Transcripts For CSPAN Campaign 2020 Iowa Democratic Party Wing Ding Event 20240714

And that is the american spirit i met so many islands approached me about gun safety and doing something about background checks and assault weapons ban and magazines. It has been unbelievable. And i told them all the story of when i sat across him the president after parkland, advocated for gun safety. Nine times he said he wanted universal background text. The next day he goes and meets with the nra, and he folds. As your president i will not fold. [cheering] an economic agenda for this company should unite rural and urban. That is why i have been out there talking about yes, the farm bill. Also childcare. We know the issues. Also housing and education. And hospitals and making sure that we have enough mental only 64eds when theyre in the state of bio. That is not acceptable. And i will end this practice of privatizing medicaid. This is wrong in the state of bio. State of iowa. It all starts here with this change. Because you iowa gave us the granger movements that took on those big monopolies, right . Us took up you gave norman bowl off who believes in science. You gave us edna griffin who did not take no for an answer when she wanted to be served in des moines at the height of the civil rights movement. And you gave us abby and cindy and rita and jd that are tainting this country. We have a guy in the white house are changing this country. We have a guy in the white house was afraid of the future. He is afraid of the nra. Hes afraid of science. He is afraid of equal rights. We are not afraid of equal rights. We are not afraid of the future. We are not afraid of women having a seat at the table. [cheering] klobuchar he is afraid of a woman in the white house. We are not afraid of that. He is afraid of working people having the same rights and chance to succeed as wealthy people. We are not afraid. We embrace that right. That is what this is about. He is looking back and he is afraid. We are not. The state. Lly not in so im asking you to join me. Not with fear. Im asking you to join me to build a future free of fear for the future. Lets go and get it done. Thank you, iowa . [cheering] [applause] thank you, iowa o [music] ladies and gentlemen welcome governorage, montana steve bullock. Hello, iowa. About this time of year people, and try to make some attenuated connections iowa. Im not going to tell you my great great grandparents had settled in henry county in 1850. Im not going to talk about the fact that my mother was born in ottumwa. Because that is not why we gather. We gather for the sake of our nation, for the sake of our nations standing in the world. And for the sake of america that we are going to pass onto to the next generation. Bullock we gather to make sure that donald trump is a one term president. [cheers] it is about more than that. It is about soundly rejecting behavior he has normalized. The lies, that are dividing us by race, the height by gender by geography. The twitter tirades. We suspect more out of preschoolers than we do the president of United States. We expect more out of preschoolers. Soundly rejecting the crony capitalism, when the person that actually cleans up pays more than amazon and more than chevron and taxes. We can do a heck of a lot better. [applause] when the generation of workers have been replaced by independent contractors at the same time that you need membership is half of what was in the 1980s. When environmental regulations are being gutted by the polluters because that is what they have asked for. This election is also about fighting back against the distance united. Making the federal government finally work for us not the koch brothers. That is the challenge of my career and the challenge of our time. [applause] first we gotta be donald trump. We have to be clear eyed. If we cannot been when back places we lost, if we can not get people reasons to vote for us not just against him. If we cannot change our strategy is trump could win again. [booing] 2016 i was the only one in the country to get reelected to a state or donald trump one. 25 to 30 of my voters voted for donald trump. The path to victory is not just through the coast or through the urban areas. The path to victory is through iowa, michigan, wisconsin, all across this country. We need to be competitive in the big areas and places just like here. A third of your counties went obama, obama, trump. We gotta be talking about how do we get those voters back. This is not just about the white house. This is about your statehouse as well. [no audio] [applause] [applause] a prochoice, prounion, populist democrat that one three elections in a red state not by compromising values but by getting stuff done. That is how we win back the places we lost. Showing up. Listening. Talking about the challenges of everyday americans. My legislature, guess what, is more republican than yours. Yes. We have been able to expand health care, expand Mental Health care, control costs. We have been able to make record investments in education. We have been able to kick dark money out of our elections. We have been able to do that and more. That is how we do win back the places we lost, getting stuff done. Been in this race for about 10 weeks. Eight trips to iowa. [applause] and the stories i take across this country are the stories i hear from you all. The teacher that has to work a second job to afford insulin from that farmer in iowa who tells me every time trump tweets heat they lose hundreds of thousands of dollars. For the retiree in ottumwa that said to me are voices missing. Revolution. Wait for there challenges are in the here and now. We can beat donald trump. But we needed to be able to give folks a reason to believe the economy and washington, d. C. Will work the economy and washington, d. C. Will work for them. We can take the steps. [applause] we do not do it with plans or press releases are promising everybody free everything. What people want is a fair shot. They want to believe things can get better. We can tackle climate without leaving communitys behind. We can actually invest in education without giving it all away. We can make people finally believe that this works for them. Work progressive is making progress the core of the word progressive is making progress. Joini would ask you to attorney general tom miller and so many others over the next 177 days because you are the ones who actually make these decisions. To se join me, go stevebullock. Com look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail. [applause] [applause] [music] ladies and gentlemen welcome to the stage maryland representative john delaney. Delany good evening wing ding. Good evening the good democrats who are going to send jd shelton to the congress of the United States. [applause] [applause] like it. Ats more how is everyone doing this evening . And about six months you have an awesome responsibility when you go to caucus. I think you have to ask yourself two questions, the first question is what candidate can be donald trump . Thatse we have to send reckless, lawless, dishonorable human being out of the white house as soon as possible. [cheering] but to do that we need a candidate that has an Economic Vision that excites every american. Whether you are in a city or a Rural Community rate and i have been to all 99 counties. So i know what people are talking about. You have to put forth a candidate that has Real Solutions to the challenges we face as a nation. Not impossible promises. You have to put up a candidate that will built a big tent inocratic party, like we did 2018 on a flipped houses piping forth candidates that progressives and moderates and disaffected republicans can get excited about. The second question you have to ask yourself, is who should lead our country . We need leadership badly at this moment in time. We need to reestablish our leadership role around the world. Need a leader who is committed to finding Common Ground and getting things done that matter to hardworking americans at their kitchen table. And you know what we need more than anything we need an individual who will restore to the officenor. F the presidency [applause] and i stand before you iowa because as the journey ive had my own life. And im so grateful for the opportunities this country is given me. To learn and be the first to my family to go to college. To build two businesses and create thousands of jobs. To be married to and extort a woman for 29 years and have four daughters. And the opportunity to serve my country in the congress of the United States. But my story is getting harder to find. Young people today will be the first generation of americans that will not do better than their parents. We are also leaving them debt that they will not be able to repay. Fiscal debt, and climate debts. So i do not believe what the American People need is more gridlock, more partisanship or more rigid ideology. I think you need solutions. I think we need big ideas, like my plan for universal health care. But it preserves choice. I think we need massive investment in our country and infrastructure and basic research, which is why am proposing the largest investment in infrastructure in and research that we have had since the building of the national highway system and the creation of nasa. I think we need Real Solutions to the big issues we face as a nation. And not only is that the right way to govern, it is the right way to win. In 1958, john f. Kennedy looked out at the American People and said, we should not seek the republican answer. We should not seek the democratic answer. We should seek the right answer. And he was right then, and he is right today. [applause] he is right today. [applause] this is the calling of the Democratic Party. To become the party that the American People are so desperately looking for. A party that conducts itself with honor and dignity. And works for hardworking americans. And get things that done that matter in their lives. And leaves us not a here but around the world leads not only here but around the world, by getting back in a things like the Transpacific Partnership that president obama was right about. Every acre in iowa would be worth more if we were in that agreement. That is how we beat trump in iowa. [applause] but this has to be our way forward. Delany i fundamentally believe that our most important responsibility is to lead to leave the world better than we found it. The one thing i want to tell you is this is not about me. All of a great day and our lives, when we realize it is not about us. It is about what we can do for other people. That is why i decided to dedicate the rest of my life to Public Service 10 years ago. To make a difference in the world. So im not running for president just to be your president. I am running for president to do the job. Too late. To get things done. Two lead. To get things done and to restore dignity to the most Sacred Office in the United States of america, the office of the presidency. God bless you iowa. And god bless america. [applause] [applause] [music] ladies and gentlemen welcome colorado senator michael bennet. Thank, iowa for having me here tonight. It has been such a privilege to spend so much time in iowa, to come to understand how seriously you take this refund ability. We have a president in the white house who got that job in a very unusual way. For america. He got that job by dividing one america from another america. Bennet he is trying to keep that power by dividing america from itself. He thinks out there there are 38 of the people that are going to stay with him no matter what. Live in those people rural areas. Which is why it is so important for the Democratic Party to compete in rural iowa and in Rural America in this election. [applause] and everybody in this room knows we have a decision to make about the future of america. Rural america. Of the future of rural colorado and of rural iowa. And if we decide we are good to have a future in rural iowa, we need rural hospitals in rural iowa. [applause] we need broadband in rural iowa. [applause] and we need schools in rural iowa. And when there is one group of kids that have access to preschool, and another group through no fault of their own, that do not, equal is not equal. And when one group of kids has access to teachers and another group of kids cannot even find teachers to live in the community, equal is not equal. And when one group of American Children have the chance to go to college because they have Guidance Counselors and parents that went to college and they live in a city or others went to college, and another group of kids dont, equal is not equal. And that is what we have to be about as democrats in this election. [applause] that is what i have done through to tough National Races in colorado. And that is why my Health Care Plan which i wrote long before i was running for president , starts in Rural America, not in urban america. That is why my climate plan starts in Rural America. Introduced a just broadband bill with your own congressperson in iowa. It is because i believe that we have to compete for these boats and brought these boats in in ruralese votes america. Even more important we need to unite the rest of america and Rural America. And we need a president will go to places where we will never win more than 30 of the boat, and save that we believe in you to. Too. We need a president for whom that is not an afterthought. When that is the principal reason is to take the country away from a divider in chief and put it in the hands of a uniter in chief who knows that our future depends on everybody in this country, no matter where they come from. Repeating the talking points from the Cable Television the night before is not going to be what will change victory for Rural America. These policies well. In the end, i believe, representing a state that is as rural as the state i represent, only one state away from you, that there is much more that unites us than divides us. That americans, no matter where they live, want a government that works again. They want unity, not division. They want progress over gridlock. Above all else, they want to know that we are not going to be the first generation of americans is been said before to leave less opportunity, not more, to the people coming after us. That is what we need to understand is our job in this moment. We cannot put our heads down. We cannot tell ourselves how sorry we are that we are in the position that we are in. We need to see this as an american opportunity, just like our parents and grandparents, who fought to make this country more democratic, more fair and more free. That is what we need to do between now and november. If we do that, we will win and we will be able to govern the United States of america again. Thank you for having me today. Great to see all of you. [applause] [applause] [music] license shall ladies and gentlemen, welcome former colorado governor john hickenlooper. Thank you and good evening. For it isown clear you are also in the cattle business. Im honored to play my part. This last week like every week for the last three years, we are once again been reminded why this campaign is so important. And immoral, unethical dangerous president continues to divide us. In el paso ands dayton are mourning their love ones gunned down in mass shootings. And others in hospital beds recovering from their injuries. We has democrats might have art injury our differences, but we all know who the real opponents is, and we cannot take our eye off the prize. I also think it will be foolish to think this would be easy. The fact is Donald Trumps Approval Rating is 42 today. At the same point in their presidencies, Ronald Reagan was a 43, barack obama was at 44. Both of them were reelected. Both of them where neither of them had an economy is strong as what we have today. So we need to build a strong case to be donald trump. As much as we hate all his divisive racist assaults on our values, that is not going to be enough to win. As much as we are embarrassed and ashamed by his incoherent behavior on the world stage, insulting our allies, embracing our enemies, breaking all of our agreements, that is not enough to when either. It is not nearly enough to point out is sickening, pathetic, narcissism and misogyny. His voters do not care about this. They elected him because he promised he was going to bring back an economy that worked for them. It was a lie, course. But they believed him. My plan to be Donald Trumps to start by looking at our history. I would like to point out one important fact. No sittingsenator, senator has ever beaten an incumbent president. Go backwards from clinton to ragan to carter to roosevelt to woodrow wilson. All former governors. Who defeated incumbent president s. Just want to make that point clear. [laughter] governors are closer to the people. [applause] we balance every budget every year and get things done. As governor of colorado we passed the countrys first methane regulation to fight Climate Change. We passed universal background checks and limits on the size of magazines. We achieved near universal health care and expanded reproductive rights in the process reducing unintended pregnancy by 54 . [cheering] and we created the number one economy in the country. In each case, we created a template that could be easily modified international policy. None of the others running for president have done any of that. You are proposing medicare for all, plan that might cost millions of dollars. A Green New Deal that would guarantee a federal job for everyone. And in some cases the advocate for order policies that would play right into the hands of place present trump. Meanwhile, this president lurches from one crisis to another. His tariff wars have cost American Farmers billions of dollars. His already had to ask taxpayers for a 28 bailout. Once tariffs are essentially a tax that will cost working families over thousand dollars annually in higher prices. Tariff wars are for losers. [applause] enriched people with boats and second homes, but they have done nothing for working families who live check to check. Hickenlooper he has done nothing to Lower Health Care costs. And in fact just wants to take it away and replaced with what . Nothing. What we should be doing is raising wages, addressing the high cost of health care, tackling Climate Change headon, taking on immigration, and keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people. [applause] but if we are going to win back pennsylvania, michigan, wisconsin, we need a candidate that has a vision and a record, who has created jobs and knows how to do it. Im the only candidate that has created jobs and made a payroll in Small Business trade and dramatically expanded our economy and the state of colorado as governor. This is a record of achievement and i believe that will be required to be donald trump in 2020. I got the job done in colorado. And i would be honored to do it again for america. Thank you. [cheering] [applause] [music] ladies and gentlemen welcome tom steyer. Steyer good evening. Shares adidate tonight few basic attributes. We are more decent, more qualified, and more patriotic than the criminal in the white house. [cheering] all have strong policy ideas and progressive values. But none of that matters. Not unless we break the corporate stranglehold on our governments. And retake power for all the people. I am tom steyer eerie i am running for president to take back our democracy i am running for president to restore our democracy of, by, and for the people. For 10 years across the country i have run people first campaigns from the outside that have taken on the corrupt corporate interests, and we have one. Im the only one in this race that can go toe to toe with mr. Trump on the economy. And call him out for what he has. He is a fraud. And he is a failure. [applause] i spent 30 years of my life building a successful Global Business from scratch. It is a lot more than mr. Trump ever did. [applause] his pattern of fraud is simple. He lies. He racks up the debt. And sticks other people with the bill. In this case, that is us. The american taxpayer. His policies are blowing up in his face. And you are paying the price. Went torade work cost i billion dollars last year. That is 630 for every person in the state. 30b he papered it over with a hand out of your hard earned tax dollars. China said they would not buy anymore u. S. Tag equipment. They devalued currencies and it shook the markets. Guess he got hurt . Not mr. Trump. Not much mcconnell. I will farmers. I will families. Iowa farmers. Iowa families. Iowans trying to make ends meet. Your state continues to suffer illconceived,s ill executed and on strategic trade war. My mother taught me a basic truth, actions speak louder than words. She was a teacher from minnesota who taught in the publics goals of new york and the brooklyn house of detention. My father was the first person and his family to go to college. Intoopped his career to go the navy in world war ii. He prosecuted the nazis at nuremberg. His actions speak louder than words mean tell you what i have done. The largest one of grassroots organizations in this country. I have gone toe to toe with big oil and big tobacco in the ballot box and we have one. We closed the Corporate Tax loophole for billions of dollars and sent it to the Public Schools. And we created over five under thousand union jobs. [applause] wayan and we must fix the that democracy works. That is why i called for term limits in congress. Steyer so our Government Works for the American People again. Speaking of term limits, i have six words for you. Mitch mcconnell, lindsey graham, chuck grassley. [cheering] steyer every democrat has good ideas. But he want to get anything done, we have to take on democracy first. Without that come oppressive values are empty promise. Without that, our policies are pipedreams. And without that, none of us is truly free. As an outsider, as a capitalist, as a progress of activist, unlike any candidate in this race, i have been in this fight here in iowa. Registering voters, knocking on doors, turning people out and winning since the beginning of 2014. The secret is you. When weight the American People back in the driver seat, when we placed the American People and the driver seat, theres nothing we cannot achieve. The right to health care the right to Free Education from prek to college. The right to a living wage. The right to clean air and clean water. In power,eople are our future is brighter than anyone in this audience can imagine. Now we are called on to win the biggest, most sweeping victory of our lives. That is our mission. That is what we are going to do. It is what we are called to do. Thank you. God bless you. [cheering] [applause] [music] welcome welcome former pennsylvania representative joe sestak. Sestak hello. I am joe sestak. And i wear the cloth of the nation for 31 years. In war and peace. Over 80 countries, including the white house when i went to work for the director of defense policy for president clinton. On the ground in afghanistan, the navyof the head of unit. Then i came out and took care of a valid group. In the arabian sea waiting was in her international armada twice as large as the American Carrier battle group in mandan commanded. The minister of italy said why they had all come. America has been attacked and we will be there for you. We have the world with us against evil. Because they are in that distant see what the realization that americans greatest power is our power to convene. To bring together nations and peoples of the world for common cause. That serves us all. Whether it is dire poverty. Human rights atrocities. Global recession. Or collective security. And let the flame of justice in a global concorde. And then president s from john f. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan understood that it is this global concorde that provided for our peace, our prosperity, and our freedoms here at home. That is why the soldier that is office todaye oval is not of an american, it is of a foreigner, to remind the president that our retreat from the world would be disastrous for american dreams. Today as we come home behind walls think he we are going to be great here when we were great abroad. A protect our freedom is danger we have. I will never forget when i was told i would to take my aircraft Carrier Battle Group out of the arabian sea into the persian gulf, and only two of those countries what with me to the strait of hormuz. To bring great cash to begin the precursor strike against iraq. Want is thatly to democrats and republicans alike who had voted for the war could not explain how it would end the four began. Those other countries new. And they knew it was not in support of our ideals. That is why we need with this world greatly changing, somebody who understands with breadth and depth this global world, to convene it once again. For its challenges of Climate Change. And in a liberal world order, china that believes its valleys of might and right should rule this world. We also need its values of might and right should rule. We also need someone here at home to walk in the shoes of american citizens. I learned that. When i was still in the military, and my fouryearold daughter, we could not get the brain cancer they said. When asked they replied she has about 90 days. That Little Warrior beat that scorch. And i had to repay you back that scorch. I had to repay you. I change to being a democrat and ran in a two to one district. I one and then i won my second election by 20 points with a 100 naral prochoice record. And they reelected me by 20 points and i do not spend a dime on a campaign ad. Because we learned to disagree well. Called the most productive congressman. 19 pieces of partisan legislation passed. Why, come aboard an Aircraft Carrier. Understand why am really running. My daughters brain cancer came back last year. That is why i am late. She is in a safe harbor today. There are 5000 sailors on an Aircraft Carrier pigeon new at their average ages . 19. If you do not think the youth of aboard are great, come an Aircraft Carrier. They run a nuclear reactor, they fixture plane. Dont even ask a question or kick the tires. Then they stop you in the plane, connecting to a catapult, push that button and off you go into the night. Walt disney has no ride better than that. [laughter] stop. Hey say, suddenly, special forces have been ambushed. We need to get you into the f18. Then you see what america most urines four. A young 19yearold youth from iowa comes out on that deck. At zero 200 and the morning goes into the belly of the plane. And unhooks it from its catapult. That flips you into the air. Because no pilot will shut off their engine until they know theyve been unhooked from the catapult you turn off your engine and suddenly they push that button. You go off for a final great ride of your life. When that youth unhooks that catapult, they walk in front of that plane and give a very signal simple signal that says everything this country urines four. Yearns fo go aheadr and trust me. Im willing to be out accountable. If you suddenly have to go to your death, you will go through me. If youve ever felt anyone would stand in front of that plane for them from washington, d. C. I want to stand in front of that plane for america. If we do not have a united america, we can never meet that if challenges abroad or at home. That is our choice. Not just to elect the president. But someone to share our nations sole. Where people believe you are accountable to them above party, above any, anything else. Thank you very much. [applause] how are you doing . [cheers] what you think about the slate of candidates . [applause] we have a good group coming ahead. Are you ready to hear them . [applause] a little going to do bit of tightening if you can. If you have an empty seat next to you, filled up. If you folks are looking for a chair in the aisle, come and sit in the seat right now. The come in and still fill seat. Tighten up your seats. Give a good old north iowa hug and get close and cuddly. That is what i was all about. [laughter] here we go folks. Now we going to give a coveted beacon award. The beacon award would not be possible if it were not for gary sinton and dean gand putting this award together 12 years ago. [applause] every year we have given the beacon award to amazing people from a federal level, statelevel, and national level. Barack obama got a got it Hillary Clinton got it, ted kennedy got it. Lastsharon seckman got it year. A big handout for sharon seckman. Our very own Amanda Raymond got it. We have given it to tom vilsack and tom harkin. Now we have got a great dual. [applause] thank you randy. Certainly dark and scary times we live in. Politically right now. Especially important for us to honor people who shed a beacon of light upon what the best democratic principles and some of the best democratic former electedur political officials. When we looked around for this years awardee, we realized that in the state of iowa we have a couple right here in our home state. That we all have been very, very proud of. Gives give larry and i great pleasure to introduce it gives gary and i great pleasure to introduce this years wending beacon award winner. The award goes to bob and sue twersky. Dworsky and sue dworsky i said to bob it seems really strange to know 74 far more than a decade now and not realize got theid not until i bio, that bob served as superintendent of recreation for the city of mason city iowa from 1973 to 1979. To countyah go supervisor jay doll got his start as a youth best about referee under bobs watch. Record returning to his hometown of coralville, bob until on the city council 1986. In 1987 he was elected to the iowa house of representatives. Thats the i was senate. In1990. Two the iowa senate 1994. Till 2018 as the Senate Appropriations chair. Near 40 years of Public Service to iowa. [applause] sue dworsky was a special Education Teacher in iowa city schools from 1979 to 2010. A proud number of the i was state education association, sue was an active leader in local affiliates, the iowa City Education association, and served as president , chief negotiator, and other leadership roles through her career. Together began working when she became the iowa Democratic Party chair, which culminated in the pivotal reelection of president bark obama. Barack obama. [applause] life are few days in my that i have been were proud to be an iowa democrat. When gary and i sat along pennsylvania avenue and cheered when she came to the inaugural parade, carrying the iowa flag proudly. To see, great moment and im sure brought me to tears. They continue to support efforts to make their community and iowa a safer, more welcoming, and more inclusive place. So it is with great pleasure, that gary and i presented this 2019 beacon award to two islands, of light. That we aspire to be. Bob dworsky, would you please come forward . [applause] guest [applause] wow. Thank you very much. One of the things we were looking at. My career in mason city. Then my career in Public Service. Essentially how i learned about Public Service was working in mason city as superintendent of recreation. Those values carried on to serving as a city councilmember and in the iowa house and senate. So did a number of role models that i had here in mason city. You may remember dan mae was park superintendent. Your member mayor kent pugh. And someone else who was involved in this group a lot, dr. Ron masters, the parks commissioner that hired me in mason city all those years ago. They were great role models a Public Service. Later, we also found out there were a number of great elected officials in our that serve as role models. [indiscernible] and today you have two great role models, representative and my friend, and colleague senator amanda. Without those role models i cannot go wrong. Humbled by this. Thank you. [applause] dean, and weank jerry. Erry thank this is remarkably humbling. Actually a little bit embarrassed, but incredibly proud. Our work is no different than the work of all of you. Ourwork was born out of professional responsibilities, and then it was carried through because we wanted to make our communities a little stronger, whatever the community was at the time. Accept this award with so much gratitude, on behalf of the teachers who, right now, are stocking up on breakfast bars and pencils on behalf of the health care workers. [applause] fighting for their union rights because they know that when they can take that are care of each other, they can take that are care of us and our families. We accept this award on behalf of the thousands of activists in this state and in this country who stood up, decided to step up, step out, step out of their comfort zone, and move into unity to make their country, their state, their town, their blocks, their precinct a stronger place. The work ahead of us this year is not really like any work thats ever been ahead of us. We listen to these remarkable women and men running for celebrate but we also jd shelton. [applause] we celebrate the women and men who stepped forward to run for the u. S. Senate. And we know that theyre doing that with us together, and they know we stand on the shoulders of giants, but all of us move forward together, celebrating our ancestors, our mothers, our fathers, who set about making this state the place that we love so much. So thank you very much, northern iowa. [applause] thank you. Thank you. Wow. [applause] thank you. Thank you, clear like. Clearlake. Thank you, iowa. Wow. What a reception. You know how to make somebody feel welcome. Im going to have to keep coming up here. Im so glad to be with you. My name is pete buttigieg. Im running for president because i think our countrys running out of time. But i also think its not too late. Youve got to ask yourself, how does a guy like donald trump ever get within cheating distance in the oval office to begin with . That doesnt happen in ordinary times. It happens in crisis and weve seen it. Living with School Shootings and Climate Change, and an economy that doesnt work for most of us, where gdp can go up and Life Expectancy can go down. Something is deeply troubled in this country. It means were not going to be able to fix it by recycling the same arguments that have dominated washington as long as ive been alive. Weve got to do something completely different. [applause] now im excited to be in this part of iowa because this is a great place to remind the country and each other that there is no such thing as a permanently red state or county precinct. [applause] but we got to find a new vocabulary, call on us to organize around our values. So now is the time that values is a conservative idea, especially in our time. Values like freedom are not conservative values. Theyre American Values and today, they have progressive implications. [applause] were the ones ready to secure freedom in a world where freedom requires access to health care. Thats freedom, too. Not just cutting a regulation. Freedom comes by way of education, which is why we need a secretary of education that actually believes in public education. [applause] not free in this country if youre not able to organize for a good days pay and a good days work. Thats why i stand for organized labor. [applause] and women are not free in this country when their access to Reproductive Health is dictated by mailboxes and mail politicians male bosses and male politicians. So dont let anybody tell you the other party is the party of freedom. Same thing that goes for patriotism. We are going to break the thinking that the flag longs on one side of the aisle. The flight that was attached to my soldier when i was in afghanistan, it was not a republican flag. It was an american flag. [applause] that we are able and indeed sometimes required to be critical of our leadership, and when we do, nobody will question our loyalty to the public, for which it stands, let alone tell us to go back to where we came from. [applause] lets talk about patriotism. Lets talk about National Security. There is no National Security when we dont have racial justice, let alone where we have a president coddling white nationalists. White nationalism is a threat to this country. Weve got to name it for what it is and weve got to fight it. [applause] so is climate disruption. Thats a security challenge. So is cybersecurity and election security. Were not going to meet these 21st century challenges with 17thcentury solutions. Weve got to do something different. Lets talk about political strategy. We cant look like the party of back to normal. What we have now isnt working, but normal isnt working either. And were not going to win on this president s show, because on his show, i dont know what to call it. Horror show, reality show, a couple other words come to mind. But if youre on this show, even winning or losing, which is why were going to pick up the remote and change the channel. So can i count on you to help us change the channel . Can i look to you to help us not just when the era, but the future of this country . And are we willing to do it in the name of our values . [indiscernible] we are going to do it together. Im proud to be with you every step of the way. Thank you. I will see you on the ground. Thank you. [applause] thank you. Thank you so much. [applause] a loja. Aloha. Aloha, iowa democrats. Its so great you could be here. Now its been a dark week for us in this country. Loss and wevet seen great tragedy, and it breaks our heart to see how this country that we love is being torn apart. And it breaks our hearts because we care for each other. We care for our fellow americans. And it breaks our heart to see that we have a president in the white house who is abusing his power, who is misusing his position to stoke fear, to stoke bigotry, alloke for his personal selfish political gain. It breaks my heart because its not who we are. Its not who we are as americans and its not who we are as a country during these times where we feel such despair and all hope is sometimes lost to remember who we are. And principles that bind us together in this country, enshrined in our constitution, that remind us we are all created equal. [applause] all are guaranteed these freedoms and rights, the right to life liberty, and this pursuit of happiness. We are seeing the dangerous consequences of where this device of past takes us, and we are choosing to stand firmly in those values that unite us as we build this path forward, recognizing that yes, our country is far from perfect. We still have a lot of work to do. But when we focus on this unifying principle, but we in hawaii call the spirit of a it so much means more than hello and goodbye. What it really means is love and respect, and a recognition that we are all connected, that we are all children of god. We are all brothers and sisters regardless of the color of our skin or where we come from or who we love or how we worship or if we worship. [applause] is in this spirit that i am asking and offering to lead as your president and commanderinchief. It is in this spirit that we together can stand united and lift our voices for each other, inspired by this unified spirit of love, towards that more Perfect Union that we always strive for. It is in this spirit that we can bring about the kind of systemic change that we need to see to make sure that every american in this country is able to get the Quality Health care that they need and deserve. [applause] it is in this spirit we can bring about the kind of change we need to protect our planet, to address Climate Change, make sure each of us has clean water to drink and clean air to breathe, things that are essential to every single one of us. We can bring about political justice reform, comprehensive immigration reform, deal with the challenges of our time when we stand together and against anyone who seeks to divide us, because this has happened for far too long and we the people have suffered as a result. I want to take a moment here and recognize the veterans here in the room and anyone who has a military Family Member. Would you mind standing for a second and let us thank you for your service . Thank you for your sacrifice. [applause] thank you so much. You embody what it means to put service above self. You have experienced what i have, what it means to see the diverse fabric of this country come together in the uniform that we wear, united with that singular focus of putting service above self, putting the interest of our country and the American People above all else. As veterans, we also know the cost of war. And as your president and commanderinchief, i commit to ending these wasteful regime change wars, making it so not a single more of our brothers and sisters loses their life, and instead focus on investing our resources, our limited taxpayer dollars of serving the needs for people right here at home. Weve got to get our priorities straight. Im grateful for the opportunity to be here. For more information, visit my website. See you back here soon. Thank you all so much. Have a great night. Aloha. [applause] hello, iowa. So i got to tell you. The reason i love iowa is you know how to fight and you know how to win elections. Who is going to beat steve king next election . Iowa njd. And jd. Hes going to do it. And what about teresa greenfield . Is she going to be in the u. S. Senate in 2020 . Yes, she is. And thank you for sending cindy and abby. They have made such a difference already. I got my start in politics because i had a grandmother who got her start in politics. She never got to go to college. She was a secretary in the state legislature. But she spent the next two generations organizing women to get an politics, to stuff envelopes and make phone calls. My First Experience was 11 years old, hot campaign headquarters, everybody stuffing envelopes. The ladies are wearing seat sleeveless dresses. Im mesmerized by their arms, those jiggly arms, just jiggling. And in my mind, im thinking i want to be just like them someday, jiggly arms for everybody [applause] so my grandmother taught me a lot of things. The one thing she taught me, the one thing she taught me is that nothing is impossible. Nothing is impossible if youre willing to put your mind to it, if youre willing to work hard and never give up. And i learned that lesson from her. So if you want to get something done in washington, just, its impossible and i promise you ill get it done because thats what ive done every step of my career. When i first ran for congress, everyone said it was impossible. You can never win. I said i can raise the money. I can clearly win. He said you cant win. Theres more cows than democrats. You just cant win. But sure enough, we won. And we won again and the second time, we won by a 20 point margin. I know how to win and read places and blue places and purple places. When i went to the senate, i met with a man serving in the military. He was willing to die for our country. But he was told he had to lie about who he was and who he loved. I went to democrats and said we need to repeal dont ask, dont tell. They say why are you doing this now . Its so inconvenient. I said when our civil rights ever convenient . You do it because its the right thing to do. So i stood up to the pentagon and we repealed it. Not impossible. When i met with 9 11 first responders, they said they needed health care. They said no one will ever spend money in new york state. Sure enough, we knocked on every door, lifted up their voices. Last week, we made the 9 11 bill permanent, not impossible. [applause] so the only question that iowa asked me, the only question is can you beat President Trump . Yes, we can. It is not impossible. We can beat him at the ballot box. President trump has done some of the worst things i can imagine. Hes divided us. He spewed hate and division everywhere he goes. He separated and divided this country. We need a president whose brave. We need a president who will take on the battles no one else will. We need a president who will Bring Congress together to pass the Green New Deal, put a price on carbon, health care as a right, not a privilege, take on the nra, and and gun violence in this country. These are not impossible. We will, together, defeat trump and get things done because that is who we are as iowa democrats. We will defeat trump god bless you. [applause] good evening, everybody. Everyone, there are a lot of wonderful people, a lot of vips, but i want to introduce you to the most important vips in my life. First of all, my wife of 25 years, charlene mcrae. [applause] and everyone in this room who cares about Mental Health care, she has made it her business to break down the stigma thats keeping people from getting the Mental Health care they need. Weve got to fix that in america and in iowa, dont we . And i want to introduce you a recent college graduate, my son dante. [applause] you dont mind if im a proud papa for a moment, do you . Dante was also a new york state debate champion. [applause] weapon a fewecret days ago because he helped prepare me before i went on Sean Hannitys show. So i was able to put sean in his place because i had a good coach. Thank you, dante. [applause] so, i want to do some quick audience participation. Look around the room. People are making a difference, agents of change. People are helping their communities. Give your neighbor a round of applause, everyone. [applause] and a little more audience participation, lets be clear about who we are as democrats. Are way the party of working people . [applause] are we the party of labor unions . [applause] are we the party of equality . [applause] are we the party of change . [applause] are we the party of big donors . No are we the party of big corporations . No. Are we the party of the status quo . I agree with you. We are going to make changes to this country. I run the nations largest city. Its not easy. When i became mayor, i said i would make a lot of changes. They said it could not be done. Prek to every single child for free in new york city. [applause] we made sure we got the 15 minimum wage for working people. We got paid sick days. And then we went farther because we had hundreds of thousands of april with no Health Insurance. So now we are guaranteeing health care for anyone who does not have insurance. And one more thing, for all the hardworking people out there, we are going to do something to new york that should have then done along time ago, the only country that doesnt guarantee people time off. We are guaranteeing two weeks paid vacation for every working person. And that should be all over america, shouldnt it . Prek, 15 minimum wage. These are changes we need. Ive seen change. Ive made change. I know it can happen. But my friends, i want to caution. Because theres a lot of voices of conventional wisdom telling us dont be too bold. Dont sound like you want to rock the boat too much. A lot of time the commentators say the only way we win is if we dont sound like we are trying to do too much for people. Doesnt make sense to me. Rural iowa doesnt need just a little change. Rural iowa needs Mental Health services for everyone who needs it. Rural iowa needs hospitals to be kept open, not for them to close. Rural iowa needs schools to be kept open, needs prek for the children. Rural iowa needs universal health care more than most places because people are not going to get these things unless there is universal health care. When we are bold, we inspire people, we move people. Folks dont come out to vote because they hear a nice bland message. They come to vote when they hear passion and believe change can happen. And thats the party we need to be. Im going to Say Something controversial. Beat,n were all here to he told people they were going to break the status quo. He told them he was going to rock the boat. He rocked it a little too far, i think we would agree. But he got people start because he said things would change. We need to be the party that says things will change once and for all. And we can do that. And ill finish with this. I want to say, as a new yorker, im really, really sorry you got to know donald trump. Im really sorry about it. But this new yorker is happy to get rid of him for you. Thank you. God bless you all. [applause] [applause] its been wonderful to hear all my fellow candidates who are here this afternoon. And i have agreed with more than them than i disagreed with. But i also think we need to face facts. Weve been saying these things and we lost last time. Weve been promoting these same political values and weve been losing congressional seats too often, losing senatorial seats too often. I want to talk to you about the transformation we need in this country that will only happen if we have transformation in politics, and if we embrace a more transformational vision. Ive read an interview with Jared Kushner and he said he had been in a mcdonalds with his fatherinlaw, and he told his fatherinlaw there are so many angry people out there, we could harness all that anger and we could make you president. And i thought to myself when i read that, there are so many good people out there and 70 decent people, loving people out there, we could harness all that and change the world. [applause] the American People are good people. They are loving people. But the American Peoples goodness and love has not been channeled through american politics in a way that it should be, for a long time. And the only way were going to do that is if we get way more deep and way more real, because love tells the truth. We have an enemy here that is more than one political candidate. We have collective eyes, fear, bigotry, racism, islamophobia, antisemitism. There are more that love than hate, but those who hate hate with seriousness and they are politicized. The only way you are going to be to big lies is with big truth. Onlyemocratic party is going to win this election and our future if we start telling big truths that too often we have not called. We truth is, years ago, started acquiescing to an Economic System that has corrupted our government, that said shortterm profits came before the advocacy for the people of the United States, for the people of the world, and the planet on which we stand. Too often, democrats have been proposing policies that help us sway the pain. Democrats need to challenge those forces that make that pain and evitable. We cannot do that if we are making the money from those Health Insurance companies and taking money from big pharma and from the manufacturers, from oil and gas, taking money from chemical companies, taking money from the defense contractors. Ladies and gentlemen, people can smell it. People can smell it. Thats the problem. Donald trump did not win just because a few people were passionate about donald trump. And if he wins again, it will not just be because of a few people who are so passionate about donald trump. He won last time, and if he wins again, he would win again because of so many people that didnt vote. Thats why those of us who are not from careers entrenched within that system have something very important to bring. We have not taken forprofit donations. We are not from the system. I am not prosecuting a case against donald trump. I am prosecuting a case against the system that delivered donald trump. It is that level of truth telling that is going to win this election. Otherwise, we might win. But even if we beat him, those same forces will be back in 2022 and 2024. We need to rise up and be real about the sea of suffering and American Children. We need to be real about the fact a militaryindustrial toplex does more determine our National Security agenda than waging peace. And only two people on this campaign are talking about this. Were both girls. Ladies and gentlemen, get real and the democrats will win. Thank you [applause] good evening. Its great to be here in north iowa. I want to thank everybody for hosting this year at the wending. Your reputation precedes you. Want to spend five minutes talking to you about the country i believe we need to become. We know the country that we have been and that we are. If we were to go around this room, i have no doubt that, in each of your families, you can tell a story of hard work or the kind of values that unite us. Love of country, of faith, of family, of basic compassion and respect for other people, that together have made ours the greatest nation on this planet. The events of the last week reminded us that it is not a foregone conclusion that were going to keep adding better. Im running for president because i feel blessed with the opportunity ive had in the United States. And i want to make sure that everybody can have that same opportunity. I grew up with my grandmother that had come from mexico when she was seven years old as an raised worked as a maid, a mom as a single parent. Twins,her and i, were by the way, he says the way to tell us apart is that im a minute uglier than he is, which is not true. We are proud products of the Public Schools in texas. [applause] we both had a chance to go from stanford and then Harvard Law School together because i cant get rid of him, and then become the first in our families to become professionals as attorneys and go into Public Service. I had a chance to serve as mayor in san antonio, the seventh largest city in the country. And then under barack obama. [applause] im running for president because i believe we need to move forward as one nation, with one destiny. And that destiny for our beautiful country in the years to come is to be the smartest, the healthiest, the fairest, and the most prosperous nation on earth. The smartest, healthiest, fairest, most prosperous. Smartest means universal prek for three and fouryearolds, improving k12 education, paying teachers what they deserve, reducing class sizes, making sure specialneeds children get the education they deserve, reinvesting and trade programs in our high schools, and tuition free public state universities, community colleges, and jobs training Certification Programs because jobs require more knowledge and more skill than ever before. It means reimagining the Justice System if were going to be a fairer nation, cast bail reforms, making sure we have greater accountability and transparency in Police Departments so you are treated the same no matter who you are. It means passing the equality act see you cant be discriminated against no matter your Sexual Orientation or gender. And passing the equal rights amendment, and making sure women get people pay for equal work. It means protecting a womans right to choose when its under assault right now. [applause] if were going to be the healthiest, it means changing the Health Care System to one where everybody gets health care. That we built off of medicare and we make sure that its not the profit motive of Big Pharmaceuticals and big Insurance Companies, but care for people that ensures they get the education they need. To be the most prosperous nation on earth, it has to mean prosperity for everybody, for urban america and Rural Americans. It means raising the american minimum wage to 15 an hour, investing in the ability to organize labor unions so they can ensure people get compensated well for the hard work that they do. Not theeans it rewards wealthy and big corporations, but people who have to work for a living, and investing in affordable housing. It means reforming our immigration system to fix it so we can harness the potential of immigrants in our country. And also, addressing the most existential threat to our country, which is Climate Change. My First Executive order, if im elected president , would be to rejoin the paris climate accord, and follow that up with investment in the Green New Deal to create jobs and protect our planet. Is that you will be great ambassadors for our campaign for those that support me. I believe in the months to come, i can get stronger and stronger and we can win the iowa caucus on february 3 and say no to donald trump on january 2021. Thank you. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you so much. Its great to be in iowa. First, let me say, weve just returned from a trip to louisville, kentucky. Paso,what we saw in el and what we experienced in ayton, ohio last week, we put caravan together with moms demand action and myself [applause] and we went through ohio and we picked up moms, and we went down to louisville, kentucky, where Mitch Mcconnell lives. [applause] [booing] and we took the fight to his backyard, telling him that we need gun reform in the United States of america and we need it now. [applause] we need it now. People are dying on the streets of this country, getting killed by weapons that were made for battlefields, not neighborhoods and places like dayton, ohio. [applause] the number one obligation that we have as elected officials, whether youre a councilman or a congressman or a president , is to keep the people of this country safe. In this country, well never be safe until we get these weapons of war off the streets of the United States of america. I pledge to you that we will get this done finally in the United States of america. [applause] but we also have to secure our economy. I come from northeast ohio. 75 of the American People still live paychecktopaycheck. Its time for us to Double Union Membership in the United States of america so we can rebuild the middle class. [applause] i want us to win the economy of the future, build electric vehicles and solar panels and Wind Turbines right here in the United States of america. Thats how we rebuild the middle class. Theres going to be 10 million electric vehicles made in the next 10 years. I want at least half of those made in the United States. And i want those to go to Rural America. I want them to go to the old steel country, old coal, old textile countries, where these communities have fallen behind for the last 30 years. Were going to get that done. We are going to win the economy. I promise you that. [applause] i want us to secure our kids education. Thats why in my education proposal, for k12, and making sure theres a Mental Health counselor in every school in the United States that needs one. I want to make sure theres trauma informed care, social and emotional learning, afterschool, summer school. Weve got to start taking care of our kids. They need us. [applause] we are not going to address and secure our safety through Climate Change if we dont if we only convert our economy over to wind and solar. I am making a proposal for us to convert our industrial agriculture system over to a regenerative, sustainable, agricultural system in the United States. Lets start sequestering carbon in our own earth so that we can preserve our kids future, and we will set up teams to make sure that we implement regenerative agriculture, so that we can be drought resistant, flood resistant, and we can start to heal our planet. Weve got a lot of work to do. But im in a fighting mood. Im irish. [laughter] Vice President biden, im irish. You know the old irish saying . Is this a private fight or can anybody get into it . [laughter] im going to tell you a quick story. We were down at the muhammad ali center. There is this great story. He was walking down the street and kentucky. Someone said champ, i saw you fight when i was a kid. He said, yeah . The kid said you got knocked down in the third round. The champ said it was not my fight. He said no i remember. The champ said it wasnt my fight. Ive never been knocked down. Im either up or im getting up. Democrats are not getting knocked down. Were either up or getting up. Youre either up or getting up. America has never ever been knocked down. Were gettingp or up. Thank you, iowa [applause] , well hello. Are you having a good time . [applause] how do you like how its going . Even better, huh . Enacten an act congress and senate right here in this ballroom. This is the time well ask you to fill seats, get close. The ballroom is asking us to fill seats. Weve got seats right here if you want to be in front, right here. Please fill in seats. This is a time im going to bring a buddy of ours, friend of the Democratic Party, longtime democrat from mitchell county, takes care of the tricounty district. Im going to bring up our good friend, myers. Come on up. [applause] there are 3 no, there are many things that we like to pass. We like to pass the test, especially when its a drug test. We like to pass the grape upon. Oupon. Y p it suggests our refined taste. We like to pass the flask. It indicates a good time. We passed the joint. Again, a good time, but only in certain states. We pass information along, especially when its good news. We pass the night away, generally said with a certain wistfulness. At the table, we pass the butter, apass the salt. With butter and salt, please pass the popcorn. In world war ii, americans saying praise the lord and pass the ammunition. Its time towhen pass the gavel, pass the rains, pass the torch . There are also things we prefer not to pass. Who wants to pass a kidney stone . [laughter] we should never attempt to pass the buck. Or pass gas. [laughter] or pass out. Not having a pass rush can result in a great many pass completions. Some people who dont play football or also known to make a pass. Why, im old enough to remember when congress could actually pass a law. [laughter] pass up our opportunities, we passed down the family silver. We pass along our family recipes. We pass go and collect 200. Remember your password, and dont lose your passport. Pass me not, please dont pass me by. We passed with flying colors. Some merely pass by. We call them passersby. Others simply pass through our lives. They pass without a trace. Unless we pass with care, we may actually pass away. Pass it on. All is very best pass of pass the hat. Let me tell you why. Pass the hat says i care about the world, about the country, about the future. Wes the hat says we can, must do better. Pass the hat says i can. I must do more. Pass the hat says it matters to us. It matters to me. We can do this. I can do this. Pass the hat says i will must do better to ensure that never again, in the future of our great country, will be ever elected person to lead our nation, who is so illsuited and hamhanded, so wrongheaded, and ethically deficient, so poorly prepared and so ego driven, so foolish and insecure and incapable of carrying out even the most basic duties of the office. This is why we pass the hat. Must playy you something meaningful place something meaningful into the hat when it comes your way. This is how it works. You can and you must do your part. One is good. Five is better. Five is good. 10 is better. 10 is good. 20 is better. A 20 is good. Pay 50 is better and so on and so on as we pass the night away. Important or i wouldnt be up here. Trust me, the program is long enough as it is. The very best pass is pass the hat. Now its a completed pass, and we passed with flying colors. My name is kurt meyer. I love you are. Love you all. Well, at least most of you. Thank you all very much. [applause] meyer a big hand, folks. Great democrat, tricounty democrat. Im sorry that i cannot be with you in iowa. But as you know, im here in el paso following a very horrific and tragic act of terrorism in our community. Last saturday, 22 people in the community of el paso saw our sister city, murdered. Murdered because where we are and where we live, in the largest Financial Community in the western hemisphere, in a city thats 85 mexicanamerican. Following the kind of fear, intimidation used by people throughout this country, including by our president , to describe those that are different as somehow dangerous to this country. To warn on invasions and infestations, to respond as the president did to those who talk about shooting or killing immigrants with laughter, getting an open invitation to this kind of hatred and racism and intolerance and the violence that invariably follows. Im here with my community and with those families who have suffered such extraordinary losses with the survivors to make sure that those who are not yet through the woods, we are doing everything we can to make sure they are strong, they are fortified by our encouragement and our love, and this Beautiful Community coming together. Im also here to make sure that at this moment, we do not allow ourselves to be defined by this act of terror, this act of hatred, this act of violence, but instead by the way in which this community overcomes this attack, and also sets an example, i hope, for the rest of the country, a country that has never been more divided or highly polarized. This communitys ability to see our differences is not something to be tolerated or accepted, but embraced as a foundation of our success of our strength and yes, our safety and security, el paso being one of the safest cities, if not the safest city in the United States of america. Not despite the fact that we are a city of immigrants, but that we are a city of immigrants. Its important for me to be here and share this story throughout the country. So, i appreciate the invitation to join you. Im sad that i cant be with you in person. But im also appreciative of all the well wishes, the encouragement, the love you have sent our way in el paso. Know that this community is grateful and i hope to see you in the very near future [applause] so that goes to tell you that congressman beto orourke is here with us in heart and spirit, but he feels being home is just as important, being at those funerals and those visitations. [applause] thats a quality of a statesman, and thats what we have in all of our candidates tonight, the quality of statesmen and women. Im going to read you something. Kevin costner grace to this stage several times in the past few years. But he wrote something, and its something i want to share with you. Im not recognizing america right now. I dont recognize its voice. I dont recognize any individual statements. I feel people going with the flow. And theres people right in the middle. And were in the really weird spot. And it takes a high level of compassion, empathy, and intelligence to work our way out of this. Separating people with no plan, when those children cant even speak english. Can you imagine the terror . Besides just being separated. So we have to do better. Weve been about more. We can be about more. And right now, we are acting really small. By kevin costner. [applause] a quicking to take moment and bow our heads in the memory of those victims who lost their lives during this tragic time. One moment, please. Thank you. And now, back to more wing ding. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage bernie sanders. [applause] thank you all very much. My wife, jane. [applause] me think all of that thank all of the people in this room for the important work you are doing every single day. Iowa, and allin across this country, we will defeat the most dangerous president in the history of this country. [applause] together, we will end the racism and the sexism and the islamophobia and the homophobia, and all the other phobias that this president exhibits. And we will end White Nationalism in this country, as well. [applause] together, we will protect american democracy and the rule of law. And together, we will create an economy and a government that works for all, and not just the 1 . [applause] but let me be as clear as i can be. Unless not defeat trump we have an agenda that speaks to the pain and reality of the working families of this country. Millions of whom are working longer hours for lower wages. Trump unlessefeat we have the courage to take on the powerful corporate interests who dominate our economic and political life. [applause] , aremerican people want begging congress, for common sais common sense gun safety legislation. And that is why we have to have the courage to take on the nra. [applause] the American People understand that Climate Change is real. And that its causing devastating problems in our country and all over the world. And that is why we have to have the courage to take on the greed and the recklessness of the fossil fuel industry. [applause] the American People understand that in the year 2019, we must make public colleges and universities tuition free and cancel all student debt in this country. [applause] but in order to do that, we are going to have to end an absurd tax system that allows wall street and major corporations to get huge tax breaks. [applause] and the American People understand, increasingly more and more every day, that health care is a human right, not a privilege. [applause] every poll that i have seen tells me that the American People agree with many people in this room, that we must pass medicare for all. [applause] that, we are going to have to take on the pharmaceutical industry, which chargers us the highest prices in the world for the medicine that we need. [applause] to do that, we are going to have to take on the whole health care industry, which made 100 billion in profits last year. Know how we way i take on wall street and the Drug Companies and the Insurance Companies and the fossil fuel industry and the nra, is when we have an unprecedented, Grassroots Movement of millions of americans standing up, fighting back, and demanding an economy and a government that works for all of us, and not just wealthy campaign contributors. [applause] sisters, brothers and sisters, in this unprecedented moment in american history, we need an unprecedented, Grassroots Movement. Join our efforts and let us and am american democracy government that works for all people. Thank you all very much. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage, new jersey senator, cory booker. You. Ank you, thank i dont want to use the five minutes in the way you normally would for an event like this. I know that 2020 doesnt stand for the year and the number of us running. We have video from federal court better overwork and he is not beto orourke and he is not here right now. That in this election as we talk about the issues that drive us, the values underneath those issues, what we need to hit on again and again. This election is not a referendum on one guy. A brillianted to be genius as the president says he is. This is a referendum on us and who we are going to be to each other. This is one of those moments in that is going to define the character of our country and this is a week where i will not let the slaughter of fellow citizens disappear in the next media cycle. I want to use the three minutes i have left to tell you what i believe bonds us together because we were a nation that when borders four girls were killed in a bombing in birmingham, we transform this nation to a more compassionate emphatiche headache infrastructure. This has to be that moment. And tell you you it is not just the mass shootings. Every day in america people are being slaughtered were the sound of gunfire is so regular. For 10 years, i lived in highrise projects. [inaudible] i never forget asking her what she lived in those buildings when her son was murdered their and she said im in charge of homeland security. She showed the grid and toughness like what Langston Hughes wrote to save the dream for one, would must save the dream for all. I want to leave you with the violence a gun survivor. This road will be easy. There will be weeks like this. Heitnessed another shot, but bled out and die. I was traumatized and angry. I felt like giving up. I felt a darkness in my heart and i will never forget a morning after the shooting and i saw her. She sees me and opens her arms and i run over to her and she pain of and i feel the another black teenager killed and she said two words to me. These are the two words i want to leave you with. , a defianter with woman that has this incredible love that knows you cannot leave the people lead the people if you dont love the people. She rubbed my back over and over again and said stay faithful. My fellow americans, we have come this far by faith. We have overcome darker moments and now more than ever, we need to stand up with faith in our country, faith and our ideals, faith in each other and come together again and stand together and Work Together and love together and overcome this darkness his darkness with our light. It is time for the United States of america to rise again. Thank you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage andrew yang. I was here last year and on the way to i would just this week, i found out that my campaign is going to be on the stage in the fall, so thank you, iowa. I will im running to solve the biggest which isf our time wise donald trump president why is donald trump resident . President . Michigan, idaho, pennsylvania, wisconsin. Cable news, you will get a series of explanations. I looked at the numbers and the numbers tell a different story. The reason donald trump is the president is weak automated 4 million we automated 4 jobs. N manufacturing how many know someone that lost their job . Happened toy what those workers will spread to retail, call centers, Truck Drivers through your communities. How many know the Stores Closing in iowa . Why the stores are closing is a one word answer. Amazon. They are sucking 20 billion out of your community. How much did amazon pay in taxes last year . That is right. The most common job and i will and around the country is working as a retail cashier. The average retail cashier is a 39 you woman between making ninenine and dollars dollars and 10 an hour. There were 5000 people there. Imagine trucks that never stop. We are in the greatest Economic Transformation and it brought us donald trump. It is up to you to do something about it. Why are so many president ial candidates coming here . Because you hold the future of the country in your hand. Look around right now. I have done the bat. You know how many californians each island iowan is worth . 1000 californians. Each of you. Californians. Ion this is how you start a revolution. Lead . Does the revolution if you have heard anything about my campaign, theres something you have heard. An asian man wants to give 1000 to everyone a month. , martinayne was for it luther king was fighting for it the day he was assassinated and one state has had a dividend for 40 years where everyone gets yearen 1000 in 2000 a and what state is that . And how did they pay for it . [inaudible] technology, that is right. In alaska, they call it the oil check. Now where does the money go . It would go right back to your communities. Up,care, Little League sign it would revitalize your economies and create 4000 new jobs. It would help rural areas with a path forward because we know rural areas are getting sucked dry. This is a vision of a trickle of economy. Unlike washington, d. C. , this would work. It is up to you to take the vision for an economy that works for us, the shareholders of the society and make it real. That is why im here and the other candidates are here and we do not have much time. If we dont take advantage of fouropportunity, we have more years of Artificial Intelligence getting smarter, Stores Closing, self driving trucks hitting the highways and we cannot let it happen. Im asking that you take the vision of the rest of the country, because the opposite of donald trump is an asian man who likes math. Lets make america think harder. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage california senator kamala harris. You. Is great to be with this is historic. I cant believe im standing on this stage. First, im going to ask you, i hope to earn your support. Let me just say that i think we all know this is an inflection moment in the history of our country, a moment in time that is requiring each of us to look in the mirror and ask the question, that question being who are weak and i think we know part of the answer is we are better than this. This is a moment in time for us to fight for the best of who we are. This is not a new fight for us. We fight for our country. That is the nature of who we are and so we are going to fight because we love our country and we know its promise and we know we are better than this. I will tell you, i come from a family of fighters. My parents met when they were activists. My mother was tough. She was five feet tall, but if you met her, you would think she was 10 feet tall. If you ever came home complaining about something, our mother would look at you with a straight face, maybe one hand on the head and say, what are you going to do about it . I decided to run for president of the United States. There you go. Lets talk about the current occupant of the white house for a moment. We must, it is context. This is a guy who came in on a campaign that was about looking backwards to read this is about a guy who came in and had been in office, using the power of the president of United States in a way without trying to with trying to divide us and so hate and division among us, but we know that one of the greatest strengths about who we are as a people is in our heart. We know we have so much more in common. We are not going to buy what he is trying to sell because we o haveo have to go tw to go, so we are going to fight knowing we have so much more in common than what separates us in the way i think about that is what i call the three clock in the morning thought 3 00 in the morning thought. The vast majority of us when we wake up thinking that thought, it is never through the lens of the party of which we are registered to vote. For the vast majority, it is that through a demographic polls put us in and the vast majority of us, it usually has to do with our personal health,. Ealth of our children, parents for so many, can i get a job,eep a job, retire with dignity pay off student loans. For so many families, can i help get my Family Member off their opioid addiction . Thriving . My business this is a moment in time for us to fight for the america we believe in and the america we believe in, you should only have to work one job to have a roof over your head and put food over your table. We will acknowledge a Climate Crisis and treat it with a sense of urgency and a woman will have power over her own body and a right to make decisions for her and her family. The america we believe in, all people will have health care and costs will not be the barrier. We will pay our teachers their value am a understanding how they are helping to raise our fight becausell this is a fight not only for optimism of what can be unburdened i what has been, this is a fight not only for the soul of our country, but this is a fight born out of knowing that this is so much worse than we ever hoped and we are better than this and i promise you we are going to win. Thank you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage washington governor jay inslee. Inslee. Ening, im jay [inaudible] im the governor of the state of washington and im here to say this one thing. If you put me on the debate stage with donald trump, i will be him like a two dollar mule. I just wanted to know that. Thatof course we dont do to animals. We treat them with respect and have never met a mulelike donald trump like donald trump and never met a mule who is a white nationalists. We need to remove the sky from the white house. Hereeally excited to be tonight. For 46 years, we raised her. I won three out of four elections. I know how to win small towns and if i win, the credit party is going to invest in small towns and elections. Of four. N three out i want to tell you about the fourth election. I was a legislator and the bill came up. I knew if i wanted to ban assault weapons i would lose my seat, but i voted to ban assault weapons, i lost my seat and i have never read that one second. That was the right vote then and it is the right vote now. Now, i have the nra on the run. A Historic Place we know tonight and theres Something Special about america and i think you can call it a music. It is a music of middleclass, a music of opportunity or it be said of washington, we are playing that music. Music of opportunity. State, we are claim that music. [inaudible] the first Net Neutrality bill in the united they do. We need to do what we are doing in the state of washington across the station, so we have had tremendous success and as a , iult of doing these things know this. Theree a challenge out that will make all these other victories move if we dont fight together. Is virgina. Regina. She was the victim and became much more frequent and intense. Her tears were just like [inaudible] hills met in a gore agoura hills. Because ofiami beach the Climate Crisis. If you give me this high honor, i will make defeating Climate Crisis the number one priority in the United States of america. We have good candidates in this field, but i believe i am unique because on the only one who has made this statement that it has to be the top party. I plan to do so is being called the gold standard. It is the must most robust plan. I will mention one other thing. If we are going to bp climate , we have to take away the filibuster from Mitch Mcconnell. We have to take that away from him and i have to say, we need bold action on guns, bold action on teacher pay, bold action on onder parity, bold action equal pay. Thanks a lot. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage senator elizabeth warren. Hello, iowan democrats. Win when wemocrats talk about our values and heres an important one for me. No matter where you live in america, you ought to have a chance to build a secure future for yourself, family and be able to count on the federal government that is on your side. Now in decades smalltown america, that has not been the case and that is why a couple of days ago, i rolled out an expanded plan for Rural America and here is where starts. , thearts with health care importance of keeping our Community Hospitals and doctors in business. A community loses its hospital, young families cannot move in and seniors feel like they have to leave, so heres how i see this. Willing to be able to fight against hospital mergers that cost us our local hospitals. Economics, alle hospitals operate on been margins. That means everyone who comes in the door needs to be covered by health care. That is one of the reasons i support medicare for all. Able to put in the resources to support our rural hospitals and make sure we have enough doctors and nurses to make sure Mental Services are available for everyone all across the country. Part two of this plan is to make sure we have access to highspeed internet everywhere in america. We participate in a 21st century economy. We need a plan that works for independent farmers. We need to have the courage to ag and sayg gag no more sucking out the dollar of our pocket. Management andy i say it is time for new policy, and innovative policy to bring in every single farmer, make them part of the solution of Climate Crisis, put them on the front lines. These are the people who will help take care of our land for generations to come and help us have an inhabitable planet for generations to come. , trade war by tweet is not working for our farmers. Promise you this when im president , when i negotiate a trade deal, there will be independent farmers at the table to make sure we get this right. And one last point i want to make. When i talk about structural change in our economy, when i talk about the kind of changes we need to make, it is so the economy works for everyone. Think about it this way. We need more power in the hands of workers. That means making it easier to. Oin the union it is time for a wealth tax in this country. We can have universal childcare, universal prek, universal forege, 50 billion historically black colleges and cancelities and we can Student Loan Debt for 95 . Weve had enough of an america where the Government Works for a thinnerter and thinner slice at the top. 2020 is our chance. We can make this governor this government work for all of america. Fight hard, lets win [applause] ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage former Vice President joe biden. Folks, your patient patience exceeds your good judgment. It is great to be here tonight. We heard from good people tonight. You heard from people who share , thatndamental belief there is a threat if we keep donald trump for president. Showm[inaudible] they can move markets, send men and women to war, they can make , they can appeal to our better angels, but they can also ugly side of society and ladies and gentlemen, donald trump since he has come president , that is exactly what hes done. He has unleashed a constant battle taking place in america. Before. Been here we have been here when 3000 klansmen walks down the street of pennsylvania avenue march down and over 30 members of a house who declared plan members. When there were six or seven senators. , we followgentlemen people that we had decided that is not who we are. The reason im telling you this overcome. T we cant when you saw the people walking out in charlottesville, their chanting faces, anger, vile, theic file fact was is that david do talk about the president of United States in terms of this is what we want to do. Saidund the president who at the time when asked when that young woman was killed and he said what no other president has said. He said there are very fine people on both sides. He did. This is a reality. , Donald Trumpn offers no moral leadership. He has no interest in unifying the country. Instead, he is publicly and hate,ogetically spread racism and division. Ladies and gentlemen, it is up whatl of us who have to do our president can, stand together, stand against hate and lets call it what it is. This is White Nationalism. This is white supremacy. Everything that makes america is under assault. Look at the attacks on the free legislature. These are the guardrails that have decided we settle long ago and ladies and gentlemen, the american creed has always been that we are created equal and we hold these truths selfevident that we do people in order to form a more Perfect Union. We have never fully lived up to it, but every single generation has moved us closer to justice. Heres the deal. Every generation has done it, but ladies and gentlemen, the fact we never lived up to it isnt because we cant do it. Every single generation has done it. The fact of the matter is, donald trump does not get it. He doesnt understand what we are all about. Four years of donald trump is going to go down in history as eight yearsn, but will fundamentally change who we are as a nation. Ladies and gentlemen, the core values of this nation are standing in the way of who we are is at stake. Everyone knows who donald trump is. We choose truth overlies, unity over division, we choose that we are going to stand for what we are as because if we do, we can take it all back tomorrow and we must. Donald trump is an existential threat. Not a single thing can happen unless we the fee donald trump, so god bless you all and may god protect our troops. Lets take it back. I refuse to wait any longer. Take it back now, this is america. We are going to lead the event now, but you can watch coverage online if you missed any of it at cspan. Org. We will take a look more from covered earlier today where john delaney thank you. This is such an iconic American Experience and this is my second time doing it. It was a similar setting, a beautiful day, i was giving my remarks and i looked over and i noticed a gentleman who i recognize and he was wearing a very crisp golfs are golf shirt and