For decades, the U.S. exported jobs and imported products, while other countries surpassed us in critical sectors like infrastructure, clean energy, semiconductors, and biotechnology. Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda – including historic legislation signed into law by President Biden such as the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act – that is changing. Since the President took office in 2021, companies have committed over $4 billion in private sector investments across Wisconsin. These investments are creating good-paying jobs, including union jobs and jobs that don’t require a four-year degree in industries that will boost U.S. competitiveness, rebuild infrastructure, strengthen supply chains, and help build a clean energy economy.

Unleashing a Private Investment Boom in Wisconsin:

Thanks to the President’s Investing in America agenda, Wisconsin’s economy is now a more attractive place for companies around the world to invest and expand, helping drive U.S. competitiveness and build a clean energy economy. Just in Wisconsin:

• Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals has invested $220 million in its first fully-dedicated drug manufacturing facility, outside of Madison, that will employ 250 new workers.
• Georgia-Pacific has committed to a $500 million major expansion of its Green Bay paper-related production facility, bringing on 100 new employees and hiring over 500 construction workers.
• WEC Energy Group announced its $426 million plan for the state’s first large-scale solar and battery storage project outside of Milwaukee.

Rebuilding Wisconsin’s Infrastructure:

Thanks to President Biden’s economic plan, about $2.8 billion in federal funding has already been announced for 182 infrastructure projects across Wisconsin. That includes $2.4 billion in federal investments to fund transportation projects – roads, bridges, and roadway safety – and over $176 million for better access to clean water. For example:

• Columbia County will receive $80 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to replace the existing I- 39/90/94 Wisconsin River Bridge with two new bridge spans that serve traffic flowing in opposite directions.
• This $13.5 million DOT grant will help fund the replacement of an existing two-lane structure over Springbrook Creek in northeastern Wisconsin with a new four-lane bridge that includes both bicycle and pedestrian accommodations.

As of March 2023

• A $9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will construct a 5-mile walking and biking path along US Highway 8 to link the City of Crandon, the Forest County Potawatomi Community Stone Lake Reservation, and the Otter Springs Recreation Area.
• The General Mitchell International Airport has been awarded $5.1 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation. This project will finance construction activity to remove existing roof material and install a new roof, making the buildings more weather-resilient and energy efficient.

Getting Wisconsin Back to Work and Supporting Wisconsin’s Small Businesses:

At the start of 2021, the Wisconsin unemployment rate was 4.6% and many small businesses had closed. Today, Wisconsin’s unemployment rate has dropped to 2.7% with 140,000 jobs created since the President took office. Meanwhile, the number of new Wisconsin business filings have hit new records, with 129,000 new business applications filed over 2021 and 2022. Emergency relief from the Biden-Harris Administration during the pandemic helped to keep open 2,095 restaurants and bars and 7,785 child care programs across Wisconsin, and is providing up to $79 million in funding to make new loans and investments in its small businesses through the State Small Business Credit Initiative. Wisconsin is also using American Rescue Plan funds for a $128 million comprehensive worker development program – funding 27 innovative projects, many at community college and technical universities, to connect workers to good jobs.

Creating Clean-Energy Jobs and Combatting the Climate Crisis:

President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is delivering a clean, secure, and healthy future for Wisconsin families by:

• Expanding electric vehicle opportunities, with millions of people in Wisconsin eligible for discounts on new or used EVs through the Inflation Reduction Act, which will be supported by networks of EV chargers across the state funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
• Protecting Wisconsin against extreme weather, with historic investments for more resilient homes, businesses, and communities. In the last decade, Wisconsin has experienced 24 major extreme weather events, costing the state up to $8 billion in damages and often disproportionately affecting historically underserved communities.
• Supporting rural communities, by investing in climate-smart agriculture practices to help Wisconsin’s 64,100 farmers lead on climate solutions, and helping electric cooperatives that deliver cleaner and cheaper power to about 270,000 Wisconsin homes and businesses.

Lowering Costs for Wisconsin Families:

Thanks to legislation in President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, Wisconsin residents are saving money on their health care premiums and prescription drugs, high-speed internet, and home energy costs. In fact:

• Over 1,123,000 Wisconsin residents with Medicare will benefit from the $2,000 yearly cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, a $35 monthly cap per insulin prescription, and free vaccines.
• 221,000 individuals in Wisconsin signed up for health insurance through the ACA Marketplaces during the Open Enrollment Period for 2023 and will benefit from up to thousands of dollars per year in savings from lower health care premiums.
• The average new homeowner in Wisconsin will save $651 annually — or 21.6% on their utility bills — if state and local governments use new grants to adopt the latest building energy codes.
• Wisconsin residents will be eligible to get 30% off solar panels, battery storage systems, heating and cooling upgrades, and weatherization, which can help them save hundreds of dollars every year on their energy bills. An estimated 90,000 additional Wisconsin households will install rooftop solar panels as a result of these new tax credits.
• Over 322,000 Wisconsin households are able to access affordable high-speed internet through the Affordable Connectivity Program investments made as part of the President’s Investing in America agenda.

Extreme MAGA Republicans in Congress have proposed legislation to ship manufacturing jobs overseas, as well as increase health care costs, energy costs, and prescription drug prices for working families. President Biden and Congressional Democrats believe we need to finish the job, and continue to build the economy from the bottom up and middle out, not top down.