surrender the hard earned reputation and force the american people and the american industry to accept all of the pain, the turmoil in the hardship that comes with default. it's unnecessary and must be avoided at all costs. thanks and i look forward to continued conversation. >> project committee chair bernie sanders also commented on the budget reconciliation negotiations today. here's what he had to say.

>> quotes thanks very much on a busy day for being here. i just want to say a few words about some of what was going on. as a chairman of the senate budget committee i want to say a few words about the three and a half joined art reconciliation bill a number of us are fighting for. i would also like to make some brief comments about what senator manchin said earlier today. first, let us be clear, poll after poll including polls in west virginia show what we are trying to this reconciliation bill is enormously popular among the american people. it's not just the american people who support what we're trying to do. forty-eight out of 58 members of the senate democratic caucus support the bill. and 210 members about 90%

support the bill. by the way the president of the united states supports the bill. while we are adequate to maintain who is vigorously opposed to this legislation. think it is important the american people understand that. this is the corruption of american politics. the pharmaceutical industry is currently spending hundreds of millions of dollars on lobbying, on campaign contributions, on advertising to oppose this bill because they do not want us to lower the outrageously high cost of prescription drugs in america. the health insurance industry's many a huge amount of money because they do not want us to expand that medicare to cover it dental,

hearing aids and eyeglasses. the fossil fuel industry the coal companies, the oil companies are spending millions of dollars despite the fact the scientists are virtually unanimous in telling us that we must end our dependence on fossil fuel i moved to energy efficiency and sustainable energy if we are going to save this planet. it goes without saying the billionaire class and large corporations are spending a fortune in opposition of this bill because they love the idea that some of the wealthiest people in this country and the largest corporations in a given year do not pay a nickel in federal income tax. they are fighting to preserve that absurdity. in other words we are taking on some of those powerful special interests in the

country will end up spending huge amounts of money in order to prevent us from doing what we should be doing protecting the needs of working families, the elderly, the children, the sick and the poor. and protecting this planet for future generations. now senator manchin as i understand it, talked about tonight not wanting to see our country become an entitlement society. while i am not exactly sure what he means by that. that means we end the direct payment for working-class parents which have cut childhood poverty in this country as a result of the american rescue plan and half. it's protecting working families and cutting childhood poverty and entitlement. the senator manchin think we should once again have on the

highest levels of childhood poverty of any major country on earth at a time when millions in vermont, west virginia, all across this country have teeth in their mouths that are rotting when they cannot afford hearing aids in order to communicate with their grandchildren. they cannot afford a new pair of glasses to read a newspaper. the sentiment manchin really believe seniors are not entitled to digest their food and not entitled to see and hear properly? is that really too much to ask in the richest country on earth that elderly people have teeth in their mouth and can see and can hear. is senator manchin not believe we have to end the absurdity of the united states paying by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. sometimes ten times more for a

particular drug that's paid in canada or other countries around the world. the sentiment manchin believe he should be the only major country on earth to not guaranteed paid a medical leave and working mothers should not be able to stay home with a child who is sick? are workers not entitled to be able to do that? the senator manchin believe working-class parents and west virginia and vermont should not have to pay this he believed they should have to pay 25 or 30% of their incomes and childcare all over this country working-class families are paying 25 or 30% of their income on childcare so they could go out and do their jobs. are the children of this country not entitled for high quality childcare and pre-k

education? this senator manchin not believe working families in this country are entitled, entitled to affordable housing claim we should not have 600,000 people in america, including many veterans, sleeping out on the streets. the senator manchin not believe at a time of event major labor shortage in many parts of this country because our young people lack the skills they need, that they are not entitled to at least two years of free community college so they can get the training to go out and get the good paying jobs that are available to them. and perhaps most important, would senator manchin not believe what the scientists are telling us, that we face an existential threat regarding climate change and that it is absolutely imperative that we move boldly to cut carbon emissions?

scientists have told us we are on a red alert. some of you know a number of scientists received the nobel prize for their work on climate change. this senator manchin not believe that our children and grandchildren are entitled to live in a country and a world that is healthy and habitable? senator manchin has been extremely critical of the three and have truly note proposal that many of us support? nine out of 11 members of the budget committee support. but the time is long overdue for him to tells with specificity, not generalities. we are beyond generalities. with specificity of what he wants and what he does not want to explain that to the people of west virginia and america. i look forward to working with senator manchin and everyone else in the senate to pass a strong reconciliation bill as

well as a bipartisan infrastructure bill. >> i feel like for weeks you've not wanted to take questions about others objection to this bill especially senator manchin. this is one of four this is how we get it? like that's exactly. it's very easy to talk about one half trillion senator manchin says he believes in medicare negotiating for prescription drugs. good. and the house bill that will save us $700 billion. senator manchin said he only wants to spend 1.5 trillion is that in addition to the 700, i don't know the answer to that you don't know the answer to

that. senator manchin said he wants to tax the wealthy good. the house ways and means committee passed a proposal that includes as i understand about $2 trillion in it doing it with tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations. i do not understand, to be honest with you, how it this time in world history you cannot talk about the crisis of climate change and tell us what you want to do. that is really inexcusable. i've said many, many times and i've said this as a grandparent i do not want my generation to have to look their kids and their grandchildren in the eye and say yes we failed to in the planet is now uninhabitable. yes? >> senator, some of your house colleagues and said they understand 3.5 is not a realistic number. the president has also said that. are you willing to concede 3.5

is too much right now question or. >> am willing to succeed? no. to be frank with you. what i have said it can be give and take prince's part of the process we will be in the room in that give-and-take. >> human senator manchin different fundamental views of government and society and what government should do. how do you resolve such philosophical differences. >> i'm not going to disparage senator manchin i respect him you're right we differ. what i would say is this, a lot of the media talks about compromise and all that stuff. we have got 48 senators that support we have two that do not. to be very honest with you i believe that our current healthcare system is totally

dysfunctional. i strongly, strongly believe medicare for all single payout program. i could in five minutes critic chuck schumer senate majority leader and say chuck i cannot support this bill unless you have medicare for all provision and it. but i'm not going to do it because i know, maybe half of the members of the caucus or a third of the member will be responsible. my concern with mr. manchin is not so much what his views are, i disagree with him. but it is wrong, it's really not playing fair that one or two people think they should be able to stop with the american people want but the president of the united states once that will be my position. senate manchin not only right to be heard but compromises he's a member of the senate. but two people do not have the right to sabotage what 48 want and with the president of the united states once. that to me is wrong.

>> you i have a this plan, would it be feasible for you to get into the room with senator manchin and hammer this out? >> we could get in a room. senator manchin is part of leadership i am part of leadership, that discussion has taken place and i think it will continue to take place it. >> your discussion with president biden, have you encouraged him to not scale that number back? >> this is what i think as i've said before. if we are in a room in the caucus were have the people wanted something lower and half wanted something higher, you've got to go somewhere in the middle. you are not in that position. there has to be some give or take. but to ask 48 people to go down to it to people want that

seems to be unfair. not to mention poll after poll shows the american people want to be. >> senator your understanding senator manchin is calling for. >> that's a great question. we need some specifically here. you want to cut climate? cut climate. how much you want to do that? tell us what you want. last question ma'am. >> would you also like to see from senator sinema? >> absolutely.

i think sinema's position she does not negotiate publicly. i have heard she is opposed to having medicare negotiated prescription drug prices and lowering prescription drug prices. i heard she is opposed to asking the wealthy and large corporations to pay their fair share. of that is what i've heard maybe i am wrong. same sense the sender manchin tells what you want. >> thanks everybody. [inaudible] >> and out white house press secretary jen socket lease ends on an offer by senate minority leader mitch mcconnell for short-term