Biden to visit New Hampshire harbor to highlight investments in nation’s ports and waterways
CNN
By Kate Sullivan, CNN
President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit a harbor in New Hampshire on Tuesday to highlight how billions of dollars from the bipartisan infrastructure law are being spent on rebuilding the nation’s ports and waterways, a White House spokesperson tells CNN.
Biden will travel to Portsmouth Harbor and is expected to deliver remarks on how investments in the nation’s port infrastructure are are aiming to strengthen supply chains and bring down costs for American families, the spokesperson said.
The trip comes as the White House grapples with persistent global supply chain issues that have been driving up prices for American families. A recent report showed consumer prices hit a new 40-year high in March, and much of that jump was driven by rising gasoline and food prices. These problems are only getting worse amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and as parts of China implement lockdowns due to a fresh spike in Covid-19 cases.
“American ports are a cornerstone of the US economy, but outdated infrastructure and the Covid-19 pandemic have strained their capacity and jeopardized global supply chains — which has caused delays and passed costs directly to consumers,” the spokesperson said.
The White House says Portsmouth Harbor handles approximately 3.5 million tons and nearly $2 billion of cargo a year. The US Army Corps of Engineers completed a $18.2 million project earlier this month to widen the harbor’s turning basin and is investing an additional $1.7 million for maintenance dredging of the shipping channel and basin, according to the White House.
These funds were allocated from the bipartisan infrastructure law, which is one of Biden’s biggest legislative victories since taking office. The law invests $17 billion in port infrastructure. The President has made several trips around the country to tout the bipartisan achievement and highlight the infrastructure investments that were made possible by the law.
The cargo that passes through Portsmouth Harbor includes material to make drywall, road de-icing salt, home heating oil and underwater fiber optic cable, according to the White House. It is also a staging and transport location for several wind energy projects and for nuclear power plant components manufactured at the nearby Westinghouse Electric.
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