Former President Bill Clinton urges Steamfitters to help elect Kamala Harris
HARMONY — Former President Bill Clinton urged members of Steamfitters Local 449 and their families to help Vice President Kamala Harris defeat former President Donald Trump in Tuesday’s election.
Clinton was joined by U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., state Sen Jay Costa, D-43rd, county Commissioner Kevin Boozel, Butler County Democratic Committee Chairwoman Catherine Lalonde and Kenny Broadbent, business manager of the local Steamfitters union, in urging the audience of about 200 to get their family, friends and neighbors to vote for Harris.
He said there is a cost of living problem in the country, touted Harris’ plan to improve the economy and criticized Trump’s plan. Harris will help the middle class and help lower-income people grow into the middle class, he said.
Clinton said Trump is trying to take credit for economic growth that former President Barack Obama created and continued during the Trump administration.
“He’s the best liar I’ve ever seen,” Clinton said.
Trump got elected saying the economy was in bad shape, but 8 million jobs were created in the two years before he took office under the Obama administration, Clinton said. Under Trump’s administration, 6.5 million jobs were created and the economy created under Obama began to slow down, he said.
The COVID-19 pandemic created product supply problems that contributed to the current high cost of living, but the administration of President Joe Biden and Harris secured passage of an infrastructure law (The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021) that created jobs across the country, Clinton said.
“Trump and Biden promised you and infrastructure bill and we need it bad, and Biden delivered and Trump didn’t,” Clinton said.
He said Harris’ plans for the economy begin with addressing the cost of living, infrastructure and grocery prices.
The Infrastructure Law funded 60,000 projects, but that number will grow to 100,000 under Harris, he said.
Clinton said Harris will make sure big chain grocery stores and grocery suppliers are not price gouging while Trump just wants people to be upset about grocery prices.
He said Harris will provide first-time homebuyers with up to $25,000 to help with their down payments.
Harris’ energy plans include natural gas, oil, solar and wind, and more people in Pennsylvania make money from solar and wind energy development than from oil and gas, Clinton said.
He said Trump wants to impose tariffs, but his economic plan will increases costs for the average taxpayer by $4,000 year.
Lalonde said the economy is the main issue in the election, and Harris will help families by implementing a $6,000 child tax credit.
She led the audience in a chorus of, “We aren’t going back.”
Boozel called Trump “unhinged” and “unfit,” and said his administration was a disaster.
“He is only seeking unchecked power to continue his reign,” Boozel said.
He said Harris is focused on a free democracy and has a realistic plan.
“We need her in the White House and Democrats in Congress,” Boozel said.
Costa, the Senate minority leader, called upon the union members to elect Harris and reelect U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.
“This is the most consequential election we’ll have in our lifetime,” Costa said.
Broadbent said union members were not permitted to deduct union dues from their income taxes under the Trump administration.
He said the union supports the Democratic Party because it stands for the middle class and role unions play in providing middle class jobs.
Using himself as an example, Broadbent said he got Cs and Ds as grades in high school, but he got job with the Steamfitters that allowed him to build a home.
Fetterman urged the union members to support Harris and Casey, who he called a friend and mentor.
