Biden highlights Milwaukee’s Black-owned businesses and lead pipe progress

WE’RE JUST GETTING SO MANY OF YOU WHO HAD THE VISION AND TOOK THE RISK TO OPEN BUSINESSES, AND YOU BET ON YOURSELF TOGETHER. WE’RE TRANSFORMING AN ECONOMY BY INVESTING IN ALL OF AMERICA AND ALL AMERICANS. WHEN I SAID WHEN I RAN, IF I WAS ELECTED, I’D REPRESENT EVERYONE BLUE, RED, NO MATTER WHAT COLOR THE STATE WAS, WHEREVER IT WAS, WE’D RECOMMEND BECAUSE THINK, THINK ABOUT IT. THINK OF ALL THE BUSINESSES THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THROUGHOUT THE MIDWEST AND BACK MY WAY AS WELL. THAT CLOSED DOWN BECAUSE YOU HAD AND CORPORATIONS DECIDED THEY’D GET CHEAPER LABOR ACROSS THE SEA. YOU CAN MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE SO THEY SENT THE JOBS OVERSEAS AND BROUGHT THE PRODUCT BACK HOME, AND WE CHANGED THAT SUPPLY CHAIN. WE’RE SENDING WE’RE HAVING THE JOBS HERE AND SENDING PRODUCT OVERSEAS. AND FROM THE TIME I GOT INVOLVED IN PUBLIC LIFE, I’VE ONLY BEEN AROUND A FEW YEARS. OH, BLESS ME, FATHER. ANYWAY, WE’RE DOING IT BY BUILDING AN ECONOMY FROM THE MIDDLE OUT AND THE BOTTOM UP, NOT THE TOP DOWN, NOT A WHOLE LOT. TRICKLE DOWN ON MY DAD’S KITCHEN TABLE. WHEN THE TOP DOWN ECONOMY. BUT WHEN YOUR MIDDLE FROM THE BILL, WHEN YOU’VE INCREASED THE MIDDLE CLASS, THE POOR HAVE A SHOT AND THE WEALTHY STILL DO VERY WELL. THE MIDDLE CLASS DOES WELL AND WE ALL DO WELL. THAT’S WHAT WE CALL BIDENOMICS. THIS. BY THE WAY, SO FAR WE’VE CREATED 14 MILLION NEW JOBS. MORE JOBS THAN THREE YEARS THAN ANY PRESIDENT HAS CREATED IN FOUR YEARS IN HISTORY. THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL BREAK FROM TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS, ECONOMIC BASE THAT’S SUPERCHARGED MY MY WAS WAS SUPERCHARGED BY MY PREDECESSOR. THE GUY WHO THINKS WE’RE POLLUTING THE BLOOD OF AMERICANS THESE DAYS. HE CUT TAXES FOR THE WEALTHY AND BIG CORPORATIONS SHIPPED GOOD PAYING JOBS OVERSEAS, SHRANK PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND EDUCATION. WE USED TO HAVE THE NUMBER ONE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE WORLD. NOW WE’RE NUMBER 16 OR 17. WE’RE CHANGING THAT. WE HOLLOWED OUT COMMUNITIES, LEAVING TOO MANY AMERICANS BEHIND. IT’S A CYCLE, FOLKS. ON 30TH STREET, CARTER HERE IN MILWAUKEE KNOW WELL IT’S AN AREA WHERE SAYS IT BECAME THE BACKBONE OF MILWAUKEE’S INDUSTRIAL REIT. MIGHT 10,000 BLACK PEOPLE MIGRATED TENS OF THOUSANDS MIGRATED FROM THE SOUTH TO THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY TO MILWAUKEE FOR GOOD PAYING MANUFACTURING JOBS. THEN DECADES OF DISCRIMINATION AND TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS LEFT COMMUNITIES LIKE THIS ONE BEHIND. BUT TODAY WE’RE MAKING SURE MILWAUKEE IS COMING BACK AND ALL OF MILWAUKEE COMING BACK. AND MARK MY WORDS. MILWAUKEE BUSINESS APPLICATIONS ARE UP 70% COMPARED BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. THE SHARE OF BLACK PEOPLE EMPLOYED IN MILWAUKEE IN 2022 WAS THE HIGHEST IN MORE THAN A DECADE. BUT THE INVESTMENTS AREN’T JUST ABOUT JOBS. THE INVESTMENTS WE’RE MAKING OFFER OPPORTUNITY, HOPE TO COMMUNITIES TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE ECONOMY. I VOWED THAT WE INVEST IN ALL OF AMERICA, AND THAT’S WHAT WE’RE DOING. WE’RE LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND. NO ONE NEED BE LEFT BEHIND. LET ME GIVE YOU A CLEAR EXAMPLE. WE ALL KNOW AS MY INTRODUCER TOLD ME, TOLD YOU GUYS WE ALL KNOW EXPOSE TO TO LEAD WATER PIPES IS HAZARDOUS TO OUR HEALTH, ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN’S HEALTH. IT CAN DAMAGE THEIR BRAINS AND KIDNEYS FOR REAL LEAD EXPOSURE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS PEOPLE OF COLOR. THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, FOR GOD’S SAKE. EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO TURN ON A FAUCET AND KNOW WHATEVER THEY’RE DRINKING WAS CLEAN AND PURE AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT. THROUGH THE HISTORIC BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW, MY ADMINISTRATION IS INVESTING. $15 BILLION TO REPLACE EVERY LEAD PIPE IN EVERY COMMUNITY IN THIS COUNTRY. AND OUR GOAL OUR GOAL IS TO DO THAT. AND I WANT TO THANK KAMALA I WANT TO THANK KAMALA FOR LEADING THIS EFFORT. BUT, YOU KNOW, YOUR UNITED STATES SENATOR, RON JOHNSON, VOTED AGAINST THIS LAW. WHO? WELL, I’LL TELL YOU WHAT. WITH YOUR HELP, THE GREAT GOVERNOR AND CONGRESSWOMAN AND THE STATE, THEY ALREADY RECEIVED $130 MILLION TO DO THIS WORK. SO FAR. BEFORE I CAME TO MILWAUKEE, MILWAUKEE WAS SLATED TO TAKE OVER 60 YEARS TO REPLACE THE LEAD PIPES. BUT LAST MONTH, WE PROPOSED A NEW RULE. IT’S GOING TO REQUIRE THE WATER SYSTEMS IN MILWAUKEE TO BE FULLY REPLACED WITH EVERY ONE OF THEM WITHIN TEN YEARS. TEN YEARS INSTEAD OF 60. I THINK THE LIVES SAVED. THINK OF THE JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS LIKE RASHON, REPLACING LEAD PIPES AND HOMES AND DAY CARE CENTERS AND SCHOOLS. WE’RE JUST GETTING STARTED. AND SO WE ARE TODAY ANNOUNCING MILWAUKEE WILL BE ONE OF 22 COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY COMPETING FOR TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FEDERAL GRANTS TO GROW SMALL BUSINESSES, CREATE GOOD PAYING JOBS, AND BUILD FACTORIES OF THE FUTURE. IT MATTERS. I’M ALSO INCREASING THE SHARE OF FEDERAL CONTRACT DOLLARS GOING TO SMALL, DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES FROM WHAT WAS ROUGHLY 10% WHEN I CAME TO OFFICE, TO 25 TO TO 15%. HERE’S HOW IT WORKS. BACK IN THE 30S, IT WASN’T JUST THAT ROOSEVELT TALKED ABOUT UNIONS BEING SUPPORTED. THEY ALSO HAD A RULE THAT PASSED THAT VERY FEW PRESIDENTS, INCLUDING DEMOCRATS, PAID MUCH ATTENTION TO THAT. EVERY DOLLAR A PRESIDENT GETS TO SPEND, FOR EXAMPLE, THE APPROPRIATION COMMITTEE AND THE CONGRESS PASSES REDOING DECKS OF AIRCRAFT CARRIERS. THE PRESIDENT GETS TO PICK WHO DOES THAT JOB, WHO DOES THAT JOB. ALL THOSE FEDERAL PROGRAMS. WELL, GUESS WHAT? THE VAST MAJORITY IS SUPPOSED TO BE ALL AMERICA AND SUPPOSED TO BE ALL AMERICAN PRODUCTS. AND GUESS WHAT? HARDLY ANYBODY PAID ATTENTION. BUT I’M PAYING ATTENTION. IRON. IT’S GOT WE’RE INVESTING IN AMERICA AND AMERICAN WORKERS. IN 2022 ALONE, WE AWARDED NEARLY $70 BILLION TO SMALL DISADVANTAGED BUSINESSES. BECAUSE OF THAT LAW, THROUGH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN. ANOTHER LAW THAT YOUR DISTINGUISHED SENATOR VOTED AGAINST. WE INVESTED NEARLY $80 MILLION IN WISCONSIN WIN FOR THE STATE SMALL BUSINESS CREDIT INITIATIVE HELPING COUNTLESS SMALL BUSINESSES AND GROW, GROW THROUGH THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. WE’VE. DELIVERED $50 BILLION IN CAPITAL THIS PAST YEAR TO SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, DOUBLING THE NUMBER IN THE VALUE OF BLACK OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES. SINCE 2020. I KNOW THAT’S A LOT, AND I’M TALKING TO THE BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR THANKING THEM FOR HELPING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS LEARN HOW TO BENEFIT FROM THESE TRANSFORMATIVE INVESTMENTS. I USED TO HAVE A FRIEND NAMED PETE MCLAUGHLIN, WHO WAS A GREAT BALL PLAYER AT PROVIDENCE COLLEGE, AND HE USED TO SAY, YOU GOT TO KNOW HOW TO KNOW. YOU’VE GOT TO KNOW HOW TO KNOW. AND THAT’S WHY I WANT TO THANK THE CHAMBER HERE FOR TEACHING PEOPLE HOW TO KNOW WHAT’S AVAILABLE TO THEM. ALL THIS GROUNDBREAKING WORK IS PRODUCING GROUNDBREAKING RESULTS. A RECORD JOB CREATION, HISTORIC ECONOMIC GROWTH. WE HAVE AMONG THE LOWEST INFLATION RATES OF ANY MAJOR ECONOMY IN THE ON THIS EARTH. WE’RE FIGHTING A LOWER COST TO GIVE FOLKS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE BREATHING ROOM THAN MY DAD USED TO SAY, BUT LET’S BE CLEAR, REPUBLICANS ARE AGAINST SO MANY CRITICAL ACTIONS THAT HELP WORKING AND MIDDLE CLASS PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY BLACK AMERICANS. JUST REMEMBER HOW THE PANDEMIC HIT BLACK BUSINESSES ESPECIALLY HARD. HOW MY PREDECESSOR ON HIS WATCH, WOMEN AND MINORITY. OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES FOUND THEMSELVES LAST IN LINE TO ACCESS EMERGENCY RELIEF THROUGH PROGRAMS LIKE THE PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM. ON MY WATCH, ENERGY DAJI AND EMERGENCY RELIEF WENT TO MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES FIRST, BUT NOT LAST. WE ALSO KNOW WHEN I CAME TO OFFICE, WE CUT BLACK CHILD POVERTY IN HALF BECAUSE OF THE CHILD TAX CREDIT. AS I TRIED TO EXTEND IT, EVERY SINGLE REPUBLICAN CONGRESS IN CONGRESS VOTED AGAINST CONTINUING THE PROGRAM. BUT I’M NOT GIVING UP UNTIL WE GET IT BACK. BY THE WAY, ALL THE DATA SHOWS IT SAVES THE ECONOMY, MONEY, THE SPENDING ON CHILD POVERTY SAVES MONEY IN HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, A WHOLE RANGE OF THINGS. THIS IS NOT A DOWN THE DRAIN. IT GENERATES GROWTH. WE DRAFTED AND I SIGNED A LAW THAT A LAW THAT WILL LOWER PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS SIGNIFICANTLY FOR ALL AMERICANS. YOU KNOW, I WAS AT A TOWN MEETING IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND I WAS HOLDING A MEETING. THIS IS TWO YEARS AGO. I’VE BEEN FIGHTING BIG PHARMA FOR A LONG TIME. YOU KNOW, IF YOU BUY, IF YOU GO TO WHOEVER YOUR YOUR, YOUR PROVIDER OF ANY DRUG, YOU HAVE TO TAKE ANY PRESCRIPTION DRUG AND YOU DECIDE YOU’RE GOING TO BUY IT HERE IN MILWAUKEE OR YOU’RE GOING TO BUY IT IN TORONTO, CANADA, OR PARIS, FRANCE OR BUDAPEST. GUESS WHAT? YOU’RE GOING TO PAY 2 TO 3 TIMES AS MUCH FOR THE PRESCRIPTION. SAME COMPANY, SAME AMERICAN MANUFACTURER, SAME THING BECAUSE MEDICARE PAYS FOR IT FOR MOST. IN MOST CASES. AND GUESS WHAT? WE’RE NOT JUST IF YOU’RE AT THE VA AND YOU GET THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG, THEY NEGOTIATE THE PRICE WITH THE WITH WITH THE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY. WELL, THEY PASSED LAWS EARLIER. WAVE ON. I’VE BEEN FIGHTING IT FOR OVER 35 YEARS TO SAY YOU CAN’T NEGOTIATE MEDICARE, CAN’T NEGOTIATE FOR DRUG PRICES FOR, FOR AND BY THE WAY, THAT’S HOW THEY MAKE ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY. AND BY THE WAY, EVERY ONE OF MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES VOTED AGAINST THIS, AND NOW THEY’RE TRYING TO CUT MEDICARE, TRYING TO CUT MEDICAID AND SOCIAL SECURITY. SEE, YOUR OWN SENATOR JOHNSON CALLS SOCIAL SECURITY A, QUOTE, PONZI SCHEME. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? ME? YOU KNOW, FROM THE TIME YOU GET YOUR FIRST PAYCHECK, YOU PAY

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