SCRANTON, Pa. — It didn't take President Biden long to mention Scranton, his birthplace, and the city where he spent part of his childhood.
Just minutes into his first State of the Union address, after speaking on the war unfolding in Ukraine, the president turned to the impact the pandemic has had on families.
He says rising prices have put many Americans in a pinch, recalling his time growing up in Pennsylvania.
"I remember when my Dad had to leave our home in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to find work. I grew up in a family where if the price of food went up, you felt it. That's why one of the first things I did as president was fight to pass the American Rescue Plan because people were hurting. We needed to act, and we did," said President Biden.
The president then turned his focus to America's infrastructure needs.
It was his primary focus during his visit to Scranton in October when he was touting his Build Back Better plan.
He praised Congress passing the bipartisan infrastructure bill, saying this is the beginning of what he's calling the infrastructure decade.
"America used to have the best roads, bridges, and airports on Earth. Now our infrastructure is ranked 13th in the world. We won't be able to compete for the jobs of the 21st Century if we don't fix that," said President Biden.
The president says 4,000 projects are underway, announcing repairs to 65,000 miles of highways and 1,500 bridges.
He says a network of electric vehicle charging stations and upgrades to internet connectivity are on the way, plans he says will create millions of jobs.
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