President Joe Biden smiles during a news conference with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Thursday, July 13, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

On the second anniversary of the bipartisan infrastructure law’s signing by President Joe Biden, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) is launching a new billboard campaign in Detroit to celebrate while mocking former President Donald Trump’s infamous “infrastructure week” gaffe.

The billboard contrast Trump (“While Donald Trump made ‘infrastructure week’ a running joke…”) with Biden (“Joe Biden got infrastructure done for Michigan. Rebuilding our roads, bridges, and more!”)

The DNC billboards set to run in Detroit. (Courtesy of Democratic National Committee)

 

While Biden achieved what is widely considered as one of his biggest political wins as president in his first year in office, Trump’s “infrastructure week” that never came plagued all four years of his presidency. Despite multiple promises to sign major infrastructure funding, he instead used the multiple infrastructure weeks to address any one of his many controversies while in office.

According to a White House fact sheet, $9.4 billion from the bill is scheduled to flow into Michigan via 376 specific infrastructure projects. These include $6.5 billion in transportation renovation (fixing highways, bridges, ports, airports, etc.), $1.6 billion in expanding broadband internet access across the state and $489 million in renovations to water infrastructure and clean water.

Some Michigan-specific projects include a Midwest hydrogen hub (which will create 12,100 construction jobs and 1,500 permanent jobs across Michigan, Illinois and Indiana), new upgrades to the Soo Locks in Lake Michigan and the replacement of the 85-year-old Lafayette Avenue Bridge in Bay City.

“While Trump turned ‘infrastructure week’ into a running joke, President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is delivering concrete results – rebuilding roads and bridges, providing clean drinking water, expanding affordable internet access, and spurring job growth for communities in Michigan and across the country,” DNC spokesperson Rhyan Lake said in a statement. “As MAGA Republicans try to hand out tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy at the expense of working families, President Biden and Vice President Harris are continuing to build the economy from the bottom up and the middle out.”

The Michigan Democratic Party says it will continue to celebrate the anniversary with media events including Michigan Lieutenant Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell.

Editor’s note (11/15): A previous version stated that there would be multiple billboards. It is one billboard.