>>> THE UNITED STATES SETS OUT
ON THE ROAD TO CUT GREENHOUSE
GASES IN HALF, IN HALF, BY THE
END OF THIS DECADE.
THATS WHERE WERE HEADED AS A
NATION.
>> PRESIDENT BIDEN CALLING FOR
ACTION ON CLIMATE, JOBS,
INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE HAVE A GUEST AT THE CENTER OF
SO MUCH OF THIS.
PETE BUTTIGIEG, IT IS YOUR FIRST
TIME ON "THE BEAT" DURING A VERY
BUSY WEEK.
THANKS FOR MAKING THE TIME, SIR.
>> GLAD I COULD BE WITH YOU.
THANK YOU.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
LETS GET INTO IT, MR.
SECRETARY.
YOU WERE SAYING TODAY THAT
TRANSPORTATION AS A SECTOR IS
THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
WALK US THROUGH WHAT YOUR BOSS,
THE PRESIDENT, IS AIMING TO DO
AND HOW YOU FIT INTO THESE
PLANS.
>> SO THE PRESIDENT IS SETTING
AMBITIOUS SIGHTS FOR THE UNITED
STATES.
BUT BEFORE I EVEN GET INTO THAT,
LETS JUST REFLECT FOR A MOMENT
ON HOW GREAT IT IS TO SEE THE
U.S. LEADING ONCE MORE, TO SEE A
CONVENING OF NATIONS FROM AROUND
THE WORLD LED BY THE UNITED
STATES BACK AT THE TABLE THAT WE
WALKED AWAY FROM UNDER THE LAST
ADMINISTRATION.
SO IT IS IN THAT CONTEXT THAT
THE PRESIDENT IS CHALLENGING ALL
OF US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE MEET
THESE GOALS.
AS HE SO OFTEN SAYS, THIS IS
ALSO THE MOMENT WHEN WE CAN PUT
AWAY THE OLD FALSE FRAME WORK OF
CLIMATE VERSUS JOBS AND
DEMONSTRATE, ESPECIALLY IN
SECTORS LIKE TRANSPORTATION
WHERE I WORK, THAT JOB CREATION
THROUGH CLIMATE ACTION IS THE
WAY FORWARD.
>> YEAH.
AND YOU MENTION WHERE YOU WORK.
YOU WERE RIGHT IN THE THICK OF
THIS SPENDING BATTLE OVER
INFRASTRUCTURE AND MANY VIEWERS
MAY REMEMBER YOU FROM YOUR TIME
AS A MAYOR, YOUR TIME AS A
CANDIDATE.
AND IM SURE YOU REMEMBER THAT
WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF
REPUBLICANS ABOUT
INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY SAY IT WOULD BE 568$568
BILLION.
IT IS A QUARTER OF THE BIDEN
PLAN THAT WOULD DOUBLE THE
AMOUNT SPEND ON ROADS OR
BRIDGES, THAT PIECE OF IT.
SO MR. SECRETARY, WHEN YOU SEE
THIS FROM THE REPUBLICANS
BRAND-NEW, WHAT IS YOUR
RESPONSE?
>> WE WELCOME THE FACT THAT THE
REPUBLICANS ARE JOINING THE
CONVERSATION WITH SPECIFIC
PROPOSALS.
OF COURSE WERE STILL GETTING
INTO THE SPECIFICS, SEEING IF
ITS APPLES TO APPLES.
THERE IS A LOT OF COMPLEXITY IN
THE MATH HERE.
WE BELIEVE THIS IS A TIME TO GO
BIG AND WE BELIEVE THE
PRESIDENTS WAY IS THE WAY TO DO
IT.
BUT THIS IS A PROCESS.
TO THE EXTENT THAT WHAT LOOKS
LIKE A GOOD FAITH CONVERSATION
OPENING UP ABOUT WHAT THE RIGHT
ANSWER IS, LETS HAVE THAT
CONVERSATION AND IM GLAD TO BE
DIGGING IN WITH IT.
>> WHEN THEY SAY, WELL, YOU GUYS
HAVE JUST EXPANDED THE TERM
"INFRASTRUCTURE" TO BRING IN
OTHER THINGS THAT YOU LIKE THAT
ARENT INFRASTRUCTURE, WHAT DO
YOU SAY TO THAT?
>> THIS MIGHT SOUND FUNNY, BUT I
WOULD SAY THAT CHALLENGING AND
EXPANDING THE TRADITION AROUND
INFRASTRUCTURE IS ACTUALLY ONE
OF THE BEST PARTS OF OUR
TRADITION AROUND INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT I MEAN IS IF YOU LOOK BACK
AT OUR HISTORY, THOSE WOULD NOT
HAVE BEEN VIEWED AS TRADITIONAL
BY THE STANDARDS OF THEIR DAY.
TRAINS WERENT TRADITIONAL UNTIL
WE BELT THEM.
RIGHT NOW WERE DOING BRADBAND
INTERNET.
NOBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT
WHEN EISENHOWER BUILT THE
INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM.
RIGHT NOW YOU NEED BOTH.
WE BELIEVE AND STANDBY OUR BROAD
CONCEPTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
LET ME ALSO SAY THIS.
IF THERE ARE FOLKS ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE AISLE AND THERE IS A
GOOD POLICY LIKE MAKING IT
POSSIBLE FOR MORE PEOPLE TO GET
THE HELP THAT THEY NEED OR TO
BUILD A BRADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE
AND WE DONT AGREE ON WHAT TO
CALL IT, PLEASE BE FOR IT ANYWAY