I think it was an effective measure. The idea now is we have to hit back hard. We have to hit back strong if were going to finally put this dual crisis of the pandemic and economic payment engendered behind us. With respect to larrys point, one thing is just wrong which is our team is dismissive of inflationary risks. We have constantly argued the risks of doing too little are far greater than the risk of going big. Providing families and businesses with the relief they need to put this virus behind us. I want to quote Jerome Powell who strongly reiterated this view the other day. I think it was a week or so ago that inflationary risks are also asymmetric. He said, im much more worry about falling short of a complete recovery and losing peoples careers and lives they built because they dont get back to work in time. Im more concerned about the damage that will do, not just to their lives but to the United States economy, to the productive capacity of the economy. Im more concerned about that than about the possibility which exists of higher inflation. This is risk management. This is balancing risks. In our view the risk of doing too a little are far greater than the risk of doing too much. One more question. The Senate Moved Forward with a measure that did not include an increase in the minimum wage. Has President Biden come to a determination thats not going to be a part of the final package in order to get the democratic support it needs . The president has consistently argued that a minimum wage, 15 an hour, is essential to make sure that people, many of whom, millions of whom are Essential Workers are not toiling at a minimum wage of 7. 25 per hour which is the federal minimum wage. This idea that somehow and ive heard this in many questions. This idea that the minimum wage is for this package makes to sense to me. It is an efficient and effective way to raise the pay of people who are in the bottom end of this work force, Essential Workers in retail trade, health care, sanitation. People who are keeping this economy going but consistently undercompensated for it. Will it be part of the final package . Im not going to negotiate that from the podium, as they say. Very good. I have one other point i want to make, getting back to the argument with larry. This is key from my perspective as an economist who throughout my career has been motivated and concerned. Making sure the American Economy provides ample opportunities from people of all walks of life, from all parts of the income scale, men and women, persons of color, communities of color have the opportunities they need to realize their potential. Right now there is deep unused capacity in this economy which is targeted by the American Rescue plan. Theres ten million unemployed people. Theres two and a half fewer women in the labor force. The cost of inaction of not addressing these risks are too steep and too costly to these vulnerable groups relative to the likelihood of overheeding. Thats the way i think about it. Thank you. One more follow up from the other kristen. Is the white houses economic team, is there anyone on the team that is concerned that the 1. 9 trillion is too big, is too much or is everybody in agreement . The White House Economic Team is in complete consensus on the urgency of the need for this American Rescue plan and in complete solidarity on the calibration of this plan. Its of the magnitude to meet the challenges we face. Again, with respect to larry and his piece, its just flat out wrong that our team is quote, dismissive of inflationary risks. Janet yellen is our Treasury Secretary. She knows a Little Something about inflationary risks and tracked that economic issue forever. I just quoted from Jerome Powell whose job is to manage that risk against the risk of slack in the job market, against the risk of persistent unemployment and people getting stuck in joblessness and cant get back out in the job market. Against the risk of scarring in the economy. Not doing enough about current damages so they become permanent damages and people cant get back into the labor market and businesses that should and would be viable on the other side of this crisis fail because we havent taken the steps to get them through to the other side of the crisis. The team has all of our oars in the water pulling in on the same direction of that. The last question. One other question. He also raises questions about your future agenda. He knows you will have committed 15 of gdp with this bill with no increase in public investments. Is this a concern Going Forward . Where will you find the money to build back better as the president has promised . I think the way President Biden talks about this is not just followed an economic logic that is very strong. Rescue recovery. The American Rescue plan gets this economy and the families in the businesses it to the other side of this crisis by finally controlling the virus, producing distributing the vaccine and giving people the relief they need to get to the other side. Simply getting back to where we were is a bar thats far too low for the biden harris administration. Thats where Building Back better in the Recovery Plan comes in. These are structural changes. Many of which as the president have said, permanent programs should be paid for. These are structural programs that not in a cyclical sense dealing with them getting to the other side of the crisis but deal with structural challenges we face in climate, in education, in care, in poverty and Racial Discrimination and i am structure. Im wholly confident in this president and this administrations abilities to go forth and make a strong case for rescue, get folks, get the economy to the other side of the crisis and pursue the recovery the Building Back better agenda. Im confident about that. Infrastructure. I get asked about this a lot. The implication of the question is infrastructure is a democrat thing. Let me tell you. I was testifying a year or two ago in the house. When i finished my testimony, a couple of republicans and i wont name them because this was a private moment. Pulled me aside and said, democrat come here. They said we want to do infrastructure but we cant do it because our boss, President Trump doesnt have plan. The plan was really an asterisks. I guarantee you, there are politicians on both sides of the aisle who are chomping at the bit to make investments in public goods in this country, to do an Infrastructure Bill that repairs not just maintenance but gets into clean energy, broad band and the investments you heard the president talk about. Im confident we work on rescue now, we get the recovery next. Thank you so much. People ask me what my favorite part of the job is and i get to call up jared or Jake Sullivan and bring them in here. I have a couple of items at the top to go over and update you all on. First, sorry. At 3 00 p. M. , Vice President harris and janet yellen will hold a virtual round table with participants from local Plaque Chambers Of Commerce to discuss the importance of passing the American Rescue plan. Local Chamber Representatives will share on the ground experiences during this crisis, ask the Vice PresidentSecretary Questions and discuss how Small Businesses in their community are faring right now and what they need. A brief note on the tragic death of two fbi agents. At the request of the president , Homeland Security adviser dr. Randall will accompany the Acting Attorney General to sunrise, florida this weekend to attend both services. Tomorrow the white house im a week ahead. Tomorrow the white house will launch a new effort for the president to regularly communicate directly with the American People in was a question one of your colleagues asked earlier this week. Theres a time honored tradition of hearing from the president in this way from fdrs Fire Side Chats to Ronald Reagan establishing the weekly president ial radio address. President biden will continue that tradition. We expect it to take on a variety of forms. It will be a conversation between the president and michelle. She lost her job at a clothing company. Look for that on the house digital channels. Next week the president will be focused on engaging with bipartisan groups on the American Rescue plan and other key priorities, including current Vaccine Distribution and National Security. On monday he will tour a vaccination center. On thursday President Biden will visit the National Institutes of health. Why is the president going to delaware this weekend . Hes from delaware and has a home there and is going to spend the weekend with his wife and family there. Guidance from the centers from Disease Control prevention, the White House Briefing just a couple of hours ago was big x over people should avoid travel. Is there an exception to that policy snl. Ensure people dont take steps to make others vulnerable in our effort to get be pandemic under control. Any president of the United States, democrat or republican, obviously takes air force one, a private plane. Delaware is he home and he looks forward to spending the weekend there and some time with his family. A little bit has he been receiving regular tests for the coronavirus . We havent seen since the transition not being on his testing . Ill get back to you on that and provide you an update. He has received his second vaccination that was done in public. The president has stoken about his opposition to the Death Penalty in the path. I dont have anything to predict for you or preview. When does the president recognize that continue to negotiate with republicans wasnt going to lead them anymore and had to embrace his proposal and get on board with train before it leaves the station. It seems time for negotiation is over and the president trying to get this passed. I wouldnt say thats an accurate characterization of his view or the view of any of us. As the package is moving through reconciliation process, theres great deal of time. The process enables for time for negotiations through economy work which will happen next week. Also the majority of Reconciliation Bills in past have been bipartisan. We are hopeful they will be opportunities for amendments from republicans, amendments from others across the board to be part of this process moving forward. Go ahead. If i could follow up with you and just read some of this. If i have the choose between getting help right now for americans hurting right now and getting bogged down in a lengthy negotiation or compromising on a bill thats not up to the crisis, thats an easy choice. Im going to help the American People who are hurting now. Has he resigned himself and hes going to have to use reconciliation and move forward without 60 votes from republicans . He will use reconciliation. Congress would use that process. Its a parliamentary procedure and a bill becomes a law moment here. If theres an opportunity to move forward with a bipartisan package, at any moment that can happen. I believe its 18 of 24. I can double check this of Reconciliation Bills have been bipartisan. Were not going to sit here and wait for an ongoing negotiation where we havent received an offer in return. The American People need the relief now. It seems as though hes resigned there will not be 60 votes in the senate. I think the president listens to the American People who are frankly not too worried about what parliamentary procedure gets them relief, gets shots in peoples arms and reopens schools. Hes hopeful that theres opportunity for this bill, whatever form it takes to have bipartisan support. Theres an opportunity to do that. History shows thats precedent. If i could ask you on Foreign Policy. Theres going be a principles meeting on iran today. President biden, so far, has not accepted, not moved forward with negotiations over a new deal. When is time frame for that to happen and does he think hell be able to get democrats on board with this who have been quite critical in 2015 . First, you asked this question first and smartly. On this meeting today, and i know Interagency Process is a little foreign in this building and the government because of the last four years. This is a Principles Committee meeting. Were not going to confirm every one but to educate people, not the people in this room but folks watching. Im sure iran will be a discussion. Its an important priority for the president and many of our partners and allies around the world but this is not a decisional meeting. Its not a meeting where policy will be completed and its not a meeting the president of the United States will be attending. This is a normal part of the Interagency Process. Just as there are meetings about immigration, criminal justice, the economy every single day across government. On the topic of iran you say iran will be raised in this meeting. Is there a time line for when President Biden would like to try to come back to table and get a deal . Thats really up to iran. If iran comes back and compliance with obligations but the United States will do the same and use that as platform to build a longer and stronger agreement that addresses other areas of concern. That will be done in partnership with our p5 plus one partners and consultation with congress. I know i keep saying this but were still only two and a half weeks into the administration. This is part of how the Interagency Process should work where senior members of the National Security team are meeting and engaging about range of issues in the middle east and those otherwise its in irans court to comply. Go ahead. Thank you. One for Foreign Policy question. During President Bidens big Foreign Policy address he didnt mention afghanistan. Why not and where is he on the full withdrawal of u. S. Troops from that country . Appreciate your question. It was not meant to be a comprehensive Foreign Policy speech. There were a lot of topics that werent discussed because it wasnt designed to give the overarching biden doctrine. Theres nothing i have in terms of an update but hell have more to say on Foreign Policy in the weeks ahead. What is being done about what is being done, what could be done to provide Covid Testing to migrants at the border because the u. S. Customs and Border Protection are saying they have having to catch and release some migrants without giving them any kind of covid test before they are entering the community. What is being done and what could be done . Are you suggesting ta are letting people in without the border or testing this . They are being released. They are saying they are having to provide they are having to release some migrants before they know they do not have covid and are worried they could be spread. Is there anything being done at the federal level to make sure this is not contributing to the spread of coronavirus in this country. The reason we put in a number of protections is to keep the American People safe. I havent seen that report. Go ahead. Thank you. You continue to say youre hopeful that republicans will still get on board and achieve bipartisan. We havent seen any movement on the republican side. Fundamental differences remain the same. What gives you hope and optimism that republicans will come around here . One, the vast majority of the American People support this package. It would bring relief to American Families and get shots in the arms of American People and open schools. We still keep the door open to seek ideas. Ideas to make the package stronger from any republican or other democrats who want to bring them forward. Given the president s remarks earlier and his change of tone, it does seem hes okay if this happens with just democratic support. The president ran on unifying the country. This package has the vast majority of support from the American Public. This is something people want. They