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The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to eradicating human trafficking, often referred to in U.S. law as “trafficking in persons,” in all its forms. Human trafficking, a crime of exploiting a person for compelled labor, services, or commercial sex act(s), has no place in a society that values freedom and the rule of law. Nonetheless, it exists in every region of the United States and around the world. Human trafficking poses a grave danger to individual well-being, public health, public safety, national security, economic development, and prosperity.

In order to combat this threat, in December 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration announced an updated version of the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. The National Action Plan focused on the foundational pillars of the U.S. and global anti-trafficking efforts—prevention, protection, prosecution, and partnership—and committed agencies to implement various measures designed in furtherance of the same. Three years of concerted and coordinated efforts have produced significant results across the federal government, some of which are highlighted here. This Fact Sheet highlights some of the major accomplishments by agencies over the last three years. For more information on National Action Plan implementation efforts, please see the prior White House Fact Sheets from 2022, 2023, and 2024. There is still much work to do to stem the tide of this threat, and the federal government and its departments and agencies must remain vigilant to protect the most vulnerable, bring perpetrators to justice, empower survivors, and address the systemic inequities exacerbating the threat of human trafficking.

PREVENTION

Departments and agencies committed to educating government personnel, the public, and vulnerable communities on recognizing and reporting human trafficking, with the goal of raising awareness to prevent targeting of the most vulnerable among us.

• In 2024, the Department of Transportation (DOT) launched the bilingual Transportation Leaders Against Human Trafficking Awareness Campaign to educate and empower travelers and employees across all modes of transportation to recognize and report suspected instances of human trafficking. The campaign’s “Combating Human Trafficking in the Transportation Sector Awareness Training” underscored the intersection of human trafficking and transportation, provided indicators of human trafficking, and included reporting guidance. DOT provided signage for vulnerable populations and mode-specific posters, pocket cards, visor cards, and graphics tailored for use in airplanes and airports, buses and bus stations, trains and rail stations, rest areas and travel centers, and ports. DOT also compiled a compendium of human trafficking awareness laws, intended to guide transportation organizations in their implementation of awareness campaigns. In a parallel effort, in 2024, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) developed a human trafficking awareness tutorial with Lyft, Inc., for more than one million ride-share drivers.

• Over the past three years, departments and agencies focused on creating educational resources about this threat, to include:

• The Senior Policy Operating Group (SPOG), consisting of senior officials from across U.S. government agencies, Public Awareness & Outreach Committee published several resources, including (1) the Guide for Introductory-Level Human Trafficking Awareness Training, a resource for federal law enforcement and service provider agencies developing workforce human trafficking training; and (2) the inventory of Federal Anti-Trafficking Resources, which includes awareness campaigns, toolkits, and programs, and evaluations on its effectiveness.

• In 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the National Human Trafficking Framework, describing eight strategies on the best available evidence to prevent human trafficking, which was viewed by more than 10,000 individuals. HHS launched new funding for local education agencies, which provided human trafficking prevention education to 81,500 students and 22,600 school staff across more than 1,700 schools; reached more than 30 million people through the HHS Look Beneath the Surface public awareness campaign; educated nearly 288,000 health and human service providers through the SOAR to Health and Wellness trainings on human trafficking; and developed a suite of new resources to enhance the child welfare response to human trafficking.

• In 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) added a human trafficking section to its Youth@Work Webpage, to help young workers, employers, educators, and parents identify signs of human trafficking and understand human trafficking laws. New content included tips for staying safe in the workplace, examples of human trafficking lawsuits, and victim resource links.

• In 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD) Combating Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) Office released a Student Guide to Preventing Human Trafficking for military-connected students to learn more about human trafficking. The Guide and a companion Parent Guide were published on the CTIP Website.

• Departments and agencies also worked on procurement and supply chain efforts, to include:

• The SPOG’s Procurement & Supply Chains Committee established annual public outreach sessions to engage contracting companies, NGOs, international partners, and others on the anti-trafficking requirements for federal procurement.

• In 2024, the Office of Management and Budget required that federal acquisition personnel complete a Combating Trafficking in Persons course. Over 82,000 federal acquisition employees were trained on human trafficking issues. 

• In 2024, the Department of State’s (State) Trafficking in Person’s Office (TIP Office) conducted a major revamp of the Responsible Sourcing Tool. The Tool provides risk management resources specific to various industries to understand, detect, and address forced labor in global supply chains.

• The Department of Labor (DOL) produced and maintained a List of Goods Produced with Child Labor or Forced Labor. The September 2024 list includes a record 72 new items across numerous sectors and countries. DOL also funded two $4 million projects to increase tracing of goods made by child and forced labor.

• The Department of Commerce’s (DOC) International Trade Administration (ITA) deployed two training courses to help employees and industry partners identify and prevent forced labor in supply chains, including “Human Trafficking: Forced Labor in Global Supply Chains” which educates on the laws, regulations, and red flags related to goods made with forced labor entering the United States. 

• The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) led efforts on human trafficking in maritime supply chains, including: (a) In 2022, NOAA launched Collaborative Accelerator for Lawful Maritime Conditions in Seafood (CALM-CS), which included more than 120 experts from across the supply chain, agencies, NGOs, and researchers. CALM-CS collaborated to identify priorities for addressing forced labor in the global seafood supply chain, developed due diligence guidance for retailers, conducted outreach campaigns targeting fishers at risk for forced labor, and promoted tools to support ethical recruitment of crew; (b) In its 2023 congressional report on countries and entities engaging in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, NOAA identified  the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan as reliant on forced labor and oppressive child labor; and (c) In 2024, NOAA led the U.S. delegation to the Joint Working Group (JWG) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Labor Organization, and the International Maritime Organization on IUU Fishing and related matters. The JWG recommended development of labor-related guidelines.

• The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) worked with trading partners to eliminate forced labor in supply chains globally, including: (a) In 2024, USTR, DOL and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilitated three trilateral sessions of the United States, Mexico, and Canada to enforce the countries’ forced labor import bans; (b) USTR encouraged trading partners to adopt forced labor import bans, including Taiwan and Kenya; and (c) USTR and DHS shared information on enforcement of forced labor imports with trading partners, including Kenya, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

• DHS chaired the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF) consisting of multiple government agencies. FLETF expanded the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA) Entity List (of entities producing goods in violation of UFLPA), to prohibit more than 100 entities’ goods from entering the United States. FLETF also identified new high priority sectors for enforcement—aluminum, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and seafood—for the first time since 2022.

PROTECTION

Departments and agencies increased use of victim-centered and trauma-informed strategies and training in order to increase victim identification and referral to services, and to encourage and increase, where appropriate, participation in law enforcement investigations and prosecutions.  

• Between 2021-2024, HHS responded to more than 43,000 potential trafficking situations reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline and supported more than 20,000 survivors of trafficking with benefits and comprehensive case management services. Between 2021-2023, Federally Qualified Health Centers served more than 5,750 patients with concerns of human trafficking across 10,700 clinical visits.

• DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) made over 450 distinct awards totaling over $350 million to fund direct services (e.g., housing, health care, legal aid) for trafficking survivors. Such funding also supported multidisciplinary task forces; training and technical assistance; capacity-building for organizations in underserved communities; and states’ child and youth trafficking coordination and prevention efforts. In 2023-2024, OVC encouraged its grantees to expand specialized services for labor trafficking victims.

• In 2023-2024, DOL published two rules aimed to protect migrant and seasonal workers, including the Wagner-Peyser Act Staffing final rule, which strengthened outreach services to migrant and seasonal farmworkers, and the Farmworker Protection final rule, which strengthened protections for agricultural workers and enhanced DOL’s capabilities to monitor program compliance and take enforcement actions.[1]  

• Departments and agencies enhanced training for investigators, focused on trauma-informed and victim-centered approaches, to include:

• DOL’s inspectors: (a) received comprehensive training on the prevention of labor exploitation and human trafficking, on trauma-informed interviewing, and on referrals, retaliation, and the certification of visas for victims; (b) increased their engagement with local human trafficking task forces; (c) increased referrals of labor trafficking cases for further investigations; and (d) provided expertise on labor exploitation and child labor prosecutions, as part of the Forced Labor Initiative.

• DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review conducted mandatory training for all personnel on identifying trafficking indicators and avoiding adverse immigration consequences for trafficking victims.

• DOJ’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit delivered trainings to conferences of federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement on strategies for preventing inappropriate arrest and punishment of trafficking victims.

• Since October 2022, the Department of the Interior (DOI) partnered with DOJ to develop a training curriculum for law enforcement first responders (primarily National Park Service (NPS), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and Tribal law enforcement officers) on responding to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse crimes.  The partnership has trained over 170 federal and tribal officers.

• DOI deployed online training courses for law enforcement first responders on trauma-related topics, such as Brain Responses to Trauma, Responding to Traumatized Victims, responding to child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, the role of Victim Specialists, and the Law Enforcement Manager’s Role in Victim Assistance.  DOI’s First Responder to Violent Crimes Training curriculum heavily emphasized the key role of Victim Assistance personnel in investigations.

• DOL’s National Monitor Advocate and National Farmworker Jobs Program provided training on processing complaints regarding suspected trafficking of agricultural workers and met with stakeholders about improving employment and training services for trafficking victims and survivors.

• Departments and agencies strengthened their victim outreach capacities, to include:

• DOI, with support from DOJ, expanded NPS’s Victim Assistance Program, adding four Victim Specialists, and the United States Park Police created a national Victim Assistance Program Coordinator.

• DHS expanded its Victim Assistance Program, increasing the number of Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program Specialists and Forensic Interview Specialists, and enhancing efforts to identify victims of human trafficking and to connect them to social services and medical care. 

• In 2024, DHS launched Continued Presence – a temporary immigration designation provided to individuals identified as trafficking victims who may be potential witnesses. In addition to expanding federal law enforcement access, this modernization streamlined the application process and ensured eligible victims receive temporary immigration protection and access to federal benefits and services more quickly.

PROSECUTION

Departments and agencies worked to hold accountable individuals and entities engaged in human trafficking and to dismantle human trafficking networks, employing a broad range of non-criminal enforcement tools and strengthening criminal enforcement capabilities.

• DOJ led the Interagency Forced Labor Initiative Steering Group, established in 2022, intensifying its focus on prosecutions involving forced child labor, including forced labor of unaccompanied minors. Among other significant prosecutions, in 2024, DOJ secured a landmark life sentence and $80,000 in restitution in a forced child labor case.

• Through adding human trafficking as a core agency mission and establishing new partnerships, DHS improved investigations of perpetrators of this crime. In 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made 2,545 arrests human trafficking-related offenses and assisted 818 human trafficking victims. HSI supported 914 human trafficking-related indictments with federal and state partners, leading to 405 convictions.

• Over the past three years, DOL’s Investigator General has opened approximately 100 criminal matters involving DOL’s Foreign Labor Certification program, and over 125 criminal matters relating to human and labor trafficking allegations. DOL’s efforts in these cases have resulted in dozens of convictions and more than $6 million in monetary results.

• In 2021, DOI created a new Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU) within the BIA, to pursue justice for missing/murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU collaborated with agencies, enhancing DOJ’s National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and working in strategic partnerships with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Behavioral Analysis Units, the FBI Forensic Laboratory, the U.S. Marshals Missing Child Unit, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and FBI’s Operation Not Forgotten, which together with DOI surged resources for Tribal communities.

• Since December 2022, the Department of Treasury (Treasury) has used its sanctioning authorities to hold traffickers accountable and to disrupt human trafficking activities. Treasury has designated 33 persons for conduct related to human trafficking, including for serious human rights abuse aboard PRC-flagged fishing vessels, and for systemic and pervasive sex trafficking activity. In 2024, Treasury announced sanctions against a Cambodian official and five corporate entities for human rights abuses amounting to forced labor—a form of human trafficking—in online scam operations at casinos and hotels.  This action marked the culmination of years of interagency coordination, including extensive reporting and research led by State’s TIP Office, and is a model for preparing future sanctions packages against human traffickers.

• DOT issued a final rule requiring states to permanently ban drivers convicted of human trafficking from operating a commercial motor vehicle (CMV), which requires a commercial driver’s license or commercial learner’s permit.

• In 2024, DOJ’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force announced its National Human Trafficking Strategic Initiative to mobilize federal, state, and local law enforcement of transnational organized and gang-related human trafficking threats.

• In 2024, DOJ launched coordinated efforts to combat human trafficking and related crimes associated with the Venezuelan-based Tren de Aragua (TdA). The FBI-led National Gang Intelligence Center, a collaboration among interagency enforcement partners, has been developing a centralized platform from investigations and prosecutions across multiple agencies and jurisdictions against TdA-related human trafficking threats.

• DOI and DOJ have made efforts to improve investigations and prosecutions related to missing/murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives.

• In 2021, DOI and DOJ established the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC) comprised of law enforcement, Tribal leaders and organizations, judges, federal officials, family members, and survivors. In 2023, the NAIC held public hearings across the country, gathering over 200+ public comments about the crisis of missing/murdered Indigenous persons and human trafficking, which shaped NIAC’s final recommendations. In November 2023, the NIAC submitted its report, “Not One More: Findings & Recommendations of the Not Invisible Act Commission,” to DOI, DOJ, and Congress, recommending specific concerns and areas for improvement. In March 2024, the DOI and DOJ issued a response to the Report, addressing the areas of concern, including law enforcement and investigative resources; recruitment and retention of law enforcement; data collection and reporting; cross jurisdictional coordination; family and survivor resources; improving public safety resources; and Alaska-specific issues.

• At the 2022 White House Tribal Nations Summit, the BIA and the FBI announced an agreement to provide for the effective and efficient administration of criminal investigations in Indian Country.

• In September 2024, DOI and DOJ convened a virtual roundtable meeting with Tribal and federal representatives, advocates, media, and survivors to discuss improving media coverage of missing/murdered Indigenous peoples.

PARTNERSHIP

Departments and agencies worked across the government and with external partners, including to coordinate efforts domestically and with foreign partners, and to integrate survivor input into the work of these partners.

• In 2023, HHS launched the Joint Forced Labor Working Group, a public-private collaboration to strengthen public health supply chains through training and guidance for procurement professionals and suppliers. HHS hosted a series of listening sessions and provided resources on technology-facilitated trafficking and related forms of exploitation.

• Treasury has enhanced integration of financial intelligence in law enforcement investigations related to human trafficking, including: (a) In 2024, the agency published the National Money Laundering Risk Assessment, which stated that human trafficking networks are a major illicit financing threat; (b) Treasuryconducted 22 trainings for investigators on proactively identifying sex trafficking and forced labor cases utilizing Bank Secrecy Act data and other financial data; (c) Treasury published a Financial Trend Analysis on the use of virtual currency for suspected online child sexual exploitation and human trafficking; and (d) Treasury, through the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, joined and collaborated with two human trafficking-focused public-private partnerships hosted by Canada: Project Shadow and Project Protect.

• Departments and agencies worked with survivors and other stakeholders to inform and align federal efforts with survivor expertise, to include:

• State engaged with the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking and State’s Human Trafficking Expert Consultant Network (the Network) to launch new trainings, designed with survivors and other trauma experts, including: “Understanding Trauma and Trauma-Informed Approaches,” which provides tips for engaging with potential victims and survivors of trafficking. In 2024, State partnered with consultants from the Network to assist with drafting State’s 2024 TIP Report and with updating the Wilberforce “Know Your Rights” pamphlet.

• The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) 2021 Counter-Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) Policy incorporated survivor input and prioritized survivor-centered approaches in CTIP programs through reintegration support such as livelihood training and psychosocial assistance to minimize re-traumatization.

• In 2024, State’s TIP Office launched a survivor leadership training and technical assistance award, which will provide technical assistance focused on establishing survivor leadership and survivor partnership structures and processes abroad.

• USAID engaged with multiple jurisdictions to enhance and support human trafficking awareness and investigations around the world.

• USAID supported the Government of Bangladesh in developing and updating its national action plan to combat human trafficking, empowered communities with enforcement tools, and strengthened court capacity.  In Central Asia, USAID has promoted safe migration and strengthened the accountability of government institutions by implementing laws, policies, and regulations on combating trafficking in persons and safe migration.  USAID has also worked in Guatemala to support survivors of trafficking by providing temporary housing, food, medical care, psychosocial support, education and job training, and legal support.

• In 2023, USAID’s Regional Development Mission in Asia convened the Evidence2Action Summit to discuss survivor inclusion in countering trafficking.

• DOT led the development of (a) counter-trafficking guidelines covering all modes of transportation for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation’s 21 member economies, and (b) aviation-specific guidelines for the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization’s 193 member countries. Key components of both guidelines include leadership, policies, reporting protocols, partnerships, training, public awareness, data collection, information-sharing, and victim and survivor support.

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[1] The Farmworker Protection final rule is currently subject to legal challenges. Several court orders—including one with nationwide effect—have prohibited DOL from implementing some or all of the rule.

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Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall
Fort Myer, Virginia

3:01 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

Every time I’m here, it’s made me so damn proud to be an American. And it must all of you as well.

One percent of you are defending ninety-nine percent of us. We owe you. We owe you big.

Just over 240 years ago, George Washington gave his farewell address to the Continental Army. Still astonished by their victory and by their unity, Washington asked, and I quote, “Who that was not a witness could imagine that men who came from different parts of the continent would instantly become one patriotic band of brothers?”

That’s what you are: one patriotic band of brothers.

Vice President Harris, Jill, Doug, Secretary Austin, Secretary [Chairman] Brown — two of the best decisions I ever made in my career, I might add — service secretaries — (applause) — members of the Congress, and, most importantly, this patriotic band of service members before me: Serving as your commander in chief has been the greatest honor of my life.

And while I’m deeply grateful for your thanks and affection, I’m here to thank you — thank you for your service to our nation and for allowing me to bear witness to your courage, your commitment, your character.

As I listened to the choir sing, I thought about it. You all represent what America is: character, honesty, integrity, commitment.

Like Washington, you’ve left me astonished. And I mean it.

Over the years, I’ve frequently seen you in action in war zones in Bosnia, Baghdad, Fallujah, Kabul, K- — I — I wasn’t going to bore the hell out of you, but — (laughter) — Helmand, Kandahar, and other places.

I remember one trip to Afghanistan as vice president. I was at a forward operating base, Wardak province, which is in eastern Afghanistan.

I was asked by a commanding officer to pin a Bronze Star on a soldier for his heroism. The soldier’s teammate was hit while driving in a Humvee. And this soldier did everything possible to rescue his colleague from the burning flames.

But when I went to pin the medal on him, the soldier looked at me and said, “I don’t want it. I don’t want it. He died. I don’t want it.”

And in that moment, all I could think about was the encourage and — incredible courage and humility and moral compass that this soldier had, that all of you have.

You’re the — this is not hyperbole. You are simply the greatest fighting force in the history of the world — in the history of the world. (Applause.) That’s a fact. That’s not hyberbole. That’s a fact.

And there’s never been a time in history when we’ve asked our military to do so many different things, so many places all at the same time. And I want to be clear: You have done all — all these missions with strength and maybe even, importantly, with integrity.

When I asked you to end our nation’s longest war, you rose to the occasion, evacuating Americans, allies, and our Afghan partners; accomplishing the largest airlift in military history; and ending a war with the same courage that defined American service in Afghanistan for over 20 years.

I believe history will reflect that it was the right thing to do, but I know — I know it was hard. After decades of losing your brothers and sisters, including the withdrawal, the pain was still real.

And it was for me as well. Every day I still carry — every single day — (the president holds up a piece of paper) — it’s my schedule. On the back of the schedule, every single day at the top since I’ve been here, it says, “U.S.” — “Daily U.S. troops in Afghanistan” — “U.S. troops that have died in Afghanistan: 2,465.” Not “over 2,000” — “2,465.” “Troops wounded: 20,769.”

And every day we’ll honor their sacrifice for con- — continuing a mission for which they gave their lives: fighting terrorism, defending our homeland, and protecting the American people.

Six months after that war ended, when Russia began its largest war in Europe since World War II, I asked you to help defend Ukraine. You didn’t hesitate. You kept Ukraine in the fight; trained Ukrainian soldiers and pilots, troops; bolstered NATO’s eastern flank; and, above all, you showed the world America stands up for freedom, stands with our friends. America stands strong with our allies. We never bend down. We bend down to no one, certainly not Putin.

And now, nearly three years later, Putin has failed to take Kyiv, failed to make large territorial gains, and failed to break NATO.

As a matter of a fact, when I spoke to him on the phone, I talked — he talked about — he wanted us to be the Finland of Europe. And I pointed out to him at the time, for real, that you’ll not only get the Finland of Europe, you’re going to get the Finlandization — not of Europe — you’re going to see Europe joining NATO — Finland joining NATO, Sweden joining NATO.

On America’s watch, dictators do not get to do whatever the hell they want.

Then, following Hamas’s terrorism on October the 7th, I asked you to de- — excuse my back, by the way. (Laughter.) My mother would be very upset. (Laughter.)

I asked you to deploy to the Middle East. Again, you stepped up, pulling long nights and long deployments to weaken Hamas, to defend Isa- — Israel against unprecedented attacks on [from] Iran.

Imagine had we not.

If we don’t lead the world, who will lead the world? Who?

And twice, you stood up to the attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea.

Last year, I spoke with the women and men aboard the destroyer that took down the first Houthi attacks. It was the USS Carney. And I want you — to tell you all what I told them: We owe you. We owe you.

And back in May — yesterday I announced — proud to announce the ceasefire, the hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. The road to that deal was not easy. It was eight months ago I laid down the elements of that deal, in May — embraced by countries around the world, because they know we say what we mean; endorsed overwhelmingly by the U.N. Security Council.

It’s taken eight months of nonstop, relentless effort by my administration to get it done, but because of you — all of you standing behind me — because of you, because of so many diplomats and defense professionals, we kept the pressure on Hamas and we got it done. We got it done.

And finally, when I asked you to strengthen America’s position in the Indo-Pacific, in the middle of all the other conflicts and crises, you said, “No problem.” You kept China in check.

Remember when we take of- — took office, China was over — going to overcome the United States economically and politically by 2030. Everybody wrote that, except here in this building.

The skies open. The seas free. And our allies close.

You established our first trilateral defense partnership with Australia and the United Kingdom; our first trilateral partnership that some — we said couldn’t get done — with Japan and the Philippines; and our first trilateral partnership between Japan and South Korea.

Remember that? Camp David. They said we couldn’t do it.

It wasn’t me. It was America. We did it. That’s what America does — people know America is acting out of character. Our nation is so much and so many others as — did — our nation has asked so much of so many others as well.

Doctors and nurses helping service members to learn to walk again, eat again, speak again. The National Guard members who dropped everything to help their fellow Americans during the fires and hurricanes. The Marines guarding embassies around the world. The scientists making sure we have an edge over adversaries. Interpreters who make our missions possible.

And perhaps most importantly, your families. They sacrifice so much.

And I might add, the doctors and nurses — excuse a point of personal privilege, as they used to say in the Senate — came home one — I commuted every day — every single day, over two million one hundred thousand miles on Amtrak because I lost my family when I first got here.

My oldest son — one day, I went home — he was the attorney general — he said, “Dad, what are you doing Friday?” I said, “What do you want me to do?” He said, “I want you to pin my bars on.” I said, “What?” I said, “You’re married with two children.” He said, “I know, Dad, but someone has got to go.”

He spent a year in Iraq, won the Bronze Star, conspicuous service medal. But like many others, he was exposed to those burn pits, which are within about a half a mile of where he was — where he bunked. He had stage 4 glioblastoma, like so many other of our folks.

And I watched the nurses and the doctors who took care of him for so long.

And, by the way, I want to take a moment to speak to all military spouses, kids, and parents here today. Most Americans never see the sacrifices that you make every single day. They’ll never see all those holidays and birthdays with an empty seat at the dinner table because mom or dad was deployed. They’ll never see all the moves you had to make to new states, to new schools, to new jobs. But I see it, and Jill saw it.

She made it her life’s work. She’s — she’s done everything big and small, from helping military spouses find childcare and build their own careers, by hanging photos of deployed moms and dads outside classrooms of those National Guard folks, because then, ev- — every holiday, every time there’s — something is going on, their moms or dads weren’t there but then — but no one ever mentioned it. She started getting into every classroom in America to put a picture of an deployed mom or dad outside the classroom.

Even this morning, she held an event for — with Joining Forces, an historic White House initiative to support military and veterans’ families, because, as the poet John Milton wrote, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” “They also serve who only stand and wait.”

So, for the last time as commander in chief, I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you to all the families. We owe you.

I’ve long said, as a nation, we have many obligations. But I said we only have one truly sacred obligation, and that’s to prepare those we send into harm’s way and care for them and their families when they come home and when they don’t.

Over the last four years, Kamala and I have worked to make good that obligation. We passed more than 40 bipartisan laws to support you, including something I felt so strongly about: the passage of the PACT Act. I drafted that law, and we passed it. Now it’s already helped over 1 million service members and their survivors, their children have access to everything from college to health care.

These people were exposed to toxins — in my generation, to Agent Orange; my son’s generation, to burn pits. But we had to prove that what you had — what’s your disease, all the brain damage, all the brain cancers — were a direct consequence of those toxins or Agent Orange.

But we changed that. And I want to publicly thank the 9/11 Commission. All those folks, all those firefighters were so badly, badly damaged because of the fumes and the toxins associated with the — 9/11.

And those of you who are the Vietnam generation — finally, all you had to prove is that stuff dropped on you and it didn’t cause — they didn’t have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt it caused your disease. Just state the fact and you’re covered.

We’ve invested over a trillion dollars in our defense industry base. In real dollars, that’s more than America did in any four-year period during the Cold War.

We also invested record resources to fight the scourge of military suicide. No more calling and saying, “My husband needs help. He needs help.” You get an answer.

We fought (inaudible) — we brought veterans’ homelessness to record lows, made historic changes in the military justice system, which has reduced the rates of sexual assault for the first time in nearly a decade.

We ended the ban on transgender service.

We took landmark steps to create more economic opportunities for military spouses.

We expanded opportunities for women in combat roles. And I’m proud to have appointed the first woman as a service chief in the history of this country. Clap for that, folks, because she deserves it. (Applause.)

I don’t know about the rest of you guys, but the women in my st- — family are a hell of a lot smarter than the men in my family. (Laughter.)

Look, if there’s one thing I hope to take away from today, it’s this — this is not hyperbole: You’re truly the finest fighting force in the history of the world. That’s not hyperbole. That’s true.

Everything I and others have asked of you, you’ve done — you’ve done with honor, commitment, grit, and guts.

Let me close with a final request. I say it not as your president or commander in chief; I say it as a man who spent 50 years of his life serving his country in a different way: Remember your oath.

My son, Major Beau Biden, used to call it “home base.” That’s a set of principles, of values that give you light in darkness, that guide you.

It’s true that the military has the best weapons, the best training in the world. We have the most cutting-edge ships, planes, and subs. We have the smartest and most well-trained force on Earth.

That’s all critical, but that alone is not what makes us strong. This is not what brought Washington’s “band of brothers” together all those years ago. It’s our values. I mean this sincerely. It’s our values — American values. Our commitment to honor, to integrity, to unity, to protecting and — and defending not a person or a party or a place, but an idea, literally, unlike — as a student of history, I can say unlike any other in human history.

And that idea is: The United States of America is unique in the world. Virtually every other nation in the world is based on geography, ethnicity, re- — ethnicity, or religion, or some defining feature. But we’re the only nation in the world — only nation in history built on an idea — an idea — an idea that we’re all created equal.

We know the words by heart. We’re endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. That’s the idea that generations of service members have fought for, an idea you have sworn an oath to defend.

As a nation, we’ve never fully lived up to that idea, but we’ve never, ever, ever walked away from it. And our country is counting on you to ensure that that will always be true.

As I said when I began, 1 percent of you defend 99 percent of the people across this nation. That’s why you all deserve a special place in our hearts and in God’s heart.

May God bless you all. And may God protect our troops.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.)
3:21 P.M. EST

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I have supported the Equal Rights Amendment for more than 50 years, and I have long been clear that no one should be discriminated against based on their sex. We, as a nation, must affirm and protect women’s full equality once and for all. 

On January 27, 2020, the Commonwealth of Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. The American Bar Association (ABA) has recognized that the Equal Rights Amendment has cleared all necessary hurdles to be formally added to the Constitution as the 28th Amendment. I agree with the ABA and with leading legal constitutional scholars that the Equal Rights Amendment has become part of our Constitution.

It is long past time to recognize the will of the American people. In keeping with my oath and duty to Constitution and country, I affirm what I believe and what three-fourths of the states have ratified: the 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing all Americans equal rights and protections under the law regardless of their sex. 

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Congress passed the bipartisan Global Fragility Act (GFA) in 2019 to improve the ways in which the U.S. government advances conflict prevention and stabilization around the world.  Through the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability, the United States is delivering on the vision of the GFA through expanded partnerships and more integrated, adaptive, and effective U.S. government efforts.  Together, the United States and our partners are elevating shared approaches to forge a more prosperous and resilient future.  By prioritizing prevention, our efforts will potentially save countless lives and significant U.S. taxpayer dollars in the years to come.

In its report to Congress, the Departments of State and Defense, USAID, and other elements of the U.S. government documented early progress under the plans with our partners in Haiti, Libya, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, and the Coastal West African countries of Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, and Togo.  Through this initiative, we are helping to foster more resilient and self-reliant U.S economic and security partners over the long term. 

• In Coastal West Africa, we collaborate regionally to prevent the spread of violent extremism from the Sahel.  U.S. engagement and programs in vulnerable border areas help strengthen social cohesion and expand equitable access to livelihoods, improve government responsiveness and service delivery, and bolster security force capacity and accountability.  Early evidence shows a reduction of conflict in border areas and an increase in trust between local communities and government authorities and the security forces who serve them.  Our partner governments are also taking important steps to address the longstanding marginalization of certain ethnic communities and engaging more with youth and women in at-risk communities.

• In Haiti, we respond and adapt to a multi-pronged crisis.  In the near term, we are addressing increased volatility amid complex political and security crises.  Through deepened U.S. diplomatic engagement, we mobilized international support and funding for the Multinational Security Support mission and continue to support a Haitian-led transitional political process.  At the same time, we are advancing a foundation for more durable stability in Haiti through a phased approach that supports inclusive governance, citizen security, and Haitian-driven political processes.  The U.S. government continues to engage with a wide range of Haitian stakeholders, including civil society, the diaspora, faith-based organizations, and multilateral organizations, to inform adaptations as conditions evolve.

• In Libya, we engage countrywide in new ways, with a focus on southern communities, to reduce divisions and lay a foundation for stability.  U.S. diplomatic efforts and development programming spur incremental but meaningful progress on reconciliation, citizen engagement, economic empowerment, and local governance in the south and at the national level.  The U.S. government now plays a more active role in fostering security and economic integration and dispute resolution—working with historically marginalized communities and generating positive momentum among governing bodies, international stakeholders, and donors to support broader stabilization and development.

• In Mozambique, we enhance social cohesion and community resilience among displaced and resident populations.  These efforts help improve governance in conflict-affected areas crucial to transforming the country’s long-term economic and foreign investment landscape.  The U.S. government launched a range of new peacebuilding, resilience, and stabilization programs in northern Mozambique that are yielding early results.  Through deepened diplomatic engagement, the United States has pressed for progress on government stabilization and reconstruction plans for the north and developed more cohesive approaches with Mozambique’s international partners to promote their support and collaboration.  The U.S. government will leverage and adapt PSF-funded programs and partnerships to address the current post-election crisis and promote stabilization, democratic governance, and inclusive dialogue.

• In Papua New Guinea (PNG), we advance a stable partnership by strengthening the local capacity to prevent violence and improving economic opportunity, justice systems, and security forces.  These efforts help catalyze local action in target provinces to advance gender equality, support women’s political and economic participation, and bolster youth civic awareness in this critical Pacific Island country.

Across these efforts, the U.S. government solidified wider international partnerships.  We pursued more structured engagement with international donor partners and invested in collaborative programming and funding mechanisms.  These include the joint U.S.-German Coastal States Stability Mechanism in Coastal West Africa and the Reconstruction Fund for Murzuq in southern Libya.  We grew international partner contributions to global mechanisms like the new Complex Risk Analytics Fund that fills critical data gaps on conflict and prevention.  The United States advanced conflict prevention and fragility priorities in our engagement with multilateral development banks through the MDB Evolution initiative as well as through the recent International Development Association 21 replenishment negotiations and pursued improved collaboration with the private sector to advance locally driven economic development.

As the U.S. government continues implementation of the bipartisan GFA, we expect its focus, resources, and approaches to continue to improve how the United States partners to address conflict and foster stability.  We are still in the early phases of this long-term endeavor.  Progress in fragile contexts will require an enhanced focus on learning and adaptation.  As we adapt and improve our efforts with partners, we work to not only prevent conflict and alleviate suffering, but also to create conditions in which our partners are better placed to address the drivers of fragility that can threaten U.S. national security.

For more information on the GFA and the Strategy, please visit this dedicated website.

FOR REFERENCE:

2024 factsheet marking one year of the 10-year plan implementation: FACT SHEET: Partnering for Peace through the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability | The White House

2023 factsheet marking 10-year plan submission: FACT SHEET: President Biden Submits to Congress 10-Year Plans to Implement the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability | The White House

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Today, I’m proud to announce that my Administration has selected the next 15 drugs for Medicare drug price negotiation.  The drugs treat conditions such as diabetes and cancer, and seniors across the country rely on them.  These 15 drugs, together with the 10 drugs that Medicare already negotiated, represent about a third of Medicare Part D spending on prescription drugs, which means the lower prices my Inflation Reduction Act is delivering will put money back in seniors’ pockets across the country.

My Administration completed the first round of price negotiation last year and delivered dramatic savings, slashing the price of some of the most commonly used drugs in Medicare by about 40 to 80 percent.  The Inflation Reduction Act put the country on a path to lower drug prices.  I’m proud of my Administration’s implementation of this law to deliver lower prices for America’s seniors.   

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Today, I am commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses who are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice. With this action, I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history.

Today’s clemency action provides relief for individuals who received lengthy sentences based on discredited distinctions between crack and powder cocaine, as well as outdated sentencing enhancements for drug crimes. As Congress recognized through the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act, it is time that we equalize these sentencing disparities. This action is an important step toward righting historic wrongs, correcting sentencing disparities, and providing deserving individuals the opportunity to return to their families and communities after spending far too much time behind bars. I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons.

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Vice President’s Ceremonial Office
Eisenhower Executive Office Building

 4:24 P.M. EST
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everyone.  (Applause.)  Hi.  Oh, my goodness.  We’ve got alum from years and years ago and days ago here.  (Laughter.)
 
     And — oh, I — I — you know, I saw so many of everyone who was here during the holiday parties, but I just have to say again: I am so proud of our team.  And this is a team that spans many years of doing extraordinary work on behalf of the people.
 
     And as you all have heard me say many times, I am fully aware that I am the public face of a lot of our work.  And so, I have the benefit of running into people all over our country who thank me.  And I will tell you, I am fully aware that when they are thanking me, they are thanking our team for the extraordinary commitment that you each have and as a team have to lifting up the American people — lifting up their condition, lifting up their hopes and dreams, and understanding, through it all, the nobility of public service.
 
     We have each taken on a life and a calling that is about doing work in the service of others and doing it in a way that is fueled, yes, with ambition; yes, with a sense of almost stubbornness about not hearing no; and knowing we can make a difference.
 
     And I’m not going to go through the laundry list of all of our accomplishments.  We know what they are.  But I will tell you that everyone here has so much to be proud of, and our work is not done.
 
     And as you all know me, because we have spent long hours, long days, and months and years together, it is not my nature to go quietly into the night.  (Laughter.)  So, don’t worry about that.
 
     But the ceremony of signing this desk is something that is especially important, so I hope everyone will get a chance to see the desk.
 
     But I have actually, I think with the exception of Truman and Eisenhower, met every person who has signed this desk, every vice president — former vice president.  And, you know, we don’t all — yeah, all of them.  In fact, I talked to Mondale — Vice President Mondale just days before he passed. 
 
And I will say that although many of us might have disagreed — me and some of the previous vice presidents — on — on certain matters, policy matters, I think we all probably have shared a very common experience that is a through line, as evidenced by the fact that we have this tradition of signing this dec- — desk since the — 1940, I believe. 
 
And it is the work of caring about our country.  It is the work of understanding we hold these offices in the public trust with the duty and the responsibility to uphold the oath we take to respect, to defend the Constitution of the United States, to do our work on behalf of the people of the United States.
 
And so, I stand in a long tradition, as the 49th vice president of the United States — in a long tradition of vice presidents who have signed this desk, and I do so with great honor and with the knowledge that our work here has mattered.  It has meaning.  It has impacted people we may never meet, people who may never know our name, but who are ever, forever grateful for the work that you each and we all together have done.  So, I thank you all.
 
And with that, I’m going to pull out the Sharpie.  (Applause.) 
 
(The vice president signs the Theodore Roosevelt desk drawer.)
 
All right.  It’s done.  (Applause.)
 
AUDIENCE:  MVP!  MVP!  MVP!
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  All right.  Doug is going to take a selfie.

     Okay.  Okay.

     THE SECOND GENTLEMAN:  I’m taking pictures now.
(Cross-talk.)

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let’s — we’ll get the press —

     Q    Madam Vice President, what’s next?
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Just — we’re going to continue getting work done until Monday, and then I’ll keep you posted.  (Laughter.) 

     Thanks, everyone.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
 
                        END                4:29 P.M. EST
 
 

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