Biden focuses on US competitiveness to promote $1T infrastructure bill

President Biden on Tuesday argued the bipartisan infrastructure bill will bolster U.S. competitiveness while speaking in New Hampshire to kick off his tour promoting the newly-signed law. 

He touted that the law will allow the U.S. to recapture the global competition while providing funding to repair roads and bridges, ports and airports, create jobs, and provide clean drinking water and broadband for Americans.

“I truly believe that 50 years from now, when historians write about this moment, I think they’re going to talk about this was the beginning of the time where America recaptured the competition of the 21st century. We reasserted ourselves. That’s exactly what we’re going to do, what we can do, what we will do, I promise you.” Biden said at NH 175 Bridge in Woodstock while light flakes of snow fell around him.

The president signed the legislation into law during a boisterous ceremony outside the White House on Monday and traveled to New Hampshire to highlight a specific project that will benefit from the legislation. 

“For most of the 20th century, we led the world by a significant margin because we invested in ourselves. But somewhere along the way, we stopped investing in ourselves. We risk losing our edge as a nation and China and the rest of the world are catching up. In some cases, passing us,” Biden said.

The president said, which he has conveyed in the past, that U.S. infrastructure used to be the best in the world but has fallen to 13th in the world.

“Folks, when you see these projects starting in your home town I want you to feel what I feel. Pride, pride in what we can do together as the United States of America,” he said. 

The NH 175 Bridge first opened in 1939 and is rated as “structurally deficient” because it is in such poor condition, according to the White House.

“Your life is going to change for the better and that’s literal,” he said, speaking to the people on New Hampshire.

In New Hampshire, there are 215 bridges deemed “structurally unsafe” and over 698 miles of highway in poor condition. The state is expected to receive $1.1 billion for federal-aid highways and $225 million for bridges from the law.

“This law does something else that’s truly historic,” he said. “We understand that it is time to rebuild the backbone of this nation … take a look at what’s happened over the last 20 years. The backbone of this nation has been hallowed out. Hardworking middle-class folks.”

Biden is scheduled to visit Michigan on Wednesday to promote the law and, also this week, Vice President Harris is traveling to Ohio while Transportation Secretary Buttigieg is traveling to Arizona.

“Because of Maggie [Hassan] and Jeanne [Shaheen] and Annie [Kuster] and Chris [Pappas], this new law gives our people a real chance. This is a real chance, it gives everybody a chance,” Biden said on Tuesday, giving recognition to New Hampshire’s lawmakers.

Hassan is up for reelection and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) announced last week that he will run for another term rather than challenge her.

Biden also called the law a “long overdue promise” and argued it will create jobs for people having to make the upgrades to the country’s infrastructure. 

“It’s going to create jobs laying down those broadband lines and in 21st century America, no parent, no parent should ever have to sit in a parking lot of a fast-food restaurant to connect to the internet so their kids can do their homework or they can get their job assignment,” he said, to applause,” he said. 

He has tapped former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu (D) as a senior White House adviser to coordinate the implementation of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which contains roughly $550 billion in new funding.