By: Ada Xin

On June 17, 2023, President Joe Biden made an announcement at the first campaign rally for the 2024 U.S. presidential election. He asserted he helped lift up the middle class. Now, he says, it is time for the rich to pay their share in taxes.

The president claims that if Wall Street workers were to go on strike, nobody would notice, but if large numbers of essential service workers started walking away, then the country would come to a grinding halt. He also criticized those who have over 1 billion dollars that pay only eight percent in taxes.

At his rally, Biden drew attention to issues of climate, taxes, and healthcare, including the Banning Misleading Drug Ads Act of 2022 law that was signed last year that banned prescription drugs and lowered insurance premiums.

“I’m looking forward to this campaign,” Biden said.

Biden chose Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as his first official campaign headquarters.

Clark Hamilton is retired and a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He says Biden embraced union values but, like a politician, “plays it in the middle.” Referencing what Biden did with the rail strike last year, Hamilton says the president was trying to save the economy.

Hamilton still believes the efforts Biden has put in will secure him a spot for a second term as president.

Sources: https://eb18600f7bb2916037f5ee8e636ce199.cdn.bubble.io/f1687115661537x470810731360709950/Biden%20says%20rich%20must%20%27pay%20their%20share%27%20at%20first%20reelection%20campaign%20rally%20_%20NPR.pdf