{"id":171315,"date":"2023-12-21T09:45:05","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T17:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=171315"},"modified":"2023-12-21T09:45:05","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T17:45:05","slug":"president-biden-at-the-wisconsin-black-chamber-of-commerce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=171315","title":{"rendered":"President Biden at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Milwaukee, WI&#8230;Hello, hello, Milwaukee!  (Applause.)  It\u2019s great to be back.  You know, the press has heard me say this \u2014 the ones that follow me \u2014 that my dad had an expression \u2014 If you have a seat, take one.  If you don\u2019t, I understand.  Come up with me.  (Laughter.)  Sit on the stage with me.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Fullscreen-capture-12212023-94318-AM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"585\" height=\"330\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-171316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Fullscreen-capture-12212023-94318-AM.jpg 585w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Fullscreen-capture-12212023-94318-AM-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Fullscreen-capture-12212023-94318-AM-123x70.jpg 123w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Fullscreen-capture-12212023-94318-AM-570x322.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 585px) 100vw, 585px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/onhP5OiWJyk\" title=\"President Biden Delivers Remarks at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>My dad used to have an expression.  He\u2019d say, \u201cJoey, a job\u2026\u201d \u2014 I mean this sincerely \u2014 \u201c\u2026 is about a lot more than a paycheck.  It\u2019s about your dignity.  It\u2019s about respect.  It\u2019s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, \u2018Honey, it\u2019s going to be okay.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what we\u2019re all about.  That\u2019s what we all want to do. <\/p>\n<p>And, Rashawn, thank you for that introduction.  And thank you for doing what my dad always worried about: whether we\u2019d be able to have those jobs with a little bit of dignity.<\/p>\n<p>And I want to thank my colleague, Governor Evers.  You \u2014 where are you, Gov?  One of the best governors in the country.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s sitting next to Con- \u2014 he\u2019s sitting next to Congresswoman Moore.  Stand up, Congresswoman.  (Applause.)  As she can tell you: Whatever she tells me, I do.  (Laughter.)  It\u2019s great to see you, kiddo.<\/p>\n<p>And also, I want to \u2014 Mayor Johnson, thanks for the passport into the city.  I appreciate it very much.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And County Executive Crowley is here.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And I want to thank Senator \u2014 a good friend of mine \u2014 Tammy Baldwin, who couldn\u2019t be here today.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And I want to thank everyone here at Milwaukee\u2019s Black Chamber of Commerce for your partnership across the board on everything we\u2019ve been working on.  I come from a state that has the eighth-largest Black population in the country, and as they say \u2014 the saying goes where I come \u2014 \u201cYou brung me to the dance\u201d early on.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re proof that Black small businesses with the talent, integrity, and ingenuity are the engines and the glue that hold communities together.  And I mean that sincerely, you hold communities together.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re the ones that sponsor the Little League teams.  You\u2019re the one that spon- \u2014 involved in the church events.  You\u2019re the ones that hold the community together, and you keep it going.  You keep it moving.<\/p>\n<p>And every new business opening is a \u2014 is a vote for hope \u2014 just hope.  Hope.  You know, you\u2019re making the American economy stronger and our nation more competitive.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m here today to talk about something that doesn\u2019t get enough attention.  I\u2019m here to celebrate the progress we\u2019re making to support Black small businesses here and around the country.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Because when Black small businesses grow, everything benefits.  The community benefits.  Everyone benefits.  Not a joke.  And it gives hope and prospects for people.<\/p>\n<p>Since Kamala and I entered office, America has filed a record number of \u2014 in less than 3 years, 15 million new job app- \u2014 new applications to start new businesses \u2014 15 million.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s led to the fastest growth in Black business ownership in over 30 years.  Across the country, wages for workers are up.  Black wealth is a record \u2014 up a record 60 percent since the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>So many of you \u2014 (applause) \u2014 look, by the way, we just \u2014 I mean this sincere- \u2014 from the bottom of my heart, we\u2019re just getting started.  We\u2019re just getting st- \u2014<\/p>\n<p>So many of you had the vision and took the risk to open businesses, and you bet on yourself.  Together, we\u2019re transforming the economy by investing in all of America and all Americans.<\/p>\n<p>When \u2014 I said when I ran, if I was elected, I\u2019d represent everyone: blue, red, no matter what color the state was.  Wherever it was, we\u2019d recommend. <\/p>\n<p>Because think \u2014 think about it.  Think of all the businesses that you know about throughout the Midwest and back my way as well that closed down because you had corporations deciding they\u2019d get cheaper labor across the sea; they could move somewhere else.  So, they sent the jobs overseas and brought the product back home. <\/p>\n<p>And we changed that su- \u2014 supply chain.  We\u2019re sending \u2014 we\u2019re having the jobs here and sending product overseas.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And from the time I got involved in public life \u2014 I\u2019ve only been around a few years.  (Laughter.)  Oh, bless me, Father.  Anyway.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re doing it by building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.  Not a whole lot trickled down on my dad\u2019s kitchen table with a top-down economy.<\/p>\n<p>But when you muild from the biddle [build from the middle], when you increase the middle class, the poor have a shot and the wealthy still do very well, the middle class does well, and we all do well.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what we call Bidenomics.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>This \u2014 and, by the way, so far, we\u2019ve created 14 million new jobs, more jobs in three years than any president has created in four years in history.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>This is a fundamental break from trickle-down economics, economics that supercharged my \u2014 my \u2014 well, was supercharged by my predecessor \u2014 the guy who thinks we\u2019re polluting the blood of America these days. <\/p>\n<p>He cut taxes for the wealthy and big corporations, shipped good-paying jobs overseas, shrank public investment in infrastructure and education. <\/p>\n<p>We used to have the number one infrastructure in the world.  Now we\u2019re number 16 or 17.  We\u2019re changing that.  We hollowed out communities, leaving too many Americans behind.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a cycle folks on 30th Street Corridor here in Milwaukee know well.  It\u2019s an area where it says \u2014 it became the backbone of Milwaukee\u2019s industrial ri- \u2014 might.<\/p>\n<p>Ten thousand Black people migrated \u2014 tens of thousands migrated from the South to the middle of the country, to Milwaukee, for good-paying manufacturing jobs.  Then decades of discrimination and trickle-down economics left communities like this one behind.<\/p>\n<p>But today, we\u2019re making sure Milwaukee is coming back \u2014 and all of Milwaukee coming back.  (Applause.)  Mark my word.<\/p>\n<p>In Milwaukee, business applications are up 70 percent compared to before the pandemic.  The share of Black people employed in Milwaukee in 2022 was the highest in more than a decade.<\/p>\n<p>But the investments aren\u2019t just about jobs.  The investments we\u2019re making offer opportunity, hope to communities to fully participate in the economy.<\/p>\n<p>I vowed that we would invest in all of America, and that\u2019s what we\u2019re doing.  We\u2019re leaving no one behind.  No one need be left behind.<\/p>\n<p>Let me give you a clear example.  We all know, as my introducer told me \u2014 told you guys, we all know exposure to lead water pipes is hazardous to our health, especially to children\u2019s health.  It can damage their brains and kidneys.  For real.<\/p>\n<p>Lead exposure disproportionately affects low-income communities and disproportionately affects people of color.<\/p>\n<p>This is the United States of America, for God\u2019s sake.  Everyone should be able to turn on a faucet and know whatever they\u2019re drinking was clean and pure and not have to worry about it.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Through the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, my administration is investing $15 billion \u2014 (applause) \u2014 to replace every lead pipe in every community in this country.  And our goal \u2014 our goal was to do that.  And I want to thank Kamala \u2014 I want to thank Kamala for leading this effort. <\/p>\n<p>But, you know, your United States senator, Ron Johnson, voted against this law.<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE:  Booo \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I tell you what: With your help, the great governor and congresswoman in this state, they already received $130 million to do this work so far.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Before I came to Milwaukee [office], Milwaukee was slated to take over 60 years to replace the lead pipes.  But last month, we proposed a new rule that\u2019s going to require the water systems in Milwaukee to re- \u2014 fully replace with \u2014 every one of them within 10 years \u2014 (applause) \u2014 10 years instead of 60.<\/p>\n<p>Think of the lives saved.  Think of the jobs and opportunity if you\u2019re small-business owners like Rashawn, replacing lead pipes in homes and daycare centers, in schools.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re just getting started.  And so, we are today announcing Milwaukee will be one of 22 communities in the country competing for tens of millions of dollars in federal grants to grow small businesses, create good-paying jobs, and build factories of the future.<\/p>\n<p>It matters.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m also increasing the share of federal contract dollars going to small, disadvantaged businesses from what was roughly 10 percent when I came to office to 25 per- \u2014 to 15 percent.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>Here \u2014 here\u2019s how it works.  Back in the \u201830s, it wasn\u2019t just that Roosevelt talked about unions being supported.  They also had a rule in the past that very few presidents, including Democrats, paid much attention to: that every dollar a president gets to spend \u2014 for example, the Appropriation Committee and the Congress passes redoing decks of aircraft carriers \u2014 the president gets to pick who does that job \u2014 who does that job, all those federal programs.<\/p>\n<p>Well, guess what?  The vast majority \u2014 and it\u2019s supposed to be all American \u2014 it\u2019s supposed to be all American products.  And guess what?  Hardly anybody paid attention.  But I\u2019m paying attention.  (Applause.)  It\u2019s got \u2014 we\u2019re investing in America and American workers. <\/p>\n<p>In 2022 alone, we awarded nearly $70 billion to small, disadvantaged businesses because of that law.<\/p>\n<p>Through the American Rescue Plan \u2014 another law that your distinguished senator voted against \u2014 we invested nearly $80 million in Wisconsin for the State Small Business Cr- \u2014 Credit Initiative, helping countless small businesses grow.<\/p>\n<p>Through the Small Business Administration, we\u2019ve delivered $50 billion in capital this past year to small businesses across the country, doubling the number and the value of [loans to] Black-owned businesses since 2020.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>I know that\u2019s a lot, and I\u2019m talking to the Black Chamber of Commerce for \u2014 thanking them for helping small-business owners learn how to benefit from these transformative investments.<\/p>\n<p>I used to have a friend named Pete McLaughlin who was a great ball player at Providence College.  And he used to say, \u201cYou got to know how to know.\u201d  \u201cYou got to know how to know.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s why I want to thank the chamber here for teaching people how to know what\u2019s available to them. <\/p>\n<p>All this groundbreaking work is producing groundbreaking results: record job creation, historic economic growth.  We have among the lowest inflation rates of any major economy in the \u2014 on this Earth. <\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re fighting to lower costs to give folks just a little bit more breathing room, as my dad used to say.<\/p>\n<p>But let\u2019s be clear, Republicans are against so many critical actions that help working- and middle-class people, especially Black Americans.<\/p>\n<p>Just remember how the pandemic hit Black businesses especially hard.  How my predecessor \u2014 on his watch, women- and minority-owned small businesses found themselves last in line to access emergency relief through programs like the Paycheck Protection Program.<\/p>\n<p>On my watch, energy and emergency relief went to minority-owned businesses first, not last.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>We also, when I came to office, we cut Black child poverty in half because of the Child Tax Credit.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>As I tried to extend it, every single Republican Congress \u2014 in Congress voted against continuing the program, but I\u2019m not giving up until we get it back.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, all the data shows it saves the economy money.  The spending on child poverty saves money in healthcare, educ- \u2014 a whole range of things.  This is not a \u2014 down the drain.  It generates growth. <\/p>\n<p>We drafted and I signed into law that \u2014 a law that will lower prescription drug costs significantly for all Americans.<\/p>\n<p>You know, I was at a town meeting in Northern Virginia, and I was holding a meeting \u2014 this is two years ago; I\u2019ve been fighting Big Pharma for a long time.  You know, if you buy \u2014 if you go to whoever your \u2014 your \u2014 your provider of \u2014 any drug you have to take \u2014 any prescription drug and you decide you\u2019re going to buy it here in Milwaukee or you\u2019re going to go buy it in Toronto, Canada, or Paris, France, or Budapest, guess what?  You\u2019re going to pay two to three times as much for the prescription \u2014 same company, same American manufacturer, same thing \u2014 because Medicare pays for it for mo- \u2014 in most cases. <\/p>\n<p>And guess what?  We\u2019re not a \u2014 we\u2019re just \u2014 if you\u2019re at the VA and you get the prescription drug, they negotiate the price with the \u2014 with the pharmaceutical company. <\/p>\n<p>Well, they passed laws that earlier (inaudible) \u2014 I\u2019ve been fighting it for over 35 years \u2014 to say, you can\u2019t negotiate \u2014 Medicare can\u2019t negotiate their drug prices for \u2014 for \u2014 and, by the way, that\u2019s how they make an \u2014 enormous amounts of money.<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, that\u2019s how they make enormous amounts of money.  And, by the way, every one of my Republican colleagues voted against this one.  And now they\u2019re trying to cut Medicare, trying to cut Medicaid and Social Security.<\/p>\n<p>Your own Senator Johnson called Social Security a, quote, \u201cPonzi scheme.\u201d  Are you kidding me? <\/p>\n<p>You know, from the time you get your first paycheck, you pay into Social Security, your whole life. <\/p>\n<p>These are the same Republicans who enacted tax cuts that overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy to the tune of $2 trillion additional deficit. <\/p>\n<p>There are also something else that\u2019s happening.  There are some in this country who are waging a full-on attack on Black economic opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>They\u2019re denying economic opportunity when it comes to higher education, starting a business, keeping businesses open.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s what th- \u2014 that\u2019s how you generate economic opportunity.  You educate people.<\/p>\n<p>And, folks, by the way, I \u2014 I went to the Supreme Court my \u2014 to eliminate student debt that was out there.  And guess what?  (Applause.)  The Supreme Court ruled against it.  But I still got 136 [3.6] million people\u2019s debt relieved.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Because guess what?  The interest they\u2019re paying on that debt is something that prevents them from buying a home, starting a busi- \u2014 all those things.<\/p>\n<p>You know, that\u2019s on top of easing [sic] Black history and banning books \u2014 erasing Black history and banning books.<\/p>\n<p>Did you ever think you\u2019d live in a country \u2014 no, all kidding aside \u2014 growing up where we\u2019re banning books?  Book banning in grade schools and high schools?  I think it\u2019s unconscionable. <\/p>\n<p>These attacks hurt all Americans because investing in Black economic prosperity lifts everybody up. <\/p>\n<p>You know, we always believed diversity is our strength as a nation. <\/p>\n<p>Well, I don\u2019t believe, as the President \u2014 former President said again yesterday, that immigrants are polluting \u2014 polluting our blood.<\/p>\n<p>The economy and our nation are stronger when we\u2019re tapped into the full \u2014 full range of talents in this nation.<\/p>\n<p>My administration is going to continue to fight for these \u2014 fight these attacks because everyone deserves a fair shot.  Just a shot.<\/p>\n<p>Let me close with this.  You know, for all we\u2019ve done, the real heroes of this story are you, the American people.  Not a joke.  Not a joke. <\/p>\n<p>Hardworking people like Rashawn of Hero Plumbing here in Milwaukee. <\/p>\n<p>In the thousands of towns all across America, we see thousands of stories of revival and renewal, hope and optimism because people aren\u2019t giving up.<\/p>\n<p>Pride in your work, in your family, in your town.  Pride in this nation.  That\u2019s what I see, no matter where I go in this country. <\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why \u2014 I mean this from the bottom of my heart \u2014 I\u2019ve never been more optimistic about America\u2019s prospects and America\u2019s future than I am today.<\/p>\n<p>We just have to remember who we are.  We are the United States of America.  (Applause.)  And there is nothing \u2014 there is nothing beyond our capacity if we work together \u2014 if we work together.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s \u2014 and, by the way, as I said, we\u2019re the only country in the world that out of every crisis, we\u2019ve come out stronger than we went in.<\/p>\n<p>Remember.  Remember who we are.<\/p>\n<p>God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.  Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Milwaukee, WI&#8230;Hello, hello, Milwaukee! (Applause.) It\u2019s great to be back. You know, the press has heard me say this \u2014 the ones that follow me \u2014 that my dad had an expression \u2014 If you have a seat, take one. If you don\u2019t, I understand. Come up with me. (Laughter.) Sit on the stage with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":171316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-171315","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Fullscreen-capture-12212023-94318-AM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171315","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=171315"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":171317,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171315\/revisions\/171317"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/171316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=171315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=171315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=171315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}