Next week, President Joe Biden makes his second visit to Michigan since taking office. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes released the following statement ahead of the visit:

“President Biden is delivering for Michiganders, and we can’t wait to welcome him to our state next week. Thanks to President Biden and Democrats, the American Rescue Plan has put checks in the pockets of 89% of adults in Michigan, made it possible for 55% of Michiganders to receive at least one dose of the vaccine, and is now providing $6.5 billion to state government. 

But President Biden knows the work to build back the American economy is far from over, and that we must pass the American Jobs Plan  now so we can reimagine a new economy, create millions of good jobs, and rebuild our country’s infrastructure. Next week’s visit by the President to Michigan drives home how committed President Biden is to getting Michiganders the support they need to build back better and transform our state’s infrastructure.”

The President’s plan invests an additional $621 billion in transportation infrastructure and resilience. It will:

  • Create good jobs electrifying vehicles. President Biden is proposing a $174 billion investment to win the EV market. His plan will enable automakers to spur domestic supply chains from raw materials to parts, retool factories to compete globally, and support American workers to make batteries and EVs. It will give consumers point of sale rebates and tax incentives to buy American-made EVs, while ensuring that these vehicles are affordable for all families and manufactured by workers with good jobs. It will establish grant and incentive programs for state and local governments and the private sector to build a national network of 500,000 EV chargers by 2030, while promoting strong labor, training, and installation standards. His plan also will replace 50,000 diesel transit vehicles and electrify at least 20 percent of our yellow school bus fleet through a new Clean Buses for Kids Program at the Environmental Protection Agency, with support from the Department of Energy. 
  • Redress historic inequities and build the future of transportation infrastructure. The President’s plan for transportation is not just ambitious in scale, it is designed with equity in mind and to set up America for the future. The President’s plan includes $20 billion for a new program that will reconnect neighborhoods cut off by historic investments and ensure new projects increase opportunity, advance racial equity and environmental justice, and promote affordable access.
  • Repair Michigan’s roads and bridges. In Michigan there are 1,219 bridges and over 7,300 miles of highway in poor condition. Since 2011, commute times have increased by 4.6% in Michigan and on average, each driver pays $644 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. The American Jobs Plan will devote more than $600 billion to transform our nations’ transportation infrastructure and make it more resilient, including $115 billion repairing roads and bridges.

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