National Association of Counties Congratulates President-Elect Biden, Calls for Strong Federal Partnership in Addressing County Priorities

WASHINGTON – The National Association of Counties (NACo) looks forward to working with President-elect Joe Biden and the 117th Congress to address some of the nation’s most pressing challenges.

“America’s counties prioritize effective governing over politics,” said NACo 1^st Vice President Larry Johnson. “We are committed to working with the Biden administration and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to achieve our shared goals.”

Johnson continued, “We welcome all newly elected federal, state and local leaders and extend our hand in partnership. Now is the time to come together as we overcome challenges and seize opportunities to improve the quality of life for our residents.”

“Counties are the backbone of our communities, delivering key services like infrastructure, public safety, health and human services, workforce and community development, land management, environmental stewardship and more,” said Johnson. 

President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris began their public service careers at the county level. President-elect Biden served on the New Castle County, Del. Council. Vice President-elect Harris served in district attorneys’ offices in Alameda County, Calif. and the City and County of San Francisco before being elected district attorney of the latter.

NACo Executive Director Matthew Chase said, “As we face an unprecedented public health emergency with rising COVID-19 cases and the resulting economic fallout, a strong federal-state-local partnership is more important than ever.

“We must embrace effective, collaborative strategies to address the widespread public health, economic and social impacts of this crisis. We look forward to working with the Biden administration and Congress as we build stronger counties that result in a stronger America,” said Chase.

NACo will work with the new administration and Congress on several top policy issues that affect the nation’s counties, including:

• Securing bipartisan coronavirus relief, including direct and flexible federal funding for counties of all sizes
• Upgrading the nation’s infrastructure, including roads, bridges, airports, and water and sewage projects
• Expanding access to reliable, affordable broadband nationwide, particularly for underserved populations
• Promoting justice reforms, including mental health and substance use disorder treatment
• Enhancing community resiliency and disaster preparedness
• Achieving the balance of federalism and optimizing intergovernmental partnerships

Johnson added, “We applaud the record voter turnout and express tremendous gratitude to the thousands of county leaders, election officials and volunteers who worked tirelessly to administer a safe, fair and accurate election.”

America’s 3,069 counties, parishes and boroughs are instrumental in every federal, state and local election – providing key funding, overseeing more than 100,000 polling places and coordinating more than 800,000 poll workers. Click here to learn more.