In Western states trip, Biden argues his agenda is working
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President Joe Biden’s trip out West ended Thursday afternoon, and in each state he visited he repeated the message that his agenda is working. But he also missed talking about issues important to voters in the region, including water levels in the Great Salt Lake.
In New Mexico, a “blue” state, Biden said he “promised to be a president for all Americans,” regardless of their politics. “Whether you live in a blue state or a red state, I’m going to keep my promise,” he said. Biden’s tour also included stops in Arizona, a “purple” battleground state, and Utah, a conservative “red” state.
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During his trip, Biden said his administration has made historic investments in climate conservation, clean energy and jobs, and he argued they’re all interconnected. “When I think climate, I think jobs,” he said Wednesday during remarks at Arcosa Wind Towers, a wind tower manufacturer in Albuquerque. “Jobs to fix the problem.”
Republicans argue Biden’s larger “Build Back Better” agenda is helping contribute to, not fix many of the problems the U.S. faces today, and that his national park designation in Arizona Tuesday is the latest example of a federal land grab.
In Utah, Biden sought common ground on veteran’s issues. Thanking Democrats, independents and Republicans for passing the bipartisan PACT Act, Biden championed working together in pursuit of a worthy cause.
“We are the United States of America,” he said. “There’s nothing — nothing beyond our capacity when we decide to work together to get it done. We never fail when we do that. Never on any major issue.”
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Though Biden’s itinerary this week was mostly official business, doing his job as an incumbent president running for reelection doubles as a chance to convince voters he deserves another term.
Voters unimpressed with Biden’s record are unlikely to be swayed, but Biden making his case out West shows how important the region is to his reelection chances.
From the climate to inflation and energy, the West is uniquely shaped by many of today’s most pressing issues. Other problems, like the region’s housing shortage, water shortages — including fears about water levels in the Great Salt Lake, immigration reform and border security, were unaddressed during his trip.
Biden made an argument for his second term in the West, and if he wants to win one, it will be voters in swing states like Arizona and Nevada that he’ll need to convince that he’s the right person for the job.
