Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2021

June 24, 2021

The President. I actually like the bill.

Q. We know you do.

Q. Do you have a deal?

Q. Do we have a deal?

Q. How did it go, sir?

The President. Let me get everybody out here. Come onâlet me. Rob andâcome on.

Everybody, come on up.

We had a really good meeting. And to answer your direct question, we have a deal. And I think it's really importantâwe've all agreed that none of us got what weâall that we wanted. I clearly didn't get all I wanted. They gave more than, I think, maybe they were inclined to give in the first place.

But this reminds me of the days we used to get an awful lot done up at the United States Congress. We actually worked with oneâ[*laughter*]âwe had bipartisan deals. Bipartisan deals means compromise.

One of the things that I've made clear: I've signed onâand I'm going to let them give you the detail becauseâand you can ask themâand I'mâI will talk to you all later, in the next hour or two. But I promise you I'm not going away.

But one of the things that we agreed on: infrastructure. We made serious compromises on both ends. There isâand they'll give you the numbers. But we did notâthey did notâand I understand their positionâRepublicans and this group did not want to go along with myâany of my Family Plan issues, the childcare tax credits, the human infrastructure that I talk about.

And thatâwe'll see what happens in the reconciliation bill and the budget processâif thatâ if we can get some compromise there. And if we can't, see if I can attract all the Democrats to a position that is there. But we're going toâthey're going to move on a dual track. And that's about all I'll say.

But I want to thank each and every one of them. It's beenâyou know, a lot of us go back a long way, where we're used to doing one thing: Give each other our word, and that's the end.

Nobody questions it. They have my word, I'll stick with what they proposed, and they've given me their word as well. So, where I come from, that's good enough for me.

So I'm going to turn it over to the two chairs here. And I'll talk to you all a little bit later.

Collapse of the Champlain Towers South Condominium Building in Surfside, Florida

Q. Have you been briefed about the building collapse in Miami?

The President. I have. I've spoken with the mayor. I've spoken with the Congresswoman.

And I'll have more to say about that as well.

Senate Negotiations on Infrastructure and Jobs Legislation/Bipartisanship

Q. Mr. President, what does it mean that you were able to reach this deal?

Q. Are you committed to the two-track system, Mr. President?

The President. Pardon me?

Q. Are you committed to the two-track system?

The President. That isâthere is going to be a two-track system.

Q. And are you confident that you're going to have all of the Democrats' support it in the Senate?

The President. Let them talk to you. Okay? I'm not confident in anything except, I trust their word. [Laughter]

Q. But there will be a reconciliation bill? There will be a reconciliation bill, Mr.ââ

NOTE: The President spoke at 12:35 p.m. at the press stakeout location on the driveway outside the West Wing of the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Sens. Robert J. Portman and Kyrsten L. Sinema; Mayor Daniella Levine Cava of Miami, FL; and Rep. Deborah Wasserman Schultz.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Infrastructure and jobs legislation :: Senators, meeting with President; Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters :: White House.

Locations: Washington, DC.

Names: Cava, Daniella Levine; Portman, Robert J.; Sinema, Krysten L.; Wasserman Schultz, Deborah.

Subjects: Children and youth : Childcare, affordability and costs; Congress : Bipartisanship; Congress : Members, meetings with President; Employment and unemployment : Job creation and growth; Florida : Residential building collapse in Surfside; Infrastructure, national improvement efforts.

DCPD Number: DCPD202100531.