{"id":156685,"date":"2023-03-02T15:58:10","date_gmt":"2023-03-02T23:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=156685"},"modified":"2023-03-02T15:58:10","modified_gmt":"2023-03-02T23:58:10","slug":"president-biden-at-the-house-democratic-caucus-issues-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=156685","title":{"rendered":"President Biden at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Baltimore, Maryland&#8230;.Hello, hello, hello!  (Applause.)  Good to see you all.  And it\u2019s good \u2014 it\u2019s good to be almost home.  (Laughter.)  Leader Jeffries, thank you for your partnership and your leadership.  And, Pete, thanks for organizing this retreat and having me here. You know, she couldn\u2019t be here tonight.  I know Whip Katherine Clark \u2014 who I spoke to before I came up \u2014 is \u2014 is here in spirit.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-TjwTRvR4mU\" title=\"President Biden Delivers Remarks at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>I also want to recognize the greatest Speaker in the history of the United States of America \u2014 I think I coined that phrase, because it\u2019s true, because I worked with her for so long: Nancy Pelosi.  Nancy, stand up.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>All the years I was a senator \u2014 which were 270 \u2014 (laughter) \u2014 all those years I was a senator, every time we needed to get something done on the East Coast, I called Nancy.  She\u2019s out in San Francisco.  But Nancy has incredible, incredible power here in the East, particularly in Maryland, particularly in Baltimore.  And so I \u2014 I just want to thank you for everything you\u2019ve done for me as well, Nancy.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s great to be here with the incredible caucus, such a strong and diverse group of leaders.  And it is strong and diverse.<\/p>\n<p>I ran for President \u2014 literally, not figuratively \u2014 to build the economy from the middle out and the bottom up.  Not a joke.  I was so sick and tired of talking about trickle-down economics.<\/p>\n<p>I know, in my household, not from far here \u2014 a little further north on I-95, in Wilmington \u2014 not a whole lot trickled down on our kitchen table.  No, I\u2019m serious.  Not a \u2014 think about it.  Not a whole lot. <\/p>\n<p>But working together, we made historic progress toward that vision of building from the middle out and the bottom up.  And the people in this room are the reason for that.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s been one of the most successful and united caucuses we have ever seen.  And you all stick together, thank God.<\/p>\n<p>But look what\u2019s already happened in all these off-year elections, these state legislative races. <\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, we got a new congresswoman in Virginia.  (Applause.)  But look \u2014 I can\u2019t see, but I know you\u2019re out there. <\/p>\n<p>Look, we stuck together.  We really did.  And it\u2019s because of folks in this room like \u2014 like Jim and Steny, who \u2014 who just have always been there for all of us, no matter where \u2014<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Yes.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  No, I really mean it.  Been there for all of us.  By sticking together, we got a lot done.  By sticking together, we\u2019re back in the House, and we\u2019re going to finish the job.<\/p>\n<p>Look, let\u2019s take a look at what we\u2019ve done.  And some has already been mentioned. <\/p>\n<p>You know, when we came in, the economy was in \u2014 in ruins.  We were \u2014 we had so many lost jobs.  And it went beyond the pandemic; it started before that. <\/p>\n<p>But we can see it in your districts.  Those 12 million new jobs, they\u2019re real jobs, man.  It means we created more jobs in two years than any presidential term in American history.  (Applause.)  And not just created, but you \u2014 you created it.  You did it.<\/p>\n<p>The unemployment rate at 3.4 percent, as I said, is a 50-year low. <\/p>\n<p>Eight hundred thousand manufacturing jobs.  Where the hell is it written that we can\u2019t lead the world in manufacturing again?  (Applause.)  I don\u2019t buy it.  I don\u2019t buy it.  There\u2019s no reason why we will not lead the world in manufacturing again.<\/p>\n<p>The inflation has fallen seven straight months.<\/p>\n<p>Gas prices are down $1.65 since their peak, and we\u2019re going to keep pushing.<\/p>\n<p>Our economy is growing at a solid clip.  But it\u2019s not an accident.  It\u2019s because we\u2019ve all worked together, and we have worked together.  We\u2019ve worked tightly together. <\/p>\n<p>We passed the American Rescue Plan, which built out \u2014 a whole hell of a lot of Republican governors, they still don\u2019t even want to acknowledge it.  But it doesn\u2019t matter.  I said and you all said I didn\u2019t run to be President for all Democrats; I ran to be President for all Americans, and regardless of whether \u2014 (applause) \u2014<\/p>\n<p>But really and truly.  Think about it.  You saw the effects firsthand.  We put cops back on the beat because they couldn\u2019t afford \u2014 they didn\u2019t have the budget for pay for them.  Kept teachers in the classroom.  That was \u2014 in each of your districts.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to that, we did so much more.  We passed the largest investment in infrastructure since Eisenhower\u2019s Interstate Highway System.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re getting money out the door quickly.  Shovels in the ground, cranes in the air.<\/p>\n<p>And, you know, as a matter of fact, right here in Baltimore, we\u2019re going to be rebuilding a tunnel I went through \u2014 you know, they told me I traveled 1 million 200 thousand miles on Amtrak.  Well, I\u2019m probably the only guy who\u2019s been through that Baltimore Tunnel.  Literally walked through it.  Walked through it because it\u2019s in such bad shape \u2014 about 15 years ago, when I was a U.S. senator, pushing. <\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a 100-year-old tunnel.  It\u2019s going to change transportation not only on the Northeast Corridor.  But instead of 30 miles an hour, it\u2019s going through there at 100 miles an hour.  And it\u2019s a $4 billion investment.  And guess what?  We\u2019re going to let everybody know you did it.  These are the signs we\u2019re going to put up. <\/p>\n<p>(Holds up signs that reads \u201cPresident Joe Biden.  Frederick Douglass Tunnel.  Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.\u201d)  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re renaming it the Frederick Douglass Tunnel.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Look, I was telling \u2014 I was telling the guys backstage, you know, if we did nothing \u2014 nothing but implement what we\u2019ve already passed and let the people know who did it for them, we win.  But we\u2019re way beyond that.  It\u2019s not just about winning.<\/p>\n<p>You know, I\u2019ve joined many of you on the groundbreakings over \u2014 there\u2019s over 2- \u2014 20,000 projects already.  They\u2019ve already been funded.  Bridges that are a billion 200 million dol- \u2014 I mean, big, big, big deals. <\/p>\n<p>And as I told my Republican friends, we\u2019ll even do their districts too.  (Laughter.)  And I\u2019ll be there for the ribbon cutting.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>But all kidding aside \u2014 look, we replaced the refl- \u2014 the Inflation Reduction Act, we passed it, taking on powerful special interests, cutting the costs for working families, and tackling the climate crisis.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s more than one way, by the way, to deal with inflation.  It\u2019s not just food and gas, which is critically important, and housing, but it\u2019s so many other things.<\/p>\n<p>My dad used to say \u2014 no kidding \u2014 and Steny knew this; I think he even knew my dad.  My dad used to say, \u201cJoey\u2026\u201d \u2014 (laughter) \u2014 my \u2014 my dad was around a long time.  It wasn\u2019t that long ago.  (Laughter.)  Steny and I have been partners for a long, long time.<\/p>\n<p>I kid Steny.  I said, \u201cHe represents western Delaware and the Eastern Shore.\u201d  (Laughter.) <\/p>\n<p>But all kidding aside, you know, it\u2019s just about, at the end of the month, do you have anything left over after you pay all your bills?  Do you have anything left over?  Do you have a little bit of breathing room?<\/p>\n<p>Well, that\u2019s what we\u2019ve been about.  There\u2019s more than one way to deal with family inflation, and that\u2019s to deal with the things that fundamentally affect their everyday cost, beyond the traditional measures of inflation.<\/p>\n<p>You know, by making a $369 billion investment, we\u2019re moving in a direction to fundamentally change the way in which \u2014 literally, to save the planet.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, we\u2019re finally giving Medicare the power<br \/>\nto negotiate lower drug prices, bringing down the cost of prescription drugs.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Nancy and I have been fighting to do that for years and years, and we finally beat Big Pharma \u2014 (applause) \u2014 because we stuck together.  We stuck together.<\/p>\n<p>You know \u2014 and, by the way, this had a byprod- \u2014 you know, my \u2014 I love your Republican colleagues you have to work with, the MAGA Republicans.  They\u2019re amazing.  (Laughter.)  They\u2019re really amazing, their calculations.  They say, \u201cBiden and the Democrats, because they brought down the price of drugs, they\u2019re increasing inflation.\u201d  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Well, it has the advantage not only of people being able to live longer and better and be able to afford their \u2014 their prescription drugs.  But guess what?  It reduces the deficit $158 billion.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t forget that part, to tell people.  It\u2019s not just that you pay less for the drug, it means that the federal government isn\u2019t paying for the \u2014 the federal government is the one paying for those drugs for Medicare.  Almost $160 billion saved, reduction of deficit. <\/p>\n<p>We passed the CHIPS and Science Act, which had led to a commitment of over $300 billion in investments in manufacturing in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>You know, when the Korean company \u2014 I sa- \u2014 I said \u2014 I was in Korea, South Korea.  I asked them why were they investing in America.  You know what they said?  For real.  The CEO.  \u201cBecause you have the best workers in the world, and it\u2019s the most secure investment I can make anywhere in the world.\u201d  (Applause.)  Don\u2019t forget that, folks.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why people are coming here.  They\u2019re coming here because of who we are.  We made it clear to folks: If you want to participate in the CHIPS program, you also have to provide for childcare for your employees.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>It matters.  That is a government that saves money in the long run.  That saves money.<\/p>\n<p>And, folks, you all know how much we\u2019ve gotten done.  But a lot of the country still doesn\u2019t know it.  That\u2019s why the big job in front of us is implementing the laws we\u2019ve passed so people start to see it in their lives \u2014 all the benefits that are there because you produced it for them.  You stepped up and got it done.<br \/>\nRemember, everybody told us there was no possibility of us doing these things.  Remember that?  Everybody.<\/p>\n<p>You know, I promised to partner with you and coordinate with you to make sure the implementation of these laws got done efficiently and effectively and let the American people know who did it as they feel the benefits of the investment.  You did it.  You tell us what you need to help us understand the impact that it\u2019s having on all of your district and your \u2014 your \u2014 your folks.  You know, and we\u2019re going to get it done.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why I created the Invest in America Cabinet.  Took my Cabinet members, all of them, and a subset that focused on just implementing what we\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n<p>Secretary of Commerce, Labor, Transportation, Treasury, Energy, Health and Human Services, and Environmental Protection Agency.  They\u2019re the ones who are working together and meet regularly.  And I want them to meet with your guys.  You put together a group, if I\u2019m not mistaken, Steny, to be able to work together, because we got to get it done.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, I hired two senior advisors, both of whom are pretty damn good: Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor down in Louisiana, and John Podesta \u2014 (applause) \u2014 in charge of carrying out the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019ll be here tomorrow \u2014 both of them \u2014 and the bulk of my Cabinet members to discuss with you exactly how we\u2019re coordinating this.  And it really is important how we do it.  And we get it out, and we get shovels in the ground, we let people know what\u2019s happening, and we change their lives.  And they know it when they see it.  And they\u2019ll see it, and they\u2019ll know why we did it.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re going to bring together every element of the federal government to invest wisely and quickly.  In the process, they\u2019ll attract more private-sector investment as well to get the best possible results for American workers and American families.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re going to let people know.  We\u2019re going to get this done, and we\u2019re going to let them know though.  We\u2019re going so far as to print signs, as I indicated, that let people know what \u2014 who\u2019s bringing you this project, why it\u2019s happening.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And, Steny, thanks for your \u2014 the work you\u2019re doing and this coordination as well.  We really have to \u2014 we just really have to make this thing sing. <\/p>\n<p>Some of it\u2019s happening already.  Factories are opening all across your districts to build semiconductor chips, electric vehicles, advanced battery technology because they\u2019re going to power these vehicles.  And that means more jobs \u2014 thousands and thousands of jobs.<\/p>\n<p>By the way, remember, when \u2014 I \u2014 you remember we all were talking \u2014 and a lot of you, as well with me, going around and talking about how we used to be the most advanced country in the world and investing in science and research and development?  Well, we dropped to number eight.  We used to be number one.  And that\u2019s where this CHIPS and Science Act comes in. <\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s $300 billion in investment committed.  Three hundred billion.  And you know what?  Like the plant outside of Columbus, Ohio, and that \u2014 what I call the \u201cfields of dreams.\u201d  There are a thousand acres there.  Intel is building a facility.  They\u2019re going to spend a total of, I believe, it\u2019s 12 million bucks, or 13, I think it is \u2014 billion.  Billion. <\/p>\n<p>And they\u2019re going to build two fabs \u2014 they call them.  Factories. <\/p>\n<p>Well, guess what?  The prevailing wage for the 7,000 construction workers is going to make a big difference because it generates a whole different economy as well.  It\u2019s there.  Number one.<\/p>\n<p>But number two, there\u2019s jobs in the factories; they\u2019re going to pay an average of $130,000 a year.  And for the bulk of them, you don\u2019t need a college degree.  You don\u2019t need a college degree.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And folks \u2014 folks might not know what the trench you\u2019re digging around your community is.  But we\u2019re going to let them know ahead of time it\u2019s for broadband \u2014 high-speed broadband that\u2019s affordable.<\/p>\n<p>And all that is going to create hundreds of thousands of good-paying union jobs.<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, I \u2014 I want to be clear: I make no excuses.  Some of you maybe are uncomfortable by my talking about unions all the time.  Well, I not only talk unions to union people.  I talk unions to the Business Roundtable when I talk.  I talk unions for the \u2014 (applause) \u2014 for this \u2014 <\/p>\n<p>Keep \u2014 keep this in mind.  You all know what I\u2019ve been \u2014 I\u2019ve been saying to the unions.  It\u2019s presumptuous of me to tell them what they should do, but I\u2019ve been telling them they should let people know what it takes to become a union member.<\/p>\n<p>Everybody thinks you show up and say, \u201cI want to be an electrician,\u201d and in six months you got a job as an electrician.  You\u2019re talking about four to five years of apprenticeship before you can get your card.  Four to five years.  Every one of these unions \u2014 every one of them have apprentice programs that range four to five years.  It\u2019s like going back to college. <\/p>\n<p>You get paid part of your salary, but you don\u2019t get it all till you\u2019re \u2014 finish your apprenticeship and become a full-blown member. <\/p>\n<p>And I \u2014 what I said to the Business \u2014 I think it was the Business Roundtable I was talking to in Washington.  And they asked why I was so pro-union.  I said, \u201cFor you.  It\u2019s cutting your cost.\u201d  And they looked at me: \u201cHow\u2019s that happening?\u201d  They happen to be the best trained workers in the world.  That\u2019s a fact.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And when the union plumber puts it in, it lasts.  It lasts.<\/p>\n<p>And so, folks, we shouldn\u2019t be \u2014 we shouldn\u2019t make any excuses.  It\u2019s going to save businesses money as well, and the American public.<\/p>\n<p>Now, seniors in districts are getting shingles vaccline [sic] \u2014 vaccines for free now, having \u2014 because of you, instead of having to pay 100 bucks to go and get that shot.<\/p>\n<p>And, you know, when we took on Big Pharma, as you well know \u2014 you took them on; you got beat up doing it too \u2014 so many of \u2014 so many.  Now, so many people get insulin.<\/p>\n<p>But guess what?  Instead of four to five hundred bucks a month, they\u2019re going to pay $35 a month.  (Applause.)<br \/>\nI called on the prescription drug companies to bring down the price of insulin to $35 to everyone, not just seniors.  And today, Eli Lilly, the largest manufacturer of insulin in the United States of America \u2014 (applause) \u2014 agreed to do just that.  Thirty-five bucks.<\/p>\n<p>But guess what that means?  Every other company making insulin is going to have to lower their prices to 35 because they can\u2019t compete.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Folks, look, you know, folks are going to understand what you\u2019ve done, and we\u2019re going to make sure of it.  But as much as we\u2019ve done, we have a lot of unfinished business as well to finish the job that needs to be done.<\/p>\n<p>We can\u2019t stop working to restore the Child Tax Credit permanently.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>I know I ma- \u2014 make some of you uncomfortable, but that little state above me, in Delaware, is one of the \u2014 has the highest rate \u2014 one of the highest rates of gun ownership.  But guess what?  We\u2019re going to ban assault weapons again come hell or high water.  (Applause.)  And high-capacity magazines.  (Applause.)  When we did it last time, it reduced mass death. <\/p>\n<p>Nobody, including the people who make a very good salary, for example, think the tax system is fair.  Go ask anybody.  Ask your friends or acquaintances \u2014 they\u2019re making 2-, 3-, 4-, or 500,000 bucks a year, \u201cIs it fair?\u201d  They don\u2019t think it\u2019s fair! <\/p>\n<p>For example, when this administration started, there were a little under \u2014 a little over 600 billionaires in America.  Now there are about 1,000 of them.  They should be paying a higher tax rate than a schoolteacher, a police officer, someone who works as a nurse.  (Applause.)  It\u2019s about 3 percent they\u2019re paying.<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, the reason we\u2019re able to do all we did and still reduce the debt 1.7 billion dollars \u2014 trillion dollars is a simple proposition.  There were those five hu- \u2014 there were five hundred and, I guess, thirty-five or fifty companies that made over half a billion bucks here in the Fortune 500.  And guess what?  They paid zero in federal taxes.  And we did an awful thing.  We said you\u2019re going to have to pay 15 percent.  God forgive me.  (Laughter.)  Fifteen percent. <\/p>\n<p>But every co- \u2014 fif- \u2014 a minimum 15 percent.  And that was enough to do what we\u2019ve done so far and still reduce the debt.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s so much more to do, though.  We need to come together on police reform and immigration reform.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>We need to protect \u2014 we need to protect voting rights and the right to choose.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Ladies and gentlemen, we got to reinstate Roe v. Wade and pass it nationally.  (Applause.)  We really do. <\/p>\n<p>And, look, I know as well as you, the MAGA Republicans are not going to get onboard for most of these things, but that leaves a lot of Republicans that are still left.  (Laughter.) <\/p>\n<p>Oh, by the way, watch.  Watch.  I predict \u2014 watch.  Watch what happens.  Republicans can help make a significant majority in some of these things.<\/p>\n<p>You know, remember, when I ran for office, I said \u2014 when I announced, I said I was doing it to restore the soul of America and bring back some decency; build the middle class, the backbone of the country; and unite the country.  And everybody said, \u201cYou\u2019re never going to get anything done bipartisanly.\u201d  They told me you couldn\u2019t get anything done in a bipartisan way over the past two years.  But we did.  The infrastructure bill.  The CHIPS and Science Act.  The PACT Act.  The gun safety.  The Marriage Equality Act.  It \u2014 all bipartisan.  It\u2019s hard as hell, I acknowledge, but it\u2019s there.<\/p>\n<p>And, you know, a little bit of more Marjorie Taylor Greene and a few more, and you\u2019re going to have a lot of Republicans running our way.  (Laughter and applause.)  Isn\u2019t she amazing?  (Laughter.)  Oof.  (Laughter.) <\/p>\n<p>I was the reason \u2014 she was \u2014 she was very specific.  I shouldn\u2019t digress, probably.  She \u2014 (laughter) \u2014 I\u2019ve read she was very specific recently, saying that a mom \u2014 a poor mother who lost two kids to fentanyl, that \u2014 that I killed her sons.  Well, the interesting thing is that fentanyl they took came during the last administration.  (Laughs.) <\/p>\n<p>Look, folks \u2014 anyway, I don\u2019t want to get started. <\/p>\n<p>Look, so what we did in the past two years \u2014 whenever possible, we should work on both sides of the aisle and get as much done as we can.  We got to bring the country back together again.<\/p>\n<p>You know, there are areas where we should be able to agree, like protecting Medicare and Social Security, cutting the deficit, paying America\u2019s bills. <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why, during the State of the Union, I was pleased to see so many Re- \u2014 Republicans stand up when I asked them to join us in rejecting cuts to Social Security.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve been to a lot of State of the Unions.  I never quite saw one like that.  (Laughter.)  But they all stood up.<\/p>\n<p>But the interesting thing is: They won\u2019t be able to forget.  It was all on the camera.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>But all kidding aside, it was amazing.<\/p>\n<p>And then there\u2019s Senator Rick Scott.  The guy who\u2019s been saying for a year he wants to cut Social Security and Medicare, and now says, \u201cNever mind.\u201d  (Laughter.)  That\u2019s what he\u2019s saying.  And he says he actually agreed with us all along.  He really didn\u2019t mean what he\u2019d been saying.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Well, like I said, I believe in conversion.  (Laughter.)  Maybe they found religion.  I sure hope so.  But I\u2019ll believe it when I see it.<\/p>\n<p>While Republicans talk about the deficit, we\u2019re doing something about it.  (Applause.)  Working with \u2014 really and truly.  I mean, if \u2014 if \u2014 anyway.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Working with all of you, we cut the deficit by $1.7 billion [trillion] in two years, the largest deficit reduction in American history. <\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Trillion!<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  And when I introduce my ne-<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Trillion!<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  \u2014 and when I introduce my next budget, which is going to be on the 9th \u2014 you\u2019re all going to see it; we\u2019ve been working with your leaders on various aspects of it \u2014 we\u2019re going to cut the deficit by more than $2 trillion over the next 10 years.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So, look, we\u2019re not going to \u2014 we\u2019re not going to sit here and be lectured by those folks about fiscal responsibility. <\/p>\n<p>Nearly 25 percent of the entire national debt, which took over 200 years to accumulate \u2014 nearly 25 percent was added by my predecessor in four years.  Twenty-five percent of the 200-year debt.<\/p>\n<p>When you add it all up, all the proposals our MAGA Republican friends have offered so far, it would actually add another $3 trillion over the debt over the next 10 years if they stick with what they saying.<\/p>\n<p>So, folks, look, you know, they\u2019re sure not acting like the party that cares about fiscal responsibility.  Because the truth is, if you look at their record, it\u2019s clear they\u2019re not the party who cares about fiscal responsibility, especially not when they\u2019re threatening our economic recovery by manufacturing a crisis over whether we\u2019re going to pay our debts \u2014 our 200-year accumulated debt.<\/p>\n<p>When I met with the new Speaker, it was a de- \u2014 it was a decent meeting.  He seemed like a decent guy.  He made it real clear how he wants to proceed.  He says he won\u2019t raise taxes on anyone, on the wealthy or big corporations.  He just wants to cut programs.<\/p>\n<p>And what I suggested was, instead of making threats about the debt, which would be catastrophic, let\u2019s lay out \u2014 let\u2019s just lay out our budgets.<\/p>\n<p>So I agreed that I\u2019d lay down mine on March the 8th \u2014 March the 9th, I should say \u2014 and he should do the same thing.  And we should sit down.  It would be interesting to see what they want to cut and what their numbers add up to.<\/p>\n<p>Are they going to cut Medicaid?  Medicaid?  Are they going to \u2014 Affordable Care Act?  Are they going to cut Medicare or veterans benefits?  Aid to rural communities? <\/p>\n<p>Well, we\u2019re going to see what they\u2019re going to do.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s how I see it: Under my predecessor, Republicans in Congress voted three times to keep paying America\u2019s bills without preconditions and without a crisis.  They paid America\u2019s bills then, so why won\u2019t they pay them now?<\/p>\n<p>Well, they didn\u2019t throw the country into a crisis then, and they shouldn\u2019t do it now.<\/p>\n<p>If they wouldn\u2019t inflict pain on the American people then, why would they do it now?<\/p>\n<p>Well, the answer is real simple: politics.  Politics.  But I\u2019m not going to \u2014 I\u2019m not going to be part of it.<\/p>\n<p>You know, they\u2019ve got no business playing politics with people\u2019s lives and our economy.  Working with all of you, we\u2019re not going to let them either.<\/p>\n<p>Look, the question that the MAGA Republicans have to answer is this: Are they going to pay America\u2019s bills that are already accumulated \u2014 not what we\u2019re proposing to spend; already accumulated \u2014 or are they not?  Are they going to pay the debt or are they going to default?  It\u2019s pretty simple.<\/p>\n<p>So let\u2019s be real clear about one thing: There is no actual crisis here.  This is entirely a crisis of their making, if it occurs.<\/p>\n<p>Democrats believe in paying America\u2019s bills, so the American people can rest assured the Democrats will stick together on this.<\/p>\n<p>And, folks, here\u2019s the bottom line: Our plan is working.  It\u2019s growing the economy.  It\u2019s reducing the deficit.  It\u2019s fiscally responsible.  But we\u2019ve got more to do.  We made a lot of progress, but families across the country are starting to breathe just a little bit easier, as my dad would say.  Just a little easier.  We just got to keep going, folks.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>And, folks, working together, I know we will.  Again, to quote my dad, he used to say, \u201cJoey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck.  It\u2019s about your dignity.  It\u2019s about respect.  It\u2019s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, \u2018Honey, it\u2019s going to be okay.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not making it \u2014 that\u2019s what he would actually say.<\/p>\n<p>And we weren\u2019t poor.  My dad was a middle-class wage earner.  He didn\u2019t go to college \u2014 his great regret \u2014 but he managed a dealership.  My dad \u2014 we lived in a three-bedroom house.  And as they were \u2014 as things were being \u2014 you know, suburbia was being filled in with new developments.  We had four kids and a grandpop living with us.  We thought we were just fine.<\/p>\n<p>But my dad used to talk just about \u201ca little bit of breathing room.\u201d  A little bit of breathing room.<\/p>\n<p>Well, that\u2019s what you\u2019ve done.  You\u2019ve provided breathing room to an awful lot of people, like my dad and the house I grew up in.<\/p>\n<p>So I want to thank you all.  And I really mean this from the bottom my heart: Thank you for sticking together.  That is our answer.<\/p>\n<p>Ladies and gentlemen, love you all.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll turn it back over to Leader Jeffries. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Baltimore, Maryland&#8230;.Hello, hello, hello! (Applause.) Good to see you all. And it\u2019s good \u2014 it\u2019s good to be almost home. (Laughter.) Leader Jeffries, thank you for your partnership and your leadership. And, Pete, thanks for organizing this retreat and having me here. You know, she couldn\u2019t be here tonight. I know Whip Katherine Clark \u2014 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":156686,"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-156685","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\/2023\/03\/Fullscreen-capture-322023-35256-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156685","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=156685"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156687,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156685\/revisions\/156687"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/156686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=156685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=156685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=156685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}