Transcript - Remarks: Joe Biden Meets With Governors and Mayors on Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal - July 14, 2021 | Factba.se

Joe Biden

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

Everybody in? Well, we're going to talk about infrastructure and how we're going to have to widen this room so you all can get in. [Laughter]

Joe Biden

00:00:12 - 00:00:27 ()

I want to thank you for being here, all of you, to discuss an issue that has been always bipartisan for the longest time. When I got here 180 years ago, it was a bipartisan issue.

Joe Biden

00:00:27 - 00:00:42 ()

Mayors and governors more than anyone else knows what it means to be accountable to people, and you have to solve problems every single day in your communities. And -- and there's no -- there are no Democratic roads or Republican bridges.

Joe Biden

00:00:42 - 00:00:59 ()

But -- you know, but there are families in need of shorter commute times, safer commutes; kids that need to be able to drink clean drinking water that doesn't have lead in it; and communities need to have reliable transit systems.

Joe Biden

00:00:59 - 00:01:33 ()

And we have a chance to solve these problems -- a bipartisan chance to solve these problems. It would create millions of jobs, literally -- not -- not $7-an-hour jobs or even $15-an-hour jobs, but jobs of prevailing wages, making $46, $50 an hour with benefits. And, you know, a chance for America to put ourselves in a position where we can begin to win the second quarter of the 21st century, because our infrastructure, relative to the rest of the world, is moving -- we're falling behind.

Joe Biden

00:01:33 - 00:01:41 ()

I found it disturbing to find out that they ask if you name -- I think it was the 25 best airports in the world --

Brian Deese

00:01:41 - 00:01:42 ()

Joe Biden

00:01:42 - 00:01:49 ()

-- the United States wasn't mentioned. There wasn't a single U.S. entry.

Joe Biden

00:01:49 - 00:02:03 ()

So -- but fixing the broken today is okay, but we got to build for tomorrow. There's a lot we're going to do. And press is tired of hearing me say this because I've been talking about infrastructure for a while now. Hopefully, it won't be like the last team in here -- once a week and not get anything done.

Joe Biden

00:02:03 - 00:02:14 ()

But we're going to get something done. And that's why I think that my Build Back Better agenda is all about not just building back, but build back better than what we -- what we inherited.

Joe Biden

00:02:14 - 00:02:28 ()

And Mayors and Governors, you know how to get this done and what we have to do. It's time to stop talking about it and time to get you the resources. But what I want to talk about today is what you need most and what you think will work the best.

Joe Biden

00:02:28 - 00:02:38 ()

And so that's what we're going to be talking about and -- and hopefully, we're going to get a lot done.

Joe Biden

00:02:38 - 00:02:41 ()

So, thank you all for coming in.

Question

00:02:41 - 00:02:46 ()

Do you need to do more work on the payfors, Mr. President? Are the payfors intact?

Joe Biden

00:02:46 - 00:03:05 ()

He's talking about -- I went up and spoke to the -- the -- Democratic caucus today, and we put together a plan that dealt with infrastructure. And it's a bipartisan plan. I think we're in good shape. There may be some slight adjustments to the -- of the payfors. And that's going to get down to what the -- what the Congress wants to do.

Joe Biden

00:03:05 - 00:03:24 ()

I've laid out how I think we'd pay for it. And we have an agreement. We have an agreement. There may be slight changes; I'm not sure what may happen, exactly how -- but it's going to be paid for. And that's what we're going to do.

Joe Biden

00:03:24 - 00:03:26 ()

So, thank you all very much.

Question

00:03:26 - 00:03:34 ()

Mr. President, any concern that having two tracks here will disrupt the bipartisan agreement that was worked out?

Joe Biden

00:03:34 - 00:03:38 ()

No, I think it's the only way to get it done is having two tracks.

Joe Biden

00:03:38 - 00:03:39 ()