Biden’s Commerce Secretary Shrugs Off Dock Worker Strike

Gina Raimondo, the commerce secretary under the Biden-Harris administration, stated on Monday that she is not “very focused” on the potential dock worker strike on the East Coast that could disrupt the economy.

During an appearance on CNBC, she was asked about the situation. Becky Quick, co-host of CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” inquired, “Where have you been kind of focused and hearing on what would happen if the strike goes, let’s say longer than a week?”

Raimondo replied, “Again, I have not been very focused on that.”

"I have not been very focused on that," Biden commerce secretary Gina Raimondo says about the upcoming dock worker strike that will choke off half of U.S. imports tomorrow

What exactly has she been focused on?pic.twitter.com/rl71mpfyBN

— Mairead Elordi (@JohnsonHildy) September 30, 2024

Around 45,000 dockworkers are set to walk off the job on Tuesday, which could cripple the supply chain and impact the presidential election.

The International Longshoremen’s Association plans to initiate a large-scale strike if port owners do not meet the union’s demands for higher wages and address concerns regarding port automation.

If the strike extends for a significant duration, Americans may experience shortages and delays that could affect the election and the upcoming holiday season. Products like bananas, coffee, cocoa, pharmaceuticals, clothing, furniture, vehicles, and even Christmas decorations may be impacted.

These shortages could also lead to price increases just as Americans begin to recover from years of high inflation.

Raimondo further commented on a possible second Trump administration’s economic policies, describing former President Donald Trump as “erratic” and criticizing his proposal for increased tariffs.

“He’s talking about a tariff on all imports. I mean that’s insane. That will raise prices of everything for everyone,” she remarked.

The CNBC anchor pointed out that Trump campaign representatives have suggested that Trump’s tariff threats are more of a negotiating tactic than a concrete plan.

Raimondo praised Kamala Harris as “smart and thoughtful” and defended the Biden administration’s economic performance, asserting that the country has had a “featherbed landing” following the pandemic.

“We have had a soft landing. Inflation, we haven’t slayed it totally. It is on the way down. We need stability, predictability. And what you will have in him is unpredictable, chaotic, based on how he feels on a particular day,” she stated.

“By the way, he was president. We know what that resulted in,” Raimondo added. At this point, Joe Kernen, co-host of *Squawk Box*, interjected.

“Seems like you kind of forgot that earlier,” Kernen told Raimondo. “The tariffs that he did put on were continued by the Biden administration. There was no recession. Real wages were actually up. Stock market did well. A lot of very positive things happened. Record low unemployment until the pandemic.”

https://TWITTER.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1840743988166332639 “So it’s just weird to act like it’s a complete wild card what kind of president he would be when you’ve got a blueprint right there of what kind of president he would be,” Kernen continued. “And Kamala Harris has been vice president for four years, and we’ve seen what kind of vice president she would be.”