1 00:00:01,866 --> 00:00:04,733 JUDY WOODRUFF: Let's dig deeper now into President Biden's executive actions today. 2 00:00:04,733 --> 00:00:09,533 And, for that, we're joined by Susan Rice, his domestic policy adviser. 3 00:00:09,533 --> 00:00:11,100 Susan Rice, so good to see you again. 4 00:00:11,100 --> 00:00:13,266 Welcome back to the "NewsHour." 5 00:00:13,266 --> 00:00:18,166 We heard from Yamiche Alcindor's reporting earlier in the program about the memoranda, 6 00:00:18,166 --> 00:00:23,166 executive actions the president is taking around equity, a number of these similar to 7 00:00:25,066 --> 00:00:29,566 what President Obama rolled out early in his administration. That was 12 years ago, and 8 00:00:30,700 --> 00:00:32,566 even echoes of President Clinton. 9 00:00:32,566 --> 00:00:35,333 Tell us how what is going on now is different. 10 00:00:35,333 --> 00:00:38,366 SUSAN RICE, White House Domestic Policy Adviser: Well, Judy, it's good to be with you. 11 00:00:38,366 --> 00:00:43,333 I served in the Clinton administration, the Obama administration, and now the Biden administration. 12 00:00:45,333 --> 00:00:47,366 And I can tell you that, while each of the previous administrations that were Democratic 13 00:00:47,366 --> 00:00:52,166 worked to advance racial equity and justice, what we have seen in the last week and the 14 00:00:54,300 --> 00:00:58,533 first week of the Biden presidency is something quite different and unprecedented. 15 00:00:58,533 --> 00:01:03,500 President Biden on his first day in office implemented an executive order that will embed 16 00:01:06,666 --> 00:01:11,666 racial justice and equity in everything the federal government does, from how it collects 17 00:01:14,100 --> 00:01:17,000 data, to how it allocates resources, to how it assesses where we currently stand on matters 18 00:01:18,933 --> 00:01:22,966 of civil rights and racial equity. And it will hold each agency accountable for its 19 00:01:26,300 --> 00:01:28,900 results. We have never done that before. 20 00:01:28,900 --> 00:01:33,900 And, today, beyond his whole-of-government, interagency commitment to ensuring that we 21 00:01:36,766 --> 00:01:41,766 put justice and equity front and center for everything, he rolled out a number of additional 22 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:47,066 executive actions that will be beneficial for a wide range of Americans, combating xenophobia, 23 00:01:49,666 --> 00:01:53,700 for example, against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, who faced so much vitriol and animosity 24 00:01:56,266 --> 00:02:01,233 and even hate crimes resulting from previous leaders' attempts to target them in the context 25 00:02:02,866 --> 00:02:04,933 of COVID. 26 00:02:04,933 --> 00:02:09,300 He instituted a very important housing regulation that will -- or -- excuse me -- order that 27 00:02:11,733 --> 00:02:16,166 would lead to new housing regulations, quite likely, that would roll back what Donald Trump 28 00:02:17,833 --> 00:02:22,100 did to try to prevent full implementation of the Fair Housing Act. 29 00:02:22,100 --> 00:02:27,100 So, there were many actions today, combined what he did last week. But, Judy, this is 30 00:02:29,066 --> 00:02:33,033 not the end of what we intend to do. This is six days in. We have a great deal more 31 00:02:33,033 --> 00:02:37,700 to do on all aspects of equity and justice. 32 00:02:37,700 --> 00:02:39,300 The other thing I would mention is that the... 33 00:02:39,300 --> 00:02:40,300 JUDY WOODRUFF: And so... 34 00:02:40,300 --> 00:02:42,333 SUSAN RICE: Sorry. Go ahead. 35 00:02:42,333 --> 00:02:46,466 JUDY WOODRUFF: Yes, I was just going to say, so, for Americans watching this, what tangible 36 00:02:47,633 --> 00:02:50,066 changes are they going to see from this? 37 00:02:50,066 --> 00:02:53,933 SUSAN RICE: Well, the first and most important thing, and what President Biden spent a great 38 00:02:53,933 --> 00:02:58,900 deal of time today talking about, is, we don't just invest in equity and racial justice out 39 00:03:01,566 --> 00:03:05,933 of moral purpose, as significant as that may be. 40 00:03:05,933 --> 00:03:10,933 We do it because it benefits every single American, not just one group or another. You 41 00:03:12,866 --> 00:03:16,366 know, there have been important studies that have been recently conducted by economists, 42 00:03:16,366 --> 00:03:21,366 including at Citi, which have indicated that, if we can close the racial gap in income and 43 00:03:23,133 --> 00:03:27,300 opportunity, all Americans stand to benefit. 44 00:03:27,300 --> 00:03:32,300 We will add $5 trillion to the economy over five years and create six million new jobs 45 00:03:34,333 --> 00:03:38,566 for everybody. So, this work is the business of making all Americans do better, because, 46 00:03:40,566 --> 00:03:44,400 when some of us are suffering, and the gaps are so huge, it actually drags us all down. 47 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:49,733 So, what we will do that is different is to make sure that, when we have new policies 48 00:03:49,733 --> 00:03:54,733 and programs, that we're thinking about how they can be beneficial broadly. So, for example, 49 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:00,133 in the president's American Rescue Plan, his COVID relief package, there are things this 50 00:04:01,966 --> 00:04:05,033 there that benefit all Americans, raising unemployment benefits and extending them, 51 00:04:05,033 --> 00:04:10,033 making sure that we have up to $2,000 to all those who need it. 52 00:04:12,466 --> 00:04:17,466 But there are many steps in there that will benefit those at the lower-income scale and 53 00:04:19,633 --> 00:04:24,633 lift half of American children out of poverty and reduce overall poverty by 30 percent. 54 00:04:26,566 --> 00:04:28,666 So, this is beneficial to everybody. 55 00:04:28,666 --> 00:04:33,566 JUDY WOODRUFF: What do you say to some conservatives, like the columnist Andrew Sullivan -- and 56 00:04:35,566 --> 00:04:40,100 I'm quoting from him -- he's accusing the president in one of the things he wrote -- of 57 00:04:40,100 --> 00:04:42,133 culture war aggression. 58 00:04:42,133 --> 00:04:46,933 And he went on to say, the president's focus on equity, he said, "would give named identity 59 00:04:48,933 --> 00:04:53,100 groups a specific advantage and treatment by the federal government over other groups." 60 00:04:55,066 --> 00:04:58,266 SUSAN RICE: What I would say to that is that is a false characterization of what is going 61 00:04:58,266 --> 00:05:03,200 on. We are not giving anybody an advantage. We are giving everybody an equal, level playing 62 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:07,466 field, or that's what we aim to do, because the history in this country is, there has 63 00:05:07,466 --> 00:05:12,466 not been a level playing field for many Americans, not just of Black and brown Americans and 64 00:05:14,533 --> 00:05:18,100 people of color, but people in rural areas who have been left behind, people in urban 65 00:05:20,033 --> 00:05:23,133 and suburban areas, disabled Americans, religious minorities, LGBTQ Americans. 66 00:05:25,233 --> 00:05:28,833 And the reality is, it is holding us all back. So, rather than look at this through a divisive 67 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:35,033 prism of zero sum, if it's good for them, it has to be bad for me, that's not the American 68 00:05:36,533 --> 00:05:39,000 way, and that's not how we all grow and prosper. 69 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:44,000 We have to recognize that we're in this boat together. We sink or swim together. And when 70 00:05:46,033 --> 00:05:49,466 we have a leak in the boat and people are at risk, it puts all of us at risk. 71 00:05:51,500 --> 00:05:55,100 So, it's not about advantaging one group over another. It's making sure that we all begin 72 00:05:57,066 --> 00:05:59,500 at the same place and have the chance to fulfill our God-given potential. 73 00:05:59,500 --> 00:06:04,433 JUDY WOODRUFF: I ask because Andrew Sullivan went on to say, you don't unite the country 74 00:06:04,433 --> 00:06:09,433 by dividing it along what he calls these deep and inflammatory issues of identity. 75 00:06:10,166 --> 00:06:12,200 SUSAN RICE: Well... 76 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:16,100 JUDY WOODRUFF: And, as you know, there are Republicans saying the focus on equity is 77 00:06:17,700 --> 00:06:19,900 pointing a finger at Republicans, saying they are racist. 78 00:06:19,900 --> 00:06:22,066 SUSAN RICE: Well, that is absolutely not the case. 79 00:06:22,066 --> 00:06:27,066 And, as President Biden said today, he believes and most religions teach us that we have to 80 00:06:30,266 --> 00:06:34,866 look out for one another, and that we believe that most Democrats, Republicans, and independents 81 00:06:34,866 --> 00:06:39,866 believe that we are all human beings of equal dignity and equal worth, and we have to respect 82 00:06:40,933 --> 00:06:43,033 that. 83 00:06:43,033 --> 00:06:46,933 But it's a bit rich, frankly, for Republicans to suggest that, by trying to lift up everybody, 84 00:06:48,900 --> 00:06:53,433 we are dividing America, when we just had four years of the most divisive, vitriolic 85 00:06:55,900 --> 00:06:59,866 presidency that one can imagine, and that division was a political strategy. And, thankfully, 86 00:07:02,866 --> 00:07:06,900 it hasn't worked, because it is not what the American people want. 87 00:07:06,900 --> 00:07:11,566 They want us to come together. They want us to value each other. They want us to find 88 00:07:11,566 --> 00:07:16,566 common ground. And contrary to the notion that somehow this divides us, by recognizing 89 00:07:19,066 --> 00:07:22,733 that we all have inherent dignity and worth, that we're all worthy of respect and opportunity, 90 00:07:24,266 --> 00:07:28,266 we're reaching out hands to one another and lifting each other up. 91 00:07:28,266 --> 00:07:33,266 That's the America that makes the American dream accessible to not just the few, but 92 00:07:34,466 --> 00:07:36,600 the many. And that's what we want to be. 93 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,833 JUDY WOODRUFF: One very brief final question. Will there be government funds that go into 94 00:07:42,766 --> 00:07:44,233 supporting these new policies? 95 00:07:44,233 --> 00:07:46,333 SUSAN RICE: Yes, absolutely. 96 00:07:46,333 --> 00:07:51,333 For example, in the COVID relief package, which we call the American Rescue Plan, there 97 00:07:53,300 --> 00:07:57,566 are funds there for all Americans, but funds that will benefit people who have been left 98 00:07:59,533 --> 00:08:03,500 behind as well and people of different backgrounds and races, of all backgrounds and races. 99 00:08:05,533 --> 00:08:09,566 But the reality is, yes, there will be money for child tax credits, for the Earned Income 100 00:08:09,566 --> 00:08:14,566 Tax Credits, for vaccines, so we can get vaccines in everybody's arms, not just those with access 101 00:08:16,733 --> 00:08:19,333 to information and resources. 102 00:08:19,333 --> 00:08:23,866 And the COVID crisis is a perfect illustration of the fact that we are all in this boat together. 103 00:08:26,566 --> 00:08:31,233 We are not going to recover from this crisis if our essential workers, our front-line workers, 104 00:08:31,233 --> 00:08:36,233 from meatpackers to restaurant workers to hospital workers, are suffering, because we 105 00:08:38,233 --> 00:08:42,566 all rely on them to keep our economy afloat and to keep our lives working. 106 00:08:45,066 --> 00:08:48,666 We need to get our kids all back in school. That's not a Democratic or Republican imperative. 107 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:54,000 That's a national imperative. So, this package and these resources serve us all. And we will 108 00:08:55,900 --> 00:09:00,600 make those investments because they are in our shared benefit and interest. 109 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:05,933 JUDY WOODRUFF: Susan Rice, who is President Biden's domestic policy adviser, I know we 110 00:09:07,900 --> 00:09:11,100 will want to be checking in with you as the weeks and months go by to see how these policies 111 00:09:11,900 --> 00:09:12,966 are progressing. 112 00:09:12,966 --> 00:09:13,966 Thank you so much. 113 00:09:13,966 --> 00:09:14,633 SUSAN RICE: Thank you, Judy.