Biden, Cabinet fan out around nation to showcase administration plans

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SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN (AP) – United States (US) President Joe Biden, struggling to regain his political footing as the midterm elections approach, visited the crucial state of Wisconsin on Wednesday to promote one of his top accomplishments, a bipartisan infrastructure measure that will distribute billions of dollars to fix roads, bridges and other public works.

Biden’s trip was part of a customary post-State of the Union blitz that enlisted Vice President Kamala Harris and Cabinet officials, who fanned out across the country to showcase the administration’s plans.

Along with first lady Jill Biden, the president shook hands with workers in hard hats and neon vests near the base of the John A Blatnik Memorial Bridge, which connects Wisconsin and Minnesota by spanning a corner of Lake Superior. The span is a perennial candidate for replacement because it’s too corroded to support heavy trucks, limiting its ability to serve as an economic lifeline for the region.

“After years of talking about infrastructure, we’re finally getting it done,” Biden said in a speech at a nearby college campus.

Although the USD1 trillion infrastructure legislation was a bright spot in his rocky first year, Biden’s broader agenda – including education programmes, price controls for prescription drugs and financial incentives for fighting climate change – remains stalled on Capitol Hill.

President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden visit the John A Blatnik Memorial Bridge that connects Duluth, Minnesota, to Superior, Wisconsin