Kamala Harris visits Pleasant Prairie, touts tech job creation
PLEASANT PRAIRIE, Wis. - Vice President Kamala Harris visited Wisconsin on Thursday, Aug. 3 – announcing new jobs coming to the Badger state.
Harris spoke at Sanmina, a technology plant in Pleasant Prairie, promoting the Biden administration's plans to bring high-speed internet to every home by the end of the decade. The White House compares it to FDR's plan that brought electricity to rural areas.
"America in the 21st century, high-speed internet is not a luxury, it is a basic necessity. And yet when President Biden and I took office, 800,000 people in Wisconsin and 30 million people across our country did not have access to high-speed internet," said Harris.
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Next year, the Sanmina plant will be the first in the country to make network broadband electronics. It's part of the federal program to bring internet to more people. The bipartisan infrastructure law includes requirements for parts made in America.
"The president and I required that the materials and products used in these projects – from steel to electronics to fiberoptic cable – must be made in America by workers in America," Harris said.
Sanmina runs the plant. They'll partner with Nokia to make the fiberoptic broadband technology. The companies estimate it'll create up to 200 jobs in Pleasant Prairie.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo joined the vice president's visit.
"Right now there are thousands of people in Wisconsin who don't have the internet, and that's not fair," Raimondo said.
While the vice president said they're creating jobs and bringing unemployment down, an RNC spokesperson criticized Harris – saying the Biden administration is to blame for rising prices and higher taxes.
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"Bidenomics is working. It’s working. Since we took office, we have created more than 13 million jobs," Harris said. "Today, unemployment remains near record lows. Inflation has fallen 12 months in a row. Wages are up. And small businesses are thriving.
Harris' visit came 20 days before Republicans will gather in Milwaukee for their first presidential debate. The key battleground state could decide who wins the White House in 2024.
After speaking in Kenosha County, Harris attended a private fundraiser event in Milwaukee. That event was held at the home of former Milwaukee Bucks executive and U.S. Senate candidate Alex Lasry.
The vice president was a little delayed getting to Wisconsin in the first place; Air Force Two had some mechanical issues before it left Washington.
Official statements
U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wisconsin)
"With one trip to the grocery store or gas station, we all know Bidenomics isn’t working. The VP’s visit is just a reminder for everyone that this Administration’s reckless spending has made everything Wisconsin families rely on more expensive."
WisGOP Chairman Brian Schimming:
"Kamala Harris' visit to Southeastern Wisconsin will be nothing more than a failed attempt at damage control.
"Wisconsin households know that 'Bidenomics' is more than they can afford. The sales pitch won't land for Wisconsin families who are worried about decreasing real wages, the humanitarian crisis at the border, rampant crime, and disarray overseas."
RNC Spokesperson Rachel Lee:
"Wisconsin voters aren’t buying what Kamala Harris is selling. They know that Biden and Harris are to thank for soaring prices, falling real wages, and higher taxes that are emptying their pocketbooks and crushing their savings."