PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'S
INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN, A PLAN HE
TOUTED THIS WEEK IN LA CROSSE.
"HERE AND NOW" REPORTER WILL
KENNEALLY WAS THERE.
>> WE'RE HERE TO WELCOME
PRESIDENT BIDEN BACK TO THE
GREAT STATE OF WISCONSIN.
>> PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN VISITED
LA CROSSE TUESDAY TO PITCH HIS
PLAN FOR STRENGTHENING THE
COUNTRY'S INFRASTRUCTURE.
>> IN NOVEMBER, 2019 A SCHOOL
BUS IN ARREST ARCADIA TIPPED OVER GOING
AROUND A CURVE.
WASN'T BECAUSE OF SNOW OR ICE.
IT WAS JUST AN OLD COUNTRY ROAD.
IT WAS ROUGH CONDITIONS.
THANK GOD NOBODY WAS SERIOUSLY
INJURED AT THE TIME.
BUT THIS IS A DRAIN ON OUR
ECONOMY AS WELL.
>> ON TOP OF ROADS, BIDEN CITED
BROADBAND AS AN EXAMPLE OF WAYS
IN INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE
COULD STRENGTHEN THE ECONOMY.
>> NO FARMER SHOULD LOSE
BUSINESS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE
RELIABLE INTERNET.
YOU KNOW, BACK IN 1936, THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BROUGHT
ELECTRICITY TO EVERY HOME AND
FARM IN AMERICA AND IT SET THE
STAGE FOR A MASSIVE, SUSTAINED
ECONOMIC BOON THAT WOULD FOLLOW
WORLD WAR II.
HIGH-SPEED INTERNET IS THE
EQUIVALENT OF THAT TODAY.
>> THE PLAN STILL FACES HURDLES
IN CONGRESS.
REPUBLICANS BALKED AT THE BILL
AFTER DEMOCRATS ATTEMPTED TO ADD
THEIR OWN PARTISAN PRIORITIES TO
THE PREVIOUSLY BIPARTISAN BILL.
SOME MODERATE REPUBLICANS SAID
THEY WERE ASSURED BY BIDEN THAT
HE WOULD NOT TIE UP THE BILL
OVER THOSE DEMOCRATIC
PRIORITIES.
THOSE OUTREACH EFFORTS WERE WELL
RECEIVED BY WISCONSINITES.
>> I THINK PRESIDENT BIDEN IS
TAKING HEAT FROM HIS OWN
CONSTITUENTS BECAUSE HE'S
WILLING TO WORK WITH THE
REPUBLICANS.
AND I THINK ON THE
INFRASTRUCTURE AND I THINK IN
THE LONG RUN THAT WILL PAY OFF
FOR HIM.
>> I THINK HE'S DOING A
WONDERFUL JOB OF MANAGING
EVERYTHING, EVEN WITH ALL OF THE
OBSTRUCTION.
I THINK HE REALLY UNDERSTANDS
FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES AND THE
IMPORTANCE OF THEM.
>> REPUBLICANS FIRED BACK,
HOWEVER, ACCUSING BIDEN OF BEING
OUT OF TOUCH WITH WHAT
WISCONSINITES NEED.
>> EVERYBODY WANTS
INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT WE WANT IT
TARGETED.
WE DON'T WANT THESE FAR LEFT
POLICIES MIXED INTO THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
HOPEFULLY HE COMES AND REALIZES
THAT'S WHAT WISCONSIN WANTS,
THAT'S WHAT MIDDLE RURAL AMERICA
NEEDS.
HOPEFULLY HE TAKES THAT BACK TO
D.C. WITH HIM.
>> UNDER THE CURRENT PLAN,
WISCONSIN WOULD BE THE
BENEFICIARY OF VARIOUS
IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING UPGRADES
TO ROUGHLY 1,000 BRIDGES IN THE
STATE.
ALSO IN THE INVESTMENTS,
TACKLING LEAD WATER LINES IN
MILWAUKEE.
>> MILWAUKEE HAS MORE THAN
160,000 WATER SERVICE LINES,
MORE THAN 70,000 OF THEM, NEARLY
HALF, HAVE LEAD SERVICE LINES.
THIS CONTAINS THE LARGEST
INVESTMENT IN WASTEWATER
INFRASTRUCTURE IN AMERICA.
>> REPORTING FROM LA CROSSE,
THIS IS WILL KENNEALLY FOR "HERE
AND NOW."
>> "HERE AND NOW"