
THE FBI SAYS A GROUP CALLED DARK
SIDE
DARKSIDE, BELIEVED TO BE
OPERATED BY A RUSSIAN CYBER
CRIME GANG, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR
COMPROMISING THE COLONIAL
PIPELINE, WHICH STRETCHES MORE
THAN 5,500 MILES AND SUPPLIES
ROUGHLY 45% OF THE EAST COASTS
FUEL SUPPLY.
TODAY, PRESIDENT BIDEN IS USING
THE ATTACK AS ANOTHER REASON TO
PUSH FOR HIS PROPOSED
$2.3 TRILLION SPENDING ON
INFRASTRUCTURE AND JOBS, AS HIS
FOCUS TURNS THIS WEEK TO MAKING
A DEAL WITH AN IMPOSSIBLE GOP
THATS FAR MORE FOCUSED ON
OPPOSITION TO PRESIDENT BIDEN,
THE DEMOCRATIC AGENDA AND ANY
SENSIBLE ANTI-TRUMP RHETORIC.
>> WE HAVE EFFORTS UNDER WAY
WITH THE FBI AND DODGE,J, DEPART
OF JUSTICE, TO DISRUPT AND
PROSECUTE RANSOMWARE CRIMINALS.
IN ADDITION TO COMPANIES
STEPPING UP, WE NEED TO INVEST
TO SAFEGUARD OUR CRITICAL
INFRASTRUCTURE.
THATS ONE OF THE MANY THINGS MY
AMERICAN JOBS PLAN IS DESIGNED
TO DO.
>> JOINING OUR CONVERSATION IS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION,
PETE BUTTIGIEG.
MR. SECRETARY, I WONDER IF YOU
CAN TELL US HOW THE PROPOSED
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL WOULD
PROTECT -- WOULD HAVE PROTECTED
THIS PIPELINE FROM A CYBERATTACK
AND WHETHER THAT IS CENTRAL TO
ALL THOSE THINGS THAT I KNOW
SOME OF YOUR CONSERVATIVES MAKE
FUN OF, THINGS THAT ARENT
ACTUALLY TANGIBLE ROADS AND
BRIDGES.
>> RIGHT, I MEAN, THIS IS ONE
MORE REMINDER THAT
INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE U.S. MEANS
A LOT MORE THAN ROADS AND
BRIDGES, ALTHOUGH I WOULD REMIND
EVERYBODY THAT THE AMERICAN JOBS
PLAN HAS A HUGE AMOUNT OF
RESOURCES TO IMPROVE ROADS AND
BRIDGES IN THIS COUNTRY AMONG
MANY OTHER THINGS.
LOOK, THE TRUTH IS THAT HAVING
EXCELLENT, MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE
HAS ALWAYS BEEN A NATIONAL
SECURITY ISSUE, AND WE ARE LESS
SAFE AND SECURE ANY TIME THAT WE
ALLOW OUR INFRASTRUCTURE TO
DEGRADE OR TO BE BEHIND THE
TIMES.
THATS TRUE WHEN WE THINK ABOUT
ROADS AND BRIDGES, OBVIOUSLY.
ITS A SAFETY ISSUE IF THEYRE
NOT IN GOOD SHAPE.
BUT ITS ALSO TRUE AS WERE
CONFRONTING THREATS OF THE
FUTURE RANGING FROM CLIMATE
SECURITY TO CYBERSECURITY.
ITS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY
THERE IS SUCH A ROBUST AMOUNT OF
FUNDING FOR RESILIENCE BUILT
INTO THE PRESIDENTS JOBS PLAN.
ITS ALSO WHY THERES A LOT ON
R&D AND INNOVATION.
THE TRUTH IS THAT WE NEED TO
SPEND AND INVEST FOR NATIONAL
SECURITY REASONS ON MAKING SURE
THAT WE HAVE THE GREATEST AND
BEST TECHNOLOGY.
REMEMBER, THE INTERNET ITSELF
WAS INVENTED THROUGH A FEDERAL
PROGRAM THAT WAS CONNECTED TO
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE OUT OF
AN UNDERSTANDING THAT PART OF
WHAT MAKES AMERICA SECURE IS
BEING A STEP AHEAD OF THE REST
OF THE WORLD WHEN IT COMES TO
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.
WE SHOULD BE DOING THE SAME
THING FOR THE GENERATION THATS
NOW IN CHARGE AND THE GENERATION
TO COME, AND THATS ALL PART OF
THE JOBS PLAN.
>> AND IM GUESSING THAT WHAT
YOU JUST SAID ABOUT SOME OF THE
NATIONAL SECURITY RATIONALES FOR
PIECES OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE
PLAN IS, IN PART, DESIGNED TO A
APPEAL TO REPUBLICANS.
I KNOW THE PRESIDENT IS MEETING
WITH KEVIN McCARTHY THIS WEEK.
YOUVE BEEN ENGAGED WITH
REPUBLICANS.
KEVIN McCARTHY HAS A BUSY DAY
WEDNESDAY.
ITS THE DAY HE PLANS TO OUST
LIZ CHENEY FOR NOT REPEATING THE
BIG LIE ABOUT THE ELECTION.
DO YOU THINK ITS A GOOD USE OF
YOUR TIME AND THE PRESIDENTS TO
DEAL WITH THE REPUBLICANS ON
THIS?
>> WELL, LOOK, WE HOPE TO EARN
EVERY VOTE THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN
FOR THIS, AND THE PRESIDENT IS
SERIOUS ABOUT WANTING A
BIPARTISAN APPROACH AND A
NEGOTIATED APPROACH.
NOW, HES ALSO SAID THAT DOING
NOTHING IS NOT AN OPTION.
WEVE GOT TO MOVED FORWARD HERE.
BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE IS
GOODWILL, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY
HAVE SEEN A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL
PUT ON THE TABLE BY SENATE
REPUBLICANS THAT ARE RESPONDING
AND ENGAGING WITH THAT.
IF WE CAN COME TO AN AGREEMENT
ON AT LEAST PART OF WHAT WE
OUGHT TO DO, THEN LETS AT LEAST
TRY TO DO THAT PART TOGETHER.
AND YOU KNOW, WE BELIEVE ALL OF
THESE THINGS FIT INTO ONE
COHESIVE WHOLE, BUT THIS
NEGOTIATION IS ABOUT SEEING HOW
MUCH WE CAN FIND SOME KIND OF
COMMON GROUND.
I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT IF
THERES ANY AREA OF DOMESTIC
POLICY LEFT THAT WE CAN FIND
COMMON GROUND ON, IT IS
INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THESE
NATIONAL SECURITY
CONSIDERATIONS.
ALONGSIDE THE JOB CONSIDERATIONS
ARE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE SHOULD
MOTIVATE CONSERVATIVES,
LIBERALS, AND EVERYBODY IN
BETWEEN.
WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF
BIPARTISAN INTEREST AND SUPPORT
FOR THIS PROJECT, THIS BILL AMONG THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AS
AMONG THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AS
the FreeStyle Libre 2 system
IN WASHINGTON, BUT WERE GOING
TO KEEP PUSHING.
>> MR. SECRETARY, ON FRIDAY,
WHEN THE JOBS REPORT CAME OUT,
THE NEWS WAS INSTANTLY
WEAPONIZED BY REPUBLICANS.
I KNOW THAT IT WAS ALSO SORT OF
A PROOF POINT FOR ALL OF YOU
THAT THERES SO MUCH LEFT TO DO.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE IS
CENTRAL TO THAT.
WHAT IS SORT OF THE VIEW ABOUT
THE JOBS NUMBERS AND WHERE WERE
HEADING?
>> WELL, WHAT IT SHOWS US IS
THAT WE HAVE A STEEP CLIMB AHEAD
AND BY THE WAY, ON THURSDAY
NIGHT, IF WE HAD GOTTEN THE
QUESTION, WHY DO A JOBS PLAN NOW
WHEN THE JOBS NUMBERS HAVE BEEN
SO ENCOURAGING, WE WERE SAYING
THE SAME THING.
THERES A STEEP CLIMB AHEAD.
THE RATE OF JOB GROWTH SINCE
THIS PRESIDENT TOOK OFFICE IS
EXTRAORDINARY.
500,000 JOBS ON AVERAGE.
I THINK THATS 8 OR 9 TIMES THE
PACE THAT HE INHERITED AND ITS
HISTORIC, BUT WE STILL HAVE GOT
ABOUT 8 MILLION TO GO JUST TO
RECOVER THE GROUND THAT WE LOST
AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE
PANDEMIC.
I GUESS THE WAY I WOULD ADD IT
ALL UP IS THIS SOUNDS LIKE A
GREAT TIME FOR AN AMERICAN JOBS
PLAN THAT WILL NOT ONLY RESPOND
TO THE CONCERNS OF THE MOMENT,
AND LETS BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT
A SHORT-TERM STIMULUS PLAN.
IT WILL RESPOND TO THE CONCERNS
OF THE MOMENT AS THE RESCUE PLAN
IS DOING AND PREPARE US FOR
YEARS AND EVEN DECADES TO COME.
>> WHAT IS YOUR SENSE OF THIS
REPUBLICAN PARTY THIS WEEK?
AS WE SAID, THEYRE PREPARING TO
PURGE ONE OF THEIR LEADERSHIP
MEMBERS FOR NOT REPEATING THE
BIG LIE.
I HOPE THAT WHATS HAPPENING
BEHIND THE SCENES IS MORE
ENCOURAGING TO YOU ALL ON THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAN WHATS
PUBLIC.
BUT MITCH McCONNELL HAS SAID HIS
REASON FOR BEING IS TO OBSTRUCT
THE BIDEN AGENDA.
WHAT DO YOU GUYS MAKE OF TODAYS
REPUBLICAN PARTY?
>> WELL, I THINK THEY HAVE SOME
DECISIONS TO MAKE ABOUT WHAT TO
FOCUS ON, AND OBVIOUSLY, NOT MY
JOB TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO, BUT
TO THE EXTENT THAT MEMBERS OF
CONGRESS, REPUBLICAN AND
DEMOCRAT, THEY ALL COME FROM
SOMEWHERE, AND I KNOW AS THEY
RETURN TO WASHINGTON FOR THE
SESSIONS IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE
THIS WEEK, THEYRE ALL COMING
FROM A HOME DISTRICT THAT IS
FULL OF ROADS AND BRIDGES AND
AREAS THAT NEED BROADBAND AND
PLACES WHERE THERE ARE LEAD
PIPES THAT NEED TO BE IMPROVED,
AND PLACES WHERE THE AIRPORT --
MAYBE THE AIRPORT THEY FLEW FROM
TO GET HERE TO WASHINGTON TODAY
IS NOT KEEPING PACE WITH THE
BEST AIRPORTS IN THE WORLD AND
SO MANY OTHER THINGS GOING ON
THAT NEED ATTENTION.
SO OUR HOPE IS THAT THEY WILL
FOCUS ON WHAT THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WANT US TO FOCUS ON,
WHICH IS FIXING PROBLEMS AND
GETTING STUFF DONE, AND I WILL
SAY, FOR ALL OF THE
HEADLINE-GRABBING PALACE
INTRIGUE THAT GOES ON IN
WASHINGTON, WERE HAVING
CONVERSATIONS EVERY DAY WITH
MEMBERS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
AISLE WHO TALK ABOUT THEIR
SINCERE INTEREST AND DESIRE AND
SENSE OF URGENCY TO GET THINGS
DONE.
WE ARE HOPING THAT CAN BE
MOBILIZED INTO BIPARTISAN
PROGRESS ON WHAT IS A BIPARTISAN
PRIORITY, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE
STATED VIEWS AND PRIORITIES OF