Keystone Today

As Joe Biden travels to Pennsylvania on Thursday, here are three critical questions he should be asked.

Why should Pennsylvania retreat backward to economic globalism?

Joe Biden loves to brag about his Scranton roots. But he left Pennsylvania in the 1950s, and has spent nearly a half century in the Washington swamp as a true Delaware senator, representing the interests of giant multinational corporations and the prerogatives of foreign governments. Biden’s priorities have harmed American workers, especially industrial laborers in places like the Keystone State.  In fact, Biden was a foremost proponent of the disastrous NAFTA agreement in 1994. From the ratification of NAFTA until President Trump’s election, Pennsylvania lost a staggering 317,600 manufacturing jobs, according to Labor Department data. Thankfully, President Trump renegotiated that terrible trade deal and replaced it with the USMCA pact which prioritizes American workers. Joe Biden amazingly now channels failed presidential candidate John Kerry, and claims he was actually for NAFTA…before he was against it. 

Joe Biden is also the best friend that Beijing’s tyrants could ever ask for in Washington. As senator and as vice-president, he aggressively pushed China’s inclusion into the World Trade Organization and enabled the China Communist Party’s systematic abuse of American workers through trade practices that were predatory, not reciprocal, and even outright criminal. According to a study from the Economic Policy Institute, the commonwealth of Pennsylvania lost a staggering 136,100 jobs due to the disastrous trade structures with China that Biden facilitated. While the CCP plundered American technology and destroyed American manufacturing jobs, Joe Biden had the gall to praise China, saying in 2011 that “a rising China is a positive, positive development, not only for China, but for America.” As then-Vice President Biden uttered that Pollyanna nonsense to his Davos-credentialed CEO fanboys, America’s industrial prowess eroded with devastating consequences. 

Biden’s own family prospered though, as his wayward son Hunter traveled with his father on an official vice-presidential visit to China aboard Air Force Two. After meetings with officials of the Chinese regime, Hunter secured a massive $1.5 billion investment in his private equity fund, even though the younger Biden had no track record in that industry. 

Just recently, Joe Biden promised to remove the tariffs that President Trump imposed on Chinese goods, without requiring any accommodation on the part of Beijing. Biden in the White House would send America back to globalism, and back to a position of economic supplication to China. Clearly, Joe Biden prioritizes places like Beijing over places like Beaver Falls.

What does Biden actually propose for fracking? 

The preponderance of evidence and public statements from Joe Biden point to an all-out assault on the US energy industry and particularly on fracking. But, during Biden’s last trip to Pennsylvania, he contradicted his own earlier statements to claim that he is not actually for serious restrictions on fracking. It is time for Biden to be crystal clear with the people of Pennsylvania, where fracking comprises a crucial economic pillar for so many citizens, especially in places like Washington, Bradford, and Westmoreland counties. 

In February of this year, Biden pledged to “phase out” fracking. Similarly, in a Democratic primary debate last year, Biden agreed that there would be “no place” for fracking in a Biden administration. He also awkwardly asked a supporter to “look into my eyes” and said “I guarantee you we're going to end fossil fuels."

Biden’s record reflects many more similar threats against energy broadly -- and fracking specifically. The receipts of Joe Biden’s taped statements reveal a decidedly anti-energy career politician, one who threatens a key pillar of Pennsylvania’s prosperity, as well as jeopardize our nation’s national security. So, can Joe Biden kindly settle this public argument with himself, and report back to us which side won? Is Biden anti-fracking, and siding with his radial leftist allies like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Bernie Sanders, and his running mate Kamala Harris who said “there’s no question I am in favor of banning fracking”?  Or, does Biden dare to alienate his extremist supporters and actually support the energy industry of Pennsylvania? Time to come clean, Joe.  

What has China done to deserve steel tariff relief?

To compel China into good faith negotiations with the United States, President Trump smartly imposed punitive tariffs on Chinese imports. This pressure led directly to the Phase One trade agreement, an important initial step toward a more symmetrical trade relationship between the two powers. Steel tariffs upon China have been especially important, given China’s longstanding predatory trade practices dumping steel all over the world to capture market share, unconcerned about actual profitability issues because the companies are state-controlled. In fact, just this year, 15 separate anti-dumping investigations have commenced against China’s steel practices, including in the US, Australia, and Great Britain. 

Confronting China on steel represents a crucial issue for Pennsylvania. Despite this reality, Joe Biden amazingly pledges to simply wipe away Trump’s effective tariffs, without any preconditions for concessions from the Chinese Communist Party. Instead, Beijing Biden simply offers up a no-strings-attached gift to the CCP, a sort-of inverse inaugural present from the new president to the Beijing regime. Biden needs to be challenged on this policy and pressed how it makes any economic sense for Pennsylvanians.