A very meaningful, we talked about next steps, and the next phase of build back better focusing on more childcare, more human infrastructure, as well as the physical roads, bridges, and other tangible infrastructure that we need to rebuild. And I was very impressed that the administration is already thinking ahead to the human capital that we need to strengthen childcare, Community College, tuition free, and also how to oversee and maximize the impact of these trillions of dollars that are flowing out into the economy.
When you say childcare, do you mean an investment in Universal pre k? Exactly? Yeah.
Okay. Now, I'm not speaking for her. They haven't made decisions about what exactly they're going to do, but to certainly thinking about it. They're thinking about tomorrow, don't stop thinking about tomorrow.
What do you think universal investment in Universal
pre k would look like?
It would mean continuing the vision, and the outreach that we're doing right now making sure that every child has an opportunity to begin that learning curve on the right track, because we know how fundamental those early years of learning can be. And providing that platform for growth is so essential. And it isn't about only them. He talks about how pre k is a public good. It's an investment in children and our futures, because they're the scientists and the researchers, and the nurses and doctors and childcare workers are going to carry our society and economy forward. So this investment is really revolutionary, in my view. It is really as important as the roads and bridges and ports and airports, that humans have capital and infrastructure. And that's why that investment would look like dollars, but also a commitment to the
senators that would call like, how much money would need to go to towards that to make that a reality. So that every child in this country would have enough? It depends on how it's structured.
In other words, how quickly it is rolled out. It can't be done overnight. You can't just put an ad in the newspaper and say we want pre k instructors and workers to come forward. And frankly, just one last thought on this in the immediate sense. I raise the point, you know, our childcare industry here in Connecticut has been devastated. I've been all around the state 10 to 15 different childcare centers, during the pandemic that were in the classrooms was haunting. Those classrooms were closed. And go those daycare centers, many of them will have to be either replaced, or rebuilt in terms of the human infrastructure necessary to run the
center. What is the value specifically of having vice president Harris come to a community like this, you know, to have her speak to what the administration is doing what Congress has passed and also engage with the community
directly.
It's hard to put into words, even after as many years that I've spent doing this stuff to have her and it's not only her device, friends, her as a person as a role model. And as a teacher, because what she's doing is educating about what this American rescue plan means. You and I often take for granted we think, oh well the country knows it's $1.9 trillion $277 million coming to Connecticut for child care $1.1 billion for education 4 billion to the state of Connecticut for state mocha, you know these numbers are very abstract she embodies in her person in her connections to these kids in her raising up the daycare workers in for highlighting the problems as well as the magnitude of what this American rescue plan needs, and it is historic. When you think about it, store and revolutionary the lift half the kids in poverty out of poverty. You know, that is really like Social Security. I said earlier today, someone said, Well, how can you guarantee the tax rate is going to continue? It's remember, it's only one year. And I said, we're in a social security moment. When it comes to children. Social Security, lifted out of poverty, 90% of the seniors in poverty. And the child tax credit is going to do the same for children. And it will be deepened.
Senator yesterday, on tech, sorry, I'm
a former on tech in Section 230. So as you're aware, you know, some of the CEOs, we
did not talk about section 230. Now, I
know I just I just wanted to quickly ask you, obviously, the CEOs were in front of house Energy and Commerce yesterday, you know, they were talking about misinformation and section 230 came up, you have a legislation or an attack. Do you think there is enough momentum now for for action on this? And have you had any conversations with the White House about section 230?
I have. The SEC, the White House is certainly behind reform. The question is what the scale and scope will be the Earned redact attacks and discrete problem of child sex, sexual abuse on the internet and holding the platform's responsible for it. Yes, they deserve no immunity when they knowingly or recklessly have this. Absolutely a porn material. And I think a good place to begin reform is attacking these kinds of really permanent problems and holding tech responsible for, and I think it ought to be even broader. And I will be advocating and working for that kind of
the president said he's, he's in favor of revoking section 230. Is that kind of the line of conversation that you're having with the white house?
Well, what he meant by, in effect, completely eliminating section 230? I'm not sure he wants to go that far. Okay. And it would be difficult to go that far in a single piece of legislation. And I think that kind of meat acts, blunderbuss approach. Right, which was President Trump's policy is also probably not well advised for some of the startups and the smaller companies in this space. But I think we'll have support from the White House for reform, and we'll have it and we'll have bipartisan support.
Senator, did you ask for the Vice President's help with getting gun reform through the Senate?
I know you are about it. I spoke to her about it, frankly, because this morning, I talked to Kristen song. Even songs is the mom who is a mom who lost her son, Ethan, and Guilford, along with her husband, Mike, and it's a uniquely Connecticut story. It's one of many, but I haven't talked to Kristen. And I said to her, the Vice President that I wished that person could have had the opportunity to talk to her and I hope that she will. And I told the vice president her story now, it was abbreviated with basically Christine's message of continuing the work and fight for gun violence prevention.
How did how did the Vice President say she would get involved to help get this legislation through the Senate because she has emphasized
about it. Okay. related to her that I wanted to thank the President and her for their very passionate and clear commitment to come violence prevention and to legislation. And the President's made clear as she has, that they're committed to it. I know how deeply she feels about because we work together on it. The Vice President and I sat next to each other on the floor of the Senate, and literally, I believe followed each other in one of our colloquy on this precise issue. But you know, we were not there to talk about violence prevention, and so it was something that I mentioned.
Some have interpreted Biden's press conference yesterday. Yesterday. Yes. It's indicating guns are sort of a backseat issue. At A moment. Do you do have any concerns that that might be the case? Or do you get the sense of that? Perhaps? That isn't the case with
I think his commitment is unwavering and unstinting. And it's only a matter of timing and strategy. And we're having conversations as recently as yesterday on the floor of the Senate, with Majority Leader Schumer and some of my other colleagues on both sides of the aisle about what the timing and strategy should be. And those conversations are going to continue over the next couple weeks.
Do you get the sense that Biden as a creature of the Senate is content to let you all need a little bit more than maybe some of his predecessors or it just understands the sequencing a little bit differently.
He understands the senate as well or better as any presence in front of Johnson. But he is a strong, tough leader. And he will never put any issue as important as gun violence prevention on the backseat. It may have to wait, timing and strategy. That's correct. And obviously, voting rights is a deep and profound concern and a very urgent one. Right. And so is the infrastructure build back better? But as you've heard him, I don't need to tell you gun violence prevention has been very much on his mind. And I've seen him with gun violence survivors. And he is he's been close to tears with
your strong supporter of the president taking executive action on guns to have a sense of how quickly they might do it after speaking to the vice president today. Thank you, Senator. Thank you, Senator. Nice to see you.
