Ezra Klein Stuns Jon Stewart by Detailing the Failures of Biden’s ‘Build Back Better’

STEWART They wanted they ░░░░░░░░ t want to just ░░░░░░░░ it Ezra they wanted ░░░░░░░░ back better KLEIN Wow ░░░░░░░░ that s a there ░░░░░░░░ something about throwing me ░░░░░░░░ to that moment that ░░░░░░░░ at this moment right ░░░░░░░░ the optimism it was ░░░░░░░░ simpler time STEWART It ░░░░░░░░ a simpler time But ░░░░░░░░ make the point in ░░░░░░░░ book which I think ░░░░░░░░ really interesting that that ░░░░░░░░ of optimism actually crystallized ░░░░░░░░ some ways the failure ░░░░░░░░ Yes STEWART And you ░░░░░░░░ it very stark in ░░░░░░░░ of you know for ░░░░░░░░ the chargers you know ░░░░░░░░ I think is a ░░░░░░░░ example KLEIN Yeah So ░░░░░░░░ so liberals pass 7 ░░░░░░░░ billion for a nationwide ░░░░░░░░ of electric vehicle chargers ░░░░░░░░ also get 42 billion ░░░░░░░░ this is a big ░░░░░░░░ they tout a lot ░░░░░░░░ do rural broadband There ░░░░░░░░ a lot of parts ░░░░░░░░ this country that are ░░░░░░░░ hooked up to broadband ░░░░░░░░ in both cases and ░░░░░░░░ were passed early in ░░░░░░░░ administration particularly the rural ░░░░░░░░ money by the end ░░░░░░░░ the administration by the ░░░░░░░░ by the time I ░░░░░░░░ fact checking the book ░░░░░░░░ just have not happened ░░░░░░░░ you look into why ░░░░░░░░ we did look into ░░░░░░░░ and what you get ░░░░░░░░ these incredibly baroque internal ░░░░░░░░ I ll focus on ░░░░░░░░ broadband for a minute ░░░░░░░░ because that one was ░░░░░░░░ good idea STEWART Still ░░░░░░░░ good idea KLEIN And ░░░░░░░░ liked it Like that ░░░░░░░░ the one they went ░░░░░░░░ when they talked about ░░░░░░░░ infrastructure bill they were ░░░░░░░░ roads and rural broadband ░░░░░░░░ And if you look ░░░░░░░░ what happened they created ░░░░░░░░ in the bill but ░░░░░░░░ is really important We ░░░░░░░░ this whole little schoolhouse ░░░░░░░░ song about like how ░░░░░░░░ bill becomes a law ░░░░░░░░ it s like sitting ░░░░░░░░ the steps of Congress ░░░░░░░░ I m not going ░░░░░░░░ ask you to sing ░░░░░░░░ Ezra KLEIN I m ░░░░░░░░ I ve been practicing ░░░░░░░░ I have been practicing ░░░░░░░░ don t have the ░░░░░░░░ about how the law ░░░░░░░░ reality how the law ░░░░░░░░ a series of implementation ░░░░░░░░ STEWART Right KLEIN then ░░░░░░░░ notice of funding opportunity ░░░░░░░░ there s a comment ░░░░░░░░ Then there s a ░░░░░░░░ period for the comments ░░░░░░░░ Then there s a ░░░░░░░░ of court cases STEWART ░░░░░░░░ KLEIN And so for ░░░░░░░░ broadband for instance what ░░░░░░░░ end up having is ░░░░░░░░ 14 stage process Like ░░░░░░░░ s a period where ░░░░░░░░ Commerce Department needs to ░░░░░░░░ up a map of ░░░░░░░░ parts of the country ░░░░░░░░ t have the right ░░░░░░░░ of broadband And then ░░░░░░░░ s a challenge period ░░░░░░░░ the map and da ░░░░░░░░ da da and da ░░░░░░░░ da da And 56 ░░░░░░░░ and jurisdictions try to ░░░░░░░░ for this money And ░░░░░░░░ this passes at the ░░░░░░░░ of 2021 They have ░░░░░░░░ By the end of ░░░░░░░░ three have gotten to ░░░░░░░░ end of the process ░░░░░░░░ were trying STEWART Three ░░░░░░░░ of these 56 KLEIN ░░░░░░░░ STEWART End of the ░░░░░░░░ meaning they ve actioned ░░░░░░░░ they ve built it ░░░░░░░░ they ve now they ░░░░░░░░ got the KLEIN No ░░░░░░░░ no no of course ░░░░░░░░ STEWART Oh KLEIN I ░░░░░░░░ t mean they ve ░░░░░░░░ it Jon Sorry I ░░░░░░░░ so confused STEWART Oh ░░░░░░░░ God KLEIN They just ░░░░░░░░ to the point where ░░░░░░░░ theory they could get ░░░░░░░░ money to build it ░░░░░░░░ They had been approved ░░░░░░░░ the money KLEIN Yes ░░░░░░░░ basically.”