Speeches and Remarks

Remarks by President Biden Before Marine One Departure

Tue, 02/20/2024 - 14:34

1:08 P.M. EST
 
Q    Mr. President, good afternoon, sir.  Going to California, is this about coming up with a plan B for 2024?  Does Gavin need to stand by?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Are you ready?
 
Q    Yes, sir.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’m looking for — I’m looking at you.  We’re looking at you.
 
Hey —
 
(Cross-talk.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Hey — whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.  What I came to tell you was: I told you we’d be announcing sanctions on Russia.  We’ll have a major package announced on Friday, and I’ll be happy to sit with you all while doing that.  Okay?
 
(Cross-talk.)
 
Q    Nikki Haley or Donald Trump.  Who would you prefer in November?  Who would you rather — who would rather challenge in November: Nikki Haley or Donald Trump?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, I don’t care.
 
(Cross-talk.)
 
Q    (Inaudible) on Rafah?  Have you gotten an evacuation plan for Rafah yet? 
 
(Cross-talk.)
 
1:09 P.M. EST

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Remarks by President Biden During Press Gaggle | Rehoboth Beach, DE

Mon, 02/19/2024 - 14:01

St. Edmond’s Catholic Church
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

THE PRESIDENT:  I spoke with Zelenskyy this afternoon to let him know that I was confident we were going to get that money to keep that country from being overrun by Russia.
 
You know, there’s so much at stake.  I learned — I watched the television the other night and one of the other Republican candidates saying I’ve never explained to the American people why NATO is so important. 
 
NATO is critical to our survival.  NATO has held — we have never been able to avoid a European conflict.  As long as there’s NATO, we’re — have allies — allies who are confident and have defended us.
 
And, by the way, the only time Article 5 has been invoked is the — when we were attacked on 9/11.  So, the idea that we’re going to walk away from Ukraine, the idea that we’re going to let NATO begin to split is totally against the interests of the United States of America and it is against our word we’ve given for — since Tru- — since all the way back to Eisenhower.
 
So, it’s about time we make sure that Congress come home and pass the legislation funding NATO.  It’s critical.  Our security depends on it.
 
Q    How — how confident are you that there isn’t another city that falls right after this if Congress acts on it?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I’m not.  I’m not.  No one can be. 
 
Look, the Ukrainian people have fought so bravely and heroically.  They’ve put so much on the line.  And the idea that now when they’re running out of ammunition, we walk away — I find it absurd.  I find it unethical.  I find it just contrary to everything we are as a country.  So, I’m going to fight until we get it — get them the ammunition they need and the capacity they need to defend themselves.
 
Thank you very much.
 
Q    Have you heard anything else about what led to Navalny’s death, sir?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I haven’t — I’ve heard several things.  I haven’t had them confirmed.  But the fact of the matter is: Putin is responsible, whether he ordered it or he is responsible for the circumstances he put that man in.  And he’s — it’s a reflection of who he is.  And it just cannot be tolerated.
 
I said we’d — there would be a price to pay.  He is paying a price already.  Since 2000 when I made that statement, Russians have had sanctions imposed on them and a whole range of other impacts. 
 
But it’s just — this is — look, the idea that after 70 years we have a NATO Alliance that has kept the peace, basically, in Europe, kept us out of the m- — the idea the transatlantic alliance is not overwhelmingly in our interest is bizarre.
 
It can only be — I — I just — I don’t understand.  I don’t understand.  There’s either a complete lack of knowledge of history or the lack of responsibility.
 
Thank you very much.
 
Q    Thank you, Mr. President.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

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Remarks by President Biden After Marine One Arrival

Mon, 02/19/2024 - 14:00

South Lawn

Q    Mr. President, will you meet with Speaker Johnson to try and negotiate the aid?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Sure, I’d be happy to meet with him if he has anything to say.
 
Q    Mr. President, would you go as far as to say that Aleksey Navalny’s blood is on the hands of House Republicans right now?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I wouldn’t use that term.  They’re making a big mistake not responding.
 
Look, the way they’re walking away from the threat of Russia, the way they’re walking away from NATO, the way they’re walking away from meeting our obligations, it’s just shocking.  I mean, they’re wild.  I’ve never seen anything like this.
 
Q    Do you think Navalny’s death will make any difference in nudging House Republicans to take up Ukraine aid?  They’re on the (inaudible) right now.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I hope so.  But I’m not sure anything is going to change.
 
Q    Are you going to impose additional sanctions on Russia over Navalny’s death?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We already have sanctions, but we’re considering additional sanctions, yes.
 
Thank you.

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Remarks by Vice President Harris and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine Before Bilateral Meeting | Munich, Germany

Sat, 02/17/2024 - 15:45

Commerzbank
Munich, Germany

1:02 P.M. CEST

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  President Zelenskyy, it’s good to see you again.  I’m remembering the last time you and I were together in this very room. 

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  Exactly this.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Do you remember?  Yes, exactly in this room.  Two years ago, five days before Russia’s unprovoked, unwarranted, and brutal invasion of your country. 

But it is good to see you again.  The last time I saw you was in the White House.  And I gave a speech yesterday in which I said publicly what I had and the President — President Biden — have said to you many times: We stand with Ukraine.  We have stood with Ukraine since day one.

And I was honored, in particular, to talk about you as a leader and your courage and your determination.  You and I have had many conversations over these past two years.  And you have shown extraordinary courage and accomplishment on the battlefield.  And it has been a source of our pride and our commitment to democracy and to democratic principles to support you in every way we possibly can. 

And our support is unyielding and unending.  The President and I have a firm and solid commitment to you and the Ukrainian people. 

So, it is good to see you again. 

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  Thank you so much. 

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Thank you.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  Happy to see you, Madam Vice President.  Yes, you remind us our meeting some days before invasions of Russian terrorists.  And — and you mentioned very important thing: that you’ve been with us from the first days of full-scale war. 

And we are very thankful from — from — not only from me and my team, first of all, from all our people are thankful to you, to people of the United States, your society — great society, and to President Biden, his team, and, of course, bipartisan support.  We are thankful for this. 

But we need now your unity during such a challenging period for us.  And, of course — of course, in the United States, challenging period.  We understand everything. 

We are happy that you are the leaders of support.  I think we — we have to continue it.  And today we will focus on some — some questions like defense, frozen assets, security issues, and micro-financial assistance.

Thank you so much.  We are very happy that we have such strategic partners.  Thank you so much. 

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Thank you, Mr. President.  Thank you.

                              END                  1:05 P.M. CEST

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Remarks by Vice President Harris and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine in Joint Press Conference | Munich, Germany

Sat, 02/17/2024 - 11:07

Commerzbank
Munich, Germany

2:07 P.M. CEST

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Good afternoon, everyone.

President Zelenskyy, it was my honor to meet with you again.  This is our fifth meeting, by my count.  And our first meeting was here almost exactly two years ago.

I want to thank you for all that you have done and all that you are as a leader.  You and I have had many conversations.  And it is my honor to say, as part of a public conversation, that you have been an extraordinarily courageous leader and have shown you commitment to the Ukrainian people and to democratic principles, including the most important — one of the most important — which is the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

So, it is good to see you again.

I was in Munich and have been here to talk about where we stand currently in terms of our relationship to the Ukrainian people and our unyielding commitment, on behalf of the United States, to the Ukrainian people and to their sovereignty, to their freedom.

Five years — five — two years ago when I was here, it was to foreshadow the Russian playbook for the world and to outline the steps the United States, along with our allies and partners, would take in response to their aggression.

And I shared with the President then — President Zelenskyy — that the United States stands with Ukraine, and we have been proud to stand with Ukraine over the last two years.  And President Joe Biden and I will continue to stand with Ukraine, as I said yesterday and as we say every day.

Yesterday, we received reports that Aleksey Navalny died in Russia.

I met with his wife, Yulia, yesterday, and expressed my outrage and sorrow.

In this fight and — I will say that Aleksey Navalny has been a brave leader who stood up against corruption and autocracy, and he stood up for the truth. 

The reports of his death are further proof of Putin’s brutality.  It reminds us why our support for Ukraine is so important, because Ukraine is fighting back heroically against Putin’s continued brutality.

In Munich two years ago, many thought Kyiv would fall in a matter of days.  Yet, thanks to the skill and bravery of the people of Ukraine and the support of the 50-nation coalition the United States has led, Kyiv stands free and strong.

President Zelenskyy, that is a testament, as I have said, to your extraordinary leadership and the determination of the people of Ukraine and their willingness to fight for their homes and their homeland, for their freedom and their independence. 

In this fight, Ukraine has achieved significant success against an adversary on an imperialistic quest to subjugate your nation — an adversary with an economy 10 times larger than Ukraine, a population 3 times larger, and a military that once ranked as the second best in the world.

You have stood strong in the face of Russia’s advances and countered its aerial assaults.

You have regained half the territory Russia controlled at the start of this conflict.

You have inflicted major damage on Russia’s fleet in the Black Sea and maintained the flow of grain to world markets.

You have kept heat and electricity on in the face of incon- — unconscionable attacks on civilian infrastructure.

And you have made a range of reforms that will help accelerate Ukraine’s integration with the West.

Because of our collective strength, this war has been an utter failure for Putin.

President Zelenskyy, the stakes of your fight remain high for your country and for the entire world.  And it is in the strategic interest of the United States to continue our support.

International rules and norms are on the line, including the fundamental principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

History shows us: If we allow an aggressor like Putin to take land with impunity, they keep going.  The other would-be aggressors then become emboldened.

On this trip to Munich, I have worked with our allies and partners to ensure we stay united and strong in support of Ukraine.

Today, President Zelenskyy, you and I had a productive conversation about ongoing support from the United States and the international community, and we spoke of our support for Ukraine on the battlefield.

As I said yesterday, you have the support of bipartisan majorities in both houses of the United States Congress.

So, as we move forward, the President and I — President Biden and I will continue to work to secure the resources and weapons that you need to succeed.  We also will continue to support your efforts to secure a just and lasting peace.  We will work to make sure Russia pays damages to Ukraine.  And ultimately, we want to see Ukraine emerge from this war as a nation that is free, democratic, and independent.

President Zelenskyy, as President Joe Biden and have — and I have made clear, we will be with you for as long as it takes.

I thank you again.  And thanks —

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  Thank you so much.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Thank you.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  (As interpreted.)  Thank you so much, esteemed Madam Vice President, esteemed members of the delegation, dear journalists.  I’m glad to have this meeting with Madam Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris.

Thank you so much, Kamala. It is quite natural that main topics of our conversations were security and resilience — security that we, together, build, restore, Ukraine and the United States, by all signs of our cooperation and resilience that we, together, build up when we preserve unity and help each other.

I am grateful to Madam Vice President for attention and for your words and for your respect to our nation and for the respect that you have expressed during our meeting to our people, to our warriors, to Ukrainians.  Thank you so much for that.

And I’m thankful for the vital support and leadership of the United States of America, who helped to unite the world and to stand off against Russian strikes.

We shall be together in the future, Ukraine and the United States.  And all world — all our partners, we shall continue to build up our security, achieve joint results to increase our resilience against Russian aggression, and each day prove to Putin that his hatred towards people, hatred towards freedom will never prevail over our unity, unity of the free world.

Of course, the key issue for us now is the preservation of principle American support.  Ukraine and all our warriors need and await of the respective positive vote regarding the assistance package.  And I thank to everybody who understands how much depends on this single voting procedure.

We have today discussed with Madam Vice President about how significant results were already achieved because of our joint work with the U.S. with partners — in particular, regarding air defenses.  American Patriots are the — are the best life-preservation means of people against Russian terror, and each Patriot not only saves hundreds and thousands of lives, but also allows our cities to function normally and therefore our economy.

One of Ukrainian goals this year is economic growth.  Last year, we have had plus 5 percent GDP.  This year, we would need a corresponding growth rate in order to build up more of Ukrainians’ economic independence.

The issue of air defense in this regard is the main thing.  I have informed Madam Vice President regarding the current situation on the battlefield about our capabilities and perspectives upon the conditions of needed support levels.

I have also briefed about — about the ongoing transformation of our state, in particular about decisions that can build up our resilience. 

We have also discussed the preparation of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland on the level of leaders.  One more principal topic is justice — justice of the further pressure on Putin and his regime in all directions.  In particular, this year, we need to ensure the confiscation and usage of Russian assets for the sake of protection against Russia’s terror.

Putin does not value lives of people.  He does not understand and does not respect any rules.  The only thing that is important for Putin is money and power.  We need a strong decision that would confiscate frozen Russia’s assets.  We would need further full-scale pressure with sanctions on Russia in order to constrain Putin’s capabilities to finance this war.

I’m glad to praise the proximity of our views on — on absolutely principal issues.

Madam Vice President, I’m grateful to you for our conversation.  I thank to all American people.  I am extremely thankful to Mr. President Biden, to both parties, and both houses in Congress for the vital support.  And I’m sure that, together, we can stop Russia.  We must stop.

Thank you for your attention.  Glory to Ukraine.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  We will take questions now from the press.  Cleve Wootson of the Washington Post.

Q    Madam Vice President, hello.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Hello.

Q    You’ve spoken about enduring American support for Ukraine and other conflicts this weekend.  But this political situation at home, including your own, is anything but uncertain, with President Biden facing poor polling numbers, questions about his age.  What skepticism have you faced here about U.S. support in your meetings?  And what have you said to try to allay them?

And, to President Zelenskyy —

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  Can you turn on the microphone? 

Q    Is it not on?

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  No, it’s not on.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Is the interpretation happening?

INTERPRETER:  Unfortunately, the interpretation is not happening as the — we cannot hear the speaker.

PARTICIPANT:  The translator didn’t hear you.  Can you re-ask?

Q    I can certainly re-ask.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  Please take this one.  It was working.

Sorry, I don’t hear.

Q    No problem.  Want me to ask the question to you again, Madam Vice President?

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  No, I got it.

Q    Okay.  And to President Zelenskyy.  Let’s pull up my question.  The U.S. Congress so far has not approved more military aid for you.  Without that aid, does your country have a path to victory?  And is the lack of funding a betrayal because President Biden has promised that he would be with you until the very end?

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  I’ll start.  As I made very clear yesterday, the issue of supporting Ukraine and where the United States stands on that issue is integral to who we are as the United States of America.

We have historically and currently stand as a global leader on certain fundamental democratic principles, including the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We stand with our friends.  Our membership in NATO has been a role that is about a commitment to our allies based on shared principles of what it means to abide by democratic principles that have historically ensured stability and security for those participating in this partnership.

As I made very clear yesterday, when we talk about the role of America, as it relates to our support for Ukraine, we must be unwavering and we cannot play political games.  Political gamesmanship has no role to play in what is fundamentally about the significance of standing with an ally as it endures an unprovoked aggression. 

Politics should play no role in standing for the fact that Vladimir Putin, through his leadership of Russia, has shown himself to be fundamentally hostile to democratic principles, not to mention what we learned about in the last 24 hours in terms of the killing of Navalny.

So, this is about where we stand as a nation.  And as it relates to the supplemental, we have been clear, the President and I, both in private conversations with members of the United States Congress and in public.  We are clear and certain that for the majority in both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, there is bipartisan support for this approach.  There is bipartisan support for what America is and what we stand for. 

And we are unwavering.  And that has nothing to do with an election cycle.  It has to do with who we are and what kind of country we want to be: one that stands with our friends.

President Zelenskyy.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKKY:  Thank you so much.  (As interpreted.)  Thank you for this question.

We are counting on this positive decision of the Congress.  For us, this package is vital.  We do not currently look into alternatives because we’re counting on the United States as — as our partner — strategic partner — that this partner will remain strategic partner.

If we’re speaking about the alternative, then this means that it will be not our strategic partner.  That’s why I’m not looking into such alternative.

And we also did not look into such alternatives strategically and politically.  Is this package a way to victory?  No, this would not be enough because our path to victory is people, the morality of Ukrainian warrior, of people.  The assistance packages, sanctions of the partners — that is a big Allied work — and not quarterly work, but on a daily basis.  And that’s why it is so important.

But it will definitely — this package is a — definitely way forward.  And that is a fact.  But it would be not victory yet.  But moving forward is much, much better than stagnation on the battlefield.

Do I believe that this is a betrayal?  No, because I do not think that our strategic partner can allow itself to not support Ukraine.  This — I do not see the opportunity for strategic partners to take such stance.  We see challenges — electoral, internal, political.  I do not want to comment on those because that — those are internal processes in the U.S. and of the people of the United States.

But I count that the Allied stance will remain.

Q    (As interpreted.)  Greetings.  Nina Kolomiiets, Inter channel.  I have a question to Madam Vice President and to Mr. President.

We see how difficult it is for the Congress to deal with the assistance to Ukraine.  Could you could you please elaborate on why such vital issue to us has been so postponed and whether the United States has a plan B shall the House of Representatives not confirm the assistance package to Ukraine?

And also, the question regarding the signature of Ukraine with bilateral security agreements — firstly, with Great Britain; yesterday, with France and Germany.  I have a question when the agreement on cooperation in security field will be signed between Ukraine and the United States of America.  Perhaps there are already preliminary negotiations on this topic.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  There is only plan A, which is to ensure that Ukraine receives what it needs.  I will emphasize that an indication of where we can and, frankly, must be is that there is bipartisan support in both of our houses of Congress, on the Senate side and the House of Representatives.  And it is my full belief that were the supplemental package and security package to make it to the floor of the House of Representatives, that it would actually pass.

I also believe that there is consensus across party lines in the United States Congress that recognizes the — the brutal nature of Moscow’s aggression, and that there must be a response that includes standing by our friends and supporting those who fight against that aggression.

And I do believe there is consensus within the United States Congress that the American leadership, elected leaders in the United States Congress must be unified in their opposition to Russia’s aggression, as indicated over the course of the last two-plus years and the last 24 hours.

And I do believe also there is consensus within the United States Congress that we must use everything that is available to us to support Ukraine in its fight to become and to maintain itself as an independent and democratic nation.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  Thank you for the question.  As regards the security guarantees, right?  So, regarding the security guarantees, yes, our teams are working.  We have held, already, two negotiation rounds, and I’m sure that we will have very powerful document with our partners.

However, we have agreed upon that we all need to focus on what is needed right now.  That’s why we focus on the work with Congress of the United States.  And afterwards, we will move on to security guarantees.

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Thank you, all.  Thank you.

PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY:  Thank you so much.

                               END                 2:28 P.M. CEST

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Remarks by President Biden on Supporting the Community in East Palestine, Ohio | East Palestine, OH

Fri, 02/16/2024 - 23:24

Brave Industries
East Palestine, Ohio

4:39 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, folks.  Mayor Conaway, thank you for the welcome and, more importantly, for your leadership.  I really mean it.  We talked outside there.

MAYOR CONAWAY:  Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT:  You’ve been through hell.

And I also want to thank the EPA Administrator here with me, EPA Administrator Regan, as well.

We just concluded a briefing about the herculean efforts — and that’s not a hyperbole — the herculean efforts that were made in the year since this tragedy.  But what’s happening in the morning, the evening of, and the next day and the weeks following is amazing.  It’s absolutely amazing what this community rose to.

You know, I — I want to thank the folks of East Palestine to know — I want them to understand that we’re not going home, no matter what, until this job is done.  And it’s not done yet.  There’s a lot more to do.  The vast majority has been done, but we’re going to stay until the very end, every need is met.

And I want to — we continue to hold Norfolk Southern accountable and make sure they make your community whole now and in the future.  And what they do not make whole, what they cannot make whole, what isn’t made — the government will make whole.  We have an obligation.  We have an obligation.

I can already see this derailment won’t define you.  It just — it defined you in a different way: your courage, the resilience of this community, and the compassion that you’ve shown for all your fellow citizens.

Let me be clear: While there are acts of God, this was an act of greed that was 100 percent preventable.  Let me say it again: an act of greed that was 100 percent preventable.  We were pushing railroads to take more precautions, to deal with braking, to deal with a whole range of things that were not dealt with.  Norfolk Southern failed its responsibility. 

You know, multimillion-dollar railroad companies transporting toxic chemicals have responsibility to do it safely.  And, again, Norfolk Southern failed.

My administration was on the ground within hours, working closely with the governor, the mayor, the senators, the house members, community leaders to make sure you have everything you need.  

My administration ordered Norfolk Southern to clean up the mess it created and ensure it was done right.  That includes an executive order I signed to continue our priority to hold Norfolk Southern fully accountable for this disaster and any long-term effects that are able to be identified as time goes on — not just here but also in Darlington, Pennsylvania, where I just visited a few hours ago — an hour or so ago. 

Working with the state, we’ve tested the air, the water, the soil quality; deployed teams of health experts; provided emergency loans for local businesses.  But it’s not done yet.  There’s more to do.

Today, I’m announcing the award of six National Institutes of Health grants to some of America’s best research universities to study the short- and long-term impacts of what happened here.  That includes just north of here at Case Western University, so you’ll have a top researcher with you as long as you need, as long as has to go on. 

I also want to restate my support for the bipartisan rail safety la- — bill — Senator Brown, Senator Vance, and the congressman from Pennsylvania and others — that require stronger protective measures when trains are carrying hazardous waste. 

Storage tank cars — we argued about this for years.  They should be stronger.  They should be able to survive crashes without exploding. 

Unda- — un- — undated [updated] brakes that meet higher safety standards.  The fact of the matter is, there was a lot of discussion ahead of time, before this occurred, about the safety of the braking systems of many of these railroads — trains. 

More staffing on trains so that there are more people to respond immediately to a crash and to do so much more (inaudible) safety of transportation. 

And it’s important that the Senate follow the House and pass the tax reform bill, which makes sure that folks who don’t get hit with a tax — a surprise tax bill for compensation owed them by the railroad, that it’s not taxable income to them.  We’ve got to make sure that that occur, that no one is taxed for anything that is reimbursed or received from Norfolk Southern. 

It’s not right.  I support the ta- — this tax reform bill, and we’ve got to get it done. 

All told, we’ve done in one year what would ty- — typically take many years, and we’re going to keep going. 

Like I said, your compassion and resilience of leadership of this community and the people of this community — the courage of your firefighters, law enforcement officers, first responders who run into danger to save others — they deserve the care and resources we owe them to be followed and their health needs followed as well.  Because that’s what we do. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Democrat, a Republican, or an independent.  What matters is we’re all Americans — everyone, everyone.  We look out for one another.  We leave no one behind.  And we come back stronger than before.  

That’s what you’re doing here.  That’s what’s happening right here in this community.  That’s what’s going on downtown, in your parks as well.  You’re now — your downtown is reopened and the parks are reopened.  Students were frustrated opposing schools wouldn’t travel here for sports events, but now you’re playing home games again, finally. 

That’s pride.  That’s also progress. 

But we have other obligation, and that’s here — to stay here as long as it takes to get everything done and be sure no one is left behind.

In moments like this, let’s remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America, for God’s sake.  We have obligations to one another.  There’s nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.  And we’re going to stay here and do it together as long as it takes.

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

We have a lot to do.

Now, let me turn this over to EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, and he’ll have a few things to say as well. 

Michael.

4:46 P.M. EST

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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Career-Connected Learning Round Table

Fri, 02/16/2024 - 17:56

Green Bay, WI

Thank you, Miguel. Joe promised he would choose a Secretary of Education who came from the classroom and we could not have asked for a better one than you.

And it’s amazing to be here with another educator: Governor Evers. You’ve been a remarkable leader for this state. Joe and I are grateful for your partnership and we can’t wait to host you and Kathy at the White House next week for the National Governor’s Association Meeting.

Mayor Genrick, thank you for welcoming me to your wonderful city once again – and for all you do for this community.

Chairman Hill, thank you for taking the time to be with us today.

I’m in Green Bay today because something special is happening here, something transformative. And we want other parts of the state and country to follow your example.

You elected my husband, President Biden, because he wanted to rebuild the middle class. But what does that look like? And how do you do it?

It looks like what’s happening here. Where President Biden and state leaders are transforming education, reimagining middle school and high school classrooms and turning them into places where students can try out different careers, explore their interests, and discover how to turn those interests into good-paying jobs. It looks like classrooms that aren’t only traditional spaces with desks, but that are kitchens where students learn culinary skills…greenhouses where students learn how to grow vegetables and plants…metal shops and fabrication labs, where students learn how to build things.

A curriculum that combines learning in a school with hands-on learning; real-world experience working at a credit union or in the city parks department or at a hospital.

This is what it means to prepare students for careers. And when done well, hundreds of students graduate each year with the skills they need to fill the jobs that pay well and are right here, in their hometown.

Nearly 60 percent of graduating high school students don’t go directly to a four-year college. Six out of every ten students. Some will start working. Some will go to community or technical colleges. Some won’t know what they want to do next.

That’s why our education system needs to adapt, it needs to transform.

You’re leading that change here in Northeast Wisconsin. Thank you. I know it takes an entire community – it takes partners like the Green Bay Chamber, and local businesses like Bellin Health…it takes school leaders like Sara Greenwood and Mike Snowberry. It takes a governor like Governor Evers, and a mayor, like Mayor Genrick, who are supporting career-connected learning. And it takes students, like Katelyn and Adam and Mason, who are taking advantage of these opportunities to work toward their goals.

I want you to know that President Biden is your partner in these efforts. He knows that education is about setting students up for success in life. And success has many paths. That’s why his vision for education involves students learning not only in a traditional classroom, but also outside in the community and on the job, where students can gain hands-on experience and build skills for a lifelong career.

And that vision is coming alive here in Northeast Wisconsin, because of the people in this room. You are providing students with an incredible education, an opportunity to discover what they love to do, and a solid foundation for their future.

I can’t wait to hear more about the work you’re doing. Thank you.

###

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Remarks by President Biden on the Reported Death of Aleksey Navalny

Fri, 02/16/2024 - 15:42

Roosevelt Room

12:37 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon.  I — I’m heading off to East Palestine in — in a moment, but I wanted to say a few things this morning about Aleksey Navalny.

You know, like millions of people around the world, I am literally both not surprised and outraged by the news — the reported death of Aleksey Navalny.

He bravely stood up to the corruption, the violence, and the — the — all the — all the bad things that the Putin government was doing. 

In response, Putin had him poisoned.  He had him arrested.  He had him prosecuted for fabricated crimes.  He sentenced him to prison.  He was held in isolation.  Even all that didn’t stop him from calling out Putin’s lies.  Even in prison, he was a powerful voice of the truth, which is kind of amazing when you think about it.

And he could have lived safely in exile after the assassination attempt on him in 2020 — which nearly killed him, I might add.  And — but he — he was traveling outside the country at the time.  Instead, he returned to Russia.  He returned to Russia knowing he’d likely be imprisoned or even killed if he continued his work.  But he did it anyway, because he believed so deeply in his country — in Russia.  

Reports of his death, if they’re true — and I have no reason to believe they’re not — Russian authorities are going to tell their own story.  But make no mistake — make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death.  Putin is responsible.  

What has happened to Navalny is yet more proof of Putin’s brutality.  No one should be fooled — not in Russia, not at home, not anywhere in the world.  Putin does not only target his [the] citizens of other countries, as we’ve seen what’s going on in Ukraine right now, he also inflicts terrible crimes on his own people. 

And as people across Russia and around the world are mourning Navalny today because he was so many things that Putin was not: He was brave.  He was principled.  He was dedicated to building a Russia where the rule of law existed and of — where it applied to everybody.  Navalny believed in that Russia — that Russia.  He knew it was a cause worth fighting for and, obviously, even dying for.  

This tragedy reminds us of the stakes of this moment.  We have to provide the funding so Ukraine can keep defending itself against Putin’s vicious onslaughts and war crimes. 

You know, there was a bipartisan Senate vote that passed overwhelmingly in the United States Senate to fund Ukraine. 

Now, as I’ve said before, and I mean this in the literal sense: History is watching.  History is watching the House of Representatives.  The failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten.  It’s going to go down in the pages of history.  It really is.  It’s consequential.

And the clock is ticking.  And this has to happen.  We have to help now.  You know, we have to realize what we’re dealing with with Putin. 

All of us should reject the dangerous statements made by the previous president that invited Russia to invade our NATO Allies if they weren’t paying up.  He said if an Ally did not pay their dues, he’d encourage Russia to, quote, “Do whatever the hell they want.” 

I — let me — I guess I should clear my mind here a little bit and not say what I’m really thinking. 

But let me be clear: This is an outrageous thing for a president to say.  I can’t fathom.  I can’t fathom.  From Truman on, they’re rolling over in their graves hearing this.

As long as I’m President, America stands by our sacred commitment to our NATO Allies as they have stood by their commitments to us repeatedly. 

Putin and the whole world should know: If any adversary were to attack us, our NATO Allies would back us.  And if Putin were to attack a NATO Ally, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory.  Now is the time for even greater unity among our NATO Allies to stand up to the threat that Putin’s Russia poses.

You know, I send my deepest condolences to Aleksey’s staff and supporters who are going to continue his work despite this loss, despite all of Putin’s desperate attempts to stamp out the opposition. 

And most of all, to his family, especially to his wife, his daughter, and his son, who have already sacrificed so much for their family and a shared dream for a better future for Russia. 

So, I just want to say God bless Aleksey Navalny.  His courage will not be forgotten.  And I’m sure it will not be the only courage we see coming out of Russia in the near term. 

Thank you.  I’ll be happy to take a couple questions.

Q    Sir, first, was this an assassination?

THE PRESIDENT:  The answer is, I — we don’t know exactly what happened, but there is no doubt that the death of Navalny was a consequence of something that Putin and his — and his thugs did. 

Q    And to be clear, you warned Vladimir Putin when you were in Geneva of “devastating” consequences if Navalny died in Russian custody.  What consequences should he and Russia face?

THE PRESIDENT:  That was three years ago.  In the meantime, they faced a hell of a lot of consequences.  They’ve lost and/or had wounded over 350,000 Russian soldiers.  They’ve made it into a position where they’ve been subjected to great sanctions across the board.  And we’re contemplating what else could be done. 

But the — the — what we were talking about at the time there were no actions being taken against Russia.  And that — look at all that’s transpired since then.

Q    Can you say whether you’re —

Q    How do you think this —

Q    — whether you’re looking at increasing sanctions on Russia right now?

THE PRESIDENT:  We’re looking at a whole number of options.  That’s all I’ll say right now.

Q    Is there anything you can do to get ammunition to the Ukrainians without the supplemental from Congress?

THE PRESIDENT:  No, but it’s about time they step up — don’t you think? — instead of going on a two-week vacation.  Two weeks they’re walking away.  Two weeks.  What are they thinking?  My God, this is bizarre. 

And it’s just reinforcing all the concern and — and almost — I won’t say “panic,” but real concern about the United States being a reliable ally.  This is outrageous. 

Q    Are you more confident now that you’ll get the Ukraine aid given what’s happened today?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I hope to God it helps.  But I mean, the idea we need anything more to get the Ukraine aid — I mean, — I mean, this is — in light of a former president’s statement that — saying Russia, if — if they haven’t paid their dues to us, go get them. 

Come on.  What are these guys doing?  What are they doing?

Q    Sir, how concerned are you about the anti-satellite capability that Russia is developing?  And what is your administration planning to do in response?

THE PRESIDENT:  First of all, there is no nuclear threat to the people of America or anywhere else in the world with what Russia is doing at the moment.  Number one.

Number two, anything that they’re doing and/or they will do relates to satellites and space and damaging those satellites, potentially. 

Number three, I — there is no evidence that they have made a decision to go forward with doing anything in space either.  So, what we found out: There was a capacity to launch a system into space that could theoretically do something that was damaging.  Hadn’t happened yet.  And my expect- — I — my hope is it will not. 

Q    Mr. President, just quickly —

AIDE:  Thank you all.  Thank you.

(Cross-talk.) 

Q    Quickly, Mr. President, have —

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ll — I’ll take one more.

Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  Switching gears for a moment.  Have the Israelis presented a credible evacuation plan for the nearly 1.5 million displaced Palestinians sheltering in Rafah?  And what would the consequences be for Israel if they move ahead with a full-scale ground invasion without clear measures to protect civilians there?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, I’ve had extensive conversations with the Prime Minister of Israel over the last several days — almost an hour each.  And I’ve made the case — and I feel very strongly about it — that there has to be a — a
temporary ceasefire to get the prisoners out, to get the hostages out.  And that is underway.  I’m still hopeful that that can be done. 

And in the meantime, I don’t anticipate — I’m hoping that that you — that the Israelis will not make any massive land invasion in the meantime.  So, it’s my expectation that’s not going to happen. 

There has to be a ceasefire temporarily to get those hostages — and, by the way, there are — we’re in a situation where there are American hostages, American citizens that are being held hostage.  It’s not just — not just Israelis; it’s American hostages as well. 

And, you know, my hope and expectation is that we’ll get this hostage deal.  We’ll bring the Americans home.  And the deal is been negotiated now, and we’re going to see where it takes us.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    An FBI — an FBI informant — an FBI informant at the center of the impeachment inquiry into you has been indicted for allegedly lying.  Your reaction to that, and should the inquiry be dropped?

THE PRESIDENT:  He is lying, and it should be dropped.  And it’s just been a — it’s been an outrageous effort from the beginning.  What he did —

(Cross-talk.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  No, I’m serious.

(Cross-talk.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you, all. 

See you in Ohio. 

12:47 P.M. EST

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Remarks by Vice President Harris at the Munich Security Conference | Munich, Germany

Fri, 02/16/2024 - 10:50

Hotel Bayerischer Hof
Munich, Germany

2:38 P.M. CEST

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Good afternoon.  Good afternoon.  (Applause.)  Thank you, thank you.

Thank you, Christoph.  Thank you.  Thank you for your leadership.

Before I begin today, we’ve all just received reports that Aleksey Navalny has died in Russia.  This is, of course, terrible news, which we are working to confirm. 

My prayers are with his family, including his wife, Yulia, who is with us today. 

And if confirmed, this would be a further sign of Putin’s brutality.  Whatever story they tell, let us be clear: Russia is responsible. 

And we will have more to say on this later.

As Christoph said, this is my third time here, and I’m honored to be with so many friends.

This year, we gather amid an increased instability and conflict in the Middle East.  We gather amid Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, China’s efforts to reshape the international order, transformative technological change, and, of course, the existential threat of the climate crisis.

In this context, I know that there are questions here in Europe and around the world about the future of America’s role of global leadership. 

These are questions the American people must also ask ourselves: Whether it is in America’s interest to continue to engage with the world or to turn inward.  Whether it is in our interest to defend longstanding rules and norms that have provided for unprecedented peace and prosperity or to allow them to be trampled.  Whether it is in America’s interest to fight for democracy or to accept the rise of dictators.  And whether it is in America’s interest to continue to work in lockstep with our allies and partners or go it alone.

Today, I will explain how President Biden and I answer these questions, with full knowledge that how America responds will affect the American people, the people of Europe, and people around the world.

I believe it is in the fundamental interest of the American people for the United States to fulfill our longstanding role of global leadership.

As President Biden and I have made clear over the past three years, we are committed to pursue global engagement, to uphold international rules and norms, to defend democratic values at home and abroad, and to work with our allies and partners in pursuit of shared goals.

As I travel throughout my country and the world, it is clear to me: This approach makes America strong, and it keeps Americans safe.

However, there are some in the United States who disagree.  They suggest it is in the best interest of the American people to isolate ourselves from the world, to flout common understandings among nations, to embrace dictators and adopt their repressive tactics, and abandon commitments to our allies in favor of unilateral action.

Let me be clear: That worldview is dangerous, destabilizing, and indeed short-sighted.  That view would weaken America and would undermine global stability and undermine global prosperity.

President Biden and I, therefore, reject that view.

And please do understand, our approach is not based on the virtues of charity.  We pursue our approach because it is in our strategic interest. 

I strongly believe America’s role of global leadership is to the direct benefit of the American people.  Our leadership keeps our homeland safe, supports American jobs, secures supply chains, and opens new markets for American goods.

And I firmly believe our commitment to build and sustain alliances has helped America become the most powerful and prosperous country in the world — alliances that have prevented wars, defended freedom, and maintained stability from Europe to the Indo-Pacific.  To put all of that at risk would be foolish.

President Biden and I have demonstrated there is a smarter way. 

When it comes to America’s national security, our approach starts with our historic, direct investment in the working people of America, an investment which has helped build a resilient and innovative economy.

We are clear: We cannot be strong abroad if we are not strong at home.

We have made a once-in-a-generation investment to rebuild our roads and bridges and ports and highways with more than 40,000 infrastructure projects across all of our 50 states.  We’re bringing semiconductor manufacturing back to America, which will secure our supply chains and enable the future of technology.  And we have invested $1 trillion to address the climate crisis and build a new clean energy economy, reduce emissions, and meet our global climate commitments.

Our economic vision has ensured America’s economy remains the strongest in the world, with historic job creation, historic creation of small businesses, and broad-based economic growth. 

And over the past three years, backed by this strong track record at home, we have implemented our National Security Strategy.

In the Indo-Pacific, we have invested heavily in our alliances and partnerships and created new ones to ensure peace and security and, of course, the free flow of commerce.

We have responsibly managed competition with China, standing up to Beijing when necessary and also working together when it serves our interest.

In the Middle East, we are working to end the conflict that Hamas triggered on October 7th as soon as possible and ensure it ends in a way where Israel is secure, hostages are released, the humanitarian crisis is resolved, Hamas does not control Gaza, and Palestinians can enjoy their right to security, dignity, freedom, and self-determination.  (Applause.) 

This work — while we also work to counter aggression from Iran and its proxies, prevent regional escalation, and promote regional integration.

In addition, we have strengthened our partnerships on the continent of Africa, understanding that the innovation happening on the continent will shape the future of our world.  We have also worked with partners in the Caribbean and throughout Latin America to increase private sector investment, address the climate crisis, and address the root causes of migration.

And the Biden-Harris administration has led the world to respond to the climate crisis and ensure AI is developed in service of the public interest. 

We have also worked to advance and uphold rules and norms for outer space and to empower women around the globe.

And here in Europe, we have joined forces with our friends and allies to stand up for freedom and democracy.

Christoph, I reflect on two years ago, when I first stood on this stage on the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  Many of — of us will recall that time when many thought Kyiv would fall within days. 

Yet, the skill and the bravery of the people of Ukraine, along with the leadership of President Zelenskyy and the 50-nation coalition the United States has led, has allowed Ukraine to achieve what so many thought was impossible.

Today, Kyiv stands free and strong.  (Applause.)

The world has come together, with leadership from the United States, to defend the basic principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity and to stop an imperialist authoritarian from subjugating a free and democratic people.

Make no mistake, Putin’s war has already been an utter failure for Russia.

Ukraine has regained more than half the territory Russia occupied at the start of the conflict thanks, in part, to a massive supply of American and European weapons.

The Russian military has suffered severe setbacks.  It has lost two thirds of its tanks and more than a third of its fleet in the Black Sea.

Because of Putin’s aggression and recklessness, Russia has also suffered over 300,000 casualties.  Remember, that’s more than five times what it lost in 10 years in Afghanistan.  And now it forces conscripts onto the frontlines with as little as two weeks of training.

We have also imposed economic costs on Russia for its aggression.  And together with our G7 partners, we have frozen Russia’s sovereign assets and made clear Russia must pay for the damages it has caused to Ukraine.

I applaud the recent $54 billion commitment the EU made to support Ukraine on top of the more than $100 billion our European allies and partners have already dedicated.

You have made clear that Europe will stand with Ukraine, and I will make clear President Joe Biden and I stand with Ukraine.  (Applause.)

In partnership with supportive, bipartisan majorities in both houses of the United States Congress, we will work to secure critical weapons and resources that Ukraine so badly needs.  And let me be clear: The failure to do so would be a gift to Vladimir Putin.

More broadly, NATO is central to our approach to global security.  For President Biden and me, our sacred commitment to NATO remains ironclad.  And I do believe, as I have said before, NATO is the greatest military alliance the world has ever known.

NATO was founded on a very simple premise: An attack on one is an attack on all.  And when it comes to conflict between nations, NATO has deterred aggression against its members to the benefit of the security of the American people.

For the past 75 years, NATO members have maintained this solemn pact, including on 9/11 when terrorists attacked America and for the first and only time, NATO invoked Article 5, the collective defense clause.  And NATO stood by America’s side.

Nevertheless, recall, before the President and I took office, some questioned the usefulness of NATO, suggested it was, quote, “obsolete.”

Some in my country also questioned the value of our commitment to NATO’s collective defense and called for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Germany.

Now, thanks to the leadership of the United States, NATO is stronger, larger, more unified, and more effective than ever before.

We have reinforced NATO’s eastern flank with more weapons and forces, including air defense and fighter coverage, a sustained presence of army brigades, and a permanent U.S Army headquarters in Poland.

And, of course, Europeans are also stepping up.  Since President Biden and I took office, the number of NATO members that have met the goal of spending 2 percent of GDP has doubled.  NATO has also added one new member, and we’re on track to add another.  And we look forward to welcoming both Finland and Sweden to Washington for NATO’s 75th anniversary summit this summer.  (Applause.)

Around the world, we have made great progress.  But ultimately, I do believe none of the gains we have made will be permanent unless we are vigilant.  And let us remember, none of these gains were inevitable.

I ask you: Imagine if America turned our back on Ukraine and abandoned our NATO Allies and abandoned our treaty commitments.  Imagine if we went easy on Putin, let alone encouraged him.

History offers a clue.  If we stand by while an aggressor invades its neighbor with impunity, they will keep going.  And in the case of Putin, that means all of Europe would be threatened. 

If we fail to impose severe consequences on Russia, other authoritarians across the globe would be emboldened, because you see, they will be watching — they are watching and drawing lessons.

History has also shown us: If we only look inward, we cannot defeat threats from outside.  Isolation is not insulation.

In fact, when America has isolated herself, threats have only grown.

I need not remind the people of Europe of a dark history when the forces of tyranny and fascism were on the march, and then America joined our allies in defense of freedom and to safeguard our collective security.

So, I’ll close with this.  In these unsettled times, it is clear: America cannot retreat.  America must stand strong for democracy.  We must stand in defense of international rules and norms, and we must stand with our allies.

That is what represents the ideals of America, and the American people know that is what make us strong.

And make no mistake, the American people will meet this moment, and America will continue to lead.

I thank you very much.  (Applause.)

AMBASSADOR HEUSGEN:  Th- — thank you.  Thank you very much, Madam Vice President, for these strong words, for this strong commitment to NATO. 

And tonight, we will honor, again, one of the strongest Republicans who has been here with the Munich Security Conference for many, many years, John McCain.  I think, if he were to listen — his wife is here — would be very grateful for your bipartisan words. 

We are running late.  So, I have to — afraid I cannot go into a long discussion.  But I want to pick up on the one issue, besides Ukraine, which you have covered very long — on the Israel-Palestine issue. 

From your perspective — you touched briefly on that — what is the long-term vision for the Israelis and Palestine — Palestinians?  And how will they live with each other?  Will it be possible, what we mentioned earlier — also with respect to Rwanda, where there was a genocide — is this possible to come instead of revenge to reconciliation?  How do we get from here to there?  How do we get to where — what you said about two-state solution, living by — side by side?  Is it actually achievable?

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  The short answer is yes, I do believe it is.  But we must then put the discussion in context, starting with October 7. 

On October 7th, Hamas committed a terrorist act that was about slaughtering over 1,200 Israelis, innocent people, many of them young people who were attending a concert.  Women were horribly tortured and raped — rape being used as a tool of war. 

And it is important that we remember what that was and, I will say, understand that Israel then had a right to defend itself.  We would.  We would.  And — (applause) — and how it does so matters. 

We have also been clear that far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed, that Israel must do better to protect innocent civilians. 

We have seen what has been happening in terms of the images that we see on a daily basis of the human suffering and the need for humanitarian aid.  And the President and our administration and I have been very adamant about getting that humanitarian aid in. 

We look at the circumstances of what’s happening: There are tunnels under hospitals and — and what that means in terms of this conflict and — and how it is implemented. 

But ultimately, Christoph, to your point, to get to the day after, hostages need to be released.  We must understand the importance of the principles that should be applied to the day after, including no reoccupation of Gaza, no change of its geographic territory, no return of — of terrorism by Hamas. 

And ultimately, apply certain principles to how the day after will look, including the importance of security for Gaza and the region, both interim and permanent; what must be done in terms of governance for Gaza; and then rebuilding Gaza.

We’ve been very clear that we believe that the PA should be the authority on that, with so- — reform — but that that should take place.  There cannot be, in my opinion, peace and security for that region — for the people of Israel or the Palestinians and the people of Gaza — without a two-state solution.  And we cannot give up on that.  (Applause.)  

But how we get there is going to matter.  And most recently, just this week, actually, I was with the King of Jordan in — in my West Wing office in Washington.  Previously, at the end of last year, I was with a number of Arab leaders in Dubai.  And the work that will happen among nations to help with these ultimate goals will be critically important — critically important. 

AMBASSADOR HEUSGEN:  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Last question. 

After Munich last year, you remember, we discussed about the Global South and how important it is.  You actually traveled to Ghana, to — and we just had the president here, too — Tanzania and Zambia.  What was your impression?  There seems to be a growing transactional mindset.  How do we react to this?  How can we — the U.S. and Europe — win them over?

VICE PRESIDENT HARRIS:  Well, I’m going to challenge the premise of your question.  That for — on behalf of the United States, I will tell you that I believe that we must think differently about the relationship between the United States and the continent of Africa.  And I’m frankly very excited about what is happening on the continent and my trip being further reinforcement of that point.

We look at the — the future of the continent and how it will affect the future of the world: It is indisputable, there will be a direct impact. 

The median age on the continent of Africa is 19.  By 2050, it is estimated that one in four people occupying place on Mother Earth will be on the continent of Africa. 

So, when we think of it in terms of the future, we must see the innovation that is currently happening there and partner with African leaders and nations and change the way we are thinking in a way that it is not about aid, but about partnership; not what we do for the continent, but what we do with the continent and its leaders. 

When I was there, I was in — at Ghana, for example, meeting with a number of business leaders — leaders in the clean energy economy.  Afrobeats and what culture of Africa is doing to impact the world in terms of how it thinks about the arts is profound.  So, the future has to be about partnership and investment. 

To your point about tran- — the transactional issue, certainly, when I was there, the press asked me almost every day: Are you here because of China?  And my answer was, “No, we are here because of the Afri- — the people on the Af- — continent of Africa and what the partnership will mean.” 

And let’s not forget ever the interconnected history between the United States and Africa and what that means in terms of how we should think about the relationship and how we should think about our commitment to the African nations. 

AMBASSADOR HEUSGEN:  Thank you.  Thank you very much for this. 

We have to move on to our next session.  But we have a change in program, and I would like you to stay seated for our next speaker, who will be a bit of a surprise. 

So, thank you very much, Vice President.  (Applause.)

                              END                 3:06 P.M. CEST

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Remarks by National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard: Today’s Strong Recovery Is Laying Solid Foundations for the Future

Thu, 02/15/2024 - 08:45

At the 40th Annual NABE Economic Policy Conference

As Prepared for Delivery

It is a pleasure to join NABE in its annual assessment. It is a good moment to assess our economy’s recovery. There is broad agreement that the strong U.S. recovery has exceeded expectations following the devastation of the pandemic and the Putin price shock to food and energy. Beyond this, there are preliminary indications the recovery is laying strong foundations for the future—with business dynamism, labor force engagement, and key categories of business fixed investment exceeding pre-pandemic trends—catalyzed by President Biden’s historic legislation.

Today’s Recovery

The U.S. economy is healthier today than was forecast just one year ago, stronger than the same stage of previous recoveries, and better on growth and inflation than our peers. There has been a large decline in inflation toward its 2 percent target alongside solid growth and low unemployment. Indeed, headline and core PCE inflation have been around 2 percent for the past half year. Inflation has declined even as growth was around 3 percent over the year, and unemployment remained below 4 percent for 2 years, the longest stretch since the 1960s.
Looking to history, we have never had a year where inflation has declined this fast, alongside robust growth and a stable, low unemployment rate. Remember the Bloomberg headline of October 2022: Forecast for US Recession Within Year Hits 100%? Just one year ago, forecasters simply did not believe inflation could fall by this much without a jump in the unemployment rate.

Rather than necessitating the output and employment costs associated with the Phillips Curve, as some anticipated, the resolution of a perfect storm of supply shocks and other pandemic distortions bears primary responsibility for the rapid decline in inflation. In part, this reflects the Administration’s efforts in partnership with the private sector to fix broken supply chains in areas like ocean shipping, trucking, semiconductors, and at the ports as distortions unwound. As supply chain pressures fell from record highs to pre-pandemic lows, disinflation followed close behind, and the United States experienced both a stronger recovery and faster disinflation than our peers.

Foundations for the Future

More broadly, the U.S. recovery has seen improvements relative to pre-pandemic trends in labor market expansion, business dynamism and key categories of business fixed investment, reflecting the President’s economic plan. These improvements augur well for future potential growth and help lay the foundation for achieving the President’s goal of more durable and broadly shared economic growth over the long-term.

First, business dynamism has risen. There’s a small-business boom taking root across America. Sixteen million business applications have been filed since the President took office, making these the strongest three years on record for new business applications in 20 years. Out of this surge in entrepreneurship, many applications are leading to new businesses hiring workers. That’s especially true for small businesses, which have added an average of 739,000 new jobs each quarter since the President entered office. Women and minority owned businesses have played an important role in this surge as well.

President Biden secured unparalleled support for small businesses and startups through dozens of initiatives, ranging from expanding access to credit and federal procurement to ensuring universal access to high speed internet.

In the decades preceding the pandemic, business dynamism, in particular new business entry and job reallocations, were declining. Prior research drew a connection between this and dampened aggregate productivity growth as the economy shifted toward fewer young, small, and innovative firms. Since the pandemic, new business entrants are increasing, especially outside central business districts, and we are seeing more workers being hired by smaller and new firms. This is a sign of confidence in the economy and, if sustained, could yield returns over the longer term.

Second, the strong labor market recovery has drawn more people into the labor force and led to a substantial reallocation of jobs and workers. In February 2021, as President Biden was taking office, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that unemployment would be at 4.6 percent at the end of 2023. Instead, unemployment has been below 4 percent for two years running, thanks to this Administration’s actions.

Many economists worry about permanent labor market scarring effect associated with deep recessions. It seems likely that this recovery avoided much of the scarring associated with past recessions, as the employment level, labor force participation rate, and level of real GDP are higher now than the CBO projected even before the pandemic, in January 2020.

In addition to supporting a strong labor market recovery through the American Recovery Plan, the Administration’s efforts helped enable labor supply to expand to meet demand. Prime age labor force participation has continuously exceeded its pre-pandemic level since February 2023, just three years after the pandemic downturn began, while it took more than 12 years to reach its prior peak after the global financial crisis.

Administration policies enabled record numbers of people to come back into the labor force—including by providing vital support for child care and other support to household balance sheets. Prime age employment for women was at its highest level on record for much of 2023, reflecting shifts in work patterns coming out of the pandemic as well as the President’s support for child care.

There has been substantial reallocation of jobs and workers—with high rates of job switching leading to stronger real wage growth, new skills, and upgraded opportunities.

While the data is volatile, strong productivity growth over the last year has returned productivity to its pre-pandemic trend after declining earlier in the business cycle. Meanwhile, productivity growth measured as output per worker has outpaced all other G7 economies in this cycle so far.

The combination of inflation coming down alongside a strong job market has led to measurable gains for household balance sheets. This has been the strongest recovery on record for real wage growth in over 50 years with real wages rising a cumulative 3.4% over the business cycle. We have also seen the largest increase in median wealth on record, up 37% from 2019. And, unlike in prior recoveries, households were able to lower credit card and student loan debt payments.

Finally, business investment has been strong. Together, President Biden’s signature legislative achievements—the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—represent the most significant public commitment to investing in America in a generation. Even after President Biden had signed his historic Investing in America laws, professional forecasters projected non-residential fixed investment would stagnate in 2023. Instead, non-residential fixed investment grew by 4.1% in real terms last year, including the largest contribution on record from manufacturing. In fact, inflation-adjusted manufacturing construction spending has more than doubled in the United States, and inflation-adjusted construction of computer, electronic, and electrical manufacturing facilities has increased by more than 1,000% since President Biden took office.

The increase in investment is strong relative to prior economic cycles. Four years after the global financial crisis, businesses investment had not recovered, in contrast with the current cycle, which has seen real businesses investment up by 10% and non-residential fixed investment up by even more. Compared to our G7 peers, U.S. gross private domestic investment has outpaced nearly all other economies.

This is in contrast to the previous administration’s unconditional corporate tax cuts in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017. NABE Surveys found that only 4 percent of businesses said they had redirected hiring and investment to the United States in response to the 2017 TCJA tax cuts, whereas 83 percent of goods-producing businesses reported they had redirected hiring or investment to the United States in response to the IRA, and 16 percent of businesses overall.

There is also preliminary evidence that investment is increasing in communities that have previously been left behind—consistent with the President’s commitment to investing in all of America. For instance, the Treasury Department found that more than 70% of clean energy investments announced since the Inflation Reduction Act are going to communities with below-average median household incomes, college graduation rates, and employment-to-population ratios.

Conclusion

The evidence is increasingly clear that we have achieved a strong, broad-based recovery, while inflation has fallen rapidly towards its 2 percent target. Current improvements in business dynamism, labor force engagement, and investment could lay the foundation for durable, broadly shared economic growth over the longer term. In the President’s words, this is the kind of bottom up, middle out growth that provides working families more breathing room and more opportunity.

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Remarks by President Biden on Senate Passage of the Bipartisan Supplemental Agreement

Tue, 02/13/2024 - 15:45

State Dining Room

2:13 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon.

Q Good afternoon.

THE PRESIDENT: Before we begin, I’m going to make this statement and let it stand on its own. I’m not going to take any questions, but I’ll be taking questions tomorrow or the next day. But I don’t want anything to get in the way of this statement, to be very blunt about it. Not that you wouldn’t just focus on the statement.

Earlier this morning, the United States Senate, as you all know, voted overwhelmingly, by a margin of 70 to 29, to move forward with a bipartisan national security bill.

Now — now it moves to the House, and I urge Speaker Johnson to bring it to the floor immediately — immediately.

There is no question that if the Senate bill was put on the floor in the House of Representatives, it would pass. It would pass. And the Speaker knows that.

So, I call on the Speaker to let the full House speak its mind and not allow a minority of the most extreme voices in the House to block this bill even from being voted on — even from being voted on. This is a critical act for the House to move. It needs to move.

And the bill provides urgent funding for Ukraine so it can keep defending itself against Putin’s vicious, vicious onslaught.

We’ve all seen the terrible stories in recent weeks: Ukrainian soldiers out of artillery shells, Ukrainian units rationing rounds of ammunition to defend themselves, Ukrainian families worried that the next Russian strike will permanently plunge them into darkness or worse.

This bipartisan bill sends a clear message to Ukrainians and to our partners and to our allies around the world: America can be trusted, America can be relied upon, and America stands up for freedom. We stand strong for our allies. We never bow down to anyone, and certainly not to Vladimir Putin. So, let’s get on with this.

Remember, the United States pulled together a coalition of nearly 50 nations to support Ukraine. We unified NATO; we expanded it. We can’t walk away now. That’s what Putin is betting on. He’s ve- — he just flatly said that.

Supporting this bill is standing up to Putin. Opposing it is playing into Putin’s hands.

As I have said before, the stakes in this fight extend far beyond Ukraine. If we don’t stop Putin’s appetite for power and control in Ukraine, he won’t limit himself just to Ukraine and the costs for America and our allies and partners is going to rise.

For Republicans in Congress who think they can oppose funding for Ukraine and not be held accountable: History is watching. History is watching. History is watching. Failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten.

I want to be clear about something, because I know it’s important to the American people: While this bill sends military equipment to Ukraine, it spends the money right here in the United States of America in places like Arizona, where the Patriot missiles are built; and Alabama, where the Javelin missiles are built; and Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Texas, where artillery shells are made.

And the way it works is we supply Ukraine with military equipment from our stockpiles, and then we spend our money replenishing those stockpiles so our military has access to them — stockpiles that are made right here in America by American workers. That not only supports American jobs and American communities, it allows us to invest in maintaining and strengthening our own defense manufacturing capacity.

Look, this bill meets our national security priorities in the Middle East as well. It includes greater support for our troops serving in the region who continue to defend against mili- — militia attacks backed by Iran.

It also provides Israel with the — what it needs to protect its people against a terrorist group like Hamas and Hezbollah and others. And it will provide lifesaving humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, who desperately need food, water, and shelter. They need help.

And finally, this bill includes critical funding for our national security priorities in Asia, because even as we focus on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, we must not take our eye off our national security challenges in the Pacific.

It’s the responsibility of a great nation. And we are a great nation that the rest of the world looks to. And I mean that: The rest of the world looks to us.

The stakes were already high for American security before this bill was passed in the Senate last night. But in recent days, those stakes have risen. And that’s because the former President has set a dangerous and shockingly, frankly, un-American signal to the world.

Just a few days ago, Trump gave an invitation to Putin to invade some of our Ally — NATO Allies. He said if an Ally didn’t spend enough money on defense, he would encourage Russia to, quote, “do whatever the hell they want,” end of quote.

Can you imagine a former President of the United States saying that? The whole world heard it. And the worst thing is he means it.

No other president in our history has ever bowed down to a Russian dictator. Well, let me say this as clearly as I can: I never will.

For God’s sake, it’s dumb, it’s shameful, it’s dangerous, it’s un-American.

When America gives it word, it means something. When we make a commitment, we keep it. And NATO is a sacred commitment.

Donald Trump looks at this as if it’s a burden. When he looks at NATO, he doesn’t see the alliance that protects America and the world. He sees a protection racket.

He doesn’t understand that NATO is built on the fundamental principles of freedom, security, and national sovereignty, because, for Trump, principles never matter. Everything is transactional. He doesn’t understand that the sacred commitment we have given works for us as well.

In fact, I would remind Trump and all those who would walk away from NATO: Article 5 has only been invoked once — just once in our NATO history — and it was done to stand with America after we were attacked on 9/11. We should never forget it.

You know, our adversaries have long sought to create cracks in the Alliance. The greatest hope of all those who wish America harm is for NATO to fall apart. And you can be sure that they all cheered when they heard Donald Trump — when they heard what he said.

I know this: I will not walk away. I can’t imagine any other president walking away. For as long as I’m president, if Putin attacks a NATO Ally, the United States will defend every inch of NATO territory.

Let me close with this. You’ve heard me say this before. Our nation stands at an inflection point — an inflection point in history — where the decisions we make now are going to determine the course of our future for decades to come. This is one of those moments.

And I say to the House members, House Republicans: You’ve got to decide. Are you going to stand up for freedom, or are you going to side with terror and tyranny? Are you going to stand with Ukraine, or are you going to stand with Putin? Will we stand with America or — or with Trump?

Republicans and Democrats in the Senate came together to send a message of unity to the world. It’s time for the House Republicans to do the same thing: to pass this bill immediately, to stand for decency, stand for democracy, to stand up to a so-called leader hellbent on weakening the American security.

And I mean this sincerely: History is watching. History is watching.

In moments like this, we have to remember who we are. We’re the United States of America. The world is looking to us. There is nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. In this case, acting together includes acting with our NATO Allies.

God bless you all. May God protect our Speaker.

And I promise I’ll come back and answer questions later.

Thank you.

2:21 P.M. EST

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Remarks by President Biden and His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan After a Meeting

Mon, 02/12/2024 - 19:21

Cross Hall

4:22 P.M. EST

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Good afternoon.  Let me start by welcoming His Majesty, the King of Jordan.  He’s been a good friend.  Abdullah, welcome back to the White House, man.  Welcome back.  And, by the way, Barack is looking at you in the corner over there.

And along with Qree- — Queen Riana [Rania], who is meeting with Jill now, and the Queen — and the Crown Prince Hussein.  Where — is the Prince out here?  I thought he was coming out.  Any rate. 

We’ve known each other for many years.  And His Majesty has been a good friend all those years, a steadfast partner alongside the Queen, and a beloved leader to their people.  The partnership between the United States and our ally Jordan is strong and it is enduring. 

Today, the King and I discussed with our senior foreign policy staffs what — the issue that’s front and center in the Middle East and well beyond: the war between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas.  Over four months ago, on October the 7th, Hamas attacked Israel in an act of sheer evil, massacring more than 1,200 innocent women, men, and children — the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. 

More than 250 hostages were taken.  A hundred and thirty-four are still being held hostage by Hamas.  We don’t know how many are still alive.  The anguish that their families are enduring week after week, month after month is unimaginable.  And it’s a top priority for the United States to bring them home. 

I’ve made clear the United States shares the goal of seeing Hamas defeated and ensuring long-term security for Israel and its people.

After the October 7th attacks, Hamas retreated back into Gaza, where its leaders live in underground tunnels, stretching for over 100 miles beneath civilian infrastructure, including — including schools, playgrounds, and neighborhoods. 

The past four months, as the war has raged, the Palestinian people have also suffered unimaginable pain and loss.  Too many — too many of the over 27,000 Palestinians killed in this conflict have been innocent civilians and children, including thousands of children.  And hundreds of thousands have no access to food, water, or other basic services.

Many families have lost not just one but many relatives and cannot mourn for them or even bury them because it’s not safe to do so.  It’s heart-breaking. 

Every innocent life [lost] in Gaza is a tragedy, just as every innocent life lost in Israel is a tragedy as well.  We pray for those lives taken — both Israeli and Palestinian — and for the grieving families left behind. 

Not only do we pray for peace, we are actively working for peace, security, and dignity for both the Palestinian people and the Israeli people.  And I’m working on this day and night with the King and others in the region to find the means to bring all these hostages home, to ease the humanitarian crisis, and to end the terror threat and to bring peace to Gaza and Israel — an enduring peace with a two-state solution for two peoples. 

As the King and I discussed today, the United States is working on a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas, which would bring immediate and sustained period of calm into Gaza for at least six weeks, which we could then take the time to build something more enduring.

Over the past month, I’ve had calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, to push this forward.  The key element of the deals are on the table.  There are gaps that remain, but I’ve encouraged Israeli leaders
to keep working to achieve the deal.  The United States will do everything possible to make it happen. 

The King and I also discussed the situation in Rafah.  As I said yesterday, our military operation in Rafah — their — the major military operation in Rafah should not proceed without a credible plan — a credible plan for ensuring the safety and support of more than one million people sheltering there.  Many people there have been displaced — displaced multiple times, fleeing the violence to the north, and now they’re packed into Rafah — exposed and vulnerable.  They need to be protected. 

And we have also been clear from the start: We oppose any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

Today, the King and I also discussed in detail how to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza.  From the very beginning, my team and I have relentlessly worked to get more aid in.  I urged Congress for months to make sure that our nation’s support for Israel and — also includes urgently needed aid for Palestinians.  And I’ve spoken repeatedly with partners across the region, including the King, to help facilitate the flow of such aid into Gaza as much as possible and that will actually get to the people that there — that are — need it.  

We worked to get the Rafah Crossing open.  We worked to get Kerem Shalom open.  And we insist that we remain — it remain open — both remain open.  We’re working to open other routes as well.  And we’re also working relentlessly to make sure aid workers can get the aid where it’s needed once it gets through.

I want to recognize Jordan and the King specifically for all he has done to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, including just a few days ago.  He personally got in a plane and helped conduct an air drop of urgently needed medical supplies into Gaza. 

I understand that two of his children have also joined those air drops.  They helped fly humanitarian supplies in.  And for years, the Queen has been passionate — a passionate advocate for the Palestinian people, particularly women and children.  Your family’s leadership, Your Majesty, and humanitarian commitment are commendable. 

And at the same time, we’re working to create the conditions for a lasting peace, as we talked a lot about upstairs, with the Israeli security guaranteed and Palestinian aspirations for their own state fulfilled.  I say this as a long — lifelong supporter of Israel.  That’s the only path that guarantees Israel’s security for the long term.  To achieve it, the Palestinians must also seize the opportunity. 

As I discussed with the King today, the Palestinian Authority must re- — urgently reform so it can effectively deliver for the Palestinian people in both the West Bank and Gaza.  Once Hamas’s control of Gaza is over, they must prepare to build a state that accepts peace, does not harbor terrorist groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. 

And together, we will keep working to complete what has — what we started: to integrate the region, to bring about peace between Israel and all its Arab neighbors, including a Palestinian state.  That effort was already underway before the October 7th attacks.  It’s even more urgent today. 

No one — no one understands better than our allies and partners in the region, including the King, what we need.  I’m grateful to him for his friendship, including his and Jordan’s unique role — unique role: custodian of the holy sites in Jerusalem. 

We’re grateful for this friendship.  We saw that again just two weeks ago when three brave American servicemembers were killed in an attack at a military outpost in Jordan, close to the Syrian border, by radical militant groups backed by Iran, operating in Syria and Iraq.  Since then, U.S. military forces have struck targets in Iraq and Syria, and our response will continue. 

We’re grateful for our partners and allies like the King who work with us every single day to advance security and stability across the region and beyond.  It’s difficult times like these when the bonds between nations are more important than ever. 

And Jill and I are pleased to welcome him and the Queen and the Crown Prince to the White House today. 

Your Majesty, over to you.

KING ABDULLAH II:  Thank you, sir.

(President Biden moves from one side of the podium to the other.)

Mr. —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I switched sides on you.

KING ABDULLAH II:  Sorry.

Mr. President, thank you for your gracious hospitality accorded to me and my delegation today.

My visit today carries an added meaning as our countries this year mark 75 years of exemplary strategic partnership.  However, we had hoped we would be marking this major milestone during better circumstances in my region and the world.

Unfortunately, one of the most devastating wars in recent history continues to unfold in Gaza as we speak.  Nearly 100,000 people have been killed, injured, or are missing.  The majority are women and children.

We cannot afford an Israeli attack on Rafah.  It is certain to produce another humanitarian catastrophe.  The situation is already unbearable for over a million people who have been pushed into Rafah since the war started.

We cannot stand by and let this continue.  We need a lasting ceasefire now.  This war must end.  We must urgently and immediately work to ensure the sustainable delivery of sufficient aid to Gaza through all possible entry points and mechanisms.  And I thank you, Mr. President, for your support on this.

Restrictions on vital relief aid and medical items are leading to inhumane conditions.  No other U.N. agency can do what UNRWA is doing in helping the people of Gaza through this humanitarian catastrophe.

Its work in other areas of operation — especially in Jordan, where 2.3 million are registered — is also vital.  It is imperative that UNRWA continues to receive the support it needs to carry out its mandate.

The potential threat of Palestinian displacement beyond the borders of Gaza and the West Bank is something we view with extreme concern and cannot be allowed.

At the same time, we must ignore — we must not ignore the situation in the West Bank and in the holy sites in Jerusalem.

Nearly 400 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7th, including almost 100 children, and over 4,000 injured. 

Continued escalations by extremist settlers in the West Bank and Jerusalem’s holy sites and the expansion of illegal settlements will unleash chaos on the entire region.

The vast majority of Muslim worshippers are not being allowed to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque.  Christian churches have also voiced concerns about increasing and unprecedented restrictions and threats.

It is also important to stress that the separation of the West Bank and Gaza cannot be accepted.

Seven decades of occupation, death, and destruction have proven beyond any doubt that there can be no peace without a political horizon. 

Military and security solutions are not the answer.  They can never bring peace.  Civilians on both sides continue to pay for this protracted conflict with their lives.

All attacks against innocent civilians — women and children — including those of October 7th, cannot be accepted by any Muslim, as I have previously stressed.

We must make sure the horrors of the past few months since October 7th are never repeated nor accepted by any human being.

We must together, along with Arab partners and the international community, step up efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and immediately start working to create a political horizon that leads to a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution — an independent, sovereign, and viable Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital but living side by side with Israel in peace and security.  This is the only solution that will guarantee peace and security for the Palestinians and the Israelis, as well as the entire region.

Your leadership, my dear friend, Mr. President, is key to addressing this conflict.  And Jordan is ready to work, as always, with you towards peace. 

Thank you.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you.

4:36 P.M. EST

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Remarks by President Biden at the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference

Mon, 02/12/2024 - 14:15

Washington Hilton Hotel
Washington, D.C.

11:41 A.M. EST
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, hello, hello.

AUDIENCE:  Hello!

THE PRESIDENT:  If you have a seat, take one.  (Laughter.)

Thank you so very, very much.  You know, I want to thank Commissioner McGuire from Ramsey County, Minnesota.  You know, the fact is that it’s an honor to join all of you.  And I want to thank you for how far we’ve come these last three years.  And I want to thank you.

We have more to do, but with your help, we’re making real progress in red counties and blue counties.  I promised to be a president for all Americans — (applause) — whether you voted for me or not.  Well, together — (applause) — no, it’s okay. 

Together, we’re making a big difference bringing this country together and not tearing it apart.

Now, some of you know I started my career as a county councilman.  I — (applause) — I ran for the United States Senate because serving as a local official was too hard.  (Laughter.)  That’s almost true.  (Laughter.)  When folks have a problem, they know where you live, they come knocking on your door. 

Not — not a joke.  I know.

Kidding aside, what you do really matters.  It matters to people’s everyday lives and kitchen-table issues.  You’re answering key questions in people’s lives: Is my neighborhood safe?  Is it going to get better?  Will the bus get me to work on time?  How about the school bus showing up for my kid?  Will my kids have a good future in this hometown?  Are there going to be jobs?
 
That’s what I filled my administration — why I filled my administration with so many who served in county government, starting with Vice President Harris; Tom Perez — the point person in the White House, who wants to join you all permanently, I think — (laughter) — all he does is brag about you; you think I’m kidding, I’m not — (laughter); and others throughout my Cabinet. 

They know what you do.  The measure of success isn’t how partisan — how many partisan points you can score, but can you fix the problem.  It’s really — (applause) — no, it really is basic.  (Applause.)  Democrat and Republican, you fix the problem.

We all share the same belief: We’re here to deliver results for families, for communities, for the country.
 
That’s why I’ve kept my commitment to leave no one behind, to rebuild an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, because if we do that, everybody — everybody does well.

Look at the progress we’ve made together.  And I mean it when I say “we.”
 
I came to office, the pandemic was raging and our economy was reeling.  Counties nationwide faced devastating budget cuts.  But we turned things around.
 
The American Rescue Plan provided $350 billion to state and local governments.  (Applause.)
 
That money put cops on the beat, teachers in the classroom.  Money to keep childcare centers open, families in their homes, small businesses on their feet.  Money directly to every single community in America so all of you — all of you could decide how best to spend your money without having to go through the statehouse or your governor.  (Applause.)  They’re not bad, but you know what you need. 
 
Then we passed the most significant investment in our nation’s infrastructure in generations: roads, bridges, railroads, ports, airports, public transit, clean water, high-speed Internet, and so much more.
 
The American infrastructure plan used to — you know, we used to be the best in the world in infrastructure.  Literally, we were ranked number — ranked number one in the world.  By the time I took office, America was ranked number 13 — had the 13th best infrastructure in the world.
 
How can you have the best economy in the world when you don’t have the best infrastructure in the world?  I don’t know how that works.  (Applause.)

So, today, we’re on our way to leading the world again.  Over 46,000 new projects announced with jobs now, jobs for the next decade in your counties, in your communities.
You know, just like FDR passed the Rural Electrification Act to deliver electricity to nearly every home and farm in America, we’re building affordable high-speed Internet for everyone in America, because the Internet is just as essential today as electricity was then.  (Applause.)

How does your county deal with telemedicine without it?  How do you — I could go down the list.  I’m not going to take your time.  But you know it’s consequential.
 
Last month, I was in Wake County, North Carolina —

AUDIENCE MEMBERS:  Wooo!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Holy mackerel.  (Laughter.)

— where we’re investing $3 billion — (applause) — to connect the entire state to affordable high-speed Internet by the end of the decade.  We’re doing that in all 50 states, where we’ve already saved 23 million families as much as $75 a month on their infrastructure bill — in their — their Internet bills. 

It’s essential for children to do their homework, small businesses to sell their products, folks to have access, as I said, to telemedicine instead of driving long distances to see the doctor.

We’re also replacing every poisonous lead pipe in America so everyone can turn on a faucet and drink clean water — (applause) — and not worry about brain damage for our children.
 
One recent study shows that reducing the lead exposure for children improves students’ test scores as much as reducing class size [by a third] to — from one tenth — for one tenth the cost.  I mean, that’s — that’s a practical impact.  But mainly, no kid should have to turn on a — no parent should have to watch their kid turn on a water fountain and know there’s lead in the pipe and not w- — and worry about what effect on the brain it has.
 
At the same time, we’re making the biggest investment in climate change ever anywhere in the entire world.  (Applause.) 
 
I’ve been with many of you after devastating floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and hurricanes.  We’re going to keep working together to respond, to rebuild, and boost resilience in e- — to extreme weather. 
 
My administration is also helping to install rooftop solar — (applause) — to build a national network of electric-vehicle charging stations. 
 
We’re revitalizing fence-line communities smothered by the legacy of pollution, like where I lived in Claymont. 
 
We’re promoting clean energy and industries of the future, made here in America — made in America. 
 
What I didn’t realize — and I’ve been around — I know I don’t look like it, but I’ve been around a while.  (Laughter.)  I do remember that.  (Laughter and applause.)
 
But, you know, there’s — there’s so much we’re getting done.  I signed the CHIPS and Sci-
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  (Laughter.)
 
I signed the CHIPS and Science Act, which attracted $640 billion in private companies’ investments that are building factories, creating jobs in America again.  (Applause.) 
 
And here’s an example.  America invented the semiconductor.  I may have said it last time I spoke to you.  That little, tiny computer chip about the size of the — my — the tip of my little finger.  Everything from smartphones, dishwashers, automobiles, nuclear weapons, everything — all these things.
 
Over time, we went from producing nearly 40 percent of the world’s chips to less than about 10 percent. 
 
Now semiconductor companies are moving back to America to produce, back to your counties — (applause) — so folks never have to leave their hometowns to get a good job they can raise a family on.
 
And, by the way, you know, they’re building these — what they call “fabs.”  They’re factories.  You know what those — how much those factories pay?  They pay about $110 a year — $110,000 a year.  And guess what?  You don’t need a college degree to have that job.  (Applause.)
 
And all these companies tell me they’re coming back because they have — we have the best workers in the world.
 
When I got on a plane and went to South Korea, they said, “What they hell are you — what the heck are you doing, Joe?”  (Laughter.)
 
I said, “I’m going to try to convince them to invest here.” 
 
Why?  Remember we had that supply chain issues?  We couldn’t get these chips?  Well, guess what?  Samsung came, and I met with the President of South Korea.  And all of a sudden, I asked the leader of the company.  I said, “Why — why would you invest in America?”
 
He said, “You have the best workers in the world, number one.”  (Applause.)  And he also said, “It’s the safest place in the world I can make my investment.”  (Applause.)
 
Given half a chance — (applause).  Think — think about this in practical terms.  Given half a chance, American workers have never, ever, ever, ever let this country down — ever — when they’re given a chance.  Never.  (Applause.)
 
As I started to say, you know, we — we had a — I didn’t realize that there was a provision in the law back in the late ‘30s having to do with whether or not unions can organize and what limits they had and all of that.
 
But there was a provision also in that law.  It said that when a president is given money by the legislature to spend on a federal project, he should hire American workers and build it with American products.
 
Well, guess what?  That’s what we’re doing.  (Applause.)  That’s why things are moving the way they are.  (Applause.)  That’s why we made historic investments. 
 
For example, we’re expanding registered apprenticeships so people can get paid while they’re learning how to — their careers.
 
For example, when I took office, only two states had registered apprenticeships for teachers.  Now more than 30 states have it.  (Applause.)
 
The American Rescue Plan also made one of the biggest investments ever in local public safety.
 
All of you have done a tremendous job putting these resources to work: hiring more officers for accountable, effective community policing; supporting violence intervention programs that help prevent crime in the first place — and they work.
 
Folks don’t — (applause) — folks don’t always hear about it, but the fact is we’re making tremendous progress. 
 
Violent crime rates are falling all across the nation, down nearly in every major category.  (Applause.)  Record declines in homicides. 
 
We also are investing billions in improving mental health services — (applause) — which I know is another major priority. 
 
You know, after we — the fellow who’s running again — well, I — (laughter).  (The President makes the sign of the cross.)  (Laughter and applause.)  After he did no- — he did not move on making sure that we dealt with vaccinating the American public, we ended up losing over a million people dead — a million people.  A million. 
 
And the studies show that for every one of those who died, there are 8 to 10 significant others who are left behind — brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers — sitting down at a kitchen table with an empty chair.
 
Folks, my top priority to me is to a- — that’s why I asked Dr. — the Sur- — Dr. Vivek Murthy — Admiral Murthy to be the Surgeon General, because — to make mental health a national priority.
 
We’re expanding community clinics, mobile unit clinics, working to treat causes of addiction while cracking down on deadly fentanyl trafficking.

Folks, we’ve spent months working on a bipartisan border bill that included the most humane, fair reforms to our immigration system ever.  It also included the toughest set of reforms to secure the border ever.
 
It was a win for the American people and a win for your counties.  But some of my extreme Republican friends — and, by the way, this is not your father’s Republican party.  I don’t mean to take — I’m not taking on all Republicans.  I really mean it.  The MAGA Republicans — a minority but a pr- — powerful minority — they went out and they killed the deal.  My predecessor said he didn’t like it, it was a loss for him.
 
We have to end the political games, folks.

Who we work for — (applause) — we work for the American people, and I’m going to continue making the case to them, the American people.  (Applause.)
 
Folks, in all, my Investing in America agenda has ignited a manufacturing boom, a clean-energy boom, a jobs boom.  We’re investing in all of America — urban, suburban, rural, Tribal communities.
 
And it’s clear we have the strongest economy in the world: nearly 15 million new jobs since I came to office.  (Applause.)  The longest stretch of unemployment under 4 percent in 50 years.  Growth is strong.  Rages are r- — wages are rising.  Inflation is down.
 
In fact, the costs have fallen from everything from a gallon of gas to a gallon of milk.  We know prices are still too high because of what I call “greedflation” and “shrinkflation.”  I’m calling on corporations to pass their savings on to consumers, for God sake.
 
We’re making real progress.  (Applause.)
 
A recent Washington Post headline summed it up, quote — this is the headline of the Post — “Falling inflation and rising growth give the U.S. the world’s best recovery.”  “The world’s best recovery.”  It’s because you implemented what we did.  (Applause.)  You made it work. 
 
And folks are starting to feel it.  We got a way to go yet.  Consumer sentiment surged 29 percent in the last two months, the biggest jump in 30 years. 
 
Americans have filled a record 16 — filed for a record 16 million new business applications since I came to office, and every one of those applications is a sign of hope.  We’re just getting started, folks.  We’ve got to keep moving.  We have to defend our democracy. 
 
To all — to all the county-elected workers in America — elector- — election workers, thank you.  I never thought I’d have to say this to anybody.  But thank you for your physical courage.  Thank you for your courage and your service to your community.

The idea that I ever thought — (applause) — the idea that I ever thought I’d be standing before over 1,000 county officials and having to thank somebody for being an election worker because they’re putting their life at risk — something’s wrong, folks.  We got to change this.  We got to change the attitude in this country.

Let me close with this.  These past few years, I’ve talked to folks all across America in their communities, at their kitchen tables.  They often tell me how, back in 2020, they were down.  They’d lost their business.  They’d lost faith.
 
But then the laws we passed and the work you did to make them work began to bring them back on their feet, creating new jobs, new businesses, a new cycle of hope.
 
That’s why when we see folks — when you see shovels in the ground, people going to work, I hope you feel the pride in what you’ve done — pride in your hometowns making a comeback, pride in America, pride in knowing we can get big things done when we work together.
 
That’s America — (applause) — working together.  That’s what you do.  And that’s why I’ve never been more optimistic about our nation’s future. 
 
We just have to remember who in God’s name we are.  We’re the United States of America.  There is nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we work together.  (Applause.)
 
So, God bless you all.  And may God protect our — but let’s keep going.  We got more to do.

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

One more thing I forgot.  I forgot to mention New Castle County, Delaware.  Where are all my five —

AUDIENCE MEMBERS:  Wooo —

THE PRESIDENT:  Come on.  Stand up.  Where are — over there.  God love you.  (Laughter.)

Hey, I said they know where you live.  All right.  Thank you.  (Laughter.)  Appreciate it.  (Applause.)
 
11:58 A.M. EST    

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Remarks by President Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany Before Bilateral Meeting

Fri, 02/09/2024 - 17:58

Oval Office

3:12 P.M. EST

PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, welcome back, Olaf. Thank you very much for making the effort to be here.

And, you know, it was about two years ago you and I met here, and you said the United States and Germany have to act together and — and do what’s necessary together. And we’ve been doing that. We got to continue to do it.

And, you know, Congress — we have to pass a national security spending package now. Our House members are being somewhat reluctant — and hopefully, it’s more politics than real, but — including funding for Ukraine and to help them continue to be able to defend themselves against the brutal aggression of Russia.

But I want to thank you, Olaf, for your leadership from the very beginning. And you’ve done something no one thought could get done: You’ve doubled Germany’s military aid to Ukraine this year. And it’s really important. We got to step up and do our part now.

Today, we’ll also discuss the work to — just that we’re going to be doing together to strengthen NATO ahead of the 75th NATO Summit this summer here. So, you got to come back.

And also, the latest developments in the Middle East, including hostage release — we have negotiations going on; increase in lifesaving humanitarian assistance to ci- — to civilians in Gaza — in the Gaza Strip; and preserve the space for an enduring peace for a two-state solution down the road. I think it’s possible. It’s going to take a lot of work, but I think we can do it.

So, Olaf, thank you very, very much for being here. We got a lot to talk about.

And the floor is yours, man.

CHANCELLOR SCHOLZ: Yeah, thank you for having me and for having the chance to continue our conv- — conversations we have continuously all the time.

And, yes, Germany and the United States have to play a role to keep peace in the world. This is especially so looking at the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which is still ongoing. And when we saw this ridiculous interview Putin gave shortly, we understand that he is always telling a lot of lies about the history of this war, because it’s so easy to understand why he’s doing it. He wants to get the part of the territory of its neighbors. Just imperialist — imperialism. And I think it is necessary that we do all our best to support Ukraine and to give them the chance to defend their country.

And so, I’m very happy that in Europe we made, now, decisions to give the necessary financial support to the budget, also that Germany was ready to increase its support with weapon delivery.

And hopefully, the —

PRESIDENT BIDEN: (Holds up crossed fingers.)

CHANCELLOR SCHOLZ: — Congress will — the House will follow you and make a decision on giving the necessary support, because without the support of United States and without the support of the European states, Ukraine will have not a chance to defend its own country.

I really think that it’s very good that we are working together looking at the situation in the Middle East and especially working on the two-state solution, which is necessary for a lasting peace. And I’m sure that the United States and Germany are aligned intensely.

PRESIDENT BIDEN: We are. We are.

But I — especially want to — I’d like to add another point: The failure of the United States Congress, if it occurs, not to support Ukraine is close to criminal neglect. It is outrageous.

Kissinger was right when he said: Not since Napoleon has Europe not looked over its shoulder and worried about Russia — until now.

You and I helped put NATO together in a way it hadn’t been a long time. So much is at stake, so they better step up.

Thank you all very much.

(Cross-talk.)

Thank you. Thank you.

3:16 P.M. EST

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Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Gathering of Community Violence Intervention Leaders

Fri, 02/09/2024 - 17:32

Indian Treaty Room
Eisenhower Executive Office Building

12:41 P.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Good afternoon.  (Applause.)

Dr. Chico!  (Applause.)  Really.  Really.

Please have a seat.  Please have a seat. 

Good afternoon, everyone.

AUDIENCE MEMBERS:  Good afternoon.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, Dr. Chico and I were talking in the back about — last time I saw you was during the holidays.  You came to my house —

MR. TILLMON:  Yes.  (Laughter.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — talking about this and about what we’re going to do to follow through on our commitments to the community —

MR. TILLMON:  Yes, ma’am.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — to each other, and to our country, right? 

Because the work of community work and, in particular, violence intervention, is about investing in the community, understanding our capacity, understanding the greatness, and then being motivated with that knowledge to do what we can to reduce harm, but not for the sake only of reducing harm but in- — investing in the potential and the greatness.  That is the essence of this work. 

I want to thank the governor of Maryland, Governor Moore —  (applause) — for his leadership.  Wes Moore and I have had so many conversations about this work, and I know he’s going to replicate this in a big old way in Maryland and — and put everybody to shame in terms of showing what states can do when you have people at the top who understand, again, the capacity and the brilliance that is in the community.  And it just takes the resources to support the good work to make it real. 

So, I thank everybody who is here for all that you have done and, in particular, the graduates.  Where are the graduates?  There we are, right here.  (Applause.)  The inaugural class — the inaugural class.  Look at this. 

So, this is, I — I would say, an historic day —

AUDIENCE MEMBERS:  Yes.

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — because these role models, being the inaugural class to graduate, are going to now be the ones who can show folks how it gets done. 

You know, the thing about being a role model — it’s a room full of role models, right? — people watch what you do, to say, “Okay, that’s how you achieve success.  And if that’s being done there, I’m inspired by their life story and how they did it, and I’m going to do the same thing, because now what people perhaps had never seen before can be seen to know what’s possible.” 

But the brilliance of this inaugural class and its leaders is the ability to see what can be unburdened by what has been and then to make it real — and now to make it real in a way that it will be replicated around our country. 

So, I congratulate everyone here and the graduates for all you have put into this and all you do.  It’s hard work. 

And I think some people really underestimate the hard work that comes with caring about folks.  It’s easy to look away, to overlook, to think about other things instead of the things that are difficult to think about. 

It takes a very special person to, with clear eyes, see the pain in other people, to see the need in other people, and then to take it as your life’s work to do something that is about healing and uplifting the condition and the spirit of other people. 

And I’ll say that, you know, Governor, you and I have talked about this.  I think there’s a certain perversion that has taken place over the last few years in our country that would suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down instead of what we know, which is that the true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.  That the characteristic of real leaders is the character that has some level of curiosity, concern, and care about the suffering of other people, and then takes it upon themselves, as part of their life’s work and mission, to uplift the condition of other people. 

And that’s how — who you are.  And that’s how you do what you do in a way that is going to inspire so many people. 

The spirit behind this work is also the spirit of understanding the significance of a principle I grew up with called self-determination.  Self-determination, which we all have and should value in each other. 

And — and, Doctor, you talked about redemption, which is an age-old concept that transcends religions.  But the notion and the idea that, look, everybody is going to make a mistake.  For some, that might rise to the level of being a crime, but is it not the sign of a civil society that we allow people a way back and to embrace them and join together as a community of people. 

All of that is the spirit behind this work.  It is the spirit of understanding that — and I say this as a former prosecutor — that when we are dealing with violence in the community, understand there are an extraordinary number of factors that have nothing to do with who an individual is that will help you predict whether violence will occur in a community or not: Are those public schools well-funded?  What is the level of homeownership in the community?  Access to capital for small businesses, access to healthcare, access to mental healthcare that is also culturally competent.  (Applause.) 

What is happening in that community to support young parents, knowing all young parents have a natural desire to parent their children well but not necessarily the skills or resources, but when given that support, they do it beautifully? 

And see, this is the other thing about this work that I love because it is understanding that we must see people through the complexity of everybody’s life.  We all live a multifaceted existence.  And so, it’s about intervention in a way that we understand the full dimension of who people are.  And we respect it, and we understand it. 

All of that is the spirit that is behind the work that you all are committed to doing.  And, again, I say, it takes a very special person to truly see other people — to truly see them — and to say to them, and have the courage to be able to do it, “I see you.”  It takes a very special person.

And so, for all of those reasons, I congratulate the graduates.  We are here because we also know that when it comes to gun violence, we’ve got a lot of work to do. 

And — and it is about everything from what happens in this town — I’m pointing to the direction of what I believe is the Capitol — (laughter) — and what needs to happen in terms of people, who otherwise have evidenced themselves being — having a feckless quality, to show some courage to reject the false notion that suggests you’re either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone’s guns away, when, in fact, it’s just reasonable.  I support the Second Amendment, but it’s reasonable to say we need an assault weapons ban.  (Applause.)  It’s reasonable to say we need universal background checks, that we need red flag laws. 

It’s reasonable to say that if you want to deal with violence in the community, you also got — got to understand it’s not only about mass shooting situations, which are horrific.  And it’s about everyday gun violence.  It’s about understanding that any life lost is a life too many. 

It’s about understanding what we all know: that one of the residual effects of the violence that we witness and see and that the community experiences is an extraordinary level of trauma, which is inherited — not genetically, but it is inherited.  And unless there is significant intervention that includes putting the resources into diagnosis and treatment, that the trauma will continue to be inherited and perpetuate itself in behaviors that are often unproductive.

It is about understanding, if we are to deal with the effects and the cause of violence, we need to consider the fact that — look, there is the piece of it that also is about what we need to do to acknowledge pain.  And underlying that point, it’s kind of normal that most people don’t like to feel pain.  And they’re either going to figure out a way to relieve themselves of feeling that pain through productive or unproductive vehicles.

And that, again, is the point of emphasizing, in this work, the mental health component, which is part of the model that you all are modeling for the rest of the country. 

So, I say all of that to say that I see leaders from law enforcement who are here — Charlie Beck — who have understood — (applause) — that if we want safe communities, all of these issues must be addressed. 

I — I again want to thank Dr. Chico because it’s about then having the leaders who can pull together the coalition of all the folks who are here to actually make this real.

And so, all of that to say it is my great honor to address, to recognize, and to congratulate the inaugural class of this most extraordinary initiative. 

Congratulations, everyone.  (Applause.) 

Congratulations.  Come take a picture with me!  Come on.

(A group picture is taken with the Community Violence Intervention Leaders.)

Okay. 

Q    Vice President Harris, as a former prosecutor, do you think the special counsel’s report is fair?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I’m glad you asked.  Listen, I have been privileged and proud to serve as Vice President of the United States with Joe Biden as President of the United States.  And what I saw of that report last night, I believe, is — as a former prosecutor, the comments that were made by that prosecutor: gratuitous, inaccurate, and inappropriate. 

October 7th, Israel experienced a horrific attack.  And I will tell you, we got the calls, the President and myself, in the hours after that occurred.  It was an intense moment for the Commander-in-Chief of the United States of America.  And I was in almost every meeting with the President in the hours and days that followed. 

Countless hours with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the heads of our intelligence community — and the President was in front of and on top of it all, asking questions and requiring that America’s military and intelligence community and diplomatic community would figure out and know: How many people were dead?  How many are Americans?  How many hostages?  Is the situation stable?

He was in front of it all, coordinating and directing leaders who are in charge of America’s national security — not to mention our allies around the globe — for days, and up until now, months. 

So, the way that the President’s demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts and, clearly, politically motivated — gratuitous. 

And so, I will say that when it comes to the role and responsibility of a prosecutor in a situation like that, we should expect that there would be a higher level of integrity than what we saw. 

Thank you.  Thank you for the question.  (Applause.)

END                 12:54 P.M. EST

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Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Reception | New York, NY

Fri, 02/09/2024 - 14:59

Private Residence
New York, New York

(February 7, 2024)

5:51 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Your son may not remember this, but one of the greatest honors I’ve had in my life — for real — is that every year at the end of the season of the — of the interns — excuse me, the pages coming in, they vote who their favorite senator was. I got voted five years in a row. (Laughter and applause.) So, I was campaigning.

I got to the Senate floor not much older than — than my Senate page. The fact of the matter is that some of —

(The President addresses an audience member.) Uh oh, I’m in trouble. You’re really here. I’m teasing. (Laughter.)

But any rate, what happened was that I got — I got there, and I was 29 years old. I wasn’t old enough to be sworn in when I first got elected. And I came with a real mandate. Nixon won my state with over 64 percent of the vote, and I won by 3,100 votes against a guy who had never lost an election. And everyone keeps telling — and from that point on, everybody would say, “What’s the — what’s the secret? What did you do?”

I said th- — I only can figure out one, at least in my state, and that is that you got to figure out what’s worth losing over — what’s worth losing over and be willing to lose rather than give.

And, folks, look, one of the things that — Maureen and Steve, thanks for hosting us tonight. And I know it’s not easy. The Secret Service have been living here for 12 months. (Laughter.) But — and all you’ve done for the Democratic Party over the years.

Look — and thanks to all of you for your support.

The fact is that, you know, this is an unusual time in American history. And a lot of you — I look out in the room — are students of American history and have impacted on it not in insignificant ways. And — but there’s a lot at stake.

Every time I attend — I’ve had the honor of being vice president of the United States with Barack. And one of the reasons he asked me to do that job was because of my background in foreign policy, and I had traveled the world doing a lot of things, doing issues that were pertinent at the time.

And it’s — it’s interesting to me that the rest of the world is looking at what we’re doing in a way that I’ve never observed. Now, I know I don’t look it, but I’m over 40. (Laughter.) And I’ve been doing this a long time. But the last — whether it was the G20 or the G7 or whatever I’ve attended, I’ve spent over — I think they’ve keeping — they’re keeping the record in the — in the Intelligence Committee — I mean, intelligence service. I think I’ve done over 194 hours with just other heads of state — dealing with them. I mean, that’s all putting NATO together, making sure that we had some coherence of what we were doing.

And it’s interesting to hear — the first meeting I attended as president of the United States, it was in Great Britain with the G7 — in — in England. And I — I showed up, and we were all sitting — it was a bea- — beautiful setting overlooking the water. And — and I sat down, and I said, “Well, America is back.” And Macron looked at me and said, ”For how long? For how long?” Not a joke. This is a fact.

And with that — excuse me — Helmut Kohl said, “Joe, what — what would you think if you picked up the phone — if you picked up the paper tomorrow and learned in the London Times in the front page that a thousand people stormed the Parliament, broke down the doors of the House of Commons, killed two bobbies, and, in the process, ended up trying to stop the — the election of a prime minister?”

And I thought about that. And I mean this sincerely. Think about it: what we would think if another country — not nearly as powerful as us, if they were engaged in that activity.

And so, I think, you know, I start with the simplest message: From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for — you’re the reason I’m president of the United States of America. Because you are the opinionmakers. You’re not just contributors. I appreciate that very much, and it makes me competitive. But you’re opinionmakers. And the fact that so many of you would be willing to support me is — makes a big difference to me. It makes a big difference to my standing in the community at large.

And you’re the reason Kamala Harris is the first historic president — vice president of the United States of America. You’re the reason Donald Trump is a former president. And — and you’re the reason we’re going to make him a loser again, God willing.

But in 2020, I ran because I thought this country wa- — and everything it stood for, everything that we stand for as a country, was at stake. Some of you may remember, I made a speech at the — at the — when I was in Philadelphia at Independence Hall about democracy was at stake. And the press — they’re good folks, but they played it like, “What the hell is he talking about? The — what do you mean democracy is at stake?”

Well, folks, that’s exactly what I believed then and I still believe now. What’s happening is that the American people thought democracy was at stake. The intelligentsia wasn’t so sure about it. But the American people thought it.

What happened was — remember, we weren’t supposed to win in 2020. We weren’t supposed to be able to put this together. We won. And then in 2022, there was — a great red wave was going to come. Remember? Going to wipe all the Democrats out. We had the best turnout of any interim president — in the interim — interim president of any president except one in the last century. We hardly lost anything. And then, in 2024 — 2023, we won every contested race out there.

So, my point is the public is changing too. And they’re wondering where we’re going to go. They’re worried. They’re worried. And those of you who are in the — in the media business know that, you know, people — there’s no editors anymore. The idea that you have someone saying, “You can’t print that; it’s not true” — the idea, it just doesn’t exist. I’m not being critical of the press. They’re in a tough spot. They’re in a tough spot.

And I’m not saying they’re for me or against me. But the fact of the matter is it’s hard to determine where you go to get your news. People seem to pick the news they want to hear rather than the news they want to get or what’s, in fact, true or what’s, in fact, more in — more in contention.

And so, one of the things that I’ve tried to do was to just be straight up with people as to why I did what I wanted — what I said I would try to do. We got the Recovery Act done. The Recovery Act was consequential. It had — how can you be the leading nation in a world when your infrastructure is ranked 18 in the world? How does that happen? How does that happen? It doesn’t happen. It doesn’t happen.

How do you get to the point where you’re able to put together an economy when major elements of that economy are out of sync with what’s happening in the world? I remember I’ve — we — we invented that computer chip, which is essential for almost everything now — beyond weapons, but from telephones to television to automobiles.

So, I got in the plane and I went to South Korea. And I sat down with (inaudible) and I — and Samsung, and they agreed to put about $100 billion into moving their chips factory to the United States.

New York State is going to benefit incredibly well up in — from the Syracuse area up to the (inaudible).

But — but the point is — what I’m saying is that people came and invested because they still believe in us. The rest of the world believes in us. And they think we can do — I asked why they’re investing in the United States to the chairman of the board of Samsung. He said, “Two reasons: one, because you have the best workers in the world, and, two, you have the — you, the United States, are the safest place we can invest.”

And so, we got over $50 billion being invested. It’s going to change your state, by the way, in the north in a big way.

But I made a commitment that I was going to be President for everyone — not just red states or blue states but everyone. A significant number of — of the facilities that are being built now, of the 800,000 manufacturing jobs we created are in red states.

I love it when you have people like that blonde-haired woman from — anyway — (laughter) — talking about how she — how — what dangerous things I’ve done but wanted to be there for the groundbreaking of two events that were affecting her state. I told her I’d see her at the groundbreaking.

But my generic point is that the thing that’s changed the most as it relates to my career and — 36 years in the Senate and 8 years as vice president before 3 years as president — is that I’ve never seen — and I — look, I go back to Jesse Helms. I go back to, you know, folks that were the old segregationists — the reason — one of the reasons why I ran in the first place. Jim — James O. Eastland talked at me like this every time he’d see me. (Pronounced in a Southern accent.) I was on his committee.

And the fact is that, you know, they were tough. But we still, after we fought like hell — Teddy Kennedy and Eastland would rip into each other on the floor and then go have lunch together in the Senate dining room. They didn’t change their views, but they were — there was this — there was a sense of — as strange as it sounds — civility. I mean, Strom Thurmond asked me to do his eulogy.

I asked my grandfather, “Is it okay, Pop?” You know? (Laughter.) Seriously. There were thousands of people who showed up for his eulogy in the — in the state of South Carolina. And, you know, Strom Thurmond, for example, by the end of his career, had more African Americans on his staff than any senator, including Teddy Kennedy.

Events change people when they get exposed. Not — not everybody, but it takes time. I’m not making a case for Strom Thurmond.

But the generic point is there was a — there was something that — that we actually spoke to one another. We actually — and as much as we disagreed. And we didn’t engage in, as a practical matter, going against something that we thought was good for the country because it was going to help someone of the opposite party. I’m sure it happened. But I don’t recall. Nothing comes to mind immediately in the 36 years I was a senator. And I was chairman of Judiciary Committee and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and served longer than all, I think, but nine people.

And so, the point is things have changed drastically. I was asked why —

I’m going stand for — in front of this, if I — (the President walks away from the podium.)

I was asked why I — I was asked early on (inaudible). And one of the things that changed (inaudible) so much time in my career that the opposition is — everything is personal. And when I ran in 2020, I said I was running to restore the soul of the country. I meant it. (Inaudible) a sense of decency. That’s the way we treat each other.

Look at what’s going on. Look at what this other guy is saying, the things he says. These kids — a young man was killed in Iowa and the schoolteacher was killed — a principal. And he said — when asked the question — just “get over it” — we’ve just got to “get over it.”

You know, I’m glad I wasn’t around when he was in France and asked to go up to the American cemetery. My son had just died. And he spent a year in Iraq and his hooch was near a burn pit —

(The President is handed a handheld microphone.)

— and his hooch was near a burn pit. And he came home and he had glioblastoma, and he died. And Trump looked at — now, I wasn’t there. But Trump said and publicly stated it — that “I don’t want to go up there”; a bunch of “losers” and “suckers.”

I mean, look, this is — this is more than — it’s not a political criticism. It’s a character criticism of the things we’re doing. And so, I’m not — and, by the way, all the talk about — like, look what’s happened now. They love the fact that they think they have a great id- — a great issue on immigration to beat Biden — immigration.

The first bill I introduced when I got — became president was to reform the immigration system — the first one. They wouldn’t touch it. And so, we came along this time and Lankford, who they really threw the man o- — the man overboard, but they negotiated all through the entire vacation, all through — I mean, they just went straight through — weekends. And they finally reached an agreement.

And it didn’t have everything I wanted in it. It didn’t have DREAMers in it; didn’t have a lot of things. But I was confident if we got it done, we could then get more done. But the point of it was that you think about what happened because they thought — because Trump decided that it was something that — that would help me and hurt him take — take away an issue.

So, what did he do? And you guys know this — many of you, as well as I do because you know a lot of people in the Congress and the Senate. He got on the phone around the clock calling people saying, “If you do this, I’ll — there’ll be retribution. It will be a problem.” And they backed off. Every one of them backed off. I mean, come on. Come on.

And the fact is — anyway. The point I’m making is that this is not politics as usual. This is not your father’s Republican Party. This is a different breed of cat. And I think it’s dangerous. I think it’s dangerous.

I think it’s dangerous to be us- — be engaged in this kind of politics, because it ends up doing nothing but just dragging us all to the bottom. It doesn’t do anything to upl- — uplift anybody.

And I’m not going to go on with other things. You — you understand who he is. So, it’s not that I’m so good, but you have to have somebody to beat somebody. And where I am is that — they say, “Well, isn’t Biden too old?” Hell, I’m only 40 times 2. (Laughter.)

But all kidding aside, you know, one of the things that age does for you is it gives you a little bit of wisdom. I’ve been around for every president since Nixon. And I’ve been — I’ve been with every major world leader since then. I’ve known them. And so, we haven’t done badly.

We’ve not only got the — and dealing with the environment. Well, they told me not to try it. Well, we got $316 — $368 billion for the environment. We got a trillion 300 billion dollars for infrastructure. Like I said, how in God’s name can we lead the world and have a second-rate infrastructure? Not a joke. Think — I mean, I’m being literal. Think about it.

So, my generic point is this: that there is room — there is room to, in fact, be able to get things done. And I think we demonstrated — I think we got a lot done that no one thought was possible to get done. Granted, we didn’t have a lot of Republican help. But some of it, we did. Some of it, we did. We got enough.

And I think it’s important that we — we get back to some degree of normalcy in terms of what constitutes political — what’s politically acceptable. You know, I sit in that little dining room where he sat off my Oval — off the Oval Office, where he sat for four hours watching what was going up on the Hill. The idea that he wouldn’t stand up and say a thing — name me a president who has encouraged or condoned political violence — political violence. I mean, internally, in the United States, since — since Lincoln’s day. Name me one.

And so, it just — it’s sending a message around the world where people are wondering, “What has become of the United States? Where are we? Where are we going? What’s going to happen?” And like I said, one of the things that — that I find — how can I say it? — I find strange is that the United States — and I’ve been doing this a long time — the United States is viewed — and Madeleine Albright was right: We are the essential nation. We really are.

I’ll ask you this — I’ll ask a rhetorical question. The United States steps out of events, what — what happens? What ha- — what happens in Middle East? What happens with regard to the Pacific — the — the Taiwan Strait? What happens in Asia, generally? What happens with Ukraine?

The idea that Ukraine — you know, there’s 365,000 Russian soldiers killed or wou- — or significantly wounded. He’s on the balls of his heels. And what are we doing? Stepping back? Stepping back? I mean, I don’t know what —

I’ll conclude with this point, and then I’ll be happy — when the press leaves, I’ll take questions. I know you don’t want — that wasn’t part of the plan, but I’m happy to.

One of the things that — I guess the best way to say it is: If you think about what it is that is going to affect events around the world, and because this is getting to be a pretty small world — a pretty small world, man — what — what is it?

And one of the things before when I — and you and I, I think, talked about this, Phil, a little while ago, when I was thinking of running last time. If you think about why — why is it important?

I was going to write a book on the impact of technology on — on American policy. Because you go all the way back to — go back to Gutenberg and the printing press, Europe would be a very different place if he didn’t invent that printing press. Not — not — not a joke; in a literal sense. I could just go down the list.

And what happened was that event occurred down in Virginia where those guys all showed up with Nazi swastikas and torches and were in the woods and the fields. A lot of them came out of the fields with these torches and carrying Nazi banners, singing the same antisemitic bile that was sung back in the ‘30s in Germany. Literally, not figuratively. And a young woman was killed. I talked to her mom.

And the President then was asked, “What do you think?” He said, “There’s some very good people on both sides.” When has a president ever said anything like that — including Strom Thurmond? When the hell has that ever happened? That’s not who we are. But you travel the world, all of you, the rest of the world is wondering who we are, wondering where we’re going.

And I think the United States — we have the dubious responsibility of being the ones who can order the world the best at this point. And I don’t mean dictate. I mean, at least set — make sure there are certain standards that we — can be relied upon.

Well, anyway, why — why don’t I thank the press for their participation — (laughter) — and then I’ll take questions, if that’s okay. I know I wasn’t supposed to do this. I was supposed to mingle. But maybe — I’d like to know what’s on your mind or what you think — what mistakes you think I’m making, what you think I should be doing, what you think I shouldn’t be doing.

Is that okay, boss?

6:11 P.M. EST

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Remarks by President Biden at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference | Leesburg, VA

Fri, 02/09/2024 - 14:57

Lansdowne Resort
Leesburg, Virginia

(February 8, 2024)

4:13 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello. (Applause.) It’s good to be with you all. Steny.

Please, thank you. If I were smart, I should leave now. (Applause.)

Thank you all so very, very much.

I don’t see her, but I see — I hear my buddy Nancy Pelosi is here. Are you here, Nance? Nancy, thank you. I love you. I love you, really, truly. (Applause.)

And I see Steny Hoyer is here. Steny has been living in the western shore of Delaware for a long time. (Laughter.) Good to see you, Steny.

And is Jim Clyburn here? Well, if Jim is here, he’s one of the reasons why I’m standing here. I want to thank him. (Applause.)

Hakeem and Katherine and Pete, thank you to all of you — to all of you.

Let me say a few things before I get started with our discussion.

First — I’m not going to be very long, I promise. First, the Special Counsel released their findings today about their look into my handling of classified documents. I was pleased to see they reached a conclusion I believed and knew all along they would: that there are — no charges should be brought in this case. (Applause.)

As many of you know, this was an exhaustive investigation going back literally more than 40 years — 40 years — when I became a United States senator when I was a kid. (Laughter.) I was a kid — 29 years old. (Laughs.)

Special Counsel acknowledged I cooperated completely, I did not throw up any roadblocks, I sought no delays. In fact, I was so determined to give Special Counsel what they needed, I went forward with a five-hour in-person interview over the two days of October the 9th — 8th and 9th last year, even though Israel had just been attacked by Hamas on the 7th. I was in the middle of handling an international crisis.

But I was especially pleased to see the Special Counsel make clear the stark differences between this case and Donald Trump. As the Special Counsel wrote, and I quote, “Several material distinctions between Mr. Trump’s case and Mr. Biden’s are clear.” And, by the way, this is a Republican counsel. “Most notably, after given multiple chances” — this is a continuation of the quote — “he returned classified documents and avoided — to avoid — and avoided prosecution. Mr. Trump allegedly did the opposite.”

This is to — continuing to quote, “According to the indictment, he has not only refused to return documents for many months, he also obstructed justice by enlisting others to destroy evidence and then lie about it. In contrast, Mr. Biden turned in classified documents to the National Archives, the Department of Justice; consented to a search of multiple locations, including his homes; and sat for a voluntary interview; and in other ways cooperated with the investigation.” That’s the distinction, among others. (Applause.)

The bottom line is the Special Counsel, in my case, decided against moving forward with any charges, and this matter is now closed. (Applause.)

I’ll continue to do what I’ve always done: stay focused on my job, like you do — my job of being President. That means going to work with all of you every single day I can. Thank you for being great partners.

Just this week, House Democrats showed how united you are. You defeated Mayorkas impeachment resolution. You — (applause) — and I had no doubt he’d get out of his hospital bed and come in and vote. No, I’m not joking. I talked to him a little bit. Not — after, not before. (Laughter.)

You defeated the Is- — Israel-only — the Israeli-only supplemental. (Applause.) They weren’t easy votes for you, but all of you all came through in a big way. All of this just shows that when we’re united, we can beat House Republicans and their cynical political games. (Applause.)

And you’ve been incredible partners that have delivered historic results for the American people. I’ve traveled to many of your districts. I see the results on how you came through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history.

Hakeem just mentioned many of those accomplishments: vaccinating America, rebuilding America, bringing prices down, and delivering every day for everyday Americans.

A recent Washington Post headline — never thought I’d see this for a Democrat — says, “Falling Inflation and Rising Growth Give United States the World’s Best Recovery,” end of quote. (Applause.) Because of you. No, I mean it. I may have some good ideas, but you got it done.

But I’d like to use my time to talk about the future — you know, what it means to finish the job in my perspec- — from my perspective.

We’ve made progress making the biggest corporations begin to pay — only begin to pay their fair share. We got — we were able to keep everything in place when the Republicans kept changing the deals we made about spending and the like, right? Remember those — those days?

Well, with a minimum corp- — remember those 50 corporations that didn’t pay a penny in taxes, made $40 billion? Well, guess what? They’re paying a corporate tax of 15 percent. And we’re able to keep everything paid for, and we still cut the deficit. We help — we helped pay for historic investments and reduced the federal deficit. But we’re not done.

Trump’s $2 trillion tax cut overwhelming benefitted the super-wealthy and biggest corporations, and exploded the deficit. And it’s coming up pretty soon for a decision of what we’re going to do. He already said he wants to not only keep it but increase it.

Finishing the job means getting the Trump tax cut clo- — gutting the Trump tax cuts, closing the loophole for billionaire minimum tax.

You know, we went from 750 billionaires in America before the pandemic to 1,000 now. You know what the average tax they pay is — in federal tax? 8.3 percent. Billionaire — those thousand. 8.3 percent. That’s less than a teacher or a firefighter, and I could go down the list.

I promised a billionaire minimum tax of 25 percent. If we did that, it would raise $440 billion. (Applause.) Twenty five percent. Four hundred and forty billion dollars to pay for childcare, eldercare, and so much more, and reduce the deficit.

You know, we’re also planning for a long-term effort to — I think we have to deal with the tax structure in a way. I mean, I — I — no matter where I go, whether I was speaking at the Business Roundtable — whoever I’m speaking to, I say, “Raise your hand if you think the present tax system is fair.”

No, I’m not jo- — think — think about in — in practical terms. Is it fair? Is it remotely fair?

“Finish the job” means beating Big Pharma again to lower prescription costs for everybody. (Applause.) And, by the way, you know, when my Republican friends were taking us on on that, it not only lowers — you talked about dealing with insulin: 35 bucks a month. Saved the — saved the individual a lot of money. But guess what? It saves the taxpayers $160 billion — (applause) — reduced the debt by $160 billion, what we did — what you all did to Pharma. I mean it.

I mean, we — the things we’re doing not only help people, but they’re reducing the deficit under good economic policy because Medicare doesn’t have to pay those exorbitant prices.

We’ve got to finish the job, meaning it’s $35 insulin not just for the — on M- — Medicare, but like we oligally [originally] had and they wouldn’t continue it: $35 insulin for everybody — everybody, all Americans. (Applause.)

Lower drug prices for dozens of other prescriptions — we got that into the law. It’s coming up. And getting even more Americans health insurance by protecting and expanding the Affordable Health Care Act. You — you guys have done this.

We’ve got to — “finish the job” means making housing more affordable, more accessible. It means protecting and strengthening the Social Security system and Medicare.

Republicans want to put it on the chopping block. Remember the last State of the Union, when I — we talked about what their —

PARTICIPANT: Yes.

THE PRESIDENT: Bless me, Father. (Laughter.)

And “finishing the job” means protecting fundamental freedoms: passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act finally — (applause) — and making Roe v. Wer — Ward [Wade] the law of the land — the law of the land.

It means beating the NRA again, banning assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, which we did before.

“Finish the job” means continuing our fight to save the planet with the most aggressive action on climate ever in the history of the Amer- — of the world.

With every new bridge, every new factory, every new high-speed rail, Internet, with every poisonous lead pipe removed, I see something else happening now and in the future: Pride is returning.

When I said — when I — we pushed all these programs, I said I’m going to be a president for everybody, whether you live in a red or a green [blue] state. I know it drives some of you crazy that we — a lot of these things are happening in red states, but the Americans need help.

You know, some of your more interesting colleagues go out and hold press conferences of the things they said was a “disaster” and was “almost immoral.” What’s that blonde-haired woman’s name? Anyway. (Laughter.) She’s talking about all that’s going in her district. (Laughs.) Oh, God. Anyway. (Laughter.)

Look, what happened with a lot of people — and particularly in the — in the near-Midwest, in the Midwest, and the Northwest — is that, you know, for years and years you could go by the factory that employed 800, 1,000, 1,200 people — Mom had worked there, Dad had worked there, Grandpop, Grandma — and they had pride in what they did.

And all of a sudden, corporate America decided — and it really did over the last 10 years — decided, “You know, I’d rather take my factory, move it overseas because the labor is cheaper, and then import the product.”

Well, not anymore. Not anymore.

Guess what, folks? There’s a provision in the law that says — that I didn’t even know it existed until I — about eight years ago — and that is when — they had legislation in the ’30s dealing with the issue of whether or not labor unions had a right to organize, what protections they had, et cetera.

There was a provision in the law that even Democratic presidents didn’t even know about or pay much attention to. It said any money you appropriate — that Congress appropriates and it goes to the President of the United States for a public purpose, that president should hire an American worker and American companies to do it. (Applause.) Really.

Well, we’re investing in America. That’s what you’re doing. We’re investing in America. We’re bringing back pride to communities, pride in our country.

And so, I want to thank you for doing the job you were elected to do. It matters to the American people, and it’s — we’re in a position to win in 2024, I think. (Applause.)

That brings me to the second point. We have to make the contrast, the choice crystal clear — through [though] our friends on the other side make it easy for us.

Time and again, Republicans show they’re a party of chaos and disunion. This is not your father’s Republican Party. They shout about a problem but then do nothing to solve the problem.

The bottom line is Republicans have to decide: Who do they serve? This is — I’m not — this is not hyperbole. Who do they serve: Donald Trump or the American people?

You have worked so hard — a bipartisan group — so hard for so long to deal with the border and all the other issues we have in that — in that appropriation. And guess what? Donald Trump allegedly — I can’t prove this; I’m told — called people and said, “If you support that, I’m coming after you.” Not his — not — I don’t know what the exact words were, but “I’m coming after you.”

Are they here to solve a problem or just to weaponize for political attacks those problems?

I know our answer. We’re here to serve the American people. That’s not — it’s not like we — we’re here, we’re Democrats (inaudible).

That’s the job: serve the American people. We have to make that clear. If we do, we win.

Just look at 2020. We weren’t supposed to do well. Remember? We won in spite of a lot (inaudible). (Applause.)

2022: The red wave was coming. And guess what? It crashed up on a rock. (Laughter.) In 2023, every close race, we won.

When voters have a choice between what we stand for and what Trump and the MAGA Republicans stand for, we win. (Applause.) Which makes Trump and his MAGA friends losers. (Laughter.)

When we win, we have to do it the old-fashioned politics way. We have to get out the vote — an aggressive grassroot operation to get folks registered and get out the vote.

And here’s the final point I want to make. I can’t take anything for granted — we can’t. In 2020, we ran — I ran because I thought everything this country stood for, everything we believed in, everything that made America “America” was at risk. And I believed that, and I spoke to that.

And I was — I think people thought I was being hyperbolic at the time. “Joe, what do you mean our democracy is at risk?” Seriously. Remember, I made that sp- — you may not, but I made a speech at Independence Hall in the beginning. “What do you mean we’re in a battle for the soul of America?”

Well, people don’t say that anymore. They know the stakes are higher than ever.

We’ve made more progress in three years, because of you, than most presidents have in eight years. But it can all be wiped out in this election. So, we have to stay focused on what we have to do.

We must — we must keep the White House. We must keep the Senate. And we must take back the House — (applause) — with all of you sworn in again and Hakeem Jeffries your Speaker of the House. (Applause.)

And when we do that, we’ll be able to look back and say something few generations can say: The American democracy was at risk, and you saved it. (Applause.)

Look, we just have to remember who in the hell we are. We’re the United States of America. (Applause.) I mean it. There is nothing beyond our capacity when we work together.

So, God bless you all. And thank you for all you do.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

4:28 P.M. EST

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Remarks by President Biden

Thu, 02/08/2024 - 22:00

Diplomatic Reception Room

7:59 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hey, everybody.

Q    Good evening.

Q    Good evening, Mr. President.

THE PRESIDENT:  Let me say a few things before I take your questions.

As you know, the special counsel released its findings today about their look into my handling of classified documents.  I was pleased to see he reached a firm conclusion that no charges should be brought against me in this case.

This was an exhaustive investigation going back more than 40 years — even into the 1970s, when I was still a new United States senator.

The special counsel that acknowledged I cooperated completely, I did not throw up any roadblocks, I sought no delays.  In fact, I was so determined to give the special counsel what he needed, I went forward with a five-hour in-person — five-hour in-person interview over two days on October the 8th and 9th of last year, even though Israel had just been attacked by Hamas on the 7th and I was very occupied.  It was in the middle of handling an international crisis. 

I was especially pleased to see special counsel make clear the stark distinction and difference between this case and Mr. Trump’s case.  The special counsel wrote, and I quote, “Several material distinctions between Mr. Trump’s case and Mr. Biden’s are clear.” 

Continuing to quote, “Most notably, after given multiple chances to return classified documents to avoid prosecution, Mr. Trump allegedly did the opposite.  According to the indictment, he not only refused to return the documents for many months, he also obstructed justice by enlisting others to destroy evidence and then to lie about it.”

“In contrast,” it went on to say, “Mr. Biden turned in classified documents to the National Archives and the Department of Justice; consented to the search of multiple locations, including his home; sat for a voluntary interview; and in other ways cooperated with the investigation,” end of quote.

I’ve seen the headlines since the report was released about my willful retention of documents.  This — these assertions are not only misleading, they’re just plain wrong.

On page 215 — if you had a chance — I know it’s a long — it’s a thick document.  On page 215, the report of the special counsel found the exact opposite.

  Here’s what he wrote: “There is, in fact, a shortage of evidence” that I willfully retained classified materials related to Afghanistan.

On page 12, the special counsel also wrote for another documents, “The decision to decline criminal charges was straightforward… the evidence suggests that Mr. Biden
did not willfully retain these documents.”  The evidence said I did not willfully retain these documents.

In addition, I know there’s some attention paid to some language in the report about my recollection of events.  There’s even a reference that I don’t remember when my son died.  How in the hell dare he raise that.

Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself it wasn’t any of their damn business. 

Let me tell you something.  Some of you have commented — I wear, since the day he died, every single day, the rosary he got from our Lady of —

Every Memorial Day, we hold a service remembering him, attended by friends and family and the people who loved him.  I don’t need anyone — I don’t need anyone to remind me when he passed away or if he passed away.

The simple truth is I sat for five hours of interviews over two days of events, going back 40 years.  At the same time, I was managing an international crisis. 

Their task was to make a decision about whether to move forward with charges in this case.  That was their decision to make.  That’s the counsel’s decision to make.  That’s his job. And they decided not to move forward.

For any extraneous commentary, they don’t know what they’re talking about.  It has no place in this report.

The bottom line is: The matter is now closed.  And we can continue what I have always focused on: my job of being President of the United States of America.

I thank you, and I’ll take some questions.

Q    President Biden, something the special counsel said in his report is that one of the reasons you were not charged is because, in his description, you are a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”

THE PRESIDENT:  I am well-meaning, and I’m an elderly man, and I know what the hell I’m doing.  I’ve been President.  I put this country back on its feet.  I don’t need his recommendation.  That’s totally un- —

Q    How bad is your memory?  And can you continue as President?

THE PRESIDENT:  My memory is so bad, I let you speak.  That’s the —

Q    Do you —

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s what —

Q    Do you feel your memory has gotten worse, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  Now, look, my memory has not gotten — my memory is fine.  My memory — take a look at what I’ve done since I’ve become President.  None of you thought I could pass any of the things I got passed.  How did that happen? 

You know, I guess I just forgot what was going on. 

Q    Mr. President — Mr. President —

Q    Should voters have concerns about your age?  How are you going to assuage them?  And do you fear that this report is only going to fuel further their concerns about your age (inaudible)?

THE PRESIDENT:  Only by some of you.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Mr. President, you were — you were cleared of criminal liability today, but do you take responsibility for at least being careless with classified material?

THE PRESIDENT:  I take responsibility for not having seen exactly what my staff was doing.  That — goes in and points out things that appeared in my garage, things that came out of my home, things that were moved were moved not by me but my staff — but my staff.  And —

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Mr. President, why did you share classified information with your ghostwriter?

Q    Mr. President, for months when you were asked about your age, you would respond with the words “Watch me.”

THE PRESIDENT:  Watch me.

Q    Many American people have been watching, and they have expressed concerns about your age.  They —

THE PRESIDENT:  That is your judgement.

Q    They —

THE PRESIDENT:  That is your judgement.

Q    This is according to public polling.

THE PRESIDENT:  That is not the judgement —

Q    They express concerns —

THE PRESIDENT:  — of the press.

Q    They express concerns about your mental acuity.  They say that you are too old. 

Mr. President, in December, you told me that you believe there are many other Democrats who could defeat Donald Trump.  So, why does it have to be you now?  Why — what is your answer to that question?

THE PRESIDENT:  Because I’m the most qualified person in this country to be President of the United States and finish the job I started.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Do you believe that —

Q    Mr. President, why are you confusing the names of world leaders?

Q    Mr. President, why did you share classified information with your ghostwriter?

THE PRESIDENT:  I did not share classified information.  I did not share it.

Q    With your ghostwriter?

THE PRESIDENT:  With my ghostwriter, I did not.  Guarantee you, I did not.  What the —

Q    But the special counsel said that —

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, no, they did not say that. 

Q    Okay.

THE PRESIDENT:  He did not say that.

Q    But, Mr. President —

THE PRESIDENT:  No, let — let me answer your question.  The fact of the matter is what I didn’t want repeated — I didn’t want him to know, and I didn’t read it to him — was I had written a long memorandum to President Obama why we should not be in this — in Afghanistan.  And I was of the — multiple pages. 

And so, what I was referring to — I said “classified” — I should have said it was — should be private because it was a contact between a president and a vice president as to what was going on.  That’s what he was referring to.  It was not classified information in that document.  That was not classified.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Mr. President —

(Cross-talk.)

Q    I — okay, all right.  He called on me.

When you look back at this incident, is there anything you would do differently now?  And do you think that a special prosecutor should have been appointed in the first place in both of these cases?

THE PRESIDENT:  First of all, what I would have done is oversee the transfer of the material that was in my office — in my offices.  I should have done that.  If I had to go back — and I didn’t have the responsibility to do that.  That was — my staff was supposed to do that, and they referenced that in the report. 

And my staff did not do it in the way that — for example, I didn’t know how half the boxes got in my garage until I found out staff gathered them up, put them together, and took them to the garage in my home.  And all the stuff that was in my home was in filing cabinets that were either locked or able to be locked.  It was in my house.  It wasn’t out in — like in Mar-a-Lago, in a public place where —

And none of it was high classified.  Didn’t have any of that red stuff on it — you know what I mean? — around the corners.  None of that.

And so, I wish I had paid more attention to how the documents were being moved and where.  I thought they were being moved to the Archives.  I thought all of it was being moved.  That’s what I thought. 

Now, what was the last part of your question?

Q    Whether a special counselor should have been appointed in this case and in the case of your rival, President — former President Trump.

THE PRESIDENT:  I think a special counsel should have been appointed.  And the reason I think a special counsel should have been appointed is because I did not want to be in a position that they looked at Trump and weren’t going to look at me, just like they looked at the vice president.

And the fact is they made a firm conclusion: I did not break the law.  Period.

Thank you all very, very much.  Thank you.  Thank you.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    A question on Israel, sir.  Can you provide an update on the hostage negotiations?  The hostage negotiations — can you provide an update of the hostage negotiations in Israel?

THE PRESIDENT:  The hostage negotiation, look — 

I’m of the view, as you know, that the conduct of the response in Gaza — in the Gaza Strip has been over the top.  I think that — as you know, initially, the President of Mexico [Egypt], El-Sisi, did not want to open up the gate to allow humanitarian material to get in.  I talked to him.  I convinced him to open the gate.

I talked to Bibi to open the gate on the Israeli side.  I’ve been pushing really hard — really hard to get humanitarian assistance into Gaza.  There are a lot of innocent people who are starving, a lot of innocent people who are in trouble and dying, and it’s got to stop, number one.

Number two, I was also in the position that I’m the guy that made the case that we have to do much more to increase the amount of material going in, including fuel, including other items.  I’ve been on the phone with the Qataris, I’ve been on the phone with the Egyptians, I’ve been on the phone with the Saudis to get as much aid as we possibly can into Gaza.

There are innocent people — innocent women and children — who are also in bad — badly in need of help.  And so, that’s what we’re pushing right now. 

And I’m pushing very hard now to deal with this hostage ceasefire.  Because, as I — you know, I’ve been working tirelessly in this deal — how can I say this without revealing? — to lead to a sustained pause in the fighting in — the actions taking place in — in the Gaza Strip. 

And — because I think if we can get the delay for that — the initial delay, I think that we would be able to extend that so that we can increase the prospect that this fighting in Gaza changes. 

There’s also negotiations — you may recall, in the very beginning, right after — right before Hamas attacked, I was in contact with the Saudis and others to work out a deal where they would recognize Israel’s right to exist, let them — make them part of the Middle East, recognize them fully, in return for certain things that the United States would commit to do. 

And the commitment to — that we were proposing to do related to two — to two items.  I’m not going to go in detail.  But one of them was to deal with the protection against their arch enemy to the northwest — northeast, I should say.  The second one, by providing ammunition and materiel for them to defend themselves.

Coincidentally, that’s the timeframe when this broke out.  I have no proof for what I’m about to say, but it’s not unreasonable to suspect that the — Hamas understood what was about to take place and wanted to break it up before it happened.

Thank you.

8:11 P.M. EST

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Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Reception | New York, NY

Thu, 02/08/2024 - 12:26


Private Residence
New York, New York
(February 7, 2024)

2:38 P.M. EST
 
THE PRESIDENT:  He doesn’t want to admit it, but we go back a long way. 
 
MR. LINDEN:  It’s true. 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  And I — it’s means a lot to me.
 
MR. LINDEN:  It means a lot to me, sir. 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, look, this is pretty informal, but the fact of the matter is — I — I think the key word — and I want to thank Kathleen and Dana for all you guys are — all three of you are doing.
 
Look, I look around the room — and some of you have been with me and I’ve been with you for a long time.  And you’ve educated me.  You know, I started off back in 1972 as a 29-year-old kid.  I know I don’t look that old, but — (laughter). 
 
But I was a 29-year-old kid, and we had big problems in terms of the environment.  And people wonder why in God’s name was I talking about the environment.  I mean it sincerely. 
 
And — I’m just going to just walk out here.  Can you all hear me if I’m standing out here?
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Yes.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Okay. 
 
Well, what I — what I realized was that I — when we moved from Scranton, Pennsylvania — a coalmining town — because coal died.  Although my dad wasn’t in the coal business, but that’s — he worked as a salesperson.  And he moved back to where he was raised as a kid: Wilmington, Delaware.  Actually, we were in a place called Claymont, Delaware, which was steel town at the time — 4,500 — it was Worth Steel. 
 
And — and it also — it was right on the border, if you know anything about Delaware, there’s an arch that goes up into Pennsylvania and around the Delaware River.  And that corner where the arch meets the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, there are more oil refineries when I was growing up than there were in Houston. 
 
And the prevailing winds — literally not figuratively, literally — are southwest — I mean southeast.  And so, I grew up, like a lot of other of my friends — we moved there when I was in third grade — suffered from bronchial asthma. 
 
And we had one of the worst environmental records of any state in the nation.  We were — we were listed for a long time as having the worst environment where we — period — in terms of exposure to carcinogenic substances.
 
And — and I — I just couldn’t understand how — like, I’d get in the car — I didn’t plan on saying this, so I apologize I’m taking longer.  But I — I’d get in the car in the morning — we lived in a place called the Philadelphia Pike, which was a four-lane access highway from Wilmington, Delaware, to Philadelphia.  And we lived not far from — we lived not far from a little school I went to, probably the equivalent of a — maybe three quarters of a mile.  And you could walk up the Pike, but it was too dangerous.  My mother didn’t want third and fourth graders — or fir- — a first and third grader, I mean — walking up to the school we went to.  So, she’d drive up in the morning, drop us in the parking lot. 
 
And two things always impressed me.  And I mean this sincerely, and then I’ll stop.  When the first frost came and she turned on the windshield wiper, there would literally be an oil slick on the window.  Not a joke.  We were one of those fence-line communities.  You all are familiar with them in the environmental community.  An oil slick.
 
And a lot of us — a lot of my buddies, a lot of my friends ended up with various lung diseases in the case of many of us.  I don’t know many of my friends who didn’t have bronchial asthma, because of it.
 
But my generic point is this: You know, what you’re doing is changing the world.  What you’re doing.  Not me.  What you’re doing.  You’re the economic, political, and philosophic engine of this change. 
 
There is only one existential threat we face in this world, and that’s the environment.  I mean, it literally is the existential threat.  It’s even more consequential than nuclear power, nuclear war.  That would be horrible and awful and it would just make the environment incredibly worse.  But it’s about the environment. 
 
And so many of you didn’t have to do — none of you had to do what you’ve done.  You’ve taken your — your intellect, you’ve taken your fortunes, you’ve taken your — your interests, and you’ve — and you’ve inspired a lot of people.  I’m not joking about this now when I say this.
 
Twenty years ago, it was a — we couldn’t fill this room this way — although you all were working on it 20 years ago, but it just wasn’t there. 
 
And I’ve — if I hear one more — I used to hear at the beginning when I was running this time out when I was vice president that there’s no environmental problems. 
 
Well, as I traveled — as vice president, I traveled the nation for every major forest fire.  More — more timber has burned to the ground than, in fact — as a consequence of what has happened in the environment — than — than makes up the entire state of Maryland, the square f- — square footage. 
 
I don’t hear many people, even in the business community, saying, “Well, we don’t have a problem with the environment.  We don’t have a problem.”
 
And even when I go around the world, the world is looking to us.  I’ve known every major world leader — because of my job, not because I’m so important — because I’ve just been — I’ve done foreign policy issues.  I was chairman of Foreign Relations Committee for years as well as — that’s why Barack asked me to be vice president: on the foreign policy side. 
 
And so, I literally know every major world leader, every — every — almost every major world leader.  And the major ones, I do know.  And they’re looking to us.  They’re looking to us, both to maintain their energy needs and deal with the environment.  They’re not — they’re not one and the same. 
 
But that’s — so, it’s amazing to me how much the rest of the world looks to us, to the United States, for everything — not to Joe Biden, to the United States of America — because the rest of the world is in a very — in a — in a piece — in a moment of transition like we haven’t seen.  We see it once every six or seven generations. 
 
And there’s a transition going on based on the changes — incredible technological changes that are taking place in the world.
 
And so, I just want to thank you for not only dealing with the environment but for helping us manage our international relations in ways that we — we have been unable to do.   And it’s going to get harder before it gets easier, but it still matters. 
 
Second point I’d like to make, and then I’ll shush up and take your questions.  Second thing I’d like to say is that one of the things that — how can I say this?  One of the things that I think matters is that, all of a sudden — and I mean it in a historical sense, “all of the sudden” — the rest of your colleagues around the — around the country understand what you’ve been doing.  They don’t like it, maybe, but they understand.
 
And I — you know, I — I don’t get any phone calls from DuPont company anymore what we’re doing.  I don’t get — I mean, it’s a realization. 
 
And two things that we’ve done — we, all of us — number one, some of you were upset when I — and I don’t blame you — when I announced in 2020 and I didn’t lay out my detailed plan on the environment until I first talked to labor — not because I needed labor, because I want labor to understand: When I think environmental protection, I think jobs, I think opportunity, I think change. 
 
And you saw what happened when I was able to convince the IBEW to join on.  I’ve become most pro-union, pro-environmental president in (inaudible) history — both, at the same time. 
 
If you had told me or you — I told you 10 years ago that organized labor and the environment would be one and the same and they were going to be on the same page, I think we all would have looked like we were crazy. 
 
But I invited all the major labor unions to the West Wing, to the — excuse me — the yard behind it — the White House.  And they realized that their future lies in being able to have the jobs that are going to produce these fundamental changes that are taking place — everything from the use of hydrogen to — I mean, a whole — and, by the way, even when you guys got started, did you think that cement was a great polluter?  You did.  I didn’t.  I didn’t know that.  I didn’t know that. 
 
So, it’s just you’ve — you’ve provided an opportunity for the public to get educated in a way that it wasn’t before.  And I thank you for that.  I really do. 
 
And I’m flattered that you’d be willing to stick with me, because I’ve made some pretty tough decisions that made a lot of people mad on the environment.  But I think they’re beginning to figure it out. 
 
But our — last comment.  When I got elected when I was 29 years old — and I come from a modest background.  We weren’t poor, but I come from a modest background: a three-bedroom home in — 45 houses — 45 houses — they’re split-levels homes that were in suburbia being built and — with four kids and a grandpop living in a three-bedroom home with us. 
 
So, we weren’t poor, but we were — we were — we were — we had figure out how to get to college, how to borrow money.  My dad was good man. 
 
And the interesting thing is that it took a while for me to figure out that I’m not a big trickle-down guy.  I just want you to be aware, because that does relate to the environment as well.  But the idea of trickle-down economics, not a whole lot trickled onto to my dad’s kitchen table.  He was a very well-read man and never got to go to college.  He got to go to Johns Hopkins but went — World War Two occurred, and he never went.
 
But he’d always say, “You’re going to be a college man, Joe.”  (Laughter.)  And I said, “What the hell difference does that make?” I said, “Dad, they could still get fired as a college man.”  And he said, “But they can’t take your degree away.” 
 
But my — my whole point is that it was a matter of giving people an opportunity.  So, I want to — I want to tell you, because you probably get heat sometimes — (inaudible) the economy overall — is I think the way to grow the economy is from the middle out and the bottom up.  The wealthy still do very well, and we ven- — invest in America. 
 
And one of the things that allowed me to do some of the things you wanted me to do in the environment is there’s a provision in the law that I was unaware of — and I’ve been around a long time — that passed when Roosevelt was President, relating to unions.  The issue was: Are unions legit?  Can they be organized?  Can they be protected, et cetera?
 
It’s a provision that no Democrat or Republican president paid much attention to.  It said that when the President is given money as a consequence of the Congress passing money — passing legislation to build something, do something, he should hire an American and he should invest with American products.
 
That’s one of the reasons why we’re growing.  And that’s one of the reasons why a couple of you were talking about the unions you work with and how they’ve becoming supportive. 
 
Well, all of a sudden, people are realizing — you know, electric vehicles — well, that’s 550,000 charging stations.  That’s a lot of jobs.  It’s a lot of savings of the environment.  So, across the board, I think we’re in the right direction. 
 
And I’ll end by saying there is one existential threat, and it’s Donald Trump.  It’s not about me; it’s about Trump.  He will try to do — undo everything we’ve done.  Make no mistake about it.  Many of you know him better than I do.  But he will try.  
 
And you think that won’t happen, do you see what’s happening today in the United States House of Representatives, the United States Congress?  I — I tell you, I’ve been around — as I said, I served in the Congress for 36 years.  Never thought I’d see something like I’m seeing now. 
 
And even people already who signed up — everything from the environmental issues straight through to the border and (inaudible) — they’re walking away at the last minute because Donald Trump called them and threatened them — threatened retribution if they stick with their position.
 
So, that’s why I’m running, because we cannot let that happen. 
 
We’re on — I’m optimistic, and I think we’re on the verge of some real change because of you. 
 
So, I’m going to hush up and answer questions.  (Applause.)
 
2:50 P.M. EST

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Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Reception | New York, NY

Wed, 02/07/2024 - 22:00

Mandarin Oriental Hotel
New York, New York

4:43 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Whoa.  I have never been with so many doctors — medical doctors, Gov — (laughter) — since I was four months in a hospital.  (Laughter.)  God love you all. 

Well, please sit, sit, sit, sit, sit, sit.

I — let me start off: Ramon, for that — thank you for that introduction.  And, Henry — Henry Muñoz, my old buddy, thank you for all you’ve done for me for a long, long time.  (Applause.) 

And, Governor Hochul, if there wasn’t that barrier between us, I’d ask you to come up on this stage with me, because you are an incredible governor.  I mean it.  (Applause.)  You are an incredible governor.

You know why I care so much about her?  I mean this sincerely.  She has absolute total integrity — integrity.  She does what she — she says what she does, and she does what she says.  And she’s an incredible leader.  Gov, thank you very, very much.  (Applause.)

And that guy sitting on the end, Meeks, he and I spent a lot of time on foreign policy when he was chair.  He’s going to be — we’re going to get you back as chairman again, man.  (Applause.)  Thank you. 

Well, you know, the — a lot of you don’t have seats, huh?  So, I’ll cut this in half.  (Laughter.)

Folks, look, the — the fact is that there’s been — you’ve all been great champions of change and democracy in this country.  I’ll start with the simplest message: Thank you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

You are literally the reason I’m President of the United States.  You’re the reason Kamala Harris is a historic first Vice President of (inaudible).  You’re the reason Donald Trump is a defeated former President.  (Applause.)  And you’re the reason we’ll make Donald Trump a loser again.  (Applause.)

In 2020, I ran because I thought everything this country stood for, everything we believed in, everything that made America “America” was at risk.  We’re a diverse country.  We’re unique in all the world.  And I mean it sincerely.  (Coughs.)  Excuse me.  Unique in the sense that every other country is a consequence of ethnicity, religion — a common denominator. 

In the United States, though, we’re the only country built on an idea.  The idea is that we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, endow- — that’s — that’s our — that’s what makes us different.  It’s an idea — an idea we’ve never fully lived up to, but we’ve never walked away from. 

You know, people thought I was being hyperbolic when I said, when I ran, that our democracy was at risk in 2020.  They’d say, “What do you mean that we’re in a battle for the soul of America?”  Well, people don’t say that anymore.

Just think of the mess Donald Trump left this country in.  The pandemic was raging.  The economy was reeling.  Look how far we’ve come. 

I said when I got elected I was going to make — have an administration that looked like America — a representation that reflected who we are.  We have more women and people of color in my administration than any other administration in American history.  We have more people in Cabinet positions — (coughs).  Excuse me.  I swallowed a cough drop.  (Laughter.)  It’s rea- — as you can see, it’s really helping me.  (Laughter.)

But we vaccinated America to get the pan- — through the pandemic.  And at the time, a lot of us said — and many of you docs said — we’re just going to — we’re not sure what price we’re going to have to pay for that pandemic, because a lot of people were in trouble. 

The effect of that pandemic: over a million people dead — over a million people dead.  The data and statistics we’ve worked up is for every one person who died, there are 8 to 10 people who have lost them — meaning mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, husband, wife.  They get up every morning and look at that empty chair.

We’re only now beginning to — that’s why I picked a psychiatrist, a guy name Vivek Murthy to be the Surgeon General, because we’re going to need a lot of help, and a lot of our kids need help too.

But here’s the deal.  Like — because of people like you, I got support to do the things we had to do.  We’ve got a lot more to do.

We created nearly 15 million new jobs, more than any president ever has in three years.  Latino small businesses are starting up at the fastest rate in over a decade. 

We sent checks, as a consequence of the first bill we passed, of $1,400 to put in people’s pockets who were in trouble.  On top of that, $300 checks per child per family per month for hardworking families with limited income.  That’s thousands of dollars in people’s pockets to get them through a real crisis.

We cut Latino child poverty by 43 percent — by 43 percent.  (Applause.)

We know — we know we have more to do, but inflation is now lower in America than any other major economy in the world — in the entire world.  And in recent weeks, we’re seeing real evidence that American consumers are feeling real confidence in their economy beginning to build again.  It’s just beginning to sink in.

A recent Washington Post headline, quote, was “Falling inflation and rising growth give the United States the world’s best recovery.”

And let me tell you who else is noticing: Donald Trump.  (Laughter.)  He recently said, “When there’s a crash…” — I can’t imagine a former President running again looking for a crash — “When there’s a crash, I hope it’s soon — hope it’s in the next couple of months.”  Because — it’s unbelievable, but that’s what he said.  How can anyone, especially a former President, wish for an economic crash that would devastate millions of people?

But here’s what he really means.  Donald Trump knows the economy we’re building is strong and getting stronger, particularly for people who have been left behind.  And he knows that while it’s good for America, it’s bad for him politically.

Trump also said — he’s the one president he said he didn’t want to be.  He didn’t want to be Herbert Hoover.  But I got bad news for him.  It’s too late.  (Laughter.) 

There are only two presidents in American history who left office with fewer jobs than when they came into office: Herbert Hoover — yes, Donald “Herbert Hoover” Trump.  (Laughter.)

But that’s not all.  Months ago, I instructed my team to begin negotiations with a bipartisan group of senators — Democrats and Republicans — to finally fix our immigration system so it’s fair and controllable.  The result was a bipartisan agreement that represents the most fair, humane reforms to our immigration system in a long time. 

The first bill I introduced as a senator was to fix the immigration system.  The very first thing — and I said — and I said “senator” — as President — as President, I introduced.  It would make the country safer, make our border more secure, but treat people fairly, ensure legal immigration consistent with our values as a nation and our international obligations.  But Senate Republicans have blocked it now.

Just months ago, Republicans were asking for this exact same bill.  They were asking for the exact same bill.  And now they’re saying, “Never mind.  No, we don’t want it.”  Why?  Because Donald Trump thinks it’s bad for him politically. 

Seriously, that’s what he’s saying.  He’s on the phone two nights ago calling every sen- — every House member he could to vote “no” — and senator.  He’d rather weaponize the issue than actually solve it. 

So, now Republicans have to decide: Who do they serve –Donald Trump or the American people?  Are there — are they here to solve problems or just to weaponize the problems for political attacks? 

I know my answer, like yours.  We’re here to serve the American people.  We’re here to solve problems. 

Every day between now and November, the American people are going to know that the only reason the border isn’t secure and we don’t have access for DREAMers to become citizens and all the rest that I want to do is Donald Trump and the Republican Party.  And that’s not hyperbole.  They just flat out made it clear.

They all changed — I can’t imag- — standing up and saying they’re for this, working through holidays to get it done, busting their necks.  And then when Donald Trump calls them, they back off, Gov.  They’ve actually — after saying things even 24 hours earlier, how critical this was, they back off.

Folks, I promised when I got elected that I’d finally be able to — with the help of my colleague from New York here — beat big pharmaceutical companies.  I think everybody should be able to make a decent profit.  But guess what?  They charge exorbitant prices.  They charge more for prescription drugs in America than anywhere else in the world. 

If you have a prescription, I can — get on Air Force One with me.  I can take you to London, and you’ll get it for 40 to 60 percent less than it — the same prescription, same pharmaceutical company.  I can take you to Berlin, I can take you to Rome, I can take you to all acro- — I can take you to Toronto, and you’ll pay a hell of a lot less.  I said we’re going to beat them, and we did. 

I was at a town meeting in Northern Virginia, and a very — a very together lady stood up with her two daughters and said, “My daughters have stage 2 [Type 1] diabetes.  They need insulin.  And I — I have insurance, but I can’t afford what it’s costing me — $700 a month for two of them.  We have to — we have to cut the insulin.  We have to share it with them.  They can’t do it.”

My dad used to say, as I said, “A job is about a lot more than a — than a paycheck.  It’s about your dignity.  It’s about respect.  It’s about people being able to look you in the eye and treat you as — as an equal.” 

Well, imagine how a parent is deprived of dignity — looking at their daughter, their husband, their wife, their son and knowing they can’t even provide — can’t even provide the insulin needed to deal with their diabetes.

Guess what?  Now it’s $35 a month.  That’s the maximum they’re being charged.  (Applause.) 

We’re also capping the cost of prescription drugs at a maximum of $2,000 a year for people on Medicaid.  And that includes whether you have a — you’re spending $10-, $12-, $14-, $16,000 a year for cancer-saving drugs.  It not only saves — this not only saves patients money — and, by the way, initially when I got it passed, it affected all people, but now it’s just seniors.  But we’re going to get back the second time around here and affect everybody.

But here’s the deal.  You know, not only does it save the person who needs the help, it saves the taxpayer billions of dollars.  This is — I’m serious.  We don’t think of it this way. 

You know how much just what I’ve done so far has cut taxes — cut the taxpayers’ cost?  One hundred and sixty billion dollars, because Medicare doesn’t have to pay out those exorbitant costs.  They’re your tax dollars that are going to Medicare — your tax dollars.  So, we’re saving $160 billion a year. 

Republicans are saying they’re concerned about the deficit.  Give me a break.  (Laughter.)  Give me a break.  The fact of the matter is they’re not concerned about the deficit. 

You know, we tried to make it a — 35 bucks for everyone, not just seniors.  But Republicans, as I said, blocked us.  But with your vote in 2024, we’re going to make it happen for everybody in America — everybody.  It’s going to reduce the federal deficit even more.

You know — if you can hold a second — when we had that last crisis — they always created these crises.  Did you ever think you’d see a Republican Congress like this?  I mean, for real.  I never — and I served a long time in the United States Senate.

Well, what’s happening now, the situation is that you have a circumstance where they use what is needed for the public but would benefit whoever is in power.  They use it as a weapon.  Going to deny that done because it’ll benefit — Biden will look better if this happens.  That’s not happened before in American politics on a grand scale.

Look, for example, I promised to help ease accumulated student debt.  How many of you know of some student who has gone to school, busted their neck, and ended up with a significant debt they haven’t been able to pay?  Raise your hand if you know anybody. 

Well, guess what?  The Supreme Court said that — that, you know, I couldn’t do it.  Well, guess what?  I went to work.  I found a way.  I’ve been able to forgive debt for 3.7 million people — relief in — $130 billion in relief and still counting. 

How?  Well, that includes fixing the program pro- — providing relief for public servants — teachers, nurses, firefighters, social workers — that existed that wasn’t handled very well by the bureaucracy.  So, I personally got engaged and made sure it immediat- — it only had (inaudible) 70,000 people up to that point.

And here’s what we did.  We changed — we made it work.  We — we took the — all the impediments out of the — out of the — out of the whole system.  And now I kept my promise.  We are now providing — and, by the way, there’s more coming.  A lot of student debt is still available for relief — $25 billion a year.

And you know how we’re going to do it?  I’m sending a — we’re sending a note now through the Department of Education to everyone who qualifies through this volunteer work they’ve been doing.  If you pay for 10 years, you’re involved in a social project — whether you’re a cop, firefighter, et cetera — you’re able to get your debt forgiven after 10 years.

Well, guess what?  We’re going to do that now.  That $25 billion is going out — the names of people are going to — being sent from the Department. 

And guess what?  One thing I learned from Donald Trump, Gov: My name is on it.  (Laughter.)  I am saying — (applause) — you qualify — you qualify, and you must respond, and you’ll get the check.  Folks, it’s a life changer. 

And guess what?  It’s not an expense.  It is an expense, but it wasn’t going to be paid because they don’t have the money to pay it.  And, number two, it generates economic growth.  It generates economic growth.  People have jobs, people are able to get — buy their first home, be able to buy their first automobile. 

And, by the way, I kept my promise that I was going have an administration, I said, that looked like America.  But I also said I was going to appoint the first African American woman to the Supreme Court.  Her name is Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.  And guess what?  She’s smarter than all (inaudible).  (Applause.)

All told, I’ve been able to get 175 judges confirmed, including 32 Latino judges, representing a third of all active Latino federal judges.  (Applause.)

Thanks to the CHIPS and Science Act, which I — you know, they told me that — you know, we invented that little computer chip — that computer chip that does everything to deal with atonic — atomic weapons to automobiles and your cell phone.  We used to make 40 — we invented it, because of the Moonshot.  We invented it.  We made it soph- — we sophisticated it. 

But when — we used to produce 40 percent of it.  But corporate America decided it was cheaper to find the cheapest labor you could in the world, send it over there to be made, and send the product back and (inaudible).  Or when they had a supply chain problem, it doesn’t come back at all.

So, I got in a plane.  My staff, I think, thought I was crazy, Gov.  I got in a plane and went to South Korea.  And I said, “You know, I think you could do better in the United States.”  And I met with Samsung.  They’re investing over — going to invest over $100 billion in building these — these facilities here in the United States.  They built what they call “fabs.”  They look like great, big stadiums. 

And guess what?  You know what the average pay is in those fabs that make these computer chips?  A hundred and ten thousand dollars a year, and you don’t need a college degree.  (Applause.) 

Well, here’s the deal.  It’s called the CHIPS and Science Act.  New York’s Hudson Valley is going to become the epicenter of quantum computing — the most advanced, fastest computing system ever.  That’s going to transform everything that we create, from new medicines to how we power artificial intelligence. 

Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re building a new Hudson River Tunnel and a — on the Northeast Corridor.  Going to be billions of dollars — gigantic effort, gigantic input.  It’s a multibillion-dollar project and one of the biggest, most consequential projects in America.  And it’s creating thou- — will create thousands of jobs, generating significant economic growth all across the region.

Just like FDR signed the Rural Electrification Act that provided electricity to every home and farm because it was necessary at the time, in the late ‘30s, we’re bridging the affordable high-speed Internet, and we’re building it everywhere in America.  Because Internet is just as essential as electricity so your children don’t have to sit in a — in a McDonald’s parking lot doing their homework.

Businesses are able to thrive.  Farmers and ranchers are able to sell their products.  It’s critical.  And we’re providing it for millions of people all across America because of the — of the legislation we passed.

And, by the way, we’re ripping out every poisonous lead pipe in America.  Ask any doc here the impact on a child’s brain when they turn on the faucet and drink water with lead in it.  Every child should be able to drink clean water without worrying about the brain damage.  And the cost of ripping out these lead pipes and putting in other pipes is inpredi- –incredibly expensive, but it’s necessary.

We passed the most si- — significant gun safety law in decades.  I’m not going to stop, though, until, once again, I’m able to ban assault weapons in the United States of America.  (Applause.)  I did that once with Dianne Feinstein, and we’re going to do it again.

We’re saving the planet with the most significant investment in climate change ever, anywhere in the history of the world — ever.  There’s so much more we can do together — so much more.

Now imagine the nightmare if Trump is returned to office.  After a recent deadly school shooting in Perry, Iowa, where two people died and — a sixth-grader and the school principal — what did Trump say?  This is what — I’m not making this up.  These are quotes from Trump.  He said — it’s hard to believe what he said, but he said, just “get over it.” 

Just get over it?  What the hell is he doing?  Just “get over it.”  The pain so many people have suffered as a consequence of indiscriminate shooting with a hundred rounds in a — I mean, we’re not going to get over.  We’re going to stop it.   We’re going to stop it.  (Applause.)

Trump and his friends — MAGA friends want to repeal our historic climate legislation.  And now, after trying and failing more than 60 times, Trump and his MAGA Republic- (inaudible) are — are — his MAGA friends are promising again to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, which we just increased by 200,000 folks — making it available.

By the way, the vast majority of people on the Affordable Care Act have preexisting conditions.  They could not qualify for insurance, even if they had the money, if they did not — if — because they have preexisting conditions.  The law is the only reason that people all over the country who have these — have preexisting conditions can’t have it taken away.  Seniors all across America know this.

Trump and his MAGA friends are determined to take away the $35-a-month insulin, as well as the $2,000 cap on prescription drugs and Social Security.  And they’re going to — they want to decimate it — they’re straight about it — decimate Social Security and Medicare.

I don’t know if you remember my State of the Union address, when I challenged them all on that floor of the United States Congress.  They said, “No, no, no, we’re not going to do that.”  Well, that’s what they’re going to do again. 

They look at a multibillion-dollar tax cut for people at the top quarter — 1 percent.  And guess who pays for it?  Guess where comes from? 

Trump and his MAG- — and his MAGA friends are determined to take away your fundamental freedoms.  Voting rights are under attack.  You all know that, particularly if you are an immigrant from another country. 

Trump is bragging about how he overturned Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court — a woman’s right to choose.  I’m a practicing Catholic.  I don’t want abortion on demand, but I thought Roe v. Wade had it right.  The three trimesters, a doc should be part of it, and then a woman should have her choice early on. 

Well, we’re — they’re now planning a national ban on the right to choose.  They want every country — every state to get enough votes to say, “In my state — in my state, you cannot have an abortion under any circumstance, including whether it’s rape, incest, or regardless of your age.”

But I made it clear to the MAGA Republicans: If they try to pass a national ban on the right to choose, I will veto it.  (Applause.) 

And if you elect — if you elect me and Kamala, we’re going to take back the House with a bigger Democratic Senate and restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land across the land again.  (Applause.) 

Folks, look, let me close with this.  Trump and his friends — his MAGA friends are dividing us, not uniting us; refusing to accept the results of legitimate elections; seeking, as Trump says, quote, to “terminate” — his words, not mine — “terminate” elements of the United States Constitution — “terminate”; embracing political violence as a legitimate tool; calling January 6th insurrectionists “patriots” who he’s going to free, even though a lot of these folks have pled guilty.

You were probably on the floor when that happened.  Police officers killed. 

As I said, I — when I first got elected President, I went to a G7 meeting of the seven heads of state in Europe — in Great Britain.  And I sat down, and I said, “Well, America is back.”  And the President of France looked at me and said, “For how long?”  And I never thought of it this way.  And then Helmut Kohl of Germany looked at me and said, “What would you say, Mr. President, if you picked up the London Times tomorrow morning and learned that a thousand people had broken down the doors of — the doors of the British Parliament, killed some bobbies on the way in, to deny the rise of their elected Prime Minister to take office?”

It made me think.  What would — what would we think as a nation if that happened?

This guy is amazing — calling immigrants “vermin” — “vermin” — his words.  These are words he’s using out loud.  “Vermin” who, quote, “poison the blood of our country.”

Look, guys, what makes us who we are is we’re the most diverse country in the world.  We benefit from every background.  That’s why we’re who we are.  That’s why we’re strong.  That’s America.  He’s threatening our very democracy. 

And, folks, we have to make clear that we will stand with the truth and we’ll defeat the lies; that we still believe in honesty in America; that decency, dignity, and respect still matter.  We believe that we’re all created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. 

We leave nobody behind.  We — we believe everybody deserves just a fair shot — just a shot.  And we give hate no safe harbor.  That’s what America has been.

Folks, we believe in America.  And when we do that, we’ll be able to look back and say something few generations have been able to say: When American democracy was at risk — and it is at risk — like it is now, we saved it.  That’s what they’ll write about.  We saved it.

We just have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America, for God’s sake.  (Applause.)  There is nothing — there is nothing at all that’s beyond our capacity when we act together. 

We’re the only nation in the history of the world that’s come out of every crisis stronger than we went into that crisis.  That’s who we are.  We never give up.  We never give in.  We never bend.  We never bow. 

We are the United States of America, and let’s act like it.  Let’s make sure he doesn’t come back.  (Applause.)

Thank you very much.  Appreciate it.

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

5:09 P.M. EST

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