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During Overdose Awareness Week, we mourn those who have lost their lives to overdose deaths.  We acknowledge the devastating toll the opioid epidemic has taken on individuals, families, and communities across America.  We reflect on the progress we have made so far in reducing the number of annual overdose deaths and protecting American lives — and how much more there is to do.  And we reaffirm our commitment to doing more to disrupt the supply of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids and support those who suffer with substance use disorder and their families in all of our communities.

My Administration made beating the opioid epidemic a key priority in my Unity Agenda for the Nation, calling for Republicans and Democrats to work together to stop fentanyl from flowing into our communities, hold those who brought it here accountable, and deliver life-saving medication and care across America.  

We are working to tackle this crisis through a comprehensive approach, including by expanding access to evidence-based prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support services as well as reducing the supply of illicit drugs.  We have expanded access to life-saving treatments, like medications to treat opioid use disorder, and have increased the number of health care providers who can prescribe these medications by 15 times.  In February 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a rule to comprehensively update the regulations in governing Opioid Treatment Programs for the first time in 20 years — removing barriers to the treatment of substance use disorder and expanding access to care.  My Administration has made historic investments in the State Opioid Response and Tribal Opioid Response programs to improve prevention; expand treatment; and deliver free, life-saving medications across America.  Already, this program has delivered nearly 10 million kits of opioid overdose reversal medications, such as naloxone.  

We also continue to fight the stigmatization that surrounds substance use and accidental overdose so that people feel comfortable reaching out for help when they need it.  Naloxone is now available over-the-counter for people to purchase at their local grocery stores and pharmacies.  We also launched the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose and several awareness campaigns, raising awareness and securing commitments from local governments and cross-sector organizations to increase training on and access to opioid overdose reversal medications in schools, worksites, transit systems, and other places where overdose may occur in our communities.  My Fiscal Year 2025 Budget requests $22 billion to expand substance use treatment and help more Americans achieve and stay in recovery.

Under my Administration, Federal law enforcement agents are keeping more deadly drugs out of our communities than ever before.  We are seizing deadly drugs at our borders so that illicit drugs never reach our neighborhoods.  Officials have stopped more illicit fentanyl at ports of entry over the last 2 fiscal years than in the previous 5 fiscal years combined.  The Department of Justice has prosecuted leaders of the world’s largest and most powerful drug cartel along with thousands of drug traffickers.  The Department of the Treasury has sanctioned more than 300 people and organizations involved in the global illicit drug trade.  I have also deployed cutting-edge drug detection technology across our southwest border, and I continue to call on the Congress to strengthen border security, increase penalties on those who bring deadly drugs into our communities, and close loopholes that drug traffickers exploit.  And in July 2024, I issued a National Security Memorandum that calls on all relevant Federal departments and agencies to work collaboratively to do even more than they are already doing to stop the supply of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids into our country. 

I am also committed to working with partners across the globe to address this crisis.  Last year, I negotiated the re-launch of counternarcotics cooperation between the United States and the People’s Republic of China — which has led to increased law enforcement coordination, increased efforts to tackle illicit financing of drug cartels, and increased regulation of certain precursor chemicals.  I have increased counternarcotics cooperation with other key foreign governments; launched the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, which brings together more than 150 countries in the fight against drug trafficking cartels; put in place new initiatives between the United States, Mexico, and Canada targeting the supply of illicit drugs; and made countering fentanyl and other synthetic opioids a key priority of the G7.     

Now for the first time in 5 years, the number of overdose deaths in the United States has started to decline.  But even one death is one too many, and far too many Americans continue to lose loved ones to fentanyl. 

Today I grieve with all the families and friends who have lost someone to an overdose.  This is a time to act.  And this is a time to stand together — for all those we have lost and all the lives we can still save.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 25 through August 31, 2024, as Overdose Awareness Week.  I call upon citizens, government agencies, civil society organizations, health care providers, and research institutions to raise awareness of substance use disorder so that our Nation can combat stigmatization, promote treatment, celebrate recovery, and strengthen our collective efforts to prevent overdose deaths.  August 31 also marks Overdose Awareness Day, on which we honor and remember those who have lost their lives to the overdose epidemic.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post A Proclamation on Overdose Awareness Week, 2024 appeared first on The White House.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:  Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 506(a)(1) of the FAA to direct the drawdown of up to $125 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Ukraine and to make the determinations required under such section to direct such a drawdown.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post Memorandum on the Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 appeared first on The White House.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:  Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 506(a)(1) of the FAA to direct the drawdown of up to $125 million in defense articles and services of the Department of Defense, and military education and training, to provide assistance to Ukraine and to make the determinations required under such section to direct such a drawdown.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post Memorandum on the Delegation of Authority Under Section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 appeared first on The White House.

   One hundred and four years ago, American women won the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment, bringing us closer to living up to our Nation’s most fundamental values of dignity, fairness, freedom, and equality.  On Women’s Equality Day, we recognize the courage of generations of visionaries who fought tirelessly for the sacred cause of women’s suffrage and all those who continue to work toward a more equitable future for women and girls in America. 

     The 19th Amendment marked a critical milestone in our Nation’s history, but it did not guarantee the right to vote for all.  For many women of color, that right would not be secured until decades later when the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965.  Today, our Nation is still facing relentless assaults on the sacred right to vote freely and fairly and to have every vote count.  At the same time, women’s fundamental rights are under attack, which undermines our democracy and our freedoms.  These challenges serve as a critical reminder that our work as a Nation is never done — realizing the full promise of the 19th Amendment is as important today as ever before.
     
     My Administration is committed to upholding the vision of suffragists, who understood that equality at the ballot box was a critical step to advancing rights and opportunities for American women.  Over the past three and a half years, Vice President Harris and I have leveraged the full force of the Federal Government to protect those rights and remove barriers that prevent women and girls from reaching their full potential.  We are defending reproductive freedom, delivering the highest women’s prime-age labor force participation and the narrowest gender pay gap on record, making historic investments in the care economy, fighting to end violence against women, increasing access to educational opportunity, and promoting women’s representation, leadership, and human rights here at home and around the globe.

     Guaranteeing women access to affordable, quality health care has also been a top priority for my Administration.  That is why we have been working to address the maternal health crisis, with Vice President Kamala Harris announcing our Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis.  Furthermore, in addition to issuing an Executive Order directing the most comprehensive set of executive actions to expand research on women’s health, last year the First Lady and I were proud to launch the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health has dedicated $100 million to solve challenges in women’s health.  As part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, we are taking significant actions to save and improve the lives of the millions of American women facing cancer.  During my first year in office, we expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act, which requires insurers to pay for cancer screenings and primary care visits, including those that will detect cancer early when outcomes are best.  Furthermore, I have taken action to safeguard access to reproductive care — and the Vice President and I will keep calling on the Congress to restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.  Americans show time and again that they agree that health care decisions should be made by a woman with the help of her doctor, not politicians — and we will continue fighting to ensure that women can access the health care they need in every State.

     To be the strongest economy in the world, we cannot leave women — who make up half our workforce — behind.  Through our American Rescue Plan, my Administration made the biggest investment in child care ever, helping over 225,000 child care programs that serve 10 million children across the country keep their doors open and enabling parents, especially mothers, to enter or remain in the workforce.  We have taken steps to advance pay equity and transparency for Federal employees and contractors, eliminating practices that allow pay discrimination to follow workers from job to job and helping workers better negotiate and reduce pay inequities.  We are also ensuring that women have access to the millions of good-paying jobs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. 

     Women and girls deserve to live free from violence and fear.  Next month marks 30 years since the Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) — a historic law that I championed and wrote.  VAWA gave our Government more comprehensive tools to prevent and prosecute sexual assault, provide support for survivors, and save countless women’s lives.  Today, this law, which I reauthorized in 2022, has record funding levels and grant programs.  In addition, my Administration is working to address online harassment and abuse, including image-based sexual abuse generated by artificial intelligence.  And we restored and strengthened vital protections under Title IX for students who have experienced campus sexual assault and other forms of sex discrimination in schools and universities.

     Since I took office, I have been proud to serve alongside the first woman ever elected as Vice President, Kamala Harris, and to have appointed women to the highest levels of my Administration, including a record number of female Cabinet Secretaries.  I established the White House Gender Policy Council to advance the rights of women and girls at home and abroad.  My Administration released the first-ever National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality.  And during Women’s History Month this year, I signed an Executive Order to increase the representation of women’s history in the National Park System and to help honor the legacy and contributions of women and girls to our country.

     My Administration will continue to fight for every American’s sacred right to vote — carrying on the legacy of the suffragists we celebrate today.  I continue to call on the Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to restore and expand access to the ballot and prevent voter suppression — because every American’s voice deserves to be heard. 

     We are making tremendous progress, but more must be done to ensure equal rights and opportunity for women and girls.  I urge the Congress to recognize the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and affirm the fundamental truth that all Americans should have equal rights and protections under the law.  This Women’s Equality Day, let us recommit to building a country and a world where our daughters have the same opportunities as our sons.  Because when women thrive, we all thrive.

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2024, as Women’s Equality Day.  I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate and continue to build on our country’s progress toward gender equality and to defend and strengthen the right to vote.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
 

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post A Proclamation on Women’s Equality Day, 2024 appeared first on The White House.

   One hundred and four years ago, American women won the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment, bringing us closer to living up to our Nation’s most fundamental values of dignity, fairness, freedom, and equality.  On Women’s Equality Day, we recognize the courage of generations of visionaries who fought tirelessly for the sacred cause of women’s suffrage and all those who continue to work toward a more equitable future for women and girls in America. 

     The 19th Amendment marked a critical milestone in our Nation’s history, but it did not guarantee the right to vote for all.  For many women of color, that right would not be secured until decades later when the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965.  Today, our Nation is still facing relentless assaults on the sacred right to vote freely and fairly and to have every vote count.  At the same time, women’s fundamental rights are under attack, which undermines our democracy and our freedoms.  These challenges serve as a critical reminder that our work as a Nation is never done — realizing the full promise of the 19th Amendment is as important today as ever before.
     
     My Administration is committed to upholding the vision of suffragists, who understood that equality at the ballot box was a critical step to advancing rights and opportunities for American women.  Over the past three and a half years, Vice President Harris and I have leveraged the full force of the Federal Government to protect those rights and remove barriers that prevent women and girls from reaching their full potential.  We are defending reproductive freedom, delivering the highest women’s prime-age labor force participation and the narrowest gender pay gap on record, making historic investments in the care economy, fighting to end violence against women, increasing access to educational opportunity, and promoting women’s representation, leadership, and human rights here at home and around the globe.

     Guaranteeing women access to affordable, quality health care has also been a top priority for my Administration.  That is why we have been working to address the maternal health crisis, with Vice President Kamala Harris announcing our Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis.  Furthermore, in addition to issuing an Executive Order directing the most comprehensive set of executive actions to expand research on women’s health, last year the First Lady and I were proud to launch the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health has dedicated $100 million to solve challenges in women’s health.  As part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, we are taking significant actions to save and improve the lives of the millions of American women facing cancer.  During my first year in office, we expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act, which requires insurers to pay for cancer screenings and primary care visits, including those that will detect cancer early when outcomes are best.  Furthermore, I have taken action to safeguard access to reproductive care — and the Vice President and I will keep calling on the Congress to restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.  Americans show time and again that they agree that health care decisions should be made by a woman with the help of her doctor, not politicians — and we will continue fighting to ensure that women can access the health care they need in every State.

     To be the strongest economy in the world, we cannot leave women — who make up half our workforce — behind.  Through our American Rescue Plan, my Administration made the biggest investment in child care ever, helping over 225,000 child care programs that serve 10 million children across the country keep their doors open and enabling parents, especially mothers, to enter or remain in the workforce.  We have taken steps to advance pay equity and transparency for Federal employees and contractors, eliminating practices that allow pay discrimination to follow workers from job to job and helping workers better negotiate and reduce pay inequities.  We are also ensuring that women have access to the millions of good-paying jobs created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. 

     Women and girls deserve to live free from violence and fear.  Next month marks 30 years since the Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) — a historic law that I championed and wrote.  VAWA gave our Government more comprehensive tools to prevent and prosecute sexual assault, provide support for survivors, and save countless women’s lives.  Today, this law, which I reauthorized in 2022, has record funding levels and grant programs.  In addition, my Administration is working to address online harassment and abuse, including image-based sexual abuse generated by artificial intelligence.  And we restored and strengthened vital protections under Title IX for students who have experienced campus sexual assault and other forms of sex discrimination in schools and universities.

     Since I took office, I have been proud to serve alongside the first woman ever elected as Vice President, Kamala Harris, and to have appointed women to the highest levels of my Administration, including a record number of female Cabinet Secretaries.  I established the White House Gender Policy Council to advance the rights of women and girls at home and abroad.  My Administration released the first-ever National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality.  And during Women’s History Month this year, I signed an Executive Order to increase the representation of women’s history in the National Park System and to help honor the legacy and contributions of women and girls to our country.

     My Administration will continue to fight for every American’s sacred right to vote — carrying on the legacy of the suffragists we celebrate today.  I continue to call on the Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to restore and expand access to the ballot and prevent voter suppression — because every American’s voice deserves to be heard. 

     We are making tremendous progress, but more must be done to ensure equal rights and opportunity for women and girls.  I urge the Congress to recognize the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and affirm the fundamental truth that all Americans should have equal rights and protections under the law.  This Women’s Equality Day, let us recommit to building a country and a world where our daughters have the same opportunities as our sons.  Because when women thrive, we all thrive.

     NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim August 26, 2024, as Women’s Equality Day.  I call upon the people of the United States to celebrate and continue to build on our country’s progress toward gender equality and to defend and strengthen the right to vote.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
 

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post A Proclamation on Women’s Equality Day, 2024 appeared first on The White House.

Last week President Biden signed a proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois. The new national monument will tell the story of a horrific attack by a white mob on a Black community, its significance within the Civil Rights Movement, and the broader history of Black community resilience in the face of violent oppression. At a time when some are working to rewrite history and erase painful moments in our past, President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to protecting places that help tell a more complete story of our nation’s history, including by recognizing difficult moments that have been ignored or obscured for far too long.

Leaders from across the country praised the announcement. Here’s what they’re saying:

Elected Officials

Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois): “The 1908 Springfield Race Riot site is of extraordinary cultural and historical importance to our state and to this country—a searing, horrific incident that galvanized the creation of the NAACP. I’ve been working for years to designate this site as a national monument to help ensure the painful lessons learned here will not be lost for the generations of Americans to come. I’m proud that President Biden is taking action to help ensure this history is properly honored and making our national parks better reflect our nation’s people and stories.” [Statement, 8/14/24]

Senator Dick Durbin (Illinois): “The 1908 Springfield Race Riot was a violent and hateful tragedy, but it’s a part of Illinois’ and our nation’s history that we cannot turn a blind eye to. The story, which led to the creation of the NAACP, must be told. I have worked with Senator Duckworth and Rep. Budzinski to push for this historical site to be recognized as a national monument, and I’m grateful that President Biden understands the gravity of designating this site in Springfield. Together, we can honor the lives lost during the deadly riots and reaffirm our commitment to fighting prejudice in Illinois and across the country.” [Statement, 8/14/24]

Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13): “More than a century ago, Springfield’s Black community was attacked in an act of hateful and senseless violence. While the 1908 Springfield Race Riot demonstrates our nation’s deep history of racial violence, it also sparked the creation of the NAACP – reflecting the strength and resilience of Black Americans in tireless fight for civil rights. Since coming to Congress I’ve been pushing for the Race Riot site to be designated as a national monument and I’m so excited to see it finally receive this long overdue recognition. Today’s announcement is a critical step forward to honor those who were killed in the 1908 attack and acknowledge the impact this tragedy had on the Springfield community and our nation as a whole. I couldn’t be more grateful to our local leaders and community members for their partnership in advocacy and I look forward to seeing this history preserved for generations to come.” [X Post, 8/14/24]

Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04): “The Congressional Black Caucus applauds President Biden’s proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois. The Springfield Race Riot was a horrific moment in our nation’s history – one that today reminds us of the strength and resilience of our communities that have historically been subjected to racism, intimidation, and violence. At a time when anti-education laws, book bans, and censorship of Black history in schools are rampant, this designation reflects President Biden and Vice President Harris’ commitment to honoring and protecting Black history and ensuring that our stories are not lost or obfuscated over time.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton: “President Biden’s designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument is an act of protection for a significant chapter of Black history in Illinois and America. The monument is a poignant reminder of the devastation Springfield and the nation faced during a time of racial violence. We honor the memories of the lives that were tragically cut short, the families irrevocably shattered, and the businesses destroyed. We pay tribute to the survivors and advocates whose resilience and determination reverberated through time, leading to vital reforms like the establishment of the NAACP. Their legacy serves as a powerful reminder of our ongoing duty to confront injustice and strive for a more equitable society. This designation underscores Illinois’ commitment to preserving and learning from our complex history.” [Statement, 8/14/24

Civil Rights and Community Leaders

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP: “As we convene to remember the tragic Springfield Race Riot of 1908, our community continues to endure unjust violence. 116 years ago, it was William K. Donnegan. Last month, it was his descendant, Sonya Massey. Sonya’s death at the hands of law enforcement is a stark reminder that we have a long way to go in the fight to protect, and honor Black life. While the Springfield Race riot reflects a dark chapter in our history, it details the truths of our lived experiences as Black Americans. At a time when Black history is under attack, the NAACP welcomes the Biden-Harris administration’s decision to recognize the horrors of the past as we work to create a brighter tomorrow – this is just the beginning.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund: “Today, President Biden affirmed the critical importance of telling the full truth of our nation’s history, including some of its most heinous chapters. A national monument at the site of the Springfield Race Riot will allow people across the country, and indeed across the globe, to not only deepen their understanding of the brutality Black people have faced in the United States, but to also recognize their resilience in the face of horror and tragedy. This recognition is especially powerful at a time when there is a war on truth and ongoing attempts to suppress the voices, history, and political participation of Black Americans.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Austin Randolph, Jr., NAACP Springfield Chapter President: “We must remember, resolve and restore. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot should live in our hearts and minds forever as a constant reminder of man’s capacity for cruelty. Within this struggle lies the desire for equity, peace, and healing. This national monument will forever stand for freedom and justice. It will be our solemn reminder of where we came from as it propels us towards where we are destined to be: equal.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Ken Page, President, ACLU of Illinois, Springfield Chapter: “It was a journey of 116 years to get to this day. We thank you Mr. President for acknowledging the importance of telling all of America’s History. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot was tragic. And out of this tragedy was the birth of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. As we continue this journey, America can continue to live out her creed of Liberty, Equality, Justice and Humanity.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Pastor T. Ray “Mac” McJunkins, Lead Pastor, Union Baptist Church of Springfield: “Thank you to the men and women, who have certainly been champions for the citizens of Illinois. Lawmakers led by Senators Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, and Representatives Nikki Budzinski and Darin LaHood. I personally appreciate your tireless efforts with the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument Act. This has been a long time coming, though it was hindered on Capitol Hill it still prevailed. After several conversations, meetings and visits to Washington DC, here we are a leap forward. Today, on the 116th anniversary of the 1908 Race Riot, President Biden, I applaud you for using the Antiquities Act to designate the Race Riot a National Monument. This is another step to honor those who died during the riot as well as those St. John’s Hospital sisters who assisted the wounded. This is a continued opportunity to raise awareness and educate present and future generations on race relations while we commit to making this a better nation than it was and even better than what it is.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Erin Carlson Mast, President and CEO, Lincoln Presidential Foundation: “As a proud partner of the National Park Service at Lincoln Home National Historic Site, we recognize the connections between these sites and stories. The establishment of the NAACP on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in 1909 underscored the enduring link between Lincoln’s legacy and the struggle for freedom and equality. The mob violence was local, but the impact has been national. We look forward to working together to ensure the preservation, interpretation, and commemoration of this important place in American history for generations to come.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Dr. Samuel C. Tolbert Jr., President, National Baptist Convention of America: “President Biden, your leadership in making this site a national monument reflects a deep commitment to preserving the history of racial violence in America and ensuring that these stories are told with the dignity and respect they deserve. This act not only brings national attention to the atrocities of 1908 but also serves as a powerful symbol of our collective responsibility to address the legacy of racism in this country. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to justice, equity, and the truth. Your decision to honor the victims and survivors of the Springfield Race Riot by making this site a national monument is a profound step toward healing and reconciliation.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Reverend David Peoples, President, Progressive National Baptist Convention: “The story of Springfield is painful. Black businesses were destroyed, neighborhoods were burnt to the ground, and lives were lost in an attempt to terrorize, intimidate, and dehumanize. Establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument is a welcome step toward healing and justice as we amplify this story and help ensure that these events are never repeated.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Church of God in Christ: “On behalf of the Church of God in Christ, with over 5 million congregants, I celebrate with my brothers and sisters in Christ the recent designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. The Springfield race riot is a story of evil racism, hatred, and violence – but it is also a story of hope, marked by the resilience of the Black community and the formation of the NAACP. It is important that our national lands reflect the full truth of our country’s history; this is an important step towards justice and healing.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Imam Dr. Talib M. Shareef, President, Masjid Muhammad: “Masjid Muhammad, known as the Nation’s Mosque, commends the Biden-Harris Administration in its official designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, which tells the honest story of the Springfield race riots. Our Mosque was the first built from the ground in America by descendants of enslaved African Americans and African Muslims – we are particularly interested in having the full story of African American experiences, including tragedies, told and preserved. The Springfield Monument uplifts an integral part of our American history and is an essential addition to the National Park System.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church: “As Bishops of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church, we celebrate the National Park Service and the Biden Administration’s work to officially establish the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, ensuring that this part of Black history is not erased and utilizing public lands and a way to proclaim the truth. The CME church, with more than 1.2 million members across the United States, came into being in the tumultuous aftermath of the Civil War – our vision was then, and remains today, to be transformational in a changing world. The changing world, wrought with strife and division, demands the presence of truth and begs for reconciliation and healing. Efforts like this recent designation are small but tangible and significant steps towards this reconciliation, healing, and ultimately transformation that our nation so greatly needs.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Pastor Scott Onqué, Policy Director, Faith in Place: “We thank President Biden for designating the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site as a national monument–which serves as a crucial acknowledgment of a painful history and a call to continue the fight for racial justice. This designation is particularly meaningful for faith communities, especially within the Black community, where houses of worship have been and continue to be vital centers for advocacy. It honors the resilience of those who fought for justice and encourages us to keep working toward a more just and equitable future.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Conservation and Historic Preservation Leaders

Ben Jealous, Executive Director, Sierra Club: “Our public lands tell a story, and this newest national monument finally adds this long-overlooked chapter. For more than a century, we ignored the memory of one of the worst episodes of racial violence in our country’s history, just steps from the home of Abraham Lincoln, but the Springfield community never forgot. Today, their resilience is not just recognized, but honored. Designating the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot as a national monument helps ensure that national monuments protect not just the most precious lands and waters of the United States, but the sites and legacies that make this country what it is.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Jamie Williams, President, The Wilderness Society: “National monuments help tell and preserve stories that represent the full history of our country, and we commend the Biden-Harris administration for commemorating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot as such. It’s important that the administration heeded the call from community members and elected leaders about their vision to federally recognize this painful and tragic event that eventually was one of the catalysts to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This watershed moment led to a movement that ensured that equality and justice were the values that prevailed from this sad chapter in our nation’s history. This story and people who inspired the movement should be honored and protected for future generations.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Jocelyn Torres, Chief Conservation Officer for Conservation Lands Foundation: “Commemorating the country’s varied histories through national monument designations is an important responsibility of the president. The Springfield Race Riot of 1908 is the first national monument to recognize our nation’s long history of race riots and thousands of lynchings, and showcase the birth of the NAACP and the courage and leadership of Ida B. Wells-Barnett and other Black leaders who fought to stop racial violence. It holds a solemn place in our collective understanding and is deserving of this designation. We applaud President Biden for using the Antiquities Act to commemorate the Springfield 1908 Race Riot, ensuring that the public never forgets the tragedies and triumphs of the Black experience in American history.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Brent Leggs, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, National Trust for Historic Preservation: “116 years ago, Black residents of Springfield, Illinois experienced the unimaginable – a race riot that destroyed families, businesses and hope for change. Using his authority under the Antiquities Act, President Biden has ensured the permanent preservation and protection of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site, filling a critical gap in our National Park System and the nation’s understanding of civil rights. This designation allows preservation to be a tool for public education during a time it’s needed most. Sadly, many of the once lived community members in Springfield have passed – without receiving justice – as a result of hate and systemic racism. Thankfully, a diverse coalition of civil rights leaders, conservationists, and law makers organized together, advocating for recognition and memorialization in their memory. Their bold steps make room for the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument to be a resource for learning, healing, and honoring race riot victims, their descendants, and the larger Springfield community.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks: “We thank President Biden for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. This monument will help to fill a critical gap in the National Park System, which currently does not have parks that tell the story of race riots, the founding of the NAACP, or the story of Ida B. Wells-Barnett. It is important that our public lands tell the full American story. This designation will help to ensure that the story of one of the worst examples of mass racial violence in our country’s history, and the courage of Black leaders who founded the NAACP in response, will be protected for future generations.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director, National Religious Partnership for the Environment: “I celebrate the designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. Our public lands play a significant role in telling the story of our nation and for far too long, that story has been incomplete. In naming this newest national monument, the Biden-Harris Administration is answering the call from communities and leaders across the country to preserve and lift up this important story in Black history. This national monument helps tell the full story of American history and is a step towards reconciliation, healing, and transformation.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Dr. Jocelyn Imani, Senior Director, Trust for Public Land for Black History and Culture: “Trust for Public Land commends President Biden for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot as a National Monument. The story of the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois – one of the worst incidences of mass racial violence in the United States – has until recently been buried but never forgotten. Led by a mob of 5,000 white Springfield residents, the riot resulted in the lynching of two Black residents and the deaths of at least seven others, as well as the destruction of dozens of Black-owned homes and businesses. The riot is also credited as catalyzing the establishment of the NAACP the following year of 1909.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Mark Magaña, Founding President and CEO, Green Latinos: “We thank the Biden-Harris Administration for listening to leaders in Springfield, Illinois and the wide base of support throughout the nation for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. The America The Beautiful For All Coalition firmly believes that our path to 30% conserved lands and waters must be defined by the places that tell the full American story. This national monument is the first to ensure that all Americans remember how mass racial violence took the homes, businesses, and lives of Black Americans. This monument will help to make us more aware of the lasting impact these historical events had on Black economic mobility, safety and belonging in our country. It is also critical that this monument uncovers stories about the impact of the 1908 riots on immigrant and multicultural residents in order to reflect the full American story at this new national monument.”  [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters: “Thanks to the tireless advocacy of the Springfield branch of the NAACP and local advocates and activists, the Biden-Harris administration has established a national monument to acknowledge the tragic Springfield massacre and other forms of racial violence against Black people in our nation’s history. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument confronts one of the country’s most brutal instances of mass anti-Black violence and serves as a testament to the courage of Black leaders, including Ida B. Wells-Barnett, who fought to end racial violence. LCV commends the Biden-Harris administration for further cementing its legacy of honoring and protecting our nation’s cultural heritage, public lands and historical sites, and encourages the Biden-Harris administration to build on this legacy by continuing to champion the protection of our nation’s public lands and cultural sites.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Ariel Hampton, State Government Affairs Director, Illinois Environmental Council: “We applaud the Biden-Harris administration for designating the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot as a National Monument, and commend our partners at the Springfield branch of the NAACP, Sierra Club Illinois, Faith Coalition for the Common Good, and countless local activists for their work to advocate for this designation. The mass racial violence in Springfield in 1908 has reverberated across the past century, and the impacts continue to be felt in Springfield and across Illinois. Today, Black residents in Springfield are more likely to experience environmental injustices like air pollution from the Dallman coal plant and water contamination from lead pipes. As we work to mitigate these injustices, this National Monument will serve as a reminder to learn from our history so as not to repeat it.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Lauren Bogard, Director of Campaigns and Special Projects, Center for Western Priorities: “We praise President Biden for acknowledging a terrible event in American history through the preservation of artifacts and accounts that tell the shameful story of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot. Black history is American history, and it is fundamental to understanding the ongoing fight for civil rights and racial equality, a struggle that continues to be advanced by the leadership and advocacy of the NAACP. The establishment of this monument is a reminder that there is more work to be done in pursuit of national healing and reconciliation, and that the creation of new national monuments can play a pivotal role in this necessary endeavor through acknowledging how the events in our history continue to shape our country.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

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The post WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: President Biden Designates Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument appeared first on The White House.

Last week President Biden signed a proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois. The new national monument will tell the story of a horrific attack by a white mob on a Black community, its significance within the Civil Rights Movement, and the broader history of Black community resilience in the face of violent oppression. At a time when some are working to rewrite history and erase painful moments in our past, President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to protecting places that help tell a more complete story of our nation’s history, including by recognizing difficult moments that have been ignored or obscured for far too long.

Leaders from across the country praised the announcement. Here’s what they’re saying:

Elected Officials

Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois): “The 1908 Springfield Race Riot site is of extraordinary cultural and historical importance to our state and to this country—a searing, horrific incident that galvanized the creation of the NAACP. I’ve been working for years to designate this site as a national monument to help ensure the painful lessons learned here will not be lost for the generations of Americans to come. I’m proud that President Biden is taking action to help ensure this history is properly honored and making our national parks better reflect our nation’s people and stories.” [Statement, 8/14/24]

Senator Dick Durbin (Illinois): “The 1908 Springfield Race Riot was a violent and hateful tragedy, but it’s a part of Illinois’ and our nation’s history that we cannot turn a blind eye to. The story, which led to the creation of the NAACP, must be told. I have worked with Senator Duckworth and Rep. Budzinski to push for this historical site to be recognized as a national monument, and I’m grateful that President Biden understands the gravity of designating this site in Springfield. Together, we can honor the lives lost during the deadly riots and reaffirm our commitment to fighting prejudice in Illinois and across the country.” [Statement, 8/14/24]

Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13): “More than a century ago, Springfield’s Black community was attacked in an act of hateful and senseless violence. While the 1908 Springfield Race Riot demonstrates our nation’s deep history of racial violence, it also sparked the creation of the NAACP – reflecting the strength and resilience of Black Americans in tireless fight for civil rights. Since coming to Congress I’ve been pushing for the Race Riot site to be designated as a national monument and I’m so excited to see it finally receive this long overdue recognition. Today’s announcement is a critical step forward to honor those who were killed in the 1908 attack and acknowledge the impact this tragedy had on the Springfield community and our nation as a whole. I couldn’t be more grateful to our local leaders and community members for their partnership in advocacy and I look forward to seeing this history preserved for generations to come.” [X Post, 8/14/24]

Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04): “The Congressional Black Caucus applauds President Biden’s proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois. The Springfield Race Riot was a horrific moment in our nation’s history – one that today reminds us of the strength and resilience of our communities that have historically been subjected to racism, intimidation, and violence. At a time when anti-education laws, book bans, and censorship of Black history in schools are rampant, this designation reflects President Biden and Vice President Harris’ commitment to honoring and protecting Black history and ensuring that our stories are not lost or obfuscated over time.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton: “President Biden’s designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument is an act of protection for a significant chapter of Black history in Illinois and America. The monument is a poignant reminder of the devastation Springfield and the nation faced during a time of racial violence. We honor the memories of the lives that were tragically cut short, the families irrevocably shattered, and the businesses destroyed. We pay tribute to the survivors and advocates whose resilience and determination reverberated through time, leading to vital reforms like the establishment of the NAACP. Their legacy serves as a powerful reminder of our ongoing duty to confront injustice and strive for a more equitable society. This designation underscores Illinois’ commitment to preserving and learning from our complex history.” [Statement, 8/14/24

Civil Rights and Community Leaders

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP: “As we convene to remember the tragic Springfield Race Riot of 1908, our community continues to endure unjust violence. 116 years ago, it was William K. Donnegan. Last month, it was his descendant, Sonya Massey. Sonya’s death at the hands of law enforcement is a stark reminder that we have a long way to go in the fight to protect, and honor Black life. While the Springfield Race riot reflects a dark chapter in our history, it details the truths of our lived experiences as Black Americans. At a time when Black history is under attack, the NAACP welcomes the Biden-Harris administration’s decision to recognize the horrors of the past as we work to create a brighter tomorrow – this is just the beginning.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund: “Today, President Biden affirmed the critical importance of telling the full truth of our nation’s history, including some of its most heinous chapters. A national monument at the site of the Springfield Race Riot will allow people across the country, and indeed across the globe, to not only deepen their understanding of the brutality Black people have faced in the United States, but to also recognize their resilience in the face of horror and tragedy. This recognition is especially powerful at a time when there is a war on truth and ongoing attempts to suppress the voices, history, and political participation of Black Americans.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Austin Randolph, Jr., NAACP Springfield Chapter President: “We must remember, resolve and restore. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot should live in our hearts and minds forever as a constant reminder of man’s capacity for cruelty. Within this struggle lies the desire for equity, peace, and healing. This national monument will forever stand for freedom and justice. It will be our solemn reminder of where we came from as it propels us towards where we are destined to be: equal.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Ken Page, President, ACLU of Illinois, Springfield Chapter: “It was a journey of 116 years to get to this day. We thank you Mr. President for acknowledging the importance of telling all of America’s History. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot was tragic. And out of this tragedy was the birth of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. As we continue this journey, America can continue to live out her creed of Liberty, Equality, Justice and Humanity.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Pastor T. Ray “Mac” McJunkins, Lead Pastor, Union Baptist Church of Springfield: “Thank you to the men and women, who have certainly been champions for the citizens of Illinois. Lawmakers led by Senators Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, and Representatives Nikki Budzinski and Darin LaHood. I personally appreciate your tireless efforts with the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument Act. This has been a long time coming, though it was hindered on Capitol Hill it still prevailed. After several conversations, meetings and visits to Washington DC, here we are a leap forward. Today, on the 116th anniversary of the 1908 Race Riot, President Biden, I applaud you for using the Antiquities Act to designate the Race Riot a National Monument. This is another step to honor those who died during the riot as well as those St. John’s Hospital sisters who assisted the wounded. This is a continued opportunity to raise awareness and educate present and future generations on race relations while we commit to making this a better nation than it was and even better than what it is.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Erin Carlson Mast, President and CEO, Lincoln Presidential Foundation: “As a proud partner of the National Park Service at Lincoln Home National Historic Site, we recognize the connections between these sites and stories. The establishment of the NAACP on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in 1909 underscored the enduring link between Lincoln’s legacy and the struggle for freedom and equality. The mob violence was local, but the impact has been national. We look forward to working together to ensure the preservation, interpretation, and commemoration of this important place in American history for generations to come.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Dr. Samuel C. Tolbert Jr., President, National Baptist Convention of America: “President Biden, your leadership in making this site a national monument reflects a deep commitment to preserving the history of racial violence in America and ensuring that these stories are told with the dignity and respect they deserve. This act not only brings national attention to the atrocities of 1908 but also serves as a powerful symbol of our collective responsibility to address the legacy of racism in this country. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to justice, equity, and the truth. Your decision to honor the victims and survivors of the Springfield Race Riot by making this site a national monument is a profound step toward healing and reconciliation.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Reverend David Peoples, President, Progressive National Baptist Convention: “The story of Springfield is painful. Black businesses were destroyed, neighborhoods were burnt to the ground, and lives were lost in an attempt to terrorize, intimidate, and dehumanize. Establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument is a welcome step toward healing and justice as we amplify this story and help ensure that these events are never repeated.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Church of God in Christ: “On behalf of the Church of God in Christ, with over 5 million congregants, I celebrate with my brothers and sisters in Christ the recent designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. The Springfield race riot is a story of evil racism, hatred, and violence – but it is also a story of hope, marked by the resilience of the Black community and the formation of the NAACP. It is important that our national lands reflect the full truth of our country’s history; this is an important step towards justice and healing.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Imam Dr. Talib M. Shareef, President, Masjid Muhammad: “Masjid Muhammad, known as the Nation’s Mosque, commends the Biden-Harris Administration in its official designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, which tells the honest story of the Springfield race riots. Our Mosque was the first built from the ground in America by descendants of enslaved African Americans and African Muslims – we are particularly interested in having the full story of African American experiences, including tragedies, told and preserved. The Springfield Monument uplifts an integral part of our American history and is an essential addition to the National Park System.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church: “As Bishops of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church, we celebrate the National Park Service and the Biden Administration’s work to officially establish the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, ensuring that this part of Black history is not erased and utilizing public lands and a way to proclaim the truth. The CME church, with more than 1.2 million members across the United States, came into being in the tumultuous aftermath of the Civil War – our vision was then, and remains today, to be transformational in a changing world. The changing world, wrought with strife and division, demands the presence of truth and begs for reconciliation and healing. Efforts like this recent designation are small but tangible and significant steps towards this reconciliation, healing, and ultimately transformation that our nation so greatly needs.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Pastor Scott Onqué, Policy Director, Faith in Place: “We thank President Biden for designating the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site as a national monument–which serves as a crucial acknowledgment of a painful history and a call to continue the fight for racial justice. This designation is particularly meaningful for faith communities, especially within the Black community, where houses of worship have been and continue to be vital centers for advocacy. It honors the resilience of those who fought for justice and encourages us to keep working toward a more just and equitable future.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Conservation and Historic Preservation Leaders

Ben Jealous, Executive Director, Sierra Club: “Our public lands tell a story, and this newest national monument finally adds this long-overlooked chapter. For more than a century, we ignored the memory of one of the worst episodes of racial violence in our country’s history, just steps from the home of Abraham Lincoln, but the Springfield community never forgot. Today, their resilience is not just recognized, but honored. Designating the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot as a national monument helps ensure that national monuments protect not just the most precious lands and waters of the United States, but the sites and legacies that make this country what it is.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Jamie Williams, President, The Wilderness Society: “National monuments help tell and preserve stories that represent the full history of our country, and we commend the Biden-Harris administration for commemorating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot as such. It’s important that the administration heeded the call from community members and elected leaders about their vision to federally recognize this painful and tragic event that eventually was one of the catalysts to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This watershed moment led to a movement that ensured that equality and justice were the values that prevailed from this sad chapter in our nation’s history. This story and people who inspired the movement should be honored and protected for future generations.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Jocelyn Torres, Chief Conservation Officer for Conservation Lands Foundation: “Commemorating the country’s varied histories through national monument designations is an important responsibility of the president. The Springfield Race Riot of 1908 is the first national monument to recognize our nation’s long history of race riots and thousands of lynchings, and showcase the birth of the NAACP and the courage and leadership of Ida B. Wells-Barnett and other Black leaders who fought to stop racial violence. It holds a solemn place in our collective understanding and is deserving of this designation. We applaud President Biden for using the Antiquities Act to commemorate the Springfield 1908 Race Riot, ensuring that the public never forgets the tragedies and triumphs of the Black experience in American history.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Brent Leggs, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, National Trust for Historic Preservation: “116 years ago, Black residents of Springfield, Illinois experienced the unimaginable – a race riot that destroyed families, businesses and hope for change. Using his authority under the Antiquities Act, President Biden has ensured the permanent preservation and protection of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site, filling a critical gap in our National Park System and the nation’s understanding of civil rights. This designation allows preservation to be a tool for public education during a time it’s needed most. Sadly, many of the once lived community members in Springfield have passed – without receiving justice – as a result of hate and systemic racism. Thankfully, a diverse coalition of civil rights leaders, conservationists, and law makers organized together, advocating for recognition and memorialization in their memory. Their bold steps make room for the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument to be a resource for learning, healing, and honoring race riot victims, their descendants, and the larger Springfield community.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks: “We thank President Biden for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. This monument will help to fill a critical gap in the National Park System, which currently does not have parks that tell the story of race riots, the founding of the NAACP, or the story of Ida B. Wells-Barnett. It is important that our public lands tell the full American story. This designation will help to ensure that the story of one of the worst examples of mass racial violence in our country’s history, and the courage of Black leaders who founded the NAACP in response, will be protected for future generations.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director, National Religious Partnership for the Environment: “I celebrate the designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. Our public lands play a significant role in telling the story of our nation and for far too long, that story has been incomplete. In naming this newest national monument, the Biden-Harris Administration is answering the call from communities and leaders across the country to preserve and lift up this important story in Black history. This national monument helps tell the full story of American history and is a step towards reconciliation, healing, and transformation.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Dr. Jocelyn Imani, Senior Director, Trust for Public Land for Black History and Culture: “Trust for Public Land commends President Biden for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot as a National Monument. The story of the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois – one of the worst incidences of mass racial violence in the United States – has until recently been buried but never forgotten. Led by a mob of 5,000 white Springfield residents, the riot resulted in the lynching of two Black residents and the deaths of at least seven others, as well as the destruction of dozens of Black-owned homes and businesses. The riot is also credited as catalyzing the establishment of the NAACP the following year of 1909.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Mark Magaña, Founding President and CEO, Green Latinos: “We thank the Biden-Harris Administration for listening to leaders in Springfield, Illinois and the wide base of support throughout the nation for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. The America The Beautiful For All Coalition firmly believes that our path to 30% conserved lands and waters must be defined by the places that tell the full American story. This national monument is the first to ensure that all Americans remember how mass racial violence took the homes, businesses, and lives of Black Americans. This monument will help to make us more aware of the lasting impact these historical events had on Black economic mobility, safety and belonging in our country. It is also critical that this monument uncovers stories about the impact of the 1908 riots on immigrant and multicultural residents in order to reflect the full American story at this new national monument.”  [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters: “Thanks to the tireless advocacy of the Springfield branch of the NAACP and local advocates and activists, the Biden-Harris administration has established a national monument to acknowledge the tragic Springfield massacre and other forms of racial violence against Black people in our nation’s history. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument confronts one of the country’s most brutal instances of mass anti-Black violence and serves as a testament to the courage of Black leaders, including Ida B. Wells-Barnett, who fought to end racial violence. LCV commends the Biden-Harris administration for further cementing its legacy of honoring and protecting our nation’s cultural heritage, public lands and historical sites, and encourages the Biden-Harris administration to build on this legacy by continuing to champion the protection of our nation’s public lands and cultural sites.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Ariel Hampton, State Government Affairs Director, Illinois Environmental Council: “We applaud the Biden-Harris administration for designating the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot as a National Monument, and commend our partners at the Springfield branch of the NAACP, Sierra Club Illinois, Faith Coalition for the Common Good, and countless local activists for their work to advocate for this designation. The mass racial violence in Springfield in 1908 has reverberated across the past century, and the impacts continue to be felt in Springfield and across Illinois. Today, Black residents in Springfield are more likely to experience environmental injustices like air pollution from the Dallman coal plant and water contamination from lead pipes. As we work to mitigate these injustices, this National Monument will serve as a reminder to learn from our history so as not to repeat it.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Lauren Bogard, Director of Campaigns and Special Projects, Center for Western Priorities: “We praise President Biden for acknowledging a terrible event in American history through the preservation of artifacts and accounts that tell the shameful story of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot. Black history is American history, and it is fundamental to understanding the ongoing fight for civil rights and racial equality, a struggle that continues to be advanced by the leadership and advocacy of the NAACP. The establishment of this monument is a reminder that there is more work to be done in pursuit of national healing and reconciliation, and that the creation of new national monuments can play a pivotal role in this necessary endeavor through acknowledging how the events in our history continue to shape our country.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

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The post WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: President Biden Designates Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument appeared first on The White House.

Last week President Biden signed a proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois. The new national monument will tell the story of a horrific attack by a white mob on a Black community, its significance within the Civil Rights Movement, and the broader history of Black community resilience in the face of violent oppression. At a time when some are working to rewrite history and erase painful moments in our past, President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to protecting places that help tell a more complete story of our nation’s history, including by recognizing difficult moments that have been ignored or obscured for far too long.

Leaders from across the country praised the announcement. Here’s what they’re saying:

Elected Officials

Senator Tammy Duckworth (Illinois): “The 1908 Springfield Race Riot site is of extraordinary cultural and historical importance to our state and to this country—a searing, horrific incident that galvanized the creation of the NAACP. I’ve been working for years to designate this site as a national monument to help ensure the painful lessons learned here will not be lost for the generations of Americans to come. I’m proud that President Biden is taking action to help ensure this history is properly honored and making our national parks better reflect our nation’s people and stories.” [Statement, 8/14/24]

Senator Dick Durbin (Illinois): “The 1908 Springfield Race Riot was a violent and hateful tragedy, but it’s a part of Illinois’ and our nation’s history that we cannot turn a blind eye to. The story, which led to the creation of the NAACP, must be told. I have worked with Senator Duckworth and Rep. Budzinski to push for this historical site to be recognized as a national monument, and I’m grateful that President Biden understands the gravity of designating this site in Springfield. Together, we can honor the lives lost during the deadly riots and reaffirm our commitment to fighting prejudice in Illinois and across the country.” [Statement, 8/14/24]

Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13): “More than a century ago, Springfield’s Black community was attacked in an act of hateful and senseless violence. While the 1908 Springfield Race Riot demonstrates our nation’s deep history of racial violence, it also sparked the creation of the NAACP – reflecting the strength and resilience of Black Americans in tireless fight for civil rights. Since coming to Congress I’ve been pushing for the Race Riot site to be designated as a national monument and I’m so excited to see it finally receive this long overdue recognition. Today’s announcement is a critical step forward to honor those who were killed in the 1908 attack and acknowledge the impact this tragedy had on the Springfield community and our nation as a whole. I couldn’t be more grateful to our local leaders and community members for their partnership in advocacy and I look forward to seeing this history preserved for generations to come.” [X Post, 8/14/24]

Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04): “The Congressional Black Caucus applauds President Biden’s proclamation establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Springfield, Illinois. The Springfield Race Riot was a horrific moment in our nation’s history – one that today reminds us of the strength and resilience of our communities that have historically been subjected to racism, intimidation, and violence. At a time when anti-education laws, book bans, and censorship of Black history in schools are rampant, this designation reflects President Biden and Vice President Harris’ commitment to honoring and protecting Black history and ensuring that our stories are not lost or obfuscated over time.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Illinois Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton: “President Biden’s designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument is an act of protection for a significant chapter of Black history in Illinois and America. The monument is a poignant reminder of the devastation Springfield and the nation faced during a time of racial violence. We honor the memories of the lives that were tragically cut short, the families irrevocably shattered, and the businesses destroyed. We pay tribute to the survivors and advocates whose resilience and determination reverberated through time, leading to vital reforms like the establishment of the NAACP. Their legacy serves as a powerful reminder of our ongoing duty to confront injustice and strive for a more equitable society. This designation underscores Illinois’ commitment to preserving and learning from our complex history.” [Statement, 8/14/24

Civil Rights and Community Leaders

Derrick Johnson, President and CEO, NAACP: “As we convene to remember the tragic Springfield Race Riot of 1908, our community continues to endure unjust violence. 116 years ago, it was William K. Donnegan. Last month, it was his descendant, Sonya Massey. Sonya’s death at the hands of law enforcement is a stark reminder that we have a long way to go in the fight to protect, and honor Black life. While the Springfield Race riot reflects a dark chapter in our history, it details the truths of our lived experiences as Black Americans. At a time when Black history is under attack, the NAACP welcomes the Biden-Harris administration’s decision to recognize the horrors of the past as we work to create a brighter tomorrow – this is just the beginning.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund: “Today, President Biden affirmed the critical importance of telling the full truth of our nation’s history, including some of its most heinous chapters. A national monument at the site of the Springfield Race Riot will allow people across the country, and indeed across the globe, to not only deepen their understanding of the brutality Black people have faced in the United States, but to also recognize their resilience in the face of horror and tragedy. This recognition is especially powerful at a time when there is a war on truth and ongoing attempts to suppress the voices, history, and political participation of Black Americans.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Austin Randolph, Jr., NAACP Springfield Chapter President: “We must remember, resolve and restore. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot should live in our hearts and minds forever as a constant reminder of man’s capacity for cruelty. Within this struggle lies the desire for equity, peace, and healing. This national monument will forever stand for freedom and justice. It will be our solemn reminder of where we came from as it propels us towards where we are destined to be: equal.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Ken Page, President, ACLU of Illinois, Springfield Chapter: “It was a journey of 116 years to get to this day. We thank you Mr. President for acknowledging the importance of telling all of America’s History. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot was tragic. And out of this tragedy was the birth of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. As we continue this journey, America can continue to live out her creed of Liberty, Equality, Justice and Humanity.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Pastor T. Ray “Mac” McJunkins, Lead Pastor, Union Baptist Church of Springfield: “Thank you to the men and women, who have certainly been champions for the citizens of Illinois. Lawmakers led by Senators Dick Durbin, Tammy Duckworth, and Representatives Nikki Budzinski and Darin LaHood. I personally appreciate your tireless efforts with the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument Act. This has been a long time coming, though it was hindered on Capitol Hill it still prevailed. After several conversations, meetings and visits to Washington DC, here we are a leap forward. Today, on the 116th anniversary of the 1908 Race Riot, President Biden, I applaud you for using the Antiquities Act to designate the Race Riot a National Monument. This is another step to honor those who died during the riot as well as those St. John’s Hospital sisters who assisted the wounded. This is a continued opportunity to raise awareness and educate present and future generations on race relations while we commit to making this a better nation than it was and even better than what it is.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Erin Carlson Mast, President and CEO, Lincoln Presidential Foundation: “As a proud partner of the National Park Service at Lincoln Home National Historic Site, we recognize the connections between these sites and stories. The establishment of the NAACP on Abraham Lincoln’s birthday in 1909 underscored the enduring link between Lincoln’s legacy and the struggle for freedom and equality. The mob violence was local, but the impact has been national. We look forward to working together to ensure the preservation, interpretation, and commemoration of this important place in American history for generations to come.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Dr. Samuel C. Tolbert Jr., President, National Baptist Convention of America: “President Biden, your leadership in making this site a national monument reflects a deep commitment to preserving the history of racial violence in America and ensuring that these stories are told with the dignity and respect they deserve. This act not only brings national attention to the atrocities of 1908 but also serves as a powerful symbol of our collective responsibility to address the legacy of racism in this country. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to justice, equity, and the truth. Your decision to honor the victims and survivors of the Springfield Race Riot by making this site a national monument is a profound step toward healing and reconciliation.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Reverend David Peoples, President, Progressive National Baptist Convention: “The story of Springfield is painful. Black businesses were destroyed, neighborhoods were burnt to the ground, and lives were lost in an attempt to terrorize, intimidate, and dehumanize. Establishing the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument is a welcome step toward healing and justice as we amplify this story and help ensure that these events are never repeated.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Church of God in Christ: “On behalf of the Church of God in Christ, with over 5 million congregants, I celebrate with my brothers and sisters in Christ the recent designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. The Springfield race riot is a story of evil racism, hatred, and violence – but it is also a story of hope, marked by the resilience of the Black community and the formation of the NAACP. It is important that our national lands reflect the full truth of our country’s history; this is an important step towards justice and healing.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Imam Dr. Talib M. Shareef, President, Masjid Muhammad: “Masjid Muhammad, known as the Nation’s Mosque, commends the Biden-Harris Administration in its official designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, which tells the honest story of the Springfield race riots. Our Mosque was the first built from the ground in America by descendants of enslaved African Americans and African Muslims – we are particularly interested in having the full story of African American experiences, including tragedies, told and preserved. The Springfield Monument uplifts an integral part of our American history and is an essential addition to the National Park System.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church: “As Bishops of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church, we celebrate the National Park Service and the Biden Administration’s work to officially establish the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument, ensuring that this part of Black history is not erased and utilizing public lands and a way to proclaim the truth. The CME church, with more than 1.2 million members across the United States, came into being in the tumultuous aftermath of the Civil War – our vision was then, and remains today, to be transformational in a changing world. The changing world, wrought with strife and division, demands the presence of truth and begs for reconciliation and healing. Efforts like this recent designation are small but tangible and significant steps towards this reconciliation, healing, and ultimately transformation that our nation so greatly needs.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Pastor Scott Onqué, Policy Director, Faith in Place: “We thank President Biden for designating the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site as a national monument–which serves as a crucial acknowledgment of a painful history and a call to continue the fight for racial justice. This designation is particularly meaningful for faith communities, especially within the Black community, where houses of worship have been and continue to be vital centers for advocacy. It honors the resilience of those who fought for justice and encourages us to keep working toward a more just and equitable future.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Conservation and Historic Preservation Leaders

Ben Jealous, Executive Director, Sierra Club: “Our public lands tell a story, and this newest national monument finally adds this long-overlooked chapter. For more than a century, we ignored the memory of one of the worst episodes of racial violence in our country’s history, just steps from the home of Abraham Lincoln, but the Springfield community never forgot. Today, their resilience is not just recognized, but honored. Designating the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot as a national monument helps ensure that national monuments protect not just the most precious lands and waters of the United States, but the sites and legacies that make this country what it is.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Jamie Williams, President, The Wilderness Society: “National monuments help tell and preserve stories that represent the full history of our country, and we commend the Biden-Harris administration for commemorating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot as such. It’s important that the administration heeded the call from community members and elected leaders about their vision to federally recognize this painful and tragic event that eventually was one of the catalysts to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). This watershed moment led to a movement that ensured that equality and justice were the values that prevailed from this sad chapter in our nation’s history. This story and people who inspired the movement should be honored and protected for future generations.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Jocelyn Torres, Chief Conservation Officer for Conservation Lands Foundation: “Commemorating the country’s varied histories through national monument designations is an important responsibility of the president. The Springfield Race Riot of 1908 is the first national monument to recognize our nation’s long history of race riots and thousands of lynchings, and showcase the birth of the NAACP and the courage and leadership of Ida B. Wells-Barnett and other Black leaders who fought to stop racial violence. It holds a solemn place in our collective understanding and is deserving of this designation. We applaud President Biden for using the Antiquities Act to commemorate the Springfield 1908 Race Riot, ensuring that the public never forgets the tragedies and triumphs of the Black experience in American history.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Brent Leggs, Senior Vice President and Executive Director, National Trust for Historic Preservation: “116 years ago, Black residents of Springfield, Illinois experienced the unimaginable – a race riot that destroyed families, businesses and hope for change. Using his authority under the Antiquities Act, President Biden has ensured the permanent preservation and protection of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site, filling a critical gap in our National Park System and the nation’s understanding of civil rights. This designation allows preservation to be a tool for public education during a time it’s needed most. Sadly, many of the once lived community members in Springfield have passed – without receiving justice – as a result of hate and systemic racism. Thankfully, a diverse coalition of civil rights leaders, conservationists, and law makers organized together, advocating for recognition and memorialization in their memory. Their bold steps make room for the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument to be a resource for learning, healing, and honoring race riot victims, their descendants, and the larger Springfield community.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Phil Francis, Chair of the Executive Council of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks: “We thank President Biden for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. This monument will help to fill a critical gap in the National Park System, which currently does not have parks that tell the story of race riots, the founding of the NAACP, or the story of Ida B. Wells-Barnett. It is important that our public lands tell the full American story. This designation will help to ensure that the story of one of the worst examples of mass racial violence in our country’s history, and the courage of Black leaders who founded the NAACP in response, will be protected for future generations.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Cassandra Carmichael, Executive Director, National Religious Partnership for the Environment: “I celebrate the designation of the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. Our public lands play a significant role in telling the story of our nation and for far too long, that story has been incomplete. In naming this newest national monument, the Biden-Harris Administration is answering the call from communities and leaders across the country to preserve and lift up this important story in Black history. This national monument helps tell the full story of American history and is a step towards reconciliation, healing, and transformation.” [X Post, 8/16/24]

Dr. Jocelyn Imani, Senior Director, Trust for Public Land for Black History and Culture: “Trust for Public Land commends President Biden for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot as a National Monument. The story of the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois – one of the worst incidences of mass racial violence in the United States – has until recently been buried but never forgotten. Led by a mob of 5,000 white Springfield residents, the riot resulted in the lynching of two Black residents and the deaths of at least seven others, as well as the destruction of dozens of Black-owned homes and businesses. The riot is also credited as catalyzing the establishment of the NAACP the following year of 1909.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Mark Magaña, Founding President and CEO, Green Latinos: “We thank the Biden-Harris Administration for listening to leaders in Springfield, Illinois and the wide base of support throughout the nation for designating the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument. The America The Beautiful For All Coalition firmly believes that our path to 30% conserved lands and waters must be defined by the places that tell the full American story. This national monument is the first to ensure that all Americans remember how mass racial violence took the homes, businesses, and lives of Black Americans. This monument will help to make us more aware of the lasting impact these historical events had on Black economic mobility, safety and belonging in our country. It is also critical that this monument uncovers stories about the impact of the 1908 riots on immigrant and multicultural residents in order to reflect the full American story at this new national monument.”  [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters: “Thanks to the tireless advocacy of the Springfield branch of the NAACP and local advocates and activists, the Biden-Harris administration has established a national monument to acknowledge the tragic Springfield massacre and other forms of racial violence against Black people in our nation’s history. The 1908 Springfield Race Riot National Monument confronts one of the country’s most brutal instances of mass anti-Black violence and serves as a testament to the courage of Black leaders, including Ida B. Wells-Barnett, who fought to end racial violence. LCV commends the Biden-Harris administration for further cementing its legacy of honoring and protecting our nation’s cultural heritage, public lands and historical sites, and encourages the Biden-Harris administration to build on this legacy by continuing to champion the protection of our nation’s public lands and cultural sites.” [Statement, 8/16/24] 

Ariel Hampton, State Government Affairs Director, Illinois Environmental Council: “We applaud the Biden-Harris administration for designating the site of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot as a National Monument, and commend our partners at the Springfield branch of the NAACP, Sierra Club Illinois, Faith Coalition for the Common Good, and countless local activists for their work to advocate for this designation. The mass racial violence in Springfield in 1908 has reverberated across the past century, and the impacts continue to be felt in Springfield and across Illinois. Today, Black residents in Springfield are more likely to experience environmental injustices like air pollution from the Dallman coal plant and water contamination from lead pipes. As we work to mitigate these injustices, this National Monument will serve as a reminder to learn from our history so as not to repeat it.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

Lauren Bogard, Director of Campaigns and Special Projects, Center for Western Priorities: “We praise President Biden for acknowledging a terrible event in American history through the preservation of artifacts and accounts that tell the shameful story of the 1908 Springfield Race Riot. Black history is American history, and it is fundamental to understanding the ongoing fight for civil rights and racial equality, a struggle that continues to be advanced by the leadership and advocacy of the NAACP. The establishment of this monument is a reminder that there is more work to be done in pursuit of national healing and reconciliation, and that the creation of new national monuments can play a pivotal role in this necessary endeavor through acknowledging how the events in our history continue to shape our country.” [Statement, 8/16/24]

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Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Montana and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by straight-line winds on July 24, 2024.

Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the straight-line winds in the counties of Missoula and Powell.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mr. Edwin J. Martin of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Montana Disaster Declaration appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Montana and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by straight-line winds on July 24, 2024.

Federal funding is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the straight-line winds in the counties of Missoula and Powell.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mr. Edwin J. Martin of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Montana Disaster Declaration appeared first on The White House.

Tomorrow—as the people of Ukraine mark their Independence Day—let it be clear: When Russia’s senseless war began, Ukraine was a free country. Today, it is still a free country. And the war will end with Ukraine remaining a free, sovereign, and independent country.

I spoke with President Zelenskyy today to reaffirm this message, and to express America’s unwavering support for the people of Ukraine. For two and a half years, they have repelled Russia’s vicious onslaught, including retaking more than half of the territory Russian forces seized in the initial days of the war. They have remained unbowed in the face of Russia’s heinous war crimes and atrocities. And day after day, they have defended the values that unite people across both of our nations and around the world—including independence.

That is why I am proud we will announce a new package of military aid for Ukraine today. The package includes air defense missiles to protect Ukraine’s critical infrastructure; counter-drone equipment and anti-armor missiles to defend against Russia’s evolving tactics on the battlefield; and ammunition for frontline soldiers and the mobile rocket systems that protect them. We are also imposing new sanctions today on nearly 400 entities and individuals who are enabling Russia’s illegal war as part of our enduring commitment to hold Russia accountable for its aggression.

These actions build on a series of historic steps we have taken with our Allies and partners over the last few months to support Ukraine—from transferring F-16 fighter jets, to committing to deliver hundreds of air defense interceptors over the next year, to quickly surging security assistance to the frontlines following the passing of our National Security Bill. Last month, I also brought together 20 nations who have signed Bilateral Security Agreements with Ukraine to form the Ukraine Compact, which will strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself now and in the future. And, together with the G7, we are taking unprecedented action to make Russia pay for damage it’s caused by issuing $50 billion in loans backed by the profits of frozen Russian sovereign assets. 

Make no mistake: Russia will not prevail in this conflict. The independent people of Ukraine will prevail—and the United States, our Allies, and our partners, will continue to stand with them every step of the way. 

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden Ahead of Ukraine Independence Day appeared first on The White House.

Tomorrow—as the people of Ukraine mark their Independence Day—let it be clear: When Russia’s senseless war began, Ukraine was a free country. Today, it is still a free country. And the war will end with Ukraine remaining a free, sovereign, and independent country.

I spoke with President Zelenskyy today to reaffirm this message, and to express America’s unwavering support for the people of Ukraine. For two and a half years, they have repelled Russia’s vicious onslaught, including retaking more than half of the territory Russian forces seized in the initial days of the war. They have remained unbowed in the face of Russia’s heinous war crimes and atrocities. And day after day, they have defended the values that unite people across both of our nations and around the world—including independence.

That is why I am proud we will announce a new package of military aid for Ukraine today. The package includes air defense missiles to protect Ukraine’s critical infrastructure; counter-drone equipment and anti-armor missiles to defend against Russia’s evolving tactics on the battlefield; and ammunition for frontline soldiers and the mobile rocket systems that protect them. We are also imposing new sanctions today on nearly 400 entities and individuals who are enabling Russia’s illegal war as part of our enduring commitment to hold Russia accountable for its aggression.

These actions build on a series of historic steps we have taken with our Allies and partners over the last few months to support Ukraine—from transferring F-16 fighter jets, to committing to deliver hundreds of air defense interceptors over the next year, to quickly surging security assistance to the frontlines following the passing of our National Security Bill. Last month, I also brought together 20 nations who have signed Bilateral Security Agreements with Ukraine to form the Ukraine Compact, which will strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself now and in the future. And, together with the G7, we are taking unprecedented action to make Russia pay for damage it’s caused by issuing $50 billion in loans backed by the profits of frozen Russian sovereign assets. 

Make no mistake: Russia will not prevail in this conflict. The independent people of Ukraine will prevail—and the United States, our Allies, and our partners, will continue to stand with them every step of the way. 

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden Ahead of Ukraine Independence Day appeared first on The White House.

10:35 A.M. EDT

MODERATOR:  Good morning, everyone.  Thanks so much for joining.  I’ll turn it over to Kirby for a few words at the top, and then we’ll take your questions.

MR. KIRBY:  Hey, guys.  Happy end of the week here.  I don’t really have a whole lot to say at the top except to note that tomorrow is Ukraine’s Independence Day, 33 years.  And I expect you’ll hear from us officially on this a little bit later today.  But obviously, we continue to support Ukraine’s fight for their independence, an independence that they have had to defend pretty mightily here over the last two and a half years. 

And so, I suspect that as we officially mark their independence day — and again, I think you’ll hear more from us a little bit later today — you’ll see that we will back up that philosophical support for their independence with more tangible support as well, including more security assistance coming to Ukraine to help them as they defend themselves. 

And again, I think you’ll hear more from us and more from the President later today. 

With that, I can take some questions. 

MODERATOR:  First up, we’ll go to the line of Aamer Madhani.

Q    Hey.  Thank you both.  Could you just give us an update on Brett’s meetings in Cairo and how they’re going and where things stand? 

And then, related to that, is there plans for some sort of, I guess, like high-level summit led by Director Burns in the region on Sunday?

MR. KIRBY:  I think all that is kind of mixed in together with your first question, Aamer.  They had constructive discussions last night in Cairo, and those discussions are going to continue today.  Director Burns is there today to join those discussions. 

So, the process is actually moving forward.  It’s moving forward in the way we had outlined earlier in terms of these next rounds of talks.  Now, what’s critical is that everybody participate in these talks and that sides continue to work towards implementation; that everybody comes to these discussions with an eye towards actually closing out these implementation details and getting after it. 

And so, again, early signs in Cairo — and these are early signs — is that the discussions have been constructive.  But there’s more talks to come here over the course of the weekend.  As I said, Director Burns is there.  Brett McGurk is there.  And so we’ll be staying in touch with them, of course, over the next couple of days and seeing how things shake out. 

But things are moving forward.  There’s been press reporting out there that, you know, they’re near collapse.  That is not accurate.  There has been progress made.  We need now for both sides to come together and work towards implementation.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to Steve Holland.

Q    Thanks, John.  Just following up on that, is Israel still insisting that it be allowed to keep forces along the Philadelphi land corridor between Egypt and Gaza?

MR. KIRBY:  Yeah, look, Steve, I’m not going to get into the details of the implementation.  I think you guys can understand why I wouldn’t do that.  But what I can say is that when you go back to the 27 May text, there’s clear responsibilities for both sides here.  And what we want to see is that both sides meet those commitments, meet those requirements. 

And as I said earlier, the preliminary talks that we had going into Cairo last night were constructive in nature.  So we want to see that same, sort of, momentum continue here over the next couple of days.  But I don’t think it would be useful for me to get into the details of it. 

The last thing I want to just say, and I know this will just sound like things I’ve said before and might be easy for reporters to dismiss, but I hope you don’t: Think about what this deal will do for the people of Gaza.  It gets them a period of calm and a potential end to the war and the violence and the bloodshed.  It also gets them, because of a stop in the fighting, an incredible opportunity for all of us — and I mean all of us, including the United States — to dramatically increase the humanitarian assistance that’s getting in, all the things that they still so desperately need.  And it gets those hostages home with their families. 

And I know I say all these three things all the time, but I just hope you don’t drive past that, because, you know, we’re at a point here where if these talks do go well, and if both sides really come to the table and are willing to talk about implementation, that that — that’s a reality, or that could be the reality.  And that’s what we’re going to keep driving at. 

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to the line of Tamara Keith.

Q    Hi.  Thank you so much for doing this.  Two questions.  When you said we’re going to hear from the President later, are we going to see the President later, or are you saying that there’s going to be a paper statement?

And regarding Jake Sullivan’s travel to China, is that any sort of prelude to a possible POTUS-Xi meeting before the end of the administration?

MR. KIRBY:  It’ll be a paper statement. 

And as for Jake’s trip to Beijing, this was a follow-on coming out of the Woodside summit back in November of last year.  The idea of having Jake head over to Beijing actually came out of that meeting.  And so, this has been months and months in the planning.  And it’s also reciprocal to — I think you know Wang Yi came here in October, so it’s reciprocal to that.

There is an awful lot on the agenda.  I wouldn’t speak to any specific outcome, but I do want to stress that we do expect that Jake will want to talk to his Chinese counterpart about things that we have begun to work together on — the mil-to-mil communication channel, fentanyl precursor preventative measures. 

And I think Jake will also talk to Minister Wang about things, obviously, that, you know, we’re still struggling with, in terms of this relationship with China: Chinese companies support Russia’s war in Ukraine; tensions in the South China Sea, certainly with the Philippines; tensions across the Taiwan Strait.  All of that will come up as well. 

But as for whether this lays the tracks for another meeting with President Xi, I just don’t have anything specific to point to with respect to that.  I mean, these are, as you know, two leaders that have spent a lot of time with one another, and it’s an important — most important bilateral relationship in the world right now.  And we’re going to keep trying to manage this relationship in a way that’s consistent with our national security priorities.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to the line of Nadia.

Q    Thank you, Eduardo.  Good morning, John.  A couple of questions.  When you say that both sides need to compromise, was it a mistake or a rush decision to say that Netanyahu has accepted the deal, as Secretary Blinken said?

And do you believe that an Iran potential attack is on hold now, as long as that negotiation is still going on? 

And finally, there were some reports that Sinwar wanted a guarantee during this deal that his life will be spared if they agreed into the deal.  Do you have any confirmation on that? Thank you.

MR. KIRBY:  I don’t have any confirmation on that last claim.

On your second question about Iran, we continue to monitor this every single day.  As you know, we’ve added additional military forces in the region, improved our deterrent posture, and we’re not taking anything for granted when it comes to being able to protect our troops and our facilities, and also to help Israel defend itself. 

We haven’t seen, obviously, Iran attack yet, but we’re not taking anything for granted.  We’re laser-focused on making sure we can defend ourselves and defend Israel if it comes to that.  Hopefully it won’t come to that. 

At the same time, we’re laser-focused on trying to get this deal in place, which is why we’re back again in Cairo, having these discussions.  

And then that goes to your first question.  Secretary Blinken’s trip was an important muscle movement in this process.  I can’t say it better than him.  He came out of the meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and said that the Prime Minister has accepted the bridging proposal, and that’s accurate.  But what we’ve got to do is get to the details of how you implement that proposal. 

So the major muscle movement, if you will, is the bridging proposal itself, but the minor muscle movements are just as important, and that’s what we’re trying to work out through Cairo.  And as I go back to what I said before, it’s important that both sides are willing to move forward on those sorts of details.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to Nick Schifrin.

Q    Hey, guys.  Thank you.  Happy Friday.  John, just to follow up to that, is there any assessment that Iran has changed its plans in terms of an attack?  You’ve stated publicly that Iran made preparations for an attack.  Have they undone any of those preparations?  And is the threat remains high or higher — I guess it’s up to you, whether you’re able to characterize it — of a Hezbollah attack on Israel?  Thanks. 

MR. KIRBY:  Yeah, look, Nick, you know I’m not going to get into intel assessments one way or another.  I mean, it’s still a very perilous situation.  I can’t predict what Iran is going to do or not going to do.  We believe they’re still prepared to do something if, in fact, they choose to do something, and that’s about as far as I’ll go. 

Therefore, we got to be prepared, and we are.  We have bolstered our military capabilities in the region, and we’re watching it every single day.  So, taking nothing for granted here.

And as for Hezbollah — again, I won’t get into a specific intelligence assessment, but we certainly have to take seriously the rhetoric coming out of Hezbollah.  We know that there’s an exchange of fire almost every single day up there that also you just can’t blow off. 

So, no — I can’t point to anything specific at this time that would connote some sort of imminent action.  But to foot-stomp what I said before, we’re taking this potential threat very seriously, as you would expect we would.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to the line of Michael Hernandez.

Q    Hi, John.  Thank you for taking the question.  I wanted to ask about whether or not the administration believes that Netanyahu is negotiating in good faith.  I know there have been statements out of Israel, including from opposition leader Yair Lapid, indicating that that is not the case.  So what is the administration’s take on that?

MR. KIRBY:  Well, I would just say that we’ve had constructive conversations with our Israeli counterparts in the last few days, and that includes, quite frankly, the phone call the President had with the Prime Minister just a couple days ago.  I would characterize those as constructive conversations. 

But as I said before, I’m happy to repeat: We’re in Cairo.  They’re in Cairo.  We need Hamas to participate, and we need to get down to the brass tacks of locking in these details.  And that’s what we’re focused on here in the next coming days here, over the course of the weekend.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to Shaun Tandon.

Q    Hey, John.  Thanks for this.  Can I ask you two different issues?  The Emiratis, the UAE, have accepted an ambassador from the Taliban.  I believe it’s the first country since 2021, after China, to do this.  The UAE, of course, has a good relationship with the U.S.  Do you have any take on this?  Have there been any communications on it?

And could I also ask you for your take on Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ukraine, talking about some sort of peace initiative, peace settlement?  Do you see this as potentially being productive or not?  Thanks.

MR. KIRBY:  Look, on the UAE, every country has to decide for itself what its diplomatic relationships are going to look like and who they’re going to recognize and why they’re going to recognize it.  And we’ll let the UAE speak to that.  Obviously, you know we have not recognized the Taliban, and there are no plans for us to do so.  But I can assure you that this isn’t going to change our relationship with the UAE. 

On your — what the hell was your second question?  Oh, it was on Modi, right? 

Q    Modi, yeah.  Modi going to Ukraine.

MR. KIRBY:  Yeah, sorry about that.  I should have been writing this stuff down, but I didn’t do it. 

You know, look, my answer on that is not dissimilar from my answer to your first question: that every country has to decide for itself what diplomatic conversations they’re going to have. 

And as I’ve said many, many times when it comes to the Ukraine war: If there’s another country out there that is willing to be helpful in terms of trying to end the war in Ukraine, we welcome that.  But by being helpful, we mean it’s got to include conversations with the Ukrainians, and it’s got to start from an understanding of where President Zelenskyy is on this. 

We say it all the time, and it sounds like I’m slapping a bumper sticker on it, but I don’t mean to: Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. 

And so, Prime Minister Modi — India is a strong partner for the United States, and the Prime Minister is as well.  And, you know, him going to Kyiv and having conversations with President Zelenskyy about where this all ends and how it ends — if that can be helpful to getting us to an end to the conflict that comports with President Zelenskyy’s vision for a just peace, well, then we think that would be helpful.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to the line of Joshua Keating.

Q    Hi, John.  Thanks so much.  I want to ask about remarks that President Zelenskyy made earlier this month — earlier this week, sorry — which he said that the Kursk incursion showed that concerns about red lines had been illusory and that there was a philosophical shift taking place amongst Ukraine’s Western allies.  Do you think that the Kursk incursion has changed any of your thinking about escalation risks or so-called Russian red lines?

MR. KIRBY:  We’ve been watching escalation risks since the beginning of this conflict, and that ain’t gonna change.  We’re always going to be concerned about the potential for the aggression in Ukraine to lead to escalation on the European continent.  That’s something that we’ve been watching, again, since the beginning, and we still do.  And I think it’s too soon to know right now about what’s going on in Kursk, you know, what that looks like. 

I’ll tell you, the Russians have flowed some resources to that area to try to thwart what the Ukrainians are doing.  And so, how effective that’s going to be, what the outcome that’s going to be, we don’t know yet.  Therefore, it’s too soon to know whether what’s going on in Kursk is — with a potential impact that that could have in terms of escalation.  But it is something that we remain concerned about. 

MODERATOR:  Next up, for our final question, we’ll go to the line of David Sanger.

Q    Thanks, John, for doing this.  A little either confused or behind the eight ball here on where our current rules are on the use of U.S. weapons in Russian territory.  So, when we last left this, the President had made a decision, of course, to allow Ukraine to use U.S. weapons (inaudible) in the Kharkiv area.  Now we are seeing some reports of use of HIMARS in their new operation.  Has the area been expanded by the U.S., or are the Ukrainians just doing this on their own accord?

MR. KIRBY:  I can’t confirm the reports of HIMARS.  I can tell you that there’s been no change to the guidance that we’ve given the Ukrainians about where and how they can use U.S. weapons to defend themselves just across the border.

Q    Are you examining a question of whether or not they are using these in the current operation?

MR. KIRBY:  We’ve been having routine conversations, as you might expect we would, dang near every day here with the Ukrainians about what they’re doing. 

As you know, I mean, they are allowed to use U.S.-provided material to defend themselves against Russian aggression.  And as you know, the President allowed them to use U.S. munitions across that border to deal with imminent threats.  But we’re still having conversations with them.  I have no policy leanings one way or another to speak to today, and certainly no new policy decisions that have been made.

MODERATOR:  Thanks, everyone.  That’s all the time we have for today.  Feel free to reach out to the team for any questions we couldn’t get to.  Talk to you all soon.

10:55 A.M. EDT

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10:35 A.M. EDT

MODERATOR:  Good morning, everyone.  Thanks so much for joining.  I’ll turn it over to Kirby for a few words at the top, and then we’ll take your questions.

MR. KIRBY:  Hey, guys.  Happy end of the week here.  I don’t really have a whole lot to say at the top except to note that tomorrow is Ukraine’s Independence Day, 33 years.  And I expect you’ll hear from us officially on this a little bit later today.  But obviously, we continue to support Ukraine’s fight for their independence, an independence that they have had to defend pretty mightily here over the last two and a half years. 

And so, I suspect that as we officially mark their independence day — and again, I think you’ll hear more from us a little bit later today — you’ll see that we will back up that philosophical support for their independence with more tangible support as well, including more security assistance coming to Ukraine to help them as they defend themselves. 

And again, I think you’ll hear more from us and more from the President later today. 

With that, I can take some questions. 

MODERATOR:  First up, we’ll go to the line of Aamer Madhani.

Q    Hey.  Thank you both.  Could you just give us an update on Brett’s meetings in Cairo and how they’re going and where things stand? 

And then, related to that, is there plans for some sort of, I guess, like high-level summit led by Director Burns in the region on Sunday?

MR. KIRBY:  I think all that is kind of mixed in together with your first question, Aamer.  They had constructive discussions last night in Cairo, and those discussions are going to continue today.  Director Burns is there today to join those discussions. 

So, the process is actually moving forward.  It’s moving forward in the way we had outlined earlier in terms of these next rounds of talks.  Now, what’s critical is that everybody participate in these talks and that sides continue to work towards implementation; that everybody comes to these discussions with an eye towards actually closing out these implementation details and getting after it. 

And so, again, early signs in Cairo — and these are early signs — is that the discussions have been constructive.  But there’s more talks to come here over the course of the weekend.  As I said, Director Burns is there.  Brett McGurk is there.  And so we’ll be staying in touch with them, of course, over the next couple of days and seeing how things shake out. 

But things are moving forward.  There’s been press reporting out there that, you know, they’re near collapse.  That is not accurate.  There has been progress made.  We need now for both sides to come together and work towards implementation.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to Steve Holland.

Q    Thanks, John.  Just following up on that, is Israel still insisting that it be allowed to keep forces along the Philadelphi land corridor between Egypt and Gaza?

MR. KIRBY:  Yeah, look, Steve, I’m not going to get into the details of the implementation.  I think you guys can understand why I wouldn’t do that.  But what I can say is that when you go back to the 27 May text, there’s clear responsibilities for both sides here.  And what we want to see is that both sides meet those commitments, meet those requirements. 

And as I said earlier, the preliminary talks that we had going into Cairo last night were constructive in nature.  So we want to see that same, sort of, momentum continue here over the next couple of days.  But I don’t think it would be useful for me to get into the details of it. 

The last thing I want to just say, and I know this will just sound like things I’ve said before and might be easy for reporters to dismiss, but I hope you don’t: Think about what this deal will do for the people of Gaza.  It gets them a period of calm and a potential end to the war and the violence and the bloodshed.  It also gets them, because of a stop in the fighting, an incredible opportunity for all of us — and I mean all of us, including the United States — to dramatically increase the humanitarian assistance that’s getting in, all the things that they still so desperately need.  And it gets those hostages home with their families. 

And I know I say all these three things all the time, but I just hope you don’t drive past that, because, you know, we’re at a point here where if these talks do go well, and if both sides really come to the table and are willing to talk about implementation, that that — that’s a reality, or that could be the reality.  And that’s what we’re going to keep driving at. 

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to the line of Tamara Keith.

Q    Hi.  Thank you so much for doing this.  Two questions.  When you said we’re going to hear from the President later, are we going to see the President later, or are you saying that there’s going to be a paper statement?

And regarding Jake Sullivan’s travel to China, is that any sort of prelude to a possible POTUS-Xi meeting before the end of the administration?

MR. KIRBY:  It’ll be a paper statement. 

And as for Jake’s trip to Beijing, this was a follow-on coming out of the Woodside summit back in November of last year.  The idea of having Jake head over to Beijing actually came out of that meeting.  And so, this has been months and months in the planning.  And it’s also reciprocal to — I think you know Wang Yi came here in October, so it’s reciprocal to that.

There is an awful lot on the agenda.  I wouldn’t speak to any specific outcome, but I do want to stress that we do expect that Jake will want to talk to his Chinese counterpart about things that we have begun to work together on — the mil-to-mil communication channel, fentanyl precursor preventative measures. 

And I think Jake will also talk to Minister Wang about things, obviously, that, you know, we’re still struggling with, in terms of this relationship with China: Chinese companies support Russia’s war in Ukraine; tensions in the South China Sea, certainly with the Philippines; tensions across the Taiwan Strait.  All of that will come up as well. 

But as for whether this lays the tracks for another meeting with President Xi, I just don’t have anything specific to point to with respect to that.  I mean, these are, as you know, two leaders that have spent a lot of time with one another, and it’s an important — most important bilateral relationship in the world right now.  And we’re going to keep trying to manage this relationship in a way that’s consistent with our national security priorities.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to the line of Nadia.

Q    Thank you, Eduardo.  Good morning, John.  A couple of questions.  When you say that both sides need to compromise, was it a mistake or a rush decision to say that Netanyahu has accepted the deal, as Secretary Blinken said?

And do you believe that an Iran potential attack is on hold now, as long as that negotiation is still going on? 

And finally, there were some reports that Sinwar wanted a guarantee during this deal that his life will be spared if they agreed into the deal.  Do you have any confirmation on that? Thank you.

MR. KIRBY:  I don’t have any confirmation on that last claim.

On your second question about Iran, we continue to monitor this every single day.  As you know, we’ve added additional military forces in the region, improved our deterrent posture, and we’re not taking anything for granted when it comes to being able to protect our troops and our facilities, and also to help Israel defend itself. 

We haven’t seen, obviously, Iran attack yet, but we’re not taking anything for granted.  We’re laser-focused on making sure we can defend ourselves and defend Israel if it comes to that.  Hopefully it won’t come to that. 

At the same time, we’re laser-focused on trying to get this deal in place, which is why we’re back again in Cairo, having these discussions.  

And then that goes to your first question.  Secretary Blinken’s trip was an important muscle movement in this process.  I can’t say it better than him.  He came out of the meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and said that the Prime Minister has accepted the bridging proposal, and that’s accurate.  But what we’ve got to do is get to the details of how you implement that proposal. 

So the major muscle movement, if you will, is the bridging proposal itself, but the minor muscle movements are just as important, and that’s what we’re trying to work out through Cairo.  And as I go back to what I said before, it’s important that both sides are willing to move forward on those sorts of details.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to Nick Schifrin.

Q    Hey, guys.  Thank you.  Happy Friday.  John, just to follow up to that, is there any assessment that Iran has changed its plans in terms of an attack?  You’ve stated publicly that Iran made preparations for an attack.  Have they undone any of those preparations?  And is the threat remains high or higher — I guess it’s up to you, whether you’re able to characterize it — of a Hezbollah attack on Israel?  Thanks. 

MR. KIRBY:  Yeah, look, Nick, you know I’m not going to get into intel assessments one way or another.  I mean, it’s still a very perilous situation.  I can’t predict what Iran is going to do or not going to do.  We believe they’re still prepared to do something if, in fact, they choose to do something, and that’s about as far as I’ll go. 

Therefore, we got to be prepared, and we are.  We have bolstered our military capabilities in the region, and we’re watching it every single day.  So, taking nothing for granted here.

And as for Hezbollah — again, I won’t get into a specific intelligence assessment, but we certainly have to take seriously the rhetoric coming out of Hezbollah.  We know that there’s an exchange of fire almost every single day up there that also you just can’t blow off. 

So, no — I can’t point to anything specific at this time that would connote some sort of imminent action.  But to foot-stomp what I said before, we’re taking this potential threat very seriously, as you would expect we would.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to the line of Michael Hernandez.

Q    Hi, John.  Thank you for taking the question.  I wanted to ask about whether or not the administration believes that Netanyahu is negotiating in good faith.  I know there have been statements out of Israel, including from opposition leader Yair Lapid, indicating that that is not the case.  So what is the administration’s take on that?

MR. KIRBY:  Well, I would just say that we’ve had constructive conversations with our Israeli counterparts in the last few days, and that includes, quite frankly, the phone call the President had with the Prime Minister just a couple days ago.  I would characterize those as constructive conversations. 

But as I said before, I’m happy to repeat: We’re in Cairo.  They’re in Cairo.  We need Hamas to participate, and we need to get down to the brass tacks of locking in these details.  And that’s what we’re focused on here in the next coming days here, over the course of the weekend.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to Shaun Tandon.

Q    Hey, John.  Thanks for this.  Can I ask you two different issues?  The Emiratis, the UAE, have accepted an ambassador from the Taliban.  I believe it’s the first country since 2021, after China, to do this.  The UAE, of course, has a good relationship with the U.S.  Do you have any take on this?  Have there been any communications on it?

And could I also ask you for your take on Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Ukraine, talking about some sort of peace initiative, peace settlement?  Do you see this as potentially being productive or not?  Thanks.

MR. KIRBY:  Look, on the UAE, every country has to decide for itself what its diplomatic relationships are going to look like and who they’re going to recognize and why they’re going to recognize it.  And we’ll let the UAE speak to that.  Obviously, you know we have not recognized the Taliban, and there are no plans for us to do so.  But I can assure you that this isn’t going to change our relationship with the UAE. 

On your — what the hell was your second question?  Oh, it was on Modi, right? 

Q    Modi, yeah.  Modi going to Ukraine.

MR. KIRBY:  Yeah, sorry about that.  I should have been writing this stuff down, but I didn’t do it. 

You know, look, my answer on that is not dissimilar from my answer to your first question: that every country has to decide for itself what diplomatic conversations they’re going to have. 

And as I’ve said many, many times when it comes to the Ukraine war: If there’s another country out there that is willing to be helpful in terms of trying to end the war in Ukraine, we welcome that.  But by being helpful, we mean it’s got to include conversations with the Ukrainians, and it’s got to start from an understanding of where President Zelenskyy is on this. 

We say it all the time, and it sounds like I’m slapping a bumper sticker on it, but I don’t mean to: Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. 

And so, Prime Minister Modi — India is a strong partner for the United States, and the Prime Minister is as well.  And, you know, him going to Kyiv and having conversations with President Zelenskyy about where this all ends and how it ends — if that can be helpful to getting us to an end to the conflict that comports with President Zelenskyy’s vision for a just peace, well, then we think that would be helpful.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to the line of Joshua Keating.

Q    Hi, John.  Thanks so much.  I want to ask about remarks that President Zelenskyy made earlier this month — earlier this week, sorry — which he said that the Kursk incursion showed that concerns about red lines had been illusory and that there was a philosophical shift taking place amongst Ukraine’s Western allies.  Do you think that the Kursk incursion has changed any of your thinking about escalation risks or so-called Russian red lines?

MR. KIRBY:  We’ve been watching escalation risks since the beginning of this conflict, and that ain’t gonna change.  We’re always going to be concerned about the potential for the aggression in Ukraine to lead to escalation on the European continent.  That’s something that we’ve been watching, again, since the beginning, and we still do.  And I think it’s too soon to know right now about what’s going on in Kursk, you know, what that looks like. 

I’ll tell you, the Russians have flowed some resources to that area to try to thwart what the Ukrainians are doing.  And so, how effective that’s going to be, what the outcome that’s going to be, we don’t know yet.  Therefore, it’s too soon to know whether what’s going on in Kursk is — with a potential impact that that could have in terms of escalation.  But it is something that we remain concerned about. 

MODERATOR:  Next up, for our final question, we’ll go to the line of David Sanger.

Q    Thanks, John, for doing this.  A little either confused or behind the eight ball here on where our current rules are on the use of U.S. weapons in Russian territory.  So, when we last left this, the President had made a decision, of course, to allow Ukraine to use U.S. weapons (inaudible) in the Kharkiv area.  Now we are seeing some reports of use of HIMARS in their new operation.  Has the area been expanded by the U.S., or are the Ukrainians just doing this on their own accord?

MR. KIRBY:  I can’t confirm the reports of HIMARS.  I can tell you that there’s been no change to the guidance that we’ve given the Ukrainians about where and how they can use U.S. weapons to defend themselves just across the border.

Q    Are you examining a question of whether or not they are using these in the current operation?

MR. KIRBY:  We’ve been having routine conversations, as you might expect we would, dang near every day here with the Ukrainians about what they’re doing. 

As you know, I mean, they are allowed to use U.S.-provided material to defend themselves against Russian aggression.  And as you know, the President allowed them to use U.S. munitions across that border to deal with imminent threats.  But we’re still having conversations with them.  I have no policy leanings one way or another to speak to today, and certainly no new policy decisions that have been made.

MODERATOR:  Thanks, everyone.  That’s all the time we have for today.  Feel free to reach out to the team for any questions we couldn’t get to.  Talk to you all soon.

10:55 A.M. EDT

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8:33 A.M. EDT

MODERATOR:  All right, we’ll get started here.  Thank you all for joining us early this morning for this background call on administration travel to China. 

So everyone understands the terms of the call, we’re going to hold this call on background, attributable to a senior administration official.  For awareness, but not for reporting, that senior administration official is [senior administration official].

And the call will be held under embargo until 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, at which time I anticipate the formal announcement of the anticipated travel will go out. 

So with that, I’ll hand it over to [senior administration official] for some opening remarks, and then we’ll take some questions.  Thanks.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks so much, Kate.  And thanks to everyone for joining us early on a Friday morning.  Quite a way to start the end of the week. 

I wanted to take this opportunity just to brief you on the upcoming travel.  National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to Beijing for meetings with PRC Foreign Minister, Communist Party Politburo Member, and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang Yi, August 27th through 29th. 

This is the fifth meeting between Wang and Sullivan.  This strategic channel of communication between the two has played an important role in responsibly managing competition and tensions. 

First, a bit of background on this channel before I get into any details on the trip itself. 

Mr. Sullivan and Director Wang met four times over the last year and a half.  The first meeting was in Vienna in May of 2023, where they reestablished channels of communication and laid the groundwork for the diplomacy that then followed, including Secretary Blinken’s trip to the PRC in June of last year. 

They also met in Malta in September of 2023 and in Washington in October of 2023 to prepare for the Woodside summit in San Francisco in November of that year. 

Their last meeting was in January this year, in Bangkok, where they worked to advance outcomes from the Woodside summit, including resumption of mil-mil channels, counternarcotics cooperation, and the AI talks on risk and safety that were then held subsequently in Geneva a few months later.

They also discussed at that time areas of difference, as we always do, and set up a call between the two leaders that took place on April 2nd. 

Each time the two have met, they have typically spent about 10 to 12 hours over two days covering bilateral issues, global regional issues, and cross-Strait issues.  We expect to follow the same format in Beijing next week. 

This channel between the National Security Advisor and the Director has been an important channel throughout this administration.  Mr. Sullivan also met four times with Director Wang’s predecessor, Yang Jiechi.

We’ve said this before but it bears repeating that U.S. diplomacy and channels of communication do not indicate a change in approach to the PRC.  This is an intensely competitive relationship.  We are committed to making the investments, strengthening our alliances, and taking the common steps — commonsense steps on tech and national security that we need to take.  We are committed to managing this competition responsibly, however, and prevent it from veering into conflict. 

Mr. Sullivan’s trip to China next week was discussed by the two leaders at the Woodside summit last November.  It is the first trip to China in this administration by a national security advisor.  The last national security advisor trip to China was by Susan Rice in 2016.  It is also a reciprocal trip.  Director Wang visited Washington in October of last year.

As I mentioned earlier, I expect these meetings will cover roughly the same format as we have in previous rounds, discussing key issues in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship and advancing counternarcotics cooperation, military-to-military communication, and AI safety and risk discussions — all outcomes of the Woodside summit.

I expect we will also spend some time on areas of difference, as we always do.  Mr. Sullivan will raise U.S. concerns about China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base, the South China Sea, and various other issues.  I expect the two will also exchange views on other global issues, like DPRK, Middle East, and Burma.  And I expect they will also discuss cross-Strait issues. 

Let me pause there and turn back to Kate for any questions.

MODERATOR:  Great.  Our first question will go to Kayla Tausche with CNN.  Kayla, you should be able to unmute.

Q    Can you hear me?

MODERATOR:  Yes, we can.

Q    Great.  Thank you both for doing this.  Maintaining the relationship has been a goal since the outset of the administration.  I’m wondering what President Biden has conveyed that he sees as unfinished business with China between now and January, and whether he’s communicated that he would see value in another bilateral meeting with President Xi.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks so much for that question.  Look, I think I would phrase it less as unfinished business and more about the intensity of the competition.  The challenges in the bilateral relationship mean that is a constant effort to manage those tensions and manage that competition. 

So I think we’ll continue to use these high-level engagements, first, to push forward for actual, concrete outcomes on the three areas the two leaders agreed to at the last summit.

Mil-mil communications: We’ve run through the list of the ones the two agreed to, with the exception of the theater command; we’ll continue to press on that one.  There are other things we can do in that mil-mil space that we think would be helpful in terms of communications and ensuring the resilience of those communications.

I think, on counternarcotics, as we all know, the fight against illicit precursor chemicals and fentanyl is also a constantly evolving trade, and so there are always things we need to push forward and work with the Chinese to try to get additional scheduling, additional law enforcement actions.  We’ve seen some good action in that space over the last couple of months, including the scheduling for the first time in quite some time of three fentanyl precursors.  But there’s always more we can do. 

And of course, AI safety and risk is also a rapidly evolving topic that I expect the two leaders would also want to continue to discuss. 

And then, aside from that, you know, Russia, Ukraine, Middle East — all of these issues require some levels of discussion between the two sides.

We’ve been clear, and I think both sides have been clear, the value in those leader-level touch points to ensure that we’re talking at the very highest levels.  I would expect that to continue, and we look for opportunities to continue that through the end of the year.

MODERATOR:  Okay, next we’ll go to Aamer with the AP.  Aamer, you should be able to unmute. 

Q    Hey, thank you both.  I just was hoping to get your sense of how much Jake and others who will be on this trip will be conveying to their counterparts about what or what may not be the impact of the elections here.

And to what extent can some of the things, and how high of a priority, I guess, is to solidify just some of what was

sort of pushed forward at Woodside?  And how much of it can the President really solidify at this point that can’t eventually just be undone by whoever is the next president?  Thanks.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yeah, thanks for the question.  Look, I wouldn’t tie this trip or associate it too closely with the election.  That’s not the point.  We’ve tried to do these Wang Yi/Jake Sullivan touch points about once a quarter.  The last one was in January.  We had actually tried to schedule this trip a little bit earlier, and just with the two schedules, it was hard — it was not — we were unable to land it before next week. 

So, again, I would not associate it too closely with the election.  I think that is always in the background in any engagement we have with foreign officials concerned about what comes next or what the transition will be like.  But this meeting will be focused on the topics and the issues that we are dealing with now.  There is a lot we can get done before the end of the year in terms of just managing the relationship.  I think that will be the focus.

MODERATOR:  Next we’ll go to Trevor Hunnicutt with Reuters.

Q    Hey, good morning.  Could you talk a little bit about where China is on some of these key Mideast issues, especially Gaza war and the situation with Iran?  How effective have they been in pressing towards a positive resolution there?  And will you be pressing them for more on that?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks for the question.  Middle East and, of course, Iran has been a topic that has come up, I would say, pretty much every time we’ve met, even before October 7th, of course, raising concerns about Iran as well.

I think — I don’t want to characterize the Chinese position here or get into the conversations that happen behind closed doors.  I think there are some shared concerns about instability, but I think it’s fair to say the two sides, U.S. and China, approach the issue very differently.

We’ll be looking to hear from them, of course, their assessment of what’s going on, the role they have been playing, or some of the talks that have happened in China on this issue set. 

But again, I think we’re approaching it fundamentally from some different directions.  And I think you’ve seen that play out in the press as well, with the position or their lack of condemnation on the October 7th attack.

MODERATOR:  Next we’ll go to Alex Ward with the Wall Street Journal.

Q    Thanks.  Will you guys be going to China with some proposal of a prisoner swap perhaps?  I mean, obviously, we know there’s, if my memory is correct, around 200 or so Americans, some more known than others.  Are you — will you be discussing some sort of proposal for a swap and hoping to bring Americans home on this trip?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Look, we raise the Americans that are detained in China in every single senior-level engagement.  But, no, I have no expectation of that on this trip.

MODERATOR:  Next we’ll go to Patsy with VOA.

Q    Hi.  Thank you both for taking my call.  And sorry if I missed this, but was there a specific deliverable for the visit beyond pushing what was achieved in Woodside?

And if I may: Throughout the administration and the various meetings between Jake and Wang Yi and the leaders, how would you characterize the current trajectory of U.S.-China ties?  Have things improved at all since President Biden came into office?  And what is the expectation or the groundwork that you expect to lay for the next administration?  Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yeah.  Thanks for the question.  Look, I think we’re in a different point in the relationship than we were 10, 15 years ago, where we’re talking outcomes and deliverables for engagements like this.

The purpose of this strategic level of communication is really to get into details on how, on intent of poli- — our strategic intent, intent of policy, how we see different situations.  It really is about clearing up misperceptions and avoiding this competition from veering into conflict more than anything else.

We have identified some areas where we think it is important and we have shown we can work together.  We think this is important not just to show that, even amidst competition, that we can find constructive ways to work with each other, but it’s also important because there are some challenges that we just can’t adequately tackle without the PRC, and one of those would be the fentanyl crisis, right?  China is the source of the bulk of precursor chemicals flowing towards the United States and Mexico.  And so, being able to have those law enforcement-to-law enforcement conversations, disrupt through law enforcement action, work on scheduling, do information exchanges — that is critical as part of an approach to a transnational issue. 

So I would frame it more in that way — that we’re diving into these difficult, tough topics, making sure no misperception, pushing forward some of the work that we have been able to get done together.

In terms of how we set up for the next administration:  Look, I think we’re clear-eyed about the threat that the PRC proposes — or poses to the international order, and we expect that to be the case for the foreseeable future.  Our strategy is designed to meet that challenge. 

And I think what has been so successful in this administration is our China policy is not about changing China at its core, right?  It’s about positioning the United States to make the investments, build the alliances we need to succeed and grow stronger.  And that really is the focus here.  Part of that, then, is also ensuring we’ve got open channels of communication and high-level diplomacy to manage the risks of competition.

MODERATOR:  Next we’ll go to Nick Schifrin with PBS.

Q    Hey there.  Thank you.  I want to go back to Aamer’s question and ask just a specific thing.  You’re saying that the focus is not the election, nor is the timing about the election, but the Chinese will ask about the election.  So, when asked if Harris would represent continuity, or when asked about Harris’s policies, will Jake engage with the Vice President’s future policies should she become president?

And while we have you, I just wanted to get your sense of Lai Ching-te so far.  You know, we got an announcement this week of increased defense spending, over 7.5 percent.  William Lai is in Kinmen Island today.  Just wanted you, if you’re willing, to give an assessment of Lai Ching-te’s presidency so far.  Thanks.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks so much for that question.  On the first one, look, I — sorry.  Hold on just a moment.  I got another call come in.  Sorry about that.  I had another phone ringing. 

Look, on the continuity question, I think this is, as I said, a subtext or a question, regardless of who you are meeting with, that this tends to come up right as they try to figure out our own system.

I will say — and I think you’ve seen this in the MFA briefings on the Chinese side, in some of their public comments:  They are not engaging on this in any sort of meaningful way.  Essentially, their line has been: This is a U.S. domestic issue; we’re not going to get involved; we’re not asking questions. 

I think we won’t aim to speak for whatever administration comes next.  That will be up to the next administration to determine China policy and how they intend to use some of these channels of communication.  What we can speak to is how we intend to manage the balance of this administration, how we intend to manage the transition.  And I think we can focus on that piece in some of the conversations. 

But again, it’ll be up to the next administration and those that are national security advisor and other key foreign policy roles to decide how they carry it forward from here.  We can, of course, give recommendations, but it’ll be up to them. 

MODERATOR:  And our last question is going to go to Lili Pike with —

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I’m sorry, I think he also asked a question on Taiwan, which I neglected to answer. 

Let me just, on that point — and thanks for the question.  We’ve been pretty consistent, I think as you know, that the U.S. remains committed to the One China policy guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, Three Communiqués, and Six Assurances.  Been clear we oppose unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.  Do not support Taiwan independence.  And we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved peacefully. 

I expect in these conversations next week we’re going to raise concern about the PRC’s increased military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan.  These activities are destabilizing and risk escalation.  And we’re going to continue to urge Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue with Taipei. 

I think, look, everything that we have seen come out of Taipei indicates that the current leadership remains committed to maintaining status quo and peace and stability.  They’ve emphasized that in their public statements.  So I will leave it at that and refer you to Taipei for any additional questions on travel, et cetera.

MODERATOR:  Now we’ll go to Lili Pike.

Q    Thank you.  Just following up on Taiwan.  In recent months, we’ve seen rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, in the South China Sea.  Is this strategy of increased high-level diplomacy between the U.S. and China actually working to achieve that goal of managing tensions?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, you know, by its definition, I think it’s a constant process.  There is no end point or achievement of the goal.  It requires constant conversations on both sides.  Again, our view is still that direct and meaningful dialogue between Taipei and Beijing is the only way to address these issues head on.  But we, of course, as I mentioned before, expect to raise this with China. 

And, look, I think you have seen in recent multilateral statements — whether it’s G7, whether it’s Quad, the trilat — the issue of cross-Strait peace and stability is one that’s increasingly being watched closely by the rest of the world.  The economic impact of instability in the region would be overwhelming.  And so, I think it’s clear at this point that there is a global stake in continued peace and stability and status quo.

MODERATOR:  That concludes our call.  Again, this call is held under an embargo until 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and is attributable to a senior administration official.  Thank you all.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks so much.  Have a great weekend.  

8:52 A.M. EDT

The post Background Press Call on Administration Travel to China appeared first on The White House.

8:33 A.M. EDT

MODERATOR:  All right, we’ll get started here.  Thank you all for joining us early this morning for this background call on administration travel to China. 

So everyone understands the terms of the call, we’re going to hold this call on background, attributable to a senior administration official.  For awareness, but not for reporting, that senior administration official is [senior administration official].

And the call will be held under embargo until 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, at which time I anticipate the formal announcement of the anticipated travel will go out. 

So with that, I’ll hand it over to [senior administration official] for some opening remarks, and then we’ll take some questions.  Thanks.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks so much, Kate.  And thanks to everyone for joining us early on a Friday morning.  Quite a way to start the end of the week. 

I wanted to take this opportunity just to brief you on the upcoming travel.  National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to Beijing for meetings with PRC Foreign Minister, Communist Party Politburo Member, and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, Wang Yi, August 27th through 29th. 

This is the fifth meeting between Wang and Sullivan.  This strategic channel of communication between the two has played an important role in responsibly managing competition and tensions. 

First, a bit of background on this channel before I get into any details on the trip itself. 

Mr. Sullivan and Director Wang met four times over the last year and a half.  The first meeting was in Vienna in May of 2023, where they reestablished channels of communication and laid the groundwork for the diplomacy that then followed, including Secretary Blinken’s trip to the PRC in June of last year. 

They also met in Malta in September of 2023 and in Washington in October of 2023 to prepare for the Woodside summit in San Francisco in November of that year. 

Their last meeting was in January this year, in Bangkok, where they worked to advance outcomes from the Woodside summit, including resumption of mil-mil channels, counternarcotics cooperation, and the AI talks on risk and safety that were then held subsequently in Geneva a few months later.

They also discussed at that time areas of difference, as we always do, and set up a call between the two leaders that took place on April 2nd. 

Each time the two have met, they have typically spent about 10 to 12 hours over two days covering bilateral issues, global regional issues, and cross-Strait issues.  We expect to follow the same format in Beijing next week. 

This channel between the National Security Advisor and the Director has been an important channel throughout this administration.  Mr. Sullivan also met four times with Director Wang’s predecessor, Yang Jiechi.

We’ve said this before but it bears repeating that U.S. diplomacy and channels of communication do not indicate a change in approach to the PRC.  This is an intensely competitive relationship.  We are committed to making the investments, strengthening our alliances, and taking the common steps — commonsense steps on tech and national security that we need to take.  We are committed to managing this competition responsibly, however, and prevent it from veering into conflict. 

Mr. Sullivan’s trip to China next week was discussed by the two leaders at the Woodside summit last November.  It is the first trip to China in this administration by a national security advisor.  The last national security advisor trip to China was by Susan Rice in 2016.  It is also a reciprocal trip.  Director Wang visited Washington in October of last year.

As I mentioned earlier, I expect these meetings will cover roughly the same format as we have in previous rounds, discussing key issues in the U.S.-China bilateral relationship and advancing counternarcotics cooperation, military-to-military communication, and AI safety and risk discussions — all outcomes of the Woodside summit.

I expect we will also spend some time on areas of difference, as we always do.  Mr. Sullivan will raise U.S. concerns about China’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base, the South China Sea, and various other issues.  I expect the two will also exchange views on other global issues, like DPRK, Middle East, and Burma.  And I expect they will also discuss cross-Strait issues. 

Let me pause there and turn back to Kate for any questions.

MODERATOR:  Great.  Our first question will go to Kayla Tausche with CNN.  Kayla, you should be able to unmute.

Q    Can you hear me?

MODERATOR:  Yes, we can.

Q    Great.  Thank you both for doing this.  Maintaining the relationship has been a goal since the outset of the administration.  I’m wondering what President Biden has conveyed that he sees as unfinished business with China between now and January, and whether he’s communicated that he would see value in another bilateral meeting with President Xi.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks so much for that question.  Look, I think I would phrase it less as unfinished business and more about the intensity of the competition.  The challenges in the bilateral relationship mean that is a constant effort to manage those tensions and manage that competition. 

So I think we’ll continue to use these high-level engagements, first, to push forward for actual, concrete outcomes on the three areas the two leaders agreed to at the last summit.

Mil-mil communications: We’ve run through the list of the ones the two agreed to, with the exception of the theater command; we’ll continue to press on that one.  There are other things we can do in that mil-mil space that we think would be helpful in terms of communications and ensuring the resilience of those communications.

I think, on counternarcotics, as we all know, the fight against illicit precursor chemicals and fentanyl is also a constantly evolving trade, and so there are always things we need to push forward and work with the Chinese to try to get additional scheduling, additional law enforcement actions.  We’ve seen some good action in that space over the last couple of months, including the scheduling for the first time in quite some time of three fentanyl precursors.  But there’s always more we can do. 

And of course, AI safety and risk is also a rapidly evolving topic that I expect the two leaders would also want to continue to discuss. 

And then, aside from that, you know, Russia, Ukraine, Middle East — all of these issues require some levels of discussion between the two sides.

We’ve been clear, and I think both sides have been clear, the value in those leader-level touch points to ensure that we’re talking at the very highest levels.  I would expect that to continue, and we look for opportunities to continue that through the end of the year.

MODERATOR:  Okay, next we’ll go to Aamer with the AP.  Aamer, you should be able to unmute. 

Q    Hey, thank you both.  I just was hoping to get your sense of how much Jake and others who will be on this trip will be conveying to their counterparts about what or what may not be the impact of the elections here.

And to what extent can some of the things, and how high of a priority, I guess, is to solidify just some of what was

sort of pushed forward at Woodside?  And how much of it can the President really solidify at this point that can’t eventually just be undone by whoever is the next president?  Thanks.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yeah, thanks for the question.  Look, I wouldn’t tie this trip or associate it too closely with the election.  That’s not the point.  We’ve tried to do these Wang Yi/Jake Sullivan touch points about once a quarter.  The last one was in January.  We had actually tried to schedule this trip a little bit earlier, and just with the two schedules, it was hard — it was not — we were unable to land it before next week. 

So, again, I would not associate it too closely with the election.  I think that is always in the background in any engagement we have with foreign officials concerned about what comes next or what the transition will be like.  But this meeting will be focused on the topics and the issues that we are dealing with now.  There is a lot we can get done before the end of the year in terms of just managing the relationship.  I think that will be the focus.

MODERATOR:  Next we’ll go to Trevor Hunnicutt with Reuters.

Q    Hey, good morning.  Could you talk a little bit about where China is on some of these key Mideast issues, especially Gaza war and the situation with Iran?  How effective have they been in pressing towards a positive resolution there?  And will you be pressing them for more on that?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks for the question.  Middle East and, of course, Iran has been a topic that has come up, I would say, pretty much every time we’ve met, even before October 7th, of course, raising concerns about Iran as well.

I think — I don’t want to characterize the Chinese position here or get into the conversations that happen behind closed doors.  I think there are some shared concerns about instability, but I think it’s fair to say the two sides, U.S. and China, approach the issue very differently.

We’ll be looking to hear from them, of course, their assessment of what’s going on, the role they have been playing, or some of the talks that have happened in China on this issue set. 

But again, I think we’re approaching it fundamentally from some different directions.  And I think you’ve seen that play out in the press as well, with the position or their lack of condemnation on the October 7th attack.

MODERATOR:  Next we’ll go to Alex Ward with the Wall Street Journal.

Q    Thanks.  Will you guys be going to China with some proposal of a prisoner swap perhaps?  I mean, obviously, we know there’s, if my memory is correct, around 200 or so Americans, some more known than others.  Are you — will you be discussing some sort of proposal for a swap and hoping to bring Americans home on this trip?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Look, we raise the Americans that are detained in China in every single senior-level engagement.  But, no, I have no expectation of that on this trip.

MODERATOR:  Next we’ll go to Patsy with VOA.

Q    Hi.  Thank you both for taking my call.  And sorry if I missed this, but was there a specific deliverable for the visit beyond pushing what was achieved in Woodside?

And if I may: Throughout the administration and the various meetings between Jake and Wang Yi and the leaders, how would you characterize the current trajectory of U.S.-China ties?  Have things improved at all since President Biden came into office?  And what is the expectation or the groundwork that you expect to lay for the next administration?  Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yeah.  Thanks for the question.  Look, I think we’re in a different point in the relationship than we were 10, 15 years ago, where we’re talking outcomes and deliverables for engagements like this.

The purpose of this strategic level of communication is really to get into details on how, on intent of poli- — our strategic intent, intent of policy, how we see different situations.  It really is about clearing up misperceptions and avoiding this competition from veering into conflict more than anything else.

We have identified some areas where we think it is important and we have shown we can work together.  We think this is important not just to show that, even amidst competition, that we can find constructive ways to work with each other, but it’s also important because there are some challenges that we just can’t adequately tackle without the PRC, and one of those would be the fentanyl crisis, right?  China is the source of the bulk of precursor chemicals flowing towards the United States and Mexico.  And so, being able to have those law enforcement-to-law enforcement conversations, disrupt through law enforcement action, work on scheduling, do information exchanges — that is critical as part of an approach to a transnational issue. 

So I would frame it more in that way — that we’re diving into these difficult, tough topics, making sure no misperception, pushing forward some of the work that we have been able to get done together.

In terms of how we set up for the next administration:  Look, I think we’re clear-eyed about the threat that the PRC proposes — or poses to the international order, and we expect that to be the case for the foreseeable future.  Our strategy is designed to meet that challenge. 

And I think what has been so successful in this administration is our China policy is not about changing China at its core, right?  It’s about positioning the United States to make the investments, build the alliances we need to succeed and grow stronger.  And that really is the focus here.  Part of that, then, is also ensuring we’ve got open channels of communication and high-level diplomacy to manage the risks of competition.

MODERATOR:  Next we’ll go to Nick Schifrin with PBS.

Q    Hey there.  Thank you.  I want to go back to Aamer’s question and ask just a specific thing.  You’re saying that the focus is not the election, nor is the timing about the election, but the Chinese will ask about the election.  So, when asked if Harris would represent continuity, or when asked about Harris’s policies, will Jake engage with the Vice President’s future policies should she become president?

And while we have you, I just wanted to get your sense of Lai Ching-te so far.  You know, we got an announcement this week of increased defense spending, over 7.5 percent.  William Lai is in Kinmen Island today.  Just wanted you, if you’re willing, to give an assessment of Lai Ching-te’s presidency so far.  Thanks.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks so much for that question.  On the first one, look, I — sorry.  Hold on just a moment.  I got another call come in.  Sorry about that.  I had another phone ringing. 

Look, on the continuity question, I think this is, as I said, a subtext or a question, regardless of who you are meeting with, that this tends to come up right as they try to figure out our own system.

I will say — and I think you’ve seen this in the MFA briefings on the Chinese side, in some of their public comments:  They are not engaging on this in any sort of meaningful way.  Essentially, their line has been: This is a U.S. domestic issue; we’re not going to get involved; we’re not asking questions. 

I think we won’t aim to speak for whatever administration comes next.  That will be up to the next administration to determine China policy and how they intend to use some of these channels of communication.  What we can speak to is how we intend to manage the balance of this administration, how we intend to manage the transition.  And I think we can focus on that piece in some of the conversations. 

But again, it’ll be up to the next administration and those that are national security advisor and other key foreign policy roles to decide how they carry it forward from here.  We can, of course, give recommendations, but it’ll be up to them. 

MODERATOR:  And our last question is going to go to Lili Pike with —

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  I’m sorry, I think he also asked a question on Taiwan, which I neglected to answer. 

Let me just, on that point — and thanks for the question.  We’ve been pretty consistent, I think as you know, that the U.S. remains committed to the One China policy guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, Three Communiqués, and Six Assurances.  Been clear we oppose unilateral changes to the status quo from either side.  Do not support Taiwan independence.  And we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved peacefully. 

I expect in these conversations next week we’re going to raise concern about the PRC’s increased military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan.  These activities are destabilizing and risk escalation.  And we’re going to continue to urge Beijing to engage in meaningful dialogue with Taipei. 

I think, look, everything that we have seen come out of Taipei indicates that the current leadership remains committed to maintaining status quo and peace and stability.  They’ve emphasized that in their public statements.  So I will leave it at that and refer you to Taipei for any additional questions on travel, et cetera.

MODERATOR:  Now we’ll go to Lili Pike.

Q    Thank you.  Just following up on Taiwan.  In recent months, we’ve seen rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait, in the South China Sea.  Is this strategy of increased high-level diplomacy between the U.S. and China actually working to achieve that goal of managing tensions?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Well, you know, by its definition, I think it’s a constant process.  There is no end point or achievement of the goal.  It requires constant conversations on both sides.  Again, our view is still that direct and meaningful dialogue between Taipei and Beijing is the only way to address these issues head on.  But we, of course, as I mentioned before, expect to raise this with China. 

And, look, I think you have seen in recent multilateral statements — whether it’s G7, whether it’s Quad, the trilat — the issue of cross-Strait peace and stability is one that’s increasingly being watched closely by the rest of the world.  The economic impact of instability in the region would be overwhelming.  And so, I think it’s clear at this point that there is a global stake in continued peace and stability and status quo.

MODERATOR:  That concludes our call.  Again, this call is held under an embargo until 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time, and is attributable to a senior administration official.  Thank you all.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks so much.  Have a great weekend.  

8:52 A.M. EDT

The post Background Press Call on Administration Travel to China appeared first on The White House.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to the People’s Republic of China from August 27 through August 29, for meetings with senior PRC officials to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues.  These meetings are consistent with efforts to maintain this strategic channel of communication to responsibly manage the relationship and are a product of the November 2023 Woodside Summit between President Biden and President Xi.   This trip follows high-level diplomatic meetings between National Security Advisor Sullivan and Director Wang Yi in Vienna in May 2023, Malta in September 2023, Washington in October 2023, and Bangkok in January 2024.

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The post Statement by NSC Spokesperson Sean Savett on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Trip to Beijing, China appeared first on The White House.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to the People’s Republic of China from August 27 through August 29, for meetings with senior PRC officials to discuss bilateral, regional, and global issues.  These meetings are consistent with efforts to maintain this strategic channel of communication to responsibly manage the relationship and are a product of the November 2023 Woodside Summit between President Biden and President Xi.   This trip follows high-level diplomatic meetings between National Security Advisor Sullivan and Director Wang Yi in Vienna in May 2023, Malta in September 2023, Washington in October 2023, and Bangkok in January 2024.

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The post Statement by NSC Spokesperson Sean Savett on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Trip to Beijing, China appeared first on The White House.

United Center
Chicago, Illinois

9:33 P.M. CDT

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good evening!  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

     AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  California.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

Good evening, everyone.  Good evening.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  Good evening.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

Oh, my goodness.  (Applause.)

Good evening, everyone.  Good evening.  Go- — (laughs).  (Applause.)  Good evening.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  (Applause.)

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

     AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you all. 

     AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

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

Okay, we’ve got to get to some business.  We’ve got to get to some business.

     Okay.  Thank you all.  (Applause.)  Okay.  (Laughs.)  Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, thank you.  Please.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

     Please.  Thank you so very much.  Thank you, everyone.  Thank you, everyone.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

     Okay, let’s get to business.  Let’s get to business.  All right.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

So, let me start by thanking my most incredible husband, Doug — (applause) — for being an incredible partner to me, an incredible father to Cole and Ella.  And happy anniversary, Dougie.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  I love you so very much.

To our president, Joe Biden — (applause) — when I think about the path that we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude.  Your record is extraordinary, as history will show, and your character is inspiring.  And Doug and I love you and Jill and are forever thankful to you both.  (Applause.)

And to Coach Tim Walz — (applause) — you are going to be an incredible vice president.   (Applause.) 

And to the delegates and everyone who has put your faith in our campaign, your support is humbling. 

So, America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected, but I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys.

So, my mother, our mother, Shyamala Harris, had one of her own.  And I miss her every day and especially right now.  And I know she’s looking down smiling.  (Applause.)  I know that.

So, my mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California with an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer.  (Applause.) 

When she finished school, she was supposed to return home to a traditional arranged marriage, but as fate would have it, she met my father, Donald Harris, a student from Jamaica.  (Applause.)  They — they fell in love and got married, and that act of self-determination made my sister Maya and me.  (Applause.)

Growing up, we moved a lot.  I will always remember that big Mayflower truck packed with all our belongings, ready to go to Illinois; to Wisconsin — (applause); and wherever our parents’ jobs took us. 

My early memories of our parents together are very joyful ones: a home filled with laughter and music — Aretha, Coltrane, and Miles.  At the park, my mother would say, “Stay close.”  But my father would say, as he smiled, “Run, Kamala, run.  Don’t be afraid.  Don’t let anything stop you.”  (Applause.)  From my earliest years, he taught me to be fearless.

But the harmony between my parents did not last.  When I was in elementary school, they split up, and it was mostly my mother who raised us. 

Before she could finally afford to buy a home, she rented a small apartment in the East Bay.  In the bay — (applause) — in the Bay, you either live in the Hills or the Flatlands.  We lived in the Flats, a beautiful working-class neighborhood of firefighters, nurses, and construction workers — (applause) — all who tended their lawns with pride. 

My mother, she worked long hours.  And like many working parents, she leaned on a trusted circle to help raise us: Mrs.  Shelton, who ran the daycare below us and became a second mother; Uncle Sherman; Aunt Mary; Uncle Freddy; Auntie Kris.  None of them family by blood and all of them family by love.  (Applause.) 

Family who taught us how to make gumbo, how to play chess — and sometimes even let us win.  Family who loved us, believed in us, and told us we could be anything and do anything.  (Applause.)

They instilled in us the values they personified: community, faith, and the importance of treating others as you would want to be treated — with kindness, respect, and compassion.  (Applause.)

My mother was a brilliant, five-foot-tall brown woman with an accent.  (Applause.)  And as the eldest child — as the eldest child, I saw how the world would sometimes treat her.  But my mother never lost her cool.  She was tough, courageous, a trailblazer in the fight for women’s health.  And she taught Maya and me a lesson that Michelle mentioned the other night.  She taught us to never complain about injustice, but do something about it.  Do something about it.  (Applause.)  That was my mother. 

And she taught us — and she always — she also taught us — and she also taught us “and never do anything half-assed.”  (Applause.)  And that is a direct quote — (laughs) — a direct quote.

I grew up immersed in the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement.  My parents had met at a civil rights gathering.  And they made sure that we learned about civil rights leaders, including the lawyers, like Thurgood Marshall and C- — Constance Baker Motley — those who battled in the courtroom to make real the promise of America. 

So, at a young age, I decided I wanted to do that work.  I wanted to be a lawyer.  And when it came time to choose the type of law I would pursue, I reflected on a pivotal moment in my life. 

You see, when I was in high school, I started to notice something about my best friend, Wanda.  She was sad at school, and there were times she didn’t want to go home. 

So, one day, I asked if everything was all right, and she confided in me that she was being sexually abused by her stepfather.  And I immediately told her she had to come stay with us, and she did.  (Applause.) 

This is one of the reasons I became a prosecutor — to protect people like Wanda — because I believe everyone has a right to safety, to dignity, and to justice.  (Applause.)

As a prosecutor, when I had a case, I charged it not in the name of the victim but in the name of the people for a simple reason: In our system of justice, a harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us.  (Applause.)

And I would often explain this to console survivors of crime, to remind them no one should be made to fight alone.  We are all in this together.  (Applause.) 

And every day in the courtroom, I stood proudly before a judge and I said five words: “Kamala Harris, for the people.”  (Applause.) 

And to be clear — and to be clear, my entire career, I’ve only had one client: the people.  (Applause.) 

And so, on behalf of the people; on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks; on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey; on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with — people who work hard, chase their dreams, and look out for one another; on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

     And with this election — and — (laughs) — and with this election, our nation — our nation, with this election, has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past; a chance to chart a new way forward — (applause) — not — not as members of any one party or faction but as Americans.  (Applause.)

     And let me say, I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know I promise to be a president for all Americans.  (Applause.)  You can always trust me to put country above party and self; to hold sacred America’s fundamental principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power.  (Applause.)
     I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations.  A president who leads and listens; who is realistic, practical, and has common sense; and always fights for the American people.  (Applause.)

     From the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life’s work.  (Applause.)

     As a young courtroom prosecutor in Oakland, California — (applause) — I stood up for women and children against predators who abused them. 

     As attorney general of California, I took on the big banks — (applause) — delivered $20 billion for middle-class families who faced foreclosure and helped pass a homeowner bill of rights, one of the first of its kind in the nation.  (Applause.)
     I stood up for veterans and students being scammed by big for-profit colleges — (applause) — for workers who were being cheated out of their wages, the wages they were due — (applause) — for seniors facing elder abuse. 

     I fought against the cartels who traffic in guns and drugs and human beings — (applause) — who threaten the security of our border and the safety of our communities. 

     And I will tell you, these fights were not easy and neither were the elections that put me in those offices. 

     We were underestimated at practically every turn,
but we never gave up, because the future is always worth fighting for.  (Applause.)  And that’s the fight we are in right now: a fight for America’s future.  (Applause.)

     Fellow Americans, this election is not only the most important of our lives, it is one of the most important in the life of our nation.  (Applause.)

     In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man.  (Laughter.)  But the consequences — but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.  (Applause.)

     Consider — consider not only the chaos and calamity when he was in office but also the gravity of what has happened since he lost the last election.
     Donald Trump tried to throw away your votes.  When he failed, he sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol, where they assaulted law enforcement officers. 

     When politicians in his own party begged him to call off the mob and send help, he did the opposite.  He fanned the flames. 

     And now, for an entirely different set of crimes, he was found guilty of fraud by a jury of everyday Americans — (applause) — and separately — and separately found liable for committing sexual abuse.

     And consider — consider what he intends to do if we give him power again.  Consider his explicit intent to set free violent extremists who assaulted those law enforcement officers at the Capitol; his explicit intent to jail journalists, political opponents, and anyone he sees as the enemy; his explicit intent to deploy our active-duty military against our own citizens. 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Consider — consider the power he will have, especially after the United States Supreme Court just ruled that he would be immune from criminal prosecution.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had: himself.  (Applause.)

     And we know — and we know what a second Trump term would look like.  It’s all laid out in Project 2025, written by his closest advisers.  And its sum total is to pull our country back to the past.  But, America —

     AUDIENCE:  We are not going back!

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

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

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We are not going back to when Donald Trump tried to cut Social Security and Medicare. 

     We are not going back to when he tried to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions. 

     We are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.  (Applause.)

     We are not going to let him end programs like Head Start that provide preschool and childcare for our children.  (Applause.)

     America, we are not going back.

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

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we are charting — and we are charting a new way forward — (applause) — forward to a future with a strong and growing middle class, because we know a strong middle class has always been critical to America’s success.  And building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.  (Applause.)

     And I’ll tell you, this is personal for me.  The middle class is where I come from.  My mother kept a strict budget.  We lived within our means, yet we wanted for little.  And she expected us to make the most of the opportunities that were available to us and to be grateful for them, because, as she taught us, opportunity is not available to everyone. 

     That’s why we will create what I call an opportunity economy — an opportunity economy where everyone has the chance to compete and a chance to succeed — (applause) — whether you live in a rural area, small town, or big city.

     And as president, I will bring together labor and workers — (applause) — and small-business owners and entrepreneurs and American companies to create jobs, to grow our economy, and to lower the cost of everyday needs like health care and housing and groceries. 

     We will provide access to capital for small-business owners and entrepreneurs and founders.  (Applause.)  And we will end America’s housing shortage — (applause) — and protect Social Security and Medicare.  (Applause.)

     Now compare that to Donald Trump, because I think everyone here knows he doesn’t actually fight for the middle class.  Not — he doesn’t actually fight for the middle class.  Instead, he fights for himself and his billionaire friends.  And he will give them another round of tax breaks that will add —

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — up to $5 trillion to the national debt.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And all the while, he intends to enact what in effect is a national sales tax — call it a “Trump tax” — that would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, instead of a Trump tax hike, we will pass a middle-class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million Americans.  (Applause.)

     Friends, I believe America cannot truly be prosperous unless Americans are fully able to make their own decisions about their own lives, especially on matters of heart and home.  (Applause.)  But tonight, in America, too many women are not able to make those decisions. 

     And let’s be clear about how we got here.  Donald Trump handpicked members of the United States Supreme Court to take away reproductive freedom.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And now he brags about it.  In his words, quote, “I did it, and I’m proud to have done it.”  End quote.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’ll tell you, over the past two years, I’ve traveled across our country, and women have told me their stories.  Husbands and fathers have shared theirs.

     Stories of women miscarrying in a parking lot, developing sepsis, losing the ability to ever again have children, all because doctors are afraid they may go to jail for caring for their patients.  Couples just trying to grow their family, cut off in the middle of IVF treatments.  Children who have survived sexual assault potentially being forced to carry a pregnancy to term. 

     This is what’s happening in our country because of Donald Trump.  And understand, he is not done.  As a part of his agenda, he and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion, and enact a nationwide abortion ban, with or without Congress.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     And get this.  Get this.  He plans to create a national anti-abortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions. 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Simply put, they are out of their minds.  (Applause.)

     And one must ask — one must ask: Why exactly is it that they don’t trust women?  Well, we trust women.  We trust women.  (Applause.)

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

     In this election, many other fundamental freedoms are at stake: the freedom to live safe from gun violence in our schools, communities, and places of worship; the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride — (applause); the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis — (applause); and the freedom that unlocks all the others, the freedom to vote.  (Applause.)

     With this election, we finally have the opportunity to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.  (Applause.)

     And let me be clear.  And let me be clear.  After decades in law enforcement, I know the importance of safety and security, especially at our border. 

     Last year, Joe and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades.  The Border Patrol endorsed it.  But Donald Trump believes a border deal would hurt his campaign, so he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, I refuse to play politics with our security, and here is my pledge to you.  As president, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed, and I will sign it into law.  (Applause.)

     I know — I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system.  (Applause.)

     We can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border.  (Applause.)

     And, America, we must also be steadfast in advancing our security and values abroad. 

     As vice president, I have confronted threats to our security, negotiated with foreign leaders, strengthened our alliances, and engaged with our brave troops overseas.  (Applause.)

     As commander in chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world.  (Applause.)  And I will fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families, and I will always honor and never disparage their service and their sacrifice.  (Applause.)

     AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I will make sure that we lead the world into the future on space and artificial intelligence; that America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century; and that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership. 

     Trump, on the other hand, threatened to abandon NATO.  He encouraged Putin to invade our allies.  Said Russia could, quote, “do whatever the hell they want.”

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President Zelenskyy to warn him about Russia’s plan to invade.  I helped mobilize a global response — over 50 countries — to defend against Putin’s aggression.  (Applause.)  And as president, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO Allies.  (Applause.)

     With respect to the war in Gaza, President Biden and I are working around the clock, because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done.  (Applause.)

     And let me be clear.  And let me be clear.  I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself — (applause) — and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7 — (applause) — including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival.

     At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating.  So many innocent lives lost.  (Applause.)  Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again.  The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.

     President Biden and I are working to end this war, such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.  (Applause.)

     And know this: I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists.  I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un, who are rooting for Trump — who are rooting for Trump.  (Applause.)

     Because, you know, they know — they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors.  They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be an autocrat himself.  (Applause.)

     And as president, I will never waver in defense of America’s security and ideals, because in the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs.  (Applause.)

     AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, fellow Americans — fellow Americans, I — I love our country with all my heart.  (Applause.) 

     Everywhere I go — everywhere I go, in everyone I meet, I see a nation that is ready to move forward, ready for the next step in the incredible journey that is America.

     I see an America where we hold fast to the fearless belief that built our nation and inspired the world — that here, in this country, anything is possible; that nothing is out of reach.  An America where we care for one another, look out for one another, and recognize that we have so much more in common than what separates us.  (Applause.)  That none of us — none of us has to fail for all of us to succeed.  (Applause.)  And that in unity, there is strength. 

     You know, our opponents in this race are out there every day denigrating America, talking about how terrible everything is.  Well, my mother had another lesson she used to teach: Never let anyone tell you who you are; you show them who you are.  (Applause.)

     America, let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness, and endless possibilities.  (Applause.)

     We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world.  And on behalf of our children and our grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment.

     It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done, guided by optimism and faith: to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish, and to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth — the privilege and pride of being an American.  (Applause.)

     So, let’s get out there, let’s fight for it.  Let’s get out there, let’s vote for it.  And together, let us write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.  (Applause.)

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

                             END                10:10 P.M. CDT

# # #

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris During Keynote Address at the Democratic Nation Convention appeared first on The White House.

United Center
Chicago, Illinois

9:33 P.M. CDT

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good evening!  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

     AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  California.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

Good evening, everyone.  Good evening.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  Good evening.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

Oh, my goodness.  (Applause.)

Good evening, everyone.  Good evening.  Go- — (laughs).  (Applause.)  Good evening.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good evening.  (Applause.)

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

     AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you all. 

     AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

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

Okay, we’ve got to get to some business.  We’ve got to get to some business.

     Okay.  Thank you all.  (Applause.)  Okay.  (Laughs.)  Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, thank you.  Please.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

     Please.  Thank you so very much.  Thank you, everyone.  Thank you, everyone.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

     Okay, let’s get to business.  Let’s get to business.  All right.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

So, let me start by thanking my most incredible husband, Doug — (applause) — for being an incredible partner to me, an incredible father to Cole and Ella.  And happy anniversary, Dougie.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  I love you so very much.

To our president, Joe Biden — (applause) — when I think about the path that we have traveled together, Joe, I am filled with gratitude.  Your record is extraordinary, as history will show, and your character is inspiring.  And Doug and I love you and Jill and are forever thankful to you both.  (Applause.)

And to Coach Tim Walz — (applause) — you are going to be an incredible vice president.   (Applause.) 

And to the delegates and everyone who has put your faith in our campaign, your support is humbling. 

So, America, the path that led me here in recent weeks was no doubt unexpected, but I’m no stranger to unlikely journeys.

So, my mother, our mother, Shyamala Harris, had one of her own.  And I miss her every day and especially right now.  And I know she’s looking down smiling.  (Applause.)  I know that.

So, my mother was 19 when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California with an unshakable dream to be the scientist who would cure breast cancer.  (Applause.) 

When she finished school, she was supposed to return home to a traditional arranged marriage, but as fate would have it, she met my father, Donald Harris, a student from Jamaica.  (Applause.)  They — they fell in love and got married, and that act of self-determination made my sister Maya and me.  (Applause.)

Growing up, we moved a lot.  I will always remember that big Mayflower truck packed with all our belongings, ready to go to Illinois; to Wisconsin — (applause); and wherever our parents’ jobs took us. 

My early memories of our parents together are very joyful ones: a home filled with laughter and music — Aretha, Coltrane, and Miles.  At the park, my mother would say, “Stay close.”  But my father would say, as he smiled, “Run, Kamala, run.  Don’t be afraid.  Don’t let anything stop you.”  (Applause.)  From my earliest years, he taught me to be fearless.

But the harmony between my parents did not last.  When I was in elementary school, they split up, and it was mostly my mother who raised us. 

Before she could finally afford to buy a home, she rented a small apartment in the East Bay.  In the bay — (applause) — in the Bay, you either live in the Hills or the Flatlands.  We lived in the Flats, a beautiful working-class neighborhood of firefighters, nurses, and construction workers — (applause) — all who tended their lawns with pride. 

My mother, she worked long hours.  And like many working parents, she leaned on a trusted circle to help raise us: Mrs.  Shelton, who ran the daycare below us and became a second mother; Uncle Sherman; Aunt Mary; Uncle Freddy; Auntie Kris.  None of them family by blood and all of them family by love.  (Applause.) 

Family who taught us how to make gumbo, how to play chess — and sometimes even let us win.  Family who loved us, believed in us, and told us we could be anything and do anything.  (Applause.)

They instilled in us the values they personified: community, faith, and the importance of treating others as you would want to be treated — with kindness, respect, and compassion.  (Applause.)

My mother was a brilliant, five-foot-tall brown woman with an accent.  (Applause.)  And as the eldest child — as the eldest child, I saw how the world would sometimes treat her.  But my mother never lost her cool.  She was tough, courageous, a trailblazer in the fight for women’s health.  And she taught Maya and me a lesson that Michelle mentioned the other night.  She taught us to never complain about injustice, but do something about it.  Do something about it.  (Applause.)  That was my mother. 

And she taught us — and she always — she also taught us — and she also taught us “and never do anything half-assed.”  (Applause.)  And that is a direct quote — (laughs) — a direct quote.

I grew up immersed in the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement.  My parents had met at a civil rights gathering.  And they made sure that we learned about civil rights leaders, including the lawyers, like Thurgood Marshall and C- — Constance Baker Motley — those who battled in the courtroom to make real the promise of America. 

So, at a young age, I decided I wanted to do that work.  I wanted to be a lawyer.  And when it came time to choose the type of law I would pursue, I reflected on a pivotal moment in my life. 

You see, when I was in high school, I started to notice something about my best friend, Wanda.  She was sad at school, and there were times she didn’t want to go home. 

So, one day, I asked if everything was all right, and she confided in me that she was being sexually abused by her stepfather.  And I immediately told her she had to come stay with us, and she did.  (Applause.) 

This is one of the reasons I became a prosecutor — to protect people like Wanda — because I believe everyone has a right to safety, to dignity, and to justice.  (Applause.)

As a prosecutor, when I had a case, I charged it not in the name of the victim but in the name of the people for a simple reason: In our system of justice, a harm against any one of us is a harm against all of us.  (Applause.)

And I would often explain this to console survivors of crime, to remind them no one should be made to fight alone.  We are all in this together.  (Applause.) 

And every day in the courtroom, I stood proudly before a judge and I said five words: “Kamala Harris, for the people.”  (Applause.) 

And to be clear — and to be clear, my entire career, I’ve only had one client: the people.  (Applause.) 

And so, on behalf of the people; on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks; on behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey; on behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with — people who work hard, chase their dreams, and look out for one another; on behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

     And with this election — and — (laughs) — and with this election, our nation — our nation, with this election, has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past; a chance to chart a new way forward — (applause) — not — not as members of any one party or faction but as Americans.  (Applause.)

     And let me say, I know there are people of various political views watching tonight, and I want you to know I promise to be a president for all Americans.  (Applause.)  You can always trust me to put country above party and self; to hold sacred America’s fundamental principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power.  (Applause.)
     I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations.  A president who leads and listens; who is realistic, practical, and has common sense; and always fights for the American people.  (Applause.)

     From the courthouse to the White House, that has been my life’s work.  (Applause.)

     As a young courtroom prosecutor in Oakland, California — (applause) — I stood up for women and children against predators who abused them. 

     As attorney general of California, I took on the big banks — (applause) — delivered $20 billion for middle-class families who faced foreclosure and helped pass a homeowner bill of rights, one of the first of its kind in the nation.  (Applause.)
     I stood up for veterans and students being scammed by big for-profit colleges — (applause) — for workers who were being cheated out of their wages, the wages they were due — (applause) — for seniors facing elder abuse. 

     I fought against the cartels who traffic in guns and drugs and human beings — (applause) — who threaten the security of our border and the safety of our communities. 

     And I will tell you, these fights were not easy and neither were the elections that put me in those offices. 

     We were underestimated at practically every turn,
but we never gave up, because the future is always worth fighting for.  (Applause.)  And that’s the fight we are in right now: a fight for America’s future.  (Applause.)

     Fellow Americans, this election is not only the most important of our lives, it is one of the most important in the life of our nation.  (Applause.)

     In many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man.  (Laughter.)  But the consequences — but the consequences of putting Donald Trump back in the White House are extremely serious.  (Applause.)

     Consider — consider not only the chaos and calamity when he was in office but also the gravity of what has happened since he lost the last election.
     Donald Trump tried to throw away your votes.  When he failed, he sent an armed mob to the United States Capitol, where they assaulted law enforcement officers. 

     When politicians in his own party begged him to call off the mob and send help, he did the opposite.  He fanned the flames. 

     And now, for an entirely different set of crimes, he was found guilty of fraud by a jury of everyday Americans — (applause) — and separately — and separately found liable for committing sexual abuse.

     And consider — consider what he intends to do if we give him power again.  Consider his explicit intent to set free violent extremists who assaulted those law enforcement officers at the Capitol; his explicit intent to jail journalists, political opponents, and anyone he sees as the enemy; his explicit intent to deploy our active-duty military against our own citizens. 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Consider — consider the power he will have, especially after the United States Supreme Court just ruled that he would be immune from criminal prosecution.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And how he would use the immense powers of the presidency of the United States not to improve your life, not to strengthen our national security, but to serve the only client he has ever had: himself.  (Applause.)

     And we know — and we know what a second Trump term would look like.  It’s all laid out in Project 2025, written by his closest advisers.  And its sum total is to pull our country back to the past.  But, America —

     AUDIENCE:  We are not going back!

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

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

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We are not going back to when Donald Trump tried to cut Social Security and Medicare. 

     We are not going back to when he tried to get rid of the Affordable Care Act, when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions. 

     We are not going to let him eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools.  (Applause.)

     We are not going to let him end programs like Head Start that provide preschool and childcare for our children.  (Applause.)

     America, we are not going back.

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

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And we are charting — and we are charting a new way forward — (applause) — forward to a future with a strong and growing middle class, because we know a strong middle class has always been critical to America’s success.  And building that middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency.  (Applause.)

     And I’ll tell you, this is personal for me.  The middle class is where I come from.  My mother kept a strict budget.  We lived within our means, yet we wanted for little.  And she expected us to make the most of the opportunities that were available to us and to be grateful for them, because, as she taught us, opportunity is not available to everyone. 

     That’s why we will create what I call an opportunity economy — an opportunity economy where everyone has the chance to compete and a chance to succeed — (applause) — whether you live in a rural area, small town, or big city.

     And as president, I will bring together labor and workers — (applause) — and small-business owners and entrepreneurs and American companies to create jobs, to grow our economy, and to lower the cost of everyday needs like health care and housing and groceries. 

     We will provide access to capital for small-business owners and entrepreneurs and founders.  (Applause.)  And we will end America’s housing shortage — (applause) — and protect Social Security and Medicare.  (Applause.)

     Now compare that to Donald Trump, because I think everyone here knows he doesn’t actually fight for the middle class.  Not — he doesn’t actually fight for the middle class.  Instead, he fights for himself and his billionaire friends.  And he will give them another round of tax breaks that will add —

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — up to $5 trillion to the national debt.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And all the while, he intends to enact what in effect is a national sales tax — call it a “Trump tax” — that would raise prices on middle-class families by almost $4,000 a year.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, instead of a Trump tax hike, we will pass a middle-class tax cut that will benefit more than 100 million Americans.  (Applause.)

     Friends, I believe America cannot truly be prosperous unless Americans are fully able to make their own decisions about their own lives, especially on matters of heart and home.  (Applause.)  But tonight, in America, too many women are not able to make those decisions. 

     And let’s be clear about how we got here.  Donald Trump handpicked members of the United States Supreme Court to take away reproductive freedom.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And now he brags about it.  In his words, quote, “I did it, and I’m proud to have done it.”  End quote.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’ll tell you, over the past two years, I’ve traveled across our country, and women have told me their stories.  Husbands and fathers have shared theirs.

     Stories of women miscarrying in a parking lot, developing sepsis, losing the ability to ever again have children, all because doctors are afraid they may go to jail for caring for their patients.  Couples just trying to grow their family, cut off in the middle of IVF treatments.  Children who have survived sexual assault potentially being forced to carry a pregnancy to term. 

     This is what’s happening in our country because of Donald Trump.  And understand, he is not done.  As a part of his agenda, he and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortion, and enact a nationwide abortion ban, with or without Congress.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     And get this.  Get this.  He plans to create a national anti-abortion coordinator and force states to report on women’s miscarriages and abortions. 

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Simply put, they are out of their minds.  (Applause.)

     And one must ask — one must ask: Why exactly is it that they don’t trust women?  Well, we trust women.  We trust women.  (Applause.)

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

     In this election, many other fundamental freedoms are at stake: the freedom to live safe from gun violence in our schools, communities, and places of worship; the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride — (applause); the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis — (applause); and the freedom that unlocks all the others, the freedom to vote.  (Applause.)

     With this election, we finally have the opportunity to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom to Vote Act.  (Applause.)

     And let me be clear.  And let me be clear.  After decades in law enforcement, I know the importance of safety and security, especially at our border. 

     Last year, Joe and I brought together Democrats and conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades.  The Border Patrol endorsed it.  But Donald Trump believes a border deal would hurt his campaign, so he ordered his allies in Congress to kill the deal.

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, I refuse to play politics with our security, and here is my pledge to you.  As president, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill that he killed, and I will sign it into law.  (Applause.)

     I know — I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system.  (Applause.)

     We can create an earned pathway to citizenship and secure our border.  (Applause.)

     And, America, we must also be steadfast in advancing our security and values abroad. 

     As vice president, I have confronted threats to our security, negotiated with foreign leaders, strengthened our alliances, and engaged with our brave troops overseas.  (Applause.)

     As commander in chief, I will ensure America always has the strongest, most lethal fighting force in the world.  (Applause.)  And I will fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our troops and their families, and I will always honor and never disparage their service and their sacrifice.  (Applause.)

     AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I will make sure that we lead the world into the future on space and artificial intelligence; that America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century; and that we strengthen, not abdicate, our global leadership. 

     Trump, on the other hand, threatened to abandon NATO.  He encouraged Putin to invade our allies.  Said Russia could, quote, “do whatever the hell they want.”

     AUDIENCE:  Booo —

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President Zelenskyy to warn him about Russia’s plan to invade.  I helped mobilize a global response — over 50 countries — to defend against Putin’s aggression.  (Applause.)  And as president, I will stand strong with Ukraine and our NATO Allies.  (Applause.)

     With respect to the war in Gaza, President Biden and I are working around the clock, because now is the time to get a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done.  (Applause.)

     And let me be clear.  And let me be clear.  I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself — (applause) — and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself, because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that a terrorist organization called Hamas caused on October 7 — (applause) — including unspeakable sexual violence and the massacre of young people at a music festival.

     At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating.  So many innocent lives lost.  (Applause.)  Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, over and over again.  The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.

     President Biden and I are working to end this war, such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination.  (Applause.)

     And know this: I will never hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to defend our forces and our interests against Iran and Iran-backed terrorists.  I will not cozy up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un, who are rooting for Trump — who are rooting for Trump.  (Applause.)

     Because, you know, they know — they know he is easy to manipulate with flattery and favors.  They know Trump won’t hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be an autocrat himself.  (Applause.)

     And as president, I will never waver in defense of America’s security and ideals, because in the enduring struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and I know where the United States belongs.  (Applause.)

     AUDIENCE:  USA!  USA!  USA!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, fellow Americans — fellow Americans, I — I love our country with all my heart.  (Applause.) 

     Everywhere I go — everywhere I go, in everyone I meet, I see a nation that is ready to move forward, ready for the next step in the incredible journey that is America.

     I see an America where we hold fast to the fearless belief that built our nation and inspired the world — that here, in this country, anything is possible; that nothing is out of reach.  An America where we care for one another, look out for one another, and recognize that we have so much more in common than what separates us.  (Applause.)  That none of us — none of us has to fail for all of us to succeed.  (Applause.)  And that in unity, there is strength. 

     You know, our opponents in this race are out there every day denigrating America, talking about how terrible everything is.  Well, my mother had another lesson she used to teach: Never let anyone tell you who you are; you show them who you are.  (Applause.)

     America, let us show each other and the world who we are and what we stand for: freedom, opportunity, compassion, dignity, fairness, and endless possibilities.  (Applause.)

     We are the heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world.  And on behalf of our children and our grandchildren and all those who sacrificed so dearly for our freedom and liberty, we must be worthy of this moment.

     It is now our turn to do what generations before us have done, guided by optimism and faith: to fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish, and to uphold the awesome responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth — the privilege and pride of being an American.  (Applause.)

     So, let’s get out there, let’s fight for it.  Let’s get out there, let’s vote for it.  And together, let us write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told.  (Applause.)

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

                             END                10:10 P.M. CDT

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