Rep. Tim Ryan Timothy (Tim) RyanNow's the time to make 'Social Emotional Learning' a national priority Mourners gather outside Supreme Court after passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Lincoln Project hits Trump for criticizing Goodyear, 'an American company' MORE (D-Ohio) on Sunday defended the focus of his 2020 presidential campaign on economic issues, saying that many Americans are tired of "just getting by."

"This Week" host George Stephanopoulos asked Ryan during an interview on ABC whether campaigning on economic issues will be effective, given that President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE has seen sustained job growth and low unemployment rates.

"Well, it's not doing well where I come from and it’s not doing well in a lot of places around the country," Ryan, who announced his White House bid earlier this month, explained.

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"Yes, the unemployment rate’s low, people are working, you know, one, two, three jobs to try to make ends meet. The average family, 40 to 50 percent of families in the United States can’t withstand a $400 or $500 emergency.



"My campaign and my behavior as president is going to be to rebuild the middle class in the United States. People are tired of just getting by. They're tired of just surviving. They want to thrive," he continued.

"The unemployment rate is low, the stock market is high, but yet the national stress level is probably as high as it's ever been, the national anxiety level is about as high as it's ever been."

Ryan, an outspoken moderate in the House who once challenged Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a leadership race, has angled much of his campaign toward working-class voters in the Midwestern states that Trump captured in 2016.

He joins a crowded field of Democrats vying for the nomination as one of the three sitting members of the House in the race.