By Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President plans to showcase $5 billion in new investments benefiting rural Americans during his visit to a family farm in Minnesota on Wednesday. This visit marks the first stop in the White House’s two-week “barnstorming” tour.
Thirteen high-ranking administration officials will travel to rural areas in 15 states, including pivotal election battlegrounds like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona. The goal is to highlight the significant investments being made in rural communities, where one in five Americans reside.
The event in Minnesota will feature prominent Democratic officials from the state, showing their support for President Biden. This comes shortly after Minnesota lawmaker launched a primary challenge against the sitting president, according to sources familiar with the plans.
Following the farm visit, Biden is also expected to participate in a fundraising event in Minneapolis, according to a campaign official. The official highlights the improved margins that Democrats achieved in rural areas in 2022 compared to 2020, successfully winning over former supporters of former President .
“We consider these newly Democratic voters from 2022 as key targets for persuasion in 2024, and we don’t want to take any vote, whether rural, suburban, or urban, for granted,” adds the campaign official.
Karine Jean-Pierre, a White House spokesperson, did not directly connect the president’s visit to Phillips’ primary challenge but expressed gratitude to Phillips for supporting Biden’s agenda in Congress. “Minnesota is an important state that the president wanted to visit,” she said. Biden aims to engage directly with rural Americans, who comprise approximately 20% of the U.S. population, to discuss how his legislation is generating jobs and making essential investments in their communities.
In the 2020 election, Biden secured a victory in Minnesota, winning 52.4% of the vote against Donald Trump’s 45.3% and capturing the state’s 10 electoral college votes.
However, President Biden’s visit to Minnesota coincides with mounting criticism from Muslim and Arab Americans regarding his support for Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.
Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) for Minnesota, announced that Arab and Muslim American leaders and their allies plan to protest Biden’s Israel policy. Protests are scheduled at the Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, the farm he is visiting, and downtown Minneapolis.
The White House has not yet commented on the planned demonstrations.
“President Biden believes that investing in America means investing in all of America and ensuring that no one is left behind,” emphasized Neera Tanden, Head of the White House Domestic Policy Council, during a press briefing. “This includes young people in rural communities who should have access to opportunities without leaving their hometowns.”
Reuters previously reported in September that the White House and Biden’s campaign were implementing an aggressive outreach strategy to rural voters. In swing states like North Carolina, Georgia, and Wisconsin, rural voters make up 30% of the electorate, while in Pennsylvania, they account for around 22%.
Biden’s campaign is actively targeting Black farmers with a new television advertisement set to air in Raleigh, North Carolina, and on national cable news. This marks the third campaign ad targeting Black Americans.
As part of a 16-week, $25 million advertising campaign focused on key voters in battleground states, Biden aims to receive credit for economic gains. These states are highly contested as they can swing either Republican or Democrat. The frustrations and disengagement felt by many rural voters, due to decades of industrial decline and job losses in the face of globalization and declining agriculture, need to be addressed.
During his visit to Dutch Creek Farms in Northfield, Biden intends to announce over $5 billion in new investments for rural America. These funds come from the Inflation Reduction Act, a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law, and the reprogramming of existing funds, according to White House officials. The investments include $1.7 billion to support climate-smart agriculture practices, $1.1 billion for clean water and infrastructure, $2 billion for economic development projects in nine states and Puerto Rico, and additional funding to expand broadband access.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; additional reporting by Jeff Mason and Andrew Hay; Editing by Stephen Coates)
