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On the heels of the Thursday鈥檚 State of the Union address, a member of President Joe Biden鈥檚 team visited sa国际传媒官网网页入口 to tout the president鈥檚 infrastructure policies, which Biden has hailed as big job producers, and announce more funding for airport renovations.

The nation鈥檚 first second gentleman, Doug Emhoff, joined Mayor Tim Keller on Friday for a tour of renovations at the airport terminal and afterward braved a sudden downpour of sleet and rain to address a rally of about 40 supporters on a tarmac at the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 International Sunport.

Amid the constant drone of jet engines, Emhoff spoke after touring the airport with the mayor, New Mexico Lt. Gov. Howie Morales and other officials and seeing work that Emhoff said was made possible by Biden鈥檚 policies.

Emhoff, who is Vice President Kamala Harris鈥� husband, declared he was undaunted by the weather, since he was not a stranger to sa国际传媒官网网页入口. He visited back in 2021 in his first solo trip as the country鈥檚 first second gentleman.

鈥淣ew Mexico was the first official visit I made as second gentleman of the United States,鈥� he said.

Emhoff in his remarks praised Biden for rebuilding the post-pandemic economy.

鈥淭his economy is jamming folks. This economy is booming and it鈥檚 going to continue to boom as we move forward,鈥� Emhoff said, recapitulating the president鈥檚 full-throated defense of his policies in the State of the Union address less than 24 hours earlier, which Emhoff had attended.

鈥�(Biden) talked about how our economy has been built from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down, which means that we鈥檙e investing in all of America to make sure that everyone has a fair shot and nobody鈥檚 left behind,鈥� Emhoff said, 鈥渁nd as part of President Biden鈥檚 and Vice President Harris鈥� commitment to the economic growth of our country, our Biden-Harris administration is investing in infrastructure all across the nation, which impacts the entire community.

鈥淎nd we鈥檙e providing funding for airport terminals ... and that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e here today.鈥�

In 2022, the city and Sunport officials announced a major renovation project aimed at upgrading the airport鈥檚 safety and security infrastructure and bettering its food, beverage and retail offerings. The airport is also getting new carpeting, lighting and furniture. The project is estimated to cost $87 million.

Emhoff said the airport received $7 million in 2022, another $7 million in 2023, and most recently a $5.8 million grant, administered through the Federal Aviation Administration, for the renovation work under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Biden signed in November 2021. The latter grant was awarded for baggage system upgrades.

The entire airport project is known as 鈥淒ream of Flight: Sunport Reimagined鈥� and is expected to be finished in December.

鈥淵ou rarely get to see behind the scenes,鈥� Emhoff said about the renovation work. 鈥淵ou rarely get to see the people that make it all happen. ... But I got to see what鈥檚 happening here. ... First of all, there鈥檚 a lot of union jobs building all this, 100 to 200. There鈥檚 going to be a whole new set of vendors here, most of them local, there鈥檒l be about 500 new jobs right here at the airport.鈥�

The jobs theme also fits well into the mayor鈥檚 message about his own efforts to boost the image of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 as a thriving metropolis.

鈥淥ur airport is in the midst of a generational renovation,鈥� Keller said in his remarks, thanking Emhoff and the administration for helping to fund the project. 鈥淭hanks to the second gentleman and his team and the team at the FAA, we are able to finally fix our jet bridges. ... What our president has done for infrastructure is absolutely incredible.鈥�

To the applause of supporters gathered, Keller repeatedly said, 鈥淭hank you, President Biden.鈥�

After speaking at the Sunport, Emhoff planned to tour parts of the city to further highlight what he said are President Biden鈥檚 successes.

Republican Party of New Mexico Chairman Steve Pearce said Emhoff鈥檚 visit to sa国际传媒官网网页入口 didn鈥檛 really dig into the state鈥檚 problems, despite Biden鈥檚 high-sounding claims. Pearce said the Biden message was simply on repeat in the airport visit.

鈥淥ur state is dealing with major problems, such as the cost of living due to inflation and the influx of fentanyl and crime pouring through the open border,鈥� Pearce said.

鈥淒oug Emhoff did not address any of the key issues affecting New Mexicans. Instead, he repeated the President鈥檚 out-of-touch rhetoric about how good the economy is, ignoring the reality that many here are experiencing.鈥�