Much like his boss, Pence touts US progress
After just 10 weeks with President Donald Trump on the job, here’s what’s already happened, Vice President Mike Pence told Reynoldsburg listeners Saturday: “ISIS is on the run.” “Manufacturing companies haven’t been this optimistic in more than 20 years.”
“People in this country haven’t been this confident about our economy since the year 2000.”
“The war on coal is over ... President Trump is going to put coal miners back to work.”
“Thanks to our new president, it’s been a great week for American jobs. On Monday, Ford Motor Co. announced it would invest $1.2 billion right here in America to protect and create nearly 4,000 jobs.”
While some of Pence’s proclamations are supported by surveys and others are simply opinion, the last claim seemed more in line with an assertion made on April Fool’s Day.
Ford did indeed say last week that it will plow $1.2 billion into Michigan facilities, which will create or retain 130 jobs at one of the three plants involved. But as pointed out by several fact-checkers, the Ford announcement was a direct result of negotiations back in 2015 with the United Auto Workers — which, of course, had nothing to do with Trump.
Pence’s 23-minute talk on the spotless factory floor of Dynalab, an electronic manufacturing-services company on Lancaster Road, came before a crowd of a couple of hundred that barely took up half of the available space. The gathering was not open to the public
Noting the “terroristinspired” car-and-knife attack in November on the Ohio State University campus, the former Indiana governor said, “I just want to assure all of you here in this community, under President Donald Trump’s leadership, America is standing strong
and taking the fight to the terrorists on our terms, on their soil.”
In his third weekend in a row acting as Trump’s cheerleader in chief, Pence pushed for the confirmation of Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, while condemning Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown and other “obstruction Democrats” for their plan to filibuster the nomination this week in the Senate.
The vice president said, “For the sake of our Supreme Court, for the sake of our country, for the sake of our Constitution, we will overcome the obstructionists. And the United States Senate will confirm Judge Neil Gorsuch — one way or the other.”
The latter phrase seemed to indicate the White House again is voicing support for use of the “nuclear option” in which the 52-member GOP majority would overturn recent Senate rules requiring at least 60 votes in favor of a Supreme Court nominee.
Here’s what else is on the way, per Pence — whose grandiosity at times sounded like his boss’:
“Thanks to President Trump, we’re going to have jobs and growth and prosperity like never before.”
“We’re going to give our nation the best roads, the best bridges, the best highways and airports that America has ever had.”
“We’re going to work with
these great leaders in the Congress to pass the biggest tax cut since the days of Ronald Reagan.”
“We will repeal and replace Obamacare and give the American people the world- class health care they deserve.”
That final promise seemed surprising, coming just eight days after a scheduled vote on a replacement for the 2010 Affordable Care Act was canceled after Trump, Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan couldn’t wrangle enough votes. Trump has singled out Rep. Jim Jordan in recent tweets for the role the Urbana Republican played in sinking the Obamacare alternative through the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus he helped found.
“Obamacare is going to continue to explode, putting a great weight on millions of Americans,” Pence said. “But the president and I have faith. We have faith that Congress is going to step ( up) and do the right thing.
“Even as we speak, I’m told the members of Congress are forging ahead — working to craft legislation that will usher in the end of Obamacare.”