Vice President Biden toured a dredging barge on the
Delaware River at Penns Landing Thursday to show support for the project to
deepen the river's shipping channel.
Biden, donning a blue suit and holding a baseball cap,
was flanked by fellow democrats U.S. Sen. Robert Casey, Rep. Robert Brady and
Rep. Chaka Fattah.
Before delivering remarks on the ongoing deepening of the
Delaware, the group toured the large barge with a 21-ton dredging bucket,
guided by project manager Brian Puckett. Arriving on the ship, Biden exclaimed,
"That's a hell of a bucket."
Biden's visit was to highlight the Delaware River
dredging project, which aims to deepen about 100 miles of the waterway between
the Delaware Bay and Philadelphia.
Biden noted that the efforts will allow larger container
ships to travel the river, which he called essential for economic development.
"We need this work," he said. "We need
this port."
The dredging project began in March 2010 and could be
completed in 2017, according to Ed Voigt, spokesperson for the Army Corps of
Engineers.
President Obama has proposed $35 million for the project
in his 2015 fiscal year budget. The overall cost for the multiyear deepening will
likely be around $300 million, Voigt said.
Biden said the project not only helps keep the
Philadelphia Port competitive, but will help support middle-class jobs and
extend the legacy of the waterway.
"The Delaware River has been the heart of commerce
for this Valley for 300 years," he said.
Biden's visit comes on the heels of other star-studded
political events in the region. Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton both visited
Philadelphia to campaign for Tom Wolf in recent days, and Gov. Christie stopped
at the Valley Forge Military Academy to stump for Gov. Corbett
Source: Philly.com
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