President Biden visits Emmaus’ Main Street to tout economic policy
President Joe Biden, in an effort to show how his economic policies are helping everyday Americans, went to a real Main Street – in Emmaus – on Friday to hear directly from business owners on how he can further help them.
Emmaus, a borough of 11,650, was founded as a closed community by Moravians in 1759. Its main corridor is populated with quaint and modern buildings that house book shops, restaurants, a paint store, microbrewery, design studios, jewelers, a running shoe store, smoke shops, a dog groomer and more.
Biden’s visit created a festive atmosphere, eliciting comments that it was reminiscent of the annual Emmaus Halloween parade.
Several hundred people gathered on porches and behind police barriers to catch a glimpse of Biden, who waved as his motorcade came down Third Street and onto Main Street near Triangle Park just before 2 p.m.
“It’s not everyday that your president drives to your tiny, little town,” said Janet Madtes, who was standing on her Third Street porch.
Cheers and some jeers erupted as Biden’s limousine and a bevy of motorcycles, SUVs, vans and emergency vehicles whizzed by for stops at Emmaus Run Inn at 322 Main St. and South Mountain Cycle & Cafe and Nowhere Coffee, both at 318 Main St.
President Biden’s motorcade leaves Emmaus. / Contributed video
Biden’s trip was arranged by the White House, not his reelection campaign, and took a different direction than many presidential visits.
There were no speeches touting his record when he landed at Lehigh Valley International Airport. He was immediately whisked away, accompanied by fellow Democrats U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, whose 7th District includes the Lehigh Valley.
Biden headed directly to Emmaus where his first stop was at Emmaus Run Inn, which specializes in fitting sneakers for running, hiking and leisure. It is one of five locations owned by Bryn Mawr Running Co. and includes a recently opened store in Delaware that Biden has patronized called Delaware Running Co.
Maddie Brown, 20, a sales representative, said Biden chatted with her, co-worker running legend Budd Coates and co-owner Sean Linehan during what was supposed to be a 15-minute visit but lasted 35 minutes. He also talked to customers in the store. Brown said at one point Biden directly asked Linehan, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
Brown said Linehan responded, “ ‘As long as people have money in their pockets, they are willing to spend it at small businesses.’ ”
Brown, a Democrat who hasn’t made her mind up about the Nov. 5 election, said it was exciting to see the president.
“What a nice guy and still full of energy,” she said, adding that seeing him in person allayed concerns she’s heard that Biden is no longer up to the job.
Next up was a visit with Chad and Heather Balliet, owners of South Mountain Cycle & Cafe, and Juan and Lauren Vargas, who operate Nowhere Coffee in the building.
The Balliets founded South Mountain Cycle in 2013, moving three times as the business grew. Its latest locale is a modern-looking building with dark gray paint and bright green trim that bears no resemblance to the nearly 100-year-old structure that once housed the fraternal group, the Emmaus Nest of Owls.
Not content to sell and repair bikes, the Balliets added a cafe space and fireplace.
Nowhere Coffee, which also has a location at 3127 Tilghman St. in Allentown, has occupied the cafe space since July 2022, according to WFMZ. Juan and Lauren Vargas quit their corporate jobs during the pandemic to pursue a dream to own their own business, the couple told The Morning Call.
Besides selling coffee, coffee beans and other beverages, Nowhere Coffee hosts open mic nights and poetry readings.
During his visit, Biden offered to buy coffee for everyone. “Seriously, if anybody here wants anything, I’ll pay for it. OK?,” he said, according to a White House transcript of the visit. Biden then ordered a $6 mango smoothie for someone, paying for it with cash.
“That’s very generous of you,” Juan Vargas said.
After nearly two hours in what was supposed to be an hour-long trip in Emmaus, Biden departed for the Allentown Fire Training Academy, which opened in summer 2023 and serves as a training center for area professional firefighters and as the city’s first-ever emergency operations center.
The president was greeted by dozens of pro-Palestine protestors, chanting "peace right now" and "we will remember in November" as well as "no vote for genocide Joe," according to the pool report from a reporter with the motorcade. There was a notable police presence, and some officers carried shields.
The facility was funded with $2.3 million of the $57 million the city received from Biden's American Rescue Plan. The Allentown Fire Department also received a $4.2 million SAFER grant under Biden’s 2023 omnibus bill and hired 12 new firefighters who start their training on Jan. 22.
Biden has made the economy a key piece of his reelection message even as Democratic leaders fret that it isn’t getting across to voters. A Bloomberg/Morning Consult in October showed voters in seven swing states including Pennsylvania, trust former President Trump more on the economy than Biden (Trump 49% versus Biden 35%). The cost of everyday services was the No. 1 election concern.
After his visit to the training center, Biden spoke to reporters in the press pool about his economic policies. He noted there have been 16 million new applications from small businesses since he took office, a record number.
Biden said dour consumer sentinent is changing. A University of Michigan index of consumer optimism, which was released in December, showed confidence rising by 8 points to 69.4, the best level since July, according to CNBC.
“If you notice, they’re feeling much better about how the economy is doing,” The Associated Press reported Biden as saying. “What we haven’t done is letting them know exactly who got it changed. ... Everybody’s doing better and they believe it. They know it. And it’s just beginning to sink in.”
Kevin Dellicker, a Republican candidate for the 7th Congressional District seat held by Wild, released a statement critical of Bidenomics.
“The economic policies of President Joe Biden and Susan Wild are responsible for the worst inflation and highest interest rates in a generation while burdening us with unsustainable debt. Their policies are hurting working families, senior citizens and vulnerable people across the greater Lehigh Valley,” Dellicker said in the statement. Neither of the other two GOP candidates seeking their party’s nomination, Ryan Mackenzie and Maria Montero, issued a statement.
As part of Biden’s visit, the White House issued highlights of what it called the Allentown metro area’s “comeback story.” The metro area includes Lehigh, Northampton and Carbon counties in Pennsylvania and Warren County in New Jersey.
The White House said the metro area’s unemployment rate has experienced record lows and in November was 3.9%. The area added 32,000 jobs since Biden took office,vincluding 2,700 in manufacturing. Personal income grew by 3.3% over pre-pandemic levels after adjusting for inflation.
The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. provided federal data as well to Armchair Lehigh Valley, showing that the metro area produced a GDP of $50.2 billion in 2022, the latest available year from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. That's an increase of just under 1% from 2021.
The median hourly wage for people with jobs in the metro region rose to $21.84 for 2022, up from $19.01 in 2021.
The LVDC also noted that the metro area’s manufacturing output in 2022 grew to $8.1 billion, the highest of all industry sectors that the Bureau of Economic Analysis reported for our region. The Lehigh Valley has added $10 billion in private-sector output in five years. Lehigh and Northampton counties, home to more than 15,000 companies, added 12,100 jobs over the last five years.
As part of his visit, Biden came armed with a list of ways his administration has helped the Lehigh Valley. They include:
The Department of Transportation’s $5 million award toward the completed $35 million project to modernize Lehigh Valley International Airport’s passenger terminals and improve access to and from the terminals and luggage area. The money came from the $1.2 trillion, bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 – dubbed Build Back Better by the Biden administration.
The Department of Transportation’s contribution of $22.5 million toward the cost of replacing the Cementon Bridge linking Whitehall and Northampton, and $2.8 million to fix the Indian Trail Road Bridge in Allen Township.
The Department of Energy’s award of $3.75 million to the Mid-Atlantic Center of Excellence at Lehigh University, which will expand the center’s engagement with unions, trade schools and community colleges, and develop ways to connect people to jobs at small manufacturers in the region.
The Department of Transportation’s $200,000 award to Lehigh Carbon Community College for scholarships for former and current military service members and families to pursue training to become commercial truck drivers.
Over 17,000 households in Lehigh County have access to internet through the Affordable Connectivity Program and are saving up to $30 per month.
The Lehigh Valley was Biden’s second stop in Pennsylvania in a week, following a visit to Montgomery County for his first campaign speech of 2024.
There, on the day before the third anniversary of the Jan. 6 breach of the Capitol, Biden questioned Trump’s commitment to democracy.
The two visits underscore the importance of the state and the Lehigh Valley in Biden’s bid for reelection on Nov. 5 – one that, for now, looks likely to be a rematch with Trump.
In 2020, Biden won in Pennsylvania with 50.01% to Trump’s 48.84%. The Lehigh Valley aided in that win. In Lehigh County, Biden took 53.21% of the vote to Trump’s 45.62%. In Northampton County, Biden captured 49.78% to Trump’s 49.05%.
Biden last visited the Lehigh Valley in 2021, when he spoke about the importance of American manufacturing during a tour of Mack Trucks in Lower Macungie Township.
Robert H. Orenstein contributed to this report.