Quad Cities Chamber statement on President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address

President Joe Biden touched on issues impacting the Quad Cities in his State of the Union address, with both positive and negative impacts on our region. Site-readiness, workforce issues - including education and immigration - and the tax structure are all key concerns for the Quad Cities Chamber. 

One of the Chamber’s top priorities was discussed, but not focused on, when the President highlighted the more than $650 billion in investment that has flowed into the United States in recent years. The Quad Cities’ lack of shovel-ready sites means we are being left out of the opportunity presented by this investment into our country. We urge Congress and the President to support legislation like the ONSHORE Act to assist communities like the Quad Cities in the competition for large-scale investment.  

The President spoke about the need for a more educated and skilled workforce including increases to Pell Grants. Employers across the Quad Cities struggle every day with finding enough qualified candidates to fill open jobs in the factories, offices, hospitals and retail shops that keep our economy thriving. To address this major impediment to growth we need support not just for the current iteration of Pell, but for short-term Pell that opens opportunities for non-credit hour programs to meet immediate workforce needs.   

The business community also supports Congress working to address shortcomings in the legal immigration system, to boost American productivity and capacity. Long term, the United States must take the issue of immigration seriously, not just at the border but in the offices and factories across this country that cannot find the workers they need locally. Immigration is foundational to our nation’s history and we must simplify the legal immigration system and increase capacity to unlock economic growth across the United States.  

The President also spoke about the Bi-Partisan Infrastructure law – something that the Quad Cities has also benefitted from with one RAISE grant in the works in East Moline, and many other communities competing for infrastructure funding to support key projects. We will continue to fight to pull those dollars down to the local level.  

Lastly, the President called on Congress to raise taxes on job creators across the United States. The economy is growing but it is fragile, inflation has just begun to slow down and consumer sentiment remains weary. Now is not the time to put the brakes on America’s growth trajectory. Instead of raising taxes, we challenge the President and Congress to pass and sign the Tax Relief for American Workers and Families Act, and the Main Street Tax Certainty Act which would directly impact Quad Cities companies and support growth in our region.