BELEN, N.M.—President Joe Biden promoted his economic vision and “Investing in America” agenda during a speech on Aug. 10 at a New Mexico factory, asserting on the one-year anniversary of the signings of the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act that his policies are creating a manufacturing boom across the United States.
Speaking at the Arcosa wind tower manufacturing facility in New Mexico, President Biden said his administration is “making historic investments” in alternative energy sources, including wind and solar.
“Businesses are booming again,” he said.
In March, Texas-based Arcosa Inc., a publicly traded company, announced the opening of the facility in the city of Belen, with plans to create 250 new jobs. During the event, CEO Antonio Carrillo said that his firm and the North American wind power industry were facing considerable challenges and uncertainty a year ago.
“With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, we have received over $1.51 billion in orders for wind towers,” Mr. Carrillo said.
Manufacturing construction spending has roughly doubled in the country since President Biden took office mid-pandemic. The president attributes that to his policies, which he says have created a manufacturing renaissance in semiconductors and renewable energies.
“Instead of exporting American jobs, we’re creating American jobs, and we’re exporting American products,” President Biden said. “According to Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, and the Wall Street, my ‘Investing in America’ agenda is leading to a boom of manufacturing investment.”
While President Biden continues to promote his initiatives, a new poll also shows that the majority of Americans are indifferent to his climate policies.
According to the poll conducted by The Washington Post and the University of Maryland, a majority of Americans (57 percent) disapprove of the president’s handling of climate change, while 71 percent of respondents stated that they had heard “little” or “nothing at all” about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Biden Attends Campaign Reception
President Biden’s visit to New Mexico was part of a three-state tour of the southwest to promote his administration’s economic and climate initiatives.The president on Aug. 8 participated in a campaign reception in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He spoke for roughly 15 minutes, promoting his legislative victories, including the Infrastructure Law, the IRA, and the CHIPS (Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors) and Science Act.
“We’ve got to be in a position to be able to show people what we’ve done,” President Biden said, adding that it takes time for people to realize the impact of these policies.
“We’re going to spend a significant amount of money—almost $368 billion—on the environment and still be able to pay for it.”
President Biden also praised his foreign policy, claiming that he kept “all of NATO and the European Union solidly together” after Russia invaded Ukraine, despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s hope that the alliances would be broken.
Inflection Points in History
He also talked about why he has decided to run in 2024.“When I was deciding whether or not to run the last time, I started to write a book about the inflection points in history,” President Biden said.
“There are fundamental changes happening, whether it’s global warming or the tundra melting—whatever it is, there’s just fundamental change taking place,” he added. “And we have a chance to move it in the right direction if we’re smart about it.”
President Biden’s first stop on his visit to the southwestern states this week was the Grand Canyon in Arizona, where he announced the establishment of a new national monument surrounding Grand Canyon National Park, which will conserve about 1 million acres and limit uranium mining. It’s President Biden’s fifth new national monument.
The president will next travel to Salt Lake City to deliver remarks on the one-year anniversary of the PACT (Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics) Act. According to the White House, the measure “is the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic-exposed veterans and survivors in over 30 years.”
