State officials react to Pennsylvania native Biden’s inauguration
(The Center Square) – As President Joe Biden was sworn in Wednesday in Washington, Pennsylvania officials offered congratulations to the Scranton native.
“Today a scrappy kid from Scranton will become the 46th president of the United States,” said Gov. Tom Wolf. “Looking forward to getting to work rebuilding our economy, fighting the spread of COVID-19, and realizing the vision of a better future for everyone.”
Biden takes office two weeks after a mob gathered in support of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, interrupting a joint session of Congress convened to verify the results of the 2020 election. Biden spoke of unity in his inaugural address before heading to the Oval Office to undo a handful of his predecessor’s executive orders.
“On this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation,” Biden said he addressed the nation for the first time as president on Wednesday. “And I ask every American to join me in this cause.”
“With unity, we can do great things, important things,” he continued. “We can right wrongs. We can put people to work in good jobs. We can teach our children in safe schools. We can overcome the deadly virus. We can reward, reward work, and rebuild the middle class and make health care secure for all. We can deliver racial justice and we can make America once again the leading force for good in the world.”
Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa, D-Pittsburgh, offered their support via Twitter.
“President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will lead with kindness, empathy and fairness,” Shapiro said. “They know the challenges Americans face because they have lived them. This is a moment of healing for our country. Let’s move forward, together.”
“He starts his term in some of the most challenging times this nation has ever seen but I am confident in his ability to lead and unify,” Costa said. “We can build back better.”
The comments come amid virtual silence from Republicans in the General Assembly. Tensions between the two parties reached a fever pitch when Democrats blamed the majority party for fanning the flames of insurrection by challenging the results of the 2020 election. Republicans maintain that disparate application of the state’s agreed-to laws meant that votes were tabulated different across the counties, undermining the validity of the results.
Lawrence Tobias, chairman of the state Republican Party, issued a statement Wednesday thanking the outgoing administration and offering well wishes to the incoming one.
“We are deeply grateful to President Donald J. Trump for all he has done to make America great again, and we trust he will continue to be a champion for the people and values we hold dear,” he said. “We congratulate President Biden and Vice President Harris, and ask God to guide them. We root for our great nation, and we pray this new administration will never fail to recognize and defend every American’s God-given rights.”
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