Vice President JD Vance speaks about economy during visit to Lehigh Valley
ALBURTIS, Pa. (WPVI) -- Vice President JD Vance visited the Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, touring a shipping and packing materials company and touting the administration's economic policies as Americans face rising unemployment.
Vance arrived in Lower Macungie on Air Force 2 and visited Uline, where he spoke to supporters about keeping jobs in the United States.
"We're sick of rewarding companies that ship jobs overseas," Vance said. "We're going to reward companies that build here in America and give good wages to do it."
The event puts eastern Pennsylvania back in the spotlight, just one week after President Trump made a visit to speak to supporters in the Poconos, and highlights the importance of Pennsylvania in next year's midterm elections.
For former Bethlehem steel worker William Allen of Allentown, the message struck a chord.
"They have the same beliefs I had when I was a John F. K Democrat," Allen said. "OK, I raised to be a Democrat, and yet the politicians shipped our jobs overseas and gutted America."
The visit came hours after a troubling jobs report showed the unemployment rate rose to 4.6 percent -- the highest level in four years.
Many of the job losses were in the government sector, partly due to the shutdown and the administration's goal to shrink the federal workforce. Despite that, the stock market continues to perform well.
Inside the New Macungie Diner, residents voiced concerns about rising costs and shared mixed views on the economy.
"Oh, I'm feeling the prices...yeah," said Mike Mikolajzzyk of Macungie. "But I also have four kids, three of them are out of the house, and I see them and their husbands struggle to meet costs on top of everything."
Keith Mory of Alburtis said he sees progress.
"I don't agree with everything the administration is doing, but I think it's going in the right direction," he said.
A new Reuters poll concluded Sunday found only one in three Americans approve of the president's handling of the economy -- his lowest rating on the issue this year.
