Biden in Joliet blasts Republicans on Social Security, stumps for Democrats
President Joe Biden was in Joliet Saturday repeating a campaign message that Republicans pose a threat to Social Security and want to reverse health care savings delivered by Democrats.
Biden's speech to a few hundred supporters at Jones Elementary School comes ahead of the final day of voting on Tuesday in a midterm election in which forecasters expect Republicans to make gains and possibly take control of both houses of Congress.
"For the first time in almost a decade, Social Security checks are going up and Medicare costs are going down," Biden said. "Now Republicans are telling us that their number one priority is to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act."
Biden cited controls on drug costs in the Inflation Reduction Act as examples of benefits seniors would start getting next year.
He raised the threat of lost Social Security benefits, pointing to a proposal from Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida to sunset all federal legislation every five years, posing the possibility that ongoing programs like Social Security could be eliminated or reduced.
"You've been paying for this your whole life," Biden said. "Now these guys want to take it away. Who the hell do they think they are?"
Biden appeared with U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, a Naperville Democrat seeking reelection in the newly drawn 14th Congressional District.
Biden's visit to Joliet, at a time when the president is traveling around the country to bolster Democrats chances in the midterm election, suggests Underwood is in a close contest. She faces Scott Gryder, an Oswego Republican who is chair of the Kendall County Board.
Biden came into Kendall County for his appearance at Jones Elementary School. The school, actually in the Minooka School District, is in a section of Joliet that stretches into Kendall County.
The president praised Underwood, who spoke along with Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth before Biden.
Underwood hit on the same themes as the president, defending the Inflation Reduction Act and touting its benefits for seniors.
"The Inflation Reduction Act is going to lower costs for over 100,000 seniors with Medicare living in the 14th District," Underwood said.
The appearance was the second in Illinois in two days for the president, who was in Chicago Friday. Vice President Kamela Harris will be in Chicago on Sunday, indicating Democrats believe they need to shore up votes even in a state that is strongly Democratic.