important. although this will be an imperfect agreement, you usually start with the first deal and start building on it. if you destroy it completely, it is more difficult to bring a stronger deal forward and built on the ruins of the original agreement. i think that is the mistake that was committed. host: ali vaez today the house is considering legislation to address sentencing dispairs for crack cocaine and powder cocaine. house speaker nancy pelosi said they'll vote on the bill thursday. when the house is back in session find live coverage here on c-span. reset the scene would

congresses facing and where the house has been, last week the house was in session and they passed a continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded pass to the end of the fiscal year. it's a short-term measure. it passed in the house and now it has to make its way in the u.s. senate. it would fund the government through december 3 of this year. a nine week stretch and it would also suspend the debt limit until summer 16th of 2022. in that package in addition to keeping the federal government open and the other agencies open, they've added nearly $29 million for natural disaster relief, hurricane ida and wildfires. $6.3 billion for the resettlement of afghan refugees. that is just one of a number of items on the plate for the house and senate this week. our live coverage of the house

all week on c-span and of the senate over on c-span two. this is from the new york times. for schumer and pelosi, the challenge of a career with no margin for error. as all outward appearances suggested gridlock on capitol hill, senator chuck schumer and the majority leader were in perpetual motion grasping to salvage their three point $5 trillion social policy and climate change bill. on tuesday mr. schumer convened a breakfast for 20 democratic senators, sit down with key democratic moderates and then on to the weekly lunch with the full democratic caucus. last wednesday he writes ms. pelosi sandwiched a confab with the ways and means chairman between meetings with leaders of britain and australia, a greeting house democrats as they picked up lunches in her office and rushed to the white house to meet with president biden in mr.

schumer. they rallied with the league of conservation voters and met up with the leaders of the house's caucuses and then headed to the home of representative dunn by a -- representative don beyer. the multiple tasks piling up, resent -- represented a particular set of daunting challenges. at $3.5 trillion, social policy and just an update on where the house democrats are. democrats will hold a late afternoon caucus meeting on the way forward on the infrastructure bill social spending plan.

what are your spending priorities for congress? the lines, 202-748-8000 for democrats, 202-748-8001 for republicans. for independents 202-748-8002. will >> -- >> overwhelmingly, i've never seen actually over 95% of caucus for anything. there are some who disagree and

i respect that about the size of the package and some in the senate as well. we have to find our common ground respectful of each other's view. this isn't about moderates versus progressives, overwhelmingly the entirety of our caucus except for a few whose judgment i respect support the vision of joe biden and we will make progress on it this week. >> you said you have support of 95% of democrats. the problem is you need 98% or 99% to pass the bills. i know you said the indestructibility. but the leader of the progressive caucus is bulking. she said voting on this bill tomorrow is an arbitrary data. and that more than 50 members will vote no if we don't have agreement on the broader social investment bill. so you confident these embers will vote yes even though she says no. >> we will pass the bill this

week. i promise would bring the bill to the floor. we will bring the bill tomorrow for consideration. i would never bring a bill to the floor the doesn't have the votes. host: your spending produce for congress. brandon says health care, infrastructure and climate change and things that must be invested in. robert glass said they had three days to raise the debt ceiling or governmental shutdown. all congressional play should be suspended immediately. if you'd run a business this way you would be fired and lose all financial compensation from your employment. then smith says refund social security in 34 -- 734 years i can collect what i paid for the

last 25 and counting. scott says just stop, it's not your money. legislation in particular beyond the continuing resolution of the senate now has to pass. the indestructibility you heard the speaker talking about. what's in that bill? there's $100 billion for roads and bridges, 66 billion dollars for freight and passenger rail. $65 billion to expand broadband internet in the u.s.. $46 billion for severe weather resilient operations. $39 million for transport and 25 -- 35 -- $39 billion for transport. the new york times asked congressional offices, governor offices and state agencies what their top state projects would be if they were able to get some federal funding for that. we will look at some of that this morning as well. let's go to your calls and hear from eastpointe, michigan first

briton go ahead. -- first. go ahead. guest: -- caller: when was the last time we as americans heard this bill will pay for itself. the last time waita bill pay for itself was clinton democrats and republicans got together and created a program with budget surpluses. today we have a $29 trillion debt so obviously this bill will not pay for itself. this country is facing danger 20 years from now for our children and grandchildren. i think the only solution that there is is for more and more people to become independents and when it comes time for the election vote out all the incumbents. what we have to do is our children and grandchildren is that the u.s. flips the script.

host: this is from the usa today. moderate democrats are hesitant about bidens agenda. they sent doormats to vulnerable democrat supporting legislation. we are sending doormats to remind that they let nancy pelosi walk all over them said represented tom, of minnesota who leads the group. nobody wants to take the legislation integrated tax on energy based on british thermal units. house numbers devoted -- house members who voted on it call it getting btued.

in alabama, here is michael on the democrats line, good morning. caller: i would like everybody to remember what they are voting to fund is what donald trump has already spent, nearly $8 trillion, much of which went to the military, money they did not even ask for. i know there will be republican saying they are spending way too much, trump has spent more than anybody has and unfortunately the democrats went along with it. but now that of course the democrats are in office, the republicans ought to balk at the -- what they wish to spend,

which is basically to help the general public. that's all i have to say, thank you. host: a busy week on capitol hill and also at the white house , joined next by the white house reporter for the washington examiner who is here with us to talk about the week ahead, the president busy over the weekend. he and his staff talking to lawmakers about the votes ahead. guest: thanks for having me. a big week for the president's agenda. the hard infrastructure bill is up for a vote on thursday and according to politico reporting, the democrats in the house confirmed the president hasn't been whipping votes hard enough and they need to focus more attention on -- that they can get, kratz aligned in order to proceed with the bill. host: the continuing resolution was passed in the house last week and has to be passed by the senate to avoid a government

shutdown. what can you tell us about the administration's preparations for a potential shutdown. >> the administration has begun to reach out to staff at various agencies. they sent out a memo last week. alerting their employees the need to consider the government could be shutting down as soon as the end of the week. preparations are underway but given we are in a pandemic there is concern that doing something at that time, of the shutting down at this time could pose real problems to the administration efforts to continue to hold the spread of coronavirus and manage that. >> debate on these measures brought up the issue of crisis of the southern border. with the haitian migrants crossing at del rio.

the headline from your piece over the weekend, the del rio encampment cleared as thousands are expelled and returned to mexico or in line asylum. what is the administration -- what is the next step of the administration on this? >> the administration is confronting pressure from republicans to find a solution to protesting these migrants inside the country and who are waiting asylum processing. we were told on friday by the secretary that a thousand people have turned across the border. there's also pressure from democrats over the deportation flights that have been continuing that say at least 2000 sent 2000 people back to haiti and last week we saw a senior administration official resign over this fact calling it inhumane and calling the biden

administration's treatment of patients counterproductive. the administration is wrestling with their desire to get a handle on the crisis at the border, of the huge number of migrants arriving and at the same time being able to reconcile their practices with the kinds of policymaking that members of their caucus are looking for. >> have you heard anything from the white house in terms of this issue hindering efforts on capitol hill to engage and bring republican members onto the side of the issues in the infrastructure bill, social spending measure, the climate change measure in the house and senate this week, is the border issue a problem in that regard? guest: it has been a political problem for biden with republicans for several months now. attempts to add immigration issues to legislation with the

biden administration is putting up for -- putting forward on capitol hill, they would like to see the president appear to take things in a more serious way than i think many republicans believe he has. host: the president is staying in washington also the week but staying to chicago -- heading to chicago on wednesday for an event dealing with vaccine mandates. what can you tell us about that and the administration's efforts on mandates. host: the administration has been -- guest: the administration has been working hard on vaccine uptake. they are going to allow certain demographics and communities to begin their boosters shots, but at the moment -- at the same time they are trying to raise uptake amongst the general population. at the moment the general population more than just the total vaccination population for people who received a full two shot regiment is about 55%

according to the latest numbers that i've seen and in order to fully reopen the country as biden has been pressing to do and is republicans would like to do, think that there is urgency to stepping this up. you see biden going out to chicago this week, he is trying to encourage other companies, his mandates urged large companies to impose vaccine requirements on their employees. some of them will be offering instead testing regimens for people who do not want to get the vaccine, but the push really is to encourage vaccine uptake to the maximum possible reach. host: you can read her reporting in the washington examiner. thank you for joining us this morning. are opening our here asking you about the week ahead and your

top spending priorities for congress. 202-748-8000 free democrats, 202-748-8001 four republicans. as for independents and others, 202-748-8002. let's get back to calls and hear from stephanie in brooklyn. welcome. caller: -- you are on the air, go ahead. caller: good morning. i think they should vote on all of the bills that should be voted on. the debt ceiling is because of donald trump in the republicans, they spent entirely too much money especially on a tax that went to the rich. nothing that he did benefit the people and it only benefited his friends, the corporations, it did not help the people and i think joe manchin and kyrsten sinema should vote for this package because we really need

it, it is for the people, thank you. host: ajay is in tampa, florida. caller: yes p the only way this bill is going to be passed unless some of these lawmakers on capitol hill have their family members, these bridges collapse, they fall into the bay, they fall into the river and then that's when the bill will pass. joe biden needs to get out there on the road and let the people see the infrastructure of these bridges and highways, they need to do more promoting, get out there on the roads, let folks see what's going on with the infrastructure of these bridges. that's when this bill will pass. if they do not do it, it's not going to pass. let people die before their bill passes for infrastructure. host: to deborah in buford, georgia. also on the independent line.

caller: i'm confused. if the threading to close down the government because they only have enough money for existing debt, why do they want to go into trillions of debt. i don't understand it. i don't know why they are threatening to close down the government for existing debt they can't afford and then go and do trillions of dollars for more data. host: republic and sender pat toomey was asked about whether he supported the continuing resolution funding the government and the debt ceiling. here's what he had to say. >> i will be voting know if the democrats insist on combining the debt ceiling increase in suspension with the continuing

operations of the government there is no calamity that will happen. if that were even a serious risk, don't you think the equity markets from last week rather than fully recovering after the scare that came out of china rather than fully recovering as they did, maybe they would've traded off. that's because millions of investors no that no such calamity will occur. what can happen is after a republicans vote no, chuck schumer will do what he could done months ago and weeks ago, what he could do tomorrow and that is he will amend the budget resolution so the democrats can pass the debt ceiling by themselves and that's what should happen. here's why. they are in the midst of an absolutely unprecedented very damaging spending spree on a scale we have never seen and they want us to come along and authorize the borrowing to help pay for it. when we are totally opposed to what they are doing. they don't need a single republican vote, republicans

cannot stop it. it's not subject to a filibuster. if they want to do this, they can go ahead and bring the attention to the american people to the increase in debt we will need to pay for the spending spree. that's the reality, that's what's going to happen. >> you know as well as i do that raising the debt ceiling does not apply to the future expense you are talking about paying for spending. >> i'm going to cut you off right there prayed that's totally factually false. absolutely. there's all kinds of spending that has yet to be approved including the huge $5 trillion bill you are discussing with several guests earlier on the show. >> but raising the debt ceiling -- it's about the spending congress has already approved, that's why we are hitting the ceiling. >> jake, i just walk you through spending that is not yet occurred but our democrat colleagues want to engage in. they will dramatically increase the amount of money that will

need to be borrowed because they want to engage in all of this or they want the authority to borrow it now. >> so even if -- >> i don't agree with that spending. host: some comments about our question, your spending priorities. southwestern states could use some of the money to address border issues, dave on facebook asks biden's infrastructure bill -- this one from kevin, pay off the debt. david, cut military spending. invest in infrastructure. green technologies, schools and expanding medicare paid there is a lot to keep track of this week for all of us really in terms of what the house and senate are facing. the houses already passed a continuing resolution keeping government funding through december. the senate has to pass that to avoid a government shutdown. we talked about the infrastructure plan, the $1 trillion package and what is called a budget reconciliation

package includes climate change spending, social program spending, universal pre-k for three-year-old and four-year-olds. it extends the child income tax credit. paid family leave, it requires electric utility sector generate 80% of its power from clean energy by 2030. it makes community college free for two years and reduces prescription drug costs, some of the bullet points, highlights from that. $3.5 trillion measure although that figure certainly could change throughout the week. democrats line, go ahead. caller: good morning. what they are talking about is money we've already borrowed and that we are old. and if we don't pay that, that's can ruin our credit and everything.

plus, joe manchin and this woman , both of them are being furnished money from the oil companies. the lady had a most $9 million last year she received on her campaign for the oil people. the oil people don't want to put it cap on oil because if they do, they won't make all the money. for everybody out there, this deal the president is putting is for us. you guys didn't say thing when president trump gave all the rich people who already don't pay any taxes tax breaks. $29 million he gave them. they don't pay taxes now. what he did was give them money

like they were paying taxes. we, the poor people of america paying the taxes. host: how do you think your town or you individually stand to benefit from these measures, the infrastructure spending, the social spending. caller: they're going to let people be able to go to two years free of community college and we need that because the jobs that are going to be coming up is going to be green and it's the other things people need to be trained for. people don't want to work for $7.50 an hour. if you think we can survive on that, give it to the congress and let them show you how you're supposed to do that. host: appreciate your input.

202-748-8000 the line for democrats. 202-748-8001 for republicans paid all others, 202-748-8002. are opening our question is your priorities, your spending priorities for congress. washington, d.c. in the nation's capital, this is leo. caller: good morning. my name is leo. i'm concerned about the haitian situation, the united states has been in afghanistan for 20 years fighting an unwinnable war. it's been trillions of dollars trying to fix a country that wasn't going to be fixed and then in the final analysis, they are flying people out of afghanistan. they've got $6.8 billion waiting for the settlement of these

people. what kind of justification does the united states seem to have for this? host: appreciate your call prayed leo is talking abut the money included in the continuing resolution that passed in the house last week. it's $6.3 billion prayed let's hear from los angeles and fill is next up. caller: robert gates once said joe biden was wrong in every major policy issue about foreign affairs. there's no mandate for this dramatic change in the great society part three. if this passes the u.s. will be like france. fewer jobs for young people,

more money to the government, higher taxes and lower gdp. this is a complete fiasco, thank you. host: the new york times asked congressional offices, governors , state agencies across the country about their infrastructure priorities from california, the report high-speed rail, one of their priorities for more than a decade california sought to construct a high-speed rail line that would connect its largest cities to the central valley, a current priority is cleaning occupying route. also electric vehicles after governor gavin newsom last year issued an executive order intended to ramp up his states reliance on emission free cars. california began planning a network of electric charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations. the state budget dedicates $1 billion to expand infrastructures, but officials expect to believe further

funding. steve, hello there. caller: good morning. people have opinions. the value of their opinions is what they know. as we look at the united states right now, we are suffering from spending too much money and we are doing too much in all areas. nancy pelosi was saying there was an error in government that we can support anymore. we can finance this anymore. our -- the biggest question we need to know is how much money is it going to take to bankrupt the united states? what is that?

i don't understand what we are going to do. host: we will hear from laurel on the independence line -- independent line. caller: hello, how are you. host: make sure you mute the volume there and go ahead with your comments. caller: i just talked to the lady and i told her -- i have aramark, a statement. i just want to know, could you please tell me why you're not on more than every once in a while because you're the only host that really let's people make their comment. i appreciate that. anyway, i just had one question. i always hear the people say

democrats being more forgiving and more cooperative, why is it i never hear anybody say it about a republican? do they have any moderate republicans? host: great to hear from you. let's go to andy in simpsonville, south carolina. caller: i would -- it would be very helpful if you could explain to people that what the people -- democrats are trying to do is a suspension of the debt limit which would last until about this time next year which means they can raise -- put their bill through without having to raise the debt limit again. if it has to go through reconciliation, they have to actually specify an amount they want to raise the debt limit by. host: thanks for calling with that. on the debt limit its front page in the new york times, they are reporting on the issue, their

headline political game increases odds for the u.s. default. for nearly two decades lawmakers in washington of wage and escalating display over the federal government's ability to borrow money and pay its bills. they are forced in administration's both parties to take evasive actions pushing the nation dangerously close to economic calamity. but they have never actually tipped the united states into default. this time the dynamics are different. the threat of default is greater than ever prayed republicans in congress have refused to help raise the nations debt limit even though the need to borrows bends -- stems from the bipartisan package. on monday they are expected to block a measure in the senate that would enable the government to do so, democrats insisted republicans help pay for past decisions to boost spending and cut taxes. and so far have refused to use a

special process to raise the limit on their own. observers inside and outside washington are worried neither side will budge in time to the financial markets. i do want to point out in the senate the procedural vote happening in the senate around 5:30 this afternoon and our coverage of the u.s. senate is over on c-span2 later today. roy send this tweet. my priority to redirect the money that goes down the rathole of the pentagon to be redirected to social programs that benefit the people of this country. the defense industry has been milking the american taxpayers for two decades and now it's time for them to take a haircut. this one says let's start with feeding our hungry, making sure are ill and afflicted get the help they need. all along with upgrading,

repairing and building infrastructure. this one says repeal the trump tax cuts and properly fund the government by adding a wealth tax and increasing the social security ceiling. diane says cut spending, bring americans home from afghanistan and shut the border. from ohio, this is steve. caller: good morning. i just wanted to talk about increasing congressional spending on taiwan's defense against an invasion against china and also, taiwan i believe is important because they produce about 80% of the worlds microchips including this phone i'm using or the electronics your projection -- your production team is using and we can't let china get that. also the taiwanese people are a free people.

i hope we come through to defending taiwan if or when china invades. thank you. host: east hampton, massachusetts. caller: good morning. i would like to talk about the fact we have a situation where the top 10% of this country are not paying their fair share in taxes and the corporations aren't paying anything, there are tax loopholes the republicans avoid talking about all the time and they actually create the loopholes and the democrats, the corporate ones go by that. if there could be a fair way of talking about this budget and we need money from the rich and they need to share it. the way of sharing it is through

the tax system they are not doing it on their own. when they create these private foundations to supposedly help people, they just feed money back into the political chain. they let it seep in and basically took all of the money that he said was for helping the people that went through the war and he took all of the money from that and put it into his own pocket. so you can trust these guys. >> appreciate your call. representative jayapal, one of the key members of the progressive caucus in the u.s. house was on state of the union yesterday talking about the necessity of passing the $3.5 trillion package. [video clip] >> working very hard to get agreement on the reconciliation package and that has to be in agreement across the senate and the house because we are not

going to leave anyone behind. we will not leave behind women who need childcare, we won't leave behind taking on climate change and taking urgent action. we won't leave behind public housing, immigrants who are essential workers and need to be acknowledged as such. fundamentally we won't leave behind health care in the midst of a crisis. so that is all the stuff in the build back better act. our point is we are ready to vote for both. we are excited to vote for both and we will vote for both but we need to get the reconciliation bill done. that's what we said 3.5 months ago. our belief is we will get there, we are very close, but we have to get to that reconciliation bill first. host: some of the early reporting on the vote counting and the votes ahead and the debate in the u.s. house, the

early 202, pelosi punts infrastructure bill as progressives claim 60 votes against it, they report today the day nancy pelosi vowed to bring the bipartisan infrastructure package to the floor. the speaker announced sunday night the actual vote would slip until thursday. in case you are counting the stress inducing deadlines, that's one day before the government will shut down if congress doesn't pass a separate bill to fund it. they say the head of the congressional aggressive caucus said she was not bluffing when warning progresses were willing to tank the infra structure plan until the house and senate also passed a three point $5 trillion reconciliation bill that is still far from finished. it seems she meant business pretty thoughts on spending priorities for congress. 202-748-8000 free democrats, -- free democrats -- for democrats.

202-748-8001 for republicans. for independents, 202-748-8002. thanks for waiting. caller: i'm wondering about the new walmart complex. wondering if they have money how they can do that. host: you are feeding back a bit, make sure you mute your volume when you call in so you won't feedback. this is the washington times this morning. her headline about the debate ahead on capitol hill, there headline about the speaker. policy twist arms tighter in backroom spending talks. no room for error. they say the thin margins in congress, high-stakes muscling through $5.7 trillion of new spending with house speaker nancy pelosi in one of the tightest bonds of her political

career. mrs. pelosi has no room for error in bringing together far left and moderate democrats to score a desperately needed win for president biden. the speaker herself or tell you don't bet against nancy pelosi. "i don't consider anything uphill battle she told the washington times. she has mastered an extensive repertoire negotiating tactics to force affiant members inner caucus back in line. she dangles carrots, twist arms and pulls political levers to exert pressure on lawmakers in washington in their districts that those with first-hand experience of her strong-arming. some comments on social media. this one from katie on facebook who says simply term limits peered robert says defense in southern border law -- southern border wall with armed guards.

border security and build the wall from raymond. yvette says stop spending. hear from charlene in california. go ahead. democrats line. caller: what i want to do is comment about senator manchin. west virginia is one of the poorest, dirtiest, contaminated sickest states in the united states. their ancestors worked in the coal mines and died in those coal mines and couldn't provide any -- and leave anything for their offspring and the majority of the people there, that's who's there that he is not fairly representing. if you know he's doing that to his own people, what do the democrats across the united states think mr. manchin is going to do for them. he is not a democrat.

he is a flunky for the republicans. he thinks we are flunkies and we are not. we know what he's doing just like mr. clinton funding that nafta trade, hurting americans also. democrats -- republicans stick together in their goal and that's controlling the wealth and the people of this country and only a very few. we need to stick together. the poor republicans in the real democrats, we need to stick together against these wealthy controlling, evil, devilish, greedy representatives. host: linda on the independent line. caller: previous caller, you go girl prayed i'm right there with you. this all started with nafta. i was born in 1960 and it seems to me like things were going along great and then we had

nafta that took so many jobs. a lot of the cities, we need to eliminate a lot of things right now. we need to eliminate citizens united, we need to get term limits online, put caps on campaign funds. and no lobbying. if any of us tried that, it's like legal lot -- legal bribery. these people can also invest in stock prices and stuff. i don't think that should be legal either. host: this is from a headline from politico this morning. no backup plan for democrats reject deb -- debt limit offramp. they say democrats are running out of time to prepare unpalatable debt limit contingency plan is republicans keep stonewalling in the nation years a devastating default.

gop leaders insisted democrats lift the cap on government borrowing without republican votes by using the same budgetary move that's helping them take up a spending plan as soon as this week. that could put the whole package, which is already wobbling amid interparty disputes at risk. as it currently stands, the debt limit increase, the suspension of the debt limit was included. democrats included in their continuing resolution, which passed in the house last week. it fund the government for nine more weeks. it would suspend the debt limit. let's hear from mark in pittsburgh, democrats line. caller: thanks for listening. the problem is not just

republicans, but democrats in control. i do think the progressives have the upper hand and they need to hold everybody responsible. but democrats do not like that. the republicans do not like that. i'm not so sure they shouldn't just run it out as long as they can and force a vote. i also have a question that has to do with reconciliation. could democrats vote for reconciliation on the 60 vote limit and could they then reinstate it before the election of 2022? thank you. host: we will ask that of our next guest, christina of the hill. one of the key moderate members in the u.s. house is josh of new jersey per he was on state of the union yesterday and talked about the infrastructure

legislation. [video clip] >> what is important in the speaker communicated this is that we vote on it early this week and that will happen. was really important is everyone understands we are working around the clock on getting reconciliation done as well and i'm optimistic we will get both done. there's too much on the line, you think about infrastructure, what happened, that tragedy last night onto amtrak and of course here in new jersey. in the infra structure bill is climate resiliency to help fight climate change, fix amtrak and invest there. you have a tunnel between new york and new jersey that's crumbling. there's so much in this once in a century package and it's been sitting there waiting for us to vote on it since early august. i can't explain to anybody why there's a separate bill sitting here and you have all these hard-working men and women ready to go to work and get this done

and we haven't voted. that's how i know we have to get it done and we will and we have to get reconciliation done. >> the reason it's not going to be voted on. how's progressives are worried. the build back better act if they don't make sure it's a. as long as you don't vote or reconciliation. >> i just want to be clear about that. i support reconciliation and so do my colleagues. we all agree we need a reconciliation package and i think that's important everyone understands. these are two separate bills. you got infrastructure, a historic once in the century. it is no reason we shouldn't

pass that right away and get the shovels in the ground and make sure we do what we can, invest in our infrastructure and climate and then also we should keep working on this separate bill, which i'm committed to passing. we are talking all the time to make sure we can get that done as well. host: german election news. this is from cnbc. all be darned. german election results. after a reporter told him the social democratic party was ahead in germany's historic federal election pretty spent the weekend in camp david, he did not know who was projected to win until he got back to washington, d.c.. he said they are solid of the results with the spd, expect into beat angela merkel's

conservative alliance paid comments on social media about congressional spending. stephen texted us this, my priority on spending is passing the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill passed by the senate. they need to rewrite the tax code and eliminate most of the exemptions so everyone pays the same percentage. we need to pay down the debt or our country will fall. let's hear from john in madison, alabama. the independent line. caller: thanks for taking my call. i say we don't need particularly the reconciliation bill or most of the infrastructure bill and the reason is we will destroy the dollar. if you understand what the money supply out there, if we keep printing money, we will have inflation that's going to kill and tax all of us. the rest of the world is tired

of this and are dollar is no longer the reserve currency of the world, it will be a catastrophe. all of this spending is doing that. anybody who understands that knows this. host: rob in stockton, california on the republican line. caller: i wish you could pull up the united states debt clock and show the numbers there because i get a kick out of the democrats calling in saying we need this infrastructure, just another 3 trillion and then another 5.5 trillion. right now in 2008 it was 10,688,000,000,000 dollars in debt when obama went into office. it -- when it went over to trump it was 19,968,000,000,000, today it is 28 billion 868 trillion --

28 trillion, eight hundred 68 billion. right now that's 125 percent of the gross national product. every american owes $470,000. there is no way we can catch it. 125%, that's the gross national product. what it's going to cost to fix that. we can't even pay that off. how will we pay for another $3.5 trillion? host: to david in franklin, west virginia. caller: i'm calling in about that lady from california. on one of those so-called west virginia and she was talking about. she talks about how west virginians are so dumb and we are such a bad state. if were such a bad state, how come the people from d.c. are moving to west virginia, getting on transit and going to d.c. to work.

the biggest probably have in washington is nancy pelosi. she is ruining our country because she's the one controlling the whole government. we need to straighten up this thing in d.c. first. we cannot afford all of this debt. i'm 63 years old and i know what's going on. it doesn't take a sign -- rocket scientist to figure out. host: here's some of the reporting on west virginia in particular what potential federal and state projects could be aided by federal money. corridor h as part of the development system meant to stretch across much of the state has gone unfinished for more than half a century. in last september, construction on certain pieces was not expected to begin for least another decade. now it is set to get a crucial -- crucial infusion of money for the infrastructure bill. senators helped draft the legislation and ultimately

supported it, it created a $2 billion rural grant program expected to direct funding for the broader appalachian highway system and expect to provide an additional $195 billion to projects like corridor h. craig kaplan tweeting about some of the debate and action ahead in the u.s. senate with three days to go before the government could shut down september 30 at midnight. the senate votes on whether to end the filibuster preceding the house passed party line bill to extend government funding. the so-called cr with debt limit increases will be needed for this this afternoon. watch that over on c-span2. claudia is in north carolina. go ahead. caller: thank you for taking my call. i was just thinking that all of this spending that will support

free college and free things for pretty much everybody, including people coming in to our country, i do not think any of this will end up being free. i think what looks like free college, you will graduating get a job and then you'll pay more for groceries and gas and really you are going to have a smaller paycheck then you assumed because when i was growing up, my dad said there is no such thing as a free lunch and i worked for 30 years and was privileged to have a college education, but i do not know how we will do all of this free stuff and the last thing i wanted to say is that if there

were truth in government and in spending and we did not think that these bills, if they wouldn't sneak things in and not tell the american public the truth about what these bills are supporting we would have a lot more intelligent conversation about this spending if we could just get some folks to tell the truth out there. thank you. host: greenville, texas, the independent line. robert in texas. caller: thank you. host: robert i hate to say this, i know you tried to hard to get through. we are having a difficult time hearing you. it is breaking up. we will continue the conversation in the next half hour. sorry about that, it was just all breaking up.

this is mike in maryland. democrats line. caller: i think it's ironic that whenever the republicans are in charge, the debt is no problem. what is the problem with this? now all of a sudden republican -- democrats are in charge and all of a sudden the debt is the problem. it was no problem with trumps tax cuts, nothing for bush's credit card wars. when democrats are in charge, big problem. back in 2012, john boehner said we have to get jobs. as soon as barack obama was elected it all became the data. republicans are very disingenuous is a nice term. as far as nafta goes, that was a republican -- prayed i do not

blame progressives one bit for holding off on this. we see what happens when we hold off to find equity across the board. we get labor and environmental enforcement in mexico as opposed to what we have here, it never happened. so thankfully we have that. host: comments on facebook here for this one from casey who says cut the military and the drug war, invest in health care for everyone, but especially the mentally ill. upgrade the necessary infrastructures deal with flooding and wildfires. i have a much longer list, but those would be my priorities. government spending is out of control, we haven't had a balanced budget since clinton. it wouldn't be bad of the benefits weren't exclusive to the wealthy. they took over congress 40 years ago and wrecked everything for

us. , crestline is next, this is jason. good morning. caller: i just want to make a comment when we were spending $40 million a day. we were fighting two wars parallel to each other. that, republicans came out with the bush tax cuts. why are we having tax cuts we have to pay for a war? it is insane. i just don't edit. -- i just don't get it. there was something with the mandate and obamacare and he had the insider scoop on that. i don't know why they went after him. manchin made money on the epipen. when democrats come in, they

want to talk about the debt ceiling and stuff like that. it is a shame. host: let's get one more call. we will go to courtney. we didn't see you there. republican line, from winterhaven, florida. caller: yes, i am calling in about where we should be in our spending. i don't think any of the things that is in the new bill should be concerning anything to do with afghanistan or refugees. we need to focus on the workforce in this country. i don't understand why certain states have pipelines being closed, yet we have an $80 billion contract for certain jobs. host: all right. we appreciate your call. it has been an hour of talking about crunch time in the nation's capital with the impending end of the fiscal

>> the house is in recess until 6:30 p.m. eastern time. when members gavel back into session they'll take up legislation to end sentencing disparities for crack could he and and powdered cocaine. they'll debate the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill the senate passed last month. house speaker nancy pelosi says stheel vote on the bill on thursday. when the house is back in session at 6:po eastern time, find live coverage here on c-span. #. >> this week, # week on the c-span nedworks, secretary of defense lloyd austin, joint chiefs of chaff stair general mark millie, the head of u.s. central command general mckenzie testify on the u.s. withdrawal from afghanistan in two hearings. c-span3 will have live coverage of their testimony before the senate armed services committee today at 9:30a.m. herein. and the house armed services committee wednesday at 9:30a.m. eastern. the senate banking committee

holds an oversight hearing today at 10a.m. with treasury secretary janet yellen and federal reserve chair jerome powell on the federal economic stus measures taken in response to the pandemic. we'll have live coverage on c-span .org. then thursday at 10 on c-span3, health and human services secretary becerra and education secretary cardona are before a senate committee to cause school reopenings during the coronavirus pandemic. watch this week on the c-span networks or listen on the c-span radio app. head over to c-span .org for scheduling information or stream video live or on demand any time. c-span, your unfiltered view of government. >> today president biden talked about the importance of getting more people vaccinated. he then got a booster shot of pfizer's covid-19 vaccine while taking questions from reporters.