Khanna: Biden Told Us New Deal Started Small ‘and Then It Grew’ During Reconciliation Talks, I Think We Can ‘Establish’ ‘Base’ for Programs

On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Situation Room,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) stated that during a meeting with President Joe Biden on the reconciliation bill, Biden told them “when the New Deal started, it wasn’t the New Deal that we study in the history books. It started with some small programs, and then it grew.” Khanna also argued, “If we can get a number of these programs funded, we establish the base for which they can dwell in the future.”

Khanna said, “We’re willing to compromise as long as the priorities are in there, as long as we still have every American going to preschool, as long as we still have child care, as long as we still have bold climate provisions, but the amounts of these programs can be compromised. And the president said something that really struck me, he said, when the New Deal started, it wasn’t the New Deal that we study in the history books. It started with some small programs, and then it grew. And I think that that is compelling. If we can get a number of these programs funded, we establish the base for which they can dwell in the future.”

He added that shortening the duration of the programs is “one compelling way of dramatically lowering the price tag, and then we can have the American people decide in ’24 whether they like the fact that seniors now can get dental care, whether they like the fact that they can get paid leave if they have a sick child, whether they like the fact that they can have their — go to college and not go into all this debt.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett