President Joe Biden's First 100 Days Has Philadelphia-Area Americans Hopeful For Next Four Years
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- President Joe Biden hit the road Thursday to mark 100 days in office and push his nearly $2 trillion infrastructure plan. Biden will be in Philadelphia on Friday at 30th Street Station.
Everyone was glued to Biden's emotional farewell from Delaware on Jan. 19 as the first couple headed off to the nation's capital the day before the inauguration.
A hundred days into his presidency, people from Delaware to Philadelphia have been watching his every move ever since.
"He spoke about we build American, highways, train stations," Opa Opa Greek Food owner Tony Matulas said.
After tuning in to Biden's joint address to Congress, Matulas, who has been paying close attention to the first 100 days, feels hopeful.
"I think the future for the next four years is great for the American people," Matulas said.
The Trolley Square business owner is enthusiastic about the nation's prospects, and that's what Biden White House officials hope to hear from Americans emerging from the pandemic.
"We originally set a goal of 100 million shots over the first 100 days. We passed that," Deputy Press Secretary Chris Meagher said. "We set a goal of 200 shots in the first 100 days, and we exceeded that. I think we're at 220 million shots in arms."
There's a huge focus on getting the economy up and running.
"I've seen customers I haven't seen in a year," Paula Janssen, owner of Janssen's Market, said. "Their confidence is coming back. They're making more trips to the store and I think that just says our economy is just going to boom."
Local officials have also been tuning in.
"On behalf of the City of Philadelphia, we thank you for the American Rescue Plan," Mayor Jim Kenney said, "which provided much-needed relief for cities like ours."
"Our public schools are reopening safely," Philadelphia School District Superintendent Dr. William Hite said. "Our staff has access to vaccines and many students are back in classrooms."
On Friday, the president will be visiting 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.
"There's a reason they call him 'Amtrak Joe,'" Meagher said.
Spending years on the train going back and forth from Wilmington to DC, Biden plans to invest in its infrastructure.
"We're investing in things like rail as part of the American Jobs Plan," Meagher said, "and roads and bridges and our infrastructure that gets people to where they need to go."
Biden will be in Philadelphia on Friday afternoon to celebrate Amtrak's 50th anniversary. It's expected the president will also discuss improvements for the thousands of rail commuters who use the station and others around the nation.
