Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday visited Wisconsin to tout the passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The legislation will send millions to state and local governments to repair and upgrade key pieces of infrastructure.
Buttigieg visited the International Union of Operating Engineers’ Wisconsin Operating Engineers Training Center and met with students about future careers.
“We’re in Coloma, WI today, visiting the Wisconsin Operating Engineers Training Center and meeting some of the hundreds of high schoolers here for their annual externship day to learn about careers in the construction trades,” a tweet from Buttigieg said.
We're in Coloma, WI today, visiting the Wisconsin Operating Engineers Training Center and meeting some of the hundreds of high schoolers here for their annual externship day to learn about careers in the construction trades. pic.twitter.com/jijLwCyOmA
— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) April 19, 2022
The visit is a portion of the Biden administration’s efforts to highlight the legislation to the American public, hoping to gain support. Earlier this year, Vice President Kamala Harris stopped in Milwaukee to promote the bill.
However, despite its efforts, the administration’s job approval remains underwater, according to the latest poll in the state. A survey, conducted by Marquette Law School in late March, showed only 44 percent approve of Biden’s job as president.
Potentially connected to Biden’s low numbers, residents across the country have been hit hard by inflation. According to one report from Bloomberg, Americans will pay an extra $5,200 strictly because of the rise in the prices of consumer goods.
Based on data from the American Automobile Association, the average price of gas in the state is $3.83 per gallon, compared to only $2.72 a year ago.
According to the Republican National Committee, voters will not be distracted by Buttigieg’s visit:
“Tired of watching Biden administration officials use their state as a backdrop to rehabilitate their dismal approval ratings, Wisconsinites will ignore Pete Buttigieg’s attempts to distract voters from the broken supply chain, skyrocketing inflation, and Biden’s Gas Hike,” said RNC spokeswoman Rachel Reisner in an emailed statement.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Wisconsin Daily Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Pete Buttigieg” by Pete Buttigieg.
