BUT YOU COME ACROSS THE LINE
WHERE IT BECOMES A VERY
IMPRESSIVE, AN UNFORTUNATE
THAT THE TERRITORIAL GOING
INTO FOR A FEW DAYS. YEAH, WE
CAN DO IT. I DON'T THINK SO
MUCH CAMP. WELL, NOW FOR THE
SENATE DELIVERS A LEGISLATIVE
VICTORY TO PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
PASSING HIS TRILLION-DOLLAR
INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN WITH
BIPARTISAN SUPPORT.
>> THE FINAL SENATE VOTE WAS
69 TO 30. THE MEASURE INCLUDES
550 BILLION DOLLARS IN
SPENDING FOR THINGS LIKE
ROADS, BRIDGES, BROADBAND
WATER SYSTEMS AND TRAINS. HERE
TO TALK ABOUT THE DEAL IS
RHODE ISLAND U.S. SENATOR
SHELDON WHITEHOUSE. SENATOR,
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US
TODAY.
>> MY PLEASURE. GOOD TO BE
WITH YOU. CAN CAN YOU BREAK
DOWN FOR US EXACTLY WHAT RHODE
ISLAND IS SET TO RECEIVE FROM
THIS BILL.
>> WELL, THE BIG STUFF IS
ABOUT 2 BILLION DOLLARS IN
TRADITIONAL HIGHWAY AND BRIDGE
INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> ABOUT A BILLION AND A HALF
YOU KNOW ABOUT.
>> A QUARTER OF A BILLION FOR
RED FOR PARENTS. ANOTHER
NEARLY A 3RD OF A MILLION FOR
MASS TRANSIT AND 23 MILLION
DOLLARS TO HELP WITH ELECTRIC
VEHICLE CHARGING BUILD OUT AS
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE
BUILDING OR BUYING ELECTRIC
CARS AND THEN A LITTLE BIT
LESS TRADITIONAL BUT STILL
VERY MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE
BROADBAND. BUT I WILL GET A
100 MILLION DOLLARS TO HELP
EXPAND AND I HOPE
AFFORDABILITY 4 OF ISLANDERS
TO GET ACCESS TO BROADBAND.
YOU VOTED IN FAVOR OF THIS
BILL. HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU
THINK THESE MEASURES THIS THE
SPENDING IS FOR RHODE ISLAND.
>> IT'S A GREAT START. IT WILL
HELP RHODE ISLAND INCLUDE SOME
OF OUR POOR AS A COASTAL
STATE. I GOT HALF A BILLION
DOLLARS FOR THE OCEANS AND
COASTS FUN THAT I CREATED SOME
YEARS AGO AND THAT WILL HELP
COASTAL COMMUNITIES FIGURE OUT
SEA LEVELS RISE AND OCEANS.
WARM AND ALL OF THAT. THAT'S
THE BIGGEST SLUG OF MONEY THAT
PROGRAM HAS EVER GOTTEN SO
VERY HELPFUL TO RUN LOCAL
COMMUNITIES AND ON OCEAN
PLASTIC, WHICH IS SOMETHING
WE'VE BEEN VERY ENGAGED WITH
IN RHODE ISLAND. WE'VE GOT
275 MILLION DOLLARS FOR GRANTS
TO STATES THAT WANT TO HELP
CLEAN UP PLASTIC FLOWING INTO
THE OCEANS AND SOME ADDITIONAL
CLEAN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
MONEY. SO SOME GOOD
ENVIRONMENTAL STUFF IN HERE AS
WELL FOR THAT ISLAND TO
COMPETE FOR.
>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LOT
OF MONEY HERE, SENATOR. AND
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONCERNS
ABOUT HOW THIS IS ALL GOING TO
BE PAID FOR AND THE
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
SAYS IT'S GOING TO ADD CLOSE
TO 300 BILLION DOLLARS TO THE
DEFICIT OVER 10 YEARS. IS THIS
RESPONSIBLE SPENDING?
>> I THINK IT'S NOT ONLY
RESPONSIBLE SPENDING. I THINK
IT'S ESSENTIAL SPENDING. AND
REMEMBER THAT THIS LINES. WITH
THE BILL. WE'RE GOING TO BE
WORKING ON NOW THAT WE'RE
GOING THROUGH THE
RECONCILIATION PROCESS. WHO'S
VOTING I CAN SEE ON THAT. PUT
WE DO BACK TO AN IMPORTANT
PART IS GOING TO BE ON THE
FINANCE COMMITTEE WHERE I SAID
MAKE SURE THAT IT'S PAID FOR.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF FUNDING
THAT WE CAN BRING IN TO PAY
FOR ALL OF THIS SIMPLY BY
MAKING CORPORATIONS PAID NO
TAX FOR YEARS. A VERY WEALTHY
INDIVIDUALS WHO PAY AND A
LOWER TAX AND THEIR CHAUFFEUR
IS OR NO TAX AT ALL BEGIN TO
PAY FAIR SHARE AND WE'RE
WORKING THAT AND THE FINANCE
COMMITTEE. AND I THINK AT THE
END OF THE DAY, THIS WILL
PROVE TO BE VERY RESPONSIBLE.
>> THEY WERE JUST MENTIONING
THE RECONCILIATION PLAN. THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, NOT A
DONE DEAL. STILL NEEDS HOUSE
APPROVAL AND SPEAKER PELOSI
HAS VOWED NOT TO VOTE ON IT
UNLESS THE SENATE DOES PASS
RECONCILIATION PLAN WHICH YOU
MENTIONED FOLKS ARE VOTING ON
RIGHT NOW. WE'RE DISCUSSING
RIGHT NOW. YOU TOOK TO TWITTER
EARLIER TO TALK ABOUT THE
PROCESS. WE WERE TALKING AND
COMMERCIAL BREAK. YOU CALLED
IT A VOTE, A RAMA. SO CAN YOU
EXPLAIN TO US HOW THIS IS
WORKING RIGHT NOW.
>> DRAMA IS THE NICKNAME FOR
THIS THING IN THE SENATE AND
IT'S JUST AS UNDISTINGUISHED
AS IT SOUNDS. WHAT HAPPENS IS
THAT UNDER THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THERE'S A WAY TO GET TO A
MEASURE OF THE CONTRAST WITH A
SIMPLE MAJORITY. AND WE NEED
TO GET TO THAT MEASURE TO PASS
ALONG WITH A SIMPLE MAJORITY
BECAUSE SOME OF THE STUFF LIKE
THE CLIMATE CHANGE TO NOT
GOING TO GET REPUBLICAN
SUPPORT FOR. BUT THERE'S A
PRICE TO BE PAID FOR GETTING
AROUND THE FILIBUSTER AND THE
PRICE YOU HAVE TO PAY FOR
GETTING AROUND A MINORITY
FILIBUSTER. GOT TO PUT UP
ALONG. OF. AMENDMENTS. WE'VE
GONE LITERALLY ALL NIGHT WITH
THIS BEFORE AND INTO SUNRISE
THE NEXT DAY. I DON'T KNOW HOW
LONG THIS WAS GOING TO GO.
MOST OF THEM ARE NOT SERIOUS
AMENDMENTS THAT WHAT YOU CALL
GOTCHA AMENDMENTS, DESIGNED
MORE FOR TV ADS THAN FROM
LEGISLATING. BUT IT'S THE
PRICE YOU PAY FOR GETTING TO
LEGISLATE ON BEHALF OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE WITHOUT THE
THREAT OF FILIBUSTER AND IT'S
WORTH IT. I WILL COMPLAIN
ABOUT IT. BUT I TAKE MY
COMPLAINTS WITH A GRAIN OF
SALT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE
DAY, WHAT WE GET IS EASILY
WORTH ONE LONG NIGHT OF SILLY
VOTES.
>> U.S. SENATOR SHELDON
WHITEHOUSE WHITE HOUSE, THANK
YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME