Vice President Kamala Harris lavished praise on President Joe Biden on Monday, thanking him for the work he did to secure a trilli...
Vice President Kamala Harris lavished praise on President Joe Biden on Monday, thanking him for the work he did to secure a trillion dollar infrastructure bill, amid reports that their relationship had soured.
They walked out on to the South Lawn together in a show of unity before hugging in front of about 800 guests.
Harris then walked to the podium to begin her speech when the announcer appeared to skip her and said: 'Please welcome Heather Kurtenbach.'
'In a moment,' Kamala responded with a laugh. Hours earlier, a string of insiders told CNN Biden was distancing himself from Harris because of her sliding poll numbers while the VP felt isolated.
Officials tried to shrug off the claims during the day, and Harris offered her boss the thanks of a grateful nation.
'From the very start you welcomed Democrats, independents and Republicans to meet with us in the Oval Office. You welcomed ideas. You welcomed debate, all in the service of getting this bill done,' said Harris before Biden signed the bill into law.
'And here is what I know to be true, Mr. President, you are equal parts believer and builder.
'And because you are, we are all better off. On behalf of our nation, thank you Mr. President.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema and Republican Senator Rob Portman were on the stage as they signed the infrastructure bill to invest in broadband, bridges, roads and ports.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris arrived together on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday afternoon amid reports that their relationship was breaking down
They offered a very public display of unity with broad smiles and a hug, despite claims that Harris felt isolated and that Biden was distancing himself from an unpopular vice president
They appeared together for the signing of the trillion dollar infrastructure bill. 'And here is what I know to be true, Mr. President, you are equal parts believer and builder,' said Harris before thanking the president for his work
Biden thanked 'everyone who helped make this happen,' and listed Vice President Harris first
Harris is back in the U.S. after a diplomatic trip to Paris
They each delivered remarks before an invited audience of members of Congress, governors, mayors, state and local elected officials, labor leaders, and business leaders were among the guests on the South Lawn.
It was the biggest event yet for the Biden White House, with hundreds of guests and an array of all 50 state flags meant to show the reach of the program. The audience also featured multiple former Democratic legislators like former Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama – at a time when Republicans have their eyes on 2022 as an opportunity to pick up seats.
Biden used the event to champion the infrastructure law – and call for action on his Build Back Better plan.
I know you're tired of the bickering in Washington, frustrated by the negativity,' he told the crowd on a blustery day. 'And you just want us to use and focus on your needs, your concerns, and the conversations taking place at your kitchen table,' he said. 'My fellow Americans, today I want you to know, we hear you and we see you. The bill I"m about to sign into law is proof that despite the cynics, Democrats and Republicans can come together and deliver results.'
Biden talked up Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio as a 'hell of a good guy.' And he praised Sen. Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.) as 'the most determined woman I know.'
But the subplot was the state of the relationship between Harris and Biden.
Senior Biden aides spent the day trying to pour cold water on the CNN article published Sunday night with background from nearly three dozen sources suggesting that Biden had 'given up' on Harris after a poll showed her approval at 28 percent.
Privately, Harris aides complain that she has been set up to fail, and handed a portfolio that is not commensurate with her historic status as the first woman, and first woman of color, to hold the vice president's office.
'They're consistently sending her out there on losing issues in the wrong situations for her skill set,' said a former high-level Harris aide.
Her aides also complain that on the issues that she has been given control over - such as the border crisis - she doesn't have White House backing to follow through.
In contrast, they say the president has been more vigorous in defending Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
At the same time, Biden's staff are privately disappointed with Harris over self-inflicted controversies, like her 'awkward' laughter when asked about visiting the border by NBC's Lester Holt.
(From left to right) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema, and Republican Senator Rob Portman were on the stage as they signed the infrastructure bill to invest in broadband, bridges, roads and ports
First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff were all smiles as they walked onto the South Lawn for the signing
Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, the key vote in passing Biden's $1.8trillion Build Back Better bill, also attended the ceremony
Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, 81, poses with fellow lawmakers just hours after announcing his retirement after serving eight terms from 1972
The crowd gathers on the South Lawn of the White House before the bill signing ceremony
Publicly, the White House insists the relationship between Biden and Harris remains harmonious and productive.
'It is unfortunate that after a productive trip to France in which we reaffirmed our relationship with America's oldest ally and demonstrated U.S. leadership on the world stage, and following passage of a historic, bipartisan infrastructure bill that will create jobs and strengthen our communities, some in the media are focused on gossip - not on the results that the President and the Vice President have delivered,' the vice president's spokesperson Symone Sanders told CNN.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also appeared to respond to the reports with a tweet in defense of the vice president.
'For anyone who needs to hear it,' she began in her Sunday evening tweet. '@VP is not only a vital partner to @POTUS but a bold leader who has taken on key, important challenges facing the country—from voting rights to addressing root causes of migration to expanding broadband.'
Before signing the infrastructure bill into law, Biden made a plea for more bipartisanship.
'Too often in Washington - the reason we don't get things done is because we insist on getting everything we want,' he said.
'With this law, we focused on getting things done. I ran for president because the only way to move our country forward is through compromise and consensus.'
The speakers on Monday all praised Biden - and, in one case, even his predecessor - for pushing through the infrastructure package.
Sinema, a moderate Democrat and key swing vote in the Senate, said the plan will create millions of jobs, will not cost taxpayers any money and said it will help her home state of Arizona improve water supplies.
'Our plan will create millions of jobs and make our country stronger, safer and more globally competitive without raising taxes on everyday Americans,' she said.
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