May 19, 2024
AT A CAMPAIGN EVENT
CRED Café
Detroit, Michigan
2:25 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Well, it's great to see you all. It's great to see you all.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: It's great to see you.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you. No, thank you.
Well, I tell you what, we're -- we got a long way to go we- -- in this election, but we're feeling real good because of folks like you.
You know, we -- been working real hard. We're going to make sure that we give -- you know, we used to have this theory in American economics, which was everything would trickle down. You know, like, if the wealthy did very well, there'd be enough left over for everybody else.
My dad used to have a -- an expression. He said, "Nothing trickled down on our table, Joey. Nothing trickled down on our table." So, we're building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, and the wealthy can still do well, but they ought to start paying their taxes so we can do a lot more things.
Anyway, we've been -- so far, we've been pretty good. We've had the lowest unemployment rate for a long, long time. We've been in a situation where we've -- I've forgiven an awful lot of debt from the folks who have college debt -- and billions of dollars of it -- so people can start their lives again, people be in a good shape. We're going to -- we're -- anyway, there's a lot going on.
And I just want to tell you -- I was talking to -- we got three reverends back there. I -- I saw them at the airport. In addition to asking them to pray like hell for me -- -- I asked their advice on a bunch of things.
But all kidding aside, there's a lot we can do. And, you know, the days of -- I come from a -- the state of Delaware. And Delaware is small, but we have the eighth largest African American population in the country as a percent of population.
And to our great shame, we were segregated by law, like down here. We -- and that's how I got involved in politics early on as a kid.
I was -- I became a lawyer when -- Dr. King was one of my heroes, like many of my generation. And when he was assassinated, we had the National Guard stationed on our streets on every street corner of the city of Wilmington for nine months, longer than any time of occupation of any time since the Civil War.
And I got out of law school -- I'm the first in my family ever to go to college. And I got out of law school and had a job with a fancy law firm, and I quit and became a public defender. And one thing led to another, here I am.
AUDIENCE MEMBER:
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, that was right. I didn't -- I didn't plan on it. But -- but like an awful lot of folks growing up in a situation where -- basically, middle class family; three-bedroom, split-level home with four kids and a grandpop living with us. You know, we were okay. I mean, we didn't have any money, but we were okay.
And -- but there's no reason why we can't really fundamentally change things now. We're on the cusp. And the ba- -- the bottom line -- I won't -- I'm not going to give you a whole speech here, but the bottom line is: The guy we're running against wants to back up all the -- all the prospects, all the progress we made.
He wants to do away with the environmental stuff. He wants to take away -- you know, there's 3 million more people -- African Americans who have health insurance now because we were able to increase it, been able to get to college because of it.
He wants to do -- cut all that across the board.
So, as they say where I come from, this guy is a different breed of cat. He's not your typical Republican.
And so, I appreciate you looking me over. And if I'm able to do this -- I hope it's okay -- I'll just wander around and talk to you all privately -- not private but, you know, just talk to you, find out what's on your mind. Does that makes sense?
AUDIENCE: Yeah.
THE PRESIDENT: And I tell you what, man. It took a long time, didn't it?
2:28 P.M. EDT
May 19, 2024
AT A CAMPAIGN RECEPTION
Arthur Blank Family Office
Atlanta, Georgia
4:53 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Who's that good-looking guy on the end there? How old are you?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Thirteen, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Thirteen. You got to remember me when you're president, okay?
Thank you, Arthur, for that introduction and for representing something so special. You're a business titan who is a true community leader, who works for everybody every day to lift up everyone. And whether it's the Falcons or United, your -- your philanthropy has made a -- always made a big difference -- a big -- a big difference in this city. And it's always about the fans; it's always about the people. That's America.
And I also want to thank members of Congress who are here: Nikema; Lucy -- I'm looking around here -- Sanford Bishop is right here -- there -- there you go; Joyce Beatty, I -- former senator and dear friend Sam Nunn. By the way, the -- I could hear -- I could barely hear, but I thought I heard the reference to Sam.
You know, Sam and I came the same year to the United States Senate, and we served together a long, long time. I got there in -- in January of 1973. And, you know, I can say without fear of contradiction there wasn't a single member on either of the aisle that didn't respect Sam Nunn's judgement, his integrity. And the thing the most known about Sam was he was a man of absolute, total integrity. But he also was the most informed man on foreign policy and national security of anybody I've ever served with and continues to be.
Sam, it was an honor serving with you, pal. It really was.
As well as Ambassador Gordon Giffin. He was a -- a deputy, a former -- and, by the way, you have a -- someone here, a former Deputy Attorney General of the Obama-Biden administration, who I warned her, "If I win, watch out" -- -- Sally Yates. Sally, stand up.
And let me start with another quote of John Lewis. My wife sent the messages -- we -- because we're always passing in the night, almost, we're working so many different places. And when she wants a message to get to me, she tapes it on the mirror where I shave. And she has John Lewis's -- another quote John Lewis has that is literally taped on my bathroom mirror. It says, "Democracy is not a state; it's an act. And each generation must do its part." And that's why we're here, in my view. We have to do our part because democracy is at stake.
Folks, thank you for your support. I tell people that if you ever doubt the power of the vote, come visit Georgia, because what you've all done is incredible. You're the reason -- not a joke -- Georgia is the reason I'm President of the United States right now. You're the reason why we have a historic Vice President, Kamala Harris. And you're the reason -- -- and you're the reason we were able to defeat the former President, and you're the reason we're going to beat him again.
We feel good about the state of the race. There's a lot to do. We know we're far from over, but we know the race is close. Polls vary from me being up to down to tied. But it's harder to make any poll rational these days. I'm -- I'm serious, because you have to make so many calls. Landlines are not there. Anyway, it goes on and on.
But there are a few things we find very encouraging. First, we run strongest among likely voters in all those polls. Second -- and that's a good sign. So, we are -- while the national polls basically have us tied with registered voters, in most of those same polls, we're up four points with likely voters. But they're all still too close.
Second, if you look at the actual votes in primaries, as opposed to the polls, we're running much stronger than Mr. Trump is.
Trump continues to lose a big chunk of Republicans in his primaries. For example, he just lost 120,000 votes to Nikki Haley, who's been out of the race for some time, in the Indiana primary, long after she dropped out. In Pennsylvania primary, he lost 150,000 votes to Nikki Haley long after she dropped out. And in Pennsylvania primary, I got over 100,000 more votes in the Democratic primary than he got in the Republican primary.
And, by the way, think about it -- if you can hold for just a second here. If you think about it, they've been wrong about everything so far in the polling. We were supposed to lose in 2020. We won. We were supposed to -- remember the red wave coming in 2022? We were going to get wiped out? We did better than any incumbent president did in a -- for -- in a pa- -- party control that we lost, I think, four or five seats. We were supposed to lose 25, 30 seats.
I know a lot of people like to look at the polls, but I look at the actual votes. Let me say, there's always going to be a place for Haley voters in my campaign. They're welcome. Just as we welcome Lieutenant Governor Duncan. I'm grateful for his support as well.
And, by the way, we're building the -- --
We're bring- -- we're building the strongest ground campaign in the history of our country. So far, over 1.6 million individuals have contributed money to our campaign and 550,000 more than the last time.
And as Sam Nunn knows, you get -- you got how many people are actually engaged. Well, guess what? 97 percent of those contributions are under $200. People are making contributions in $5, $10, $15, $20 a week -- I mean a month. They're keeping it up. And that's ninety- -- and we've raised more money than anybody has ever raised at this point in a campaign, because of you, because of them.
In the battleground states, we've opened more than 150 field offices while Trump has opened zero -- not one single field office. We're organizing, and we're ready. Trump's MAGA Republicans are in disarray right now.
Now, let's get the message of ca- -- of the campaign. It's very straightforward. The threat Trump poses is greater in a second term than it was in the first term.
It's clear, when he lost in 2020, something snapped in Trump. I'm not being facetious; I'm being serious. He just can't accept the fact he lost, and he lost it -- he lost it. That's why January 6 th happened. Every legal avenue Trump tried to change the election failed, so he unleashed an insurrection.
I sit in that dining room -- Sam knows this -- off of -- over the -- off the Oval. He sat there for three hours watching what was happening and not saying a word.
I was supposed to make a speech on the economy that day. I was elected president, not sworn in yet. And I made -- went and I -- I was in Delaware. I made a nationally televised speech on what was happening and why it had to stop.
Now he's running again. He's not only obsessed with losing in 2020; he's clearly been unhinged. And I'm not being facetious; I'm being serious. Just listen to him. He just did a long interview in TIME Magazine. Buy TIME Magazine this week. Take a look at what he -- he has said.
In that article, he said, "A lot of people liked it when I said I'll be a dictator on day one." "A lot of people liked it." Asked if he thought violence would occur if he lost, he said, "It depends." He calls the insurrectionists who are in prison -- he calls them "patriots," and if reelected, he said he wants to pardon "every" -- quote, "every one" of them. He's saying this -- not -- I'm not saying it. It's what's coming out of his mouth.
Trump says what -- and Trump says when he loses again in November -- if he loses again, and he will, God willing -- there will be a, quote, "bloodbath." That's what he sai- -- his words -- not mine, his words.
He said there's nothing -- no one's -- he's not going to accept the results of the election when he loses again -- if he loses again.
It's clear the -- the people auditioning to be his vice president, look what they're doing. They're lining up. They're lining up saying -- even though they had said before they acknowledged we won the election, they're now saying, "No, well, I really didn't mean that. Biden never did win the election." They have to say that they don't accept the 2020 results, and when they lose again, they won't accept the results in [DEL: 2020 :DEL] [2024] either, because they're being asked.
You see it on television all the time: "What -- what will you do if you lose? Will you accept the result?"
And look at what he says about reproductive freedom. He's bragging he's the reason Roe v. Wade was overturned. And he is, because of his appointments. Listen to what he said in TIME Magazine article. He said states -- quote -- "States should monitor women's pregnancies and prosecute those who violate the abortion bans." Monitor women's pregnancies? Prosecute them?
Folks, Trump isn't running to lead America. He's running for revenge. And it's revenge -- and, look, but revenge is no way to lead a country. You can't build a future based on revenge. You can't build a -- better lives through revenge. That's what he's -- he -- they were his words, what he's talking about.
That's why I'm not running on revenge. I'm running to lead America to -- into the future.
Look at the progress we've made so far: 15 million new jobs -- a record -- -- 15 million. More people have health insurance today than ever before in history in our -- in our entire country -- more people. And he wants to get rid of that as well. It's Obamacare now called something different -- it could be added more money to.
He took on w- -- we took on Big Pharma. Sam remembers tho- -- those fights. I used to drive my colleagues crazy on the floor talking about why drug companies could charge the rates they charged. Well, guess what? We won. We've lowered prescription drug costs, like $35 a month for insulin instead of $400 a month and so much more.
And, by the way, if any of you have a prescription and you want to get in Air Force One with me and fly to any major city in the Western Hemisphere and/or in Europe, and I'll get you that same exact drug from that same exact company for 40 to 60 percent less.
But it not only saves lives -- guess what? -- it saves taxpayers a hundred -- that one thing we did saves taxpayers $160 billion because Medicare no longer has to pay those exorbitant prices.
Look, I'm so proud of the new report co-released by 20 major climate organizations, from the Sierra Club to the Sunrise Movement. Cre- -- it credited my administration with making more than 300 ac- -- taking 300 actions related to climate, conservation, public health, and clean energy. And they've endorsed me, every one of them.
Meanwhile, Trump is determined to get rid of my climate law because the oil companies don't like it. They hate it. He's been reported -- again, look at what he -- he's saying. It's reported he asked Big Oil to direct $1 billion to his campaign, and he said, if they did that, they'd have "a deal." What's the deal? He would repeal everything we've done on climate so far. In the TIME article, he says, we would just drill, drill, drill.
Look, folks, we've also made the most significant investment in science and technology innovation in generations. How can we lead the world if we're not leading the world in science and technology? It's already attracted -- our efforts have already attracted more than $866 billion in private-sector investment in clean energy, advanced manufacturing -- a historic amount in such a short period of time. And we're just getting started.
And I promise you, elect me a Democratic Congress, and Kamala and I will make sure Roe v. Wade is the law of the land again.
Look, folks, we're lowering costs, expanding opportunities, protecting freedoms. We have to keep it going, because it's all at stake.
Let me close with this. Our freedoms and our democracy are at stake in a literal sense. Not -- not hyperbole; it's real. That's why I need you so badly and why I appreciate what you're doing. I know we can do this together. And I've never been more optimistic about the future in my entire career. And I mean that. Not because I'm president, but because of the nature of the s- --
Look, I wasn't going to run again after my son died because of being in Iraq for a year in those burn pits. I wasn't going to do it. But -- and I was -- started to write a book, Sam -- another book called "Inflection Points in History That Changed History." And I started off talking about how the printing press changed the circumstance in Europe in the 17 th century and united Europe and wa- -- and I was working my way through and how they fundamentally changed what's happening in the world.
Well, when I saw those folks come out of the fields in Charlottesville with lighted torches, carrying Nazi swastikas, singing the same antisemitic bile they sang in Europe in the '30 s, and a young woman was killed. I talked to her mother. And bec- -- and the President was asked what did he think of what happened, and he said, "There were really good people on both sides."
That's when I decided to run. That's when .
There's nothing guaranteed about democracy. And in times of exquisite change, which is occurring all around the world -- look what's happening around the world. There are actually fewer democracies today in the world than there were 10 years ago.
We just have to remember who in the hell we are. We're the United States of America. There is nothing -- nothing beyond our capacity when we set our minds to it and do it together.
Folks, look, we're in a situation where the idea -- we're the only nation in the world that I can determine -- and I'm not bad at history -- where we've come out of every crisis stronger than we went into the crisis -- stronger than we went in. No other nation. That's who we are.
But we're not acting like that. And the divisions that exists -- I -- just ask the congressman, ask the folks here about what's going on in the House of Representatives. They've already produced a budget that they -- they say they're going to pass. If it passed, they say it'll cost $2 trillion, put us in the ho- -- trillion.
Look, folks, there's a lot we can do. And I really mean it. I'm optimistic if we stay the course. We just have to stay the course. And you're allowing me to make the case. You're allowing me to make the case.
As Sam may remember, a lot of my friends in the Senate at the time, I was never really good at raising a lot of money. The last time out, when you helped me out, we spent -- we raised $1,750,000,000. I never thought that would ever happen.
Well, we're on the path to do the same thing again. Because we have to. We have to. We cannot let this man become president. Our children's future is at stake. Not a joke. And you're allowing me to make the case.
There's a lot more to say, but I've already said too much probably. And I want to thank you very much.
The last thing you need -- first of all, you know -- I'll just say: Your contributions are significant, and they really matter, especially those of my host. They really matter. But what matters almost as much is the person asking for the contribution: you all. When you contribute to me -- and people know you do; your name is listed -- they know that person is worthy of support.
You underestimate the impact you have on your peers. You underestimate the impact you have on the people that are out in the community. Because if so-and-so will give that, there must be something good about that guy. So, it really matters. Because all of you, by contributing to me, are putting yourself on the line. You're saying, "I'm vouching for this guy."
I give you my word, I will do all in my power never to let you down. But we have to win this race -- not for me but for America.
Thank you so much.
By the way, I want to tell you one thing. This young man just told me his name, and he said, "And, by the way, I raised $6,000 for you."
5:11 P.M. EDT
May 19, 2024
THE WEEK OF MAY 20, 2024– MAY 26, 2024
Monday, May 20, 2024
In the afternoon, the President will depart Wilmington, Delaware and return to the White House. Later, the President and the Second Gentleman will deliver remarks at a celebration for Jewish American Heritage Month at the White House. The Vice President will attend.
Tuesday, May 21, 2024
The President will depart the White House en route to New Hampshire for an official event. Then, the President will deliver remarks. After, the President will depart New Hampshire en route to Boston, Massachusetts. Later, the President will participate in two campaign receptions. Then, the President will depart Boston, Massachusetts and return to the White House.
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
The President will participate in an engagement with President William Ruto of the Republic of Kenya and CEOs.
Thursday, May 23, 2024
The President and the First Lady will greet President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of Kenya in a State Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn. The Vice President and the Second Gentleman will attend. Then, the President will hold a bilateral meeting with President William Ruto of Kenya. After, the President will hold a joint press conference with President William Ruto of Kenya.
In the evening, the President and the First Lady will greet President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of Kenya on arrival for the State Dinner. Then, the President and the First Lady will participate in a photo opportunity with President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of Kenya on the occasion of the State Dinner. After, the President and the First Lady will host President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of Kenya for a State Dinner. The Vice President and the Second Gentleman will attend.
Friday, May 24, 2024
The President and the First Lady will depart the White House en route to Wilmington, Delaware.
Saturday, May 25, 2024
The President will depart Wilmington, Delaware, en route to West Point, New York. Then, the President will deliver the commencement address at the United States Military Academy. After, the President will depart West Point, New York en route to Wilmington, Delaware.
Sunday, May 26, 2024
The President and the First Lady will depart Wilmington, Delaware and return to the White House.
May 19, 2024
Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meetings in Saudi Arabia and Israel
Today in Jerusalem, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Isaac Herzog, National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and convened a modified U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group meeting to discuss the war in Gaza, including ongoing diplomacy to secure the release of all the hostages and our shared objective for the enduring defeat of Hamas.
Mr. Sullivan arrived in Israel from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, where he held constructive meetings with the Crown Prince and Prime Minster of Saudi Arabia Mohamed bin Salman focused on a comprehensive vision for an integrated Middle East region. Mr. Sullivan briefed Prime Minister Netanyahu and his team on these meetings and the potential that may now be available for Israel, as well as the Palestinian people.
In Israel, during the modified SCG, Mr. Sullivan was briefed on Israeli military operations in Gaza, and the two sides discussed methods to ensure the defeat of Hamas while minimizing harm to civilians. Mr. Sullivan reiterated the President's longstanding position on Rafah.
Mr. Sullivan proposed a series of concrete measures to ensure more aid surges into Gaza, including through all available crossings, and through the multinational humanitarian maritime corridor. Mr. Sullivan and his counterparts also discussed steps to build a more effective deconfliction mechanism to ensure humanitarian workers can safely deliver aid to those in need and establish fixed corridors inside Gaza to ensure aid is able to reach all those in need throughout Gaza.
Mr. Sullivan briefed on U.S. support for Israeli efforts to find and bring to justice Hamas's leaders in Gaza, as well as discussions with Egypt to fully secure its border with Rafah and to secure the continued flow of humanitarian assistance through Kerem Shalom, even as talks proceed on reopening the Rafah crossing.
Mr. Sullivan reaffirmed the need for Israel to connect its military operations to a political strategy that can ensure the lasting defeat of Hamas, the release of all the hostages, and a better future for Gaza.
May 19, 2024
AT THE MOREHOUSE COLLEGE CLASS OF 2024
COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
Morehouse College
Atlanta, Georgia
10:29 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
Thank you, thank you, thank you, President Thomas, faculty, staff, alumni. And a special thanks -- I'll ask all the folks who helped you get here -- your mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers -- all those who got you here, all the way in the back, please, parents, grandparents, all who helped, stand up, because we owe you a debt of gratitude. To all the family.
And that is not hyperbole. A lot of you, like my family, had to make significant sacrifices to get your kids to school. It mattered. This mattered a lot.
And the friends of Morehouse and the Morehouse men of the Class of 2024.
I got more Morehouse men in the White House telling me what to do than I know what to do. You all think I'm kidding, don't you? You know I'm not. And it's the best thing that's happened to me.
Scripture says, "The prayers of a righteous man availeth much." In Augusta, Georgia, a righteous man once enslaved set foot for freedom. The story goes he feared no evil; he walked through the valley of the shadow of death on his way north to free soil in Philadelphia. A Baptist minister, he walked with faith in his soul, powering the steps of his feet to glory.
But after the Union won the war, he knew his prayers availed him freedom that was not his alone. And so, this righteous man, Richard Coulter, returned home, his feet wary, his spirit in no ways tired.
A hundred and fifty-seven years ago -- you all know the story, but the rest of the world doesn't, and it should -- in the basement of a Baptist church in Augusta, he and two other ministers, William Jefferson White and Edmund Turney, planted the seeds of something revolutionary -- and it was at the time -- a school -- a school to help formerly enslaved men enter the ministry, where education would be the great equalizer from slavery to freedom -- an institution of higher learning that would become Morehouse College.
I don't know any other college in America that has that tradition and that consequence.
To the Class of 2024, you join, as you know, a sacred tradition. An education makes you free. And Morehouse education makes you fearless. I mean it. Visionary. Exceptional.
Congratulations. You are Morehouse men. God love you.
And, again, I thank your families and your friends who helped you get here, because they made sacrifices for you as well.
This graduation day is a day for generations, a day of joy, a day earned, not given.
We gather on this Sunday morning because -- if we were in church, perhaps there would be this reflection. There would be a reflection about resurrection and redemption. Remember, Jesus was buried on Friday, and it was Sunday -- on Sunday he rose again. But -- but we don't talk enough about Saturday, when the discip- -- his disciples felt all hope was lost.
In our lives and the lives of the nation, we have those Saturdays -- to bear witness the day before glory, seeing people's pain and not looking away. But what work is done on Saturday to move pain to purpose? How can faith get a man, get a nation through what was to come?
Here's what my faith has taught me.
I was the first Biden to ever graduate from college, taking out loans with my dad and my -- all through school to get me there. My junior year spring break, I fell in love at first sight, literally, with a woman I adored. I graduated from law school in her hometown, and I got married and took a job at a law firm in my hometown, Wilmington, Delaware. But then everything changed.
One of my heroes -- and he was my hero -- a Baptist minister, a Morehouse man, Dr. Martin Luther King -- in April of my law school graduation year, he was murdered.
My city of Wilmington -- and we were a -- to our great shame, a slave state, and we were segregated. Delaware erupted into flames when he was assassinated, literally.
We're the only city in America where the National Guard patrolled every street corner for nine full months with drawn bayonets, the longest stretch in any American city since the Civil War.
Dr. le- -- Dr. King's legacy had a profound impact on me and my generation, whether you're Black or white. I left the fancy law firm I had just joined and decided to become a public defender and then a county councilman, working to change our state's politics to embrace the cause of civil rights.
The Democratic Party in Delaware was a Southern Democratic Party at the time. We wanted to change it to become a Northeastern Democratic Party.
Then, we were trying to get someone to run for the United States Senate the year Nixon ran. I was 29 years of age. I had no notion of running -- I love reading about everybody knew I was going to run; I didn't know I was going to run -- -- when a group of senior members of the Democratic Party came to me. They couldn't find anybody to run and said, "You should run."
Nixon won my state by 60 percent of the vote. We won by 3,100 votes. We won by the thinnest of margins but with a broad coalition, including students from the best HBCU in America, Delaware State University. You guys are good, but -- -- they got me elected. And you all -- you all think I'm kidding. I'm not kidding.
But by Christmas, I was a newly elected senator hiring staff in Washington, D.C., when I got a call from the first responders, my fire department in my hometown, that forever altered my life. They put a young woman first responder on the line to say, "There was an automobile accident. A tractor-trailer hit your wife's car while she was Christmas shopping with your three children." And she -- poor woman, she just blurted out. She said, "Your wife and daughter are killed" -- my 13-month-old daughter -- "they're dead, and your almost three-year-old and four-year-old sons are badly injured. We're not sure they're going to make it, either."
I rushed from Washington to their bedside. I wanted to pray, but I was so angry. I was angry at God. I was angry at the world.
I had the same pain 43 years later when that four-year-old boy who survived was a grown man and a father himself, laying in another hospital bed at Walter Reed hospital having contracted stage four glioblastoma because he was a year in Iraq as a major -- he won the Bronze Star -- living next to a burn pit. Cancer took his last breath.
On this walk of life, you can understand -- you come to understand that we don't know where or what fate will bring you or when. But we also know we don't walk alone. When you've been a beneficiary of the compassion of your family, your friends, even strangers, you know how much the compassion matters.
I've learned there is no easy optimism, but by faith -- by faith, we can find redemption.
I was a single father for five years --
No man deserves one great love, let alone two. My youngest brother, who was a hell of an athlete, did a great thing. He introduced me to a classmate of his and said, "You'll love her; she doesn't like politics."
But all kidding aside, until I met Jill, who healed -- who healed the family in all the broken places. Our family became my redemption.
Many of you have gone through similar or worse -- and even worse things. But you lean on others, they lean on you, and together, you keep the faith in a better day tomorrow. But it's not easy.
I know four years ago, as some of your speakers have already mentioned, it felt like one of those Saturdays.
The pandemic robbed you of so much. Some of you lost loved ones -- mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, who were -- aren't able to be here to celebrate with you today -- today. You missed your high school graduation. You started college just as George Floyd was murdered and there was a reckoning on race.
It's natural to wonder if democracy you hear about actually works for you.
What is democracy if Black men are being killed in the street?
What is democracy if a trail of broken promises still leave Black -- Black communities behind?
What is democracy if you have to be 10 times better than anyone else to get a fair shot?
And most of all, what does it mean, as we've heard before, to be a Black man who loves his country even if it doesn't love him back in equal measure?
When I sit behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, in front of the fireplace across from my -- my desk, I have two busts: one of Dr. King and one of Bobby Kennedy. I often find myself looking at those busts and making decisions. I ask myself: Are we living up to what we say we are as a nation, to end racism and poverty, to deliver jobs and justice, to restore our leadership in the world?
Then I look down and see the rosary on my wrist that was out of -- my late son, he had on him when he w- -- died at Walter Reed and I was with him. And I ask myself: What would he say? I know the answer because he told me in his last days.
My son knew the days were numbered. The last conversation was, "Dad, I'm not afraid, but I'm worried. I'm worried you're going to give up when I go. You're going to give up."
We have an expression in the Biden family. When you want someone to know -- give you their word, you say, "Look at me." He was lying to me -- he said, "Look at me, Dad. Look at me."
He said, "Give me your word. Give me your word as my father that you will not quit, that you will stay engaged. Promise me, Dad. Stay engaged. Promise me. Promise me."
I wrote a book called "Promise Me, Dad," not for the public at large, although a lot of people would end up buying it. It's for my grandchildren and great-grandchildren to know who Beau Biden was.
The rosary on the -- my wrist, the bust in my office remind me that faith asks you to hold on to hope, to move heaven and earth to make better days.
Well, that's my commitment to you: to show you democracy, democracy, democracy is still the way.
If Black men are being killed on the streets, we bear witness. For me, that means to call out the poison of white supremacy, to root out systemic racism.
I stood up for George -- with George Floyd's family to help create a country where you don't need to have that talk with your son or grandson as they get pulled over.
Instead of a trail of broken promises, we're investing more money than ever in Black families and Black communities. We're reconnecting Black neighborhoods cut off by old highways and decades of disinvestment where no one cared about the community.
We've delivered checks in pockets to reduce child -- Black child poverty to the lowest rate in history. We're removing every lead pipe in America so every child can drink clean water without fear of brain damage, and then can't afford to remove the lead pipes themselves.
We're delivering affordable high-speed Internet so no child has to sit in their parents' car or do their homework in a parking lot outside of McDonald's.
Instead of forcing you to prove you're 10 times better, we're breaking down doors so you have 100 times more opportunities: good-paying jobs you can raise a family on in your neighborhood -- ; capital to start small business and loans to buy homes; health insurance, prescriptions drugs, housing that's more affordable and accessible.
I've walked the picket line and defended the rights of workers. I'm relieving the burden of student debt -- many of you have already had the benefit of it -- -- so [DEL: I :DEL] [you] can chase your dreams and grow the economy.
When the Supreme Court told me I couldn't, I found two other ways to do it. And we were able to do it, because it grows the economy.
And I -- in addition to the original $7 billion investment in HBCUs, I'm investing 16 billion [DEL: more :DEL] dollars -- -- more in our history, because you're vital to our nation. Most HBCUs don't have the endowments. The jobs of the future require sophisticated laboratories, sophisticated oppor- -- opportunity on campus.
We're opening doors so you can walk into a life of generational wealth, to be providers and leaders for your families and communities. Today, record numbers of Black Americans have jobs, health insurance, and more [wealth] than ever.
Democracy is also about hearing and heeding your generation's call to a community free of gun violence and a planet free of climate crisis and showing your power to change the world.
But I also know some of you ask: What is democracy if we can't stop wars that break out and break our hearts?
In a democracy, we debate and dissent about America's role in the world.
I want to say this very clearly. I support peaceful, nonviolent protest. Your voices should be heard, and I promise you I hear them. I determined to make my c- -- my administration look like America. I have more African Americans in high places, including on the Court, than any president in American history -- -- because I need the input.
What's happening in Gaza and Israel is heartbreaking. Hamas's vicious attack on Israel, killing innocent lives and holding people hostage. I was there nine days after, s- -- pictures of tying a mother and a daughter with a rope, pouring kerosene on them, burning them and watching as they died. Innocent Palestinians caught in the middle of all this: men, women, and children killed or displaced in despite -- in desperate need of water, food, and medicine. It's a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
That's why I've called for an immediate ceasefire -- an immediate ceasefire to stop the fighting -- -- bring the hostages home. And I've been working on a deal as we speak, working around the clock to lead an international effort to get more aid into Gaza, rebuild Gaza.
I'm also working around the clock for more than just one ceasefire. I'm working to bring the region together. I'm working to build a lasting, durable peace. Because the question is, as you see what's going on in Israel today: What after? What after Hamas? What happens then? What happens in Gaza? What rights do the Palestinian people have? I'm working to make sure we finally get a two-state solution -- the only solution -- -- for two people to live in peace, security, and dignity.
This is one of the hardest, most complicated problems in the world. And there's nothing easy about it. I know it angered and frustrates many of you, including my family. But most of all, I know it breaks your heart. It breaks mine as well.
Leadership is about fighting through the most intractable problems. It's about challenging anger, frustration, and heartbreak to find a solution. It's about doing what you believe is right, even when it's hard and lonely.
You're all future leaders, every one of you graduating today. And that's not hyperbole. You're future leaders, all of you. You'll face complicated, tough moments. In these moments, you'll listen to others, but you'll have to decide, guided by knowledge, conviction, principle, and your own moral compass.
And the desire to know what freedom is, what it can be is the heart and soul of why this college was founded in the first place, proving that a free nation is born in the hearts of men spellbound by freedom. But the -- that's the magic of Morehouse. That's the magic of America.
But let's be clear what happens to you and your family when old ghosts in new garments seize power, extremists come for the freedoms you thought belonged to you and everyone.
Today in Georgia, they won't allow water to be available to you while you wait in line to vote in an election. What in the hell is that all about? I'm serious. Think about it. And then the constant attacks on Black election workers who count your vote.
Insurrectionists who storm the Capitol with Confederate flags are called "patriots" by some. Not in my house. Black police officers, Black veterans protecting the Capitol were called another word, as you'll recall.
They also say out loud, these other groups, immigrants "poison the blood" of our country, like the Grand Wizard and fascists said in the past. But you know and I know we all bleed the same color. In America, we're all created equal.
Extremists close the doors of opportunity; strike down affirmative action; attack the values of diversity, equality, and inclusion.
I never thought when I was graduating in 1968 -- as your honoree just was -- we talked about -- I never thought I'd be in -- present in a time when there's a national effort to ban books -- not to write history but to erase history.
They don't see you in the future of America. But they're wrong. To me, we make history, not erase it. We know Black history is American history.
Many of you graduates don't know me, but check my record, you'll know what I'm saying I mean from my gut.
And we know Black men are going to help us, lead us to the future -- Black men from this class, in this university.
But, graduates, this is what we're up against: extremist forces aligned against the meaning and message of Morehouse. And they peddle a fiction, a caricature what being a man is about -- tough talk, abusing power, bigotry. Their idea of being a man is toxic. I ran into them all the time when I was younger. They got -- all right, I don't want to get started.
But that's not you. It's not us. You all know and demonstrate what it really means to be a man. Being a man is about the strength of respect and dignity. It's about showing up because it's too late if you have to ask. It's about giving hate no safe harbor and leaving no one behind and defending freedoms. It's about standing up to the abuse of power, whether physical, economic, or psychological. It's about knowing faith without works is dead.
Look -- and you're doing the work. Today, I look out at all you graduates and I see the next generation of Morehouse men who are doctors and researchers curing cancer; artists shaping our culture; fearless journalists and intellectuals challenging convention. I see preachers and advocates who might even join another Morehouse man in the United States Senate.
You can clap for him. He's a good man.
As I said, I'm proud to have the most diverse administration in history to tap into the full talents of our nation. I'm also proud of putting the first Black woman on the United States Supreme Court. And I have no doubt, one day a Morehouse man will be on that Court as well. You know it.
I've been vice president to the first Black president and become my close friend and president to the first woman vice president. Wh- -- I have no idea -- no doubt that a Morehouse man will be president one day, just after an AKA from Howard. She's tough, guys.
Look, let me close with this. I know I don't look like I've been around very long. But in my career, for the first 30 years, I was told, "You're too young, kid." They used to stop me from getting on the Senate elevator when I first got there, for real. Now, I'm too old.
Whether you're young or old, I know what endures: The strength and wisdom of faith endures. And I hope -- my hope for you is -- my challenge to you is that you still keep the faith so long as you can.
That cap on your head proves you've earned your crown. The question is now, 25 years from now, 50 years from now, when you're asked to stand and address the next generation of Morehouse men, what will you say you did with that power you've earned? What will you say you've done for your family, for your community, your country when it mattered most?
I know what we can do. Together, we're capable of building a democracy worthy of our dreams; a future where every -- even more of your brothers and sisters can follow their dreams; a boundless future where your legacies lift us up t- -- so those who follow; a bigger, brighter future that proves the American Dream is big enough for everyone to succeed.
Class of 2024, four years ago, it felt probably like Saturday. Four years later, you made it to Sunday, to commencement, to the beginning. And with faith and determination, you can push the sun above the horizon once more. You can reveal a light hope -- and that's not -- I'm not kidding -- for yourself and for your nation.
"The prayers of a righteous man availeth much." A righteous man. A good man. A Morehouse man.
God bless you all. We're expecting a lot from you.
Thank you.
10:55 A.M. EDT
May 19, 2024
On Friday, May 24, Vice President Kamala Harris will participate in a moderated conversation on digital inclusion in Africa with President William Ruto of the Republic of Kenya during his State Visit. The Vice President and President Ruto will appear at the U.S.-Kenya Business Forum, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's U.S.-Africa Business Center.
Building on her trip to Africa in March and April 2023, the Vice President will speak about public and private sector efforts to increase investment in digital inclusion across Africa, and the strong partnership between the United States and Kenya on technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The Vice President has spoken extensively about the innovation, ingenuity, and entrepreneurship underway across Africa and how U.S. investment in innovation will unlock economic growth for Africa, the United States, and the entire world.
In April 2023, in Lusaka, Zambia, the Vice President convened business and philanthropic leaders to advance efforts to promote digital inclusion in Africa, and to build upon the more than $8 billion in public and private investments she galvanized as part of her trip to Africa. The Vice President is looking forward to welcoming new commitments and new public-private partnerships formed in response to her Call to Action. Her ongoing work to increase private sector investments to promote digital inclusion is in support of the Digital Transformation with Africa Initiative, which President Biden launched at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit in December 2022.
This event will be livestreamed and open to pre-credentialed media. Media interested in covering the Vice President's moderated conversation with President Ruto should RSVP by emailing Press@USChamber.com .
# # #
May 19, 2024
AT A CAMPAIGN EVENT
Mary Mac's Tea Room
Atlanta, Georgia
2:59 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Now, look, I realize I'm surrounded by Morehouse men. I want you to know I'm a Delaware State guy. Okay? And the Vice President is Howard. So, you know, you guys are okay. But, you know, I mean -- well, you -- okay?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: take it.
THE PRESIDENT: Better take it.
You realize how insufferable it's going to be now with my chief guy -- used to be -- what's his name? I can't think of it now. Used to -- he used to be a Morehouse guy.
Wh- -- what's his name?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Cedric.
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, Cedric something!
I tell you what, I'm going to Morehouse tomorrow. And, by the way, let's wish this guy happy graduation, man. Tomorrow.
And he made a commitment to me: When he's elected president and they say, "Joe Biden is in the waiting room," he won't say, "Joe who?" That's the commitment.
Well, look, it's good to be back. I was -- the last time I was in this room was, I think, 2014, 2015 -- in that range. And, you know, as they say in Claymont, Delaware, where I -- when we moved from Scranton, Pennsylvania, moved to a little steel town in northern Delaware called Claymont. And -- and you all brung me to the dance.
The reason we're here is because -- and all the electeds that are here -- and I don't want to start naming; I'll leave somebody out -- but you really made a gigantic difference. And everybody -- it's easy to forget, but I don't forget -- little elections in January elected two senators -- -- two.
And every- -- and re- -- I want you all to remember that when we first got elected, we were told that because everything was so close in terms of numbers, we couldn't get anything big done. We got everything done. Because of you. No, I'm not joking. Because of you.
From the Recovery A- -- all the way around the horn, all of it. And we're going to do a lot more.
You know, I'm -- I really appreciate you giving me the opportunity to do this again. And I really mean it when I say -- the Congressman knows what I'm talking about -- we got a -- we got a tight operation. And -- and it's going to be -- I think we're going to do well.
I think -- and, you know, look, here's the deal. You hear about how, you know, we're behind in the polls. Well, so far, the polls haven't been right once.
Now that -- look, we're all -- we're either tie or slightly ahead or slightly behind. But what I look at is actual election results. And election results are in the primaries. Look at the primaries.
Well, Mr. Trump has -- he doesn't have an opponent, but he lost 120,000 votes in Pennsylvania -- didn't vote for him. They voted for a woman who's no longer in the race. A hundred th- -- I'm -- they're rough numbers; I think it's 120,000, I think. In -- in Indiana, I think it was 100,000 votes.
And my point is that this is -- I'm not going to take a lot of time. I want to talk to you individually. But the fact is that this election, a lot is at stake -- lots at stake. It's not about me; it's about the alternative as well.
You know, he -- I think it's fair to say -- I won't use the exact phrase that I'd use if I was still playing ball, but my opponent is not a good loser. But he is a loser.
And -- and I -- -- oh, I don't want to get started. I'm going to get in trouble.
But -- but the thing is, he's laid out -- and the Republicans in House, they can tell you; my colleagues can tell you -- they're laying out exactly what they're going to do if they win.
Everything you let me do, everything you helped me do, everything we've done, they want to undo -- from the climate legislation to taking -- not allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Ameri- -- people -- instead of 400 bucks a month, seniors are paying 35 bucks a month for their insulin.
There's a lot more. There's a lot more. But, look -- --
And I'll end by saying I honest to God -- and I think you think it too; I'm not sure, but I think you know -- that our democracy is really on the line. Listen to things he said.
They asked him what happens, is he going to accept the loss. He said, "It depends." And then he said if he loses, there's going to be a "bloodbath."
This is the guy who is going to -- they're his phrase.
By the way, get this week's TIME Magazine. Read what he said -- in his own words, what he said.
So, this is an important election for all the people we care about, and we care about all the American people out there. And there's a lot of hardworking folks that are trying to figure out what's going on. And we got a lot more work to do -- we made a lot of progress -- a lot more work to do.
But any rate, as my mother would say if she were here, "Joey, hush up. You've spoken too much."
But thank you all for being here. And I'd like to come around and talk to each one of you individually, answer your questions. Okay?
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
END 3:04 P.M. EDT
May 18, 2024
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to Saudi Arabia on Saturday, May 18 to meet with Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss bilateral and regional matters, including the war in Gaza and ongoing efforts to achieve a lasting peace and security in the region.
On Sunday, May 19, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to Israel to meet with senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, to discuss the war in Gaza, ongoing negotiations to secure the release of all the hostages, the humanitarian crisis, and our shared objective for the enduring defeat of Hamas through both military pressure and a political plan.
May 18, 2024
On Tuesday, May 21, Vice President Kamala Harris will return to Philadelphia, PA to deliver the keynote speech at the Service Employees International Union quadrennial convention. This visit is a continuation of the Vice President's consistent efforts to fight for workers across America, including as Chair of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment.
Last month, the Vice President joined SEIU and nursing home care workers in La Crosse, WI to make an announcement about two final rules to establish minimum staffing requirements for federally funded nursing homes, and help raise pay for home and community-based service workers. Last year, she also participated in a moderated conversation with SEIU in Philadelphia where she highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration's actions to invest in and protect workers.
This will be the Vice President's fourth visit to Pennsylvania this year and her 14 th since being sworn in. Last week, she joined Sheryl Lee Ralph in Montgomery County for a moderated conversation about reproductive freedoms. Last month, Vice President Harris was also in Philadelphia for a roundtable conversation about the historic steps that she and President Biden have taken to forgive student loan debt for millions of Americans. In February, she returned to Pittsburgh to announce funding for
clean water infrastructure that is helping to remove lead pipes and ensure more children and families have access to clean, safe drinking water.
Media interested in covering the Vice President's keynote speech in Philadelphia, PA should RSVP HERE by 3:00 p.m. ET on Monday, May 20.
Media interested in covering the Vice President's arrival at Philadelphia International Airport should RSVP HERE by 3:00 p.m. ET on Monday, May 20.
# # #
May 18, 2024
PRESS SECRETARY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE AND NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR JOHN KIRBY
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
2:40 P.M. EDT
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's always fun to hang out with a bunch of Gen Zers before coming out to the podium. I'll just leave it there.
How are you guys doing?
Q Good.
Q Great.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Good afternoon, everybody.
So, I'll be -- going to preview the President's schedule for next week. And so, then -- I think some of you are following some of this stuff, but just to put it all in one.
On Monday, the President will host a reception to commemorate Jewish American Heritage Month. The President, the Vice President, and the Second Gentleman will celebrate the immeasurable impact of Jewish values, contributions, and culture in our country, while also honoring their resilience in the face of a long and painful history of persecution.
On Tuesday, the President will travel to New Hampshire. After, he will travel to Boston, Massachusetts. I don't have additional details to share of these trips at this time, but please stay tuned.
On Thursday, the President and the First Lady will host President William Ruto and the First Lady, Rachel Ruto, of the Republic of Kenya for a state visit. The Vice President and Second Gemen- -- Second Gentleman will also, obviously, join as well.
The visit will strengthen our shared commitment to advance peace, security; expand our economic ties; and deepen democratic institutions. The visit will re- -- will affirm our strategic partnership with Kenya and further the vision set forth at the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit that African leadership is essential to addressing global priorities. The Vice President will also host a state luncheon on Friday at the State Department.
On Saturday, the President will deliver the commencement address at the United States Military Academy's graduation ceremony. He previously deli- -- delivered the commencement address at West Point in 2012 and also 2016 as vice president.
This is a special honor, and the President looks forward to celebrating graduates and their families and thanking them for their selfless service and defense of our nation.
Today, we are also praying for four people who tragically lost their lives in Houston following the deadly storms that ripped through Texas yesterday. We are also thinking of those who were injured and the communities that were affected by this extreme weather.
We are grateful for the first responders and rescue teams who have been working around the clock to protect the people -- to protect people and save lives.
The White House is in touch with governor's office and the Houston mayor, and FEMA is in touch with their state and local counterparts.
As always, we stand ready to provide federal assistance as needed. We continue to monitor the storm's path as it moves east, and more severe weather is likely across the Gulf Coast today. Residents in the affected area as well as those in the path of the storm should heed warnings from state and local officials.
And with that, I have -- we have the Admiral here today to talk about a update in the Middle East.
MR. KIRBY: Thank you, Karine. Good afternoon, everybody.
Q Good afternoon.
MR. KIRBY: So, earlier today, I think you all know, the first shipments of humanitarian assistance arrived on the shores of Gaza through the multinational humanitarian maritime corridor that the President announced during his State of the Union Address.
As we speak, additional aid from the United States and other countries is arriving in Cyprus, where it will be screened by Israeli authorities and loaded onto ships for delivery via the maritime corridor -- the temporary pier that we've been talking about. And here you can see trucks, just today -- these inc- -- the first truck includes palates from the UAE, as a matter of fact, heading across that causeway -- that temporary causeway onto the beach.
And once in Gaza, once on the beach, the aid will be distributed to those in need by the United Nations.
So, in less than two months, the United States was able to assemble a complex, multinational logistical mechanism to facilitate the delivery of lifesaving assistance in Gaza, to galvanize commitments from partners around the world, and to leverage the United Nations' logistical capabilities to facilitate the distribution of this aid inside the -- inside the -- Gaza.
So, this is a humanitarian effort. And contrary to what we've been seeing out there in the information space, particularly in the region, it is designed solely -- only -- for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. There's no other purpose for this than humanitarian assistance.
And we're obviously grateful for all the U.S. service members and our teams at USAID and the State Department for their tireless work over the past few weeks to get this going.
Through the humanitarian maritime corridor, USAID plans to provide initial contributions of more than 170 metric tons of nutrient-rich food bars to support 11,000 of the most vulnerable children and adults; ready-to-use therapeutic foods to treat more than 7,200 cases of severe wasting in children; and nearly 90 metric tons of critical supplies, such as plastic sheeting for shelter, jerry cans to hold clean water, and hygiene kits to support more than 33,000 people. And just today, as you're seeing here, we were able to get more the 300 pallets of some of that material in there.
Now, today was just a start. It was the first day. There's still work that has to be done to reach what we call "initial operating capability." But we hope to be able to increase the number of pallets that get in over the coming days and keep that sustainable. And we'll keep you updated, of course.
All of this assi- -- assistance is in addition to thousands of tons of food and other non-food items that are being provided by a number of international partners, including, as I said, the UAE, the United Kingdom, EU, to name a few, as well as resources to support the overall mission, including critical equipment to move that assistance.
We anticipate an increase in the flow of assistance from additional countries and organizations utilizing and steadily scaling up, as I said, the humanitarian maritime corridor every single day that goes by.
In recent days, we've seen some progress in the number of trucks entering Gaza via the land crossings as well. Yesterday, more than 360 trucks moved into Gaza. Between April 5 th and May 16 th, an average of 176 trucks entered Gaza every single day. It's not enough. I recognize that. We all recognize that. But it's -- but it is -- it is ongoing, and we're hoping to get it increased. And, obviously, we're going to continue to work with Israel to that end.
I do want to make one important point on this before I leave this topic. There is a robust security plan for this effort, and we remain vigilant to potential threats to a- -- to the -- our service members that are working on the pier and humanitarian aid organizations and workers helping with the distribution and the collection at the marshalling area on the -- on the ground.
It remains a top priority. We're going to remain laser-focused on ensuring the safety of everybody involved in this effort.
Now if I could, just quickly, shift to Ukraine. We're closely monitoring Russia's offensive in northeastern Ukraine and are working around the clock to get weapons and equipment into the hands of Ukrainian solders to help them repel these attacks.
Soon after the President signed the national security supplemental last month, he authorized two military aid packages under the presidential drawdown authority. And late last month, the Department of Defense announced a $6 billion package through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which will be used to procure new equipment to strengthen Ukraine's defenses over the medium and long term.
And then, of course, you saw Secretary Blinken, in Kyiv this past week, announced that the United States will provide an additional $2 billion aid package for Ukraine's defense under the Foreign Military Financing program. All of this will -- I'm sorry -- that aid for FMF will be used in four ways.
First, to help Ukraine procure weapons and equipment to repel Russia's invasion.
Second, to invest in Ukraine's defense industrial base.
Third, to help Ukraine purchase military equipment from other countries in addition to the United States.
And, finally, these funds may help other countries transition off Russian systems and incentivize donations to Ukraine.
Now just one last program announcement, and then I promise I'll shut up. I can announce today that our National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, will travel to Saudi Arabia starting tomorrow. He'll be there to meet with Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss bilateral and regional matters, including the war in Gaza, of course, and ongoing efforts to achieve a lasting peace and security in the region.
On Sunday, the next day, Mr. Sullivan will travel to Israel to meet with senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, to discuss, of course, the war in Gaza, including ongoing negotiations to secure the release of all the hostages, address the humanitarian crisis, and our shared objective for the enduring affeat -- enduring defeat of Hamas through both military pressure and a political plan.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, M.J.
Q Thanks, Karine. Thanks, Admiral. I wanted to ask you about the three hostages whose bodies were recovered in Gaza. Was the U.S. given any details, particularly about where they were recovered and how they were recovered?
MR. KIRBY: It's just horrible news. And our hearts go out to the families who -- who are having to deal with this terrible news. I don't have any information that we knew ahead of time or that we had any more -- we have had since the bodies have been recovered -- any additional information or context from the Israelis on this.
Q Okay. The five American hostages who are still unaccounted for --
MR. KIRBY: Correct.
Q -- is there any new intelligence about their whereabouts or their potential wellbeing?
MR. KIRBY: Sadly, no. We don't have any information that -- that leads us to a conclusion that they're -- that they're no longer alive. But we just don't have any additional context whatsoever.
Q And just on a separate topic very quickly. What was your reaction to seeing Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi exchanging hugs?
MR. KIRBY: Exchanging hugs?
Q Mm-hmm.
MR. KIRBY: Well, that's nice for them.
Look, you have two countries here -- leaders of two countries that -- that clearly are acting in various ways around the world inimical to our national security interests, to the interests of many of our allies and partners. No surprise that these two leaders continue to try to develop this burgeoning relationship.
But -- but they're also two leaders that don't have a long history of working together, and officials in both governments that -- that aren't necessarily all that trustful of the other.
What they have in common is a comm- -- is a desire to -- to challenge the international rules-based order, challenge the network of alliances and partnerships that United States enjoys and which President Biden has strengthened in his time in office, and -- and to try to look for ways to bolster each other's national security interests as well.
So, we didn't see anything coming out of this meeting that we weren't necessarily surprised by. I wouldn't go so far as to say we weren't concerned about -- about this relationship and where it's going. Of course we are, and we're watching it closely. But I'd leave it at that.
Q Do you think that was a purposeful show of public display to send any kind of message to the U.S. or otherwise?
MR. KIRBY: Oh, man, I'm not good at talking about personal human bodily affection one way or the other, so I -- I think I'll leave it to these two gents to talk about why they thought it was good to hug one another.
I'll just tell you that -- that we take seriously th- -- the challenges that both countries that represent, and we take seriously this burgeoning relationship between the two of them.
That said, in Ukraine specifically, we haven't seen President Xi rush to the effort to assist the Russian Armed Forces and provide lethal capabilities. We are deeply concerned and have said so. I think Karine mentioned it yesterday, about some of these Chinese companies that are providing microelectronics and components for Russia's defensive sy- -- or weapons systems. That's -- that's a problem, and we've -- and we've raised that with the Ch- -- with the Chinese as well.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Darlene.
Q Thank you. So, what is the status of the aid on that first truck that went in? Is it being distributed, or is it still waiting ---
MR. KIRBY: I was told --
Q -- to be distributed?
MR. KIRBY: -- right before coming out here that the U.N. has now taken possession of these first -- these first pallets and are getting them ready for distribution inside Gaza. So, look, I mean, hopefully, by the time we're done here, I mean, some of that stuff will actually be in -- in the mouths of some hungry people, but we'll see.
Q And then one other question on Russia and Ukraine. Russia is pounding the Kharkiv region. Is it time for the U.S. to revisit the prohibition on Ukraine against using American weapons in an offensive manner?
MR. KIRBY: We do not encourage nor do we enable attacks using U.S.-supplied weapons systems inside Russian territory. That's the policy. That has not changed.
Q Thanks.
Q Thank you, Karine. And thank you, Admiral. You just spoke about the importance of protecting humanitarian aid workers. And it's been a month and a half since the IDF released a report about the World Central Kitchen. Has the U.S. finished reviewing that report? And what did it conclude?
MR. KIRBY: I'm not aware that we have some sort of final conclusion on that. But I'll tell you, I'll take the question, and we'll go back and I'll check with my State Department colleagues. But I'm not aware that we've come to some dif- --different or final conclusion about it.
Q When we asked you several times in the past, you said, "We're still reviewing the report. It takes a long time to go through all the facts and figures." So --
MR. KIRBY: I just don't have an update for you.
Q Okay. Last night, Israel's Defense Minister said that the IDF would send more troops into Rafah. Do you have a response to that?
MR. KIRBY: I -- I think we've addressed this one already. As always, I'll let the Israelis talk about their military operations and where they put their troops. Point one.
Point two, they have a right and a responsibility to go after Hamas, including in Rafah. And as I just mentioned, Jake's going to raise this issue when he goes to -- to Israel on Sunday. They have a right and responsibility to do that.
How they do that matters, and that's part of the conversations that we also want to have and Jake will have about going after that terrorist capability in Rafah in a way that's targeted, precise, and, quite frankly, effective.
We don't believe -- still don't believe that the way to do it is to smash into Rafah with a large body of armed forces on the ground in an -- in an indiscriminate and reckless manner.
So, I can't -- I don't -- I'm not dodging the question. I don't know the context with which Minister Gallant said that.
I can just tell you that nothing has changed about our view, that we don't support a major ground operation or a large operation in Rafah that would put -- now it's about a million people -- at -- at greater risk.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q Thank you. As you know, President has focused a lot on democracy -- promoting democracy globally in his three and a half years. What is the President's thoughts on the election that are happening in India right now? Around 900 million voters going out to 1 million polling booths to elect 545 member of parliament from thousands of candidates registered political parties.
MR. KIRBY: There's not too many more vibrant democracies in the world than India. And we applaud the Indian people for -- for exercising, you know, their ability to vote and to have a voice in their -- in their future government. And we wish them well throughout the process, of course.
Q And, secondly, Prime Minister Modi is going for his third term -- seeking his third term from the people of India. How do you see India-U.S. relations in the 10 years of his government?
MR. KIRBY: How do I see -- I'm sorry.
Q How do you see India-U.S. relationship in the 10 years of his administration?
MR. KIRBY: How do I see it over the last 10 years?
Q Yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
MR. KIRBY: Oh, I -- I'll speak to the last three, if that's okay, because that's kind of where -- where I'm allowed to go. But you -- you --
Q The first three years were also -- vice president.
MR. KIRBY: Yeah, I'm going to stick to the last three years, if you don't mind.
Look, our relationship with India is extremely close and getting closer. You saw it in our state visit. I mean, we launched all kinds of new initiatives: working on critical emerging technologies together and bolstering and ex- -- expanding the relevance of the Indo-Pacific Quad, of course, which India is a part of. And then just the people-to-people exchanges and the military -- military cooperation that -- that we share with India.
So, I mean, it's a -- it's a very vibrant, very active partnership. And -- and we're grateful for Prime Minister Modi's leadership.
Q One final one. You spoke about Quad. Does the President really believes that two of his Quad partners, India and Japan, are "xenophobic"?
MR. KIRBY: No. I mean, look, Karine already dealt with this one. I mean, the President was making a broader point here about the vibrancy of our own democracy here in the United States and how inclusive and particip- -- par- -- participatory it is.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Danny.
MR. KIRBY: That was not easy to say.
Q Thanks, Admiral. You mentioned that the aid coming through the pier was going to be screened by Israeli authorities. How confident are you that that's not going to cause sort of delays in terms of the aid being held up?
MR. KIRBY: Yeah.
Q And also, if I may, how confident are you that there's not going to be delays at the other end when -- at the pier end as well?
MR. KIRBY: Look, I mean, it's day one. And as I just said, we got indications here just before I came on out here that some of that aid was already moving into Gaza. That's pretty impressive for day one -- just day one.
The inspections are actually happening in Cyprus. And that's -- that's a really important component of this modular system that we've constructed here. So, the inspections are happening before the ships even leave Cyprus and move on down to the eastern coast -- I'm sorry, the Eastern Med, off the coast of Gaza.
So, right now, it -- it seems like a very good system in place. But, again, it's day one, so we'll take a look and see how it goes.
Q Are those inspections being done in tandem with anyone else, such as the United States or --
MR. KIRBY: The IDF is responsible for the inspection regime in Cyprus. And as I said, on this first day, it worked well.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q On Jake Sullivan's travel this weekend. Did the U.S. government receive any assurances from Israel that it wouldn't expand its Rafah operation while he's there?
MR. KIRBY: I'll just say, without getting into our diplomatic conversations -- we've said this before -- that we're going to continue to talk to the Israelis about alternatives to major ground operations in Rafah. That is not what they're conducting right now. And they have assured us that they are willing to continue to have those discussions with us before they make any major decisions. And I'll leave it at that.
Q Can you share an update on the American doctors in Gaza who are trying to get out of there and what your understanding is, what the U.S. government assessment is of the holdup?
MR. KIRBY: There's no holdup. They're out.
Twe- -- there was 20 American doctors; 17 are out now -- came out today. And all 17 of the -- they wanted to -- they wanted to leave. I won't speak for the other three, but just -- but I can assure you that any of them that wanted to leave are out now.
Q And then, just finally, you referenced the security plan for the port and the pier. Secretary Austin, a couple of weeks ago, before it was operational, said his understanding was that if U.S. troops were fired upon that they may fire back. Is that still your understanding of what would happen here?
MR. KIRBY: 100 percent.
Q Thank you, Karine. Thank you, Admiral. When it comes to those bodies that were recovered, the three hostages, what impact does that have on the current ceasefire negotiations? Does it set those talks back?
MR. KIRBY: I don't think we can say that right now. First of all, our focus -- and I'm sure our Israeli counterparts' focus, too -- is on the -- on the families who are getting this horrible news. As you know, the talks didn't go anywhere last week. Unfortunately, we just didn't get to a successful conclusion.
One of the things that Jake wants to cover when he goes over -- back to the region is to see what we can do to keep those talks going and get -- get some kind of resolution here. But I don't think -- it's difficult to see how this grim news today is going to have a major effect on -- on the -- on the hostage deal negotiations. We really want to get this done so that we can get six weeks of a ceasefire that can maybe lead to something more enduring.
Q And part of that ceasefire deal is the release of hostages. I know you've said you don't know how many Americans are still alive. But is there a broad assessment of how many hostages overall are still alive?
MR. KIRBY: I would refer you to the Israelis for an exact number. I know it's -- it's north of 100. I've seen estimates of maybe 130 total. Not all of them -- we don't believe all of them are alive. We don't know exactly what the breakdown is.
Q And, of course, Rafah is going to be a big point of discussion when Sullivan is in the region. Can you just talk about the impact that the President's withholding of those 2,000-pound bombs have had on the relationship and Israeli decision-making when it comes to what we're seeing in Rafah right now?
MR. KIRBY: It was not a withholding. Just -- there was a pause put in place on a -- on a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs, and that pause is still in place. I would remind you that other aid, other weapons and capabilities from the United States continues to flow to Israel. They are not left defenseless. And they also have -- without getting into specifics, they have inventories of existing -- like similar capabilities that they already had available to them.
I won't speak to their operations, but I think you can just disc- -- discern from news coverage alone that they continue to conduct operations in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza.
Q So, you're saying they already have inventories of the 2,000- --
MR. KIRBY: I'm just saying they have --
Q -- pound bombs?
MR. KIRBY: -- existing inventories of capabilities, and more capabilities continue to go. I won't get into the details of that for their own operational security.
But I did- -- I guess I didn't really answer your question, though, on decision-making. I think -- well, I don't think -- we know that they know what our concerns are with respect to Rafah and how they go into Rafah and what that looks like. And, again, Jake is going to go over this weekend, and he'll reiterate those same points.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q John, you had the assassination attempt of the Slovakian leader this week. What is the level of concern that this could be an indicator of instability in Europe? You have European Union elections coming up in June. There have been some attacks on German politicians that we've seen. You know, how much is this a worry of the administration across the world?
MR. KIRBY: You know, it's too soon to know whether you're seeing some kind of a trend here, a wave of violent activity or intent with respect to political stability in Europe. But obviously, we're watching this real closely. Certainly, we're glad to hear that the Prime Minister survived the attack and -- and is on the mend. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Q Thanks, Karine. Admiral, back to Ukraine. Does the President hope to attend the Ukraine peace conference next month ?
MR. KIRBY: I don't have anything on his schedule to speak to in that regard.
Q I just wanted to ask you about the Strategic Consultant Group status, when the -- when they will be meeting.
MR. KIRBY: Well, you got the National Security Advisor --
Q Is -- it will be next week?
MR. KIRBY: -- going over this weekend. That's -- that's a pretty good -- that's a pretty good level of meetings here. I don't have another one inside the SCG context to -- to speak to today. We've had a couple live ones. We've had some virtual ones. I think that they'll continue. But the next -- the next consultation, if you will, is Jake's trip this weekend.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nadia.
Q John, just to follow up what you told me this morning. Were there any conditions that Israel has imposed on certain items in this aid that will get into Gaza? Because, in the past, they wouldn't allow scissors, for example, wheelchairs, other items. Or is it just purely food --
MR. KIRBY: This is really focused -- these -- certainly today and I think in the coming days, it's really going to be focused on food, nutri- -- nutrition. That's really the focus. And there's been no restrictions placed by the Israelis on that.
Q Okay. And then --
MR. KIRBY: And I would -- I've got one to add -- one -- one more point. You reminded me that -- that the Israelis and the IDF, in particular, have been enormously helpful and supportive of this effort, this temporary pier and their role in -- on the beach and on the ground in supporting it. They've been very, very helpful -- extremely cooperative.
Q And the distribution, you just said that U- -- U.N. agency is going to be in charge. Is that -- does this include UNRWA? And second, will be any supervision by the IDF or in the steps of distribution, not just offloading of the pier?
MR. KIRBY: I want to be careful here because I don't want to violate operational security issues. As I said in my opening statement, the food will be distributed by the U.N. and other aid organizations. I'll let the U.N. speak to th- -- how they're going to do that.
When you get the material ashore, it goes into what we would call a marshalling area. So, it's a part of the beach where it can be placed safely until it can be then head -- head out on trucks into Gaza. And there -- I would just say that there's an adequate security apparatus in place for that purpose. And I think I need to leave it at that.
Q And finally, I just want to follow up on the hostages.
Q Thanks, Karine.
Q that there are actually reports indicating that the -- the bodies that they recovered today, that the hostages were killed as far as December. It -- they were not killed recently.
MR. KIRBY: I don't have that level of information. I don't know.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Nandita, go ahead.
Q Thank you, Karine. Hi, Admiral. Just quickly to follow up on the military pier. Are U.S. troops guarding it on the ground?
MR. KIRBY: There is a -- not on the ground. So, as I said in my opening statement, there are no U.S. servicemembers in Gaza. There is a small U.S. military component on the pier itself. And they're there really to do sort of two things. One is to provide a modicum of security for it but also to assist with the logistics.
I mean, you're going to have ships pulling up to this pier -- not the big cargo ships. They'll -- they'll transport it to smaller ships off the coast of Gaza. Those smaller ships will bring the goods onto the pier, and you're going to need some logistical support to get it from the ships onto the trucks.
So, there's a small footprint of U.S. military on the pier, but they will not -- not go into Gaza.
Q How -- how many, when you -- when you say "small"?
MR. KIRBY: I think I'm going to let the Pentagon speak to the numbers. I don't want to -- I don't want to violate that. But it's not -- it's not a huge number.
Q And -- and why is the U.S. confident that Israel will not strike any of the vehicles that are taking aid in? I understand you said that they've been helpful.
MR. KIRBY: They have been extraordinarily cooperative.
Q But have they offered explicit assurances that they will not? I mean, because they attacked the World Food Kitchen cars that were carrying aid.
MR. KIRBY: And they investigated, and they fired people that they thought were at fault, and they apologized for the mistake. And they have tried to improve their deconfliction process. We are not worried about the Israelis striking the convoys of trucks that are coming off of that pier.
They are actually participating in helping marshal that material ashore and then get it into Gaza. So, that's not a concern.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Patsy.
Q Thank you, Karine. So, just to clarify, John, the Israelis and the American soldiers -- the small footprint of American soldiers will be working together to marshal these shipments?
MR. KIRBY: There is a small component of U.S. servicemembers on the pier. There are no Israeli Defense Forces on the pier.
Q And so, is there anything more that you can preview on President Ruto's visit next week, especially in terms of shoring up partnership against China's influence in the continent?
MR. KIRBY: We'll have more to say on the state visit as we get closer to it.
Q Okay. And then just one more -- one more. And feel free if you want to take this one, Karine. Many of those protests and -- on campus have linked the Palestinian cause to activism of other global injustices, including ra- -- racism against African Americans.
And so, you both have said often that the President understands the emotions behind these protests. But I was wondering specifically: As -- as the President is ramping up his outreach to Black voters, is he aware of and sensitive towards the Black community and how they might see a common parallel of injustice between themselves and Palestinians?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Let me -- let take this. Let's let the Admiral finish what he came to do.
MR. KIRBY: That -- that's a --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And then I'll take some --
Q Okay.
MR. KIRBY: That's definitely not a question for me.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead. We'll take a couple more. Go ahead.
Q One is --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, the young lady right here. Yeah.
Q Oh, thank you. John, I -- you mentioned the U.S. providing some security. I thought the IDF was going to be providing the security, but is there a small component of U.S. forces that are also there providing some security for the pier?
MR. KIRBY: There's a small component of U.S. servicemembers on the pier, as I said, that will be helping with force protection, of course. I mean --
Q But you can't speak to the number?
MR. KIRBY: I'm not going to speak to the number. I'll let you -- the Pentagon do that.
Q And then, there's still U.S. forces or U.S. troops offshore, in addition to those on the pier?
MR. KIRBY: There's a -- there's -- there's a Navy component -- there's a -- there's Navy assistance in getting the material onto smaller vessels out further away from the pier, well off the coast, so that those smaller vessels then can transload the material onto the pier.
I mean, you've seen the pictures of the pier. It's not practical to bring a big freight or cargo ship up against that thing. I mean, it's anchored to the seabed, but it's temporary. It's not -- you know, there's not concrete piles in there.
So, what we do is we take the stuff off the bigger ships -- all well off the coast -- put it on smaller U.S. Navy vessels. Those smaller U.S. Navy vessels will bring it into the pier and offload it so it can get onto trucks.
Q And just overall, this -- this area has been targeted before by a mortar attack. What is the administration trying to do to prevent and deter an attack from happening again? And -- and what efforts are being done to --
MR. KIRBY: I mean --
Q -- protect those U.S. forces there?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: -- part of my being up here today is a little bit of that to make it clear what this is and what it's not. There's been some bogus stuff out there in the information environment, particularly in the region, that this has some sort of military capacity or operational capacity for the IDF, and it just doesn't. It's nothing more than humanitarian assistance.
And we've also passed that message back through the appropriate channels to Hamas so they understand exactly what this is.
And look, showing pictures -- you all can get online and see what it is. I mean, we're making no secret about what this thing is and what it's not.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Just a couple more. Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. Admiral, I know this is day one -- maybe closer to hour one of this pier initiative --
MR. KIRBY: But --
Q -- but -- -- you know, even at full capacity, it'll only be a fraction of the amount of aid. Is --
MR. KIRBY: Correct.
Q -- the United States working on or negotiating, figuring out other methods of getting additional aid in via other avenues?
MR. KIRBY: Well, look, there's no better way to do it than the land crossings. There's just not. And before the war, there was 500 trucks going in a day over a course of different crossings, and we want to get back up to that level if we can. Now, that's a tall order; I get that. And we haven't been able to even get a sustainable 300-plus trucks in a day. But it's important that Rafah open immediately.
Other -- other crossings are open, but there's been challenges with getting some of that aid through those crossings, particularly protest activity on the Israeli side. And those delays, those problems have got to be solved.
And I have no doubt that Mr. Sullivan will raise those issues as well when he's over there.
But this is meant to be additive -- this temporary pier -- additive, not an alternative. There's just no alternative really to getting trucks in on the ground.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Brian, you have the last one.
Q Thanks a lot. Hey, Admiral. I have a question about the death toll in Gaza. Does President Biden have confidence in the casualty numbers coming out of Gaza?
MR. KIRBY: The President watches this very, very closely. And you've heard him talk about the more than 30,000 people that have been killed, and he said the majority are women and children. And he's also said that's unacceptable.
And as we've maintained time and time again, the right number of civilian casualties ought to be zero. But in terms of, you know, what -- what specific number we're quoting or citing on any given day, I mean, we're doing the best we can working with the Israelis to -- to ascertain the scope of the civilian suffering, but it's obviously immense.
Q Has his --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank --
Q Has his confidence in the numbers coming out of Gaza increased since late October, when he said he had "no confidence" in the numbers --
MR. KIRBY: You -- you've heard --
Q -- ?
MR. KIRBY: -- the President talk about the numbers and talk about the concern.
Q
MR. KIRBY: And the most important thing -- aside from, obviously, how tragic that is -- is what we're doing to alleviate and help improve conditions in Gaza, including through this temporary pier today.
Thanks, everybody.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right, thanks, Admiral.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Okay. Darlene, I don't have anything else.
Q Great. Thank you. Does the President, who is a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, agree with the current chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that Justice Alito should recuse himself from 20 cases involving the 2020 Election or January 6 th, because of the reporting of the upside-down flag flown outside of his house?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, obviously, we've seen the reporting, and I -- I don't want to comment on the specific report of -- on that reporting.
What I can say more broadly is that the President believes that the American flag is sacred -- you've heard him say that -- and is owed proper respect and honor of the brave men and women who have defended our -- our country for generations. And we should be respecting that flag. We should be making sure that it is respected in that way. It is sacred.
As for anything else, the conduct or recusing himself, that is something for the court to decide. I just don't have anything else to add.
And just want to be very clear, the American flag is sacred. That is something that the President has -- believes in, and you've heard me say this before at this podium many times.
Q Can you give us a sense of how the President will use his time at Morehouse on Sunday? Will there be any news in the speech? Will it be more of a lofty "go forth and prosper" kind of speech? Can you give us a sense of --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So --
Q -- without getting specific --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know.
Q -- because I know you --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know.
Q -- don't want to get ahead of the President.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know. I don't want to get ahead of a president.
No, so, look, he takes these commencement addresses incredibly seriously. He understands the importance of -- of him being the president and, obviously, the Commander-in-Chief and speak -- when he speaks to the -- the West Point graduates later this month. But he sees this as an im- -- an opportunity to lift up and to give important message to our future leaders.
I mean, these Morehouse Men who are graduating will be our future leaders, as you heard from Mayor Benjamin when he was standing here behind this lectern. He talked about what it's like to be part of -- part of that HBCU, if you ima-- -- if you -- if you can imagine, collective -- and how important it is, and how respected that is.
And so, look, he'll have, I think, some important messages to share for these future leaders. He will have themes in his -- in his remarks -- in his commencement remarks that he'll share with them. He's been working on these remarks for the past couple days, I can assure you, with his senior advisors. He's taking this incredibly seriously.
And he understands, as the President tends to do, meet the moment -- the moment that we're in.
I won't get beyond that. But I would say, "Stay tuned." I think it will be a moving -- a moving commencement address. I think it will meet the moment. And I think you will hear directly from the President on how he sees, obviously, the future of this country and also the community that they represent.
But, again, as you just stated, I'm not going to get ahead of the President.
Go ahead, Weijia.
Q Thanks, Karine. I'm going to try again --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: On Morehouse?
Q Not on Morehouse. On --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.
Q -- the flag.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.
Q So, given the flag incident, does President Biden believe that Justice Alito can rule in -- with impartiality for all the cases involving January 6 th?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look -- and this is something that I have spoken to the President about. And it -- basically, what I laid out is how he feels: That the American Flag is sacred, and we should be respecting that flag.
I do not want to get into the business of the specific actions that -- that Supreme Court justices -- if they should recuse themselves or not on a -- on a court. That is something for the Court more broadly. They have to make that decision. That is something that we're not going to step into. We're not going to comment from here.
But more broadly, we can say, from the reportings that we have seen, that, you know, we believe that the American flag should be respected. It should be -- it -- this is a -- if you think about the brave men and women who have sacrificed, given their lives to protect our nation, it is -- it is -- we just -- that is something that we will always say and be really, really clear about.
I cannot speak to if he should recrus- -- recuse himself, how he should move forward in the Court. That is for the Court to decide.
Q Okay. On another topic. Did President Biden --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You seem -- look -- wow, you just seem so disappointed and like, "Ah, Karine -- well, we're going to move on."
Q Well, no, I mean -- I understand that you can't -- that you're not going to engage on -- on that.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sorry to disappoint you, Weijia.
Q No, it's -- it's okay.
So, did the President see the confrontations from the House Oversight Committee meeting yesterday?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, so, I have not talked to him about if he's seen it. What we can say, and I think this is something the President would agree upon, which is, you know, you -- as someone who was a senator for 36 years, he believes that people should respect each other, treat with -- each other with dignity and civility.
I am not going to speak to the ex- -- to what happened, obviously, in that hearing.
But what we -- what we can say, as someone who -- you know, a President, as I just stated, was a senator for some time, who -- who knows how that place works, I think you have to treat people with dignity; you have to treat people with respect. It is important. It doesn't matter which side of the aisle you sit on. It is important to do that because you are there to work on behalf of the American people.
And that's probably all I can share at this time.
Monica.
Q Thank you, Karine.
Q On Morehouse. You said the President is going to "meet the moment." Does that mean he's going to specifically address some of the concerns that students there and faculty have raised about his handling of the war in Gaza?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I will say: Stay tuned.
Q Okay. And then what was the President's reaction to Senator Romney saying that the President should have pardoned Donald Trump after the Justice Department brought those indictments against him or that he should have pressured New York prosecutors not to pursue the ongoing hush money trial?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The current President of the United States --
Q Yes.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: -- getting involved in an ongoing le- -- legal case?
Q A current sitting senator saying that the President should have pardoned Donald Trump.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I -- I mean, we're just going to let the process mo- -- we would never interject ourself in -- in a criminal -- criminal legal proceedings. It's not something that we do from here.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sticky fingers.
Q Yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That's what you called yourself. You said you had sticky fingers.
Q Well, I kept dropping my notebook; I'm just so excited to be here today.
There -- there is a billionaire, Ray Dalio. Quoted by the Financial Times, he's saying now that the chances of a civil war in this country are around 35 to 40 percent. Do you think the chances are that high?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, I am not in a place to -- to give probabilities or -- you know, I don't -- I don't gamble. I don't spend my time in Vegas, so I couldn't speak to that.
But what I can say is the President has been really clear about the need to continue to fight for our democracy. That is one of the reasons he jumped into the election back in 2019. What he was seeing across the country, what was -- seeing, obviously, in Charlottesville and what he saw there -- the vile, the -- the hatred -- and it was concerning to him.
And so -- but, you know, you move forward and -- from there to January 6 of 2021 -- that was a very scary time in our dem- -- democracy. That was a stain on our democracy. What we saw happening at the Capitol -- rioters -- of 2,000 rioters wanting to turn over a free and fair election.
So, obviously, the President wants to continue to fight for that, continue to fight for our democracy, fight for our freedoms, and that's where we're going to continue to stand. I can't give probability. I don't even know who this -- who you're speaking of.
Q Okay. And then I have some on the big story today.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.
Q What does President Biden think about the world's number-one golfer, Scottie Scheffler, being cuffed and then hauled in for a mug shot for what appears to be a misunderstanding at a traffic stop?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I -- I've seen the reports of Mr. Schef- -- Scheffler's arrest. I just want to say that our hearts go out to the individual that was killed --
Q Unrelated.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, no, let me finish -- in the auto -- in the auto accident that preceded his arrest. Obviously, someone did die. Someone was killed -- preceded his arrest -- that, obviously, he was not involved in. So, want to make sure that we share our condolences to that family and their loved ones.
Anything else, as specifics to his arrest, that would be something for local authorities to speak to.
Q I think just -- you guys have spent a good chunk of this week --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yep.
Q -- talking about how you don't want anybody to ever go to jail again for pos- -- possessing marijuana. Do you think that somebody who was involved in what appears to be a misunderstanding at a traffic stop should be facing 10 years in prison?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: There -- we've seen the reports. There -- there's a process there. We have to let the legal authorities do -- go to their, you know, process and how this all works. I can't comment from here, from the lectern, about something that's being looked into by local authorities. I got to be mindful about that.
But let's not forget: Someone lost their life. Not -- obviously, that preceded this. But there was an individual that was killed, and there's a family that's mourning a death of a loved one. And so, we want to be sensitive to that as well.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. Can we still assume that the Kansas City Chiefs will be visiting the White House this year in celebration of their Super Bowl victory?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, what I can say is all -- the team, per usual, when there is a -- a champion -- a championship team, gets invited. I don't have anything to add on their attendance or how that looks. But the team is always invited. All -- everyone on the team is invited. I just don't have anything beyond that.
Q So, can you confirm -- you said everyone on the team is obviously invited. Is the Chiefs' kicker, Harrison Butker, welcome at this White House?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can say -- you would have to, obviously -- what I can say is we invite the entire team, and we do that always. I don't have anything beyond that.
Q Given his recent comments, is he specifically welcome at this White -- White House?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We invite the team. We invite the team. It's an invat- -- invitation that goes to the team. And so, it's up to the team who comes and who doesn't come. That's the way it usually works.
Go ahead, Selina.
Q Thanks, Karine. Just going to take another stab at this.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Which one? Which stab?
Q So, is the President concerned that having a Supreme Court Justice --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, okay.
Q -- someone who is in such a high position of power, displaying a flag in his house in such a way, that that could fuel more extremism and division in this country?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I just have to be really mindful when we're talking about the highest court of the land. That is -- we're not going to step into the re- -- who should recuse themselves or not. That is for the courts to decide --
Q And then --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: -- that court to decide.
Q -- what is the sense here about the wife's role here? Whether it is a Supreme Court Justice --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q -- wife of a senator or a president, should she be able and entitled to have her own political opinions and views without having them tied to her husband or not?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have any comment on his wife.
Q And then, just lastly --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, sure.
Q -- the Morehouse president said that he is prepared to stop the commencement on the spot --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q -- if there are disruptive demonstrations. So, is the President prepared that that could potentially happen in the middle of his speech?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm going to let the president of -- of Morehouse obviously speak to whatever procedure or whatever process that Morehouse wants to put in place.
Look, I mean, just to step back for a second. You know, the President is very much looking forward to Sunday. It is going to be an important moment for, obviously, the students who are graduating, the young men who are graduating, but also their families. This is some -- this is a -- when the President does commencement address -- he's done it many times -- and I've said this -- as senator, vice president, as president. You all know this. You have covered the President for some time in his different roles as a public -- public -- public person and -- public servant, to be more exact.
And, you know -- and when it comes to this difficult moment in time that we're in, as we speak about the protests, he understands that there's a lot of pain. He understands that people have a lot of opinions, and he respects that folks have opinions.
And so -- and you've also seen the President -- when there has been protests, the President has treated those peacefully protesters very re- -- respectfully -- in a respectful way. And that's how he's going to move with any event that he goes forward to do, including on Sunday.
He will respect the peaceful protesters. It is up to Morehouse on how they want to manage that and move forward with that. But he's going to be respectful, because it's not just the students, it's the parents, it's the loved ones who want -- who want to be there to celebrate -- celebrate an important moment.
And as always, we believe all Americans have the right to peacefully protest. And I'll just leave it there.
Go ahead, Nandita.
Q Just quickly following up on Mayor Benjamin's appearance yesterday.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
Q He said he traveled to Morehouse. He spoke to students there. He asked them what they wanted to hear from the President.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q And many of them said that they wanted to talk about the war in Gaza. And I'm just kind of trying to understand if the President plans to bring that up proactively during his speech, and what is his message going to be to -- to those asking him to change his policy in the Middle East?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple things. When the mayor was here, he did say he had a private conversation with students and -- and others and faculty there. He said he wanted to keep their -- their -- that private conversation in private. So, he was very mindful in what he shared from -- from here yesterday afternoon.
Again, in asking me that question, that is previewing the President's remarks. I -- I am not going to preview his remarks. I will tell you, more broadly, at a 30,000-foot view, that the President sees this as an important moment to give fu- -- our future leaders some advice on how -- on how he sees the world or how he could give them a little bit of advice on how to move forward in their -- in their careers, in their future.
And so, not going to get beyond that.
Q Does he at least proactively want to bring up this issue, especially because the -- these students, as the mayor said, want to talk to him about Gaza.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You're going to have to -- you're going to have to tune in. You have to tune in.
Q Okay.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't know if you're traveling with us, but you're going to have to tune in.
Go ahead.
Q Who's helping him craft his speech?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: He's been doing it himself along with his senior advisors all week.
Q Which advisors?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The usual senior advisors.
Q I know -- I know Mayor Benjamin was traveling. I know the Vice President has --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't --
Q -- talked to Morehouse students.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have a list in front of -- in front of me to -- to call out. But, you know, he has about -- you know, a good -- more than a handful of senior advisors. So, you can imagine any one of them have been in the room with him, helping him craft -- craft this important -- important speech that's happening on Sunday. But I just don't have a list of names, but it is his senior advisors.
And he's been working on it every day. That I can assure you.
Q For this week, he's been working on it?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Q Okay.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: He's been diligently working on this and taking this very seriously and wants to, obviously, hit the right -- hit the right tone, meet the moment.
Q And earlier today, at the museum, he said something interesting, where he -- he mentioned, "As soon as I came into office, I signed the American Rescue Plan. And I want to be political for a second, because we're having problems -- not one Republican voted for it -- not one." What -- what did he mean by "problems"? Is it the message not breaking through --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh.
Q -- that -- in your mind, do you think he was talking about --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That's a good --
Q -- not enough people know about this?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That's an interesting catch. I did not catch that in his remarks.
I don't know. I would have to -- I would have to ask the President.
But what I will say is -- and I think that I do re- -- I do remember this in his remarks, which is the American Rescue Plan, not one Republican voted for it. It helped turn the -- the economy around. It helped open schools, helped start small businesses.
And I think it was -- I think he sees it as such an important -- important piece of legislation -- the first one that he was able to sign into law. That made a difference. That made a difference.
And I do know that he believes there are Republicans out there in Congress who try to take credit for that really important piece of legislation. And he tends to call them out, as you've heard him do so. Some of them actually benefited from that -- the American Rescue Plan, which he has been very, very diligent on calling that out.
And it was an opportunity for them to be on the right side of history, and they were not. And so, he tends to call that out.
Anything beyond that, I don't have any specifics or -- or detail into that.
Q Okay.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.
Q Yeah. Does the President plan to meet with any of the Morehouse students while he's down there, in addition to giving the speech?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we'll have more to share as we get closer to Sunday. Don't have anything for you at this time beyond that.
Go ahead.
Q Yeah. I wanted to kind of follow up on that.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, yeah.
Q A lot of -- a lot of the messages to Black Americans that Biden is doing over the last couple days are at -- at them -- you know, a speech at Morehouse, the speech at the museum, the speech in Detroit.
I -- I wonder if you can give any, you know, sense of whether that information flows both ways. Is he asking questions? Is he -- are -- is -- are the Divine Nine, you know, saying, "This is what we would like to see from your presidency going forward"?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q You know, listening as opposed to speaking.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, I -- I know you're saying "at them." I don't -- we don't see it "at them." I think the President shows up in front of a crowd of -- in front of a community and talks about how he's been working on their behalf, working to deliver for that community or for all Americans.
I think that's important. I think people want to hear from the President. They want to hear what is it that he has to say, whether it's about the economy, healthcare, whatever issues that's important to them.
And I think the fact that the President shows up at the African American Museum is important. The fact that the President, you know, is here -- has in front -- has -- is talking to the Divine Nine, I think it's also very important. Going to Morehouse, we're talking about young men who are going into -- going into their careers, and they get to hear from the President of the United States. That's actually important, I think, for them to hear from the President.
So, I don't -- the "at them," I think, is kind of a little harsh there. I think it's the President showing up and sharing and being very clear about what he has done, as -- as their president, to deliver.
And -- and I think to the -- I think to the heart of your question, you know, the President also loves to hear from people. He does. He loves to hear from what they have to say, what they have to offer. He's going to do that with the Divine Nine. He did that yesterday with the different plaintiffs of -- of Brown v. Board. He does that very often, continuously, and I think it is important for him.
The best advice, the best -- you know, the best feedback that he gets is from everyday people -- you know, Americans who are out there, who have -- who are living the life -- are living the lives that he's trying to improve. So, he's very much open to that.
Go ahead, Franco.
Q I wanted to ask about the background checks that are going to go into effect next week -- gun background checks. There's a number of lawsuits from state attorney generals against them, the Second Amendment --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Which background checks are you --
Q The gun background checks. The --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.
Q -- they were announced earlier this spring. Expa- -- licenses of private -- private gun sales --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So --
Q -- for the private market.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay, I think that's more for the Department of Justice. I don't have any -- anything specifics on how that's going to work out or the process of that. I would have to refer you to Department of Justice. Don't have anything in detail for you at this time.
Go ahead.
Q Karine, since the announcement of the U.S. tariffs on China earlier this week, we've heard from the international community, including IMF and WTO and others, that are expressing concerns about the impact of these tariffs on the global economy. And I understand we heard from NEC Director Brainard yesterday about the case she's making for how underpriced exports have hurt the U.S. economy specifically. But does the administration have any case to be made for how this is going to help the global economy in addition to the U.S. economy?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, just a couple of things. Look, he took this action -- the President did -- obviously, earlier this week, when we made the announcement on Tuesday, to make -- to make sure there was a level playing field, because he knows that Americans can -- can outcompete anyone just as long as that competition is fair, right? And that -- you heard us say that over and over again. You heard that from the ambassador -- Ambassador Tai.
But China hasn't been playing by the rules. It's just a fact. Their unfair policies undermine the global trade, not just us -- Americans and American businesses and companies -- but global trade more broadly.
And so, certainly, we're not alone in voicing those concerns about China's unfair trade policies and taking action to address them. We're not the only ones who have said anything about that, spoken about it, or taken actions. A number of advanced and emerging economies have also expressed concerns. Their industries also face damage from China's overcapacity.
And so, the President is going to continue, as he does always, to work with our allies to join forces to out -- to outcompete China and whether then -- rather than undermining our alliances, threatening jobs, and increasing costs for families by $1,500 with universal 10 percent tariffs.
And so, we are -- we are going to remain an open economy -- the United States. And so -- and we're going to do that with foreign investment and American manufacturing almost double its -- its average before the pandemic. Our China -- our actions -- pardon me -- are focused on strategic sectors and not only on China.
So, we're going to continue to work with our allies. And -- and so, we're trying to make sure that, you know, competition is fair. And the policies that China had were unfair and undermined global trade. And so, we're addressing that. And we're going to continue to do that.
Go ahead.
AIDE: We got to wrap.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It's okay. It's all right.
Q Any response from the -- from the White House regarding the sentencing of Mr. DePape in the attack on Paul Pelosi?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I know that -- I saw that when I was coming out. I want to be really careful on that, too. On -- on the judicial -- it's a judicial process.
But as you heard from the President immediately after we received the tragic news of the heartbreaking attack on Paul Pelosi, there's absolutely no place for political violence in America -- not at all. As leaders, we owe it to everyone not to repeat dangerous conspiracy theories and speak out against violence and violent rhetoric. We're so grateful -- and we had, obviously, the opportunity to see Paul Pelosi a few times, most recently at the Medal of Freedom. And you all saw him as well.
And obviously he has recovered. And so, the President is grateful for his friendship. He's grateful for the friendship of Speaker Pelosi. And we're happy that he's doing well.
But I'm not going to speak to a judicial process.
I'm being pulled, guys. I will see you.
Q Karine, you haven't answered my question, though.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, my gosh.
Q Thank you. So, just a follow-up --
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You're right. I owe you. I owe you an answer. What was the question?
Q Yeah, just -- it's basically to follow up with what my colleagues have asked about Morehouse. I know you can't preview the content of the speech.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q But is the President mindful of how Black students who are protesting in campus might see a parallel of their experience of injustice between themselves and the Palestinians? Has he received input about this? Is he sympathetic to that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, the President is sympathetic to the fact that many communities are in pain. He has said that. He is very sympathetic to what people are feeling right now. He knows that it is a difficult time, and he respects that. He truly does. And -- and, you know, that is also why he also respects the fact that people have the right to peacefully protest.
And it is a difficult time, and we get that. He gets that. And, you know, as President, he makes incredibly difficult decisions. And -- but he also understands as president, there are people who are going to feel pain in a different way or see actions that he's taken differently, in different views. But this is what our democracy is all about, having different opinions, having different views, and being able to express your voice and be able to be very clear about that.
And so, that's why we've been saying -- when you all have been asking about protests and what the President's going to do -- he's going to do what he's been doing for the past several months when there have been protests -- respect the protesters who are doing it peacefully -- understanding that all Americans have the right to speak their voice. That is part of our democracy. That is part of who we are.
All right. Thanks, everybody.
END 3:36 P.M. EDT
May / 17 / 2024
Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of Texas and ordered Federal aid to supplement State, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on April 26, 2024, and continuing.
The President's action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the counties of Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity, and Walker.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Mr. Benjamin Abbott of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
Damage assessments are continuing in other areas, and more counties and additional forms of assistance may be designated after the assessments are fully completed.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at , by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App . Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service , captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV .
May 17, 2024
SATURDAY, May 18 AND SUNDAY, May 19
The Vice President will be in Washington, DC and has no public events scheduled.
May 17, 2024
All times are local and subject to change.
At 11:30 AM, First Lady Jill Biden and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will deliver remarks at a political event in Detroit, Michigan. This event will be open to pre-credentialed media. For interested media, please contact press@joebiden.com .
At 3:00 PM, the First Lady will deliver remarks at a political event in New York, New York. Her remarks will be open to pre-credentialed media. For interested media, please contact press@joebiden.com .
May 17, 2024
AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Washington, D.C.
11:43 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: My name is Joe Biden -- -- and I'm a lifetime member of the NAACP. But I said that a little earlier to the president, and he said, "Are your dues paid up?" I got to check. Oh, my Lord.
So many -- so many people here today. You changed the world. Seventy years ago, you changed -- I say "the world." That's not hyperbole. I'm not exaggerating. You not only changed the United States, you changed our role in the world in a fundamental way. I know there's a lot more to do.
President Johnson, that introduction -- thank you for your leadership. But most importantly, for the NAACP.
It's an honor to be with all of you here at the National Museum of American -- African American History and Culture. Remember we were trying to get this built for years? It's pretty neat, isn't it? Huh?
And, by the way, I want to thank the staff who runs this place. They do an incredible job.
Together, the NAACP and this museum are monuments to the power of Black history. And Black history is American history. It's American. No, I -- it's a really important thing to continue to -- we have a whole group of people out there trying to rewrite history, trying to erase history.
It's a tribute to heroes known and unknown who pursued our nation's North Star.
We're unique among all nations in the world, and I mean that. Every other nation is based on ethnicity, bas- -- based on religion and other things, but we're the only one based on an idea: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, and should be treated equally their whole lives -- throughout their life.
We've never fully lived up to that idea, to state the obvious, but we've never walked away from it either because of so many of you in this room and so many more.
Seventy years ago, when the Supreme Court ruled on Brown v. the Board of Education that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, a prayer was answered in a long struggle for freedom.
Yesterday, I welcomed the family of plaintiffs of that landmark case to the White House, to the Oval Office -- their office. Once upon a time, they were excluded from certain classrooms. But 70 years later, they're inside the most important room of all, the Oval Office, where they belong.
They're a living reminder that "once upon a time" wasn't that long ago. And all the progress we've made is -- still have more to do. And there are still groups that are trying to erase it.
You know, one of the cases that led to the landmark decision was in my home state of Delaware. A Black mother from Hockessin, Delaware, joined by parents of eight other students in the -- in Claymont -- the town I moved to when we -- work ran out in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and we moved back in third grade -- moved here in third -- to Delaware in third grade. All in Claymont -- they -- they just wanted a simply proposition: They wanted their kids to be able to attend a school and be treated with dignity and respect.
They asked a man who I looked up to and really admired and helped me out as a young public defender, Louis L. Redding. He was the first man -- the first Black man ever admitted to the practice of law in the state of Delaware -- to say -- and that -- think about that.
Here's the first man -- this guy was brilliant, and he didn't get admitted till after the '50 s in Delaware to the -- I mean -- well, he enlisted a young Jewish lawyer from the NAACP named Jack Greenberg to help him devise a legal strategy to get rid of the racial segregation in Delaware schools.
In 1952, in Delaware, for the first time in our country's history, in Bulah v. Gebhart and Belton v. Gebhart -- and, by the way, any Delawareans here today? Gr- -- all right. First time ever segregated white public schools were ordered to admit Black children.
Louis L. Redding's argument in those early Delaware cases laid the legal framework for Brown v. the Board. His story, a timeless truth about America: When we make real the promise of America for all Americans, the nation changes for the better. Everything from the economy to everything grows -- everything grows.
After Brown vs. Board decision, the public schools gradually and often much too slowly were integrated. Graduation rates for Black and Latino students increased significantly, though.
The Brown decision proves a simple idea. We learn better when we learn together.
That's why my administration is increasing funding for schools to bring together students from different backgrounds.
My Department of Education is investing $300 million, including another 20 million announced today, to support diversity in our schools.
We're also -- we're also funding efforts to increase diversity in the teaching profession itself because, as the president said, Black students -- but especially young Black men were rea- -- re- -- react to Black teachers. S- -- Black students who have Black teachers are significantly more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college. It makes a difference, and it matters.
My Department of Education provided an additional almost half a billion dollars -- $450 million to ensure teachers in our schools reflect the diversity in our country, and we're just getting started. This money is going to go toward training the next generation of teachers at HBCUs, Tribal colleges, and minority-serving institutions.
And, by the way, not because I'm married to one, but we need to give teachers a raise. I mean it.
Another lesson from Brown is that every child deserves a quality education. How can we -- think -- think of this in simple terms: How can we have the strongest economy in the world without the best education in the world? I mean, it's not possible. That taps into the full talents of our entire nation.
And the answer starts with childhood -- early childhood education.
Because of the nation's legacy of discrimination, the Black children start school with an average of seven months behind their white peers in reading. But one year of universal, high-quality pre-K could eliminate 98 percent of that gap. Just one year. And children who go to preschool are nearly 50 percent more likely to finish high school and go on to earn a two-year or four-year degree no matter what their background is.
That's why my administration is working to support Black children. And as soon as I came into office, I signed the American Rescue Plan. And I'm going to be political by just saying this, because we're having problems -- not one Republican voted for it -- not one. But the American Rescue Plan expanded Child Care Tax Credits that delivered monthly checks to working families that cut Black child poverty in half.
My Republican friends let it expire. Well, I'm going to keep fighting to reestablish it. We're going to get it reestablished.
And I'm going to keep fighting to make sure preschool is universal for every three- and four-year-old in America. We can afford to do this. It's not hard.
Instead of giving multibillion-dollar breaks to the super wealthy, let's make the wealthy began to pay their fair share of taxes. We can afford all this.
I'll just slow up for just one second here and ad-lib a little bit here because I'm going to get in trouble for doing -- keeping you longer, but -- -- you know, we have a thousand billionaires in America. A thousand. I'm a capitalist. If you can make all that money, fine. Just pay your fair share.
But here's the deal, do you know what the tax -- federal tax rate is for a billionaire in America? 8.3 percent. If we just raised it to 25 percent, we'd raise 400 million -- billion dollars over the next 10 years. That could pay for all of this, cut the deficit, and do so much more. Just being -- just pay your fair share.
Look, it's not only good for children; it's good for the country when we have early education, and it grows the economy.
We're also working to ensure every child, no matter what their ZIP Code, has access to a quality education experience in K through 12. The American Rescue Plan delivered $130 billion to American schools -- the most ever in funding public education in our nation's history.
And we added another $200 -- $2 billion annually to Title I funding to support school students that are most in need. These dollars help for things like tutoring; paying teachers are for -- what they deserve; providing more advanced casework and courseworks as well.
While college degrees are still a ticket to the middle class, that ticket is becoming too expensive. Too many -- too many young people, Black students are dealing with unsustainable debts in exchange for a college degree. That's why my administration has taken the most significant action, notwithstanding the tr- -- the Supreme Court tried to stop me, to provide student debt relief -- the most supreme -- ever.
I've been able to relieve $160 billion in student debt -- -- to over 4.5 million Americans, including a significant number of Black borrowers. That means they can now start a family, buy a home, save for their children's school, gi- -- give back to their communities.
It also increased the maximum Pell Grant to -- by $900 -- the largest increase in a decade. And it matters because over 60 percent of Black students rely on Pell Grants to go to college.
And something I'm really proud of: We're making historic investments in Historic Black Colleges and Universities.
Now, I'm from Delaware, so I go along with Delaware State being the best HBCU. Kamala keeps saying it's Howard. And I'm going now -- I'm going to Sunday to make a speech at that other place, that -- that men's col- -- More- -- Morehou- -- -- Morehouse!
I got more Morehouse Men in my administration than Morehouse.
But regardless of loyalties, it's clear HBCUs are vital to our nation's progress. I mean it. That's not hyperbole.
HBCUs are responsible for 40 percent of Black engineers in America, 50 percent of Black teachers, 70 percent of all Black doctors and dentists, 80 percent of all Black judges -- and, by the way, I put more on the bench than anybody ever has -- -- and 100 percent of Black vice presidents. You got it.
HBCUs also don't have endowments like other colleges and universities that are able to fund research labs and so much more.
Well, Kamala and I made a commitment to lift HBCUs up, and we're keeping that commitment.
Today, I'm proud to announce, as was mentioned earlier by the president, that we've invested over $16 billion in HBCUs -- by far the most ever of any administration -- in combination of almost all administrations.
This investment has helped HBCUs do everything from build student housing to study climate science to create health research labs, prepare Black students for labs in industries of the future, because they don't have the endowments to do it themselves now.
But let's be clear, I know real power when I see it.
Later today, in the Oval Office, I'll be meeting with the presidents of the Divine Nine. You all think I'm kidding, don't you? Well, I'm proud that we're the first admi- --
AUDIENCE MEMBER:
THE PRESIDENT: You -- you got it.
AUDIENCE MEMBER:
THE PRESIDENT: I can tell there's no -- anyway.
We're the the first administration in history to have a working group from the Divine Nine in the White House. And I asked them to do that from the very beginning.
But we know, 70 years after Brown v. Board, there are some forces trying to deny freedom of opportunity for all Americans.
A few minutes ago, I talked with some of the Little Rock Nine, who were determined to integrate a public school in Little Rock, Arkansas, 67 years ago.
I'd like to recognize them for their courage and her- -- if they -- if they can, would you -- if you're able, please stand and rise so we can all see you.
And thank God Eisenhower was president. Thank God we had someone who stood up.
The Little Rock Nine were met with vitriol and violence.
Today, the resistance comes in other insidious forms. An extreme movement led by my predecessor and his MAGA Republican allies, backed by an extreme Supreme Court, gutted affirmative action in college admissions.
My predecessor and his extreme MAGA friends are now going after diversity, equity, and inclusion all across America. They want a country for some, not for all.
And let's not kid ourselves, folks. This is the God's truth what I'm saying.
My predecessor and his extreme MAGA friends are responsible for taking away other fundamental freedoms, from the freedom to vote to the freedom to choose. But I've always believed that the promise of America is big enough for everyone to succeed. And I mean that: everyone to succeed.
That's what Brown is all about. That's what we're all about. That's what America is about.
Let me close this. On Sunday, I'm attending the commencement at Morehouse College, one of our nation's most important institutions. Morehouse was founded after our nation's civil war to help prepare Black Americans who were formerly enslaved to enter the ministry, earn an education, and usher them from slavery to freedom.
The founders of Morehouse understood something fundamental: Education is linked to freedom. Because to be free means to have something that no one can ever take away from you.
And that's the power of an education. That's why the Brown decision we commemorate today is so important.
The work of building a democracy is -- of possibility, of a democracy worthy of our dreams starts with opening the doors of opportunity for everyone without exception. And we can do it.
We just have to remember who we are. We are the United States of America. There's nothing beyond our capacity when we decide to work together.
May God bless you all. And thank you all for all the bravery you've demonstrated over the years. And may God protect our troops.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Proud to be with you. Thank you.
11:59 A.M. EDT
May 17, 2024
In honor of the 70^th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, President Joe Biden hosted a delegation of plaintiffs and family members representing the historic decision in the Oval Office. Members of the delegation represented litigants from the five cases that were combined under the Brown v. Board decision, including Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Briggs v. Elliott, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, Belton v. Gebhart, and Bolling v. Sharpe.
President Biden reiterated his longstanding effort to honor the legacy of historic changemakers that paved the way for progress and hard-fought rights for Black Americans and all Americans. The President and the delegation also highlighted the continued need to advance educational equity and underscored the White House's strong commitment to addressing racial disparities in our education system, despite attacks on educational rights, the erasure of Black history, and the elimination of affirmative action in university admissions. President Biden and Vice President Harris remain committed to driving greater equality and opportunity within our education system and society.
The meeting participants included:
Brown v. Board Family Members:
Cheryl Brown Henderson: Daughter of Named Plaintiff, Oliver Brown
Darl Everett, Jr.
Victoria Benson
Jeffrey Benson
Lusandra Everett
Briggs v. Elliott Family Members:
Ada Stukes Adderley
Ky Adderley
Dawn Lucas
Nathaniel Briggs: Son of Named Plaintiff, Briggs
Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward Family Members:
John Stokes: Original Plaintiff
Joan Cobbs
Ernest Johns
Robert Johns
Roderick Johns
Gebhart v. Belton Family Members:
Joan Anderson
Original Plaintiff
Carol Anderson Neff
Tai Ingram
Christopher Michael Neff
Rene Ricks-Stamps: Daughter of Named Plaintiff, Belton
Bolling v. Sharpe Family Members:
Adrienne Jennings Bennett: Original Plaintiff
Curtis Bennet, Sr.
Curtis Bennet, Jr.
Kim Relaford
Letitia Alexander
May 17, 2024
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Community Listening Session on Tribal Health Care
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Thank you, Doug.
Aanii.
Chairman Lowes, President Gravelle, thank you for your kindness and your leadership, for living the good life for your communities. And it's so wonderful to be here with Bryan and Liz. Joe and I are grateful to have your voices and vision as part of our administration.
Yesterday evening, this community welcomed me with so much warmth. And I had the opportunity to speak about my sister, and how communities can come together to find healing and hope.
It's an honor to be with all of you again today to talk about how each of your communities have come together to address Tribal and rural health.
Because your health matters.
That's why Joe's administration has taken historic steps to support the incredible things that are happening at Tribal health centers like the Sault Tribe Health Centers and the Bay Mills Health Center.
For the past two years, he's made sure the Indian Health Service, and the Tribal medical services it funds, can continue providing lifesaving care without interruptions to their budget. And he is committed to making that true every year going forward.
He's fighting to increase the IHS budget, and make sure it's stable and continues growing over time, so that health systems like yours can continue to flourish.
And Joe is honoring the Nation-to-Nation relationship – providing you the funding and flexibility you need to design the health systems that work for you. Because you know best what you need. And when Tribes operate their own health systems, you make sure care meets the needs of your community.
When people here are able to access consistent care – when they don't need to drive miles for treatments. When grandparents don't have to live in pain from an infected tooth, and mothers can get the prenatal care they need close to home, and children can grow up knowing there's always someone they can talk to on their darkest days.
When lived experiences are at the center of care – it changes lives, and saves them.
We're here to learn about what's working, how we can continue to be your partners, and what we can do to support other communities who wish to do what you have done here.
The Second Gentleman and I are listening – and so is your President. We are committed to working with you, so you can thrive.
Bryan?
May 17, 2024
Today, ahead of the 46 th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, President Biden signed a National Security Memorandum on United States Policy on the Antarctic Region. Under this policy, the United States will continue to lead cooperative international efforts through the Antarctic Treaty System to maintain the Antarctic Region for peaceful purposes; protect its relatively pristine environment and ecosystems, particularly given the key role Antarctica plays in the global climate system; and conduct critical scientific research, long into the future.
The ATS has successfully maintained the peace in the Antarctic Region by freezing conflicting territorial claims, prohibiting military activities other than in support of scientific research or for any other peaceful purpose, prioritizing science and environmental protection over commercial interests, prohibiting mining for non-scientific purposes, and promoting transparency and cooperation. It also provides tools to verify compliance with these ambitious provisions, tools the United States has used more than any other country, having conducted 15 unannounced inspections of facilities in Antarctica. We remain vigilant against actions by countries that could threaten U.S. national interests by bringing international discord to the Antarctic Region. The United States, represented by the Department of State at ATS bodies, will work with international partners through the ATS to promote peace and science in the region, and promote international cooperation while safeguarding U.S. national
interests.
With this NSM, the United States aims to:
Protect the relatively unspoiled environment of the Antarctic Region and its associated ecosystems;
Preserve and pursue unique opportunities for scientific research and understand Antarctica's relationship to global environmental change;
Maintain the Antarctic Region as an area of international cooperation reserved exclusively for peaceful purposes; and
Assure the protection and conservation of the living resources in and ecosystems of the Antarctic Region.
The United States has the largest scientific program in the Antarctic Region. The U.S. Antarctic Program is managed on behalf of the nation by the U.S. National Science Foundation and includes three year-round stations on the continent and assets dedicated to exploring and understanding the Southern Ocean and its role in the earth system. The NSF, in partnership with other Federal science agencies, also supports world-class research in Antarctica in aeronomy and astrophysics, ecology, atmospheric sciences, biology and medicine, geology and geophysics, glaciology, and ocean and climate systems, and living marine resources. Additionally, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has for decades monitored and studied Antarctic marine living resources and ecosystems, and in partnership with the NSF, provided the best scientific evidence available to policy makers about how to protect this vulnerable region, including the data underpinning the efforts to establish a
representative system of effective marine protected areas. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency, working closely with NSF, reviews and evaluates the potential environmental impacts when U.S. nongovernmental operators plan to conduct expeditions to Antarctica.
The results of research conducted by the United States and other countries have conclusively demonstrated that ongoing climate and other global changes and their associated impacts are affecting the Antarctic Region and the world, including through ocean warming, sea-level rise, ocean acidification, stratospheric ozone depletion, air and water pollution, and threats to biodiversity. Research conducted by the United States has also helped shed light on the risks and uncertainties of climate tipping points such as the collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet.
The United States has encouraged and will continue to encourage countries to take immediate steps to use the best available science to protect the Antarctic Region's vulnerable environment and ecosystems, which is critical to a stable global climate, such as by encouraging countries to set ambitious 2035 nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement that are aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, and establishing a system of effective marine protected areas in the Antarctic Region.
The Biden-Harris Administration will work with Congress to continue its support of our three world-class, year-round scientific research stations; research in the Antarctic Region on ocean ecosystems and Antarctic marine living resources; and modernization of the nation's polar icebreaker fleet. The Administration will also work with Congress to meet international commitments and to ensure the appropriate domestic legislation and regulations to safeguard the wide range of U.S. interests in the Antarctic Region.
The policy signed today replaces PDD/NSC-26 (1994) and builds on the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to modernize outdated policies and address climate change.
May 17, 2024
On Tuesday, May 21, the Second Gentleman will travel to New York, NY to participate in a fireside chat on combating antisemitism and hate. This fireside chat will be open to pre-credentialed media. Please RSVP HERE by Monday, May 20 at 2:00 PM ET if you are interested in covering this event. Additional details to follow.
On Wednesday, May 22, the Second Gentleman will participate in a roundtable on protecting the civil rights of K-12 students against school book bans. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Operations and Outreach in the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, Matt Nosanchuk, will also attend. This roundtable will be open to pre-credentialed media. Press interested in attending this event should contact Leah Drayton, leahdrayton@nypl.org . Additional details to follow.
May 17, 2024
Private Residence
Glencoe, Illinois
4:23 P.M. CDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you.
Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. Good afternoon.
Please -- please have a seat. Good afternoon.
Is this on? It is now on.
Karen and Jon, thank you so very much for opening your beautiful home for all of us. I -- you know, I was saying to them: I know that it kind of -- it -- we have a big footprint when we travel. And so, it is no small matter to just invite a few friends over and a few other friends.
But thank you. This is very kind and generous of you, and it really makes a difference. So, thank you to our hosts, please.
And to the host committee and to everyone here, thank you all for the support, for being here, and for loving our country -- really, for loving our country.
You know, on the point about being the first woman, my mother had many sayings, and one of them she would say to me, "Kamala, make -- you know, you may be the first to do many things. Make sure you're not the last." And when I think about the young women that you are referring to and that I meet, I very much look at them knowing that they are going to just soar. They are going to soar. And I often remind them that they have to remember all the people that they may not see at the moment who are cheering them on every step of the way.
So, thank you all for being here. This is -- let's see --there. Let's give that another go.
Thank you all for being here.
This election is probably one of the most, if not the most important election of our lifetime. I know Invest [DEL: in :DEL] [to] Elect and the folks who are leading it and who are part of it have been a part of these elections for almost every cycle in recent memory. And every cycle, we have talked about the critical importance of the presidential election. This one, I absolutely believe, is the most consequential of any we have been involved in in any recent time.
In fact, I say to a lot of folks that, listen, I think that we have to understand this election is fundamentally about a basic question: What kind of country do we want to live in? It is also about understanding our power as Americans.
And by that, I mean, as Vice President, I have now met over 150 world leaders -- my staff has counted -- -- presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, and kings -- many of them now multiple times. We have formed relationships and friendships.
The last three international trips that I took were, at the beginning of this year, to Munich for the Munich Security Conference, where I spoke on the stage representing America's perspective on what is happening, in particular, in the context of our NATO Allies. I, before that, at the end of last year, was in Dubai for COP28, the global climate conference, to represent our perspective there. And I was also in the UK to -- to speak about the -- what I believe to be the concerns and -- and the benefits, but the future of AI -- in particular, around safety.
All that to say, just the last three trips, to a one, when I saw other world leaders, they came up to me and essentially said, "Hope you guys are going to be okay." And understand, when they raised this point, it was purely out of self-interest.
In fact, the speech that I gave at Munich for -- if anyone is interested, I'll make sure and get it to you -- there with our European allies, I was speaking, really, to an American audience but reminding, then, us -- speaking there in Munich -- about the 1930 s. Let us remember what happens when America removes itself from the global community.
In my speech, I then talked about the fact that isolation does not equal insulation. And I say all that, then, in the context of the consequence of this election, yes, to us and to the rest of the world. And then we understand, in that context, the power that we each have in this moment -- a power that will impact people we'll never meet and people that will never know our names.
But because of your activism and your commitment to our country and what we stand for, I do believe the world will be better off. This is the context of this election.
We have -- I have -- have it written down. I think we have now 173 days to go. It sounds like a lot of time, but we know it's not. And I will say we are winning. We are winning, and we will win. We are winning, and we will win. We are winning.
We are winning when you think about the work of our administration -- our President, Joe Biden -- the work that we have done. History is going to show we have broken -- talk about breaking barriers --broken absolute new barriers and thresholds in terms of what we have done, rivaling Eisenhower -- the investment in America's infrastructure.
What we have done in creating over 15 million new jobs, over 850,000 new manufacturing jobs -- bringing manufacturing back to the United States in a way that we know we need. If no one understood the concept of supply chains before the pandemic, we know it now.
What we are doing to invest in CHIPS and Science -- we were just talking about science and yet -- many of you know, my mother had two goals in her life: to raise her two daughters and end breast cancer. She was a breants c- -- breast cancer researcher. I grew up going to the lab with her. She'd take us after school and on weekends. The idea that we are putting such a significant investment in scientific research in this moment --
The work that we have done on climate. By my estimate, at least a trillion dollars over the next 10 years we are dropping on the streets of America to invest in resilience, adaptation, and to invest in a clean energy economy -- a new economy.
The work that we have done that is about investing in a broad-based economy and all the macroeconomic measures that tell us it's working. I think about it in the context of what we are doing to challenge industries with these government investments to invest in the private sector. We have estimated that at least over $700 billion of private-sector investment has happened to match what we have been investing. Right?
We are winning. We are winning in terms of when you think about economic measures and how people are doing and the cost of living. We finally took on Big Pharma to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices so that now seniors will have a cap on the annual cost of prescription medication of $2,000 -- -- $2,000 a year. It's a game changer.
We have capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month. What that will mean for seniors who, for years, had to determine whether they could either afford their insulin or afford rent.
We are winning as an administration. We are winning as a party. Take a look at the midterms. Take a look at the end of last year in those special elections. Did you see what happened in Wisconsin with that court?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yeah, we did. Yeah, we did.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Did you see what we did in Virginia?
AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Yes, we did. Yes, we did.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Did we see what happened from Kansas to California, from Montana to Ohio, when choice and freedom was on the ballot? In so-called red and so-called blue states, when it was on the ballot, the American people voted for freedom. The American people voted for freedom.
We are winning. As a campaign, we have opened up -- I don't know, I've lost count how many offices, especially in all the swing states. Let me tell you, in the last four months, I have personally taken 40 trips.
In fact, I just landed here from Milwaukee, where I was earlier today. I started the day in D.C. But I was in Milwaukee today because I'm in the midst of an Economic Opportunity Tour that I started, speaking with small businesses about what we have done to expand access to capital for small businesses. We're -- and we're seeing historic small-business growth because of the work of our administration.
So, we are winning. And I think it's very important for us to understand that momentum is on our side. While we are so aware of the stakes, let's know momentum is on our side.
And let us understand, then, that, in many ways, this campaign and this election is really about what I believe to be the promise of America. You know, I -- I believe in the promise of America. I am empirical evidence of the promise of America. And I believe that, very much, that is also what is at stake: to keep and to build on the promise of America, which is a promise for everyone to enjoy equal rights and opportunity and dignity.
The promise of America, a democracy, understanding that du- -- there's a duality to the nature of democracy. On the one hand, great strength when it is intact -- what it does to protect individual liberties and freedoms. And on the other hand, its fragility, that it is only as strong as our willingness to fight for it.
There is a direct connection between the promise of America and our willingness to fight for it. So, we're actually where we need to be, which is we are being challenged, as Americans, to fight for our country and to realize -- and if nothing made that more clear than the Dobbs decision -- that we can't take anything for granted ever if we're not prepared to fight.
So, that's where we are. You know, many of you have heard me speak many times, and I will, as I often do, paraphrase Coretta Scott King, who famously said: The fight for civil rights -- which is the fight for equality, which is the fight for justice, which is the fight for freedom -- the fight for civil rights, she said, must be fought and won with each generation.
She had two points. The first, then, being that whatever gains we make, they will not be permanent. And the second point being: And, therefore, understanding that's the nature of it all, when you have to fight to maintain and uphold these rights, do not despair. Let's not throw up our hands. It's time to roll up our sleeves, right? It's time to roll up our sleeves.
So, I'll end all of that and all of this, then, with saying: This is a critical time. And we who are in this fight together, which is all of us under this beautiful tent -- we understand. And let's just hold on to the fact we're not fighting against anything; we are fighting for something.
And when we look at who the former President is, we have empirical evidence of the fact that America's leadership needs to be about competence, care, concern for the American people and the ability and desire to actually do something about the condition of the American people. On the other side, it's about chaos.
And so, my last point is this. You know, in the last several years, I think there's a certain perversion that has taken place and taken hold that suggests that the measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you beat down. See the former President. But what we all know is that the true measure of the strength of a leader is based on who you lift up.
The true character trait of leaders is to have empathy, to have some level of care and concern, much less just curiosity, about the suffering of other people and then to take it upon oneself to do something to alleviate their condition. That's what we're into. That's what we're about. And as much as anything else, that's what this election is about: showing who we are as Americans.
And I know we're going to be okay. And I thank you all very much.
Thank you.
END 4:38 P.M. CDT
# # #
May 17, 2024
Discovery World
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
12:25 P.M. CDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good -- good afternoon, I think it is now. Please, everyone, have a seat.
Rufus King High School Band -- -- what? You all are killing it. Oh, you're so good. You're so good. Thank you, all.
Oh, when I look at our young leaders, I know the future of our country is so bright. Thank you all very much for being a part of today.
MR. HUGHLEY: I'm -- I'm glad to be here with you, Madam Vice President. I love Wisconsin. I'm glad to be here when it's not freezing, so -- --
We have a lot of incredible leaders here. First off, we'd like to acknowledge -- thank you, James Phelps, who did that introduction --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- where nobody clapped for me. I appreciate that. That's great.
We have Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo. Could he -- is he here? Is he here?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes, he is. There he is.
MR. HUGHLEY: Stand up. Stand up. You can stand up.
We have Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. Is she here? Stand up.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: For HUD.
MR. HUGHLEY: Hey -- hey, let's do this. Why don't y'all stay standing until we finish? All -- just stand up. It's not a raid. I promise you. Ain't nothing going to happen.
We have Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski. Is she here?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: She was here earlier.
MR. HUGHLEY: There you go.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: There she is.
MR. HUGHLEY: We have County Executive David Crowley. Is he here? There you go.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson, what a cool-ass name that is. That's dope.
And, of course, Senator Tammy Baldwin is here. That's wonderful.
It is so nice to be here with elected officials that are not under indictment. I tell you -- -- I swear to God, I'm so happy. I'm so happy.
You know, I -- I've always been a huge fan of yours. You were -- you were my senator from California. I've been very proud of what you're doing. And it's -- to me, this is an extension of what you did in California. I'm very proud of the work you're doing.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you, D.L.
MR. HUGHLEY: But this is the third stop of your national Economic Opportunity Tour.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. HUGHLEY: Why did you decide to launch the tour, and how is it going so far?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, first of all, thank you, D.L., for being here. And your voice is so important. You always take on the issue of the day. You give us humor and laughter, but you always talk about serious issues in such a thoughtful way.
MR. HUGHLEY: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, thank you for being on this stage with me.
MR. HUGHLEY: My pleasure.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Can we hear it for D.L., please?
Are the Ques in the house?
MR. HUGHLEY: Ahh -- -
Don't get nervous, white people. It's -- it's n- -- I promise you, it's not -- ain't nobody -- it ain't nobody attacking the village or nothing. It's fine.
But -- but this is -- this is --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So -- yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- very important. And I know from -- I know from a very -- that -- from our very lengthy conversation --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- not only how important it is the work you've done but to let people know about it --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- and what's available.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right. So, as you and I have talked about, first of all, we all know that we are a nation that was empowered and continues to be empowered by the aspirations and the ambitions of her people. And we also know that we don't lack for talent. We don't lack for skills. We don't lack for good ideas and innovative thought.
But there are those who, with all of that, lack for access to either information or relationships that allow them to then translate all of those skills into something that will actually be real and, by extension, benefit the whole -- an entire community and society.
MR. HUGHLEY: Sure, sure.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, I decided to embark on this Economic Opportunity Tour to travel the country and share with folks what resources are available -- and resources that are not just about helping folks get by but get ahead.
We know that we all want an opportunity, if that is our life's calling or ambition, to be able not just to have a job but to create wealth -- intergenerational wealth, to contribute to the economy of the neighborhood, of the -- the place where you live and, by extension, our country and the world.
MR. HUGHLEY: Right. Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And so, this tour is designed to get that information, because we are doing extraordinary work. I mean, I look at Mr. Phelps, who introduced you and I, his construction company. I was talking to him earlier. He has about 100 employees and -- or 50 employees, but -- or actually, where is he? There you are. How many employees as of now?
MR. PHELPS: Fifty.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Fifty employees. And I was sharing with Mr. Phelps that we -- the President and I -- because of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bi- -- the Infrastructure Act, we are dropping trillions of dollars on the streets of America right now to build back up our roads and our bridges, our sidewalks; to invest in a clean energy economy to deal with the climate crisis in a way that is about building up adaptation and resilience.
Well, a -- a business like Mr. Phelps's business --
MR. HUGHLEY: Sure.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: -- is going to make what we plan to do out of Washington, D.C., real on the streets of America.
And here's the thing about why I'm focused on small businesses. One of the reasons is that -- do you know that over 90 percent of construction companies in America have 20 or fewer employees? They're small businesses doing extraordinary work.
When you see the signs around Milwaukee and around our country, "Brought to you by the Biden-Harris administration," and you see a crane and you see shovels in the ground, it's going to be with and in partnership with our brothers and sisters of labor, IBEW -- who's doing the great apprenticeship work -- and it's going to be businesses like Mr. Phelps who are doing that work.
So, we want them to know what is available to them.
MR. HUGHLEY: You said something -- because I think, communally, we understand. We were raised to work really hard, and things would happen. Like, mulattos were told we had to work twice as hard to get half as far. But it isn't just about hard work. It is what you alluded to earlier: access, information.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: And so, that -- that makes me proud of -- all you can say about somebody is that when you are climbing, you can recognize them when they get to the top. And I can say that's true of you. And that's -- that's something that makes me very proud.
You are doing those things to expand --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- access, and we talked about that. But the ho- -- the homeowner aspect --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- that is a chip in the game. That's a big chip in the game.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: That is access to capital, that is sending kids to college, that is --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- taking vacation.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: But for us, the path is a little curvier than for a lot of people.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: What are you doing to mitigate some of those things?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, part of how I'm thinking of this Economic Opportunity Tour in general is to acknowledge -- speak truth and acknowledge both the opportunities that exist but also the disparities and the obstacles that exist.
MR. HUGHLEY: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, let's talk about Black homeownership. Without spending too much time on a -- a history lesson, first of all, nobody got 40 acres and a mule.
MR. HUGHLEY: Right. Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Then you look at, for example -- and I'll jump around -- what happened with a federal policy initiative that said about the Greatest Generation -- those who fought in the wars, that -- that established America's leadership on an -- on a global scale -- "Let's invest in that Greatest Generation when they come back." And there were substantial federal dollars through grants that then went to those mostly servicemen who were then veterans coming back.
So, when there was this incredible boost around homeownership -- "Let's invest in their ability to buy homes." Incredible boost.
However, the Black servicemen did not get full advantage --
MR. HUGHLEY: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: -- of those loans. So, the discrimination occurred there. So, where there was a boost, some got ahead, and some just didn't get the benefit of it.
You look at it in terms of what we know around segregation. You look at it in terms of redlining.
And then, most recently, an obstacle that we have been addressing and speaking truth about is racial bias in home appraisals --
MR. HUGHLEY: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: -- which is very real.
So, in an environment where Black families are 40 percent less likely to own homes --
MR. HUGHLEY: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: -- we also have, among those who do own a home, so many examples -- and -- and, D.L., you have -- you can tell the story of how racial bias has undervalued a Black homeowner's home in such a way that if they rely on that biased appraisal, they will receive less value for their property if they're trying to sell it or they're trying to get a second mortgage --
MR. HUGHLEY: It's so ironic you bring that up.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: -- will receive less.
MR. HUGHLEY: It's so ironic because --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, tell the -- you want to tell your story?
MR. HUGHLEY: I was -- I bought a house in West Hills. I had only lived around Black people my whole life.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: I bought a house in West Hills, California, which is the basis of the television show I did called "The Hughleys." I go to sell that house because my wife said we had to move. We'd owned that house for a couple of years. We'd done all these -- these improvements. My real estate broker said, "Well, you got to -- you got to take your pictures down and take down, you know, the -- you know, take down anything that lets them -- you -- them know who lives here."
And, of course, I'm -- I was, you know, I was like, "Nah, I'm not going to do that." They came -- the appraisal came in so low, the bank contacted us. And it would have had to been a home in disrepair. The home that's on TV.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right.
MR. HUGHLEY: Like, I'm on TV with this home.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right.
MR. HUGHLEY: They sent another appraiser out, and they gave me $200,000 more. And it was interesting to me. I'm like -- the fact that -- I actually wrote this in my book, and we talk about it on my show all the time, this happens to Black people consistently --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- where we have to -- now I just keep actual pictures of white people in my house just in case.
You ain't going to get me twice. I keep them in my wallet, too, just in case the police. I'm just telling you. This is just me.
But it -- but these kinds of things -- these microaggressions are things that no -- I -- I've been around a lot of administrations. I don't know that anybody has done it as succinctly as you all have. And -- and --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, and -- because we need to just call it what it is -- right? -- and then deal with it. And so, how we're dealing with it is, one, to tell the truth about it. Because there are countless stories of a Black family doing just that, actually, of -- of then talking with a friend who is white and asking them to put in their family pictures --
MR. HUGHLEY: Right. Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: -- and to bring the appraiser in, and a substantial difference around how the home is appraised.
So, we just need to deal with it, knowing that, for example, one of the problems here is that a very small minority of home appraisers are people of color. And -- because this is about people of color to Black people and other people of color.
MR. HUGHLEY: Sure.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And so, we need to deal with it on that level. The other piece of it is that we are now requiring that home appraisers be trained on racial bias. And we have set up a -- basically, a report line to let people know there is somewhere to go with this information.
Because too often -- -- right? Too often, people who are the -- the focus of unfairness know it's unfair -- right? -- you don't need to be taught that it's unfair -- but sometimes just feel like, "There's nowhere to go with this. I'm just going to have to accept it."
MR. HUGHLEY: Right. Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And this is unacceptable, and so we have set up a system to make it so that there is somewhere to go with this information.
MR. HUGHLEY: We were speaking about expansion of -- of wealth and -- and those opportunities and homeownership. But a big impediment to that also is debt.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Huge issue.
MR. HUGHLEY: And I think it's something I hear on my radio show all the time --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- crushing, crushing debt. Student loans are a big part of that.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: Thank God I have a GED, so that didn't cost a lot. So, while you all were studying, I was keeping all my money. But -- -- it is such a crushing thing to start out with -- with a --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- with a debt that you're -- that's going to be hard to pay. Even the interest on that debt is going to be almost impossible.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: What have you done to kind of deal with that -- that reality for so many people of color?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right. So, let's start with one of -- there are two areas, in particular, where we're dealing with, in terms of the burden of debt, which so many people carry such a burden.
So, one is medical debt. So, a lot of people experience medical debt usually borne out of a medical emergency. And so, it's something you obviously, then, don't plan for. It is something that happens, and then people have these hospital bills, these doctor's bills, that can be in the tens, hundreds of thousands of dollars --
MR. HUGHLEY: Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: -- for an unexpected emergency. So, we have decided that, well, look, it's not like that medical emergency happened because you're financially irresponsible. That's a healthcare matter.
MR. HUGHLEY: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, we are now saying medical debt cannot be included in your credit score. Right? Because, after all, your credit -- well, first of all, everybody these days knows their credit score like you know how much you weigh, right?
MR. HUGHLEY: Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You just -- -- you can get a little app and look at it. Some people look at it on a daily basis. And -- and --
MR. HUGHLEY: Check my little -- check my credit score right now, please.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And -- and we know what that number means in terms of your ability to qualify for a small-business loan, a home loan, a credit card, a car loan. So, we are saying that cannot be included.
The other thing that we have said about medical debt is that it cannot work against you when you are applying for credit.
And, again, it's just what's morally right, from our perspective, which is people shouldn't be debilitated around having access to economic opportunity because they experienced a medical emergency or something of that nature.
MR. HUGHLEY: It -- which is why I'm here.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: Because I remember growing up, you know, my mother would go to the hospital a lot.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: And the debt was so bad, she put everything in our name. Like, I had a electric bill when I was three.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right.
MR. HUGHLEY: I'm not even trying to -- like, these are the things that they had to do to kind of navigate this space.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I know.
MR. HUGHLEY: And to hear someone actually address the concerns that you know are real and that --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- through no fault of your own, exist. And I just think, when you talk about the medical space, you said something that made me -- in addition to all the things I've -- I've thought that you've done, when you talk about the disparity of treatment of women of color --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. HUGHLEY: My daughter is -- she had my second grandchild. She was -- we were ecstatic, and then she got diagnosed with breast cancer. And had she not -- and women in certain regions of this country, their health outcomes are just disparate, depending on what area of the country they live in --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- and what kind of access they have to.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: And the fact that because she's married to a doctor and we were, you know, fortunate to be able to get her what she needed, it -- it is working out for us. But I know so many people --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- in her journey that I heard about that didn't. And the fact that you addressed that and have done -- you and your administration have taken steps to make sure that that not only is heard, but addressed. That's something I've heard you talk about a lot too.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, and you're right. I mean, we could have a long conversation this afternoon about health disparities and the intersection between that and racial disparities.
I mean, maternal mortality is something I've been working on for years. Black women are three times more likely to be diagno- -- well, to actually die in connection with pregnancy; Native women, twice as likely; rural women, one and a half times more likely.
And when you look into the reasons, yes, it is about availability of affordable care. It is also about racial bias.
MR. HUGHLEY: Sure.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And so, that is something I've been working on for years. In fact, most recently, I'll tell you -- I know it's off -- it's not on the Economic Opportunity Tour, but I'm going to connect it.
When I became Vice President, as a continuation of this work, I took a look at which states had extended coverage for women on Medicaid for postpartum care from 2 months to 12 months. So, I took a look at this. So, women on Medicaid, only three states had extended it to 12 months.
So, I'm not above shaming folks.
MR. HUGHLEY: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, I issued a challenge to the states: Extend coverage for women on Medicaid to 12 months. And as of today, 46 states have done it.
MR. HUGHLEY: Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right?
And these connections are very real in terms of economic health and wellbeing and -- and issues like access to affordable --
MR. HUGHLEY: Sure.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: -- healthcare.
The other thing I just don't want to overlook is the student loan debt piece. And so -- and also -- D.L., you know, we've talked about this -- the things we have achieved have not been without great opposition.
MR. HUGHLEY: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right.
So, student loan debt -- you all may remember, we actually had a much more ambitious plan, but there were forces working against that.
MR. HUGHLEY: Sure.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, then the President said, "Well, I'm going to go and do it on my own to the extent I can without Congress or without the Court supporting this." And so, we have now been -- we have now forgiven over $150 billion of student loan debt for over 4 million Americans.
And one of the pieces that is -- that is particularly important for me, because my -- my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Frances Wilson, God rest her soul, attended my law school graduation. I love our teachers.
We made as part of the -- the student loan forgiveness plan that public servants -- so, nurses, firefighters, teachers -- would get double the amount of debt forgiveness -- -- because, God knows, we don't pay them enough as it is, and they have dedicated their lives to service. And, again, it's -- it's what's smart, but it's also just what's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: It's fair.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It's just fair.
MR. HUGHLEY: I -- I think you're absolutely right. And I think that it is a shame that we live in a society that separates people like that, where women aren't making what they -- you know, I want women to get all the money that they deserve, and then give us our change back. That's what I want. I want that to start happening. So, if you could do -- if you can do that too.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Let me just say, I have talked to D.L.'s wife, and she is so strong and funny and smart. And I'm just going to just say that you are lucky that you are married to her.
MR. HUGHLEY: Man -- yeah. Did she call you or something? Did something happen?
You -- you know, I am here specifically because I remember when we had a conversation at the dinner we had --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Mm-hmm.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- and it was not always -- it got contentious. And I had to apologize to you, because I had let a media narrative co-opt my perspective, and I think that tends to happen with -- with women and people of color. I think that that we oftentimes hear this call, this siren's call that is so -- it's so mesmerizing that sometimes you believe it.
And I had to apologize to you because -- you were a prosecutor. I grew up in California. I -- I love that state. And what I saw happen to it -- I equated with, you know, elected officials, and I'd lumped you in with it.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Mm-hmm.
MR. HUGHLEY: But -- but some of the things that I have subsequently come to learn about you not only make me proud of you, but make me be an advocate for you. I am proud of the things you've done. I'm proud of what you're trying to do for this country -- this administration is trying to do for this country. And I -- and I can say in front of them: I'm sorry that I ever let somebody tell me what I should have known from the beginning.
And I'm -- I'm -- and I'll be -- and I'll use my voice not as a -- I'm not a paid -- I'm not -- I don't even like politics all that much. It's ironic to me.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right.
MR. HUGHLEY: But I think you have done what you said you would do. And there was a time that I didn't believe it, and I have to say that I'm sorry.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you, D.L. Thank you.
MR. HUGHLEY: And I'm going to do what I have to do to make sure you get the word out and make sure that people understand you have done everything you've promised. And I am proud of you. So -- --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Oh, D.L., thank you.
MR. HUGHLEY: I'm very proud.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Four more years! Four more years!
MR. HUGHLEY: Wait until everybody else jumps in, all right? Come on, man. No rhythm, -- --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, one of -- one of the other -- thank- -- first of all, thank you, D.L.
MR. HUGHLEY: You're very welcome.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. That means so much more than I can say.
I do want to mention one of the -- one of the many other things we're doing that, again, to your point is about acknowledging the disparities: federal contracts.
So, for -- how many small-business owners do we have here today?
MR. HUGHLEY: Wow.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Okay, right. Right.
So, a lot of federal contracts go to small businesses. But what we know is, often who gets the -- who even has the information about how to apply for a federal contract is a matter of who you know, not necessarily the -- the skill of your work, how well you do your work. Certainly, you know, it has nothing to do with anything other than often just a lack of information and access to those relationships.
So, from day one, when the President I came in, we said we are going to increase by 50 percent federal contracts going to minority-owned businesses. And we are on track to get that done by the end of next year.
And I mentioned that to say that the work that we have been doing is about creating incentives for folks to apply, but also holding the federal government to account for measuring how we are doing this work and being intentional about it. And I think that's so very important.
And that's where, look, who's in the position of power matters. Because, one, if you don't even have any level of awareness or interest in these disparities, you're not going to get anything done on them. And then, when you become aware, if you actually intend to get something done, you have to hold yourself and the system to account.
And I will say, that is part of the method of our approach to a lot of this work. Our work is -- is -- includes, for example, like -- let's have metrics. Let's say, for example, we know the -- the history of Black homeownership: We know the history of -- of bias and -- and laws that prevented equal access to that opportunity.
We have now proposed that if you are the child of parents who -- or you were raised in a family where the folks who raised you were not homeowners, when you want to go buy a home, you will be entitled to a $25,000 grant toward down payment for a home.
Again, acknowledging the realities of it all. If your parents owned a home, and then you, as their child, say, "I want to go buy," then your parents will likely have the opportunity and ability to say, "Honey, you don't have to go take out that big loan; I'm going to take some equity out of my home to help you with that down payment."
MR. HUGHLEY: Sure.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And that's how intergenerational wealth works.
But if you start with nothing, how are we going to give people those opportunities?
MR. HUGHLEY: Right.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And so, it's about acknowledgement and then pushing through the actual policies that are not just about lip service, but actually making a difference.
MR. HUGHLEY: You seem to be having a -- and hearing you talk -- you have a different approach. I think that there are people who think that the top down works best.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: There are people believe that you can build a house with the roof first. They -- there are people -- --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right.
MR. HUGHLEY: They do; they believe that. And any construction man can tell you that ain't possible.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right.
MR. HUGHLEY: And there are people who believe that because when you're -- you're talking consistently about the small-business owners and -- and people being entrepreneurial -- those are ground up. Those are foundational kind of things.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: And it really does depend on your life's experiences, how you view things, and in terms of the way -- the way that you lead. So, tell me a little bit about why you see things that way.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: Because this -- the politics is -- if it's nothing else, it also is transactional too. So, why do you see the -- the approach of top, of -- you know, from the foundation up being the best approach to taking America even into the next centuries and decades?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, in particular, my focus on small businesses, which extends back to my years in the Senate, when I was a part of getting $12 billion more into our community banks -- and I know we have many community lenders who are here -- is because those lenders are in the community -- they know the resources, they know the capacity, they know the desires of the community -- and can also, then, assist and support getting people information around things like financial literacy.
In fact, one of the announcements we're making today is putting hundreds millions more dollars into advisors and consultants -- here in Milwaukee, for example, over a dozen --that will, for free, give people financial literacy information: how to apply for loans. Community banks give information about -- to a small business: This is how you run a payroll; this is how you deal with your business taxes.
I was talking with one of the CDFIs earlier who has a booth here -- there are many booths, so I encourage everyone to go and stop by them; there's a lot of information -- who was -- who was telling a young man who's a small-business owner: You know, there's a difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant, and you need to know the difference because you got to, you know, keep all that straight, but then also so you can actually create a business model out of what you are doing now that would allow you access to growth.
MR. HUGHLEY: Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: But a lot of my focus on small businesses, then -- it is because small businesses employ over half of America's working population.
But also, when I grew up, I had my mother, who raised us, and a second mother, Ms. Shelton, who -- we lived in the apartment above the nursery school that she owned and ran. And she was a second mother to us. She -- when my mother was working late, she would take care of us in the evenings and sometimes on the weekends.
And Ms. Shelton ran this nursery school, and it was a small business. And, you know, she was from Louisiana but part of that exodus of folks that --
MR. HUGHLEY: Everybody left Louisiana to Texas or --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: -- moved to California, right?
MR. HUGHLEY: -- California. Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And she was not only a small-business owner and leader, but she was a civic leader. She was a matriarch of the community. She counseled young parents. She hired locally. She mentored. And that's who our small-business leaders are.
And so, when I think about it -- it is about investing in America's prosperity and -- and a broad-based economy, but it's also about investing in communities and the civic fabric of communities that contributes to the economic health and well-being. And that's where my passion comes from and why I do this part of the work that I do.
MR. HUGHLEY: Hearing you talk, one of the things that I keep -- consistently hear you say is "the information."
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: And one of the things people of color were denied was the information.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. HUGHLEY: "We don't want you to know anything." Do what I -- and -- and --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And there's so much misinformation.
MR. HUGHLEY: And -- and because -- I remember when we grew up -- this is -- all the men I knew would have newspapers everywhere.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: They were read it. Like --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- it was in your cupboards, and you wrapped your furn- -- your glasses in it. The information was everywhere. Like, you could get -- you could get a good whoopin' for messing with the paper before your daddy finished it. You can mess with them funny papers. Don't do nothing else.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right.
MR. HUGHLEY: Information was important to us. And I think that --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah, that's true.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- there are people --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's true.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- who want to deny us access to information because of the power it unleashes. That -- some of these things have existed but just even highlighting them in a way that makes it more accessible to people, to make it more reasonable, more attainable to people. And so, having a conversation that not only talks about what you have done but the pathway to showing people what is available to them just -- just from accessing things. And I think that's an important approach.
Just -- and I know you have to go, but --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, let me just add something to your point. We could be here all afternoon. We won't be, though.
MR. HUGHLEY: Yeah, yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: This is what's -- this is what is, frankly, facetious and wrong about the bootstrap theory.
MR. HUGHLEY: Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right? "Just pick yourself up. If you want to do better, you would do better. It must be some sign of your character and a flaw in your character that you're not doing as well as I am doing."
Instead of understanding that not everyone has access to the information, but when they do have access, then there's no -- as I said earlier, no lack of ambition, aspiration, good ideas, work ethic. There's no lack of any of that.
MR. HUGHLEY: Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And that's why I'm doing this tour. And that's why I'm doing this tour. Because we are now dropping trillions of dollars on the streets of America -- Joe Biden and me and our administration, many leaders who you just met. And I want to make sure -- -- that everyone who needs to know how to be a part of this actually has the information to be able to then do the work.
MR. HUGHLEY: You -- I'm proud -- like, I remember, you were -- when you were talking about the infrastructure and your Depart- -- talking about the Department of Transportation.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: Well, you know, like, I remember Sugar Hill was in California. They started the 10 freeway in a Black neighborhood that had already pulled itself by its bootstraps.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: See, a lot of times, they'll have a conversation with us after you've taken our boots, then you say we never had any. But -- but the Department of Transportation built deliberately through neighborhoods of color.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: They --
MR. HUGHLEY: And the fact that you --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: They called it "urban planning."
MR. HUGHLEY: They called it "urban planning."
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Those freeways cutting through neighborhoods --
MR. HUGHLEY: On purpose.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: -- all over the country.
MR. HUGHLEY: And if you read -- and if you know the history of it and -- and find an administration that is dealing with it and -- and -- to the best they can, like whole neighborhoods are -- in Dallas, a neighborhood -- the wealthiest neighborhood owned -- was owned by Black man named Bob Jones. They took it under -- with the Army Corps of Engineers and the city planners.
So, the fact that --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: "Urban renewal," they used to call it. "Urban renewal."
MR. HUGHLEY: Yeah. The fact that through your administration and through the Infrastructure Bill that you guys passed, you are finding mi- -- finding ways to not -- it's certainly not reparations, but it is a level of restorative justice, where you say, "We did this; we're going to try to do this to kind of -- to undercut some of the damage we've done." That's important too.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, we want to be intentional. But to your point, for example, it's something else that we've done: The rule has been for a very long time that previously incarcerated people cannot be eligible for Small Business Administration loans. We have now gotten rid of that.
So, now that -- the fact that someone was previously incarcerated will not render them ineligible for a small-business loan. Because here's the thing. We believe in second chances. I believe in redemption and the ability of all people to be able to come back, and we need to give them the ability and opportunity to do it.
Here's another thing I -- that's very important, and I asked all the leaders here to help us get this information out, which is why we have invited the leaders who are here. You are -- you are business leaders, you are opinion leaders. Please help us get the word out. That's part of why I'm doing that and have asked you all to join us.
So, on the student loan debt, let's think about this. The inability to be able to pay tuition is why people take out loans. Okay? So, then, logically, that also tells us some people who can't afford tuition drop out because they can't afford tuition. But they still have debt.
Our policy on student loan debt forgiveness includes people who never graduated being eligible for that -- -- forgiveness. Help us get the word out, because a lot of people are assuming that they are only qualified for student debt forgiveness if they graduated.
And again, we know, statistically, whether it be small-business loans or other things that are available to folks -- you know, when -- when you've lo- -- when you've experienced life in such a way that you've -- you've -- you've had countless disappointments, sometimes folks are reluctant then to put themselves out there, to apply for something for fear they'll be denied or rejected. And that is part of what we see sometimes in terms of somebody not applying for an SBA loan, not applying for student debt forgiveness.
And we want to remind people: If you don't apply, you certainly won't get it. And so, again, I ask the leaders here to help us get the word out.
MR. HUGHLEY: You know, education is very -- obviously, components of that are very important. But we talked a lot about student loan and student debt and tuition, even trade schools -- like --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah, that's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- AI is not going to be able to fix your house, it's not going to be able to be a carpenter, it's not going to be able to be a cobbler -- cobbler. I think that the way you all talk about -- your administration have -- the verbiage you use in terms of finding a thing that you do -- whether it's with your hand, your heart -- being exposed to things and being able to learn a trade is just as important.
Like I'm not -- college wasn't for me. I have a GED for a reason. It didn't mean I wasn't bright or wasn't intrigued or I didn't have passion. It just meant that there was a different pathway for me.
Administra- -- from your perspective, there are pathways that you are building so people, if they want to go to trade school, if they want to learn --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: IBEW is represented here. They're doing an extraordinary job with their apprenticeship programs. I've visited many IBEWs around the country. Four-year apprenticeship programs, usually, where they actually pay the apprentice during those four years, while they're learning, understanding that they're going to develop a -- a -- high, high, high levels of skills but need to be able to get by through the process of learning those skills.
I agree with you.
MR. HUGHLEY: I don't care how rich you are, you're going to call the plumber one day. I don't care. Or -- or a craftsman or --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Or an electrician or -- right.
MR. HUGHLEY: Yeah. And I think that's very important. I mean, I think that there has been a tendency for these things to play above people's heads in -- to the -- to the degree that they feel like they're -- they're not involved in the conversation. I know a lot of -- a lot of young Black men I talk to feel as if they're not involved in the conversations.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: And I think that that's something that -- one of the reasons you're doing this tour --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, you're exactly right.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- is to address the cynicism that they're not being involved because -- because we know that people -- a fulfilled community starts with fil- -- fulfilled leaders.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: And if they feel like no one is talking to them, if they feel like nobody is addressing their concerns or their needs, that could be -- that's going to be a problem.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And everybody wants to be seen as a full human being. Right? And that's part of -- that's part of, in summary, a lot of what this tour is highlighting is the various things that we are doing to acknowledge the various dimensions of -- of who we are, but in the context of economic opportunity -- be it debt, be it homeownership, be it access to loans, be it access to -- to counseling, and the services that help people know how to start a business and -- and keep a business.
All of -- there is a -- there is a method to the madness, if you will, which is truly about seeing a whole human being and understanding that when we give people opportunities -- you know, this is the beauty of human nature. When you -- when you set a high bar and give people the opportunity to jump for it -- I've seen it throughout my career and life -- people go for it every time. Every time. That's the beauty of human nature.
MR. HUGHLEY: Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You give people the ability to know that they have the resources to actually grab that thing? The beauty of human nature: People go for it.
MR. HUGHLEY: It's all -- invariably.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Right? Yeah.
MR. HUGHLEY: One -- it's -- it's one of the -- somebody once said that you give information with a spoon and not a hammer. You know what I mean?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That's right.
MR. HUGHLEY: It has to be digestible. You have to understand it. And I think that things like this being accessible, answering some of those questions, having -- addressing some of those concerns. Of course, you're going to do this a lot. But, one, I'm glad to be here with you. I'm glad it's .
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I'm glad you are, D.L. And I'm glad you got some steak last night.
MR. HUGHLEY: I'm going to get some today too. And is weed legal? I'm just playing.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I mean here. I mean -- -- I mean, you said "steak." Let's -- I -- every time I -- I have a conversation -- a chance to engage with you, I come away even a more fervent supporter.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you.
MR. HUGHLEY: I think -- I think what you're doing is only a tip of the iceberg in terms of what you're going to be able to accomplish. So, thank you --
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I appreciate it.
MR. HUGHLEY: -- for allowing me to be here. Thank you for being here.
Madam Vice President of the United States of America.
END 1:05 P.M. CDT
# # #
May 17, 2024
President Biden believes every student deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them to be the next generation of leaders. Today, on the 70 th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, which outlawed racially segregated schools – deeming them unequal and unconstitutional – the Biden-Harris Administration highlights new actions with the release of additional funding and resources to support school diversity and advance the goal that all students have access to a world-class education.
Research shows that racial achievement gaps are strongly associated with school segregation, in turn because schools with high concentrations of Black and Latino students receive fewer resources. The desegregation of schools that followed Brown led to a 30 percent increase in graduation rates for Black students and a 22 percent increase for Latino students. As school districts were released from court-ordered desegregation, research shows that in the 1960 s and 1970 s, school integration increased rapidly, but that trend has reversed in the past two decades when both racial and economic segregation increased . For example, segregation between white and Black students is up 64 percent since 1988, while segregation by economic status has grown by 50 percent
since 1991. According to the U.S. Department of Education's State of School Diversity Report , racially and socioeconomically isolated schools often lack critical resources and learning experiences and opportunities that prepare students for college and career success. The Department of Education report found that three in five Black and Latino students and two in five American Indian/Alaska Native students attend schools where at least 75% of students are students of color and 42% of white students attend schools where students of color make up less than 25% of the population.
The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring the educational success of every child, and to address racial segregation in our schools that leads to worse educational outcomes for children, including through investments in local efforts to increase diversity and equal opportunity. The Administration is focused on academic acceleration and has made record levels of investment in K-12 schools and institutions of higher education to help improve opportunity for all. This includes supporting districts as they work to strengthen and diversify the education profession, enrich educational experiences, and improve school climate and conditions for robust learning.
New Actions to Advance Racial and Educational Equity
To advance racial and educational equity and continue the work of Brown to support educational opportunity for all students, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the following new actions today:
New Magnet School Grants. The Department of Education's Magnet Schools Assistance Program will invest $20 million in new awards for school districts in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas to establish magnet programs designed to further desegregate public schools by attracting students from different social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. The President's 2025 budget request includes $139 million for MSAP and $10 million to continue investments in the Fostering Diverse Schools program.
Establishing a new technical assistance center to help states and school districts provide more equitable and adequate approaches to school funding. The U.S. Department of Education announced a new Technical Assistance Center on Fiscal Equity as part of the Comprehensive Centers Program. The Center on Fiscal Equity will provide capacity-building services to support states and school districts build equitable and adequate resource allocation strategies, improve the quality and transparency of fiscal data, and prioritize supports for students and communities with the greatest need.
New Data on Equal Access to Math and Science Courses. The Department of Education Office for Civil Rights is releasing a new Civil Rights Data Collection report highlighting students' access to and enrollment in mathematics, science, and computer science courses and academic programs, drawing from information in the 2020-21 Civil Rights Data Collection . The report reflects stark continuing racial inequities in access to math, science, and computer science courses for students in high schools with high concentrations of Black and Latino students.
Preserving African American History. To further advance the President's Executive Order on Promoting the Arts, the Humanities, and Museum and Library Services, the Administration is launching an interagency process to develop new actions by the Federal Government to preserve African American history – including preserving historic sites, protecting and increasing access to literature, and ensuring the public, including students, has continuing access to resources. This effort will bolster African American history and culture as integral, indelible parts of American history.
Investing in Underserved Schools
Under the American Rescue Plan, the nation's schools received $130 billion in funding – the most in our Nation's history – with a focus on undeserved schools. The American Rescue Plan also included new requirements that have driven nearly $800 million in State additional education funding, above and beyond the federal investment, to the most underserved school by protecting schools with high rates of poverty from reductions in State and local education funding.
To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has secured nearly $2 billion in additional Title I funding to support our schools with the highest need, for a record $18.4 billion in annual funding.
The Biden-Harris Administration has also increased funding for Full-Service Community Schools five-fold, from $30 million in Fiscal Year 2021 to $150 million in FY 2024 so that underserved schools, including those that serve a majority of students of color, have the additional resources they need to help deliver more services to students and their families, such as health care, housing, and child care, to close resource and opportunity gaps.
Increasing Teacher Diversity
Research indicates that educator diversity can improve student achievement and help close achievement gaps. For example, one study found that Black students randomly assigned to at least one Black teacher in grades K-3 were nearly 19% more likely to enroll in college than their same-school, same-race peers.
The Administration is prioritizing efforts to increase educator diversity across 15 competitive grant programs that support teacher preparation, development, recruitment, and retention. These programs awarded nearly $450 million to 263 grantees, 92 percent of which were to grantees that addressed specific priorities related to educator diversity.
The Administration secured and awarded a total of more than $23 million in first-time ever funding for the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence Grant program which provides grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities , Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities , and Minority Serving Institutions for teacher preparation programs to increase the number of well-prepared teachers, including teachers of color and multilingual educators.
Strengthening School Diversity
During this Administration, the Department of Education is investing more than $300 million in programs that increase school diversity This includes increased investment in the Magnet Schools Assistance Program , which aims to reduce racial isolation, including by creating highly effective schools, and the creation of the Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Program , a new initiative to increase school socioeconomic diversity, which awarded more than $14 million in new grants.
In August 2023 after the Supreme Court effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions, the Department of Education released a Dear Colleague Letter on Race and School Programming to guide schools on lawful programs to promote racially inclusive school communities and, along with the Department of Justice, a Dear Colleague Letter and a Questions and Answers Resource to help colleges and universities understand the Supreme Court's decision as they continue to pursue campuses that are racially diverse and that include students with a range of viewpoints, talents, backgrounds, and experiences. The Department of Education published a resource summarizing specific
guidance describing Federal legal obligations to ensure that all students have equal access to education regardless of race, color, or national origin.
The Department of Education issued a new rule requiring, among other things, many Charter School Program applicants to assure that proposed charter schools would not negatively affect any desegregation efforts in the communities in which charters are to be located.
Closing the School Readiness Gap
Because of the legacy of discrimination, Black children start school on average nearly seven months behind their white peers in reading. One study finds that one year of universal high-quality pre-K could eliminate most of that gap. Others indicate that students who go to preschool are nearly 50% more likely to finish high school and go on to a college degree. Each of the President's budgets have included proposals that would provide preschool to every four-year-old in the country. In addition:
President Biden has secured an additional $1.5 billion for Head Start and nearly a 50% increase in funding for the Child Care & Development Block Grant program, which helps low-income families afford child care. Approximately 30% of children and families receiving high-quality Head Start services are Black and close to 40% of families benefiting from CCBDG are Black.
The American Rescue Plan provided $24 billion to stabilize child care. Over 44% of programs that received assistance were owned or operated by people of color and 53% of providers receiving stabilization funds were operating in the most racially diverse counties.
The Department of Education released guidance on how districts can leverage the increases the President has secured for Title I to expand access to high-quality preschool services, including through partnerships with Head Start programs. This is the first Department of Education preschool guidance in more than a decade.
May 17, 2024
Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's Meeting with Foreign Minister Diana Mondino and Chief of Cabinet Nicol's Posse of Argentina
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met yesterday with Foreign Minister Diana Mondino and Chief of Cabinet Nicol's Posse of Argentina at the White House to reaffirm the strong partnership between our two countries.
The National Security Advisor recognized President Milei's ongoing efforts to stabilize Argentina's economy and reviewed areas where the United States and Argentina can strengthen their economic cooperation, including on mobilizing private sector investment in Argentina's clean energy and technology sectors. The National Security Advisor also congratulated Argentina on the recent purchase of F-16 s from Denmark, and discussed further opportunities to deepen our security and defense partnership.
Additionally, they discussed ways to bolster cooperation to address important regional and global challenges, including ongoing efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and secure a ceasefire and hostage deal that would bring hostages home, including those from the United States and Argentina. National Security Advisor Sullivan thanked Argentina for speaking out to support democracy in Venezuela and condemn Russia's war against Ukraine.
May 17, 2024
On the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, my Administration stands in support and solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex people around the world as they seek to live full lives, free from violence and discrimination. This is a matter of human rights, plain and simple. The United States applauds those individuals and groups worldwide working to defend the rights of LGBTQI+ people wherever they are under threat. And we are grateful for the contributions that LGBTQI+ people make every day across our nation.
From Day One of my presidency, my Administration has made advancing the human rights of LGBTQI+ people a priority. In my first month in office, I signed a Presidential Memorandum on Advancing the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons Around the World , directing that our diplomacy and development work around the world be conducted in a manner that reflects our commitment to the equal human rights of this population. We have stood up against laws that target LGBTQI+ people for criminal prosecution; worked to protect LGBTQI+ refugees, who are especially vulnerable to exploitation and abuse; and launched a Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally , to ensure that our
efforts to confront the scourge of gender-based violence address the unique risks and barriers that LGBTQI+ people face. I also signed an Executive Order directing my Administration to work to prevent the use of so-called "conversion therapy" – an abusive and discredited practice that often targets children. And my Administration continues to engage with governments, faith leaders, families, and communities worldwide to protect and promote respect for human rights, including LGBTQI+ rights.
Efforts like these have yielded tangible results. During the past year, the United States has responded to abuses of LGBTQI+ people abroad. We've developed an approach to foreign assistance that ensures LGBTQI+ people aren't overlooked in our work. We've expanded access for LGBTQI+ people through our refugee programs. And the Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons , whom I appointed, is driving rapid response to proposed anti-LGBTQI+ legislation around the world. We've seen how American leadership makes a difference; over the past decade, a growing number of nations have decriminalized same-sex conduct, often with the encouragement of the United States.
Yet we know there is much more to do. LGBTQI+ communities around the world still face hate-fueled violence and discrimination. They still struggle to attain equal access to healthcare, housing, employment, education, and justice. Like all human beings, LGBTQI+ people deserve equality – equal rights, equal citizenship, equal dignity. It is our shared moral responsibility to fight back against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia, just as we must fight back against all hate-fueled violence, at home and abroad.
Today marks the 30^th anniversary of when the World Health Organization made the wise and overdue decision to declassify 'homosexuality' as a mental disorder. That was a victory for LGBTQI+ people and human rights defenders everywhere. 30 years later, the work of equality continues. The Biden-Harris Administration is proud to be a part of it.
May 17, 2024
On May 21, the President will travel to New Hampshire. After, the President will travel to Boston, Massachusetts.
Additional details to follow.