FICTIONAL NBC "WEST WING"
PRESIDENT JED BARTLETT PLAYED BY
MARTIN SHEEN.
GENE SPURLING PLAYING GENE
SPURLING WITH US TONIGHT.
GENE, THIS NEWS ABOUT THE CHILD
TAX CREDIT MAKES THIS INCOME,
THIS SUPPORT TO AMERICAN
FAMILIES AS CONSISTENT AND
STEADY AS NORMAL INCOME IS.
WE DONT GET OUR INCOMES IN ONE
LUMP SUM PER YEAR, AND THIS IS A
WAY OF DEALING WITH THAT
PHENOMENON OF WHERE THIS USED TO
BE DELIVERED IN ONE LUMP SUM PER
YEAR, HERE IT IS BEING SPREAD
OUT IN A PREDICTABLE, USABLE WAY
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
>> YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THIS IS AN HISTORIC TAX CUT.
IT IS ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF
THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN IN
PROVIDING SECURITY, DIGNITY,
OPPORTUNITY TO VIRTUALLY EVERY
MIDDLE CLASS FAMILY, AND AS YOU
SAID, BEING A POLICY THAT CAN
HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT IN REDUCING
CHILD POVERTY.
BUT YOURE RIGHT, NORMALLY, YOU
WAIT FOR YOUR TAX CUT UNTIL THE
NEXT YEAR.
SO THERES A COUPLE OF THINGS
HERE THAT ARE QUITE NEW AND
IMPORTANT.
ONE, WERE GIVING THAT TAX CUT
NOW STARTING IN JULY WHEN PEOPLE
NEED IT, WHEN THEYRE STILL COME
COMING BACK FROM THE COVID
PANDEMIC.
BUT AS YOU SAID, LAWRENCE, ITS
GOING TO COME EVERY MONTH, AND
ONE OF THE THINGS IM MOST PROUD
OF IN OUR WORK WITH TREASURY AND
THE IRS IS THAT FOR THE PEOPLE
WHO GET DIRECT DEPOSIT, WHICH IS
80% OF AMERICAN TAXPAYERS RIGHT
NOW, ITS GOING TO COME ON THE
15th OF EVERY MONTH.
SO WORKING FAMILIES TRYING TO
MAKE ENDS MEET WILL KNOW THAT IF
THEY HAVE TWO CHILDREN, THEYRE
GOING TO GET $500 EVERY MONTH OR
IF THEY HAVE TWO CHILDREN UNDER
6, IT WILL BE 600 EVERY MONTH
RIGHT ON THE 15th.
AND I DO THINK THIS REFLECTS A
LOT OF THE POLICY HEART OF JOE
BIDEN, NOT JUST THAT ITS GOING
TO HELP THE DIGNITY AND SECURITY
OF FAMILIES THAT ITS GOING TO
REDUCE POVERTY, BUT WHEN YOU
TALK ABOUT HIM, YOU KNOW,
WANTING TO KNOW THE DETAILS, ONE
OF THE THINGS HE PRESSES AND
THIS WAS TRUE IN THE CAMPAIGN.
ITS TRUE AS LONG AS IVE WORKED
WITH HIM, IS HOW IS IT GOING TO
AFFECT PEOPLE?
HOW ARE THEY GOING TO KNOW WHAT
THEYRE GETTING?
HOW DO AVERAGE PEOPLE WHO ARE
WORKING HARD EVERY DAY JUST
SUPPORTING THEIR FAMILY ARE
GOING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE
GOVERNMENTS DOING FOR THEM, SO
HERE THEYRE GOING TO KNOW JULY
15th, AUGUST 15th, SEPTEMBER
15th, THEYRE GOING TO KNOW THAT
THERES THAT EXTRA SUPPORT THAT
THEY CAN PLAN ON AND COUNT ON.
AND THIS HAS REALLY NEVER BEEN
DONE BEFORE, AND I THINK ITS AN
IMPORTANT THING, AND LAWRENCE,
LETS BE CLEAR.
ITS CRITICAL FOR THIS YEAR, BUT
NOBODY WANTS THIS TO END AFTER
THIS YEAR.
THATS WHY ITS ALSO EXTENDING
IT, MAKING SURE IT GOES ON AND
ON.
ITS A KEY PART OF THE
PRESIDENTS AMERICAN FAMILIES
PLAN.
AND I THINK ITS GOING TO BE
VERY HARD PRESSED FOR MANY
REPUBLICANS TO DECIDE AFTER THIS
MONTHLY CHILD TAX CREDIT GOES
OUT TO ALL WORKING FAMILIES THAT
THEYRE GOING TO OPPOSE
PRESIDENT BIDENS EFFORT TO HAVE
THIS GO ON FOR YEARS TO COME.
>> THE -- IT HAS NEVER BEEN DONE
BEFORE, BUT AS WE KNOW, IT HAS
BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT, STRATEGIZED
BY POLICY EXPERTS IN THE ARENA,
TRYING TO REGULARIZE, TRYING TO
NORMALIZE INCOME SUPPORT FOR
PEOPLE WHO NEED IT IN A WAY THAT
SO-CALLED NORMAL INCOMES ARRIVE
INTO PEOPLES LIVES, AND
GOVERNMENT HAS ALWAYS HAD THIS
KIND OF -- THIS GRUDGING FORM OF
DELIVERY, YOU KNOW, THERES ALL
THESE CONDITIONS AND THESE TIME
TIMINGS AND THESE THINGS THAT
MAKE THE DELIVERY LESS USEFUL IN
PEOPLES LIVES.
I MEAN, IT WORKS.
ITS HELPFUL, BUT ONE LUMP SUM
IS KIND OF THE LEAST USEFUL WAY
TO GET MONEY.
>> YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY.
AND ACTUALLY, OUR VICE PRESIDENT
KAMALA HARRIS USED TO SAY THAT
SOME OF THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE
GET TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF WITH
PREDATORY PAYDAY LENDING IS THAT
EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW MAYBE TAX
RELIEFS COMING, YOU KNOW, WHEN
THAT CAR BREAKS DOWN, WHEN THEY
NEED THAT EXTRA EXPENSE, WHEN
THEYRE DEALING WITH, YOU KNOW,
A MEDICAL ISSUE, THAT MONEY IS
NOT THERE.
SO TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE
THE OPTION REALLY IT WILL
AUTOMATICALLY GO MONTHLY TO
EVERY AMERICAN, I THINK BOTH THE
FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE
PRESIDENTS INCREASED IT TO
3,000 PER CHILD UNDER 17, 3,600
FOR CHILDREN UNDER 6 YEARS OLD,
AND MADE IT GO MONTHLY, AND
LAWRENCE, AN IMPORTANT THING WAS
BEFORE THIS A FAMILY, THE MOST
HARD PRESSED AMERICAN FAMILIES
MAY BE MAKING 15, 16,000, THEY
GOT LESS OF A CHILD TAX CREDIT
THAN A FAMILY MAKING TEN TIMES
AS MUCH.
THAT DOESNT MAKE SENSE WHEN
THAT LOWER INCOME HARD PRESSED
WORKING FAMILY NEEDS IT JUST AS
MUCH.
NOW ITS GOING TO BE THE SAME
FOR EVERYONE.
THATS MORE FAIR, AND YES, SOME
EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT OVER TIME
IT COULD REDUCE CHILD POVERTY IN
HALF WHILE BEING MAJOR TAX
RELIEF FOR MIDDLE -- TENS OF
MILLIONS OF MIDDLE CLASS
FAMILIES.
>> GENE, BEFORE YOU GO, I HAVE
TO ASK YOU ABOUT THIS "NEW YORK
TIMES" ARTICLE REPORTING BEHIND
THE SCENES HOW PRESIDENT BOYDEN
DOES
-- BIDEN DOES THE JOB.
YOU HAVE NOW BEEN UP CLOSE WITH
THREE PRESIDENTS STARTING WITH
PRESIDENT CLINTON WORKING ON
COMPLEX ECONOMIC POLICY, MANY
ISSUES THAT MOST PRESIDENTS HAVE
NOT DEALT WITH BEFORE COMING
INTO THE OVAL OFFICE.
WHAT WOULD YOU ADD TO THAT "NEW
YORK TIMES" REPORT ABOUT THE WAY
PRESIDENT BIDEN APPROACHES THESE
COMPLEX DECISIONS AND DIGESTING
THIS COMPLEX MATERIAL?
>> WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN
HIS HEART HE UNDERSTANDS THAT
WHAT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A POLICY
DETAIL TO PERHAPS SOME REPORTERS
IS A LIFE OR DEATH ISSUE FOR A
FAMILY.
MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE GET THE
CHILD TAX CREDIT, AS WE SAID,
COULD REDUCE POVERTY FOR HALF OF
CHILDREN.
THATS NOT JUST A DETAIL, YOU
KNOW, DOES IT COME ON A REGULAR
BASIS.
HE UNDERSTANDS, HE UNDERSTANDS
WHETHER PEOPLE ARE GETTING THE
HEALTH CARE, WHETHER CHILD CARE
CENTERS ARE CLOSING.
WE JUST ANNOUNCED A RESTAURANT
GRANT PROGRAM, RESTAURANT
REVITALIZATION.
YOU KNOW, HE REALIZES, YOU KNOW,
WHEN WE WERE IN THE OVAL TALKING
ABOUT IT, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT
RELATIVES OF HIS THAT HE HAD
SEEN
SEEN.
HIS FIRST FATHER-IN-LAW WORKED
SO INCREDIBLY HARD ON A
RESTAURANT.
HE SEES THAT REAL PERSON, AND HE
FOES HAD
KNOWS GETTING THAT RIGHT MIGHT
BE A DETAIL IN A POLICY WORLD,
BUT ITS LIFE AND DEATH TO A
WORKING FAMILY, TO THEIR HOPES,
THEIR ASPIRATIONS, THE DESIRE
THAT EVERYONE HAS TO CARE FOR
THEIR CHILDREN.
SO WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE DETAILS
IS NOT HIM AND THE DETAILS, IS
NOT JUST THE WONKY DETAIL, BUT
THAT SENSE THAT HE SEES IN EVERY
PERSON AND EVERY FAMILY, HE SEES
THAT TIME THAT HIS FATHER HAD TO
GO TELL THEM THAT THEYD LOST
THEIR JOB, THAT THEY WERENT
SURE ABOUT THEIR ECONOMIC
SECURITY.
AND ITS THAT DETAIL THATS KIND
OF -- THATS ROOTED IN HIS HEART
AND HIS SENSE THAT ECONOMICS IS