Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is applauding President Joe Biden for trying to enact a sweeping agenda.
During an appearance on CNN on Sunday, Clinton said that former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama tried to “push the agenda” and advance policies that expand the role of the government but were “constrained” by the political climate when they were in office.
However, she believes the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped how a majority of Americans think about what role the government should play.
“It wasn’t until the pandemic that I think a truly working majority of Americans, crossing party lines, as we’ve seen because of the approval that Republicans and independent voters are giving Biden, suddenly understood, in a clear way, that ‘You know what? There’s lots of times when we need the government,” Clinton said.
She continued, “We’ve been exposed as lacking in the kind of investments and support that we as Americans should be providing each other with the government as our partner. I’m thrilled that President Biden is taking advantage of this moment to try to push the agenda as far as possible. I think both presidents Obama and Clinton did too, but they were more constrained given what the climate was politically.”
Watch the video below:
Hillary Clinton: "I'm thrilled that President Biden is taking advantage of this moment to try to push the agenda as far as possible." pic.twitter.com/V7nUu6Vsrw
— The Hill (@thehill) May 2, 2021
Biden is urging Congress to pass roughly $4 trillion in new spending as part of his infrastructure proposal that would expand the government’s role in the economy. He has also proposed tax hikes on corporations and the wealthiest Americans.
He has described his new plan as a “once in a generation investment in our families and our children.”
The latest infrastructure push comes shortly after Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.
While Clinton is praising Biden’s push for more spending, Republicans have signaled their opposition to his proposals.