Biden at Volvo: 'Two Words: Made in America' and 'Well Over $1.60' on Gas (October 7, 2022)

President Joe Biden opened his speech at a Volvo Group plant in Hagerstown, Maryland, with a slogan. “Please, have a seat. Thank you very much. Let me start off with two words: Made in America. Made in America,” he said. That is three words [1].

“I’m a union guy,” Biden went on. “The reason I’m the most pro-union President in American history is because you’re the single best workers in the world. Not a joke” [1].

The video above shows the opening of Biden’s Oct. 7, 2022, remarks. Quotes are from the official transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

”Billion [Trillion]”

Biden then put a price on his climate spending, and the official transcript had to fix his numbers. “We had a piece of legislation that—led by your Congressman that, in fact, says that we’re going to invest $368 billion in dealing with the environment. Although a major article in a major—major publication yesterday of the—from industry: that’s generating $1.7 billion [trillion]* in investment,” he said [1].

He tried again: “a billion [trillion]* seven hundred million [billion]* dollars.” The bracketed words, marked with asterisks, are White House corrections [1].

His manufacturing number took two tries, too. “We already created—we’ve already created over 628—or 38,000 manufacturing jobs just since I’ve been President,” Biden said [1]. A day earlier, at IBM in New York, he had used two other figures, 678,000 and 668,000. For that, see HYGO News’ page on the IBM speech.

”Fastest Job Growth”

Biden pointed to that morning’s jobs report. “Our economy created 263,000 jobs last month. That’s 10 million jobs since I’ve come into office. That’s the fastest job growth at any point of any President in all of American history. Historic progress,” he said [1].

He also said wages were still rising. “Wage growth for workers remains solid, down from the historic high pace months ago but still growing for workers who deserve a raise,” Biden said [1].

After inflation, they were falling behind. “Real average hourly earnings decreased 3.0 percent, seasonally adjusted, from September 2021 to September 2022,” the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported days later [2].

”Good News for the Economy Is Bad News”

Biden then turned on Republicans. “And I know many of you are probably Republicans, but many of my Republican friends are basically arguing that good news for the economy is bad news—is bad news—for America, as if they’re rooting for fewer jobs and lower wages,” he said [1].

“I doubt any of you can tell me what the Republican reelection plan is this time out. What’s their platform if they take control of Congress?” Biden asked [1].

”Well Over $1.60”

He took credit on gas. “And I was able to bring gasoline down well over $1.60, but it’s inching up because of what the Russians and the Saudis just did. I’m not finished with that yet,” Biden said [1].

The Energy Information Administration’s weekly numbers do not show a drop that big. Regular gas peaked at $5.006 a gallon on June 13, 2022, and bottomed at $3.654 on Sept. 19, a drop of about $1.35. By Oct. 3, it was back up to $3.782 [3].

”So Many Socialists in the Republican Caucus”

Biden mocked Republicans who opposed his infrastructure law but sought its money. “A guy named Paul Gosar, he’s written three separate letters to the administration asking for projects in his district,” he said. “He voted against it; says it’s all socialism” [1].

“I didn’t know there were that many socialist Republicans,” Biden said, to laughter. “I was surprised to see so many Socialists in the Republican caucus” [1].

Then he warned voters. “If Republicans take control of the Congress, these historic victories we just won for the American people are going to be taken away. Every kitchen table cost is going to go up, not down,” Biden said [1].

”A Little Return to Sanity”

He closed on hope. “And so that’s my hope: that after this election, there will be a little return to sanity. We’ll stop this bitterness that exists between the parties and have people working together,” Biden said [1].

“There’s not a single other nation in the world—not a single other nation in the world—as well positioned as the United States of America is,” he said [1].

By the Numbers

2: words Biden promised; he said three [1].
263,000: jobs added in September 2022, per Biden [1].
3.0%: the drop in real average hourly earnings over the year to September 2022 [2].
$1.35: the biggest drop in weekly gas prices from the June peak, per EIA [3].
$1.60: the drop Biden claimed [1].

What Happened Next

Voters answered. In November, Republicans won control of the House. “The GOP has now won 218 seats,” Fox News reported [4].

Inflation slowed. Biden warned that if Republicans won Congress, “every kitchen table cost is going to go up, not down.” Republicans won the House, and the 12-month inflation rate fell from 6.5 percent in December 2022 to 3.4 percent in December 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics [5][6].

For Biden’s “$1.60” gas claims, see HYGO News’ page on Jean-Pierre’s “$1.60”, and for his speech in Irvine a week later, the page on that stop.