WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Making his case for 2024, President Joe Biden declared in deep-red South Carolina on Thursday that Republican-led states are gaining factory jobs because of economic measures he pushed through Congress despite stiff GOP opposition.
Biden’s visit showcased a new clean energy manufacturing partnership between solar firm Enphase Energy and manufacturer Flex Ltd. that is projected to create 600 jobs in the state and 1,200 more throughout the country. Enphase, which is making a $60 million investment to open six new manufacturing lines, including two in South Carolina, is benefitting from tax incentives included in Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act that passed last August.
The White House has repeatedly castigated Republicans for voting against the legislation and for efforts to claw back tax incentives it contained, arguing that the efforts would hurt their own constituents. The White House also took note of another South Carolina Republican, Rep. Nancy Mace, who congratulated the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority for winning nearly $26 million to build and repair clean energy transportation projects under the $1 trillion infrastructure legislation. She voted against the bill.