BAKER CITY HERALD • SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2022 A5
OREGON
Biden in Portland: ‘America can do big things again’
President stopped
briefly in Oregon
on two-city West
Coast trip
BY PETER WONG
Oregon Capital Bureau
President Joe Biden led a po-
litical pep rally Thursday, April
21, at Portland International
Airport, which he called “a per-
fect example” of what the $1
trillion legislation he signed last
year can do to overhaul the na-
tion’s aging infrastructure.
The airport already is under-
going a $2 billion moderniza-
tion project, including a greatly
expanded passenger terminal
and a new mass timber roof
that will be its crown jewel. The
airport already has benefited
from $19 million in federal
funds for runway work.
As Biden spoke to a crowd
of elected officials and union
workers inside a hangar at the
Air National Guard base on
the airport’s southern edge, the
airport was visible through the
hangar’s open door.
Biden thanked Oregon’s two
senators and four of its five
representatives — all Demo-
crats — for their votes for the
bill he signed on Nov. 15. (Or-
egon’s lone Republican in the
House, Rep. Cliff Bentz, voted
against it.)
“I want to thank them for
helping prove that America can
do big things again,” he said.
“There is a belief that we
can’t do big things anymore.
But we can. We have proven we
can. And we must build a bet-
ter America. A good place to
start is right here in Portland.
Portland International Air-
port is a perfect example of the
need, the opportunity and our
ability to make progress.”
Although some in Oregon’s
congressional delegation talked
about other big projects that
could benefit from the new
federal money — replacement
bridges across the Columbia
River connecting Portland and
Vancouver, Wash., and the
widening of Interstate 5 at the
Rose Quarter interchange with
Interstate 84 — Biden made no
specific commitments.
He did say that $25 billion of
the new money is earmarked
for airports such as Portland,
which sees 20 million passages
annually and ships 330,000
metric tons of goods.
According to World Eco-
nomic Forum reports, the
United States now ranks 13th
in the quality of its infrastruc-
ture. Biden said the legislation
is a start in changing that.
“Here’s the deal: It’s been
much too long since America
has invested in our own air-
ports, our ports and our rails.
We haven’t done it,” he said.
“We used to have the best
infrastructure in the world.
We stopped investing in our-
selves. We stopped investing in
our communities. We stopped
investing in America. I know
people are tired of hearing me
say it. But this time, we are go-
ing to lead the world in invest-
ing in ourselves, in our nation
and in our people. That is the
place to start.”
After his 25-minute talk,
Biden ventured to the Portland
Yacht Club for a fundraiser.
Protesters were encamped out-
side the club.
On the inflation woes that
have hit the country, Biden
blamed supply-chain problems
exasperated by the COVID-19
epidemic, and gasoline prices.
Before arriving in Portland, the
president had linked gas price
increases to the Russian inva-
sion of Ukraine and worldwide
sanctions against Russia.
He spent slightly more than
three hours in Oregon before
he left for Seattle.
advancement and ingenuity,
it is a vehicle for a promise
of a better life,” said Heitz-
man, one of the workers on
the airport modernization.
“This airport is a landmark.
I will forever drive by it and
see it as a symbol of how far I
have come. Projects like this
change lives and keep Oregon
moving forward.
“I have health care, I have a
pension, I have the security of
good pay — and with the extra
income, I can take my mom
grocery shopping whenever
she wants.”
But Heitzman also said
the new law and the ensu-
ing work that it funds have a
broader effect.
“The law that passed last
year is not just an investment
in infrastructure. It is also an
investment in good union jobs,
Jonathan House/Pamplin Media Group
KIWANIS STUDENT
President Joe Biden made remarks in Portland on Thursday, April
21, 2022, on a two-city West Coast tour to promote his infrastructure
spending bill, which he signed last year.
tunity to compete for shares of
$100 billion for projects deter-
mined by the U.S. secretary of
transportation, such as the I-5
bridge and the I-5 widening
mentioned above.
Biden, in a Jan. 14 video
message, did mention the I-5
bridge replacement as one of
three examples of bridges that
could benefit from the legis-
lation. That project is under-
going a supplemental envi-
ronmental impact statement,
What Oregon gets
which is required for projects
Oregon will get at least $4.5 likely to have a significant ef-
billion over five years, though fect as defined in a 1970 law.
much of that amount is in the
Oregon also will get aid for
form of renewed federal aid
upgrades of water and sewer
for highways. But at least $1.2
lines and expansion of broad-
billion is new money for road
band capacity. Leah Horner
and bridge repairs, mass transit has been named by Gov. Kate
and other alternatives to reduce Brown to oversee infrastruc-
carbon emissions from cars,
ture spending.
safer streets and roads, infra-
structure for electric vehicles,
The law’s effects
and resilience from natural
Biden has given similar
disasters and climate change.
speeches elsewhere, trying to
Most of this money is chan-
marshal support for Democrats
neled through the Oregon De- as they face a tough midterm
partment of Transportation,
election Nov. 8, when their ten-
but some goes directly to local uous majorities might fall to
governments.
Republicans.
Oregon also has the oppor-
Biden won’t be on the bal-
lot, and Democratic Sen. Ron
Wyden and Reps. Suzanne
Bonamici of Beaverton and
Earl Blumenauer of Port-
land face little-known oppo-
nents. But Rep. Kurt Schrader
of Canby faces a tough pri-
mary challenger, and there
are spirited primary contests
for two open seats, including
the newly created 6th Dis-
trict, which weaves from Port-
land’s southern suburbs down
through the mid-Willamette
Valley. Rep. Peter DeFazio of
Springfield, one of the chief
architects of the infrastructure
legislation, is retiring after 36
years in the 4th District seat.
Also speaking were Sen. Jeff
Merkley, Portland Mayor Ted
Wheeler and Gov. Brown.
Biden was introduced by
Lauren Heitzman, who had
several jobs before she became
an apprentice electrician with
Local 48 of the International
Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers. She was raised by a
single mother; she said they
were not poor, but economic
insecurities plagued them.
“To me, not only is this
project a symbol of modern
good schools and strong com-
munities. It is an investment in
me and my union,” she said.
“The men and women of
the IBEW are just getting
started. We are ready to re-
build the bridge over the Co-
lumbia River, modernize the
port and upgrade the con-
tainer crates that are so essen-
tial to this region’s commerce
— and of course, finish this
airport and make it a jewel of
the Pacific Northwest.
“We are ready to build
back America better,” playing
on Biden’s “Build Back Bet-
ter” theme.
Biden said she was one of
about 1,250 workers on the
modernization project, 95%
of whom are represented
by unions.
“They are the best workers
in the world,” Biden said.
OF THE MONTH
Junior at Baker
High School
Jozie
Ramos
A
P
R
I
L
Baker City Kiwanis
Junior at Baker
High School
Geovanny
Loza
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BAKER COUNTY COMMISSION:
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mayor@bakercity.gov
CHAIR
CITY
MANAGER
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citymanager@bakercity.gov
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CITY
COUNCIL
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Joanna Dixon (541) 524-2033
Johnny Waggoner Sr (541) 524-2033
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