Transcript - Remarks: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Introduce Pete Buttigieg in Wilmington, DE - December 16, 2020 | Factba.se

Joe Biden

00:00:00 - 00:00:26 ()

Well, good afternoon by three minutes. It's good to see you all. Over the past few weeks, Vice President-elect Harris and I have been announcing nominees to our cabinet. They are people of the highest character with varied experiences and backgrounds. They're going to help us beat this pandemic, keep us safe and secure, and build our economy back better than it ever was.

Joe Biden

00:00:26 - 00:00:51 ()

They include long-time colleagues and new faces and new voices. They include people who share my views and those who have different views. They include people who supported my campaign from its earliest days and people who ran against me. They're experts in policy and leaders tested by crises. And by the end of this process, this cabinet will be the most representative of any cabinet in American history.

Joe Biden

00:00:51 - 00:01:12 ()

We'll have more people of color than any cabinet ever. We'll have more women than any cabinet ever. We'll have a cabinet of barrier breakers, a cabinet of firsts. I know how proud presidents are when they're able to achieve a first in their cabinet. I remember when President Clinton named for the first ever woman to be secretary of State.

Joe Biden

00:01:12 - 00:02:09 ()

I was there when President Obama named the first ever black attorney general. But compared to the -- my predecessors, the Harris-Biden cabinet is first among cabinets of all the firsts it represents; the first ever woman, the first black woman, the first woman of South Asian descent as vice president behind me on the screen, the first ever black secretary of defense, the first ever Latino head of the DHS, and the first ever Latino head of HHS, the first women -- the first woman, I should say, of South Asian American dissent to lead OMB, the first woman and Asian American to lead United States trade represent -- as our lead United States trade representative, the first black woman to chair the President's Council of Economic Advisers, the first ever woman to hold Alexander Hamilton's position as Treasury secretary.

Joe Biden

00:02:09 - 00:02:51 ()

Our cabinet doesn't just have one first or just two of these firsts, but eight precedent busting appointments, and today a ninth, the first ever openly gay nominee to lead the -- a cabinet department and one of the youngest cabinet members ever. The Biden-Harris cabinet will be an historic cabinet, a cabinet that looks like America, a cabinet that taps into the best of America, a cabinet that is opening doors and breaking down barriers and accessing the full range of talent, we have so much of it, the full range of talent in this nation, a cabinet that ups a -- is up to the media crises we face, and we face several.

Joe Biden

00:02:51 - 00:03:15 ()

And the long-term challenge this nation faces in the future are in this cabinet hands. It's a cabinet that's battle tested, qualified, experienced, creative, innovative, and forward-looking and, yes, representative. And today I am proud to nominate this member. For secretary of Transportation, I nominate Mayor Pete Buttigieg.

Joe Biden

00:03:15 - 00:03:42 ()

I got to know Pete on the campaign trail. He's one of the smartest people you'll ever meet and one of the most humble, a mere from the heartland, management expert, a policy wonk with a big heart, a veteran, a lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserve, and intelligence offer deployed to Afghanistan while he was mayor, a new voice with new ideas determined to move past old politics, the son of professors, a husband.

Joe Biden

00:03:42 - 00:04:08 ()

And his husband is an educator. Always, always a mark of good character is the way I look at it. And by the way, Jill and I have always enjoyed seeing Pete and Christen -- or Chasten, I should say, together on the trail. Chasten has become a close friend of Jill's and mine. And what I admire about Pete is he's always clear about who he is, what he believes, and how he wants to bring people in, not exclude them.

Joe Biden

00:04:08 - 00:04:31 ()

He's able to walk into any room, leave people inspired with his ability to describe and America that's best for us, all of us, an America that's hopeful, bold, creative, inclusive, and America that can do literally anything. The Department of Transportation services a critical mission with a -- critical responsibilities, particularly in this administration.

Joe Biden

00:04:31 - 00:04:58 ()

We need someone who knows how to work with state, local, and federal agencies. For example, right now one in five miles of our highways are still in "poor condition," according to the Society of American Engineers. Tens -- and tens of thousands of bridges are in disrepair, some on the verge of collapse, presenting a clear and present danger to people's lives.

Joe Biden

00:04:58 - 00:05:31 ()

We're the world's richest nation, but we rank 10th. We rank 10th in overall quality of our infrastructure, according to the World Economic Forum. But there's so much we can do. When I think of climate change, I think about jobs, good paying union jobs, jobs that put Americans to work making their air cleaner for our kids to breathe, restoring our crumbling roads, bridges, and ports, making it faster, cheaper, and cleaner to transport American-made goods across the country and around the world.

Joe Biden

00:05:31 - 00:06:02 ()

I know when you were mayor, Pete, when people would come in to try to decide whether they were going to build something in your area, they'd say where's the nearest railroad you have? What about the water access? What about -- and so on. This is going to attract businesses, jobs that lay the lines for the second great railroad revolution, which is -- not only will slash pollution, but will slash commute times, open up investments in areas connected to metropolitan areas for the first time.

Joe Biden

00:06:02 - 00:06:23 ()

You know, we selected Pete for Transportation because the department is at the intersection of some of our most ambitious plans to build back better. When President Obama put me in charge of implementing the Recovery Act, which was over $800 billion, to take us from crisis to recovery to resurgence, modernizing our transportation infrastructure, our roads, bridges and ports, were some of our most critical investments.

Joe Biden

00:06:23 - 00:06:48 ()

We invested more infrastructure than at any time since President Eisenhower and the interstate highway projects. You know, the projects that traditionally receive bipartisan support, that forge public and private partnerships, when we do those public and private partnerships and we invest federal money, we pull billions of dollars of private investment for every dollar we put in, federal dollar.

Joe Biden

00:06:48 - 00:07:13 ()

And they put millions of Americans to work, strengthening our economy, our economic competitiveness, and rebuilding our communities for the future. Pete's got a great perspective of a mayor that solves problems and brings people together. He's got a vision of a next-generation leader and the -- with the experience and the temperament to lead change today, today to dig us out of this economic crisis.

Joe Biden

00:07:13 - 00:07:40 ()

For example helping cities and states to keep transit systems running for frontline and essential workers, and then helping them modernize their airports, their ports, their railways to attract and retain businesses and workers, to advance racial equality. Racial equity as we build back better, include everyone so ZIP Code doesn't determine your access to a good job, good school, a good education, and healthcare.

Joe Biden

00:07:40 - 00:08:08 ()

To deal with the existential threat of climate change with real jobs, not just $15 an hour jobs, which I'm going to call for universally, but for prevailing wages, union jobs paying $45, $50 an hour and benefits, helping cities across the country in red states and blue states, red cities and blue cities to build more climate resilient communities to deal with the more extreme floods, droughts, and super storms.

Joe Biden

00:08:08 - 00:08:32 ()

Just look around the country today. What -- what are we faced with? The West is burning. The Midwest is being flooded. The East Coast is being pummeled by more tornadoes and storms that it's ever had. We're in a state that's three feet above sea level. All of us along the Atlantic Ocean find ourselves with problems in terms of flooding.

Joe Biden

00:08:32 - 00:08:54 ()

Look, working with states, businesses, and labor to install 500,000 charging stations for the next generation of clean vehicles, smart grid system, reducing energy consumption and ushering in a clean energy economy all across America. Some of you may remember I met with five leading CEOs in America and five leading unions in America.

Joe Biden

00:08:54 - 00:09:24 ()

And the -- and the president of General Motors, after our conversation -- our joint conversation, picked up the phone and called, I am told, California and said they're dropping their suit against California. They're all-in on making sure that they are a -- we're the first of the world to have switched to and be able to get to a carbon neutral economic way to power automobiles as a consequence of dealing with electric vehicles.

Joe Biden

00:09:24 - 00:09:42 ()

We can own the electric vehicle market. We can put -- with those 500,000 charging stations, we can put -- we can put a million jobs back in Detroit and in the Midwest building cars. You know, Pete's going to also carry out the department's duty to keep Americans safe on our roads and our highways and in our skies.

Joe Biden

00:09:42 - 00:10:26 ()

Pete's going to help build back better with jobs and hope. With vision and execution and I'm honored, I'm honored he's answering the call to serve his country once again. So please welcome -- please welcome the next secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg.

Pete Buttigieg

00:10:26 - 00:11:13 ()

Mr. President-elect, Madame Vice President-elect, thank you so much for entrusting with this opportunity to serve the American people. I am humbled by your confidence. Eager to do everything in my power to ensure that this administration succeeds. My hometown, South Bend, Indiana was built by the power of American transportation from trade along the river whose bend gives our city its name, to the rail lines that connected us to the rest of the country back when we were considered the West -- to the livelihoods created by the good paying union jobs at places like the aeronautical supplier, Bendix and the giant auto assembly Studebaker.

Pete Buttigieg

00:11:13 - 00:11:37 ()

And now, climate and infrastructure innovation are helping bring my community into the 21st century. I also had a personal love of transportation ever since childhood. More than once, as a college student, I would convince a friend to travel nearly 1000 miles back to Indiana with me on Amtrak. Though I know that in this administration I will, at best, aspire to be the second biggest train enthusiast around.

Pete Buttigieg

00:11:37 - 00:12:08 ()

I spent a spring break in graduate school aboard a cargo ship studying there. Travel in my mind is synonymous with growth, with adventure. Even love, so much so that I proposed to my husband Chasten, in an airport terminal. Don't let anybody tell you that O'Hare isn't romantic. And I want to thank this chance to thank Chasten for everything that he gives and everything that he sacrifices to support me in public service.

Pete Buttigieg

00:12:08 - 00:12:33 ()

First time I ran for office was on a platform of supporting the Obama/Biden administration's rescue of the auto industry. And when I did first take office as mayor of a city fighting its way out of the teeth of the Great Recession, infrastructure was at the heart of our vision. We re-imagined how vehicles and people moved through the city, unlocking new economic vibrancy in our urban core.

Pete Buttigieg

00:12:33 - 00:12:54 ()

We built up partnerships from a regional collaboration to improve rail service, to the public/private partnership that put our city at the cutting edge of bicycle mobility. We developed new forms of support for lower wage workers and their commutes and added electric vehicle charging infrastructure to help prepare for a more sustainable future.

Pete Buttigieg

00:12:54 - 00:13:18 ()

We also dealt with the challenges created by generations of often inadequate state and federal infrastructure funding. With just enough resources to replenish the paving of every lane, mile of street in our city only every 100 years or so -- I faced a constant battle with that natural enemy of all mayors -- the pothole.

Pete Buttigieg

00:13:18 - 00:13:38 ()

And in a community where more than a quarter of our residents live in poverty we worked to fill in the gaps that were created when underfunded transit resources left too many cut off from opportunity just because they didn't have the means to own a car. At its best, transportation makes the American dream possible.

Pete Buttigieg

00:13:38 - 00:14:02 ()

Getting people and goods to where they need to be directly and indirectly creating good paying jobs. At its worst, misguided policies and missed opportunities can reinforce racial, economic and environmental injustice dividing or isolation neighborhoods, undermining government's basic role to empower everyone to thrive.

Pete Buttigieg

00:14:02 - 00:14:28 ()

And now comes a historic opportunity -- this administration can deliver policies and resources that will create jobs, rise to the climate challenge and equitably serve all Americans all while continuing to ensure the safety of travelers and workers alike. America has given this administration a mandate to build back better.

Pete Buttigieg

00:14:28 - 00:15:05 ()

And step one, in building back better -- literally -- is to build. Americans shouldn't settle for less than our peers in the developed world when it comes to our roads and bridges, our railways and transit systems. U.S. should lead the way and I know that in this administration we will. We'll bring together leaders and communities from every corner, labor and business, left, right and center, urban and rural communities of color, tribal nations -- mayors, counties, states -- everyone who has a stake in American infrastructure to design a better future.

Pete Buttigieg

00:15:05 - 00:15:35 ()

Americans expect us to see to it that the idea of an infrastructure weak is associated with results and never again a media punchline. In my view this opportunity is also shaped by being the youngest member so far named to this cabinet and the first millennial invited to a seat at that table. Newer generations have a lot at stake in infrastructure policy that by its nature must contemplate both the immediate and the long term.

Pete Buttigieg

00:15:35 - 00:16:01 ()

The question of how America will look by the middle of this century, the competitiveness of our economy, the security of our climate for me this isn't academic, it's personal. I'm also mindful that the eyes of history are on this appointment knowing that this is the first time an American president has ever sent an openly LGBTQ cabinet member to the Senate for confirmation.

Pete Buttigieg

00:16:01 - 00:16:24 ()

I can remember watching the news, 17 years old in Indiana seeing a story about an appointee of President Clinton named to be an Ambassador attacked and denied a vote in the Senate because he was gay. Ultimately, able to serve only by a recess appointment. At the time, I had no aspirations of being appointed by a president to anything.

Pete Buttigieg

00:16:24 - 00:16:46 ()

At that age, I was hoping to be an airline pilot. And I was a long way from coming out even to myself but still I watched that story and I learned something about some of the limits that exist in this country when it comes to who is allowed to belong. But just as important, I saw how those limits could be challenged.

Pete Buttigieg

00:16:46 - 00:17:08 ()

So two decades later I can't help but think of a 17 year old somewhere who might be watching us right now. Somebody who wonders whether and where they belong in the world or even in their own family and I'm thinking about the message that today's announcement is sending to them. So, thank you, Mr. President-elect.

Pete Buttigieg

00:17:08 - 00:17:27 ()

Thank you for honoring your commitment to diversity with this administration that you are assembling. And thank you Madame Vice President-elect for your trailblazing leadership, your encouragement and your friendship. There is no greater source of meaning in professional life than the chancer to serve others.

Pete Buttigieg

00:17:27 - 00:17:59 ()

I felt that meaning every time I laced up my boots when I was in the military. Every time I came to work when I was a mayor. And I feel it here now joining this history team with such an important mission preparing to deliver for all Americans. Thank you.

Kamala Harris

00:17:59 - 00:18:36 ()

As President-elect Biden and I look ahead to the challenges we will inherit upon walking into the White House, we are focused on containing this pandemic and delivering relief to all who need it. We are focused on safely reopening our schools and responsibility reopening our economy. And as we've said many times, we are also focused on building America back better and doing what is necessary to lift up all Americans no matter where they live, whether it's in big cities, rural areas or any place in between.

Kamala Harris

00:18:36 - 00:19:10 ()

One of the most important ways we will do that is by creating good, union jobs to build, operate and maintain a safe, modern and sustainable transportation system. A transportation system that will help us grow our economy, tackle our climate crisis and connect all Americans to jobs and opportunity. We will transform our roads and bridges, transit systems, railways, ports and airports while powering them with clean energy.

Kamala Harris

00:19:10 - 00:19:42 ()

Spark a renaissance in American passenger rail that will not only connect our country but unlock job creation and growth across our manufacturing sector. And we will expand and upgrade our transportation in a way that is equitable serving communities of every size, urban and rural, across our country. The choice President-elect Biden has made to help spearhead this work is simply outstanding.

Kamala Harris

00:19:42 - 00:20:09 ()

I got to know Pete over the last couple of years. We traveled to the same states, attended the same events and shared a debate stage many times. We've had long conversations he and I about the future of our country. About the need for bipartisanship. And about family and faith. And along the way, Pete and his wonderful husband Chasten have become very dear friends of Doug's and mine.

Kamala Harris

00:20:09 - 00:20:44 ()

Pete is an innovative problem solver. He has a sharp intellect and a deep commitment to uniting people across party lines and meeting our challenges together. He is a trail blazing leader from the industrial Midwest who understands we need to create opportunity for people of all backgrounds. And he is, of course, a veteran and a dedicated public servant who represents the very best of our country and the next generation of American leadership.

Kamala Harris

00:20:44 - 00:21:20 ()

Now Pete will bring his remarkable talents to bear, not just on behalf of the people of South Bend but on behalf of the people across our nation. In 1966 upon creating the Department of Transportation, President Lynd -- Lyndon Johnson said, "America's history is a history of her transportation." With Pete's leadership, we are ready to write the next great chapter in that history, modernizing our infrastructure, creating jobs and opportunity, and helping to usher in a clean energy future for the United States of America.

Kamala Harris

00:21:20 - 00:21:23 ()

Thank you, Mr. President-elect. And welcome, Pete.

Joe Biden

00:21:23 - 00:21:43 ()

Thank you. By the way, I called the Vice President-elect and thanked her for not getting on the highway in the middle of a storm -- a storm about to come -- to come up here. She wanted to be here, Pete, as you know. So thank you all very, very much. And if you have to travel --

Question

00:21:43 - 00:21:45 ()

-- Are you getting the vaccine too?

Question

00:21:45 - 00:21:48 ()

When are you getting the vaccine?

Joe Biden

00:21:48 - 00:22:09 ()

We're working on that right now. I -- I don't want to get ahead of the line but I want to make sure that we demonstrate to the American people that it is safe to take. I'll be -- they're working on that plan right now. And when I do it, I'll do it publicly and so you all can actually witness my getting it done.

Question

00:22:09 - 00:22:11 ()

Are you confident [Inaudible] not being wrong --

Question

00:22:11 - 00:22:12 ()

-- [Inaudible] President?

Joe Biden

00:22:12 - 00:22:14 ()

Question

00:22:14 - 00:22:15 ()

And also the stimulus package --

Question

00:22:15 - 00:22:16 ()

-- Stimulus package --

Joe Biden

00:22:16 - 00:22:34 ()

-- The stimulus package is encouraging. It's -- looks like they're very, very close. And it looks like there's going to be direct cash payments. But it's a down payment. An important down payment on what's gonna have to be done beginning at the end of January into February. But it's very important to get done.

Joe Biden

00:22:34 - 00:22:42 ()

I compliment on the bipartisan group on working together to get it done. Thank you all very much, have a good day.