President Joe Biden is set to hit the campaign trail in earnest on Saturday as he hosts his first rally of the 2024 cycle in Philadelphia, marking a swift change in pace nearly two months after he first announced his reelection campaign.
Biden’s calendar of events is sure to calm the nerves of some Democrats who have expressed concerns the president was not moving quickly enough to counter the momentum of former President Donald Trump’s campaign. And Biden holds somewhat of an advantage as he prepares to tout the accomplishments of his administration over the last two years as he embarks on the campaign trail for what is likely to be the last time.
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Biden is scheduled to appear at the Philadelphia Convention Center on Saturday evening, where he is expected to speak about the economy’s growth under his administration as well as a slew of policies central to his presidency.
Bidenomics
One of the most crucial talking points to be included in Biden’s reelection campaign is the economy, which the president has fondly coined as “Bidenomics” during his administration.
Over the last few weeks, Biden has touted a number of economic policies passed over the last three years seeking to salvage the economy after it was left ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden is expected to laud those pieces of legislation during his Saturday rally, such as his Inflation Reduction Act, the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, CHIPS and Science Act.
He’s also expected to praise the recent passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, a bipartisan deal brokered by him and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a default on the country’s loans.
The rally coincides with the release of the Labor Department’s May inflation report that found consumer prices rose by 4% during the past year. That annual rate falls short of the Federal Reserve’s desired 2% rate, but it represents the slowest increase in more than two years as last month’s producer price index decreased to 1.1%, per the Commerce Department.
Climate change
Biden is expected to highlight the historic investments his administration has made in the environment and efforts to combat climate change, which has emerged as one of his top priorities during his first term.
Included in the president’s signature Inflation Reduction Act is a measure to invest nearly $375 billion over the next decade to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in an effort the White House has praised as the “single biggest climate investment in U.S. history, by far.”
The effort has appeared to pay off as Biden has managed to secure the endorsements of four major environmental and conservation groups earlier this week: the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund, NextGen PAC, NRDC Action Fund, and the Sierra Club.
Infrastructure
One of the cornerstone wins for the Biden administration was the president’s $1 trillion infrastructure law that was passed in 2021.
The bipartisan legislation served two purposes for Biden. First, it followed through with one of his major campaign pledges to provide funding for infrastructure projects and public works that presidents before him couldn’t pass.
But second, it showed Biden could negotiate a deal between Republicans and Democrats — something the president is sure to tout as his ability to work across the aisle to get things done.
The infrastructure bill has already been used to announce tens of thousands of projects across the country to help repair and install roads, bridges, railways, broadband internet, and electric car charging stations.
Healthcare and reproductive rights
Also included in Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act that is sure to be central to his campaign are the investments in healthcare and lowering prescription drug costs.
Biden has also made it a priority to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid, which he preserved with the passage of the debt limit deal last month. The president has repeatedly accused Republicans of wanting to cut benefits from the crucial programs, becoming a key message during the midterm elections.
Abortion and reproductive care are expected to once again be a major part of the campaign cycle, with Biden touting his legislative efforts to protect access to the procedure. Biden has repeatedly vowed to veto a national abortion ban if one is passed by Congress, criticizing his opponents on the Right for their calls to increase restrictions nationwide.
Key endorsements
Ahead of his appearance on Saturday, Biden is expected to receive a number of endorsements from key groups that are sure to boost his campaign as his reelection tour gets underway.
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A handful of the nation’s most powerful unions endorsed Biden ahead of the event, including the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The endorsement from AFL-CIO is especially notable as it marks the earliest the group has ever thrown its support behind a presidential candidate in an election.
“Every major labor union in the country is endorsing me,” Biden told reporters on Friday. “I’m saying that my philosophy about building from the middle out and the bottom up is working.”
