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Vice President Biden was in Flint, Michigan to talk with fire fighters and police officers about the American Jobs Act.
Right now, local communities across the country are laying off first responders as policymakers struggle with budget cuts in the tough economy. It’s putting public safety at risk.
In Michigan, the Vice President said, "The President and I believe that the single-most basic obligation a government has -- it exceeds -- the single-most basic obligation is to keep its citizens safe. It’s literally -- everything flows from that. All our civil rights flow from being able to be safe in our streets, in our homes, our schools, our businesses. Everything flows from it.”
That's why the American Jobs Act calls for $5 billion for local governments to keep police and fire fighters on the job.
Watch the Vice President and listen to these first responders tell their stories about why these funds are so necessary.