In West Michigan, First Lady promotes Biden administration’s family support policies • Michigan Advance

“This is a president who has taken action, and I don’t think we’ve had a better president for Michigan in our lifetime,” Stabenow said of Biden.

It has also been two days since the Supreme Court ruled that the President receives immunity for acts committed in his or her official capacity. This most likely includes protection for Trump’s plan to overturn the 2021 election resultPresident Biden criticized the decision on Monday and called on voters to reject Trump at the ballot box to preserve democracy in the United States

This is a big moment for the 2024 presidential campaign, as both Trump and Biden battle to win Michigan’s 15 electoral votes in November. Biden defeated Trump in Michigan in 2020, but Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton lost to Trump in 2016.

“I can tell you that the First Family and the Second Family have been to Michigan more times in my lifetime than any other presidential family,” Stabenow said. “I’ve worked with five presidents, and I can tell you that we’ve seen the President, First Lady, Vice President (Kamala Harris) and Second Gentleman (Doug Emhoff) in Michigan more times than any other White House leader. So they don’t take Michigan for granted.”

It was not Jill Biden’s first visit to Michigan this year. The First Lady had previously visited Grand Rapids in April and traveled the state with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in May for the re-election campaign of Biden and Harris.

During one of her first stops at the YMCA camp, Biden promoted a food assistance program that could help some families cope with rising grocery prices.

“Summer should be a time of joy and freedom and growth and learning outside of the classroom, but for too many children, summer is stolen by hunger,” Biden said. “And during the school year, many children rely on getting a meal from their school, but parents’ salaries don’t get bigger just because it’s summer vacation.”

Stabenow led an initiative to provide federal funds in expanding food access for children during the summer. The program will provide summer meals on a permanent basis.

“We want them to develop, as I said, a thirst for knowledge, not a hunger for food,” Stabenow said. “And that’s why I’m happy about it and I’m so glad the First Lady is here to address the issue.”

Other states are also implementing their share of federal funds, but several Republican governors have rejected the aid.

Stabenow projected the program will feed 900,000 Michigan children this summer. The new, permanent funding will be divided into three different categories, giving families in different situations flexibility in their food supply.

Diandra Jones, mother of a YMCA Camp Manitou-Lin participant, shared how the program-funded meal at camp helped her save money by eliminating the need to purchase lunch during the week.

“You have no idea how much stress this takes away from me,” she said. “I don’t have to worry about buying extra groceries every day to make myself lunch.”

Biden also spoke to camp visitors in the cafeteria about their work with children who have contact with war veterans.

“You kids are ordinary kids doing extraordinary things,” Biden said. “And I think it’s great that you have the chance to come here to camp and meet other kids who are in the same situation as you.”

She asked the children what they enjoyed most about camp and took photos with them while songs like “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus and “Firework” by Katie Perry blared through the room.

Later Wednesday, Biden is scheduled to head to Traverse City for another campaign rally. California Governor Gavin Newsom is scheduled to headline a campaign rally for President Biden in South Haven on Thursday.