ウィスパリング同時通訳研究会コミュのBiden and Harris introduce key economic team members — 12/1/2020

President-Elect Joe Biden: (01:52)
Well, good afternoon, everyone. Thanks for being here. Hope everyone had a enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving, even if it was far from the traditional large gathering of family and friends, apart from many we loved, but I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. And I know times are tough, but I want you to know that help is on the way. Last week, I announced the nominations and staff for Critical Foreign Policy and National Security positions. A first rate team that’s going to keep us safe and secure. And today I have the pleasure of announcing key nominations and appointments for the critical economic positions in the administration.
(02:37)
A first rate team that’s going to get us through this ongoing economic crisis and help us build the economy back, not just build it back, but build it back better than it was before. A team that’s tested and experienced and includes groundbreaking Americans who come from different backgrounds, but who share my core vision for economic relief here in the United States of America, and given a fair shot and an equal chance, there’s nothing, we all believe there’s nothing beyond the capacity of the American people.
(03:10)
Let’s not forget who built this country, working class and middle-class people built this country, and unions built the middle class. And from the most unequal economic and job crisis in modern history, we can build a new American economy that works for all Americans, not just some, all. We need to act now, though. And we need to work together. In the week since winning the election, Vice President Harris and I have covered meetings with a number of people. We convened meetings with labor leaders and CEOs at the same time, mayors and governors of both political parties. There’s a consensus out there, that as we battle the COVID-19 disease, we have to make sure that business and workers have the tools, resources, and guidance, and the health and safety standards to be able to operate safely.
(04:05)
The goal is simple, to keep businesses and schools open safely, and for millions of Americans who have lost their jobs or hours and have had to claim unemployment, we have to deliver them immediate relief. That includes affordable health care for millions of people who have lost it and are in danger of losing it. Childcare, sick leave, family leave, so workers don’t have to choose between work and family. Relief from rent and student loans. We need to support small businesses and entrepreneurs who formed the backbone of the communities that we live in, that are teetering on the edge. Know there’s an urgent need to fund state and cities so they can, the frontline workers on those jobs can stay in the jobs.
(04:53)
You know, the founders are pretty smart. I could have gotten this lesson from the future Secretary of the Treasury, and there’s a reason why all the States and localities have to have a balanced budget, but we’re allowed federally to run a deficit in order to deal with crises and emergencies, and we have in the past, and we have to keep vital public services running. We have to give aid to local and State governments to make sure they can have law enforcement officers, firefighters, educators, as we did in the recovery act of 2009. And right now the full Congress should come together and pass a robust package for relief to address these urgent needs. But any package passed in a lame duck session is likely to be at best, just a start.
(05:43)
My transition team is already working on what I’ll put forward in the next Congress to address the multiple crises we’re facing, especially our economic and COVID crisis. And the team I’m announcing today will pay a critical role in shaping our plan for action, starting on day one, and move fast to revive this economy. They’re going to help me, help us, help the country lay out my [inaudible 00:06:10] better plan, a plan that an independent analysis from Moody’s, a well-respected Wall Street firm, projected would create 18.6 million jobs. It’s based on a simple proposition, reward hard work in America, not wealth. It’s time to invest in infrastructure, clean energy, climate change, manufacturing, and so much more that will create millions of good paying jobs. It’s time we address the structural inequities in our economy that this pandemic has laid bare.
(06:44)
Economists call this current economy and recovery K shaped. Well, like the two lines coming off of a K. Some people are seeing their prospects soar upward while others are watching their economic prospects drop sharply. For those at the top, jobs have come back, their wealth is rising. For example, luxury home sales are up over 40% compared to last year, but for those in the middle and the bottom, it’s a downward slide. They’re left figuring out how to pay the bills and put food on the table. Almost one in every six renters was behind in rent payments as of October. Let me be clear, with this team and others we’ll add in the weeks ahead, that we’re going to create a recovery for everybody, for all. We’re going to get this economy moving again. We’re going to create jobs, raise incomes, reduce drug prices, advance racial equity across the economy and restore the backbone of this country, the middle class.
(07:50)
Our message to everybody struggling right now is this, help is on the way. My dad, you’ve heard me say this before, when he lost his job in Scranton, when I was a kid, and we eventually moved the family not far from here, Claymont, Delaware, just in the outskirts of Wilmington, used to say, “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity, it’s about respect, your place in the community. It’s about being able to look a kid in the eye and say, “Honey, it’s going to be okay,” and mean it.” Also used to say, “Joey, I don’t expect the government to solve my problems, but I do expect them to understand my problems.” This team understands.
(08:35)
For Secretary of Treasury, I am really pleased to be able to nominate Janet Yellen. No one is better prepared to deal with these crisis. I wish it weren’t as much of a crisis, Future Secretary. She’ll be the first Treasury Secretary who was also Chair of the Federal Reserve, Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve and Chair of the President’s Council of Economic Advisors. Janet is one of the most important economic thinkers of our time. She has spent her career focused on unemployment and the dignity of work, which is really important to me and to all of us. She understands what it means to people and their communities when they have good, decent jobs, respect across… Be looked at by their neighbors and be respected, it matters a lot to them.
(09:27)
And respected across party lines and around the world by main street and Wall Street, an educator, a mentor, above all the daughter of a working class, from a working class, Brooklyn neighborhood, who never forgot where she came from. Her husband, George is pretty good too. He’s won a Nobel Prize, but he’s the one that married up. Jan will be the first woman to hold this office. We might have to ask Lin-Manuel Miranda who wrote the musical about the first Secretary of Treasury, Hamilton, to write another musical about the first woman Secretary of the Treasury, Yellen. So that’s what I’m working on right now, Janet.
(10:15)
For Director of Office of Managing the Budget, I nominate Neera Tanden. I’ve known Neera a long time, a brilliant policy mind with critical, practical experience across government. She was raised by a single mom on food stamps, an immigrant from India who struggled, worked hard, and did everything she could for her daughter to live out the American dream and Neera did just that. She understands the struggles that millions of Americans are facing. And she’ll be the first woman of color from South Asia, and I think that, to lead OMB. We also have another one of those women as Vice President of the United States of America.
(11:02)
And so look, all, being very serious. She’ll be in charge of laying out the budget that will help us control the virus and deal with the economic crisis and build back better. But above all, she believes what I believe, a budget should reflect our values. Again, quoting my dad, for real, my dad’s people would say, “Joe, let me tell you what I value.” And they look at him, as a high school educated guy, very well-read and he looked at me said, “Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget. I’ll tell you what you value.” That’s what you’re going to do for us Neera.
(11:36)
As Deputy Secretary of Treasury, I nominate Wally Adeyemo. Now, Wally is a… You know, Wally, I don’t know. I tell you what, Senator Warren really likes you. She highly recommended you, but I wasn’t sure she worried that I stole you as well, but thank you for being willing to do this, Wally. A skilled leader and thinker on issues ranging from macro economics to consumer protection and from Nash-
(12:03)
Macro economics to consumer protection and from national security international affairs. I’ve worked with Wally during the great recession. That was me my excuse to the Senator saying, that’s why I wanted to steal you. And I saw him tackle one big job after another, deputy national security advisor to president Obama, deputy director for the national economic council, former chief of staff for Elizabeth Warren, where he helped create the consumer protection Bureau and financial Bureau, which has done so much good. It’s designed to protect consumers and working people from unfair, deceptive, and abusive financial practices. And now Wally will be the first African-American ever to hold this post and the highest ranking African-American in the treasury department’s history. An immigrant from Nigeria. A son of a nurse and an elementary school principal. Wally understands everything we do is basically for the people. For families. Hard working people. To understand their struggles and most of all their dreams. He understands both. And I want to thank you Wally, for being willing to do this for it.
(13:08)
For chairperson of council of economic advisors I nominate … Notwithstanding, she was a very distinguished professor at Princeton. I joke, my children who went to Penn and you just always kid about, you know … But Cecilia Cece Rouse, one of the most distinguished economists in the country. An expert on labor economics and race, poverty and education. Dean of the Princeton school of public and international affairs. A member of the council of economic advisors to president Obama and advisor to president Clinton at the national economic council. More than that, she’s a proud daughter whose mom, a school psychologist encouraged her to pursue economics and her dad, one of the country’s first African-American astrophysics, who dared her to dream. She’s done both. If confirmed Cece will be the first … Excuse me, the fourth woman to lead the council of national economic advisers and the first African-American ever to hold that post. And as CEA chair she’ll serve as a member of my cabinet, as well.
(14:20)
As a member for the council of economic advisors we also appoint Jared Bernstein, an old friend who’s been with me a long time. A brilliant thinker. A quick wit with a heart, as big as his head. A heart he got from his mom and educator, who raised him correctly. A social worker turned economist, Jared is one of my closest economic advisers and friend. He served as my chief economist during the vice presidency. He was there in that foxhole during the great recession with the economy to be on the brink and our country on our back. I couldn’t think of anyone else who I want to be on my side to face the challenges ahead. Jared will be one of the leading voices of my administration on economic policy. I can always count on him to deliver straight from the shoulder as his hero FDR used to say. Straight from the shoulder. The one thing I can assure is working people always have a voice with Jared in this council.
(15:17)
As a member of the council of economic advisers I appoint Heather Boushey. Heather, thank you for all the help you had in the transition team and getting me here. She’s one of the foremost economists working to make sure we build an economy that works for all Americans. The daughter of a union family, it’s no wonder she believes so deeply in the idea, leave no one out. Leave no one behind in this economy during the campaign I relied on our council on addressing the structural inequities within the economy. And I’ll do so again as president because that’s one of the central issues of our time.
(15:55)
To this team, thank you for accepting the call to serve again. To your families and to your … Thank them for their sacrifices. Because there’s real sacrifice. We could not do this without you. And to the American people. This team will always be there for you and your families. This is family oriented team. We got to make sure ordinary people get a chance to do well, because when given a chance they’ve never, ever, ever, ever let the country down.
(16:27)
11 years ago, president Obama and I entered office during the great recession and implemented the Recovery Act and saved us from a great depression. I didn’t see the map of America at the time, nor did he in terms of blue states and red states. We only saw the United States of America. We work with everyone, for everyone, and we recovered and rebuilt together as one nation. Vice president Harris and I will do that all over again with an outstanding team. They’re ready on day one. To the United States Senate, I hope these outstanding nominees will receive a prompt hearing and that we will be able to work across the aisle in good faith and move forward as one country. Let’s begin the work to heal, to unite, to rebuild an economy for all Americans. They deserve and expect nothing less.
(17:24)
Thank you. May God bless you. And may God protect our troops. I now turn this over to the new team, starting with our next secretary of treasury, Janet Yellen. Again, Janet, thanks for accepting. I appreciate it.
(17:38)
I think they’re going to clean this off for us here. Excuse me, Janet. Is my mask up there? No, I put in in my book. [inaudible 00:18:14].