In his farewell speech as he passed the torch to the Democratic Party Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden praised her achievements as Vice President emphasizing that she will be “a historic President who puts her stamp on America’s future.”
Delivering a powerful address on the first day of the Democratic National Convention, on August 19, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois, President Biden remarked, “Her story represents the best American story. And like many of our best Presidents, she was also Vice President. But she’ll be a President our children could look up to. She’ll be a President respected by world leaders, because she already is. She’ll be a President we can all be proud of…”
He asked the audience who were chanting with placards that read, “We Love Joe,” whether they were ready to elect Harris and Walz as President and Vice President. He then added that he would be the “best volunteer” for the Harris-Walz campaign.
“Selecting Kamala was the very first decision I made before I became our nominee. And it was the best decision I made my whole career,” he added while noting that at the White House they had “one of the most extraordinary four years of progress ever…”
He conveyed, “We are uniting the country. We’re growing our economy. We’re improving our quality of life. And we’re building a better America. Because that’s who we are.”
President Biden said they “beat the NRA [National Rifle Association],” when they passed the “first major bipartisan gun safety law in 30 years.” He also emphasized their steadfast commitment “to strengthening legal immigration, including protecting DREAMers and more.”
He went on to say, “We’ve not only gotten to know each other, we’ve become close friends. She’s tough, she’s experienced, and she has enormous integrity.”
President Biden expressed that Harris and Walz will ensure “Childcare Tax Credit permanent,” that will help lift “millions of children out of poverty and helping millions of families get ahead.”
He further said, “They’ll protect Social Security and Medicare… Kamala and Tim will protect your freedom. They’ll protect your vote to right — your right to vote. They’ll protect your civil rights. You know Kamala and Tim will do everything they possibly can — that’s why you have to elect the Senate and the House — to restore Roe v. Wade.”
Reflecting on their time in office, President Biden recalled how the Biden-Harris administration assisted states and cities recover from the pandemic by reopening schools and encouraging public school teachers with a salary raise.
He also noted that more Americans have health insurance now than ever before in US history. As someone who fought for decades to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, Biden highlighted that he has succeeded in defeating Big Pharma with the help of Harris.
“And guess who cast the tie-breaking vote? Vice President and soon-to-be President Kamala Harris,” said President Biden. “And now it’s the law of the land. Instead of paying $400 a month for insulin, seniors with diabetes will pay $35 a month.”
He recalled that former President Donald Trump promised “Infrastructure week,” every week for four years, but he “never built a damn thing.” But right now, “we’re giving America an infrastructure decade, not week.”
He also highlighted that both Harris and him are modernizing roads, bridges, ports, airports, trains, and buses. “We’re removing every lead pipe from schools and homes so every child can drink clean water. We’re providing affordable high-speed Internet for every American, no matter where they live, unlike — not unlike what Roosevelt did with electricity — and so much more.”
He underscored that the murder rate went up 30 percent, the biggest increase in history, during President Trump’s tenure. Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris administration has made the largest investment in public safety ever, he added.
He went on to add, “Now the murder rate is falling faster than any time in history. Violent crime has dropped to the lowest level in more than 50 years, and crime will keep coming down when we put a prosecutor in the Oval Office instead of a convicted felon.”
Regarding the Israel-Hamas war, President Biden said, “We’ll keep working to bring hostages home and end the war in Gaza and bring peace and security to the Middle East.”
However, Indian American Social activist and former Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant who has been protesting against Democratic and Republican candidates Harris and Trump urged people to vote for Presidential Candidate, Jill Stein, to end the war in Gaza.
Sawant, a member of the Socialist Alternative, said, “We have two parties for war mongering Billionaire class. Harris and Trump are both war mongering candidates. Despite some of the differences between them, at the end of the day, the Biden-Harris administration that has presided over the support for this war.”
She noted that after Harris was “anointed,” as the nominee of the Democratic Party, the Biden-Harris administration approved over $20 billion for military aid to Israel.
On August 20th, Sawant and Stein organized a rally in Chicago to “Disrupt the DNC,” and “End the genocidal war on Gaza.”
