Vice President Kamala Harris combined business with pleasure during a recent whirlwind spin through Philadelphia, swinging by Jim's West for a famed Philly cheesesteak after rallying union support at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Quadrennial Convention. The veep, often spotted championing the Biden administration's support for organized labor, addressed a crowd about the progress and protection of worker rights under their leadership.
Despite the serious talk of policy, the VP's detour to the popular cheesesteak joint served up a lighter moment on the day. Fox29 caught the vibe, reporting that though there's no word on her exact order, Harris, after hearing about Jim's reputation for the cheesy sandwich, was "very hungry" when she arrived. Pennsylvania State Sen. Vincent Hughes joined the second-in-command for the bite, though details of their conversation have gone unreported.
In line with her repeated presence in the Keystone State, Tuesday's event marked a VP's fourth visitation to Pennsylvania this year. NBC Philadelphia noted this was her 14th stop in Pennsylvania since her inauguration, signaling the administration's heightened attention to a swing state crucial in upcoming electoral battles.
While at the SEIU gathering, Harris highlighted the contrasts between the current and previous administrations, particularly regarding healthcare. "The last presidential administration tried over and over and over again to repeal the [American Care Act] and to strip health care from millions of Americans," Harris stated firmly, emphasizing that the present administration has "strengthened and expanded the ACA with your support."
The visit also included a conversation earlier this month in Montgomery County with actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, focusing on reproductive freedoms — an issue that reverberates through the corridors of power in a post-Roe landscape. As the administration targets varied concerns from health care to workers' rights, Harris's Philly cheesesteak pitstop intertwined the deeply personal with the profoundly political — satisfying both an appetite and an agenda.
