HILLSBOROUGH TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) – President Joe Biden focused on long-term fixes as well as short-term relief Tuesday as he toured parts of the Northeast that suffered deadly flash flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ida.
The president was expected to use the muddy backdrops during his visits to Manville, New Jersey, and the New York City borough of Queens to call for federal spending to fortify infrastructure so it can better withstand such powerful storms.
Biden’s plan to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure nationwide is pending in Congress.
“I’m hoping to be able to see the things we are going to be able to fix permanently with the bill that we have in for infrastructure,” Biden said as he left the White House, when asked what he hoped to see on the tour.
New Jersey was Biden’s first stop. Gov. Phil Murphy greeted him as he arrived in Somerset County for a briefing at the emergency management training center before the tour of Manville.