{"id":129339,"date":"2021-09-24T11:04:32","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T18:04:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=129339"},"modified":"2021-09-24T11:04:32","modified_gmt":"2021-09-24T18:04:32","slug":"president-biden-on-the-covid-%e2%81%a019-response-and-the-vaccination-program-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=129339","title":{"rendered":"President Biden on the COVID-\u206019 Response and the Vaccination Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Good morning, everyone.  As I\u2019ve said before, we have the tools to beat COVID \u2014 COVID-19 \u2014 if we come together as a country and use the tools we have.  Earlier this month, I laid out a six-part plan for the fall that does just that: One, vaccinate the unvaccinated, including with new requirements; two, keep vaccinated \u2014 keep the vaccinated protected; three, keep children safe and schools open; four, increase testing and masking; five, protect the economic \u2014 our economic recovery; and six, improve the care for people with COVID-19.  Now, we\u2019ve made important progress on each front.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NCKulVjSWg0\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>And this week, as planned, we took a key step in protecting the vaccinated with booster shots, which our top government doctors believe provides the highest level of protection available to date.<\/p>\n<p>The Food and Drug Administration \u2014 the FDA \u2014 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention \u2014 the CDC \u2014 they\u2019ve completed their independent scientific review.  And based on that review, the majority of Americans who were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine are now able to receive the booster shot six months after they\u2019ve received their second shot.  Six months after you receive the second shot, you\u2019re eligible. <\/p>\n<p>Those eligible include, in addition to meeting the requirement of six months after the second shot: those people that are 65 years old or older; adults 18 and over with certain underlying health conditions like diabetes and obesity; and those who are at increased risk of COVID-19 because of where they work or where they live, like healthcare workers, teachers, grocery store workers.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s over \u2014 that group makes up 60 million Americans who are now eligible for a booster six months after their second shot.  And up to 20 million who will receive their \u2014 received their earlier Pfizer shot at least six months ago are eligible today.  So, those January, February \u2014 those folks are eligible now.  Now.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019ve made clear all along: The decision of which booster shot to give, when to start the shot, and who will get them is left to the scientists and the doctors.  That\u2019s what happened here.<\/p>\n<p>And while we waited and prepared, we brought enough \u2014 we bought enough booster shots, and states and pharmacies, doctor\u2019s offices, and community health centers have been preparing to get shots in arms \u2014 booster shots in arms \u2014 for a while.<\/p>\n<p>And like your first and second shot, the booster shot is free and easily accessible.  Booster shots will be available in 80,000 locations, including over 40,000 pharmacies nationwide.<\/p>\n<p>So, my message today is this: If you\u2019ve got the Pfizer vaccine \u2014 if you got the Pfizer vaccine in January, February, or March of this year and you\u2019re over 65 years of age, go get the booster.   Or if you have a medical condition like diabetes or you\u2019re a frontline worker, like a healthcare worker or a teacher, you can get a free booster now.  I\u2019ll be getting my booster shot.  It\u2019s hard to acknowledge I\u2019m over 65, but I\u2019ll be getting my booster shot.  (Laughter.)  It\u2019s a bear, isn\u2019t it?  I tell you \u2014 acknowledge it.  Anyway.<\/p>\n<p>But all kidding aside, I\u2019ll be getting my booster shot.  I\u2019m not sure exactly when I\u2019m going to do it \u2014 as soon as I can get it done.  <\/p>\n<p>Of course, millions of Americans got the Moderna and Johnson &#038; Johnson vaccines.  My message for you is this: You still have a high degree of protection.  Our doctors and scientists are working day and night to analyze the data from those two organizations on whether and when you need a booster shot.  And we\u2019ll provide updates for you as the process moves ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Again, the bottom line is: If you\u2019re fully vaccinated, you\u2019re highly protected from severe illness even if you get COVID-19. <\/p>\n<p>In fact, recent data indicates there\u2019s only one confirmed positive case per 5,000 fully vaccinated Americans per day.  You\u2019re as safe as possible.  You\u2019re in good shape.  And we\u2019re doing everything we can to keep it that way, which is where the booster comes in.<\/p>\n<p>So, let me be clear: Yes, we\u2019ve made incredible progress in vaccinating Americans, with over 182 million people being fully vaccinated as of today.<\/p>\n<p>But this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.  And it\u2019s caused by the fact that, despite Americans having an unprecedented and successful vaccination program, despite the fact that for almost five months, free vaccines have been available in 80,000 locations, we still have \u2014 we still have over 70 million Americans who have failed to get a single shot.<\/p>\n<p>And to make matters worse, there are elected officials actively working to undermine with false information the fight against COVID-19.  This is totally unacceptable.<\/p>\n<p>The vast majority of Americans are doing the right thing.  Three quarters of the eligible have gotten at least one shot, but one quarter has not gotten any.<\/p>\n<p>And in a country as large as ours, that\u2019s \u2014 25 percent minority can cause an awful lot of damage.  And they are causing a lot of damage.<\/p>\n<p>The unvaccinated overcrowd our hospitals, overrunning emergency rooms and intensive care units, leaving no room for someone with a heart attack or a cancer operation needed to get the lifesaving care because the places where they would get that care are crowded; they are not available.<\/p>\n<p>The unvaccinated also put our economic at \u2014 recovery at risk, causing unease in the economy around the \u2014 and causing unease around the kitchen table.  I can imagine what\u2019s going on in the conversations this morning, and a lot of parents wondering what\u2019s going to happen.  \u201cWhat\u2019s going to happen?\u201d  Those who have been vaccinated \u2014 \u201cwhat\u2019s going to happen?\u201d  Potentially slowing economic growth, costing jobs. <\/p>\n<p>Their refusal has cost all of us.  The refusal to get vaccinated has cost all of us.  And I\u2019m moving forward with vaccination requirements wherever I can.  These requirements will cover two thirds of all workers in America. <\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019m pleased to see more businesses and organizations instituting their own vaccination requirements.  I\u2019ve had business leaders call me and thank me for setting the policies that would allow them to do the same thing.  They are able to do it anyway, but it gives them the ability to move forward.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re making progress.  For example, United Airlines, which required vaccines about seven weeks ago, now has 97 percent of their employees vaccinated. <\/p>\n<p>Just four weeks ago, the Department of Defense required vaccinations for the military, and already 92 percent \u2014 92 percent \u2014 of our active-duty service members are vaccinated.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re on track to administer 24 million shots in arms in September. <\/p>\n<p>So, please, do the right thing.  Do the right thing.  And I understand there\u2019s a lot of misinformation you\u2019ve been fed out there, but try to look through \u2014 get to people you trust, the people who have been vaccinated.  Ask them.  Ask them. <\/p>\n<p>So, get vaccinated.  But just don\u2019t take it from me.  Listen to the voices of the unvaccinated Americans who are lying in hospital beds, taking their final breaths, saying \u2014 and, literally, we\u2019ve seen this on television \u2014 \u201cIf only I had gotten vaccinated.  If only.  If only.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re leaving behind husbands and wives and small children \u2014 people who adore them.  People are dying and will die who don\u2019t have to die.  It is not hyperbole to suggest it\u2019s literally a tragedy. <\/p>\n<p>Please don\u2019t let this become your tragedy.  Get vaccinated.  It can save your liv- \u2014 your life.  It can save the lives of those around you.<\/p>\n<p>You know, text your ZIP Code to 438829 \u2014 438829 \u2014 or visit Vaccines.gov to find a vaccination location near you now.<\/p>\n<p>Let me close with this: We also made so much progress during the past eight months in this pandemic, and now we face a critical moment.  We have the tools.  We have the plan.  We just have to finish the job together as one nation.  And I know we can.  I know we can.<\/p>\n<p>God bless you all.  And please, look out for your own self-interest and health here.  Get vaccinated.  May God protect our troops.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>ABC, Rachel Scott.<\/p>\n<p>Q  Thank you, Mr. President.  You said on the campaign trail that you were going to restore the moral standing of the U.S., that you were going to immediately end Trump\u2019s assault on the dignity of the immigrant communities.<\/p>\n<p>Given what we saw at the border this week, have you failed in that promise?  And this is happening under your watch.  Do you take responsibility for the chaos that\u2019s unfolding?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Of course I take responsibility.  I\u2019m President.  But it was horrible what \u2014 to see, as you saw \u2014 to see people treated like they did: horses nearly running them over and people being strapped.  It\u2019s outrageous.<\/p>\n<p>I promise you, those people will pay.  They will be \u2014 an investigation is underway now, and there will be consequences.  There will be consequences.  It\u2019s an embarrassment.  But beyond an embarrassment, it\u2019s dangerous; it\u2019s wrong.  It sends the wrong message around the world.  It sends the wrong message at home.  It\u2019s simply not who we are.  Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>Peter Alexander.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, thank you.  You came into office on a message of competence and unity.  We\u2019ve witnessed what\u2019s happened in the country over the course of the last several months.  We\u2019ve seen the chaotic troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the threat of a government shutdown right now, and Democrats \u2014 members of your own party \u2014 are still divided over your agenda going forward.  So what do you say to Americans who say that you have not delivered on that promise?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Remember, I said it\u2019s going to take me a year to deliver everything I\u2019m looking at here.  That\u2019s number one.<\/p>\n<p>Number two, take a look at what I inherited when I came into office \u2014 when I came into office, the state of affairs, and where we were: We had 4 million people vaccinated.  We had no plan.  We had \u2014 I mean, I can go down the list. <\/p>\n<p>So, you know, part of it is dealing with the panoply of things that were landed on my plate.  I\u2019m not complaining; it\u2019s just a reality.  It\u2019s a reality, number one.<\/p>\n<p>Number two, I think a part of what has to happen here as well \u2014 for example, let\u2019s talk about my economic plan.  The economic plan \u2014 and you all are always \u2014 and understandably, legitimately \u2014 citing polls.  Every element of my economic plan is overwhelmingly popular \u2014 overwhelmingly popular.<\/p>\n<p>But the problem is, with everything happening, not everybody knows what\u2019s in that plan.  For example, all those women out there who are not able to go back to work because they have a \u2014 a dependent grandparent or a parent, or they have a dependent child who needs help, or they can\u2019t find daycare, or they can\u2019t find affor- \u2014 I mean, look at what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n<p>Well, there\u2019s a solution.  There\u2019s a solution in the proposal that I put forward.  And the plans we\u2019re now debating in the United St- \u2014 among ourselves and they\u2019re debating in Congress as \u2014 is a plan \u2014 the essence of the plan that I laid out at the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>And so, I\u2019m confident that, at the end of the day, we\u2019re going to be able to get that done.<\/p>\n<p>Second point I\u2019d like to make: We talk about price tags.  The \u2014 it is zero price tag on the debt.  We\u2019re paying \u2014 we\u2019re going to pay for everything we spend.  So they say it\u2019s not \u2014 you know, people, understandably \u2014 \u201cWell, you know, it started off at $6 trillion, now it\u2019s $3.5 trillion.  Now it\u2019s \u2014 is it going to be $2.9?  Is it\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s going to be zero \u2014 zero.  Because in the \u2014 in that plan that I put forward \u2014 and I said from the outset \u2014 I said, \u201cI\u2019m running to change the dynamic of how the economy grows.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m tired of trickle-down.  The trillionaires and billionaires are doing very, very well \u2014 you all know it; you\u2019ve all reported it \u2014 and in the middle of this crisis.  But hardworking people and middle-class people are getting hurt. <\/p>\n<p>And so, I provide for, for example, a tax cut.  If you have a child, you get a refundable tax credit.  It\u2019s reduced hunger in America by 40 percent, literally, for children.  You have the \u2014 the whole notion of being able to provide for daycare for your children, getting people back to school, et cetera.  It\u2019s all paid for. It\u2019s all paid for. <\/p>\n<p>But \u2014 and a lot of these are flat tax cuts that exist within my proposal, and they\u2019re being calculated as if the cost of \u2014 of the \u2014 of the Child Care Tax Credit is a cost to the government; it\u2019s not.  It\u2019s reducing taxes \u2014 reducing taxes, not increasing taxes.  <\/p>\n<p>Now, part of the problem is I had hoped \u2014 I hadn\u2019t planned on, although I kind of anticipated it might happen \u2014 I hadn\u2019t planned on the 178-mile top winds hurricanes going into Louisiana and 20 inches of rain in New York and New Jersey, and \u2014 and an area as big as the state of New Jersey burning down in the West. <\/p>\n<p>And so, what I had hoped I would be doing, I do what I did in the campaign: I\u2019d be out making the case about what my plan proposal contained.  And it\u2019s been very much curtailed by a whole range of things.<\/p>\n<p>And so, I think that it\u2019s understandable \u2014 I think it\u2019s understandable \u2014 people being frustrated.  I think they\u2019re frustrated as well by the fact that \u2014 not just members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans \u2014 frustrated by, you know, \u201cI thought this was going to be better.  I thought everything was working out.\u201d  We were \u2014 we were moving along on \u2014 on COVID-19, and now we have all these people who refuse to get a shot.  And now look at the people dying \u2014 large numbers of people dying.<\/p>\n<p>So, I guess, I think it\u2019s a totally legit- \u2014 obviously, it\u2019s a legitimate question you\u2019ve asked \u2014 but I think, putting into context here, it\u2019s going to take some time here. <\/p>\n<p>And I know I always kid you when you all ask me about, \u201cWell, what about \u2014 are you going to get A done, B done, C done?\u201d  \u201cWell,\u201d I say, \u201cdo you want to negotiate?\u201d  I\u2019m being a bit facetious, obviously, but here\u2019s the deal: This is going to end up \u2014 I believe, we\u2019re going to end up getting both pieces of my economic legislation. <\/p>\n<p>The first piece \u2014 the 1.9 \u2014 fundamentally changed the structure and the nature of the economy in this country, even though, remember, it got clobbered.  It was this \u2014 \u201cOh, this terrible thing, no Republican voted for it.\u201d  Well, we got ec- \u2014 real economic growth. <\/p>\n<p>Now it \u2014 we\u2019re at this stalemate at the moment.  And we\u2019re going to have to get these two pieces of legislation passed.  Both need to be passed.  And they\u2019ll have a profound impact according to not just Joe \u2014 not Joe Biden, but according to Wall Street, according to the IMF, according to international organizations. <\/p>\n<p>And so \u2014 and then there\u2019s, you know, I\u2019m going to be having a meeting today with the Quad, with the \u2014 the leaders of \u2014 the leader of India, Japan, and Australia.  And we\u2019re going to be talking about Afghanistan, which is a legitimate thing for people to talk about. <\/p>\n<p>But the truth of the matter is, at the end of the day is: We were spending $300 million a day for 20 years.  There was no easy way to end that.  And we\u2019re now still getting people out, but it\u2019s \u2014 it\u2019s really \u2014 there was no \u2014 no picture-book way to say, \u201cOkay, the war has ended.  Let\u2019s get everybody out, and we\u2019ll go home.\u201d  No war has ever ended that way, other than there\u2019s been a surrender, and it\u2019s a totally different circumstance. <\/p>\n<p>So anyway, there\u2019s a lot, I\u2019m sure, along the line that there are things I could have done better, but I make no apologies for my proposals, how I\u2019m propo- \u2014 how I\u2019m \u2014 how I\u2019m proceeding, and why I think, by the end of the year, we\u2019re going to be in a very different place. <\/p>\n<p>Q    Mr. President, just to follow up on COVID, if I can, quickly \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Q    What do you say to Americans who disregard the new CDC guidance and get a booster shot anyway?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I \u2014 I don\u2019t \u2014 I\u2019m not sure how they get it, but \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q    There are people who go into stores right now and just have got it without any high-risk situation or underneath that age limit; it happens around the country as we speak.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I think what\u2019s going to happen is you\u2019re going to see that, in the near term \u2014 or we\u2019re probably going to open this up anyway.  They\u2019re constantly looking at \u2014 we\u2019re looking at both Moderna and J&#038;J.  And we\u2019re both \u2014 as I said in the speech \u2014 in addition to that, we\u2019re also looking to the time when we\u2019re going to be able to expand the booster shots, basically, across the board. <\/p>\n<p>So, I would just say: It\u2019d be better to wait your turn in line, wait your \u2014 you know, in line \u2014 wait \u2014 wait your turn and to \u2014 to get there.<\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Ken. <\/p>\n<p>Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  When you met with congressional leaders this week, you told them to try to find a number less than $3.5 trillion on the reconciliation package that they could live with.  What is that topline number in your mind as you deliberate these considerations?<\/p>\n<p>And then, separately, you mentioned how you\u2019re going to pay for some of these provisions.  Senator Wyden has a proposal on annual taxes on billionaires\u2019 unrealized gains.  Is that a proposal that you support?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Yes, I do.  I \u2014 look, I support a lot of these proposals.  We don\u2019t need all the things I support to pay for this, but I do support that.<\/p>\n<p>Look, you \u2014 if you \u2014 if you get a \u2014 if you file with a W-2 form, you know, the IRS has access to your bank account and your bank tells you how much you made, what you have in there, and, you know \u2014 and they estimate your tax. <\/p>\n<p>Well, if you \u2014 if you have no income, you\u2019re just \u2014 it\u2019s all \u2014 if you have no earned income and it\u2019s all investment income, it\u2019s hard to figure out what the hell you \u2014 excuse me \u2014 what the heck you have. <\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s why we have to \u2014 and I know some people don\u2019t like this \u2014 that\u2019s why we have to rehire some IRS agents.  And not to do anything, not to try to make people pay something they don\u2019t owe \u2014 just say, \u201cHey, step up.  Step up and pay like everybody else does.<\/p>\n<p>Look, I really mean this.  Look at my whole career \u2014 and I come from, you know, the corporate state of America.  I just think it\u2019s about just paying your fair share, for Lord\u2019s sake. <\/p>\n<p>Now, we can argue whether or not the corporate tax should go back up to 26 and a half percent or 28 or 24, but the idea that 50 \u2014 50 major corporations in America, making a sum total of $40 billion pays zero?  Come on.  Come on.  It\u2019s just wrong.  It\u2019s just not fair.  And I think is beginning to, you know, sink through the ether a little bit here on the part of people.<\/p>\n<p>So, I think there clearly is enough from a panoply of options to pay for whatever it is that folks decide to pay for.<\/p>\n<p>And let me finish by answering the initial part of your question, if I may.  The way I look at it is what I\u2019ve been telling my colleagues, and it surprises them sometimes when we \u2014 in those rooms.  And I don\u2019t know whether you heard, but both meetings went very well.  I mean, it was \u2014 it was \u2014 they were collegial.  It \u2014 it wasn\u2019t \u2014 no one was hollering.  Everybody was \u2014 you know.  And people were hanging out afterwards in the Oval, and \u2014 anyway \u2014 both the progressives, as well as the \u2014 the moderates. <\/p>\n<p>And one of the things that I think is important for \u2014 and I\u2019m trying to get people to focus on is: What is it you like?  What do you think we sh- \u2014 no, don\u2019t \u2014 forget a number.  What do you think we should be doing?  Is it appropriate, in your view, to cut taxes for working-class people by providing for daycare, providing for early education, three and four years old?  Is it appropriate to do something about free community college or do you want a \u2014 means tested?  I\u2019m telling them, \u201cWhat \u2014 what are your priorities?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And several of them, when they go through their priorities, it adds up to a number higher than they said they were for. Because I think this is \u2014 we\u2019re getting down to the \u2014 you know, the hard spot here.  People are having now to go in and look in detail as to what it is specifically they\u2019re for. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a little bit like when we went through \u2014 and I\u2019ll end with this \u2014 it\u2019s a little bit like when we went through the issue of the bipartisan deal on infrastructure.  There were a lot of negotiations on that.  And it wasn\u2019t until people were forced to look at: What are you for?  Are you for taking care of that highway or bridge in your state or that region \u2014 in your region?  Are you for doing something about environmental degradation?  Are you for something that deals with allowing us to provide for monies to states so that they can, in fact, deal with things like what happened in states where the major utility lines come down?  What do we \u2014 what do you do to build those back better to pre- \u2014 prevent that from happening?<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s sort of a \u2014 there\u2019s a \u2014 and you all speak to all these folks, so \u2014 you speak to as many as I do.  I find that they\u2019re going, \u201cHuh, I never really thought that through before.  I think it makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s how we finally got to a bipartisan deal on what is a serious infrastructure proposal that really does a number of things, including \u2014 including things where people said, \u201cI don\u2019t want to do anything in the environment,\u201d and then they start thinking, \u201cWell, wait a minute.  I have all these diesel buses at home.  It would be a hell lot better if we had electric buses.  It wouldn\u2019t change the circumstances on boom, boom, boom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, I think this is a process.  That\u2019s why I said at the front end that, although we got off to a very fast start with the first piece of legislation, I don\u2019t expect this to be done and us being in a position where we can look back and say, \u201cOkay, did we get it done?\u201d until basically the end of the year.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t mean the vote on the two pieces of legislation related to the economy.  But I think it\u2019s just going to take some time.<\/p>\n<p>And look, you know, we\u2019re \u2014 my guess is, we all come from similar backgrounds. Remember you used to sit around the table \u2014 the kitchen table in the morning, if you had the chance to do that, or dinner at night with your mom and dad and your brothers or sisters.  What did people talk about?  They talked about, you know, \u201cAre we going to be able to pay the mortgage?\u201d  At least my house.<\/p>\n<p>I mean, \u201cWhat\u2019s going to happen if we have another one of those floods, and then, you know, it blows through here like it did in Queens?  What\u2019s going to happen?  What are we going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd, by the way, I don\u2019t \u2014 I don\u2019t \u2014 you know \u2014 you know, I \u2014 I\u2019m just not sure that I want, you know, my son or daughter to \u2014 to be going into school when so many people are not vaccinated.  I mean, you know, it\u2019s just \u2014 you know, I\u2019m not sure I want Kenny to be there doing this\u2026\u201d <\/p>\n<p>But these are practical things people are talking about.  And they\u2019re looking down the road, and they\u2019re looking at cost-of-living issues as well.  And so what\u2019s the cost-of-living issues?<\/p>\n<p>Well, it\u2019s because we\u2019re in a position where the ability to have the product \u2014 the elements of the production of a product that, in fact, need to go into the production of that product, are \u2014 are hard to get hold on of because people are in trouble.  They\u2019re not able to produce them.  They\u2019re not able to get it, or they\u2019re being hoarded.  It\u2019s like, you know, what we have with \u2014 and we\u2019re making progress, but like what we\u2019re doing with regard to making sure we have the computer chips to be able to keep as \u2014 in the vernacular \u2014 to keep \u2014 you know, build automobiles. <\/p>\n<p>I mean, I think, everybody was kind of surprised when I \u2014 I think if I had said to you \u2014 I may be dead wrong, but if I had said to you in, say, April that I was going to get all three major manufacturers of American automobiles saying they\u2019re going to go electric, I doubt whether you thought I \u2014 that could be done. <\/p>\n<p>Well, we\u2019re out here in the back lawn; they\u2019ve all of a sudden figured it out.  They\u2019ve had a bit of an epiphany.  And they\u2019ve realized, \u201cWhoa, wait a minute, man.  China is investing billions of dollars.  China is \u2014 they\u2019re getting battery technology.  We\u2019re going to be \u2014 blah, blah.  And this is going to happen anyway.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>And, again, I\u2019ll just conclude by saying: This is a process, and it\u2019s going to be up and down.  That\u2019s why I don\u2019t look at the polls \u2014 (laughs) \u2014 not a joke \u2014 because it\u2019s going to go up and it\u2019s going to go down.  It\u2019s going to go up. <\/p>\n<p>And hopefully at the end of the day, I\u2019ll be able to deliver on what I said I would do: one, bringing the country together on a few and very important things, like on infrastructure; getting us in a position where we can have some \u2014 some coherent policy, relative for foreign policy, where there is agreement; moving us in a position where we\u2019re able to actually generate the kind of change in the dynamic of how we grow the economy \u2014 not eliminate the super wealthy, not at all, but allow the working class and the middle class to be able to build out and up.  And that can be done.<\/p>\n<p>And like I said, every time I hear \u2014 and I drive my staff crazy \u2014 every time I hear, \u201cThis is going to cost A, B, C, or D,\u201d the truth is, based on the commitment that I made, it\u2019s going to cost nothing because we\u2019re going to raise the revenue \u2014 raise the revenue to pay for the things we\u2019re talking about. <\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re going to give and \u2014 and right now, if you take a look at the \u2014 the reconciliation piece, a trillion dollars of that is tax cuts, not raising anybody\u2019s taxes; it\u2019s tax cuts.  People are going to be paying less taxes. <\/p>\n<p>But the people who pay less taxes are going to be working-class folks.  It\u2019s going to put women back to work.  It\u2019s going to put people in situations where they have \u2014 as I know you\u2019re tired of me saying, but I\u2019ll never \u2014 my dad\u2019s constant refrain: Just give people a little breathing room \u2014 a little breathing room. <\/p>\n<p>Thank you, guys.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Good morning, everyone. As I\u2019ve said before, we have the tools to beat COVID \u2014 COVID-19 \u2014 if we come together as a country and use the tools we have. Earlier this month, I laid out a six-part plan for the fall that does just that: One, vaccinate the unvaccinated, including with new requirements; [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":129340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-129339","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Fullscreen-capture-9242021-110046-AM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129339","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=129339"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129339\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":129341,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129339\/revisions\/129341"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/129340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=129339"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=129339"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=129339"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}