HE IS THE CHAIR OF THE BUDGET
COMMITTEE, THE HISTORY MAKING
CHAIR OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE.
>> THANK YOU, LAWRENCE.
>> YOU HAVE THAT DIFFICULT
POSITION IN THE HOUSE.
YOU COULD WRITE A BILL IN THE
HOUSE, A BUDGET RESOLUTION IN
THE HOUSE THAT COULD EASILY PASS
THE HOUSE.
BUT YOU KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO
HAVE SOMETHING IDENTICAL TO WHAT
THE SENATE PASSES.
AND YOU JUST HEARD JOE MANCHIN
SAY WHAT HE BELIEVES AT THIS
STAGE HE’S NOT WILLING TO DO.
HE’S NOT WILLING TO GO ABOVE
MAYBE $2 TRILLION, MAYBE $3
TRILLION.
THE PRESIDENT WANTS TO GO MUCH
HIGHER THAN THAT.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO SENATOR
MANCHIN?
I SAY TO HIM THAT BY THE WAY,
SENATOR MANCHIN, THERE ARE 221
OF US IN THE SAME POSITION IN
THE HOUSE AND ANOTHER 49 IN THE
SENATE WHO ARE JUST LIKE YOU.
EVERY ONE OF US BASICALLY HAS
THE LEVERAGE TO KILL OR SUCCEED
IN PASSING A RESOLUTION.
AND, SO, THE ATTENTION THAT’S
PAID TO HIM, I UNDERSTAND.
BUT EVERY ONE OF US IS IN THE
SAME POSITION.
AND THAT MAKES, YOU KNOW -- ON
AN EVERY DAY BASIS, GETTING
DEMOCRATS TOGETHER IS HERDING
CATS, AND THIS IS HERDING ALL
THE CATS AND MAKING SURE THAT
EVERYONE KNOWS THAT WE DON’T
HAVE RIGHT NOW EACH OF US DOES
NOT HAVE THE NORMAL INDEPENDENCE
THAT WE WOULD HAVE.
WE HAVE TO -- WE HAVE TO
BASICALLY SAY THERE IS AN
ULTIMATE GOAL.
WE ALL SUPPORT THE GOAL.
WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET
THERE.
AND THAT’S -- YOU KNOW, NANCY
PELOSI ALWAYS SAYS UNITY IS OUR
STRENGTH.
I THINK IN THIS CASE, UNITY IS
OUR ONLY CHANCE.
>> LET’S TRY TO TAKE US THROUGH
THE TIMETABLE HERE FOR THE
AUDIENCE SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO
EXPECT.
IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN
TOMORROW.
IT SEEMS TO ME WHAT I’M HEARING
FROM THE SPEAKER IS THAT SHE
EXPECTS UNDERSTANDABLY THE
SENATE TO PASS THEIR BIPARTISAN
AGREEMENT ON INFRASTRUCTURE
FIRST.
THAT BILL WHEN IT PASSES THE
SENATE IMMEDIATELY GETS SENT TO
THE HOUSE.
SPEAKER PELOSI TAKES THAT BILL
SAYS THANK YOU, PUTS IT OVER
HERE AND THEN WAITS FOR THE
OTHER ACTION TO BE DONE ON WHAT
WILL PROBABLY BE THE DEMOCRATS’
ONLY RECONCILIATION VERSION OF
THE BILL.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE CHUCK SCHUMER
IS SAYING HE EXPECTS YOUR BUDGET
RESOLUTIONS TO BE READY TO BE
PASSED BEFORE THE AUGUST RECESS,
SO BY THE END OF JULY.
DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT TO YOU?
>> THAT’S WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO
ACCOMPLISH BECAUSE THEN, YOU
KNOW, THE LEGISLATION THAT
ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTS, AS YOU
DESCRIBED SO WELL IN YOUR INTRO,
THE LEGISLATION THAT ACTUALLY
ACCOMPLISHES WHAT WE’RE TRYING
TO DO THROUGH RECONCILIATION
WILL BE DRAFTED BY THE VARIOUS
COMMITTEES OF JURS TIX DURISDICT
DURING THE AUGUST RECESS AND
THEN WE COULD TAKE THEM UP IN
THE FALL.
>> THEN WE COULD COME BACK IN
SEPTEMBER, EARLY OCTOBER AND YOU
WOULD HAVE THAT SO-CALLED EARLY
RECONCILIATION BILL, WHICH WOULD
BE THE FINAL PIECE OF IT THAT
EVENTUALLY GETS PASSED AT THAT
POINT THROUGH THE SENATE IN THE
HOUSE.
AND YOU COULD THEORETICALLY PASS
AT THAT POINT IF THE SPEAKER IS
HOLDING THE BIPARTISAN SENATE
BILL, THEORETICALLY YOU COULD
PASS THEM ROUGHLY ON THE SAME
DAY.
>> WE COULD.
BUT THAT DOESN’T MATTER.
I MEAN, YEAH, OBVIOUSLY THE
SPEAKER IS STRATEGIZING THAT
BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY,
WELL, THERE IS A RISK THAT WE
WOULD PASS A BIPARTISAN BILL AND
THEN LOSE SOME VOTES ON WHAT
ENDS UP BEING PROBABLY A MORE
EXPENSIVE WHAT WE CALLED THE
CARE ECONOMY PROVISIONS, CHILD
CARE, JOB TRAINING, SENIOR CARE,
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND
SOME OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE
LEGISLATION THAT IS SO IMPORTANT
TO MANY OF OUR MEMBERS.
SO THAT’S THE LINKAGE.
THAT’S THE REASON FOR THE
LINKAGE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT’S NOT GOING TO
BE EASY.
I MET WITH THE PROGRESSIVE
CAUCUS TODAY.
I MET WITH THE BLUE DOGS TODAY.
REMEMBER, WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO
DO IN THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS
IS SO THAT WE DON’T HAVE A
FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE, WE
DON’T REQUIRE 60 VOTES.
SO EVERY ONE OF THE 50 VOTES IN
THE SENATE IS NECESSARY.
WE CAN ONLY LOSE FOUR RIGHT NOW.
IT WILL BE THREE.
SOON BE THREE IN THE HOUSE.
ESSENTIALLY EVERY VOTE IS
CRITICAL.
THAT’S -- IT’S QUITE A TASK THAT
WE’RE FACING.
>> I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT
ONE VERY IMPORTANT
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT, WHICH IS
THE BRENT SPENS BRIDGE, WHICH OF
COURSE AS YOU KNOW, THE AUDIENCE
DOESN’T KNOW, CONNECTS YOUR
STATE OF KENTUCKY ACROSS THE
OHIO RIVER WITH OHIO.
HUGELY IMPORTANT BRIDGE.
AND IT’S AN IMPORTANT BRIDGE TO
SENATOR McCONNELL, WHO IS
WORKING AS HARD AS HE CAN TO
KILL BOTH VERSIONS OF THIS
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
ARE WE REALLY GOING TO BE -- IS
KENTUCKY REALLY GOING TO BE
WATCHING MITCH McCONNELL TAKE
CREDIT FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN A
BRIDGE AFTER HE FOUGHT AGAINST
THE LEGISLATION THAT GOT IT
DONE?
>> I HOPE WE GET IT DONE.
BUT NO DOUBT THAT MITCH WHO I
HAVE KNOWN FOR MANY YEARS WILL
TAKE CREDIT WHENEVER HE CAN.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’S
FASCINATING IN THE AMERICAN JOBS
PLAN, THE PRESIDENT’S PROPOSAL,
THERE IS A $25 BILLION SET ASIDE
THAT IS DESIGNED TO -- FOR THE
TEN MOST CRITICAL REGIONAL
INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
ONE OF THOSE, I THINK IT USUALLY
RANKS ABOUT SECOND ON THE LIST,
IS THIS BRIDGE.
SO THIS IS A REAL OPPORTUNITY
FOR KENTUCKY AND NOT JUST
KENTUCKY AND OHIO BUT BASICALLY
PEOPLE ALL THROUGH THE MIDWEST
TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS
ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
BECAUSE THE BRIDGE IS PROBABLY
NOT VERY FAR ALONG THAN THE
BRIDGE THAT WE SAW IN MEMPHIS,
TENNESSEE.
I MEAN, IT IS DEFINITELY IN NEED
OF REPLACEMENT.
IT’S PROBABLY ABOUT A $2 BILLION
PROJECT.
WE COULD FUND IT OUT OF THIS SET