First lady Jill Biden will be in Bethel Wednesday, on a mission to highlight the achievements of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021.
Her focus is on the expansion of broadband in the region.
Biden also visited Alaska in July 2021, stopping in Anchorage on her way to the Olympic Games in Tokyo. She met with military families and spoke at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
According to her office, this will be the first visit to Bethel by any spouse of a sitting president.
Melania Trump, as first lady, visited Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in 2017 and also met with military families.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Biden will highlight authorizes more than a $1 trillion in spending over 10 years. Alaska’s share includes at least $3.5 billion in highway projects and $100 million from one of its broadband programs.
All three members of the Alaska congressional delegation voted for the legislation, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski helped write it.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
