NEW ORLEANS -- The Port of New Orleans Wednesday welcomed Vice President Joe Biden.
"The President himself was here 2 or 3 years ago, now the Vice President is here," said Gary LaGrange, Port of New Orleans Vic President. "I think that's significant because these gentlemen don't visit too many ports."
His visit marks seven years after the stimulus bill was signed as the nation headed into recession.
"We knew we had to do something, something consequential to turn economy around," said Biden. "Not a dirty word, but stimulate growth. Private investment back into the economy to grow our country again and we came up with the recovery act."
Part of that investing in things like education, health and energy. Also funding projects like the Mississippi River Intermodal Terminal and Yard, which received about $26 million in federal funds.
"Here we built this 12-acre rail yard, rearranged rail lines and helped to rearrange facilities so ships, trains, trucks all in one place in making it much more efficient," said Biden.
The purpose of Vice President Joe Biden's visit was more than just checking on the progress of the port project, it also was to talk about the state of Louisiana's future.
"It's projects and investments like this that are going to help us grow together the state we know we deserve and the great state we know we want," said State Rep. Cedric Richmond (D).
"It's within our capacity to create a future that is as bright as our kids, to create a future that's even brighter than what we've seen in the past. Ladies and gentlemen we have to do more," Biden said.
