saying, i felt very optimistic about it and frankly, what our leadership is saying this week is i m continuing to be optimistic that we re going to bring that infrastructure bill out of the senate with 69 senators finally get us to the floor here so we can get a vote and get the involves in the ground and 2 million people a year to work. i was with the president this morning, as you know, in northern new jersey. feet from where the gateway tunnel will get built as the train tunnel between new york and new jersey and it just reiterated, reenforced, the importance of getting this bill passed. the latest price tag for the social spending bill, not the traditional infrastructure bill, the social spending bill is hovering around $1.75 trillion but manchin says he s sticking with his offer of 1.5 trillion. would you like them to get closer? you think there s a chance the president will get closer to manchin s price tag? we re very close. literally back and forth now.
broadband infrastructure, for jersey what s so important, the tunnel between new york and new jersey, the train tunnel. so this is essential for america. it s an essential investment and we re going to get it done. it s a long time since congress has passed major infrastructure legislation. 30 years. that s correct. you say the house speaker is working her, quote, pelosi magic, your words, but progressives, you know that, they say they still have the votes to tank the bill. do you think they re bluffing? no, i think at the end of the day, and i stand by what i said about the speaker, there s nobody better at helping get the votes, and she s fully behind this. it s a critical part of the president s agenda, as you know. it s 2 million jobs a year, hard working men and women of labor. we re hearing a lot from them as well. these are really folks who rely on these projects. so we ve got to get this done. we will get it done. i believe when we vote at the end of the night, people w