Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Political Event | Los Angeles, CA

JW Marriott Los Angeles L.A. LIVE
Los Angeles, California

4:37 P.M. PDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon, L.A.  (Applause.)  Oh, it’s good to be home.  (Laughs.)  Thank you all.  Oh, my goodness.  Thank you all.  (Applause.)

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

Okay, come on.  We have work to do.  We have work to do.

Please have a seat.  We have — we have work to do.  Thirty-seven days.  (Applause.)

Thank you, everyone.  Oh, it’s good to be with so many friends, and I’ve known so many of you my whole career. 

I — I mean, I look around this room, and there are people who have been with me on this journey every step of the way, and I’m so thankful to all of you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Truly.

And you who have been providing so much encouragement, I just — I thank you so very much. 

And I especially want to thank the members of Congress who are here, including Senator Alex Padilla — (applause), Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar.  (Applause.)  And all the state and local leaders who are here today, I thank you all so much.  (Applause.)  

All right, so let’s get to business.  Let’s get to business. 

Okay, let’s start by level setting.  Okay, let’s level set.  Thirty-seven days.  (Applause.)  Thirty-seven days. 

And I know who’s here, and so many of us have been involved every four years.  And every four years we say, “This is the one.”  This here is the one.  (Applause.)  This is the one.  This is the one. 

This is probably the most important election in our lifetime and probably one of the most important in the life of our country.  And you have all heard me say it many times before: Look, this election is — and I think is increasingly becoming clear, this election is about two very different visions for our nation.  And we see that contrast every day on the campaign trail.  Just consider the last two weeks. 

In the last two weeks I was in Georgia to highlight the dangerous consequences of Trump abortion bans.  In fact, some of them were highlighted during an event that I did with Oprah Winfrey.  You may have heard the stories — (applause) — but tragic, tragic, tragic stories: a mother talking about her daughter who, because of the ban in Georgia, she ended up dying.  Right?  Tragic stories.

In the last couple of weeks — well, actually, many times I’ve been to Pennsylvania, most recently in Pittsburgh to lay out my vision for our economy.  And then, just a couple days ago, I was in Arizona to present my plan for what we need to do to strengthen our border. 

Meanwhile, Donald Trump —

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Thirty-seven days.  (Laughter and applause.)

But from him, we’ve seen the same old show.  We just see the same old, tired show from the same old, tired playbook that we have heard for years with no plan on how he would address the needs of the American people. 

And that is why I am convinced that — as I travel around our country and meet folks from every walk of life, I am convinced and they seem to be convinced that it is time to turn the page.  (Applause.)  It is time to turn the page on what we’ve been getting from that side.  And I think America is ready to chart a new way forward and ready for a new generation of leadership that is optimistic about what we can do together — (applause) — what we can do together.

And I think that’s why Democrats and Republicans and independents are supporting our campaign, because they want a president who works for all the American people.  (Applause.)

And you all know me.  My entire career has been about fighting for the people.  (Applause.)  When I was a young prosecutor in Oakland, as a — as courtroom lawyer, as the elected district attorney of San Francisco, I stood up for women and children against predators who abused them.  As attorney general of California for two terms, I defended communities that were being poisoned by polluters and Big Oil.  I stood up for veterans and students being scammed by for-profit colleges — (applause) — for workers who were being cheated out of the wages they were due, for seniors who were facing elder abuse.

And many of you were actually with me and — and supported me in those fights.  And together, then, we have always stood for what we understand to be important about dignity, about fairness, about equality, about doing the right thing.  And together again, then, we stand fighting for our future.

And as Americans planned for that future, one of the biggest issues — you hear it on the evening news — one of the biggest priorities, frankly, is about our economy. 

And so, we will build together what I call and have named an “opportunity economy.”  (Applause.)  We will do so as a new generation of leadership.  With a sense of optimism, we will tap into the ambition and the aspirations and the dreams of the American people.  (Applause.)  An opportunity economy where everyone can compete and has a real chance to succeed; where middle-class families have security and stability; and all Americans, regardless of who they are, where they start, can build wealth for themselves and their children. 

I will bring together labor, small businesses, founders, and innovators and major companies — (applause) — because, as I said in Pittsburgh last week, I am, yes, both a devout public servant and I am a capitalist.  (Applause.)  I believe an active partnership between government and the private sector is one of the most effective ways to fully unlock economic opportunity.  (Applause.)

I also believe that unions help build the middle class and that — (applause) — every worker should have the right to join a union. 

I believe that to build a strong economy, we must also engage those who create most of the jobs in America. 

I have also pledged that building a strong middle class will be a defining goal of my presidency — (applause) — because we know that when America’s middle class is strong, America is strong.  (Applause.)

And to support the middle class, one of the first things we must do is lower costs.  Under my plan, more than 100 million Americans will get a middle-class tax break, including $6,000 for new parents during the first year of a child’s life — (applause) — because the vast majority of parents have a natural desire to parent their children well.  They want for everything for their children but don’t always necessarily have the resources to achieve that goal.  And I was raised to believe that the children of the community are the children of the community, and we have a collective responsibility to support everything we can to ensure they are nurtured and well taken care of.  (Applause.)

And we will also go after the biggest drivers of costs for the middle class, including housing, grocery prices, and prescription drugs, and we will work to bring those costs down.  (Applause.)

To build an opportunity economy, we need to invest in American innovation and entrepreneurship, including by making it easier to start a new business.  (Applause.)  So, as president, I will make the start-up deduction 10 times richer and raise it from $5,000 to $50,000.  (Applause.)  Because here’s the deal.  In 2024, there is nary a small business who can actually get started on only $5,000. 

And if we’re going to talk about building the next generation of leadership, we’ve got to be current about the problems that people are facing and deal with them. 

We also must increase, and I will continue to work on increasing, access to capital for small businesses that want to expand.  (Applause.) 

And as a proud daughter of California — (applause) — I know the power of American innovation.  And so, as president, I will ensure that we lead the world in the industries of the future and that America wins the competition for the 21st century.

Included in that, we will invest in biomanufacturing and aerospace, expand clean energy innovation and manufacturing, and invest in the factory towns and workers who built our country and have long been overlooked.  (Applause.) 

And we must make sure that good-paying jobs are available to all Americans, not just those with college degrees.  (Applause.)  And let us recognize the value of additional paths such as apprenticeships and technical programs.  (Applause.) 

And so, it is my pledge: As president, I will eliminate degree requirements for half a million federal jobs — (applause) — because I understand that requiring a certain degree, a college degree, does not necessarily speak to a job candidate’s skill and experience.  (Applause.)  And we must honor and actually value the skill of the job and the skill required to do the job.  And so, when we are doing that — and I do that with federal jobs — I’m going to look at all of you in the private sector and say, “I challenge you to make a similar commitment.”

And Donald Trump has a different plan.  (Laughter.)

You know, I’ve said this before, and you may have heard me say it, but in many ways, Donald Trump is an unserious man, but the consequences of putting him back in the White House are extremely serious — extremely serious.  (Applause.)

Just look at Project 2025, which — I mean, google it if you have some time or don’t have anything else to do.  (Laughter.)  But I would urge you to know what’s in it, and I’ll talk a little bit about it. 

And, by the way, for those of you who are familiar with Project 2025, can you believe they put that thing in writing?  (Laughter.)  I mean, they put it in writing, they published it, they actually bound it, and star- — and handed it out.  (Laughter.)  But it’s detailed and it’s dangerous. 

Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.  He wants to impose what I call a “Trump sales tax,” because it — he’s — what he’s talking about is a 20 percent tax on everyday basic necessities, which will cost, as economists have measured — (sound system stops working) — there we go — (laughter and applause) — which will cost the average family nearly $4,000 a year.

The top economists in our country, many of them, have reviewed our plans and compared them.  Goldman Sachs says my plan would grow our economy and his plan would shrink it.  Sixteen Nobel Prize-winning economists say he would reignite inflation.  Moody’s assessed he would ignite a recession by the middle of next year. 

And on top of all of this, Donald Trump intends to end the Affordable Care Act. 

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Some of you may have seen the debate.  (Laughter and applause.)  Yeah.  So, I’m trying to get another one — trying to get another debate — trying, but — trying to get that other debate, but we’ll see.  (Laughter.) 

But — but you’ll remember: What he said at the debate was he has — on the Affordable Care Act, remember what he said?  He has “concepts of a plan.”  Concepts.  (Laughter.)  And, again, yes, we understandably laugh at that, but think about the seriousness of the consequence. 

So, basically, he’s going to threaten the health insurance of 45 million Americans based on a concept, which would mean taking us back to when insurance companies could deny people health coverage for preexisting conditions.  Remember what that was like?  Children with asthma.  Someone who survived breast cancer.  A — a grandparent with diabetes. 

So, look, as I say everywhere I go — and I am traveling our country — I say, and — and the crowds are pretty big.  (Applause.)  And — (laughs) — and so, so what I say and — and people repeat, everywhere I go: We are not —

AUDIENCE:  Not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — going back.

We are not going back, because ours is truly a fight for the future.

And it is a fight for freedom, like the freedom to vote, the freedom to be safe from gun violence — (applause) — the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride — (applause) — and the freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do.  (Applause.)  So much is at stake.

And to all the leaders who are here, help me to remind folks — many remember, but it’s important for everyone to know — how we got here.

On that point, Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court — the Court of Thurgood and RBG — selected them to overturn the protections of Roe v. Wade, and they did as he intended. 

And now, in more than 20 states in our country, there are Trump abortion bans, many with no exceptions even for rape or incest, which means that they’re basically telling a survivor of a crime of a violation to their body that they have no right to make a decision about what happens to their body next.  That is immoral.  It’s immoral.  (Applause.)

But that being one of the many examples of why elections matter.  Elections matter.  (Applause.)

And I’m going to tell you, when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom — (applause) — as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law — (applause) — will proudly sign it into law.

So, so much is on the line in this election.  So much is on the line.  And this is not 2016 or 2020.  It’s different for many reasons, but a very important reason among them is what the Supreme Court did just a few months ago.  The Supreme Court basically told the former president that he is effectively immune no matter what he does in the White House. 

Now let’s put this in context.  This is a man who has openly vowed to be a dictator on day one; who has talked about — even recently — how he would weaponize the Department of Justice against his political enemies; and has called for, quote, the “termination” of the Constitution of the United States.  Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrails.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  He’s a felon!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, the courts are going to take care of that piece.  (Laughter and applause.) 

We’ll take care of November.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)  We’ll take care of November. 

But all of this is to say that we are here together because we know the stakes.  And we are here together because we love our country.  We love our country.  (Applause.)  And I do believe it is one of the highest forms of patriotism to fight for the ideals of our country — (applause) — and to fight to realize the promise of America — the promise of America. 

So, the election is in 37 days, and early voting and vote by mail has already started in some states, including Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin.  (Applause.)  So — so the election is pretty much here. 

And let me be clear, we are going to win. (Applause.)   We

are going to win.  We are going to win.  (Applause.)  Yes, we will.  Yes, we will.  Yes, we will.

And — and we also have our work cut out for us, okay?  This race is as close as it could be.  This race is as close as it could be.  And we are the underdog, friends.  We are the underdog, and I’m running like the underdog.  We are the underdog.

And our campaign, with all of your help and support, is doing the work we need to do on the airwaves, on voter education.  I know many people here have been do- — phone banking — (applause) — and thank you.  And — and we’re doing this work together in every county of every battleground state.

And here’s what we’re finding: The more people hear about our plans, the more they rally around our campaign. 

So, we, I know, are here together because we are all prepared to leave it all on the field.  And your support is absolutely critical to the work we have in front of us. 

The leaders in this room have done so much already, and I’m going to ask you for a little more.  (Laughter.)  Here’s what I’m going to ask you: You are each — you are all part of very large networks — I know who’s here — and you’re trusted and you are opinion leaders.  Well, I didn’t mean the television networks, but, yeah, that too I guess.  (Laughs.)  But networks of — of organizations and folks. 

And so, I ask you this, in addition to everything you’ve done: Please do activate your networks and tell your friends and your neighbors about what is at stake.  Let them know why you support this campaign, why you have taken so much time out of your busy lives to be here.  And let them know that we need their help in the next 37 days.  Let them know. 

And for you, join our team in battleground states and help folks register folks to vote and get them out to the polls.  Let’s sign up and sign folks up to make more phone calls.  And let’s remind them that this is a fight for our freedom and our future. 

And I’ve been sharing with some friends, also, here’s how I think about our campaign: We know the stakes.  We’re prepared to work hard.  And our highest imperative, which we will achieve, is to win.  And let’s think about our campaign in the next 37 days also in the context of the power that we have to build community and to build coalitions. 

You know, there’s been so much about these last several years and — yes, and it’s why people want to turn the page, but these forces that have been trying to divide us and have people point fingers at each other — you know, these forces that would — they’re so wrongheaded and suggest that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down instead of what we know: The real measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.  (Applause.)

So, let’s continue to do what we know is also about strengthening our country, our neighborhoods, our communities every step of the way over these next many days. 

And — and let’s remember, we — we stand on the shoulders of folks who, for generations, have fought for freedom and fought for our rights and liberties.  (Applause.)  And — and now the baton is in our hands.  Now the baton is in our hands. 

So, I’ll close by saying what I say at every rally, which is this: We know what we stand for, and that’s why we know what to fight for.  And when we fight —

AUDIENCE:  We win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — we win.  We win.  (Applause.)

God bless you.  God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

Thank you all.  (Applause.)

END                 5:04 P.M. PDT