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Musk, Top Biden Aides Meet in DC 01/28 09:55
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tesla CEO Elon Musk and a pair of top aides to President
Joe Biden met in Washington on Friday to discuss the electric vehicle industry
and the broader goal of electrification.
Musk and Biden did not meet, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
said.
The two haven't had the smoothest of relationships, with Biden, a big
supporter of labor unions, disappointed by Musk's refusal to allow them into
his factories.
White House aides Mitch Landrieu and John Podesta sat down with the Tesla
chief -- who also owns Twitter and SpaceX -- at Tesla's office in downtown
Washington to discuss shared goals around electrification.
Their discussion touched on how infrastructure and climate legislation that
Biden signed into law last year can help boost the production of electric
vehicles and charging stations, and encourage more people to switch from
gas-fueled to electric-powered vehicles and to choose more electric appliances,
like heat pumps and stoves. Rebates and tax credits are available to encourage
that shift.
Landrieu oversees federal spending on infrastructure, which included
financial help for the electric vehicle industry. Podesta is the president's
point man on spending on Biden's climate and clean energy initiatives.
Asked whether the meeting signaled a new phase in White House relations with
Musk, Jean-Pierre said it "says a lot" about how Biden sees the importance of
both pieces of legislation.
"I think it's important that his team, senior members of his team, had a
meeting with Elon Musk," she said.
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