President Biden announced $67 million in federal funding for new power lines to support California’s transition to clean energy during a campaign visit to Silicon Valley on Monday.
Biden was welcomed by Gov. Gavin Newsom at Moffet Field in Mountain View and toured Baylands Nature Preserve in Palo Alto before attending campaign fundraisers.
In addition to the clean energy funding, the President also announced $600 million in federal spending for climate resilience projects across the country, including the marshlands of the San Francisco Bay area that are threatened by rising sea level.
“When I think of climate, I think of jobs. When I think of climate, I think of innovation. When I think of climate, I think of turning peril into progress,” said Biden after touring the area.
Newsom praised the new funding, saying it “will support our ongoing climate action to protect our coastal communities from rising oceans and build the clean energy we need.”
Later Biden attended fundraisers in the area hosted by top executives from Microsoft and LinkedIn, as well as venture capitalist and former state controller Steve Westly.
At one of the fundraisers, Biden took aim at Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama for holding up some 200 Pentagon nominees over a Defense Department abortion policy.
“It’s just bizarre. I don’t remember it happening before, and I’ve been around,” Biden said.
Tuberville, a former football coach, began blocking confirmations to senior Pentagon posts in March to protest a Defense Department policy enacted last year that provides paid leave and reimburses costs for service members who travel to get an abortion.
Reuters contributed to this article.
