Pennsylvania — Ahead of President Biden’s speech today near Valley Forge and the anniversary of the January 6 insurrection, Governor Josh Shapiro joined Morning Joe on MSNBC to highlight the stakes for democracy and freedom at the ballot box this November as Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans continue to assault the rights and freedoms of Pennsylvanians and Americans across the country.
Key Points:
- “Take a look at I-95 for a moment. Joe Biden was my partner in that. I could not have gotten that road reopened within 12 days without the great partnership of Joe Biden, Secretary Buttigieg and the federal government. They all stepped up and did a great job. And I think the president understands the critical importance of infrastructure and the critical importance of being there in a time of need and helping us understand we’re all in this together…He proved that when it came to I-95, that, yes, this was a road in Philadelphia, of course, but it was a road that stitched us all together as Americans from Maine to Florida and he understood the importance of partnering with us to get that done…It’s the kind of work that the president does every day to try and stitch us together.”
- “I’m pleased [President Biden]’s coming here to Pennsylvania because Pennsylvanians have a unique role with democracy and freedom. What began as seeds being planted by William Penn, they were insured and grown at that field in Valley Forge, where Washington and his band of patriots made sure that that dream of freedom and democracy could continue, continued on with Franklin and Cecil B. Moore and others who have stepped up throughout time when we have been tested, here as Pennsylvanians, here as Americans to make sure democracy and freedom could be protected. And in more modern times, we have seen in 2020 Pennsylvanians rise up at the ballot box, vote on democracy and freedom, reject chaos, and elect Joe Biden.”
- “[Pennsylvanians] shouldn’t have to also be worried about their democracy and freedom and so I think it is important for the president to prosecute both of those cases…he has done a lot of that— to reduce costs and to focus on helping ordinary Americans get by, as well as the important conversation that needs to happen on democracy and freedom. Because if we don’t have that strong foundation of democracy and freedom, it’s hard to do all that other work that’s necessary to be able to help Americans move forward.”
- “We all have to do our work to make sure that Joe Biden is reelected and it falls to each and every one of us as we’ve learned through our nearly 250 years of history, it’s going to be ordinary Americans rising up demanding more seeking justice, trying to protect our freedom, expanding our democracy, that is the work that falls to us. And yes, every four years, part of that work involves going to the ballot box and electing those who are pro-freedom and pro-democracy, people like Joe Biden, people like our senior Senator Bob Casey, and that is the work that now falls to us as Americans.”
- “If [voters] value freedom, if they value democracy, if they value personal choice, if they value reproductive freedom, if they value LGBTQ rights, if they value a more affordable college, if they value more justice in our criminal justice system, the answer is clear and that is reelecting Joe Biden.”
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