Speaking to union leaders in Philadelphia on Tuesday, President Joe Biden acknowledged the economic woes Americans feel, but touted progress his administration has made in building an economy around working people.
Biden, in a speech at the AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, accused congressional Republicans of “doing everything in their power to stop my plan to cut costs for ordinary Americans.”
“So my plan isn’t ready and neither are the results,” Biden said. “Jobs have gone up, but inflation is still too high. COVID is down…gas prices are up. Our work is not done yet.”
The president’s halt comes amid the ongoing economic slowdown. Inflation continues to rise according to last week’s consumer report, gas prices remain elevated and Wall Street opened the week with big losses.
However, the latest jobs report for May showed strong gains in new jobs and a low unemployment rate of 3.6 percent. But Biden is struggling to convey much optimism about the economy, and his already low approval ratings have tumbled in recent weeks.
At Tuesday’s convention, he lobbied for America’s bailout plan and a bipartisan infrastructure bill, noting that the deficit should be cut by $1.6 trillion this year.
» READ MORE: What rising inflation means for your household
“I don’t want to hear these lies about reckless spending anymore. We’re changing people’s lives,” Biden said in a louder voice.
Biden partially blamed former President Donald Trump for the economic situation Americans are facing today.
“Politics of the past have produced more billionaires than at any time in American history,” he said. “We inherited that.” Echoing a line he took during his presidential campaign, Biden said America’s economic vision must “look down from Scranton … not down from Wall Street.”
Republicans used Biden’s visit on Tuesday to condemn all Democrats as “radical” and out of touch with the American people.
“These gas prices are out of control,” RNC spokesman Paris Dennard told reporters. “But you don’t see leadership from Joe Biden from Washington.”
» READ MORE: See how much gas is currently costing in Philadelphia
Biden said in his address that cutting gas prices is a key priority and that the White House is working with European allies to bypass Russian blockades on grain exports from Ukraine.
He also stressed the power of unions to elect pro-union candidates in 2022. He said he had a Zoom call with Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the Democratic nominee for the US Senate.
“I know he can’t wait to get back on track,” Biden said of Fetterman, who is recovering from a May 13 stroke. “He looks good. There is no bigger, stronger voice for working people. Certainly not bigger.”
With criticism of Biden, Republicans on Tuesday, including US Rep. Fred Keller, also tried to tie the president to Fetterman. But in doing so, they relied on a disproved claim that Fetterman was a “self-described socialist.”
In response, Keller said he would point to Fetterman’s proposed policy to justify calling him a socialist. Dennard said he “would not describe Fetterman as a conservative capitalist”.
The AFL-CIO includes 57 unions and 12.5 million workers. Their congress is held every four years to allow the leaders to vote on the strategy to guide the future of the labor movement.
Biden has often highlighted his ties to and support for labor unions, saying several times that he intends to become “the most pro-union president” in history. Union support was key to his victory in key swing states in the 2020 election.
“You guys are a gigantic reason I’m standing here,” he told the crowd.
He spent a good portion of the speech praising the work and ended with a rousing call for members to continue supporting him at a moment when he is struggling to get a clear message across.
“I promise I will keep fighting for you. Are you ready to keep fighting for me?” he asked as the crowd rose and began chanting his first name. “Let’s fight together. Let’s keep building a better America.”
Biden’s stop at the AFL-CIO convention marks his third presidential trip to Philadelphia this year.
In March, Biden appeared at the Hilton at Penn’s Landing to address the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference, a party retreat. There he encouraged House Democrats to promote his American bailout plan ahead of this year’s midterm elections, which he says has lifted people out of poverty and boosted employment.
In January, President and First Lady Jill Biden visited Philabundance to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The couple helped pack boxes of groceries that were sent to the Feast of Justice pantry in Northeast Philadelphia and the Mid-Atlantic States Career & Education Center Inc. in Pennsville, Salem County. In honor of the holiday, Biden also visited Philabundance in 2021.
Authors Chris Brennan and Nick Vadala contributed to this article.
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