Harris, Raimondo to travel to Louisiana for infrastructure announcement

The Commerce Department announced on Thursday that Vice President Harris and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will be traveling to Louisiana on Friday to make an infrastructure announcement.

The department said in their release that the two would be traveling to Sunset, which is located roughly 65 miles west of Baton Rouge, “to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments in affordable, accessible high-speed internet.”

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) is expected to join them for the event, The Daily Advertiser reported.

The event comes several months after President Biden signed the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure legislation, which includes $65 million for serving underserved communities with broadband expansion.

“I am excited to welcome vice president Harris to Louisiana on Friday and am honored that the White House has chosen our state to highlight the importance of broadband connectivity to rural cities and towns during her visit,” the Louisiana governor said in a statement, according to The Daily Advertiser.

“Communities all over Louisiana will benefit from increased investments in and attention to broadband connectivity,” Edwards added. “We are ready to embrace opportunities to bring this important internet infrastructure to areas that need it so that we can improve our economic competitiveness, educational opportunities and quality of life.”

The Hill has reached out to Edwards’s office for comment.