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Pennsylvanians went a different direction in 2016, voting Republican for president for the first time since 1984. They have been rewarded mightily for that decision.

The Democrat Party used to dominate presidential politics in the Keystone State, but times have changed millions of forgotten Pennsylvania workers turned to Donald Trump after being let down by Democrat politicians who consistently failed to keep their promises. For almost 10 years, our state suffered one of the weakest economic recoveries in history. President Obama told us to accept economic decline as the new normal.

But President Trump has given the Commonwealth hope it hasnt felt in decades. We are now in the midst of a blue-collar boom that has lifted our friends and neighbors out of poverty and restored their dignity through work. Our economic engine is roaring because President Trump and Congressional Republicans cut taxes for the middle class, saving Pennsylvania workers an average of $1,427 on their federal income taxes in 2018. Moreover, the presidents elimination of Obama-era regulations have led to massive growth, especially in the energy sector.

At the tail end of Obamas presidency, the number of jobs in the oil and gas industries had shrunk by 32 percent, but things quickly turned around when Donald Trump took office. By 2018, Pennsylvanias natural gas production was once again setting all-time highs. As a result, Pennsylvanians no longer depend on foreign nations to heat their homes, and theyre back to work producing natural gas for sale abroad, because America is now the worlds largest energy exporter.

Other sectors of the energy industry are also booming. Fracking, which supports thousands of jobs and generates tens of billions of dollars in economic activity in our state, has particularly benefited from this the presidents commitment to eliminating harmful regulations.

Speaking of exports, President Trump has successfully negotiated better trade deals that promote American workers with some of our largest trading partners. He promised to end the failed North American Free Trade Agreement that shipped so many Pennsylvania jobs to Mexico and Canada, and the ink is now dry on its replacement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The president also committed to standing up to China for its unfair trade practices, and he recently signed the Phase One agreement that is a first step toward re-balancing the U.S.-China trade relationship. Future trade deals with Great Britain and the European Union will yield even more gains for working families.

Predictably, all of these economic successes have had a transformative effect on the Keystone State. Pennsylvanias unemployment rate has plummeted. In fact, our manufacturing, construction, and mining sectors are all better off today than they were just three short years ago a clear sign that the economic policies of this administration are getting the results the president promised.

Of course, the ongoing blue-collar boom extends far beyond the Commonwealth. Nationwide, the bottom 50 percent of wage-earners have enjoyed a 47 percent increase in their net worth since 2017, outpacing net wealth accumulation of the richest 1 percent. The median household income has increased by more than $5,000, an all-time high. Workers are now experiencing greater wage growth than their managers and supervisors. The president noted this in a recent rally when he said: Under the Trump economy, the lowest paid earners are reaping the fastest gains of anybody!

Furthermore, the Council of Economic Advisers recently highlighted that real total nonprofit and household net wealth in America has increased by more than $12 trillion in the first 11 quarters under President Trump yet another economic record.

Remarkably, Democrats are telling workers that they arent really better off. Nancy Pelosi tore up a copy of the presidents recent State of the Union Address, calling it a manifesto of mistruths. Her desire for power and disdain for this president have led her party to deny the obvious fact that this is the best American economy in half a century.

Instead of working with Republicans to build on this success, they want to repeal and rescind the policies that got us here, throwing tantrums along the way. We cant let that happen. Americans finally have a president that keeps his promises and believes in them, and he is promising now that the best is yet to come.

If we continue these policies, he will be right. We must keep Pennsylvania red and re-elect President Donald Trump in November. He is standing up for our values and fighting harder than any previous president to make America - and the Keystone State - great again.

Mike Kelly is a U.S. Representative for Pennsylvanias 16th congressional district and is running for re-election.

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We must keep Pennsylvania red and re-elect Donald Trump | Opinion - pennlive.com