Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego Thanks Joe Biden and Vows to Look for Ways Around Trump’s Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord

From Mayor Gallego’s social media.

With the fifth largest city in the country experiencing a Renaissance by drawing industries from various technological sectors ranging from aerospace to clean energy to autonomous vehicles to biosciences, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego penned an op-ed in AZ Central thanking partners in the federal government including former President Joe Biden.

She also issued a statement, as Chairperson of Climate Mayors, pledging that local municipalities and states would continue to advance toward meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Accord despite Donald Trump’s Executive Order to withdraw from it.

In her op-ed for AZ Central, Mayor Gallego recounted how Phoenix rebounded from the 2008 Great Recession and real estate crash, writing:

“To thrive in the future and better withstand challenging times, state and city leaders — of both parties — have worked to reshape the Valley’s economy. 

Investments in the biosciences and healthcare industry have paid dividends, and efforts to grow the region’s semiconductor presence have made Arizona the new nucleus of American chip manufacturing.”

Photo from SemiWiki

The Mayor went on to credit the Biden/Harris Administration, especially the former President and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo for helping pass the CHIPs and Science Act because that propelled Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to increase their investment in Phoenix to over five times from 12 to 65 billion dollars.

Calling it “The largest foreign direct investment in U.S. history,” Gallego conveyed that the increased TSMC presence would “allow the company to build another facility that will create thousands more construction, manufacturing, and semiconductor-adjacent job opportunities for Phoenix residents.”

These paid jobs include many apprenticeship positions which would help people “kickstart their careers.”

At the end of her piece, Mayor Gallego expressed her thanks to the former President for all the moves his Administration made to help Phoenix and the rest of the valley, stating:

This success will open the doors to thousands of residents for remarkable, resilient careers — careers that provide economic mobility and can unlock the doors to homeownership, top-notch higher education and opportunities that weren’t within reach for many only a few years ago.

As we turn the page on President Biden’s time in office, we owe him — and Congress — a debt of gratitude for their steadfast vision and determination to revive American manufacturing.

To see President Biden’s legacy in action, look no further than the promise of the future that Phoenix holds.

We’re just getting started.”

From Climate Mayors

A day earlier, the Mayor, as the Chairperson of Climate Mayors (a bipartisan network of nearly 350 mayors, demonstrating climate leadership) responded differently to a different President, Donald Trump, for his decision, again, to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.

In her statement, Gallego vowed that the cities in the Climate Mayors network would continue the fight against climate change, offering:

“Regardless of the federal government’s actions, Climate Mayors are not backing down on our commitment to the Paris Agreement. The cost of inaction is simply too high. As we have recently seen from the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, extreme summer temperatures in Phoenix, and hard-hitting hurricanes in North Carolina and Florida, the effects of our changing climate are at our doorstep. Now, more than ever, we must accelerate our work to protect our communities, lower energy bills, create good-paying local jobs, and maintain our nation’s economic competitiveness by modernizing our infrastructure and investing in emerging markets.

“Our constituents are looking to us to meet the moment and deliver meaningful solutions, which is why we’re expanding our work with partners across the United States, from philanthropy and business leaders to members of Congress and governors. We’re building an implementation plan that meets our targets under the Paris Agreement and ensures that our cities remain resilient and prosperous for future generations.”


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