Remarks by President Biden on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
SEPTEMBER 12, 2022
Location: Boston, Massachusetts

12:22 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Boston!  (Applause.)  Hello, hello, hello!  Gov, is it okay if they sit down?  Please, have a — take a seat if you have one.  I once said that when there were no chairs out there, “Take a seat.”  And they said, “There goes Biden again.”

Anyway, thank you.  Jenaya, thank you for that introduction. 

And I know Marty has a heavy load to carry, but he’s doing a hell of a job for me.  Good to see you, Marty, there.  Look, he’s making sure projects like the one here — that we’re here to talk about are done with not “labor” — union labor.  Union labor.  (Applause.)

We’ve got the building trades here with us today: the Laborers, Pipefitters, Ironworkers, Electricians, steel metal [Sheetmetal] Workers, Painters, Operating Engineers, Sprinkler Fitters.  And we also have got Service Workers, Hospitality Workers, Machinists, Mechanics.  This is — this is going to — this project won’t get done without you.  And when it gets done, it’ll get done the best.  (Applause.)

You know, Gov, when I spoke to the National Chamber of Commerce and with the business roundtable, I said, “I’m a union guy.”  And I made it clear why.  It makes sense.  The single-best-trained workers and trades in the world are American union workers.  That’s the God’s truth. 

And what people don’t realize — and I keep saying it and saying it over and over again, Senator, is that, you know, they have to — they don’t just show up and decide to be an electrician.  They get four or five years of training.  Four or five years of training, like going to college; it’s like going back to school.  They get some pay during that period, but they got to do it. 

And so, the reason why I’m always pushing labor and let — unions — union labor — is because, ultimately, it’s the cheapest investment you make because it’s the longest duration of whatever is done and is being done well. 

And — and besides, you know, everyone — my dad used to have an expression, “Everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity.”  Everybody.  And I want to tell you, unions demand they be treated with dignity, and I demand you do that too.  So thank you.  (Applause.)

Mayor Wu, thank you for the passport into this city.  I don’t know where you’re sitting.  I know I just had my picture taken with you.  But, Mayor — back there; there you go, Mayor.  Thank you very much.  I appreciate it.  (Applause.)  You’re a great champion for the working people of Boston.  (Applause.)

And, Governor Baker, thank you for your partnership over the years. 

I said to the Gov — I hope it doesn’t hurt your reputation, Gov — but, you know, what — when I got started, we all used to be like you and I: actually get along, cared for each other, treat each other decently.  We may disagree, but just straight up, we got to return to that kind of politics.  We got to return that kind.  (Applause.)

And I tell you what — what a congressional delegation.  Holy God.  (Laughter.)  I can’t do anything without checking in on the delegation.  You know what I mean?  It’s the most powerful and most talented delegation, I think, in the country: Senator Elizabeth Warren and Eddie Markey; you know, Representatives Clark, Lynch, Keating, Moulton, Pressley.  You know, and — and, Lori, I think you may be the best of all, based on the kids.  (Laughter.) 

But at any rate, I just think that — and — and — and, Jake, you know, Auchincloss, is — you’ve done a good job.  And the problem is you’re too young.  (Laughter.) 

I remember Teddy came down to help me the very last event we had when I was running for the United States Senate.  True story.  And he came down to Delaware, and we had this great big thing in a — an old center they were about to tear down, but it was — it was the largest group we had.  It was two days before the election.  There were, I don’t know, six, seven thousand people assembled at St. Anthony’s.  And he stood up and he said, “I like Joe Biden a lot.  I like him a lot.  He’ll be a good — he’ll be very good in the United States Senate.  The problem is I think he’s a little too young.”  I was 29 at the time.  And the Wall Street Journal ran straight story: “Kennedy says Biden too young to be in the Senate.”  (Laughs.)

Any rate, but Teddy was a great friend.

Along with Jim McGovern and Richie Neal, who you made possible today with your support of the Infrastructure — we wouldn’t be here without you guys.  We wouldn’t.  And many more, but wouldn’t have gotten this done.

And I want to thank you to the Massachusetts Port Authority.  Lisa, thank you very much for welcoming me to the Logan Airport today.  (Applause.)

And I’m here to talk about the historic investment we’re going to make at Logan and in airports all across the country. 

For too long, we’ve talked about having the best economy in the world.  We’ve talked about asserting American leadership around the world with the best and the safest roads, railroads, ports, airports.  But now — now we’re finally doing something about it.  We’re finally getting it done.

We’re turning “Infrastructure Week” in — from a punchline that my — that was my predecessor, into an “Infrastructure Decade” on our watch.

Last year, I signed into law a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s roads, highways, bridges, railroads, ports, airports, water systems, high-speed Internet, et cetera. 

It’s called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and it’s the most significant — this is a fact — the most significant investment since President Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System.  The most significant investment.  (Applause.)  And your members of Congress got it done.

And Mitch Landrieu, from Louisiana, from New Orleans — he — former mayor — I put him in charge of making sure this investments from this transformative law get to the right places quickly and that they have the right impact.  Mitch, as the Mayor of New Orleans, following in the footsteps of his dad, Moon Landrieu — a great man who just recently passed away.

Mitch understands how important this kind of investment is for our cities and our towns across America because he’s done it.  And — and it matters here at Logan Airport.

In 2019, 42 million people flew through this airport.  Before the pandemic, it was the 16th largest [busiest] airport in the United States.  And it’s more than an airport, it’s an economic engine.

In 2019, $17 billion worth of exports and imports flowed through here.  The airport supports 162,000 jobs across the region and hundreds of small businesses, not to mention the 18,000 people who work right here at Logan.

It was first built 100 years ago.  It’s critical to our economy and to your economy.  But it needs a significant upgrade to accommodate the passengers flying in and out from all over the world and to support — and the support of international trade.

Three hundred thousand metric tons of cargo move through this airport annually, most of it shipped internationally.  This airport also is part of a system that moves goods and services for key industries in the area, like medical supplies, technology products, and seafood.  And, folks, it really matters.  And that gets me — it gets us to the terminal we’re standing in today.

Terminal E, here at Logan, first opened in 1974.  It’s the terminal serving international flights.

When it opened in 1974, there were 1.4 million international passengers a year passing through the gates.  Today, 50 years later, there’s over 5.6 million passengers moving through, four times as many the number that came through initially. 

It means crowded gates, longer taxi times, airplanes full of passengers just waiting, all of which is causing congestion and flight delays.

For travelers passing through, it means missed connections, lost baggage, long lines.  For businesses, it can mean delayed orders, spoiled products, and very unhappy customers.

The traffic jam of planes taxiing on the runway caused unnecessary air pollution in neighboring communities in East Boston.

It’s frustrating.  It’s inconvenient.  And it’s bad for the environment.  And there’s simply no reason for it.  This is the United States of America, for God’s sake.  This is who we are?  This is not — this is not what we should be doing.  But we’re finally going to do something about it.

The Governor and the legislature have moved to try to do as much as they can, but through the Infrastructure Law, we’re investing $62 million here at Logan.  It’s the largest grant for airport terminals in the country thus far and one of the largest federal investments in airports [the airport] ever.  Ever.  (Applause.)

This project is going to create 5,900 jobs — union jobs — where people make a decent salary.  (Applause.)  It’ll go to expanding capacity by adding more gates, baggage claims, ticket counters.

It’s going to increase accessibility by adding ramps, rails, elevators, wheel-chair accessible shuttles and buses.  A new HVA[C] system and electric-powered gates are going to make it more energy efficient.  Less idling time for planes will mean fewer emissions.

We’re creating a modern terminal worthy of America’s city on the hill.

Folks, because — (applause) — because of the significant decline in revenues and travelers due to the pandemic, this project was going to be scaled back.  But thanks to the Infrastructure Law that your members of the House and Senate really got done — they were the engine behind it — we’re full steam ahead.  We’ve already have — we — well, we’ll have a first-class airport here in very short order.

Folks, America invented modern aviation, but we’ve allowed our airports to lag behind our competitors.  Today — today, not a single, solitary American airport — not one — ranks in the top 25 in the world.  The United States of America, not one airport ranks in the top 25 in the world.  What in the hell is the matter with us? 

It means commerce.  It means income.  It means security.  And we don’t even rank in the top 25.  Not one single airport.

I remember when I was Vice President, I was flying into New York on Air Force Two.  We landed at LaGuardia.  And as I got into the terminal, there was an escalator — this is the God’s truth — going up to the gates.  And it said, quote, “Out of order.  Will be fixed in two months.”  LaGuardia.  “Out of order.  Will be fixed in two months.”  With all the international passengers flying through LaGuardia taking a look.