Biden in Philadelphia: 'I'm Jill Biden's Husband,' 'Scrahton' and Silence on the Chinese Balloon (February 3, 2023)

As a Chinese surveillance balloon drifted across the United States, President Joe Biden flew to Philadelphia and said nothing about it. “POTUS stepped off M1 and did not answer shouted questions about China or shouts of ‘balloon!’” the White House pool reported from Joint Base Andrews. In Philadelphia, “He ignored a question about his message to China” [2].

Aboard Air Force One, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took the questions instead. “All questions were balloon related,” the pooler wrote. “She did not directly answer questions about why the public was not informed of the balloon earlier in the week” [2].

Then Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the Belmont Water Treatment Center about replacing lead pipes. The video above shows part of Biden’s Feb. 3, 2023, speech. Quotes are from the official transcript and pool reports published by the American Presidency Project [1][2].

”Otherwise, I’d Be Sleeping Alone”

Biden opened with his wife. “I’m Jill Biden’s husband. [ Laughter ] She’s a Philly girl. So the first thing I’m going to say is: Go Eagles! Fly, Eagles, fly! Now, the good news is, I happen to mean it. But even if I didn’t, I’d say it. You know why? Otherwise, I’d be sleeping alone,” he said [1].

He told a story about a Flyers game. “My wife hates violence, she says,” Biden said. When a fight broke out, “my wife, who hates violence, goes: ‘Hit him! Get him!’” The Secret Service, he said, was asking, “Where the heck did that come from?” [1]

“Not Scranton, Scrahton”

He turned to Pennsylvania’s senators. “And I’m mildly partial to Bob Casey. [ Laughter ] He’s from Scrahton. Not Scranton, Scrahton,” Biden said [1].

“And, John Fetterman, you’ve been a great partner, pal. And you’ve only been there exactly 1 month,” he told the new senator, who had flown to Philadelphia on Air Force One [1][2].

”Over Half a Million Jobs”

Biden then turned to that morning’s jobs report, with a false start. “This morning’s report showed that we added—the economy is strong. We added more jobs—over half a million jobs this last month,” he said [1].

“We’ve created 12 million jobs—12 million jobs—since we took office. That’s the strongest 2-year growth in the history and by a long shot,” Biden said [1].

“8-1—8-Point”

On infrastructure money, Biden lost his number for a moment. “Pennsylvania alone is going to get 8-1—8-point—it got $8.1 billion so far, as the Gov can tell you,” he said [1].

He also joked about a lock and dam project near Pittsburgh. “You know, Bobby Casey has been talking to me about this for so long, I think we’re going to call it the ‘Casey Lock’—[ laughter ]—when it’s done,” Biden said [1].

On lead pipes, he gave the local count with a correction of his own. “Right now there are an estimated 160,000 service lines carrying water into homes and schools in Pennsylvania, including an estimated 20,000 lines for homes here in the State of—in the city of Philadelphia,” Biden said [1].

”I’m Not Misspeaking Here”

Biden praised a city across the state. “I’m proud the city of Pittsburgh used—Pittsburgh, now; I didn’t—I’m not misspeaking here—[ laughter ]—used $17.5 million as part of their plan to replace lead service lines in the city by 2026,” he said [1].

He also said he had once called for this law decades earlier. “I was given a copy of a speech that I made about 30 years ago, saying we need an infrastructure bill to deal with water. I’m not joking. I had forgotten,” Biden said [1].

”What the Hell Do You Think It Takes?”

Biden defended the law’s union rules. “And I know—and maybe even some of you, you think I’m too pro-union,” he said. “You know, everybody talks about college education. Well, to be a plumber and pipefitter, what the hell do you think it takes?” [1]

“I Love Your Earrings”

At the start, according to the transcript, Biden brought onstage Nolyn Pace, the daughter of a lead-pipe activist who introduced him; she had suffered lead poisoning as a small child. “I want you to know, baby: You did so much for so many kids,” Biden told her. “And I love your earrings” [1].

By the Numbers

517,000: jobs added in January 2023, the report Biden cited as “over half a million” [1][5].
12 million: jobs Biden said had been created since he took office [1].
160,000: lead service lines in Pennsylvania, per Biden [1].
1 month: how long Fetterman had been a senator, per Biden [1].
818,000: jobs the Labor Department later cut from its count for the year through March 2024 [4].

What Happened Next

The balloon came down. The next day, Biden said: “On Wednesday, when I was briefed on the balloon, I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down, on Wednesday, as soon as possible.” He said the Pentagon waited until it was over water: “They successfully took it down” [3]. For the White House’s answers on what it knew and when, see HYGO News’ page on the balloon briefing.

The jobs numbers shrank. In August 2024, “The Bureau of Labor Statistics revised down its total tally of jobs created in the year through March by 818,000 as part of its preliminary annual benchmark review of payroll data,” Fox Business reported. “It marks the largest downward revision since 2009” [4].

For Biden’s speech to Democrats later that night, see the page on his DNC remarks.