Jill Biden Touts COVID-19 Rescue Plan In Burlington County

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — Saying there's a light at the end of the tunnel, First lady Jill Biden visited Burlington County on Monday to tout the $1.9 trillion stimulus plan that was approved last week, according to the White House.

She was joined by Gov. Phil Murphy as part of the “Help is Here” tour, in which she discussed how the American Rescue Plan will help families and their communities amid the pandemic.

She did so during a visit to the Samuel Smith Elementary School in Burlington City. Speaking to reporters after the tour, Biden said the American Rescue Plan is all about reopening schools and getting people back to work, according to the Courier Post.

About 57 percent of the 260 students who attend the pre-K through second grade school are economically disadvantaged, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

An educational assistant at the school spoke to WHYY about the difficulties of teaching students enrolled in a hybrid model.

“I’m sure you can imagine: keeping 3- and 4-year-olds on a Zoom call when we are remote is not easy,” Rachel Brown told the news station.

Biden also spoke about the importance of childcare, noting that a record number of mothers have left the workforce to take care of their children, according to Fox 29.

"There can be no recovery without a place for working parents to send their children," she said, according to the report. "The American Rescue Plan is going to give them the help they need."

She also spoke about the $1,400 stimulus checks, support for small businesses and aid for local governments, according to nj.com.

Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson was among a group of state and local officials who greeted Biden at the school, according to Burlington County officials.

“We were absolutely ecstatic to welcome Dr. Biden to Burlington County and hear from her how the American Rescue Plan Act can help us continue our COVID-19 response so that we can do even more to aid our residents and small businesses,” Hopson said. “Since the earliest days of the pandemic, our county has made it our mission to help our residents through these challenging times, and it’s gratifying to have partners in the White House with the same shared compassion and empathy for our residents’ struggles and the same commitment to getting them the help they need. “The Bidens also understand that no single level of government can respond to this crisis alone. It requires the federal government, states, counties and towns working together in concert to defeat this virus and get our country back on its feet. And that’s exactly what’s occurring.”

State Sen. Troy Singleton (D-7) also praised the First Lady for selecting Burlington County as one of the first destinations she will visit to promote the American Rescue Plan Act.

“The coronavirus pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on all of us, but it’s great to see President Biden and Congress respond with the kind of robust aid package this crisis demands,” Singleton said. “The American Rescue Plan Act will help our state, our county and our municipalities continue to deliver critical services and assistance to our most vulnerable residents, and Dr. Biden’s visit further demonstrates how strong leadership in Washington can make a difference.”

Also on Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Las Vegas, according to The Associated Press. President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Delaware County in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Read more here: Biden To Visit Delco To Tout Coronavirus Relief Bill: Reports

In all, Burlington County will see $130,117,617 in aid, with the county government getting $86.37 million and the county's municipalities splitting $43,747,617.

Jill Biden was born in Hammonton, and she grew up just outside of Philadelphia. She visited the Atlantic County town over the summer to campaign for her husband when he was running for president.

Her visit to Burlington County on Monday marked the first time a First Lady has visited the county since Hillary Clinton spoke at McGuire Air Force Base and Fort Dix in May 1999, according to Burlington County officials.

On that occasion, she greeted the first of 4,000 Kosovar refugees as they arrived set foot on U.S. soil after being airlifted from the war-torn former country of Yugoslavia. The refugees lived at Fort Dix for several months before being resettled.

Joe Biden came to Burlington County in 2018 to support Congressman Andy Kim at the Golden Dawn Diner in Edgewater Park. He also headlined a fundraiser in 2014 for then-Congressional candidate Aimee Belgard in Maple Shade.

The last time a sitting president visited Burlington County was in December 2014, when President Barack Obama delivered an address to service members stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.