Joe Biden in SC: President touts 'Bidenomics,' job growth at West Columbia stop

President Joe Biden visit to West Columbia, SC, on Thursday, July 6 focused on his administration's economic track record and success in building a path for private businesses to invest in clean energy.

Biden's visit, at a manufacturing company, Flex LTD, announced that private companies have committed over $500 billion to support manufacturing and clean energy initiatives across the U.S. as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. One such company, Enphase Energy, announced its partnership with Flex LTD to bring 600 jobs to the state.

Biden's visit comes days after his leading opponent Donald Trump arrived in Pickens and vowed retaliation against Democrats and the Biden administration for the indictments and federal charges circling the former president's candidacy.

As part of his Investing in America tour, Biden continues to point to sweeping legislation to invest in U.S. infrastructure, boost clean energy production, and encourage chip manufacturing in the U.S. – all of which he says will create good middle-class jobs.

Biden arrived in Columbia around noon and began giving remarks at Flex LTD around 1:15 p.m.

Check back for updates.

Biden takes shots at Republicans who rejected his economic policies

Biden noted that every South Carolina Republican in Congress voted against the Inflation Reduction Act. All, except for Sen. Lindsey Graham, had also refused to vote in favor of the bipartisan Infrastructure Act as well as the CHIPS act.

The laws are expected to give the state key funding for road projects in the Midlands and Lowcountry. South Carolina will also receive $1 billion to expand broadband, he added.

These are major investments that were necessary for America’s well-being, Biden said, joking that SC Republicans agreed with that notion because they continued to take credit for the federal dollars that are coming in.

“I’m not here to declare victory on the economy,” Biden said. “We still have a lot more work to do.”

Biden voices support for unions in 'Right to Work' SC

Biden diverged from Donald Trump and said trickle down economics, which favored corporate benefits and tax cuts, had failed the country for decades.In a state that has boasted about its ability to thwart unions and support corporations with Right to Work policies, Biden made a bold move Thursday.During his speech, Biden voiced his support for unions and contract bargaining negotiations to ensure that every employee worked jobs that respected their dignity.Most of Biden’s solutions were rooted in reclaiming America’s industrial past. He sought to encourage corporations to invest in clean energy and build jobs but also facilitate research to build semi-conductors.The pandemic wrecked havoc on supply-chain systems worldwide. Biden said he wanted to encourage “Make in America” initiatives and was building alliances all across the world to combat supply-chain issues that stalled development.

Biden says administration is bringing high-paying jobs back to US

President Joe Biden arrived in South Carolina to demonstrate how he had delivered the promises he made three years ago when he first ran for the White House.“How can you have the best economy in the world? And not the best infrastructure?” Biden questioned.Biden said his administration had committed to investing millions of dollars in creating an environment where high-paying jobs that were often outsourced to Mexico and India were being brought back home.

“The good news is, these jobs don’t need a four-year degree,” he continued, adding that the federal government was working with schools like Midlands Tech to facilitate a career path for SC residents.

Clyburn: Biden policies bolster overlooked rural areas

Bolstering the foundations of his campaign in South Carolina, U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. said Biden vowed to be a president for all Americans and not just for the ones who voted for him.

That his ultimate goal was to make America an accessible and affordable country for everyone, everywhere. For far too long, rural areas were overlooked by the federal government, Clyburn continued.

But Biden’s policies had created high paying jobs all over the state and promised extensive broadband access in the next three years.

“That’s what Bidenomics is all about,” he said.

SC Democrats tout Biden administration's economic investment in SC

Democrats have leaned into a strategy of revitalizing Biden's campaign platform and focusing on his economic track record despite major opposition from Republican leadership. The party has tried to platform the catchall term "Bidenomics" to neatly categorize the series of investments in roads, broadband access as well as clean energy.

Recently, the Biden administration announced a deployment of investment to increase Broadband access. The $42.45 billion grant program will be created in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and administered by the Department of Commerce. Biden also signed the CHIPS and Science Act last year to bolster America's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and wean the U.S. away from relying on China and other East Asian countries for technology.

S.C. Democratic Party Chair Christale Spain said Biden's economic agenda, which included the bipartisan Infrastructure Act as well as the Inflation Reduction Act, was on track to deliver major investments in the state, despite continual challenges from the state's congressional delegation.

"He believed we needed to rebuild our economy from the bottom up and the middle out so that it works for the working and middle class Americans, not just for the wealthy and for big corporations," Spain said.

Due to the passage of infrastructure-related laws, the federal government gave South Carolina $1.9 billion for roads and bridges, over $500 million for internet access as well as $89 million to improve drinking water infrastructure. "When you see those orange barrels when the road construction workers building more electrical lines to expand broadband Internet access, that's Bidenomics at work," Spain said.

Spain said Republicans, including Tim Scott and Nikki Haley, were more focused on pushing culture wars, banning abortions nationwide and cutting Social Security and Medicare. Meanwhile, Biden remained the only candidate capable of building bipartisan coalitions and "working across the aisle to get things done for South Carolina."

Whether Biden's visit can stabilize his position remained to be seen. Still, a pitstop in South Carolina holds consequential value for a presidential candidate. Earlier this year, Democrats voted to bump the Palmetto state up on the calendar to host the first-in-the-nation Democratic primary to elevate the voices of Black voters.

SCGOP issues statement on Biden's visit to SC

SCGOP chairman Drew McKissick issued a statement before Biden's visit in West Columbia.

The statement read:

“It will be interesting to see if Biden has anything to say about why inflation continues to rise faster than wages, why the border is still being overrun with illegals, or why his Justice Department has two different standards of justice. Maybe his handlers will let him take some real, unscreened questions while he’s here, but I doubt it. And with his lousy job performance, I can’t blame them.”

Tim Scott: Biden should give 'apology speech' in SC

GOP presidential hopeful Tim Scott tweeted about Biden's appearance in SC.

SC Freedom Caucus releases statement ahead of Biden's stop in West Columbia

The SC Freedom Caucus issued a statement ahead of Biden's stop in SC.

The statement read:

"President Biden and the “Republican” establishment in Columbia have failed the Palmetto State by putting the interest of climate activists ahead of the needs of South Carolinians. Bidenomics has done nothing to help hardworking South Carolinians. Instead, Biden’s tax-and-spend playbook brought us record inflation, a looming recession, soaring gas prices, and sky-high grocery bills."

Rep. Jeff Duncan invited Biden to 3rd Congressional District

One South Carolina Congressman, Rep. Jeff Duncan, R - S.C., sent a letter to the Biden administration Wednesday, asking Biden to visit his congressional district and meet with those most affected by his administration’s policies.

"The small business owners, first responders, health care workers, veterans, seniors, and the struggling moms and dads of my district would appreciate the opportunity to relay to you how they are being crushed under the weight of your out-of-touch policies and out-of-control spending that fuel inflation and high energy costs," Duncan wrote in his letter, adding that Biden was platforming a "radical, America-last" agenda by obstructing domestic energy production and failing to secure the southern border among others.

Spain said she was puzzled by Duncan's invite. She said Biden had done more for the state in terms of fixing roads and infrastructure that she said has crumbled under the state's years of Republican leadership.

Devyani Chhetri covers SC politics for the Greenville News. Reach her via email at dchhetri@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Joe Biden in SC: President visiting West Columbia to tout 'Bidenomics'