Biden Visits Duluth-Superior To Tout Infrastructure Law Set To Bring Billions To MN, WI
Originally published March 2
SUPERIOR, Wis. (WCCO) -- On the heels of his first State of the Union address, and as Ukraine battles against a Russian invasion, President Joe Biden touted the $1 trillion federal infrastructure law during a visit to the Duluth-Superior region on Wednesday.
The law will bring billions to Wisconsin and Minnesota for ailing roads, bridges, ports and more — key part of the president's agenda he wants to spotlight to Americans as inflation takes a bite out of household budgets, and his party faces an uphill climb during the midterm elections this fall.
He borrowed a line from his address to Congress on Tuesday: "Instead of infrastructure week, we're gonna have an infrastructure decade," he said during his remarks at the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
But while the president visited to highlight a signature legislative achievement at home, Russia's attack on Ukraine abroad loomed large. Biden reiterated his pledge that the United States will punish Vladimir Putin for his actions and provide aid to Ukraine. During Tuesday's State of the Union, he announced that the U.S. will ban Russian flights from its airspace on top of economic sanctions.
"Last night, I was with your senators and representatives," he said. "And together, we sent an unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world that we, the United States of America, stand with the Ukrainian people."
On infrastructure, Biden told the Wisconsin crowd — including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, Sen. Amy Klobuchar and other state and local officials — that more than 660 bridges in Minnesota and more than 970 in Wisconsin are in poor condition.
Among them is the Blatnik Bridge, a 60-year-old critical piece of infrastructure connecting to the Twin Ports of Duluth and Superior, which served as backdrop to Biden's visit and that the president used to underscore the importance of the federal investment.
It needs its structural beams replaced in the next 10 to 15 years or there will be more load restrictions, lane closures and increased inspections, according to a memo from the White House. Both states are committed to using federal funds to restore the Blatnik Bridge.
"It's the bridge that connects our cities -- your cities and your state," said Biden. "A bridge that carries people to work and carries goods out of your port."
Biden added that certain projects benefiting from the financial boost will break ground this year, including 65,000 miles of highway and 1,500 bridges in disrepair, he said.
Minnesota alone expects $7.3 billion from the $1.2 trillion law, more than 80% of it requiring a state dollar match, according to an estimate from Minnesota Management and Budget. Most of the funds to Minnesota are for roads and bridges, but there's also funding for broadband, airports and more.
"It goes much beyond that," Biden said. "And I'm here at the intersection of all of these things -- your airport, your ports, the river, the lake, the bridges, the highways."
Republicans representing the region criticized the policies of the Biden administration ahead of his visit, including revoking two leases for Two Metals to mine in northern Minnesota.
"I want the president to understand the devastation he did by removing those minerals," said U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber.
He said that he would fight for infrastructure dollars provided by the new infrastructure law for projects in his district.
There's $1 billion in the law to clean up the Great Lakes, including Lake Superior, in a move that federal officials say will have environmental, recreational and economic benefits for the communities that are connected to them.
The Twin Ports interchange, which sees 80,000 vehicles passing through on a daily basis, is another project that could see funds from the law. Biden highlighted it during his visit to Rosemount in November.