ALLENTOWN—- First Lady Jill Biden returned to the Keystone State on Tuesday to join Rep. Susan Wild (D-7th District) and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) to tout President Joe Biden’s administration’s policies on education and workforce development.
“No matter how many places I go, it’s always special to come home to Pennsylvania,” said Biden, a suburban Philadelphia native and longtime teacher at Lehigh Carbon Community College. “And it’s even better to come to a community college.”
Standing in front of a banner reading “From Classroom to Career,” Biden underscored the administration’s commitment to education policy, saying the president “an ambitious new proposal”would give every student in America the opportunity to take career-related community college classes while still in high school. It also highlighted President Biden’s call for “free, high-quality universal pre-kindergarten” and increased pay for early childhood teachers.
Biden’s visit is part of CHC on the Road, an initiative to engage White House lawmakers and officials with Latino communities. Tuesday’s visit to Allentown was the 11th on that tour to regions with immense Latino populations.
Pennsylvania’s 7th congressional district, which Wild represents, has a population of about 165,000 Latinos. That makes it the second-largest concentration of Latinos in the state’s congressional delegation, behind U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia) 2. Districtaccording to US Census data.
Although Tuesday’s visit was not a campaign stop, Democrats and Republicans courted Latino voters in Pennsylvania and other states where the election results were uncertain, latest polls suggests that Biden does not enjoy as much support among Latinos as he did in the 2020 election.
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Speakers also emphasized that the Lehigh Valley is a manufacturing and distribution center.
“In many ways, the Lehigh Valley has been a place of transformation, where iron ore turns into steel and steel turns into prosperity,” Biden said. “And you continue to transform.”
Biden too he advertised the implementing regulation President Biden signed legislation last month that protects some undocumented spouses of citizens from deportation and speeds up work authorizations for DACA recipients, also known as “Dreamers.”
Following remarks, Wild led a community outreach session with Biden, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk and other community representatives.
Dr. Ann Bieber, president of Lehigh Carbon Community College, promoted a dual enrollment program that benefits high school students and thanked the Biden administration for stimulus funds that helped bolster career and pre-apprenticeship training programs.
Victoria Montero of St. Luke’s University Health Network highlighted mentoring programs that benefit Latinos in the local community.
Heidee Rosado, an emergency room nurse at St. Luke’s Health, shared her story of coming to Pennsylvania from Puerto Rico at age 9 and joining the program at St. Luke’s at age 16.
Biden did not answer any questions from reporters after the event, but did give a brief interview to local Spanish-language station La Mega Radio, according to reports.
Shortly after the event, Wild hosted an event at Allentown Arts Park, a few blocks away, to promote the work of the Allentown Health Bureau’s Maternal and Child Health Program.
Speaking to reporters, Wild was asked if President Biden should concede following his shaky performance during last week’s debate with former President Donald Trump.
“I’m not talking politics today,” Wild said. “I’m here to focus on maternal health at this event and education and job opportunities earlier in the event with Dr. Biden.” She added that she had not spoken to voters about Biden’s performance in the debate.
Wild, first elected to Congress in 2018, will face Republican state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie in November. Her campaign announced Tuesday that it raised more than $1.5 million in the most recent quarter. Cook Political Report rates the race in PA-07 as uncertain.
President Biden is set to travel with the First Lady to On Sunday, Philadelphia will address the teachers’ convention..
Sunday’s conference will be his ninth visit to the state in 2024. His last visit to Pennsylvania was in May to Philadelphia with Vice President Kamala Harris, Launch Black Voters for Biden-Harris Campaign InitiativeJill Biden has also made several campaign appearances in the state this year, most recently in June when she spoke in Lancaster and Pittsburgh. highlighting the issue of reproductive rights in the 2024 elections
Polls show Biden and Trump in a close race for Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes.
