THROUGH 2024 WHEN HE HAS TO MAKE
A DECISION WHETHER HE RUNS FOR
THE PRESIDENCY.
>> WELL, THIS MORNING, WE ARE
LEARNING NEW DETAILS ABOUT
PRESIDENT BIDEN’S ADDRESS TO A
JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
TONIGHT.
A KEY THEME WILL BE A GOVERNMENT
THAT WORKS.
ONE WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL SAID
THE ADDRESS WILL BE SOMETHING OF
A VICTORY LAP ON HIS
ADMINISTRATION’S HANDLING OF THE
PANDEMIC.
VACCINATION CAMPAIGN AND THE
IMMEDIATE IMPACT OF THE AMERICAN
RESCUE PLAN INCLUDING THE
STIMULUS CHECKS.
IT WILL ALSO BE A, QUOTE, SOBER
ASSESSMENT OF WHAT WE’VE BEEN
THROUGH.
AND A, QUOTE, CLEAR EYED
ASSESSMENT OF THE CHALLENGES WE
STILL FACE.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS RACIAL
JUSTICE WILL BE ANOTHER MAJOR
THEME.
ONE OFFICIAL TELLS NBC NEWS THE
PRESIDENT WILL MAKE A, QUOTE,
EFFUSIVE PUSH FOR THE SENATE TO
TAKE UP THE POLICE REFORM BILL
THAT HAS ALREADY PASSED THE
HOUSE.
SENATOR TIM SCOTT, THE LEAD
REPUBLICAN NEGOTIATOR ON POLICE
REFORM, WILL DELIVER THE GOP
RESPONSE.
THERE WILL BE NO GUESTS IN THE
GALLERY.
SO IT WILL SOUND VERY DIFFERENT
AS WELL.
LAWMAKERS WILL BE SEATED THERE
TO ALLOW FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING.
HOUSE MINORITY WHIP STEVE
SCALISE SAYS 25 HOUSE
REPUBLICANS WILL BE PRESENT.
MANY OF THEM FRESHMAN MEMBERS.
SENATOR JOHN THUNE EXPECTS 60
SENATORS WILL ATTEND, 30 FROM
EACH PARTY.
PRIOR TO HIS REMARKS, WHITE
HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI
SAYS THE PRESIDENT WILL MEET
WITH STAFFERS WHO WERE INSIDE
THE CAPITOL DURING THE JANUARY
6th ATTACK.
THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS HE WILL
TAKE HIS MESSAGE ON THE ROAD
BEGINNING TOMORROW WITH A TRIP
TO GEORGIA.
FRIDAY THE PRESIDENT WILL VISIT
PHILADELPHIA WHERE HE WILL ALSO
MARK THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF
AMTRAK.
WILLIE?
>> OF COURSE HE WILL.
HE’LL ALSO TONIGHT IN THE
ADDRESS WILL FORMALLY ANNOUNCE
HIS AMERICAN FAMILIES PLAN THAT
EXPANDS HEALTHCARE, CHILD CARE
AND EDUCATION ASSISTANCE.
THE PRESIDENT REPORTEDLY WILL
ASK CONGRESS TO PAY FOR THE
ENTIRETY OF THE $1.8 TRILLION IN
NEW SPENDING BY INCREASES TAXES
ON THE WEALTHY DOUBLING THE
CAPITAL GAINS RATE.
THE ADMINISTRATION PLANS TO USE
REVENUE FROM SOME OF THE
CORPORATE TAX INCREASES HE
ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH.
SO, REV, $1.8 TRILLION, THIS IS
A NEW PACKAGE IN ADDITION TO THE
$1.9 TRILLION WE HAD FOR THE
COVID RELIEF, 2.25 TRILLION
PROPOSED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, 1.8
TRILLION HERE.
THIS IS REALLY ABOUT EDUCATION.
IT’S ABOUT FIGHTING POVERTY,
EXTENDS EDUCATION, PRE-K, MAKES
THAT NATIONAL AND THEN PAYS FOR
TWO YEARS OF FREE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE.
SO EXTENDS FRANKLY OUR EDUCATION
SYSTEM FROM K THROUGH 12 PRE-K
INTO COLLEGE AMONG OTHER THINGS.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE PLAN?
AND WHAT YOU MIGHT HEAR FROM THE
PRESIDENT TONIGHT?
>> THE PLAN IS NECESSARY BECAUSE
YOU MUST REMEMBER WE’RE DEALING
WITH THIS IN LIGHT OF A NATION
THAT’S BEEN VIRTUALLY IN
LOCKDOWN FOR OVER A YEAR.
AND MANY OF OUR YOUNGSTERS OR
STUDENTS OUT FOR A YEAR, THOSE
THAT ARE IN AREAS WITH BROADBAND
DESERTS COULDN’T DO EDUCATION
ONLINE, WE NEED THIS INVESTMENT
TO NOT ONLY BRING US TO AN EVEN
PLAYING FIELD BUT TO PLAY
CATCHUP FOR THOSE ALREADY BEHIND
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, NOW ARE
HANDICAPPED EVEN FURTHER.
SO I THINK THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT
THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THE
PRESIDENT IS MAKING THIS ADDRESS
AND REACHING OUT AND MAKING THIS
REQUEST, YOU MUST SAY THAT THE
PRESIDENT IS RIGHT ON POINT
HERE.
SO, I’M ANXIOUS TO SEE HOW HE
LAYS IT OUT.
I’M ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT HIS
EMPHASIS IS ON RACIAL JUSTICE
AND POLICING.
I THINK THAT YOU’VE GOT TO DEAL
WITH THE TIME IN WHICH WE’RE IN
AND THE FORECAST FOR THIS SPEECH
TONIGHT SAYS THE PRESIDENT IS
GOING TO ADDRESS THE TIMES, NOT
DUCK THE TIMES.
>> ELISABETH, THE NUMBERS REALLY
ARE STAGGERING.
JUST THROWING AROUND TRILLIONS
AND TRILLIONS, USING THAT TERM
VERY CASUALLY AT THIS POINT.
THIS NEW PLAN THE PROPOSAL WE’LL
HEAR TONIGHT ABOUT EDUCATION
DOES CALL FOR ANOTHER TAX
INCREASE.
WE ALREADY KNOW THAT THE PLAN
WE’RE THE MIDDLE OF DISCUSSING
RIGHT NOW ON INFRASTRUCTURE IS
BEING HELD UP BY REPUBLICANS
BECAUSE OF A PROPOSED TAX
INCREASE.
WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS FOR
GETTING ALL THIS LEGISLATION
THROUGH THE CONGRESS?
>> WELL, I DON’T THINK THEY’RE
GOING TO GET ANY REPUBLICAN
SUPPORT.
IF YOU ADD UP ALL THE THREE
DIFFERENT PACKAGES OF
INFRASTRUCTURE, HUMAN
INFRASTRUCTURE AND STIMULUS,
IT’S $6 TRILLION.
THAT’S EXTRAORDINARY.
AND PRESIDENT IS PROPOSING TO
PAY IF R THIS BY INCREASING
TAXES ON THE RICH, AND ALSO
PROPOSING TO GIVE $80 BILLION TO
THE IRS TO CRACKDOWN ON TAX
CHEATS.
IF YOU MAKE MORE THAN $400,000 A
YEAR, YOU HAVE A MUCH BETTER
CHANCE THAT THIS PASSES OF
GETTING AUDITED.
AND THEY’RE ARGUING THEY CAN
GENERATE $1 TRILLION IN EXTRA
MONEY FROM, YOU KNOW, GETTING
PEOPLE TO PAY THEIR FAIR SHARE
OF TAXES.
WE SHALL SEE.
BUT I DON’T THINK THEY’RE GOING
TO GET ANY REPUBLICAN VOTES.
THIS IS GOING TO BE DONE THROUGH
PROCESS CALLED RECONCILIATION
AND I THINK IT’S ONLY GOING TO
PASS WITH DEMOCRATIC VOTES,
INCLUDING INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH
THERE’S A LOT IN THE
INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, TRADITIONAL
INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, THAT
REPUBLICANS LIKE, BRIDGES,
ROADS, YOU KNOW, TUNNELS.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE SOME
REPUBLICANS ARE GOING TO VOTE
FOR BIG INFRASTRUCTURE PLANS IN
THEIR OWN DISTRICTS AND, YOU
KNOW, BUT THERE’S JUST NO GIVEN
THESE TAX INCREASES I DON’T
THINK THERE’S ANY PROSPECT OF
GETTING REPUBLICAN VOTE.
>> WILLIE, I WONDER ABOUT JOE
MANCHIN, KYRSTEN SINEMA, SO I
THINK IF YOU ADD UP ALL OF THE
COVID RELIEF BILLS FROM LAST
YEAR AND THIS YEAR, IT ADDS UP
TO ABOUT $4 TRILLION, IF I’M NOT
MISTAKEN.
YOU ADD ON TOP OF THAT THE
1.9 -- OR ADD ON TOP OF THAT THE
$2.3 TRILLION INFRASTRUCTURE
PLAN, YOU ADD ON TOP OF THAT NOW
$1.8 TRILLION, I MEAN, MAN I
DON’T KNOW -- WELL, I DON’T KNOW
HOW THOSE NUMBERS ADD UP.
I’M JUST A SIMPLE COUNTRY
LAWYER, BUT AT SOME POINT A
TRILLION HERE, A TRILLION THERE,
SOON YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT REAL
MONEY.
>> IT IS EXTRAORDINARY.
AND I KNOW REPUBLICANS WHO ARE
TRYING NOW THERE HAVE BEEN SOME
BEHIND THE SCENES MEETINGS ABOUT
INFRASTRUCTURE, PIECES OF THIS
GIANT BILL CAN AGREE ON AND PASS
AND ARE GOING TO HEAR YOU WANT
TO RAISE TAXES AGAIN ON SOMEBODY
ELSE, SAM STEIN, OBVIOUSLY THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL IS DIFFICULT
ENOUGH.
TONIGHT PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL LAY
ANOTHER $1.8 TRILLION PROPOSAL
ON A CONGRESS THAT HE’S TRYING
TO GET TO DO THIS DEAL THAT HE’S
THE MIDDLE OF RIGHT NOW ON
INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> YEAH.
ELISABETH IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THE IDEA THAT THERE WOULD BE
REPUBLICAN VOTES FOR THIS IS
WISHFUL THINKING I WOULD SAY IS
A GOOD WAY TO PUT IT.
PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.
IRONICALLY WITH TAX HIKES THEY
ARE CALLING FOR TO PAY FOR THIS
STUFF POLLED BETTER THAN THE
PACKAGE.
THEY WANT TO SOAK IT TO THE
RICH, CORPORATIONS, RICH
AMERICANS, RAISE THE MARGINAL
RATES, GO FOR IT.
I JUST WANT TO STEP BACK AND
NOTE JUST HOW EXTRAORDINARY THIS
PACKAGE IS THAT HE IS GOING TO
INTRODUCE TONIGHT.
YOU KNOW, ANY ONE OF THE
COMPONENTS IN THIS PACKAGE,
PARENTAL LEAVE, CHILD TAX
CREDITS, PRE-K ON THEIR OWN
WOULD BE A POLICY WHITE WHALE
FOR DEMOCRATS.
THESE ARE GENERATIONAL STRUGGLES
THAT THE PARTY HAS PURSUED.
THEY’RE GOING TO BUNDLE IT ALL
TOGETHER AND SAY LET’S DO IT AT
ONCE.
IT WILL BE A MONUMENTAL
RESTRUCTURING, IF IT PASSES A
MONUMENTAL RESTRUCTURING OF THE
AMERICAN ECONOMY.
IT WILL DRAMATICALLY OVERHAUL
THE COMPOSITION OF OUR WORK
FORCE.
IT WILL REDUCE WORK FORCE
PRODUCTIVITY IN WAYS WE’RE NOT
FAMILIAR WITH BUT IT COULD ON
THE FLIP SIDE, IF YOU’RE
CONCERNED ABOUT DEFICITS, FIRST
OF ALL, YOU SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN
OUT A BIT MORE DURING THE TRUMP
YEARS, BUT NOW YOU’RE CONFRONTED
WITH WHAT JOE NOTES AS TRILLIONS
AND TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF
SPENDING, EVEN THOUGH THIS
PORTION WILL BE PAID FOR, BUT
YOU MIGHT BE CONCERNED ABOUT
OVERHEATING THE ECONOMY AND
INFLATION, TOO.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS HE HAS
TO JUGGLE, THOSE CONCERNS IN
ADDITION TO THE IDEA THAT
REPUBLICANS WILL COME BACK AT
HIM AND SAY, LOOK, THIS IS JUST
TOO MUCH SPENDING TOO FAST.
THERE’S NO WAY YOU SHOULD BE