President Biden Visits Delaware County Business Tuesday

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — President Joe Biden visited Delaware County Tuesday to tout the recently signed coronavirus relief bill's benefits.

Biden came to the county Tuesday afternoon and visited a Smith Flooring in Chester, according to the White House.

Smith Flooring is a Black-owned union shop that supplies and installs flooring.

Biden met with owners Kristin and James Smith.

"People hardest hit are in minority communities,” Biden according to a White House travel pool reports. "The rate at which they get COVID is higher, death rate is higher.” He said his administration is working to get coronavirus vaccines distributed through a range of locations, including pharmacies, community centers, and schools, to better reach Black and brown communities."

Smith typically has 22 employees but for now they are down to 12, six of which are in the office and six in the field.

The business qualifies for additional programs such as the community navigator services and the employee retention tax credit under the new bill, called the American Rescue Plan.

Smith Flooring received Paycheck Protection Program loans, as well.

"It means a lot that you came to see our business," Kristin Smith said according to a pool report. "Not many people come out and stop here in Chester."

After leaving Smith Flooring, White House travel pool reports say Biden stopped at the Darby Borough Recreation Center.

Biden signed the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill Friday and will highlight how the bill helps small businesses while he is in Chester.

A major part of the relief bill is $1,400 payments going out to Americans who meet certain income criteria.

The bill also includes child tax credits, federal aid to various institutions, and more than $13.7 billion going to state and local governments.

See details on the bill here.

After visiting Delaware County, Biden will head to Wilmington, Delaware for an overnight stay, the White House said.