Out West, Biden points to wildfires to push for big rebuild

By ALEXANDRA JAFFE and DARLENE SUPERVILLE
Associated Press

MATHER, Calif. (AP) — President Joe Biden is using his first Western swing since taking office to hold out the wildfires burning across the region as an argument for his $3.5 trillion rebuilding plans, He is calling year-round fires and other extreme weather a climate change reality the nation can no longer ignore. With stops Monday in Idaho and California, Biden sought to boost support for his big rebuilding plans, saying every dollar spent on “resilience” would save $6 in future costs. And he said the rebuilding must go beyond simply restoring damaged systems and instead ensure communities can withstand catastrophic weather that doesn’t strike based on partisan ideology.