President Biden will visit Hartford and UConn Friday with plans to highlight child care and infrastructure bill before Congress

In the midst of an epic battle in Congress over his legislative agenda, President Joe Biden will travel to Connecticut Friday to visit Hartford and attend the dedication of the Dodd Center for Human Rights at UConn.

“We are deeply honored that President Biden is joining us as we dedicate ourselves to extending the Dodd family legacy,” said UConn President Andrew Agwunobi. “UConn is honoring over a half-century of public service of Connecticut’s father and son U.S. senators, Thomas J. Dodd and Christopher J. Dodd, as well as the commitment of the Dodd family to supporting the growth and development of UConn’s widely recognized human rights academic, research, and engagement programs.”

The Dodd Center for Human Rights will serve as an umbrella home for the UConn’s human rights programs. It had been known as the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center since its opening in 1995, and UConn’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously in August to authorize its dedication as the Dodd Center for Human Rights.

Biden and Chris Dodd served together in the U.S. Senate and have long been close. “I’m deeply grateful to UConn for recognizing me and my family by dedicating the Dodd Center for Human Rights, and I’m honored that my good friend President Biden is joining us to mark this occasion,” Dodd said in a statement released Tuesday.

Biden has been touring the country to win public support for his infrastructure bill and his “build back better” agenda. In Connecticut, he will highlight “the importance of investing in child care to keep costs down for working families,’’ according to a statement from the White House press office.

Gov. Ned Lamont said Biden will be in Connecticut to talk about child care and his infrastructure initiative before heading to UConn.

“We are really happy that President Biden is coming back to Connecticut. We are going to do something at a child care facility in the Hartford area and then go out to the Dodd Center at UConn,’' Lamont said Tuesday.

The White House has not released details about the Hartford segment of the visit. Mayor Luke Bronin said he is coordinating with state officials and members of Biden’s advance team.

“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to host the President in Hartford and to highlight what the ‘build back better’ legislation would mean for families here in Hartford and around the country,’’ Bronin said.

The visit would come at a key time for both legislative proposals, which are facing opposition from Republicans and Biden’s fellow Democrats.

Members of Connecticut’s all-Democratic delegation have been important allies to the president as he tries to get the proposals through Congress.

Biden’s $3.5 trillion “build back better” plan would fund an array of social programs, from free community college and child care to Medicare coverage for dental services. It also contains provisions that incentivize clean energy, cut prescription drug prices and fund paid family and medical leave for most Americans.

The visit marks the second time Biden has traveled to the state since he was sworn in January. He spoke in May at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s commencement ceremony in New London.

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