Jon Stewart is visibly exasperated hearing about arduous process to get Build Back Better government grants

"The Daily Show" host Jon Stewart appeared visibly exasperated during a recent discussion about the process states had to endure to get funding from the federal government during former President Biden’s term.

Stewart made multiple pained outbursts and uttered obscenities in response to The New York Times columnist Ezra Klein reading aloud the 14 steps it took for organizations to apply for "Build Back Better" funding.

"I'm speechless," Stewart declared after Klein got through the list during a recent episode of his podcast, "The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart." 

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Klein appeared on the show this week to speak about his new book, "Abundance" – co-authored by Derek Thompson – which details how major progressive policy goals of recent years, like Build Back Better, failed to be implemented in lasting and meaningful ways.

Build Back Better was a nationwide economic investment plan proposed Biden during the early years of his term, which sought to allocate nearly $2 trillion in U.S. infrastructure investment – with nearly a quarter of that going to climate change projects.

Though the plan was not passed by Congress, Biden was able to rework elements of Build Back Better into several other pieces of legislation during his term, including the American Rescue Plan.

During the podcast, Klein described to Stewart how cumbersome it was for states and other jurisdictions to get Build Back Better funding to set up broadband internet throughout the rural U.S. – so much so that only three of the 56 entities seeking these grants got through this "14-stage process" to get the money.

"By the end of 2024, three have gotten to the end of the process," Klein said. "Three of these 56?," Stewart asked. Klein affirmed.

"End of the process meaning they’ve actioned it? They’ve built it," Stewart stammered.

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"No, no, no. Oh no, of course not. I didn’t mean they had built it, Jon. Sorry… I confused you," Klein said. "Oh dear God," Stewart replied, placing his head in his hand.

Klein clarified, "They just got to the point where they, in theory, they could get the money to build it."

Stewart then invited his guest to list out the 14-stage process, which he did, detailing how states and jurisdictions would have to submit letters of intent, request planning grants, and put forward five-year action plans – each of which must be approved by multiple government agencies. 

Klein stunned Stewart by saying that completing those actions only got entities up to "step five" and it took three years for each of them to get to that point in the process.

As Klein continued to read off these guidelines, Stewart exclaimed, "Oh my God!" He then began laughing at the amount of red tape that states and jurisdictions had to get through.

"So having done the NOFO [Notice of Funding Opportunity], the letters of intent, the request for planning grants, then the review, approval, and awarding of the planning grants, then the five-year action plans. In between that, the federal government has to put forward a map saying where it thinks we need rural broadband subsidies. And then, of course, the states need an opportunity to challenge the map for accuracy," Klein said, adding, "And you can imagine this doesn’t all happen in a day."

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Stewart leaned back in his seat, his arms thrown back in exhaustion reacting to the growing list. Still, Klein went on, admitting, "It’s hard even to talk about this, man."

The guest kept listing off steps, with Stewart regularly responding by wincing, and mouthing, "Oh my God."

Eventually, Klein started criticizing the Biden administration, stating, "This is the Biden administration’s process for its own bill. They wanted this to happen. This is how liberal government works now."

"Oh wow," the host said, before losing it as Klein read step 12: "States must run a competitive sub granting process."

"Oh my f------ God!," the host yelled. 

After Klein finished detailing the steps, Stewart admitted, "I’m speechless. Honestly, it’s A, far worse than I could’ve imagined; but the fact that they amputated their own legs over this, is what’s so stunning."