MILWAUKEE — Vice President Kamala Harris made her fourth trip of the year to swing state Wisconsin on Thursday to highlight why she believes the Biden administration is doing more to put money in people’s pockets, especially in disadvantaged communities.
This visit was the third stop on her national Economic Opportunity Tour; local leaders and business owners in the Black community gathered at Discovery World for a conversation moderated by actor and comedian D.L. Hughley.
Among the biggest news to come out of the visit was the announcement of $40 million in new funding to help expand housing counseling across the county.
As part of the initiative, Wisconsin will receive almost $300,000 to help homebuyers improve their credit, better understand loans, and even get help with a down payment.
During Thursday's event, the vice president put the spotlight on investing in small businesses, creating jobs and improving access to housing.
“It’s about investing in America’s prosperity and a broad-based economy, but it’s also about investing in communities and the civic fabric of communities that contributes to the economic health and wellbeing,” Harris explained.
Milwaukee leaders praised Harris for the partnership they said has made those impactful investments possible in the first place.
“I’ve got enormous, enormous confidence that if we stay the course with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris that more good things are ahead for Milwaukee and more good things are ahead for us right here in the state of Wisconsin,” Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson told the crowd.
“They are beginning to deliver real results for the people that we serve, and you know what? We’re just getting started, y’all,” Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley added. “We are just getting started because what’s good for Milwaukee County is good for the entire state of Wisconsin.”
Harris said the responsibility is on people in positions of power that make or break opportunities for underserved communities.
“If you don’t even have any level of awareness or interest in these disparities, you are not going to get anything done,” Harris said. “And then when you become aware, if you actually intend to get something done, you have to hold yourself and the system to account.”
The vice president also touched on labor market conditions for Black workers in light of a recent report by the Council of Economic Advisers.
Meanwhile, Republicans pointed to a recent survey from Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC) that found 72% of employers in the Badger State faced hiring struggles under the Biden administration.
“Every time Kamala Harris visits Wisconsin, voters are reminded of the failed agenda of the Biden Administration,” WisGOP Chairman Brian Schimming said in a statement. “From higher inflation to lower wages, voters know they cannot afford another four years of Biden and Harris in the White House.”