Vance Tells Pennsylvania Crowd ‘Affordability Crisis’ Will Take Time to Resolve

The vice president said the administration ‘inherited a nightmare’ from President Joe Biden.

US Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks on the economy at Uline in Alburtis, near Allentown, Pennsylvania, on December 16, 2025. Photo by Ryan Collerd / AFP via Getty Images

Vice President JD Vance highlighted steps the Trump administration is taking to improve the economy and lower Americans’ cost of living, during a speech to a crowd of supporters in Alburtis, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 16.

“We’ve already seen great benefits for the American people, but we’ve got a lot of rebuilding to do over the next three years,” Vance said.

“If you look at every single affordability crisis that we talk about in the United States today, it’s because we inherited a nightmare of an economy from Joe Biden.”

He said Americans lost approximately $3,000 in spending power during Biden’s term in office, while the second Trump administration has returned about one-third of the lost value this year.

Vance told the audience, assembled at a Uline Shipping Supplies warehouse in a small Lehigh County borough with fewer than 3,000 residents, that the president is leading initiatives to boost domestic energy production through increased investments and reduced regulations.

He emphasized $100 billion of investments headed to the commonwealth and the creation of approximately 60,000 jobs.

“We’ve got real money, real jobs, and real opportunity,” Vance said during the speech.

“We want to fire bureaucrats and hire these great Americans out here.”

Federal government moves to secure the nation’s borders and remove illegal immigrants are also helping improve affordability in some regions, as rents and housing prices are coming down as deportations increase housing stocks, according to Vance.

“It’s simple economics,” he said. “If you have fewer illegal aliens trying to buy homes, then more Americans will be able to buy homes again.”

The vice president said fixing years of what he described as economic mismanagement will take time.

“My point in all these things is that we are making progress,” Vance said.

Chants of “USA” erupted from the crowd while reporters directed questions at Vance.

An administration official who visited three dozen states said the federal government is prioritizing the nation’s native-born workforce.

“I promise to listen to the voices of the forgotten working class,” Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer said during the event.

“At the Labor Department, we remain laser focused on putting American workers first.”

Deregulatory policies are saving an American family of four approximately $2,100 per year, and Pennsylvania families will keep $7,000 to $11,000 more of their take-home pay thanks to the tax cuts included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, according to the labor secretary.

The vice president’s appearance comes a week after Trump visited the Poconos Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania for a rally with supporters.

Vance took note of the wintry surroundings on Tuesday, commenting on the region’s natural beauty while wishing Americans a joyous holiday filled with gratitude.

“I just ask all of you to count your blessings this holiday season because there’s a lot of good out there; there’s a lot that we are still working to fix,” he said.