James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
1:07 P.M. EST
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hi, everybody. Wow. This is all for Pete. I know. I know, it's all for — we like to call him "Secretary Mayor Pete." (Laughs.)
All right, good afternoon, everyone. Good to see everybody. Joining us today, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who — surprise, surprise — is here to talk about the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal.
I don't want to steal the Secretary's thunder, but as you all know, the once-in-a-generation bill is the largest-ever federal investment in public transit, clean energy transmission, and electric vehicle infrastructure, and clean drinking water. It delivers for the American people by rebuilding our roads, railroads, and railcars, bridges, buses, ports, and airports, all while creating good-paying union jobs.
With that, I'll turn it over to Secretary Buttigieg. This isn't his first time at the podium, as you all know; I think this is — might be his third time. But it's his first time joining us as a father.
So, on a personal note, congratulations to you and Chasten on the birth of Gus and Penelope and one of — and the news last week, which we, you know, really thought that was wonderful, great news.
And so, with that, I'm really happy to introduce you. Here we go.
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Thank you. Good afternoon, everybody.
Q Good afternoon.
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: And thank you, Karine. And thanks for the chance to address you. We are so thrilled, so excited. When our communications team presents me with copy, I usually cross out the word "excited" because I think it's overused and I often rub out the exclamation points because it's not always my style. But we are "excited," with an exclamation point, about what we're going to be able to deliver.
We are so thankful to everybody who's played a role in this. Thanks for members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, President Biden's historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will now become the law of the land.
And it couldn't come at a more urgent time. I can tell you, in the 10 months that I've been in this job, I've traveled the country and seen the state of our infrastructure firsthand. I saw mesh nets hung under bridges to catch pieces of concrete that fall off from time to time; century-old tunnels corroded by seawater that hundreds of thousands of people depend on every day; roads where community members are installing memorials to lives lost in preventable traffic crashes; highways that have cut communities in two.
Infrastructure is so elemental to our society that when it's not there to serve us in the right way, all of us are impacted. But when it is — when it's strong — every community — large and small, rural and urban, privileged and marginalized — every community feels the benefits.
When combined with the Build Back Better Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal — which, collectively, I like to think of them as the "Big Deal" — an answer to the New Deal or the Square Deal before that — they're going to create a generation of good, union jobs. They're going to make historic investments in equity and in the fight against climate change. They're going to make sure that America can compete and win in the decades ahead.
This is the largest investment in roads, bridges, and highways since the creation of the Interstate Highway System, including the largest investment in our bridges ever so that we can avoid devastating closures and disruptive collapses like we've seen, including what we saw in Tennessee, in Florida, and far too many other places.
It's also the largest investment in public transit ever, with funding that will expand service to communities of all sizes, including improvements for seniors and for people with disabilities. It's going to replace thousands of outdated buses with clean, zero-emissions vehicles and aging railcars with state-of-the-art new ones.
It's the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak itself. And transformative impacts in traffic safety will be achieved. And it's going to strengthen our supply chain by improving our ports, our airports, and our freight rail.
It's going to dramatically increases funding for major projects. Every year, we have our discretionary programs, RAISE and INFRA, where we support projects that are vitally important for local economic development and the national supply chain. We're going through the current round of applications for RAISE right now. And for every dollar that we have to give out, there are about 10 in impressive applications coming in. This allows us to grow those programs that we can use in very direct ways to address the issues of our time.
I'll give you an example from the INFRA round of grants that happened earlier this year. We announced funding for a project in Georgia. It's an inland port to help goods move onward from the Port of Savannah. It is to create a new 300-plus mile freight connection between the seaport and the inland port that makes it faster to get the goods out of the Port and then sort them so that they can get on the way to shelves.
But like I said: For every project like this, there are many more that are worthy but that we can't support. This helps us to change that.
Later today, I'll be headed to Glasgow, and there look forward to discussing how this legislation can help ensure that transportation — which is the biggest sector contributing greenhouse gases in our economy — can be a big part of the solution.
You know, we've seen so many impacts of climate change on American lives, on our transportation systems themselves, and that's part of why this plan includes funding to put people to work electrifying our power grid, make our infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather, and build out a national network of half a million electric vehicle chargers, and expand public transit, as I mentioned earlier, which is also a huge part of the climate solution.
And, of course, there's a lot beyond our transportation elements of this: lead pipes, cleaning up pollution, broadband, and more.
But what all of these investments have in common is that they will create jobs: pipefitters to replace those pipes, electricians to install those EV charging stations, autoworkers to build the cars that plug into them. We need mechanics maintaining transit vehicles, drivers operating them, construction workers rebuilding those roads and bridges. And most of these jobs will be available whether you have a college degree or not, which is why the President often talks about this as a blue-collar blueprint for American competitiveness.
And it's a generational investment in every sense of the word — something that means a lot more to me now as a new father, because this is how we do right by the next generation before it's too late.
So, thanks again, and eager to take some questions.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Go ahead, Jeff.
Q Secretary Buttigieg, thanks for being with us. Congrats on your — the birth of your children. A question about the bill. This bill gives your department an unprecedented amount of discretionary funds — $100 billion in competitive grants. Can you spell out how you plan to prioritize that money? And just give us a sense of what projects you see or we should expect to see getting money and getting started first.
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Yeah. So, our department has been gearing up, hoping that this bill would pass. And now that it has, we've taken it to the next level.
I would break it into two parts. Part of it is handling increased funding for programs we already have, like discretionary programs such as RAISE, formerly known as TIGER, and INFRA.
There, what you're going to see — within the framework, of course, that the law puts forward — is an emphasis on projects that, taken together, give us extra value in the priorities of this administration: economic strength, safety, climate, equity, preparing for the future. And we see a lot of projects that overlap in that sense.
Again, if you look to what we funded with the last round of INFRA, that'll give you a sense. And you'll see that when we announce the RAISE projects for this year, too. But we'll have so much more to work with.
Then, there are areas where we have to stand up whole new programs. Safe Streets for All — we've never had a multibillion-dollar safety initiative like that. Reconnecting Communities, which we've been talking about all year, responding to where sometimes it was federal dollars that divided a community, often along racial lines.
I think the intent of those programs is clear, but the mechanics of those, we've got to work very hard to make sure that we get it right, that the criteria are transparent, that it is easy to understand how to apply, whether you are a big city with full-time staff here in Washington, D.C., or a small, rural community trying to navigate that federal process. And, of course, that all those dollars are spent accountably, because we're talking about a lot of taxpayer money.
Q And do you have something in place — sorry, just a quick follow-up. Do you have something in place to prevent mismanagement of that money and fraud?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Absolutely. Yeah. And that's something that I know is also happening at the administration level. There'll be, you know, very — and the President made this very clear to us in the Cabinet when the Rescue Plan dollars came through. We know that we're going to be held to a very high standard by the President as well as the public.
So we have an executive council with the Deputy Secretary and Undersecretary, as well as myself, paying close attention to how we can make sure we have all of the right controls, the right rigor to make sure these dollars are spent well.
Q Secretary — Secretary Mayor Pete, could you give us the breakdown of the implementation of Justice40 with the infrastructure package that has now passed and signed into law? And also, can you give us the construct of how you will deconstruct the racism that was built into the roadways that you talked to theGrio earlier when you broke that information with us? Can you talk to us about how that could be deconstructed?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: For sure, yeah. So, the principle of Justice40 is that at least 40 percent of the clean investments in this bill will go to benefit the communities that are overburdened and underserved.
So, part one of that is defining those investments that are eligible, and that's a lot of it, and we're working to map out kind of program by program, mode by mode, what would qualify.
For example, if we're buying clean buses — right? — how do we make sure in terms of where those buses go, but also looking at the business opportunity — the jobs that are going to be created, the businesses that will have a chance to compete for the business opportunities it creates. That too, I think, is a very important element of equity here that's in the spirit of Justice40.
And again, we have a lot of guidance and oversight from the White House since that's an administration-wide initiative, but we know that we've got to build our own internal, kind of, ways of aligning and defining that inside the administration.
As to where we target those dollars, you know, I'm still surprised that some people were surprised when I pointed to the fact that if a highway was built for the purpose of dividing a white and a Black neighborhood, or if an underpass was constructed such that a bus carrying mostly Black and Puerto Rican kids to a beach — or that would have been — in New York was designed too low for it to pass by, that that obviously reflects racism that went into those design choices.
I don't think we have anything to lose by confronting that simple reality. And I think we have everything to gain by acknowledging it and then dealing with it, which is why the Reconnecting Communities — that billion dollars — is something we want to get to work right away putting to work.
Q But that's such a heavy lift. I mean, you'd have to reconstruct communities that this happened to. As you said, some of these beltways and interstates and roadways were built before the Civil Rights Act, before the Voting Rights Act, and were made — meant to be racist. But how do you go about redefining and replanting these roadways and communities that are already settled in since then?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Yeah. So, what's interesting is it's going to vary by community and we have to listen to the community. Sometimes it really is the case that an overpass went in a certain way that is so harmful that it's got to come down or maybe be put underground.
Other times, maybe it's not that way. Maybe the really important thing is to connect across it; to add rather than subtract. And that's where we don't want to impose a one-size-fits-all answer from here.
But when we were out in Syracuse, for example, looking at I-81, we saw the local vision for how they want to get past those divisions. And those local ideas are going to be taken very seriously as we try to meet the spirit of this law.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Kaitlan.
Q Thank you, Secretary Buttigieg. You just said this bill and the passage of it could not come at a more urgent time. So, do you know when President Biden plans to sign this bill?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: I'd have to refer you to my White House colleagues on that, but I'll tell you that I'll be there with bells on.
Q But he has not signed the bill yet, right?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: No.
Q And can you talk about what the campaign to sell this bill is going to look like, given it will take time for some of these projects to actually go into effect and to be completed, and the White House is one year out from the midterms, of course, which they have tied this bill to?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Well, I expect that that'll be led by the President traveling to show where the need is and where the action is. But I'm certainly eager to be part of that effort.
I mean, look, a lot of this sells itself because communities never needed to be persuaded that their bridge needed to be fixed or that their airport needed an upgrade or that their ports needed investment. They've been trying to get Washington to catch up to them.
But I do think it's important for us to go out there, especially in communities where a member of Congress or the Senate played an important role. And, as you know, members from both sides of the aisle played important roles in delivering this bipartisan win, and I can't wait to be out there celebrating the good news.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Let's take one from the back.
Q Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. And thank you, Karine.
As you pointed out, this was a bipartisan bill. Was there any discussion of the President not letting Democrats oppose some of the Republicans who are running or giving them a pass in the next election?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Not that — not that I've been part of. But what I'll say is that, you know, we're really proud of the bipartisan character of this bill. And, you know, the conversations that we had, it wasn't transactional like that. It didn't have to be, because these investments were already so good for the communities that these members represented.
You know, there are times when you ask somebody to take a tough vote. To me, these provisions were, rightly, so popular that the only thing that was tough was for some Republicans to stand up to those who wanted them to choose party over what was right for their community.
Q So there was no discussion from your side about the partisanship of it?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: I don't ever remember talking about — when I was talking to any member of either chamber, of either party — talking about campaigns and elections in that way. What we talked about was how it would be good.
Now, of course, I believe strongly that good policy is good politics, and I think it's going to reflect well on anybody who voted to deliver these big wins and these jobs for their communities. But I think that's just clear on its face from it being such good legislation.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q I wanted to ask about the money for ports in the bill.
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: For what? Sorry.
Q The money for ports in the bill.
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: For ports, yeah.
Q How will that help the supply chain issues that the U.S. is facing right now? I know that's something that you've said often when you're talking about the supply chain. Is it going to help?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Yeah, let me offer a couple of examples. I mean, one is that we need to make sure our ports are as efficient as possible, right? And there are cases where more technology, sometimes physical technology around the berths, but sometimes it's more to do with the systems that help the different players talk to each other.
Remember, ports — not a single entity, right? You got the port itself, which is kind of like a landlord. Then you got the terminal operators. Then you got the truckers. And all of them are interacting with competing shipping companies — right? — to try to efficiently move these containers. They need to be able to exchange and share data. We'll definitely want to support ways to do that. So, that's an example.
Some of it's multimodal. If you see a backup of ships at a port, it might actually be because of something that's not so much onboard the ships, but inland. That's why I was pointing to that example in Savannah — serving Savannah, where we have an inland port so you can rush those containers out of that precious port space and then sort them out. And that'll be more efficient and more speedy.
So, there's — those are a couple of examples.
Let me point to one third thing: the idea of the Healthy Ports Initiative. So, there are a lot of emissions around ports — from the ships themselves, from the trucks, from the equipment. And right now, one thing that is tough is the neighborhoods that are close to them feel that impact, including in increased asthma rates in what are, by the way, disproportionately Black and Latino neighborhoods.
The Healthy Ports Initiative helps electrify them so that you don't have to worry about the emissions. And, to me, that goes hand-in-hand with those efficiency gains that we're trying to drive.
Q I wanted to follow up. Also, you mentioned truckers. Have you thought about at all relaxing Motor Carrier Regulations further to allow people 18 to 20 to participate and to be truck drivers?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: So, I believe there is a provision in this legislation —
Q Yeah, in the pilot program.
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Yeah, exactly. But we got to be very careful about safety. And so, the way the provision works is it's a mentorship type, apprenticeship type of initiative that tries to manage the potential for there to be a safety tradeoff.
We want as many people to be qualified drivers as possible, but never at the expense of safety. And we'll always look at other — you know, other steps we can take.
But let me mention: We've got to just make truck driving a better job. Truck drivers — there's a reason the turnover is so high. And the way they're compensated, they're often not compensated for their time, which means that their time is wasted freely sometimes when they're waiting for a load at a port, for example. Truckers have not had the option to work from home on Zoom. They are the absolute backbone of a big part of our supply chain, and we need to respect and, in my view, compensate them better than we have.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sabrina.
Q Thank you, Secretary Buttigieg. President Biden said Americans will start seeing the effects of the infrastructure bill within two to three months. Is that also your assessment?
And just to follow up on Jeff's question, can you provide a more detailed timeline on when specific programs will go into effect?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: So, again, I would break it into the existing programs that we're just going to be able to plus up and then the new ones that we're going to have to stand up.
So, with something like INFRA, RAISE, I think that sees more than a two-fold increase in the authorized funding. So, here you have — and, by the way, they're not waiting on us in Washington to invent these construction projects, right? The communities are applying with them, and then we're just able to fund that many more. And we're already — even though I'm going through the applications for this year's RAISE program now, we will, in very short order, be working on next year's. And you'll see a notice go out.
But, again, some things we need to stand up a whole new program — Safe Streets for All, Reconnecting Communities, Healthy Ports. And so that will take a little bit longer.
Remember, this isn't 2009; this is an era where it's about making sure we hit every shovel-ready program to — for that immediate short-term boost for the economy. It's short term, but it's long term. That's why the President talks about looking back on this moment from the 2050s.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And we can do two more.
Q Just to follow up on that: We were down in Mississippi talking to farmers who have had bridges close down in their area for two or three years. So, when exactly can Americans expect to see a difference in their lives? Will it be two to three months, or will it be sometime sooner?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Well, that's the beginning. Right? I mean, you know, the short answer is: as fast as many of these agencies and workforces can absorb those dollars when the formula increases or when a new grant is available.
So, some things soon. But again, this is about many, many, years ahead, starting now.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, (inaudible).
Q Secretary —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You go first, and then (inaudible).
Q A quick follow-up on Jeff's question. On — when you're reviewing the applications, do you have adequate staff at DOT to review all of the applications that'll be coming in? And then I have one more question.
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Great question. Yes, but we're going to have to grow as well. And that's one of the things we've been one working on, is how to make sure we're staffed up properly and how to make sure we're organized properly. And we're talking about, I believe, $660 billion over that stretch of years that we need to manage responsibly.
Of course, there's an admin dimension to that to make sure that we have the right — the right staffing, human power.
Q And in terms of the highway money that will go directly to states, is there something that you can do to encourage or to make sure that that money isn't used to just widen roads and encourage more people to drive? Because I know that's been a concern of some of the progressives in the transportation community.
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Right. I mean, this is not just about adding, this is about being smarter in terms of how people move around.
Now, you know, the best way to allow people to move in ways that are better for congestion and better for climate is to give them alternatives. So, I know our transit funding doesn't sound like a highway policy, but actually, part of what takes the pressure off the highways is this unprecedented historic funding for transit. Right?
Having said that, you know, we're certainly, when there's any discretion involved — so, especially on the discretionary programs — we're going to think about what's really going to help solve the problem. Sometimes you add lanes to a road, you just get that many more cars, and you're no better off in terms of congestion or pollution.
We're also interested in some of the performance measures that are being contemplated as part of the second round. But with this legislation, we definitely have the tools to make a positive difference on that front.
Q Mr. Secretary, just spinning forward to the next bit of legislation — the larger social safety net bill — the House version of that legislation includes family leave — paid family leave. The Senate has indicated it will be stripped out, and it didn't meet the President's framework a couple of weeks ago.
You just came off some family leave. I was hoping you could talk to — about the benefits of that and the — number one.
And then, number two, given your experience, do you think that should be a red line for the President to keep that in there so that all Americans have access to that benefit?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Well, the President put forward a framework that he's confident can pass the House and the Senate. I think it's also no secret how I feel about family leave and how the President does, which is why, you know, he proposed it, I think campaigned on it, and will continue to fight for it.
Q Thank you. And —
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: And the importance of it is that it's — you know, it's not — it's talked about as "time off." It's time to do work — good work, joyful work, meaningful work. But it's time to do important work.
But let me also say, as a new parent, thinking about the difference that will be made by what's in the framework: the universal access to three- and four-year-old — preschool; making childcare affordable for families across the spectrum; that Child Tax Credit — I mean, that's going to be huge and it's going to make such a big difference for new parents.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right, last question. Josh.
Q Hi. Thank you. Can you circle back to the — your other hat is supply chain — sorry, (inaudible). On the trucker issue, the Teamsters have said that these truckers should unionize, should be treated like other stakeholders. Do you agree with that? Should they be able to unionize?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Well, you know, we're very pro-union. One of the things we're proud of is how this legislation will create more good-paying union jobs. And I think truckers who are unionized have more of those protections in terms of their health, in terms of their compensation. And that has a lot of benefits in terms of their effectiveness.
Look, if you have an industry with 90 percent turnover — 90 percent per year turnover at the larger employers of truckers — there's clearly an issue with the quality of the job. And one tool for improving the quality of that job is union representation.
Q But the administration has been silent on the Teamster's specific call for this. Do you endor- — so you're endorsing these — the short-haul truckdrivers' (inaudible)?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: I mean, I don't know if you're applying that to a particular employer, but what I would say is that, you know, we believe in what unions can do to enhance the standing of workers in any industry.
And — but also for — you know, for independent truck drivers, I mean, it's very clear that there's an issue with what happens when they get to the gate of a port, for example. And that largely has to do with compensation structures across the industry that are over and above what the union issue speaks to.
Q Do think the bottlenecks are still in Los Angeles and Long Beach, or are they moving in the most recent weeks as steps have been taken to sort of ease the congestion?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: So, I think we've — we've certainly seen —
Q What's the state of things right now?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Yeah, we've seen some steps that are, we think, making a big difference there in terms of moves to clear the containers — obviously the 24/7 ops.
But, look, the bottom line is — and I think this is important — not everybody may be following this: It's not that the ports are moving less goods, that they've somehow been less able to move. They're moving more goods than ever. It's just that it's still not keeping up with the demand.
National Retail Federation predicts an all-time record high this year, and that's enormous pressure. And whenever you have enormous pressure on a system, you will find the weakest links in that system. And that, frankly, could pop up at any juncture around the U.S., which is why we're very focused on LA and Long Beach, because that's 40 percent of the containers coming in.
But, you know, anywhere, including 1,000 miles inland at some multimodal facility that's gummed up. I mean, anywhere in the country you can see these issues.
Q So, are they not the bottleneck anymore?
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Huh?
Q Are they not the bottleneck anymore? Is it moving to —
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: What I'm saying is it's not a matter of "the bottleneck." Right? It's a matter — I mean, anywhere — literally, anywhere in our economy, there is a relationship between a manufacturer, a shipper, and a retailer. There are a thousand points in that chain where something can go wrong.
And we're seeing a lot of those points reveal themselves because of the enormous demand, the constraints on supply, the outdated infrastructure that it all runs across, and then the fact that the pandemic is poking holes in all of the above, which is why the other thing I think is important to point out, having seen shortages in — you know, it started with toilet paper, then it was beef last year.
The best way to end a pandemic-related shortage is to end the pandemic, and that's why the vaccine push is so important.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Great. Thank you so much.
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Thanks.
Q Thank you.
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Thanks again. Really great being with you.
Q Thank you, Mayor Pete.
Q Safe travels.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Inaudible.) (Laughs.)
SECRETARY BUTTIGIEG: Thanks.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much. Have a safe trip.
All right, I got one thing at the top and then we'll dive in.
So, later this afternoon, the First Lady will kick off a nationwide effort urging parents and guardians to vaccinate eligible children. The CDC's recommendation of pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11 represents a major step forward in the country's fight against COVID-19.
The First Lady and U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, will visit a pediatric COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Franklin Sherman Elementary School in McLean, Virginia, the first school to administer the polio vaccine in 1954 — a fun fact.
Coupled with First Lady's push, on Monday Secretaries Becerra and Cardona sent a "Dear Colleague" letter to school superintendents and elementary school principals across the nation to take a series of steps to encourage children vaccinations, including by holding vaccination clinics at schools, hosting community conversations with pediatricians about the importance of vaccinations for children and to answer parents' questions about the vaccine, and providing parents with trusted information about the vaccine as well.
The administration is also encouraging districts across the country to set up school-located vaccine clinics by using their American Rescue Plan funds to help operationalize these clinics and by using providers through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program to administer a vaccine.
With that, Zeke, go for it.
Q Thanks, Karine. We heard this initial White House response to the Fifth Circuit staying the OSHA rule — the vaccine or test mandate that was (inaudible) — really take effect there beginning of next year. What's the — is the White House concerned that the legal wrangling surrounding that rule could delay the implementation of that? And what's the administration's message to businesses and Americans, you know, who are subject to that rule?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, broadly speaking, at least on the confidence, defending a policy is not a new thing from an administration, regardless if it's a Republican or Democratic administration. This is something that happens all the time.
The administration clearly has the authority to protect workers, and actions announced by the President are designed to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19. And as DOJ said, they will be defending these lawsuits.
But I also want to step back for a second because there is precedence here. You know, the Department of Labor has a responsibility to keep workers safe and the legal authority to do so. The Secretary determines — the Secretary of Department of Labor determines workers at risk or what is called "grave danger."
And if you look around and if we really, you know, zero in, this past year, more than 750,000 people have died of COVID. You have more — about thirt- — approximately 1,300 people a day who are also — who continue to die a day, as I said, from COVID. If that's not a "grave danger," I don't know what else is. Right?
So, I want to be really clear as well — is that the Congress empowered OSHA with — through a law — through a law that has been in the books for more than 50 years. So, this is an authority that we believe that Department of Labor has. We are very confident about it — confident about it. And just to — just to say this is about keeping people safe in the workplace, and it's critical and it's important to do. And so that's the message that we want to send out.
Q And what — you know, simply, though, to a business owner that sees the headlines that, you know, the rule has been stayed now, just, you know, will — should they prepare their employees now to get vaccinated, or should they wait while this law is — plays out?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, that's a great question. I appreciate the question. We think we — people should not wait. It's — we say: Do not wait to take actions that will keep your workplace safe. It is important and critical to do, and waiting to get more people vaccinated will lead to more outbreaks and sickness.
So, this is about keeping people in a workplace safe. And so — and what we're seeing is more businesses and school closures and most lost jobs in — keep us — keep us stuck in a pandemic that we're trying to end. Like we do not want that to happen. We're trying to get past this pandemic, and we know the way to do that is to get people vaccinated.
So, people should not wait. They should continue to go — move forward and make sure that they're getting their workplace vaccinated.
Q And can I just follow up on Kaitlan's question to Secretary Buttigieg earlier? What will the President's sales pitch look like on the infrastructure bill when he signs it? Is he going to be traveling? Is he going to be sending his Cabinet out there?
And particularly, this time, given the lessons learned from the Affordable Care Act and other Democrat priorities, the importance of actually going out and selling it, how important does the President believe that his voice out there, talking about the benefits of that bill, will be to his legacy?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, it's critically important. And you've — we've — you know, you've traveled with us. We've been across the country — in different regions of the country where the President has talked about his economic policy — Build Back Better Act and the bipartisan infrastructure.
And it's — it's critical. This is a once-in-a-generation investment that the President talks about, we talk about — I mean, this is one of the reasons we had Secretary Buttigieg here is to have that conversation, continue to talk about the key components in here, which is the roads and — and also, let's not forget climate change and the bridges and the ports — all of the things that we need to make sure that there are good-paying union jobs and to make sure that we are investing in our country, make sure that we are competitive with China.
So, the President is going to continue to have those conversations, continue — you'll hear — continue to hear from him. He will travel and make sure that, to your point, the American people hear directly from him about the importance.
But also, you'll have the Cabinet Secretaries out there. You have White House officials out there.
And so, it is important to sell this — yes, to sell this, but to — for the people to understand that this is going to make a transformational change in their lives, an investment that we haven't seen in — in my whole entire lifetime. And it's going to be critical and important.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, Jeff.
Q Thanks, Karine. The President has indicated that he will be making a decision on the Fed Chair soon. He appears to have interviewed two candidates. Can you give us an update on anyone else he's interviewing and give us any sense more on the timeline?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I cannot confirm any — any interviews that he may or may not have had. Somebody asked — asked me about this on Friday.
Look, I mean, the President spoke to this last week; you were — you were with us in both Scotland and in Rome where he was asked that question. I believe in Scotland he was asked that question during his press conference.
And so, I don't have any announcements for you today. The President will continue to engage with his senior economic team in a careful and thoughtful process to appoint a Federal Reserve Chair. And that's all I have for you today, Jeff.
Q One other topic. The President's and the Vice President's poll numbers have been falling. How big of a concern is that for this White House, particularly with an eye towards the midterm elections just a year from now?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Are you talking about a particular poll?
Q No.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No? Just in general?
Q In general.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, you know, one of the things that I want to say is that we are confident that our policies will improve the lives of nearly every American, and so grow our economy and create jobs. That's our focus: to make sure that we continue to push the President's economic policies.
And, you know, look, polls are all over the map. And that's not going to be our focus right now. The President was also asked this last Tuesday. And he wants to make sure that we deliver for the American public. And that is — that is what we're going to — that's what we're going to focus on.
And, also, like poll after poll, including the poll that you may be thinking of or other polls that are out there, has showed us the components of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal and the Build Back Better framework are very popular. And that's important to note.
And American families want to see these historic investment in infrastructure. They want to see it in care. They want to see in competitive. They want to see in this — addressing the climate crisis. And so, that's what we're seeing. And that's what matters as we're moving forward — is delivering for the American public.
Go ahead. Go ahead, Weijia.
