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President Joe Biden visited New Hampshire on Tuesday to talk about his $1.2 trillion investment in infrastructure.
In his speech at the New Hampshire State Port Authority, Biden said that America is healthier than ever as it emerges from the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re the only country in the world that I believe has come out of every crisis we faced stronger than when we went in,” Biden said. “Literally, stronger than we went in. That’s the history of the journey of this country.”
Biden went on to note that the country’s infrastructure needs much work. In New Hampshire alone, he said, 700 miles of highway are in poor condition.
“We used to have the finest infrastructure in the world. We now rank No. 13 for quality of infrastructure,” he said.
The infrastructure law has been publicized by the White House as one that will rebuild American roads, bridges and railroads, expand access to clean drinking water and high-speed internet, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a focus on American public transit.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, officially the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, includes over $500 billion for roads and bridges, $72 billion for clean water, $65 billion for broadband access, and over $100 billion for rail, airport and seaport improvements.
The Granite State, where Biden was praised Wednesday by U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan and U.S. Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas, is set to receive nearly $1.6 billion for road and bridge repairs and an additional $126 million over the next five years for public transportation improvements, according to Biden.
Biden also used the speech to call on Democrats to pass measures to increase domestic semiconductor manufacturing and resurface elements of his signature Build Back Better plan to lower health care and similar costs for families.
“Beyond gas prices, I’ve called on Congress to move immediately on lowering families’ utility bills, prescription drug bills and more, while lowering the deficit and reducing inflation without raising a single penny on taxes,” he said.
Biden’s trip to Portsmouth was aimed at showing how spending on the nation’s port infrastructure is aiming to strengthen supply chains and bring down costs for American families, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a White House briefing on Monday.
“American ports are a cornerstone of the US economy, but outdated infrastructure and the Covid-19 pandemic have strained their capacity and jeopardized global supply chains — which has caused delays and passed costs directly to consumers,” Psaki told reporters.
