President Joe Biden made a “twofer” trip over the weekend.
Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden traveled to Philadelphia International Airport via Air Force One to mark the 50th anniversary of Amtrak and to promote the administration’s infrastructure plan.
That plan calls for billions of dollars to upgrade Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, which has numerous bottlenecks along with century-old bridges and tunnels.
Amtrak would also like to see an expansion of its system to include more cities around the nation.
Updated: Biden’s weekend featured trips to Philly, Delaware
Following the Amtrak event, the Bidens departed from Philadelphia International Airport to Wilmington for one of their regular weekend visits.
On Saturday, Biden hit the links and had lunch at the Fieldstone Golf Club near his home.
The visits create brief traffic back-ups from the motorcade from New Castle Airport to and from the residence. The comings and goings lead to animated discussions on Facebook between detractors and supporters of the president on the wisdom of traveling to the first couple’s home near Greenville.
The Bidens’ weekends typically feature no public events and attendance at mass at St. Joseph on the Brandywine.
The President and The First Lady will depart from their home to New Castle Airport Sunday at 8:25 p.m. and will arrive at the Ellipse near the White House about an hour later via the Marine One helicopter.
To date, Biden has enjoyed higher approval ratings than his predecessor, and criticism of the frequent weekend visits has been muted after initial concern over the example set over traveling during the pandemic.
The Centers now consider domestic travel for Disease Control to be a lower-risk activity for fully vaccinated people.
The Biden-Harris Administration is also making headway in vaccinating Americans, with more than 243 million shots administered. About a third of the population is fully vaccinated, with about 43 percent receiving at least one dose.
Vaccine supplies have increased, with state-run sites and pharmacies offering some walk-in vaccinations.
The administration is dealing with a surge in crossings on the border that include unaccompanied minors. Its actions have drawn criticism from Congressional Republicans.
