CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Vice President Joe Biden touted the federal government's economic stimulus program Thursday, saying it means jobs, health care, education, and ``building the infrastructure to be able to compete in the 21st century.''
Biden, making an appearance to promote President Barack Obama's $787 billion economic stimulus program, addressed a crowd in a high school gym in an affluent upstate New York suburb.
``When we took office, we knew it would be months before we could get our economy moving from recession into recovery and ultimately prosperity,'' Biden said. ``We're not there yet. But we are moving in the right direction.''
Freshman Democratic Rep. Scott Murphy said Biden's staff reached out to him last week to set up the appearance in his district. Murphy narrowly won the 20th congressional district seat vacated when Kirsten Gillibrand succeeded Hillary Rodham Clinton in the U.S. Senate.
Thursday's gathering at times seemed like a campaign event for Murphy, who is up for re-election in 2010. Addressing the crowd before Gov. David Paterson and Biden spoke, Murphy vowed to work to bring investment and jobs to upstate New York.
Murphy said his district has received $211 million in recovery funding so far, including $41 million to replace outdated water and sewer infrastructure and $41 million for roads and bridges.
``This recovery act money will be critical to help us emerge from this recession and build a long-term base for economic growth,'' Murphy said at Shenendehowa High School north of Albany.
Paterson said the Obama administration estimates that New York state will create and retain 215,000 jobs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
``Across the state, we have already invested $1.14 billion in job creation and retention,'' Paterson said.
He said the recovery plan ``will only work if the states that receive the money demonstrate an effective and enduring control of that money and make sure every dime goes to the creation of work.''
To critics of the stimulus spending, Biden said, ``What would you have done? Would you have done nothing?''
``It's easier to throw those bombs than to catch them,'' Biden said. ``It's a lot easier to be critical than constructive.''
Before his New York appearance, Biden also visited an Ohio site where federal stimulus money will be used to help convert an abandoned factory building into apartments and commercial space. He said the nationwide program was the government's biggest investment in infrastructure since the interstate highway project of the 1950s and is saving 3,000 jobs a day.
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