SECRETARY ABOUT THE CRITICISM
THAT IT IS TOO BIG AND TOO
EXPENSIVE.
>> WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT
INFRASTRUCTURE, THEY THINK ABOUT
ROADS AND BRIDGES AND RAILS.
REPUBLICANS SAY THEYLL DO A
DEAL ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
IF IT IS SO URGENT, WHY NOT TAKE
THE DEAL, WORRY ABOUT HOUSING
AND ELDER CARE AFTER.
>> WE ARE INTERESTED IN TALKING
TO THE REPUBLICANS, BUT WE
BELIEVE THESE ARE TOGETHER.
ANYTHING GETTING THE WAY OF
LEADING A GOOD LIFE OR JOINING
THE WORK FORCE IS SOMETHING TO
TACKLE IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
LETS KEEP TALKING ABOUT GETTING
A DEAL.
>> YOURE OPEN TO BREAKING IT UP
IF NECESSARY?
>> I AM LESS INTERESTED IN WHAT
MECHANISM AND MORE INTERESTED IN
GETTING IT DONE.
>> THERES A CONVERSATION ABOUT
BIG BET ON BIG GOVERNMENT THAT
PRESIDENT BIDEN IS MAKING.
$6 TRILLION IN NEW SPENDING.
ARE WE ASKING GOVERNMENT TO DO
TOO MUCH?
>> WE THINK WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN
NOW IS A REAL AND MAJOR
INVESTMENT BECAUSE WEVE DONE
TOO LITTLE.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST FEW
DECADES, WE HAD A NATIONAL
EXPERIMENT IN BARGAIN BASEMENT
GOVERNMENT.
THATS CATCHING UP TO US.
WERE NOT CALLING FOR SOME
EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH LEVEL OF
TAXATION AND SPENDING.
WERE JUST TRYING TO RESET IT TO
NORMAL LEVEL.
>> IF THE ECONOMY IS RECOVERING,
WHY RAISE TAXES ON ANYBODY NOW?
>> THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE
ECONOMY CAN THRIVE AND WILL
THRIVE BETTER IF WE HAVE FAIRER
TAXES, WHERE WEALTHIER PAY THEIR
FAIR SHARE, CORPORATIONS PAY
THEIR FAIR SHARE.
WE WONT BE FINE IF WE ALLOW
INFRASTRUCTURE TO CRUMBLE.
>> THIS IS THE LARGEST PLAN
SINCE WORLD WAR II.
CREATES JOB TO UPGRADE THE
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> THIS FOR YOU AND HIM IS ABOUT
JOBS, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF
PEOPLE IN INDUSTRIES LIKE COAL
THAT ARE WORRIED THEYLL BE OUT
OF A JOB.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THOSE FOLKS
THAT HAVE TO RETRAIN AND START
OVER AGAIN?
>> THIS ISNT JUST A JOBS PLAN,
THIS IS LARGELY BLUE COLLAR JOBS
PLAN.
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ABOUT IT.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOURE GOOD AT
DIGGING MINES, WORKING IN MINES,
YOULL BE GOOD AT TAPPING SOME
MINES THAT NEED TO BE REPAIRED.
IF YOURE GOOD AT THINGS LIKE
ROAD BUILDING, IF YOURE A UNION
CARPENTER OR INSULATOR, PLUMBER,
PIPE FITTER, WERE DEFINITELY
GOING TO NEED YOU FOR
INFRASTRUCTURE WORK CREATED.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE, HE WANTS TO SLASH CARBON
EMISSIONS IN HALF BY 2030.
STUDIES SUGGEST TO DO THAT YOU
HAVE TO DRAMATICALLY OVERHAUL
THE ECONOMY.
HALF THE CARS SOLD AT
DEALERSHIPS WOULD NEED TO BE
ELECTRIC.
DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD NEED TO
HAPPEN, AND IS THAT POSSIBLE TO
DO IN NINE YEARS?
>> WE THINK AMERICA IS
ABSOLUTELY UP TO THE CHALLENGE
OF MAKING BIG CHANGES.
THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT PAT
WAYS.
>> DO YOU AGREE WITH THE
FIGURES, HALF THE CARS ON THE
ROAD BE ELECTRIC?
>> NO ONE PIECE ACCOUNTS FOR IT,
EVEN THE AMOUNT OF CARBON
SAVINGS, SAY IT WAS 100%
ELECTRIC, IT MATTERS WHETHER
THAT ELECTRIC POWER COMES FROM
COAL, OIL, GAS, HYDRO OR SOLAR.
A LOT OF THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN.
DIFFERENT STUDIES SHOW DIFFERENT
WAYS TO DO IT.
BOTTOM LINE IS YES, WE NEED REAL
ACCELERATION IN ELECTRIC
VEHICLES.
>> WE ASKED SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG
ABOUT THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT HE
WILL WITHDRAW ALL TROOPS FROM
AFGHANISTAN.
>> AS SOMEONE WHO SERVED IN
AFGHANISTAN, WHAT DOES IT MEAN
TO YOU THAT BY 9/11 THIS YEAR,
THERE WILL BE NO MORE AMERICAN
TROOPS THERE?
>> YOU KNOW, IT IS EMOTIONAL.
IT HAD ME THINKING BACK TO WHEN
I WAS THERE AND IN TOUCH WITH A
LOT OF PEOPLE I WAS THERE WITH.
PART OF WHAT I THOUGHT BACK TO
IS WHEN I LEFT.
I THOUGHT I WAS ONE OF THE LAST
ONES TURNING OUT THE LIGHTS IN
MY UNIT AND THAT WAS IN 2014.
>> AND WE ASKED ABOUT LIFE IN
WASHINGTON WITH HIS HUSBAND.
>> HAVE THEY LET YOU TAKE THE
BIKE TO WORK?
>> MOST DAYS.
IT IS A CITY THATS GOOD FOR
GETTING AROUND ON TWO WHEELS.
EVERY AMERICAN CITY HAS WORK TO
DO.
I LOVE TO RIDE MY BIKE AROUND
TOWN.
WERE FEELING MORE AND MORE
SETTLED.
TRANSITION FROM A HOUSE TO
APARTMENT IS A BIG CHANGE,
ESPECIALLY FOR THE DOGS.
>> WHAT A REMARKABLE
CONVERSATION WITH THE SECRETARY,
TO HEAR HIM TALK ABOUT
AFGHANISTAN IS REALLY
INCREDIBLE.
I GUESS IT GOES BACK TO WHERE
YOU STARTED THE CONVERSATION
WITH HIM, HOW DO THEY GET
REPUBLICANS ON BOARD WITH BIG
PROPOSALS.
>> I WAS STRUCK, HE TOLD ME HE
IS SPEAKING PRIVATELY WITH
REPUBLICANS EVERY DAY NOW.
BUT THERES REAL URGENCY ON THIS
ISSUE, SOMETHING THAT THE WHITE
HOUSE, SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG TELLS
ME, WANTS TO SEE REAL PROGRESS