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- By Native News Online Staff
The White House announced on Friday that Dr. Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States will visit Bethel, Alaska on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration's historic investments to expand broadband connectivity in Native American communities, including Alaska Native communities in Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. These investments were made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and are part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda.
Dr. Biden’s visit will be the first visit to Bethel, Alaska by a First Lady of the United States.
The First Lady will be joined by Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK), the first Alaska Native ever elected to Congress. Dr. Biden and Peltola will hold a joint event to highlight major investments made towards expanding broadband access in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and how broadband can improve health, education, and work training systems in Alaska. They will also discuss other needs and priorities across rural Alaska communities.
“I’m proud we have a First Lady who is a real advocate for education and health care access. These are issues that affect every Alaskan and every American,” Peltola said in a news release on Saturday. “I am glad that she has chosen to visit Bethel to see firsthand our unique way of life in Western Alaska. I want this to be an opportunity to demonstrate some of the challenges faced by rural communities in our state.”
Since becoming the First Lady, Dr. Biden has visited several tribal communities, including the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe of Michigan, Cherokee Nation, Navajo Nation, and the Tohono O'odham Nation.
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