Biden advocates for Congress to pass Bipartisan Innovation Act in speech at NC A&T :: WRAL.com
Greensboro, N.C. — President Joe Biden arrived Thursday afternoon in Greensboro to discuss inflation and infrastructure.
Biden arrived in Air Force One just after 1 p.m. Thursday at Piedmont Triad International Airport. He began delivering remarks around 3 p.m. Thursday at NC A&T University about his administration’s efforts to make more in America, rebuild domestic supply chains and bring costs down for the American people,” according to a White House memo.
Biden impressed by NC A&T
“This is really an impressive place,” Biden said of NC A&T. “You have a lot of impressive students.”
Biden’s remarks came after a tour of the nation’s largest historically Black college. Biden visited the Harold L. Martin Engineering Research and Innovation Complex. He met with students studying robotics and cybersecurity.
“You’re giving people an opportunity to take advantage of their God-given talents,” Biden said of NC A&T chancellor Harold Martin.
The event was not open to the public.
On Thursday, Biden said it was critical to invest in American manufacturing. He advocated for Congress to act “quickly” to support American innovation.
“More is going to change in the next 10 years than it’s changed in the last 50 years,” Biden said. “Science [and] technology [are] moving so incredibly, rapidly.”
Biden calls on Congress to invest in innovation
Specifically, Biden wants Congress to pass the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021, what he called the “bipartisan innovation act.”
“Companies are ready to invest in America, in American communities and American workers, but they need to see that their government is capable in investing in our future,” Biden said. “Other countries are racing ahead, but we can’t afford to wait, so Congress, get this bipartisan bill to my desk.
“North Carolina needs it, America needs it and let’s meet this moment together. That’s exactly we did when we passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, which we looked like the devil on.”
Biden said the U.S. infrastructure used to rank best in the world, but said the country now ranks No. 13.
Also, Biden claimed North Carolina created a 194,000 jobs in the last 14 months in the state. He credited the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper for the job creation. Biden also mentioned the decreasing unemployment rates.
On Thursday, Biden also advocated for Fortune 500 companies to pay their “fair share” in taxes.
Cooper touts NC job creation
Cooper, Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael Regan and U.S. Rep. Kathy Manning spoke ahead of Biden’s speech.
“Companies from across the globe are choosing to grow and expand in our state, creating American jobs,” Cooper said. “We’re already on pace to have yet another record-breaking year for new jobs in capital investment in North Carolina, and even through a pandemic, we’ve announced tens of thousands of jobs and tens of billions of dollars in economic investment across our state, a lot of it right here in the triangle.”
Cooper acknowledged increasing prices for gas and food.
“We have to find a way to make basic necessities more affordable,” Cooper said. “One way is easing supply-chain woes that make goods more costly, and North Carolina is helping.”
Cooper pointed to the opening of the Carolina Connector and upgrading state ports.
Manning mentioned the $1.3 billion plant Toyota is building in Randolph County to make batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles along with Boom Supersonic’s $500 million investment for a manufacturing facility at the Piedmont Triad Airport.
“In the last few months, our region has seen some very exciting economic announcements that will bring thousands of good-paying jobs to the area,” Manning said.
WRAL News poll finds Biden approval low in NC
A WRAL News poll released Monday found most North Carolina voters disapprove of the job Joe Biden is doing as president. Around 14% of registered voters in the state somewhat disapprove of Biden whereas 41% strongly disapprove of him.
Some 42% approved of the job Biden has done with 18% strongly approving and 24% somewhat approving. Only 3% weren’t sure.
Biden last visited North Carolina in November 2021, where he and the first lady met with Fort Bragg troops for a Thanksgiving meal.
Political analysts suggest that the most persistent issue facing Democrats in the 2022 midterm elections is inflation.
Inflation reached a 40-year high in March, according to a report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday.
Biden’s visit comes less than a week after Republican candidates and former President Donald Trump visited Selma.
This story will be updated during and after Biden’s speech on Thursday. Refresh the page for the latest information.