President Biden came to Cleveland to tout his administration’s work to protect pensions, but the message of the midterms was never far from view.
Speaking before an audience of union workers, where he touted the benefits that his policies will have on pension plans, Biden offered a sharper distillation of how he views the Republican Party and called out several Republican senators by name for voting against some of his policies not out of principle but out of fear.
Biden came to a high school in Cleveland to announce new protections that could help some 3 million Americans whose retirement benefits have faced potential insolvency amid the financial fallout of the pandemic. Aid for the multi-employer pension plans was included in the coronavirus relief package Biden signed into law last year.
But Biden’s appearance was also a reminder of some of the political challenges he is facing. A politician who has long prided himself on being a sought-after surrogate — and one with blue-collar appeal in states like Ohio — is a less desirable commodity at the moment for some within his party. Asked why Biden has continued coming to the state — it was his sixth trip to Ohio as president — when his approval ratings are low and the state has been trending toward Republicans, Jean-Pierre responded, “He will go wherever he needs to go to talk directly to the American people. … I think it makes a difference for them to hear from their president directly.
“If the evidence reveals potential violations of federal criminal statutes, the Justice Department will take the appropriate action,” he said.“There was only one word you heard most often in my family. Not a joke,” Biden said. “Most important word wasn’t unions. It was dignity, dignity. Everyone’s entitled to be treated with dignity.”
“Can I retire? When? And how will I do when I retire?” said Tracy Radich, an elementary school teacher active in the teachers union.
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