President Biden left Poughkeepsie on the afternoon of Oct. 6 aboard the helicopter Marine One, which had been flown into Hudson Valley Regional Airport, formerly known as Dutchess County Airport. Biden was going to a fundraising event in Red Bank, New Jersey, following his visit to IBM’s facilities in Poughkeepsie.
Biden had arrived in the Hudson Valley aboard Air Force One, which landed at New York Stewart International Airport shortly before noon. After touching down, the specialized version of a Boeing 747 taxied to parking at the Air National Guard section of the airport.
Greeting President Biden on arrival were Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney,         Rep. Patrick Ryan, Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus, Brigadier General Gary Charlton, commander of the 105th Airlift Wing and his wife Susan.
Biden and Hochul hugged each other and the president held her hands as they talked. Biden spent approximately eight minutes chatting with those who greeted him at the airport.
Biden’s motorcade to IBM left the airport at 12:05 p.m.
During Biden’s visit, IBM announced a $20 billion investment over the next ten years in expanding its research, development and manufacturing operations in the Hudson Valley.
IBM Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna gave Biden a tour of the company’s computer operations at its facilities off Route 9 in Poughkeepsie. IBM says that it will be making the $20 billion investment in close cooperation with New York state. Gov. Hochul went on the tour of IBM with Biden.
IBM explains the goal of its investment as unlocking new discoveries and opportunities in semiconductors, computers, hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence and quantum computers.
“IBM is deeply honored to host President Biden at our Poughkeepsie site today and we look forward to highlighting our commitments to the innovations that advance America’s economy,” Krishna said. “As we tackle large-scale technological challenges in climate, energy, transportation and more, we must continue to invest in innovation and discovery – because advanced technologies are key to solving these problems and driving economic prosperity, including better jobs, for millions of Americans.”
In his remarks after touring the IBM facility, President Biden underscored the potential for the newly-passed CHIPS and Science Act to be the catalyst for bringing massive computer chip manufacturing back to the U.S. He praised the Hudson Valley for being a place of innovation in manufacturing that in the past ranged from typewriters to cough drops. Biden pointed out that the U.S. faces new tough competition from China and that lobbyists working for China campaigned against the CHIPS Act.
IBM points out that its Poughkeepsie site has helped the U. S. embrace the transformative power of technology since 1941, from manufacturing armaments during World War II to developing and building the latest generation mainframe computers.
IBM has not yet said how many new jobs it expects the $20 billion investment to create.
