STATE
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Joe Biden comes to Portland
tured to the Portland Yacht Club for a
fundraiser. Protesters were encamped
outside the club.
On the infl ation 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 pres-
ident had linked gas price increases to
the Russian invasion of Ukraine and
worldwide sanctions against Russia.
He spent slightly more than three
hours in Oregon before he left for
Seattle.
President touts
infrastructure bill
during Oregon visit
By PETER WONG
Oregon Capital Bureau
PORTLAND — President Joe
Biden led a political pep rally Thursday,
April 21, at Portland International Air-
port, which he called “a perfect exam-
ple” of what the $1 trillion legislation he
signed last year can do to overhaul the
nation’s aging infrastructure.
The airport already is undergo-
ing a $2 billion modernization project,
including a greatly expanded passen-
ger terminal and a new mass timber roof
that will be its crown jewel. The airport
already has benefi ted from $19 million
in federal funds for runway work.
As Biden spoke to a crowd of elected
offi cials and union workers inside a
hangar at the Air National Guard base
on the airport’s southern edge, the air-
port was visible through the hangar’s
open door.
Biden thanked Oregon’s two sena-
tors and four of its fi ve representatives
— all Democrats — for their votes for
the bill he signed on Nov. 15. (Oregon’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
What Oregon gets
Jonathan House/Pamplin Media Group
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.
have proven we can. And we must build
a better America. A good place to start is
right here in Portland. Portland Interna-
tional Airport is a perfect example of the
need, the opportunity and our ability to
make progress.”
Although some in Oregon’s con-
gressional delegation talked about other
big projects that could benefi t from the
new federal money — replacement
bridges across the Columbia River con-
necting Portland and Vancouver, Wash.,
and the widening of Interstate 5 at the
Rose Quarter interchange with Inter-
state 84 — Biden made no specifi c
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 Economic
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 airports, our ports and our rails. We
haven’t done it,” he said.
“We used to have the best infrastruc-
ture in the world. We stopped investing
in ourselves. 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
going to lead the world in investing in
ourselves, in our nation and in our peo-
ple. That is the place to start.”
After his 25-minute talk, Biden ven-
Oregon will get at least $4.5 bil-
lion over fi ve years, though much of
that amount is in the form of renewed
federal aid for highways. But at least
$1.2 billion is new money for road
and bridge repairs, mass transit and
other alternatives to reduce carbon
emissions from cars, safer streets
and roads, infrastructure for electric
vehicles, and resilience from natural
disasters and climate change. Most
of this money is channeled through
the Oregon Department of Transpor-
tation, but some goes directly to local
governments.
Oregon also has the opportunity to
compete for shares of $100 billion for
projects determined by the U.S. sec-
retary of transportation, such as the
I-5 bridge and the I-5 widening men-
tioned above.
Biden, in a Jan. 14 video message,
did mention the I-5 bridge replace-
ment as one of three examples of
A9
bridges that could benefi t from the
legislation. That project is undergoing
a supplemental environmental impact
statement, which is required for proj-
ects likely to have a signifi cant eff ect
as defi ned in a 1970 law.
Oregon also will get aid for
upgrades of water and sewer lines
and expansion of broadband capacity.
Leah Horner has been named by Gov.
Kate Brown to oversee infrastructure
spending.
The law’s eff ects
Biden has given similar speeches
elsewhere, trying to marshal sup-
port for Democrats as they face a
tough midterm election Nov. 8, when
their tenuous majorities might fall to
Republicans.
Biden won’t be on the ballot,
and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden
and Reps. Suzanne Bonamici of
Beaverton and Earl Blumenauer of
Portland face little-known oppo-
nents. But Rep. Kurt Schrader of
Canby faces a tough primary chal-
lenger, and there are spirited pri-
mary contests for two open seats,
including the newly created 6th Dis-
trict, which weaves from Portland’s
southern suburbs down through the
mid-Willamette Valley. Rep. Peter
DeFazio of Springfi eld, one of the
chief architects of the infrastructure
legislation, is retiring after 36 years
in the 4th District seat.
Also speaking were Sen. Jeff Merk-
ley, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and
Gov. Brown.
Happy Anniversary
to Grant County
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Grant County’s Oldest
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160 E. Main St., John Day
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www.easternoregonrealty.net/
116 NW Bridge St. Suit 11
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MOBILE GLASS
27825 Wilderness Rd.
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Jeanette
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101 W. Main St.
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250 E. Main St.
Mount Vernon, OR 97865
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700 S Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845
541-575-1786
L
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UMBER CO
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INC.
INC.
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24
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ONTIER
FR RENTAL
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RONTIER
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MA
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to These Fine
Local Businesses
Thank You for Your Services
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cuppercreeklandcompany.com
Sharon’s
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46470 Bluebird Rd.
John Day, OR 97845
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