Jared Bernstein, a member of President Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers, said that passing the next round of coronavirus relief legislation is so important that Americans don’t care how it happens.
Biden, who supports a $ 1.9 trillion package, faces opposition from Republicans, who prefer a leaner, more targeted approach. Although the president delivered a message of unity in the early days of his administration, some Democratic lawmakers are trying to keep Republicans out of the process if they don’t participate.
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“Look, the American people really don’t give a shit about the budget process, whether it’s regular order, bipartisanship, obstruction, or reconciliation,” Bernstein told Fox News Sunday, emphasizing that people “need and need relief now. “
Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Who will head the Senate Budget Committee, said Democrats could bring their budget relief plan without Republicans through a process known as reconciliation. This process, which is reserved for tax and tax issues, is not subject to obstruction and therefore allows Democrats to pass their plan on to their 50 senators and Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaker vote.
“If Republicans are willing to work with us to tackle this crisis, welcome – let’s do it,” Sanders told CNN last Sunday. “But what we cannot do is wait weeks and weeks and months to move forward. We have to act now.”
Bernstein said Biden is “willing to negotiate” with Republicans, as a group of 10 Republican senators announced support on Sunday for a $ 600 billion package, but said that part of the reason why it is so urgent to approve the relief is avoid an increase in unemployment.
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“If we don’t deliver this package as designed quickly, we risk having four million fewer jobs by the end of this year,” he said, quoting Moody’s, adding that failing to act quickly “would risk taking another year to reach full employment. “
Jared Bernstein, nominated to the Council of Economic Advisers, speaks after US President-elect Joe Biden announced his economic team at The Queen Theater in Wilmington, Delaware on December 1, 2020. (Photo: CHANDAN KHANNA / AFP via Getty Images)
Defying the government’s concern about unemployment, host Chris Wallace asked why Biden is now opting to promote a climate change agenda that has already resulted in thousands of jobs lost. Through executive action, the president has suspended work on the Keystone XL pipeline and is banning future gas and oil leases on federal land.
Bernstein said that this is only in line with the direction the market is already tilting and will result in future jobs.
“Not only are there many more jobs on the climate agenda,” said Bernstein, “but this is something where the market is already moving in that direction.”
Bernstein cited General Motors’ drive to move towards battery-powered cars.
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Meanwhile, Republicans like Montana Governor Gianforte and Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have criticized Biden for taking measures that have serious consequences now. Gianforte regretted the tax collection that will now be lost. Cruz questioned the Biden candidate’s choices about the pipeline decision, which he estimates will result in 11,000 lost jobs. Any possible job gains are merely projections that would not necessarily give jobs to the same people who are losing them now, he said.
Bernstein pressed the idea that the United States will eventually see “four million more jobs” if Congress approves the president’s agenda.