就在乔·拜登总统前往匹兹堡强调国家基础设施需要改善的几个小时前，该地区的一座桥梁周五早上崩溃了巧合的是，这为拜登提供了一个宣传他的两党基础设施法为急需的维修提供资金。
在他计划下午在卡内基梅隆大学发表演讲之前，拜登顺便拜访了坍塌的桥梁匹兹堡弗里克公园附近。据当地政府称，有10人在坍塌中受伤。
他说，这座倒塌的桥梁是宾夕法尼亚州数千座需要修复的桥梁中的一座，这些桥梁将受益于他的基础设施法中的数十亿美元，包括宾夕法尼亚州修复桥梁的16亿美元。
拜登在事先准备好的讲话中说:“过去10年，它的状况一直很差。“你们都知道的，如果你不知道，你应该知道，在宾夕法尼亚州还有另外3300座桥，其中一些和那座桥一样古老，一样破旧，包括匹兹堡这座桥梁之城。”
“我们必须继续下去，”拜登补充道。“我们得走了。下一次，我们不需要头条新闻说有人在下一座桥倒塌时丧生。”
由于拜登早些时候到达现场，他立即向当地官员和第一反应人员打招呼。同PENNSYLVANIA州长汤姆·沃尔夫(Tom Wolf)、美国参议员鲍勃·凯西(Bob Casey)、匹兹堡市长埃德·盖尼(Ed Gainey)和副州长约翰·羁绊曼(John Fetterman)周四表示，日程安排冲突将使他无法参加拜登的访问，在他向第一反应者打招呼后，他们走到现场边缘，与拜登一起看到倒塌的桥梁。
当被美国广播公司新闻白宫记者/制片人贾斯汀·戈麦斯问及他的反应时，拜登称之为“不可思议”，并继续谈论像匹兹堡这样的城镇基础设施融资的重要性。
“首先，这些家伙应该得到令人难以置信的荣誉——顺便说一句，当这一切发生时，他们告诉我煤气泄漏了，”拜登说，他看着现场的一名警官。"解释一下你对我说的关于噪音的话。"
“这只是一个非常响亮的声音——就像一个喷气发动机，”该官员说，后来补充说，一名慢跑者在倒塌后停下来，帮助警察把人们从车里拉出来。
“我会被诅咒的，”拜登说。
“这是个奇迹，总统先生。这是个奇迹，”警官说。
尽管总统的国内议程在过去一周受到来自美国的威胁而被搁置乌克兰边境上的俄罗斯和最高法院重大新闻，拜登的出现将聚光灯重新聚焦在他赢得大选的胜利上两党基础设施法通过了。
这项立法将为宾夕法尼亚州提供16.3亿美元的联邦资金，仅用于桥梁建设，其中包括今年的3.27亿美元，这是所有州中第三高的数字。根据政府统计，宾夕法尼亚州有3353座桥梁状况不佳，仅次于爱荷华州数据。桥梁项目将在全国范围内提供270亿美元。
“我来到匹兹堡已经很久了，作为一名前宾夕法尼亚人，但我没有意识到匹兹堡的桥比世界上任何其他城市都多。你知道吗?比在威尼斯还多，”拜登在受损的大桥现场说。
“我们要——你要把它们都修好。不是开玩笑，”拜登说。“这将是一个巨大的变化。全国有43000个。我们会把钱寄出去，顺便说一句，我们会给你们警察更多的钱。
拜登的家乡宾夕法尼亚州对他来说一直是一个具有政治象征意义的州。
匹兹堡是他2020年开始竞选的地方，基斯东州最终束缚了他的总统生涯。他还公布了后来的两党基础设施法去年三月在那里。
尽管宾夕法尼亚州一些备受瞩目的民主党候选人赞扬了拜登的基础设施议程，但本周早些时候，两名候选人告诉美国广播公司新闻，尽管他们支持总统及其政策努力，但他们也不会出席周五在匹兹堡举行的活动，理由是“日程安排冲突。”
司法部长乔什·夏皮罗(Josh Shapiro)的竞选发言人告诉美国广播公司新闻，司法部长“专注于对宾夕法尼亚州家庭至关重要的问题”，但周五不会在匹兹堡。
竞选发言人说:“像每个美国人应该做的那样，乔希希望我们的总统取得成功，我们将继续欢迎拜登总统来到他的家乡宾夕法尼亚州，因为他兜售两党美国救援计划拯救的小企业和工作，以及两党基础设施法将创造的成千上万个宾夕法尼亚州工作岗位。”。
民主党参议院初选的主要候选人费特曼周四告诉美国广播公司新闻，他计划周五在哈里斯堡会见民主党人，并谈论2022年中期选举，然后他最终在周五在倒塌的桥址与拜登会合。
距离宾夕法尼亚州的初选还有几个月的时间不利的民调数字对拜登政府的担忧可能会影响民主党人在竞选过程中与总统的互动。
Biden pushes infrastructure law after visiting site of collapsed bridge in Pittsburgh
Just hours ahead of President Joe Biden traveling to Pittsburgh to stress improvements needed for the nation's infrastructure, a bridge in the areacollapsed on Friday morning, coincidentally providing Biden an opportunity to tout how hisbipartisan infrastructure lawprovides funding for badly needed repairs.
Before his scheduled afternoon remarks at Carnegie Mellon University, Biden stopped by thecollapsed bridgenear Pittsburg's Frick's Park. Ten people were reported injured in the collapse, according to local authorities.
He said the collapsed bridge was a prime example of one of the thousands of bridges in need of repair across Pennsylvania -- bridges that would benefit from the billions of dollars in his infrastructure law, including $1.6 billion for Pennsylvania to repair bridges.
"It had been rated in poor condition for the past 10 years," Biden said in prepared remarks. "What you all know, if you don't you should know, there are another 3,300 bridges here in Pennsylvania, some of which are just as old, and just as decrepit -- decrepit condition as that bridge was, including here in Pittsburgh, the city of bridges."
"We've got to get it on with it," Biden added. "We got to move. The next time, we don't need headlines saying that someone was killed when the next bridge collapses."
As Biden arrived at the site earlier, he immediately greeted officials and first responders on the ground. Penn. Gov. Tom Wolf, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman -- clad in a hoodie and shorts, after Thursday saying scheduling conflicts would preclude him from partaking in Biden's visit -- walked up to the edge of the site to see the collapsed bridge with Biden after he greeted first responders.
Asked his reaction by ABC News White House Reporter/Producer Justin Gomez, Biden called it "incredible" and went on talk about the importance of infrastructure funding in towns like Pittsburgh.
"First of all, these guys deserve an incredible amount of credit here and that -- by the way, when this was going on, they tell me the gas leak was," Biden said, looking to a police officer on the scene. "Explain what you said to me about the noise."
"It was just a very loud -- like a jet engine," the officer said, later adding a jogger stopped after the collapse to help the police get people out of their cars.
"I'll be damned," Biden said.
"It's a miracle, Mr. President. It's a miracle," the officer said.
While the president's domestic agenda has taken the back burner over the past week in the face of threats fromRussia on the Ukrainian borderandmajor Supreme Court news, Biden's appearance puts the spotlight back on his victory in getting thebipartisan infrastructure lawpassed.
The legislation would provide $1.63 billion to Pennsylvania in federal funding for bridges alone, including $327 million this year, the third-highest figure for any state. Pennsylvania has 3,353 bridges in poor condition, the second most after Iowa, according to administrationdata. The bridge program will provide $27 billion across the country.
"I've been coming to Pittsburgh a long time, and as a former Pennsylvanian, but I didn't realize there are literally more bridges in Pittsburgh than any other city in the world. Did you know that? More than in Venice," Biden said at the damaged bridge site.
"And we're going to -- you're going to fix them all. Not a joke," Biden said. "This is going to be a gigantic change. And there's 43,000 nationwide. And we're sending the money, and by the way, we're gonna get you guys, more money too, the cops," he added.
Pennsylvania, Biden's home state, has long been a politically symbolic state for him.
Pittsburgh was where he kicked off his 2020 candidacy, and the Keystone State ultimately cinched his presidency. He also unveiled what became thebipartisan infrastructure lawthere last March.
While some of Pennsylvania's high-profile Democratic candidates have praised Biden's infrastructure agenda, two told ABC News earlier this week that while they support the president and his policy efforts, they also wouldn't be in attendance for Friday's event in Pittsburgh, citing "scheduling conflicts."
A campaign spokesperson for Attorney General Josh Shapiro -- who is likely to become the Democratic gubernatorial nominee -- told ABC News the attorney general is "focused on the issues that matter to Pennsylvania families" but won't be in Pittsburgh on Friday.
"Like every American should, Josh wants our president to be successful and we'll continue welcoming President Biden to his home state of Pennsylvania as he touts small businesses and jobs that have been saved by the bipartisan American Rescue Plan and the tens of thousands of Pennsylvania jobs that will be created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law," the campaign spokesperson said.
Fetterman, a leading candidate in the Democratic Senate primary, had told ABC News Thursday he was planning to be in Harrisburg on Friday meeting with Democrats and talking about the 2022 midterm election before he ultimately joined Biden Friday at the collapsed bridge site.
With Pennsylvania's primary elections are still months away, theunfavorable poll numberslooming over the Biden administration could factor into how Democrats interact with the president on the campaign trail.
