What They Are Reading in the States: Biden-Harris Administration is Investing in America; Local Communities Reap Benefits

What They Are Reading in the States: Biden-Harris Administration is Investing in America; Local Communities Reap Benefits

The Biden-Harris Administration is delivering historic investments to communities across the country, growing our economy from the middle-out and bottom-up, not top-down. This week, as a result of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, multiple manufacturing companies announced new investments that will create hundreds of good-paying jobs, and the Administration announced significant actions to implement the historic legislation President Biden signed into law that is creating economic opportunity for hardworking American families.
 
Prompted by the Inflation Reduction act, this week LG Energy and QCELLS both announced expansions of their manufacturing facilities in Arizona and Georgia, which will create hundreds of good-paying jobs. Vice President Kamala Harris announced $197 million to support wildfire resilience across 22 states, putting people to work and protecting communities.  And the Department of Transportation announced investments in new programs across 33 states that will improve transportation infrastructure and safety.
 
Also this week, the White House announced that President Biden will be kicking off an Administration-wide, three-week Investing in America tour that will highlight how the President’s economic policies are benefiting hardworking Americans across the country and reinforce what’s at stake if MAGA Republicans in Congress get their way and repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and slash funding for manufacturing, research, and innovation.
 
A sampling of the local coverage on President Biden’s investments across the country:
 

• AZ: Arizona Central: Korean electronics giant LG announces huge expansion of plans for battery factory in Queen Creek

“LG Energy Solution said it will quadruple its initial budget for a battery manufacturing plant in Queen Creek and now plans to spend $5.5 billion for the project, which will create thousands of jobs and could become the largest stand-alone battery complex in North America. LG Energy Solution said demand for batteries is surging, and the company expects its 2023 revenue to increase by 25% to 30%. The company attributed the demand increase in part to federal tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, which was passed by Congress last year.”
 

• GA: Atlanta Journal Constitution: Solar parts supplier for Qcells building $147M Cartersville plant

“In a statement on HAGA’s plant, Biden connected the dots between the IRA and the new investment in Georgia. The IRA provides $10 billion in tax credits for building new solar manufacturing facilities, plus billions more for manufacturers to make components for solar panels, batteries, and wind turbines in the U.S., among a host of other clean energy incentives. ‘With the support of Senators Warnock and Ossoff and Georgia House Democrats, clean energy manufacturing announcements in Georgia are creating thousands of good-paying jobs making solar panels and components here at home and tackling the climate crisis,’ Biden said in a statement.”
 

• NC: Spectrum (North Carolina statewide): President Biden to kick off 'Investing in America' tour in N.C. next week

“President Joe Biden plans to visit North Carolina Tuesday as part of a three-week administration-wide "Investing in America" tour. The White House says Biden will travel to Durham to visit Wolfspeed, a producer of semiconductors and their key components. Wolfspeed recently announced a $5 billion investment to build its North Carolina facility and the creation of 1,800 jobs.”
 

• KY: Louisville Courier Journal:  These 4 flood-prone underpasses in Louisville are getting 'smart technology'

“The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarding Louisville nearly $2 million to improve its aging traffic management system at four of its most dangerous, flood-prone underpasses, local and federal officials announced Tuesday. The $1,999,481 grant comes thanks to the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation program that was established through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the $1.2 trillion bill into law in 2021.”
 

• NY: The Daily Sentinel: NY Thruway awarded $1.5M federal grant for drone program

“The New York State Thruway Authority will continue its drone program with the support of a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Biden administration announced Tuesday that more than $94 million has been awarded to 59 entities through the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation program, which created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”
 

• CA: Los Angeles Times: Harris unveils $197 million for wildfire resilience as California’s fire season looms

“Vice President Kamala Harris detailed $197 million in new federal grants on Monday to help fortify high-risk communities against wildfires. More than 100 communities scattered across 22 states and seven tribes will receive funding to supplement pay for wildland firefighters and provide housing for fire personnel as part of the Biden administration’s wildfire defense grant program.”
 

• NM: Source New Mexico: Feds to send nearly $200 million to help communities prepare for wildfires

“The Biden administration will send $197 million from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law to help communities prepare for wildfires this summer, Vice President Kamala Harris and other administration officials said Monday. The funding represents the first round of a new $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant program authorized under the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that President Joe Biden signed in November 2021.”
 

• NV: KUNR (NPR Reno, NV): Wildfire projects in Mountain West receive new federal funds

“The money comes from the department’s new Community Wildfire Defense Grant program, a $1 billion initiative funded by President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law. The first round of funding is aimed at 100 projects in 22 states and seven tribes, with most plans focused on clearing flammable brush near homes and businesses, and in forests. Communities are increasingly at-risk as the climate changes, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a call with reporters on March 20.”

White House IGA Newsletter 2/19

New Data Show 8.2 Million Fewer Americans Struggling with Medical Debt Under the Biden-⁠Harris Administration

The Administration’s work to strengthen the Affordable Care Act along with new consumer protections lead to continued progress reducing the burden of medical debt.

This week, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released a new report that shows that the number of Americans with medical debt on their credit reports fell by 8.2 million from the first quarter of 2020 to the first quarter of 2022. This week's report is consistent with a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that found that the number of Americans who are part of families having trouble paying their medical bills declined by 5.5 million between 2020 and 2021. One driver of these declines is the significant increase in the number of insured Americans over this period, a result of the President’s strategy of protecting and strengthening the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and lowering health care costs. The decline also reflects continued actions by the CFPB to highlight problems with inaccurate reporting of debt in collections and put the industry on notice to correct their behavior.

The new data also underscore the importance of the Biden-Harris Administration’s government-wide initiative to reduce the burden of medical debt. Following the Vice President’s April 2022 announcement, medical debt was directly relieved for many low-income Americans. And, informed by research showing that medical debt is not a reliable predictor of financial health, federal agencies are working to eliminate the use of medical debt to assess creditworthiness for participation in government lending programs.

These reductions in medical debt will provide real benefits to many Americans. Reducing medical debt directly impacts household finances by improving credit scores and access to credit. And research shows that households that have their medical debt relieved see improvements in access to medical care, and in physical and mental health outcomes. Since medical debt is disproportionally held among low-income communities, reductions in the burden of medical debt helps advance financial and health equity.

The CFPB report also shows that medical debt still accounts for more than 50% of debt in collections tradelines, exceeding the number of debt in collections tradelines from all other sources combined, including credit cards, personal loans, utilities, and phone bills. Getting sick or taking care of loved ones should not mean financial hardship for American families. That is why the Administration has—and will continue—to take action to ease the burden of medical debt and protect consumers from predatory collection practices.

Full Fact Sheet on Reducing the Burden of Medical Debt 

This week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its latest set of actions aimed at creating a convenient, reliable and Made-in-America electric vehicle (EV) charging network so that the great American road trip can be electrified.  These steps will help the United States meet President Biden’s ambitious goals to confront the climate crisis, by building a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle chargers along America’s highways and in our communities and have EVs make up at least 50% of new car sales by 2030, all while advancing an industrial strategy to continue to build-out the domestic EV and EV charging industry. The path to net-zero emissions by 2050 is creating good-paying manufacturing and installation jobs on the way.   

President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $7.5 billion in EV charging, $10 billion in clean transportation, and over $7 billion in EV battery components, critical minerals, and materials. These flagship programs complement the Inflation Reduction Act’s landmark support for advanced batteries and new and expanded tax credits for purchases of EVs and to support installations of charging infrastructure, as well as dozens of other federal initiatives designed to drive domestic manufacturing and build a national network of EV charging. The result is that the future of American transportation is on track to be cleaner, safer, more affordable, and more reliable than ever before. This week's announcements are a further demonstration of the President’s successful industrial strategy, ensuring that the clean energy transition is powered by American manufacturing and good-paying union jobs. 

Because of President Biden’s leadership and record federal investment, EV sales have tripled and the number of publicly available charging ports has grown by at least 40% since he took office. There are now more than three million EVs on the road and over 130,000 public chargers across the country. Further accelerating the buildout of a convenient, reliable charging network is critically important to make electric vehicle charging a seamless experience. This week, companies including Tesla, General Motors, EVgo, Pilot, Hertz and bp, among others, are announcing new commitments to expand their networks by thousands of public charging ports in the next two years, using private funds to complement federal dollars and putting the nation’s EV charging goals even closer within reach.  

These announcements build on the well over $100 billion that the private sector has invested in electric vehicle, battery, and EV charging manufacturing in the United States to date. This week's announcements are evidence of the President’s successful industrial strategy, ensuring that federal funds are attracting private investment to ensure the clean energy transition is powered by American manufacturing and good-paying union jobs. Combined with investments in battery manufacturing and tax credits for electric vehicle purchases and charging infrastructure driven by the Inflation Reduction Act, these programs are key to achieving the Administration’s climate goals.

Full Fact Sheet on New Standards and Major Progress for a National Network of Electric Vehicle Chargers

Biden Boom Continues: Another Week of Massive Private Sector Investments in American Manufacturing

This week, we saw more evidence that an American manufacturing boom—thanks to the President’s economic agenda—continues to take hold all across the country.

1. Boeing announced one of the largest orders in the company’s history: a purchase of over 200 aircraft through an agreement between Air India and Boeing valued at $34 billion at list price. The purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and many of those jobs won’t require a four year degree.

2. Ford announced it will build a $3.5 billion factory in Marshall, Michigan that will employ at least 2,500 workers to make advanced batteries for electric vehicles.

3. Texas Instruments announced it would build a new, $11 billion semiconductor plant in Lehi, Utah. manufacturing in Utah.

These investments—which build on the hundreds of billions of dollars in private investment announced since President Biden took office—will lead to good-paying jobs that American can raise a family on, the revitalization of entire communities that have often been left behind, and America leading the world again in the industries that drive the future.

As President Biden often asks, “Where is it written that the United States of America can’t be the manufacturing capital of the world?”

President Biden Addresses America’s County Officials at the 2023 National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference

This week, President Biden addressed nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials at the 2023 National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference for the second year in a row. President Biden referenced his roots as a former county official for New Castle County and spoke about his economic plan and the importance of the passage of the American Rescue Plan Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. He highlighted the $65.1 billion in direct funding from the American Rescue Plan that was allocated to counties, citing Ramsey County in Minnesota, Los Angeles County in California, Travis County in Texas, and Pierce County in Washington as examples of the program’s success.
 
During the President’s remarks, which happened to fall on the five-year anniversary of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, he also took time to acknowledge the Michigan State University tragedy, once again calling on Congress to enact commonsense gun law reforms.
 
Remarks by President Biden at the National Association of Counties (NACo) Conference
 
The day before, White House ARP Implementation Coordinator Gene Sperling, White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu, and John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation, participated in a panel moderated by NACo President Denise Winfrey to discuss the implementation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
 
Read NACo’s Press Release about the Panel
 
Other speakers at this year’s NACo Conference included Department of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Julie Chavez Rodriguez, Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Biden-⁠Harris Administration Deploys Additional Federal Resources to East Palestine, Ohio

The Biden-Harris Administration has mobilized a robust, multi-agency effort to support the people of East Palestine, Ohio.

Within hours of the Norfolk Southern train derailment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deployed a team to East Palestine to support state and local emergency and environmental response efforts. The Department of Transportation (DOT) also arrived on scene to investigate what led to the derailment. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been closely coordinating with the emergency operations center, Ohio Emergency Management Agency, and Federal partners.

As President Biden told Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro soon after the derailment, the Federal Government stands ready to provide any additional federal assistance the states may need. This week, in response to Governor DeWine’s and the Ohio congressional delegation’s request on February 16 for additional federal public health support, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced they are deploying a team of medical personnel and toxicologists to conduct public health testing and assessments. The team will support Federal, state, and local officials already on the ground to evaluate individuals who were exposed or potentially exposed to chemicals and help ensure timely communications to the public.

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to supporting the people of East Palestine every step of the way, and holding Norfolk Southern accountable. Each Federal agency is playing its unique role in this task.

Full Fact Sheet on Biden-⁠Harris Administration Resources Deployed to East Palestine, Ohio

President Biden Signs Executive Order to Strengthen Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Across the Federal Government

On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. That Order emphasized the enormous human costs of systemic racism and persistent poverty, and provided a powerful and unprecedented mandate for all federal agencies to launch a whole-of-government approach to equity. Over the past two years, agencies have taken historic steps toward ensuring that federal programs are serving the American people in an equitable and just manner and supporting communities that have been locked out of opportunity. Through the implementation of landmark legislation and historic executive action, the Biden-Harris Administration is working to make real the promise of America for everyone—including rural communities, communities of color, Tribal communities, LGBTQI+ individuals, people with disabilities, women and girls, and communities impacted by persistent poverty.

Despite the meaningful progress that the Biden-Harris Administration has made, the reality is that underserved communities—many of whom have endured generations of discrimination and disinvestment—still confront unacceptable barriers to equal opportunity and the American Dream.  It is imperative that we reject the narrow, cramped view of American opportunity as a zero-sum game. When any segment of society is denied the full promise of America, our entire Nation is held back. But when we lift each other up, we are all lifted up. As the President has said: “Advancing equity is not a one-year project. It’s a generational commitment.”  

To strengthen the federal government’s ability to address the barriers that underserved communities continue to face, today, President Biden signed a new Executive Order, Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. This second Order reaffirms the Administration’s commitment to deliver equity and build an America in which all can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential.

Full Fact Sheet on President Biden's Executive Order to Strengthen Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Across the Federal Government

President Biden Signs the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act into Law

Yesterday, President Biden signed into law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, historic legislation that will reduce gun violence and save lives.

The President has worked on this issue his entire career, and knows both how hard it is and what it takes – he was there 30 years ago, the last time this country passed meaningful gun safety laws.

We have lost too many to gun violence. When the President traveled to Uvalde, he heard a clear message: do something. Yesterday, we did.

This bill doesn’t do everything the President wanted want it to, but it does include actions he has long called for and that will save lives:

• It funds crisis intervention, including red flag laws to keep guns out of the hands of people who are a danger to themselves and to others.

• It finally closes what’s known as the “boyfriend loophole,” so if you assault your girlfriend or boyfriend you can’t buy or own a gun.

• It requires young people aged 18-21 to undergo enhanced background checks.

• It includes the first federal law that makes gun trafficking and straw purchases distinct federal crimes.

• It clarifies who needs to register as a federally licensed gun dealer and run background checks before selling a gun.

• And it provides historic funding to address the youth mental health crisis in this country, especially the trauma experienced by survivors of gun violence.

• And it invests in anti-violence programs to work directly with people who are most likely to commit gun crimes or become victims of gun crimes.

At a time when it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, bipartisan lawmakers and President Biden delivered for the American people.

And the President believes that if we can reach a compromise on guns, we ought to be able to reach compromise on other critical issues, from veteran’s health care to cutting-edge American innovation and more.