When President Joe Biden gives his State of the Union Address Tuesday night, Deanna Branch will be in the First Lady's Box.
The White House says, "Branch is working to build a lead-safe environment for her community after her son Aidan battled lead poisoning as a result of unsafe levels of lead in their drinking water and home.
Ahead of the President's speech, TMJ4's Chief Political Reporter Charles Benson talked with Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor to the President about the Biden Administration's efforts to replace lead service lines.
"This is a huge problem, all across America, particularly in Milwaukee. I think there are 10 million homes in America that have challenges, and of course, when there's lead in the water it causes brain damage for kids to say it simply, said Landrieu, the former Mayor of New Orleans. "The President's program has $15 billion dollars that are going to be distributed to all the States."
In 2022, Deanna shared her three-year-old son's lead poisoning diagnosis with TMJ4.
- DEANNA BRANCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Why potentially thousands of Wisconsin children are falling behind in lead testing
“The pediatrician called me, and she just said, ‘Come in right away,' she said 'don't come into the office, come to Children's Hospital.’ She already got him a room and admitted him. They just said his lead level was high, I don't even know what lead was,” said Deanna.
Milwaukee is on a mission to replace all lead service lines - pipes that bring drinking water to a home. It's an enormous task to replace 67,000 lead laterals at a cost of $750 million. At the current pace, it would take the city decades to replace them all.
The White House says, "...the Biden-Harris Administration is working to replace all lead service lines in America in the next decade."
The Infrastructure, Investment, and Jobs Act passed by Congress and signed by President Biden in 2021 will help Milwaukee pick up the pace to replace lead service lines.
Wisconsin is set to receive $255 million between 2022 and 2026 in federal funding. TMJ4's Ben Jordan previously has looked at how the money will be used.
Landrieu says the President is also expected tonight to refocus his efforts to help parents with the rising cost of child care.
"The President wants to finish the job. Child tax credits, lower the cost for people, said Landrieu. "Child care, lower the cost for people, family medical leave lowers, the cost for people, and of course, more importantly, the best thing is to grow the economy."
Wisconsin Republican Congressman Bryan Steil tweeted he wants to know: What's in the President's budget?
"The President’s Budget plan was due today. Yet President Biden doesn’t plan to release it until a month from now, said Steil. Before the State of the Union address with our country, the President should have a budget plan to share with the American people to get our fiscal house in order."
You can watch President Biden's State of the Union Address Tuesday night on TMJ4. After the speech, Charles Benson and Shannon Sims will interview Congressmen Scott Fitzgerald and Mark Pocan on TMJ4 News at 10 p.m.
