“Congress needs to get this bill to my desk as quickly as possible. Our economic strength is on the line and national security, as well, is on the line. Companies are ready to invest in America — in American communities, American workers. But they need to see that their government is capable of investing in our future. Other countries are racing ahead. We can’t afford to wait,” Biden said during a stop at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a historically Black university in Greensboro.
Biden told the audience of students, staff and elected officials that “more is going to change in the next 10 years then it’s changed in the last 50 years. Science and technology is moving so incredibly rapidly.”
And he said more American companies are ready to invest in domestic manufacturing if Congress can reach an agreement on the bill, saying that a “major fundamental shift is taking place, and America’s finally deciding to catch up and lead it instead of being outpaced by China and other countries.”
The President used his speech in Greensboro discuss his administration’s efforts to fund HBCUs and rebuild the economy following disruptions during the coronavirus pandemic. And he also sought to highlight his administration’s victories since taking office, including a drop in unemployment numbers and the passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law.
According to the White House, North Carolina A&T State University has received $188 million in funding from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, including $93 million from the American Rescue Plan.
He said the Environmental Protection Agency plans to issue a national emergency waiver to allow E15 gasoline, which uses a 15% ethanol blend, to be sold this summer. This type of fuel is typically banned from sale in the summer because of concerns it contributes to smog. But the White House says on average this will save American families 10 cents per gallon of gas.
His trip to Iowa came hours after a new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed prices rose in March by 8.5% relative to last year.
CNN’s Sam Fossum contributed to this report.
