President Joe Biden visits Allentown area to tout ‘Bidenomics’ agenda ahead of 2024 election
President Joe Biden visited the Lehigh Valley Friday, touring local businesses in Emmaus and a newly constructed fire academy building in Allentown to tout his “Bidenomics” agenda.
Air Force One landed about 1:15 p.m. at Lehigh Valley International Airport, where Biden was greeted by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk.
Biden toured several businesses in Emmaus including Nowhere Coffee Co., South Mountain Cycle and the Emmaus Run Inn. He shook hands with business owners and employees and made small talk with several, asking about their business sales and popular items. Shapiro, Casey and Lehigh Valley Congresswoman Susan Wild joined him during the visits.
“This is cool!” Biden said as Nowhere Coffee Co. co-owner Lauren Vargas welcomed him to the shop.
Privately, he spent about 10 to 15 minutes with business owners where, Biden said in later remarks, he discussed their economic concerns and hope for the future.
“I just came away from this really reassured that what we’ve done has had an impact,” Biden said. “Not just here in Pennsylvania, but throughout the country.”
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His visit aimed to celebrate a boom in small businesses nationwide: Nearly 16 million people have filed applications to open a business since January 2021, a record high, according to U.S. census data. Allentown is no different — unemployment in the Queen City has dropped to 3.9%, a 25-year low, and new business applications are up by 30% since the beginning of the pandemic.
Before departing Nowhere Coffee Co., Biden took several questions from the media and made some news.
When asked if Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a lapse in judgement by not disclosing his hospitalization and cancer diagnosis, Biden replied, “Yes.” It was his first time directly addressing the controversy since it became public earlier this week.
However, the president said, “I do,” when asked if he still had confidence in Austin.
Biden was also asked if the United States is in a de facto proxy war with Iran, to which he said, “No.”
U.S. and U.K. warships launched waves of air, ship and submarine-launched missiles at Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen late Thursday.
Later Friday afternoon, Biden paid a visit to the Allentown Fire Academy and Emergency Operations Center, a brand new building which was unveiled in August and benefited from $2.3 million in American Rescue Plan funding, a 2021 spending package championed by Biden. He greeted and shook hands with Allentown firefighters, including fire Chief Efrain Agosto and deputy fire Chief Christian Williams.
Polls have shown Joe Biden in a close race with likely Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump in 2024. A Quinnipiac university poll from Jan. 10 predicts a “too close to call” race in Pennsylvania, a key swing state.
Just before Biden arrived in the Lehigh Valley, the Republican National Committee released a statement from Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel blasting his visit.
“With out of control crime and heartbreaking job cuts, Allentown is another unfortunate victim of Democrat control,” the statement said. “Today, Biden will have to face the very people his policies hurt. In November, small business owners, like ones he meets today, will vote for economic relief and safety in our Republican nominee.”
Despite economic positives like waning inflation and record low unemployment, most Americans do not have a positive view of the economy, and only around a third of Americans approve of Biden’s handling of the economy, according to a recent Pew Research poll.
In a 10-minute address to reporters at the fire academy, Biden recounted his conversation with business owners and what he called his administration’s successes at bolstering the economy, from bringing about Medicare drug price negotiation to reduce the cost of prescription medicines to child tax credits, a now-expired federal program that gave between $2,000 and $3,600 tax breaks to American parents.
Biden gives remarks to reporters, recounting his private conversation with owners of nowhere coffee co. where they talked about their economic concerns, but also hope for the future. pic.twitter.com/2fvoYdAfsg
— Lindsay Weber (@lindsay_weber_) January 12, 2024
Asked what his plans were to address low consumer confidence, Biden said, “What we haven’t done is let them know exactly what’s changed.” He said consumer confidence is “way up,” and cited the Allentown fire academy as an example of a positive federal investment.
“Everyone is doing better and they believe it, they know it, it’s beginning to sink in,” Biden said.
The economy isn’t the only issue Biden faces going into the election: A group of around 100 pro-Palestine protesters gathered at Lehigh Street near the fire academy, chanting “Ceasefire Now” as the presidential motorcade passed.
The last time Biden paid a visit to the Valley was 2021, when he toured Mack Trucks in Lower Macungie to promote his manufacturing and “Buy American” agenda. He’ll return to Pennsylvania on Monday; administration officials said he would participate in a service event in Philadelphia to mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at Liweber@mcall.com.
A look back at the history of presidential visits to the Lehigh Valley