President Joe Biden traveled to Licking County, Ohio, on Friday to celebrate the opening of Intel’s new semiconductor manufacturing plant.
The president was just one of several speakers who used the ceremony to declare that the “Rust Belt” states are becoming the “Silicon Heartland,” thanks in large part to Biden’s recently passed $50 billion semiconductor manufacturing investment.
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“In August, we’re back at the White House, and I was signing the CHIPS and Science Act, one of the most significant science and technology investments in our history, and now, it’s September … and we’re here breaking ground,” Biden stated. “It’s time to bury the label ‘Rust Belt’ and call this, as Pat said, the ‘Silicon Heartland.’ That’s what’s happening on these 1,000 acres.”
Biden repeatedly touted the bipartisan nature of the package and specifically named retiring Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) for working to advance the bill through Congress, despite some opposition from Republican senators.
“I want to thank Rob Portman, a gentleman and decent man, for showing that Democrats and Republicans can work together to get things done for our country,” the president added before tacking on praise for Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH), the Democratic nominee to fill Portman’s seat.
Democrats view Ryan’s race as critical to holding on to a Senate majority in November, and the longtime congressman has distanced himself from Biden in recent days, going so far as signaling to reporters Friday that he wasn’t sure Biden should mount a reelection effort in 2024.
Biden’s remarks Friday notably avoided his heavy criticism of “MAGA Republicans,” whom he and top administration officials have deemed threats to democracy over the past several weeks. Instead, he focused on manufacturing jobs Intel’s new project and others like it will bring back to the Midwest.
“This is a game changer. This is about our economic security. It’s about our national security. It’s about good-paying union jobs that you can raise a family with and still have a little bit of breathing room. Jobs now. Jobs for the future,” the president closed. “There is nothing — I mean this from the bottom of my heart — nothing, not a single thing beyond our capacity as a nation if we do it together as the United States of America.”
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You can listen to Biden’s remarks in full below.
