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<p>DURYEA &#8212; Jobs, jobs, jobs.</p><p>And not just jobs &#8212; higher paying, family sustaining jobs.</p><p>That&#8217;s what Vice President Mike Pence stressed Monday at Schott North America Inc., in Duryea.</p><p>Pence was there to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the Duryea site and to promote passage of the United States Mexico Canada Agreement that he and his boss, President Donald Trump, say will create mutually beneficial trade leading to freer markets, fairer trade, and robust economic growth in North America.</p><p>&#8220;Greetings from President President Trump,&#8221; Pence began, not forgetting the important role that Luzerne County and Pennsylvania played in the 2016 GOP victory. &#8220;Pennsylvania is thriving, America is thriving, the economy is thriving. And we&#8217;re just getting started.&#8221;</p><p>Pence said it was time for Congress to pass the USMCA, which would bring a much-needed update to NAFTA. He urged the 350 in attendance to contact their legislators and legislators across the country to tell them to urge Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring the measure to the House floor for a vote.</p><p>&#8220;Let your voices be heard,&#8221; Pence said. &#8220;Tell your legislators to vote yes.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Commerce secretary speaks</strong></p><p>U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross spoke briefly, noting that the Trump Administration has created some 500,000 new jobs in manufacturing alone and unemployment is down to the point where there are more available jobs than people seeking work.</p><p>&#8220;President Trump has kept his promises,&#8221; Ross said.</p><p>National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons was joined at the event by Schott North America President Jim Gareau, SCHOTT Duryea Site Manager Robert Gomeau, hundreds of manufacturing employees and dozens of community leaders from across Pennsylvania.</p><p><strong>Meuser: Free, fair trade</strong></p><p>U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, joined Pence in Duryea for the event, which included a tour of Schott with representatives of the National Association of Manufacturers.</p><p>Meuser said Pence&#8217;s visit to NEPA reaffirmed the Trump Administration&#8217;s commitment to passing the USMCA.</p><p>&#8220;It is vital that we promote free, fair, and reciprocal trade, both globally and across the United States,&#8221; Meuser said. &#8220;Pennsylvania businesses, farmers, manufacturers, and fabricators rely heavily on a balanced trading relationship with Mexico and Canada.&#8221;</p><p>Meuser said in 2018, exports to Canada and Mexico totaled $15 billion in Pennsylvania alone. He said domestically, the USMCA will add approximately $68.8 billion to the U.S. economy and spur more than 175,000 new jobs.</p><p>Pence, who will be on the ticket with Trump in 2020, slipped into some campaign rhetoric during his 25 minute speech.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve made a lot of progress in the past three years,&#8221; Pence said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve had three years of action, three years of results and three years of promises made and promises kept. And we&#8217;re just getting started.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Pence: Jobs, wages up</strong></p><p>Pence continued by telling the crowd that the Trump Administration has brought the largest tax cuts and tax reform in history; removed layers of federal red tape; made possible the exporting of U.S. oil next year; and trade deals that are fair and reciprocal.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve created more jobs, better paying jobs,&#8221; Pence said. &#8220;Disposable income has risen an average of $5,000 per year. Wages are rising the fastest in 10 years.&#8221;</p><p>Pence, citing Schott&#8217;s success over the last 50 years, said hard-working, blue collar workers like those at Schott have brought a real renaissance to manufacturing.</p><p>&#8220;That has all happened because of the Trump Administration&#8217;s policies,&#8221; pence said.And because of U.S. workers, the best in the world. The era of America&#8217;s economic surrender is over.&#8221;</p><p>Returning to the USMCA, Pence said the battle to get the measure to a House vote began over one year ago.He blamed Pelosi for refusing to bring it to the House floor for a vote.</p><p>&#8220;The American people deserve better,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It&#8217;s time to pass the USMCA.&#8221;</p><p>Pence also took time to criticize former Vice President Joe Biden, who is running for the Democratic nomination for president. Biden, coincidentally, is scheduled to be in Exeter Tuesday at Fox Hill Country Club and again on Wednesday for an event in Scranton.</p><p>&#8220;Vice President Biden is against the USMCA,&#8221; Pence said. &#8220;Joe, Pennsylvanians will not be fooled. USMCA is a win for Pennsylvania and a win for America. It&#8217;s time to get on board, Joe.&#8221;</p><p><strong>Biden fires back</strong></p><p>Biden said in a statement that &#8220;Pennsylvanians will not be fooled by Pence&#8217;s blind promotion of Trump&#8217;s irresponsible trade wars.&#8221;</p><p>Pence noted that when Biden was in office, Pennsylvania lost thousands of jobs.</p><p>&#8220;When you leave here, tell everyone you meet that you ran into Mike and tell them how important it is to pass the USMCA,&#8221; Pence said. &#8220;Tell them to call their legislators. Tell them to urge Speaker Pelosi to bring the USMCA to the House floor for a vote &#8212; it will pass. And them call Sen. Pat Toomey and Sen. Bob Casey and tell them.&#8221;</p><p>And then Pence ended with the expected.</p><p>&#8220;The best days for Pennsylvania and America are yet to come,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We&#8217;ll keep making America great again.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Vice President Mike Pence talks with a young boy at Schott Glass Co. in Duryea on Monday after speaking about the United States Mexico Canada Trade agreement. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Vice President Mike Pence talks with a young boy at Schott Glass Co. in Duryea on Monday after speaking about the United States Mexico Canada Trade agreement. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross talk with an employee at Schott Glass Co. in Duryea on Monday during a tour of the plant before speaking to about 350 employees and guests. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross talk with an employee at Schott Glass Co. in Duryea on Monday during a tour of the plant before speaking to about 350 employees and guests. </caption1><photoCredit1>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Vice President Mike Pence talks to a crowd at Schott Glass in Duryea, on Monday about Trump&#8217;s economic achievements and the United States Mexico-Canada Trade agreement. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence5.jpg</photo2><caption2>Vice President Mike Pence talks to a crowd at Schott Glass in Duryea, on Monday about Trump&#8217;s economic achievements and the United States Mexico-Canada Trade agreement. </caption2><photoCredit2>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Vice President Mike Pence talks with with an employee at Schott Glass Co. in Duryea on Monday during a tour of the plant before addressing a crowd of 350 employees and guests. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence6.jpg</photo3><caption3>Vice President Mike Pence talks with with an employee at Schott Glass Co. in Duryea on Monday during a tour of the plant before addressing a crowd of 350 employees and guests. </caption3><photoCredit3>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence11.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Vice President Mike Pence speaks at Schott Glass Co. in Duryea on about President Donald Trump&#8217;s economic achievements and the United States Mexico-Canada Trade agreement. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence11.jpg</photo4><caption4>Vice President Mike Pence speaks at Schott Glass Co. in Duryea on about President Donald Trump&#8217;s economic achievements and the United States Mexico-Canada Trade agreement. </caption4><photoCredit4>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence12.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Members of the audience applaud as Vice President Mike Pence speaks at Schott Glass Co. in Duryea on Monday. &#8216;Pennsylvania is thriving, America is thriving, the economy is thriving. And we&#8217;re just getting started,&#8217; Pence said. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence12.jpg</photo5><caption5>Members of the audience applaud as Vice President Mike Pence speaks at Schott Glass Co. in Duryea on Monday. &#8216;Pennsylvania is thriving, America is thriving, the economy is thriving. And we&#8217;re just getting started,&#8217; Pence said. </caption5><photoCredit5>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit5></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence17.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with an employee while he tours the Schott Glass Co. on Monday before giving a speech about President Donald Trump&#8217;s economic achievements. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo6>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/web1_TTL102119Pence17.jpg</photo6><caption6>Vice President Mike Pence shakes hands with an employee while he tours the Schott Glass Co. on Monday before giving a speech about President Donald Trump&#8217;s economic achievements. </caption6><photoCredit6>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit6></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Pence says &#8216;economy is thriving&#8217; in Schott North America speech</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Pence says ‘economy is thriving’ in Schott speech, urges trade deal passage