It’s Monday.
This Monday marks President Biden’s 75th day in office.
For day 75 President Biden will receive his daily brief. At 1:00 p.m. D.C., time President Biden will deliver remarks on the tradition of Easter at the White House. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will also attend.
We last met on Good Friday where President Biden had not tweeted by article post time. He ended up having a slower than normal Friday posting only 2 tweets and issuing no retweets.
Both tweets focus on the American Jobs Plan.
The first was sent at 6:17 p.m. D.C., time.
Mark Zandi a Chief Economist with Moody’s Analytics explained in an analysis of the American Jobs Plan that while President Biden’s planned spending will be met with potential political impediments they still expect an infrastructure plan “similar in spirit and size,” to the American Jobs Plan to become law later this year.
Zandi also says that “the plan’s proposed spending on infrastructure is large but spread over the next decade and paid for in significant part with higher taxes on corporations. Despite the higher corporate taxes and the larger government deficits, the plan provides a meaningful boost to the nation’s long-term economic growth.”
As far as jobs go, Zandi says that with the infrastructure plan “the economy recovers the jobs lost in the pandemic recession by early 2023,” he goes on to say that that projection of job recovery isn’t much different without the jobs plan. Zandi does add a but, because there is always a but…
But the plan does result in substantially more jobs mid-decade, with employment under Biden’s term as president increasing by 13.5 million jobs. This compares with 11.4 million jobs without the plan, and 10.5 million jobs if neither the infrastructure plan nor ARP had become law.
Moody’s Analytics. April 2021.
I’ve googled the “millions of jobs,” claim and it appears that the estimated number reported by multiple media sources is 19 million jobs created by the year 2030.
His second tweet is a video snip of remarks made on Wednesday when he unveiled the plan. The tweet was posted @ 7:34 p.m. D.C., time. The clip is 1 minute and 24 seconds long.
We just have to imagine again.
Like what we did with vaccines a decade ago that laid the foundation for COVID-19 vaccines we have today. Like we did when the Interstate Highway System that transformed the way we traveled, lived, worked, and developed. Americans could visit relatives anywhere in the country with just a family station wagon. Businesses here in Pittsburgh could load up a truck and get a product to Portland or Phoenix.
Imagine what we can do.
You and your family could travel coast to coast without a single tank of gas onboard a high-speed train. We can connect high-speed, affordable, reliable Internet wherever you live.
So, today, I’m proposing [the American Jobs Plan] for the nation that rewards work, not just rewards wealth–it’s going to create the strongest, most resilient, innovative economy in the world.
It’s a once-in-a generation investment unlike anything we’ve seen or done since we built the Interstate Highway System and the Space Race decades ago. If we act now people are going to look back and say this was the moment that America won the future.
White House.gov. 03/31/2021.
For Saturday he tweeted 5 times and retweeted 0 times.
At 10:01 a.m. D.C., time President Biden says that he announced the American Jobs Plan. And in light of that announcement he and White House admin officials will answer some questions about the plan.
The video is 3 minutes and 19 seconds long.
Q: How will the country be different because of this legislation and what difference will it make to me?
President Biden said: Well, you know, modernizing the infrastructure in America will make a gigantic difference. Our roads, our ports, our bridges, our airports, our mass transit systems. And there’s so much we can do creating very, very, significant jobs and good pay. But (lol, see?) the most important thing is to put us in a competitive position where no one can outcompete us because we have an infrastructure that allows us to get things done, quickly, safely, and in a modern way.
Q: I know that President Biden just passed the Rescue Plan, and I’m just wondering how that differs from this Jobs Plan?
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said: Great question. So, the American Rescue Plan was an emergency package that was meant to, and is meant to–we’re still implementing it–address the crisis we’re living in. What the American Jobs Plan is meant to do is to invest in industries of the future. To rebuild our infrastructure across the country, create millions of jobs, ensure more people have access to broadband, more people have access to clean drinking water, and more people have assistance that they need to address caregiving across the country.
Q: What kind of jobs does the plan actually create?
Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese said: This plan will create jobs all around the country, putting people to work building things: roads, bridges, highways, constructing new housing, replacing lead pipes to ensure clean water for all Americans. It’ll put people to work innovating–in R&D and labs around the country helping to create new discoveries, in clean energy jobs of the future. And it will also help increase the pay and the dignity of the worker who provide care in our economy–caring for the elderly and the disabled .
Q: How does this jobs plan tackle climate change? And is environmental justice being factored in?
Deputy National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said: That’s such a great question. This jobs plan upgrades housing. It electrifies transportation. It invests in innovation. And it builds out the supply chains that we’re going to need to tackle the climate crisis. And at the same time it targets 40 percent of the benefits of those investment in the communities that have been disadvantage.
Q: Hello President Biden. My question is how will rural broadband work? And how quickly can the expansion occur?
President Biden said: The idea that we’re not in a position where we invest in loans and grants to companies, in local governments and non-profits and rural co-ops-to be able to come into the twenty-first century, with a minimum requirement of having access to the Internet, seems to be short-sighted. So what we’re going to do is, the goal is to bring broadband coverage to every single home in America by 2030.
Q: 90 out of the top Fortune 500 companies pay zero in taxes. How will your Job Plan make them pay their share?
Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese said: Our corporate tax system is broken. What this plan is going to do, is it’s going to fix it by making sure that corporations pay a 28 percent tax [I believe the corporate tax rate currently is 21 percent]. We’re going to apply a global minimum tax so that companies can no longer shift profits in production abroad. All told, what this will do is it will make sure that companies are paying their fair share. And also that we have the revenue to invest in our infrastructure.
1:57 p.m. D.C., time he bullet points some highlight from the American Jobs Plan.
American Jobs Plan fact-sheet says:
- Modernize 20,000 miles of highways and roads
- Repair 10,000 bridges in need of upgrade
The President is proposing a total increase of $115 billion to modernize the bridges, highways, roads, and main streets that are in most critical need of repair. This includes funding to improve air quality, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce congestion. His plan will modernize 20,000 miles of highways, roads, and main streets, not only “fixing them first” but “fixing them right,” with safety, resilience, and all users in mind. It will fix the most economically significant large bridges in the country in need of reconstruction, and it will repair the worst 10,000 smaller bridges, including bridges that provide critical connections to rural and tribal communities.
- Build new rail corridors and transit lines
The nation’s rail networks have the potential to offer safe, reliable, efficient, and climate-friendly alternatives for moving people and freight. However, unlike highways and transit, rail lacks a multi-year funding stream to address deferred maintenance, enhance existing corridors, and build new lines in high-potential locations. There are currently projects just waiting to be funded that will give millions more Americans reliable and fast inter-city train service. President Biden is calling on Congress to invest $80 billion to address Amtrak’s repair backlog; modernize the high traffic Northeast Corridor; improve existing corridors and connect new city pairs; and enhance grant and loan programs that support passenger and freight rail safety, efficiency, and electrification.
- Reduce bottlenecks at our ports and airports
Our ports and waterways need repair and reimagination too. President Biden is calling on Congress to invest $25 billion in our airports, including funding for the Airport Improvement Program, upgrades to FAA assets that ensure safe and efficient air travel, and a new program to support terminal renovations and multimodal connections for affordable, convenient, car-free access to air travel. President Biden is calling on Congress to invest an additional $17 billion in inland waterways, coastal ports, land ports of entry, and ferries, which are all essential to our nation’s freight.
- Tackle the climate crisis
The President is calling on Congress to invest $35 billion in the full range of solutions needed to achieve technology breakthroughs that address the climate crisis and position America as the global leader in clean energy technology and clean energy jobs. This includes launching ARPA-C to develop new methods for reducing emissions and building climate resilience, as well as expanding across-the-board funding for climate research. In addition to a $5 billion increase in funding for other climate-focused research, his plan will invest $15 billion in demonstration projects for climate R&D priorities, including utility-scale energy storage, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, advanced nuclear, rare earth element separations, floating offshore wind, biofuel/bioproducts, quantum computing, and electric vehicles, as well as strengthening U.S. technological leadership in these areas in global markets.
To that end, the President is calling on Congress to create new, good-quality union jobs for American workers by leveraging their grit and ingenuity to address the climate crisis and build a sustainable infrastructure.
3:48 p.m. D.C., time he explains that giant corporations shouldn’t pay less in taxes than a teacher or a firefighter.
The Made in America Tax Plan fact-sheet is included at the end of the fact-sheet regarding the American Jobs Plan.
- Set the Corporate Tax Rate at 28 percent.
- Discourage Offshoring by Strengthening the Global Minimum Tax for U.S. Multinational Corporations.
The President’s tax plan will ensure that corporations pay their fair share of taxes by increasing the corporate tax rate to 28 percent.
The President’s tax reform proposal will increase the minimum tax on U.S. corporations to 21 percent and calculate it on a country-by-country basis so it hits profits in tax havens. It will also eliminate the rule that allows U.S. companies to pay zero taxes on the first 10 percent of return when they locate investments in foreign countries.
5:24 p.m. D.C., time he shares a 33 second snip from remarks he made on Wednesday March 31st, 2021.
President Biden: As we (you) saw in Texas and elsewhere, our electric and power — power grids are vulnerable to storms, catastrophic failures, and security lapses, with tragic results. My American Jobs Plan will put hundreds of thousands of people to work — hundred of thousands of people to work — line workers, electricians, and laborers — laying thousands of miles of transmission line; building a modern, resilient, and fully clean grid.
8:16 p.m. D.C., time President Biden says that his Admin is working hard to get “America vaccinated,” ASAP.
On March 31st, 2021, the White House COVID-19 Response Team tweeted:
On March 29th, 2021, President Biden offered remarks regarding the coronavirus and the state of the vaccine progress made so far.
President Biden: I’m directing my COVID team to ensure there is a vaccine site within 5 miles of 90 percent of all Americans by April 19th — three weeks from today.
For Sunday aka Easter Sunday for many people. President Biden tweeted 2 times.
10:30 a.m. D.C., time he wished everyone a Happy Easter by sharing a 1 minute and 39 second video clip of he and his wife.
President Biden: Jill and I want to send you our warmest Easter greetings to you and your family. As we celebrate this most holy day, we know many are still going without familiar comforts of the season. The virus is not gone and so many of us still feel the longing and loneliness of distance. For a second year, most will be apart from their families, their friends, full congregations that fill us with joy. Yet as the Gospel of John reminds us, the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden: The traditions of Holy Week take us on a journey from sorrow to salvation, reminding us that with faith, hope, and love anything is possible. And today, as spring returns, we see hope all around us. Families are getting the financial help they need to take a breath once again. Businesses are recovering. And more and more Americans are getting life-saving vaccines.
President Biden: We share the sentiments of People Francis who has said that getting vaccinated is a moral obligation, one that can save your life and the lives of others. By getting vaccinated and encouraging your congregations and your communities to get vaccinated, we not only can beat this virus but we can also haste the day when we can celebrate the holidays together again.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden: This Easter, from our family to yours: we wish you health, hope, joy, and the peace of God, which passes all understanding.
President Biden: Happy Easter, everyone. May the Lord bless you and keep you.
9:59 p.m. D.C., time he congratulates Stanford on their NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. He also congratulates Arizona WBB on a hard fought season.
President Biden has not tweeted so far for Monday, I assume the first tweet will be a live feed to remarks he will be offering regarding the “Tradition of Easter at the White House.”
Live Feed: The White House.
The daily Presidential schedule says the daily press briefing will take place at 1:30 p.m. D.C., time. I suspect it will be delayed as President Biden’s remarks are happening at 1:00 p.m. D.C., time according to the same schedule.
Live feed for the daily press briefing: The White House.
This is an Open Thread.
