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Northwestern High School

Detroit, Michigan

1:19 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everyone.  Good afternoon, Detroit.  (Applause.)  Oh, it’s good to be in the house of labor.  (Applause.)

Can we hear it for Tyrese?  (Applause.)  Tyrese, I want to thank you for your extraordinary leadership and all of your words and the heart and soul that you put into your work, like I know all the members of LIUNA and everyone here does every day, because we love our country and we know what is at stake.  Thank you, Tyrese.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

So, it is so good to be with so many incredible leaders and elected officials who are here.  Governor Whitmer was here earlier — (applause); Senator Stabenow; your next United States senator, Representative Elissa Slotkin.  (Applause.)

 And I always want to thank Representatives Dingell — where is she?  There she — there she is.  (Applause.)  Stevens, Thanedar, all of you for the work that you do every day.

 And to all the labor leaders who are here, I thank you all for your extraordinary work.  Don’t we love Labor Day?  (Applause.)  We love Labor Day. 

 It’s always been that way, right?  The way we celebrate Labor Day is we know that hard work is good work.  We know that when we organize, when we bring everyone together, it’s a joyful moment where we are committed to doing the hard work of lifting up America’s families. 

And I want to thank everyone here for that work and the way you do it every day, including General President Booker of the Laborers’ — (applause); President Fain of UAW — (applause); President Pringle of NEA — (applause); President Slevin of the Utility Workers — (applause); and President Weingarten of the AFT.  (Applause.) 

And thank you to all of the union members who are here this afternoon. 

So, on Labor Day and every day, we celebrate the dignity of work — the dignity of work.  We celebrate unions, because unions helped build America and unions helped build America’s middle class.  (Applause.)

It is true across our nation, and it is true here in Detroit.  Nearly 140 years ago, in this very city, 10,000 people marched in one of our nation’s first Labor Day parades.  Many held signs that read “Divided, we can beg.  United, we can demand.”  (Applause.)

For generations, in Detroit and across our nation, the brothers and sisters of labor have stood together to righteously demand fair pay, better benefits, and safe working conditions.  And let me say, every person in our nation has benefited from that work.  (Applause.)

Everywhere I go, I tell people: Look, you may not be a union member.  You better thank a union member — (applause) — for the five-day workweek.  You better thank a union member for sick leave.  You better thank a union member for paid leave.  You better thank a union member for vacation time.  (Applause.)

Because what we know is when union wages go up, everybody’s wages go up.  (Applause.)  When union workplaces are safer, every workplace is safer.  (Applause.)  When unions are strong, America is strong.  (Applause.)

We know what we’re talking about.  The labor movement has always understood the power of the collective and the power of unity — the power of unity. 

 And while we are fighting so much nonsense that is about trying to divide our country, trying to pull us apart, look to what the history and the present of labor tells us about the power of the collective and unity — the spirit of that work, as much as the product of that work.  It’s very telling and gives us really good lessons about what creates strength. 

And, you know, many of you know, my parents met while they were active in the Civil Rights Movement.  So, when I was young, my parents — because I see some young leaders here today — when I was young, my parents would take me to the meetings — I see our young leaders — (applause) — and — and take me to the marches.  I was in a stroller. 

And from a very young age, I learned that when people stand together, when we join voices, knowing that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us — when we join those voices, we can drive extraordinary change, which is why I believe in my heart and soul no one should ever be made to fight alone.  We are all in this together.  (Applause.)  We are all in this together. 

But I’ll tell you, I think that there has been a certain backward-thinking approach over the last several years, which is to suggest — some folks, them folks — to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down instead of what we know: The true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up — who you lift up.  (Applause.)  That’s the measure of the strength of a leader.  Let’s stop with the nonsense.

And in this election, we all here know there are two very different visions for our nation.  Ours, focused on the future; the other, focused —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

 THE VICE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)  Let’s just get through the next 64 days.  How about — (laughs).  (Applause.)

 And ours — yes, my dear brother — is focused on the future, and theirs is focused on the past.  And we fight for the future.  We fight for a future where all people receive dignity and respect and opportunity for — not just for some but for all.  That’s what we are fighting for. 

And so, we are 64 days out from the election day.  And in Michigan, mail-in absentee voting starts in 24 days — (applause) — 24 days.

So, this election — this election and our fight is a fight for the promise of America, a promise —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, Kamala!

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

 And ours is a fight for the promise — the promise of America — a promise of freedom, of opportunity, and justice not just for some but for all.  (Applause.)

But what we know is, as we fight to move our nation forward, Donald Trump intends to pull us back to the past.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

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

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We’re not going back.

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So — and let’s — and — and we know — we know what that would look like, right?  So, intends to pull us back, including back to a time before workers had the freedom to organize. 

As president, we will always remember Donald Trump blocked overtime benefits for millions of workers — 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — Tyrese talked a bit about this — and opposed efforts to raise the minimum wage.  He appointed union busters to the National Labor Relations Board.

 AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And he supported so-called right-to-work laws.  And if —

AUDIENCE:  Trump is a scab!  Trump is a scab!  Trump is a scab!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, — well, here’s the thing.  Here’s the thing.  We have a choice here, right?  And — and we’re not going back, because we also know that if Donald Trump were reelected, he intends to give tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations.  He intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.

AUDIENCE:  Booo — 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He wants to impose what in effect is a national sales tax on everyday products and basic necessities that will cost — and economists have said this — that will cost a typical American family almost $4,000 a year. 

 AUDIENCE:  Booo —

 THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act —

 AUDIENCE:  Booo –

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and take us back to a time in our country which most of us remember, when insurance companies, you remember, had the power to deny people coverage based on a preexisting condition.  Remember that?

 AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Deny people — children who had asthma, a survivor of breast cancer, a grandparent with diabetes. 

Look, America has tried those failed policies before.  And they are failed policies.  And 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:  And instead — and instead, we fight for a future — a future where no person has to go broke just because they got sick. 

And so, when I am president, we will continue to strengthen the Affordable Care Act.  We will bring down the cost of prescription drugs not only for some but for all Americans.  (Applause.)

We — we fight for a future where every worker has the freedom to organize.  (Applause.)  And so, when I am president, we will pass the PRO Act and end union busting once and for all.  (Applause.)  

And I’ll remind everybody, on all these bills, we got to elect a Congress who supports that — (applause) — to be able to actually get that work done. 

We fight for a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by but to get ahead.  And so, when I am president, we will continue to build what I call an “opportunity economy” so that every American has an opportunity to own a home, to start a business, to build intergenerational wealth for their family. 

We fight for a future where every senior can retire with dignity.  And so, when I am president, we will continue to defend Social Security, Medicare, and pensions, just like we have done.  (Applause.) 

 AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

 THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Sixty-four days — 64 days — the most important election of our lives and probably one of the most important in the life of our nation. 

And here’s what I’d say to all the brothers and sisters assembled: We know this is going to be a very tight race to the very end.  We know — we know —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

 THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I got your back.  But I’m telling you, we know how they play.  We know what they do. 

 So, let’s not pay too much attention to the polls.  Let’s know, like labor always does: We are out here running like we are the underdog in this race, because we know what we are fighting for.  (Applause.)  We know what we stand for, and that’s why we know what we fight for.  (Applause.)

And we got some hard work ahead of us.  But, again, we all like hard work, because hard work is good work.  And to do that hard work, I’m going to count on everyone here, all the leaders here, for your work, for your organizing, knocking on doors, and getting folks to the polls. 

 Because, put bluntly, Michigan, y’all know how to win.  (Applause.)  You know how to win.  You know how to win. 

 So, today, I ask: Detroit, Michigan, are you ready to have your voices heard?  (Applause.)

     Do we believe in freedom?  (Applause.)

     Do we believe in opportunity?  (Applause.)

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

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

     And when we fight —

     AUDIENCE:  We win!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.

     God bless you.  (Applause.)

      END                1:36 P.M. EDT

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

Northwestern High School

Detroit, Michigan

1:19 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everyone.  Good afternoon, Detroit.  (Applause.)  Oh, it’s good to be in the house of labor.  (Applause.)

Can we hear it for Tyrese?  (Applause.)  Tyrese, I want to thank you for your extraordinary leadership and all of your words and the heart and soul that you put into your work, like I know all the members of LIUNA and everyone here does every day, because we love our country and we know what is at stake.  Thank you, Tyrese.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

So, it is so good to be with so many incredible leaders and elected officials who are here.  Governor Whitmer was here earlier — (applause); Senator Stabenow; your next United States senator, Representative Elissa Slotkin.  (Applause.)

 And I always want to thank Representatives Dingell — where is she?  There she — there she is.  (Applause.)  Stevens, Thanedar, all of you for the work that you do every day.

 And to all the labor leaders who are here, I thank you all for your extraordinary work.  Don’t we love Labor Day?  (Applause.)  We love Labor Day. 

 It’s always been that way, right?  The way we celebrate Labor Day is we know that hard work is good work.  We know that when we organize, when we bring everyone together, it’s a joyful moment where we are committed to doing the hard work of lifting up America’s families. 

And I want to thank everyone here for that work and the way you do it every day, including General President Booker of the Laborers’ — (applause); President Fain of UAW — (applause); President Pringle of NEA — (applause); President Slevin of the Utility Workers — (applause); and President Weingarten of the AFT.  (Applause.) 

And thank you to all of the union members who are here this afternoon. 

So, on Labor Day and every day, we celebrate the dignity of work — the dignity of work.  We celebrate unions, because unions helped build America and unions helped build America’s middle class.  (Applause.)

It is true across our nation, and it is true here in Detroit.  Nearly 140 years ago, in this very city, 10,000 people marched in one of our nation’s first Labor Day parades.  Many held signs that read “Divided, we can beg.  United, we can demand.”  (Applause.)

For generations, in Detroit and across our nation, the brothers and sisters of labor have stood together to righteously demand fair pay, better benefits, and safe working conditions.  And let me say, every person in our nation has benefited from that work.  (Applause.)

Everywhere I go, I tell people: Look, you may not be a union member.  You better thank a union member — (applause) — for the five-day workweek.  You better thank a union member for sick leave.  You better thank a union member for paid leave.  You better thank a union member for vacation time.  (Applause.)

Because what we know is when union wages go up, everybody’s wages go up.  (Applause.)  When union workplaces are safer, every workplace is safer.  (Applause.)  When unions are strong, America is strong.  (Applause.)

We know what we’re talking about.  The labor movement has always understood the power of the collective and the power of unity — the power of unity. 

 And while we are fighting so much nonsense that is about trying to divide our country, trying to pull us apart, look to what the history and the present of labor tells us about the power of the collective and unity — the spirit of that work, as much as the product of that work.  It’s very telling and gives us really good lessons about what creates strength. 

And, you know, many of you know, my parents met while they were active in the Civil Rights Movement.  So, when I was young, my parents — because I see some young leaders here today — when I was young, my parents would take me to the meetings — I see our young leaders — (applause) — and — and take me to the marches.  I was in a stroller. 

And from a very young age, I learned that when people stand together, when we join voices, knowing that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us — when we join those voices, we can drive extraordinary change, which is why I believe in my heart and soul no one should ever be made to fight alone.  We are all in this together.  (Applause.)  We are all in this together. 

But I’ll tell you, I think that there has been a certain backward-thinking approach over the last several years, which is to suggest — some folks, them folks — to suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down instead of what we know: The true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up — who you lift up.  (Applause.)  That’s the measure of the strength of a leader.  Let’s stop with the nonsense.

And in this election, we all here know there are two very different visions for our nation.  Ours, focused on the future; the other, focused —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

 THE VICE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)  Let’s just get through the next 64 days.  How about — (laughs).  (Applause.)

 And ours — yes, my dear brother — is focused on the future, and theirs is focused on the past.  And we fight for the future.  We fight for a future where all people receive dignity and respect and opportunity for — not just for some but for all.  That’s what we are fighting for. 

And so, we are 64 days out from the election day.  And in Michigan, mail-in absentee voting starts in 24 days — (applause) — 24 days.

So, this election — this election and our fight is a fight for the promise of America, a promise —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, Kamala!

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

 And ours is a fight for the promise — the promise of America — a promise of freedom, of opportunity, and justice not just for some but for all.  (Applause.)

But what we know is, as we fight to move our nation forward, Donald Trump intends to pull us back to the past.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

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

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We’re not going back.

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So — and let’s — and — and we know — we know what that would look like, right?  So, intends to pull us back, including back to a time before workers had the freedom to organize. 

As president, we will always remember Donald Trump blocked overtime benefits for millions of workers — 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — Tyrese talked a bit about this — and opposed efforts to raise the minimum wage.  He appointed union busters to the National Labor Relations Board.

 AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And he supported so-called right-to-work laws.  And if —

AUDIENCE:  Trump is a scab!  Trump is a scab!  Trump is a scab!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, — well, here’s the thing.  Here’s the thing.  We have a choice here, right?  And — and we’re not going back, because we also know that if Donald Trump were reelected, he intends to give tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations.  He intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.

AUDIENCE:  Booo — 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He wants to impose what in effect is a national sales tax on everyday products and basic necessities that will cost — and economists have said this — that will cost a typical American family almost $4,000 a year. 

 AUDIENCE:  Booo —

 THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act —

 AUDIENCE:  Booo –

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and take us back to a time in our country which most of us remember, when insurance companies, you remember, had the power to deny people coverage based on a preexisting condition.  Remember that?

 AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Deny people — children who had asthma, a survivor of breast cancer, a grandparent with diabetes. 

Look, America has tried those failed policies before.  And they are failed policies.  And 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:  And instead — and instead, we fight for a future — a future where no person has to go broke just because they got sick. 

And so, when I am president, we will continue to strengthen the Affordable Care Act.  We will bring down the cost of prescription drugs not only for some but for all Americans.  (Applause.)

We — we fight for a future where every worker has the freedom to organize.  (Applause.)  And so, when I am president, we will pass the PRO Act and end union busting once and for all.  (Applause.)  

And I’ll remind everybody, on all these bills, we got to elect a Congress who supports that — (applause) — to be able to actually get that work done. 

We fight for a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by but to get ahead.  And so, when I am president, we will continue to build what I call an “opportunity economy” so that every American has an opportunity to own a home, to start a business, to build intergenerational wealth for their family. 

We fight for a future where every senior can retire with dignity.  And so, when I am president, we will continue to defend Social Security, Medicare, and pensions, just like we have done.  (Applause.) 

 AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

 THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Sixty-four days — 64 days — the most important election of our lives and probably one of the most important in the life of our nation. 

And here’s what I’d say to all the brothers and sisters assembled: We know this is going to be a very tight race to the very end.  We know — we know —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)

 THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I got your back.  But I’m telling you, we know how they play.  We know what they do. 

 So, let’s not pay too much attention to the polls.  Let’s know, like labor always does: We are out here running like we are the underdog in this race, because we know what we are fighting for.  (Applause.)  We know what we stand for, and that’s why we know what we fight for.  (Applause.)

And we got some hard work ahead of us.  But, again, we all like hard work, because hard work is good work.  And to do that hard work, I’m going to count on everyone here, all the leaders here, for your work, for your organizing, knocking on doors, and getting folks to the polls. 

 Because, put bluntly, Michigan, y’all know how to win.  (Applause.)  You know how to win.  You know how to win. 

 So, today, I ask: Detroit, Michigan, are you ready to have your voices heard?  (Applause.)

     Do we believe in freedom?  (Applause.)

     Do we believe in opportunity?  (Applause.)

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

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

     And when we fight —

     AUDIENCE:  We win!

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.

     God bless you.  (Applause.)

      END                1:36 P.M. EDT

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

South Lawn

8:42 P.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, do you have plans to speak to Netanyahu?

THE PRESIDENT:  I can’t see you or hear you.

Q    Hi.  Do you have any plans to speak to Prime Minister Netanyahu?

THE PRESIDENT:  Eventually.

Q    This week?  Tomorrow?  (Inaudible)?

THE PRESIDENT:  Eventually.

Q    On Ukraine —

Q    What — Mr. President —

Q    Mr. President, on Ukraine.  Have you seen Ukraine’s request to lift restrictions on American weapons so they can strike back on Russian bases?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ve made it clear what we propo- — what we support and don’t support. 

Thank you.

Q    Mr. President, how was it to be back on the campaign trail today?

THE PRESIDENT:  It feels good.

Q    Feels good?  How do you feel about Pennsylvania?

THE PRESIDENT:  Except I’m not able to go out in the crowds anymore.  They don’t — the Secret Service doesn’t let me.

Q    No?  Why not?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, because they said it’s too dangerous.  No one gets to go out.

Q    (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  (Inaudible.)

Q    (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)

Q    How do you feel about Pennsylvania right now?

THE PRESIDENT:  I feel real good about Pennsylvania.  I think we’re going to win Pennsylvania.

8:44 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden After Marine One Arrival appeared first on The White House.

South Lawn

8:42 P.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, do you have plans to speak to Netanyahu?

THE PRESIDENT:  I can’t see you or hear you.

Q    Hi.  Do you have any plans to speak to Prime Minister Netanyahu?

THE PRESIDENT:  Eventually.

Q    This week?  Tomorrow?  (Inaudible)?

THE PRESIDENT:  Eventually.

Q    On Ukraine —

Q    What — Mr. President —

Q    Mr. President, on Ukraine.  Have you seen Ukraine’s request to lift restrictions on American weapons so they can strike back on Russian bases?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ve made it clear what we propo- — what we support and don’t support. 

Thank you.

Q    Mr. President, how was it to be back on the campaign trail today?

THE PRESIDENT:  It feels good.

Q    Feels good?  How do you feel about Pennsylvania?

THE PRESIDENT:  Except I’m not able to go out in the crowds anymore.  They don’t — the Secret Service doesn’t let me.

Q    No?  Why not?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, because they said it’s too dangerous.  No one gets to go out.

Q    (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  (Inaudible.)

Q    (Inaudible.)

THE PRESIDENT:  (Laughs.)

Q    How do you feel about Pennsylvania right now?

THE PRESIDENT:  I feel real good about Pennsylvania.  I think we’re going to win Pennsylvania.

8:44 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden After Marine One Arrival appeared first on The White House.

IBEW Local 5
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

5:26 P.M. EDT

    THE PRESIDENT:  Hello!  (Applause.)  Hello, hello, hello!  (Applause.)  Hello, Pittsburgh!  (Applause.)

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

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

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

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, I’ve celebrated many Labor Days in Pittsburgh.  (Applause.)  And it’s always good to be back with so many great friends, many of whom flew with me on Air Force One today — represent the unions that have been with me since the beginning of my career — they’re not that old, but they — they’re — (laughter) — since I was a 29-year-old kid. 

I want to thank Liz Shuler of the AFL-CIO — (applause) — and Kenny of the IBEW — (applause) — for that strong endorsement.

By the way, we have an expression in Delaware.  The IBEW, when I ran for president, they’re the ones that “brung me to the dance” starting off.  Not a joke.  (Applause.)

And Dave McCall and the Steelworkers.  (Applause.)  Dave, in 1972 — Steelworkers were the first union to endorse a 29-year-old kid named Joe Biden who wasn’t old enough to be senator when he got elected.  It mattered.  (Applause.)

A guy named Hughie Carcella was the district president, because we used to have one of the largest labor forces in Claymont, Delaware, and north — over 4,000 workers.  And it was — anyway, it all went lo- — it went south.

But Hughie — Hughie went to the national president, I. — I.W. Abel, and he said he wanted me — he wanted me to get ele- — endorsed.  Everybody thought it was crazy.  I literally wasn’t old enough to be sworn in the day I got elected.  (Laughter.)

But guess what?  President Abel stuck with me.  (Applause.)  And they got stuck with me for the rest of their — my career.  (Laughter.)

Eric Dean and the Iron Workers.  (Applause.)  Tim Driscoll of Bricklayers.  (Applause.)  April Verrett and SEIU.  (Applause.) 

Lee Saunders of AFSCME and a great friend.  Where are you, Lee?  (Applause.)

And Jimmy Williams and the Painters and Allied Trades.  And his dad.  His dad is a really good man.  (Applause.)

And Mike Coleman and the Sheet Metal Workers.  (Applause.)

We’ve also got some of the best elected officials in America.  Governor Josh Shapiro is doing an incredible job.  (Applause.)  And the great Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis.  (Applause.)  And one of America’s best — where is Ed Gainey?  Ed, you’re doing a hell of a job.  (Applause.)

And Sara Innamorato.  County executive, I think, is the hardest job in American politics.  Everybody knows where you live, and they think you can solve all the problems.  You don’t have enough money.

But I tell you one thing, I’m the first president ever — I used to be a county official when I was 26 years old, and it always bothered me that the county — the sta- — the federal government would send money to the state to be distributed to the county.  What the hell is the state going to send to the county for?  All the state reps need the money.  (Laughter.)

But guess what?  Under my administration, it goes straight to the county.  (Applause.) 

And one of my best friends — my name is Joe Biden; I’m from Scranton, Pennsylvania.  (Applause.)  Bobby Casey has been a great friend.  His dad was a great friend as well.  And, by the way, we grew up three blocks from one another.  Three blocks.  And they still worry about us not showing up.  (Laughter.)

And guess what?  I was on North Washington Avenue; he was on Adams.  Guess what?  They’ve renamed North Washington Avenue down where I lived “Biden Way.”  (Inaudible.)  (Applause.)  And, Bobby — Bob, we’ll make sure we get — you get reelected again.

And while he couldn’t be here, I want to thank his partner in the Senate, John Fetterman.  (Applause.)  If you’re in a foxhole, you want Fetterman in there with you.  (Applause.)  He couldn’t be here today, but guess what?  He sent the best part of the family, Gisele.  She’s here.  (Applause.)

Let me just say it means so much to be with a true friend — a true friend: the vice president and the next great president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris.  (Applause.)

Look, folks, I come from two neighborhoods where it’s not hard to say the word “union.”  But you know what?  The fact of the matter is an awful lot of politicians have trouble saying “union.”  (Inaudible) working people.

Guess what?  I’m not one of them.  Neither is Kamala.  We know the simple truth.  Wall Street did not build America; the middle class built America, and unions built the middle class.  That’s a fact.  (Applause.)  

And, by the way, that is a not a slogan.  That’s a fact.  I asked the Treasury Department to do a study, and it shows that when unions do well, all workers in America do better.  That’s a fact.  That’s a fact.  (Applause.)

It’s the biggest reason why our economy is the strongest economy in the world today without question — because of unions.  (Applause.)

You know, my dad, like many of his generation, going into World War II, wasn’t able to go to — to college.  My dad was a really well-read guy, and he was always engaged.  And he’d come home from work before he’d go back and close up his shop and — for dinner.

And the dinner was a place where we had discussions and, incidentally, ate.  You know, my dad taught me — my dad would say this all the time: “Remember, Joey, a job is” — and I give you my word to this — “a job is about a lot more than a paycheck.  It’s about your dignity.  It’s about community.  It’s about your place in the community.  And it’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, it’s going to be okay,’ and mean it.” 

Well, that’s why — (applause) — that’s why Kamala and I are so proud — so proud of the greatest job creation record of any president in a single term in American history.  (Applause.)

Sixteen million new jobs so far.  (Applause.)  Eight hundred thousand manufacturing jobs.  (Applause.)

Eight years ago, how many times you hear about we can no longer be the manufacturing capital of the world?  Where the hell is that written?  We are the greatest manufacturing city — or county in the world — state in the world — (inaudible) the world.  (Applause.)  And we’re going to remain that way.

And I’ll tell you something.  Kamala and I are damn proud that we protected the pensions of over 1 million workers and retirees.  (Applause.)

Remember all those years of promising we were going to do something about it?  Well, damn it, we finally did it with the Butch Lewis Act.  (Applause.)  Over 52,000 workers and retirees across Pennsylvania alone are benefitting from that.

Not only did we restore the full amount, we got them their back pay as well.  (Applause.)  We made them whole again.

And as I once said to Barack, “That’s a big deal.”  (Laughter.)  Yeah.  Long story.  (Laughter.)

You just heard Liz and Kenny describe another big deal.  Union workers are rebuilding American infrastructure and building new factories here in America. 

They told me we couldn’t get anything done in infrastructure.  A trillion two hundred billion dollars we got done.  (Applause.)

Remember Trump, for four years, promised every month “Infrastructure Week.”  For four years, he promised that.  He didn’t build a damn thing.  Nothing.  (Applause.)  I mean it.  Not — nothing.  (Applause.)

Well, thanks to our infrastructure law, Pennsylvania, so far, has received $17 billion — $17 billion.  (Applause.)  Over 2,000 projects, from clean water to affordable high-speed Internet for every Pennsylvanian to projects that include $858 million to expand the Montgomery Lock better — to accommodate bigger barges to get millions of tons of goods and shel- — on shelves faster and more reliable and create thousands of union jobs.  (Applause.)

I was working on the Great Lakes, and I got a call from Bobby — from Senator Casey.  He’s been — no bigger champion than Casey for this.  You know what I call them?  I call them the “Casey Locks.”  (Laughter and applause.)  Not Goldilocks.  The Casey Locks.

Bobby is also a champion of Pennsylvania’s energy communities.  We passed what’s called the Casey Credit, available to 45 Pennsylvania counties where energy jobs such as coal — where coal mining and — had been before it disappeared, before we came to office. 

The Casey Credit provides major incentives for companies to build new battery factories, wind turbines, and more to create high-paying jobs in those coal and natural gas communities.  (Applause.)

And on top of that, there’s over $4 billion that private companies have committed to invest in clean energy and advanced manufacturing here in Pennsylvania — $4 billion.  (Applause.)

And guess what?  With your support, I signed an executive order to make sure large federal construction projects all use project labor agreements.  (Applause.)

For folks at home who may be watching this on television know what project labor agreement is, it’s when contractors, subcontractors, and unions put in place before construction begins what the rules are — before it begins.

These agreements make sure construction is top-notch, on time, on task, and, by the way, on budget.  (Applause.)

There’s another big deal.  “Buy American” — that’s been the law since 1930.  I’ve got to admit, I’ve been around — I’m only 40, but I’ve been around a long time.  (Laughter.)  But I, quite frankly, until 10 years ago, wasn’t aware — you know, back in the ‘30s, when they were trying to make sure unions could organize and businesses couldn’t interfere, they put — a law was passed that said every penny the president gets from the Senate, the House, and Congress to spend on a project, he should hire an American worker and use an American product.

But past administrations — (applause) — seriously.  Past administrations, including my pres- — predecessor, failed to buy American.  They shipped jobs overseas where labor was cheaper and brought home the product that was more expensive.

But not anymore.  Federal projects build American roads, bridges, highways, and they’ll be made with American products by American workers.  That’s why — (applause) — that’s why we’re creating all these — I’m serious.  It’s simple and basic.  That’s why we’re creating so many good-paying jobs.

In fact, we’re requiring those kinds of projects to pay Davis-Bacon prevailing wages so they’re jobs you can raise a family on.  (Applause.) 

Many of those jobs don’t require a college degree.  In fact, we expanded registered apprenticeships.  Remember all the hell I got for doing that — we got for doing that?  Well, guess what?  It resulted in hiring over 1 million apprentices since we came to office.  (Applause.)

And lots of folks don’t realize getting an apprenticeship is like getting a college degree.  Why?  You have to train for four or five years to get that.  And some of the best workers in the world are why the — why we are where we are. 

You know — (applause) — when you’re in Pittsburgh, you’re standing with steelworkers.  Let’s be clear.  I believe in American steel companies — American-owned-and-operated steel companies.  (Applause.)  A simple reason — it’s not hyperbole — American steelworkers are the best steelworkers in the world.

And I made it clear last time I was in Pittsburgh: United States Steel, an iconic American company for more than a century, is going to remain an American company.  (Applause.)

I remember as a young senator why the N- — National Labor Relations Board was sometimes so anti-labor.  It was set up to help labor, to be pro-labor. 

Well, guess what?  That’s why one of the most significant things we’ve done, Kamala and I, is appointing a National Labor Reser- — Board — Relations Board that actually believes in unions and believes in recognizing the right to organize.  (Applause.)  It’s a big deal.  It’s a big deal.

Remember — we have short memories.  I’m all for forgiveness.  I’m not for this: Trump appointed union busters on that board. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  No, that’s a fact.  But it’s real.  It affects people’s lives. 

Are we going to let that son of a gun do that again?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, we’ve made a lot of progress, and Kamala and I are going to build on that progress, and she’s going to build on it.  I’ll be on the sidelines, but I’ll do everything I can to help.  (Applause.)

But, look, I’m not joking when I say — this is not a joke.  When I said this when I was running in 2020, a lot of people didn’t believe me.  You did, but a lot didn’t believe me.  It’s all at risk because of Donald Trump, literally.  With a stroke of the pen, he can get rid of a lot of this.

And do you think this guy gives a damn about your pensions?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  No, I’m serious.  Do you think he lo- — loses even an instant of sleep over it?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Do you think he cares about all the work you do every day and how hard it is?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Do you think he cares about good-paying jobs for hardworking people who built this economy?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Hell — (laughter) — he regards picket lines — he’d rather cross one than walk one.  (Applause.) 

But I have no problem walking a picket line.  (Applause.)  Never have.  Neither — nor does Kamala.  (Applause.)  We’ll always walk aside — alongside you.

Union workers built this country.  And, again, that’s not hyperbole.  That’s a fact.  These are — these are facts.  These are not campaign slogans.

Let me close with this.  Five years ago, I began my campaign for president right here in Pittsburgh.  I said one of the reasons I was running was to rebuild the backbone and spine of America — the middle class and working-class folks.  Not a joke.  Think about it.  Think about it. 

Well, five years later, we’ve done just that.  (Applause.)

I’m back in Pittsburgh on Labor Day again with a simple message as we look at this election.  I spelt [spent] my — my whole career believing in unions.  I’m not joking when I say that.  I’m honored to be considered the most pro-union president ever.  (Applause.) 

By the way, remember all the talk?  “Biden got elected, and he’s going to do a planned economy.  We’re going to collapse, and there’s going to be all this caving in.  Interest rates are going to go through the ceiling.”  Come on, man.  (Laughter.)

I’m here to tell you it’s about increasing the strength of your unions, which it’s all about.  If you care about hardworking people, just give them a fair shot.  Everyone in America deserves a fair shot.  No guar- — a fair shot.  (Applause.)

If you care about the dignity of work — if you care about the dignity of work — and I mean it; it matters — the dignity of work, the way you’re treated, the decency. 

I remember when my great-grandfather was one of the — only the second Catholic elected statewide to the state senate here in — in Pennsylvania.  And I remember they talked about when he — when they were running against him in 1906, they said, “Guess what?”  They said, “He’s a Molly Maguire.” 

You know what a Molly Maguire was?  Well, those of you who don’t, a Molly Maguire, back in the — in the old days, when we Irish and the Catholics came and then the Poles and others that were Catholic — when they came to the United States of America in the beginning, the 1840s and — late 1840s, they made their way down into Pennsylvania, a lot of them.  And there — there’s a tier in this — in the coal mines.  Those guys who got there last ended up being the last people in the coal mines.

But a lot of the English owned the coal mines.  And what they did was they’d really beat the hell out of the — the mostly Catholic population who was in the mines.  Not — not a joke.  Not a joke.

But there was a group.  They’re called the Molly Maguires.  And the Molly Maguires, if they’d find out the foreman who was taking advantage of an individual — and they’d literally kill him.  Not a joke.  And they’d bring his body up and put him on the doorstep of his family.  Kind of crude.

But I’ve got to admit, they accused my great-grandfather of being Molly — he wasn’t.  But we were so damn disappointed.  But, you know — (laughter) — I — that’s a joke.  That’s a joke.  (Applause.)

Look, it’s about the dignity of work.  It’s about how you’re treated. 

And when I met with the IBEW when I started off this last campaign first, I said, “There’s two things that — asking of me.”  You’re — and I said, “Two things I’m asking of you.  One, you got to open up your unions to more women.”  (Applause.)  Not joke.  “And, two, to more minorities.” 

You’ve done both that.  (Applause.)  And guess what?  Instead of having the support of 30 percent of the American people, it’s now over 65 percent of the American people support the American union movement.  (Applause.) 

Look, it really is all about the dignity of work.  And there’s only — if you care about the dignity of work, there’s only one person you have a rational choice with this time, and that’s Kamala Harris.  Not a — (applause).

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE PRESIDENT:  Let me tell you about this woman.

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE PRESIDENT:  I know her.  I trust her.  Not a joke.  I trust her. 

Number two, the first decision I made the nomina- — as nominee in 2020 was selecting her as my vice president.  (Applause.)  And, by the way, it was the single best decision I made as president of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

And I was — I was watching something sent to me: When they asked Barack — they said Barack picked me as vice president because he knew I could be president.  Well, I know she’ll be a good president.  (Applause.)  I know it.

I’ve watched her when all the experts, foreign and domestic policy, would give us advice, then we’d sit alone in a room, and she has a backbone like a ramrod.  (Applause.)  And she has the moral compass of a saint.  This woman knows what she’s doing.  (Applause.)  

Folks, I promise you, if you elect Kamala Harris as president, it will be the best decision you will have ever made.  (Applause.) 

And Kamala believes, as I do, that unions are the spine of this economy.  She’ll be a historic pro-union president. 

So, folks, we got one more job to do together. 

Let me ask you: Are you ready to fight?

AUDIENCE:  Yeah!

THE PRESIDENT:  Are you ready to win?

AUDIENCE:  Yeah!

THE PRESIDENT:  Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris our next president of the United States of America?  (Applause.)

And, in the process, are you ready to make Donald Trump a loser again? 

AUDIENCE:  Yeah!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future.  We have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  There’s nothing, nothing — I mean this from the bottom of my heart — there’s nothing beyond our capacity — nothing — when we do it together.  (Applause.) 

And that means elect my friend, our great vice president, president of the United States.  Kamala Harris.  (Applause.)

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

Thank you, Joe!  (Applause.) 

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  It is good to be in the house of labor.  (Applause.)  It is good to be in the house of labor.  And it is good to be back at IBEW Local 5.  (Applause.)

And can we please give it up again for our president, Joe Biden?  (Applause.)

Now, I don’t have to tell the brothers and sisters of labor that you really get to know somebody when you’re in the middle of a fight, when times are hard, when the forces are mighty, when people don’t believe something can get done, and they have a thousand excuses for why it can’t get done. 

And I have spent more time with this extraordinary human being when the cameras were not in the room, when the stakes were high, when the heat was intense.  And Joe Biden has always stood with the workers of America and labor unions of America.  (Applause.)  Always.  Always.

I’ve been with him when he’ll bring folks into the Oval Office.  And you know how Joe can get sometimes.  He doesn’t spare words.  It’s good that sometimes the cameras are not in the room when he has those conversations.  (Laughter.) 

Because the thing about the Joe Biden I know — and I know you know, because he has been a frain- — friend of labor for so long, for his whole life — Joe Biden can be quite impatient, and that’s a good thing for that kind of leader.  (Laughter.)  Quite impatient. 

And I say to all of the friends here, the press that’s in the room: History will show what we here know.  (Applause.)  Joe Biden has been one of the most transformative presidents in the United States that we have ever witnessed.  (Applause.)  And it comes from his heart.  (Applause.)

And, you know, Joe and I talk a lot about the fact that we are so proud to be the most pro-union administration in America’s history, and it’s thanks to your leadership.  (Applause.)

And, as we know, Joe has still got a lot of work to do, so let’s — let’s also understand that.

So, I want to thank all the incredible leaders who are here today, including the governor, Shapiro; Lieutenant Governor Davis; Senator Casey, who we will reelect this November — (applause); Mayor Gainey; President Shuler; President Cooper; all the leaders of labor who are here; all the union members who are here.

So, I’ll just get right to a few points.  I love Labor Day.  (Laughter.)  I love celebrating Labor Day.  And Pittsburgh, of course, is a cradle of the American labor movement.  (Applause.)  It is the birthplace of the AFL, headquarters of the Steelworkers, home to Fire Fighters Local 1, and, of course, the historic IBEW Local 5.  (Applause.)

For more than 150 years, the brothers and sisters of labor have helped lead the fight for fair pay, better benefits, and safe working conditions, and every person in our nation has benefited from that work.

You know, everywhere I go, I tell people, “You may not be a union member, but you better thank unions for that five-day work week.  Thank unions for sick leave.  Thank unions for paid family leave.  Thank unions for your vacation time.”  (Applause.) 

Because when union wages go up, everybody’s wages go up.  When union workplaces are safer, all workplaces are safer.  When unions are strong, America is strong.  (Applause.)

And we are clear: Not only has Pittsburgh shaped the history of America’s labor movement, today you are also shaping its future.  (Applause.)

In 2021, with my dear friend, the Secretary, Marty Walsh, who the president appointed to be Secretary of Labor, he and I hosted a meeting right here in this Local, and it was part of the White House Labor Task Force that I lead.

That day, we met with a group of computer programmers who were working to form a union.  One month later, they signed their contract and became the first — one of the first technology unions in our nation — (applause) — standing on the shoulder of all those who have been here and fought the good fight.

So, Pittsburgh, I r- — I remind us of that to say, together, we are fighting to build an economy that works for all working people.  (Applause.)  And that has always been the vision of the labor movement.  And that is the vision of our campaign.  (Applause.)

You know, in this election, there are two very different visions for our nation: one, ours, focused on the future; the other focused on the past.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We fight for the future.  (Applause.)  We fight for a future of dignity, respect, and opportunity for all people.  (Applause.)

We fight knowing it’s some backward thinking for those folks to have been suggesting for years that the — the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down.  You know, that’s the stuff they’re pushing — that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down — when we know the true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up — (applause) — who you lift up.

Do you fight for workers?  Do you fight for families?  Do you fight for those who must be seen and heard and deserve the dignity that comes with hard work?  (Applause.)

That’s what we fight for.  And when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for.  (Applause.)

So, we’re 64 days out from this election.  (Laughter.)  Ballots in Pennsylvania will start dropping in 14 days — (applause) — 14 days.  And this election is, as much as anything else, a fight for the promise of America — (applause) — for the promise of America.

We love our country.  (Applause.)  We love our country.  And we know it is one of the highest forms of patriotism to fight for the ideals of our country, and that’s what this election is about, and about the promise of America.

And I don’t need to tell unions what the promise looks like.  It’s what you do every day.  (Applause.)

But as we fight to move forward, Donald Trump is trying to pull us backward, including back to a time before workers had the freedom to organize.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  He’s going to jail!

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, the courts will handle that, and we will handle November.  How about that?  (Laughter and applause.)  We’ll handle November.  Let the courts handle that other thing.  But we’re not going back.

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

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

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And one of the ways — one of the ways we’re going to guarantee we don’t go back is that we remember.  Right?  It is important to remember what that was and what it is.

Remember, as president, Donald Trump blocked overtime benefits for millions of workers.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He opposed efforts to raise the minimum wage.  As the president said, he appointed union busters to the National Labor Relations Board.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And don’t forget, he supported so-called right-to-work laws.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And if Donald Trump were to be reelected, he intends to give more tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He wants to impose what, in effect, would be a national sales tax.  I call it the “Trump national sales tax” on everyday products and basic necessities that would cost a typical American family — the economists have said this — almost $4,000 a year.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He intends to repeal the Affordable Care Act

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and take us back to what we remember — because it wasn’t that long ago — was a time when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions.  You remember what that was?  Children with asthma.  Breast cancer survivors.  Grandparents with diabetes.

Well, look, America has tried those failed policies before, and we are not going back.  (Applause.)  We are not going back.

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And instead — and instead, we fight for a future where no person has to go broke just because they get sick.  (Applause.) 

And so, building on the work of President Joe Biden and I and the work we have done in the White House, we will continue to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and make prescription drugs affordable for all Americans.

We — (applause) — we — we fight for a future where every worker has the freedom to organize.  And we will pass the PRO Act and end union busting once and for all, and Bob Casey will help us do that.  (Applause.)

We — we see and know and fight for a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by but to get ahead.  (Applause.)

And so, we will continue to build what I call an “opportunity economy” so that every American has an opportunity to buy a home or start a business or build intergenerational wealth and have a future that matches their dreams and ambitions and aspirations.  (Applause.) 

Because, of course, that’s the nature of who we are as Americans.  We have dreams.  We can see what is possible, unburdened by what has been.  We have aspirations.  We have ambitions.  And the system that is a good system is one that supports that and allows people the opportunity to go where they can see and imagine themselves to be.

That’s what I’m talking about when I talk about an opportunity economy.

We fight for a future where every senior can retire with dignity, and so we will continue to defend Social Security and Medicare and pensions.  (Applause.)  And pensions.  And pensions.  (Applause.)

And we will continue to strengthen America’s manufacturing sector.

And on that point, the president mentioned it, U.S. Steel is an historic American company, and it is vital for our nation to maintain strong American steel companies.  And I couldn’t agree more with President Biden, U.S. Steel should remain American-owned and American-operated.  (Applause.) 

And I will always have the back of America’s steelworkers — (applause) — and all of America’s workers.

So, friends, 64 days until the most [important] election of our lives, and probably one of the most important in the life of our nation, truly. 

And we know this is going to be a tight race to the very end.  It’s going to be a tight race to the very end.  So, let’s not pay too much attention to those polls.  Because as unions and labor knows best, we know what it’s like to be the underdog.  And we are the underdog in this race, and we have some hard work, then, ahead of us.

But here’s the beauty of us in this room: We like hard work.  Hard work is good work.  Hard work is joyful work.  (Applause.)   

And so, in this fight, I will continue to count on the strength, the determination, and the hard work of the leaders in this room to knock on doors, to get folks to the polls, and — bluntly put, because the people in here do it — to help us win Pennsylvania.  (Applause.)

So, today, I ask, are you ready to make your voices heard? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Do we believe in freedom?  

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Do we believe in opportunity? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Do we believe in the promise of America? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And are we ready to fight for it? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And when we fight —

AUDIENCE:  We win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.

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

     6:27 P.M. EDT

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

IBEW Local 5
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

5:26 P.M. EDT

    THE PRESIDENT:  Hello!  (Applause.)  Hello, hello, hello!  (Applause.)  Hello, Pittsburgh!  (Applause.)

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

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.

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

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

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

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, I’ve celebrated many Labor Days in Pittsburgh.  (Applause.)  And it’s always good to be back with so many great friends, many of whom flew with me on Air Force One today — represent the unions that have been with me since the beginning of my career — they’re not that old, but they — they’re — (laughter) — since I was a 29-year-old kid. 

I want to thank Liz Shuler of the AFL-CIO — (applause) — and Kenny of the IBEW — (applause) — for that strong endorsement.

By the way, we have an expression in Delaware.  The IBEW, when I ran for president, they’re the ones that “brung me to the dance” starting off.  Not a joke.  (Applause.)

And Dave McCall and the Steelworkers.  (Applause.)  Dave, in 1972 — Steelworkers were the first union to endorse a 29-year-old kid named Joe Biden who wasn’t old enough to be senator when he got elected.  It mattered.  (Applause.)

A guy named Hughie Carcella was the district president, because we used to have one of the largest labor forces in Claymont, Delaware, and north — over 4,000 workers.  And it was — anyway, it all went lo- — it went south.

But Hughie — Hughie went to the national president, I. — I.W. Abel, and he said he wanted me — he wanted me to get ele- — endorsed.  Everybody thought it was crazy.  I literally wasn’t old enough to be sworn in the day I got elected.  (Laughter.)

But guess what?  President Abel stuck with me.  (Applause.)  And they got stuck with me for the rest of their — my career.  (Laughter.)

Eric Dean and the Iron Workers.  (Applause.)  Tim Driscoll of Bricklayers.  (Applause.)  April Verrett and SEIU.  (Applause.) 

Lee Saunders of AFSCME and a great friend.  Where are you, Lee?  (Applause.)

And Jimmy Williams and the Painters and Allied Trades.  And his dad.  His dad is a really good man.  (Applause.)

And Mike Coleman and the Sheet Metal Workers.  (Applause.)

We’ve also got some of the best elected officials in America.  Governor Josh Shapiro is doing an incredible job.  (Applause.)  And the great Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis.  (Applause.)  And one of America’s best — where is Ed Gainey?  Ed, you’re doing a hell of a job.  (Applause.)

And Sara Innamorato.  County executive, I think, is the hardest job in American politics.  Everybody knows where you live, and they think you can solve all the problems.  You don’t have enough money.

But I tell you one thing, I’m the first president ever — I used to be a county official when I was 26 years old, and it always bothered me that the county — the sta- — the federal government would send money to the state to be distributed to the county.  What the hell is the state going to send to the county for?  All the state reps need the money.  (Laughter.)

But guess what?  Under my administration, it goes straight to the county.  (Applause.) 

And one of my best friends — my name is Joe Biden; I’m from Scranton, Pennsylvania.  (Applause.)  Bobby Casey has been a great friend.  His dad was a great friend as well.  And, by the way, we grew up three blocks from one another.  Three blocks.  And they still worry about us not showing up.  (Laughter.)

And guess what?  I was on North Washington Avenue; he was on Adams.  Guess what?  They’ve renamed North Washington Avenue down where I lived “Biden Way.”  (Inaudible.)  (Applause.)  And, Bobby — Bob, we’ll make sure we get — you get reelected again.

And while he couldn’t be here, I want to thank his partner in the Senate, John Fetterman.  (Applause.)  If you’re in a foxhole, you want Fetterman in there with you.  (Applause.)  He couldn’t be here today, but guess what?  He sent the best part of the family, Gisele.  She’s here.  (Applause.)

Let me just say it means so much to be with a true friend — a true friend: the vice president and the next great president of the United States of America, Kamala Harris.  (Applause.)

Look, folks, I come from two neighborhoods where it’s not hard to say the word “union.”  But you know what?  The fact of the matter is an awful lot of politicians have trouble saying “union.”  (Inaudible) working people.

Guess what?  I’m not one of them.  Neither is Kamala.  We know the simple truth.  Wall Street did not build America; the middle class built America, and unions built the middle class.  That’s a fact.  (Applause.)  

And, by the way, that is a not a slogan.  That’s a fact.  I asked the Treasury Department to do a study, and it shows that when unions do well, all workers in America do better.  That’s a fact.  That’s a fact.  (Applause.)

It’s the biggest reason why our economy is the strongest economy in the world today without question — because of unions.  (Applause.)

You know, my dad, like many of his generation, going into World War II, wasn’t able to go to — to college.  My dad was a really well-read guy, and he was always engaged.  And he’d come home from work before he’d go back and close up his shop and — for dinner.

And the dinner was a place where we had discussions and, incidentally, ate.  You know, my dad taught me — my dad would say this all the time: “Remember, Joey, a job is” — and I give you my word to this — “a job is about a lot more than a paycheck.  It’s about your dignity.  It’s about community.  It’s about your place in the community.  And it’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, it’s going to be okay,’ and mean it.” 

Well, that’s why — (applause) — that’s why Kamala and I are so proud — so proud of the greatest job creation record of any president in a single term in American history.  (Applause.)

Sixteen million new jobs so far.  (Applause.)  Eight hundred thousand manufacturing jobs.  (Applause.)

Eight years ago, how many times you hear about we can no longer be the manufacturing capital of the world?  Where the hell is that written?  We are the greatest manufacturing city — or county in the world — state in the world — (inaudible) the world.  (Applause.)  And we’re going to remain that way.

And I’ll tell you something.  Kamala and I are damn proud that we protected the pensions of over 1 million workers and retirees.  (Applause.)

Remember all those years of promising we were going to do something about it?  Well, damn it, we finally did it with the Butch Lewis Act.  (Applause.)  Over 52,000 workers and retirees across Pennsylvania alone are benefitting from that.

Not only did we restore the full amount, we got them their back pay as well.  (Applause.)  We made them whole again.

And as I once said to Barack, “That’s a big deal.”  (Laughter.)  Yeah.  Long story.  (Laughter.)

You just heard Liz and Kenny describe another big deal.  Union workers are rebuilding American infrastructure and building new factories here in America. 

They told me we couldn’t get anything done in infrastructure.  A trillion two hundred billion dollars we got done.  (Applause.)

Remember Trump, for four years, promised every month “Infrastructure Week.”  For four years, he promised that.  He didn’t build a damn thing.  Nothing.  (Applause.)  I mean it.  Not — nothing.  (Applause.)

Well, thanks to our infrastructure law, Pennsylvania, so far, has received $17 billion — $17 billion.  (Applause.)  Over 2,000 projects, from clean water to affordable high-speed Internet for every Pennsylvanian to projects that include $858 million to expand the Montgomery Lock better — to accommodate bigger barges to get millions of tons of goods and shel- — on shelves faster and more reliable and create thousands of union jobs.  (Applause.)

I was working on the Great Lakes, and I got a call from Bobby — from Senator Casey.  He’s been — no bigger champion than Casey for this.  You know what I call them?  I call them the “Casey Locks.”  (Laughter and applause.)  Not Goldilocks.  The Casey Locks.

Bobby is also a champion of Pennsylvania’s energy communities.  We passed what’s called the Casey Credit, available to 45 Pennsylvania counties where energy jobs such as coal — where coal mining and — had been before it disappeared, before we came to office. 

The Casey Credit provides major incentives for companies to build new battery factories, wind turbines, and more to create high-paying jobs in those coal and natural gas communities.  (Applause.)

And on top of that, there’s over $4 billion that private companies have committed to invest in clean energy and advanced manufacturing here in Pennsylvania — $4 billion.  (Applause.)

And guess what?  With your support, I signed an executive order to make sure large federal construction projects all use project labor agreements.  (Applause.)

For folks at home who may be watching this on television know what project labor agreement is, it’s when contractors, subcontractors, and unions put in place before construction begins what the rules are — before it begins.

These agreements make sure construction is top-notch, on time, on task, and, by the way, on budget.  (Applause.)

There’s another big deal.  “Buy American” — that’s been the law since 1930.  I’ve got to admit, I’ve been around — I’m only 40, but I’ve been around a long time.  (Laughter.)  But I, quite frankly, until 10 years ago, wasn’t aware — you know, back in the ‘30s, when they were trying to make sure unions could organize and businesses couldn’t interfere, they put — a law was passed that said every penny the president gets from the Senate, the House, and Congress to spend on a project, he should hire an American worker and use an American product.

But past administrations — (applause) — seriously.  Past administrations, including my pres- — predecessor, failed to buy American.  They shipped jobs overseas where labor was cheaper and brought home the product that was more expensive.

But not anymore.  Federal projects build American roads, bridges, highways, and they’ll be made with American products by American workers.  That’s why — (applause) — that’s why we’re creating all these — I’m serious.  It’s simple and basic.  That’s why we’re creating so many good-paying jobs.

In fact, we’re requiring those kinds of projects to pay Davis-Bacon prevailing wages so they’re jobs you can raise a family on.  (Applause.) 

Many of those jobs don’t require a college degree.  In fact, we expanded registered apprenticeships.  Remember all the hell I got for doing that — we got for doing that?  Well, guess what?  It resulted in hiring over 1 million apprentices since we came to office.  (Applause.)

And lots of folks don’t realize getting an apprenticeship is like getting a college degree.  Why?  You have to train for four or five years to get that.  And some of the best workers in the world are why the — why we are where we are. 

You know — (applause) — when you’re in Pittsburgh, you’re standing with steelworkers.  Let’s be clear.  I believe in American steel companies — American-owned-and-operated steel companies.  (Applause.)  A simple reason — it’s not hyperbole — American steelworkers are the best steelworkers in the world.

And I made it clear last time I was in Pittsburgh: United States Steel, an iconic American company for more than a century, is going to remain an American company.  (Applause.)

I remember as a young senator why the N- — National Labor Relations Board was sometimes so anti-labor.  It was set up to help labor, to be pro-labor. 

Well, guess what?  That’s why one of the most significant things we’ve done, Kamala and I, is appointing a National Labor Reser- — Board — Relations Board that actually believes in unions and believes in recognizing the right to organize.  (Applause.)  It’s a big deal.  It’s a big deal.

Remember — we have short memories.  I’m all for forgiveness.  I’m not for this: Trump appointed union busters on that board. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  No, that’s a fact.  But it’s real.  It affects people’s lives. 

Are we going to let that son of a gun do that again?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, we’ve made a lot of progress, and Kamala and I are going to build on that progress, and she’s going to build on it.  I’ll be on the sidelines, but I’ll do everything I can to help.  (Applause.)

But, look, I’m not joking when I say — this is not a joke.  When I said this when I was running in 2020, a lot of people didn’t believe me.  You did, but a lot didn’t believe me.  It’s all at risk because of Donald Trump, literally.  With a stroke of the pen, he can get rid of a lot of this.

And do you think this guy gives a damn about your pensions?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  No, I’m serious.  Do you think he lo- — loses even an instant of sleep over it?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Do you think he cares about all the work you do every day and how hard it is?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Do you think he cares about good-paying jobs for hardworking people who built this economy?

AUDIENCE:  No!

THE PRESIDENT:  Hell — (laughter) — he regards picket lines — he’d rather cross one than walk one.  (Applause.) 

But I have no problem walking a picket line.  (Applause.)  Never have.  Neither — nor does Kamala.  (Applause.)  We’ll always walk aside — alongside you.

Union workers built this country.  And, again, that’s not hyperbole.  That’s a fact.  These are — these are facts.  These are not campaign slogans.

Let me close with this.  Five years ago, I began my campaign for president right here in Pittsburgh.  I said one of the reasons I was running was to rebuild the backbone and spine of America — the middle class and working-class folks.  Not a joke.  Think about it.  Think about it. 

Well, five years later, we’ve done just that.  (Applause.)

I’m back in Pittsburgh on Labor Day again with a simple message as we look at this election.  I spelt [spent] my — my whole career believing in unions.  I’m not joking when I say that.  I’m honored to be considered the most pro-union president ever.  (Applause.) 

By the way, remember all the talk?  “Biden got elected, and he’s going to do a planned economy.  We’re going to collapse, and there’s going to be all this caving in.  Interest rates are going to go through the ceiling.”  Come on, man.  (Laughter.)

I’m here to tell you it’s about increasing the strength of your unions, which it’s all about.  If you care about hardworking people, just give them a fair shot.  Everyone in America deserves a fair shot.  No guar- — a fair shot.  (Applause.)

If you care about the dignity of work — if you care about the dignity of work — and I mean it; it matters — the dignity of work, the way you’re treated, the decency. 

I remember when my great-grandfather was one of the — only the second Catholic elected statewide to the state senate here in — in Pennsylvania.  And I remember they talked about when he — when they were running against him in 1906, they said, “Guess what?”  They said, “He’s a Molly Maguire.” 

You know what a Molly Maguire was?  Well, those of you who don’t, a Molly Maguire, back in the — in the old days, when we Irish and the Catholics came and then the Poles and others that were Catholic — when they came to the United States of America in the beginning, the 1840s and — late 1840s, they made their way down into Pennsylvania, a lot of them.  And there — there’s a tier in this — in the coal mines.  Those guys who got there last ended up being the last people in the coal mines.

But a lot of the English owned the coal mines.  And what they did was they’d really beat the hell out of the — the mostly Catholic population who was in the mines.  Not — not a joke.  Not a joke.

But there was a group.  They’re called the Molly Maguires.  And the Molly Maguires, if they’d find out the foreman who was taking advantage of an individual — and they’d literally kill him.  Not a joke.  And they’d bring his body up and put him on the doorstep of his family.  Kind of crude.

But I’ve got to admit, they accused my great-grandfather of being Molly — he wasn’t.  But we were so damn disappointed.  But, you know — (laughter) — I — that’s a joke.  That’s a joke.  (Applause.)

Look, it’s about the dignity of work.  It’s about how you’re treated. 

And when I met with the IBEW when I started off this last campaign first, I said, “There’s two things that — asking of me.”  You’re — and I said, “Two things I’m asking of you.  One, you got to open up your unions to more women.”  (Applause.)  Not joke.  “And, two, to more minorities.” 

You’ve done both that.  (Applause.)  And guess what?  Instead of having the support of 30 percent of the American people, it’s now over 65 percent of the American people support the American union movement.  (Applause.) 

Look, it really is all about the dignity of work.  And there’s only — if you care about the dignity of work, there’s only one person you have a rational choice with this time, and that’s Kamala Harris.  Not a — (applause).

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE PRESIDENT:  Let me tell you about this woman.

AUDIENCE:  Kamala!  Kamala!  Kamala!

THE PRESIDENT:  I know her.  I trust her.  Not a joke.  I trust her. 

Number two, the first decision I made the nomina- — as nominee in 2020 was selecting her as my vice president.  (Applause.)  And, by the way, it was the single best decision I made as president of the United States of America.  (Applause.)

And I was — I was watching something sent to me: When they asked Barack — they said Barack picked me as vice president because he knew I could be president.  Well, I know she’ll be a good president.  (Applause.)  I know it.

I’ve watched her when all the experts, foreign and domestic policy, would give us advice, then we’d sit alone in a room, and she has a backbone like a ramrod.  (Applause.)  And she has the moral compass of a saint.  This woman knows what she’s doing.  (Applause.)  

Folks, I promise you, if you elect Kamala Harris as president, it will be the best decision you will have ever made.  (Applause.) 

And Kamala believes, as I do, that unions are the spine of this economy.  She’ll be a historic pro-union president. 

So, folks, we got one more job to do together. 

Let me ask you: Are you ready to fight?

AUDIENCE:  Yeah!

THE PRESIDENT:  Are you ready to win?

AUDIENCE:  Yeah!

THE PRESIDENT:  Are you ready to elect Kamala Harris our next president of the United States of America?  (Applause.)

And, in the process, are you ready to make Donald Trump a loser again? 

AUDIENCE:  Yeah!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future.  We have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  There’s nothing, nothing — I mean this from the bottom of my heart — there’s nothing beyond our capacity — nothing — when we do it together.  (Applause.) 

And that means elect my friend, our great vice president, president of the United States.  Kamala Harris.  (Applause.)

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

Thank you, Joe!  (Applause.) 

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  It is good to be in the house of labor.  (Applause.)  It is good to be in the house of labor.  And it is good to be back at IBEW Local 5.  (Applause.)

And can we please give it up again for our president, Joe Biden?  (Applause.)

Now, I don’t have to tell the brothers and sisters of labor that you really get to know somebody when you’re in the middle of a fight, when times are hard, when the forces are mighty, when people don’t believe something can get done, and they have a thousand excuses for why it can’t get done. 

And I have spent more time with this extraordinary human being when the cameras were not in the room, when the stakes were high, when the heat was intense.  And Joe Biden has always stood with the workers of America and labor unions of America.  (Applause.)  Always.  Always.

I’ve been with him when he’ll bring folks into the Oval Office.  And you know how Joe can get sometimes.  He doesn’t spare words.  It’s good that sometimes the cameras are not in the room when he has those conversations.  (Laughter.) 

Because the thing about the Joe Biden I know — and I know you know, because he has been a frain- — friend of labor for so long, for his whole life — Joe Biden can be quite impatient, and that’s a good thing for that kind of leader.  (Laughter.)  Quite impatient. 

And I say to all of the friends here, the press that’s in the room: History will show what we here know.  (Applause.)  Joe Biden has been one of the most transformative presidents in the United States that we have ever witnessed.  (Applause.)  And it comes from his heart.  (Applause.)

And, you know, Joe and I talk a lot about the fact that we are so proud to be the most pro-union administration in America’s history, and it’s thanks to your leadership.  (Applause.)

And, as we know, Joe has still got a lot of work to do, so let’s — let’s also understand that.

So, I want to thank all the incredible leaders who are here today, including the governor, Shapiro; Lieutenant Governor Davis; Senator Casey, who we will reelect this November — (applause); Mayor Gainey; President Shuler; President Cooper; all the leaders of labor who are here; all the union members who are here.

So, I’ll just get right to a few points.  I love Labor Day.  (Laughter.)  I love celebrating Labor Day.  And Pittsburgh, of course, is a cradle of the American labor movement.  (Applause.)  It is the birthplace of the AFL, headquarters of the Steelworkers, home to Fire Fighters Local 1, and, of course, the historic IBEW Local 5.  (Applause.)

For more than 150 years, the brothers and sisters of labor have helped lead the fight for fair pay, better benefits, and safe working conditions, and every person in our nation has benefited from that work.

You know, everywhere I go, I tell people, “You may not be a union member, but you better thank unions for that five-day work week.  Thank unions for sick leave.  Thank unions for paid family leave.  Thank unions for your vacation time.”  (Applause.) 

Because when union wages go up, everybody’s wages go up.  When union workplaces are safer, all workplaces are safer.  When unions are strong, America is strong.  (Applause.)

And we are clear: Not only has Pittsburgh shaped the history of America’s labor movement, today you are also shaping its future.  (Applause.)

In 2021, with my dear friend, the Secretary, Marty Walsh, who the president appointed to be Secretary of Labor, he and I hosted a meeting right here in this Local, and it was part of the White House Labor Task Force that I lead.

That day, we met with a group of computer programmers who were working to form a union.  One month later, they signed their contract and became the first — one of the first technology unions in our nation — (applause) — standing on the shoulder of all those who have been here and fought the good fight.

So, Pittsburgh, I r- — I remind us of that to say, together, we are fighting to build an economy that works for all working people.  (Applause.)  And that has always been the vision of the labor movement.  And that is the vision of our campaign.  (Applause.)

You know, in this election, there are two very different visions for our nation: one, ours, focused on the future; the other focused on the past.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  We fight for the future.  (Applause.)  We fight for a future of dignity, respect, and opportunity for all people.  (Applause.)

We fight knowing it’s some backward thinking for those folks to have been suggesting for years that the — the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down.  You know, that’s the stuff they’re pushing — that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down — when we know the true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up — (applause) — who you lift up.

Do you fight for workers?  Do you fight for families?  Do you fight for those who must be seen and heard and deserve the dignity that comes with hard work?  (Applause.)

That’s what we fight for.  And when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for.  (Applause.)

So, we’re 64 days out from this election.  (Laughter.)  Ballots in Pennsylvania will start dropping in 14 days — (applause) — 14 days.  And this election is, as much as anything else, a fight for the promise of America — (applause) — for the promise of America.

We love our country.  (Applause.)  We love our country.  And we know it is one of the highest forms of patriotism to fight for the ideals of our country, and that’s what this election is about, and about the promise of America.

And I don’t need to tell unions what the promise looks like.  It’s what you do every day.  (Applause.)

But as we fight to move forward, Donald Trump is trying to pull us backward, including back to a time before workers had the freedom to organize.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  He’s going to jail!

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, the courts will handle that, and we will handle November.  How about that?  (Laughter and applause.)  We’ll handle November.  Let the courts handle that other thing.  But we’re not going back.

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

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

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And one of the ways — one of the ways we’re going to guarantee we don’t go back is that we remember.  Right?  It is important to remember what that was and what it is.

Remember, as president, Donald Trump blocked overtime benefits for millions of workers.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He opposed efforts to raise the minimum wage.  As the president said, he appointed union busters to the National Labor Relations Board.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And don’t forget, he supported so-called right-to-work laws.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And if Donald Trump were to be reelected, he intends to give more tax cuts to billionaires and big corporations.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He wants to impose what, in effect, would be a national sales tax.  I call it the “Trump national sales tax” on everyday products and basic necessities that would cost a typical American family — the economists have said this — almost $4,000 a year.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  He intends to repeal the Affordable Care Act

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — and take us back to what we remember — because it wasn’t that long ago — was a time when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions.  You remember what that was?  Children with asthma.  Breast cancer survivors.  Grandparents with diabetes.

Well, look, America has tried those failed policies before, and we are not going back.  (Applause.)  We are not going back.

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

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And instead — and instead, we fight for a future where no person has to go broke just because they get sick.  (Applause.) 

And so, building on the work of President Joe Biden and I and the work we have done in the White House, we will continue to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and make prescription drugs affordable for all Americans.

We — (applause) — we — we fight for a future where every worker has the freedom to organize.  And we will pass the PRO Act and end union busting once and for all, and Bob Casey will help us do that.  (Applause.)

We — we see and know and fight for a future where every person has the opportunity not just to get by but to get ahead.  (Applause.)

And so, we will continue to build what I call an “opportunity economy” so that every American has an opportunity to buy a home or start a business or build intergenerational wealth and have a future that matches their dreams and ambitions and aspirations.  (Applause.) 

Because, of course, that’s the nature of who we are as Americans.  We have dreams.  We can see what is possible, unburdened by what has been.  We have aspirations.  We have ambitions.  And the system that is a good system is one that supports that and allows people the opportunity to go where they can see and imagine themselves to be.

That’s what I’m talking about when I talk about an opportunity economy.

We fight for a future where every senior can retire with dignity, and so we will continue to defend Social Security and Medicare and pensions.  (Applause.)  And pensions.  And pensions.  (Applause.)

And we will continue to strengthen America’s manufacturing sector.

And on that point, the president mentioned it, U.S. Steel is an historic American company, and it is vital for our nation to maintain strong American steel companies.  And I couldn’t agree more with President Biden, U.S. Steel should remain American-owned and American-operated.  (Applause.) 

And I will always have the back of America’s steelworkers — (applause) — and all of America’s workers.

So, friends, 64 days until the most [important] election of our lives, and probably one of the most important in the life of our nation, truly. 

And we know this is going to be a tight race to the very end.  It’s going to be a tight race to the very end.  So, let’s not pay too much attention to those polls.  Because as unions and labor knows best, we know what it’s like to be the underdog.  And we are the underdog in this race, and we have some hard work, then, ahead of us.

But here’s the beauty of us in this room: We like hard work.  Hard work is good work.  Hard work is joyful work.  (Applause.)   

And so, in this fight, I will continue to count on the strength, the determination, and the hard work of the leaders in this room to knock on doors, to get folks to the polls, and — bluntly put, because the people in here do it — to help us win Pennsylvania.  (Applause.)

So, today, I ask, are you ready to make your voices heard? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Do we believe in freedom?  

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Do we believe in opportunity? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Do we believe in the promise of America? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!  (Applause.) 

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And are we ready to fight for it? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And when we fight —

AUDIENCE:  We win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.

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

     6:27 P.M. EDT

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

South Lawn

2:20 P.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, what did you learn from your briefing today?

Q    Mr. President, (inaudible) about whether you propose a final offer to Israel and Hamas this week?

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s still being negotiated.

Q    What parts are being negotiated?

Q    What would you like to see Netanyahu do?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we’re in the middle of negotiations.

Q    Can you explain why Netanyahu is not doing enough?  Can you explain why you think Prime Minister Netanyahu is not doing enough to help the hostages?

Q    Netanyahu just gave a speech.  He was very defiant.  And he said that he will stay in Philadelphi.  Will this halt the agreement?

THE PRESIDENT:  We’re still in negotiations — not with him — with my colleagues from Qatar and from Egypt.

2:22 P.M. EDT

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South Lawn

2:20 P.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, what did you learn from your briefing today?

Q    Mr. President, (inaudible) about whether you propose a final offer to Israel and Hamas this week?

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s still being negotiated.

Q    What parts are being negotiated?

Q    What would you like to see Netanyahu do?

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we’re in the middle of negotiations.

Q    Can you explain why Netanyahu is not doing enough?  Can you explain why you think Prime Minister Netanyahu is not doing enough to help the hostages?

Q    Netanyahu just gave a speech.  He was very defiant.  And he said that he will stay in Philadelphi.  Will this halt the agreement?

THE PRESIDENT:  We’re still in negotiations — not with him — with my colleagues from Qatar and from Egypt.

2:22 P.M. EDT

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Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris met in the White House Situation Room with the U.S. hostage deal negotiation team following the murder of American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages by Hamas. President Biden expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder, and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable.  

During the meeting, President Biden and Vice President Harris received an update from the U.S. negotiation team on the status of the bridging proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. They discussed next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages, including continuing consultations with co-mediators Qatar and Egypt.

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Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris met in the White House Situation Room with the U.S. hostage deal negotiation team following the murder of American Hersh Goldberg-Polin and five other hostages by Hamas. President Biden expressed his devastation and outrage at the murder, and reaffirmed the importance of holding Hamas’s leaders accountable.  

During the meeting, President Biden and Vice President Harris received an update from the U.S. negotiation team on the status of the bridging proposal outlined by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. They discussed next steps in the ongoing effort to secure the release of hostages, including continuing consultations with co-mediators Qatar and Egypt.

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South Lawn

9:24 A.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President — Mr. President —

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m heading to a national security meeting — I’m heading to a national security meeting right now and then going to Pittsburgh.  And so, checking on what — following up on what’s happening in Israel, and then I’ll be off to Pittsburgh.

Q    Are you planning to present a final hostage deal to the bo- — both sides this week?

THE PRESIDENT:  We’re very close to that.

Q    What makes you think that this deal will be successful in a way that the other deals were not?

THE PRESIDENT:  Hope springs eternal.

Q    Mr. President, do you think it’s time for Pr- — Prime Minister Netanyahu to do more on this issue?  Do you think he’s doing enough?

THE PRESIDENT:  No.

Q    Mr. President, what is your reaction to the demonstrations across Israel?  What is your reaction to the demonstrations?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m going to get the detail when I walk in, and I’ll talk to you after that.  Okay?

Thank you.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Do you have a message for the hostages’ families, sir?  Do you have a message for the hostages’ families, sir?

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.  I’ve spoken to the American hostage — I spoke to his mom and dad.  And we’re not giving up.  We’re going to continue to push as hard as we can.

Thank you.

9:25 A.M. EDT

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South Lawn

9:24 A.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President — Mr. President —

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m heading to a national security meeting — I’m heading to a national security meeting right now and then going to Pittsburgh.  And so, checking on what — following up on what’s happening in Israel, and then I’ll be off to Pittsburgh.

Q    Are you planning to present a final hostage deal to the bo- — both sides this week?

THE PRESIDENT:  We’re very close to that.

Q    What makes you think that this deal will be successful in a way that the other deals were not?

THE PRESIDENT:  Hope springs eternal.

Q    Mr. President, do you think it’s time for Pr- — Prime Minister Netanyahu to do more on this issue?  Do you think he’s doing enough?

THE PRESIDENT:  No.

Q    Mr. President, what is your reaction to the demonstrations across Israel?  What is your reaction to the demonstrations?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m going to get the detail when I walk in, and I’ll talk to you after that.  Okay?

Thank you.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    Do you have a message for the hostages’ families, sir?  Do you have a message for the hostages’ families, sir?

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.  I’ve spoken to the American hostage — I spoke to his mom and dad.  And we’re not giving up.  We’re going to continue to push as hard as we can.

Thank you.

9:25 A.M. EDT

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On October 7, Hersh Goldberg-Polin—an American citizen—was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. He was just 23 years old, attending a music festival with friends. We now know he was murdered by Hamas. His body was recovered today in the tunnels under Rafah, along with five other hostages.

Doug and my prayers are with Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s parents, and with everyone who knew and loved Hersh. When I met with Jon and Rachel earlier this year, I told them: You are not alone. That remains true as they mourn this terrible loss. Americans and people around the world will pray for Jon, Rachel, and their family and send them love and strength. As is said in the Jewish tradition, may Hersh’s memory be a blessing.

Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world. From its massacre of 1,200 people to sexual violence, taking of hostages, and these murders, Hamas’ depravity is evident and horrifying. The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel—and American citizens in Israel—must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza. The Palestinian people too have suffered under Hamas’ rule for nearly two decades.

As Vice President, I have no higher priority than the safety of American citizens, wherever they are in the world. President Biden and I will never waver in our commitment to free the Americans and all those held hostage in Gaza.

# # #

The post Statement by Vice President Harris on Hersh Goldberg-Polin appeared first on The White House.

On October 7, Hersh Goldberg-Polin—an American citizen—was taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. He was just 23 years old, attending a music festival with friends. We now know he was murdered by Hamas. His body was recovered today in the tunnels under Rafah, along with five other hostages.

Doug and my prayers are with Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Hersh’s parents, and with everyone who knew and loved Hersh. When I met with Jon and Rachel earlier this year, I told them: You are not alone. That remains true as they mourn this terrible loss. Americans and people around the world will pray for Jon, Rachel, and their family and send them love and strength. As is said in the Jewish tradition, may Hersh’s memory be a blessing.

Hamas is an evil terrorist organization. With these murders, Hamas has even more American blood on its hands. I strongly condemn Hamas’ continued brutality, and so must the entire world. From its massacre of 1,200 people to sexual violence, taking of hostages, and these murders, Hamas’ depravity is evident and horrifying. The threat Hamas poses to the people of Israel—and American citizens in Israel—must be eliminated and Hamas cannot control Gaza. The Palestinian people too have suffered under Hamas’ rule for nearly two decades.

As Vice President, I have no higher priority than the safety of American citizens, wherever they are in the world. President Biden and I will never waver in our commitment to free the Americans and all those held hostage in Gaza.

# # #

The post Statement by Vice President Harris on Hersh Goldberg-Polin appeared first on The White House.

Earlier today, in a tunnel under the city of Rafah, Israeli forces recovered six bodies of hostages held by Hamas. We have now confirmed that one of the hostages killed by these vicious Hamas terrorists was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

I am devastated and outraged. Hersh was among the innocents brutally attacked while attending a music festival for peace in Israel on October 7. He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas’ savage massacre.  He had just turned 23. He planned to travel the world. I have gotten to know his parents, Jon and Rachel. They have been courageous, wise, and steadfast, even as they have endured the unimaginable. They have been relentless and irrepressible champions of their son and of all the hostages held in unconscionable conditions. I admire them and grieve with them more deeply than words can express.  I know all Americans tonight will have them in their prayers, just as Jill and I will.  I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them and am heartbroken by the news of his death. It is as tragic as it is reprehensible. Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

###

The post Statement from President Biden on Hersh Goldberg-Polin appeared first on The White House.

Earlier today, in a tunnel under the city of Rafah, Israeli forces recovered six bodies of hostages held by Hamas. We have now confirmed that one of the hostages killed by these vicious Hamas terrorists was an American citizen, Hersh Goldberg-Polin.

I am devastated and outraged. Hersh was among the innocents brutally attacked while attending a music festival for peace in Israel on October 7. He lost his arm helping friends and strangers during Hamas’ savage massacre.  He had just turned 23. He planned to travel the world. I have gotten to know his parents, Jon and Rachel. They have been courageous, wise, and steadfast, even as they have endured the unimaginable. They have been relentless and irrepressible champions of their son and of all the hostages held in unconscionable conditions. I admire them and grieve with them more deeply than words can express.  I know all Americans tonight will have them in their prayers, just as Jill and I will.  I have worked tirelessly to bring their beloved Hersh safely to them and am heartbroken by the news of his death. It is as tragic as it is reprehensible. Make no mistake, Hamas leaders will pay for these crimes. And we will keep working around the clock for a deal to secure the release of the remaining hostages.

###

The post Statement from President Biden on Hersh Goldberg-Polin appeared first on The White House.

St. Edmond’s Catholic Church
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

6:25 P.M. EDT

Q    Anything on the Middle East, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t have much to report.  My staff has been in contact with the Israelis.  They’ve discovered bodies in Gaza.  They’re not sure the exact number; they haven’t taken them out yet.  And in the meantime —

(A nearby protestor can be heard.)

PROTESTOR:  Choose life, Mr. President!  Choose life while you still have time to undo some of the terrible things you’ve done!

THE PRESIDENT:  And in the meantime, they want to identify the bodies.  There’s a lot of speculation who they are — the names.  I’m not at liberty to do that until the families are notified.

And it’s time this war ended.  We should end this war.  I think we’re on the verge of having an agreement.  It’s just time to end it.  It’s time to finish it.

Q    Why do you think you’re on the verge of an agreement?  How optimistic are you?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m still optimistic because the leaders of both have led — have met in Ga- — in bo- — in Egypt.  Our people are continuing to meet, and we think we can close the deal.  They’ve all said they agree on the principles.  So, keep your fingers crossed.

Q    Sir, have you spoken to Netanyahu?

Q    (Inaudible) weekend?  Are they resuming next week?

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.  There — there are talks.

Q    Mr. President, what do you think of President Trump’s behavior in Arlington Cemetery with the — the visit to the — to the fallen soldiers?

THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t want to answer because I may tell you what I think.

Thank you.

Q    Did you watch your vice president’s interview on CNN?

Q    Anything on the ISIS operation, Mr. President?

Q    What are your campaign plans, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  (Inaudible.)  We’re going to be — I’m doing Memorial [Labor] Day in Pittsburgh, and I’m on the road from there on.

6:27 P.M. EDT

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St. Edmond’s Catholic Church
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

6:25 P.M. EDT

Q    Anything on the Middle East, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t have much to report.  My staff has been in contact with the Israelis.  They’ve discovered bodies in Gaza.  They’re not sure the exact number; they haven’t taken them out yet.  And in the meantime —

(A nearby protestor can be heard.)

PROTESTOR:  Choose life, Mr. President!  Choose life while you still have time to undo some of the terrible things you’ve done!

THE PRESIDENT:  And in the meantime, they want to identify the bodies.  There’s a lot of speculation who they are — the names.  I’m not at liberty to do that until the families are notified.

And it’s time this war ended.  We should end this war.  I think we’re on the verge of having an agreement.  It’s just time to end it.  It’s time to finish it.

Q    Why do you think you’re on the verge of an agreement?  How optimistic are you?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’m still optimistic because the leaders of both have led — have met in Ga- — in bo- — in Egypt.  Our people are continuing to meet, and we think we can close the deal.  They’ve all said they agree on the principles.  So, keep your fingers crossed.

Q    Sir, have you spoken to Netanyahu?

Q    (Inaudible) weekend?  Are they resuming next week?

THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.  There — there are talks.

Q    Mr. President, what do you think of President Trump’s behavior in Arlington Cemetery with the — the visit to the — to the fallen soldiers?

THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t want to answer because I may tell you what I think.

Thank you.

Q    Did you watch your vice president’s interview on CNN?

Q    Anything on the ISIS operation, Mr. President?

Q    What are your campaign plans, Mr. President?

THE PRESIDENT:  (Inaudible.)  We’re going to be — I’m doing Memorial [Labor] Day in Pittsburgh, and I’m on the road from there on.

6:27 P.M. EDT

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