Joseph Biden

Roundtable Discussion Last in a Series to Help Shape Key Administration Transportation Initiative

June 3, 2009 -- Vice President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood challenged governors to think boldly when designing high-speed rail plans during a roundtable discussion at the White House today. The session was a unique opportunity for state leaders to share their ideas with the Obama Administration about the future of high-speed trains in America.    » read more »

June 03, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today met with Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood in Washington, D.C. to discuss opportunities for high speed rail projects in Wisconsin. The Governor has been working to bring high speed rail to Wisconsin and compete for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds for high-speed passenger rail.    » read more »

June 3, 2009 -- JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Missouri Governor Jay Nixon shared his ideas about developing high speed passenger rail service at a roundtable today in Washington, D.C., with Vice President Joe Biden, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the Governors of several other states. The Governor said he wants Missouri to be at the forefront of high speed rail projects that could be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). A portion of ARRA specifically mandates funding for improving and deploying high speed rail systems in the United States.    » read more »

06/03/2009 -- After attending a White House state roundtable hosted by Vice President Joe Biden and U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment (Recovery Act) funding application for high-speed rail, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Senior Advisor David Crane issued the statement below. David Crane also serves as a board member of the California High-Speed Rail Commission.    » read more »

June 2, 2009 -- New York – Vice President Joe Biden today hosted a roundtable with business leaders from across the country highlighting how the Recovery Act is not just creating and saving jobs, but also creating new business opportunities just 100 day into the two-year program.

"The Recovery Act is putting people to work – and our business leaders here today are a testament to that. They are on the front lines of hiring folks for new jobs and preventing lay-offs. They have first-hand knowledge of how this economy – and our policies – are working," said Vice President Biden. "We’re looking to those in the business community to be creative, to be innovative and really take advantage of the new opportunities made possible by this Recovery Act.    » read more »

At Middle Class Task Force Meeting, Vice President Biden Calls on the Council of Environmental Quality to Report Back in 90 Days on Ways to Expand Green Opportunities and Energy Savings for the Middle Class

May 26, 2009 -- Denver, Colorado - At today’s meeting of the White House Task Force on the Middle Class, Vice President Biden called on the Council for Environmental Quality to report back to the Task Force in 90 days with proposals that build on the foundation laid in the Recovery Act to expand green opportunities and energy savings for the middle class.

Such proposals could include, for example, expanding retrofitting of commercial buildings, making American homes more energy efficient, and developing better tools to help people find green jobs.    » read more »

Grants to protect children, create healthy housing and create jobs

May 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON - Following a tour of the Esperanza Community Housing Corporation in South Central Los Angeles, Vice President Biden today announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is making nearly than $100 million in Recovery Act funding available to help eliminate dangerous lead-based paint and other health and safety hazards from low-income homes.

HUD's grants will help 53 local programs in 20 states and the District of Columbia to protect young children from lead poisoning and create jobs. To view a summary of local programs funded through the Recovery Act, visit HUD's website.    » read more »

May 14, 2009 -- SAN DIEGO, CA - Standing at the USS Ronald Reagan in San Diego today, with U.S. sailors and their families, Vice President Joe Biden today announced the Defense Department's plan to temporarily expand its Homeowners Assistance Program (HAP), with $555 million in Recovery Act funds dedicated to helping military families and DoD civilians who recently sold their homes at a loss.    » read more »

May 13, 2009 -- The Vice President today submitted his first quarterly report to the President detailing progress implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The report shows early progress providing immediate financial relief for American families and jump-starting billions of dollars in job-creating projects in the first quarter, with both the pace of spending and job creation expected to accelerate significantly in the coming months.

In the first 77 days* of the two-year Recovery Act program:

* 150,000 jobs have been created or saved
* More than $88 billion dollars has been made available for programs and projects
* Over 3,000 transportation construction projects have been funded in 52 states and territories    » read more »

May 7, 2009 -- Lodi, New Jersey — In a visit to the Route 46 and Main Street construction site in Bergen County, Vice President Joe Biden and Governor Jon Corzine today highlighted American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) progress in New Jersey. Work has already begun on long-overdue upgrades to the Route 46 bridges and surrounding areas. Vice President Biden and Governor Corzine were joined at the site by United States Senators Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, Mayor of Lodi Marc Schrieks and other New Jersey officials.    » read more »

May 6, 2009 -- "The election process and recount in Minnesota have lived up to the state's reputation for organization, transparency, and bipartisanship. The officials have been meticulous and every ruling has been unanimous.

"While Senator Amy Klobuchar is one of the hardest working members of the United States Senate, Minnesotans deserve their full representation.

"Once the Minnesota Supreme Court has issued its final ruling in this case, the President and I look forward to working with Mr. Franken on building an economy for the 21st century."

Source: White House

May 4, 2009 -- Newark, Delaware — Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) today visited the University of Delaware, where they underscored the importance of alternative energy development on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), especially offshore wind resources for Delaware and other Atlantic coastal states. On Earth Day, President Obama announced that Interior had finalized a long-awaited framework for renewable energy production on the OCS.    » read more »

Department of Energy Will Lead Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology Vehicles Pilot Program

April 22, 2009 -- LANDOVER, MD - During a visit to the WMATA Carmen Turner Maintenance and Training Facility in Landover, MD, Vice President Joe Biden today announced $300 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for state and local governments, and transit authorities to expand the nation's fleet of clean, sustainable vehicles and the fueling infrastructure necessary to support them.    » read more »

April 22, 2009 -- Carson City — Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons continues working with the Federal Government to obtain and utilize the maximum amount of Stimulus Package dollars possible. “With our high unemployment and our deep economic crisis, I am working to get the dollars we have been promised injected into our State’s economy as soon as possible.” Governor Gibbons discussed the Stimulus Package after participating in a conference call with Vice-President Joe Biden yesterday.    » read more »

Announces plans for nearly $4 billion in technology deployment, monitoring and viability

April 16, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Vice President Joe Biden, on a visit to Jefferson City, Missouri, today with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, detailed plans by the Department of Energy to develop a smart, strong and secure electrical grid, which will create new jobs and help deliver reliable power more effectively with less impact on the environment to customers across the nation. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Vice President outlined plans to distribute more than $3.3 billion in smart grid technology development grants and an additional $615 million for smart grid storage, monitoring and technology viability.    » read more »