KANSAS CITY, Mo. — President Joe Biden arrived in Kansas City, Missouri, Wednesday afternoon to discuss his $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill.
The president's speech addressed roads, bridges, clean water and internet access to students across America.
The KSHB I-Team fact checked portions of Biden's speech.
Claim: The bill will replace 100 percent of the nation's lead pipes.
Pres. Biden stated the money provided in the bill would help to replace 100 percent of the nation's lead pipes.
The bill allocates $15 billion to fix dangerous lead pipes across the country with the mission of providing clean water to everyone in America. The funds are not nearly enough to fix all of the pipes, according to many industry experts. Environmental experts estimate the cost to fix the issue in its entirety would be around $60 billion.
The I-Team rated this claim as False.
Claim: High-speed internet everywhere in America.
During the speech, the president also stated the bill would make high-speed internet available everywhere in America. The I-Team spoke with Dr. Linwood Tauheed, associate professor of economics, who said it's unlikely everyone will have access to high-speed internet. In some areas, particularly rural, the infrastructure will need to be built from the ground up, which is costly. A broadband expert is also quoted in USA Today as saying, "This bill will not increase choice and lower prices for everyone."
The I-Team Rated this claim as: Unlikely.
Claim: The legislation will create millions of jobs.
Biden stated the bill will create millions of jobs. A Moody's Analytics report shows peak gains due to the legislation alone would be 872,000 jobs in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared to the level of employment with out the law.
Dr. Tauheed says the economy is already on track to add millions of jobs naturally. Dr. Tauheed said presidents often take credit for job creation when it's largely out of their control adding, presidents often get blamed for things out of their control as well, like the recent surge in gas prices.
The I-Team rated this claim as: False.
Claim: Gas prices down 7 cents.
During Pres. Biden's speech in Kansas City he also took a moment to address gas prices. He said prices are down 7 cents per gallon across the country compared to this time last month. According to AAA, this is true.
The I-Team rated this claim as: True.
