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The
trip is part of the White House's efforts to showcase the
benefits of the infrastructure bill ahead of crucial midterm
elections where the Democrats hope a results-oriented message
will allow them to retain power in Washington.
Biden is expected to visit the Ohio cities of Cleveland and
Lorain.
In Lorain, which sits on Lake Erie, Biden will provide more
details on how the funding will help remove toxic sediment and
restore habitats in the Great Lakes region, a senior
administration official said.
The $1 billion is the single largest federal investment in Great
Lakes restoration efforts.
"This level of progress would have been inconceivable just a few
years ago," the official said.
The administration believes the funding will help accelerate
completion of clean ups in federally-designated "Areas of
Concern," or AOCs, which were damaged by decades of
manufacturing and agricultural interests. It now expects 22 of
the remaining 25 AOCs to come off the federal list by 2030.
The infrastructure package will also provide $10 billion in
highway funding for Ohio, plus more than $33 billion in
competitive grant funding for highway and other transportation
projects. It also provides $60 billion for state and local
governments to fund major projects.
This will be Biden’s second trip to northeast Ohio in less than
a year. The state is home to several important elections this
year, including a governor's race and a closely-watched U.S.
Senate race to fill the seat of retiring Republican Rob Portman.
(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
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