While most of the attention has been on former President Donald Trump and the GOP as the Republican National Convention takes place in Milwaukee, President Joe Biden and other Democrats have touted policy wins like building bridges and efforts to address housing costs.
The Biden administration on Wednesday announced $5 billion for major bridge construction projects, many of which were lauded by local lawmakers earlier this week.
“There are currently about 3,000 fewer bridges in poor condition than when our administration began, and today we are proud to announce funding to repair or replace 13 of America’s largest and economically significant bridges,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
The latest list includes $1.4 billion for the bridges that connect Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash., on Interstate 5 at the Columbia River crossing.
The interstate is one of the highways that Nathan L. Gonzales of Inside Elections has highlighted as a “road to the House majority” in his recurring Roll Call series, which included four districts in the Pacific Northwest.
The funding will cover projects from coast to coast, also including almost $1 billion for Sagamore Bridge in Massachusetts, which crosses the Cape Cod canal.
“It is Christmas in July on Cape Cod as we deliver $1 billion to the Sagamore Bridge and to the Cape Cod community,” Sen. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., said Tuesday. “Who wants to be a billionaire? Sagamore Bridge.”
Biden himself has been on a swing through southern Nevada, delivering remarks Tuesday at the NAACP National Convention and later attending an economic summit in North Las Vegas co-hosted by Rep. Steven Horsford, D-Nev., the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, who represents the district.
“I also agree with my constituents who feel that the rent is too damn high, and so does President Biden,” Horsford said at the Vote to Live event. “We understand that corporate landlords are rigging the system against us.”
The immediate action relevant to Horsford’s district was the announcement that the Bureau of Land Management is selling surplus land in Nevada for the construction of new housing. Lael Brainard, the National Economic Council director, told reporters that a further 562 acres has been identified by BLM.
“Housing is a fundamental issue that affects all aspects of our lives, from economic stability to health and education,” Horsford said in a statement. “Today’s announcement by President Biden is a significant step forward in addressing the housing crisis in Southern Nevada and across the country, but we must continue to push for more comprehensive solutions to ensure everyone has a fair shot at owning a home and living safely and securely.”
Biden also proposed Tuesday to limit rent increases by large landlords to 5 percent annually — a move advocates say would make housing more affordable but that critics contend would hinder new construction rather than create more supply.
Under the proposal, which would require legislative action, landlords who own 50 or more rental units would have to adhere to the 5 percent ceiling on existing units or risk losing a tax break that allows them to take advantage of faster depreciation, according to a White House fact sheet.
Biden spent the night in the Las Vegas area, with the UnidosUS annual conference also taking place in Las Vegas this week. He is expected to sign an executive order Wednesday to start a new White House effort to support Hispanic-serving institutions.
The Wednesday announcements, of which the White House says there will be several, also include the unveiling of a new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services program to bring that agency’s services to rural communities and other underserved populations.
They come a day after a White House official touted the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement of a more than 50 percent reduction in border encounters since the president’s June 4 declaration that would limit migrants’ asylum claims at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Biden is scheduled to address the Latino group Wednesday afternoon, after a radio interview with Univision.
Mark Schoeff Jr. contributed to this report.
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