Pritzker, Biden Talk Infrastructure, Gun Violence At White House

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker met with President Joe Biden at the White House Wednesday to discuss infrastructure. Two other governors and five mayors were also present.

Biden is currently rallying support for his proposed $1.2 trillion infrastructure package, which trumps the size of Pritzker's Rebuild Illinois program — about $45 billion passed in 2019. However, the governor made it clear Illinois could immediately match federal funds if given a slice of the infrastructure bill.

Pritzker attended the bipartisan meeting in the Roosevelt Room with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, and Vermont Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican. Democratic Mayors Nan Whaley of Dayton, Ohio, Kate Gallego of Phoenix, Arizona, and Michael Hancock of Denver, Colorado, also took part, along with Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt and Mobile, Alabama, Mayor Sandy Stimpson, both Republicans.

Pritzker also announced he would meet with White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeff Zients. With Chicago Police Supt. David Brown also traveling to Washington early this week to discuss gun violence, Illinois remains a point of interest for the White House.

Pritzker said he took the opportunity of the infrastructure meeting to talk to Biden about rising gun violence in Chicago and to tout the work the Illinois State Police are doing in other communities to curb the issue.

"I also raised the subject that this is not just a Chicago challenge," Pritzker said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune after the White House meeting. "It's obviously a national problem, but we see it in places like Rockford and other cities in Illinois, so I wanted to make sure that he was aware that we need assistance across the state wherever we might ask for it."

Following Biden's visit to Crystal Lake earlier this week, White House Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is expected to visit Chicago on Friday to advocate for the infrastructure bill. Some possible projects funded by the initiative could include the latest $3 billion makeover for North DuSable Lake Shore Drive, among other CTA extensions.

"There is a massive infrastructure deficit across the nation," Pritzker said. "Each [governor] had a different angle on what they need in this infrastructure bill."