Press Release
☷Remarks by President Biden at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference
White House ( By Press Release office)
Feb 13,2024
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Hey everyone , how ' s it going? Take a seat if you can find one . ( Laughs ) Thanks a lot for having me here today . I want to give a shoutout to Commissioner McGuire from Ramsey County , Minnesota . It ' s truly an honor to be here with all of you . We ' ve come a long way in the past three years , and I appreciate your support . We still have work to do , but together we ' re making real progress in both red and blue counties . Remember , I promised to be a president for all Americans , whether you voted for me or not . And with your help , we ' re bringing this country together instead of tearing it apart . Now , some of you may know that I started my career as a county councilman . I ran for the United States Senate because being a local official was tough . ( Laughs ) It ' s almost true . When people have problems , they know where to find you . No joke , I know . But what you do really matters . It affects people ' s everyday lives and the issues they discuss around the kitchen table . You ' re answering important questions like: Is my neighborhood safe? Will it get better? Will the bus get me to work on time? Will the school bus pick up my kid? Will my kids have a good future in this town? Will there be jobs? That ' s why I ' ve filled my administration with people who have served in county government , including Vice President Harris and Tom Perez . They understand what you do . Success isn ' t about scoring partisan points , it ' s about fixing problems . Democrat or Republican , we all share the same belief: we ' re here to deliver results for families , communities , and the country . That ' s why I ' ve kept my commitment to leaving no one behind and rebuilding the economy from the middle out and the bottom up . Because when we do that , everyone benefits . Just look at the progress we ' ve made together . And when I say "we , " I mean it . When I took office , the pandemic was raging and our economy was in shambles . Counties all across the country were facing devastating budget cuts . But we turned things around . The American Rescue Plan provided $350 billion to state and local governments , which helped put cops on the beat , teachers in the classroom , and kept childcare centers open , families in their homes , and small businesses on their feet . We ' re giving money directly to every community in America , so all of you can decide how to spend it without going through the statehouse or your governor . They ' re not bad , but you know what you need . And we ' ve passed a huge investment in our nation ' s infrastructure: roads , bridges , railroads , ports , airports , public transit , clean water , high - speed Internet , and more . Our infrastructure used to be the best in the world , but by the time I took office , we were ranked 13th . How can we have the best economy without the best infrastructure? I don ' t get it . So now we ' re on our way to leading the world again , with over 46 , 000 new projects announced that will create jobs for the next decade in your counties and communities . Just like FDR brought electricity to every home and farm , we ' re bringing affordable high - speed Internet to everyone because it ' s as essential today as electricity was back then . How does your county deal with telemedicine without it? It ' s really important . Last month , I was in Wake County , North Carolina , where we ' re investing $3 billion to connect the entire state to affordable high - speed Internet by the end of the decade . We ' re doing that in all 50 states , and we ' ve already saved 23 million families up to $75 a month on their Internet bills . It ' s essential for kids to do their homework , for small businesses to sell their products , and for people to have access to telemedicine instead of traveling long distances to see a doctor . We ' re also getting rid of all the lead pipes in America so everyone can have clean drinking water and not worry about brain damage for our children . One study even showed that reducing lead exposure improves students ' test scores as much as reducing class size for a fraction of the cost . But most importantly , no kid should have to drink water with lead in it , and no parent should have to worry about the effects on their child ' s brain . And on top of all that , we ' re making the biggest investment in climate change ever . I ' ve been there with many of you after terrible floods , tornadoes , wildfires , and hurricanes . We ' re going to keep working together to respond , rebuild , and make our communities more resilient to extreme weather . My administration is also helping to install rooftop solar and create a national network of electric - vehicle charging stations . We ' re revitalizing communities affected by pollution , like where I lived in Claymont . We ' re supporting clean energy and industries of the future , made right here in America . And you know what? We ' re getting a lot done . I signed the CHIPS and Science Act , which attracted billions of dollars in private investments and created jobs in America . For example , semiconductor companies are moving back here , creating good - paying jobs in your communities . And the best part is , you don ' t even need a college degree for these jobs . These companies are coming back because they know we have the best workers in the world . American workers have always come through for this country , and they will never let us down . As I was saying , you know , we had this provision in the law from the late ' 30s about unions and organizing and all that stuff . And there was also this provision that said if the president gets money from the legislature for a project , he should hire American workers and use American products . Well , guess what? That ' s exactly what we ' re doing! That ' s why things are going so well . We ' ve made some amazing investments , like expanding registered apprenticeships so people can get paid while they learn their careers . When I started , only two states had registered apprenticeships for teachers , but now more than 30 states have it! We ' ve also made a huge investment in local public safety through the American Rescue Plan . You all have done an incredible job using these resources to hire more officers , support violence intervention programs , and make communities safer . And you might not always hear about it , but we ' re making real progress . Violent crime rates are dropping all over the country , and there have been record declines in homicides . We ' re also investing billions in improving mental health services because it ' s a major priority . After the previous administration didn ' t prioritize vaccinating the public , we lost over a million people . And for every person who died , there are 8 to 10 loved ones left behind , dealing with the loss . That ' s why mental health is so important to me , and why I asked Dr . Vivek Murthy to be the Surgeon General . We ' re expanding community clinics , mobile units , and cracking down on fentanyl trafficking while treating addiction . We ' ve worked hard on a bipartisan border bill that includes humane and fair immigration reforms , as well as strong measures to secure the border . It ' s a win for the American people and your counties . But some of my Republican friends , the extreme ones , are not like the Republicans of the past . I ' m not criticizing all Republicans , just the extreme ones . The MAGA Republicans , a powerful minority , opposed and ultimately killed the deal . My predecessor didn ' t like it either , considering it a loss for him . We need to stop playing political games and remember that we work for the American people . I will continue to make my case to them . Overall , my Investing in America agenda has led to a manufacturing boom , clean energy growth , and job creation in all parts of America . Our economy is now the strongest in the world , with nearly 15 million new jobs since I took office . Unemployment has remained under 4 percent for a record - breaking stretch , wages are rising , and inflation has decreased . However , prices are still too high due to corporate greed . We have made progress , as indicated by a recent Washington Post headline declaring our recovery as the best in the world . We still have a ways to go , but consumer sentiment is improving , and a record number of new business applications have been filed since I became president . We must continue to move forward and defend our democracy . I want to express my gratitude to all the election workers who have shown incredible courage and dedication . It ' s disheartening that their safety is at risk and we must change this attitude in our country . In conclusion , I have spoken with people from all walks of life who have shared their struggles and how our laws and efforts have helped them rebuild and regain hope . That ' s why when we see people getting to work with shovels in the ground , I hope you feel proud of what you ' ve accomplished . Proud of your hometowns making a comeback , proud of America , proud of knowing that we can achieve big things when we work together . That ' s what America is all about - working together . And that ' s why I ' m feeling more optimistic than ever about our country ' s future . We just need to remember who we are - the United States of America . There ' s nothing we can ' t do when we work together . So let ' s keep going , there ' s more to be done . Thank you all so much . Oh , and one more thing I forgot - shoutout to New Castle County , Delaware! Where are all my folks from there? Thank you , appreciate it .
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