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Any Moment: Biden Signs Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Into Law; Biden Holds Signing Ceremony For Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill; Vice President Harris Speaks Ahead Of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Signing. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 15, 2021 - 15:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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SEN. KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-AZ): Beyond historic financial resources our plan includes a significant update of transportation policy from strengthening public transit in mid-sized communities to new technologies preventing impaired driving. To new federal positions to raise the voices of tribal communities and infrastructure policy.

Our legislation represents the substantiate policy changes that some have said are no longer possible in today's Senate. How many times have we heard that bipartisanship isn't possible anymore or that important policy can only happen on a party line? Our legislation proves the opposite. And the Senators who negotiated this legislation show how to get things done.

The Senators in our group of ten effectively represented the needs of the regions we represent. Senator Cassidy in the deep South, Senator Warner in the Mid-Atlantic, Senator Manchin in Appalachia, and Senators Romney and Tester in the West.

And the northeast and Alaska, each with unique needs, were ably represented be Senators Shaheen, Collins, and Murkowski, the wonder women of our group, always focused on the practical outcomes.

And I sincerely thank my partner in co-leading this long effort, Senator Rob Portman whose knowledge of the federal budget is matched only by his steadfast commitment to delivering on this priority for America.

Delivering this legislation for the American people, this is what it looks like when elected leaders set aside differences, shut out the noise and focus on delivering results on the issues that matter most to everyday Americans. I look forward to the work that we will all do together to implement this historic legislation. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome Senator Rob Portman.

SEN. ROB PORTMAN (R-OH): Kyrsten, thank you very much, and it was great being your partner in this. I have heard you say, in fact, I have heard President Biden say that this infrastructure bill that will be signed today is going to have a positive impact on every single American, and that's true. This is true today. It will be true for decades to come. And I want to congratulate everyone gathered here today for the role

you played in making this possible. This is what can happen when Republicans and Democrats decide we're going to work together to get something done. The bipartisan process that resulted in this historic investment began with a meeting about eight months ago with my colleague, Senator Sinema whose persistence was absolutely key to us being here today.

We met frankly in response to the initial Biden infrastructure plan which included tax increases, and also included substantial investments in so-called human infrastructure.

By removing the tax hikes, and shrinking the package to only fund core infrastructure, we saw an opportunity to find bipartisan consensus on finally fixing our nation's outdated infrastructure, and from there, the group quickly grew to the chief 10 negotiators. They were just mentioned but I got to mention them again, Senators Susan Collins, Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Bill Cassidy, Joe Manchin, Jean Shaheen, Mark Warner, and John Tester -- 5 Republicans, and 5 Democrats.

It ultimately grew to 22 Senators, evenly divided by party and a partnership with the House problem solvers caucus led by Brian Fitzgerald and Josh Gottheimer. Give them a round of applause.

Senator Mitch McConnell to his credit supported our efforts to find a way forward, and eventually lent his critical support. Senator Shelley Moore Capito helped lay the foundation for our success in her White House discussions and also in her committee work with Senator Tom Carper.

Our work was guided by a few simple principles, core infrastructure only, no tax increases and no linkage to the broader partisan reconciliation process.

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Instead, we agreed this would be a truly bipartisan process, working from the middle out, not the top down. There were plenty of bumps along the way, but we got there because we were all committed to ultimately delivering a result to the constituents we represent.

We also got there because of a lot of smart, hardworking staff as usual. I want to commend my team as well as the staff of our G10 members, and I want to commend the White House negotiators, led ably by Steve Ricchetti, and supported by Brian Deese.

Every president and every Congress in modern times has proposed major infrastructure improvements. They all have. By making infrastructure a real priority in his administration, President Trump furthered the discussion, and helped Republicans like me think differently about the positive impact of investment in core infrastructure.

And core infrastructure is what this law is all about. It's about roads and bridges and rail and transit and ports, and airports, and water systems, the electric grid, broadband and more. We've got a major bridge in my hometown, and it's also a major

bottleneck, desperately in need of replacing. We have been trying to do it for 25 years. But we haven't been able to pull together the funding and figure out how to do it. This new law finally gives us the tools we need to fix the Brent Spence Bridge and the same is true for major projects all around the country.

That's why you see so many of my colleagues here from every region of the country. Because they know this is going to help to create more economic efficiency, more productivity, and maybe lessen that commute for their constituents.

This long-term investment in our nation's capital assets will grow the economy because of that efficiency and that productivity. It will create hundreds of thousands of new jobs. It'll make us more competitive against countries like China who are investing heavily in infrastructure, much more than we have been.

Maybe most importantly, at a time of surging inflation, these long- term investments are actually going to help. Inflation, of course, is caused when demand outstrips supply, and in this case, we're not funding stimulus spending that adds to the demand side, but ports and freight rail, and roads and bridges and other assets that will help on the supply side. That's why economists say this bill is counter inflationary. Which is so important right now as American families are facing higher prices on everything from gas to groceries.

This new law also includes landmark permitting reforms to reduce timelines for infrastructure projects while maintaining environmental and safety standards. We want taxpayer funded infrastructure projects to be done as cost effectively as possible, right, get them done on time, and under budget.

This bipartisan support for this bill comes because it makes sense for our constituents but the approach from the center out should be the norm, not the exception. The increasing polarization of our country is keeping us from getting things done, and we have a responsibility to do better.

The American people want to see us coming together. They know that despite our differences we should be able to figure it out and work together to solve big problems. We can start by recognizing that finding common ground to advance the interests of the American people should be rewarded not attacked.

Mr. President, in a moment you're going to sign this bill. I will say that you and I will disagree on the tax and spending in the other priority you have, the Reconciliation bill, but I think we can both agree that this infrastructure investment shouldn't be a one-time bipartisan accomplishment.

This should be the beginning of a renewed effort to work together on big issues facing our country. Again, I want to thank everybody who's here today for what you did to make this possible. Thank you.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Here at the White House in this as has been pointed out, rare bipartisan meeting where they are celebrating having signed the bipartisan infrastructure bill that the president is about to sign into law, and we did just hear from Republican Senator Rob Portman about what a big difference this is going to make in his community.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: Yes, he says that there's been a bridge in his community that they have been trying to repair for 25 years. This bill now provides the funding for that.

We heard right before Senator Portman, we heard from moderate Democrat Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. We'll talk about the selection of that Senator to speak today in just a moment.

But David, we interrupted your take on the significance of the moment.

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I think Portman's remarks, even the remarks from Senator Sinema drive it home that this is funding that the American people will see in action in their communities.

DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, you know, I think lost in the sausage making is the fact that this is the largest infrastructure bill we've seen in generations. Larger than the interstate highway bill, larger than that I think in the space program combined, and it's long overdue.

This country really needs this bill because we're way behind in infrastructure repairs and modernization, so it's really -- it's historic from that standpoint. And also, clearly noteworthy because it's so difficult to get Republicans and Democrats to work together on anything. And sadly, what we saw were 13 Republicans in the House supported this bill for the reasons we just said and were attacked by many of their colleagues, and in fact, threatened by people for having supported this bill.

So that's a measure of where we are now. The question is does this -- what will this do for the president in terms of politics looking forward to 2022? A lot of that will depend on how the economy feels to people at that time. But he will have projects that will be underway that he can point to, and if people feel like the economy is moving in the right direction, those projects will help him make the case that we contributed to this momentum.

CAMEROTA: Gloria, we heard there Senator Kyrsten Sinema make a point of calling out the wonder women of our group, including Republicans, Senators Collins and Murkowski and yet we also know that there are Republicans who support this, and voted for this but didn't want to be seen today.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Right, and, you know, David Axelrod just told you why. They didn't think it would be a great photo opportunity for them to be sitting or standing on the lawn of the White House with Joe Biden because of their constituents.

And Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader decided that while he voted for this bill and good for him and he supported it, he decided that he just didn't have the time to show up today.

I think the question as David was raising is what does this do for Joe Biden here? You know, he gets little credit for all of this. Only 31 percent of the American public believe that he's actually accomplished a lot. And maybe today's, you know, demonstration here on the lawn of the White House will show, yes, I actually gave you bipartisanship, which is what I promised I would do. When I was elected president of the United States. I think people may really want to see that.

The problem that the Democrats have had is that they wasted months in getting this bill because the progressives in the House wanted it tied to that other reconciliation package, that big budget package and finally they separated them and they got this passed, which is looking back I would argue was something they should have done months ago, and maybe the president, and maybe the Democrats would be in better political shape.

BLACKWELL: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is speaking now. Of course, we'll hear from the president in just a moment. We have more excerpts of what we expect to hear from him. He says America is moving again and your life is going to change for the better.

Nia, he's got a sales job now to take across the country. One of his biggest criticisms of the Obama administration after the 2009 passage of the Recovery and Reinvestment Act was that the administration did not sell what was in that legislation to the American people. They're going to be deploying people across the country to do just that.

NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Yes, and listen, we will see how effective that is. Just because you've got somebody from the administration coming to your neighborhood touting something that they've done, do people actually feel it? I think that' the big question here.

You heard Senator Sinema there talk about the millions of jobs that this bill is going to create. Important to note that those are jobs for folks that don't have college degrees, working class folks across this country. So, I think that is a way that people will certainly feel it. But I do think the sort of larger problem that this administration has is the kind of feeling of anxiety and stress, a lot of Americans have about the price of groceries and the price of gas.

Just because they're going to be these infrastructure projects in different communities, I think the question is, do people just sort of look at this and see, oh, there's another construction project going on in my neighborhood or do they see this as something that is really positively impacting their lives and alleviating some of the stressors they have at this point.

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In terms of bills, they have to pay, in terms of inflation, in terms of getting Christmas gifts delivered on time, given all of the problems that the economy is having in this sort of pandemic and post- pandemic era. So that is, I think, a real challenge for this administration. It just

isn't about messaging. It's about whether people feel it and they can also connect it to Biden and the Democrats. That's going to be a real test, I think, for Democrats going into 2020 -- into 2022 and beyond into 2024.

CAMEROTA: And we know the president will use different bridges as his backdrop to try to make that connection. And so, Manu, we heard from Senator Rob Portman, Republican, who said bipartisan words, and I mean, honestly, it's so rare to hear bipartisan praise, you know, heaped on each other, that it was notable. But he of course, he did take a swipe there at the Build Back Better Plan, and so where are we all of that?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, almost defending the approach that he and the other Republican Senators and Congressmen took in voting for the package, 19 Republican Senators voted for it. But not all 19 Republican Senators are there at the ceremony. One of them did not come, of course the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell who is on the floor of the Senate about the same time attacking Democrats over their larger efforts to expand the social safety net.

And 13 Republicans in the House voting for it as well, but that is a fraction of the Republican conference in the House. What Portman was making clear was why he said that Republicans should have gotten behind it. Also arguing that Donald Trump furthered the discussion on infrastructure, pointing to Trump's proposal to spend trillions of dollars on infrastructure.

Of course, that never became law and of course Donald Trump tried to lobby Republicans to kill this infrastructure bill. But arguing, too, Rob Portman did that this bill would not raise taxes that the White House wanted and also making clear that this was separate from that larger effort to expand the social safety net.

Arguments that he has been making to Republicans, and very few of them agreed with that, which is why we saw only a fraction of them particularly in the House vote to move forward.

But now that this is about to become law in just a matter of minutes. Then that focus will be on that larger package, the question will be whether people like Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin ultimately vote for that bill.

We expect a vote in the House this week. Nancy Pelosi speaking right now before the White House. She is expected to bring that larger bill to the floor this week assuming the Congressional Budget Office comes back with an estimate that shows this bill is essentially fully paid for, which is what the moderates like Sinema and Manchin have called for and as well the House moderates have called for.

So, expect that bill if it does come up this week to pass narrowly, if the numbers come back, and show it's paid for, and then the focus will be on those moderates like Sinema and Manchin. Sinema is expected according to her Democratic colleagues to ultimately vote for that package.

But where will someone like Joe Manchin come down? He earlier today would not respond to me with that answer when I asked him if this should be delayed until next year, only saying they should continue to discuss this amid his concerns about inflation. So, while they're getting this big victory here, still big questions about the timing, the substance, and ultimately how that larger bill will come out. More negotiations to come, and will Joe Biden's party fall in line, that's the big question going forward.

BLACKWELL: Gloria, we heard from Senator Sinema there, all 50 Democrats in the Senate voted for this legislation. They could have picked any one of them to speak at the ceremony today. Is it cynical of me to suggest that that is not a coincidence that Senator Sinema was there on stage?

BORGER: You cynical? Nah. No, of course. She's important. They need her. You know, they need her to vote on the Build Back Better. You know, to be fair. She was key in the infrastructure bill, so it is a deserved spot. Let's just say that.

But also, you know, you have to take notice of the fact that she is somebody they are still courting over there in the White House, and they need her for the Build Back Better Plan. And so, you know, obviously highlighting her, putting her front and center. I guarantee you the president is going to thank her as well. You know, does not go unremarked upon because it's kind of obvious that, you know, they want to make nice to Sinema.

CAMEROTA: Kaitlan, outside of the politics and all that has gone into making this day happen, you know, if the White House really wants to connect this to regular Americans' lives and the bridges in their own backyards, have they been able to give any timeline? Have they been able to sort of realistically set expectations of when Americans will tangibly see the results of this?

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The president himself has said maybe two to three months he believes they could start to see the effects of this, that we know the reality of seeing, the long ranging effects of this, it's going to take a lot longer than that.

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And this just goes into the process of how this is actually going to happen where states are going to be applying for grants to get money for certain projects from the Transportation Department. That process is going to take a long time. As we noted, the Transportation Department and Commerce Department are going to have to staff up significantly.

So, this is a very -- very much a long-term investment. And so, I think so much of what this will depend on, on whether or not what Gloria said, voters find out, is what you hear from the president himself. And he's on his way out here, right now. You can hear the music coming. But he's going to be in New Hampshire this week, he is going to be

traveling several times. And the questions of how much he's traveling and his cabinet is traveling trying to sell this and making sure people know.

And I also think one other thing we should note is that the president is going to be signing this into law just hours before he meets virtually with the President of China. And he has said this is a bill that he believes will put the U.S. on more competitive footing when it comes to a meeting like that. Talking about where the U.S. ranks in the world when it comes to infrastructure.

And so, I that is another avenue that the White House is viewing this through, not just how it will help boost the president politically but, you know, this is something that past presidents have tried to get done and they failed. And so that is what the White House is reveling in right now when it comes to passing this bill.

Of course, it will remain to be seen if voters do reward the president for this and if they do of course boost his political points when it comes to what Gloria was talking about, what people think he's gotten done since he's been in office.

BLACKWELL: All right, we see President Biden, Vice President Harris now coming out. We expect to hear from the vice president first as she speaks about today's accomplishment. This bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill being signed into law.

Let's listen now to Vice President Kamala Harris.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome Heather Kurtenbach.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In a moment. Please have a seat. President Joe Biden, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Cabinet members, Congress members, governors and mayors. And my fellow Americans. This is an historic day.

In the middle of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln started construction on the transcontinental railroad. In the middle of the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt finished construction on the Hoover Dam. President Dwight Eisenhower signed the National Interstate and Defense Highways Act in the middle of the Cold War. And today -- and today President Joe Biden will sign the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law.

Indeed, it is an historic day today. From the very start of our administration, we were determined to follow through. Not just on our promise to invest in our nation's infrastructure but on the promises that the American people have heard for years now. And we would not be here today were it not for your leadership, Mr. President. From the very start you welcomed Democrats, independents and Republicans to meet with us in the Oval Office. You welcomed ideas. You welcomed debate. All in the service of getting this bill done.

And here is what I know to be true, Mr. President. You are equal parts believer and builder. And because you are, we are all better off. On behalf of our nation, thank you, Mr. President.

And, of course, our administration did not arrive at this day by ourselves. We are also here because of leaders in the House and the Senate who worked on this bill together, who voted for this bill. And we are here because of the millions of Americans who believed that we could get this done. Well, we got it done, America. We got it done.

In many ways, this day embodies our character as a nation. It demonstrates exactly who we are. We are believers, through and through. We see what can be unburdened by what has been. We are as bold as we are determined to do big things.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act proves that. It proves that in America, we have the courage to believe a better future is possible and to build it together.

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After this bill is signed into law, millions more Americans will go to work in good paying, good union jobs. Americans, like Jovan Johnson, a carpenter I met in Nevada who said that she has, quote, built her career on infrastructure and fed her family on infrastructure.

Americans like Jeff Bird, a line design technician I met with in New Hampshire. He attaches fiber to utility poles to keep up with the demand for high-speed internet.

Or Leslie Kilgore, an engineer I met with in North Carolina whose team is building electric school buses.

Or Walter Cody, a construction inspector with whom I met who is working to get clean water to families in California.

This will be a nationwide effort. The likes of which we have not seen in a generation. It will make our country more competitive, and it will deliver on our nation's and our administration's commitment to equity.

Now this bill, as significant as it is, as historic as it is, is part one of two.

To lower costs and cut taxes for working families, to tackle the climate crisis at its core, Congress must also pass the Build Back Better Act.

The work of building a more perfect union did not end with the railroad or the interstate. And it will not end now. So, on this historic day, let us all continue to believe in our people. Believe in our country and believe in what we can do when we work together. Thank you all. May God bless you, and may God bless America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please welcome Heather Kurtenbach.

HEATHER KURTENBACH, ORGANIZER AND POLITICAL DIRECTOR, IRON WORKER, LOCAL 86: Thank you, Madam Vice President. As a proud union iron worker from Local 86 in Seattle, Washington, I am honored to be here at the White House on this historic day for workers like me and our country.

I am an elected leader in my local union as a business agent and active in the sisters committee which mentors newer iron workers. Before I got where I am today, however, I had to overcome some challenges. In 2005, I was released from incarceration. While incarcerated, I was able to work on a wildland firefighting crew. Sometimes heading out in the middle of the night to fight fires.

That experience taught me a powerful work ethic and gave me lasting friendships. When I got out of prison, however, doors were closed to me. I searched for a job for six months with no offers. Finally, as a last-ditch effort, I asked my brother-in-law, a union iron worker how he made a living.

He told me go to the union and apply. You can totally do this work. And I'm so glad that I did. I was accepted into -- (APPLAUSE)

-- thank you. Yes. I was accepted into the apprenticeship and went right out to a rebar job. I loved working rods and I fit right into the trade. I graduated from my apprenticeship at an uncertain time, the great recession 12 years ago was more of a depression for the construction industry. Many of my fellow journeymen, workers, my co- workers, excuse me, couldn't find work.

Luckily, the Obama/Biden administration passed the Recovery Act that created a vital lifeline of jobs as the economy recovered. Yes. Just like this infrastructure law will do for workers today.

Enabling them to rebuild America and take care of their families over the coming years. Roads and bridges, rail, transit, airports, water, a whole generation of our nation's infrastructure will be built creating good union jobs for people just like me.

It invests in historically disadvantaged communities creating jobs and opportunities for people of every race, gender and background. I am proud to stand here today and represent the most diverse labor movement in history. Nearly half of my local's apprentices are women or people of color.