Transcript - Press Gaggle: Joe Biden Speaks to the Press in Lansing, Michigan - October 5, 2021 | Factba.se

Joe Biden

00:00:00 - 00:00:01 ()

[No video] I'll be speaking to Mitch, yes.

Question

00:00:01 - 00:00:02 ()

[No video] A lot of signs coming in -- profane signs. When you read those signs, what do you -- what do you think? What comes across your mind?

Joe Biden

00:00:02 - 00:00:03 ()

[No video] I smile. I give them a little thumbs up.

Question

00:00:04 - 00:00:06 ()

[Video begins] How are you going to trim a trillion or more dollars from -- from this package? What's going to have to go?

Joe Biden

00:00:06 - 00:00:12 ()

Well, that's what we're negotiating now. And it'll be -- it'll be done.

Joe Biden

00:00:12 - 00:00:42 ()

Look, my objective is to get everything that I campaigned on passed eventually. It won't all happen at once. And so, we'll get a compromise between the folks who are supporting strongly the infrastructure and the human infrastructure. We'll get a compromise. But it doesn't mean that's the end of what's in the rest of the package.

Question

00:00:42 - 00:00:44 ()

Is means testing part of that, Mr. President?

Joe Biden

00:00:44 - 00:00:45 ()

Question

00:00:45 - 00:00:47 ()

Is means testing part of that, Mr. President?

Joe Biden

00:00:47 - 00:00:49 ()

Sure. Some of it will be means tested, I'm sure. Some of will be means tested.

Question

00:00:49 - 00:00:56 ()

What about the Hyde Amendment, Mr. President? Joe Manchin has been pretty strong about where he stands on that. You guys have different views.

Joe Biden

00:00:56 - 00:01:02 ()

I think -- I think that's -- that's something that's going to have to be decided based on the whole package.

Question

00:01:02 - 00:01:06 ()

Mr. President, your meeting with moderates earlier -- how was your meeting with moderates?

Joe Biden

00:01:06 - 00:01:07 ()

[Inaudible] what?

Question

00:01:07 - 00:01:12 ()

Do you think that they're on the same page as Senator Manchin when it comes to the overall price tag?

Joe Biden

00:01:12 - 00:01:17 ()

I think they're on the same page as I am. And I'm not being facetious when I say that.

Joe Biden

00:01:17 - 00:01:21 ()

The -- you mean the group I met with this morning?

Question

00:01:21 - 00:01:21 ()

Joe Biden

00:01:21 - 00:01:25 ()

Yeah. No, I think they're on the same -- they all said they're on the same page.

Joe Biden

00:01:25 - 00:01:38 ()

The question is -- look, every major fundamental shift that has taken place in the American economy has seldom ever come with one single piece of legislation at the -- at the beginning.

Joe Biden

00:01:38 - 00:01:57 ()

For example -- you've heard me say this before, but it's relevant -- when Roosevelt passed Social Security, it didn't bear any resemblance to what it is now. And so, the idea that we're going to -- everything that is -- gets passed is going to be the totality of what it's going to end up being remains to be seen.

Joe Biden

00:01:57 - 00:02:25 ()

And my message this morning was: Look, it's very important to establish the principle -- the principle that is contained in the amendment, such as childcare, the Child Tax Credit. Well, it may be that the Child Tax Credit gets altered in terms of amount. But once it's put in place, even though it's only for several years, it gets harder and harder to take it out. And that's my point to people. We don't have to get everything all at once.

Question

00:02:25 - 00:02:33 ()

Mr. President, if Senate Minority Leader McConnell refuses to cooperate, should Senate Democrats do this by reconciliation? What happens next?

Joe Biden

00:02:33 - 00:02:42 ()

Well, quite frankly, there's not many options. If they're going to be that irresponsible, there's not many options. There's not much time left to do it by reconciliation.

Joe Biden

00:02:42 - 00:02:48 ()

They can keep it on two tranches. They can keep us on the floor for hundreds of amendments. They can just delay this.

Joe Biden

00:02:48 - 00:02:51 ()

I don't think they're going to end up being that irresponsible. I can't believe it.

Joe Biden

00:02:51 - 00:02:53 ()

Question

00:02:53 - 00:02:56 ()

Mr. President, do you still have confidence in the Fed chair?

Joe Biden

00:02:56 - 00:02:57 ()

Question

00:02:57 - 00:03:09 ()

Do you still have confidence in the Fed chair? There's been a lot of trading activities going on. And do you think that the Fed is still -- has maintained its integrity? Fed chair Powell?

Joe Biden

00:03:09 - 00:03:09 ()

Question

00:03:09 - 00:03:11 ()

Do you still have confidence in him? And do you --

Joe Biden

00:03:11 - 00:03:15 ()

Thus far, yes. But I -- I'm just catching up on some of these assertions you make.

Joe Biden

00:03:15 - 00:03:16 ()

Question

00:03:16 - 00:03:18 ()

Are you going to re-nominate him?

Question

00:03:18 - 00:03:23 ()

Mr. President, how did you persuade Senator Manchin to come up a little?

Joe Biden

00:03:23 - 00:03:56 ()

Well, we've had many, many talks. And what I've asked Senator Manchin, as well as Senator Sinema, to do is decide what it is they like in the Build Back Better and then move from there. And if they like it, the particular provisions, like, for example -- I'm not going to give away what either one of them said, but one of them said they very much like the Child Tax Credit, but they'd like to see it phase out sooner than later.

Joe Biden

00:03:56 - 00:04:09 ()

I said, "Well, come up with a number. Come up with what you're for." And when they added up -- each of them added up all that they think they like, it got them a higher number. But whether they settle on that remains to be seen.

Joe Biden

00:04:10 - 00:04:11 ()

Thank you all very much. [Video Ends]

Question

00:04:11 - 00:04:12 ()

[No Video] Mr. President, why did you go to Slotkin's district? Are you worried about her seat?

Joe Biden

00:04:12 - 00:04:13 ()

[No Video] Oh, no, no. I came back out because I wanted to be with the engineers. For real. But I like her a lot. She's really a star. Thank you.