Remarks by President Biden at a Reception for the Democratic National Committee

Salamander Washington D.C.
Washington, D.C.

7:30 P.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  Hello, hello, hello.

Folks, it’s so great to have you here.  And I want to thank Jaime for that introduction.  And, Jaime, thanks for your leadership.  (Applause.)

The first thing I want to say tonight is Jill and me, Kamala and Doug, want to thank you.  And I really mean it.  Seriously, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Last time out when we ran, you shocked the hell out of me, how much effort you put in and how much money you raised.  I never raised that much money before.  (Laughter.)

And Jill was so glad to see all of you this evening.  She just had to leave to attend an event for our daughter, Ashley, who’s in town tonight.

So many of you have been with us through an incredible, incredible ride for 2020 right through to today.  And some have been with me since I’ve been a United States senator.  Jaime mentioned many of you individually, but I also want to say to the members of the House and the Senate, the governors who are here tonight: You’ve been key partners in everything we’ve gotten done.  And that’s not hyperbole.  Every single thing we’ve gotten done has gotten done because of that strong leadership in the states and in the House and the Senate.

And those helping lead the DNC and co-chairing my campaign, and to all you who have had my back through all of it and are here tonight because you really, really did a great job.  And we couldn’t have done it without you.

And I think — it sounds like you’re ready to do it again, so thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

And I also want you to know and thank those literally tens of thousands of people across the country who have stepped up this week, signed up to volunteer, donated 5, 10 bucks, once again got the campaign off to such a strong, strong start.  It really is — amazed me the number of people who came back.

The enthusiasm has been overwhelming.  I can’t tell you how much it means to me.  I really mean it.  And I think I could speak the same thing for Kamala.

And, folks, we’ve already accomplished a lot after being told we wouldn’t be able to get anything done — remember? — in 2020.  It was going to be a — it was going to be just a freeze on everything.

But with the help of all of you here and many of my colleagues in the House and Senate, we’ve generated 12 million brand-new jobs in two years — (applause) — more than any President has created in any single four-year term.

Unemployment is at 3.5 percent, a 50-year low.

You know how much this matters.  We passed the American Rescue Plan, the most aggressive economic recovery plan since Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  (Applause.) 

We passed the most substantial investment in our nation’s infrastructure since Eisenhower: the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

We passed the CHIPS and Science Act, the most significant investment in manufacturing and research developed in American history.  It led to $400 billion in private investment in manufacturing and clean energy, creating tens of thousands of jobs before it’s finished, all across America.  (Applause.)

You know, the Inflation Reduction Act has been the most transformational investment in our climate in the history of not just the country, but history of the world.  It’s going to reduce carbon emissions by 1 billion tons in 2030.  And we’re on track to get to net-zero emissions by 2050 worldwide.  (Applause.)

And, folks, as you all know, climate change poses an existential threat to humanity, to our children and our grandchildren.  We owe it to them.  We really owe it to them to rise to this existential challenge.

You know, the Inflation Reduction Act — the first time in history.  And Tommy Carper and I, — he’s been there a long time, and a lot of us in the Senate have been fighting like hell to get Medicare to be able to negotiate drug prices with pharma.  (Applause.)

Well, as you know, we pay the highest drug cost of any advanced nation in the Uni- — in the world.  In the world.  Significantly more.  But now we reduced the cost of insulin from hundreds of dollars a month to $35 a month — (applause) — for anyone on Medicare.

And soon, no senior — and the reason — we’re going to have to make sure everybody knows this because this — it doesn’t all come at once; it comes in stages.  No senior is going to have to pay more than $2,000 for the totality of all the drugs they need for — and including expensive cancer drugs that cost $10-, $12-, $14,000 a year, beginning in 2025.

Folks, we passed the most significant legislation to reduce gun violence in 30 years, strengthening background checks, red flag laws, elimination of ghost guns.  And we have a lot more to do.  (Applause.)  We have more to do.

And we kept our promise to put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.  (Applause.) 

And thanks to Dick Durbin, the head of the Judiciary Committee in the Senate, we’ve approved more Black women in the federal circuit courts than all previous presidents combined in American history.  (Applause.)

We’ve kept our promise.

And I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say we’ve reestablished America’s leadership in the world.  (Applause.)

Madeleine was right: We are the essential country. 

We united and strengthened NATO when Putin was certain that he was going to be able to break NATO down and (inaudible) invasion in U- — in Ukraine. 

In short, we restored America’s standing on the world stage.  And just some of that — some of that, what we managed, is with the help of you.  Just in two years we did it.  Imagine how much we can do.

I’m here tonight to ask your help to help me finish the job.  (Applause.)

And, folks, here’s the bottom line.  It’s very simple: We need you.  Our democracy needs you, because this is about our freedoms.

MAGA Republicans are trying to take us backwards.  But together, we’re not going to let them do it.  Not an inch back.  (Applause.)

Instead, our agenda is going to continue to bring us forward and build on the progress we made — and we made.  And we must finish this job. 

Look, let’s keep growing the economy in the middle — from the middle out and the bottom up.  Let’s protect — protect a woman’s right to choose and codify Roe v. Wade.  (Applause.)  Let’s protect our children from gun violence by continuing to work to eliminate assault weapons.  And let’s keep lowering the prescription drug cost not just for those on Medicare, but for all Americans — for all Americans.  (Applause.)

Folks, we got to continue to protect Social Security and Medicare — something people have paid into their whole life, provide for su- — such solace for so many Americans. 

You know, we’ve gotten a lot done, but there’s so much more to do.  And with your help, I know we can do it.  I really do.  Just like we did in 2020. 

Remember 2020, when everyone had written us off?  But you folks — you folks in this room, you know we could do it, and we did.  You raised significant amounts of money to allow us to compete. 

And remember 2022, the midterm elections, when we were supposed to get our clock clean and swamped?  (Applause.)  “The red wave is coming.”  Give me a break.  (Laughter and applause.)

Because of your help, we nev- — it never happened, and we met the moment again and again — a broad coalition with all of you.  And we’re going to do it again in 2024 together.  (Applause.)

And, folks, as we enter this reelection campaign, hear this: We wouldn’t be here without you.  That is not — that’s not an exaggeration.  And I couldn’t be more grateful. 

All of you with us again tonight, we’re counting on you.  We really are counting on you.  Because, folks, we’re still in the battle for the soul of this country. 

You heard me say it before: We’re at an inflection point in American history.  We’ve been there at least four or five other occasions in our history. 

I had a professor in college.  He said an inflection point is: When you’re going down a highway 50 miles an hour, and you veer off at 40 degrees in another direction, you’re never going to be able to get in the same path you were on before. 

Well, that’s where the world is now.  One of those moments that come along every several generations where the decisions we make today are going to determine the trajectory not only of the United States, but the world for decades to come. 

And think about it.  It’s not hyperbole.  Think about what’s happening with climate change worldwide.  Think of what the change in allegiances of nations around the world.  Think of all that’s going on.  All that’s going on. 

And it means we carry a heavy responsibility, but it also means we have an extraordinary opportunity — an extraordinary opportunity to build a future we want for our children and our grandchildren.  An extraordinary opportunity to meet the commitment I made in 2020 that we will restore the soul of this nation — (applause) — to build an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, unite the country.

We’re going to build an America that’s more fair, more just, more free.  And we’re going to literally build a better world.  And that fills me with optimism. 

In fact, I’ve never been — and I mean this sincerely; a lot of you know me really well.  I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future than I am today.  Not in my whole career. 

I’ve always believed we could define America in one word.  I was in the — I was in the Tibetan Plateau with Xi Jinping, who I’ve met with more than any other world leader has.  And he turned to me.  We just — he and I, and each had a simultaneous interpreter.  And he said, “Could you define America for me?”  And this is the God’s truth.  I said, “Yes, I can, in one word: possibilities.”  (Applause.) 

We’re the only nation in the world who believes anything is possible when we put our mind to it.  And we have never failed at anything we’ve decided to do.  (Applause.)  And I still believe it today. 

There’s literally nothing we can’t do if we put our mind to it.  We just have to remember who in God’s name we are.  We are the United States of America.  There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we do it together. 

So let’s go.  Let’s win this thing.  Let’s finish the job.  Let’s get it done.  Because there’s so much — so much we can do and set in motion in the ability for this country to have a path of world leadership. 

And, by the way, you know, you all remember our former Secretary of State.  She used to say that we are the “essential nation.”  I can assure you — and I mean it sincerely — not because of Joe Biden — I walk in a room of world leaders and everything changes. 

They all look at us and wonder “What are you going to do, America?”  Not a joke.  Not a joke.  The United States of America, they look to to lead the world. 

And, folks, we can do this.  We can do this.  We really can.  And I really, truly, from the bottom of my heart, thank you all for the help.  Because it’s — you know, you raised more money for me last time than I raised in my whole life.  (Laughter.)  You think I’m kidding?  I’m not.

And, folks, you also stepped up.  Because not only did you raise money; most of you are leaders in your community, leaders in — for all that you do, in the businesses and the — and everything you’re involved in.  And when people look at you and say, “He or she is for that person with this kind of intensity,” it changes their mind.

And we got one other real problem and one other real advantage.  The real problem is those MAGA Republicans.  They’re 30 percent of the Republican Party, but there’s a — there’s — this is not your father’s Republican Party.  But in a bizarre way, all we got to do is point out, in many cases, and compare us to what these guys want to do.

Look what they just introduced.  Look what they just passed in the House.  We’d lose 100,000 teacher- — I — I’m not going to go on it ri- — on right now, because we got to get some dinner.  (Laughter.)

But, folks, there’s so much we can do, and we can contribute so much to the country right now.  And it’s because of you I’m standing here, and it’s going to be because of you we win this next time around.

So thank you, thank you very much.  As my — you’ve heard me say this before — I just got back from Ireland, dealing with two things: one, making sure the Accord stuck together, but, two, I also went back to the two home counties my mother’s family are from.  And every time I’d walk out of my grandfather’s Finnegan’s home, he’d yell, “Joey, keep the faith.”  And my grandmother would — “No, Joey.  Spread it.”

Let’s spread the faith.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
 
By the way, this has been a busman’s holiday for the governors and the senators, having to come hear another pol speak, but thank you all for doing it. 

We got some great, great governors.  You know, 23 gover- — 22 governors already endorsed us.  I don’t think that’s ever happened before — all the Democratic governors. 

So thank you, thank you, thank you, governors.  Thanks to everyone.  Now get out of here.  (Applause.)

7:42 P.M. EDT