Remarks by Vice President Harris At a Democratic National Committee Winter Meeting Reception

 
Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

5:53 P.M. EST
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Philadelphia!  (Applause.)  Hi, everyone.  Good evening.  Good evening.   Good evening.  Good evening.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you. 
 
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you, Kamala!  (Applause.) 
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Good evening, everyone. 
 
Can we give it up for Chairman Jaime Harrison?  (Applause.) 
 
And we’ve got to recognize and always thank the Chair, Sharif Street, and Pennsylvania Democrats — (applause) — for all you do every day and for hosting us and for your work to elect Governor Josh Shapiro and Senator John Fetterman!  (Applause.)
 
You guys did your thing.  You did your thing.  We were counting on you.  We needed you.  And, Pennsylvania Democrats, you knew what you were doing, and you done good.  And we thank you because our whole nation has benefited from your work.  (Applause.)
 
So, I am very proud to, of course, be here with one of Pennsylvania’s proudest sons, our President, Joe Biden.  (Applause.)
 
So, tonight, we gather, a few months — just a few months after the 2022 elections, and we knew in that election there was so much at stake.  And thanks to everyone here, because of your work, Democrats won.  (Applause.)
 
And up and down the ballot, all across our country, America and Americans spoke with their vote.  We defeated big lies and extremism in secretary of state races in Arizona, in Georgia, in Minnesota, in Nevada.  (Applause.)
 
We defended reproductive rights in Kansas — (applause) — California, Michigan, Montana, Kentucky, and Vermont.  (Applause.)
 
We had the best midterms for governors in 35 years.  (Applause.)
 
And once again have Democratic governors in Arizona, Maryland, and Massachusetts.  (Applause.)
 
Which is why when someone asked me, a few weeks ago, for my one word to describe the new year, I said: momentum.  Momentum. 
 
Democrats, we are delivering.  Actually, we are delivering big time!  (Applause.)
 
Think about it.  After two years of good work, we have a lot of good material to show for it.  Just today, President Biden announced record job growth.  (Applause.)
 
And that is because when we lead, we build a future in which every American can not only survive, but can thrive.  That’s who we are. 
 
So we have momentum, and now let’s let the people know.  (Applause.)  This — this is what they voted for, and this is what is happening.
 
Here — in here in Philadelphia, we delivered new lanes and sidewalks on Roosevelt Boulevard, because working people told us.  And this is who we are; folks talk with us and we listen.  They told us they need to get to work.
 
To our college Dems, let’s remind people that because you organized, because you voted, we made the largest investment in the climate crisis in history.  (Applause.)  Because you spoke out and said, “Our future is at stake, and you got to do something.”  We listened. 
 
We listened to our seniors that said, “We deserve to be able to retire with dignity and not bankruptcy.”  And they said, “We want to support those who know better than anyone” — that’s who we all are — “that we must protect Social Security.”  We listened to them.  (Applause.)
 
They said, “Bring down the cost of insulin.”  And so we delivered and brought down the cost for our seniors to $35 a month.  (Applause.) 
 
We listen, and then we respond with action.  That’s who we are.
 
And let us clearly see the current environment in which we exist.  There are those who want to stand in the way of our momentum.  The extremist so-called leaders who want to distract and divide our nation as they ban books —
 
AUDIENCE:  Booo —
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — as they reject history of America and history classics —
 
AUDIENCE:  Booo —
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — as they criminalize doctors and nurses and attack the sacred right to vote.
 
AUDIENCE:  Booo —
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  But we know what to do.  We vote.
 
And right now, this January of 2023, we build on our momentum.  (Applause.)  We build on our momentum.  And we do that by continuing to do what we know is in the best interest of our nation and the strength of our nation: We continue to unify our country, we continue to lift up the voices, and we continue to organize.
 
Democrats, as we gather here in Philadelphia, the place that first defined freedom and liberty, let us bring together those who believe in freedom and liberty for all — for all.  (Applause.)
 
Because — because — (applause) — because that is what America stands for.  We as Democrats love our country.  We love our country.  (Applause.)  We love our country, and we believe in its promise.  And we believe in the foundational principles that hold us together, that allow us to be a model for the world.
 
So let us continue to know what we stand for and what the Democratic Party stands for.  (Applause.)
 
And I do believe that when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for.  (Applause.)
 
So we stand, we fight for the right to marry the person you love.  (Applause.)
 
We stand for the belief and the right that all people should have to live without the constant fear of gun violence.  (Applause.)
 
We stand for the right of a woman, for all people to make decisions about their own body and not the government making that decision for them.  (Applause.)
 
And we stand for the right of everyone — of every race, gender, and religion — to be safe and to be free from violence, including from those who are sworn to protect and serve.  (Applause.)
 
And with all that being said, there is no one more clear about what he stands for and who he fights for than our President, Joe Biden.  (Applause.)
 
AUDIENCE:  Joe!  Joe!  Joe!
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  And I present President Joe Biden!  (Applause.)
                    
                          END            6:03 P.M. EST