Remarks: Joe Biden Delivers Remarks at The State Department - February 4, 2021


Joe Biden Delivers Remarks at The State Department [2021-02-04]
Joe Biden
America
China
Russia
United States
State Department

Joe Biden
00:00:00 - 00:00:32 ()
Mr. Secretary, it's great to be here with you. And I've been looking forward a long time to be able to call you "Mr. Secretary." Good afternoon, everyone. It's an honor to be back at the State Department under the eyes of the first American chief diplomat, Benjamin Franklin. And, by the way, I want you all to know in the press I was the Benjamin Franklin Professor of Presidential Politics at Penn.
Very Positive
Kamala Harris
00:00:00 - 00:00:45 ()
Thank you, Secretary Blinken. It was my great honor to swear you in last Wednesday. And thank you for the warm welcome, everyone, for me and the President. We are here, as one of our highest priorities, to thank you for your dedication to our country and the work you have tirelessly been doing. And, you know, when I swore in the Secretary, you may know that he placed his hand on a copy of the very document that we all swore to protect and defend, and that, of course, is the United States Constitution.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:00:32 - 00:01:01 ()
And I thought they did that because I was as old as he was, but I guess not. Anyway, all kidding aside, it's great to be here and stand alongside our most recent and senior diplomat, Secretary Tony Blinken. Mr. Secretary, thank you for welcoming us today. We've worked together for over 20 years. Your diplomatic skills are respected equally by your friends and our competitors around the world.
Very Positive
Kamala Harris
00:00:45 - 00:01:20 ()
And it was a simple and it is a sacred oath, one many of you, the dedicated staff of the State Department, have taken. And we know that we cannot take those words for granted: "to support and defend." Every day, we have to breathe new life into them. That is our duty. As difficult as these past years have been, you have remained committed to democracy, to human rights, and the rule of law.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:01:01 - 00:01:45 ()
And they know when you speak, you speak for me. And so -- so is the message I want the world to hear today: America is back. America is back. Diplomacy is back at the center of our foreign policy. As I said in my inaugural address, we will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again, not to meet yesterday's challenges, but today's and tomorrow's. American leadership must meet this new moment of advancing authoritarianism, including the growing ambitions of China to rival the United States and the determination of Russia to damage and disrupt our democracy.
Very Positive
Kamala Harris
00:01:20 - 00:01:51 ()
On behalf of our nation, we thank you for your service and for your sacrifice. Today, we are here in person to tell you that we are committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability, inclusivity and diplomacy on the global stage as a partner and a leader. This is the foundation on which we stand.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:01:45 - 00:02:22 ()
We must meet the new moment accelerating glo- -- accelerating global challenges -- from the pandemic to the climate crisis to nuclear proliferation -- challenging the will only to be solved by nations working together and in common. We can't do it alone. That must be this -- we must start with diplomacy rooted in America's most cherished democratic values: defending freedom, championing opportunity, upholding universal rights, respecting the rule of law, and treating every person with dignity.
Very Positive
Kamala Harris
00:01:51 - 00:02:20 ()
We build on that foundation both by what we do abroad, restoring our alliances, and supporting international institutions, and also by what we do within our own shores. Our foreign and domestic imperatives are intrinsically linked. Everything you do, every policy you advance, every partnership you forge makes a difference in the lives of everyday Americans.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:02:22 - 00:03:00 ()
That's the grounding wire of our global policy -- our global power. That's our inexhaustible source of strength. That's America's abiding advantage. Though many of these values have come under intense pressure in recent years, even pushed to the brink in the last few weeks, the American people are going to emerge from this moment stronger, more determined, and better equipped to unite the world in fighting to defend democracy, because we have fought for it ourselves.
Very Positive
Kamala Harris
00:02:20 - 00:02:49 ()
At the same time, our strength in the world depends on your strength and our strength here at home. And that is why we are working to reinforce our democracy, to rescue our nation from this pandemic, to rebuild our economy, to confront racial injustice, and to combat climate change. The world is counting on us.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:03:00 - 00:03:21 ()
Over the past few days, we've been in close cooperation with our allies and partners to bring together the international community to address the military coup in Burma. I've also been in touch with Leader McConnell to discuss our shared concerns about the situation in Burma, and we are united in our resolve.
Very Positive
Kamala Harris
00:02:49 - 00:03:38 ()
And we, as a nation, must show both our allies and our adversaries that America will deliver. It's time to deliver. Again, thank you all for your service. And, Secretary Blinken, thank you for your leadership.
Positive
Joe Biden
00:03:21 - 00:03:50 ()
There can be no doubt: In a democracy, force should never seek to overrule the will of the people or attempt to erase the outcome of a credible election. The Burmese military should relinquish power they have seized, release the advocates and activists and officials they have detained, lift the restrictions on telecommunications, and refrain from violence.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:03:38 - 00:04:34 ()
[Applause] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you for welcoming the Vice President and me back to the State Department. It's true, the Secretary and I have worked together a long time. And I know -- I know that he has the background and the capacity needed to, quite frankly, lead the State Department at a critical moment.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:03:50 - 00:04:31 ()
As I said earlier this week, we will work with our partners to support restoration of democracy and the rule of law, and impose consequences on those responsible. Over the past two weeks, I've spoken with the leaders of many of our closest friends -- Canada, Mexico, the UK, Germany, France, NATO, Japan, South Korea, Australia -- to being reforming the habits of cooperation and rebuilding the muscle of democratic alliances that have atrophied over the past few years of neglect and, I would argue, abuse.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:04:34 - 00:05:20 ()
This has been a difficult few years. I've been hanging around as -- on the Foreign Relations Committee and -- as chairman, and then as Vice President, and now as President, for a long time dealing with State. Those of you who work here, and including the new class of diplomats that we -- that are on the screen behind me: You're among the brightest, most involved, best educated group of people America has to offer.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:04:31 - 00:04:59 ()
America's alliances are our greatest asset, and leading with diplomacy means standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies and key partners once again. By leading with diplomacy, we must also mean engaging our adversaries and our competitors diplomatically, where it's in our interest, and advance the security of the American people.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:05:20 - 00:06:27 ()
And -- but I come today to talk to everyone at Main State watching remotely and those who will not be able to see this but will hear about it. You know, an incredible group of diplomats that I've had a chance to work with -- and what we never talk about is you not only have great intellectual capacity, you have great personal courage.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:04:59 - 00:05:33 ()
That's why, yesterday, the United States and Russia agreed to extend the New START Treaty for five years to preserve the only remaining treaty between our countries safeguarding nuclear stability. At the same time, I made it clear to President Putin, in a manner very different from my predecessor, that the days of the United States rolling over in the face of Russia's aggressive actions -- interfering with our elections, cyberattacks, poisoning its citizens -- are over.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:06:27 - 00:07:09 ()
I've been with some of you when we've been shot at. I've been with some of you when we've been in places that you would have -- not have any idea you'd want to be when you were going to school of foreign policy and foreign service. They never told you what -- that was going to happen. But you're an incredible group of individuals.
Neutral
Joe Biden
00:05:33 - 00:06:05 ()
We will not hesitate to raise the cost on Russia and defend our vital interests and our people. And we will be more effective in dealing with Russia when we work in coalition and coordination with other like-minded partners. The politically motivated jailing of Alexei Navalny and the Russian efforts to suppress freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are a matter of deep concern to us and the international community.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:07:09 - 00:07:58 ()
And I've said many times over the years: Those of you who are stationed overseas and have been stationed overseas, you're America's face. You're what people see and the country you are. They look at you. You are the face of America, and it matters. It matters a great deal how you comport yourself and how you deal with the folks that you're dealing with in that particular country.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:06:05 - 00:06:31 ()
Mr. Navalny, like all Russian citizens, is entitled to his rights under the Russian constitution. He's been targeted -- targeted for exposing corruption. He should be released immediately and without condition. And we'll also take on directly the challenges posed by our prosperity, security, and democratic values by our most serious competitor, China.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:07:58 - 00:08:43 ()
I find it -- many of you among the most incr- -- and, by the way, I think what we don't do enough: We don't thank your families. We don't thank your families for the sacrifices they make. They make sacrifi- -- real sacrifices. I don't know how many times I have moved -- again, moved to see to it that -- your spouses, they give up their careers many times to follow you.
Slightly Negative
Joe Biden
00:06:31 - 00:07:07 ()
We'll confront China's economic abuses; counter its aggressive, coercive action; to push back on China's attack on human rights, intellectual property, and global governance. But we are ready to work with Beijing when it's in America's interest to do so. We will compete from a position of strength by building back better at home, working with our allies and partners, renewing our role in international institutions, and reclaiming our credibility and moral authority, much of which has been lost.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:08:43 - 00:09:12 ()
Many times, their careers are as consequential or more consequential than yours, but they do it for the country. And they're to be thanked. But the main message that I want to communicate to you all is that whether you're part of the newest class of Foreign Service Officers or you've worked for decades in The Civil Service or Foreign Service, or you're locally employed staff, you're vital, and the success and strength of our nation depends in no small part on you.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:07:07 - 00:07:36 ()
That's why we've moved quickly to begin restoring American engagement internationally and earn back our leadership position, to catalyze global action on shared challenges. On day one, I signed the paperwork to rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement. We're taking steps led by the example of integrating climate objectives across all of our diplomacy and raise the ambition of our climate targets.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:09:12 - 00:09:52 ()
Later today, I'm going to go up on the eighth floor and send a clear message to the world: America is back. America is back. Diplomacy is back. You are the center of all that I intend to do. You are the heart of it. We're going to rebuild our alliances. We're going to reengage the world and take on the enormous challenge we face dealing with a pandemic, dealing with global warming, and again, standing up for democracy and human rights around the world.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:07:36 - 00:08:03 ()
That way, we can challenge other nations, other major emitters, up to -- to up the ante on their own commitments. I'll be hosting climate leaders -- a climate leaders' summit to address the climate crisis on Earth Day of this year. America must lead in the face of this existential threat. And just as with the pandemic, it requires global cooperation.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:09:52 - 00:10:17 ()
Again, as I said, you're the face of America abroad. And in our administration, you're going to be trusted, and you're going to be empowered -- trusted and empowered to do your job. But I ask each of you to abide by a few core tenets: Integrity in all you do. Let me say it again: Integrity in all you do.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:08:03 - 00:08:29 ()
We've also reengaged with the World Health Organization. That way, we can build better global preparedness to counter COVID-19, as well as detect and prevent future pandemics, because there will be more. We've elevated the status of cyber issues within our government, including appointing the first national -- Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:10:17 - 00:10:47 ()
Transparency and accountability to rebuild trust in America and around the world. Working in the service of American people, not self-interest. And promoting diversity, equity, inclusion -- accessibility across the board -- because our diplomats, at all levels, should reflect the full diversity of this great country.
Positive
Joe Biden
00:08:29 - 00:09:03 ()
We're launching an urgent initiative to improve our capability, readiness, and resilience in cyberspace. Today, I'm announcing additional steps to course-correct our foreign policy and better unite our democratic values with our diplomatic leadership. To begin, Defense Secretary Austin will be leading a Global Posture Review of our forces so that our military footprint is appropriately aligned with our foreign policy and national security priorities.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:10:47 - 00:11:10 ()
I know how much we ask of you and your families, and I mean that. I do know. It's been a long time I've been dealing with this building and all of your predecessors. And the sacrifices you make are real and not recognized much by the country as a whole. They don't know all that you do. I also know that you've never let us down.
Unknown
Joe Biden
00:09:03 - 00:09:31 ()
It will be coordinated across all elements of our national security, with Secretary Austin and Secretary Blinken working in close cooperation. And while this review is taking place, we'll be stopping any planned troop withdrawals from Germany. We're also stepping up our diplomacy to end the war in Yemen -- a war which has created a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:11:10 - 00:12:13 ()
I believe in you. I believe in you. We need you badly. I trust you. And I'm going to have your back -- that, I promise you -- just like you're going to have the backs of the American people. What I always point out to people in the years when I was chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, I'd make sure that my Foreign Relations Committee staff came to my home state and worked on constituent services, which many of them thought was sort of beneath them. "I'm a foreign policy specialist." But it's all about who you work for -- who I work for, who we work for -- and the foreign policy is about promoting the interests of the people of the United States when -- a rubric and a set of principles that treat everyone with decency.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:09:31 - 00:09:56 ()
I've asked my Middle East team to ensure our support for the United Nations-led initiative to impose a ceasefire, open humanitarian channels, and restore long-dormant peace talks. This morning, Secretary Blinken appointed Tim Lenderking, a career foreign policy officer, as our special envoy to the Yemen conflict.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:12:13 - 00:12:36 ()
So I promise you I'm going to have your back. I promise you. And I expect you to have the back of the American people. Now, I've got a lot of work to do and a lot of catching up to do, a lot of rebuilding to do. And I can't think of any group of people better capable of doing it more ready than all of you.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:09:56 - 00:10:24 ()
And I appreciate his doing this. Tim is a life -- has lifelong experience in the region, and he'll work with the U.N. envoy and all parties of the conflict to push for a diplomatic resolution. And Tim's diplomacy will be bolstered by USI- -- USAID, working to ensure that humanitarian aid is reaching the Yemeni people who are suffering un- -- an undurable -- unendurable devastation.
Leans Positive
Joe Biden
00:12:36 - 00:13:01 ()
So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I look forward to working with you, I look forward to seeing you, and I look forward to coming back when this auditorium is filled and no one has to wipe down the podium. [Laughter] So, again, folks, thank you. You are the heart and soul of who we are as a country, and the rest of the world is looking to you to help them understand us and so we can help them as well.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:10:24 - 00:10:56 ()
This war has to end. And to underscore our commitment, we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arms sales. At the same time, Saudi Arabia faces missile attacks, UAV strikes, and other threats from Iranian-supplied forces in multiple countries. We're going to continue to support and help Saudi Arabia defend its sovereignty and its territorial integrity and its people.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:13:01 - 00:13:09 ()
So, thank you all very much, and may God bless you, and may God keep you all safe when you're abroad. Thank you. [Applause]
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:10:56 - 00:11:21 ()
We also face a crisis of more than 80 million displaced people suffering all around the world. The United States' moral leadership on refugee issues was a point of bipartisan consensus for so many decades when I first got here. We shined the light of lamp on -- of liberty on oppressed people. We offered safe havens for those fleeing violence or persecution.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:11:21 - 00:11:47 ()
And our example pushed other nations to open wide their doors as well. So today, I'm approving an executive order to begin the hard work of restoring our refugee admissions program to help meet the unprecedented global need. It's going to take time to rebuild what has been so badly damaged, but that's precisely what we're going to do.
Positive
Joe Biden
00:11:47 - 00:12:08 ()
This executive order will position us to be able to raise the refugee admissions back up to 125,000 persons for the first full fiscal year of the Biden-Harris administration. And I'm directing the State Department to consult with Congress about making a down payment on that commitment as soon as possible.
Somewhat Positive
Joe Biden
00:12:08 - 00:12:36 ()
And to further repair our moral leadership, I'm also issuing a presidential memo to agencies to reinvigorate our leadership on the LGBTQI issues and do it internationally. You know, we'll ensure diplomacy and foreign assistance are working to promote the rights of those individuals, included by combatting criminalization and protecting LGBTQ refugees and asylum-seekers.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:12:36 - 00:13:04 ()
And finally, to successfully reassert our diplomacy and keep Americans safe, prosperous, and free, we must restore the health and morale of our foreign policy institutions. I want the people who work in this building and our embassies and consulates around the world to know: I value your expertise and I respect you, and I will have your back.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:13:04 - 00:13:32 ()
This administration is going to empower you to do your jobs, not target or politicize you. We want a rigorous debate that brings all perspectives and makes room for dissent. That's how we'll get the best possible policy outcomes. So, with your help, the United States will again lead not just by the example of our power but the power of our example.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:13:32 - 00:13:53 ()
That's why my administration has already taken the important step to live our domestic values at home -- our democratic values at home. Within hours of taking office, I signed an executive order overturning the hateful, discriminatory Muslim ban; reversed the ban on transgender individuals serving in our military.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:13:53 - 00:14:18 ()
And as part of our commitment to truth, transparency, and accountability, we stated on day one -- we started on day one with daily briefings of the press from the White House. We've reinstate- --- we've reinstituted regular briefings here at State and at the Pentagon. We believe a free press isn't an adversary; rather, it's essential.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:14:18 - 00:14:42 ()
A free press is essential to the health of a democracy. We've restored our commitment to science and to create policies grounded in facts and evidence. I suspect Ben Franklin would approve. We've taken steps to acknowledge and address systemic racism and the scourge of white supremacy in our own country.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:14:42 - 00:15:16 ()
Racial equity will not just be an issue for one department in our administration, it has to be the business of the whole of government in all our federal policies and institutions. All this matters to foreign policy, because when we host the Summit of Democracy early in my administration to rally the nations of the world to defend democracy globally, to push back the authoritarianism's advance, we'll be a much more credible partner because of these efforts to shore up our own foundations.
Unknown
Joe Biden
00:15:16 - 00:15:45 ()
There's no longer a bright line between foreign and domestic policy. Every action we take in our conduct abroad, we must take with American working families in mind. Advancing a foreign policy for the middle class demands urgent focus on our domestic econog- -- economic renewal. And that's why I immediately put forth the American Rescue Plan to pull us out of this economic crisis.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:15:45 - 00:16:12 ()
That's why I signed an executive order strengthening our Buy American policies last week. And it's also why I'll work with Congress to make far-reaching investments in research and development of transformable -- in transformable technologies. These investments are going to create jobs, maintain America's competitive edge globally, and ensure all Americans share in the dividends.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:16:12 - 00:16:38 ()
If we invest in ourselves and our people, if we fight to ensure that American businesses are positioned to compete and win on the global stage, if the rules of international trade aren't stacked against us, if our workers and intellectual property are protected, then there's no country on Earth -- not China or any other country on Earth -- that can match us.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:16:38 - 00:17:02 ()
Investing in our diplomacy isn't something we do just because it's the right thing to do for the world. We do it in order to live in peace, security, and prosperity. We do it because it's in our own naked self-interest. When we strengthen our alliances, we amplify our power as well as our ability to disrupt threats before they can reach our shores.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:17:02 - 00:17:21 ()
When we invest in economic development of countries, we create new markets for our products and reduce the likelihood of instability, violence, and mass migrations. When we strengthen health systems in far regions of the world, we reduce the risk of future pandemics that can threaten our people and our economy.
Very Negative
Joe Biden
00:17:21 - 00:17:49 ()
When we defend equal rights of people the world over -- of women and girls, LGBTQ individuals, indigenous communities, and people with disabilities, the people of every ethnic background and religion -- we also ensure that those rights are protected for our own children here in America. America cannot afford to be absent any longer on the world stage.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:17:49 - 00:18:15 ()
I come today to the State Department, an agency as old and as storied as the nation itself, because diplomacy has always been essential to how American -- America writes its own destiny. For the diplomacy of Ben Franklin helped assure the success of our revolution. The vision of the Marshall Plan helped prevent the world from foundering on the wreckage of war.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:18:15 - 00:18:41 ()
And the passions of Eleanor Roosevelt declared the audacious idea of universal rights that belong to all. The leadership of diplomats of every stripe, doing the daily work of engagement, created the very idea of a free and interconnected world. We are a country that does big things. American diplomacy makes it happen.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:18:41 - 00:19:00 ()
And our administration is ready to take up the mantle and lead once again. Thank you all. And may God bless you and protect our troops, our diplomats, and our development experts, and all Americans serving in harm's way. Going this way. Thank you all.
Very Positive