Economic turnaround positions U.S. to lead, Vice President Biden tells mayors

Vice President Joe Biden on Friday afternoon said the U.S. economy is turning around, positioning the nation to lead.

“I believe we are better positioned as a nation today than we have at any time in the last 15 years to be the world’s leading economy of the 21st century,” he told a crowd or more than 600 people at the 2013 U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Awards Luncheon.

As Biden spoke, about 15 demonstrators gathered outside the Mandalay Bay to protest the Keystone XL pipeline, a project critics say would be detrimental to the environment. The pipeline, if constructed, would carry millions of gallons of crude oil from western Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Among the attendees at the luncheon were about 180 mayors from across the country, including Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman.

This was Biden’s third time attending the conference.

During his nearly 30-minute speech, Biden talked about the challenges and difficult decisions that cities across the country had to endure during the economic downturn: Job losses, budget challenges, consolidation of services and foreclosures.

“It had a profound impact in your cities,” he said.

However, he said the country is turning around, employment is rebounding and so is the housing market.

“Jobs are coming back — not as fast as we need them, but they are coming back,” he said.

Across the nation, foreclosures also are at the lowest levels since 2007, he said. Home prices are up 10 percent and home sales are up 70 percent.

“Over 2.4 million families have gone from underwater to above-water with their homes,” he said.

Cities across the country are leading the way, he said.

“The cities continue to be the driving force of this nation,” he said.

But there’s still work to get done, he said. The country needs to continue job creation, and it needs comprehensive immigration reform and gun control.

“We are just getting started,” he said. “Look at the world and at the problems that other nations are facing. Look at the opportunities that exist in this nation.”

Heidi Plonski, who was among the demonstrators, outside the Mandalay Bay, where the mayors convention was taking place, said local Keystone XL activists wanted to let Biden know how they feel about the project.

“Something like this is very unnecessary and definitely not part of moving away from fossil fuels,” she said.

Contact Yesenia Amaro at yamaro@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0440.