Longo + Stiffler: Pennsylvania’s comeback is the story of America First

As Pennsylvanians join their countrymen in looking ahead to President Trump’s State of the Union address, the Keystone State stands as a shining example of his second-term triumphs. In the thirteen months since his 2025 inauguration, the Trump administration has implemented America First policies that have ignited an economic boom in Pennsylvania, attracting massive investments, creating tens of thousands of jobs, and slashing energy costs for families. These achievements show the America First agenda is delivering real prosperity for Pennsylvanians and all Americans. 

The job market in Pennsylvania has surged over the past year. Since January 2025, the state has added nearly 60,000 new jobs, including 4,000 in manufacturing. This builds on the momentum of the first Trump administration, when Pennsylvania added more than 15,600 manufacturing positions in the early years. As a result, thousands of Pennsylvanians have been lifted off food stamps.

Likewise, wages have climbed significantly, with factory workers’ earnings up by more than $1,300, construction workers’ by $1,800, and miners’ by $3,300, thanks to policies prioritizing American workers. Most notably, 100 percent of net job growth has gone to native-born Americans through stricter immigration enforcement, ensuring these opportunities benefit American families and seeing national unemployment rates beating expectations by falling below 4.4 percent. 

America First energy policies are actively counteracting the burdensome effects of the commonwealth’s Lightning Plan and related initiatives, which impose costs on Pennsylvania’s energy sector and consumers while prioritizing renewables at the expense of reliability and affordability. The cap-and-invest carbon pricing system known as the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction (PACER) Act, projected to hike electricity costs by hundreds of millions annually, threatens to stifle Pennsylvania’s natural gas dominance and add financial strain to households and businesses. Coupled with Pennsylvania’s stubbornly high state gas tax of 57.6 cents per gallon, this has made Pennsylvania one of only seven states paying more than $3 per gallon at the pump. 

In contrast, the Trump administration’s dedication to energy dominance through deregulation and investment, including a $1 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy to Constellation Energy to restart Unit 1 at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant under Crane Clean Energy Center’s ownership to supply carbon-free power for Microsoft’s data centers while creating thousands of jobs in the region, is injecting reliability and jobs into the grid while offsetting cost spikes from state-level mandates. By slashing burdensome regulations, eliminating 47 costly rules estimated to save $11 billion nationwide, and prioritizing fossil fuels and nuclear alongside strategic investments, President Trump is mitigating the inflationary impact of the commonwealth’s policies. The result: more than $90 billion in energy-related commitments to Pennsylvania, creating thousands of high-paying jobs, and ensuring families see tangible savings despite local obstacles. 

Manufacturing, too, has seen a renaissance, with 2025 investments dwarfing prior gains. Building on first-term tariffs that increased U.S. Steel sales by $350 million and supported 42,000 jobs via USMCA, recent deals include Nippon Steel’s $15 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel, which pledged billions for Pittsburgh-area upgrades. Johnson & Johnson’s $1 billion cell therapy facility in Montgomery County will create 500 permanent jobs and 4,500 construction roles. Eli Lilly’s $3.5 billion manufacturing site represents the largest life sciences investment in Pennsylvania history, part of more than $39 billion in private-sector inflows since 2025. GE Vernova’s up to $100 million in facility expansions added 250 jobs, while Pratt Industries contributed to broader manufacturing commitments. Overall, nearly $100 billion in 2025 commitments have been secured, including $90 billion in AI and energy alongside Amazon’s $20 billion for data centers and Blackstone’s $25 billion in infrastructure. 

The data is undeniable: Pennsylvania is thriving under the America First agenda, with a brighter future ahead for our families, industries, and communities. 

Jondavid “JD” Longo, Mayor of Slippery Rock Borough, Pennsylvania, since 2018, is the Chair of the America First Policy Institute’s Pennsylvania Chapter.

Mary Stiffler serves as the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania State Chapter AFPI Pennsylvania.