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President Joe Biden is set to visit Westby, Wisconsin, on Thursday to announce a significant investment aimed at improving rural infrastructure. The administration will unveil $7.3 billion in funding for 16 cooperatives across 23 states, designed to enhance electricity access and bring down the cost of internet connections in underserved rural areas.
The funding, sourced from the Democrats’ Inflation Reduction Act—signed into law in August 2022—represents the largest rural electrification initiative since the New Deal of the 1930s. This ambitious program is expected to create approximately 4,500 permanent jobs and 16,000 construction jobs, according to the White House.
This visit marks a return for Biden to a state he visited early in his presidency, where he made a commitment to improve infrastructure and connectivity in rural areas. In a June 2021 speech at the La Crosse Municipal Transit Utility, Biden highlighted the necessity of modern internet access, equating it to essential utilities like water and electricity. “It isn’t a luxury; it’s now a necessity,” Biden said, underscoring his administration’s commitment to expanding broadband access.
The $7.3 billion investment is part of a broader $13 billion commitment to rural electrification included in the Inflation Reduction Act. This initiative aims to address the longstanding issue of limited access to reliable electricity and high-speed internet in rural America, which has been a persistent challenge for many communities.
White House deputy chief of staff Natalie Quillian emphasized the significance of the president’s return to Wisconsin, stating that Biden will showcase the administration’s success in fulfilling its promises. “When the president returns to Wisconsin, he will have delivered on so many of those promises,” Quillian said.
Wisconsin is a key battleground state for the upcoming November presidential election, with Biden having narrowly won the state in 2020 after Donald Trump’s narrow victory in 2016. The state is considered crucial for Democrats’ efforts to secure another term in the White House.
The new funding initiative highlights Biden’s ongoing commitment to enhancing infrastructure and connectivity in rural areas, reinforcing his administration’s focus on addressing economic and social disparities across the country.