W. H. Nat’l Economic Council Director: ‘We’re in the Legislative Process of Working Out’ the Details in Biden’s $3.5 Trillion Economic Bill

BERMAN Joining me now ░░░░░░░░ Brian Deese director of ░░░░░░░░ White House Economic Council ░░░░░░░░ thank you so much ░░░░░░░░ being with us To ░░░░░░░░ what the President wants ░░░░░░░░ presumably what you want ░░░░░░░░ need 50 votes in ░░░░░░░░ Senate 50 Democratic votes ░░░░░░░░ president met with Joe ░░░░░░░░ yesterday and the reporting ░░░░░░░░ Axios is that as ░░░░░░░░ now he doesn t ░░░░░░░░ Joe Manchin s vote ░░░░░░░░ the 3 5 trillion ░░░░░░░░ plan that includes the ░░░░░░░░ equity you say you ░░░░░░░░ looking for How far ░░░░░░░░ are they DEESE Well ░░░░░░░░ never nothing is ever ░░░░░░░░ until it s done ░░░░░░░░ here is what I ░░░░░░░░ say We have an ░░░░░░░░ that I think unifies ░░░░░░░░ party and also unifies ░░░░░░░░ American people which is ░░░░░░░░ invest in the country ░░░░░░░░ make long overdue changes ░░░░░░░░ will help working people ░░░░░░░░ help grow the economy ░░░░░░░░ help lower costs for ░░░░░░░░ class families and to ░░░░░░░░ so by also restoring ░░░░░░░░ fairness to the tax ░░░░░░░░ All things that we ░░░░░░░░ got broad agreement on ░░░░░░░░ we re in the ░░░░░░░░ the legislative process of ░░░░░░░░ out and hammering out ░░░░░░░░ details Of course there ░░░░░░░░ be differences Individual members ░░░░░░░░ Congress will be weighing ░░░░░░░░ we ve been in ░░░░░░░░ process for some time ░░░░░░░░ s where we are ░░░░░░░░ re confident that we ░░░░░░░░ move this forward and ░░░░░░░░ re confident that we ░░░░░░░░ get this done BERMAN ░░░░░░░░ said it s unifying ░░░░░░░░ Democratic Party Do you ░░░░░░░░ news Is Manchin on ░░░░░░░░ and we just haven ░░░░░░░░ heard DEESE Look this ░░░░░░░░ a process and it ░░░░░░░░ a process that involves ░░░░░░░░ everybody together listening to ░░░░░░░░ s concerns finding areas ░░░░░░░░ compromise That s what ░░░░░░░░ ve been doing since ░░░░░░░░ when the President laid ░░░░░░░░ this vision for the ░░░░░░░░ and for the Congress ░░░░░░░░ ve been working on ░░░░░░░░ for several months And ░░░░░░░░ course people have different ░░░░░░░░ People have differences of ░░░░░░░░ That s the process ░░░░░░░░ the President has been ░░░░░░░░ in this from the ░░░░░░░░ go having these conversations ░░░░░░░░ re going to keep ░░░░░░░░ conversations private But the ░░░░░░░░ of the matter is ░░░░░░░░ s a lot more ░░░░░░░░ unifies us than divides ░░░░░░░░ That s what in ░░░░░░░░ end of the day ░░░░░░░░ re going to use ░░░░░░░░ try to bring people ░░░░░░░░ and get this done ░░░░░░░░ Can I throw out ░░░░░░░░ business school term on ░░░░░░░░ What s your BATNA ░░░░░░░░ your best alternative to ░░░░░░░░ negotiated agreement If you ░░░░░░░░ t get Manchin on ░░░░░░░░ exactly what s the ░░░░░░░░ DEESE Well look we ░░░░░░░░ focused on success and ░░░░░░░░ think we can do ░░░░░░░░ here We worked on ░░░░░░░░ infrastructure bill over the ░░░░░░░░ of the summer If ░░░░░░░░ had a nickel for ░░░░░░░░ time people told me ░░░░░░░░ weren t going to ░░░░░░░░ able to get that ░░░░░░░░ I would be a ░░░░░░░░ richer today We re ░░░░░░░░ on this project now ░░░░░░░░ think we can get ░░░░░░░░ done And for all ░░░░░░░░ focus on the areas ░░░░░░░░ we still have outstanding ░░░░░░░░ let me also point ░░░░░░░░ all of the progress ░░░░░░░░ we ve made over ░░░░░░░░ the course of the ░░░░░░░░ week We gota revenue ░░░░░░░░ out of the Ways ░░░░░░░░ Means Committee We have ░░░░░░░░ of the tax writing ░░░░░░░░ in both houses of ░░░░░░░░ working on bringing tax ░░░░░░░░ that are much needed ░░░░░░░░ this country We are ░░░░░░░░ progress We just have ░░░░░░░░ stay at it BERMAN ░░░░░░░░ you had all those ░░░░░░░░ and got richer you ░░░░░░░░ get your taxes raised ░░░░░░░░ the White House gets ░░░░░░░░ way Who is getting ░░░░░░░░ tax hike DEESE Well ░░░░░░░░ s pretty simple You ░░░░░░░░ with who is not ░░░░░░░░ a tax hike The ░░░░░░░░ made a commitment to ░░░░░░░░ increase his taxes on ░░░░░░░░ making over 400 000 ░░░░░░░░ year He ll keep ░░░░░░░░ commitment and certainly the ░░░░░░░░ that s moving through ░░░░░░░░ will do that Where ░░░░░░░░ ll see taxes change ░░░░░░░░ taxes go up is ░░░░░░░░ the largest companies particularly ░░░░░░░░ companies that benefit from ░░░░░░░░ system where they can ░░░░░░░░ profits and production overseas ░░░░░░░░ for any productive use ░░░░░░░░ to avoid paying taxes ░░░░░░░░ well as the wealthiest ░░░░░░░░ those making several million ░░░░░░░░ and in particular those ░░░░░░░░ have embedded wealth and ░░░░░░░░ are not paying even ░░░░░░░░ taxes that they owe ░░░░░░░░ heard the President talk ░░░░░░░░ yesterday think about it ░░░░░░░░ billion a year that ░░░░░░░░ avoided and evaded by ░░░░░░░░ top 1 That s ░░░░░░░░ a tax increase That ░░░░░░░░ actually making sure that ░░░░░░░░ people are actually paying ░░░░░░░░ taxes that they owe ░░░░░░░░ re going to focus ░░░░░░░░ that in this legislation ░░░░░░░░ So in addition to ░░░░░░░░ to deal with Manchin ░░░░░░░░ and the Democrats on ░░░░░░░░ you obviously have to ░░░░░░░░ with the Republican opposition ░░░░░░░░ well Some former Trump ░░░░░░░░ House staffers have put ░░░░░░░░ some kind of an ░░░░░░░░ plan They re going ░░░░░░░░ spend 10 million in ░░░░░░░░ against what you re ░░░░░░░░ And then you have ░░░░░░░░ minority leader Kevin McCarthy ░░░░░░░░ things like this Clip ░░░░░░░░ McCarthy We have paid ░░░░░░░░ everything the Trump administration ░░░░░░░░ plus seven months into ░░░░░░░░ administration in August Now ░░░░░░░░ new Congress wants to ░░░░░░░░ more than 5 5 ░░░░░░░░ 5 5 trillion which ░░░░░░░░ only make inflation grow ░░░░░░░░ but in that money ░░░░░░░░ want to spend they ░░░░░░░░ t want to pay ░░░░░░░░ the debt ceiling Clip ░░░░░░░░ BERMAN Did I miss ░░░░░░░░ Was all that spending ░░░░░░░░ the Trump administration paid ░░░░░░░░