Vice President Joe Biden Interview with KWQC
Joe St. George Reporter
March 28, 2012.
Q: You talked a lot in your speech about the past. This election is about the future. Santorum says he wants a 0 percent tax for manufacturers. Romney wants capital gains at 25 percent. What is the Obama/Biden plan for the future of manufacturing and the economy?
The Obama Biden plan for the future is to make sure we reward companies who invest here and not abroad like both of those guys do. The Obama Biden plan is to reduce the tax rate for manufacturing companies by 20 percent. Taxes on those that manufacture and those that manufacture high tech products more than that. The Obama Biden plan is to make sure that we provide for the ability of the companies if they start up now whether there building factories space or buying new equipment to be able to write that off very rapidly. So that they can have a tax incentive to do it. But most of all its focusing on manufacturing. Mitt Romney has made it clear that he doesn't see economic manufacturing as the future of the United States of America - quoting the wall street journal. And Rick Santorum talks about it but when he was in the senate he voted against repealing all those benefits for companies that take their businesses abroad. They're are stark stark differences between the last administration, republican administration and this republican field in terms of how they feel about manufacturing. and the reason that manufacturing is important to us its about rebuilding the middle class these are jobs in which people can live on a decent neighborhood own there homes and send their kids to school.
Q: If the Obama/Biden plan is so key on jobs why say no to the keystone pipeline?
Well two reasons it hadn't gone through the process. There is a process to make sure it can be environmentally sound. Done in an environmentally sound way particularly through that part of Nebraska that is so sensitive. The president signed off on the second half of the plan/pipeline because it doesn't have those environmentally and even if in fact it was sound off through now. Its not going to generate any new energy for a long long time. So the impact that it will impact that will effect the process we have now. its going to go through the process and it will be made on an environmentally sound basis.
Q: Are two many H1B visas given out each year? Are too many highly skilled jobs going to people outside the United States?
No h1b visa can be granted to an employee to come to a company unless they can prove there is no American to fill the job. What we have had is a real vacuum in the number of computer engineers and high tech personnel to work in particularly silicon valley that's where most of those h1b visas are going that's why we have made it so attractive and I don't understand why republicans have opposed us. 3 million more kids are able to get to college because of pell grants we provide for 2500 tax credit off the bottom line of your income tax for every kid you have in college. We've made sure the debt accumulated by those graduating from American universities now which is 23 24 thousand dollars a year. Doesn't have to be paid back in more than 10 percent of your disposable income per year so they have an opportunity to continue their education - continue to invest in housing and the rest so and what we are perplexed by why the republicans want to vote against and repeal all of that. Even to the point now even when you will see the interest of student loans doubling this summer. We're saying hold that off -particularly now
Q: The White House bragged about how healthcare was going to help the economy back in 2009 – but you didn't mention it in your economic speech today at all. Why?
Actually I did this speech was on manufacturing last week I was in Florida and I bragged about what our healthcare benefits are doing to the American people and why its so critical to me to their physical health. my republican colleagues want to repeal the healthcare bill have to acknowledge it will increase the long term debt by a 101 billion dollars. there talking about people who get 600 bucks a year to get their prescription drugs eliminating that you probably know we all know who are living with a disease like cancer or cardiac problems who are being told now guess what the insurance companies can't cut your coverage.
Q: If the mandate is deemed unconstitutional is it a successful bill?
It's a successful bill we don't believe it will be declared unconstitutional nobody's made a whole lot of money ever betting on the outcome of a supreme court case based on oral arguments we should all just calm down a little bit the court will make its judgment and the court will say the mandate is constitutional and we will conclude that.
Q. Thanks Mr. Vice President.
Thanks, Joe.
