Vice President Biden addressed county leaders gathered in Washington DC for the annual Legislative Conference of the National Association of Counties this week. The Vice President began by recalling his own time as a local government official and noted that local government is the most important, least appreciated form of government.

The Vice President remarks focused on two main goals: investment in infrastructure and education.  The Vice President spoke on the importance of partnerships between businesses and community colleges, and the tie between a our citizens’ education levels and our country’s ability to compete globally. On transportation infrastructure, he said that currently only 20% of surface transportation funding goes towards transit and noted the challenges of accommodating our growing population’s transportation needs. He shared plans to increase transit funding to 30% and eliminate tax loopholes to help fund transportation infrastructure.

Listen to a full audio of the Vice President’s remarks below, starting around the 47 minute mark.