President Biden WI visit on Sept. 5; will tout investing in America
US President Joe Biden walks to get into a vehicle upon arrival in Gordons Pond in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on August 25, 2024. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE - President Biden travels to Wisconsin on Thursday, Sept. 5. The White House says the visit will highlight how "Biden's Investing in America agenda is benefiting communities across Wisconsin."
Biden will travel to Westby, which is southeast of La Crosse. FOX6 News plans to stream the event – which is set to begin around 3 p.m.
The president has not been in Wisconsin since July 21 when he announced he was dropping out of the presidential race.
Battleground Wisconsin
Biden's visit comes a recent flurry of campaign visits by both Democrats and Republicans.
On the Republican side, vice presidential nominee JD Vance is scheduled to visit De Pere on Wednesday evening, Aug. 28. Former President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit La Crosse on Thursday, Aug. 29.
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Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is planning to visit Milwaukee on Monday, Sept. 2 – for a Labor Day event.
FOX6 News plans to track all of these events as they happen – and provide you with detailed coverage of the campaign rallies.
Survey of electorate
In 2020, AP VoteCast, a survey of the electorate, found that nearly half of Wisconsin voters hailed from small towns and rural areas. Of that subset, nearly 6 in 10 backed Trump. But Democrats could improve their odds of winning the state this year if they can reduce the gap.
Biden plans to stress the policies that were part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
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The law had little immediate impact on the inflation that hurt Biden's popularity, but it was designed to save Medicare recipients money on insulin and allow the government to negotiate on prescription drug prices. It also included incentives for a shift to renewable energy and funding for the IRS to ensure it can collect more of what affluent and wealthier taxpayers owe.
Reaction
WisGOP Chairman Brian Schimming
"Joe Biden’s return to Wisconsin is the comeback tour that no one wanted. For four years, the Biden-Harris Administration delivered nothing but runaway inflation and mayhem at the southern border. To make matters worse, Kamala Harris and White House officials deliberately misled the public about Biden’s rapid decline and inability to serve. This visit is not a celebration, but a somber reminder that a vote for Harris and Tim Walz this November is a vote for another four years of Joe Biden."
Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler
"Two years ago, President Biden and Vice President Harris passed the Inflation Reduction Act to build a better future for all Americans—and today’s announcement of a $7.3 billion investment in rural clean energy reflects that commitment to investing in America. After four years of Trump’s failed trickle-down policies that drove costs up for working Wisconsinites, today families across Wisconsin are reaping the benefits of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ fight to bring down costs and invest in our state. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to the work of bringing costs down rather than let big corporations price gouge, create jobs rather than ship them overseas, and invest in American manufacturing rather than cede the race to build the technologies of the future. Wisconsin Democrats are proud to welcome President Biden back to Wisconsin today to highlight how his Investing in America Agenda is delivering for working families."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.