What They Are Reading in the States: New Major Manufacturing and Infrastructure Announcements Power Week Two of President Biden’s Investing in America Tour

From Portland Maine to Portland Oregon, Americans across the country are reading about how investments driven by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda are delivering economic opportunity and creating jobs in their communities.

Kicking off week two of his Administration’s Investing in America Tour, President Biden spoke directly to Minnesotans on the clean manufacturing boom his Investing in America agenda is unleashing. He visited and toured a Cummins facility which will manufacture electrolyzers in the U.S. for the first time – bringing critical clean energy supply chains back home as a result of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. Cummins also announced an additional $1 billion investment to build low to-zero-emission engines at its manufacturing facilities in Indiana, New York and North Carolina.

In Georgia, Vice President Harris announced a major expansion of Qcells’ manufacturing operations to assemble 2.5 million solar panels at their Dalton facility for the largest US community solar order ever. The announcement came at the same time as automaker Kia announced that it would build its new electric SUV in the state.

Alongside these major private sector investments driven by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, this week the Administration touted the impact the CHIPS and Science Act is having on private sector investment and workforce training, unveiled critical investments from President Biden’s Infrastructure Law in drought resilience and water infrastructure, and celebrated the completion of a $148 million bridge project which received Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.

Read below for a sampling of what Americans are reading about President Biden’s Investing in America agenda:

Minnesota
CBS Minnesota (WCCO):President Biden brings “Investing in America” tour to Twin Cities business
President Joe Biden made a stop in the Twin Cities Monday, visiting a business the White House says will be key in the future of green energy. […] It’s part of his “Investing in America” tour. During his remarks, Biden spoke about how his Investing in America agenda has lead to an innovation and clean energy boom.

Star Tribune: President Joe Biden highlights economic agenda in Minnesota visit
President Joe Biden visited a power generation facility in Minnesota on Monday to make the case that federal spending has triggered new clean energy jobs and economic growth […] “I know many here in Minnesota who are watching at home are like the folks that I grew up with in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware,” Biden said. “You feel left out. Left behind in an economy that’s rapidly changing. I get it. I get it. But hear me well. We’re going to leave no one behind.”

Spectrum: In Minnesota, Biden to tout Cummins’ $1B investment in engine manufacturing network
The visit coincides with the company’s announcement of a more than $1 billion investment across their domestic engine manufacturing network in New York, North Carolina and Indiana. […] The president hailed the announcement from Cummins, crediting his legislative agenda – namely the CHIPS and Science Act, which aims to boost semiconductor manufacturing, as well as the $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act – for boosting domestic investment nationwide.

Georgia
Atlanta Journal Constitution: VP Harris announces huge Qcells solar panel deal during Georgia visit
Vice President Kamala Harris visited an expanding solar panel factory in northwest Georgia on Thursday where she announced an order for millions of Peach State-built panels as she touted how federal climate and economic efforts are combining to create jobs in rural areas. […] The $2.5 billion expansion, which will result in 2,500 additional jobs, is the type of investment Harris and the White House are highlighting in its “Investing in America” tour to promote President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda.

WSB (ABC Atlanta, GA): In exclusive interview with Channel 2, VP Kamala Harris says clean energy is the future of economy
Harris toured Dalton’s QCells plant Thursday to tout the Biden administration’s multi-billion-dollar investment into Georgia’s clean energy industry. She said it helped grow jobs like these. […] “Because of our work, we have spurred over $31 billion in private investment in manufacturing right here in Georgia,” Harris said. […] The QCell expansion in Dalton and the new plant in Cartersville should mean about 2,500 new jobs in Georgia.

Atlanta Business Chronicle: Kia to assemble new electric vehicle at Georgia plant
The EV9 is expected to be assembled at Kia’s existing plant in West Point, Georgia, according to a press release. The vehicle could go on sale later this year. President Joe Biden in a statement said Kia’s decision to build the EV9 in Georgia is another sign the state is “ground zero for building a clean energy economy and building industries of the future. Our investments in America are creating good-paying jobs, unleashing private sector investments, and producing products Made in Georgia and Made in America.”

The Atlanta Voice: Rep. McBath, Admin. Guzman speak small business prosperity in Norcross
Guzman, who was appointed by President Biden to lead the SBA at the beginning of his term, spoke with the leaders about the progress made via the president’s “Investing in America” initiative, and toured Norcross-based small businesses with Rep. McBath following the series of events. [… ]The federal government has also received more than 10 million new business applications from residents all over the country, approximately 600,000 of which came from Georgia alone.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution: HUD secretary talks tenant protections in metro Atlanta
Fudge visited Gwinnett County with U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, as part of the “Investing in America” tour touting the Biden administration’s economic agenda. The tour will bring U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabella Guzman to Norcross on Tuesday and Vice President Kamala Harris to northwest Georgia on Thursday.

Colorado
Denver Gazette: Jill Biden makes Denver first stop on Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America Tour
“We need to work together to help our students get the education and the training that they need for the careers that they want,” Biden said. […] Biden and other senior White House officials are touring the country to trumpet legislation that includes manufacturing jobs, high-speed internet, airport safety and clean water. […] President Joe Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda includes building a clean-energy economy and rebuilding infrastructure to create good-paying jobs.

Denver Post: First lady Jill Biden touts education initiatives in Denver stop
Biden is touring the country to tout the “historic” legislation that she said hits needs that include manufacturing jobs, high-speed internet, airport safety and clean water. “Joe’s administration has already announced more than a billion dollars to improve the roads and bridges and roadway safety and major projects right here in Colorado,” Jill Biden said, referring to President Joe Biden. “And he’s investing hundreds of millions of dollars in clean energy efforts here.”

States Newsroom: Biden administration to fund $68.3 million in Colorado water projects, including Leadville tunnel
The Biden administration will send $585 million to water projects in 11 Western states, Interior Department officials said Wednesday. […] Wednesday’s announcement coincided with a visit by administration officials to the Imperial Dam that spans the Colorado River on the Arizona-California border, and they gave particular attention to that river system, which supplies water to 40 million people.

Maine
Portland Press Herald: First lady Jill Biden visits Southern Maine Community College
First lady Jill Biden visited Greater Portland on Wednesday, stopping at Southern Maine Community College to highlight the college’s workforce training programs and the state’s investment in free community college.  The visit was part of the Biden-Harris administration’s “Investing in America” tour to explain how President Biden’s economic policies are benefiting Americans across the country.

Bangor Daily News: Jill Biden tours SMCC to highlight workforce training successes
Biden’s first stop was to the school’s automotive technology department. The garage was lined with cars on lifts adorned with license plates that read “Investing in America, Investing in Maine.” As Biden entered, she was accompanied by U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

Vermont
Burlington Free Press: First Lady Biden says what Vermont is doing is the future of American workforce
Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona commended Vermont for its investment in career and technical education, providing free community college tuition through the Community College of Vermont, investing in clean energy businesses and electric vehicles. […] The first lady and secretary of education were in Vermont for a couple hours at the South Burlington airport promoting the president’s Investing in America agenda, of which the Biden Education Pathway is a component. […]”Investing in education is about investing in America,” Cordona said.

Brattleboro Reformer: Gov. Phil Scott welcomes First Lady Jill Biden’s Investing in America Tour to Vermont
Gov. Phil Scott joined the First Lady and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona at BETA Technologies in South Burlington as part of the Investing in America Tour. […] The visit also highlighted the importance of investing in Career and Technical Education. Students from North Country Technical Center in Newport, Vermont, gave a tabletop presentation to test the voltage and tension components of electric vehicles.

New Mexico
The Deming Headlight: Buttigieg highlights infrastructure in Deming visit
Buttigieg underscored the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s appropriation of $2.6 billion for 217 infrastructure projects in New Mexico, including transportation, broadband internet and water projects. […] Buttigieg’s appearance was part of the Biden Administration’s “Investing in America” tour.

Albuquerque Journal: Buttigieg walks wildlife corridors, dangerous roads in Albuquerque visit
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was in Albuquerque on Tuesday, the same day he announced a Department of Transportation wildlife crossing pilot program that will make $350 million available over five years to help pay for projects that make it safer for animals to travel across roads. The funding was allocated in a 2021 infrastructure law. […] It was the second day in a row a Cabinet member visited New Mexico to highlight projects funded through a Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was one of the hallmarks for the Biden administration’s first two years.

Los Alamos Daily Post: Sen. Luján Joins Agriculture Secretary Vilsack To Highlight $40 Million For New Mexico
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the Department is investing $40 million to provide high-speed internet access for people living and working in rural areas in New Mexico. Today’s investments are made possible because of funding from President Biden’s historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which provides $65 billion to expand reliable, affordable, high-speed internet to all communities across the U.S.

NM Political Report: New Mexico poised to receive more than $30 million for water infrastructure projects
Federal officials toured the Imperial Dam in California and Arizona on Wednesday, where they announced the new investments in infrastructure. “The president knows that you can’t have a strong country without strong infrastructure,” White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu said during a press conference this week.

Oklahoma
The Oklahoman: Feds pick OSU for expansion of energy efficiency program
Once complete, the Great Plains Center of Excellence would help with the mentoring of engineering students, train staff and help develop leaders in energy efficiency, the Department of Energy said. […] Granholm was visiting Oklahoma with Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, as part of the Biden administration’s Investing in America tour. It’s the latest in a series of visits by high-profile members of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet.

KOTV (CBS Tusla, OK): Second Gentleman, Sec. Of Energy Visit Oklahoma As Part Of ‘Investing In America’ Tour
U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, Doug Emhoff, both visited Oklahoma State University on Friday. Sec. Granholm and Emhoff visited as part of the Biden Administration’s “Investing in America” tour, which aims to highlight how President Biden is delivering major investments across the country.

Nevada
KSNV (NBC Las Vegas, NV): President Biden’s ‘Invest in America’ tour stops in Las Vegas
[Guzman] joined Congressman Steven Horsford on Wednesday for President Biden’s ‘Invest in America’ tour. The tour aims to highlight the President’s actions in helping businesses grow and discuss recent legislation. The White House says several companies have already committed over $8 billion in investments across Nevada since 2021. […] Nevada business filings have hit new records, with 130,000 new business applications filed over the last two years.

KOLO (ABC Reno, NV): $2 million in funding for Marble Bluff Dam announced
The funding aims to help communities and tribes improve their water storage and build drought resilience. The money for this project was allocated through the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation from the Infrastructure Law passed in 2021.

Oregon
Oregon Public Broadcasting: State, national leaders convene in Hillsboro to talk semiconductor workforce
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo talked up Oregon’s strengths in the semiconductor industry at a roundtable with lawmakers, higher education leaders and industry professionals at Portland Community College’s Willow Creek campus. Her visit was part of President Joe Biden’s “Investing in America” tour. […] The federal CHIPS and Science Act, which Congress passed last year, contains more than $52 billion in federal funding, meant to expand domestic manufacturing of semiconductors — a material critical to the production of a variety of electronics.

Herald and News: Klamath Project receives $8.75M to study, repair canals under federal infrastructure law
The project will receive $8.75 million to study and repair aging water infrastructure as part of a $585 million federal outlay announced this week by the Biden administration. [..] The Klamath Project will receive $5 million from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to study using alternative Cement-Bentonite Slurry Walls on the A Canal. The Klamath Irrigation District would also look at piping the canal.

Connecticut
Connecticut Public Radio: At Yale, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen markets Biden’s economic agenda
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visited Connecticut Monday to discuss the economic agenda of President Joe Biden. During a fireside chat at Yale University, Yellen said Biden’s “Investing in America” agenda is expanding economic opportunity and boosting the nation’s productive capacity without increasing inequality.

California
Sacramento Bee: Biden gives California more than $690 million to improve water quality and infrastructure
On Tuesday, the United States Environmental Protection Agency said it would send California more than $391 million to improve its drinking water infrastructure this year. On Wednesday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said it would allocate $300 million to 24 projects for water delivery, storage and electricity in California. The funding for each comes from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. […] The 2021 infrastructure law, backed by President Joe Biden, will invest over $50 billion in water and wastewater infrastructure over four years across the country, according to the EPA.

San Diego Union-Tribune: New $148M Mission Bay bridge in San Diego fully opens to drivers, pedestrians and bikers
The newly completed $148 million Mission Bay Drive Bridge near SeaWorld was more than four years in the making and included $80 million from President Joe Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law. […] “Because of President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, we now have two parallel structures, one heading north and one heading south, relieving traffic congestion and getting folks to their destinations safely,” [Mayor Todd Gloria] added.

Calexico Chronicle: Infrastructure Projects to Move County Forward
Near Yuma, Landrieu was joined by U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton at the Imperial Dam, which is slated to receive $8.24 million as part of the infrastructure law’s focus on addressing the nation’s aging water infrastructure. The federal officials’ visit was part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America Tour. […] Landrieu noted that in the last couple of years Biden had built an economy from the bottom up, creating 12.5 million jobs that have helped citizens and not just huge corporations.

Arizona
Arizona Mirror: Arizona gets $28 million for drought resilience projects
The funding is part of Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the projects are working to improve water conveyance and storage, increase safety, improve hydropower generation, and provide water treatment. […] The funding announcement came on Wednesday after Beaudreau, Touton, Senior Advisor to the President and White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu’s visit to the Colorado River Basin’s Imperial Dam near Yuma.

Arizona Republic: Gila River Indian Community to get $233 million for water conservation, infrastructure
The Gila River Indian Community will get up to $233 million in a historic agreement to conserve water, one that is expected to help keep water levels at Lake Mead from falling too low. […] Mitch Landrieu, a senior adviser to President Joe Biden, said one good year of snow and rainfall won’t be enough to fix a 23-year-long drought and he held up the Gila River agreement as a model for future partnerships to manage water supplies in the Colorado River basin.

North Dakota
Grand Forks Herald: UND awarded $8 million Department of Energy grant to study rare earth material extraction
The U.S. Department of Energy on Tuesday announced that UND has been awarded an $8 million grant to research the potential for extracting rare earth materials from coal and its byproducts for domestic use in industrial applications[…] The grant is part of the Biden administration’s Investing in America initiative.

West Virginia
The Register Herald: WVU awarded $8 million to extract rare earth elements from mine waste
Rare earth elements and other critical minerals and materials are key to manufacturing clean energy technologies in America that will help the nation reach the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. […] “President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is helping reduce our over-reliance on adversarial nations and positioning the country as a global manufacturing leader, while supporting communities that have helped power our nation for generations” [said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.]

Washington
Tri City Herald: 2 new Eastern WA factories aim to ‘revolutionize’ the electric vehicle industry
Construction is starting in Moses Lake on what is expected to be the world’s largest factory to produce advanced silicon battery materials for electric vehicles as demand for the cars grows. Group14 Technologies announced the start of construction of the plant on Tuesday. It is the second plant planned to produce silicon battery materials in Moses Lake. […] Batteries that use silicon have the potential to hold more energy and recharge more quickly. also should be less expensive, according to Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who championed a Department of Energy program that resulted in grants of $100 million to both Group14 and battery materials company Sila Nanotechnologies.

Illinois
Northern Public Radio: ‘Historic’ $6.5 Billion funding for Drinking Water Infrastructure Upgrades Across the Country
“Getting the lead out of drinking water is a top priority for this administration,” he said. “Because too many families have had to grapple with the dangerous impacts of lead exposure.” […] President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, commonly referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, into law in late 2021. […] Of the $6.5 billion funding available this year, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will invest $800 million to address PFAS and other emerging contaminants.

Indiana
Local News Digital (Southern Indiana): President Biden visits Cummins, company invests $1B in U.S. manufacturing
President Joe Biden visited Cummins in Fridley, Minnesota on Monday as part of his administration’s Investing in America Tour. Coinciding with the visit, Cummins announced that in addition to recent investments in Fridley, the company is infusing more than $1 billion across its U.S. engine manufacturing network in Indiana, North Carolina, and New York.

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