President Biden speaks at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference—2/12/24

President Biden's Address to the National Association of Counties

• President Biden emphasizes the significance of local government and his understanding of county-level issues.
• The American Rescue Plan provided substantial funding to counties, enabling investments in housing affordability and homelessness reduction.

Infrastructure Investments

• The bipartisan infrastructure law is creating jobs and improving infrastructure across the country, including investments in roads, bridges, railroads, ports, airports, public transit, clean water, and high-speed internet.
• The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is bringing high-speed internet to all Americans, recognizing its importance in today's world.
• The administration is replacing lead pipes to ensure clean drinking water and reduce the risk of lead exposure, especially for children.
• President Biden highlights the significant investment in climate change mitigation and resilience-building to address extreme weather events.

Economic Policies and Recovery

• The President emphasizes the positive impact of his economic policies, leading to a manufacturing boom, clean energy boom, and job growth across urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities.
• The US economy is experiencing the world's best recovery, with nearly 15 million new jobs created, low unemployment rates, rising wages, and decreasing inflation.
• Consumer sentiment has surged, and a record number of new business applications have been filed.

Public Safety and Mental Health

• The American Rescue Plan has made significant investments in local public safety, supporting violence intervention programs and hiring more officers for accountable and effective community policing.
• Violent crime rates are falling across the nation, with record declines in homicides.
• The Biden administration is prioritizing mental health services, expanding community clinics and mobile unit clinics, and addressing addiction while cracking down on fentanyl trafficking.

Immigration and Border Security

• A bipartisan border bill that included humane and fair immigration reforms, as well as border security measures, was unfortunately blocked by extreme Republicans.

Appreciation and Encouragement

• President Biden expresses gratitude to county election workers for their courage and service, emphasizing the importance of defending democracy.
• He acknowledges the challenges faced by Americans during the pandemic but highlights the progress made in bringing communities back on their feet through job creation and economic recovery.
• He encourages a sense of pride in the work done by local communities and emphasizes the importance of working together to achieve big things.
• President Biden expresses optimism about the nation's future and reaffirms the boundless potential of the United States when citizens work together.