Northeastern Pennsylvania leaders blast Trump, tout support for Biden

OLD FORGE — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey on Thursday said President Donald Trump made a lot of promises to the people of Pennsylvania when he campaigned here four years ago.

“But he hasn’t delivered,” said Casey, D-Scranton. “He’s a con man.”

On Thursday morning, ahead of Trump’s visit to Old Forge, Casey, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti and several people from northeastern Pennsylvania hosted a virtual press conference to highlight how the Trump Administration’s broken promises have impacted families in the region.

The group also discussed how former Vice President Joe Biden’s Scranton roots and commitment to working people make him the best candidate to rebuild the nation.

“Today he’s back in the Commonwealth, asking to be re-hired in the midst of the worst public health crisis in 100 years, and as the country faces the worst unemployment numbers since the Great Depression,” Casey said. “At this moment, 821,000 Pennsylvanians are unemployed.”

Casey went on to say that while Trump uses the Old Forge campaign stop as an excuse to smear Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris, he should be asked to detail his plan to contain this vicious virus, and ramp up a national testing and vaccine strategy to help ensure the country can once again be safe and healthy.

“Instead of allowing the President to get away with vague platitudes about the economy ‘opening back up,’ he should be forced to address the 14% unemployment rate here in Lackawanna County, and tell our friends and neighbors how he plans to get them back to work and help them recover from the economic impact of COVID-19,” Casey said. “It’s time to hold President Trump accountable.”

Casey said Pennsylvanians deserve a President who has a plan to tackle the virus and create millions of good-paying jobs.

“Joe Biden is the leader we need to get back on the right track and help our nation build back better,” Casey said. “In November, Pennsylvanians will reject the failed policies of the last four years and help elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris President and Vice President of the United States.”

Casey said Biden has the values and the spirit of the people of Scranton in his heart — evident by his record in Washington over the years.

”Donald Trump doesn’t know the first thing about Scranton, about Lackawanna County or anywhere in northeastern Pennsylvania,” Casey said. “He doesn’t relate to us. He doesn’t share our values.”

Cognetti said all eyes are on Pennsylvania and especially Scranton, as Biden accepts the nomination for president and as Trump visits Old Forge to make the case for his reelection.

”In Donald Trump, we have a president who has failed to take meaningful action to address the worst public health and economic crisis in generations, who has been working to undermine the Affordable Care Act and vital earned benefits like Medicare and Social Security, and who has repeatedly sided with his donors and corporations over workers and their families,” Cognetti said. “Joe Biden genuinely cares about places like Scranton and the working families that live here. He grew up here. The connection to Scranton is real. [He has] family here, he still has friends here. He has not forgotten his roots. He has not forgotten the people of Scranton or the values he learned growing up here.”

Dan Skok, 69, a resident of West Wyoming Borough, told of his tragic losses in recent days.

“The handling of the coronavirus, or the mishandling of it is the better term to use for, really irritates me,” Skok said. “I lost my wife at the end of April and during that time, she did not have coronavirus, but it was an immediate serious critical situation. But I was denied the ride in the ambulance with her. I was denied the opportunity to see her in the emergency room, I was denied the opportunity to give her a chance to say her last words to me.”

Tara Hunt-Fiorillo, of Dunmore, was concerned about the future of health care. At the age of 25, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and she said it has taken a toll on her body and life in many ways.

“When the Affordable Care Act became law under Barack Obama and Joe Biden in 2010, I could no longer be denied coverage or charged more for coverage, simply because I had a pre-existing health condition,” she said. “It was a huge relief”

She said Trump and the Republicans in Washington like to talk about protecting people like her with pre-existing conditions.

“But their record demonstrates just the opposite,” she said. “They have repeatedly tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act without any replacement plan in place.”