OVAL OFFICE.
>> OUR REPUBLICAN FRIENDS HAVE
MADE IT CLEAR THE PEOPLE OUT
THERE MADE IT CLEAR THEY
STRONGLY SUPPORT THE AMERICAN
RESCUE PLAN.
YESTERDAY, WITH A FINAL PASSAGE
OF THE PLAN IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, THEIR VOICES
WERE HEARD.
AND REFLECTED IN EVERYTHING WE
HAVE IN THIS BILL.
AND I BELIEVE THIS IS, AND MOST
PEOPLE I THINK DO AS WELL, THIS
IS HISTORIC LEGISLATION.
IT’S ABOUT REBUILDING THE
BACKBONE OF THIS COUNTRY AND
GIVING PEOPLE IN THIS NATION,
WORKING PEOPLE, MIDDLE CLASS
FOLKS, PEOPLE WHO BUILT THE
COUNTRY A FIGHTING CHANCE.
THAT’S WHAT THE ESSENCE OF IT
IS.
I’M GOING TO HAVE A LOT MORE TO
SAY ABOUT THAT TONIGHT AND THE
NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AND BE ABLE
TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.
IN THE MEANTIME WHAT I’M GOING
TO DO IS SIGN THIS BILL AND MAKE
THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT AND
THEN THERE’S GOING TO BE PLENTY
OF OPPORTUNITIES WE’LL BE ON THE
ROAD NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT
I’M TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS THE
IMPACT ON THE VIRUS AND HOW
WE’RE GOING TO END THIS
PANDEMIC.
WE’RE GOING TO TALK ALL THE
ELEMENTS OF THE BILL, BEGINNING
FRIDAY, SATURDAY, AND THROUGH THE WEEK.
THE WEEK.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
GOT IT. THANK YOU ALL.
THANK YOU ALL. APPRECIATE IT.
>> AND AS YOU SEE, DESPITE THE
BEST EFFORTS OF THE POOL OF
REPORT
REPORTERS, THE PRESIDENT NOT
TAKING QUESTION BUT SAYING HE
WILL HAVE PLENTY TO SAY ABOUT
WHAT HE JUST SIGNED INTO LAW
WHEN HE SPEAKS TO THE NATION
LATER TONIGHT.
LET ME GO TO KRISTEN WELKER WHO
HAS MORE FOR US.
KRISTEN?
>> WE KNOW THE SIGNING TOOK
PLACE EARLIER THAN WAS INITIALLY
EXPECTED PREPONDERANCE OF THE
EVIDENCE THE WHITE HOUSE SAYING
THEY WERE EXPECTING TO GET THE
BILL TODAY.
IT ACTUALLY ARRIVED HERE LAST
NIGHT.
SO THIS EVENT WAS PUSHED UP A
BIT.
THERE IS GOING TO BE A
CEREMONIAL SIGNING TOMORROW,
POSSIBLY IN THE ROSE GARDEN.
WE’RE TOLD THE PRESIDENT WILL BE
JOINED BY DEMOCRATIC LEADERS,
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI, AS
WELL AS SENATE MAJORITY LEADER
CHUCK SCHUMER, THOSE TOP
DEMOCRATS WHO HELPED TO PUSH
THIS LEGISLATION THROUGH.
THAT’S THE BACKDROP AGAINST
WHICH THE PRESIDENT IS GOING TO
DELIVER HIS FIRST PRIMETIME
ADDRESS THIS EVENING.
AND I AM TOLD THAT HE IS GOING
TO TALK ABOUT WHERE THE COUNTRY
HAS BEEN OVER THIS PAST YEAR,
WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW, AND THE
PATH FORWARD.
SO HE’S GOING TO TRY TO STRIKE A
BALANCE BETWEEN BEING SOMBER BUT
ALSO LOOKING FORWARD AND
OFFERING A RAY OF LIGHT ABOUT
WHAT LIES AHEAD.
IN TERMS OF WHAT LIES AHEAD, YOU
HEARD THE PRESIDENT THERE TALK
ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE WILL BE
HITTING THE ROAD TO TALK ABOUT
THE ELEMENTS, WHAT IS IN THAT
SWEEPING NEARLY $2 TRILLION
COVID RELIEF PACKAGE, HE’S GOING
TO BE GOING TO PENNSYLVANIA AND
GEORGIA WITH THE VICE PRESIDENT
A LITTLE BIT LATER ON NEXT WEEK.
BUT THE QUESTION BECOMES, CAN HE
FULFILL THAT PROMISE OF TRYING
TO UNIFY THIS COUNTRY.
THAT WAS A KEY CAMPAIGN PROMISE,
LESTER, AS YOU KNOW.
AND THIS PIECE OF LEGISLATION
PASSED WITHOUT ANY REPUBLICAN
SUPPORT.
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS SAYING THE
PRICE TAG WAS TOO HIGH THAT THE
LEGISLATION WAS NOT TARGETED
ENOUGH, AND THAT ULTIMATELY IT
WOULD ONLY ADD TO THE DEFICIT.
SO THE QUESTION BECOMES HOW DOES
PRESIDENT BIDEN MOVE FORWARD.
>> TRY TO FULFILL THAT PROMISE
OF BIPARTISANSHIP, WHAT
LEGISLATION WILL HE AIM TO TAKE
UP NEXT?
WE’LL LOOK TO SEE IF WE GET ANY
ANSWERS ABOUT THAT WHEN HE
ADDRESSES THE NATION A LITTLE
BIT LATER ON THIS EVENING.
LESTER.
>> THANKS.
LET’S GO TO ANDREA MITCHELL.
ON KRISTEN’S POINT THIS WAS A
BIPARTISAN VOTE, IS THAT THE
ROAD MAP OF THE WAY BUSINESS
WILL BE DONE, FUTURE
LEGISLATION, DURING THIS PERIOD?
>> NOT NECESSARILY.
THEY WERE GOING TO CLEARLY TRY
TO REACH OUT AGAIN TO
REPUBLICANS, BUT I THINK THIS
CERTAINLY SHOWS AND WE’RE TOLD
IT SHOWED THAT HE BELIEVED THERE
WAS SUCH STRONG SUPPORT, MORE
THAN 70% SUPPORT FOR WHAT IS IN
THE PACKAGE AROUND THE COUNTRY
AND REPUBLICAN MAYORS AND EVEN
SOME GOVERNORS, OTHER LOCAL
OFFICIALS, THAT HE THINKS IT
REALLY IS BIPARTISAN, THAT’S
WHAT THEY’RE POINTING TO.
ALSO WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT
REBUILDING THE BACKBONE OF
AMERICA, LESTER THAT’S CORE TO
JOE BIDEN’S BELIEF ABOUT THIS.
THE PRESIDENT REALLY BELIEVES
THAT HE NEEDS TO TARGET THIS TO
WORKING AND MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE.
IT IS SO DIFFERENT THAN THE TAX
BILL THAT WAS ALSO COMPLETELY
PARTISAN, THE FIRST MEASURE THAT
DONALD TRUMP PASSED WHEN HE
BECAME PRESIDENT.
AND THIS IS ALMOST THE SAME
ABOUT, JUST ABOUT THE SAME
AMOUNT, $2 TRILLION, BUT THAT
HELPED HIGHER EARNING PEOPLE.
HE BELIEVES THE FUTURE OF THE
ECONOMY IS TO REBUILD IT FROM
THE BOTTOM UP.
THAT’S WHAT HE’S DOING AND GOING
TO BE SELLING AROUND THE
COUNTRY.
LESTER.
>> ANDREA MITCHELL, THANK YOU.
SO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S RESCUE PLAN
BECOMES LAW OF THE LAND.
I’LL SEE YOU ON NIGHTLY NEWS AND
AT 8:00 P.M. EASTERN TIME FOR
THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS TO THE NATION AND JOIN ME AND SAVANNAH
NATION AND JOIN ME AND SAVANNAH