Biden stresses partnership to Legislative Conference attendees

President Joe Biden addresses county officials Tuesday at the NACo Legislative Conference at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. Photo by Denny Henry
Error message
In order to filter by the "in queue" property, you need to add the Entityqueue: Queue relationship.-
County NewsPresident Biden spoke to kindred spirits at the NACo Legislative Conference, 50 years after he served as a New Castle County, Del. councilman.Biden stresses partnership to Legislative Conference attendees
- President Biden spoke to kindred spirits at the NACo Legislative Conference, 50 years after he served as a New Castle County Councilman
- President Biden: for IIJA funding with American Rescue Plan opportunities: “You’re going to need welders, pipe fitters, advanced manufacturers ready to take on those jobs ... Start by building pathways to better jobs."
-
County News Article
Biden stresses partnership to Legislative Conference attendees
With the American Rescue Plan in one hand and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in the other, President Joe Biden came home to kindred spirits from the start of his political career, when he was a New Castle County, Del. Council member.
Biden addressed the NACo Legislative Conference General Session Feb. 15 with memories from those early days and a vision for the future of the intergovernmental system. He spoke by video in December 2020 to the NACo Board of Directors and attended the 2015 Legislative Conference as vice president.
“I promise I’ll always have you as a partner with us,” Biden said. “The partnership was critical,” he said, in crafting the American Rescue Plan’s regulation delivering funding to every county in the country and in helping pass the bipartisan infrastructure law. Both, he said, will have lasting consequences for counties and the nation as a whole.
“We made sure that $65.1 billion of that went straight to the counties,” he said. “I know how much it matters, it really matters, giving you the ability, the flexibility, the control to meet both the short-term and long-term challenges you face.”
Biden served as a New Castle County Council member from 1971-1973 until he took office in the U.S. Senate.
He urged county leaders to use both pieces of legislation at the same time to achieve better outcomes.
“You don’t have to wait until the project starts, you can use the resources from the American Rescue Plan now,” he said, referring to extra spending flexibility awarded to counties by the legislation’s Final Rule for implementation. “You’re going to need welders, pipe fitters, advanced manufacturers ready to take on those [infrastructure] jobs and it takes training to do those jobs well. Start by building pathways to better jobs. Like Maricopa County in Arizona, where they’re using American Rescue Plan funds to help young workers develop in-demand technical skills. They know what the county is going to need.”
He tracked the progress the United States has made in vaccinating the population against COVID-19 and stressed his belief that the challenges Americans have faced and solutions they forged will all lead to a step forward for the country.
“We’re the only country in the world that whatever crisis we’ve gone through, we’ve ended up on the other side better off than where we were before we had the crisis,” he said.
“We are the United States of America,” he said. “There’s nothing, I mean this from the bottom of my heart, there’s nothing beyond our capacity. There's nothing we cannot do if we do it together. It’s always been who we are.”
While he noted several indicators’ reports that the economy was making a rapid comeback from the pandemic-influenced recession, Biden stressed the need to make sure all Americans have the chance to advance and thrive economically, which he said his proposed Build Back Better legislation — which stalled in the Senate in 2021 — would enable.
“Families are getting clobbered at the cost of everyday things,” including childcare, automobiles, prescription drugs, gasoline and other consumer goods, he said. “I'm going to work like the devil to bring gas prices down. We’re going to keep working to strengthen the supply chain and bring the cost of every good down, particularly food and automobiles.”
For many families, the precarious balance they once maintained was no longer viable with new situations for their family members.
“We have a so-called ‘sandwich generation,’ and if you are part of it,” he said, “you’re trying to take care of your children, while taking care of your aging mom or dad. We can help make it work.”
Although he criticized the prices charged by pharmaceutical companies and suggested they could be successful with price controls, he told the audience he was a proud capitalist.
“I think you should be able to go out and make a million or a billion dollars given the capability. But just pay [taxes], a little bit.”
The revenue from the various funding mechanisms in Build Back Better, he said, would go to programs that would ultimately make higher corporate tax rates moot.
“When middle-class folks do well, there’s never been a time the wealthy don’t do very, very well, he said.
But the most crucial link Biden made between county governments and the future of the republic came not from any funding proposals or federal programs. It was from his anecdotes about serving in local office, where he was a phone call or an encounter in a grocery store away from the public. That credibility, he said, will perpetuate people’s faith in representative government.
“You’re there, representing the frontlines of public service, that’s not hyperbole,” he said. “We need your voices of county officials, helping us folks understand what our communities need.”
President Biden spoke to kindred spirits at the NACo Legislative Conference, 50 years after he served as a New Castle County, Del. councilman.2022-02-15County News Article2022-02-16
With the American Rescue Plan in one hand and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in the other, President Joe Biden came home to kindred spirits from the start of his political career, when he was a New Castle County, Del. Council member.
Biden addressed the NACo Legislative Conference General Session Feb. 15 with memories from those early days and a vision for the future of the intergovernmental system. He spoke by video in December 2020 to the NACo Board of Directors and attended the 2015 Legislative Conference as vice president.
“I promise I’ll always have you as a partner with us,” Biden said. “The partnership was critical,” he said, in crafting the American Rescue Plan’s regulation delivering funding to every county in the country and in helping pass the bipartisan infrastructure law. Both, he said, will have lasting consequences for counties and the nation as a whole.
“We made sure that $65.1 billion of that went straight to the counties,” he said. “I know how much it matters, it really matters, giving you the ability, the flexibility, the control to meet both the short-term and long-term challenges you face.”
Biden served as a New Castle County Council member from 1971-1973 until he took office in the U.S. Senate.
He urged county leaders to use both pieces of legislation at the same time to achieve better outcomes.
“You don’t have to wait until the project starts, you can use the resources from the American Rescue Plan now,” he said, referring to extra spending flexibility awarded to counties by the legislation’s Final Rule for implementation. “You’re going to need welders, pipe fitters, advanced manufacturers ready to take on those [infrastructure] jobs and it takes training to do those jobs well. Start by building pathways to better jobs. Like Maricopa County in Arizona, where they’re using American Rescue Plan funds to help young workers develop in-demand technical skills. They know what the county is going to need.”
He tracked the progress the United States has made in vaccinating the population against COVID-19 and stressed his belief that the challenges Americans have faced and solutions they forged will all lead to a step forward for the country.
“We’re the only country in the world that whatever crisis we’ve gone through, we’ve ended up on the other side better off than where we were before we had the crisis,” he said.
“We are the United States of America,” he said. “There’s nothing, I mean this from the bottom of my heart, there’s nothing beyond our capacity. There's nothing we cannot do if we do it together. It’s always been who we are.”
While he noted several indicators’ reports that the economy was making a rapid comeback from the pandemic-influenced recession, Biden stressed the need to make sure all Americans have the chance to advance and thrive economically, which he said his proposed Build Back Better legislation — which stalled in the Senate in 2021 — would enable.
“Families are getting clobbered at the cost of everyday things,” including childcare, automobiles, prescription drugs, gasoline and other consumer goods, he said. “I'm going to work like the devil to bring gas prices down. We’re going to keep working to strengthen the supply chain and bring the cost of every good down, particularly food and automobiles.”
For many families, the precarious balance they once maintained was no longer viable with new situations for their family members.
“We have a so-called ‘sandwich generation,’ and if you are part of it,” he said, “you’re trying to take care of your children, while taking care of your aging mom or dad. We can help make it work.”
Although he criticized the prices charged by pharmaceutical companies and suggested they could be successful with price controls, he told the audience he was a proud capitalist.
“I think you should be able to go out and make a million or a billion dollars given the capability. But just pay [taxes], a little bit.”
The revenue from the various funding mechanisms in Build Back Better, he said, would go to programs that would ultimately make higher corporate tax rates moot.
“When middle-class folks do well, there’s never been a time the wealthy don’t do very, very well, he said.
But the most crucial link Biden made between county governments and the future of the republic came not from any funding proposals or federal programs. It was from his anecdotes about serving in local office, where he was a phone call or an encounter in a grocery store away from the public. That credibility, he said, will perpetuate people’s faith in representative government.
“You’re there, representing the frontlines of public service, that’s not hyperbole,” he said. “We need your voices of county officials, helping us folks understand what our communities need.”

About Charlie Ban (Full Bio)
County News Digital Editor & Senior Writer
Charlie is the County News digital editor and senior writer.More from Charlie Ban
-
Video
President Joe Biden addresses county officials
President Joe Biden addresses the 2022 NACo Legislative Conference
-
Video
Counties testify on our role in evolving federal land management challenges
Carbon County, Wyo. Commissioner John Espy testifies how counties are best suited to assist federal land managers navigate evolving management challenges. -
Blog
U.S. Senate Majority Leader urges U.S. Treasury to specify capacity building for competitive federal funding opportunities as an eligible use of Recovery Funds
On March 6, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sent a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urging the Department to allow American Rescue Plan Act State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to be used to fund capacity building investments in order to access new competitive federal funding opportunities. -
Blog
Treasury releases Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund payments to eligible consolidated city-county governments
On February 21, the U.S. Department of Treasury launched the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF) for eligible city-county governments. The LATCF provides $10.5 million distributed in two equal payments of $5.3 million for FYs 2023 and 2024 to “eligible revenue sharing consolidated governments” under the American Rescue Plan Act. -
Reports & Toolkits
Legislative Analysis for Counties: The Inflation Reduction Act
The IRA offers counties the opportunity to pursue clean energy initiatives and reduce emissions through new competitive grant programs, local resiliency investments and clean energy tax credits. -
Blog
U.S. Treasury reopens Recovery Fund Contact Center to support counties with ARPA questions and inquiries
On February 21, the U.S. Department of Treasury resumed operations of its Office of Recovery Programs Contact Center which provides technical assistance to recipients of American Rescue Plan Act funds administered by Treasury. -
County News
Yellen urges counties to focus ARPA funding on workforce development, affordable housing
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen: "Without the voices of our counties, the American Rescue Plan would have undoubtedly looked quite different —as a result, our recovery would have looked quite different, too.”
Contact
-
County News Digital Editor & Senior Writer(202) 942-4210
Related Resources
-
Blog
U.S. Census Bureau publishes final rule for Population Estimates Challenge Program
On March 24, the U.S. Census Bureau published its final rule for the Population Estimates Challenge Program. -
County News
NACo's new report shows how counties are investing ARPA dollars
In the two years since ARPA's historic passage, counties continue to make transformational investments, spur recovery efforts and bolster the economy through our Recovery Fund allocations. -
Blog
President Biden releases FY 2024 budget request that includes county priorities
On March 9, 2023, President Biden released his fiscal year (FY) 2024 budget request outlining the administration’s proposal for federal spending for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2024.
-
-
Reports & Toolkits
Strengthening Local Economies through the Recovery Fund: Executive Summary
NACo's report examines how counties are leveraging American Rescue Plan resources to support communities and rebuild the economy, even as the pandemic continues to affect jobs, public health, housing, and more. -
Reports & Toolkits
American Rescue Plan Resource Hub
In March of 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 authorized the $350 billion State and Local Coronavirus Fiscal Recovery Fund (Recovery Fund), which provided $65.1 billion in direct, flexible aid to every county in America.
More From
-
Treasury releases Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund payments to eligible counties
The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced the release of Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund (LATCF) payments to counties.
Learn More