Joe Biden gives $1.7 billion in grants to promote EV manufacturing in eight states, know details

"Building a clean energy economy can and should be a win-win for union autoworkers and automakers," President Joe Biden said in a statement. "This investment will create thousands of good-paying, union manufacturing jobs and retain even more people from Lansing, Michigan to Fort Valley, Georgia, by helping auto companies retool, reboot, and rehire in the same factories and communities they once worked in."

GM said Thursday that its $500 million federal grant will help the company convert an assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan, to produce EVs. GM has already announced more than $12 billion in investments in its North American EV manufacturing and supply chain since 2020. Camillo Ballesti, GM vice president of North America manufacturing and labor relations, said the investments and federal grants "underscore our commitment to American leadership in manufacturing and innovation."

Biden said the grants, paid for by the landmark 2022 climate law, will help fulfill his commitment to ensure the future of the auto industry in America is led by American union workers.

"Workers left behind by my predecessor are now coming back with the support of my policies, including the transformation grants my administration is announcing today," the Democratic president said.

The grants were announced as Biden has rejected calls to step down after his poor showing in the debate last month. Biden, 81, has acknowledged his poor performance but brushed it off as "a bad night." While several congressional Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have refused to give him a full vote of confidence.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has maintained a tight grip on the Republican Party, even after he became the first former president to be convicted of a felony.