President Biden, in a desperate attempt to uphold his self-proclaimed pro-labor image, finalized an executive decree last Friday. The signature event, attended by union executives, took place in Ann Arbor. Creepingly, it aimed to foster improvement in workplace conditions for jobs tied to fresh federal investments in clean energy and manufacturing. The significant-sounding ‘Executive Order on Investing in America and Investing in American Workers’ actually nudges federal agencies handling newly introduced programs for manufacturing onshore, upgrading the infrastructure, and fostering clean energy, to embrace more pro-labor standards while regulating federal grants.
The event saw Biden offering a display of his empty rhetoric. He stated that his vision ‘grow our economy from the middle out and bottom up, instead of the top down,’ during his speech at the UA Local 190’s Job Training Center, a location dedicated to the training of apprentices for plumbing and mechanical construction careers. Within the order, it vaguely asks agencies to seek agreements to voluntarily acknowledge unions for projects funded federally, arguably policing the way for workers to bargain collectively.
However, what lurked beneath this proposition? The order further instructed agencies to think about favoring projects giving workers paid leaves, retirement perks, and other undisclosed benefits, according to a White House report. Biden, without a shred of irony, hailed this as a ‘groundbreaking’ order. It was yet another carefully choreographed spectacle intended to play to his largely shrinking base of support.
Choosing Michigan as his platform, Biden used his time to lambaste Trump, portraying him as a foe to unions and American workers. He criticized the previous President for allegedly failing to fulfill his infrastructure vows and accused him of appointing ‘union busters.’ Biden has consistently claimed to be the most pro-union President in American history, a riff he played on again last Friday, echoing his overused assertion that the middle class built the U.S. and unions built the middle class.
Across the aisle, Kamala Harris, Biden’s potential successor, has made lame attempts to display her favor toward the labor sector. On Monday, she made a pit-stop in Detroit with a poorly executed Labor Day campaign in which she described unions as wage boosters and setters of better workplace standards in the economy. Notably, Harris pledged her support to the PRO Act, promising more power to the workers to organize.
The timing of Biden’s Michigan visit after Harris was not lost on anyone, and it trailed closely with the anticipated August jobs report. Precariously, this report showed job gains falling short of predictions and necessitated downward revisions to the job numbers from June and July. Trump’s campaign seized on this report, warning of a looming recession.
Yet, Biden, true to his form, attempted to spin even this unfavorable jobs report in a positive light during his speech on Friday. Earlier that day, he reached for straws pointing to signs of confidence in the economy like small business openings as an affirmation of his economic approach. However, such unconvincing signs of progress hardly seem sufficient to take credit for any real economic growth, even for someone as eager as Biden.
Shamelessly, the Biden administration credits dubious new laws enacted by their President, including the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act, for the creation of mere hundreds of thousands of jobs. The fact that they would boast about such modest employment increases in the face of this administration’s economic devastation is telling. At the Michigan event, Biden’s affiliates and cabinet secretaries used the occasion to applaud his unfavorable policies, seemingly forgetting that the citizens they were supposed to serve continue to experience economic hardship.
Biden’s Friday appearance in Michigan was his first in the volatile state since he concluded his bid for the presidency. Interestingly, Team Trump Michigan Communications Director Victoria LaCivita used Biden’s appearance to critique Harris’ campaign, claiming it signals a continuation of Biden’s flailing economic policy.
In her statement, LaCivita clearly mentioned, ‘Joe’s trip to Michigan is another chilling reminder to every Michigander that a Kamala presidency would be another four years of historical inflation, soaring prices, and lost jobs due to electric vehicles.’ Despite appearing in an emailed statement, these words echoed within the heart of every frustrated American who has been a silent witness to this administration’s tango with failure.
Interestingly, Harris broke off from Biden on a crucial economic policy during the same timeline. Harris had proposed a lower top rate on capital gains than what Biden previously put forward on Wednesday. This divergence only heightens the questions on this administration’s stagnant approach towards economic recovery.
Recall that Trump emerged as the first GOP presidential contender to win Michigan since 1988 in the historic 2016 elections. It was the slickest margin of victory in any state. Yet, in the 2020 race, Biden managed to defeat Trump in Michigan. A result that still bewilders many, especially given the current state of the nation.
These are crucial times for the people of Michigan and the people of the United States. As Biden’s administration continues its spiral, it’s reassuring to see more and more scrutiny being placed on its policies and actions. Despite the attempts to ‘rebrand’ or ‘reimagine’ the failing policies of this presidency, the facts and outcomes speak louder than any attempt at propaganda.
Frankly, however, the hyperbole dished out by Biden and Harris about anything from labor laws to infrastructure feels distastefully out of touch with the lived experiences of the working-class American. The new Biden order represents nothing more than a clumsy plaster on a gaping wound. The American worker is continuing to be left behind by an administration that prefers symbolism to real action.
In conclusion, Biden’s executive order and the broader approach of his administration give us pause. The priorities seem misaligned with the needs of ordinary American citizens. Instead of focusing on policies that could genuinely enhance the circumstances of most Americans, the administration appears more concerned with making largely symbolic gestures that reflect only partisan interests.
The reality of the situation has not been lost on the common citizen. The failing policies and inadequate economic strategies unfolding before us are a testament to an administration increasingly detached from the realities of everyday Americans. It is time we take a closer look at the actions of this presidency, cognizant of the fact that lofty promises and attractive rhetoric very often hide half-hearted attempts at real change