Fifteen years ago Monday, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act became the law of the land, in a landmark victory in the fight for equal pay. Lilly worked hard, with dignity and pride, only to find that for years she had been paid less than her male coworkers. This needed to change. This law, the first bill signed during the Obama-Biden Administration, expanded important protections against pay discrimination, and was named after her in recognition of her long fight for equal pay.

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act: Definition, History, Impact

Despite this progress, the fight for equal pay continues. Women workers are still paid on average 84 cents for every dollar paid to men, and the disparities are even greater for many women of color. Today, my Administration is taking new actions to advance pay equity for the federal workforce and employees of federal contractors. These new actions adopt commonsense policies that will help pay millions of workers fairly, close gender and racial wage gaps, and yield tangible benefits for the federal government and federal contractors. These policies are good for workers, our economy, and for families.

In addition, my Administration will continue to call on Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, to increase pay transparency and strengthen our tools to fight sex-based pay discrimination. Today and every day, Vice President Harris and I remain committed to building on the promise of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and strengthening the economic security of women across the country.

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White House announced 10 U.S. regions that are emerging as innovation ecosystems and receiving over $530 million of investment catalyzed by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program. The Biden-Harris Administration is awarding the 10 NSF Regional Innovation Engines $150 million ($15 million each) in federal investment, with over $365 million in matched contributions from non-federal partners. Over the next decade, these 10 NSF Regional Innovation Engines will be eligible to receive upwards of $2 billion, with a goal of stimulating economic growth across a range of sectors, including semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, sustainable textiles, climate-resilient agriculture, regenerative medicine, and more. The NSF Regional Innovation Engines program was authorized by the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act – signed into law by President Biden in August 2022 – and is part of the President’s Bidenomics agenda to grow the economy from the middle out and bottom up.
 
On Friday, First Lady Jill Biden and Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation Sethuraman Panchanathan visited Forsyth Technical Community College to announce two NSF Regional Innovation Engine awardees in North Carolina, focused on driving innovation in textile manufacturing and regenerative medicine.
 
The 10 NSF Regional Innovation Engines will build on regions’ scientific and technological strengths to build new industries and workforces, creating more possibilities for Americans to participate in the 21^st-century economy without having to leave their communities. The NSF Regional Innovation Engines bring together private industry, venture capital, state and local governments, institutions of higher education including community colleges and technical schools, labor unions, Tribal communities and nonprofit organizations to transform their communities and regions over the next decade. This program is critical to the President’s economic vision of supporting regional economies, bringing communities together to tackle economic and science challenges, and bolstering industries of the future.
 
President Biden’s Investing in America agenda has leveraged public investment to catalyze private sector investment and job creation in key areas driving American competitiveness. Since President Biden took office, private companies have announced more than $640 billion in clean energy and manufacturing investments, including over $230 billion in semiconductor manufacturing, $150 billion in electric vehicle and battery manufacturing, $75 billion in clean energy manufacturing, and $20 billion in biomanufacturing; all of these sectors are represented by the NSF Regional Innovation Engines announced today. These investments will further position U.S. businesses and workers to outcompete the world in the economy of tomorrow and strengthen our national and economic security.
 
NSF Regional Innovation Engine Awardees:

• The Central Florida Semiconductor Innovation Engine will build a next-generation semiconductor technology innovation ecosystem and sharpen our nation’s competitive advantage in the emerging field of semiconductor advanced packaging, ensuring that America maintains reliable and secure access to the chips that underpin nearly every aspect of our economy. 
• The Great Lakes Water Innovation Engine will develop smart water recovery systems to save water and make the region’s booming manufacturing industries more sustainable. 
• The Louisiana Energy Transition Engine will advance technologies critical to the energy transition, including commercializing new approaches to use carbon dioxide and hydrogen as feedstock, advancing the use of carbon dioxide to produce biofuels or bioproducts, and creating sustainable manufacturing practices for the clean energy industry.
• The North Carolina Sustainable Textiles Innovation Engine will revolutionize the $90 billion textile industry by advancing technology in textiles and wearable tech to developing textiles that can be used in innovative ways for protection or in the medical field.
• The North Dakota Advanced Agriculture Technology Engine will reinvent the way we feed our nation, combining advanced crop data, genetic data, climate modeling and sensor technologies to adapt our food systems to the challenges and technology of the 21^st Century.  
• The Paso del Norte Defense and Aerospace Innovation Engine will bolster America’s competitiveness, national security, and space supply chains.  
• The Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine will tap the world’s largest regenerative medicine cluster to create and scale breakthrough clinical therapies.
• The Colorado–Wyoming Climate Resilience Engine will develop advanced, trustworthy, and scalable methods to monitor and predict methane emissions, soil carbon capture, wildfires, and more, advancing essential technology to help the world adapt to a changing climate. 
• The Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine will deploy new solutions to extreme regional dryness and heat, enabling equitable water and energy access. 
• The Upstate New York Energy Storage Engine will accelerate advanced energy storage technologies, unleashing the potential of U.S. battery manufacturers. 

In addition to investing in the 10 NSF Regional Innovation Engines, NSF is also inviting 15 other teams to pursue NSF Regional Innovation Engine Development Awards – adding to the set of 44 such awards announced in May 2023 – to seed communities that will grow their region’s economies through research and partnership and compete for future rounds of the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program.

NSF’s Regional Innovation Engines program, comprising Engines and Development Awards, represents the full diversity – and potential – of America, selected from more than 120 applications spanning nearly every U.S. state and territory. The NSF Regional Innovation Engines will deliver the benefits and opportunities of scientific and technological innovation to communities across the country, with nearly all significantly benefitting small and rural areas and likewise directly supporting historically underserved communities, including states and territories that have traditionally received less investment from the federal government. President Biden believes the U.S. economy is more resilient if we ensure no community is left out or behind by Federal programs. NSF is further partnering with workforce organizations such as labor unions, helping to enable the creation of good-paying, union jobs in the communities where workers live.

Supporting NSF Regional Innovation Engines Through an All-of-Government Strategy

These groundbreaking investments represent one of the broadest and most significant investments in regional science and technology innovation capacity in our nation’s history, since Congress created the modern university system over 150 years ago with the Morrill Land-Grant Acts. To ensure these NSF Regional Innovation Engines have the tools they need to compete on a global scale, the Administration is bringing the full resources of the federal government to identify and provide funding, technical assistance, and planning for the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program, including:

• The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) will partner with NSF to facilitate interactions between the two agencies and their investments in place-based innovation. EDA and NSF will closely align and coordinate benefits and resources if a region has received both an NSF Engine award and a Tech Hubs designation, including regular coordination between EDA and NSF teams to ensure that these investments are catalytic and not duplicative.
• The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will partner with the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program to advance shared Good Jobs Principles and develop equitable workforce development pathways for talent in NSF Engines communities. NSF and DOL will promote job quality, worker empowerment, and equal employment opportunity standards through Regional Innovation Engines to spur inclusive economic growth.
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), working with NSF’s Regional Innovation Engines, will enhance the impact of the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic climate legislation by undertaking a place-based approach to spurring innovation, helping build a 21st century workforce, and strengthening community engagement in collaboration with DOE-funded clean energy projects.
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will work with the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program to advance the best available technology and the latest, commercially viable innovations to achieve the nation’s drinking water and clean water goals – including increasing water efficiency and reuse, reducing energy consumption and emissions across the water sector, and ensuring that treatment technologies meet health benchmarks across a range of water quality challenges.
•  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will partner with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to ensure employment opportunities generated by the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program align with accessible and affordable housing goals and support strong, sustainable, inclusive communities. HUD will work with NSF to inform grant recipients about their market housing needs and challenges and offer examples of best practices that lower the cost and speed up the production of new housing, including through innovative housing technologies.
• The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), which funds transformative R&D to accelerate better health outcomes for everyone, commits to facilitating connections between NSF Regional Innovation Engines and our ARPANET-H nationwide health innovation network, which connects people, innovators, and institutions.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Infrastructure (ARPA-I) commits to supporting NSF Regional Innovation Engines in the transportation sector. ARPA-I support will include connecting teams to DOT technical experts, testbeds, and pilot deployments, as well as assisting with technology commercialization and deployment in partnership with public and private stakeholders across the transportation ecosystem.
• The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will collaborate with the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program to support thriving local ecosystems with equitable opportunities for the aerospace industry. NASA support may include connecting teams with the agency’s technical experts and technologies and local NASA awardees and sharing knowledge around space and aeronautics.
• The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will collaborate with the NSF Regional Innovation Engines program to support thriving local ecosystems with equitable opportunities for arts integration and practice. NEA support may include technical assistance on arts-based and culturally-relevant community engagement processes, advising the NSF Regional Innovation Engines teams on future funding opportunities, providing connection to local grantees, and sharing knowledge around innovation and the arts.
• The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will partner with NSF to integrate humanities perspectives into the NSF Engine program. This collaboration encourages broader reflection across a wider range of academic disciplines, including history, ethics, and other relevant fields that complement the scientific development of new technology, and fosters innovation ecosystems across the U.S.
• The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is responsible for the regulation of cell and gene therapy products, commits to facilitating scientific and regulatory interactions with the agency, allowing sponsors to take advantage of the full breadth of available regulatory programs to advance product development. 
• The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will provide technical assistance for the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program to increase private investment in small businesses located in NSF Engine regions, convene SBIC funds with NSF Engine leaders, and facilitate connections for NSF Engines with the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) ecosystem.
• The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Offices and their State Directors will work with the U.S. National Science Foundation, including direct engagement with rural-focused awardees, to identify relevant USDA Rural Development programs and networks, such as Rural Partners Network Community Networks, that could help ensure rural communities can benefit from and engage with the NSF Engines awardees.
• The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Directed Energy Directorate will work with the NSF Regional Innovation Engines to identify any relevant materials, additive manufacturing and Directed Energy technology that could help strengthen the supply chains for technology, widen the talent pool for Directed Energy at a national level, and identify collaboration opportunities to strengthen industry-academia-government ties for advancing state-of-the-art strategies in Directed Energy Science and Technology.

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Earth Rider Brewery
Superior, Wisconsin

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, hello, hello.  (Applause.)  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  If you have a seat, take it.  (Laughs.)

Hello, Wisconsin.  (Applause.)  And from across the Bay, hello, Minnesota.  (Applause.)  Tim, thank you for the introduction.

I got to m- — I got to meet his twins and his wife.  And no wonder he’s here.  I tell you what, they’re going to keep him here.

Look, I’m honored to be with the two best governors in America — in the United States of America today — (applause) — the governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers — Tony, stand up — and, also, the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz.  (Applause.)

And thanks to the outstanding senators: Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin — (applause) — Tammy (inaudible) — and Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith from the state of Minnesota.  (Applause.)  If I have all three of them on my side, I don’t worry about anything.  (Laughter and applause.) 

And two great mayors: Mayor Paine of Superior, Wisconsin — (applause) — and Mayor Reinert of Duluth, Minnesota.  (Applause.)  Stand up, guys.  (Applause.)

Folks, I’m here today to talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention: the progress we’re making to invest in America — in American workers, in American products — to invest in America.  That’s what we’re doing: bringing work, opportunity, and hope to people and communities all across this country.

Just last week, we saw the biggest jump in 30 years in how positive consumers are feeling about the economy.  Things are finally beginning to sink in.

We passed a lot of really good legislation.  We knew it was going to take time for it to begin to take hold.  But it’s taking hold now and turning the economy around.

We also just learned that America fi- — filed 16 million new business applications since I’ve become President.  That’s a record.  (Applause.) 

And the reason I mention it — when someone files for a new business, it’s a — it’s a — it’s an example of hope, something they believe in.  They believe that they can get something done and of consequence.  You know, and Tim’s business right here is that act of hope, as well — started a while ago.

And just today, we learned the economy of the United States grew by 3.1 percent last year.  I don’t wa- — (applause) — I don’t want to bore you all with detail, but, you know, the experts, from the time I got elected, were insisting that a recession was just around the corner.  Every month, there was going to be a recession.

Well, you know, we’ve got really strong growth.  Listening to this — here is this mo- — this morning’s headlines, from the Wall Street Journal and other papers.  Quote, “U.S. [Growth] Shatters Expectations.”  Second headline: “The U.S. Economy Boomed in 2023.”  Third: “U.S. Economy Grew at a Sh- — a Shocking Pace.”  (Laughs.)  I love that “shocking pace” piece.  (Laughter.)  But my favorite is from the Wall Street Journal.  Quote, “What Recession?  Growth Ended [Up] Accelerating in 2023.”  (Applause.)

Folks, look — and, by the way, the economic growth was stronger than we had during the Trump administration.

Our — my predecessor recently said he was actually hoping for the economy to crash.  His quote.  Hoping for the economy to crash.  And can you believe it?  Well — well, he said he’s hoping — because he hope it happens soon, while I’m still president.  That’s what he’s hoping for.

Well, thanks to the American people, America now has the strongest growth and the lowest inflation rate of any major economy in the world.  (Applause.)  It’s because of you.

We obviously have more work to do, but we’re making real progress, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up and not the top down.

I was raised in a household where there were — we had three-bedroom — it was a nice home — three-bedroom split-level home in a new development of 40 homes in suburbia with four — four kids and a grandpop living with us.  And — but trickle-down economics didn’t trickle down much on my ga- — dad’s kitchen table.

Because when we — when we — when we work from the middle out and the bottom up, the poor have a shot, the middle class does really well, and the — and the wealthy still do well.  But everybody gets a shot.  We all do well.

You know, as the Secretary of the Treasury, Jan- — Janet Yellen, just said today, and I quote, “The story of the middle class is not separate from the st- — state of the economy.  It’s at the heart of it.”  She went on to say, “I mean workers across industries and occupations — from firefighters to nurses to factory workers.”

That’s the middle class.  At least that’s where I come from.  And that’s what it’s all about.

So, I’m here to announce more progress that shows that we can get big things done in America if we start believing in ourselves again, if we start investing in America again.

Folks, look, our infrastructure used to be the best in the world — the be- — rated the best in the world.  But over a period of time, we stopped investing in America.  We stopped it.  We stopped investing in ourselves, and we slipped.  We’re now ranked the 13th best infrastructure in the world.  The United States of America, number 13 in the world.

How in God’s name can we have the strongest economy in the world when we don’t have the strongest and best infrastructure in the world?  It’s not possible.

So, we’re determined to turn that around.  We — we’re determined to turn that around in a big way.  And that’s exactly — (applause) — and that’s actually what we’re doing.

Two years ago, I came to Wisconsin — it was almost this very spot — to talk about the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I signed with the support of your elected officials — the most sweeping investment to rebuild America in American history.

We’ve already invested $6.1 billion in Wisconsin so far, $5.7 billion — (applause) — $5.7 billion in Minnesota.  (Applause.) 

Two years later, I came back to the Blatnik Bridge.  I was here two years ago.

Well, last time I was here, I came with Tammy, and we’re now back this time because we know — we knew this bridge needed a — had — needed a lot of work.  Tammy didn’t let — let me forget that, either.  (Laughter.) 

You know, that bridge opened in 1961, and it connects Minnesota to Wisconsin — you know better than anyone in the world — and over the [St.] Louis Bay.

It’s a vital link in our nation’s economy.  Every year, 950,000 trucks use the bridge to carry 3.4 billion tons of goods all the way across America and into Canada.  Folks, every day 33,000 ve- — vehicles cross that bridge.

The flow of people is so critical to small businesses that rely on it to get customers, employers [employees], goods to the businesses — it’s critical — and local businesses like this brewery at the base of the bridge.

Think what Tim just told us.  Tim’s family has been here for four generations.  His great-grandparents moved here from Scandinavia to build a bakery just four blocks from here.

And as Tim just said, the bridge is critical to his business, his workers, his customers, to the entire local economy.  And it’s like that in other parts of the country as well.

This bridge is also critical to the largest port on the Great Lakes, serving critical industries like forestry, agriculture, clean energy, supporting so many communities.  I mean, it really is consequential.

But you also know this bridge is in badly corroded condition.  It’s unsafe for trucks to carry oversize, overweight loads, causing drivers lengthy detours, increasing costs and delays.

It’s outdated in design.  Tight curves have led to higher-than-average car accident rates, traffic congestion.

For decades, people talked about replacing this bridge, but it never got done, until today.  (Applause.)  Until today.  I mean it.

And I’m proud to announce $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to build this new bridge, a new bridge that will increase capacity for large trucks and oversized loads; a new bridge with a modern design, wider shoulders, smother on — smoother on and off ramps; a new bridge with a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists.  (Applause.)

And I — and I want to credit your governors — and I mean this sincerely — and your state legislatures for coming up with the matching money to invest in this bridge.  Otherwise, it wouldn’t have gotten done with — with your own funding.

This investment is going to make a huge difference: less traffic, fewer car accidents, faster commutes to your jobs and schools, quicker response times from firetrucks and first responders when every minute counts.

Goods are going to get shipped quicker, and commerce will flow more freely, instead of having to detour for up to 10 miles.

Here’s what else it means.  It means that 10,000 new construction jobs — union jobs — (applause) — are going to be created.

We’re investing in America, in jobs for American workers, built with American products.

And that’s going to — with the help of your congressional delegation, especially Senator Tammy Baldwin, we’re making sure that that iron, that steel, that construction material to build this bridge is made in America.  (Applause.)
And this funding is part of a larger $5 billion investment led by the Department of Transportation for 37 major projects across America, including bridges, highways, ports, airports.  To date, 40,000 infrastructure problems have been — projects have been announced all across America.  And with the support of these great governors and congressional delegation, we’re doing other big things.

For example, we’re making sure every American, including all of you here, have access to affordable high-speed Internet.  (Applause.)  I want to thank Amy for her leadership in this issue.  She has been relentless.  (Applause.)

High-speed Internet is essential to today’s economy.  It’s as essential as electricity was when Franklin Roosevelt was president.  Not a joke. 

That’s why, nearly a century ago, Franklin Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act.  I know this sounds like it doesn’t make — doesn’t matter, but it matters a great deal.  He signed it to bring electricity to nearly every home and farm in America because it became essential — an essential part of the economic growth of the country, an essential way to access the modern life.  And so is high-speed Internet today.

In Wisconsin and Minnesota, we’re investing $2.5 billion — $2.5 billion in high-speed Internet.  And we’re going to save — (applause) — and we’re going to save more than 600,000 families in these two states up to $30 a month on their Internet bills.  The household that I came from, that matters.  Those $30 extra at the end of the month — bills all add up when you’re living on a fixed salary.

We’re also investing $1.1 billion in your state to provide clean water and replace poisonous lead pipes.  (Applause.)  Every lead pipe is going to be taken out so you can turn on your faucet and drink clean water without getting sick. 

You know, a recent study shows that reducing lead exposure for children has the same effect on a student’s test scores as reducing the size of a class they’re in from 22 to 15 — one tenth the cost, it is.  It matters.  It affects the ability of the brain to function.

That’s why we’re going to eliminate every single lead pipe in America.  And I promise you that.  We got the money to do it now.  (Applause.)

And that’s on top of another billion dollars to clean up the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water to 20 million people — (applause) — 20 million people.  And, by the way, it used to make the beer brewed here — (laughs) — it is used to make the brewed beer here in this refine- — oh, Earth Rider, thanks for the Great Lakes.  I wondered why (inaudible) — (laughter).

What we’re doing in Wisconsin and Minnesota is just one piece of a much bigger story.  Look, 14 million new jobs since I became president — (applause); 169 [thousand] new jobs in Wisconsin, 200,000 in Minnesota; nearly 800,000 new manufacturing jobs nationwide — good-paying jobs. 

And [un]employment has been the lowest — been below 4 percent for the longest stretch in 50 years.  (Applause.)  And it’s even lower in Wisconsin and Minnesota, where it stands at 3.3 and 2.9 percent, respectively. 

That’s our economic plan: invest in America, invest in American products, build in America.  That’s what we call Bidenomics. 

My professor — well, I won’t get into my professor.  (Laughter.) 

But, look, my predecessor, though, he chose a different course: trickle-down economics, cut taxes for the very wealthy and big corporations, increasing the deficit significantly.  That’s exactly what happened.  That’s exactly what happened. 

And the fact is — well, I won’t get into it, but — I don’t want to get going.  (Laughter.) 

He stripped good-paying jobs and shipped them overseas.  Why?  Cheaper labor.  Rather than pay you a fair wage, ship it overseas, lower wage costs, and then import the product, denying Americans jobs.  He shrank public investment in infrastructure and education.  And then the process — in the process, he hollowed out communities, closing factories, leaving too many Americans behind.

Look, I grew up in the neighborhoods that many — many of you did, in regions where they had that factory that — maybe it only employed 600 people or 800 people, but it was the heartbeat of the community. 

And all of a sudden, one day, corporation owners decided it was cheaper to send that factory overseas because the labor was cheaper.  So, it sent the — closed the factory, sent it overseas, imported the product from overseas, paid more money for it, and they didn’t have to pay as much in labor.  That’s what happened.  That’s how we began to hollow out American labor.  For real.  Not a joke. 

You know, any rate —

He talked about infrastructure.  Every week, when — for four years, he was going to increase the infr- — “We’re at ‘Infrastructure Week.’”  Well — (laughs) — we have Infrastruc- — Infrastructure Year.  (Laughter.)  He didn’t get — on my watch, instead of Infrastructure Week, America is having an Infrastructure Decade.  (Applause.)

Look, we’re rebuilding factories, and jobs are coming back to America.

For example, you know, when we — you know that little computer chip that everybody needs for everything from your watch to your automobile?  Well, guess what?  We used to make — we invented them.  We s- — made them more sophisticated.  We used to have 40 percent of the market.  And all of a sudden, it was — we have nothing.  You know that — and so, guess what?  I got on a plane and went to South Korea. 

My staff went, “What the hell are you doing?”  I talked to the — the prime — the leader of South Korea.  I said, “You have a thing called ‘Samsung.’  You make a lot of these computer chips.  Come to America.” 

Well, not only did they, but a total of $50 billion — (applause) — is coming to America, building factories in America — in America.

There’s a place just outside of Columbus, Ohio.  They call it a “Field of Dreams.”  They’re building two of these — these fa- — these “fabs,” they call — factories.  They’re like gigantic football fields.  And guess what?  They hire a whole hell of a lot of people, not only building the facility but working there. 

You know what the average salary is?  One hundred and ten thousand bucks a year, and you don’t need a college degree to have the job.  (Applause.)  

The Midwest is coming back.  And these senators right in front of you here, they delivered it.  Amy delivered it.  Tammy delivered it.  Tina delivered it.  I mean it sincerely.  (Applause.)  And you, the American people, supported it. 

Now, I worked with some Republicans to get the bipartisan law done.  And it got done.  But I’m sorry to say, the vast majority voted against it.  But you know what?  That’s okay, because we’re building projects everywhere, no matter whether they voted for it or not. 

I promised to be a president for all Americans, whether you voted for me or didn’t vote for me.  (Applause.)

Folks, but we have more — we have more work to do.  For example, does anyone think that the tax code in America is fair?  Raise your hand if you think the tax code is fair. 

In 2020, 55 of the Fortune 500 company corporations paid zero in taxes — zero in taxes.  You may heard me harp on this for a while.  Federal taxes on $40 billion in profit, they paid zero cents. 

But not anymore.  What I was able to do is provo- — provide for funding all of these programs by signing a — getting passed the tax of just 15 percent.  You pay more than that.  But just getting up to 15 percent — 15 percent tax on these 50 corporations making $40 billion.  And guess what?  As a consequence, we could pay for so many of these investments we’re making all across America without the deficit going up.  And we still brought the deficit down by $7 billion. 

Look, we have to do more. 

One of the other things that I want to mention — you know, I — I’ve been — I’m going to say this politely.  For my entire career, I have been going after the pharmaceutical corporations.  Pharmaceutical corporations in America are the best in the world.  They make the best product.  But whatever prescription you may be taking now, if I take that prescription for you — we’re going to fly to Toronto, Canada; London, England; any — Brazil; anywhere in the world — I will get that prescription by the same company filled for anywhere from one third to one half the cost. 

We get charged more than any other country in the world.  Not a joke.  And you pay for it not only in your prescription, but you pay for it because Medicare pays for a great deal of this.  So, I’ve been pushing to let Medicare negotiate and save (inaudible).  (Applause.)

Well, with the help of your Senate and congress- — congressional delegation, I finally won. 

And guess what?  Any of you — I’m not asking you to raise your hand — but you know anybody who has a — has a problem with diabetes, needs insulin?  Well, it used to be the average cost of that insulin shot a ye- — on a monthly basis was closer to $400.  Now they cannot charge more than $35.  (Applause.)

And, by the way, they’re still making 350 percent profit.  It costs 10 bucks to make it — 10 bucks to make it.  And the guy who invented it didn’t even want a patent on it because he thought it should be available to everyone.

I could take you down the list. 

And beginning in 2025, guess what else happens?  Anybody you know have parents or grandparents who are taking a cancer drug?  They may be paying anywhere from 6- to 13,000 bucks a month for the — for that drug.  They can’t do it.

And guess what?  No one is going to have — no senior is going to have to pay, no matter how many drugs have to take, more than $2,000 bucks a month, period — period, period, period.  (Applause.)

And they’re still going to make money.  They’re still going to make money.

And, folks, I was told that that’s an awful thing to do, man.  It’s a terrible thing to do.  Guess what?  Not only is it saving the individual money, it means you, as taxpayers, are paying billions of dollars less per month because you don’t have to spend that money on Medicaid.  You don’t have to spend that money on Medicaid because it’s a fair price.

We get thou- — look, we — you know, we now have — we used to — before the recession, before the — the pandemic, we had about 700 billionaires in America.  There are 1,000 billionaires now.  You know what their average tax rate is?  Eight percent.

Raise your hand if you want to trade your tax rate now for 8 percent.  (Laughter.)  No, I’m not joking.  I — I’m being deadly earnest.  You know, it sou- — it sounds like I’m making this up: 8 percent, what they pay. 

That’s why I proposed the billionaire minimum tax of 25 percent.  That’s not even the top rate.  (Applause.) 

If billionaires and big corporations paid even close to their fair share, we could strengthen Social Security and Medicare, bring down the cost of childcare, eldercare.  Working-class and middle-class people would all be better off.  And it wouldn’t cost a penny because they’re making — $40 billion would be coming in.

And — and it’s not — I mean, it’s just — it’s just basic fairness.  You know, it’s the right thing to do, and we can get this done.  And I’ll be damned, in the last year of this administration, I’m going to get it done.  (Applause.) 

Let me close with this.  I’m going on too long.  I apol- — I get a little tied up here.  (Laughter.)

This bridge is important, but the story we’re writing is much bigger than that.

When you see the shovels in the ground and cranes in the sky and people hard at work on these projects, I hope you feel re- — a renewed sense pride — pride in your community, pride in what we can do, pride in America, pride in knowing we can get big things done still together in America.

We’re the only county in the world that’s come out of every crisis we’ve gotten into stronger than we went in.  Not a joke.  The only country in the world.  For God’s sake, this is the United States of America — United States of America.

And the real heroes in this whole story, the American people, are starting to speak up.  American workers, American people doing the work to bring communities back to their country in ways that are — that it was before — in the future.

That’s what America does.  That’s why I’ve been never more optimistic about the future.  We just have to remember who in God’s name we are.  We’re the United States of America, and there is nothing — nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. 

Let’s start working together, for God’s sake.

God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  (Applause.)

President Biden White House administration

For too long, we all know the border’s been broken.
 
It’s long past time to fix it.
 
That’s why two months ago, I instructed my team to begin negotiations with a bipartisan group of Senators to seriously, and finally, address the border crisis. For weeks now that’s what they’ve done. Working around the clock, through the holidays, and over weekends.
 
Let’s be clear.
 
What’s been negotiated would – if passed into law – be the toughest and fairest set of reforms to secure the border we’ve ever had in our country. 
 
It would give me, as President, a new emergency authority to shut down the border when it becomes overwhelmed.  And if given that authority, I would use it the day I sign the bill into law.
 
Further, Congress needs to finally provide the funding I requested in October to secure the border.  This includes an additional 1,300 border patrol agents, 375 immigration judges, 1,600 asylum officers, and over 100 cutting-edge inspection machines to help detect and stop fentanyl at our southwest border. 
 
Securing the border through these negotiations is a win for America.
 
For everyone who is demanding tougher border control, this is the way to do it.
 
If you’re serious about the border crisis, pass a bipartisan bill and I will sign it.

###

AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Please. (Applause.)

Take a seat, if you have one. (Laughter.)

Hello, Virginia! (Applause.)

And the real governor, Terry McAuliffe. (Laughter and applause.)

My name is Joe Biden. I’m Jill Biden’s husband and Kamala’s running mate. (Laughter.)

Kidding aside, thank you, Kamala, for your leadership, for protecting the reproductive freedom, and for so much more that you do.

And thank you, Jill and Doug, for shining the spotlight on so many issues affecting women’s rights — not just this one.

And, Amanda, thanks for the introduction. Do you realize how much courage it takes to do what she did? (Applause.) You give so many young women hope.

Jill and I had a chance to sit down —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Genocide Joe, how many kids have you killed in Gaza?

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Go ahead, Mr. President. (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: Well, look — (applause) — Jill and I had a chance to sit down and talk with Amanda and her husband, Josh. I told you how proud we were of your courage, Amanda, standing up and speaking out on such a personal issue to help so many women, and —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Israel kills two mothers every hour!

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.) Ceasefire now! Ceasefire now! (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years! (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: They feel deeply.

I want to thank you, again, Amanda, for your absolute courage. And to all of you here today, thank you for your support defending freedom in America, because that’s what we’re doing.

Yes- —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Miscarriage (inaudible) —

AUDIENCE: (Applause.) Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: Yesterday — yesterday marked the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which recognized a woman’s constitutional right to choose, her right to make the deeply personal —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: We’re going to have — this is going to go on for a while.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: We’ve got a couple more of these, I think.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: And, folks, I believe Roe v. Wade got it right, and so do a majority of Americans. And they still do. (Applause.)

We all know what happened a year and a half ago: A new Supreme Court made an extreme decision overturning Roe v. Wade with their — with their Dobbs decision.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: I’m sorry this is taking so long. (Applause.)

Folks, the Supreme Court did what it never had done before: It ripped away a fundamental constitutional right that was in place for nearly 50 years and that was so important to so many Americans for so long.

As I said on that day, the health and lives of women in this nation would be at risk and the consequences of this decision. That’s exactly what happened.

Today, in America, women are being turned away from mergen- — emergency rooms, forced to travel hundreds of miles to get basic healthcare, forced to go to court to plead to help to protect themselves and the ability for them to have children in the future. The cruelty is astounding. (Applause.)

And it’s a direct affront to a woman’s dignity to be told by extreme politicians and judges to wait, to get sicker and sicker before anything can happen, even to the point where, as you heard, your life had been determined to be in danger.

Or the idea that a woman should have to carry a fetus after she’s been raped or the victim of incest — it’s outrageous. It’s outrageous.

Or the idea — (applause) — a woman receives competent medical advice that the fetus she is carrying won’t live and will impact on her ability to have children in the future, and she still can’t get medical care. I think it’s unconscionable.

Did anyone think — did anyone think that this is where America was going in 2024?

AUDIENCE: No!

THE PRESIDENT: I could go on. But, look, let there be no mistake: The person most responsible for taking away this freedom in America is Donald Trump. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE PRESIDENT: Lis- — listen to what he says. Trump says he’s “proud” that he overturned Roe v. Wade. He said, and I quote, there has to be “punishment” for the women exercising their reproductive freedom.

He describes the Dobbs decision as a “miracle.” But for American women, it’s a nightmare.

So, let’s be absolutely clear what Trump is bragging about. The reason there are 21 states where abortion bans are in effect, may [many] with no exception for rape or any other — or incest, is Donald Trump.

The reason women are being forced to travel out of state —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: This is going to go on for a while. They’ve got this planned.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: (Laughs.)

The reason women are being forced to travel across state lines for healthcare is Donald Trump. The reason their family members are trying to get help — them to — are threatened with — with prosecution is because of Donald Trump. And the reason their fundamental right has been stripped away is Donald Trump.

And because of Donald Trump, doctors are fleeing their home states, setting up practices in other states, because they’re afraid they’ll be put in prison if they exercise their responsibilities. In states like Texas, doctors can get a life sentence for providing the care they were trained to provide. It’s outrageous.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible) is a war crime!

THE PRESIDENT: And, frankly, Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans — including the woman hollering — (applause) —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Keep going!

THE PRESIDENT: And, frankly — (applause) — Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, including the Speaker of the House, are hell-bent on going even further. To date, MAGA Republicans in Congress have proposed three additional national abortion bans to criminalize healthcare in every state.

Let me tell you what they are. First is a zero-week ban with absolutely no exceptions. The second one introduced is a sec- — is a six-week ban with a penalty for violating it — jail. And the third is a 15-week ban, and the penalty is five-year jail sentence. You know, and they’re in Congress now.

In the past year, Trump himself endorsed a federal ban, promising to “lead the charge,” God love him. (Laughter.) And that means even if you live in a state where extremist Republicans are not in charge of the state government, your right to choose, your right to privacy is still at risk.

But as long as I have the power of the presidency, know this: If Congress were to pass a national abortion ban, I will veto it. (Applause.) I will veto it.

Look, MAGA Republicans — MAGA Republicans are trying to limit all women in America from getting a safe and effective medication —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: MAGA Republicans are trying to limit all women in America from getting a safe and effective medication, approved by the FDA to — for over 20 years now. They’re trying to block women from getting this medication even in states where women’s healthcare choices are still protected.

And if you live in a state where you cannot get care that you need and you make a plan to travel to another state to get the care you need, MAGA Republicans are trying to stop you as well.

And get this. In the state of Alabama, the Attorney General is threatening to prosecute family members who help their loved ones travel to another state to get healthcare they need. That can’t be America —

AUDICENCE: Booo —

THE PRESIDENT: That can’t be America in 2024. It can’t be.

So, let’s be clear that the Dobbs decision also puts at risk the broader rights of privacy for everyone. That’s because the fundamental right to privacy, which Roe v. Wade recognized, has served as a basis for so many other rights that are part of the fabric of this country: the right to make the best decisions for your health, the right to bir- — use birth control, the right to marry someone who you love. (Applause.)

Justice Thomas wrote as much in his con- — in his concurring opinion in Dobbs that the future cases of the Court, he said, should be considered — reconsider all substantive due process precedents from Griswold on. That’s what he said.

Look —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: Please don’t jump.

Folks, the extreme laws passed by Dobbs have no place in the United States of America. (Applause.) But what does have a place is your voice. (Applause.)

The Dobbs decision practically dared the women of America to be heard. In writing, they said, “Women are not without electoral or political power.” No kidding. (Applause.)

I said at the time, I don’t think this Court and the MAGA Republicans have any clue about the power of women in America. (Applause.) I don’t think they have any clue. But they’re about to find out.

Since — (applause) — since the Dobbs decision, all over this country, from Ohio to Kansas, Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and right here in Virginia, Americans have showed up — women and men of all races, all backgrounds — voting to protect the freedom to choose. (Applause.)

And there’s one other person who doesn’t have a clue about the power of women in America: Donald Trump.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: But, look —

AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: What I said is there’s one other person who doesn’t have a clue about the power of women in America. It’s Donald Trump. (Applause.)

But I promise you, in 2024, he’s going to find out about the power of you all. (Applause.)

We — oh, he — watch. We need the protections of Roe v. Wade in every state. And we can do it. You can do it. Together, we can do it. It’s within your power to do it.

So, let me be crystal clear. Today isn’t just a day to remember the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Today is a day to call to action. With your voice, with your power, with your vote, we can restore the protections that had been around for over 50 years under Roe v. Wade. (Applause.)

We can — we can — (applause) — we can once again make it the law of the land in America. And we’re going to do that.

Are you ready to make it happen? (Applause.)

Well, to do that, we need a new Congress. Are you ready to make that happen? (Applause.)

Give me a Democratic House of Representatives and give me a bigger — a bigger Democratic Senate, and we will pass a new law restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade, and I will sign it immediately. (Applause.)

And let’s remember: It was Donald Trump and his Supreme Court who ripped away the rights and freedoms of women in America. And it will be Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and all of you who are going to restore those rights for the women of America. (Applause.)

Donald Trump is betting we won’t — you won’t vote on this issue. But guess what? (Laughter.) He’s betting we won’t hold him responsible, either, for taking away the rights. He’s betting you’re going to stop caring.

AUDIENCE: Booo —

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: We have daughters!

THE PRESIDENT: By the way — that you’ll get distracted and discouraged and stay home.

AUDIENCE: Nooo —

THE PRESIDENT: Well, guess what? I’m betting he’s wrong. I’m betting you’re the — won’t forget. (Applause.) I’m betting you won’t stop caring, that you won’t get distracted. And I’m betting, come November, we will vote in a record number. (Applause.)

And when we do that, we’ll teach Donald Trump a valuable lesson: Don’t mess with the women of America unless you want to get the benefit. (Applause.)

Look, let me close with this. I believe 2024 is going to be the most important election we’ve had since 1864. I mean it. (Applause.)

And the reasons are clear. Democracy is on the ballot. Freedom is on the ballot, like the freedom to choose; the freedom to vote; the freedom to love who you want; the freedom to go to work, go to school, go to your house of worship without fear of being gunned down by a weapon of war. (Applause.)

So, my question to you is simple: Are you ready?

AUDIENCE: Yes! (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Are you ready to defend democracy?

AUDIENCE: Yes! (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Are you ready to protect our freedoms?

AUDIENCE: Yes! (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: And are you ready to win this election?

AUDIENCE: Yes! (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Let’s get this done. Talk to your families and friends. Organize your community. Register to vote. Get people to the polls.

And let’s remember who we are: We are the United States of America. (Applause.) And there’s nothing — nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.

May God bless you all. And may God protect our troops.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.)

All right. You heard me say this before. Every time I’d walk out of my grandfather’s house, he’d yell, “Joey, keep the faith.” Guess what? My grandmother would yell, “No, Joey, spread it.” (Applause.)

Let’s spread the faith. Thank you. (Applause.)

Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Manassas, VA

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everyone.  Good afternoon.  Can we give it up for the First Lady of the United States of America?  (Applause.)

Thank you, Dr. Biden.  Thank you, Jill.  She’s been traveling.  She’s really been traveling.  And I can’t thank you enough for your friendship and your leadership. 

And — and I have to say about our First Lady, just as she left the stage, she has been an unwavering champion for the women and f- — families of our nation.  Excuse me.  I see her when the cameras are on and when they’re off, and she’s an extraordinary leader on so many levels. 

So, again, to Dr. Jill Biden, thank you very much.  (Applause.)

Please have a seat if you’d like.

And to my husband, the first Second Gentleman of the United States, Doug Emhoff.  (Applause.)  And, of course, I always thank him for standing with the women of America and for the people.

And of course, our President, Joe Biden, who is going to take the stage very shortly.  (Applause.)  Who, as we all know — which is why we are here together — we have, in Joe Biden, a courageous fighter for our most fundamental freedoms as Americans, including, of course, the freedom to make decisions about one’s own body and not have their government tell them what they’re supposed to do.  (Applause.)

And, of course, today, that freedom is under profound threat.

We all know, 19 months ago, the highest court in our land — the court of Thurgood and RBG — took a constitutional right from the people of America, from the women of America.  And in the 19 months since, in states across our nation, extremists have proposed and passed laws that criminalize doctors and punish women — laws that make no exception even for rape and incest.

And let us all agree, one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do with her body.  (Applause.)

If she chooses — if she chooses, she will consult with her pastor, her priest, her rabbi, her imam.  But it should not be the government telling her what they think is in her best interest.

And note — (applause) — while these extremists say they are motivated by the health and the well-being of the women and children of America, in reality, they ignore the crisis of maternal mortality.  (Applause.)

The top 10 states in our country with the highest rates of maternal mortality all have abortion bans.  The hypocrisy abounds.

And so, this is, in fact, a healthcare crisis.  And there is nothing about this moment that is hypothetical.

Today, in America, one in three women of reproductive age live in a state with an abortion ban. 

And let us understand what that really means for people across our nation.  Let us understand the horrific reality that women face every single day.

Since Roe was overturned, I have met a woman, for example — I’ve actually met more than one who have had miscarriages in toilets because they were refused care.

I have met women who went to the emergency room and who were turned away because doctors were afraid they would be thrown in jail for providing care.

Just yesterday, I was in Wisconsin for the first stop of my national “Fight for Reproductive Freedoms” tour.  (Applause.)  And there I met a woman named Meagan.  Because of a law that Wisconsin passed in, get this, 1849, that extremists then use in current day to stop abortion, Meagan had to go to Minnesota to leave the state she calls home to receive the care that saved her life.

Across our nation, women are suffering. 

And let us be very clear about who is responsible.  Former President Trump handpicked —

AUDIENCE MEMBERS:  Boo!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — handpicked three Supreme Court Justices because he intended for them to overturn Roe.  He intended for them to take your freedoms.  He is the architect of this healthcare crisis.  And he is not done.  And he is not done.  And the extremists are not done.

In the United States Congress, extremists are trying to pass a national abortion ban to outlaw —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — to outlaw abortion in every state.

But what they need to know is that we will not allow it.  (Applause.)  The American people will not allow it.  (Applause.)  That’s right.

And here’s some evidence of that point.  Since Roe was overturned, tens of millions of Americans in red states and blue marched to the polls in defense of fundamental freedoms.

The voice — (applause) — the voice of the people has been heard, and it will be heard.  (Applause.)

So, today, I ask the people here in Virginia: Are you ready to make your voice heard?  (Applause.)

Do we trust women?  (Applause.)  Do we believe in reproductive freedoms?  (Applause.)  Do we believe in the promise of America?  (Applause.)  And are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.)  Good.

And when we fight, we win.

God bless you.  And God bless America.  (Applause.)

And now —

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And with that —

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And — yes.  And, absolutely, four more years.  (Applause.)

And so, getting on to how we’re going to get there, let me just say, we have a president who knows how to win; a president who is protecting women’s access to medication and emergency care, protecting women’s privacy and the right of women to travel to receive care. 

We have a president who has a vision for our future, a future where reproductive freedom is protected for every woman, every person in America.  And we have a president who has — and this is so critically important — the compassion as well as the determination and skill to make our vision for our country and our future real.

And so, now, to introduce our president, it is my honor to welcome a person of profound strength and courage, Amanda Zurawski, who is going to join us to say a few words and share a story that it takes so much courage for anyone to share.

Amanda.  (Applause.)

Biden-Harris Administration will announce new commitments to workforce development from the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Sprint. The Sprint, which First Lady Jill Biden announced in May and the Administration kicked off in October, is an intensive drive to build a diverse, skilled pipeline of workers for good advanced manufacturing jobs, including union jobs, many of which do not require a four-year college degree. This comes as President Biden’s historic Investing in America agenda—including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and American Rescue Plan—is creating strong demand for skilled advanced manufacturing workers in clean energy, biotechnology, semiconductors, and more.

Today, Neera Tanden, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, in partnership with the National Economic Council, will highlight some of the many new commitments in remarks to 850 community college and other labor and workforce leaders in New Orleans, Louisiana. More than 160 organizations are participating in the Sprint—including community colleges, employers, unions, education and training providers, community-based groups, philanthropic organizations, and state and local governments—by taking tangible steps to help more Americans train for and succeed in good advanced manufacturing jobs and careers.

In the three months since the Administration kicked off the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Sprint:

• Over 160 organizations have made new commitments to workforce development and job quality in advanced manufacturing.
• Over 150 new advanced manufacturing-related Registered Apprenticeship programs and occupations have been created or are newly under development.
• Over 4,700 new apprentices have been hired in advanced manufacturing occupations.
• The Administration is announcing new investments—including more than $50 million in January alone—to grow and diversify America’s advanced manufacturing workforce.
• The AFL-CIO Working for America Institute, in partnership with labor and industry, will lead development of a universal pathway curriculum for advanced manufacturing to provide students and workers an onramp to good advanced manufacturing careers.

The Biden-Harris Administration continues to encourage and support expansion of high-quality pathways into advanced manufacturing, and invites additional interested organizations to join the Sprint by submitting a commitment.

Alongside Director Tanden’s remarks today, the Administration is highlighting dozens of concrete actions by Sprint participants and agencies to expand high-quality pathways into good advanced manufacturing jobs and careers:

• The Department of Labor announced that more than 4,700 apprentices have been hired and more than 150 new programs and occupations created or under development during the course of its Advanced Manufacturing Registered Apprenticeship Accelerator Series. The effort was launched on October 6 to meet critical recruitment, retention, and training needs in advanced manufacturing occupations—including in the clean energy, semiconductor, aerospace, automotive, and biotechnology sectors. Registered Apprenticeship programs offer a proven earn-and-learn pathway that benefit workers and employers alike.
• Examples of employer and non-profit actions to expand Registered Apprenticeship programs and other high-quality pathways include:
  • Multiverse, in collaboration with partners such as Rolls Royce, will scale its advanced manufacturing-related Registered Apprenticeship programs to support 1,000 roles, such as Data Analyst, over the next two years.
  • Rockwell Automation, a smart manufacturing company, will expand its Academy of Advanced Manufacturing, a 12-week residential program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Cleveland, Ohio that equips veterans with the technical and workplace skills to fill in-demand manufacturing jobs. The program has served over 500 participants, 38 percent of whom are people of color.
  • Micron, the only U.S.-based leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing company, partnered with the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance and College of Western Idaho to expand their first-ever Registered Apprenticeship Program in Advanced Mechatronics. Micron is also advancing its partnerships with community colleges to increase recruitment of underrepresented students, including with a $5 million investment to Onondaga Community College to support a new Micron Cleanroom Simulation Laboratory.
  • Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) – Atlanta/Georgia Chapters, a non-profit trade organization, committed to hiring 125 additional Electrical Registered Apprentices. 
  • Global Foundries, semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company, has committed to enrolling 130 incumbent workers in its Industrial Manufacturing Technician Registered Apprenticeship program.
  • Jobs for the Future (JFF), a workforce development organization, will register at least 825 apprentices annually, at least 50 percent of whom will be from populations underrepresented in the advanced manufacturing workforce. JFF will also provide free coaching and technical assistance—including on equitable recruiting strategies—for employers and other group sponsors launching a registered apprenticeship in manufacturing.

• Examples of community college actions to increase high-quality programming and partnerships include:
  • Delta College in Michigan plans to enroll 300 students during the first two years of a new 15-week accelerated technician certificate program or engineering degree programs this year, both developed in partnership with local semiconductor manufacturers Hemlock and SK Siltron. Delta will recruit students from local K-12 schools and provide wraparound supports such as housing stipends, child care, transportation and food assistance, and healthcare, partnering with local community groups.
  • Nunez Community College in Louisiana, in partnership with NASA and Boeing, will register its Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Training program as a Registered Apprenticeship program. 
  • Fullerton Community College in Californiawill work with up to 100 area employers to implement Registered Apprenticeships for CNC/Machinists.
  • St. Petersburg Community College in Florida, in partnership with GE Aerospace, plans to launch a new Registered Apprenticeship program in Avionic Technology in early 2024.  
  • Leeward Community College in Hawaii will create new specializations in Advanced Additive Manufacturing, Robotics, Cobotics, accessible as part of an associate’s degree in Integrated Industrial Technology or as a stackable credential for workers seeking to upskill.
  • Parkland College in Illinois, in partnership with AGCO, an American agricultural machinery manufacturer, will launch a Registered Apprenticeship program in 2024 for Agricultural Equipment Technicians, which will target underserved youth. 

• Examples of partnerships between unions, employers, and education providers to deliver high-quality pathways into good advanced manufacturing jobs and careers include:
  • The American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—in partnership with the New York State United Teachers, the United Federation of Teachers, Micron, and Governor Kathy Hochul—launched a $4 million project to develop an Advanced Technology Framework for students to hone technical skills for semiconductor jobs, which will be piloted in 10 school districts starting next fall.
  • In March, the Department of Labor will launch a National Manufacturing Sector Table of leading labor, industry and workforce organizations in the manufacturing sector and support them to develop and lift up workforce solutions that equitably build and grow the next generation of the manufacturing workforce.
  • The AFL-CIO Working for America Institute (WAI) will support DOL’s Sector Table by working with other organizations to develop, scale, and adopt a universal pathway curriculum for advanced manufacturing. The universal pathway will provide workers and students an onramp to a variety of good manufacturing jobs and careers, while creating a pipeline of job-ready workers for employers.
  • SME—a nonprofit association of professionals, manufacturers, educators, and students committed to supporting the manufacturing industry—announced the Manufacturing Imperative – Workforce Pipeline Challenge (MI-WPC), a collaboration with 25 community and technical colleges, each of member which aims to enroll 1,000 individuals per year in pathways that lead to family-sustaining manufacturing jobs.
  • North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the National Education Association (NEA) will develop and disseminate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) template to help local school districts, community colleges, and unions form partnerships to build students’ awareness of and access to good union careers—building on similar MOUs announced in the Augusta Workforce Hub. The template may include language for developing training partnerships such as pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs; engaging education professionals such as school counselors and career and technical education (CTE) instructors; and reaching underrepresented students. Local areas can adapt the template for their needs and apply it in construction trades, advanced manufacturing, and other sectors.

• The White House Workforce Hubs—announced in five cities across the country that are seeing significant public- and private-sector investment—continue to lead the way on equitable workforce development, including for good advanced manufacturing jobs and careers. For example:
  • In Columbus, Columbus State Community College (CSCC) launched its semiconductor technician certificate program developed with Intel—announced during First Lady Jill Biden’s visit to the Columbus Workforce Hub in July—which is part of a suite of engineering technology programs that CSCC plans to grow fourfold by 2030, enrolling 5,000 students a year.
  • In Pittsburgh, the German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter will launch a new Electric Vehicle (EV) Technician Registered Apprenticeship in August 2024. Five employers have signed on to host apprentices; the program is committed to having the highest safety standards for its apprentices in the industry.
  • In Augusta, Augusta Technical College, in collaboration with the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), announced it will enhance its Nuclear Engineering Technology program curriculum, supported by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP). The initiative includes establishing a new apprenticeship program at SRNL; adding modules for radiation control and protection; and engaging high school students early through site visits, hands-on learning experiences, and a summer internship program.
  • In Phoenix, the City—in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), and Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC)—is establishing Innovation 27, a workforce training and education collaborative focused on semiconductor, bioscience, information technology, healthcare, and other emerging industries. It is supported by $18.5 million in funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

• The 17 Manufacturing USA Institutes, which collectively comprise over 2,500 member organizations across the nation and engage more than 106,000 people in advanced manufacturing training, announced recent steps to expand workforce development:
  • Revitalizing America’s Manufacturing Workforce—a national roadmap to develop advanced manufacturing technologies, grow the advanced manufacturing workforce, and connect workers to good jobs in advanced manufacturing.
  • BioFabUSA welcomed the inaugural cohort of the first-of-its-kind Biofabrication Technician Registered Apprenticeship Program in November. Apprentices completed customized coursework in math, biology, chemistry, and cell culture, along with soft skills and hands-on training to prepare them for the workplace. Participants will begin a year of on-the-job training, with pay and benefits, in late January 2024.
  • NIMBL, the Department of Commerce Manufacturing USA Institute, launched its 2024 application for the NIMBL eXperience program, which will offer postsecondary students real-world exploration of careers in the biopharmaceutical industry, targeting students of color, including at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

These commitments complement new and ongoing federal investments to expand and diversify the advanced manufacturing workforce, including:

• The Department of Labor awarded more than $65 million to develop, scale, and diversify Registered Apprenticeship programs to 46 states and territories—with 19 states focusing on advanced manufacturing as a target sector with $36 million in formula funds.
• The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) launched a $28 million Future Manufacturing competition on January 10 to catalyze new manufacturing capabilities that do not exist today through research, education, and workforce training that will overcome scientific, technological, educational, economic, and social barriers. Applicants must develop a plan to prepare diverse students and a skilled technical workforce that can transition new discoveries into U.S. manufacturing enterprise.
• NSF will announce upwards of $20 million for its Experiential Learning in Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program in March. ExLENT is a first-of-a-kind training initiative that provides paid experiential learning opportunities such as Registered Apprenticeships to current professionals in any field, helping them build the skills they need to pivot into careers in emerging technology fields, such as advanced manufacturing, microelectronics, biomanufacturing, and energy. This new announcement will build on NSF’s inaugural ExLENT awards of $18.8 million to 27 project teams.
• On January 22, Department of Energy (DOE) announced its intent to invest up to $24 million in high-quality training for union apprentices, incumbent workers, and students for in-demand jobs in advanced manufacturing and clean energy through the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) Program. The announcement is part of the IAC Program’s unprecedented expansion to include Registered Apprenticeship, union-led training, and community and technical college programs through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. It follows DOE’s $40 million investment, announced in November, to support 17 new IACs as well as the inaugural cohort of 10 Building Training and Assessment Centers. 

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Advanced Manufacturing Sprint builds on the Administration’s prior workforce sprints, which have driven commitments to equitable workforce development and job quality improvement to address critical needs. These include efforts to expand Registered Apprenticeships in trucking and cybersecurity, and to build pathways into good jobs and careers in broadband, electrification, and construction through the Talent Pipeline Challenge. The Sprint also supports the goals of the plan to expand education and training opportunities to biotechnology and biomanufacturing released in July.

we broke another record when it comes to lowering costs and ensuring Americans have access to quality, affordable healthcare: 21.3 million Americans have signed up for health coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. That means 9 million more people have gained coverage under the law – and peace of mind – since I took office. It’s no accident. My actions to protect the Affordable Care Act and lower premiums continue to make a big difference. And the American people have made it clear: they don’t want the Affordable Care Act weakened and repealed – they want it strengthened and protected.

We need to build on the progress we’ve made by making lower premiums permanent.  But Republicans in Congress have a different vision. Their recent budget would get rid of the improvements I signed into law, raising costs for millions of people. Over the last decade, extreme Republicans in Congress have blocked efforts to lower health care costs, and they’re still trying to end the Affordable Care Act, just as my predecessor tried and failed to do. Repealing the Affordable Care Act would throw these 21 million people off their coverage, and end Medicaid coverage for millions more. It would return to the days when insurance companies could rip Americans off by denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, charge women more than men, and make older adults pay astronomical health care premiums based on their age. We must not and will not go back.

If the extreme Republicans in Congress get their way, millions of families would face skyrocketing health care costs or lose their health care altogether. I won’t let it happen on my watch, and I’ll keep fighting to bring down health care and prescription drug costs.

Connecticut Launches New One-Stop-Shop Portal for Jobseekers

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the launch of Connecticut’s new jobs portal, jobs.ct.gov. The portal is aimed at assisting Connecticut residents and those seeking to move to the state in the process of finding a job. It represents the latest development in the Lamont administration’s ongoing journey toward an all-digital state government.

“The new jobs portal is the next step in our administration’s effort to make information more accessible and available for Connecticut residents and businesses,” Governor Lamont said. “Through jobs.ct.gov, jobseekers can access search tools, tips, and resources to help land a job, as well as training and certification opportunities. The jobs portal is also a tool that will help bring qualified candidates to employers’ job openings. It is another step in the right direction in the state’s digital journey, benefitting both residents and businesses.”

Jobs.ct.gov joins health.ct.gov and business.ct.gov as the next service category to be developed in the new digital, one-stop government ecosystem. Some of the resources available through the jobs portal include:

• Powerful job search tools;
• Job search tips and personal help;
• Free and low-cost training, certificate, and classroom programs; and
• Resources to help employers hire, train, and retain employees.

All of the resources are Connecticut-specific and focus on connecting jobseekers with the variety of employment and workforce development opportunities offered in the state.

“Over the past few years, Connecticut has made dramatic progress on its digital journey,” Connecticut Department of Administrative Services (DAS) Commissioner Michelle Gilman said. “Jobs.ct.gov is another example of cross-agency collaboration that will lead to a better experience for the resident. We recognize the need to meet residents where they are, making information more easily accessible while working to break down agency barriers. The jobs portal is an exciting development, giving jobseekers another tool to help connect them to opportunities, and we expect more initiatives like this in coming months and years.”

“Connecticut provides many services to support people on their journey to raise their level of employment, however those services were historically spread out across agencies and websites,” Connecticut Chief Information Officer and DAS Deputy Commissioner Mark Raymond said. “Jobs.ct.gov simplifies how people can find these critical resources.”

“This is an important addition to the job seeker’s toolbox,” Connecticut Department of Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo said. “Under Governor Lamont’s leadership, the statewide economy continues to be strong, steady, and add jobs. Yet, employers in some industries still face workforce shortages and jobs.ct.gov will be a valuable resource to them. This portal will help recruiters of all types find and train their workforce, get people into jobs, and keep Connecticut companies growing.”

“Jobseekers need information and tools that will enable them to search and apply for jobs quickly and easily and access training and resources that will support them in attaining a good job,” Connecticut Chief Workforce Officer Kelli Vallieres said. “Jobs.ct.gov provides jobseekers with these tools in one centralized location. Importantly, the new portal also provides employers with information to reach greater numbers of skilled jobseekers from diverse backgrounds, which is critical to a more robust and equitable Connecticut economy.”

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) is applauding the portal’s launch, saying it reflects broader calls from employers and residents for solutions that streamline and improve access to state services and resources.

“An easier front door for jobseekers is exactly what is needed to better connect supply and demand, especially for this who are disconnected from the labor force, unemployed, or underemployed,” CBIA President and CEO Chris DiPentima said. “We have the jobs, what we need are the people to fill those jobs and jobs.ct.gov will help connect the two.”

Twitter: @GovNedLamont

Facebook: Office of Governor Ned Lamont

South Carolina State House
Columbia, South Carolina

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  Good afternoon.  (Applause.)  Good afternoon, South Carolina.  Good afternoon.  Please have a seat. 

It is so good to be back.  It is so good to be back. 

I want to thank Grace Fellowship Choir for lifting our hearts with your beautiful voices.  And I just want to thank all of the leaders who are here for the work that you do every day. 

To Senator Devine, I thank you for that beautiful introduction and, most of all, for your courageous leadership and, of course, all the history that you make every day.  Can we please applaud Senator Devine for her work — (applause) — and her recent election?

And to President Murphy and all the leaders of the South Carolina NAACP, thank you for welcoming me today.  (Applause.) 

And, of course, it is always an honor to be in the home state of Assistant Leader Jim Clyburn.  (Applause.)  I do not need to tell South Carolina what a powerful leader he is.  And, of course, he is one of the closest advisors and friends to President Joe Biden and to me. 

Today, we celebrate the legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a visionary who saw what could be unburdened by what had been; an organizer who moved the minds, the hearts, and the feet of the American people; a leader who dedicated his life and, in the end, gave his life to advance one of our nation’s highest ideals: the ideal of freedom. 

Freedom is fundamental to the promise of America.  Freedom is not to be given.  It is not to be bestowed.  It is ours by right.  (Applause.)  And in many ways, the story of America has been a story of our fight to realize that promise. 

As Dr. King wrote in the Letter from Birmingham Jail, “The goal of America is freedom.”  And so, we gather this afternoon to honor his legacy.  And I therefore pose a question that I do believe Dr. King would ask today: In 2024, where exactly is America in our fight for freedom?  How are we doing?

Well, as Vice President of the United States, I’d say, at this moment in America, freedom is under profound threat. 

Today, in fact, we are witnessing a full-on attack on hard-fought, hard-won freedoms.  Consider, in states across our nation, extremists attack the sacred freedom to vote.  They pass laws to ban drop boxes, limit early voting, and restrict absentee ballots.

In Georgia, extremists had the gall to pass a law to even make it illegal to simply offer food and water to people standing in line for hours to exercise their basic civic duty. 

I ask the friends, whatever happened to “love thy neighbor”?  The hypocrisy abounds. 

And please note, the governor in Georgia signed that law on the 56th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery.

• Today, in states across our nation, extremists propose and pass laws to attack a woman’s freedom to make decisions about her own body — laws that would even make no exception for rape and incest. 
  
  And let us all agree: One does not have to abandon their faith and deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do with her body.  (Applause.)
  
  Freedom. 
  
  Every person in our nation has a right to live safe and to live free from the horror of gun violence.  And yet, today, these so-called leaders stand by and refuse to pass reasonable gun safety laws to help protect our children and places of worship. 
  
  Every person in our nation has a right to be who they are and love who they love openly and with pride.  And yet, this past year, extremists have proposed or passed hundreds of laws targeting LGBTQ people. 
  
  Every person in our nation has a right to be free to learn and acknowledge our country’s true and full history.  (Applause.)  And yet, today, extremists pass book bans — book bans in this year of our Lord 2024. 
  
  And then they even try to erase, overlook, and rewrite the ugly parts of our past.  For example, the Civil War, which must I really have to say was about slavery?  (Applause.) 
  
  All the while, they tell our children that enslaved people benefited from slavery.  They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us in an attempt to divide and distract our nation with unnecessary debates. 
  
  Fundamental freedoms under assault: freedom from fear, violence, and harm; freedom to vote, to live, to learn, to control one’s own body; and the freedom to simply be.
  
  And understand the profound impact these attacks have had on the next generation of leaders.  So many of our young leaders are here this afternoon. 
  
  This past fall, I met with more than 15,000 young leaders in my “Fight for Our Freedoms College Tour,” including at the College of Charleston.  (Applause.)  From our young leaders, I heard that the assault on freedoms, well, it’s a lived experience.  It’s not just hypothetical. 
  
  Think about it.  During the height of their reproductive years, this generation has witnessed the highest court in our land — the court of Thurgood — take a constitutional right that had been recognized from the people of America, from the women of America.
  
  This generation now has fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers.  That is not a hypothetical. 
  
  That from kindergarten to 12th grade, this young generation has had to endure active-shooter drills.  Our children, who should be in a classroom, fulfilling their God-given potential to explore the beauty of the world, and instead have to worry that someone might bust through their classroom door with a gun.
  
  And when students go to vote, they often have to wait in line for hours because of laws that intentionally make it more difficult for them to cast a ballot.  It is not a hypothetical. 
  
  But even though our young leaders are clear-eyed about these challenges, I will share with you: They will not be discouraged.  They will not be deterred.  Standing on the shoulders of the generations who came before, our young leaders are prepared and ready for this fight — (applause) — as are we. 
  
  Six decades ago, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. King spoke to our nation, to the thousands of Americans who had marched that day on Washington.  And he spoke of what he called a “promissory note” — a promissory note, a check that had been signed to the American people in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. 
  
  Dr. King’s voice rang out when he, quote, said, “We refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt.”  “So, we’ve come to cash this check,” he said, “a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” 
  
  And, of course, less than a year later, because of the movement that Dr. King and so many other great American leaders helped to build and sustain, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed.  And in the decades since, inspired by the power and the purpose of that movement, together, we have won many victories to make our nation more free, more equal, and more just, from the passage of the Voting Rights Act, to — yes, Senator, to the appointment of the first Black woman to serve on the highest court in our land.  (Applause.)
  
  So, if he were here, I think Dr. King would be the first to say that, yes, we have come far.  And though we have come far, in this moment, it is up to us to continue that fight to cash that promissory note. 
  
  And like Dr. King, even through the struggles and the setbacks, even during the pain and the heartbreak, even when our feet grow weary and our legs grow tired, we will march forward for freedom.  Because I do believe — I do believe the true power behind the promise of America is in the faith of her people.  The promise of America, I do believe, is in the faith of the people — our faith in the founding principles of our nation and our profound commitment to make those principles real.
  
  Generation after generation, on the fields of Gettysburg, in the schools of Little Rock, on the grounds of this state house, on the streets of Ferguson, and on the floor of the Tennessee House of Representatives, we the people have always fought to make the promise of freedom real. 
  
  And so, today, we must do so once again. 
  
  The great Coretta Scott King once said, “Freedom is never truly won.  You earn it and win it in every generation.”  And at this moment in history — (applause) — at this moment in history, in the relay race of history, I say, then, let us not throw up our hands, because it’s time to roll up our sleeves.  (Applause.)  And we were born for a time such as this. 
  
  And so, with faith, with hope, and optimism, we will fight.  And when we fight, we win.  (Applause.) 
  
  May God bless you.  And may God bless the United States of America.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
  
                                EN

Anyone in Need of Shelter Is Urged To Call 2-1-1

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that due a weather forecast indicating that Connecticut will experience a period of extremely cold weather resulting in very low wind chill values over the next several days, he is directing the state’s severe cold weather protocol to go into effect beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, and remaining in effect through noon on Monday, January 22, 2024.

This is the first time the protocol has been activated this season. Its purpose is to ensure that the most vulnerable populations receive protection from the severe cold conditions, which could be life threatening if exposed to the elements for extended periods of time. While enacted, a system is set up for state agencies and municipalities to coordinate with United Way 2-1-1 and Connecticut’s network of shelters to make sure that anyone in need can receive shelter from the outdoors, including transportation to shelters.

Anyone in need of shelter is urged to call 2-1-1 to get connected to these services. Transportation can be provided if necessary.

“While we’ve generally experienced a mild winter so far, the next several days and lasting through this weekend are going to be brutally cold and will reach lows that could be life threatening if someone is exposed to the elements for an extended period of time,” Governor Lamont said. “Being outdoors in these conditions is not only harmful, it can be fatal. Shelters and warming centers are available across Connecticut. Anyone in need of a safe place to stay warm is urged to call 2-1-1 to get connected to a nearby location. These cold conditions can also be dangerous for dogs, cats, and other pets, and it is strongly advised to bring your pets indoors.”

The following actions are implemented while the protocol is enacted:

• The Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security activates its WebEOC communications network, which is an internet-based system that enables local, regional, and state emergency management officials and first responders to share up-to-date information about a variety of situations and conditions. The system is used to monitor capacity at shelters across the state, enabling 2-1-1 to act as a clearinghouse to assist in finding shelter space for those who need it. Local officials, working through WebEOC, can alert 2-1-1 and the state when they open temporary shelters or warming centers.
• The Connecticut Department of Social Services, Connecticut Department of Housing, and Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services coordinate with 2-1-1 and the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness, along with community-based providers, to provide transportation for people seeking shelter.

For emergency management news and resources, visit the state’s CTPrepares website at ct.gov/ctprepares.

Twitter: @GovNedLamont

Facebook: Office of Governor Ned Lamont

From Day One of my Administration, I vowed to fix the student loan system and make sure higher education is a pathway to the middle class – not a barrier to opportunity. Already, my Administration has cancelled student debt for 3.6 million Americans through various actions – delivering lifechanging relief to students and families, and we created the most affordable student loan repayment plan ever: the SAVE plan.

I am proud that my Administration is implementing one of the most impactful provisions of the SAVE plan nearly six months ahead of schedule. Starting next month, borrowers enrolled in SAVE who took out less than $12,000 in loans and have been in repayment for 10 years will get their remaining student debt cancelled immediately. This action will particularly help community college borrowers, low-income borrowers, and those struggling to repay their loans. And, it’s part of our ongoing efforts to act as quickly as possible to give more borrowers breathing room so they can get out from under the burden of student loan debt, move on with their lives and pursue their dreams.

I encourage all borrowers who may be eligible for early debt cancellation to sign up for the SAVE plan at studentaid.gov. Already, 6.9 million borrowers are enrolled in the plan, and 3.9 million have a $0 monthly payment.

Today’s announcement builds on all we’ve been able to achieve for students and student loan borrowers in the past few years.  This includes: fixing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program so that borrowers who go into public service get the debt relief they’re entitled to under the law; achieving the largest increases in Pell Grants in over a decade to help families who earn less than roughly $60,000 a year; and holding colleges accountable for leaving students with unaffordable debts. And, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision on our student debt relief plan, we are continuing to pursue an alternative path to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible. I won’t back down from using every tool at our disposal to get student loan borrowers the relief they need to reach their dreams.

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Mayhem 8 main event Justin Biggs vs Jimmy Williams Feb 16 Myrtle Beach get your tickets now eventbrite.com or Beast Boxing.

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President Biden and Black voters are discussed by Charlamagne Tha God, co-host of “The Breakfast Club,” and Angela Rye, co-host of “Native Land Pod,” as Biden tries to shore up support among African-Americans. "I may talk about Joe Biden and his shortcomings, but I also say Donald Trump is the end of democracy as we know it,” Charlamagne Tha God tells Joy Reid.

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