Speeches and Remarks

Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex & Expo Center
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

4:30 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Pennsylvania!  (Applause.)  Good afternoon.  (Applause.) 

All right.  All right.  Oh, we got the band in the house.  (Applause.)  Good.  (Laughs.)  Okay.  We got some work to do.  (Applause.)  All right.  All right.  Okay.  Okay.

AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  All right.  Okay.  All right.  Okay.  Let’s settle down.  We — we got some work to do.  We got some work to do.

But can we give it up, please, for Chris?  Thank you so very much — (applause) — for all your leadership.  And, Mikayla, I was looking for you.  I don’t know where you are, but I’m saying hello to you too, because you are part of the reason I do what I do.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

All right, Harrisburg.  Are we ready to do this?  (Applause.) 

Are we ready to vote?  (Applause.)

Are we ready to win?  (Applause.)  Yes, you are right. 

Oh, it is good to be back in Pennsylvania and with so many incredible leaders, including your extraordinary Lieutenant Governor Davis — (applause); State Representative Kim — (applause); and Mayor Williams.  And let’s send Bob Casey back to the United States Senate.  (Applause.)

All right.  Okay.  So, this election is underway, and I want to thank everyone for taking the time out of your busy lives to be here this afternoon for us to all be under one roof together, sharing this moment of commitment to our country and each other.  I thank you all for the time that you are taking for us to all be here together.  (Applause.)

All right.  So, now is the time to remind our neighbors and our friends to make a plan to vote in person on Election Day — (applause) — or to return your mail ballot. 

And, Pennsylvania, if you still have a mail ballot, you can take it to a ballot drop box or an election office in your county by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.  Let’s spread the word and ask folks to go to IWillVote.com if they need more information.  (Applause.)

So, I’m visiting with you this afternoon because we need you to vote, Pennsylvania.  We need you to vote — (applause) — because we have just six days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime.  And we have work to do.  We still have a lot of work to do, but we like hard work.  (Applause.)  Hard work is good work.  (Applause.)  Hard work is joyful work.  (Applause.) 

And make no mistake, we will win.  We will win.  (Applause.)  We will win.  

And part of the reason — and part of the reason we will win is because I do believe when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for.  (Applause.) 

And we know we have an opportunity in this election to turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other.  (Applause.)  That is who he is, but, Pennsylvania, that is not who we are.  (Applause.) 

And I know plenty of folks are just exhausted with it all and know that it is time to stop pointing fingers and to start locking arms.  It is time — (applause) — it is time for a new generation of leadership in America.  (Applause.)  And together, with you, we will do this.  And I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And let me just say, Pennsylvania, you know my background.  I am not afri- — I am not afraid of tough fights.  For decades as a prosecutor and the top law enforcement officer of our biggest state, I won fights against the big banks that were ripping off homeowners — (applause); against for-profit colleges that scammed veterans and students; against predators who abused women and children; and cartels that trafficked in guns, drugs, and human beings.  (Applause.)

And if you give me the chance to fight on your behalf as president, there is nothing that will stand in my way of working for you.  (Applause.)

And, look, we know who Donald — Donald Trump is, right?  So, this is someone who is not thinking about how to make your life better.  This is someone who is unstable —

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: — obsessed with revenge —

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — consumed with grievance —

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and out for unchecked power. 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And, look, in less than 90 days, either he or I will be in the Oval Office. 

AUDIENCE:  You!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  But — (laughs) — but — okay.  A- — (laughs) —

Because here’s the thing we know: If he is elected, on day one, Donald Trump would walk into that office with an enemies list. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  When I am elected, I will walk in with a to-do list.  (Applause.)  And at the top of my list is bringing down your cost of living.  That will be my focus every single day as president.  (Applause.)

I will give a middle-class tax cut to a hundred million Americans, enact — (applause) — enact the first-ever federal ban on price gouging on groceries — (applause) — and fight to make sure that hardworking Americans can actually afford a place to live.  (Applause.)

If you are caring for an elderly parent, my plan will co- — cover the cost of home care under Medicare — (applause) — so seniors can get the help they need and the care they need to stay in their own homes.  (Applause.) 

It’s about dignity.  It’s about dignity, which is why my plan will also lower the cost of childcare — (applause) — cut — cut taxes for small businesses, and lower health care costs, because I believe health care should be a right and not just a privilege of those who can afford it.  (Applause.)

On the other hand, Donald Trump’s answer to financial pressures is for you to face the same deal you —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Here’s the thing.  Let me say — let me say something.  Let me say something.  We are — ho- — we are six days out of an election.  We are six days away from an election, and ours is about a fight for democracy and your right to be heard.  (Applause.)  That is what is on the line in this election.  That is what is on the line in this election.

Look, everybody has a right to be heard, but right now, I am speaking.  (Applause.) 

And one of the biggest issues that folks around the country want to talk about and hear is about how we are going to bring down the price of living for working people.  And people know that Donald Trump’s answer to the financial pressures that you face is the same as the last time: another trillion-dollar tax cut for billionaires and big corporations. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And this time, he will pay for it with a 20 percent national sales tax on everything you buy that is imported —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — clothes, food, toys, cell phones.  And a Trump sales tax would cost the average family nearly $4,000 more a year.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  These are some of the issues that are on the line in the next six days, and that’s why we are here, saying, “We will not stand for it.”  We stand for working people.  (Applause.)  We stand for middle-class growth and strength. 

We are here together because we know what’s on the line.  We know that Donald Trump will try, like he has so many times, to get rid of the Affordable Care Act —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — which would throw millions of Americans off of their health care and take us back to when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions.  You remember what that was?

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, we are not going back.  (Applause.)  We are not going back.

AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We’re not going back.

AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we are not going back, because ours is a fight for the future — (applause) — and it is a fight for freedom, like the fundamental freedom of a woman to be able to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do.  (Applause.) 

And we remember how we got here.  Donald Trump, when he was president, hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — with the intention that they would do just as they did and overturn the protections of Roe v. Wade.  And now, in America, one in three women in America lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban, many with no exceptions even for rape and incest, which is immoral — immoral.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And, look, Donald Trump is not done.  He would ban abortion nationwide — yes, even here in Pennsylvania, if he were successful.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He would restrict access to birth control, put IVF treatments at risk, and force states to monitor women’s pregnancies. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Just google Project 2025.  Read the plans for yourself.

And let us agree: One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government shouldn’t be telling people what to do — (applause) — not the government — not the government.  If she chooses, she will talk with her priest, her pastor, her rabbi, her imam, but not the government or Donald Trump telling people what to do.  (Applause.)

And I — I pledge to you, when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.  (Applause.)  I will proudly sign it into law.

So, Pennsylvania, I am asking for your vote.  (Applause.)  And here — here is my pledge to you.  And here is my pledge to you.  As your president —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  You’re war criminals!  You’re (inaudible) —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — I pledge to seek common ground and commonsense solutions to the challenges you face.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  And let me say — look, I’ll repeat it — we are fighting for our democracy.  We love our democracy.  (Applause.)  It can be complicated at times, but it is the best system in the world. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  It’s okay.  It’s okay.  It’s okay.  It’s okay.  All right.

So, look, I will continue with my point.  I pledge to you that, as president of the United States, I will not be looking to score political points.  I will be looking to make progress.  (Applause.)  And I pledge to listen to experts, to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make, and to the people who disagree with me.  (Applause.)

And at this particular moment, it should be emphasized that, unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the “enemy from within.”  (Applause.)  He wants to put them in jail.  I’ll give them a seat at the table.  (Applause.)

And I pledge to be a president for all Americans and to always put country above party and self.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA! 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  That’s right.

AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA! 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That’s right. 

So, Pennsylvania, look, it all comes down to this.  We are all here together and you have taken so much time out of your life to be here because we love our country.  We love our country.  (Applause.)  And when you love something, you fight for it.  (Applause.)

And I do believe it is one of the highest forms of patriotism, an expression of our love of our country, to then fight for its ideals — to fight for the ideals of our country and to fight for the promise of America.  (Applause.)  That’s what this is about.

I have always believed in our nation’s promise because I have lived it.  I grew up a child of the Civil Rights Movement.  (Applause.)  My parents would take me to marches when I was in a stroller, where people from all walks of life, all kinds of backgrounds, came together to fight for the ideals of our country, the ideals of freedom and opportunity.

I’ve lived the promise of America.  I saw how hard my mother worked to give her daughters the same chances our country gave her.  Growing up — (applause) — growing up, I was blessed to have family by blood and family by love — (applause) — who instilled in me — like all of us, who instilled in me the values that have always defined our nation at its best, like the value of community, of compassion, and faith.

I’ve lived the promise of America.  I’ve spent my life fighting for people who have been hurt and counted out but who never stop believing that, in our country, anything is possible.  (Applause.)

I’ve lived the promise of America, and I see the promise of America in this beautiful assembly of people, of you who understand — (applause) — what is at stake and also what we have yet to do.  That’s what this is about.  This is about our joy and our optimism, about what has yet to be done that we can do together as one community of people who love their country.  (Applause.)

And I see, then, the promise of America in, for example, the women who refuse to accept a future without reproductive freedom.  (Applause.)  I see it — I see it in the men who support them.  (Applause.)  I see it in Republicans who have never voted for a Democrat before but put the Constitution of the United States before party.  (Applause.) 

I see the promise of America in all the young leaders who I know are here right now, voting for the first time.  (Applause.)  Let me see your hands.  Right?

And I love this generation of leaders, because, listen, you are rightly impatient for change — (applause) —  you who are determined to live free from gun violence, to tackle the climate crisis, and shape the world you inherit.  (Applause.)  For these young leaders, let me tell you, no- — none of this is theoretical for them.  It’s not political for them.  For the young leaders, this is their lived experience.  And I see you, and I see your power, and I am so proud of you.  (Applause.) 

Let’s hear it for our first-time voters.  Let’s h- — (applause).  I see you.

So, Pennsylvania, we have six days to get this done.  (Applause.)  No one can sit on the sidelines.  Let’s spend the next six days so when we look back, we will know that we’ve done everything we could.  It’s time to knock on doors, time to text and call voters, time to reach out to family and friends and neighbors and classmates and coworkers. 

And please, in these next six days, let us be intentional about building community.  (Applause.)  In these next six days, let us please be intentional about building coalition.  (Applause.)  And let us remember, we all have so much more in common than what separates us.  (Applause.)

So, remember, your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power.  (Applause.)

And I will end by asking you: Pennsylvania, are you ready to make your voices heard?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in freedom?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in opportunity?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in the promise of America?  (Applause.)

And are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.)

And when we fight —

AUDIENCE:  We win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.

God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  God bless you.  (Applause.) 

                   END                     4:55 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Harrisburg, PA appeared first on The White House.

Alliant Energy Center
Madison, Wisconsin

8:02 P.M. CDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Wisconsin!  (Applause.)  Hello, Wisconsin!  (Applause.)  Oh. 

     Let’s hear it for Ty.  (Applause.)

     All right, Madison, are we ready to do this?  (Applause.) 

     Are we ready to vote?  (Applause.)

     Are we ready to win?  (Applause.)

     Oh, it’s good to be back in Madison.  It’s good to be

back.  (Applause.) 

And many of you may know, when I was five years old, my parents taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  (Applause.)  And so, for a time, my sister, Maya, and I lived not far from here in a house on Lake Mendota. 

So, it’s good to be back.  And it is good to be with so many incredible leaders.  And I, first of all, want to thank everybody who is here right now for taking the time you have taken to be here. 

I also want to thank our governor of Wisconsin, Evers — Governor Evers.  (Applause.)  Thank you always.  Every time I land, he says, “Welcome home.” 

Senator Baldwin — (applause) — a champion for working families; Representative Pocan — (applause); Mayor Rhodes-Conway — (applause); Mandela Barnes.  (Applause.)

And can we hear for our amazing musicians: Gracie Abrams — (applause); Remi Wolf — (applause); The National — (applause); and Mumford & Sons.  (Applause.)

All right.  So, Madison, early voting has started.  Here in Madison, you can vote early now through Sunday, November 3rd.  And we need you to vote early, Wisconsin, because — (applause) — we have six days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime. 

And we have work to do, but we like hard work.  (Applause.)  Hard work — hard work is good work.  (Applause.)  Hard work is joyful work.  (Applause.)

And make no mistake, we will win.  (Applause.)  We will win.  We will win.  Yes, we will.  We will win.  We will win. 

And I will tell you, we will win — we will win because when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for.  (Applause.)  And we know we have an opportunity in —

AUDIENCE MEMBERS:  Ceasefire now!  Ceasefire now!  Ceasefire now!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hey, you know what?  Listen.  We all want the war in Gaza to end and get the hostages out as soon as possible.  (Applause.)  And I will do everything in my power to make it heard and known. 

But — and everyone has a right to be heard, but right now I am speaking.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

So, Madison, we have an opportunity in this election to turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other.  That is who he is, but, Madison, that is not who we are.  (Applause.)

And folks are exhausted and want it to stop — the pointing fingers.  It is time that we start locking arms together as a people who rise and fall together.  (Applause.)

And it is time for a new generation of leadership in America.  (Applause.)  And I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States.  (Applause.)

And, Wisconsin, you know me.  I’m not afraid of tough fights.  For decades, as a prosecutor and a top law enforcement officer of our biggest state, I won fights.  (Applause.)  I won fights against the big banks that ripped off homeowners, against for-profit colleges that scammed veterans and students, against predators who abused women and children, against cartels that trafficked in guns and drugs and human beings.

And, Wisconsin, if you give me the chance to fight on your behalf as president, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way of fighting for you.  (Applause.) 

And here is the thing — and here is the thing: We know who Donald Trump is.  This is not someone who is thinking about how to make your life better.  This is someone who is unstable, obsessed — obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and out for unchecked power.  (Applause.)  And in less than 90 days, it’s either going to be him or me in the Oval Office.  (Applause.)

And here’s what — here’s what you know, and it’s — here’s what we know: If he is elected — it’s not going to happen.  But if he were elected, on day one, Donald Trump would walk into that office with an enemies list.  You know, he talks about the “enemies from within.”  When I am elected, I will walk in with a to-do list focused on your needs.  (Applause.)

And at the top — and at the top of my list is bringing down your cost of living.  (Applause.)  That will be my focus every single day as president.  I will give a middle-class tax cut to over 100 million Americans.  (Applause.) 

We will enact the first-ever federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries.  (Applause.)

We will fight to make sure hardworking Americans can actually afford a place to live.  (Applause.)

And if any of you out there are caring for an elderly parent, well, my plan will cover the cost of home care under Medicare — (applause) — so that seniors can get the help and care they need to stay in their own homes.  (Applause.)  It’s about dignity.  It’s about dignity.

And my plan will lower the cost of childcare, cut taxes for small businesses.  Do we have any small-business owners here?  (Applause.)  I love our small businesses. 

My plan will lower health care costs, because, by the way, I believe access to health care should be a right and not just a privilege of those who can afford it.  (Applause.)

It’s about values.  It’s about values. 

On the other hand, Donald Trump’s answer to the financial pressures you face, well, it’s the same as it was last time: another trillion dollars in tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.  Right.

And this time, he will pay for it with a 20 percent national sales tax on everything you buy that is imported: clothes, food, toys, cell phones.  A Trump sales tax would cost the average American family nearly $4,000 more a year. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And on top of that, you would pay even more if Donald Trump finally gets his way and gets rid of the Affordable Care Act.  Remember how many times he’s tried to do that? 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And you’re booing, because if he were successful, it would throw millions of Americans off of their health insurance and take us back to when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions.  You remember what that was like? 

Well, we are —

AUDIENCE:  Not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — not going back.  We’re not

(inaudible).  (Applause.)  We’re not going back.

Just like Wisconsin’s state motto tells us, we will move forward.  (Applause.)

Because ours is a fight for the future and it is a fight for freedom — (applause) — freedom — like the fundamental freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not

have her government tell her what to do.  (Applause.)

And we all remember how we got here.  When Donald Trump was president, he hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade.  They did as he intended.  And now, in America, one in three women lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban, many with no exceptions even for rape and incest, which is immoral.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Immoral.

And look, Donald Trump is not done.  He would ban abortion nationwide.  Yes, even here in Wisconsin.  And he would restrict access to birth control, put IVF treatments at risk, and force states — listen to this — force states to monitor women’s pregnancies.  Just google Project 2025.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Read the plans yourself. 

And I know we all here know, one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government shouldn’t be telling her what to do with her body.  (Applause.)  Not the government.  Not the government.  Not the government.

And when Congress — together with Tammy’s help, when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.  (Applause.)  Proudly sign it into law.

So, Wisconsin, I am asking for your vote.  (Applause.)  And here is my pledge to you.  As president, I pledge to seek common ground and commonsense solutions to the challenges you face.  I am not looking to score political points.  I am looking to make progress.  And I pledge — (applause) — because I know we can — because I know we can — I know we can make progress. 

And I pledge, then, to listen to experts, to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make, and to people who disagree with me.  Because, look, unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy.  He wants to put them in jail.  I’ll give them a seat at my table.  (Applause.)

And I pledge to always put country above party and self and to be a president for all Americans.  (Applause.)

So, it all comes down to this.  We are here together for many reasons.  But one of the most important: We are here together because we love our country.  We love our country.  (Applause.)  We love our country, and when you love something, you fight for it.  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And — and I do believe that one of the highest forms of patriotism — of our expression for the love of our country is to fight for the ideals of our country and to fight to realize the promise of America.  I have always believed in our nation’s promise because I have lived it. 

I grew up as a child of the Civil Rights Movement.  My parents would take me to the marches when I was in a stroller, where people from every walk of life came together to fight for freedom and for opportunity. 

Growing up, I saw how hard my mother worked to give her daughters the same chances our country gave her.  And I was blessed — (applause) — and I was blessed to have family by blood and family by love — (applause) — who instilled in me the values of community and compassion and faith. 

I’ve spent my life fighting for people who have been hurt or who have been counted out but who never stop believing that in our country anything is possible.  I have lived the promise of America.  (Applause.) 

And today, I see the promise of America in all of you — (applause) — in all of you, in everyone here. 

I see it in the women who refuse to accept a future without reproductive freedom — (applause) — and the men who support them.  (Applause.)

I see it in the fathers and mothers who work hard every day for their children’s future. 

I see it in Republicans who never voted for a Democrat before but put the Constitution of the United States over party.  (Applause.)

And every day I see the promise of America in all the young leaders who are voting for the first time.  (Applause.)

(Inaudible) all over the place.

And I love your generation.  I just love you guys.  (Applause.)  And let me tell you why.  Let me tell you why.  One of the reasons is you all are rightly impatient for change.  (Applause.)  Rightly. 

You, who have only known the climate crisis, are leading the charge to protect our planet and our future.  (Applause.)

You, who grew up with active shooter drills, are fighting to keep our schools safe.  (Applause.) 

You — you, who now know fewer rights than your mothers and grandmothers, are standing up for freedom.

And what I know about you is these issues are not theoretical.  This is not political for you.  This is your lived experience.  And I see you, and I see your power.  I see your power, and I am so proud of you.  (Applause.) 

Can we hear it for our first-time voters?  (Applause.) 

So, Wisconsin — okay, we got six days to get this thing done, and no one can sit on the sidelines.  So, let’s spend the next six days so that when we look backward after the sixth day, we will know we did everything we could.  Okay?  (Applause.)

So, now is the time to knock on doors — (applause) — to text, to call, to reach out to family and friends and classmates and coworkers and neighbors.  And as we do, here’s my request: As we do all of that, let’s be intentional about building community, and let’s be intentional about building coalitions.  (Applause.) 

Let’s remember that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.  And let’s approach this — (applause) — let’s approach this with that spirit and with the spirit of in the face of a stranger, seeing a neighbor.  Let’s do it that way.  Okay?  (Applause.)  Let’s do it that way. 

And let us remember that your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power.  (Applause.)

So, Madison, today I ask you: Are you ready to make your voices heard?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in freedom?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in opportunity?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in the promise of America?  (Applause.)

And are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.)

And when we fight —

AUDIENCE:  We win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win. 

God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

                        END                8:24 P.M. CDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Madison, WI appeared first on The White House.

Joint Base Andrews
Prince George’s County, Maryland

10:11 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  Good morning.  Good morning. 

Well, last night was a good night.  We had the chance, in front of 100,000 people, to talk about what’s at stake in this election and to point out that the American people have a real choice and — and a very important decision to make in six days.  And it is about who will not only lead the country but occupy the White House, where critical decisions are made that include how we think about who we are as a nation and whether we are going to be a nation of people who attempt to unify and break through this era of divisiveness, or are we going to be a nation of people who has a president stewing in the Oval Office over his enemies list.

And I think that the turnout last night and the kind of feedback that we are receiving is a strong indication that the American people actually want a leader who is going to bring us together, and that’s the type of leader I intend to be.

Q    Have you talked to President Biden since his comment last night about “garbage”?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Listen, I think that, first of all, he clarified his comments.  But let me be clear: I strongly disagree with any criticism of people based on who they vote for.  It’s — you heard my speech last night and continuously throughout my career. 

I believe that the work that I do is about representing all the people, whether they support me or not.  And as president of the United States, I will be a president for all Americans, whether you vote for me or not. 

     (Cross-talk.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That’s my responsibility, and that’s the kind of work that I’ve done my entire career, and I take it very seriously. 

Q    Have you spoken to him about his comments and — and his intention?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He did call me last night, but this didn’t come up. 

Q    Did he speak to you about —

Q    Are you concerned about what impact this may have on voters, on the divisiveness of the election, and whether or not it’s going to dissuade some people from supporting you because of your affiliation with the president and this administration?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I’ve been very clear with the American public.  I respect the challenges that people face.  I respect the fact that we all have so much more in common than what separates us and that most people want a president that understands that, that gets that, and approaches their role of leadership that way. 

I’ve been very clear, from my earliest years as a prosecutor, I never asked anyone, “Are they a Democrat or Republican?”  The only thing I asked folks is, “Are you okay?”  And that’s the kind of president I will be.

     Q    And what did you talk about with the president?

     Q    Madam Vice President, on a separate subject, last night you mentioned removing people in the country who are here illegally.  What do you mean?  Is that — that’s an immigration statement, obviously.  Were you referring to people who have come here before illegally, or can you expand on what you meant by that comment?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  What I intend to do on the issue of immigration, as I said last night and have said continuously, is we need to fix our broken immigration system in a number of ways.  We need to strengthen the border and put more resources at the border, which is why I support the bipartisan bill that Donald Trump killed that would have otherwise put 1,500 more border agents at the border; put more resources into prosecuting transnational crime; and would, very importantly, put more resources into stemming the flow of fentanyl, which is killing people around the country.  And when I am elected president, I will bring that bill back, and I will sign it into law. 

I also have done the work and — and have — and — and my policy going forward will strengthen what we need to do to deal with, for example, illegal entries between ports of entry.  That is something that we need to tighten up. 

 I will do the work also about ensuring that we pass comprehensive immigration reform in a way that we allow hardworking people who have earned citizenship a path to actually be able to gain citizenship because they have earned it, and that includes everyone from our farm- — farmworkers to DREAMers.

     Q    And just to follow up on the —

     (Cross-talk.)

     Q    Madam Vice President, do you sympathize if any voters do feel —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Once again?

Q    Do you sympathize with any voters who do feel offended by or insulted by the “garbage” comments? 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I am running for president of the United States.  I will be traveling to three states today to do what I have been doing throughout, which is talking with the American people about the fact that, first of all, I get it, in terms of the concerns they have about challenges like the price of groceries. 

Second, my highest priority is to address that and to lift them up around their ambitions, their aspirations, and their dreams, which is why I have a very specific and detailed plan about strengthening our economy.  Leading economists have reviewed my plan and indicated it will strengthen the economy and that Donald Trump’s plan will weaken the economy. 

So, I’m going to be spending full time, as I’ve been, talking with the American people, whoever they voted for last time. 

And as I have said and will repeat over and over again — I am sincere in what I mean: When elected president of the United States, I will represent all Americans, including those who don’t vote for me, and address their needs and their desires. 

                              END                    10:16 A.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris Before Air Force Two Departure | Joint Base Andrews, MD appeared first on The White House.

The Ellipse
Washington, D.C.

7:38 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good evening, America!  (Applause.)   Good evening, everyone.  Good evening.  And thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives. 

     AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, everyone. 

So, listen, one week from today, you will have the chance to make a decision that directly impacts your life, the life of your family, and the future of this country we love.  (Applause.)  And it will probably be the most important vote you ever cast. 

And this election is more than just a choice between two parties and two different candidates.  It is a choice about whether we have a country rooted in freedom for every American or ruled by chaos and division.  (Applause.)

Many of you watching have probably already cast your ballots — (applause) — but I know many others are still considering who to vote for or whether you’ll vote at all.  So, tonight, I will speak to everyone about the choice and the stakes in this election. 

Look, we know who Donald Trump is.  He is the person who stood at this very spot nearly four years ago and sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol to overturn the will of the people in a free and fair election.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  An election that he knew he lost.  Americans died as a result of that attack.  One hundred and forty law enforcement officers were injured because of that attack. 

And while Donald Trump sat in the White House watching as the violence unfolded on television, he was told by his staff that the mob wanted to kill his own vice president, and Donald Trump responded with two words, “So what?”

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  America, that’s who Donald Trump is, and that’s who is asking you to give him another four years in the Oval Office —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — not to focus on your problems, but to focus on his. 

And Donald Trump has told us his priorities for a second term.  He has an enemies list of people he intends to prosecute.  He says that one of his highest priorities is to set free the violent extremists who insaulted [assaulted] those law enforcement officers on January 6th.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Donald Trump intends to use the United States military against American citizens who simply disagree with him —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — people he calls, quote, “the enemy from within.”

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  America, this is not a candidate for president who is thinking about how to make your life better.  This is someone who is unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and out for unchecked power.  Donald Trump has spent a decade trying to keep the American people divided and afraid of each other.  That is who he is.

But, America, I am here tonight to say that is not who we are.  (Applause.)  That is not who we are.  That is not who we are. 

 You see, what Donald Trump has never understood is that e pluribus unum — “out of many, one” — isn’t just a phrase on a dollar bill.  It is a living truth about the heart of our nation.

Our democracy doesn’t — it doesn’t ac- — require us to agree on everything.  In fact, we like good arguments from time to time.  Just think of your own family, right? 

It’s not the American way to not have disagreements.  We don’t shy away from robest debate — robust debate.  In fact, we like a good debate, don’t we?  We like a good debate.  (Applause.)

And the fact that someone disagrees with us does not make them the “enemy within.”  (Applause.)  They are family, neighbors, classmates, coworkers.  They are fellow Americans, and as Americans, we rise and fall together.  (Applause.)

America, for too long, we have been consumed with too much division, chaos, and mutual distrust.  And it can be easy then to forget a simple truth: It doesn’t have to be this way.  (Applause.)  It doesn’t have to be this way. 

It is time to stop pointing figers [fingers] — we have to stop pointing fingers and start locking arms.  It is time to turn the page on the drama and the conflict, the fear and division.  It is time for a new generation of leadership in America.  (Applause.)  And I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

Now, look, let me say — let me say, I recognize this has not been a typical campaign.  (Laughter.)  Even though I’ve had the honor of serving as your vice president for the last four years, I know — (applause) — but I know that many of you are still getting to know who I am. 

Well, let me tell you.  I am someone who has spent most of my career outside of Washington, D.C., so I know that not all the good ideas come from here.  I am not afraid of tough fights against bad actors and powerful interests — (applause) — because, for decades, as a prosecutor and a top law enforcement officer of our biggest state, I won fights against big banks that ripped off homeowners, against for-profit colleges that scammed veterans and students, against predators who abused women and children, and cartels that trafficked in guns, drugs, and human beings. 

And I did this work because, for as long as I can remember, I have always had an instinct to protect.  There’s something about people being treated unfairly or overlooked that, frankly, just gets to me.  I don’t like it.  It’s what my mother instilled in me: a drive to hold accountable those who use their wealth or power to take advantage of other people, the drive to protect hardworking Americans who aren’t always seen or heard and deserve a voice.  And I will tell you that is the kind of president I will be.  (Applause.)

And, look, I’ll be honest with you, I’m not perfect.  I make mistakes.  But here’s what I promise you: I will always listen to you, even — (applause) — even if you don’t vote for me.  I will always tell you the truth, even if it is difficult to hear.  I will work every day to build consensus and reach compromise to get things done.  (Applause.)  And if you give me the chance to fight on your behalf, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way.  (Applause.)

So, look, in less than 90 days, either Donald Trump or I will be in the Oval Office.  Okay?  (Applause.) 

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  On day one — on day one —

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And on day one, if elected — on day one, if elected, Donald Trump would walk into that office with an enemies list.  When elected, I will walk in with a to-do list — (applause) — full of priorities of what I will get done for the American people. 

And I will work with everyone — Democrats, Republicans, and independents — to help Americans who are working hard and still struggling to get ahead. 

I have been honored to serve as Joe Biden’s vice president — (applause) — but I will bring my own experiences and ideas to the Oval Office.  My presidency will be different, because the challenges we face are different. 

Our top priority as a nation four years ago was to end the pandemic and rescue the economy.  Now our biggest challenge is to lower costs — costs that were rising even before the pandemic and that are still too high. 

I get it.  I still remember our mother sitting at that yellow Formica table late at night, cup of tea in hand, a pile of bills in front of her trying to make it all work.  And I’ve heard from so many of you who are facing even greater financial pressures.

Donald Trump’s answer to you is the same as it was the last time: another trillion dollars in tax cuts for billionaires and big corporations.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And this time, he will pay for it with a 20 percent national sales tax on everything you buy that is imported. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Think about it: clothes, food, toys, cell phones.  A Trump sales tax that would cost the average family nearly $4,000 more a year. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And on top of that, you will pay even more if Donald Trump finally gets his way and repeals the Affordable Care Act —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — which would throw millions of Americans off their health insurance and take us back to when insurance companies had the power to deny people with preexisting conditions. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, we are not going back.  (Applause.)  We are not going back.

AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We are not going back, because we also know Donald Trump would deliver tax cuts to his billionaire donors.  I will deliver tax cuts to working people and the middle class.  (Applause.)

I will make sure you have a chance not just to get by, but to get ahead — (applause) — because I believe in honoring the dignity of work.  (Applause.)

I will enact the first-ever federal ban on price gouging on groceries — (applause); cap the price of insulin; and limit out-of-pocket prescription costs for all Americans.  (Applause.)

I will fight to make sure that hardworking Americans can actually afford a place to live.  (Applause.)  I’ll never forget how our mother saved up and how excited she was when she could finally afford to buy our first home.  I remember how excited she was.  And I know that owning a home is not only a measure of financial security, it’s about the pride of your hard work.

And, as president, I will fight to help first-time homebuyers with your down payment, take on the companies that are jacking up rents, and build millions of new homes.  (Applause.)

For years, we have heard excuses about why America can’t build enough housing.  Enough with the excuses.  I’m going to cut the red tape and work with the private sector and local governments to speed up building and get it done.  (Applause.)

And the cost of housing isn’t the only financial pressure on middle-class families.  I have met so many young people who have a natural desire to parent their children well but not always the resources to do it.  So, I’ll fight for a Child Tax Credit to save them some money — (applause) — which — which will also lift American children out of poverty.  (Applause.)

I’ll work to lower the cost of childcare, which is out of reach for too many working families today. 

And for too many people in the sandwich generation, who are raising young children and taking care of a parent, juggling all of it is extremely difficult. 

You know, I took care of my mother when she got sick — cooking fodes [foods] that — food that she had a taste for, finding clothes that would not irritate her skin.  And understand, as I do, that caregiving is about dignity.  It is about dignity.  (Applause.)

And currently, if you need home care and you don’t have some money to hire someone, you and your family need to deplete your savings to qualify for help.  That’s just not right.

So, we’re going to change the approach and allow Medicare to cover the cost of home care — (applause) — so seniors can get the help and care they need in their own homes.  (Applause.)

Now, Donald Trump has a different approach.  He tried to cut Medicare and Social Security every year he was president. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Look, I believe that when people have worked hard their entire life, they deserve to retire with the benefits they have earned.  (Applause.) 

And I believe in the fundamental freedom of Americans to make decisions about their own bodies and not have their government tell them what to do.  (Applause.)

I will fight to restore what Donald Trump and his hand-selected Supreme Court justices took away from the women of America.  (Applause.)  That today one in three women in America — think about it — one in three women in America lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban, many with no exceptions even for rape and incest. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  The idea that a woman who survives a crime of a violation to her body should not have the authority to make a decision about what happens to her body next — that is immoral.  That is immoral. 

And Trump is not done.  He would ban abortion nationwide, restrict access to birth control, and put IVF treatments at risk and force states to monitor women’s pregnancies. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Just google Project 2025 and read the plans for yourself. 

And, look, I think we all know one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to simply agree the government should not be telling her what to do with her body.  (Applause.)  Not the government. 

And when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.  (Applause.)  Proudly.

And, look, on another subject, politicians have got to stop treating immigration as an issue to scare up votes in an election — (applause) — and instead treat it as the serious challenge that it is that we must finally come together to solve. 

I will work with Democrats and Republicans to sign into law the border security bill that Donald Trump killed.  (Applause.)

When I was attorney general of a border state, I saw the chaos and violence caused by transnational criminal organizations that I took on.  And when I am president, we will quickly remove those who arrive here unlawfully, prosecute the cartels, and give Border Patrol the support they so desperately need.  (Applause.)

     At the same time, we must acknowledge we are a nation of immigrants.  (Applause.)  And I will work with Congress to pass immigration reform, including an earned path to citizenship for hardworking immigrants like farmworkers and our DREAMers.  (Applause.)

As commander in chief, I will make sure America has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world.  (Applause.)  Donald Trump, on the other hand, has shown his contempt for our nation’s heroes, calls them “suckers” and “losers” —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — called a four-star Marine general, a, quote, “lowlife.” 

I will always honor, never denigrate, the service and sacrifice of our troops and their families and fulfill our sacred obligation to care for them.

I will strengthen, not surrender, America’s global leadership.  (Applause.)  And I will stand with our friends, because I know that our alliances keep American people safe and make America stronger and more secure.  (Applause.)

Look, world leaders think that Donald Trump is an easy mark, easy to manipulate with flattery or favor.  And you can believe that autocrats like Putin and Kim Jong Un are rooting for him in this election.

I will always uphold our security, advance our national interest, and ensure that the United States of America remains, as we must forever be, a champion of liberty around the world.  (Applause.)

America, we know what Donald Trump has in mind: more chaos, more division, and policies that help those at the very top and hurt everyone else.  I offer a different path, and I ask for your vote.  (Applause.)

And here is my pledge to you.  I pledge to seek common ground and commonsense solutions to make your life better.  I am not looking to score political points.  I am looking to make progress.  I pledge to listen to experts, to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make, and to people who disagree with me.  Unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe people who disagree with me are the enemy.  He wants to put them in jail.  I’ll give them a seat at the table.  (Applause.)

I pledge to you to approach my work with the joy and optimism that comes from making a difference in people’s lives, and I pledge to be a president for all Americans — (applause) — and to always put country above party and self.  (Applause.)

I love our country with all my heart — (applause) — and I believe in its promise, because I’ve lived it.  I grew up as a child of the Civil Rights Movement.  My parents would take me to marches in a stroller, where crowds of people of all races, faiths, and walks of life came together to fight for the ideals of freedom and opportunity.

I’ve lived the promise of America.  I saw how hard our mother worked to give her daughters the same chances this country gave her.  Growing up, I was blessed to have family by blood and family by love, who instilled in me the values of community, compassion, and faith that have always defined our nation at its best.

I’ve lived the promise of America.  I’ve spent my life fighting for the people who have been hurt and counted out but never stopped believing that in our country, anything is possible.

I’ve lived the promise of America, and I see the promise of America in all of you.  In all of you, I see it.  (Applause.) 

I see it in the young people who are voting for the first time — (applause) — who are determined to live free from gun violence and to protect our planet and to shape the world they inherit.  (Applause.)

I see it in the women who refuse to accept a future without reproductive freedom — (applause) — and the men who support them.  (Applause.)

I see it in Republicans who have never voted for a Democrat before — (applause) — but have put the Constitution of the United States over party.  (Applause.)

I’ve seen it in Americans, different in many respects, but united in our pursuit of freedom, our belief in fairness and decency, and our faith in a better future.

America, I know the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us.  I know it.  And that’s why I am in this race: to fight for the people, just like I always have.  (Applause.)

Nearly 250 years ago, America was born when we wrested freedom from a petty tyrant.  Across the generations, Americans have preserved that freedom, expanded it, and, in so doing, proved to the world that a government of, by, and for the people is strong and can endure.  (Applause.)

And those who came before us — the patriots at Normandy and Selma, Seneca Falls and Stonewall, on farmlands and factory floors — they did not struggle, sacrifice, and lay down their lives only to see us cede our fundamental freedoms.  (Applause.)

They didn’t do that only to see us submit to the will of another petty tyrant.  (Applause.)

These United States of America, we are not a vessel for the schemes of wannabe dictators.  (Applause.) 

The United States of America is the greatest idea humanity ever devised — a nation big enough to encompass all our dreams, strong enough to withstand any fracture or fissure between us, and fearless enough to imagine a future of possibilities. 

So, America, let us reach for that future.  Let us fight for this beautiful country we love.  And in seven days, we have the power — each of you has the power to turn the page and start writing the next chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told. 

I thank you all.  God bless you.  And may God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

Thank you.  (Applause.)

                             END                8:08 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event appeared first on The White House.

6:53 P.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  (In progress) — and your friendship.  And thanks to everyone —
 
MS. TERESA:  So, President —
 
THE PRESIDENT:  — at Voto Latino.  (Inaudible.)
 
MS. TERESA:  So, President Biden, before we get started — before we get started, I just want to say, literally, three and a half years ago, we — when we were hunkered down, we were doing Zoom calls very similar to this, you came in and you talked to our community, and you said, “Maria Teresa, we are going to have the largest climate change legislation, the biggest infrastructure,” and you listed 20 things, and he’s like, “Will you be there with me?”  And I said, “Absolutely.”  And I said, “Do you think we’re going to get it done?”  You’re like, “Absolutely.”  And you know what?  You have. 
 
So, I’m incredibly grateful for all the work that you’ve done, and I would love for you to say a few words to — to the community based on your ability to deliver every single time.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We got it done.  I didn’t get it done.  Every major thing we tried to do, from over a trillion dollars in infrastructure to work on communities that need help to health care to — I mean, a whole range of things, and we got it done.
 
As I said earlier, your partnership, your friendship, and your leadership has really made a big difference.  And thank everyone at Latino — you know — excuse me, thank everyone at your organization, Voto Latino, for all you do.  You know, you’ve always had my back, and I think it’s fair to say I’ve always had yours.
 
This is it.  This is it.  Seven days to Election Day, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.  And that’s not a — that’s not an exaggeration.  The choice couldn’t be clearer.
 
Presidential historians tell us the most important thing about a president is character — does he or she have character.  Kamala has character.  She’ll always stand up for Latinos, but not just Lati- — she’ll stand up for everyone who deserves to be stood up for, and that’s all Americans.
 
Donald Trump has no character.  He doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community.  He’s failed businessman.  He’s — he only cares about the billionaire friends he has and accumulating wealth for those at the top.

You know, he says immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of our country.  Give me a break.  He wants to do away with the birthright citizenship.  Who the hell else said that in the last 100 years? 

And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”  Well, let me tell you something.  I don’t — I — I don’t know the Puerto Rican that — that I know — or a Puerto Rico, where I’m fr- — in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people.  The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.  It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.  
 
Now, Trump has di- — tried to divide the country based on race, ethnicity, anything that does harm, to take their eye off the ball about what the terrible things he’s done and will do.  But Kamala Harris has fought for all Americans and will be a president for all of America.
 
Look, folks, we’ve gotten a lot done together, as you pointed out.  Look, Maria Teresa, we did everything from the infrastructure bill to health care to making sure that veterans are taken care of.  I mean, across the board, we’ve done so much.  We’ve created over 16 million jobs.  More Latinos have jobs than ever before.
 
Look, a quarter of all — here’s the way I look at it.  A quarter of all the children in our schools today are Latino — are Latino, a quarter of them.  How could we possibly not invest everything we have in a quarter of our population that’s going to be our future?  It’s going to make a major, major, major, major piece of what this country looks like and what we think and what we believe.  So, these are going to have to be the doctors, the teachers, the scientists, and, yes, presidents.
 
You know, I know we’ve asked a lot of each other, but I’m talking to you about one more thing and asking you, as a favor, all of you listening, to vote.  Get out early and vote.  Do it early.
 
You know, I — I know the long waits on Election Day are all too common, especially in Latino communities.  You know, I cast my ballot yesterday.  I stood in line for 40, 45 minutes with all the people in Delaware, and I cast my vote yesterday in my home state.  I waited in line with a lot of other people. 
 
There was a woman ahead of me, an elderly woman, who was in her 90s in a wheelchair, and it was a heavy wheelchair and the person pushing it was having trouble, so I spent time with her.  She — she’s — she’s over 90 years old, and she’s breaking her neck to vote because she knows how important it is.
 
Today is National Vote Early Day.  Let me say it again.  Today is National Vote Early Day.  Remind folks to vote early, to return mail-in ballots. 
 
Vote for access to a good education so everyone has an opportunity.  Vote to eliminate not — what Trump wants — he wants to eliminate the Department of Education and no early education.  We’re fighting like hell, and we’re fighting like hell for early education because, you know, it increases exponentially the prospect of success for our sons and our daughters. 
 
Vote to give our daughters the same opportunities we give our sons, instead of taking away their rights. 
 
Vote to make sure we maintain a significant health care that would provide for our parents and our families and basic health care for all Americans.  Trump is trying like hell to get rid of it.  More people have health care now than ever before.  He says he’s going to — wants to get rid of it.
 
Vote to continue the progress we made on job growth — the growth in jobs for everyone, including Latinos — a significant job growth.
 
Vote for comprehensive imm- — immigration reform instead of mass deportation.  What’s he talkin- — think about it. 
 
You know, I travel the world because of my role as president and my knowledge of foreign policy.  I get inquiries from other heads of state, “Does Trump really mean it?  Are you really going to send out the police to gather up thousands and millions of people and deport them?”  What the hell is going on here?  Vote for comprehensive immigration reform instead of mass deportation. 
 
In short, vote to keep Donald Trump out of the White House.  He’s a true danger to not just Latinos but to all people, particularly those who are in a minority in this country. 
 
You know, we have to vote to elect Kamala as president, Tim Walz as vice president.  It’s (inaudible) — it’s never been more important.
 
We’ve known each other a long time, Maria Teresa — a long time.  And I want to tell you something I can say without equivocation.  Our democracy is at stake.  And to translate that into pure English — and that’s wh- — I should be able to speak Spanish, but I can’t.  We should be able to talk about what this means.
 
He wants to fundamentally change the way our Constitution works.  He wants to take away people’s rights.  He wants to concentrate power in the hands of a very few — people like him.
 
So, go to IWillVote.com and make your plan to vote early.  Make it today, because voting early (inaudible) now basically through election.  Make a plan to vote, please, please, please.  Your vote is critical.  A Latino vote is critical.  Let’s make it heard.
 
I want them to remember who you are and who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  And there’s nothing, nothing at all beyond our capacity when we do it together.
 
So, God bless you all.  And God bless you, Maria Teresa, for all you’ve been doing.  We have more to do, but we got to get it done. 
 
This el- — this election is the most consequential election we’ve ever voted in, no matter how old or how young you are — this election.
 
God bless you all.  And God protect our troops.
 
MS. TERESA:  Thank you so much, President Biden.  And I have to tell you, what you really — what you are saying is a clarion call.  It’s a multicultural democracy, and it’s us, as Americans first, that will save this country and our democracy.  And I’m so grateful for the time —
 
THE PRESIDENT:  The reason why we’re strong.
 
MS. TERESA:  — you’ve spent with us.  (Inaudible.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We’re the most diverse country, and that’s why we’re strong.  That is our strength.
 
MS. TERESA:  Right.  (Laughs.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  (Inaudible) our weakness.  It’s our strength.
 
MS. TERESA:  No, I call it our superpower — our superpower.  And I always say, like, you don’t have to take my word for it.  The reason that you have disinformation around race is because the Russians and the Chinese recognize that racism is our Achilles heel, but it — they also recognize that it’s our multiculturalism that is our superpower and our strength.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We bring all the best of every culture together.  We really do.  It’s not hyperbole.  That’s a fact.
 
MS. TERESA:  It’s true.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Sometimes I think our folks (inaudible) don’t realize it, but it’s truly a fact.  Anyway.
 
God love you for what you’re doing.  Keep it going, kid.
 
MS. TERESA:  I’m super grateful.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Keep it going.
 
MS. TERESA:  Yeah, we’re not done yet.  We’re just getting started.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We’re not even close to done.
 
MS. TERESA:  (Inaudible.)  (Laughs.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  And I may be — I may be leaving office on January 20th, but I’m not leaving. 
 
MS. TERESA:  I — I —
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I’m not leaving.
 
MS. TERESA:  You promise?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I’m leaving office, but I’m not leaving this fight. 
 
MS. TERESA:  (Laughs.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  God love you.  Thank you so much.
 
MS. TERESA:  I’m going to remind you of that.  Much love.  Say hello to Jill.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, you don’t (inaudible) — I’m going to ask for your help and let me join you.
 
MS. TERESA:  I will always be there, President. 
 

7:02 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden on a Call with Voto Latino appeared first on The White House.

BMORE LICKS
Baltimore, Maryland

3:02 P.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, will you be watching the vice president’s speech tonight?

THE PRESIDENT:  I will.

Q    Why are you not attending?  It’s right there on the Ellipse?

THE PRESIDENT:  Because it’s for her.  This is her night.

Q    What do you expect to hear out of her tonight?  What’s the closing message from the vice president?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ll let you hear it first.

Q    Mr. President, are you worried about the North Korean troops in Kursk, in Russia?

THE PRESIDENT:  I am concerned about it, yes.

Q    Should the Ukrainians strike — strike back?

THE PRESIDENT:  If they cross into Ukraine, yes.

3:03 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden in Press Gaggle | Baltimore, MD appeared first on The White House.

The University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA

SECOND GENTLEMAN DOUGLAS EMHOFF: Thank you, Meryl and Yoni, and thank you Pittsburgh. You’ve welcomed me many times to mourn, to remember, and to rededicate ourselves to living proudly as Jews.
 
Thank you for opening your doors and arms once again, at this critical moment.
 
We have one week to go. One week to turn the page, chart a new way forward, and elect Kamala Harris.
 
I am so proud of the way she has stepped up, shared her vision, and prosecuted the case against Donald Trump’s unhinged view of America and of our fellow Americans.
 
Kamala brings both joy and toughness to everything she does – and this campaign is no different.
 
Yesterday we marked the anniversary of the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history, a massacre at Shabbat services not far from where we gather right now.
 
And one year after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel, we are all still reeling.
 
So I want to talk about how we feel when we wake up, walk through the world, and stare at the ceiling at night:
 
It is an uncomfortable and unsettling time to be Jewish. These are hard days.
 
There is pride in our people, but also a deep sense of insecurity.
 
Like you, I know people who think twice about wearing a kippah or a Star of David.
 
Parents who are worried sick about their kids’ safety on college campuses.
 
Young people who aren’t just afraid that they’re going to grow up with fewer rights than their grandparents, but who are being targeted for being Jewish in ways we thought only happened in our grandparents’ time.
 
Everywhere I go, people tell me they also feel something else: loneliness.
 
In the rooms where you used to feel safe, you no longer feel welcome. It didn’t always feel this lonely to be Jewish in America.
 
Like many of you, my family came to this country to escape these very fears. To feel this way in 2024 is disorienting and disconcerting.
  
But I’ll tell you one place I’ve never felt that – where I’ve actually felt the opposite: the home I share with Kamala.
 
When we’re shaken, we go home and talk to the people we love.
 
After Charlottesville, after Tree of Life, after October 7, the person I turned to and talked to was my wife.
 
After Hamas executed Hersh and the other hostages, she and I grieved together.

When we see the antisemitic attacks that are happening week by week in America – like the students wearing kippot who were assaulted while walking to the Hillel on this very campus, like the Federation building in Detroit that was vandalized on the anniversary of October 7, like the historic synagogue in Philadelphia that was defiled just last week, like the man who was shot in Chicago while walking to Shabbat services two days ago – Kamala and I recommit ourselves to extinguishing this epidemic of hate.
 
And let me make something else clear: we do not cower.
 
We take inspiration from communities like this one, which came together as one after Tree of Life – and from those Pitt students, who say they wear the signs of their Judaism even more proudly since being attacked.
 
We heard the antisemitic and racist speeches at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally yesterday.
 
It’s appalling to hear those slurs, especially in the closing days of a campaign – and even more painful to hear them on the anniversary of the massacre at Tree of Life.
 
But nothing will stop me from living fearlessly as a Jew. Nothing will stop Kamala and me from speaking out. Nothing will take away our joy or our faith in America.
 
Kamala is someone whose conviction and compassion is driven by empathy as well as experience.
 
She hears the stories of people who practice a different faith – and especially those who are targeted because of it – and comes away with a sense of personal responsibility.
 
She knows how deeply our community has been re-traumatized and our fears about the future.
 
So this is not a footnote in her agenda. Bringing us together, defending those who are wronged, disparaged, and excluded is the essence of her life and her leadership.
 
And that is what we need in the Oval Office.
  
Now, anybody can say the right things on the campaign trail, and then go home and turn it off. Not Kamala.
 
Because when Kamala walks through the door at the end of the day, that door has a mezuzah on it.
 
And three months from now, with your help, the White House residence could have a mezuzah on its doorpost.
 
Let me be direct and answer the question that Jews have asked for generations: Yes, she feels it in her gut. Kamala feels it, as we say, in her kishkes.
 
Her commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering. I know this not just because of what she’s said publicly – though she has said it consistently her entire career – but also by what she does and says when it’s just us.
 
I’ve talked to her before and after her calls with Israel’s leaders and diplomats.
 
She takes seriously her pledge – and I’m going to quote Kamala here – to “always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists.”
 
I saw her determination earlier this month after she spent hours in the Situation Room, coordinating in real time with our military to shoot down the missiles Iran launched into Israel’s skies.
 
I’ve been next to her as she’s steeled herself, with such care and compassion, to meet the hostage families.
 
And I’ve seen how those conversations both break her heart and strengthen her resolve.
 
I know what’s in her soul. She feels what you and I – and Jews across America – are feeling today. She gets it.
 
And to tell you the truth, it’s not because she married a nice Jewish boy. To be honest, she’s been working on this longer than I have.
 
Growing up, she collected donations, in those iconic blue-and-white tzedakah boxes, to plant trees in Israel.
 
As District Attorney of San Francisco, she prosecuted antisemitic attacks as hate crimes.
 
As Attorney General, she published an annual report on hate crimes.
 
As a U.S. senator, the first resolution she passed – the very first – was to speak out against antisemitism.
 
Throughout her career, Kamala has strengthened the bonds between the United States and Israel, between the Israeli people and the American people.
 
She knows those bonds must remain strong regardless of which administration or leader is in power.
 
Over the last year, Kamala has worked every day for a deal to bring the hostages home and for a ceasefire – to protect innocent civilians in Gaza and make sure aid gets to those in need – and for a reality in which Israel is secure and Palestinians know the dignity, freedom, and self-determination they deserve.
 
Throughout her career, Kamala has been crystal clear in pledging – again, I’m going to use her words – to “always work to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people here and around the world” and “support the existence of a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people.” Those are direct quotes.
 
When Kamala is President, she will continue to stand with Israel and with the Jewish community – our community. She will reject antisemitic hate and the notion that Israel does not have the right to exist.
 
Kamala also knows that the justice Judaism commands us to pursue is not only about foreign policy.
 
It is also about ensuring everyone is respected, every vote is counted, and every woman has the freedom to make decisions about her own body.
  
Like some of you, I have walked along the train tracks that led into, but not out of, Auschwitz.
 
I have spoken to Holocaust survivors who hear in the present-day propaganda and intolerance the echoes of the 1930s – and warned us what was heading for America.
 
Last year, I met with a survivor who escaped to present-day Ukraine from Germany – but who now has been forced, in her advanced age, to escape to Germany from Ukraine.
 
And I went with Kamala to visit Yad Vashem. Before we left, Kamala wrote a note to share how devastated she was by – as she put it – “the silent testimonials of those who perished in the Shoah.”
 
Kamala hears the silence of those we lost – she hears the silence of those who look the other way – and she urged me to use my voice. That is why I have used this role to do this work of fighting antisemitism and hate.
 
That’s right: it was Kamala who encouraged me to take up this mission as Second Gentleman.
 
I am so proud to have helped the President and Vice President establish the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, mobilizing the full force of the federal government to protect Jewish communities.
 
One thing we know about antisemitism is that those who discriminate against us discriminate against all of us. There are many Jews far more religiously observant than I am – but as I said to an Orthodox rabbi, they hate us all equally.
 
Another thing we know is that anti-Semites usually don’t stop there.
 
Those who hate Jews often hate Muslims, hate people of color, hate LGBTQ people, hate anyone who doesn’t look or pray or think like they do.
 
And a third thing we know about antisemitism is that whenever chaos and cruelty are given a green light, Jew-hatred is historically not far behind.
 
That matters today because Donald Trump is nothing if not an agent of chaos and cruelty.
  
People run for office for one of two reasons: to hold power or to lead people.
 
And when you look at the candidates on your ballot, that is the choice.
 
He is running for himself. She is running for you – for us. In fact, that distinction has been the driving force for each of them throughout their very different careers.
 
He is a conman and a convicted criminal who tears others down. She is a prosecutor and a public servant who lifts people up.
 
He has lost the support of those who worked with him the closest. She proudly accepts their endorsements.
 
He demeans immigrants with the same hateful slurs hurled at our ancestors – “vermin” and “animals” who “poison the blood of our country.”
 
He scapegoats Jewish voters to our faces, saying that if he loses, it will be the fault of the Jews.
 
He looks at Adolf Hitler’s generals and sees something to admire.
 
Let that sink in. 
 
You do not reward someone like that with a platform – or with power – and never again with the Presidency.
  
Now, you and I have heard the arguments that give Trump the benefit of the doubt despite all his nonsensical, hateful rhetoric; despite his takeover of the Supreme Court; despite his insurrection at the Capitol; despite his promise to be a dictator on day one.
 
But this is different. Last time, there were people around him who checked his worst instincts.
 
If there is a next time, they won’t be there. The people who know that Trump should be nowhere near the Situation Room are the ones who will be locked out.
 
Just listen to his own Vice President, his own Chief of Staff, his own Defense Secretary, his own National Security Advisor.
 
Donald Trump demands loyalty – but he is loyal to nothing but himself. If it suited his selfish interests, Trump would turn his back on Israel and the Jewish people on a dime.
 
Whenever antisemitism rears its ugly head in this country, we should never have to wonder where our government stands.
 
We should never have to wonder whether our leaders are praising Nazis behind closed doors.
 
When I used to speak to a jury at the end of a trial, I would often say to them: Believe what you see. Trust the facts staring you in the face.
 
So when Donald Trump says something unhinged, do not roll your eyes. Roll up your sleeves.
  
Let me finish where I started: this has been a heartbreaking year to be a Jew in America.
 
The question is: will next year be even harder – for us and for Americans of every background, for all of us who believe in freedom?
 
The answer is in our hands. The answer is on our ballots.
 
How many times have you read our history and asked: What were they thinking? Why didn’t they stop it? Why didn’t they act?
 
Embedded in that question is this truth: we have a choice.
 
There is a fire in this country. Either we pour water on it, or we pour gasoline.
 
That is the choice every one of us faces right now. Because fighting antisemitism and all forms of hate is the responsibility of every American.
 
Kamala and I planted a pomegranate tree at the Vice President’s residence this past October 7.
 
It commemorates both the pain and the perseverance of the Jewish people.
 
We pray that this symbol of hope will grow into a tree of life, reflecting the resilience of the congregation here in Pittsburgh of the same name.
 
Our Proverbs liken the Torah to a Tree of Life. But there’s an important condition attached. The full verse says it is “a tree of life – for those who hold fast to it.”
 
In other words, it is only a source of goodness if you choose to honor it.
 
That is the story of America, too.
 
Our Constitution only works if we choose to respect the rule of law.
 
Our democracy only works if we choose to respect one another – and if we elect leaders who serve us rather than themselves.
 
As Ben Franklin famously said here in Pennsylvania, it’s only a republic if we can keep it.
 
This is the most important election in our lifetimes – and as Kamala says, the most important election in the lifetime of our nation.
 
We’re being asked whether we will protect America’s promise as a welcoming society – for Jews and for everyone. A nation where no one ever feels attacked or alone.
 
There is only one candidate in this race who will bring us closer to that reality.
 
In your gut – in your kishkes – you know that’s true. And you know what we need to do to elect her as our next President.
 
Thank you.

The post Remarks by the Second Gentleman at a Campaign Event | Pittsburgh, PA appeared first on The White House.

Burns Park
Ann Arbor, Michigan

7:41 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good evening, Ann Arbor!  (Applause.)  Good evening. 

Can we hear it for Tim Walz?  (Applause.)

Oh, it’s great to be back in Michigan.  How’s everybody doing?  (Applause.)  Go Blue!  (Applause.) 

So, let me just say about Tim Walz.  He’s been such an extraordinary running mate, and he will be an extraordinary vice president of the United States.  (Applause.)

And let me tell you why I love Coach Walz.  As he travels to every corner of our country, meeting with people in small towns, big to- — towns, everywhere in between, Cal- — Coach Walz is always bringing the joy.  He is always bringing the joy.  He cares about people.  He understands people.  He understands hard work.  And he understands what it means to be a leader who lifts people up instead of trying to beat people down.  That is Tim Walz.  (Applause.)

And, Ann Arbor, I can feel the joy tonight.  Thank you all so very much.  (Applause.)

And we have some other incredible leaders with us here tonight.  Mayor Taylor, thank you.  (Applause.)  Where’s — there you are.  Deputy County Executive Turfe, I thank you so very much.  (Applause.)  Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist.  (Applause.)  Representative Dingell, a champion for this community.  (Applause.)  And let’s also send Elissa Slotkin to the United States Senate.  (Applause.)  We need her in D.C.

And I also want to thank all the labor, elected, and community leaders who are here today.

And can we please hear it again for Maggie Rogers?  (Applause.)

All right.  We got business to handle.  (Laughter.) 

Okay.  So, Ann Arbor, I have a question for you.  Are we ready to do this?  (Applause.)

Are we ready to vote?  (Applause.)

Are we ready to win?  (Applause.)  Yes.  And we will win.  (Applause.)  And we will win. 

So, you just heard from the coach: Early voting has started here in Michigan.  You can vote early now through Sunday, November 3rd.  And we need you to vote early, Michigan, because we have just eight days to go — eight days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime. 

And as everybody here knows, this is going to be a tight race until the very end. 

So, we have a lot of work ahead of us, but we like hard work.  (Applause.)  Hard work is good work.  Hard work is joyful work. 

And make no mistake, we will win.  We will win.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  We will win!  We will win!  We will win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:   Yes, we will. 

And we will win because together —

AUDIENCE:  We will win!  We will win!  We will win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we will win, yes.  Yes.  (Laughs.)

AUDIENCE:  We will win!  We will win!  We will win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We can keep going all night.  (Laughs.)

But one of the reasons we will win is because we are all in this together.  We are all in this together — people from every walk of life, understanding that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. 

And we here are fighting for the future.  (Applause.)  We are fighting for the future, and we understand the opportunity that we have before us to turn the page on the fear and divisiveness that have characterized our politics for a decade because of Donald Trump. 

We have an opportunity to turn the page and chart a new and joyful way forward where we tap into the ambitions — (applause) — and we will tap into the ambitions and the aspirations and the dreams of the American people.  (Applause.)

And let me tell you something.  As I travel our country, there is an overwhelming call for a fresh start — people from all walks of life.  And they are calling for a new generation of leadership that is optimistic and excited about what we can do together.  (Applause.) 

There is a yearning in our country for a president who will see you, who gets you, and who will fight for you.  (Applause.)

And, listen, hey, on the subject of Gaza.  Hey, guys — (the vice president waves to audience members) — I hear you.  On the subject of Gaza, we all want this war to end as soon as possible and get the hostages out.  And I will do everything in my power to make it so.  (Applause.)

And let’s be clear.  We are all here because we are fighting for a democracy and for the right of people to be heard and seen.  (Applause.)  We’re not about the enemy within.  We know we are all in this together.  That’s what we are fighting for.  (Applause.)

     And my whole career —

     AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.

     AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay, now I want each of you to shout your own name.  Do that — (laughter) — because it’s about all of us.  It’s about all of us. 

And, listen, I have fought my whole career to put the people first and to put the people above partisanship.  I never once asked in my career, “Are you a Democrat or are you a Republican?”  The only thing I ever asked is “How can I help you?  Are you okay?”  And that — (applause) — and that is a major difference between Donald Trump and me, and between the two extremely different visions that he and I have for our nation. 

His is focused on himself and the past.  Ours is focused on the future and it is focused on the people.  (Applause.)

So, together, we will build a future where we bring down the cost of living.  That will be my focus every single day as president, because while inflation is down and wages are up, prices are still too high.  You know it, and I know it. 

And unlike Donald Trump, who had $400 million handed to him on a silver platter — and don’t forget, he filed for bankruptcy six times, the great businessman — unlike him, I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood with a working mother who kept a strict budget and did everything she could to make sure that my sister and I had all we needed.  I come from the middle class, and I will never forget where I come from.  (Applause.)  Never.

And so, my commonsense plan will lower the prices you pay on everything from prescription medication to groceries to housing.  On the other hand, Donald Trump will raise costs on you and your family. 

In fact, independent economists have analyzed both of our plans and found mine will cut your costs and strengthen our economy, while his will increase inflation and lead to a recession by the middle of next year.  (Applause.)

And his agenda is laid out in Project 2025.  You know, I say everywhere —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I know we’ve got a lot of students here, and I have to tell you, I just find it really interesting that they put that — that thing in writing.  (Laughter.)  They put it in writing.  They — they bound it.  They published it.  They handed it out.  And then they expect we’re not going to talk about it?  Are you kidding me?  (Laughter.)

And when you read it, you will see it is a detailed and dangerous blueprint for what he plans to do if he is elected president.

Donald Trump will impose a 20 percent national sales tax on everyday, basic necessities, which economists have estimated will cost the average American family an additional $4,000 a year. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Contrast, on the other hand, I’m going to take on corporate price gouging.  I’ve done it before, and I will do it again.  (Applause.)  

Donald Trump will give massive tax cuts, like he did before, to billionaires and the biggest corporations.  He did it the last time.  He is going to do it again. 

I, on the other hand, will give middle-class tax cuts to hundred million Americans, including $6,000 for the first year of a child’s life, because I understand how that will lift America’s children out of poverty, which what — must be one of our highest goals.  (Applause.)

Donald Trump will get rid of the $35-a-month cap on insulin for our seniors. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He will cut Medicare and Social Security.  In fact, economists say he will bankrupt Social Security in the next six years. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And understand what that means.  So many of the seniors in America — that’s their only source of income.  That’s the only way they’re able to pay their rent and buy food. 

I have a plan to support our seniors, so they can grow older with dignity and so their families are not overwhelmed by the cost of home health care.  (Applause.)

On top of that, my plan will bring down the cost of housing; cut taxes for small businesses, because small businesses are the backbone of our economy — (applause); and lower health care costs, because I believe health care should be a right and not just a privilege of those who can afford it.  (Applause.)

Donald Trump, on the other hand, intends to end the Affordable Care Act and take us back —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — which would take us back to a time when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions.  You remember what that was like?

Well, we are —

AUDIENCE:  Not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — not going back.  We are not going back.  We are not going back. 

AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We’re not going back.  We’re not going — and we’re not going back because we, together, will move forward to the future, because we believe in who we are and what is possible and because we know it is time to turn the page.  It is time to turn the page.  (Applause.)

Ours is a fight for the future, and it is a fight for freedom, like the fundamental freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body — (applause) — and not have her government tell her what to do. 

And we all remember how we got here.  When Donald Trump was president, he hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade. 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And they did as he intended.  And now in America, one in three women lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban —

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — many with no exceptions, even for rape and incest. 

I was just in Texas the other day.  You know they provide prison for life for doctors and nurses and health care providers for providing care?  Prison for life.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And no exceptions for a crime that is a violation of someone’s body, and then to tell that survivor of that violation, “You have no right to make a decision about what happens to your body next.”  That is immoral.  It is immoral.  (Applause.)  And I know we all agree: One does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do.  (Applause.)  Not the government.

And, listen, you all have heard me say, I do believe Donald Trump to be an unserious man, but the consequences of him ever being president again are brutally serious — brutally serious.  Consider, on the topic we were just discussing, Donald Trump still refuses to acknowledge the pain and suffering he has caused.  He insists that, quote, “everyone” wanted for Roe v. Wade to be overturned. 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Everyone wanted this?  Women are being denied care during miscarriages, some only being treated when they’ve developed sepsis.  They didn’t want this.  Couples trying to grow their family have been cut off in the middle of IVF treatments.  They didn’t want this.  The men of America are seeing their daughters and wives and sisters and mothers put at risk because their rights have been taken from them.  The men of America don’t want this.  (Applause.) 

And women have died because of these bans.  How could anyone say these folks wanted this? 

And I pledge to you, when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedoms, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.  (Applause.)  Proudly.  Proudly.

And I’m traveling our nation.  So, I have to tell everyone here: Across our nation, we are seeing a full-on assault on other and additional hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights, like the freedom to vote. 

I was just in Georgia.  You know they passed a law that makes it illegal to give people food and water for standing in line to vote?

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  The hypocrisy abounds.  Whatever happened to “love thy neighbor,” right? 

Attacks on the freedom to be safe from gun violence, the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water, the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride.  (Applause.)

     So, I say to everyone here what you know: Generations of Americans before us fought for freedom, and now the baton is in our hands.  The baton is in our hands.  And I want to speak specifically to all the young leaders, all the students who are here today.  (Applause.)  I want to speak to you for a moment. 

     So, I love your generation.  (Laughs.)  I really do.  And one of the things about it is you are rightly impatient for change.  I love that about you.  (Applause.) 

You are impatient for change.  Because, look, you have only known the climate crisis and are leading, then, the charge to protect our planet and our future.  (Applause.)  You — you, young leaders, who grew up with active shooter drills and are fighting, then, to keep our schools safe.  You, who now know fewer rights than your mothers and grandmothers, are standing up for reproductive freedom.  (Applause.) 

And for you — and for you, then, I know that these issues that are at stake, they are not theoretical.  This is not political for you.  It is your lived experience.  And I see you, and I see your power, and I know many of you are voting for the first time.  Can I see a raise of hands: Who’s voting for the first time?  (Applause.)

Can we hear it for our first-time voters?  (Applause.)  See, that’s why I know the future of our country is bright.  That’s why I know.

So, listen, so much is on the line in this election, and this is not 2016 or 2020.  We can all see that Donald Trump is even more unstable and more unhinged, and now he wants unchecked power. 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And this time — and this time, there will be no one there to stop him, not even the Supreme Court, which, months ago, told the former president that he is essentially immune no matter what he would do in the White House. 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, think about it.  Before, at least there was the threat, the possibility that there would be some accountability and consequence.  Now the Supreme Court has said he is effectively — would be immune. 

 So, just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.  He who has vowed he would be a dictator on day one.  He who has even called for, quote, the “termination” of the Constitution of the United States of America. 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And let us be clear.  Anyone who suggests we should terminate the Constitution of the United States should never again stand behind the seal of the president of the United States of America.  (Applause.)  Never again.  Never again.

     AUDIENCE:  Never again!  Never again!  Never again!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Never again.  (Inaudible.)

     AUDIENCE:  Never again!  Never again!  Never again!

So, Michigan, there is a huge contrast in this election, and I’d ask us to just imagine the Oval Office in three months.  Okay?  So, just picture it in your head.  So, either it’s Donald Trump sitting in there —

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — stewing — stewing over his enemies list — or me, with your help, working for you, checking off my to-do list.  (Applause.)

So, Michigan, it all comes down to this.  We are here together because we know what is at stake.  Everyone here, out of your busy lives, the time you have taken to be here tonight and to be here because we know not only what is at stake but we are here together because we love our country.  (Applause.)  We love our country.  We love our country. 

And, you know, when you love something, you got to fight for it.  (Applause.)  Ours is not a fight against something.  Ours is not a fight against something.  It is a fight for something.  (Applause.)

 And I do believe it is one of the highest forms of patriotism — love of our country — to then fight for the ideals of our country and to fight to realize the promise of America.  That’s what our campaign is about.  That’s what we are about. 

And one of the most powerful ways that we will do that is with our vote.  So, now is the time to get out the vote, Michigan.  (Applause.)  Now is the time.

     AUDIENCE:  Vote!  Vote!  Vote!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we have eight days to get this done.  So, obviously, nobody here is going to sit on the sidelines. 

     AUDIENCE:  No!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And let’s make sure that we spend the next eight days knowing that in nine days, when we look back, we will be able to say and know we did everything we could to remind our friends and our classmates and our neighbors and our coworkers that we’re all in this together. 

You know, there’s been something about this Trump era that has been very backward in terms of trying to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down, instead of what we all know: The true measure of our individual and collective strength is based on who we lift up.  (Applause.)  That’s what we are about. 

And over these next eight days, yes, we will win.  Yes, we must win.  But let’s also approach these eight da- — eight days knowing our power to build community, knowing our power to build coalitions, knowing our power to reach out to one another, reminding us that nobody is alone, that we are all in this together. 

And let’s do that then — (applause) — while we knock on doors, while we take the time to text and call potential voters.  Let’s reach out to our family and our friends and our classmates and our neighbors and make sure they know the stakes in this election. 

And let’s remind them: Your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power.  (Applause.)

And so, Michigan, I then ask you: Are you ready to make your voices heard?  (Applause.)

     Do we believe in freedom?  (Applause.)

     Do we believe in opportunity?  (Applause.)

     Do we believe in the promise of America?  (Applause.)

     And are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.) 

     And when we fight —

     AUDIENCE:  We win! 

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.

     God bless you.  And God bless the United States of America. 

Thank you all.  (Applause.)

                             END                8:05 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Ann Arbor, MI appeared first on The White House.

IUPAT District Council 1M
Warren, MI

5:15 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you all.

PARTICIPANT:  Thank you for saving our pensions.  Thank you for saving — (applause) —

PARTICIPANTS:  Thank you. 

PARTICIPANT:  Thank you.  Thank you for CHIPS and Science.  Thank you for the Inflation Reduction Act.  Thank you for all you’ve done for us.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, you know what?  Y- — you guys make it easy.  I mean, look, I — as you know, I am a long-standing supporter and friend of unions and labor.  And — and the painters union, I am honored to have your support in this election.

But, look, you guys are the ones who make it easy.  This is highly skilled work.  You do it with a sense of pride.  You do it with a sense of commitment.  You are making our country stronger and better by the work that you do. 

We just talked about the industrial work that you’re doing, whether it’s about a bridge, whether it’s about what we’re doing to invest in technology and the future industries.  You’re transitioning also into batteries — all that work.  And it’s highly skilled work.

And I love, for example, the apprenticeship programs and building up America’s workforce around training and, again, the highest of skills.  The work that you are doing through an apprenticeship program that’s also about building community and family for the people who enter it — it’s about pride in work.  It’s about the dignity of work.

The reason that I have fought for things like pensions is it’s literally about the dignity of work.  You work hard.  You deserve, at the point that you’re going to retire, to be able to retire with dignity.  And we have to value the skill.

You know, my opponent, he doesn’t understand the importance of unions at all.  No, but he’s — he just gives a lot of mouth.  He —

PARTICIPANT:  He’s got to care about people to understand them.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He gives a lot of talk about what he cares about, but on the issue specifically of what is good for unions and union labor, he’s been awful.  You look at what he did when he was at — president with the NLRB, the National Labor Relations Board — a bunch of union busters. 

You look at — when he talked to his buddies, like his billionaire buddies — remember, he did the tax cut for billionaires and big corporations.  He’s not workin- — he’s not working for or concerned about working people, middle-class people.  And then when he’s talking to his buddy, he li- — he jokes about, “Yeah, if they’re striking, you should fire them.” 

But what I know America understands about union labor is it’s just about fairness and it is about dignity.  Wherever I go, I tell people: Look, if you’ve got a five-day workweek, if you’ve got sick time, if you’ve got vacation time, if you have a pension, thank a union member.  Thank unions.  Because whether somebody’s a member of a union or not, union labor and hard work is a — so much of what fought for workers’ rights across the board.

So, look, I’m here.  I’m here for you.  We have an election coming up in eight days.

PARTICIPANT:  That you’re going to win.  (Applause.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we are going — we are going to win.  You know what?  We are going to win. 

We may have bloody knuckles by the end of it, but we’re winning.  We’re winning.

And — and because we stand for certain basic principles, and we know — we know when we know what we stand for, we know what to fight for.

     PARTICIPANT:  You’re here.  He’s not.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.  Right.  It’s —

     PARTICIPANT:  Save our country from him.

     PARTICIPANT:  Please.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’m — and you’re right.  I mean, you look at — you look at how he just deg- — he — he talks down to the American people.  He — he degrades who we are as America, in- — instead of fighting for who we are in terms of our capacity. 

I look at our young leaders.  They deserve to have a leader and a president of the United States who is not only optimistic but ambitious about what we can do.  Donald Trump just recently talked about how he would get rid of CHIPS — the number of jobs for the painters union members, building trades members, writ large; what we did with the Inflation Reduction Act, the jobs we’ve created there; the work that we’ve done that’s been about partnering with the private sector to create incentives for them to put the money into it and also prioritizing, as I always will, letting them know, “As we create these jobs, put them through your apprenticeship programs.  Let’s make those union jobs and good-paying jobs.”

All of that is at stake, but it’s a — it’s also about an approach and a value in character.  And right now, you know, I’ve been saying: Look, imagine January 20th, because there will be — one of us is going to be elected, and one of us is going to be sitting in the Oval Office on January 20th. 

And it’s a choice on many levels, including whether you want Donald Trump sitting in the Oval Office, stewing over his enemies list —

     PARTICIPANT:  No, no, no, no, no.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — or what we’re going to do together, which is there, focused on American workers and American families, on our to-do list.

 So, we got a lot at stake.  We are going to win.  (Applause.)

                         END                      5:21 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Warren, MI appeared first on The White House.

Hemlock Semiconductor
Hemlock, Michigan

2:38 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Oh, please have a seat, everyone.  Thank you. 

Listen, I came by to say thank you, in particular to you all and the folks who are doing this work here. 

A.B., Wendell, I want to thank you.  And the — Congressman Kildee, you’ve been an extraordinary partner for us in Washington, D.C.

Mayor, I thank you for the warm welcome.

But I’m so excited about the work you all are doing here.  This really does represent the best of who we are as a country. 

You know, I think that when we understand who we are as a nation, we take great pride in being a leader on so many things, and we have a tradition of that. 

But I think what we know as Americans is that we cannot rest on tradition.  We have to constantly be on top of what is happening, what is current, and investing in the industries of the future as well as honoring the traditions and the industries that have built up America’s economy. 

And what you all are doing here is exactly that. 

First of all, we talked about the fact that the people who are doing this extraordinary work here, the workers here, you’re doing work that requires an incredibly high level of skill.  As I listen to it, it’s about engineering.  There’s a technology piece to this.  There is a chemistry piece to this.  There is math to this.  And, I mean, it’s — it’s just — I mean, you’re doing robots, for God’s sake.  (Laughter.)  It’s good stuff.

And the fact that it’s right here and not very far from where you grew up and where you live.  And if we’re really going to strengthen America, we got to understand that we can do many things at once.  We can invest in industries of the future while also knowing, look, folks don’t want to have to leave home to have a good-paying job.  And that job should be well enough paying that you are able to buy a home and to raise a family. 

And what you guys are doing right here on the ground exemplifies all of that. 

I was talking with Wendell and A.B. about the fact that what you are doing here on the ground makes real that investing in American industries and investing in American workers can happen at the same time.  There doesn’t have to be a tension between the two. 

That doing this work will also be about understanding, look, we got to win the competition for the 21st century.  We’re not going to have China beat us in the competition for the 21st century. 

And that’s about, then, doing the work that Corning is going to be doing about manufacturing of those solar panels, together with the work that you are doing here.  What is it, polysilicone? 

AUDIENCE:  Polysilicon. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Si- — silicon.  I’m sorry.  (Laughter.)  That wasn’t right.

Right?  But doing the work here that is about — you’re — you’re creating the raw materials that these robots are then shipping out to other American-based manufacturers. 

You’re doing the work that’s about building up a clean energy economy and a guess — and again, investing in workers.  Wendell told me you’re going to be hiring 1,300 new workers starting today — good-paying jobs; $89,000 a year, I understand, at least.  My staff said, “Yeah, that’s better than some of the White House jobs,” in terms of how much it pays.  (Laughter.)  I said, “Look, it’s important work.”

And you’re doing it in a way that also makes us so proud as a country. 

And so, I came by, first and foremost, to thank you all.  And as I said to many of you as we were on this tour, I’m going to be talking about you behind your back.  (Laughter.)  I am.  I’m going to be talking about the fact that this is what we can do. 

And I say this as a very proud, long-standing — my whole entire life working — I’ve always been a public servant.  I believe in the important and good work that government can do. 

I also know the limitations of government.  And when we can find a way to have meaningful partnerships with the private sector, with industries, to do the kind of work that is happening here, everybody wins.  Everybody wins. 

And so, I want to thank you all for what you’re doing here as a great example of what was a vision that we had — the president and I and the congressman.  We’re going to create a meaningful public investment in America’s private industries through the Chips Act, through the Inflation Reduction Act.  And we’re going to infuse it with billions of dollars, knowing that if we do that, as that old saying comes, “If you build it, they will come.” 

And that’s when you all stepped in, A.B. and Wendell, and created a facility like this and what’s happening across the way that’s going to be about hiring folks, who, by the way, are doing highly skilled work that are good-paying jobs that don’t require a college degree. 

And that’s another point of emphasis that bears repeating.  I believe that as we think of industries of the future and the future of America’s workforce, we need to get in front of this idea that the only high-skilled jobs are — require a college degree.  It’s just not true. 

And, in fact, when I become president of the United States, one of the things that I plan on doing immediately — people ask me, “What are you doing on day one?” — one of the things immediately is to reassess federal jobs — and I’ve already started looking at it — to look at which ones don’t require a college degree. 

Because here’s the thing.  That’s not the only qualification for a qualified worker.  You’ve got to look at the skills; you’ve got to look at the experience.

And, again, you all are making that real and showing that on the ground right here. 

So, there are many points that are about how do we think about the future of work, the future of the workforce, the future of American industry in a way that understands that we should be optimistic about what’s possible. 

And look, we are eight days out from an election.  So, I just got to also talk about the contrast, because my opponent spends full time talking about — just kind of diminishing who we are as America and talking down at people, talking about — I don’t know, that we’re the “garbage can of the world.”  We’re not. 

He just recently did a radio talk show and talked about how he’d get rid of the CHIPS Act.  That’s — that was billions of dollars investing in just the kind of work that’s happening here. 

And you know how we did it?  We created tax credits to create the incentive for the private sector to do this work.  That’s good work. 

When he was president, he sold advanced chips to China that helped them with their agenda to modernize their military.  That’s not about what’s in the best interest of America’s security and prosperity, which should be two of the highest priorities for president of the United States. 

So, I say all that to say that there is a choice that the American public — a very serious choice presented in the next eight days.  And as much as anything, it is a question about what is the direction in the future that we want for our country. 

And I will refer to what you all are doing here to tell you that you are a source of my optimism and also my ambition about what we are capable of when we are focused on our capacity and we are focused on the future in such a meaningful way.

And so, I want to thank everybody for what you are doing.  And, like I said, I’ll be talking about you.  (Laughter.) 

But thank you for your good work, everyone, and thank you for the time.  Take care.  (Applause.)

                             END                2:47 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Hemlock, MI appeared first on The White House.

East Room

6:22 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, Madam President, thank you.  (Laughter.)  Shrusti, thank you for that introduction.  You know, just promise me when you’re president one day and they say, “Joe Biden is in the waiting room,” you won’t ask, “Joe who?”  (Laughter.) 

MS. AMULA:  I won’t.

THE PRESIDENT:  My wife, Jill, wanted to be here today, but she’s traveling to Wisconsin.  (Applause.)  And Kamala couldn’t be here today because she’s traveling as well.  (Laughter.)  They both send their love. 

You know, I selected Kamala to be my running mate for many reasons.  She’s smart.  She’s tough.  She’s trusted.  A district attorney, an attorney general of California, a United States senator, now vice president of the United States — there’s more experience that she has than the whole of that other guy she’s running against.  (Laughter.)  But most importantly — and I mean this sincerely from the bottom of my heart — she has character.  She has character.  (Applause.)  

It’s one of the things we bonded over was the role of — each of our mothers played in our lives.  They come from different places and different generations and different lives, but they shared a basic belief about — belief about America: Only in America is anything possible — only in America. 

We just heard a great surgeon general — and Vivek has become a friend — talk about the journey that — that he an- — of that belief: a journey of hard work, education, and entrepreneurship; a belief in family, faith, and service.  Contributions that come from all walks of life: factory workers, caregivers, business owners, drivers, teachers, police officers, firefighters, artists, entertainers, and so much more, including members of Congress, three of whom are here today.  Ro — where are you, Ro?  (Applause.)  There you go.  And Raja — (applause); and Shri.  (Applause.)  All right.

By the way, are your kids there, Ro? 

REPRESENTATIVE KHANNA:  Right there, yeah. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Come on up, guys.

AUDIENCE:  Aw.  (Two children join the president on stage.) 

Aw. 

THE PRESIDENT:  (Addressing children.)  (Inaudible.) 

All right.  (Laughter.) 

You know, and the vice president, she — I don’t think she’s going to be stopping by, though, tonight. 

You know, we just heard how far that journey can take you as we watched Suni Williams wish her ha- — you a ha- — us a happy Diwali from the International Space Station. 

Now, I — we were going to do a live video, but as we pointed out already, she’s traveling 17,000 miles an hour, 5 miles a second, and she’s going to see 16 sunrises and 16 sunsets all while the very precise experiments are being done.  It’s incredible.  We couldn’t figure out when the hell she’d show up.  (Laughter.)

You watch the video and you see NASA’s mesmerizing images of Earth, you’ll notice something simple and profound. 

Astronauts talk about that thin blue line that separates Earth from space, life from destruction, lightness from darkness.  But we thought — we thought what a wonderful way to celebrate the festival of lights at the White House, by looking up into the heavens, to keep our heads high as we seek the spirit of Diwali — knowledge over ignorance, goodness over hate, unity over division — and to look up focused on the North Star of our nation. 

Unlike any other nation in the world, we’re unique in the world.  We’re the only nation not based on race or religion or geography.  America is based on an idea — literally, the only nation in the world based on an idea.  The idea is that we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all women and men are created equal.  “Endowed by their Creator,” it said.  We mean it.  We haven’t always throughout — throughout lives we de- — we deserve to be treated equally. 

We’ve never fully lived up to that i- — but we’ve never walked away from it either.  That’s because of you and generations before you bringing thousands of years of heritage, tradition to give shape and meaning to American life.  And I mean this sincerely.

The first South Asians arrived in America in the late 1700s, but even — but even into the 18- and 1900s, this diverse community contributed to the growth of this nation, even serving this nation in uniform, but were denied citizenship and equal rights.  But by the time I was elected United States senator in 1972, when I was 29 years old, a new wave of South Asians were even more welcome. 

You all know the stories.  Many of you were the first in your families to get a formal education.  They scraped together their life savings for the first fight — flight ever, which was across the world to America — far from family, far from home, with just a single suitcase and a few dollars in their pockets.  Teaching themselves English by watching television, listening to the radio; befriending neighbors of every background who lent a hand to help; planting seeds of a new life in big cities, small towns all across America that have grown into something remarkable. 

The South Asian American community enriched every part of American life, and that’s the truth.  And that is among the fastest growing, most engaged community in the country, you are now. 

On this day in America, we think about that journey of light.  Earlier in our nation’s founding, generations before [you lit a] diya in the shadow of the suspicion.  Now, in the [our] time, Diwali is celebrated openly and proudly here in the White House.

And, by the way, this is not my house.  This is your house.  (Applause.)  No, it really is.  It’s the People’s House.

Every time they give — you know, they introduce me, “And now we’re going to hear from the next president,” I wonder, “Where the hell is he?”  (Laughter.)  (Inaudible.) 

But we also know today we face an inflection point, on a serious note — one of those rare moments that only come in several gene- — once in ev- — every several generations, where the decisions we make today will determine the future to come for decades, literally. 

Every generation has been called to move us forward to be the nation we say we are.  But only once in every few generations are we reminded not to take the idea of America for granted, because it’s never guaranteed.  That moment is now. 

American democracy has never been easy.  In a country as diverse as ours, we debate, we dissent, as we forge a path forward through compromise and consensus.  But the key is we never lose sight of how we got here and why. 

For me, 50 years of public service comes with — with that comes a clarity of conc- — confidence in America.  We’re a nation with a heart, a soul that draws from old and new.  In America, everything runs deep, especially the courage to serve and protect, to heal and to bear witness, to immigrate, to dare to dream. 

With my presidency, I’ve tried to channel that American spirit by bringing to bear all my experiences and wisdom gained from it and to get us through one of the most difficult periods in our nation’s recent history and to be a bridge between generations like [linked] in memory and imagination and joined by our histories and with faith in our futures — a future with a new voices. 

Now it’s your turn to use your voice to talk with family and friends; to talk to the people you work with, you pray with, you go to school with.  Remind them we’re all a part of something bigger — and I mean this from the bottom of my heart — something special. 

In fact, the story goes that when President Kennedy set the bold goal to send an American into space — and that inspired patriots like Suni Williams to become an astronaut — President Kennedy went to NASA headquarters.  He asked a maintenance worker what his job was.  And here’s what the janitor replied.  He said, “I’m helping send America to the moon.”  “I’m helping send America to the moon.”

Folks, no matter who you are, what you do, or where you come from, we all have a role to play to keep the American experiment going.  The America of your dreams needs you now, quite frankly, more than ever. 

Let me close with this.  In late November 2016, a dark cloud formed from hate and hostility toward immigrants, including South Asian Americans, that we hear once again in 2024.  It was then that Jill and I hosted the first Diwali reception, and it was at the vice president’s residence, an Irish Catholic president — vice president, at the time — opening our home for a holiday celebration by Hindus, Bi- — Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs, and more.  How America — how America can remind us all of our power to be the light, all of us. 

Now, as president, I’ve been honored to host the biggest Diwali receptions ever at the White House.  (Applause.) 

To me, it means a great deal.  As senator, vice president, and president, South Asian Americans have been key members of my staff, from Kamala to Dr. Murthy to so many of you here today. 

I’m proud that I kept my commitment to have an administration that looks like America — looks like America — taps into the full talents of our nation, including a record number of South Asian Americans at every level across our entire government. 

I was honored to have just lit the diya with several of them, as Jill and I have done each year in office.  You’ll see it shortly in the Blue Room. 

It was the chance to wish my staff happy Diwali, but it was also a chance to thank them for their service to our country, just as I offer my thanks and gratitude to all of you that are here tonight. 

Together, we may show the power in the gathering of light — the light of knowledge; the light of unity and truth; the light of freedom of — for democracy, for America — America we share and cherish.  Only in America is everything possible. 

So, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here.  Welcome to your home.

Happy Diwali, America.  (Applause.)

God bless you all.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

6:33 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden at a Reception in Celebration of Diwali appeared first on The White House.

Joint Base Andrews
Prince George’s County, Maryland

11:31 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good morning.  Good morning. Good morning.   

Well, briefly, I think, last night, Donald Trump’s event in Madison Square Garden really highlighted a point that I’ve been making throughout this campaign: He is focused and actually fixated on his grievances, on himself, and on dividing our country. 

And it is not in any way something that will strengthen the American family, the American worker.  It is — nothing about what he is saying that is actually going to support the aspirations, the dreams, and the ambitions of the American people. 

It is absolutely something that is intended to and is fanning the fuel of trying to divide our country.  And as I’ve said many times — I’ll say tomorrow night in my speech — there’s a big difference between he and I. 

If he were elected, on day one, he’s going to be sitting in the Oval Office working on his enemies list.  On day one, if I’m elected president of the United States, which I fully intend to be, I will be working on behalf of the American people on my to-do list. 

I’ll take any questions you have.

Q    Madam Vice —

AIDE:  Let’s go to Tarini.

Q    Madam Vice President, Michelle Obama said recently that you’ve faced a double standard in this campaign.  Do you feel like you’ve had to clear a higher bar every day than Donald Trump?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  My role and responsibility of running for president of the United States is to make my case to the American people and to earn their support, and that is why I’m spending time traveling the country to listen to folks and to talk with them about my plans — my plans for strengthening our small businesses, my plan for helping people with homeownership, my plans to help young families with children.  And that’s the work that I’m going to continue to do, not taking anyone for granted, but knowing that I have to earn their support. 

And my plans and policies — including economists who have reviewed them — point to one fact, which is that my approach will strengthen America in many ways, including our economy. 

Donald Trump will weaken America and our economy. 

Q    Madam Vice President —

AIDE:  We’ll go to Ebony at CNN.  Ebony. 

Q    You’re — you’re making several stops in Michigan today.  Can you talk about your final pitch to Michigan voters today?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So I’m — I’ll be — I’m heading back to Michigan to talk with these working people, with families, with young people about the issues that they care most about.  They want to make sure that we’re going to lower prices.  They know that the price of groceries, for example, is too high; I know it too.  So, I have a plan to deal with that in terms — of a number of things, including dealing with price gouging. 

They want to know that they have an opportunity to live the American dream around homeownership.  That’s why my plan about giving people a $25,000 down payment assistance if they are first-time homebuyer matters to the people of Michigan. 

They care about American manufacturing.  I’m going to be talking about that again.  My plan includes what we will do to continue to invest in American-based industries, American manufacturing, and American workers.  That is how we are going to remain strong and globally competitive and win the competition for the 21st century with China and anybody else.

Q    One follow-up to your remarks about President Trump’s ra- — rally last night.  Some people who watched that made comparisons between a rally that happened at Madison Square Garden in 1939 with neo-Nazis or Nazis back then.  Do you see those comparisons? 

And can you also expand on what he said and what you said yesterday about Puerto Rico?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Donald Trump has — this is not new about him, by the way.  What he did last night is not a — a discovery.  It is just more of the same and maybe more vivid than usual. 

Donald Trump spends full time trying to have Americans point their finger at each other, fans the fuel of hate and division.  And that’s why people are exhausted with him.  That’s why people who formally have supported Donald Trump, have voted for him, are supporting me, voting for me. 

People are literally ready to turn the page.  They’re tired of it.

In terms of Puerto Rico, I — you know, even when I was in the United States Senate, I — knowing that Puerto Rico does not have a United States senator, I was intentional about doing what I could as a United States senator to make sure that among my priorities, it included paying attention to the needs of the people on that island, including in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. 

I have announced also my plan that is about my opportunity economy writ large, but a specific target that will include a task force focused on the needs of Puerto Rico, understanding that it has very specific needs in terms of upgrading and repairing its electrical grid, what it needs in terms of investment that will be public-private partnerships, and I’m going to continue to do it. 

I’m very proud to have the support of folks like Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez and others, who were supporting me before that nonsense last night at Madison Square Garden and are supporting me because they understand that they want a president of the United States who is about uplifting the people and not berating, not calling America a “garbage can,” which is what Donald Trump — those are the words he has used. 

So, there you go. 

I’ll see you later.  Okay, bye.

                        END                11:36 A.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris Before Air Force Two Departure | Joint Base Andrews, MD appeared first on The White House.

New Castle County Office Warehouse and Training Center
New Castle, Delaware

12:31 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  First-time voter.  (Pointing to voters.)

Q    Mr. President, do you want to —

Q    Mr. President, is this bittersweet for you today?

THE PRESIDENT:  Pardon me?

Q    Is this bittersweet for you?

THE PRESIDENT:  No, this is just sweet. 

Q    Do you think she will win?

THE PRESIDENT:  I think we will.  I think it’s a —

Q    Mis- — Mr. President, can you come here and comment on former President Trump’s rally yesterday?  He was saying a bunch of stuff about immigrant —

THE PRESIDENT:  Embarrassing.  Just simply embarrassing.  It’s beneath any president, but that’s what we’re getting used to.  That’s why this election is so important. 

You know, most of the presidential scholars I’ve spoken to talk about the single most consequential thing about a president is character.  Character.  And there’s — he puts that in question every time he opens his mouth.

Q    Mr. President, Egypt has a new proposal for a ceasefire — a two-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.  What do you think about it?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m — my staff is talking to them right now.  I’m going to get out here, get on a secure line, and follow up on that. 

We need a ceasefire.  We should end this war.  It should end.  It should end.  It should end.

Q    Prime Minister Netanyahu stressed that negotiations under fire is better than negotiation during ceasefire.  What do you think about that?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ll reserve that for my discussion with him.

Q    Mr. President, will we see you and Vice President Harris this week? 

Q    Mr. President, can you talk a little bit — are we going to see you with the vice president, Harris?  But also, do you wish more like candidates like Lisa Blunt Rochester were using you as a surrogate?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’ve done a lot of surrogate stuff.  And the fact of the matter is that I’ve also had to be president at the same time, so I’ve been in all the — all the battleground states.  I’ve been campaigning, but I also have to con- — continue my job as president. 

Q    Will you be on the trail with the vice president this week, sir?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ve been on the trail.  What — there’s –we’ve — we talk all the time, and they’re asking me to — where they think I should be to help them the most.  I’m going to be in Pennsylvania.  I’m going to head to Scranton and a few other places.  So, (inaudible).

Q    Sir —

Q    Are you concerned about North Korea?  Ten thousand troops now.

THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  And you got — I don’t even want to — it’s very dangerous.  It’s very dangerous.

And the idea that Kamala’s opponent is talking to Putin and discussing what should be done — I mean —

Anyway.  I — I’m not —

Q    Sir — sir, Elon Musk is handing out checks to registered voters —

THE PRESIDENT:  Tell him I registered. 

Q    — registered — 

THE PRESIDENT:  A million dollars. 

Q    Do you think that’s legal conduct?  Do you think that’s election interference?

THE PRESIDENT:  I think it’s totally inappropriate. 

Thank you.

12:34 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden After Casting His Early-Voting Ballot in the 2024 General Election | New Castle, DE appeared first on The White House.

Church of Christian Compassion
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

10:19 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, church.  Good morning.  (Applause.)  God is good.  God is good. 

Good morning.  Please have a seat, everybody.  Please have a seat.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And I see all our leaders — young leaders here as well. 

So, Pastor Herndon, First Lady Herndon, I want to thank you so very much for this warm welcome and for all you do.  We talked before we came back in, and these have been days and years that I think, for so many people, have challenged our faith and have really highlighted the importance of the type of leadership that you so importantly and beautifully provide to remind us that we are all in this together. 

And I’m so thankful to be with you.  I know of the work of this church and this congregation.  (Applause.)  And I thank everybody: clergy, church leadership, the elected officials who are here.  (Applause.) 

Mayor, I thank you for your sisterhood and your friendship and your leadership.  Speaker McClinton, it is — you are just — (applause) — when I look at the rising stars of our country, my goodness, the future is so bright.

To every member here of the Compassion family, to all the elected leaders, I thank you for the warm welcome this morning.  And it is truly an honor to — (applause).  

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  Thank you. 

And it is an honor to be with you today on Pastor Appreciation Month — (applause) — right? — as we celebrate, of course, the leadership of this house of worship.  And I also — (applause) — and I also bring greetings from my pastor, Dr. Amos C. Brown from Third Baptist Church of San Francisco.  (Applause.)  And it is good to be with everyone and worship with you this morning.

So, in just nine days — (applause) — (laughs) — we have the power to decide the fate of our nation for generations to come.  And on this day, then — on this beautiful Sunday morning —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — I am reminded — (applause).  (Laughs.)

God expects us to help him.  (Laughter.)  We got work to do. 

But I am reminded of something that I think speaks deeply to this moment.  The apostle Paul wrote about the power we possess, the power of the people.  Right?  He wrote that God is able to do “more than we ask or think” — (applause) — “according to his power that is at work in us.” 

And Paul speaks of this power from experience.  In his life, he faced every kind of test and trial imaginable: shipwreck, persecution, prison.  And in every instance, he saw divine intervention.  But Paul understood something profound, I believe, Pastor: that God’s power doesn’t just work for us, it also works within us.  (Applause.)

I grew up in a church that took that lesson to heart.  As a little girl on Sundays — and I know my sister was here recently.  My sister, Maya, and I would go to 23rd Avenue Church of God in Oakland, California, where we attended Sunday school, we sang in the children’s choir, and where I first learned in a way that I fully understood the teachings of the Bible and the power of faith. 

My earliest memories of those teachings are about a loving God — (applause) — a faithful God, a God who asks us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and to defend the rights of the poor and the needy — a God who empowers us to complete good works, not in our own power but through faith. 

 At church, I learned faith is a verb.  We show it in our actions, in our deeds, in our service.  And in hard times when we may grow weary in doing good, we must remember the power that works in us. 

The divine power that transformed Paul’s life, guided him through shipwreck, and sustained him through trials is the same power, church, that works in us today in our daily lives, in our communities, and, yes, in our democracy — (applause) — our power to advance freedom, justice, and opportunity not just for some but for all God’s children — (applause) — not just as the aspirations that are located in our founding documents but in practice in our daily lives.

And today, as we look ahead to a moment that will define the very character of our nation, I do believe Paul’s message holds great urgency. 

As a nation, we face real challenges.  We carry real —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We carry —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  That’s why we fight for our democracy.  That’s why we fight for democracy.  (Applause.)  Every voice is important.  Every voice is important.  Every voice is important.

That’s all right.  It’s all right.  It’s all right.  Every voice is important.  (Applause.)  It’s all right.  That’s all right.

So — so, here’s the point.  There are th- — there are so many, for a variety of reasons, that carry a heavy heart and that want and must be heard.  We carry real burdens.  People feel real pain.  But like Paul, we must remember that divine power works through our actions.  And we have the power to move past division, fear, and chaos.  (Applause.) 

It is in and within our power to fulfill the promise of America, the promise to create opportunity for every child, to protect our basic freedoms; the power to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God — power the Black church understood and has used for generations — (applause) — all to help make sure America lives up to its extraordinary potential. 

And so, I will close with this point.  We have nine days — (applause) — nine days until we decide the future of our nation.  And I will tell you what feeds my spirit.  What feeds my spirit as I travel around our country, from state to state and church to church, I see —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  But let me share with you what I see.  I see faith in action all over, everywhere I go.  (Applause.)  I see remarkable acts.  I see a nation determined to turn the page on hatred and division — (applause) — to chart a new way forward. 

I see Americans from so-called red states and blue states who are ready to bend the arc of history toward justice.  (Applause.)

I see young people organized for change.  (Applause.)

I see neighbors helping neighbors recover and rebuild from disasters.  (Applause.)

I see voters standing together in the fight to defend freedom, knowing we all have so much more in common than what separates us.

And while we know there are those who seek to deepen division, to spread hate, to sow fear, and to cause chaos, who suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down instead of, what we know, the real measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.  (Applause.)

But I see all this, and it tells me why this moment in our nation has to be about so much more than partisan politics.  It must be about the good work we can do together, about our fundamental values, and about who we are as Americans and as people of faith.

Here in Pennsylvania right now, each of us has an opportunity to make a difference, because in this moment, we do face a real question: What kind of country do we want to live in?  (Applause.)  That’s before us right now.  What kind of country do we want for our children and our grandchildren: a country of chaos, fate — fear, and hate, or a country of freedom, justice, and compassion? 

And the great thing about living in a democracy is we, the people, have the choice to answer that question.  (Applause.)

So, let us answer not just with our words but with our works.  Yes, with our prayers, but also with our pressing.  Yes with our fate — and also our faith, but also our feet, as we walk to the polls.  (Applause.) 

And yes, in these nine days — these next nine days will test us.  They will demand everything we’ve got.  But when I think about the days ahead and the God we serve, I am confident that his power will work through us, because, church, I know we were born for a time such as this.  (Applause.)  And I have faith he is going to carry us forward. 

And the road ahead won’t be easy.  It will require perseverance and hard work, but in times of uncertainty, scripture reminds us, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”  (Applause.)

The path may seem hard, the work may seem heavy, but joy cometh in the morning.

And, church, morning is on its way.  (Applause.)

God bless you.  God bless America.  (Applause.)

END                 10:32 A.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Church Service | Philadelphia, PA appeared first on The White House.

Church of Christian Compassion
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

11:31 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi.  Good morning, everyone.  Good morning. 

Well, it is good to be back in Philadelphia, and we’re going to have a — an active day of speaking with folks in various neighborhoods around town and really highlighting something you hear me say often, which is: I truly believe it’s a lived experience to know the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. 

And so, we’ll be visiting with folks in different parts of town, talking with them about what we all have in common and — and a collective desire to bring the country together and to set a tone that really is about unifying our country around common desires and challenges, whether it be bringing down the prices of everyday necessities or what we can do to invest in our small businesses and lift up our families. 

And this obviously will be in stark contrast to Donald Trump, who increasingly is using dark and divisive language, even more than he — he has done in the past. 

He talks about America being the garbage can of the world and just continuously, I think, demeans the character and nature of who we are as America and who the American people are.  And clearly, it is intended to keep fanning the flames of — of hate and division; referring to beautiful American, historic American cities like Detroit and Philadelphia in such disparaging words.  And as we said, even just this morning, I think people are ready to turn the page.  And — and that is about all I have.

     AIDE:  Julia —

     (Cross-talk.)

     AIDE:  Hold on.  Julia.

     Q    Oh, thank you.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi.

 Q    Madam Vice President, Pennsylvania has been such a focus of this election for both campaigns.  What do you make of some of the activity that Elon Musk is involved in in this state?  Do you — do you worry about, you know, any little difference, including (inaudible) —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I haven’t really been paying attention.  I’m focused on our work.  (Laughs.)  But thank you for asking.

     (Cross-talk.)

Q    Madam Vice President, you’ve talked about new homebuyers and $25,000 for them. 

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yes.
    
Q    What about people who are currently in their homes as neighborhoods gentrify and prices go up?  What would you do for them?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, for cor- — current homeowners, there are — still facing the challenges, whether it be what we need to do around an issue I’ve addressed over the last four years, dealing with fair appraisal values and making sure that the appraisal system is fair, especially for people living in minority- and Black-owned communities — in terms of housing and home- — high levels of homeownership, we’ve seen bias there. 

But also just bringing down the price of everyday living, whether it be groceries and what I’m going to do to address things like price gouging, or what we need to do to expand the Child Tax Credit to help people have more resources at the fundamental phases of their child’s development; the work that we are doing that is about small businesses.

A lot of neighborhoods, as we know here in Philadelphia and around the country — those homeowners often are also small-business owners and need more support.  So, a lot of my plan is about giving them tax cuts, but also cutting a lot of the red tape so that they can continue to grow and prosper. 

So, there are a multiple — multitude of issues that affect homeowners, including, obviously, the challenges for homeownership itself. 

     AIDE:  Joey.

Q    Yeah, Madam Vice President, are you getting the turnout that you need right here in Philadelphia to win Pennsylvania, particularly among Black voters?  Are you concerned that you’re going to get the level that you need to to win this state?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I’m very excited about the reports that we’re getting about enthusiasm here in Philadelphia.  And to your point, Philadelphia is a very important part of our path to victory, and it is the reason I’m spending time here, have been spending time here.  But I’m feeling very optimistic about the enthusiasm that is here and the commitment that folks of every background have to vote and to — to really invest in the future of our country. 

I think people are exhausted with things as they’ve been, and they’re prepared to act on their feelings about that.

     AIDE:  Akayla.

Q    Madam Vice President, the former president has said he’s spoken to Prime Minister Netanyahu multiple times this month.  Are you concerned that those conversations are undermining what the administration is trying to do in the Middle East?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  No.  And I do believe that it is critically important that we, as the United States of America, be an active participant in encouraging, one, that this war ends, that we get the hostages out, but also that there is a real commitment among nations to a two-state solution and the day after, and we have to fulfill that responsibility.

     AIDE:  O.J.

Q    Yes, Vice President Harris, as you go out in the community today, what is it that you can do or do you have a strategy to dispel all the informa- — all the mi- — misinformation in the political ads and what —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.

Q    — your opponent is spewing?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, to your point, there is a lot of misinformation, and he’s putting tens of millions of dollars into various TV markets around the country.  And what I’m heartened by is that folks in the community, when I am there, they are aware of it and, frankly, don’t want to be played.  They are aware of fact. 

And what I am seeing is that not only are they aware of the misinformation, but they are also aware, if not eager, to know and hear more details about my plan for them, whether it be, again, on the issue of homeownership; bringing down costs; investing in small businesses; investing in families, including families with children.  And — and folks are very receptive to that. 

I think people really do want to know and see and feel that their leaders and that their president is prepared to do the hard work of thinking about them, not themselves, unlike Donald Trump, and has a plan that will be implemented on day one.  And I’ve been very clear about that as well. 

Look, just imagine the Oval Office on January 20th.  It’s going to be one of two people.  It’s going to be either Donald Trump or me. 

If it’s Donald Trump, you can see what’s going — what that day is going to be.  It will be him sitting at that desk, stewing over his enemies list.  He is full of grievance.  He is full of — of dark language that is about retribution and revenge. 

And so, the American people have a choice.  It’s either going to be that or it’ll be me there, focused on my to-do list, focused on the American people and getting through that list of — of goals and plans to improve the lives of the American people. 

     AIDE:  Last one.  Jeff.

Q    Madam Vice President, can you give us a sense of your internal polling at the campaign and how that is making or influencing your decisions on what to do over the next nine days?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, to be very frank with you, my internal polling is my instinct.  (Laughs.)  I let the campaign people deal with the poll- — all that other stuff.  And I am responding to what I’m seeing. 

I mean, just two nights ago, we had 30,000 people show up — I think it was actually more than 30,000 people — with an incredible amount of enthusiasm.  If you see the people showing up last night, every event that we do — and the feeling is one of energy and excitement. 

What I love about the folks who are showing up is it’s every walk of who we are as a country and as Americans, every race, age, gender, from all different kinds of backgrounds together under one roof.  It’s very exciting.  The number of young people.  You know, I’ve begun to really point out the first-time voters who are there, because now people are actually registered.  And — and it’s — it’s very exciting.  And the momentum is with us.

     Q    Do you need to win Pennsylvania —

     AIDE:  Thank you.

     Q    — to win this election (inaudible)?

     AIDE:  Thank you.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Pennsylvania will be key, no doubt.  No doubt.

                             END                11:39 A.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris in Press Gaggle | Philadelphia, PA appeared first on The White House.

Philadelphia Youth Basketball Facility
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

4:26 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hey, Philly!  (Applause.)  Hey, Philly!  (Inaudible.)  Hey, Philly!  (Applause.)  Oh, I love this city.  I just love this City of Brotherly Love.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  MVP!  MVP!  MVP!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We’re doing this.

We need a medic.  We need a medic.  We need a medic.  We need a medic.  Sounds like we need a medic.

AUDIENCE:  MVP!  MVP!  MVP!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you all. 

Well, hold on, everybody.  Le- — hold on.  Just a p- — let’s — we need a medic over there.  Do we have somebody r- –part the way.  So, we got a medic over there.  Okay?  All right. 

That’s what we do.  We look out for each other.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We’re not going back!  (Applause.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  You got that right.

Are we good? 

Hold on.  Let’s just make sure that’s handled.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Philly loves you, Kamala!  (Applause.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  All right.  Do we have a medic over there?  Okay.  Let’s — let’s handle that first.  I have time.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)  (Applause.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Are we getting a medic over there?  We good?  We good?

Okay.  All right. 

Hey, Philly, it’s good to be back.  (Applause.)  It’s good to be back.  And can we hear it for Coach Butler?  (Applause.)  Thank you.

So, Philly, I’ve got a question for you: Are you ready to do this?  (Applause.)  Are we gonna do this?  (Applause.)  Yes!  Are we ready to vote?  (Applause.)  Are we ready to win?   (Applause.)

It’s good to be back.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.) 

So, I want to thank all the incredible leaders who are here.  I want to start with Mayor Parker.  Where are you, Mayor?  (Applause.)  A phenomenal leader.  She has been an extraordinary friend. 

Speaker McClinton, thank you.  (Applause.)  Representatives Dean and Scanlon, thank you.  (Applause.)  And let’s send Bob Casey back to the United States Senate.  (Applause.) 

And to all the community and elected leaders here, I thank you.  I had a chance to visit with many of you this afternoon.  I thank you for the leadership you provide in so many ways. 

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I love you back.  I love you back.  (Applause.)

So, to everyone here, I thank you.  I thank you, because you have taken time this afternoon, this Sunday afternoon, out of your busy lives, for us to all be here together under one roof to make the point that we are all in this together.  (Applause.)  We are all in this together.

And we are all here together because we also understand how high the stakes are at this very moment.

Philly, we’ve got nine days — nine days — nine days left in one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime.  And we know this is going to be a tight race until the very end, so we have a lot of work ahead of us.  But we like hard work.  (Applause.)  Hard work is good work.  (Applause.)  Hard work is joyful work.  (Applause.)
    
And make no mistake: We will win.  We will win.  We will win.  We will win.  (Applause.) 

And we will win because here’s how I think about it: When you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for.  (Applause.)  And this election is about two extremely different visions for our nation: one, Donald Trump’s, who is focused on the past and himself —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We are not going back.

AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And here’s why — here’s why: Because we — because we are focused on the future, and we are focused on the needs of the American people, as opposed to a Donald Trump, who spends full time looking in the mirror, focused on himself.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hey, you know what?  Hold — hold on a second.  Listen — no, hold on.  Hold on.  Let’s — I want to talk about Gaza for a minute.  I want to talk about Gaza for a minute.  Okay? 

We can and we must seize this opportunity to end this war and bring the hostages home.  (Applause.)  And I will do everything in my power to meet that end.  (Applause.)

And we are here because we are fighting for our democracy — (applause) — and we respect the voices of all people — (applause) — and we’ve got a job to do in the next nine days to fight for this da- — democracy we love.  (Applause.)  Nine days.

And we understand we have an opportunity before us to turn the page on the fear and the divisiveness that have characterized our politics for a decade because of Donald Trump.  We have the ability to turn the page on that same old, tired playbook, because we are exhausted with it — (applause) — and we are ready to chart a new way forward.

 And, yes, we will be joyful in the process.  (Applause.)  Yes, we like to laugh.  (Applause.)  Yes, we know that when you care about the people and you understand what you are fighting for, there is joy in that fight, and that is why we are all in this together.  (Applause.) 

We are fighting for a future of our nation where we tap into the ambitions and the aspirations and the dreams of the American people.  We are a new generation of leadership that is optimistic and excited about what our nation can do together.  (Applause.)

And the great thing about living in a democracy, as long as we keep it, is that we the people have the power to choose the direction of our country and its leadership.  The power is with the people.  (Applause.)

And from the beginning, our campaign has been about building coalitions and building community.  Look, over the next nine days, like I said, we are going to win.  That is our highest order.  But through that process, to all the friends here, I say: Let’s be intentional about building community.  Let’s be intentional about building coalitions.  (Applause.)  Let’s be intentional about understanding we all have so much more in common than what separates us.  We will be the better for it.  (Applause.)

That’s what our campaign is about, because we know we are all in this together.  We have so much more in common than what separates us.  And we are going to fight for the country we love.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA! 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And — and that is why we are all here together, because we love our country.  (Applause.)  We love our country.  And you got to fight for the thing you love.  You got to fight for the thing you love. 

And I do believe it is one of the highest forms of patriotism, the expression of the love of our country, to then fight for its ideals.  It is the highest form of patriotism, and one of the most powerful ways we do that is with our vote.  (Applause.)

So — all right.  So, everybody is here because you’re prepared to do the work.  So, here we are.  From now until election day, we are going to get out the vote here in Pennsylvania.  (Applause.) 

And if you’ll give me a minute, I really right now want to speak to the young leaders who are here.  Is Gen Z in the house?  (Applause.)  Who in — who is voting for their first time in their first election?  (Applause.)  All right.

Now, here’s the thing I love about you young leaders.  You know, you are rightly impatient for change.  (Applause.)  You are rightly impatient. 

You, who have only known the climate crisis — you are leaders in what we need to do to protect our planet.  (Applause.) 

You, who grew up with active shooter drills — you know what we have to do to fight for safety in our schools.  (Applause.) 

You, who right now know fewer rights than your mothers and grandmothers, understand the importance of fighting for the right of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do.  (Applause.) 

And this is why I love you, the young leaders who are here, because, for you, this is not theoretical.  This is not political.  This is not about some debate.  It is about your lived experience.  And you are here — and I see you because I see your power — and you are here because you know your power.  And I am so proud of you.  (Applause.) 

And, everyone, let us applaud our young leaders, our first-time voters.  (Applause.)  Let’s applaud them.  Let’s applaud them.  Let’s applaud them. (Applause.)

So, Philly, we have nine days — nine days to get this done.  And for the next nine days, no one can sit on the sidelines. 

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  There is too much on the line, and we must not wake up the day after the election and have any regrets about what we could have done in these next nine days.  So, let’s spend these next nine days knowing we did everything we could; that we connected with each other, with our neighbors; that we went up to perfect strangers in the grocery store and said, “You know what?  I see you.” 

Let’s — let’s approach this moment in a way that in the face of a stranger, we see a neighbor.  And let’s talk with each other about what we have in common.  (Applause.)  Let’s build community.  And let’s knock on doors.  Let’s text and call potential voters.  (Applause.)  Let’s reach out to our family and our friends and our classmates and our neighbors.  (Applause.)  Tell them about the stakes in this election, and tell them about their power.

So, we are going to get folks to the polls, and we are going to make our voices heard.  (Applause.) 

And let’s give folks some important information.  Election Day — we — let’s start with the basics.  (Laughter.)  Okay? 

Election Day is Tuesday, November 5th.  (Laughter and applause.)  I’m serious.  Everybody is busy.  Let’s start with that. 

Let folks know you can vote then or you can vote early from today through Tuesday, October 29th.  That’s two days from now.  So, now is the time to vote early.  Get it done tomorrow if you can.  Go to IWillVote.com if you need information about where you vote. 

And if you have received your ballot in the mail, do not wait.  Fill it out today.  (Applause.)  Because the election is here, and the choice, Philly, is truly in your hands.  The path to victory runs right through all the leaders who are here — (applause) — who — all of you.  And your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power. 

So, today, Philadelphia, I ask you: Are you ready to make your voices heard?  (Applause.) 

Do we believe in freedom?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in opportunity?  (Applause.)

Do we believe in the promise of America?  (Applause.)

And are we ready to fight for it?  (Applause.)

And when we fight —

AUDIENCE:  We win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.

God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  God bless you.  (Applause.)  Thank you all.

                   END                     4:42 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Philadelphia, PA appeared first on The White House.

Private Office
Portage, Michigan

2:40 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, thank you all for allowing us to have this conversation.  And one of the reasons that I wanted to visit with you is you all are on the ground doing this very, very critical and important work. 

And since the Dobbs decision came down two years ago, I do believe that we as a country have faced a health care crisis, and, yes, it includes the concern that we have about people’s access to abortion care and then the punishing of women, the criminalization of health care providers, but also we’ve seen clinics close around the country that provide all types of care, from Paps to breast cancer screenings, HIV testing, and so much else and just safe places for people to go. 

     DR. HENRY:  Yes.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I know there’s also been an impact in terms of students thinking about their career as physicians and what type of practice they would actually engage in and where they would go. 

We’ve been talking about health care deserts —

     DR. HENRY:  Yes.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — which we know is a long-standing concern but then exasperated by what we’ve seen most recently.

And so, I wanted to ask you, the experts, the trained and experienced folks who do the noble and important work of health care, to share a bit about how you are experiencing this moment in a way that can highlight the realities of this moment, the harm, and the reason why people, like here in the state of Michigan, should be concerned even though they’re not in Texas, where I was and just left, but understanding if there were a national abortion ban, what it would mean for women and people throughout the country.

So, Doctor, if you want to lead the discussion, but I would love to hear from you.

 DR. ROGERS:  Yes, we have Dr. Lakshmi Sundaresan that was going to respond to that question, but I’ll just say that it is very important that this not widen the gap of health disparities, that — that the care of a — a woman is between her and her doctor, and that it not further cause shortages of those physicians across the country.

DR. SUNDARESAN:  So, I’m a family medicine physician and an abortion provider here on the western side of the state.  I think we don’t have to imagine what a post-Dobbs world looks like.  We’re living in a world that already has abortion bans that typically are regionally dependent.

Here on the western side of the state, we represent not only a safety net for our region here in the Midwest, but over the last 18 months, we — we’ve seen an influx of patients that are coming particularly from the South and the Southeast because of care deserts and already restrictive abortion bans.

But what we’re talking about here, especially with respect to this election, is that — and you — you know this better than we do — is that there’s an opportunity for multiple Supreme Court decisions that we will all be living through not just in terms of the political landscape but as physicians who are living through that experience with our patients.

And what is at stake is not just what we’re doing with respect to abortion care but what reproductive justice means at-large.  We’re talking about access to gender-affirming services.  We’re talking about access to contraception.  And we’re talking about everyone’s ability to access care.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And — and including, to your point, prenatal care, postpartum care — all of that work that is done by physicians and — and folks such as you and — and existing, in many states with the fear that if you then do that work, somehow you may be punished or criminalized for doing that work.

DR. SUNDARESAN:  And we have state protections in Michigan right now after 2022, but there is still a very real possibility of a federal ban. 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  How do you think about this in the context of what is happening in your profession and with — I — I know — I know you, even though we’ve all met just now, well enough to know that you are active in your profession —

     DR. HENRY:  Yes.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and probably very much in touch with your colleagues from around the country. 

How are physicians and medical students talking about this moment right now and the fears, the challenges, the concerns and also what you would like to do in terms of — now you have all these microphones in front of you — right? — the public education about what this moment means from your perspective?

MS. HINNERS:  Yeah, I think as medical students, we kind of have found ourselves in this sort of limbo.  You know, we put all this hard work and time into doing what we want to, and we’re supposed to be excited about that, but there is this decision looming on November 5th that has this chance to monumentally impact our careers before they even start.  Like, we haven’t dipped our toe in the pond yet.

And I know for me personally, that is affecting my decision on residency applications coming up soon.  Like, I would like to be able to practice the medicine that I want to practice and give health care to people who need it.  And, I mean, we’re not just talking about a few abortion restrictions.  We’re talking about these very extreme bans that maybe don’t even have exceptions for rape or incest and things like that. 

And I am a survivor of sexual assault.  I volunteer with survivors of sexual assault.  And the thought that I, potentially in the future, will not be able to provide people with the breadth of health care that I think is required after such a traumatic event like that is enough to, like, make me sick. 

So, I am doing all that I can to make sure that my future that I have worked for for the past 26 years looks how I want it to, and I really hope that other people are kind of joining me in that.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  It does — this moment does require, among many things, knowledge about what’s going on and also just empathy, which is when we know that there are people who are suffering, don’t we, collectively, as a society, want to end that suffering and give them the care they need with the dignity they deserve. 

What else would you each or all like to share wh- — while we have all these folks here, who can, I think, benefit — and I certainly can — from what you all can share, in terms of what you see uniquely that we may not see about the effect of Dobbs in this moment on your profession, on your clients, on your — on your patients, on your community?  How are you thinking about this moment in terms of even just what we do legislatively, what we do from a policy perspective?

DR. ROGERS:  I am concerned about physicians in training, as our medical students are, and them making decisions about where they would do residency or where they would do training and that maybe not being in states and areas where they don’t have abortion rights and women don’t have the rights over their lives.  So, that could create a further shortage in some of those areas where there’s already physician shortages and there’s already health disparities.

DR. HENRY:  Yeah, because we already see where patients have to travel miles and miles to get the care that they need, and there have been stories where even when they get to those places to receive the help, they can’t get it because the physicians are afraid, and that’s not what we want.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Right.  Or, to your point, overwhelmed — right? — in terms of you are taking in patients from states surrounding a state that still provides care and — and do you have the hours —

     PARTICIPANT:  Yes.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and do you have the personnel and staff to be able to actually handle it.

     (The press departs as the conversation continues.)

                             END                2:48 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Reproductive Health Care Clinic | Portage, MI appeared first on The White House.

Duncan Aviation
Battle Creek, Michigan

1:48 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  I know you all have been asking about the status of our conversations around Iran and Israel.  And a couple of hours ago, I got off of a — a lengthy and important conversation with the president and our national security team.  And, of course, we maintain the importance of supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and we are also very adamant that we must see de-escalation in the region going forward, and that will be our focus. 

In terms of Texas, it was a very good trip.  As I said, the reason for being there — there were many — most importantly, that there are a lot of people in Texas who have been suffering under what I call draconian laws as it relates to how they’ve been treating women and their right to reproductive freedom. 

It was also and is ground zero in terms of one of the most draconian laws in the whole country that have come about because of Donald Trump and what he did to select three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade. 

And I’m here now in Kalamazoo and in Michigan to talk with the folks here about their priority around ensuring that this election produces a president of the United States who honors and protects a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body. 

I’m about to go and meet with some of the physicians who are on the front lines of this issue, who are addressing the harm that has resulted from these Trump abortion bans but also doing the work in terms of advocacy, with a great deal of courage, to highlight to the American people what, I think, for some are really unintended consequences as a result of the undoing of Roe v. Wade.

I’m happy to take your questions.

Q    When it comes to abortion rights and talking with the providers today, what can we expect from those conversations?  And will we hear more of that in your speech tonight with

former First Lady Michelle Obama?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  Well, like I said even last night, what — and I’ve been meeting with health care providers for the last few years, since the Dodd decision came down.  They are a combination of doing their work in fear of being jailed —

We are saying that, for example, medical students are now more reluctant than ever to go into reproductive health care fields for fear that they could be criminalized. 

We are seeing the impact of these laws causing clinics — health care clinics to shut down.  Those clinics that, yes, provide abortion care but also paps, breast cancer screenings, HIV testing. 

And so, the physicians that I’ve been talking with are concerned about this myriad of issues that have highlighted the fact that because of Trump and what he did with the Supreme Court, we are looking at a health care crisis in America, which is affecting people of every background and gender.

Q    Ma’am, on Iran, on the Middle East.  There are

reports from the U.N. that about one in five Lebanese people are now displaced because of the ongoing war.  You said esc- — de-escalation is the goal.  Why are — why is the U.S. and Israel not aligned in that goal in terms of the conflict in the region?

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, we’ve been very clear with everyone in the region — and, in fact, that’s why Tony Blinken was there for several days this week — that we want to work toward ending this war.  This war must end.  We must get the hostages out and work toward a two-state solution. 

And we do believe strongly that, as it relates to Lebanon and — and the region, that part of the strength of our work is the diplomatic work we will do to reach that end. 

Q    What are we hearing —

Q    Ma’am, can I follow up on the — on the —

AIDE:  Go ahead, Darlene.

Q    What is the administration hearing from Arab allies about the Israeli strikes?  And can you say whether the strikes made it less likely that Iran will be able to attack Israel again in the future?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  What I can say is that it is a consensus among leaders in the region and certainly it is the strong perspective of the United States that there must be de-escalation and not an escalation of activities in that region.

Q    Ma’am — ma’am, to expand on that, what — what is your message to Iran specifically, as they consider a potential retaliation?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Listen, we feel very — I feel very strongly — we as the United States feel very strongly that Iran must stop what it is doing in terms of the threat that it presents to the region.  And we will always defend Israel against any attacks by Iran in that way.

                             END                1:53 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris in Press Gaggle | Battle Creek, MI appeared first on The White House.

Wings Event Center
Kalamazoo, Michigan

4:40 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everybody.  (Applause.)  Can we hear it for Michelle Obama?  (Applause.)

     Oh, good —

AUDIENCE:  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!  We’re not going back!

     AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you all. 

     Michigan!  Michigan!  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

All right, gu- — we’ve got 10 days to go.  (Applause.)  And the thing that I love about everybody here is we love hard work.  Hard work is good work.  And we are going to win.  We are going to win.  (Applause.) 

And it’s going to be close, and we know that, and we know the stakes.  And we also are here together because we love our country and we are prepared to fight for the best of who we are. 

Many of you’ve heard me talk about this: We’re not fighting against something; we’re fighting for something.  (Applause.) 

And through our campaign — our campaign — yes, we will win.  That is our highest and that is our achievable goal.  We will win.  And in the process, over these next 10 days, we are also doing the work of building community, building coalitions, reminding folks that we are all in this together, lifting each other up, reminding ourselves and each other that we have so much more in common than what separates us. 

That’s what our campaign is about.  It is a people-powered campaign.  (Applause.)  And because it is a people-powered campaign, we will win, because we know what we stand for, so we know what to fight for.  (Applause.)

     And when we fight —

     AUDIENCE:  We win!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win. 

     God bless you.  I’ll see you soon.  (Applause.)

                             END                4:42 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris to Overflow Crowd at a Campaign Event | Kalamazoo, MI appeared first on The White House.

LiUNA District Council 12
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

1:23 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello! (Applause.) Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Hello LiUNA! (Applause.) It’s good to be almost home. (Applause.) (Laughs.) Well, God love you. I tell you what.

You know, you guys build bridges, and you can’t be in a better city. There are more bridges in this city than any city in America. (Laughter.)

Look, folks, you know, we’ve been through a lot together. And I want to thank — I want to thank you for that introduction. It’s — it’s over the top, but I want to tell you, if I didn’t have my views about union movement, my Grandfather Finnegan wo- — from Scranton would come down and kick my rear end. (Laughter.) It’s real simple.

Look, folks, you know, I want to — Brent, thank you for all you’ve done. And, Phil, I —

And a big hello to my good friend, John Fetterman. John was here. I know he — (applause) — you had to be sitting down because I didn’t — if I didn’t see you, I’d get worried, John. (Laughter.)

I want you to know, if you got to be in a foxhole, man, you want this sucker with you. (Laughter.) You want him with you.

And, look — and, Chris — where’s Chris? Chris D- — there you go, Chris. Congratulations, Chris. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

And, you know, you’ve not only led the union movement, you built the middle class.

You know, all kidding aside, you know, when I started saying this year’s ago, people thought — looked at me like I was nuts.

There used to be a — it was a law that was passed in the ‘30s and — early ‘30s by Roosevelt, making it easier or fairer for unions to be able to organize because of strong opposition to organized labor. But there’s a provision in that law that no president really paid much attention to. And be — be honest with you, I didn’t realize until about 14 years ago that it existed.

It not only says how u- — they can’t block unions by doing un- — they still try to do unfair things. They can only block it. But this goes on to say any money appropriated by the United States Congress given to the president to build something or to spend it must be spent with American labor and American products.

Well, guess what? (Applause.) I’m the first who president said that means I mean it. That’s why there’s so much of an incredible growth.

We’ve hired more people in a four-year period than any president has in American history.

And, by the way, you’ve heard me say it a hundred times; I’m going to say it a thousand more times, as long as I have a breath: You know, Wall Street didn’t build America. The middle class built America, and you built the middle class. (Applause.) That’s a fact. You built it. That’s not a joke. There would be no middle class without you.

And, folk, look, the fact is that my dad — my dad never went to college, but my dad was a hardworking guy. And my dad used to have an expression. He’d say, “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck.” He mea- — I’m seri- —

Our dinner table was a place we had conversation and, incidentally, ate. My dad would say, “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about your place in the community. It’s about how people treat you and look at you. And everybody” — and he meant it — “everybody determines w- — is entitled to be treated with dignity.”

Well, that’s what union — you’ve done. You’ve raised people’s expectations. You’ve given them pride. You’ve given them a — a reason for being. You’ve changed. And all the apprenticeships — remember how, when I got elected president, they were going to — business was going to help us, they were going to provide apprenticeships? Give me a break. (Laughter.) Give me a break. Businesses pr- — anyway. (Laughter.) I don’t want to get going here.

But, look, the — you know, 10 days — 10 days.

Now, I know I look like I’m only 40 — (laughter) —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Forty-six!

THE PRESIDENT: But I’m — 46, I’ll take that. I’ll — I’ll — (laughter) — I’d take 66. (Laughter.)

But all kidding aside, you know, this is the most important election of our lifetime, no matter how young or old you are. Not a joke. Not hyperbole. This is not Democrat, Republican. This is decency versus a lack of decency. This is about character, this election.

And, folks, you know — I got to choose my words here. The choice couldn’t be clearer. The choice couldn’t be more stark.

I am a president, as was pointed out by my buddy, that I walked the picket line. Well, so has Kamala walked the picket line.

You know, not only — the only picket line Trump ever looks at is one he can, in fact, cross the picket line. Not walk it. Cross it.

Name me something he’s ever done — one single thing — name me one single thing, as a private entrepreneur or as a candidate, he’s ever done for American labor.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT: Name me — no, I’m no- — no, I’m being deadly earnest, because this is — I mean, this — this even — shouldn’t even be clo — but he wins, everything you talked about, he said he wants to get rid of. Not one thing you talked about did he support. Not one thing. Not a single thing.

You know, even the — anyway — (laughter.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We’re not going to let him win!

THE PRESIDENT: Well, you can’t let him win. By the way, look, guys, the presidential historians tell us that the most consequential thing the president can possess is character.

By character, we mean that — will they stand up? Will they stand up? Are they going to tell you the truth? Are they going to tell you when they disagree? When they agree, are they going to fight for you? Character. Just plain old character, like you do when we were kids.

You knew the kids in the neighborhood who had character and didn’t have character. You knew who you could count on and couldn’t count on, man or woman.

I mean, seriously, think about it. This is pretty basic stuff. It’s about decency. It’s about honor.

And, look, I’m going to just say — and the most controversial thing I may have said — Trump has no character. He’s not demonstrated it. Whether he was having the people working — you know, I me- — anyway, I won’t — I shouldn’t’ get going. (Laughter.)

But, you know — but he — the thing he — he doesn’t give a damn about union workers or any workers for that matter. He views unions as getting in the way of the accumulation of wealth for individuals. That’s what he views it as.

Folks, it’s in labor’s interest to defeat Donald Trump more than any other race you’ve been in and as long as any one of you have been alive.

You know, I’ve given my heart and soul to labor my whole career as president, because it wasn’t hard. It was just where I was raised, who I was with, what I — what I’ve seen. You know, everybody deserves a shot, man — just a shot. No guarantee. Everybody deserves a shot as close to a level playing field as you can make it.

And the last thing we need is for Trump to get elected to take away all the things we’ve done. How many of you have pensions now, again? How many of you have — your families have pensions? They opposed it.

I mean, just go down the list of all the things that really matter to a family — to a hardworking family.

Look, you — organized labor — are his worst nightmare, but you’re also the best thing that ever happened to the American economy. We got a lot more work to do, Kamala and I — Kamala — Kamala does. A lot more work to do, but let me tell you what: We’re the envy of the world. We have the best economy in the world because of you. (Applause.) Lot more to do.

But here’s the deal, guys, from my — where I stand — my standpoint: You fight for ordinary people, like the neighborhood I grew up in, the people I grew up with in Claymont, Delaware; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Wilmington, Delaware — people who just — just want a shot. They’re not asking for a favor. They just want an even shot. And he only knows — we — we’re all about lifting people up. Think about it.

I’m — I’ve never been this direct, but I tell you what, he’s about making sure he pushes people down. He thinks the way you get ahead is to push people down. But you get ahead — I was — we were talking on the way up here. You know, when I got — when I made the commitment that I’d only hire American workers and use American products, well, I was told that that — and labor began to flourish, et cetera — I asked the Treasury Department to do a study. When union workers — not labor; union — when unions do better, what does it do for the rest of the economy? Everybody does better. Everybody’s wages come up. Everybody. Everybody. (Applause.) You’re his worst nightmare.

Now, like I said, you know, we’ve worked together for a long time. Like I said, I know I don’t look like I’m 40, but I’ve been doing this for about 500 years — (applause) — and we’ve asked a lot of each other. But what I’m not asking of you is something that is not your interest. I’m going to ask you one more thing: Don’t do it for me. Do it for your kids. Do it for your family. Do it for your grandkids. Do it for your neighbors. Do it for people you know, people who need a helping hand.

Donald Trump is a loser. A lose- — (applause) — he’s a loser as a candidate, and — more importantly, in my view — and I’m just going to say it straight up — he’s a loser as a man. He’s a loser as a man.

We fought too hard for the gains we’ve made for the people we grew up with, neighborhoods we come from, and I know who was standing next to me the last four years: Kamala Harris.

Let me tell you something, folks, I picked her because she has a backbone like a ramrod. She doesn’t bend. I’m serious. She has a backbone like a ramrod.

And, folks, look, as I said, I’m from Scranton, and — a place where we stand up for one another in my neighborhood. So, please, follow your gut. Do what’s right. Do what’s the right thing to do for everybody, the people you grew up with, the people you work with, the people you love.

Our kids — make sure they — kids have to have access to a good education. This guy wants to literally do away with the Department of Education — do away with it. We’ve been fighting like hell to — anyway.

You know, your parents, all of you, you need health care, access to health care, affordable health care. We finally got it. We finally moved — we have more health care now than we ever had in American history. He’s tried 51 times to eliminate the health care bill — 51 times.

Look, you know, what’s the right thing to do for the people you grew up with, the people you work with, your neighbors, and I — you know, we got to give —

And one of the things I’d hope we’ve figured out — and not all the guys agreed to this initially — there’s not a damn thing that I could do that my sister couldn’t do as well or better.

My sister is my best friend and my life. We’re three years apart, two years apart in school. She graduated honors, taking the same exact courses I had at Delaware, and I graduated. She managed her — one of my campaigns. She jumps in a fight when p- — someone’s in trouble. We’re taught, like you guys, you see someone taken advantage of — what do you do? You’re told to get involved, get engaged even when you’re a kid, jump into the fight.

Well, look, folks, the fact is that we’re finally, finally getting to the point where women are beginning to have a shot, a fair shot — a fair shot. Like I said, they can do anything any man can do, including being president of the United States of America. (Applause.)

Look, I’m trying to be a good boy here. (Laughter.) There’s never been, in my view, a clearer choice, as a student history, someone who has known more world leaders than any living president — than any president ever has. I know them well, the good and the bad. The fact of the matter is that the — we know how important this election is.

It’s because of you we’ve created more jobs than any time in history. We have “Made in America” — become the — what is the standard now, not the exception.

Remember what corporations used to do under him? That was they’d send the job overseas to the cheapest labor they could find and then bring the product back home.

Well, when I went overseas and I talked with the South Koreans first about the CHIPS Act, I said, “Look, you guys are m-” — we invented the chip. We made sure it worked — those — smaller than the end of his little finger. And guess what? They decided to invest $15 billion.

I came back, and I said, “Why did you come when I talked to Samsung?” He said “because you’re the most qualified workers in the world.” You guys are not only the best in America, you’re the best in the world — that’s not a joke — the single best in the world.

And I asked why — so what — you know how much — remember we were — I was being criticized about how Biden was going to plan the economy too much and government is going to be too involved? Well, guess what? We brought off the sidelines in private investment $1 trillion in investment. (Applause.)

Remember, when we got elected, we were told there’s going to be a recession? No one’s talking about recession on our watch. I’m serious.

So, folks, look, I — I’m trying to be good. (Laughter.) But, look, I know how damn hard you fought for the gains we have. I know how damn hard you work for your fellow colleagues. I know how you stuck together. And I know how you reach down to help people.

You know, I — and I know you know that without the shot of a decent wage, without the shot of access to health care — basic health care — without the shot of being able to retire on something, to have something to look forward to, we’re in trouble.

Well, you guaranteed that’s not going to happen anymore in America.

We got more to do. We got to make housing more affordable. We got to — and we got to give people a break to start their first homes. We got to give people a break to get going.

That’s all in play. And if Kamala wins, it’s going to happen. It’s going to happen.

But folks, you know the fact is that I — I don’t — I don’t think it’s exaggeration. I can think of no man who has thought less of the average working person in America than this guy did, whether he was making sure that people worked overtime without getting paid on his gardens down in Mar-a-Lago or whether it’s what he passed. He’s created the largest deficit of any president in four years in American history.

You know what he wants to do now? He wan- — he — he caused a — he provided a $2 trillion tax cut for the super-wealthy, creating a gigantic deficit. You know what he’s proposing now? A $5 trillion tax cut for the same people.

The leading economists in the world got together and concluded that if Trump fulfilled his obliga- — his request that he wants for the economy, that we’d be in a recession. We’d lose thousands of jobs — millions of jobs.

So, you got to promise you’ll tell my wife I behaved — (laughter) — that I didn’t say all that I think. But you know in your gut, man — you know in your gut how important this is. You know it.

If everything we’ve worked for — everything you’ve allowed to happen, he has literally spoken out and said he’s opposed to. And his new great — the w- — wealthiest man in the world is now his ally, right? Well, that wealthiest man in the world turned out to be illegal worker here when he was here. No, I’m serious. He was supposed to be in school when he came on a student visa. He wasn’t in school. He was violating the law. And he’s talking about all these illegals coming our way.

Folks — and, by the way, on that score, what we’ve done, even though he wouldn’t allow the most important legislation to pass, which fixed the border — the pro- — problem at the border, we have fewer people crossing the border illegally now — or crossing the border, period, than any time since his third year as president of the United States. It matters.

Relationships matter and relationships with foreign leaders matter. Trust for our foreign leaders matter, and we built that trust.

So, anyway, guys, please — please, please, please — go the extra step. Call the people you know who may be undecided. Tell them, please — please give us a chance. Give labor the chance to really, really blossom in a way that has never had ever before, even in the Roosevelt years. You’re changing the world. You’re changing the world.

And, folks, we’re the best country by far. We’re the greatest country in the history of the world. (Applause.)

1:42 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden at a LiUNA GOTV Kick-Off Event | Pittsburgh, PA appeared first on The White House.