VIDEO: Biden Answers Questions About COVID, Voting Rights, Infrastructure Plan
President Joe Biden on Wednesday discussed COVID-19 progress, voter rights legislation, along with his plans to “rebuild” the U.S. through his Build Back Better package and infrastructure plan in his first press conference in months.
Biden started with a speech that recognized that Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of his time in office, and that “it’s been a year of challenges, but it’s also been a year of enormous progress.”
He noted the high number of people who have been vaccinated, the strong level of job growth and better health insurance premiums.
Biden mentioned that 1 billion COVID tests will be available for free through Covidtest.gov. Along with reimbursements for store-bought COVID tests, he also referenced how 20 million anti-viral Pfizer pills have been purchased.
Biden said the U.S. is in a better place than it was when he took office. He also said there is no expectation of going back into lockdowns or closing schools. He said that he doesn’t like to think about the pandemic and COVID-19 as a “new normal,” but as “a job not yet finished.”
Biden spoke about the rapid price increases across the world economy due to COVID-19, and how he still believes that this can be fixed through his Build Back Better package and infrastructure plan, along with fixing the supply chain.
Biden's first question was direct about his overall performance: “Did you overpromise to the American public what you could achieve in your first year in office and how do you plan to coursecorrect going forward?”
Biden said he didn't overpromise and that he outperformed.
“We're in a situation where we have made enormous progress,” Biden responded.
Biden also said that despite doubts, he still has hope that voting rights legislation will be passed.
In a press conference that lasted one hour and 51 minutes, Biden also acknowledged that more can be done to contain the pandemic.
“Should we have done more testing earlier? Yes. But we’re doing more now," Biden said.
At one point in the press conference, a reporter asked if Biden was pulling the country “too far to the left." Biden quickly slammed the question.
“You guys have been trying to convince me that I am Bernie Sanders,” Biden said. “I’m not.”
Biden pointed out that he likes the Vermont senator, but they don't share the same political outlook.
“I’m not a socialist. I’m a mainstream Democrat,” Biden said.
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