Vice President Kamala Harris visits Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - Vice President Kamala Harris visited Atlanta Wednesday, less than 24 hours after President Biden’s State of the Union Address.

She participated in a moderated discussion at Georgia Tech focusing on the administration’s efforts to combat climate change and address clean energy.

Addressing climate policy issues, Harris said access to clean water should be “a right, not just a privilege of those who can afford it.”

She discussed topics ranging from clean water to replacing lead pipes to electric school buses and equity when it comes to how those topics affect people.

“I have always thought of these issues through the lens of justice. We are looking at, at least, a trillion dollars to hit the streets of America to address some of these issues. And that’s very exciting,” Harris said.

She directed many of her comments to the students in the audience.

“Whether you are studying to be in human resources or to be an engineer or in the school of communications, what it’s going to require of you to jump to this new plateau and have the bright minds who will be thinking then about these traditional occupations and skills through the lens of what we will do that is about sustaining and growing and thriving in a new clean energy economy,” she said.

“It was a fresh take,” said Morehouse College student Tyler Greene. “I think a lot of the conversations around climate and climate policy, energy transition work, a lot of it has been lacking that equity portion and specifically the focus on bringing in diverse groups and their lived experiences.”

“I love that she specifically spoke to the students because that’s who needs to be doing the work right now,” said Greene. “If we are not the generation that takes those changes, we are not going to be able to see better outcomes.”

The Vice President’s visit comes a day after President Joe Biden delivered his State of the Union Address.

“The Day after the State of the Union is a pretty big deal and the fact that the vice president is in Atlanta really should show the value of Atlanta to this White House and the state of Georgia as a whole,” said former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms who is currently the White House’s director of public engagement. “The fact that the vice president is there today again reminds us that we are still top of mind.”

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel released the following statement regarding Vice President Harris’ visit to Atlanta:

“While hardworking Georgians, alongside families across the country, are burdened by the high cost of everyday goods, Kamala Harris’ visit today proves just how out of touch this administration is. Instead of spewing more of the same empty rhetoric that Biden delivered last night, Democrats need to take accountability for their failures on everything from rising prices to skyrocketing crime. It’s what the American people deserve.”

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