WASHINGTON (AP) — Three progressive groups are spending more than $20 million in a new national ad campaign to promote President Joe Biden’s record as he begins his 2024 reelection race.

The ads from the groups Future Forward USA Action, Climate Power and Way to Win Action Fund, first shared with The Associated Press, aim to sell voters on Biden’s efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs, create clean energy jobs, and support the middle class as inflation takes a bite out of their take-home pay. The groups aim to remind Americans of what Biden has done in office, as many Democrats believe their party has not done enough to educate voters about what they have accomplished after 28 months in power.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has a good story to tell, and we’re making people aware of the real difference these policies will make in their everyday lives,” Chauncey McLean, the president of Future Forward USA Action, said in a statement. “This national advertising and marketing campaign will reach audiences on their TV and digital screens to highlight the Biden administration’s record of historic job growth and common-sense reforms that bring down costs for working people.”

The ads, which will air on national broadcast, cable and streaming platforms, were informed by Democratic research into what Americans knew about Biden’s accomplishments and which they responded to most positively when they heard about them, according to a person involved in the spending who was not authorized to speak publicly.

In an April poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Biden’s job approval rating stood at 42%, a slight improvement from 38% in March. The March poll came after a pair of bank failures rattled an already shaky confidence in the nation’s financial systems, and Biden’s approval rating then was near the lowest point of his presidency. The same poll showed just 47% of Democrats say they want him to seek a second term, up from 37% in February.

“America’s clean energy boom isn’t an accident. Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s clean energy plan, Big Oil is paying their fair share, and nearly 150,000 good-paying clean energy jobs are being created,” said Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power. “We’re excited to tell that story, and show Americans how President Biden’s clean energy plan is making a difference in their day-to-day lives.”

“The accomplishments of the Biden-Harris Administration are historic, and they’ve made life better for all people. We’re going to tell that story to the multi-racial, multi-generational majority who made these changes happen,” said Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, co-founder and chief strategy officer at Way to Win Action Fund. “Americans are coming together to defend our freedoms and rebuild our communities after a challenging period of history. These policy victories give us a chance to keep building a better future that works for all.”

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Biden announced his intentions on International Women’s Day, which recognizes the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world.

Biden created the first-ever White House Gender Policy Council on International Women’s Day last year to help promote gender equity throughout the administration.

He said everyone deserves to live up to their “God-given” potential, regardless of gender, and that societies perform better when women and girls are allowed to prosper.

“Ensuring that every woman and girl has that chance isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s also a strategic imperative that advances the prosperity, stability, and security of our nation and the world,” the president said in a written statement.

The White House also hosted a livestreamed International Women’s Day event Tuesday to discuss the announcement, featuring Secretary of State Antony Blinken from Europe, acting budget director Shalanda Young, U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power and Jen Klein, director of the Gender Policy Council. They were joined by young women leaders from Ukraine, Brazil, Zambia, Burma, Jordan and the United States.

Jill Biden marked International Women’s Day with a video tribute to women. She said during an appearance Tuesday in Arizona that the women of Ukraine and Russia were in her thoughts.

“I’m thinking about the women in Ukraine fighting to keep their country safe, and those holding their children, you know, holding them close as they flee to safety. And we’ve all seen the pictures,” she said in Tucson. “You’re mothers and you can see what they’re going through, and your hearts go out to each and every one of them. And I’m thinking of the brave women of Russia who have risked their safety to speak out against the invasion.”

“Women have never been silent. But women have been silenced, with violence, with discrimination, and with isolation, and it’s work and care that is never done,′ the first lady added.

Biden’s $2.6 billion funding request will be included in his federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2023, which starts Oct. 1.

Biden sought $1.2 billion for gender equality programs in his 2022 budget proposal. The numbers haven’t been finalized since Congress is still working on the budget.

The White House has not said when Biden will send his 2023 spending proposal to Congress.

DARLENE SUPERVILLE | AP NEWS

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