(The Center Square) – As the dust of passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act settles, the Trump administration has taken to Pennsylvania for its victory lap.
For Edward X. Young, of New Jersey, it’s a moment worth celebrating. That’s why he came to Luzerne County to see Vice President J.D. Vance.
Young told The Center Square he drove through the night and slept at a truck stop to attend the event. A longtime supporter, he has been to 112 Trump rallies, but this was his first time seeing Vance speak alone.
“I went through a lot of anxiety, fearing it wouldn’t be passed,” Young said. He acknowledged compromises were made, “but enough of it is beautiful…okay, it’s a nine – maybe not a 10 – but good stuff will come later.”
Young’s optimism stands in stark contrast to critics of budget resolution and its changes to the public safety net. Reinstanting work requirements for able-bodied adults with no dependents will shift coverage for millions in the country, leaving many to worry about the longterm economic impact.
Young’s priorities are different. He said important issues for him were eliminating government waste and Medicare fraud, continuing the Trump tax cuts, and finishing the border wall.
Young added that he’s happy his overtime won’t be taxed, and that we will have “a stronger country and more law and order.”
On Wednesday, Vance addressed a crowd of more than 100 people – many wearing MAGA gear – at a machine shop in West Pittston, touching on key issues including the economy, energy policy, and border security.
Prior to introducing the vice president, Small Business Administration head Kelly Loeffler expressed her excitement to be back in Pennsylvania. She thanked Don’s Machine Shop for hosting the event and called the owner’s story inspiring.
“This is exactly what this great country is about,” she said. “This is what grit, integrity, and hard work can achieve – the American dream – exactly what President Trump’s big, beautiful bill was designed to support.”
Loeffler described the bill as “rocket fuel for small businesses,” highlighting that it would create 1 million jobs, bring in $750 billion in economic opportunity, provide tax cuts for workers and seniors, and stop taxpayer benefits from going to “illegal aliens.”
Loeffler acknowledged U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., noting their similar backgrounds. Bresnahan once swept the floors of his father’s electrical contracting business, while she did the same in her father’s workshop on their Illinois farm. “
And now look at us,” she said. “Here we are sweeping up the mess that the Democrats made the last four years.”
Vance took the podium, pointing to a personal connection with the facility. When he was born, he said, his late father worked at a machine shop in Ohio.
“My dad’s name was Don, and this is Don’s machine shop – so I think it’s appropriate to be here,” he said.
He began by emphasizing one of the administration’s accomplishments: keeping their promise to shut down the southern border, stop the flow of fentanyl, and put American workers ahead of Mexican drug cartels.
He then outlined the bill’s economic benefits, including blue-collar workers’ wages outpacing inflation, no tax on overtime or tips, cuts in government spending, tax breaks for businesses investing in America, and tariffs on companies choosing to make their goods overseas.
An important issue the president is working on but doesn’t get enough media attention, Vance said, is their priority on expanding career options for young people. Instead of pressuring everyone into taking on college debt, the administration wants to promote alternatives, like skilled trades.
On energy policy, Vance stressed that “drill baby, drill,” isn’t just about energy workers – it’s about consumers paying less for gas and energy. He criticized Democrats for opposing the bill, which includes provisions such as establishing $1,000 savings accounts for every newborn American, and prioritizing citizens over “illegal aliens”
Wrapping up, Vance framed the administration’s efforts as part of a broader mission to create opportunities for the next generation.
“It’s about seeing our kids grow up and learn something they have a passion for. It’s about believing that the next generation is going to have a better life than we have because we worked our tails off the last six months.
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“But more importantly, when I think about what all of us as one big American family have accomplished over the last 249 years, all I can think about is, it’s time to keep building. It’s time to keep working, and it’s time to make sure that these beautiful kids that I see in the audience are going to have a better life than we had.”
“That’s the promise of America,” he added, “if we will never stop fighting to give it to the next generation.”
