President Joe Biden to visit the Triangle on Thursday. Here’s what we know.
President Joe Biden plans to visit the Triangle on Thursday and tout how his administration has helped North Carolina.
White House officials said Biden will “travel to the Raleigh-Durham area” to discuss “Bidenomics” and his “Investing in America agenda.” Both, they say, helped repair and rebuild infrastructure, lower costs, support a small business boom and create good paying jobs.
The White House has not publicly said where Biden will speak, but said it will be open to the public. North Carolinians should expect to hear from Biden about how his administration’s programs specifically helped the state.
White House officials said companies like Toyota, Siemens, Vinfast, Amgen, Wolfspeed and Boom Supersonic have collectively committed $31 billion to the state.
Since Biden took office, businesses have created 441,200 jobs in North Carolina, dropping the state’s unemployment rate from 5.6% at the start of 2021 to 3.5% at the end of December, according to the White House.
North Carolina has also benefited from around $5.7 billion in federal funding for 158 infrastructure projects.
White House officials say this success comes from key legislation that Biden signed since taking office, including the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act.
In a memo released last May, the Biden campaign announced it would target North Carolina as part of its 2024 strategy. North Carolinians have seen a series of campaign commercials from Biden beginning in August, and the state has been a frequent stop for Biden and his surrogates.
Last week, Vice President Kamala Harris visited Charlotte to promote the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the largest piece of gun legislation passed in three decades and one championed by Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina.
On Jan. 26, First Lady Jill Biden is expected to attend a fundraiser in Raleigh.
This story was originally published January 16, 2024 at 11:00 AM.
