Yellen Goes to Georgia to Tout Over $1 Billion in Infrastructure Spending

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to the battleground state of Georgia this week to show off infrastructure investments funded by the Biden administration that she’ll say are benefiting residents of the Peach State.

(Bloomberg) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to the battleground state of Georgia this week to show off infrastructure investments funded by the Biden administration that she’ll say are benefiting residents of the Peach State.

“These investments fuel long-term economic growth, build economic resilience and increase economic opportunity,” Yellen said in the text of remarks she’s scheduled to deliver in the port city of Savannah on Friday. “They are, very simply, good economics.”

Yellen’s trip is part of a broader administration effort ahead of the 2024 election campaign aimed at convincing Americans that President Joe Biden deserves credit for a mostly-healthy US economy. Despite high inflation, which has receded somewhat, unemployment remains at historic lows.

Administration officials have expressed concern that most Americans don’t connect the healthy labor market or improvements in infrastructure to Biden’s legislative achievements.

A Rasmussen poll conducted Sept. 8-11 showed 47% of likely voters in Georgia favored former President Donald Trump over Biden 47% to 38%.

Job Creation

Yellen will point to $56 million spent in the Port of Savannah under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, $17 million to help bolster Georgia’s power grid against climate-related events and $1.3 billion to extend broadband internet access to all Georgians.

“Public investment in infrastructure spurs private investment, magnifying impacts. These investments create jobs,” Yellen said in the prepared remarks, released by the Treasury Wednesday.

The trip follows Yellen’s visits to Nevada in August and Louisiana in June.

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