Politics & Government
VP Kamala Harris Visits Rhode Island
The vice president was joined by former Gov. Gina Raimondo, the current U.S. Commerce Secretary.
PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island welcomed a pair of special visitors Wednesday: Vice President Kamala Harris and former-governor-turned-Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
Air Force Two, with Harris in tow, landed at T.F. Green Airport Wednesday morning.
"Good to be here, Rhode Island!" the VP tweeted.
Find out what's happening in Cranstonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Good to be here, Rhode Island! pic.twitter.com/I5Ee5fJj9Y
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) May 5, 2021
Harris and Raimondo's first stop was to Thayer Street in Providence. Video from The Hill showed Harris showing off her purchases to the press gathered outside.
.@VP Kamala Harris visits an independent bookstore in Rhode Island pic.twitter.com/OwXBtQjn2H
— The Hill (@thehill) May 5, 2021
According to the official schedule, Harris and Raimondo's visit is focused on small businesses, including a women-led small business roundtable and the social impact of small businesses.
Find out what's happening in Cranstonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The high-profile visit wreaked havoc on the highway, since the vice presidential motorcade caused on-ramp closures and backups on Interstate 95. One driver in downtown Providence around 12:30 p.m. reported that traffic heading to I-95 was all rerouted to I-195 instead. Another person said on Facebook that I-95 in Warwick was "a parking lot coming from every direction."
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