President Joe Biden heads to New Jersey on Monday to tout his multi-trillion congressional agenda with a new bridge announcement a...
President Joe Biden heads to New Jersey on Monday to tout his multi-trillion congressional agenda with a new bridge announcement and, along the way, he'll boost Gov. Phi Murphy ahead of next week's election.
Biden said his talks about his spending plan with Senator Joe Manchin over the weekend 'went well' and he hopes to have a deal in place before he leaves for Europe on Thursday.
'It went well, a few more things to work out, but it went well,' he said of negotiations.
And asked if it would be done Wednesday, the president replied: 'With the grace of God and the good will of neighbor.'
'It'd be very positive to get it done before the trip,' he noted.
He'll push support for his plan in New Jersey while pushing a fellow Democrat for re-election.
Murphy, in his first term as state governor, has pushed several initiatives that line with Biden's priorities: increased income taxes on the wealthy, expanded voting rights and tightened the state's gun laws.
Historical precedent favors his Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli: the state hasn't reelected a Democrat as governor in four decades and hasn't elected a governor from the same party as the president in three decades. Murphy, if he prevails in the Nov. 2 contest, would be the first Democratic governor to win a second term since 1977.
Murphy is leading in the polls ahead of Biden's visit but that lead has dropped to six points from a high of 26 points earlier this year. Former President Barack Obama has already been in the state to campaign for him.
President Joe Biden heads to New Jersey on Monday to tout his multi-trillion congressional agenda
Biden won New Jersey by 15 points in the 2020 presidential election and the gubenatorial race, along with one in Virginia, will be seen a bellweather for Democrats ahead of the 2022 midterm election.
Biden will announce construction of a new Portal Bridge, which connections NJ Transit and Amtrak trains to and from New York, according to NJ.com.
Earlier this year the state's transit system approved $1.6 billion to replace the bridge, which often became stuck with traffic, causing delays along Amtrak's NorthEast cooridor and for local commuters. As many as 200,000 passengers a day cross the bridge.
Federal funds are also going into the project. And Biden will use the stop to push his $1.9 trillion infrastructure bill and his budget package of social programs, which is in final negotiations between warring moderates and liberals in the Democratic Party.
The president will also visit North Plainfield Elementary School District to tout a provision in his social spending package that would offer two years of free pre-K education.
In New Jersey, Biden will campaign for Gov. Phi Murphy ahead of next week's election
Biden will announce construction of a new Portal Bridge, which connections NJ Transit and Amtrak trains to and from New York
Biden had breakfast in Wilmington, Del., home on Sunday morning with moderate Senator Joe Manchin, a key player in passing his agenda, and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
The three discussed the provisions in the president's social spending plan, including how to pay for it.
Manchin has pushed for a $1.5 trillion package - about half of the original $3.5 trillion price tag - but it could inch closer to $2 trillion as final details are ironed out.
Manchin is agreeable to the White House's approach to raise taxes on 1,000 billionaires and impose a 15 per cent minimum corporate tax rate to pay for the plan, the Associated Press reported.
The breaking of bread did not break the impass to a deal however, leaving Biden with nothing to announce going into Monday's New Jersey trip and Tuesday's venture into Virigina to campaign for struggling Democratic gubenatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe.
Biden also wants the two pieces of legislation voted on before he leaves for Rome on Thursday where he'll meet with Pope Francis on Friday and attend the G20 over the weekend.
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