MILWAUKEE—The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today previewed the official program for the final night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention, which took place Thursday, August 20 from 9:00-11:00 PM Eastern.
The theme of Thursday’s program was “America’s Promise.” The measure of a president is the same as the measure of a person: What principles guide them? How do they handle adversity? Being president doesn’t change who you are—it reveals who you are. Joe Biden is a good man who believes in the promise of America, and as president, he will deliver on that promise for all.
A former public defender, a leading senator, and two-term vice president, Joe Biden is one of the most experienced candidates to ever seek the presidency. Throughout his career, he has been tested by historic recessions, global conflicts, pandemics, divisive politics, and the never-ending quest for justice and fairness in America. Every step of the way, he has risen to the moment with steady and effective leadership. When he gets knocked down, he gets back up.
Joe Biden is a leader who believes in America’s Promise—and believes in delivering on that promise for all of us.
Highlights from the program are listed below:
THE PROMISE OF AMERICA
“This Time Next Year”
A collection of everyday Americans and prominent leaders shared where they want to be this time next year—when Joe Biden is president.
Remarks
Andrew Yang
American businessman
Democratic National Convention
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
“Hello America!
I’m Andrew Yang. You might know me as the guy who ran for President talking about MATH and the future. Unfortunately for all of us, that future is now. The pandemic has accelerated everything. If you’re like me and my wife, Evelyn, you don’t know if your child’s school is reopening this fall. 72 percent of Americans believe that this is the worst time we have ever experienced. And 42 percent of the jobs that are now lost—millions of jobs—will never return.
We are in a deep, dark hole, and we need leaders who will help dig us out.
I know many politicians promise and then fail to deliver. I understand if you voted for Trump, or didn’t vote at all, back in 2016. Many of us have gotten tired of our leaders seeming far removed from our everyday lives. We despair that our government will ever rise to the challenges of our time.
But we must give this country a chance to recover—and recovery is only possible with a change of leadership and new ideas. Bold and innovative policies that will get help into your hands in the midst of this crisis are possible—but we need your help to turn the page for our country in 75 days.
We are here tonight to celebrate Joe Biden’s nomination as the Democratic candidate for President. I have gotten to know both Joe and Kamala on the trail over the past year—the way you really get to know a person when the cameras are off, the crowds are gone, and it’s just you and them. They understand the problems we face. They are parents and patriots who want the best for our country. And if we give them the chance, they will fight for us and our families every single day.
Our future is now, and it is daunting. But I ask you tonight to join me to help Joe and Kamala fight for the promise of America, turn the page for our country, and lead us forward to a future we will actually be proud to leave to our children.
And now I’d like to turn it over to a great Democrat who will be with us throughout the evening. Between us we have 11 Emmys—how’s that for math—Julia Louis-Dreyfus! Hi, Julia!
JULIA LOUIS-DREYFUS: Hi, Andrew! I have to ask, what did you think about Kamala
Harris’s speech last night?
ANDREW: Kamala’s great, isn’t she?
JULIA: I cannot wait to see her debate our current Vice President, “Meeka Pints.” Or is it “Paints”?
ANDREW: It’s pronounced “Pahnce,” I believe.
JULIA: It’s some kind of weird foreign name.
ANDREW: Yeah, not very American sounding.
JULIA: That’s what people are saying, strongly. Well, thank you, Andrew. And please give my regards to the Gang!
ANDREW: I will. They’re right in the other room.”
Introduction
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
American actress
Pledge of Allegiance
Cedric Richmond, Jr.
Son of The Honorable Cedric Richmond, Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Louisiana
National Anthem
The Chicks
Natalie Maines, Martie Erwin Maguire, and Emily Strayer
Invocation
Sister Simone Campbell
American Roman Catholic Religious Sister
Remarks
The Honorable Chris Coons
United States Senator, Delaware
Remarks
The Honorable Keisha Lance Bottoms
Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
“I’m Keisha Lance Bottoms, a mother four, and mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, cradle of the civil rights movement and, like so many other cities, a place where the struggle for human dignity continues.
I’m proud to have grown up in this city, educated in its public schools and blessed to have known our “hometown heroes” like Dr. Joseph Lowery, Dr. C. T. Vivian, and our teacher, our friend, our conscience, our congressman, John Lewis.
He walked gently amongst us—not as a distant icon, but as a God-fearing man, doing what he could do to fulfill the as-yet unfulfilled promise of America.
People often think they can’t make a difference like our civil rights icons, but every person in the movement mattered—those who made the sandwiches, swept the church floors, stuffed the envelopes.
They, too, changed America. And so can we! The baton has now been passed to each of us.
We have cried out for justice, we have gathered in our streets to demand change, and now, we must pass on the gift that John Lewis sacrificed to give us, we must register, and we must vote.
In his parting essay written to us, Congressman Lewis expressed his pride in the activism that has swept our country and he reminded us that if we fail to exercise our right to vote, we can lose it.
Indeed, there are those who are disgracefully using this pandemic to spread misinformation and interfere with voting. Forcing many, in 2020, to still risk their lives to exercise their sacred right to vote—a right that has already been paid for with the blood, sweat, tears, and lives of so many.
So, let’s stand up for our children, our children’s children, and for this great democracy that our ancestors worked to build, and let’s vote. And let’s organize to get others to vote with us. You can help make this happen by texting VOTE to 30330.
We know how important it is that we elect real servant leaders, leaders like Joe Biden an Kamala Harris—people of honor and integrity, who hold justice close to their hearts and believe that the lives of my four Black children matter.
In the words of womanist poet Audre Lorde, “Your silence will not protect you.”
Congressman Lewis would not be silenced. And neither can we. Our votes can be our voice!
We cannot wait for some other time, some other place, some other heroes. We must be the heroes of our generation, because we, too, are America!”
A Tribute to John Lewis
Directed by Dawn Porter
Performance
John Legend
American singer-songwriter
Common
American rapper, actor, and writer
Remarks
Jon Meacham
American writer and author
Remarks
The Honorable Deb Halaand
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, New Mexico
Remarks
The Honorable Alex Padilla
California Secretary of State
The Honorable Jocelyn Benson
Michigan Secretary of State
Remarks
The Honorable Cory Booker
United States Senator from New Jersey
Democratic National Convention
Thursday, August 20, 2020
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
“I’m here because a union job lifted my family out of poverty and into the middle class.
My grandfather left the Jim Crow South for Detroit, joined the UAW and got a job on the assembly lines during World War II. That union job enabled him to support his family, raise my mom, and send her to Fisk University.
That’s the American dream. Together we work; together we rise.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris know the dignity of all working Americans; they know the urgency and the demand of our dream.
But working people are under attack, the wealth gap grows, our middle class shrinks, and poverty persists. Last week, Donald Trump said “our economy is doing good,” while 40 million Americans are at risk of losing their homes. Thirty million aren’t getting enough food to eat and 5.4 million people have lost their health care because of this crisis.
He has failed us.
But still, I believe in the dream of our ancestors.
Together, with Joe and Kamala in the White House, we’ll raise the minimum wage so no one who works a full-time job lives in poverty.
Together, we’ll fight for those who keep us healthy; who keep us safe; who teach our kids.
We’ll stand for those who cook, and serve, and clean; who plant and harvest; who pack and always deliver, whose hands are thick with calluses, like my grandad’s who held mine when I was a boy. If he was alive, Joe and Kamala, he would be so proud of you—and he’d tell us, take another by the hand, and another, and let’s get to work, this dream ain’t free, you gotta work for it.
So like his generation, up out of the Depression; let’s now work together and stand together and America, together, we will rise.”
“You Built America”: A Conversation on the Economy with Vice President Biden
Joe Biden listens to, and engages with, union workers around how to build an economy that rewards work.
Remarks
Dr. Vivek Murthy
Former Surgeon General of the United States
Remarks
The Honorable Tammy Baldwin
United States Senator, Wisconsin
United States Senator from Wisconsin
Democratic National Convention
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
“Hi, I’m Senator Tammy Baldwin.
When I was nine years old, I got sick. Really sick. I was hospitalized. But since my grandparents were the ones raising me—and our family’s health plan didn’t cover grandkids—they were forced to pay out of pocket for my three-month hospital stay.
I got better. But the insurance companies didn’t. They refused to cover me at any cost—because I was marked “child with a pre-existing condition.”
We all have stories like this. Stories about a time when the system was rigged against us. When we were counted out, left out, pushed out.
Just think of what we’ve heard these past four days. Health care professionals who don’t have the protective gear they need. Young people whose asthma will get worse as our air quality does. Workers who are afraid of losing their jobs.
Each story begs this simple, fundamental question—a question that gets to the heart of the choice in this election: what kind of country do we want to be?
Do we want to be a country where millionaires get to dodge taxes or one where working families get a break?
Do we want to be a country where medical bills bury people in debt or one where health care is affordable for all?
Where tens of thousands of people die from a virus or one where the American dream lives?
Where “We the People” means just certain people or one where “We the People” means all the people?
I think we know the answer to that fundamental question—because most of us want the same things: good schools in our neighborhoods, racial justice, the freedom to love who we want, dignity in our work, and an economy where small businesses and working families thrive.
And over the past months, we’ve added to that list: a nation free from COVID.
That’s why Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the only answer in this election. Trust me, they are. You see, there’s another part of my story.
The part where I ran for office. The part where I served in Congress. The part where I worked with Joe Biden and Barack Obama to make sure kids—and grandkids, if they’re dependents—can stay on their parents’ health insurance until they are 26.
We got that done. And, yes, it was a big deal.
That’s the America I know. That’s the America I love. And that’s the America we will be with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the White House.
A nation that plans. A nation that builds. A nation that builds back. Say it with me there at home, a nation that builds back better.
Here in Wisconsin, our state motto is just one word: “forward.” This November, let’s move forward and never look back.
Thank you.”
The Biden Plan: Military Families
A video that focuses on Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden’s deep commitment to military families.
Remarks
The Honorable Tammy Duckworth
United States Senator from Illinois
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
“Good evening. I’m Tammy Duckworth.
When I first enlisted in the Army, I was eager to serve my country… yet anxious whether I’d be able to earn my way into the ranks.
But I earned my wings and later commanded my own air assault unit, learning that serving—and leading—in the military is both a privilege and a sacrifice.
To be a commander, you must always put your Troops first—because one day, you may order them to sacrifice everything for our great nation.
To do that, leaders must command their Troops’ respect—and be worthy of their pledge to protect and defend our Constitution, no matter the cost.
But military service doesn’t just take sacrifice from those in uniform—it’s required from their families, too.
My husband Bryan was the one who rushed to Walter Reed after I was wounded in Iraq.
He was the one holding my hand, waiting for me to wake up…
…when I finally did, he was my rock, getting me through those hours… weeks… months of unspeakable pain and unending surgeries.
He was my anchor as I relearned to walk, helping me through every step… every stumble.
Our military spouses hold their families together… praying for their loved one’s safety wherever they’re deployed, serving as caregivers to our disabled servicemembers, then picking up the pieces and starting again whenever the next tour… or the next war… arises.
Joe Biden understands these sacrifices, because he’s made them himself.
When his son Beau deployed to Iraq, his burden was also shouldered by his family.
Joe knows the fear military families live with because he’s felt that dread of never knowing if your deployed loved one is safe.
He understands their bravery because he had to muster that same strength every hour of every day Beau was overseas.
That’s the kind of leader our servicemembers deserve: one who understands the risks they face and who would actually protect them by doing his job as Commander-in-Chief.
Instead they have a Coward-in-Chief who won’t stand up to Vladamir Putin, read his daily intelligence briefings or even publicly admonish adversaries for reportedly putting bounties on our troops’ heads.
As President, Joe Biden would never let tyrants manipulate him like a puppet.
He would never pervert our military to stroke his own ego.
He would never turn his back on our troops or threaten them against Americans peacefully exercising their Constitutional rights.
Joe Biden would stand up for what’s right… stand tall for our troops… and stand strong against our enemies.
Because unlike Trump, Joe Biden has common decency.
He has common sense.
He can command… from both experience and from strength.
Donald Trump doesn’t deserve to call himself Commander-in-Chief for another four minutes—let alone another four years.
Our troops deserve better.
Our country deserves better.
If you agree, text “MORE” to 3-0-3-3-0 to elect Joe Biden: a leader who actually cares enough about America to lead.”
A Tribute to Beau Biden
A video that focused on the remarkable life and career of Beau Biden.
Remarks
The Honorable Pete Buttigieg
Former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
“Good evening. Beau Biden lived a life of service, in office and in uniform. When you put your life on the line for your country—especially this country—you do it not because it’s a country you live in, but because it’s a country you believe in.
I believe in this country because America, uniquely, holds the promise of a place where everyone can belong. We know that for too many and for too long, that promise has gone unrealized. But we also know America has been at its best whenever we make that circle of belonging wider.
For me, it’s personal. Just over 10 years ago, I joined a military where firing me because of who I am wasn’t just possible—it was policy. Now in 2020, it is unlawful in America to fire anyone because of who they are or who they love. The very ring on my finger reflects how this country can change. Love makes my marriage real, but political courage made it possible—including that of Joe Biden, who stepped out ahead of even this party when he said that marriage equality should be the law of the land.
If so much can change between 2010 and 2020, imagine what 2030 could look like. Imagine what we could achieve—the coalition we are building this very season, gathering progressives and moderates, independents and even “former Republicans,” to help build a future where everyone belongs.
It starts here—with the choices we are going to make in just a few weeks. Decisions not just about who will lead us, but about who we are.
Joe Biden is right: this is a contest for the soul of the nation. And to me, that contest is not between good Americans and evil Americans. It’s the struggle to call out what is good—what is best—in every American.
Every American must now decide. Can America be a place where faith is about healing and not exclusion? Can we become a country that lives up to the truth that Black Lives Matter? Will we handle questions of science and medicine by turning to scientists and doctors? What will we do to make America into a land where no one who works full time can live in poverty?
I trust Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to guide this nation toward that better future, because I have seen their commitment, and their empathy, up close. And I trust the capacity of America to grow more inclusive, because I have lived it.
The day I was born, close to where I’m standing, here in South Bend, the idea of an “out” candidate seeking any federal office at all was laughable. Yet earlier this year I campaigned for the presidency, often with my husband at my side, winning delegates to this very convention.
Now, I proudly support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. In doing so I am joining fellow Democrats who were squaring off in competition just a few months ago. A number of us recently got together to talk about the Joe we know.”
“United We Stand”
Joe Biden through the eyes of those who ran against him in 2020—featuring Senator Cory Booker, Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Former Congressman Beto O’Rourke, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Yang.
Remarks
The Honorable Michael Bloomberg
Former Mayor of New York City, New York
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
“Good evening.
I’ve never been much for partisan politics. I’ve supported Democrats, Republicans, and independents. Hell—I’ve actually been a Democrat, Republican, and independent.
To me, elections are about people. And the two people running for president couldn’t be more different. One believes in facts. One does not. One listens to experts—the other thinks he knows everything. One looks forward—and sees strength in America’s diversity. The other looks backwards—and sees immigrants as enemies and white supremacists as allies.
Here’s another difference: One has proven he knows how to handle a crisis by helping to lead the economic turnaround after the 2008 recession, while the other has not only failed to lead, he has made the current crisis much worse.
When confronted with the biggest calamity any president has faced in the modern era, Donald Trump spent the year downplaying the threat, ignoring science, and recommending quack cures, which let COVID-19 spread much faster than it should’ve, leaving hundreds of thousands needlessly sick or dead. He has failed the American people, catastrophically.
Four years ago, I came before this very convention and said New Yorkers know a con when we see one. But tonight I’m not asking you to vote against Trump because he’s a bad guy. I’m urging you to vote against him because he’s done a bad job.
Today, unemployment is at historic highs. And small businesses are struggling just to survive. It didn’t have to be this way.
Before I ran for mayor, I spent 20 years running a business I started from scratch. So I want to ask small business owners and their employees one question, and it’s a question for everyone: Would you rehire, or work for, someone who ran your business into the ground? And who always does what’s best for him or her—even when it hurts the company? And whose reckless decisions put you in danger? And who spends more time tweeting than working?!
If the answer is no, why the hell would we ever rehire Donald Trump for another four years?!
Trump says we should vote for him because he’s a great businessman. Really?! He drove his companies into bankruptcy six times, always leaving behind customers and contractors who were cheated and swindled and stopped doing business with him.
Well, this time, all of us are paying the price. And we can’t let him get away with it again.
Donald says we should vote for him because the economy was great before the virus. Huh?! Biden and Obama created more jobs over their last three years than the Trump administration did over their first three, and economic growth was higher under Biden and Obama than under Trump. In fact, while Biden helped save one million auto industry jobs, Trump has lost 250,000 manufacturing jobs.
So when Trump says he wants to Make America Great Again, he’s making a pretty good case for Joe Biden. Look, our goal shouldn’t be to bring back the pre-pandemic economy. It should be, as Joe says, to build it back better.
Joe’s economic plan will create clean energy jobs that help fight another crisis that Trump is ignoring: climate change. And Joe will rebuild our crumbling roads and bridges, something Trump has incessantly talked about doing. But in the last three and half years, he hasn’t done anything. What a joke!
And let me tell you a little secret: Donald Trump’s economic plan was to give a huge tax cut to guys like me who didn’t need it, and then lie about it to everyone else.
Well, Joe will roll back that tax cut I got so we can fund things our whole country needs, like training for adults who have lost jobs. And making college more affordable. And investing in American research and development so that the products of tomorrow are made here today, by American workers.
You know, growing up, I was taught to believe that America is the greatest country in the world, not because we won the Second World War, but because of why we fought it: for freedom, democracy, and equality.
My favorite childhood book was called Johnny Tremain, about a Boston boy who joins the Sons of Liberty at the dawn of the American Revolution. At the end of the book, Johnny stands on Lexington Commons and sees a nation that is, quote: “green with spring, dreaming of the future.”
That’s the America I know and love. And that’s the America we are in danger of losing under this president. So let’s put an end to this whole sorry chapter in American history and elect leaders who will bring integrity, stability, sanity, and competence back to the White House.
Joe and Kamala, go get ’em. For all of us.”
The Biden Grandchildren
A video focused on Joe Biden’s family—and in particular his grandchildren, and their close bond.
Remarks
The Biden Children
Ashley Biden and Hunter Biden tell us about their father.
Biden Introduction
The story of Joe Biden’s life, up to this moment—from his parents, to his upbringing, to his greatest challenges, to his biggest successes, to the type of leader, father, husband, and person that he is.
Remarks
The Honorable Joe Biden
2020 Democratic Nominee for President of the United States
Former Vice President of the United States
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
“Good evening.
Ella Baker, a giant of the civil rights movement, left us with this wisdom: Give people light and they will find a way.
Give people light.
Those are words for our time.
The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division.
Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us not the worst. I will be an ally of the light not of the darkness.
It’s time for us, for We the People, to come together.
For make no mistake. United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America. We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege.
I am a proud Democrat and I will be proud to carry the banner of our party into the general election. So, it is with great honor and humility that I accept this nomination for President of the United States of America.
But while I will be a Democratic candidate, I will be an American president. I will work as hard for those who didn’t support me as I will for those who did.
That’s the job of a president. To represent all of us, not just our base or our party. This is not a partisan moment. This must be an American moment.
It’s a moment that calls for hope and light and love. Hope for our futures, light to see our way forward, and love for one another.
America isn’t just a collection of clashing interests of Red States or Blue States.
We’re so much bigger than that.
We’re so much better than that.
Nearly a century ago, Franklin Roosevelt pledged a New Deal in a time of massive unemployment, uncertainty, and fear.
Stricken by disease, stricken by a virus, FDR insisted that he would recover and prevail and he believed America could as well.
And he did.
And so can we.
This campaign isn’t just about winning votes.
It’s about winning the heart, and yes, the soul of America.
Winning it for the generous among us, not the selfish. Winning it for the workers who keep this country going, not just the privileged few at the top. Winning it for those communities who have known the injustice of the “knee on the neck”. For all the young people who have known only an America of rising inequity and shrinking opportunity.
They deserve to experience America’s promise in full.
No generation ever knows what history will ask of it. All we can ever know is whether we’ll be ready when that moment arrives.
And now history has delivered us to one of the most difficult moments America has ever faced.
Four historic crises. All at the same time. A perfect storm.
The worst pandemic in over 100 years. The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
The most compelling call for racial justice since the 60’s. And the undeniable realities and accelerating threats of climate change.
So, the question for us is simple: Are we ready?
I believe we are.
We must be.
All elections are important. But we know in our bones this one is more consequential.
America is at an inflection point. A time of real peril, but of extraordinary possibilities.
We can choose the path of becoming angrier, less hopeful, and more divided.
A path of shadow and suspicion.
Or we can choose a different path, and together, take this chance to heal, to be reborn, to unite. A path of hope and light.
This is a life-changing election that will determine America’s future for a very long time.
Character is on the ballot. Compassion is on the ballot. Decency, science, democracy.
They are all on the ballot.
Who we are as a nation. What we stand for. And, most importantly, who we want to be.
That’s all on the ballot.
And the choice could not be clearer.
No rhetoric is needed.
Just judge this president on the facts.
5 million Americans infected with COVID-19.
More than 170,000 Americans have died.
By far the worst performance of any nation on Earth.
More than 50 million people have filed for unemployment this year.
More than 10 million people are going to lose their health insurance this year.
Nearly one in 6 small businesses have closed this year.
If this president is re-elected we know what will happen.
Cases and deaths will remain far too high.
More mom and pop businesses will close their doors for good.
Working families will struggle to get by, and yet, the wealthiest one percent will get tens of billions of dollars in new tax breaks.
And the assault on the Affordable Care Act will continue until its destroyed, taking insurance away from more than 20 million people – including more than 15 million people on Medicaid – and getting rid of the protections that President Obama and I passed for people who suffer from a pre-existing condition.
And speaking of President Obama, a man I was honored to serve alongside for 8 years as Vice President. Let me take this moment to say something we don’t say nearly enough.
Thank you, Mr. President. You were a great president. A president our children could – and did – look up to.
No one will say that about the current occupant of the office.
What we know about this president is if he’s given four more years he will be what he’s been the last four years.
A president who takes no responsibility, refuses to lead, blames others, cozies up to dictators, and fans the flames of hate and division.
He will wake up every day believing the job is all about him. Never about you.
Is that the America you want for you, your family, your children?
I see a different America.
One that is generous and strong.
Selfless and humble.
It’s an America we can rebuild together.
As president, the first step I will take will be to get control of the virus that’s ruined so many lives.
Because I understand something this president doesn’t.
We will never get our economy back on track, we will never get our kids safely back to school, we will never have our lives back, until we deal with this virus.
The tragedy of where we are today is it didn’t have to be this bad.
Just look around.
It’s not this bad in Canada. Or Europe. Or Japan. Or almost anywhere else in the world.
The President keeps telling us the virus is going to disappear. He keeps waiting for a miracle. Well, I have news for him, no miracle is coming.
We lead the world in confirmed cases. We lead the world in deaths.
Our economy is in tatters, with Black, Latino, Asian American, and Native American communities bearing the brunt of it.
And after all this time, the president still does not have a plan.
Well, I do.
If I’m president on day one we’ll implement the national strategy I’ve been laying out since March.
We’ll develop and deploy rapid tests with results available immediately.
We’ll make the medical supplies and protective equipment our country needs. And we’ll make them here in America. So we will never again be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries in order to protect our own people.
We’ll make sure our schools have the resources they need to be open, safe, and effective.
We’ll put the politics aside and take the muzzle off our experts so the public gets the information they need and deserve. The honest, unvarnished truth. They can deal with that.
We’ll have a national mandate to wear a mask-not as a burden, but to protect each other.
It’s a patriotic duty.
In short, I will do what we should have done from the very beginning.
Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to this nation.
He failed to protect us.
He failed to protect America.
And, my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable.
As president, I will make you this promise: I will protect America. I will defend us from every attack. Seen. And unseen. Always. Without exception. Every time.
Look, I understand it’s hard to have hope right now.
On this summer night, let me take a moment to speak to those of you who have lost the most.
I know how it feels to lose someone you love. I know that deep black hole that opens up in your chest. That you feel your whole being is sucked into it. I know how mean and cruel and unfair life can be sometimes.
But I’ve learned two things.
First, your loved ones may have left this Earth but they never leave your heart. They will always be with you.
And second, I found the best way through pain and loss and grief is to find purpose.
As God’s children each of us have a purpose in our lives.
And we have a great purpose as a nation: To open the doors of opportunity to all Americans. To save our democracy. To be a light to the world once again.
To finally live up to and make real the words written in the sacred documents that founded this nation that all men and women are created equal. Endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
You know, my Dad was an honorable, decent man.
He got knocked down a few times pretty hard, but always got up.
He worked hard and built a great middle-class life for our family.
He used to say, “Joey, I don’t expect the government to solve my problems, but I expect it to understand them.”
And then he would say: “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity. It’s about respect. It’s about your place in your community. It’s about looking your kids in the eye and say, honey, it’s going to be okay.”
I’ve never forgotten those lessons.
That’s why my economic plan is all about jobs, dignity, respect, and community. Together, we can, and we will, rebuild our economy. And when we do, we’ll not only build it back, we’ll build it back better.
With modern roads, bridges, highways, broadband, ports and airports as a new foundation for economic growth. With pipes that transport clean water to every community. With 5 million new manufacturing and technology jobs so the future is made in America.
With a health care system that lowers premiums, deductibles, and drug prices by building on the Affordable Care Act he’s trying to rip away.
With an education system that trains our people for the best jobs of the 21st century, where cost doesn’t prevent young people from going to college, and student debt doesn’t crush them when they get out.
With child care and elder care that make it possible for parents to go to work and for the elderly to stay in their homes with dignity. With an immigration system that powers our economy and reflects our values. With newly empowered labor unions. With equal pay for women. With rising wages you can raise a family on. Yes, we’re going to do more than praise our essential workers. We’re finally going to pay them.
We can, and we will, deal with climate change. It’s not only a crisis, it’s an enormous opportunity. An opportunity for America to lead the world in clean energy and create millions of new good-paying jobs in the process.
And we can pay for these investments by ending loopholes and the president’s $1.3 trillion tax giveaway to the wealthiest 1 percent and the biggest, most profitable corporations, some of which pay no tax at all.
Because we don’t need a tax code that rewards wealth more than it rewards work. I’m not looking to punish anyone. Far from it. But it’s long past time the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations in this country paid their fair share.
For our seniors, Social Security is a sacred obligation, a sacred promise made. The current president is threatening to break that promise. He’s proposing to eliminate the tax that pays for almost half of Social Security without any way of making up for that lost revenue.
I will not let it happen. If I’m your president, we’re going to protect Social Security and Medicare. You have my word.
One of the most powerful voices we hear in the country today is from our young people. They’re speaking to the inequity and injustice that has grown up in America. Economic injustice. Racial injustice. Environmental injustice.
I hear their voices and if you listen, you can hear them too. And whether it’s the existential threat posed by climate change, the daily fear of being gunned down in school, or the inability to get started in their first job — it will be the work of the next president to restore the promise of America to everyone.
I won’t have to do it alone. Because I will have a great Vice President at my side. Senator Kamala Harris. She is a powerful voice for this nation. Her story is the American story. She knows about all the obstacles thrown in the way of so many in our country. Women, Black women, Black Americans, South Asian Americans, immigrants, the left-out and left-behind.
But she’s overcome every obstacle she’s ever faced. No one’s been tougher on the big banks or the gun lobby. No one’s been tougher in calling out this current administration for its extremism, its failure to follow the law, and its failure to simply tell the truth.
Kamala and I both draw strength from our families. For Kamala, it’s Doug and their families.
For me, it’s Jill and ours.
No man deserves one great love in his life. But I’ve known two. After losing my first wife in a car accident, Jill came into my life and put our family back together.
She’s an educator. A mom. A military Mom. And an unstoppable force. If she puts her mind to it, just get out of the way. Because she’s going to get it done. She was a great Second Lady and she will make a great First Lady for this nation, she loves this country so much.
And I will have the strength that can only come from family. Hunter, Ashley and all our grandchildren, my brothers, my sister. They give me courage and lift me up.
And while he is no longer with us, Beau inspires me every day.
Beau served our nation in uniform. A decorated Iraq war veteran.
So I take very personally the profound responsibility of serving as Commander in Chief.
I will be a president who will stand with our allies and friends. I will make it clear to our adversaries the days of cozying up to dictators are over.
Under President Biden, America will not turn a blind eye to Russian bounties on the heads of American soldiers. Nor will I put up with foreign interference in our most sacred democratic exercise – voting.
I will stand always for our values of human rights and dignity. And I will work in common purpose for a more secure, peaceful, and prosperous world.
History has thrust one more urgent task on us. Will we be the generation that finally wipes the stain of racism from our national character?
I believe we’re up to it.
I believe we’re ready.
Just a week ago yesterday was the third anniversary of the events in Charlottesville.
Remember seeing those neo-Nazis and Klansmen and white supremacists coming out of the fields with lighted torches? Veins bulging? Spewing the same anti-Semitic bile heard across Europe in the ’30s?
Remember the violent clash that ensued between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it?
Remember what the president said?
There were quote, “very fine people on both sides.”
It was a wake-up call for us as a country.
And for me, a call to action. At that moment, I knew I’d have to run. My father taught us that silence was complicity. And I could not remain silent or complicit.
At the time, I said we were in a battle for the soul of this nation.
And we are.
One of the most important conversations I’ve had this entire campaign is with someone who is too young to vote.
I met with six-year old Gianna Floyd, a day before her Daddy George Floyd was laid to rest.
She is incredibly brave.
I’ll never forget.
When I leaned down to speak with her, she looked into my eyes and said “Daddy, changed the world.”
Her words burrowed deep into my heart.
Maybe George Floyd’s murder was the breaking point.
Maybe John Lewis’ passing the inspiration.
However it has come to be, America is ready to in John’s words, to lay down “the heavy burdens of hate at last” and to do the hard work of rooting out our systemic racism.
America’s history tells us that it has been in our darkest moments that we’ve made our greatest progress. That we’ve found the light. And in this dark moment, I believe we are poised to make great progress again. That we can find the light once more.
I have always believed you can define America in one word: Possibilities.
That in America, everyone, and I mean everyone, should be given the opportunity to go as far as their dreams and God-given ability will take them.
We can never lose that. In times as challenging as these, I believe there is only one way forward. As a united America. United in our pursuit of a more perfect Union. United in our dreams of a better future for us and for our children. United in our determination to make the coming years bright.
Are we ready?
I believe we are.
This is a great nation.
And we are a good and decent people.
This is the United States of America.
And there has never been anything we’ve been unable to accomplish when we’ve done it together.
The Irish poet Seamus Heaney once wrote:
“History says,
Don’t hope on this side of the grave,
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme”
This is our moment to make hope and history rhyme.
With passion and purpose, let us begin – you and I together, one nation, under God – united in our love for America and united in our love for each other.
For love is more powerful than hate.
Hope is more powerful than fear.
Light is more powerful than dark.
This is our moment.
This is our mission.
May history be able to say that the end of this chapter of American darkness began here tonight as love and hope and light joined in the battle for the soul of the nation.
And this is a battle that we, together, will win.
I promise you.
Thank you.
And may God bless you.
And may God protect our troops.”
—————-
(Breve resume en español)
Selección de Declaraciones de la Noche Final de la Convención Nacional Demócrata 2020: “Uniendo a los Estados Unidos”
MILWAUKEE—El Comité de la Convención Nacional Demócrata (DNCC, por sus siglas en inglés) publicó una selección de fragmentos de las declaraciones preparadas por los oradores que se dirigieron a la audiencia de la Convención Nacional Demócrata la noche, 20 de agosto, de 9:00 a 11:00 PM ET.
El tema del programa del jueves fue “La Promesa de Estados Unidos”. La medida de un presidente es la misma que la medida de una persona: ¿Qué principios la guían? ¿Cómo se enfrentan a la adversidad? Ser presidente no cambia quién eres, revela quién eres. Joe Biden es un buen hombre que cree en la promesa de Estados Unidos, y como presidente, él cumplirá esa promesa para todos.
A continuación se incluyen fragmentos de discursos seleccionados del programa de esta noche:
ANDREW YANG
“Puede que ustedes me conozcan como el tipo que se postuló para presidente hablando de matemáticas y el futuro. Desafortunadamente para todos nosotros, ese futuro es ahora”.
“He llegado a conocer a Joe y Kamala en la campaña durante el último año, en la forma en que realmente se llega a conocer a una persona cuando las cámaras están apagadas, las multitudes se han ido, y están sólo tu y ellos. Ellos entienden los problemas a los que nos enfrentamos. Son padres y patriotas que quieren lo mejor para nuestro país. Y si les damos la oportunidad, lucharán por nosotros y nuestras familias todos los días”.
ALCALDESA KEISHA LANCE BOTTOMS (Atlanta, Georgia)
“A menudo la gente piensa que no puede hacer una diferencia como nuestros iconos de derechos civiles, pero cada persona en el movimiento importaba: aquellos que hacían los sándwiches, barrían los pisos de las iglesias, llenaban los sobres. Ellos, también, cambiaron a Estados Unidos.”
“Hemos clamado por la justicia, nos hemos reunido en nuestras calles para exigir el cambio, y ahora, debemos transmitir el regalo que John Lewis se sacrificó para darnos, debemos inscribirnos y debemos votar”.
SENADORA TAMMY BALDWIN (Wisconsin)
“Todos tenemos historias como esta. Historias sobre una época en la que el sistema estaba amañado contra nosotros. Cuando nos excluyeron, nos dejaron fuera, nos desplazaron. Solo piensen en lo que hemos escuchado en estos últimos cuatro días.
“Ese es el Estados Unidos en que viviremos con Joe Biden y Kamala Harris en la Casa Blanca. Una nación que planifica. Una nación que construye. Una nación que reconstruye mejor”.
EX ALCALDE PETE BUTTIGIEG (South Bend, Indiana)
“Hace poco más de diez años, me uní a un ejército donde despedirme por lo que soy no sólo era posible, sino una política. Ahora, en 2020, es ilegal en Estados Unidos despedir a cualquiera por lo que es o por a quién ama. Este mismo anillo en mi dedo refleja cómo este país puede cambiar”.
“Todos los estadounidenses deben ahora decidir. ¿Puede Estados Unidos ser un lugar donde la fe tiene que ver con la sanación y no con la exclusión? ¿Podemos convertirnos en un país donde realmente sea verdad que las vidas de los negros importan? ¿Manejaremos los temas de ciencia y medicina recurriendo a científicos y médicos? ¿Qué haremos para convertir a Estados Unidos en una tierra donde nadie que trabaje a tiempo completo pueda vivir en la pobreza?”
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Sobre la convención nacional demócrata
La convención nacional demócrata es el evento formal en el cual los delegados del Partido Demócrata escogen a los nominados del partido para presidente y vicepresidente en las elecciones del 2020. Durante la convención, el Partido Demócrata también adopta la plataforma oficial del Partido Demócrata así como también las reglas y los procedimientos que gobiernan las actividades del partido, incluyendo el proceso de nominación para candidatos presidenciales en el próximo ciclo electoral. www.demconvention.com
