1-on-1 with Marty Walsh: U.S. secretary of labor in Ohio to push Build Back Better plan

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - The U.S. secretary of labor was in Southwest Ohio Tuesday, continuing his tour of the country to build support for President Joe Biden's Build Back Better plan and the infrastructure bill.

Local 12's David Winter was the only Cincinnati reporter to sit down with Marty Walsh one-on-one.

Winter: What is the single most important part of the plan that will help American families?

Walsh: Quick answer: the cares economy -- investing in the folks who take care of our kids, the people who take care of our elderly parents and adults. I have to do a quick plug for job training, as well, $100 billion for jobs training. It's going to make a difference. People who are trying to go back to work -- job training is going to be key for them.

Winter: What do you say to business owners who say the $15-an-hour minimum wage will kill their businesses?

Walsh: I heard that same concern in Massachusetts, in Boston, when we were talking about raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. It was going to close businesses; it was going to ruin industry, and it had the quite opposite effect. Businesses flourished in Boston, not just because the minimum wage, but it brought more money into the economy, gave people more opportunity to spend.

Winter: Will cutting off people’s COVID relief money get them back to work?

Walsh: We haven't seen that. About half the states in the country have gotten rid of the $300 supplemental, and we haven't seen an increase in people going back to work. I think there are many other reasons people aren't going back to work, and I think $300 a month is not one of them.

Winter: What will the economy be like at the end of President Biden’s first term?

Walsh: I hope it's better. I only say that and put an asterisk there because of the Delta variant and COVID-19. Hospital rooms, emergency rooms, are filled with people. So, I think if everything goes as planned, after President Biden's first term, our economy will be revving on all engines, but we also have to be careful what happens in the next few months.