Thread: President Joe Biden

Biden formally designates new Grand Canyon national monument

President Biden on Tuesday formally designated a new national monument, the fifth of his presidency, at the Grand Canyon and used his remarks in Arizona to tout the administration’s climate and environmental record.

Biden, speaking at Arizona’s Red Butte Airfield, formally designated the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument.

The new monument protects just under 1 million acres, slightly under the 1.1 million acres called for by tribal leaders, who hold the area sacred. The area will be protected from all new uranium mining, extending a 20-year prohibition established in 2012 under the Obama administration.

“From time immemorial, more than a dozen tribal nations have lived, gathered, prayed on these lands, but some 100 years ago they were forced out,” Biden said. “That very act of preserving the Grand Canyon as a national park was used to deny indigenous people full access to their homelands, to the places where they hunted [and] gathered.”

Invoking the area’s history, the president also took a veiled shot at educational policies in Republican-governed states that critics have accused of glossing over atrocities such as chattel slavery.

“At a time when some seek to ban books and bury history, we’re making it clear that we can’t just choose to know only what we want to know,” Biden said. “We should learn everything that’s good, bad and the truth about who we are as a nation. That’s what great nations do, and we’re the greatest of all nations.”

Biden also touted his environmental record, including the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate bill in U.S. history, which he signed into law just under a year ago.

“In my first year in office we protected more lands and waters than anyone since the 1960s,” the president said, referencing protections for areas such as Alaska’s Bristol Bay and Minnesota’s Boundary Waters as well as the restoration of national monument status for Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. “Last year I signed the largest climate bill in not only the history of the United States, but in the history of the world… these historic measures put us on track to cut all American emissions in half by 2030, and we’re well on our way.”

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), who vocally lobbied for the designation along with House Natural Resources Committee ranking member Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), praised the designation, saying in a statement “today’s designation is the product of hard work and relentless determination of thousands of Arizonans from diverse backgrounds and interests, including Arizona tribal communities, local leaders, conservationists, sportsmen, and many more — all with a shared passion for protecting Arizona’s air, land, and water for future generations.”

Biden announces plans to visit Vietnam ‘shortly’

President Biden on Tuesday announced he will be visiting Vietnam “shortly” during remarks at a campaign fundraiser, not elaborating on details about his upcoming trip.

“I’m going to be going to Vietnam shortly because Vietnam wants to change our relationship and become a partner,” Biden told a group of donors in New Mexico. “We find ourselves in a situation where all these changes around the world are taking place at a time — we have an opportunity … to change the dynamic.”

He was discussing in his remarks that “allegiances are changing around the world” as a result of the war in Ukraine.

“They’re changing in terms of, for example, the idea that there was going to be a response to his aggression in Ukraine was not likely,” he said, adding that he spent “over 200 hours with the heads of state of the European countries to hold this together.”

National security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday that he didn’t have any travel details to share, adding, “we have a very good relationship with Vietnam and that relationship is improving and its improving across lots of sectors.”

The president said during a campaign reception in Maine last month that Vietnam leadership has wanted to elevate the U.S. relationship.

“I’ve gotten a call from the head of Vietnam, desperately wants to meet me when I go to the G-20,” Biden said, referring to the upcoming Group of 20 summit. “He wants to elevate us to a major partner, along with Russia and China. What do you think that’s about? No, I’m not joking.”

Biden in March spoke to Vietnam’s General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and “reinforced the United States’ commitment to a strong, prosperous, resilient, and independent Vietnam,” according to a White House readout of the call.

Biden praises political unity at anniversary of the PACT Act expanding veterans benefits

President Joe Biden evoked the memory of his late son and praised leaders from both parties for unifying behind veterans Thursday as he and Utah’s Republican governor paid tribute to a year-old law that is delivering the largest expansion of veterans benefits in decades.

The president and Gov. Spencer Cox visited the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to promote the PACT Act, which is intended to improve health care and disability compensation for exposure to toxic substances, including burn pits that were used to dispose of trash on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.

More than 348,000 veterans have had their claims approved in the last year, and about 111,000 who are believed to have toxic exposure have enrolled in health care.

“Everything you can imagine is thrown in these pits and incinerated,” Biden said. “The waste of war, tires, poisonous chemicals, jet fuels and so much more. Toxic smoke, thick with poison, spreads through the air and into the lungs of our troops.”

He said that when troops exposed to burn pits came home — “many of them the fittest and best-trained warriors we ever sent anywhere” — they were not the same.

The issue of veterans care is personal for Biden. He’s long believed that the brain cancer that took the life of his eldest son, Beau, was caused by exposure to burn pits while he served overseas in the Delaware National Guard. The president’s voice caught as he again noted during Thursday’s ceremony that Beau Biden had lived “about 400 yards” from a large burn pit during the year he was stationed in Iraq.

Biden sought to share the credit for the act, noting it cleared Congress with bipartisan support while calling it part of his “unity agenda.”

“Don’t tell me we can’t get things done when we work together,” he said.

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Just for fun.

Joe Biden Hits Back At Peter Doocy From Fox News

Biden picks on Boebert in clean energy manufacturing speech

President Biden mocked Rep. Lauren Boebert (Colo.) on Wednesday during remarks out West on clean energy manufacturing, making her the latest Republican to get called out in his recent speeches.

The president, in remarks in Albuquerque, N.M., discussed how climate change is leading to jobs being created to fix the problem, highlighting that a CS Wind plant is being constructed in Pueblo, Colo.

“Like in Colorado, where CS Wind broke ground on what will be the world’s largest wind tower manufacturing plant. And coincidentally, CS Wind is Congresswoman Lauren Boebert — you know, the very quiet Republican lady — it’s in her district,” Biden said.

He added that Boebert, “along with every other Republican, voted against this bill — and it’s making all this possible. And she railed against its passage. But, that’s OK, she’s welcoming it now.”

The investment in the plant came in part through funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, Democrats’ massive climate and tax bill that every Republican in Congress voted against.

The president has been mocking GOP members who have touted new projects in their districts after they voted against the legislation that provided funding for them.

He also, and not for the first time, picked on Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) for touting $1.4 billion in federal funding that Alabama is set to receive for expanded broadband internet access, despite the senator voting against it in 2021.

“I thought, wait a minute, didn’t he rail against that for a long long time? I was inclined to go down and help him celebrate, but I decided not to,” Biden said Wednesday.

The president added that he promised when he ran in 2020 that he was going to be president for all Americans, highlighting funding in red states and red districts.

Boebert in June forced a House vote on impeaching Biden over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration policy. Her impeachment resolution included articles for abuse of power and dereliction of duty.

The White House at the time accused House Republicans of staging “political stunts” with such a vote.

From Joe Biden's America:

Biden signs disaster declaration for Hawaii over deadly fires

President Biden on Thursday signed a major disaster declaration for the state of Hawaii, freeing up additional federal funding as deadly fires have ravaged Maui and other areas.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, certain loans to cover property losses and other programs for home and business owners, the White House said.

Biden spoke earlier Thursday by phone with Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) about the wildfires, the White House said.

“He expressed his deep condolences for the lives lost and vast destruction of land and property,” the White House said. “President Biden confirmed he signed a Major Disaster Declaration for Hawaii that will deliver additional federal resources and support on top of the actions already underway by FEMA, the National Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other federal agencies to support the emergency response.”

The president on Wednesday ordered “all available Federal assets” to support the response to the Maui wildfire — including the U.S. Coast Guard and the Navy’s 3rd Fleet.

The ongoing fires on Maui, brought on by unusually dry conditions, have been fanned by Hurricane Dora, churning south of the island. At least 36 people have died as a result of the fires, and some people jumped into the ocean in search of safety.

According to Maui County officials, at least 271 structures were damaged or destroyed and dozens of people were left injured.

Hawaii wildfires kill at least 53 people and raze over 1,700 buildings

^ another example of Merca contributing to climate change, building substandard houses. Sheesh.

^OK

Hawaii wildfires: how did the deadly Maui fire start and what caused it?

Clay Trauernicht, a fire scientist at the University of Hawaii, said the wet season could spur plants like Guinea grass, an invasive species found across parts of Maui, to grow as quickly as 6in (15cm) a day and reach up to 10ft (3 meters) tall. That grass creates a tinderbox that’s ripe for wildfire as it dries out.

“These grasslands accumulate fuels very rapidly,” Trauernicht said. “In hotter conditions and drier conditions, with variable rainfall, it’s only going to exacerbate the problem.”

Climate change not only increases the fire risk by driving up temperatures, but also makes stronger hurricanes more likely. In turn, those storms could fuel stronger wind events like the one behind the Maui fires.

Experts warn disasters such as the one unfolding on Maui are driven by multiple factors, but that the climate crisis is an undeniable contributor.

“These kinds of climate change-related disasters are really beyond the scope of things that we’re used to dealing with,” said Kelsey Copes-Gerbitz, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of British Columbia’s faculty of forestry. “It’s these kind of multiple, interactive challenges that really lead to a disaster.”

The situation in Hawaii recalled scenes of devastation elsewhere in the world this summer, as wildfires caused by record heat forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in Greece, Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe, and Canada suffered unusually severe fires.

Still building lumber as you call it houses and felt roofs .

^does it hurt

The situation in Hawaii recalled scenes of devastation elsewhere in the world this summer, as wildfires caused by record heat forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in Greece, Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe, and Canada suffered unusually severe fires.

Originally Posted by S Landreth

^does it hurt

Completely painless. I am assuming you also think one less of the most polluting people on the planet is a good thing, you know given your climate crusade. In fact when are you going to off yourself

most polluting people on the planet is a good thing

working on it

Year after Biden’s climate bill sees spike in renewable energy investment, industry says

The year after President Biden signed a major climate, tax and health care bill saw a significant spike in renewable energy investments, according to an industry trade group.

A new report from the American Clean Power Association says that the past year saw more than $270 billion in capital investments, an amount greater than such investments in the past eight years combined.

New projects announced over the past year together could have a generating capacity of 184,850 megawatts, the report said.

John Hensley, the association’s vice president for research and analytics, told reporters that the new power capacity would be enough to fuel about 46 million U.S. homes.

Of the total $270 billion, $22 billion represents investments in manufacturing, the report said.

It identified 83 announcements for either new or expanded facilities related to the manufacturing of climate-friendly energy, including 52 solar manufacturing facilities, 14 facilities for making energy-storing batteries and 11 for wind energy manufacturing.

Hensley said that the majority of the investments were benefitting parts of the country where Republicans hold power.

“Where locations are known, 80 percent of clean power projects are being built in Republican-held districts and over 60 percent of the manufacturing facilities that we’ve seen announced are being built in red states,” he said.

The investments follow the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which contains tax credits for power sources including wind and solar. The bill came about as a compromise between Democratic leadership and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). No Republicans voted for it.

Scoop: Biden wants new housing program for migrant families

The Biden administration is asking Congress to approve a temporary housing program for migrant families that illegally cross the southern border — a plan that would give them more freedom than traditional detention, Axios has learned.

Why it matters: The government has struggled to balance humanitarian concerns about detaining migrant children while enforcing immigration laws amid a rise in families illegally crossing the border to seek asylum.

• The administration's ask is part of a $40 billion emergency funding request to Congress. The package includes nearly $2.7 billion for the Department of Homeland Security's various border efforts.

Driving the news: DHS wants the ability to use funds to set up new types of facilities to hold migrant families as they go through an expedited asylum and deportation process.

• Migrant family members would be able to come and go as they please during the day, but would be required to check in and stay the night on the campus, a DHS official told Axios.
• "We do not view this as family detention," the official said.
• The facilities would allow immigration agencies to more easily keep track of migrants throughout the asylum process, but also could ease the burden on local shelters near the border to house recent arrivals, officials say.
• DHS also is asking Congress for permission to look into for-profit contractors or non-governmental organization grantees to run the facilities.

What to watch: Officials say this kind of set-up would help meet court-ordered requirements for facilities housing children, but it's unclear whether the facilities still would have to release families in less than 21 days, under those requirements.

• Either way, the official told Axios they expect to be able to get families in these facilities through the legal process within three weeks because of the government's recent efforts to expedite the process.
• It's not the only move the administration has made recently to try to address a surge in families of migrants and asylum seekers.
• ICE has been rapidly expanding a program to more quickly deport migrant families that illegally cross the border and don't qualify for asylum. It uses GPS monitoring and home curfew requirements for those enrolled.

Between the lines: The Biden administration quietly ended detentions of migrant families in 2021, while ramping up the use of tracking technology and check-ins by phone call as families make their way through the immigration process.

• Faced with the end of restrictive pandemic policy called Title 42, the administration came under fire for considering a return to family detention.
• The new housing plan would mirror some systems in Europe.

The big picture: For a long time, border officials typically encountered only single adults illegally crossing the southern border — often of Mexican nationality.

• But in the past decade, families — especially those from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — have made up a significant share of those caught by the Border Patrol.
• U.S. border policies and infrastructure have not fully adjusted to the new demographic, leaving many facilities unsuitable for minors who may cross with their parents.
• In addition, courts have put guardrails around how minors can be detained even with their parents — forcing officials to release families from detention after no more than 20 days.
• As president, Donald Trump tried to solve the problem by separating families.

Statement from President Joe Biden on Ohio Issue 1

Today, Ohio voters rejected an effort by Republican lawmakers and special interests to change the state’s constitutional amendment process. This measure was a blatant attempt to weaken voters’ voices and further erode the freedom of women to make their own health care decisions. Ohioans spoke loud and clear, and tonight democracy won.

• Biden’s climate law: One year in

It’s been a year since President Joe Biden signed into law the most consequential climate bill in U.S. history. And business is booming.

Private capital and federal loans are pouring into clean energy projects, from battery manufacturing in South Carolina to solar panel production in Washington state, write Brian Dabbs and David Iaconangelo.

The surge is creating thousands of new clean energy jobs (170,600 and counting, according to one advocacy group), and solar capacity beat out natural gas in the first half of the year. Electric vehicle sales are up 48 percent, setting an all-time quarterly record. And burgeoning technologies, like “green” hydrogen and carbon capture, are garnering increased attention, for example, in the form of pivotal tax breaks.

Even some Republican lawmakers, who voted against Biden’s climate law and have been salty about it since, are begrudgingly embracing the economic opportunities it’s providing to their districts. And with the bulk of the law’s benefits flowing into GOP strongholds like Texas, more Republicans could change their tune, said Kevin Book of ClearView Energy Partners, a research firm.

“If you’re trying to win elections, then I think talking about jobs can sometimes be very persuasive, especially if those jobs are showing up,” Book told Brian and David.

It’s not all sunshine and roses
Still, political tension and practical hurdles remain. A recent report from Princeton University found, for example, that fully implementing all the presidents’ climate plans would still fail to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Full implementation is not a given. Some labor advocates are pushing back against the law, saying it fails to ensure projects will be located in areas with strong labor protections and activity.

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has made it his mission to fight the administration’s implementation of some electric vehicle tax credits. That could limit the number of cars that qualify.

And the elephant in the halls of Congress remains the permitting process for energy infrastructure. There is a massive backlog of clean power projects waiting to connect to the electric grid. But without an expedited permitting process, advocates say it will take years that the climate crisis can’t afford to green the grid.

^ he's doing fine

• GOP's crumbling case against Biden on crime, immigration and inflation

Republicans are hammering “Joe Biden’s America” as a land of rising violent crime, surging immigration and out of control inflation, but there’s just one problem: the numbers are starting to move in the opposite direction.

The big picture: With 2024 around the corner, the U.S. is making measurable progress in the areas where Biden has been most vulnerable to GOP attacks.

Violent crime surged in U.S. cities during the pandemic and ranked as a top concern for voters in the 2022 midterms.

• Republicans slammed Biden and Democratic leaders for rising crime rates, and many Democrats started embracing a more centrist approach to policing.
• Homicides were down 9% in the first half of this year over the same period last year, according to a study of 37 major cities from the Council on Criminal Justice.
• State of play: Violent crime rates are generally down across the board, thought they're still higher than 2019 levels.

Meanwhile, illegal border crossings dropped to the lowest level in over two years in June, the first full month under Biden’s new, restrictive asylum rule, which makes it much harder to attain asylum.

• That policy replaced a pandemic-era policy enabling rapid expulsion of migrants, and was sharply criticized by immigration advocates and some Democrats as something out of former President Trump's playbook.
• For now, though, it seems to have helped stave off an expected summer spike in migrants crossing the southern border.
• What to watch: A pending court ruling may threaten the relative calm at the border. And even with border numbers plummeting, House Republicans have pushed forward with their effort to impeach Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas over the "illegal immigration crisis."

Arguably the biggest factor driving voter discontent has been inflation, which made consumers feel lousy about the Biden economy, despite otherwise favorable economic and job market conditions.

• Now, as inflation retreats, there are signs of a shift.
• Consumer sentiment, as measured by a long-running survey conducted by the University of Michigan, is the highest in two years — a jump “largely attributed to the continued slowdown inflation along with stability in labor markets.”

Behind the scenes: The Biden team has long been frustrated, and at times confounded, that these positive data points are not reflected in his approval rating, which is stuck in the low 40s, Axios' Alex Thompson reports.

• The White House has recently done a flurry of events touting "Bidenomics" as they try to make voters more aware of what they believe is a stronger economic record than Biden often gets credit for.

Here we go, this is Sleepy Joe's Benghazi....

US attorney general appoints counsel for Hunter Biden probe

• A Year of Impact: The Anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act

On August 16, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. It aims to reduce inflation by spurring new domestic manufacturing projects and lowering costs for Americans, all while making historic investments toward climate goals. In one short year, the Inflation Reduction Act has created an estimated 170,606 jobs, and 272 new clean energy projects have been announced. Millions of Medicare recipients are saving hundreds of dollars annually on prescriptions. As the largest investment in addressing climate change in American history, the Inflation Reduction Act is bringing once-in-a-lifetime investments to communities across the country.

The law will shape the future of America in the coming years and decades—and in just the first year since its passage, it has had tangible impacts on everyday Americans. This collection features a few of the many Americans who have benefited from the Inflation Reduction Act.

Historic job creation

The Inflation Reduction Act is projected to create 9 million jobs over the next decade—and within the first six months of its passage, this historic investment spurred the creation of nearly 200,000 clean energy jobs. Below, hear from some of the workers across the country who represent these 9 million future jobs.

Boosting small businesses

For decades, the growth of clean energy was hindered by a boom-and-bust cycle of enacted and expiring tax credits. The Inflation Reduction Act has unleashed the potential of the clean energy industry by extending and expanding clean energy incentives, all while making the tax code fairer for small businesses. Below, hear from small-business owners working in the industry about what this legislation means to them.

Lowering costs

With nearly half of Americans reporting concerns about living expenses, the Inflation Reduction Act took a critical step forward in reducing costs for everyday Americans. From reduced prescription drug prices to lower energy costs, hear from the Americans who have experienced savings thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act.

Investing in America’s future

In the midst of Earth’s hottest year on record, it’s critical to make progress on the climate crisis. The Inflation Reduction Act puts the United States on track to reduce emissions by as much as 40 percent by 2030. As a result, communities can look forward to cleaner environments with strong economies. Hear from Americans across the country about what this investment means for their communities.

These stories represent the beginning of a new chapter in American history. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration is expanding the middle class with well-paying jobs, helping communities breathe cleaner air, and allowing more Americans to sleep easier knowing they can afford lifesaving health care. With a government focused on cutting costs, supporting the middle class, and protecting the environment for the next generation, every American stands to benefit.

going to be a lot of people celebrating this evening

• Biden's plan to forgive student debt for over 800,000 borrowers upheld by judge

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Monday from conservative groups looking to block student loan forgiveness for some 804,000 borrowers.

Why it matters: The decision marks a win for student loan borrowers and for President Biden, who promised to continue pursuing debt relief after the Supreme Court's decision last month to strike down his administration's loan forgiveness plan.


Details: The lawsuit was filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance on behalf of the Cato Institute and Mackinac Center in federal court in Michigan.

• They argued the federal government doesn't have the legal authority to forgive the debt.
• "The district court did not rule on the merits of the case and instead said Cato and Mackinac were not the right parties to bring it," said Sheng Li, a lawyer with the New Civil Liberties Alliance, in an email.
• "We disagree with the court's conclusion regarding legal standing and are reviewing legal options with our clients."

Catch up quick: The relief stems from administrative fixes to existing income-driven repayment plans, the Department of Education said last month.

• The administration said it was addressing "historical failures" in which qualifying payments were not properly accounted for in bringing borrowers closer to qualifying for debt forgiveness.
• Under existing income-driven repayment plans, borrowers can get their remaining student loan balance wiped after they have been making payments for 20 or 25 years.
• To get some borrowers to that threshold, the administration counted partial and late payments, as well as periods when a borrower was in certain categories of forbearance or deferment.

By the numbers: Some 804,000 borrowers who have been in repayment for over 20 years will start to see their student debt canceled, the White House said Monday.

• More than 614,000 of them will have all of their remaining federal student loan debt canceled.

What he's saying: "Because of errors and administrative failures of the student loan system that started long before I took office, over 804,000 borrowers never got the credit they earned, and never saw the forgiveness they were promised - even after making payments for decades," Biden said in a statement Monday. "I was determined to right this wrong."

• Biden addresses UAW concerns amid Electric Vehicle transition

President Joe Biden dipped a toe into the contract talks between automakers and the UAW on Monday, reaffirming his support for electric vehicle jobs as a path to the middle class while urging the companies to address the union’s concerns over the transition.

“I support a fair transition to a clean energy future,” Biden said in a statement timed exactly a month before the United Auto Workers contract with Detroit automakers is set to expire Sept. 14.

He went on to list things that are key union priorities, including honoring the right to organize unions, providing jobs “that can support a family,” and ensuring that industry “transitions are fair and look to retool, reboot, and rehire in the same factories and communities at comparable wages, while giving existing workers the first shot to fill those jobs.”

The talks pose a delicate balance for Biden and Democrats between their priorities of transitioning the nation to electric vehicles and courting support of the UAW, which has expressed anxiety about a range of economic concerns, including federally subsidized work going to non-union battery plants.

In separate statements, both the union and General Motors welcomed Biden’s comments, while stressing different aspects.

UAW President Shawn Fain said the union agreed “with the president that the Big Three’s joint venture battery plants should have the same strong pay and safety standards that generations of UAW members have fought for.”

Biden’s statement didn’t directly address the joint battery plants by name.

Meanwhile, GM issued a statement saying the company agrees “it is critical for all sides to work together on a fair labor contract — a contract that provides job security, supports good wages and benefits for our team members while enabling companies to compete successfully domestically and globally.”

The union has yet to make a presidential endorsement, despite a flood of other labor support for Biden.

President Biden focuses on factory jobs in Wisconsin, ignoring latest Trump indictment

On the heels of a fourth indictment for Donald Trump, President Joe Biden focused on manufacturing jobs in a speech at a Wisconsin factory — putting his ideas for growth up against his Republican rivals in a bid to win over voters in a key state in next year’s presidential election.

“It’s really kind of basic: we just decided to invest in America again,” Biden said Tuesday. “That’s what it’s all about.”

His arrival in Milwaukee came on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, a major piece of economic legislation he signed into law with great ceremony but polls show that most people know little about it or what it does. It also occurred a week before Republicans descend on Milwaukee for the party’s first presidential debate. But as Biden spoke, much of the political world was focused on his predecessor, Trump, who was charged late Monday in Georgia on an alleged scheme to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Wisconsin is among the handful of critical states where Biden needs to persuade voters that his policies are having a positive impact on their lives by generating roughly $500 billion in corporate investments in factories and other facilities. The president ignored Trump in his speech, but he made the economic case personal by directly challenging the state’s Republican Sen. Ron Johnson, who was just reelected in 2022 and not up again until 2028.

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Biden says he will visit Hawaii ‘as soon as we can’ amid criticism to Maui wildfire response

President Biden said Tuesday he and first lady Jill Biden would visit Hawaii, though he gave no timeline to do so amid criticism he has faced over his response to wildfires that have devastated the island of Maui.

“My wife Jill and I are going to travel to Hawaii as soon as we can. That’s what I’ve been talking to the governor about; I don’t want to get in the way. I’ve been to too many disaster areas,” Biden said at the top of remarks on the Inflation Reduction Act in Wisconsin.

“But I want to go, make sure we’ve got everything they need. Want to make sure we don’t disrupt the ongoing recovery efforts,” he added.

He called the wildfires “devastating” and noted that it has taken the lives of 99 people, making it the deadliest wildfire in the U.S. in a century. Biden said he has “reassured” Hawaii that it will have everything it needs from the federal government.

“It’s painstaking work, it takes time, and its nerve wracking,” Biden said.

“All that area they’ve got to plow up, they can’t do it now because they don’t know how many bodies are in there; they don’t know what’s left,” he added.

Oh dear, Sleepy Joe forgot it's called Maui....

'The Army helicopters helped fire suppression efforts on the Big Island because there's still some burning on the Big Island — not the one that, not the one where you see on television all the time,' he said.

^then don't vote for him