to do since build back better is really on the back burner, they ve said, okay, now is the time we have to do it. and you understand this as well as i do or anybody who s looked at politics. they understand that the window is closing. there s a good shot that they re not going to have unified control of the congress next time around after 2022. so, the window is closing, and they got to they believe they have to do something. and even if even if they might lose this vote or not get everything they want, they still believe at the white house they have a shot of getting some of what they want, which won t be perfect, but they understand that this is their opportunity, and you can argue with them that they should have done this sooner, that they should have done it before they spent all that political capital on build back better, but this is the situation they re in, and so they re giving the speech they ve got to give. i mean, ashley, you could
perspective today. we ll see what happens with the president s visit. thank you so much. joining us now, cnn political commentator allison ashley, former national coalitions director for president biden s campaign. radio host for metro news talkline in west virginia, and gloria borger, cnn chief political analyst. gloria, let s start with you. we heard what jerry gonzalez says, we don t need any more speeches, we need action in washington. the president called this a defining moment. he had a defining moment speech six months ago at the constitution center in philadelphia. why is the president delivering this now, considering there s not been much progress on getting legislation passed in the six months since? look, if all had gone according to plan, from the white house point of view, they would have passed the american rescue plan, which they did. they would have passed their infrastructure bill, which they did, and then they would have passed build back better, which day didn
symbolism in that, but the democrats need to be united if they re going to get anything done, and it makes it a little harder for the president. when stacey abrams, who is so important in this fight when stacey abrams has a conflict and suddenly cannot appear. yeah, ashley, let me ask you about this. you mentioned some of the grassroots organizations, but people across the country, they don t know those leaders as well as they know a stacey abrams who has a national platform. the significance of her absence today, they say that they were on the wrong page for scheduling, what does that mean, that she is not there, specifically? well, i think if soon to be governor abrams says she has a scheduling conflict, i believe her. i do think, though, it is it sends a symbol that we have to act and that she does not feel like this speech is going to be the deciding factor, though, that will get the legislation