{"id":155583,"date":"2023-02-09T08:50:46","date_gmt":"2023-02-09T16:50:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=155583"},"modified":"2023-02-09T08:50:46","modified_gmt":"2023-02-09T16:50:46","slug":"president-biden-on-the-economy-union-jobs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=155583","title":{"rendered":"President Biden on the Economy &#038; Union Jobs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>DeForest, Wisconsin&#8230;Hello, hello, hello!  (Applause.)  If you have a seat, take one.  If you don\u2019t, come on up on stage with me.  (Laughter.)  Well, thank you very much.  You know \u2014 (picks up a different handheld microphone) \u2014 got it over here.  Hey, folks.  How are you?  (Applause.)  (Looks at audience on balcony.)  Don\u2019t jump.  Don\u2019t jump.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AhrMs4uMm4M\" title=\"President Biden Delivers Remarks on the Economy\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Well, hello, Madison.  Hello, Laborers.  And hello, hello, hello, Terry O\u2019Sullivan \u2014 one of my best buddies in labor in my entire career.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>The thing about Terry is: Whatever he says, he does, even when circumstances change.  I love the people that say, \u201cI\u2019ll be there with you,\u201d and then they say, \u201cOh, I can\u2019t anymore.  Things have changed.\u201d  Whatever he tells you, he does.  Whatever he tells you, he does.  And we\u2019ve been working together since he was 12 years old.<\/p>\n<p>No, I\u2019m only joking. <\/p>\n<p>But, you know, every time I have a problem in Delaware, Gov, I just go across the river to New Jersey and make sure everything got squared away.  (Laughter.)  You think I\u2019m joking.  This is the most reliable guy and one of the most reliable guys in labor or business.  And I really appreciate it.<\/p>\n<p>So, look, I want to thank Sarah for that introduction.  And, boy, can she wield a mean hockey stick.  (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>I tell you, I was in the back \u2014 the reason we were taking a little longer is I have a granddaughter who\u2019s a hell of an athlete.  She\u2019s going to graduate this year from college.  But she\u2019s \u2014 she played lacrosse and \u2014 and field hockey.  I mean, excuse me, lacrosse and soccer.  All-State in both subjects \u2014 in both sports.  And she went off to school and she said, \u201cI can\u2019t\u2026\u201d \u2014 \u201cI can\u2019t work 40 hours a week on the field and still do well in school.\u201d  So, she decided to stay.  I was hoping she\u2019d go pro.  But, anyway, you know what I mean.<\/p>\n<p>But I was telling \u2014 I was telling my introducer she reminds me very much of my granddaughter.  She even looks like her.<\/p>\n<p>Any rate \u2014 Madam Mayor, thanks for the passport into town.  Appreciate it.  (Applause.)  Where is she?  And \u2014 there you are.<\/p>\n<p>And, Governor Evers, you\u2019re the \u2014 you\u2019re a great partner, man.  You\u2019ve been a great partner when I \u2014 all the way back when I was Vice President, and even now.  And I can\u2019t tell you how much I appreciate your leadership.  I really, really mean it.  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And Representative Mark Pocan \u2014 a great congressman, a friend who\u2019s always fighting for working families.  And you helped us get so much done for union members in the last couple years.<\/p>\n<p>Look, you know, she couldn\u2019t be here today, but Tammy Baldwin \u2014 (applause) \u2014 Tammy Baldwin is \u2014 fights so damn hard for this state.  If I do anything that doesn\u2019t start off with the word \u201cWisconsin,\u201d I get a note from Tammy.  But all kidding aside, she\u2019s incredible.<\/p>\n<p>Before we get started, I want to take a moment to \u2014 on behalf of the American people, our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Turkey and Syria.  You know, they\u2019re \u2014 the death toll is rising.  It\u2019s one of the worst earthquakes in that region in over 100 years.  And we mourn the loss of so many lives, and we offer our deepest condolences.<\/p>\n<p>You know, it\u2019s amazing watching these people try to pull out \u2014 pulling out of \u2014 from under this rubble and these terrible buildings.  But all the \u2014 the earthquake was incredibly powerful, significant aftershocks, and a second quake.  But you see dads and moms pulling little babies out from underneath the \u2014 this rubble.  So many people dying.  And our thoughts are also with the survivors who\u2019ve been torn apart by this tragedy.<\/p>\n<p>As I told President Erdo\u011fan when I called him immediately when the first quake hit, that the United States is offering our full support \u2014 full support \u2014 rescue and recovery teams, and our NATO Ally deploying teams, with U.S. Agency of International Development drawing additional resources, including our armed forces in Europe to assist Turkey\u2019s teams on the ground.<\/p>\n<p>In Syria, the U.S. is supporting humanitarian partners.  We\u2019re responding with equipment and assistance and have been conducting urgent, urgent search and rescue missions from day one, even in the face of staff members\u2019 death and injuries on that first day.<\/p>\n<p>The United States is a leading donor \u2014 leading donor across all the areas of Syria, no matter who controls the territory.  It\u2019s about saving human life.<\/p>\n<p>We remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting the people of Turkey and Syria in this time of need.<\/p>\n<p>Last night \u2014 last night, I reported on the state of the Union.  It is strong.  It is strong.  (Applause.)  And it\u2019s strong because of you, because the soul of this nation is strong, the backbone of this nation is strong, and the people of this nation are strong.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019ve said so many times \u2014 often told the Democrats and Republicans \u2014 we can actually work together.  We actually work together. <\/p>\n<p>All the things we did were bipartisan \u2014 all the major initiatives.  And besides, I signed over 300 bipartisan bills beyond the big ones.<\/p>\n<p>Folks, look, last night I said if we couldn\u2019t work together the last Con- \u2014 if we could work together last Congress, there\u2019s no reason we can\u2019t get things done as well with this Congress.  And I mean that.<\/p>\n<p>You know, people sent us a clear message: Fighting for the sake of fighting gets us nowhere.  We are getting things done.  (Applause.)  It\u2019s always been my vision for this country. <\/p>\n<p>And today I\u2019m here to talk about one part of that vision: the economy that works for working people.  This is a blue-collar blue change we\u2019re seeing.  You know, an economy where we\u2019re building si- \u2014 we\u2019ve built more in the last two years, since I\u2019ve taken office, than you can imagine. <\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve created 12 million new jobs.  A half a million jobs just last month.  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019ve now created more jobs in two years \u2014 more jobs in two years than any President has created in a single four-year term.<\/p>\n<p>Look, the unemployment rate is 3.4 percent, a 50-year low.<\/p>\n<p>Gas prices are down more than $1.50, and we\u2019re going to make sure the oil companies start playing their honest role.  It\u2019s going to go down further. <\/p>\n<p>Inflation has fallen six months straight.  And inflation is coming down, and take-home pay to workers is going up slightly.<\/p>\n<p>Manufacturing is rebounding at the fastest rate in almost 40 years.<\/p>\n<p>The economy is growing at a solid clip.<\/p>\n<p>Folks, I hate to disappoint them, but the Biden economic plan is working.  It\u2019s working.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s not news to any of you.  The Laborers here in Wisconsin, the union workers across the country are seeing it firsthand.  Because for the first time in a long time, we\u2019re building an economy from the bottom up and the middle out \u2014 from the bottom up and the middle out, with products made in America, with union labor.  Not \u201clabor.\u201d  Union labor.  (Applause.)  I mean it.  <\/p>\n<p>My American plan \u2014 my economic plan is for the middle- and working-class Americans that get up every morning and go to work and bust their necks just trying to get an honest living.<\/p>\n<p>You know, my dad used to have an expression.  He wasn\u2019t a college guy.  He regretted he never got to go to college.  But my dad worked like hell.  My dad used to say \u2014 and I mean this sincerely \u2014 and all the kids in the family know it.  He\u2019d say, \u201cJoey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck.  It\u2019s about your dignity.  It\u2019s about respect.  It\u2019s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, \u2018Honey, it\u2019s going to be okay,\u2019 and mean it.\u201d  And mean it.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Look, I\u2019ve said many times, Wall Street did not build this country; the middle class built the country.  And unions built the middle class.  (Applause.)  And that\u2019s a fact.  And for real, that\u2019s the God\u2019s truth.<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, and now you\u2019re rebuilding the country.<\/p>\n<p>I signed a once-in-a-generation investment in putting Americans to work rebuilding our national infrastructure.  It was bipartisan. <\/p>\n<p>Republicans signed on to it too \u2014 not all of them but enough to get it passed.<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, I told them \u2014 even those that didn\u2019t vote for it called and say, \u201cWe need a project in my district.\u201d  I say, \u201cOkay, good.  We\u2019ll do it.  See you at the groundbreaking.\u201d  (Laughter.)  You know.  But really.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m President for all of America.<\/p>\n<p>You know, at the Port of Green Bay, we\u2019re helping turn an old water plant site into a new port terminal.  Going to create thousands of jobs over time.  This is big deal.<\/p>\n<p>You know, we\u2019re just up the road in Columbia County \u2014 just up the road, funds from the infrastructure are going to replace the Wisconsin River Bridge.<\/p>\n<p>Here in Madison, the mayor can tell you, we\u2019re using the funding to buy 46 electric buses, replacing dirty diesel buses that are bad health for the environment.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Each of these projects means jobs for laborers, plumbers, pipefitters, electricians, carpenters, cement masons, iron workers, and so many more.  These are good jobs.  Jobs you can raise a family on.  And most don\u2019t require a college degree.<\/p>\n<p>Jobs where people don\u2019t have to leave home in search of an opportunity.  But they do require at least four years of trained apprenticeships, which is one of the reasons the United States has the best-trained workers in the world, like you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, the vast majority of Americans don\u2019t know that.  We ought to tell them \u2014 keep telling them.  Every time they say, \u201cWhy are you so pro labor?\u201d  Because you\u2019re the best workers in the world.  And they say, \u201cHow\u2019s that?\u201d  Nobody decides \u201cI want to be a laborer,\u201d \u201cI want to be a plumber,\u201d or \u201cI want to be an electrician.\u201d  It takes you four years busting your neck, basically going back to school, to be able to become certified.  That\u2019s why you\u2019re the best.  You\u2019re the best educated in what you do. (Applause.) I really mean it.<\/p>\n<p>I spoke with members of the Business Roundtable \u2014 the big business guys.  And they asked why am I so pro labor.  Because you save them money.  What you do lasts.  What you do lasts.<\/p>\n<p>And through the American Rescue Plan, we\u2019re funding workforce development programs, including 128 million here in Wisconsin \u2014 dollars in Wisconsin, so American workers are prepared to compete in the economy we\u2019re building. <\/p>\n<p>This is a blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re also doing something that for years people just talked about.  We\u2019re going to buy American for everything we build.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Last night, I announced we\u2019re proposing new standards to require all construction materials used on federal infrastructure projects be made in America.  (Applause.)  American lumber, American glass, American drywall, American fiber optics, American roads, bridges, highways made with American products.<\/p>\n<p>My first two years in office, we\u2019ve created 800,000 manufacturing jobs.  (Applause.)  Where \u2014 I mean it sincerely \u2014 with jobs you can live on.  Where is it written America can\u2019t lead the world in manufacturing again?  I didn\u2019t see it written anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>Our economic \u2014 our economic agenda has ignited a new manufacturing boom.<\/p>\n<p>Just outside of Madison, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is going to hire 250 workers at a drug manufacturing facility.<\/p>\n<p>Georgia-Pacific has committed to a major expansion of the Green Bay paper production facility bringing in 100 new employees and hiring 500 construction workers. <\/p>\n<p>For decades, we\u2019ve imported a project \u2014 we\u2019ve imported products from abroad and sent jobs overseas, because they thought it was cheaper to have a cheaper labor.<\/p>\n<p>Now America is exporting product overseas and creating jobs here at home.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Look, I didn\u2019t come from a poor family.  I came from a typical middle-class family: split-level home, four kids, a grandpop living with us.  It wasn\u2019t so private for my mom and dad, but we thought it was good.  (Laughter.)  But all kidding aside, typical middle-class family. <\/p>\n<p>For decades, the backbone of America \u2014 the middle class \u2014 had been hollowed out.  It\u2019s been hollowed out.  Good-paying manufacturing jobs moved overseas \u2014 production \u2014 because it was cheaper there.<\/p>\n<p>When jobs moved overseas, factories at home closed down.  You saw it in Janesville, where Sarah, a woman you just heard from is from.  When the last assembly line was shut down at a GM plant two days before Christmas in 2008, thousands of people lost their jobs at the plant and the surrounding businesses that the plant kept alive.<\/p>\n<p>Look, think about how many moms and dads had to have that conversation with their kids: \u201cHoney, I just lost my job.  We got to move, honey.  I\u2019m not sure where.  We can\u2019t live here anymore.  No job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Once-thriving cities and towns became shadows of what they used to be.  And when those towns were hollowed out, something else was lost: pride, self-esteem, a sense of self-worth.  But now we\u2019re going to turn that around.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re building an economy where no one is going to be left behind.  My economic plan is about investing in places, people that had been forgotten.<\/p>\n<p>As part of that plan, I talked last night about things we\u2019re going to do for families.  Just a little more breathing room.  Just to give them, as my dad would say, \u201cjust a little more breathing room.\u201d  At the end of the month, when everything is paid, do you have just a little more breathing room? <\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re going to lower the cost of everyday products for you all. <\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re talking \u2014 taking on what we call \u201cjunk fees,\u201d those hidden surcharges businesses use to make you pay more.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re making airlines show just how the full price of the ticket costs upfront, not after the fact, and refund your money if your flight is cancelled.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve reduced the ex- \u2014 the exporta- \u2014 excuse me \u2014 the exorbitant bank overdraft fees, saving an American taxpayer a millio- \u2014 a billion dollars a year, just those fees that were exorbitant for an overdraft.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re proposing to cut credit card fees by 75 percent, and now they average \u2014 if it\u2019s \u2014 if you\u2019re over \u2014 if you\u2019re late on a payment by a day, it\u2019s 30 bucks.  Guess what?  It\u2019s going to be $8 now.<\/p>\n<p>I heard a commentator on the way, flying out here on Air Force One \u2014 the television was on \u2014 talking about little things, like junk fees.  He says, \u201cWhy isn\u2019t Biden talking about important things, important issues?  Well, the next thing he\u2019s going to be talking about is taking in your garbage.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Well, let me tell you something: Junk fees may not matter to the wealthy people, but they matter to most folks, like the home I grew up in.  (Applause.)  They add hundreds of dollars \u2014 they add hundreds of dollars a month and make it harder to pay your bills or afford that family trip.<\/p>\n<p>I know how unfair it feels when a company overcharges you and think they can get away with it.  They play us for suckers.  And it makes you angry, at least it does me.  Frankly, it offends me to think about it.<\/p>\n<p>So I\u2019m calling on Congress to pass a Junk Free [Fee] Prevention Act so we can do more than [to] crack down on these junk fees.<\/p>\n<p>For too long, workers have been getting stiffed.  You know, 30 million workers, the vast majority of them on an hourly wage, had to sign non-compete agreements when they took their job.  Thirty million.  These aren\u2019t trade secrets they\u2019re hiding.  They are hourly wages.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s when a construction worker on a job site can\u2019t cross the street and take a job with another outfit to make a couple more bucks.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re banning these agreements for companies that comp- \u2014 compete \u2014 won\u2019t compete, so they pay people the fair share.  Why in God\u2019s name do you tell a worker \u2014 an hourly worker \u2014 that they have to sign an agreement, that they will not take a similar job in \u2014 anywhere in the area?<\/p>\n<p>Look, one of my objectives is to store the dignity of work \u2014 to restore it.<\/p>\n<p>You know, we\u2019ve made a lot of progress over the past two years.  Many of you have seen we\u2019ve had a spirited debate last night with my Republican friends.  (Laughter.)  (Applause.) <\/p>\n<p>My Republicans friends, they seemed shocked \u2014 (laughter) \u2014 when I raised the plans of some of their members and their caucus to cut Social Security.  And Marjorie Taylor Greene and others stood up and said, \u201cLiar!  Liar!\u201d  It reminds of that \u201cLiar, liar, house on fire.\u201d  Yeah. <\/p>\n<p>Well, guess what?  You know, I remind you that Rick Scott from Florida, the guy who ran the U.S. Senate campaign, has a plan.  I got his brochure right here.  It has a plan.  Here\u2019s what he says in his plan.  Let me open it up here.  Sorry. <\/p>\n<p>(Holds up and reads from paper.)  He says, \u201cAll federal legislation sunsets every five years.  If the law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.\u201d  Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid.<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, you have Senator \u2014 (clears throat) \u2014 (laughter) \u2014 named Ron Johnson.<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE:  Booo \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Ron Johnson, on Social Security and Medicare, quote: \u201cWe should transfer everything so we have to consider everything every year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>AUDIENCE:  Booo \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:  Come on, man.<\/p>\n<p>And then \u2014 and then we found there was a \u2014 you know, there\u2019s a senator named Mike Lee, who was also yelling, you know, \u201cLiar, liar, house on fire\u201d kind of stuff last night.  Well, I didn\u2019t even know this, but they played a video showing him \u2014 he said \u2014 when I said they wanted \u2014 I didn\u2019t say the whole part.  I said, \u201cRepublicans\u2026\u201d \u2014 \u201cLeading Republicans want to cut Social Security and Medicare.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And so, they played last night something I didn\u2019t even know existed: a video of him saying, \u201cI\u2019m here right now to tell you one thing you probably never heard from a politician.  It\u2019ll be my objection to phase out Social Security, pull it up by its roots, get rid of it.\u201d  Then he added \u2014 I\u2019m quoting this now \u2013\u201cMedicare and Medicaid are the same sort.  They need to be pulled up.\u201d  It sounds pretty clear to me.  How about you?<\/p>\n<p>But they sure didn\u2019t like me calling them on it.<\/p>\n<p>Look, a lot of Republicans, their dream is to cut Social Security and Medicare.  Well, let me just say this: It\u2019s your dream, but I\u2019m going to \u2014 my veto pen make it a nightmare.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s \u2014 but here\u2019s, actually, the good news.  There\u2019s a lot of good Republicans.  I found it interesting that when I called them out on it last night, it sounded like they agreed to take these cuts off the table.<\/p>\n<p>Remember I said \u2014 no, I\u2019m serious.  Remember what I said?  I said, \u201cSo you\u2019re not going to cut it, huh?\u201d  \u201cNo!\u201d  I said, \u201cOkay, we got a deal.\u201d  (Applause.)  Well, I sure hope that\u2019s true.  I\u2019ll believe it when I see it and their budget is laid down with their cuts they\u2019re proposing.<\/p>\n<p>But it looks like we negotiated a deal last night on the floor of the House of Representatives.  (Laughter.)  Seriously.  You see them all standing up, saying, \u201cWe\u2019re not going cut anything\u201d?  Well, that\u2019s good.  Because, by the way, we got a lot of good bipartisan stuff done in the previous year.  Why can\u2019t we do it again?<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s the bottom line: All of you have been paying into the system with every single paycheck you\u2019ve had since you started working.  These benefits belong to you, the American worker.  You earned it.  And I will not allow anyone to cut them \u2014 not today, not tomorrow, not ever \u2014 period.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>You know, some Republicans in Congress are even threatening to have America default on its debt if I don\u2019t agree to the cuts they want.  Democrats have never, ever done that, by the way.<\/p>\n<p>Now, let\u2019s talk about what our national debt is.  Everybody thinks it\u2019s like what we spend this year versus last.<\/p>\n<p>The national debt is the total debt and interest accumulated over 220 years.  You hear me?  Two hundred \u2014 over 200 years.  Every single year that we went and spent more than we took in, it added up.  So the federal debt you\u2019re hearing about is not the yearly debt, it\u2019s 220 or so years of accumulated debt.  Democrats, Republicans, everybody.<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s the deal: Our credit has been good.  We\u2019ve never missed a payment as a nation on the debt we have.  Why in God\u2019s name would America give up the progress we\u2019ve made for the chaos they\u2019re suggesting? <\/p>\n<p>This nation has done \u2014 gone through too much.  We\u2019ve come too far to let that happen.  I won\u2019t \u2014 not on my watch.<\/p>\n<p>And while there\u2019s more work to do, it\u2019s clear our plan is working because of the \u2014 because of the grit and resolve of the American worker.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019m not trying to just be nice to you.  I\u2019ve been saying this my whole career.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re going to keep lowering costs for families.  We\u2019re going to keep putting shovels in the ground to rebuild our infrastructure, our supply chains, and manufacture more here at home.<\/p>\n<p>You know, in the communities across the country that were too easily written off for dead, we\u2019re going to see not only jobs and economic opportunity return, but a sense of pride. <\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m from Scranton, Pennsylvania.  I was raised in a little steel town called Claymont, Delaware.  There\u2019s no more steel being made.  Scranton, because of coal \u2014 everyone is from Scranton.  And just like you\u2019re going to see here in Wisconsin, we\u2019re going to make sure that what we do is we rebuild these communities.<\/p>\n<p>Let me close with this.  I\u2019ve long said it\u2019s never been a good bet to ge- \u2014 bet against America.  Not a joke.  That\u2019s what I\u2019ve told all \u2014 I\u2019ve been doing foreign policy for a long time.  I know every major world leader for the last 35 years.  I know them face-to-face.  I did it for the previous President, my President, Barack Obama.  And I\u2019m doing it now.<\/p>\n<p>I can say honestly, as I stand here today, I have never, ever been more optimistic about America\u2019s future than I am today.  We just have to remember who in God\u2019s name we are.  We\u2019re the United States of America.  We\u2019re the best-positioned nation in the world to lead the world in the 21st century.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s nothing \u2014 nothing beyond our capacity if we work together.  And it\u2019s my hope we\u2019re going to find enough Republicans who want to do that.<\/p>\n<p>And God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>1:14 P.M. CST<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>DeForest, Wisconsin&#8230;Hello, hello, hello! (Applause.) If you have a seat, take one. If you don\u2019t, come on up on stage with me. (Laughter.) Well, thank you very much. You know \u2014 (picks up a different handheld microphone) \u2014 got it over here. Hey, folks. How are you? (Applause.) (Looks at audience on balcony.) Don\u2019t jump. 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