2020 president ial candidate joe biden talked to voters in iowa about his platform on agriculture and climate change. He was joined by a former agricultural secretary under the Obama Administration and former democratic governor of iowa. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Vice President joe biden joined by iowas own governor tom and christie vilsack. Thanks so much for coming out tonight. Merry christmas. Feliz navidad. Happy holidays, happy hanukkah. Its great to be here in perry again. The last time we were here with our family, it was the hottest week of july and we were riding our bicycles up from where we live and we stayed at the hotel. Ate good food and then got on our bikes and went back. Its nice to be here in december. Thank you again for coming out. And were Dallas County democrats, so were happy to be [applause] i met joe and jill biden 33 years ago when they came to iowa to campaign for president. I trust them as much today as i did then. Joe biden was rock solid. Go ahead and clap. He was rock solid then and hes rock solid now and thats why im supporting him in the iowa caucus on february 3. [applause] so what do i want from the 2020 election . I want to be able to get up every day, knowing that i can trust that the people who live and work in the white house will keep in mind my best interests as they deal with issues around the world, and i want to be able to look my grandchildren in the eye and know that they can look up to the president of the United States, because he represents the American Values that we all share. And i want to be able to get up every morning and go about my work as an educator and as a Community Volunteer knowing that the People Living and working in the white house will be able to work with people in congress, to solve the problems that face us on the domestic level. And i know that joe biden is that person to do that. So, i want my neighbors [applause] i want my neighbors, my friends, my colleagues, my family, to respect the president , even if they didnt vote for him. As i made my decision, i thought about the people i grew up with, in a town just the size of perry, mount pleasant, southeast iowa. I thought about my classmates and the diverse students who now attend Iowa Wesleyan College where i serve on the board of trustees and i thought about those eighth graders who i taught for 20 years who now have eighth graders of their own. And i thought about the kids and the teachers i work with at Van Meter Middle School , where i volunteered and i thought about all the people that i met as i traveled around the state of iowa as first lady and in the Fourth District where i campaigned for congress. I thought about what do we need in a candidate in order to take care of all of those people that i care about so much . And i think one of the most important things is that word trust. Whom do i trust to take care of all of these people . And i think one of the most important qualities that a candidate has to have is compassion. And i have seen jill and joe biden over the last 33 years reach out and comfort people who were in trouble. Who have lost loved ones like tom and i, and who have sent their children off to the military and they didnt come home, or people who have been involved in natural disasters. After a year of listening to every candidate, i have heard them all in person, tom and i have helped everybody who asked for help. Weve read their policies. Weve helped develop policies. I really decided the person who could best beat donald trump in 2020 is joe biden. [applause] i met my first president harry truman when i was 4 years old. Where i lived, if i didnt have republican friends, i wouldnt have any friends at all and my dad wanted to make sure i knew what i was early on so that those henry county democrats wouldnt change me early in life. But i also married a guy who ran for president , who is sitting right behind me here, and i have supported many men and women in the iowa caucus through the years, that we could respect regardless of party. Ive always chosen rock solid in my personal life and in my political life and im choosing rock solid again this year. I hope that all of you, especially those of you who havent made up your minds yet, will really think hard about this. I hope youll think not just about who you like or who you think best fits your political philosophy, because there are a lot of people who wont come to the caucus or cant come to the caucus, and we need to be able to give our independent and republican friends a choice that is acceptable to them. I hope youll think about that, as youre making that decision. And i hope you will think about the people in the middle, because its really the people in the middle who will make this choice, in 2020, and i hope that person you choose is joe biden. I would like to introduce to the podium our friend joe biden. [cheers and applause] thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Hello, perry. Thank you. They have told me there were going to be about 35 to 50 people here. Thank you for giving me the time. Its great to be with you all, and i want you to know that tom and christie, i want to thank them. They have been great friends, but and by the way, dont worry, im used to it, okay . Why dont you say something. Say hi. Hi. Say hi. Say hi. Okay. That may be the most intelligent thing you hear all night. Thank you, thank you very much for coming out. I know its a really, really tough time, not tough time in terms of time, having time to spare, were only a couple of days from christmas, and i want to thank you all for making the time. And let me tell you something. Weve been on a bus tour around iowa. Weve now gotten to 23 or 24 rural counties, and i guess its now 12 days or thereabouts. I have been to all 99 at one time or another but were going to try to catch as many as we can. You know, fact is, that you all in iowa, you take this very seriously and the rest of the country listens to you and to be very blunt about it, youve got a really difficult job right now because who you send out of iowa with a plane ticket, figuratively speaking, to washington, that is, youre going its going to make a big difference as to whether or not were able to take back the presidency and change the direction of this country. And so i appreciate you giving me a look. And i especially want to thank, as i said, for coming out during the holidays. This is a really important time for our families. As a matter of fact, i get to go home tonight. I leave here, get to an airport, go home, and ive already had four of my granddaughters call me, pop, when are you coming home, you know . By the way, they love me more than anybody in the whole world. I started off when they were little babies. They would be at the house, and my mother, i shouldnt be saying this but my mother used jean biden would always sing, have the kids go to sleep, and i cant sing worth a darn but i would put the kids to bed when they were little babies and i would say loud enough for the whole family to hear it, remember, your favorite person in the whole world is pop. So ive worked very hard, but im anxious to see them, as you are anxious to get back home and finish all the work you have to do at home. Look, you know, from the start of my campaign, i said something that i want to talk about tonight. And i have said we need to unify this nation. We have to unify the country. And from the moment i got in the race, that was the focus, and i was told at the time thats a bit naive. But i think its even more true now. Were going to go through an impeachment. Ive been there twice for impeachments, and there is nothing to celebrate about the impeachments. Nothing to celebrate at all. Its hard on the country and its hard on the people, but dont get me wrong, trump has, in fact, brought it on himself. He stood on the white house lawn and he basically indicted himself. The congress has no choice. It has a constitutional duty to act. But it doesnt make it any easier on the country. But what it does mean, its gonna be more important that the next president work on unifying the country than any time in modern history because its so divided and so unnecessarily divided. We have to unify the country. And when i say that, my opponents, all good people in the democratic primary, they say that im living in the past. They say that i dont understand trumps republican party. And i love this one. They say that im naive. Really . I understand these people, i think, better than anyone in politics today. The reason i say that is there is no one running for president who has more reason to be angry with the Trump Republican Party than me. After all the lies and smears and attacks they have leveled at me. Theyve tried to ruin my only surviving son. They have gone after my family. But this isnt about me. Its not about me. Its not about my family. Its so much bigger than that. Its about our democracy. And it is literally, our democracy is in trouble. I think were at a breaking point. I dont think thats hyperbole. I dont think thats an exaggeration. This is the most important election no matter how young or old you are that you have ever voted in thus far. It really and truly is. You all know it. You know it in your gut. Folks, it isnt nostalgia to talk about uniting the country. We have to, i have to, we all have to rise above the attacks to try to do something to bring this nation together. You know, i think its just called president ial leadership to try to bring the country together. And we desperately need it. I dont say this because im looking around and hoping, oh, were going to hold hands with the republicans and sing kum ba yah and everything will be wonderful. I say it because the only way we can get anything done, the only way we can get anything done for these beautiful children that are here tonight. Bored than the devil id imagine by now. But all kidding aside, i think it really, really is important. And, look, its the way our system is designed to work. Its a constitutional system that requires consensus. Nothing can get done unless you abuse the constitution and engage in executive power that you dont have. It requires us to get a consensus. We have to bring people together. Folks, im not saying this because its how i think its automatic. Its just how our government is designed. Thats why i say our democracy really is at risk. Maybe others are willing but i refuse to accept the proposition that well be permanently at war with the other party. What happens to us, if thats the case . What happens to us . I refuse to accept it. And its because, this is the United States of america. The United States of america. And its because, it begins right here, begins right here in Rural America. Small town america. I put forward an ambitious plan to revitalize rural economies. And by the way, mine is a rural state. Everybody thinks i come from delaware, its an eastern state, a big corporate entity. The truth is, the largest city in my state is 86,000 people, and its one large county, and then the rest of the, remaining two counties all the way down into virginia, the largest city is 21,000 and after that, it averages probably 4,000 or 5,000 people. Its agricultural. But it represents, like you do, the heart and soul of the country. You know, when you think about it, you know, its where, its kind of where our soul resides. All of you know things, whether youre a democrat or a republican or independent, you i doubt whether any of you ever passed by someone on one on of your rural roads who has a flat tire and dont try to stop and help. Not a joke. I doubt whether any of your neighbors, even if youre not crazy about them, if they have a problem, you decide to try to help. You think that honesty matters. Sounds corny to say it today. But honesty matters. That your word matters. When you give your word, it means something. Its about, again, who we are. Thats what i mean, when i say you literally are the heart and soul of our country. We have to rebuild Rural America because the policies that youve been undergoing or that weve been undergoing, have been devastating for not just agriculture but for small towns in Rural America all across the country. You know, if you think about it here, you know, as tom says, when we put together my rural plan, my ag plan, it recognizes that iowa farmers, as tom would say, you arent looking for a payoff. Youre looking for an opportunity. An opportunity to lead the community. Lead the country. Be Major Players in the world, for real. I dont know anybody, i dont know anybody in agriculture who is saying, all i want, just pay me off and ill be fine. I dont care about what i produce in my work. Ag producers should be on the cutting edge. The cutting edge of using Land Conservation to store carbon to begin a frontal attack on Global Warming and getting rewarded for doing it. Having opportunities to actually gain youd be doing favors for the entire country and the world and should be awarded for it. Were going to invest in Renewable Energy and biofuels, creating millions of new jobs on the way. Our ethanol plants, our ethanol plants provide good jobs, improve the environment, and we can make more of that happen with a new wave of biofuels, unless you yield to the oil companies. Like weve seen happen. Were going to invest in rural broadband. Think of all the potential that exists in this town. Think of all the potential, some of which goes unmatched. Unmet. The children in schools in my state and all around the country, they dont have access to highspeed broadband in many places. You may have it here, i dont know. But most places dont. So automatically they are at a disadvantage. I dont care where they come from, that phone has more computing capacity in it than what took the man to the moon. Literally. Not figuratively. Do you ever watch these kids how they can handle it . No, i mean it, they have no problem. None whatsoever. But some are put at a disadvantage because they dont have the kind of immediate access people have in urban areas and suburban areas. There is so much potential that exists here. Folks, look, we have to invest, as i said. We have to invest in making sure that not only we have broadband, but when you have broadband, you have access to global markets. You do not have to wait for the chicago board of trade to tell you when you can trade and not trade. You can do it on your own. You know what to do. There is so much we are leaving undone that would build the whole country not just small town america, but all america. You are the seed corn, figuratively speaking, of our rebirth as a country. For real. Folks, look, i hope, god willing, if we get elected and our plan comes to fruition, no longer will you be faced with children and grandchildren believing the only way they can make it is to leave home, to go somewhere else to get that good job. Theres no reason why it cant happen here. My plan is to restore the promise of the middle class for Rural America, in Rural America. Given the choice, they would rather live where they can work, where they can make a living, where you can raise your family. And that is being denied because of the policies of this administration. Now, we put together a plan because we know that prosperity of the whole country literally depends on communities like perry. Theres thousands of perrys all over america, all over america, with enormous potential going unmet. But quite frankly, its more than that. Its the character of the whole country is on the ballot this time around. The little character of the country. How the rest of the world views us. What they think of us. Whether or not we remain anywhere close to that shining city on the hill. Why has the rest of the world repaired to us . We are the most powerful nation in the history of the world. It has not been the power we have, its been the example. The power of our example that has united the world. Why do people come . They come not just because we are economically prosperous. They come because we, the United States of america, stand for the values of the free world, and those yearning to be free, care about. But look whats happening to us. The president treats nato like its a protection racket. He embraces thugs and White Supremacists all across the country and around the world. And what happens . You see whats happening now. Our alliances are literally fraying. Not a joke. His unnecessary trade war has decimated farmers and producers throughout the country, and particularly here in this state. But even more than his policy failures, which i will not keep talking about because i get you know them, but even more than that, even worse, has been the damage he has done to the soul of this country. I mean it. To the soul of this nation. Fanning the flames, fanning the flames of hate groups here at home. Fanning the flames. Think about it. I am a kid that came out of the civil rights movement. My state has the eighth largest black population in america. Was segregated by law. I got involved. I thought after all wed gone through, finally when i was waiting at a train station to be picked up by a black man, 40 years to the day i had been there as a public defender after my city had been turned to the ground, parts of it, i was waiting for black man to come 27 miles from philadelphia to pick me up. Take me on a 127 mile ride to washington, dc to be sworn in as president and Vice President of the United States. I thought we made it. I dont just mean barack and i had made it. I thought the nation turned a corner. But i was wrong. I didnt realize. Hate doesnt go away. It only hides. It hides. When it is given oxygen to breathe, it grows. A president s words matter. They can send brave women and men to war like this marine here. They can send people, they can bring people home. They can end wars. They can make markets rise or fall. But they can also breed hate that brings out the worst elements of american society. The history of america is not a fairytale. We have bad pieces, small. But when you give it authority, things get tough. Our children are listening. Our children are listening. When you find that you have ice agents ripping children from their parents arms at the border my wife, jill, is not here today because she just crossed the border to meet with people on the other side with congressman vela, a democratic congressman from texas, brownsville. To see them huddled on the other side of the border, seeking asylum. Never before have we refused to allow Asylum Seekers to at least come and have a hearing. Its damaging us in ways that is hard to tell. It isnt who we are. And folks, i believe we can overcome four years of donald trump. With significant difficulty, we can overcome it. But if we give him another four years, i believe he will permanently alter the character of the country, at least for several generations. We cannot afford it in this dangerous world we find ourselves in. So, i am asking you, i am asking you to consider joining me, joining tom and christie, joining iowans all across the state to give donald trump his walking papers. [cheers and applause] mr. Biden i hope you will consider coming out and caucusing for me on february 3rd. I believe we can do this. I believe we can defeat donald trump. I hope you will consider. I believe we can literally, not figuratively. Its not a figure of speech. I believe we can restore the soul of this nation. And once again, lead to the world. We can own the 20 century. Think about this. There has never been a time in American History never. Its not hyperbole. There has never been a time when america has set its mind to a goal that it has failed to accomplish. You know that better than anybody, old buddy. Thanks for being out here. The fact is, there is nothing weve been unable to do. We have got to remember who in gods name we are. This is the United States of america. Nothing, nothing is beyond our capacity. So my discreet message to you is this. Its time to get the heck up. Pick up our heads. Remember who we are. And begin to take this outfit back. Now. Now. Now. Now. Thank you. We can do this. And ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce a buddy of mine. One of the greatest guys i know. Former governor and secretary of agriculture tom vilsack. Gov. Vilsack it is a pretty difficult challenge to speak knowing i am between you and getting back to those grandkids. And you all have been patient. I asked for an opportunity to speak for a couple of minutes. The staff has asked me to talk to you a little bit about why i am supporting joe. We had an earlier event in atlantic, and there was a conversation about the Vice President at the church, saw him at the church and at the event. It may me think of my grandson jake. A couple months ago, his parents came to me. We had gone through a family crisis. Jake had missed the first communion class and his parents asked if i would teach him first communion class. I got the materials. I studied up. We had eight or nine sessions about reconciliation, confession, and the 10 commandments. I was trying to explain to this 10yearold the 10 commandments. I said, jake, its pretty simple. The first three are about how we respect god and love god. The last seven are about how we respect and love each other. I thought i had to give an example. I said, for example, theres some pastors and ministers in evangelical churches around the country that are upset with president trump. Jake said, why are they upset . Well, because the president takes the lords name in vain in public far too often as far as those folk are concerned. I thought that was a pretty good example. I was going to move on. Jake did not hesitate a millisecond before he looked up and he said, and thats why we need joe biden for president. [applause] gov. Vilsack three quick reasons i am supporting joe and then a personal note. First, you can have the greatest plans in the world, you can have the greatest vision in the world, but you also have to have the experience, the knowledge, and the relationships to get it done. I have had the privilege of working with three different president s, two democrats, one republican. I appreciate what you have to have to get things done. There is no one in this race that has the kind of transformational ideas, progressive ideas that are doable, that has the experience and the knowledge and the relationships to get it done than joe biden. Think about this. Think about this. When president obama needed something done in congress, when he needed to convince a republican or democratic member of congress, this is the man he sent up to do the job because he knew that joe had the relationships, the knowledge, the awareness of what it would take to convince members of congress and the senate to act. Its that experience, that knowledge that will ensure this rural plan that joe has, which will create new Revenue Opportunities for farmers, manufacturing jobs in places like perry all across the United States, expanding access to health care, these are the kinds of programs that can get done with a man with his experience, knowledge, and relationships. He mentioned americas place in the world. On any given day the president of the United States can be confronted with the following. A pandemic in africa, a cyber attack in europe, a terrorist attack in asia, and a gun violence incident in the United States. In any given day. The rest of the world needs leadership to tackle issues like climate, to tackle issues like Cyber Attacks and terrorism. The have always looked until recently to the United States for that leadership, and we have always provided it. But today, there is uncertainty. There is hesitancy. There is a lack of awareness about what america stands for and what it cares about. So we need a president , from the very first day of the new administration. From the very first minute of the day. To be able to begin the process of healing and repairing the credibility and reputation of the u. S. And i will tell you, there is nobody in this race, including donald trump, who has the experience and the judgment of joe biden. He can begin on day one. There wont be a year or two of trying to figure out how to do it. He can get it done on day one. [applause] gov. Vilsack but you cant do any of this. You cant expand access to health care with the public option, you cannot fix the rural economy, you cannot repair our relationships around the world unless you get elected. Kind of a prerequisite. Youve got to win. The other night before i went to bed, christie was reading, educating herself, as she does. She said, what are you doing . I said, im looking at the polls. Im looking at state polls. Im not looking at the national polls. I want to know whats going on in georgia. North carolina and michigan and wisconsin. I want to know whats going on in texas and arizona and nevada. I want to see which candidate in our current primary, which candidate has the greatest amount of strength in all of those states. There is only one candidate in this race today that is either beating donald trump by a significant margin or is tied with donald trump in each and every one of the states, and that candidate is here in perry tonight, joe biden. [applause] gov. Vilsack just imagine on election night, when democrats win georgia and North Carolina and wisconsin and michigan and texas, nevada, arizona we not only win the presidency. We win a lot of congressional races. We win a lot of senate races. We begin to turn the corner on what has occurred the last three years. That is why i am supporting joe biden. [applause] gov. Vilsack let me finish with a very personal note. Christie mentioned we have undergone a tragedy in our family. We lost our fiveyearold granddaughter a couple of years ago. When you go through Something Like that, it knocks you out. It makes it hard for you to understand whats the reason, whats the purpose . Our son and daughterinlaw have gone through a serious challenge. In earlier this year, jeff went to a joe biden event. Joe saw jeff and he went up to him and he said, how are you doing . He just thought it was a politician going, how are you doing . He answered it like, im fine. Joe biden stopped my son, looked him in the eye and said, no, no, no. I want to know how you are doing. Because you and i are members of a fraternity we did not choose to be part of, of having lost a loved one. I need to know how you are doing. I share that story with you for two reasons. I want you to know that this man has great empathy. Empathy is something that a president needs. Think about it. The president of the United States goes into a gymnasium with parents whose children have been gunned down. That president needs empathy. Ovalresident visits in the office on the phone with someone who lost a loved one. That president needs empathy. Or they travel through a tornado destroyed community. Where everything has been lost, lives have been lost. That president needs empathy. Not only do they need to understand what it means to suffer, they also have the responsibility of providing a sense of hope. Getting to the next day. Beginning the process of rebuilding. Making something out of an extraordinarily tragic situation. I want my president to have that capacity. And weve seen the last three years the current president lacks empathy. I want my president to understand that the country itself is suffering. We do not want to be the disUnited States of america. We truly do want joe bidens vision of a united america. We need someone to take us there. We need someone to help heal us. That requires empathy. That requires heart. A great president not only has to have the experience, the knowledge, the relationships, the awareness of the complexity of the world. That president has to have heart, because thats who we are. I am supporting joe biden because hes the one candidate in this race who can win. Because he is the one candidate in this race who has doable, transformational plans and visions that can get accomplished because of its experience and relationships. He can begin repairing americas damaged image and reputation on day one. And because i will never, ever have to worry in any circumstance where a president has to have empathy and understanding that my president will lack that. I am asking you to do what christie and i have done if you have not already done, fill one of these cards out. Make a commitment to joe tonight. Joe needs you. The Democratic Party needs you. Perhaps most importantly of all, the country needs you. Thank you very much. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2019] onwatch our life coverage the campaign trail and make up your own mind. Cspans campaign 2020. Your unfiltered view of politics. Here is a look at some of our featured program on cspan. Tonight at 8 00, the symposium on religious freedom. Watch the festivities surrounding the White House Christmas tree. On christmas day, at 10 00, view decorations with first lady melania trump. A look back at previous decorations by hillary clinton, lora bush, and michelle obama. Technologyn about issues at the manhattan institute. At 8 00, john millar on the history of journalism and fake news. 5 45, an Economic Committee on the cost of raising a family. At 9 10, constitutional litigator about occupational licensing requirements