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Remarks by President Biden at a Carpenters Local 445 GOTV Event | Scranton, PA

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Sat, 11/02/2024 - 22:00

Carpenters Local 445
Scranton, Pennsylvania

1:23 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Oh. (Applause.) Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.)

It’s great to be home. (Applause.)

I know all of you folks in this area know when we say “it’s good to be home,” a lot of us mean it because we have family and our roots are here.

And I t- — my — I told my granddaughter my deceased son, Beau, who was a decorated Army veteran — anyway — and an attorney general of the state of Delaware — his daughter, who is a sophomore at the University of Pennsylvania, said, “Pop, you’re heading to Scranton. Can I come?” I wanted you to meet her. (Applause.)

This is Natalie. She’s the love of my life and the life of my love. And I tell you what, man — and she’s probably heard so many stories about Scranton growing up that she — she said, “Can I come?” She has been here before with me — been here before. But we’re not going to get to go to North Washington Avenue this time, okay? (Laughter.)

MS. BIDEN: Okay. (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT: Folks, look, you know, I know a lot of you know folks who used to live in Scranton or don’t live here anymore but still talk about home all the time, because a lot of them had a leave for — like my dad did when coal was dying back in the late ‘40s and the ‘50s. He moved back to Delaware.

My Grandfather Biden, who died six days before I was born in Mercy Hospital in 1942 — 200 years ago. (Laughter.)

But, you know, Scranton is — Scranton becomes part of your heart. It crawls into your heart. And it — it’s real. It’s not hyperbole. It’s not a joke. It’s real.

And my relatives are here right now, the Finnegans. (Applause.) And —

And there’s — you know, I — my only regret every time I come home is that I’m — my mom’s not with me. My mom, Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden, one of five children. Four — she had four brothers. No one screwed around, man. (Laughter.)

And — but, anyway, I — I just — I’m so proud to be back, and I’m so proud that we finally were able, as Doug pointed out, to — to begin to build back better in a big way. We are. Scranton is coming back. (Applause.)

No — and, by the way, you know, we’ve been through a lot together. Not only have you been my allies, the labor, you’ve been my friends. Carpenters were the first outfit to endorse me in Delaware as a 1972 — as a 29-year-old kid running for the United States Senate. And as they say, you guys “brung me home.” (Laughter.)

I want to thank Doug, who’s been a great, great, great ally. You’ve always had my back, and I think I can honestly say I’ve had yours as well. (Applause.) (Inaudible.)

You understand — you understand what my dad taught me and he used to say at his dinner table, I swear to God. He’d say, “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about the way you’re treated in the community. It’s about how you’re able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, it’s going to be okay.’” He meant it. He meant it. And that’s it.

Three days to Election Day, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. The choice couldn’t be clearer.

A lot of politicians have trouble saying the word “union,” but I’m not one of them. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Thank you, Joe! Thank you, Joe! Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: And by the way, neither is Kamala. I wouldn’t have chosen her vice president if she had that trouble.

You know, I’m proud to have been the first president who walked the picket line. (Applause.) (Inaudible.) I’ve walked many picket lines, but I didn’t realize — when I walked it as president, they said, “You’re doing that?” I said, “Yeah, damn right I am.” (Laughter.) Well, Kamala walked as well.

But the other guy, every picket line he sees he wants to cross. No, you — I hope —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Trump is a scab!

THE PRESIDENT: Well, let me tell you something. You know, here’s what we — we know that he doesn’t. Wall Street didn’t — you’ve heard me say this a thousand times — and I mean it — my whole career. Wall Street didn’t build America. The middle class built America, and unions built the middle class. (Applause.) Period. I mean it. (Applause.)

There would be no middle class without labor. That’s the God’s truth.

That’s why Kamala and I so proud of the greatest job creation record of any single presidential term in American history — nearly 16 million new jobs so far, 900,000 construction jobs, and we’re just getting started, for real. (Applause.)

And these are good-paying jobs, my dad would say, that provide dignity. You can raise a family on. You can — you can do what — you don’t have to need a college degree to do it and — but if you want to send your kids to college, you can afford to do it.

Look, folks, one of the things that Kamala and I are proudest of is the work we’ve done to protect pensions in this country. We’re damn proud to have protected pensions for millions and millions of union workers.

And I — when I signed and — remember all the crap I got about saying not to do it? The Butch Lewis Act. And guess what? You all have — pensions are guaranteed. You’re getting reimbursed as well. (Applause.)

Including the American Rescue — not one — not one — not one Republican, Democrat, or — in the House or the Senate voted for it –not one — not a single one.

And yesterday, at the Sprinkler and Fitter fi- — the Sprinkler Fitters in Philly, I awarded Rita Lewis, Butch Lewis’ widow, the Presidential Citizens Medal. You know, Butch’s work in our nation — he was — it’s the highest honor you can give a civilian, posthumously.

To see her yesterday to talk about Butch’s story, I was reminded how ordinary people do the most extraordinary things in this country. Butch was a decorated war hero. Couldn’t have been a — could have been a professional baseball player. He was — he was, in fact, recruited, but he devoted himself to labor.

When his pension got cut, he devoted his life to righting the wrong. And so far, a million union workers have had their pensions restored and protected, including back pay. And we did that together. (Applause.)

Because of the people in this room, a strong labor force all over the country exists. But guess what? Guess what? These other guys want to take it away. And not a — it’s not a joke.

Look, folks, if you — let’s be clear about what the stakes are. I come here today not just because of all the work we’ve done together as unions, but to talk about what’s a stake for all of us: your mothers; your fathers; your sisters; your brothers; your friends; the kids you grew up with, whether it was in Minooka or Scranton or wherever it was; the folks you went to school with, who d- — who aren’t members of a union, don’t belong to a trade and find themselves in a ci- –circumstance of just struggling to get by.

This other guy doesn’t care about us. Just look at what his MAGA friends are saying about health care. They want to get rid of the Affordable Care Act.

Now, you guys have pensions and you have protection because you’re mem- — union members, and we fought like hell to make sure it gets stronger. But there are 40 million people in this country in the Affordable Care Act. Another 100 million people have health care because they have preexisting conditions. Trump wants to take it away.

I’m not — this is not personal. This is just the facts. Facts.

He wants to take away the Affordable Health Care Act. That would have a devastating impact on the kids you grew up with, the people you grew up with.

Don’t forget where you came from. (Applause.) Don’t forget who you’re with. (Applause.)

I mean it. I’m not joking. I am not joking.

Think of all the people who need that health care. Their only way to get health care, they’d lose it. Lose it. Some of your cousins, your brothers, the kids you went to grade school with, all the people who are struggling to make it — they lose it.

He also wants to eliminate the Department of Education. How can you lead the world if we don’t have the best educated pub- — public in the world, the best schools in the world?

Trump and Republicans want to get rid of the CHIPS and Science Act. Well, this bill was signed — I worked like hell to get that done. I wrote that sucker. (Applause.) B- — wh- — wait. No, it’s not like — because where I come from, the neighborhoods I grew up in.

Look, folks, we invented that computer chip — smaller than the tip of my little finger. And it’s — it’s — it — it requires every — the reason we had that recession back early on — guess what? You find out that cars need 300 of those little chips. You find out that everything from nuclear weapons to — everything we need from the watches to refrigerators, they need those chips.

We invented them. We made them better, and we lost them because they went overseas with the other guys because it was cheaper labor. Cheaper labor — that’s why they went th- — there.

And guess what? I remember the look of my fam- — and I see one of my directors here as well, the Scranton girl. You know, when I went to my staff, I said, “I’m going to go to South Korea.” They said, “What the hell are you going to South Korea for?” I said, “I’m going to get the chip industry to come here, come back home.” They said, “Not going to happen.”

Well, I went with — I met with President Moon, and I met with Samsung — the leaders. Talked them into investing over $15 billion and coming back here and investing.

Guess what? Guess what? I asked, “Why?” You know what they said? Not a joke. They said — you guys underestimate yourself. They said, “Because you have the most skilled workers in the world in America.” And — (applause). No, no, no — I’m th- — this is just the facts, man. “And secondly, because it’s the safest place in the world to be.”

Look, it’s going to —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank — (applause).

But folks, the country owes you. Think about it. It’s going to mean tens of thousands of jobs — first of all, constructing the factories, all those carpenter jobs. And guess what? And then, when they’re open — these are like — they call them “fabs.” These great, big — they’re as big as football fields. If you have — you’ve not seen them, they’re just going to — just starting to get built — as big as football fields.

You know what the average salary is? One hundred and four thousand dollars. And you don’t need a college degree. (Applause.)

Give –I’ll give you an example. An example is Micron up in Syracuse, where they’re building one of those fabs. In fa- — and they’re building, they’re investing — Micron — investing $100 billion to build them. It’s the kind of investment that won’t — won’t just lift up labor, it’s going to lift up everybody. It’s going to grow the economy.

They want to get rid of it. They want to get rid of it. They wanted to get rid of that.

Look — why? — cheaper labor overseas, man. Cheaper labor.

There’s one more thing Trump and his Republican friends want to do. They want another giant tax cut for the wealthy.

Now, I know some of you guys are tempted to think it’s macho gu- — I — I’ll tell you what, man, when I was in Scranton, I used to — we used to have a little trouble going down the Plot once in a while — (laughter) — from Green Ridge. But I’m serious, these are the kind of guys you’d like to smack in the ass. (Laughter.)

By the way, I’m serious. Think about it. My son gave his life for this country. He was attorney general of the state of Delaware. He volunteered to go to Iraq for a year. Came back with Stage 4 glioblastoma.

When I was over there recently, in Paris celebrating the invas- — the day — the D-Day, and a general — a four-star general said Trump wouldn’t go to one of the cemeteries because — because they were “suckers” and “losers.”

They’re the guys you grew up with you want — I — I’m not joking. You know, I don’t want to get started. (Laughter.)

But, folks, look, the reason I accidentally got involved in politics was because we moved to Delaware, which was — civil rights was a big issue. We were a slave state early on. Go back to where I was.

And what happened was I — I got involved because my dad used to say, “Everyone is entitled to a shot, man. No guarantee, just a shot. Just an even shot.” Well, what are these guys doing now?

You know, we fought like hell for our pensions, right? You got it done, right? Well, guess what? For your cousins, your uncles, your aunts, the people who aren’t — are middle-class folks who are just busting their necks, guess what? What’s their pension, their Social Security?

He wants to cut Social Security. Not a joke. Not a joke. That is a pension for the vast majority of American people. They broke their neck their whole lives paying their Social Security, from the first paycheck they got as a kid went into Social Security. They want to cut it. Why? Why? They want to pay for a new tax cut.

He talks about he cuts — cuts for the middle class. How many of you guys make less than 400,000 bucks a year? Raise your hand. (Laughter.) Well, g- — I’m serious. Think about it. Think about this. That’s what they’re talking about doing.

Because, guess what? He’s the first president other than Hoo- — Herbert Hoover who came into office and left with fewer jobs than when he came into office. He left the largest deficit any president has in recent history because of a $2 trillion tax cut, which you got virtually nothing from — virtually nothing from.

You know what the average billionaire — there are a thousand billionaires in America. Do you know how much the average tax they pay — federal? 8.2 percent. Raise your hand if you’d trade places with that tax cut. (Laughter.) No, I’m serious.

And think of how many people in this country depend on Medicare. It’s an add-on for you all, because you bust your neck and we organized. But he wants to cut back on Medicare. What are we talking about? This is what your friends you grew up with are looking at.

Trump thinks tax cuts for the rich folks are more important than protecting Social Security and Medicare. You know, that’s how we take care of folks who we grew up with. We fight for the things that they — he — that they’re going to take away if, in fact, he wins.

I’m not making this stuff up. I swear to God. Check it out. I don’t care if you’re thinking of voting for Trump, you’re a Republican, just check it out what they want to do and what they don’t want to do.

Look, we’ve made a lot of progress, and Kamala will build on that progress. You know, we’ve asked a lot of each other, unions and I — unions and me. And I ask you one more thing. I’m asking you — for your support for Kamala and for Tim Walz. I’m not just asking it for me. I mean, I’m — I’m going to be gone. I’m asking you to do something for yourself and the families, for the people you grew up with, the neighborhoods you come from. That’s what the hell we’re about.

You didn’t leave anybody behind when you’re in grade school or high school. You didn’t walk away when they were attacked. You stepped up.

Well, guess what? We didn’t have a lot of money. We grew up a typical middle-class family — I guess, technically, a slightly lower middle class. We moved to Delaware. We lived in a three-bedroom, split-level home with four kids and a grandpop.

Well, guess what, man? We didn’t think we were poor, but we didn’t have anything left over at the end of the day.

My dad used to say the — the measure of whether you can make it or not is did we have anything a- — after all the bills are paid, is there a little bit left over? But our family stuck together. We looked out for each other. We believed in giving everyone just a fair shot. That’s all. Just a shot — decent chance to get a good education, to have health care so they can sleep at night and not have to roll in —

I remember that small house we lived — it wasn’t a bad house. It was a newly built home. It was a building in suburbia. And my bed was up against the headboard of my mom and dad’s bed.

I remember my dad being so restless one night. I said, “What’s the matter?” My mom said, “We just lost his — he just lost his pension, honey. Just lost his pension.”

How many people you know lie in bed awake, wondering if they really get sick, what happens to them? They going to have to sell their home? Are they’re going to have to make a change? What are they going to have to do?

Look, that’s what’s at stake in this election. So, I’m asking you to do — I’m asking you to talk to your friends and your family, union members, and brothers and sisters. Hit the phones. Knock on doors. Talk to people in your neighborhoods, your old neighborhoods. Let them know how important this election is.

I have vast disagreements with Trump and his personality, and I’m not get- — not even talking about that. What will happen? What will happen if you trade in my administration for his? No, I’m not — I’m not joking. I’m not — I’m nothing special.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Sure, you are!

THE PRESIDENT: No, no, no. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes, you are, Joe!

AUDIENCE: Thank you, Joe! Thank you, Joe! Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: Well, folks —

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you. (Applause.)

Well, look, folks — so, I guess what I’m saying — I’m keeping it too long standing. But, folks, I think we’ve worked with each other like hell to secure the unions’ vote, to secure the unions’ rights, to secure everything from your health care to pensions to your right to work to pay — the whole range of things. We’ve stuck together, and you’ve done it. You’ve done it.

Labor is better off today than they’ve ever been since the 19- — early ‘30s. I’m serious. (Applause.) Because — no, because of you.

But you have another power I think you underestimate. You have the power to help all those folks you grew up with who aren’t members of unions, who didn’t get a chance to go to college, didn’t — aren’t doing well, to help them out, because all the things that they rely on, from Social Security to Medicare to the ACA to asce- — to access to education to good schools to teachers being paid, all of it depends on this — outcome of this election.

It’s not — to use a fancy word, it’s not hyperbole to suggest this is the most important election any of us have ever voted in. More is at stake in the direction of this country than ever before.

And I promise you, you may have difficulty — you may have disagreed with some of the things in the Harris-Walz administration, but I wouldn’t have picked her if I didn’t think she had the exact view I do about hardworking people. I’m serious.

And so, look, folks, we need to elect Kamala as president. Let’s remember, as I said, American labor built this country. Let’s remember who we are. We’re good, decent, honorable people, where we believe in honesty, decency, treating everyone with respect. We believe character is not only how we conduct our lives but how we expect other persons — those that lead us to have character.

I’m telling you, Kamala Harris has character to lead this nation. So, let’s remember who the hell we are. I really mean this.

This election is more consequential than any in anyone’s lifetime in this room. And don’t leave behind the people you grew up with. Don’t leave them behind. They may not be part of the unions and have the protection we’ve been able to get, but let’s make sure — let’s make sure they at least keep the Affordable Care Act. Let’s make sure we keep the Department of Education. Let’s make sure we continue to invest in them, provide access to them.

How in the hell can we be the — and, by the way, one last thing, and it’s going to sound self-serving, but I — the only advantage of being the oldest SOB to ever had this job — (laughter) — is I’ve known every major world leader. I know — have more experience with dealing with world leaders than any president has in American history.

And guess what? They’re looking at this election — or if we don’t lead the world, who does? Who do we look to to lead the world? Can we do this “America First” stuff all over again and walk away?

Folks, we’re the United States of America. There’s nothing beyond our capacity — nothing, nothing — if we work together.

So, I ask you, please, not only — I know you’re going to vote — get out the vote to people again. Go back to the people you grew up with, go back to the people you know. Let them know how important it is.

It’s not about personalities. It’s about judgment. It’s about honor. It’s about dignity. It’s about respect.

God bless you all. And may God protect our troops. (Applause.)

1:46 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden at a Carpenters Local 445 GOTV Event | Scranton, PA appeared first on The White House.

Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Little Chute, WI

Speeches and Remarks - Fri, 11/01/2024 - 23:59

Little Chute High School
Little Chute, Wisconsin

5:58 P.M. CDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Can we hear it for Jennifer? (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you. Oh, it’s good to be back in Wisconsin. (Applause.) Hi, everyone. Hi, everyone.

Jen- — I just — first, I just want — Jennifer, I want to thank you. Jennifer and I had s- — time to visit backstage, and we first met in 2020 on a Zoom talking about the Affordable Care Act, and your son is doing well now. You are an incredible leader. (Applause.) And I thank you so very much. Let’s hear it for Jennifer, please. (Applause.) Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

All right. Wisconsin, 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. And I want to thank all the leaders, everyone. And thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to be here this afternoon.

You know, we are all here because we care and we know that this is about community and of all of us being here together at one time. And I thank you all.

And I want to thank my dear friend, Tammy Baldwin — (applause) — send her back to the United States Senate — (applause); Lieutenant Governor Rodriguez — (applause); County Executive Nelson — (applause); and the chair of our Democratic Party, Ben Wikler. (Applause.)

All right, we have work to do.

Okay, Wisconsin, four days left in probably one of if not the most consequential elections of our lifetime, and we have work to do still. We have a lot of work to do, but we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work is joyful work. (Applause.) And make no mistake: We will win. (Applause.) We will win. We will win. We will win.

And one of the reasons —

AUDIENCE: We will win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: And — yes.

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT: We will win. And we will win — and we will win because we are the type of people who we know when you know what to stand for, you know what to fight for — (applause) — you know what to fight for. Right?

And in this election, we have an opportunity to finally turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other.

     AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: We’re done with that. We’re done. We’re exhausted with that. And we know that’s who he is, but, Wisconsin, that’s not who we are. That’s not who we are. (Applause.) That’s not who we are. 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 of America. (Applause.)

And, Wisconsin, you know me, I’m not afraid of tough fights. For decades — clearly — (laughter) — for decades, I was a prosecutor and the top law enforcement officer of the biggest state, and I won fights against the big banks who 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 I pledge to you, 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. (Applause.) Nothing in the world.

And look — and on the other side, we know who Donald Trump is. Now this is not someone who is thinking about how to make your life better. He is someone who is increasingly unstable, obsessed with revenge, consumed with grievance, and the man is out for unchecked power. He’s out for unchecked power.

And in less than 90 days — you can picture the Oval Office. In less than 90 days, it’s either going to be him or me sitting in the Oval Office.

     AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: But with your help —

     AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: (Laughs.) Okay.

     AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: A- — a- — (laughs) —

     AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: (Inaudible.) Thank you.

     AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: But — but let’s help — let’s help the friends and family and neighbors who is — who are not here right now imagine that for a minute — right?

January 20th. Oval Office. It’s either going to be him sitting in there, poring over and stewing over his enemies list —

     AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Or, when I am elected, it will be me walking in there on your behalf, working on my to-do list — (applause) — because we got work to do. Because we have work to do.

And at the top of my list is bringing down the cost of living for you. (Applause.) That will be my focus every single day as president, including 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) — and fight to make sure that hardworking Americans can actually afford a place to live. (Applause.)

And one of the things that we were talking aba- — backstage is about the importance of people being able to care for their family members, and, including and in particular, their elder family members. (Applause.) And some of you may know — and this is personal for me, as are so many of these issues.

I took care of my mother when she was sick. And I — and I know what it is in terms of taking care of someone and just trying to cook the things that they feel like eating, right? Just trying to help them put on a sweater, trying to think from time to time, “What can I do to put a smile on their face or make them laugh?”

It is important work, and it is work that is about dignity. It’s about dignity, and if you are caring, then, for an elderly parent or relative, my plan is to cover the cost of home care under Medicare — (applause) — so you don’t have to worry about either spending down whatever savings you have to qualify for Medicaid or quitting your job and cutting off a source of income to be able to stay at home, in particular if you’re in the sandwich generation, meaning that you are taking care of your kids while you are taking care of a parent.

It’s about dignity. And my plan will also lower the cost of childcare. Again, about dignity. (Applause.) About dignity.

My plan is to prioritize cutting taxes for small businesses. Do we have small-business owners here? I love our small businesses. (Applause.) You are part of the backbone of America’s economy. And that’s the work we will do.

We will do the work of lowering health care costs, because I believe — I believe so deeply and strongly 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 are the same as they were last time: another trillion dollars in tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations, and this time, he will pay for it with a 20 percent national sales tax on everything that you buy that is imported — clothes, food, toys, cell phones. A Trump sales tax that would cost the average American family — economists have — have measured it — more than $4,000 a year that you are not paying you would have to pay because of that tax.

     AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: And on top of that, as we have discussed, he still wants to get rid of the Affordable Care Act —

     AUDIENCE: Booo —

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

Well, you are correct: We are —

AUDIENCE: Not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: — not going back. We are not going back. (Applause.)

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, just like Wisconsin’s state motto tells us, we will move forward. (Applause.) We will move forward. You guys know that best.

So, ours — ours is a fight for the future, 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 with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade. They did as he intended, and now over 20 states have a Trump abortion ban.

Imagine, in America today, 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.

And Donald Trump is not done. He would ban abortion nationwide — yes, even here in Wisconsin, were that to happen — and he would restrict access to birth control, put IVF treatments at risk, and force states — get this — to monitor women’s pregnancies.

AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Just google Project 2025, which I still can’t believe they put in writing. (Laughter.)

And let us agree, one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government shouldn’t be telling her what to do — (applause) — not the government. Not the government. Not the government.

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

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

As president, I pledge to seek common ground and commonsense solutions to the challenges you face. (Applause.)

I pledge that I am not looking to score political points. I am looking to make progress. (Applause.)

And I pledge — I pledge to listen to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make. I will listen to experts. I will listen to the people who disagree with me. Because, you see, unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy. (Applause.) He wants to put them in jail. I’ll give them a seat at the table. (Applause.) That’s what a democracy is about. That’s what leaders do. (Applause.)

And it is my pledge to always put country above party and self and to be a president for all Americans — (applause) — for all Americans. That is my pledge to you, Wisconsin.

So, let me ask — we’re four days out — who here has already voted? (Applause.) Oh, wow! (Laughs.) Oh, my goodness. That’s great. Thank you. (Laughs.)

Okay. Well, here’s what I want to ask — I want to ask a little more of you. Please talk to your friends and family, neighbors, and — and share your perspective. Share — share why you have taken the time out of your lives to spend this time here when there’s so many other things you could do. Let them know, because this moment, I think, really is our opportunity to reconnect with people and remind them they’re not alone and build community. And so, please, share with them why this election is important to you and encourage them to make their voices heard.

And for anyone who’s not yet voted, no judgment — (laughter) — but please take a moment now to just think about what your plan will be for when and where you will vote, and please go to IWillVote.com — yes, I have a website — (laughter) — for all the information you might need about when and where you can go to vote and where to drop off your absentee ballot. (Applause.)

And, Wisconsin, truly, we need everyone to vote here. You, Wisconsin, are going to make the difference in this election. (Applause.) You will make the difference. You will make the difference.

And so, it all comes down to this. We are here together because we love our country. We love our country. 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 the ideals of our country. That’s what this is about. And it is fighting for the promise of America.

And I’ll tell you, 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 took me to the marches when I was in a stroller, and there were people there from every walk of life who came together to fight for freedom and for opportunity.

Growing up, I saw how hard my mother worked to raise my sister and me and to give us the same chances that our country gave her. And I was blessed to have family by blood and family by love who — (applause) — who instilled in me — you know what I’m talking about — and instilled in me the values of community and compassion and faith.

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

I have lived the promise of America, and I see the promise of America in everyone who is here, in all of us — in all of us — in all of us. (Applause.) This is the promise of America.

This is the promise of America: In the fathers and mothers and grandparents who work hard every day for the future of their children; in the women who refuse to accept a future without reproductive freedom — (applause) — and in the men who support them — (applause); in Republicans who have never voted for a Democrat before but are putting the Constitution of the United States above party. (Applause.) Right?

The promise of America is all around us. It is in the young leaders who are voting for the very first time. (Applause.) Where are you? Where are you? (Laughs.) (Applause.) Oh, I love Gen Z. I really do. (Laughs.)

You know what I love about this generation? You all are rightly impatient for change. (Applause.) You know? You are determined to live free from gun violence, to take on the climate crisis. (Applause.) You guys are going to shape the world you inherit. And for this generation, there — none of these issues is theoretical for them. It’s not political for them.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We live it!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: For you all, it is a lived experience. (Applause.) It is a lived experience. That’s right. And I see you, and I see your power. And I am so proud of you when I think about the future of our nation. So, can we hear it for our first-time voters? (Applause.)

Right. Right. Right.

All right. So, Wisconsin, four days — four days to get this thing done. And no one can sit on the sidelines. Let’s spend the next four days so that when we look back on these four days, we have no regrets that we did everything that we could. (Applause.)

So, let’s knock on doors. Let’s text and call voters. Let’s reach out to family and friends and classmates and neighbors and coworkers. And as we do, please, I do ask you, let us be intentional about building community. (Applause.) Let us be intentional about building coalitions. (Applause.) Let us remind each other and others that we have so much more in common than what separates us. (Applause.)

Let us do that. There is power in that. It will strengthen our country. And we’ll remind folks, also: Your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power. It is your power. (Applause.)

And so, Wisconsin, 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. God bless you. (Applause.)

END 6:19 P.M. CDT

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

Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | West Allis, WI

Speeches and Remarks - Fri, 11/01/2024 - 23:59

Wisconsin State Fair Expo Center
West Allis, Wisconsin

9:22 P.M. CDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Hello, Wisconsin! (Applause.) Let’s hear it for Adrien — (applause) — Cardi B. (Applause.)

Oh, it’s good to be back. Good evening. (Applause.)

Milwaukee, are we ready to do this? (Applause.) Are we ready to win? (Applause.) Are we ready to vote? (Applause.) And we will win. (Applause.)

Oh, it’s good to be back in Wisconsin and to be with so many leaders. I thank everyone here for taking the time out of your busy lives to be here this evening. I thank you. I thank you. I thank you. I thank you. (Applause.)

And can we please hear it for Tammy Baldwin? Let’s reelect her to the United States Senate. (Applause.) County Executive Crowley, Mayor Johnson, Cardi B — let’s give it up. (Applause.)

And can we hear it again for MC Lyte, Flo Milli, GloRilla, Keegan-Michael Key? (Applause.)

Oh, what a good night.

All right, we got work to do in Milwaukee. Okay. Four days left. (Applause.) Four days left in the most consequential election of our lifetime, and we still have work to do. (Applause.)

But here’s the thing about all of us: We like hard work. (Applause.) Hard work is good work. Hard work is joyful work. And make no mistake, we will win. (Applause.) We will win.

And here’s one of the reasons why: Because when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for. (Applause.) And in this election, we have an opportunity to finally turn the page on a decade of Donald Trump trying to keep us divided and afraid of each other. We are done with it. We are exhausted with it. We are turning the page. (Applause.)

And it’s because we know that’s what he’s about. He is constantly about trying to have Americans point their fingers at each other. But that’s not who we are. That’s who he is. That is not who we are. (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, obviously. (Laughs.) (Applause.)

For decades, as a prosecutor and the top law enforcement officer of the biggest state, I won fights. I won fights against the big banks who were ripping off homeowners. I won fights against for-profit colleges that were scamming veterans and students. I won fights against predators who abused women and children. I won fights against cartels that trafficked in guns and drugs and human beings. (Applause.)

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

And, look, 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 increasingly unstable — (applause) –obsessed with revenge. (Applause.) He is consumed with grievance. (Applause.) And the man is out for unchecked power. (Applause.)

And, look, in less than 90 days, it’s either going to be him or me in the Oval Office. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Booo —

Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you.

But let’s get the word out. Let’s get the word out to the folks who are not here to just have them imagine — you know, we’ve all seen the Oval Office on TV. Imagine, on January 20th, that day, it’s either going to be Donald Trump, if he is elected, which he will not be —

AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Which he will not be.

But to help people imagine what the stakes are, it’s either going to be him there on day one, walking into that office, stewing over his enemies list —

AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: — or when I am elected, walking in on your behalf, with my to-do list. (Applause.) And I’m a hard worker. (Laughs.)

And at the top of my list is bringing down the cost of living for you. (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.) I will enact the first-ever federal ban on corporate price gouging on groceries. (Applause.) And I will fight to make sure that hardworking Americans can actually afford a place to live. (Applause.)

If you are caring for an elderly parent, if you are in the sandwich generation caring for an elderly parent and young children, I will tell you, my plan will cover the cost of home care under Medicare. (Applause.) Because I took care of — I took care of my mother when she was sick. And I know what you are doing, whether it be trying to cook something that they feel like eating, whether it be trying to help them put on a sweater, trying to find a moment where you can bring a smile to their face or make them laugh. That work is about dignity. That work is about dignity. (Applause.) And I’m going to make sure you have the support and they have the support they deserve. (Applause.)

My plan will lower the cost of childcare. Again, it’s about dignity. It’s about seeing the strains and the pressures.

We will cut taxes for small businesses because our small businesses are the backbone of America’s economy. (Applause.) Where are our small-business owners? Let me see our small-business owners. (Applause.)

And we will lower health care costs, because here’s where I come from on that: Look, I believe access to health care should be a right and not just a privilege of those who can afford it. (Applause.) Dignity — values about the dignity of each of us and the responsibility of real leaders to, unlike my opponent, not think that the measure of their strength is based on who you beat down, but the true measure of strength of a leader based on who you lift up. (Applause.)

And then, you got Donald Trump, who —

     AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: And his answer to the financial pressures you face is the same as it was the last time: another trillion dollars in tax cuts for billionaires and the biggest corporations.

     AUDIENE: 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: clothes, foods, toys, cell phones — a Trump sales tax that would cost the average American family — the economists have measured it — more than 4,000 more dollars a year.

     AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: And on top of that, Donald Trump is still — still trying and still wants to get rid of 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 could deny people with preexisting conditions. You remember what that was like?

AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, we are —

AUDIENCE: Not going back!

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

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT: We’re not going back, no.

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Because — because, just like Wisconsin’s motto tells us, we will move —

AUDIENCE: Forward!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: — forward. (Applause.) Yes, we will. I love Wisconsin. (Laughs.)

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

And we all remember how we got here. Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court 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 —

     AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right? Man- — and the harm we’ve seen. Many of those laws with no exception, even for rape or incest, which is immoral.

And he’s not done. He would ban abortion nationwide — yes, even here in Wisconsin.

     AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Even here in Wisconsin, it would be impacted. And he would restrict access to birth control, put IVF treatments at risk, and force — get this — and force states to monitor women’s pregnancies. Just —

     AUDIENCE: Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT: — google Project 2025. Just look at it.

And everyone here, I know, understands — and let us agree, one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to simply agree the government shouldn’t be telling her what to do. (Applause.) Not the government. Not the government. Not the government. Not some people up in a state legislature, and certainly not Donald Trump. (Applause.)

And I pledge to you, 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.

So, Wisconsin —

AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

AUDIENCE: Kamala! Kamala! Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: We got work to do. Thank you. Thank you.

So, Wisconsin, I am asking for your vote. (Applause.) I am asking for your vote.

And here — 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 — (applause) — I am not looking to score political points. I am looking to make progress. (Applause.) And I pledge — and I pledge to listen to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make.

I pledge to listen to experts, to listen to people who disagree with me, because, you see — (applause) — unlike Donald Trump, I don’t believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy. (Applause.) He wants to put them in jail. I’ll give them a seat at the table. (Applause.) That’s what real leadership is about. That’s what strong leadership is about. (Applause.)

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

AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, that — that is my pledge to you, Wisconsin, and now I ask you a question: Who here has already voted? (Applause.) Oh, wow.

Okay. Thank you. And now I ask you to please talk to your friends and your family and your neighbors — (applause) — and share your perspective on why this is — election is so important.

And for you who have not voted yet, no judgment. Let me just be clear — (laughs) — no judgment at all. But do get to it, if you can. (Laughter and applause.)

And for those who have not yet voted, please think about, right now, your plan for voting and think about where and when you will vote. And if you live here in Milwaukee, remember you can vote early now through Sunday, November 3rd. (Applause.) And go to IWillVote.com for all the information you need, including when and where you can vote and where to drop off your absentee ballot, because we need everyone in Wisconsin to vote. (Applause.) You are going to make the difference in this election. You will make the difference. You will make the difference.

AUDIENCE: Vote! Vote! Vote!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, listen, it all comes down to this. 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.) You fight for it. And I do believe it is one of the highest forms of patriotism, of our expression for our love of our country, to then fight for the ideals of our country and to fight to realize the promise of America. (Applause.) That’s what this is about.

And I have always believed in our nation’s promise because I’ve lived it. You know, I grew up a child of the Civil Rights Movement. My parents would take me to marches when I was in a stroller, and there were, at those marches, we all know, people from every walk of life coming together to fight for freedom and to fight for opportunity.

You know, growing up, I saw how hard my mother worked to raise her two daughters to have the same chances that our country gave her. And I was blessed to have family by blood and family by love — (applause) — right? — who instilled in me a sense of community and compassion and faith.

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

I have lived the promise of America, and today I see the promise of America in everyone who is here — in all of you, in all of us. (Applause.) We are the promise of America. We are the promise of America.

It’s the fathers and mothers and grandparents who work hard every day for their children’s future, in the women who refuse to accept a future without reproductive freedom — (applause) –and the men who support them. (Applause.) It’s in the Republicans who never voted for a Democrat before but put the Constitution of the United States above party. (Applause.) Right.

I see the promise of America in all the young leaders that I see right now who are voting for the very first time. Raise your hand. (Laughs.) (Applause.) I love Gen Z. (Laughs.) (Applause.) I really do.

Here’s what I love about you guys. You are rightly impatient for change. (Applause.) I love that about you. I love that about you.

You are determined to live free from gun violence. You are going to take on the climate crisis. You are going to shape the world you inherit. (Applause.) I know that. I know that.

And here’s the thing about our young leaders: None of this is theoretical for them. None of this is political for them. It’s their lived experience. It’s your lived experience. And I see your power. I see your power, and I am so proud of you.

Can we please hear it for our first-time voters? (Applause.) Can we please hear it? Yeah. Yeah. And those who will be first-time voters. (Laughs.) (Applause.)

You know, the future of our country is so bright; we just have to see it. It’s so bright.

So, listen, we got four days to get this thing done. (Applause.) Four days. No one can sit on the sidelines.

So, let’s spend the next four days so that when we look back on these days, we have no regrets about what we could have done. (Applause.) Let’s know we did everything we could do.

So, let’s knock on doors. Let’s text. Let’s call. Let’s reach out to family and friends and classmates and neighbors and coworkers.

And here’s a request that I have in that process: And while we are doing all of that, let’s please be intentional about building community. (Applause.) Let’s please be intentional about building community.

You know, there’s something about these la- — this whole Trump era, and it’s — it’s — you know, it’s — it’s been a — it’s made people feel like they have to — it — it’s been powered by this idea that Americans should be pointing their fingers at each other, you know, and — and to make people feel alone and make people feel small, when we all know that we all have so much more in common than what separates us. (Applause.)

So, let’s be intentional about building community and building coalitions. There is strength and power in that that will be long-lasting.

And finally, I’ll say: Just remember, and let’s remind everybody we know, your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power. (Applause.) That’s your power.

In a democracy, that is a power that is yours. Don’t let anyone take it from you. Don’t let anyone take it from you. (Applause.)

So, Wisconsin — so, Wisconsin, 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 9:46 P.M. CDT

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

Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | West Allis, WI

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Fri, 11/01/2024 - 23:59