Biden Illinois-bound to tout stimulus milestone

GRANITE CITY — Vice President Joe Biden is making an appearance in southwestern Illinois as he touts the merits of the federal stimulus package enacted five years ago.

Biden is scheduled to appear with U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx at noon on Wednesday at the America's Central Port near Granite City, northeast of St. Louis. He's expected to also highlight what he calls the need for more infrastructure spending.

It's been a half decade since President Barack Obama signed the $787 billion spending bill called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The White House says that measure boosted the U.S. economy and helped avoid another Great Depression.

Republican leaders in Congress counter that the bill spent too much for too little in return.