Biden Hypes Up Belvidere, Illinois in State of the Union Address

"A great comeback story is Belvidere, Illinois. Home to an auto plant for nearly 60 years" 

That's what the world heard tonight during President Biden's State of the Union Address.

In a speech that lasted about an hour and 8 minutes and ended just after 9:30 pm Central time, a major highlight of his address featured the "comeback" of the Chrysler - Steallntis Plant.

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Here's a transcription of the portion of President Biden's State of the Union Address tonight (Thursday 3/7) that featured Belvidere, Illinois:

Before I came into office the plant was on its way to shutting down, Thousands of workers feared for their livelihoods, hope was fading. Then I was elected to office and we raised the Belvidere (plant) repeatedly with auto companies knowing unions would make all the difference. The UAW worked like hell to keep the plant open, to get these jobs back and together we succeeded. Instead of auto factories shutting down, auto factories are reopening. A new state-of-the-art battery factory is being built to power those cars there at the same. To the folks of Belvidere, I say instead of your town being left behind, your community is moving forward again, because instead of watching auto jobs of the future go overseas, 4,000 union jobs with higher wages are building the future in Belvidere right here in America.

UAW President Shawn Fain was in the audience at the State of the Union and took a bow when he was acknowledged by President Biden. Fain pointed back at President Biden while appearing to mouth the words "Thank you, thank you."

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Dawn Simms, Belvidere resident and third-generation worker at the auto plant was also recognized in President Biden's speech to the country.

Biden said he was "proud to be the first President to stand in the picket line, and today Dawn has a good job in her hometown providing stability for her family and pride and dignity as well."

He then added that the story of Belvidere showed once again that "Wall Street didn't build America, they're not bad guys, they didn't build it though, the middle class built the country, and unions built the middle class."