Sen. McCormick: The Republican Party is the home of American workers

On Wednesday, the first night of the Republican Midterm Convention, Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.) gave a rousing speech touting Pennsylvania’s first steel mill in decades, small business growth for women, and working-class heroes. The message was clear: The Republican Party is now the home of the American worker, not just in Pennsylvania, but all across the nation.

After receiving a warm welcome to the stage from Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) via video, McCormick reminisced about his in-laws’ humble beginnings, fleeing from Egypt to Dallas in search of religious freedom and the American dream. They sought the same principles that originally took root in Philadelphia with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and the people of Pennsylvania have upheld these ideals ever since.

‘ I refuse to surrender. President Trump refuses to surrender. This November, there can be no surrender.’

Eventually, McCormick recalled, Pennsylvania became the birthplace of the steel industry that ushered in the Industrial Revolution. Unfortunately, as time went on, the need for steel dwindled, and American manufacturing fell by the wayside, replaced by cheap Chinese goods.

Most recently, the Biden administration even blocked investments in U.S. steel to the detriment of thousands of Pennsylvanian jobs, McCormick said.

According to McCormick, that changes now.

McCormick vowed to confront China head-on by unleashing American energy, ingenuity, and talent. With Pittsburgh steelworkers at the forefront, McCormick said he has worked with President Donald Trump to create more than 100,000 jobs.

He also cut red tape to help small business owners and start-ups get a leg up, enabled Westinghouse to launch new nuclear power, and helped Lehigh Valley grow into a booming drug manufacturing hub.

He listed several other major accomplishments for his state:

• Hanwha Group is investing $5 billion in a shipyard.
• $100 billion is going to energy, AI, and defense, along with tens of thousands of new jobs.
• Household incomes are up by $3,000.
• Taxes are down to let more Americans keep their money.
• Tips and overtime are tax-free.

“We call it the American dream,” McCormick declared. “You work hard. You play by the rules. And you build a good life for your family.”

McCormick lamented that both Democrats and Republicans held these values dear at one time, but the former have since lost their way. The Democrats no longer stand for working families, he said, excusing Nazi tattoos on fellow members of their party and radical commentators like Hasan Piker, who proclaimed that “America deserved 9/11.”

RELATED: WATCH: John Fetterman makes STUNNING surprise appearance at Republican Midterm Convention

Kent NISHIMURA/AFP/Getty Images

Real America looks quite different. McCormick recounted his time in the 82nd Airborne Division during his deployment to Iraq. His platoon was diverse in all the best ways: a Southern Baptist from Alabama, a black man from Newark, a farm boy from Kansas, a college dropout from Boston, and a platoon sergeant from Puerto Rico.

Americans — all of them different in the way they spoke, looked, and thought, but united by the same values, dream, and love for country.

He likened their spirit to the people of Pennsylvania — the steelworkers, shipbuilders, welders, police officers, firefighters, patriots.

To send the point home, McCormick invited an entire team of Pennsylvanian workers to the stage. Like his platoon, they were a mix of races, genders, and professions, but they all share something in common. They are Pennsylvanians. They are Americans.

McCormick ended his speech with a call to arms — a declaration that every Republican should take to heart and remember on Election Day:

The choice is clear. Will we dream heroic dreams and build a better future? Or will we surrender to socialism? Defeatism? Anti-Americanism?

I refuse to surrender. President Trump refuses to surrender. This November, there can be no surrender.

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s build an America worthy of our heroic dreams.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!