Out West, Biden points to wildfires to push for big rebuild

The president's 2-day Western swing comes at a critical juncture for a central plank of his legislative agenda

CALIFORNIA: President Joe Biden on Monday used his first Western swing in office to hold out the wildfires burning across the region as an argument for his USD 3.5 trillion rebuilding plans, calling year-round fires and other extreme weather a climate change reality the nation can no longer ignore.

We can't ignore the reality that these wildfires are being supercharged by climate change, Biden said, noting that catastrophic weather doesn't strike based on partisan ideology. It isn't about red or blue states. It's about fires. Just fires.

With stops in Idaho and California, Biden sought to boost support for his big rebuilding plans, saying every dollar spent on resilience would save USD 6 in future costs. And he said the rebuilding must go beyond simply restoring damaged systems and instead ensure communities can withstand such crises.