President Joe Biden expected to visit west Michigan vaccine facility next week
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President Joe Biden is expected to visit Pfizer's facility where it makes vaccines for COVID-19 in west Michigan next week, marking his first visit to the state as chief executive.
A source with knowledge of the visit confirmed it for the Free Press on Friday afternoon but did not speak on the record because the White House hasn't formally announced details.
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Neither the White House nor Pfizer immediately confirmed the visit, which was first reported by local media in Kalamazoo based on law enforcement sources.
The day of the visit wasn't known but it comes as Biden is ramping up his efforts to get Congress to approve a $1.9-trillion plan to fight the virus, increase vaccinations, reopen schools and businesses and send $1,400 checks to taxpayers making up to a certain income level.
On Friday, Biden met at the White House with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and a group of Democratic and Republican mayors and governors as part of his effort to get support for the legislation, which is still being written in Congress.
Pfizer's manufacturing plant in Portage, near Kalamazoo, was the first facility in the U.S. to send out vaccines in December. Pfizer had made a commitment to produce some 200 million vaccines by the end of May. This week, the Biden administration announced it had secured deals for 100 million vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna.
Contact Todd Spangler at tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: President Joe Biden expected to visit Michigan Pfizer plant next week
