Press Releases - This Week in Bidenomics

Bidenomics In the States

On Monday, President Biden visited the Sheet Metal Workers' Local Union 19 in Philadelphia to deliver remarks celebrating Labor Day and honoring America's workers and unions at the Annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade.

On Wednesday, the President welcomed leaders of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) to the White House to congratulate them on finalizing a new contract covering America's West Coast ports, and delivered remarks on his Administration's progress empowering workers and strengthening America's ports and supply chains. Also on Wednesday, the Department of Commerce announced $50 million in Middle Mile grants to deliver high speed internet to all Americans.

On Thursday, the Department of the Interior launched a new water recycling program, announcing an initial $180 million from the President's Investing in America agenda to create new water supplies that are less vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. The new program will advance drought resilience and help communities develop clean, reliable water sources.

Bidenomics In the News

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (Opinion): President Biden: Bidenomics is working in Wisconsin. We're investing in American workers.
Labor Day honors the dignity of the American worker and recognizes that Wall Street didn't build America
[President Joe Biden, 9/3/23]

Three weeks ago, at a clean energy factory in Milwaukee, I met an IBEW electrician who builds and repairs America's growing fleet of wind turbine generators. He said, "In America, with hard work and a little faith, anything is possible." He embodies the spirit of Labor Day, which honors the dignity of the American worker and recognizes that Wall Street didn't build America, the middle class built America, and unions built the middle class. We've seen that spirit throughout our history, especially over the last three years as we've been rebuilding our economy from the middle out and bottom up, not from the top down. Our plan, called Bidenomics, is working. I'm proud of the historic laws I've signed that are leading our recovery and resurgence. More than 13 million jobs, including 800,000 in manufacturing. Unemployment below 4 percent for the longest stretch in 50 years. More working-age Americans are employed than at any time in the past 20 years. Inflation is near its lowest point in over two years. Wages and job satisfaction are up. Restoring the pensions of millions of retired union workers – the biggest step of its kind in the past fifty years. But the real hero of our story is the American worker. […]

Associated Press: Biden celebrates unions and job creation during a Philadelphia Labor Day appearance
[Fatima Hussein, 9/4/23]

President Joe Biden, who often says he's the most pro-union president in history, touted the importance of organized labor and applauded American workers in building the economy during a Labor Day appearance in Philadelphia on Monday. The Democratic president spoke about how the economy is recovering from the crippling coronavirus pandemic and about what his administration has done to pay for infrastructure improvements, and cited the importance of unions in building the middle class. As the pace of the Republican primary season escalates, Biden is trying to reclaim ground among working class voters that abandoned Democrats and moved their allegiance to former President Donald Trump and others over cultural issues. And on Monday in Philadelphia he gave a preview of that argument, repeatedly referring to Trump as "the last guy" and likening Trump's job creation record to that of President Herbert Hoover, who presided over the country as it spiraled into the Great Depression and was soundly defeated by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Speaking of Trump — who is the leading Republican candidate in the polls so far — Biden said: "He left office with fewer jobs in America than when he got elected into office."

Vanity Fair: Biden Touts Unions and Job Growth During Labor Day Parade in Philadelphia
[Jack McCordick, 9/4/23]

President Joe Biden returned to the state that put him over the top in 2020 to deliver an address marking Philadelphia's Tri-State Labor Day Parade. "We're celebrating jobs. Good paying jobs. Jobs you can raise a family on. Union jobs," Biden said, touting 13.5 million jobs created so far in his term, which includes 800,000 manufacturing jobs. "There are a lot of politicians in this country who don't know how to say the word 'union,'" he said. "I'm proud to say union. I'm proud to be the most pro-union president, according to the experts, in American history." The president touted his administration's actions protecting pensions and overtime pay, renewing infrastructure, and redistributing the tax burden, among other policies, and called on Congress yet again to pass the PRO Act, which would make it easier for workers to organize unions.

Bloomberg: Biden Hails Labor Victory for Dockworkers as UAW Talks Drag On
[Jordan Fabian and Jenny Leonard, 9/6/23]

President Joe Biden hailed an agreement between dockworkers and terminal operators, showcasing his support for organized labor even as another contentious contract negotiation between the United Auto Workers and Detroit's legacy carmarkers threatens to deliver a blow to the US economy "Done right, collective bargaining means everyone wins — workers, employers, our economy, and consumers," Biden said Wednesday at a White House event with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the Pacific Maritime Association. The remarks were Biden's latest effort to shore up his support among rank-and-file union workers whose backing he will need in next year's election. The president congratulated labor and management for reaching a six-year labor contract covering ports up and down the US West Coast. "I want to thank both sides for working through this and for getting it done," Biden said. "It's a good deal for workers. It's a good deal for companies. And it's a good deal for the United States of America." He said the agreement's economic impact was "gigantic" and that the deal was essential to protecting supply chains and combating high inflation […]

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Power, Atlanta companies receiving federal hydropower grants
[Drew Kann, 9/6/2023]

Georgia Power and two other Atlanta-based companies are receiving federal grant funding from the Department of Energy (DOE) for a series of projects using existing dams to advance hydropower, the agency announced Wednesday. The money comes from a $13 million pot carved out for projects nationwide by 2021?s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is part of an effort by President Joe Biden's administration to accelerate the country's transition away from burning fossil fuels.

Long Beach Business Journal: President Biden praises port workers' contract that provides 32% raise over 6 years
[Alicia Robinson, 9/7/23]

Days after a union representing 22,000 dockworkers ratified a new contract to keep cargo moving at West Coast ports, President Joe Biden pointed to it as an example that "collective bargaining works." In remarks at the White House on Wednesday, Biden praised the six-year agreement between the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, whose members include workers at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and the Pacific Maritime Association, which represents shipping industry businesses. The ILWU announced Sept. 1 that its members had voted to accept the agreement, which Biden said provides a 32% raise over its six-year term as well as one-time bonuses to reward workers for helping get the pandemic-snarled supply chain back to normal.

KNAU Arizona Public Radio: Federal large-scale water recycling program designed to shore up supplies amid drought, climate change
[KNAU Staff, 9/7/23]

The U.S. Department of the Interior has launched a new large-scale water recycling program aimed at creating new water supplies that are less vulnerable to drought and climate change. Officials say the program, which has received $180 million in initial infrastructure funding, will help communities develop water supplies by turning usable water into clean, reliable sources.
The funding is designed for water management agencies planning larger water reuse projects. In total, $450 million will eventually be invested in the initiative. It's part of a larger push by the Biden administration to make the Colorado River basin, nearby communities and tribes more resilient to the effects of climate change.

WAVY News: Warner touts broadband funding to help rural communities
[Jimmy LaRoue, Amy Avery, 9/8/2023]

More than 150,000 homes and businesses in Virginia lack access to broadband internet. But it may soon be changing. Back in June, the state was awarded $1.48 billion as part of the Biden Administration's broadband equity, access and deployment program. Just Wednesday, Sens. Tim Kaine and Warner announced an additional $16 million from the federal government to build out connections between rural communities.

Bidenomics on the Airwaves

Commerce Secretary Raimondo on Face the Nation – 9/3/23

Raimondo: If you look at where we are today, compared to when the President took office, it's an unbelievable story of progress. We're among the strongest economies in the world. We all went through COVID, right? Europe did, China did, Asia did—yet we have emerged the fastest and the strongest. … This economy by any measure is doing incredibly well and much better than anyone could have predicted three years ago when we started.

NEC Director Lael Brainard on The Sunday Show– 9/3/23

Brainard: A lot of outside forecasters that had a recession call now are talking about soft landing and what we have seen is numbers that suggest resilience. Again, we have a resilient labor market. We're still adding jobs—13 million jobs during this Administration, more than any other administration. Unemployment has been below 4% now for 19 months in a row, the longest stretch in 50 years. And those statistics are true also for Black Americans, for Hispanic Americans. We're seeing really good participation and really low unemployment.

Acting Secretary Julie Su, Department of Labor on Spectrum – 9/6

SU: Part of respecting the process is knowing that the parties are going to go through some hard times. They are going to grapple with some hard issues. Parties always seem far part until they're not.

Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden – 9/3/23

Tanden: Pharma has run to the courts to try to stop this because they know that this is really designed to ensure that—not just for these 10 drugs—Medicare's ability to negotiate prescription drug costs is going to reduce costs across the board for prescription drugs. That's the promise of this legislation.