Biden points to West's wildfires as further reason to rebuild U.S. infrastructure

Biden points to West’s wildfires as further reason to rebuild U.S. infrastructure

Protecting against climate change, reducing emissions to reduce global warming among aims of $3.5 trillion plan

September 13, 2021

President Joe Biden on Monday said wildfires burning through the West are another reason Congress should pass his $3.5 trillion plan to rebuild U.S. infrastructure, create jobs and protect America from the ravages of a changing climate, the Associated Press reported.

Year-round fires and other extreme weather are a reality the nation can no longer ignore, Biden said at in Boise, Idaho, while visiting the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates the government’s response to wildfires.

“The reality is we have a global warming problem, a serious global warming problem, and it’s consequential and what’s going to happen is, things are not going to go back,” Biden said, adding that dollar invested in “resilience” will save $6 down the road.

“My message to you is, when we build back, we have to build back better,” Biden said. “It’s not a Democrat thing. It’s not a Republican thing. It’s a weather thing. It’s a reality. It’s serious and we can do this.”