Opportunity in America
During his 2021 inaugural address, President Biden listed “common objects we love that define us as Americans”: opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honor, and truth. The first two years of Biden’s presidency show that putting opportunity first was fully intentional. Through Democratic leadership, our country has recovered the jobs, fortunes, and hope lost during the Covid-19 pandemic and can now imagine unprecedented opportunities for economic prosperity across the entire spectrum of our society, not just the most wealthy.
Less than two months after Biden’s address, a Democrat-led Congress passed into law the administration’s aggressive vision for economic recovery:
The American Rescue Plan (which passed with only one Republican vote).
Some $1.9 trillion was directed across all parts of our economy to keep it running, to keep opportunity – and hope – alive.
North Carolina received more than $8 billion. For many, this was a $1,400 check or an extension of unemployment benefits.
Small businesses applied for and received payroll protection funds.
Transylvania County alone received $43 million to stimulate recovery and growth.
Our schools received $8 million; our overworked health providers received $2.7 million.
More than $6 million came to the county government.
Today we can see this money being spent along Hwy. 64 toward Rosman with the investment in new water and sewer lines.
Because of the American Rescue Plan, Transylvania County not only weathered the pandemic; we came out better, stronger.
Eight months later, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to repair and improve roads, bridges,and airports and to bring high-speed internet to rural communities.
North Carolina was allocated $3 billion to improve our 1,460 bridges and 3,116 miles of our highway.
Asheville Regional Airport received $35 million to expand the terminal for safer and easier air travel.
Nearly 23% of North Carolinians do not have an internet subscription. The Infrastructure Act invested $65 billion to provide affordable, high-speed internet to every American. North Carolina is spending $100 million to help ensure high-speed internet coverage across the state.
As many as 1.6 million households in North Carolina are now eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which cuts internet bills by up to $30 per month.
Non-profit organizations such as Through the Trees (where residents can sign up for this program) are on a mission to connect the rural communities of Transylvania County.
Our country is moving to electric vehicles. Two years ago, all major automakers announced their aspiration to achieve sales of 40-50% of annual U.S. volumes of electric vehicles (battery electric, fuel cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles) by 2030. To meet the need for vehicle charging stations, as a country, we are embarking on building a national network to make it easier to drive anywhere and be able to plug in. North Carolina has allocated $38 million from the Infrastructure bill to support this effort.
President Biden signed the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, not only providing new opportunities for North Carolinians but also enhancing national security by fortifying our supply chains. Semiconductors are found in nearly all modern electronic devices. America manufactures 40% of our needs, importing the rest. The CHIPS Act addresses this vulnerability while creating opportunities for Americans. And it’s working here in North Carolina. In April, President Biden visited a Durham-based company that is set to build a $5 billion manufacturing facility for semiconductors in Chatham County, creating 1,800 new jobs.
The legislative achievement that will likely have the largest impact on ordinary North Carolinians is the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022.
The bill extends subsidies for health insurance for 135,000 North Carolinians.
Another 502,000 residents have seen their insurance premiums remain lowered because of this new law.
North Carolina seniors’ out-of-pocket yearly prescription drug expenses are now capped.
A $35 monthly cap on insulin for Medicare recipients resulted in price drops by major corporations that effectively cap insulin at $35 for everyone.
Most importantly, the Act includes $369 billion to address climate change. This is our investment in abundant opportunities for our children and grandchildren to flourish.
Since Biden’s inauguration in January 2021, Democrats – with support from Republicans who put country before party and self – have delivered on hope and opportunity. We’ve seen two of the strongest years of job growth in our nation’s history. Nearly 11 million jobs were created. We are living in a time of the lowest unemployment in over 50 years.
The legislative accomplishments of the past two years are now becoming tangible projects across our state and county. They serve as testaments to the Democratic Party’s laser focus on providing all Americans with opportunities to build our country and contribute to our communities. We are committed to America’s growth and prosperity for today, tomorrow and for generations to come.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/therecord/
https://cardinalpine.com/story/5-ways-democrats-have-helped-north-carolina-under-bidens-leadership/
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/North-Carolina-Fact-Sheet-042523.pdf
https://throughthetrees.us/index.html