President Biden’s Philly visit: What you need to know
The president is slated to speak about organized labor at the AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention in Center City.
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President Joe Biden will be in Philadelphia on Tuesday to attend the AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention in Center City, where he is scheduled to speak about organized labor.
» UPDATE: Biden acknowledges ‘our work isn’t done’ on the economy as he talks to labor leaders in Philadelphia
Here is what you need to know about the president’s visit:
What is the AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention?
Held quadrennially, the AFL-CIO’s convention is taking place this year at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. It serves as an opportunity for representatives from the federation’s 57 unions to gather, debate and vote on resolutions, and elect leaders who will direct the group for the next four years.
This year’s convention, the 29th edition, began Sunday. It is scheduled to run through Wednesday.
What is Biden doing there?
Biden is scheduled to speak at the convention on Tuesday afternoon, when he will make remarks on his administration’s commitment to organized labor, the AFL-CIO said in a release.
Representing some 12 million workers, the AFL-CIO is the country’s largest federation of unions, and the group endorsed Biden for president in 2020. The president has often emphasized his ties to and support for labor unions, and has said a number of times that he intends to be “the most pro-union president” in history.
“There’s an expression where I come from: ‘You go home with them that brung you to the dance,’ ” Biden said in a speech at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers International Convention in Chicago last month. “You all brought me to the dance, and I mean it.”
Can I watch Biden’s speech?
Neither the White House nor the AFL-CIO has announced the exact timing of Biden’s speech. But the federation is livestreaming sessions from the convention via their YouTube channel, and on the AFLCIO.tv website.
Possible road closures
Road closures in and around Center City are likely on Tuesday. But the Philadelphia Police Department could not share specifics on potential closures for security reasons, a spokesperson said. So, if you run into traffic issues near the Convention Center, Biden’s visit is likely to be a cause.
Biden’s third Philly visit this year
Biden’s stop at the AFL-CIO convention marks his third presidential trip to Philadelphia this year.
In March, Biden appeared at the Hilton at Penn’s Landing to give remarks at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference, a party retreat. There, he encouraged House Democrats to campaign on his American Rescue Plan — which he said lifted people out poverty and boosted employment — ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
In January, the president and first lady Jill Biden visited Philabundance in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The pair helped pack boxes of food that would be sent to the Feast of Justice food pantry in Northeast Philadelphia and Mid-Atlantic States Career & Education Center Inc. in Pennsville, Salem County. Biden also visited Philabundance in 2021 in honor of the holiday.
Biden, a Scranton native, has visited other Pennsylvania locations since becoming president, making stops in Delaware County, the Lehigh Valley, and Pittsburgh. The state, from which he based his presidential campaign, was integral to his victory in 2020.