Transcripts For CSPAN Democratic National Convention Democratic National Convention Day 2 20240712

All know,t, as we this is not a conventional convention. And as much as we would have loved to host you in person, i am proud the Democratic Party in the city of milwaukee have made the health of our residents our number one priority. Unlike the president , we have covid19 ar hoax. Unlike the president , we have never made fun of face masks. And unlike the president , we have never belittled her Public Health experts. We understand that our Public Health experts. We understand why we cant be together, and we hope you do too, and as our party comes together virtually to nominate joe biden as our next president , we are showing the country we are nominating a leader who isnt afraid to make tough choices or to work with Health Experts come and not against them, to address this pandemic experts, and not against them, to address his pandemic. Milwaukee is special. I look forward to the day when you are all able to come expense are beautiful lakefront, our historic neighborhoods, and above all, our diverse, hardworking, and fairly residents, but in the meantime, it is my honor to call the second session of the 48 quadrennial National Convention of the Democratic Party to order. [gavel] hearlegates, we will reports from our three convention committees. To start us off, i am pleased to toroduce two cochairs present their committees report. Hello, delegates come to the 2020 in aquatic National Convention. It is an honor to have served as a cochair of the conventions committee, along with lorraine miller. Pursuant to convention cools the committee met and took action to approve the credentials of the delegates and alternates that have been credentialed for the 2020 National Convention. I am proud to say that all ventional conditional credential issues have been resolved. It reflects the efforts of so many to make our process more open and more transparent. As a result, we know that our delegates reflect the best of our party, and we are all united around our nominees, joe biden and Connelly Harris senator Kamala Harris. Thanks as they opportunity to serve with my friend jim roosevelt. Our state and territorial parties have worked diligentlyc in these unprecedented times make sure their delegations reflect the great diversity of our party. We are proud our party places up are already on making sure that participants at this convention highlight a core value of our party, that is ensuring that all americans, regardless of sex, race, age, color, creed, national origin, religion, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic identity, or physical thisility have a role in important process. To chair, i am pleased report that Credential Committee report was approved by Committee Members and all delegates have been fully credentialed. Thank you. We will now here from the committeef the rules to present the committees report. Maria. Ame is i am honored to serve as cochair of the rules and Bylaws Committee of the dnc, along with my friend and colleague, congressman barney frank. The rules committee met the last week of july to adopt the Convention Rules of procedure, officers, and agenda. The Committee Approved the rules that will govern the convention. These probes are based on a longstanding process rules are based on a longstanding process that has governed our convention for many cycles. Given the unprecedented nature of the covid19 Health Crisis with these rules approved focus on providing for a convention that will transform the convention experience for delegates and for participants, and will allow for maximum participation by those delegates. The rules Committee Also ratified a Dynamic Group of democrats to serve as the officers of the convention. Officers truly represent the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party. These actions of the rules committee will ensure that the 2020 democratic National Convention can efficiently and effectively proceed with its important business. The rules Committee Also took action on a resolution that was recommended for approval by Convention Delegates. The resolution calls on the Democratic National committee to continue the work from this cycle to improve our nominating process and build on those reforms for the 2024 cycle. The resolution calls on the dnc rules committee to conduct a comprehensive review of the president ial nominating reforms that were made and to evaluate where even further reforms might be needed. This review and accounting will 2021. Plete by march 31, chair, i am pleased to report that unity resolution was approved by the delegates. Thank you to the delegates. Thank you to the members of the rules and Bylaws Committee, and thank you for continuing to do everything you can to ensure we are successful in november. Thank you. Two things are important to know. One, they continue and build on the trend towards making our nominating process is democrat as possible. We have asked we go to primaries rather than caucuses. We have maintained those restrictions on nonelected delegates. Secondly, everything in these rules is the product of a free sanderst between the and biden people, as it was last time. That is, we have a very democratic set of rules agreed upon enthusiastically by both camps. Thank you. Call on theasure to Platform Committee cochairs to present their committees report. Good evening. Friend. E alongside my i was honored to cochair this years democratic Platform Committee. The process for drafting her 2020 democratic platform began ofh the formation taskforces. Appointed by Vice President biden and senator sanders, the on six majorocused policy priorities. Continuing the work of the taskforces, the Platform Drafting Committee engaged voters and encourage them to share their stories, so their values were reflected. Committeerm drafting gave so many throughout our wasy to make sure that incorporated, whether online or otherwise. Thanks. I am proud to have been julies cochair on the Platform Committee. Our committee has produced a platform that proposes solutions to the challenges that American Families face in this unprecedented time. It is informed by the values of our party, and the priorities of our president ial nominee, Vice President joe biden. I strongly believe that this platform lays out an agenda informed by the values that would defeat donald trump and heal the soul of our nation and the United States of america. Thank you. Thank you to all the members of all three Standing Committees for your important work to ensure we have a smooth and orderly convention, a platform that represents our parties, values, and interest, and a plan for continuing to look at how we conduct our affairs in openness, fairness, and inclusion. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america. And to the republic for which it stands, one nation one nation one nation under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Americans, this is my country. Many of us have fought hard for the right to say that. Todayre now struggling nang so theyo da may say with conviction, this is our country. People in a quandary about the present. We are a people in search of our future. We must make the American People hear our tale of two cities. We must convince them that we dont have to settle for two cities, we can have one city, indivisible, shining for all of its people. If you give us a chance, we perform. After all, Ginger Rogers did everything fred astaire did, she just did it backwards and in high heels. There is not a liberal america and a conservative america, there is the United States of america. There is not a black america and a White America and a latino america, and asian america, there is the United States of america. Is not aerican dream sprint or even a marathon. Crossmilies dont always the finish line in the span of one generation but each generation passes onto the next the fruits of their labor. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of america. [applause] welcome. Welcome. Welcome to the second night of the democratic National Convention. Look at the camera and smile. This is a different kind of key not. All of us are on stage and we have lots to say. There is a lot riding on this election. We are facing the biggest economic and Health Crisis in generations. This president didnt and still doesnt have a plan. With doctors, nurses and Home Health Care aides in philadelphia that have to risk their lives to protect others because there is not enough protective equipment. When factory workers in ohio are faced with dangerous conditions because this administration hasnt given clear guidance on how to protect our people. When teachers in georgia and across the country are being asked to return to the classroom without a plan to keep them safe , and parents are exhausted struggling, juggling fulltime childcare. Lltime visiting our parents and grandparents through the window of a nursing home, worrying they will get sick. When unemployment in south represent,n a city i has risen nearly fourfold, and evictions are putting families out on the streets in the middle of a pandemic. Make no mistake, it didnt have to be this bad. In the early days of the virus, donald trump didnt listen to the experts. Then he said something a president should never say. He said, i dont take responsibility at all. No responsibility. No leadership. No plan. He still doesnt have a plan. Donald trump doesnt have a plan. Cantsnt understand we fix the economy without getting hold of the virus. He is looking out for the people that were already doing just fine, the wealthy, the big corporations, the donors to his campaign. He is looking out for himself. There is one person who is looking out for us. All of us. That is joe biden. Joe called it. We are in the battle for the soul of our nation. Joe knows we can never let hard times turn us against each other. We can never stop doing hard work to make things right. That is why we ran for office. Even when people counted us out. Even when there had never been a latina in the nevada state senate. Or democrat elected to the Florida Commission about work culture. When birmingham hadnt had a mayor this young in 120 years. We ran for office because we know the struggles American Families are facing. Because we have lived them. We have lived the insecurity, the indignity of an eviction notice. Bux like many of you, i have lived the frustration of paying off student loans. We have lived the grief of losing loved ones to gun violence and the criminal Justice System that unfairly targets our communities. We have lived the feeling of helplessness on someone you love is very sick and health care is a matter of life and death. Joe biden has lived a lot of this, too. In a was raised middleclass family in pennsylvania. He watched his dad look for work and learned a job is about much more than a paycheck. It is about dignity and respect. Was in the hospital. Like. Knows what it is thank god, he had health care. He knows what it is like to work hard for everything hes got. What it is like to send a child to war. He will never forget who he is fighting for. I look around my district in north texas and i see the people who built this country, the educators, like the single mom who raised me, the men and women on the frontlines of our Health Care System. You built this country. Small business owners, like the ones who shop in restaurants in birmingham, michigan. Tribal nations. The streets of philadelphia. And bring our country to life. The nurses in memphis who came out of retirement to treat patients during this pandemic. You built this country. You know what . You deserve more than a constant chaos that donald trump delivers. You deserve health care you can afford, a job that pays you fairly. You deserve childcare and paid sick leave while you work. And when you pay the Social Security medicare, you deserve to know it will be there when you retire. Across theo voters country in both red states and blue states, we won. A new generation of leaders is rising up. With joe biden in the white house, there is no limit to what we can do. Are making drug prices more transparent. So people with chronic illnesses wont go broke while Drug Companies get rich. Joe is working to protect and expand the Affordable Care act. He will make sure millions keep their coverage and no one will be denied for a preexisting condition. He will bring down the cost of health care and prescription drugs. Having tax credits for working families and allowing medicare to negotiate drug prices. That is a good deal. That is a big fing deal. Joe knows we cant have a healthy economy if people cant afford health care. Remember, donald trump is suing to take Health Care Coverage away from more than 20 million americans and eliminate protections for over 100 million with preexisting conditions. In the middle of a pandemic. In texas we are standing up for fierce women like my mom and nevers who raised me to backed down from a tough fight. We are fighting to make sure mothers who mothers have access to Health Screenings for safe pregnancies and childbirth, and we are bringing longoverdue justice to survivors of sexual assault. Joe biden has been fighting for women his entire career. Sponsored he wade and makee v. Reducing maternal mortality, especially for women of color, a top priority. In florida, on the front lines of our Climate Crisis, we are working to produce more ourwable energy and shrink carbon footprint. Joe has a plan to invest in Clean Energy Jobs and infrastructure. We are closing loopholes to ensure local Infrastructure Projects use American Made materials on local labor and support american manufacturing. Unlike donald trump, joe buyn will actually enforce american rules, investing in American Made clean energy, building materials, high tech equipment, and r d, creating more good jobs. In michigan we are banning Business Practices that exploit workers and cost them hundreds of millions of dollars in lost wages. When unemployment is at the highest rate since the great depression, when millions of people have seen their hours and , joe knows it is not enough to make the economy the way it was before. We have to build it back better. He will build an economy that rewards work, not wealth, and get rid of the trump tax cuts that only benefit big corporations and the rich. Then, he will invest in health care, education and infrastructure. And in getting Small Businesses up and running again. Take it from me. When you are in the trenches, you want joe biden next to you. When i wanted to marry the man i loved, joe biden was the First National figure to support me and my family. Appreciate you, man. When the Auto Industry was going under, joe stuck his neck out to protect it and helped save 1. 5 million auto jobs. When the economy was on the brink joe led the recovery effort to create millions of jobs including in western pennsylvania. Under his leadership, america bounced back with the longest economic expansion in history. Happens when joe biden is in your corner. Working families at a fair shot. He understands leadership means fighting for the people who built this country. All of you. All of us. This nation belongs to all of us. And in every election, we choose how we will create a more Perfect Union. Not i taking sides, but by taking stock of where we are and what we need. This years choice could not be more clear. America faces a triple threat. A Public Health catastrophe, and economic collapse, and a reckoning with Racial Justice and inequality. Our choice is clear. A steady, experienced Public Servant who can lead us out of the crisis just like he has done before, or a man who only knows how to deny and distract. A leader who cares about our families, or a president who only hears about himself. We know joe biden. America, we need joe biden. To make your voice heard, text 30330. In a democracy, we dont elect saviors. We cast our ballots for those who see our struggle and pledge to serve. Who hear our dreams and work to make them real. Who defend our way of life by protect our right to vote. Faced with the president of cowardice, joe biden is a minute proven courage. He will restore our moral compass by confronting our challenges, not by hiding from them or undermining our elections to keep his job. In a time of Voter Suppression at home and authoritarians abroad, joe biden will be a champion for free and fair elections. For a Public Health system that keeps us safe. For an economy that we build back better than before. And for accountability and integrity in our system of justice. We stand with joe biden. Because this isnt just about defeating donald trump. We are in this to win for america. So lets get it done. Hello. Im tracee ellis ross. How exciting to hear from young elected leaders from across the country. A perfect way to begin night two of the democratic National Convention, uniting america. Tonight, its all about leadership. This unprecedented moment calls for leadership, steady, Inclusive Leadership driven by people who understand that our democracy is based on the value of each and every one of us being treated with dignity and respect. Leaders who respond to the needs of hardworking americans who right this minute are unable to pay rent, put food on the table, and keep their loved ones safe. As a black woman, i find myself at a crucial intersection in american politics. For far too long, black female leadership in this country has been utilized without being acknowledged or valued. But we are turning the tide. Hello, kamala. Her nomination is historic for anyone who believes in we the people. Like senator harris and many we saw in the keynote, todays leaders emerged from communities that have long been underrepresented. They are charting new paths in the spirit of shirley chisholm, charlotta bass, sandy lou hamers then john lewis. They get in good trouble. Necessary trouble. They call things out otherwise ignored, elevating our nation and changing the course of our lives for the better. With every vote we cast for forward thinking, honest leaders, we chip away at ingrained systems of inequity arc ofbend fo bend the justice. True leaders make sure policy is informed by all of us, bridging our burdened past to a safe, equitable, and even joyful future. Joe biden and Kamala Harris are heeding voices within the movement for Racial Justice, listening to the people and acting with empathy to reflect our shared humanity. Tonight, we will hear from a number of american leaders, including former acting u. S. Attorney general sally yates, who refused to defend an unconstitutional travel ban and pay for paid for it with her job. Real. Threat is it is clear and it is present. We have watched the president for three years. Look at what hes doing. Fear,t joking, instilling sewing divisions, stoking racial divisions, undercutting every institution that was designed to check the abuse of power by the president or anyone else. All of this for what reason . All of this in order to solidify his base and expand his power. Good evening. Im sally yates. Speaking at a Political Convention is something i never expected to be doing. But the future of our democracy is at stake. Ofm here in my hometown atlanta, where as a young lawyer i joined our nations Justice Department. For nearly 30 years, through democratic and republican administrations, i worked alongside my doj colleagues to advance our nations promise of equal justice. I served as Deputy Attorney general in the Obamabiden Administration and stayed on as acting attorney general from for the trump transition. 10 days in i was fired for refusing to defend President Trumps shameful and unlawful muslim travel ban. That was the start of his relentless attacks on our Democratic Institutions and countless dedicated Public Servants. These officials didnt swear an oath to a person. Or a party. Public servants promise to defend our constitution, uphold our laws, and work on behalf of the American People. But from the moment President Trump took office, he has used his position to benefit himself rather than our country. He has trampled the rule of law, trying to weaponize our Justice Department to attack his enemies and protect his friends. Rather than standing up to aadimir putin, he fawns over dictator who is still trying to interfere in our elections. He is even trying to sabotage our Postal Service to keep people from being able to vote. On the fbi, attacks the free press, inspectors general, federal judges, they all have one purpose. To remove any check on his abuse of power. Put simply, he treats our country like it is his family business. This time, bankrupting our nations moral authority at home and abroad. But our country doesnt belong to him. It belongs to all of us. Joe biden embraces that. He has spent his entire life putting our country first. He has never backed down from a challenge or a bully. He summons the best in us and lives by the values that define us as americans, service, compassion. Ourage, there are countless stories of joe biden reaching out to someone in their moment of need. Countrys is our moment of need. We need a president to respect our laws and the privilege of Public Service. Who reflects our values and hears about our people. We need a president who will restore the soul of america. We need joe biden. Weover the last four years have experienced failed leadership under donald j. Trump. We have had to deal with this insanity. I watched the country deteriorate. The cover bops, the lying. The disregard for the constitution. Donald trump has failed america. It is time for us to reclaim our constitutional and democratic values. We need to prove to the world and prove to ourselves that we are better than this. We need an experienced leader. Who has passion, integrity, and leadership skills. His name is joe biden. Joe biden. He really wants the best for this country. He respects democracy, the rule of law, and the constitution. Hi. This is senator chuck schumer, democratic leader from my hometown, brooklyn, new york. Behind me is a site i see out of my window every night, the statue of liberty, the same sight that greeted hopeful immigrants like my grandparents, a symbol of freedom and a beacon of hope to the world. Today, donald trump has divided our country, diminished our greatness and demeaned everything that this statue represents. He even hid in a bunker as americans were teargas tan beaten. Jobless, 170,000 americans dead from covid and donald trump says it is what it is. President s should never say it is what it is. President lincoln, honoring the great sacrifice at gettysburg, didnt say it is what it is. President roosevelt, seeing a third of the nation ill housed and ill nerve rest, didnt say it is what it is. America, donald trump has quit on you. We need a president with dignity, integrity, and the experience to lead us out of this crisis. A man with a steady hand and a big heart who will never, ever quit on america. That man is my friend, joe biden. He will be a great president , but if we are going to win this battle for the soul of our nation, joe cant do it alone. Democrats must take back the senate. We will stay united from sanders and warren to him to warner, and with our unity we will bring bold and dramatic change to our country. Let me tell you some of the for things we do. With Vice President biden President Biden, Vice President harrison democratic majority, we will make health care affordable. We will undo the vicious inequality of income and wealth that has plagued america and we will take Decisive Action to combat Climate Change and save the planet. We will protect Voting Rights, fight systemic racism in the criminal Justice System and our economy, and restore a Supreme Court that looks out for people, not corporations. We will rebuild our infrastructure and make sure every home, from innercity to Rural America, has broadband. We will save the post office and once and for all defeat covid19, this evil disease. And, beckoned by the lady behind us, we will reform our immigration system so immigrants yearning to breathe free will at last become american citizens. Together, we can reignite the hope once felt by millions of men and women, huddled masses on freaking ships who glimpsed this mighty woman with her torch, knowing they could build a better life here in america. Long nationals nightmare, america will finally awaken to a Brighter Future and a new day. Senator chuck schumer, reminding us that leadership requires integrity and accountability. Real leaders dont ask what we can do for them, they ask what they can do for us. In a minute, we will hear from two former president s and they will speak to that. First, here are Caroline Kennedy and her son, jack schlossberg. Crowdedars ago in a stadium my father accepted the democratic nomination. He challenged americans to look for the future and join him on a journey to a new frontier. It was a cult of the young at heart, regardless of age or party. Times have changed, but the themes of my grandfathers speech, courage, unity, and patriotism, are as important today as they were in 1960. Once again, we need a leader who believes americas best days are yet to come. We need joe biden. I have admired joe biden since i was a Senate Intern in 1974. He chaired my uncle teddys commitment for womens rights and working families. He was a senator who cared, who inspired. That is why a i helped choose him to be Barack Obamas running mate in 2008. When i was ambassador to japan, i got to see him in action. He stepped off air force two wearing his aviator glasses and big smile, radiating optimism and generosity. I saw a leader who was tough but fair, who commanded the trust and respect of other nations and who always put americas interests first. Joe bidens lifetime of Public Service reflects his unwavering commitment to our highest ideals. In this election come our future is on the ballot. For my generation, it will define the rest of our lives. We need to tackle Climate Change. We need to end systemic racial injustice. We need to make Health Care Available for everybody and we need to rebuild the economy that helps working families. We can do this. We can reach these new frontiers but only with the president who asks what he can do for our country and what together, we can do to build a better world. It is up to us. Lets get it done. Lets elect joe biden the next president of the United States. I am joining you in celebrating our next president of the United States, joe biden. We have known and admired him for many years. Most recently, i have worked with him on tackling the debt the 53 million unpaid caregivers in our country who are juggling work and responsibilities and putting their own physical and Mental Health and wellbeing at risk. Joe knows well, too well, the sorrows and struggles. From his time as a young widow work thrust into single parenthood with a demanding job, to him and jill caring for their parents and their son at the end of their lives, he knows caregiving is hard, even on the good days. We know the challenges of caregiving for those who served in the military and returned with visible and invisible wounds and we know we need a leader in the white house. Jimmy and i are voting for joe because he recognizes the challenges facing our families, and has the heart and the talent to make life better for all americans. Inwhen i ran for president 1976, joe biden was one of my for supporters in the senate. For decades, he has been my loyal and does it dedicated friend. He has the experience, character and decency to bring us together. You deserve a person with integrity and judgment. Committed tos doing what is best for the American People. Joe is the right person for this moment in our nations history. He understands egg nitty dignity and vision. This is what we need. Times, joecertain biden realizes Many American lives can be saved each day by masks and testing. Joe biden must be our next president. Good evening. A president ial election is the worlds most important job interview. At the end we hire a leader to help us create opportunities and give our kids better tomorrows. It is a tall order this year. With the covid19 outbreak on a path to killing 200,000 people and destroying millions of jobs in Small Businesses, how did donald trump respond . At first he said the virus was under control and would soon disappear. When it didnt, he was on tv every day bragging on what a great job he was doing. While scientists waited to give us more information. When he didnt like the expert advice he was given, he ignored it. Only when covid exploded in even more states did he encourage people to wear masks. By then, many more were dying. When asked about the resurgence in debts he shrugged and said, it is what it is. Did it have to be this way . No. Itid hit us much harder than had to. We have just 4 of the worlds population and 25 of the worlds covid cases. Our Unemployment Rate is more than twice as south korea, would have times of the united kingdom. Donald trump says we are leaving the world. We are the only Major Industrial economy to have its Unemployment Rate triple. At a time like this, the oval office should be a command center. Instead, it is a storm center. It is only chaos. This one thing never changes. His determination to deny responsibility and shift the blame. Decide whether to renew his contract or hire someone else. If you want a president spends hours a day watching tv and zapping people on social media, he is your man. Denying, distracting and demeaning works great if you are trying to entertain or inflame. But in a real crisis, it collapses like a house of cards. Covid just doesnt respond to any of that. To beat it, you have to actually go to work and deal with the facts. Our party is united and in offering you a very different choice, a go to work president , a down to earth, get the job done guy, a man with a mission to take responsibility, not shift blame, concentrate not distract, unite not divide. Our choices joe biden. Joe helped wring us back from a recession before and he can do it again. In 2000 nine, barack obama and joe biden started with the worst economy since the great depression. When they were done, they delivered more than six straight years of job growth. What did joe do . He accepted responsibility for implementing the recovery act. His work created a lot of new jobs and started many new companies in communities across our country. Now, he is committed to building america back again. How . Smart,given us a detailed plan to invest in areas vital to our future. Innovative financing for modern factories and Small Businesses, good jobs and green energy and conservation to combat Climate Change, a modern infrastructure to bring smalltown and Rural America the connectivity others take for granted, and a plan to ensure that black and latino and native americans, women, immigrants, and other communities left behind, are full participants in our economy and our society. Joe biden wants to build an economy far better suited to our changing world, that are for young people, better for families working and raising kids, better for people who lost jobs and need new ones, better for farmers tired of being Collateral Damage and trade wars, better for workers caring for the sick, elderly, and people with disabilities. Better because of the living wage and access to affordable Higher Education and health care, including prescription drugs. And childcare, a secure retirement, and for the first time, paid family and medical leave. Joe wont just put his signature on a check or try to for you into thinking it came from him. He will work to make sure your paycheck reflects your contribution to end your stake in a growing economy. Thehis job interview, difference is stark. You know what donald trump will do with four more years. Blame, bully and belittle. You know what joe biden will do, build back better. It is trumps us versus them america against joe bidens america, where we live and work together. It is a clear choice. The future of our country is writing on it. Thank you. Roll is time to call the and officially nominate the democratic candidate for president of the United States. But this year for the first time, the roll call is heading out to all 57 states and territories, places that showcase our nations natural beauty, places where people are working together to secure a Better Future for our country and places that are working to iowa,d and recover, like where thousands have been left homeless and hundreds of thousands have been left without power in the wake of last weeks terrible storm. Our hearts are with you, iowa. There is so much going on right now. Tonight, we come together to nominate a candidate who will fight for all of us. The Convention Delegates will do the official nominating, but you can join them by supporting joe biden. Text join to 303 30 to get involved. Now, the chair of the Democratic National committee, tom perez. It is great to be here in milwaukee, a proud union town with grit and character that reflect the resilience of our party and our country. There is no doubt these last few months have been tough, but good leadership means being able to adapt to any situation. I want to thank the people of milwaukee for being such gracious and flexible hosts. It is also great to be back in wisconsin where i was lucky enough to marry my wife a little more than three decades ago. Progressive movement has deep roots here and since today is the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment ratification, we should point out that wisconsin was the first state to ratify it. Whats more, in its oneword motto, forward, wisconsin captures something so important about america. The way that no matter what challenges today brings, we always believe a Better Future is possible. That is what my parents believed when they immigrated to this country nearly a sect a century ago, fleeing a brutal dictator in the dominican republic. This nation welcomed them with compassion and they quickly learned their hope of a better life through hard work was shared by generations of americans. Indeed, every americans story is a story about that hope, that sense of possibility. It is what unites us, defines us , and it is what sustains us now. We will work to meet our extraordinary challenges because progress is made by the hopeful, not the cynical. We will do that together because movements are built by the many, not the few. As you watch tonights decidedly unconventional roll call and reflect on the diversity of our too areremember, you part of the american story and no matter where you come from, or where you are watching from tonight, you have a place in joe bidens Democratic Party. Delegates and distinguished guests, under our procedural rules, two Democratic Candidates submitted nominating documents tower our Convention Secretary for the office of president of the United States. Senator Bernie Sanders and Vice President joe biden. As such, each candidate has provided names of individuals who will make nominating and seconding speeches on their behalf. We will begin with nominating and seconding speeches for senator sanders. Will be on his behalf two progressive champions, bob king and representative alexandria ocasiocortez. Bob king. As a Proud Union Member and former president of a Great American union, the uaw, i am honored to nominate Bernie Sanders for president. For decades, bernie has led the fight for working families, fighting for workers rights to organize unions and collectively bargain. In a time of enormous inequality, he understands that we must confront large corporations which have pharma far too much control. Bernie believes health care is a human right and shouldnt be contingent on a job. He knows we can rebuild our current crumbling infrastructure by creating millions of paying union jobs while combating Climate Change. Clarity moral emboldened the Democratic Partys fight for justice, the Grassroots Energy of his dvances. Rs have made a he will deliver transformational change. I am excited to name a great champion of the working class, senator Bernie Sanders. Good evening. Os and thank you to everyone endeavoring towards a better, more just future for our country and our world. Infidelity and gratitude, to in fidelity and graduate gratitude, looking to establish guaranteed health care, Higher Education, living wages, and labor rights for all people in the United States, a movement striving to recognize and repair the wounds of racial injustice, colonization, misogyny, and homophobia, and to propose and build reimagined systems of immigration and Foreign Policy that turn away from the violence and xenophobia of our past. A movement that realizes the unsustainable brutality of an economy that rewards explosive inequalities of wealth for the few at the expense of longterm stability for the many, and who organized the historic Grassroots Campaign to reclaim our democracy. In a time when millions of people in the United States are deep, Systemic Solutions to our crises of mass evictions, unemployment, and lack of health care, and out of a love for all people, i hereby second the nomination of senator Bernard Sanders of vermont for president of the United States of america. Thank you, mr. King and representative across io cortez. We now turn to nominating and seconding speeches for Vice President biden. In a moment we will hear from senator chris coons, who holds the Delaware Senate seat once held by the Vice President and representative lisa rochester, my colleague in the house. First, we will hear from a working american, jacqueline, who met joe biden in an unexpected place, the elevator she worked. I take powerful people on my elevator all the time. When they get off, they go to their important meetings. Me . I had back to the lobby. But in the short time i spent with joe biden, i could tell he really saw me. That he actually cared, that my life meant something to him. And i knew even when he went to his important meeting, he would take my story in there with him. That is because joe biden has room in his heart for more than just himself. We have been through a lot, and we have tough days ahead, but nominating someone like that to be in the white house is a good place to start. That is why i nominate my friend, joe biden, as the next president of the United States. Im senator chris coons from delaware. A small state, where people expect to see their senators and even sometimes there Vice President at the supermarket, at a Church Festival come out in the community. Joe fights for us because he knows our struggles and hopes. He knows the pain of loss and the worries of working parents, and he has always brought that same personal concern he showed for jacqueline to getting things done, as are senator and then as president obamas Vice President. Joe has tackled gun violence and Climate Change. He stood up to dictators and supported our troops. He led the recovery effort after the last recession and delivered on a promise to make our Health Care System fairer and stronger. Through it all, joe biden has never forgotten where he is from. He has been sustained by his faith and his family through the toughest of times, and he has the heart and the compassion for this moment. For all of these reasons and secondt is my honor to the nomination of my good friend, joe biden, to be the next president of these United States. I am congresswoman lisa blunt in some history class in the future, children are learning about this moment. They are learning about our pain, our grief, our worry. They are also learning about a man named joe biden, about how he restored decency to our government and integrity to our democracy. We built our economy back better than before. They are learning about how his leadership gave their generation a fighting chance. They are learning about us, too, about the resolve in unity we showed against the forces of hatred and division, about the work we will do over the next 11 the night when, despite our distance, we came together to nominate joe biden for president of the United States, a nomination i am honored to second. Thank you all. Pursuant to our Convention Rules, we will now proceed to a rollcall by states on the selection of our partys candidate for president of the United States. Secretary . Mr. Chairman, coming to you live from the wisconsin center, it is time to begin our virtual. Rip around america our journey begins at the sight of a major step forward in our National Journey towards justice. Lets go to alabama. John lewis marched across this bridge in 1965 to demand the right to vote. A lifetime later, civil rights and Voting Rights remain americas great unfinished business. For those who walked this path before us, they showed us the way forward. If we want to honor john lewis incredible life, lets restore the Voting Rights act and ensure our democracy belongs to all americans. Alabama casts eight votes for Bernie Sanders and the great state of alabama casts 52 votes for our next president of these United States, joe biden. Alaska. On to feedgs we rely our families are threatened by Climate Change. Joe biden and president obama made sure alaskas tribes had a say on how the waters were managed. Donald trump took it away. We need a president who will respect our voices, protect our waters and address Climate Change. Alaska casts seven votes for Bernie Sanders and 12 votes for the next president , joe biden. American samoa. To support joe biden our community. As Vice President he helped expand Rural Infrastructure to communities like ours. As president , he will continue to strengthen Rural America from new england to the pacific. , on behalf of the governor and the American Samoa Democratic Party, we proudly cast 11 votes for our next president of the United States. F america, joe biden arizona. As a middle School Teacher i know public educators are doing everything they can to make sure our students have quality learning experiences this fall. As a mother of a high school freshman, i know this is far from perfect. As a union organizer, i will fight to make sure it is scientists, parents and educators that decide when it is safe to go back to school, not politicians. As an arizona latina, i probably cast our votes, 29 for Bernie Sanders and 51 for our next president , joe biden. Arkansas. Feeding people is an act of love and i think we could all use in our a little extra love. We took our food truck to the community to deliver meals made right here, for our neighbors in need. Even when our leaders let us down, americans kept looking out for each other. Arkansas casts nine votes for Bernie Sanders and 27 votes for our next president , joe biden. California. Climate change is not a hoax. It is real. Communities of color have been bearing the brunt of this reality for generations. Joe bidens plan to crack down on polluters to protect our air and water is about Environmental Justice and economic justice. People prioritize equity and bring Clean Energy Jobs to black and brown neighborhoods because that is how we build back better. Our nextrnia, home to Vice President Kamala Harris, casts 231 votes for Bernie Sanders and 263 votes for our next president , joe biden. Colorado. We grew up in poverty as immigrants but we have been able to make a decent living. We have three family members that tested positive for covid and it doesnt feel safe to put our kids back to school. This will be hard on them and on us. But millions of working families will have it much harder. I know joe biden cares about the struggles and that is why i trust him to fight for us. With one abstention, colorado will cast 36 votes for Bernie Sanders and 42 for our next president , joe biden. Connecticut. Firefighters are proud to put our lives on the line every day to protect our neighbors. It is a badge of courage. While we are protecting your families, we need a president who is committed protecting ours. That is joe biden. He has the courage we respect and the commitment to working americans we need now. On behalf of our governor, i am honored to cast connecticuts 75 votes for our next president , joe biden. Delaware. Passes. Are delaware passes. Democrats abroad. We represent millions of americans who live outside the United States. Americans abroad can make a difference in the states that will decide this years elections. We need your help to elect a president who will restore our standing around the world. Casting 10 we are votes for Bernie Sanders and seven votes for joe biden. District of columbia. Welcome to the best city in the world. Has raised d. C. Families, paid taxes and served in the military, just like every american in the 50 states. The house of representatives just passed an historic piece of legislation to make washington, d. C. The 51st state. Plaza,ack lives matter we proudly cast one vote for Bernie Sanders and 43 votes for the next president of the United States, joe biden. Florida. When my daughter was murdered, joe biden called to share our families grief. I quickly learned about his decency and civility, but i also learned about his toughness and how he has beaten the nra. Together with the other victims of gun violence and are nathan our nations youth, joe biden will win back our freedom to live without fear. Florida casts 57 votes for Bernie Sanders and 192 votes for our next president , joe biden. Georgia. My mentor, congressman john lewis, new the right to vote is sacred. Georgians know our ability to vote is under attack. Long lines, Voter Suppression. Donald trump is even trying to slow down the mail and force us to risk our lives to cast a ballot. We will not be silenced. Take out your phone and text vote to 303 30 and make sure your voice is heard. From the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement and in the spirit of good trouble, georgia casts 117 votes for our next president , joe biden. Guam. 70 years ago, we became u. S. Citizens. We are proud of our resilience, our indigenous heritage, and proud to be part of this historic moment for our party and our nation. The land where americas day begins, guam casts two votes for Bernie Sanders and 11 votes for our next president , joe biden. Hawaii. Land ofi is the indigenous native hawaiians. I want to speak to my fellow immigrants, to essential workers, to servicemembers who wear the flag, to parents with big dreams for their children. No matter where we came from, immigrants belong in our countrys fight for justice. We belong in the america we are building together. Hawaii, birthplace of president obama, casts nine votes for Bernie Sanders and 23 votes for our next president , joe biden. Idaho. We are not waiting for washington to act on Climate Change. Here in boise, we know clean energy doesnt just mean a healthier planet, it means good paying jobs. Imagine what we could do with the president that listens to science and leads with courage. Idaho casts nine votes for Bernie Sanders and 16 for our next president , joe biden. Illinois. This administration denied too many black americans the chance to own a home and build more. Joe biden has a plan to end racist lending practices and help more people achieve the American Dream of owning a home. Community, and more Economic Security for working families. Illinois casts 59 votes for Bernie Sanders and 122 votes for our next president , joe biden. Indiana. In south bend, we once feared our best days were behind us. Then we reimagined our economy with new jobs and even new industries. The Hoosier State is ready to lead americas recovery with our diverse communities, our talented workers, and our best in the world agriculture. Joe bidens plan gives us a blueprint to revitalize industrial cities and rural areas alike. 86 votes for the next president , joe biden. Iowa. We were going to talk about biofuels, but the powerful storm that swept through last week has taken a terrible toll on our farmers, Small Businesses and families were still without power. While we have the honor of casting i was votes, 11 for Bernie Sanders and 38 for joe to keepe want to ask you to keep islands in your thoughts. Kansas. I am a fourthgeneration farmer but i worry about the next generation. Many of our young folks are moving from Rural Communities to find jobs. Joe biden has a plan to help new farmers get a good start, and by care, he will make sure Rural Communities remain great places to live, for, and raise a family generations to come. Kansas proudly cast 10 votes for Bernie Sanders and 35 votes for our next president , joe biden. Kentucky. One day when i was 14, my mom woke up calling 911 my mom wouldnt wake up. I called 911 and i was scared because we couldnt afford the bill. Thank god she survived. Obama got busy passing obama care. Two years ago when mom had a heart attack, we only had to worry about her Getting Better because joe kept his promise. The commonwealth of kentucky casts 60 votes for the next president , joe biden. Louisiana. This used to be an abandoned building. Now it is a thriving art studio, a community hub, a place where independent artists can make their name and parents can bring their kids during these difficult days of remote learning. Our cities are strong because our people make them strong. And our economy will come back because our Small Businesses will bring it back. Louisiana casts all 60 of our votes for my friend and the next president , joe biden. Maine. My American Dream, i am living it. A 25 acre organic farm on a lake , a farm stand in the bed and breakfast. My husband and i arent corporate tycoons, we just want to make an honest living. Small businesses like ours are the backbone of rural economies. Joe biden has a plan to help more americans, especially people of color, start businesses. Main casts nine votes for Bernie Sanders and 22 votes for our next president , joe biden. Maryland. Black lives matter and when it comes to Racial Justice black opportunity matters. Joe biden wont leave anyone behind. His plan will help black entrepreneurs. Or funding for schools. Paying every worker a fair wage. That is Building Back better. Maryland casts one vote for Bernie Sanders and 119 votes for our next president , joe biden. Massachusetts. We need a plan to get the economy going again. Joe biden will get the pandemic under control, create new jobs in manufacturing and clean energy, help Small Businesses and our restaurants recover, and economyck better so our is stronger and fairer than it was before. Massachusetts casts 30 votes for Bernie Sanders and 83 votes for our next president , joe biden. Michigan. Michigan auto workers of the best in the world. We would be nowhere without joe biden and a lot of folks wanted to let detroit go bankrupt but joe biden believed in us and together, we fought to save our Auto Industry. A now he has a plan to create million new auto jobs by investing in clean energy. He believes in american workers. He has our back and we have his. Message again michigan casts 92 votes for our next president , joe biden. Minnesota. I am in minnesota, the home of the headwaters of the mississippi river. We know a bridge shouldnt fall down in the middle of america, but it did and we came together to rebuild it. That is what we do in america. That is what joe biden will do as president. He will build back better. He will cross the river of our divide and unite this country from our citys tower suburbs to our rural areas. Now, we will virtually cross the paul mississippi to st. As the 40 mayor, i am proud to cast our vote for Bernie Sanders and for our next u. S. President , jill biden. Mississippi. We reflect the people. Contributing to mississippi and the world, our alumni are leaders like congressman thompson. Joe biden once to invest 17 billion. Imagine what impact that could have. Imagine what impact it could have on america. Recast to get votes for our next president , jill biden. As a member of the lovenational union, i Walking Around the city and seeing the contribution that my brothers and sisters have need. We stand ready to be our nations infrastructure. We will create millions of new jobs, Building Back better. Cast 50 votes for our next president , jill biden. My parentsme to senior ranch. Without reliable internet, there is no remote learning. Real game changer. Joe biden has a plan to make it happen. Nebraska. I work at a meet packing plant. We get treated like we are expendable. Workers are dying from covid. A lot of us do not have quality protective equipment. We are not disposable. We want to keep hoping that you will feed our family, but need a president who will have our back. Working people on the back bone to our recovery. Jill biden knows that it is not enough to praise them. Wage andse the minimum empower workers to work for better benefit and safer work laces. Make it easier to pay for health care. Cast 25 votes for our next date, jill biden. Me trust joe biden. He will abide the leadership necessary to bring us back from the pandemic. Joe will restore honesty, decency and the white house. Will unite all americans and build a Better Future for us all. 24 delegates to the next president of the u. S. , jill biden. We have been hit hard covid, but we are coming back, but we have to be smart. We had to have a president who has a plan. A memory of all we lost, in solidarity with all those who are sick or struggling, in eternal gratitude for frontline workers, new jersey cast 139 votes for the next president of the u. S. , jill biden. Joe biden. I am coming to you on the homeland of my. State. Ico is a diverse we have a rich multicultural history. We believe that we only to the next generation to protect the Cultural Resources that are there inheriting. Respect tribal sovereignty. We cast 42 votes for the next president of the usa, jill biden. I am proud to be part of americas fight against covid19 , but Many Health Care workers do not get paid health care sick leave or have enough equipment. I have a mother who is high risk. I worry every day about bringing this virus home to them. Joe biden will help to take care of your loved one. Cast new yorks vote, 34 votes for Bernie Sanders and 277 for our next president , jill biden. It is joe time. North carolina. Black people, especially black lemon are the backbone of this party. If we do not show up, no democrats get elected. We are going all over North Carolina to help organize because we need to make sure that everybody shows up for joe biden. He would show up for us. We cast 80 votes for the next president of the u. S. , jill biden. Welcome to the homeland. I graduated from the class of four student and i drive three hours just to take the sats, but i knew that college was the latter that could take you anyway. Member, as aibal harvard adjuvant, i am proud to cast north dakotas vote. Hello from paradise. We might be faraway, but we are americans and for the first time in decades, we finally have a democratic sleep because democrats organized everywhere we do not get to vote for president , so please do not waste yours. We cast nine votes for our next president , justice writing. Thank you. It seems like every time working people believe in a donald trump promise, they wind up getting screwed. Joe biden has more than a promise. He has a plan to bring jobs back to america. He will create skilled jobs for Union Workers and the future will be made in america. We cast 134 votes for the next president , joe biden. Violent devastated a thriving black community. Hatred still lives in our nation, but so does resolved. Nation must turn back the tide of violence, now. Oklahoma casts 24 votes for our next president , jill biden. Americans standing on native land, we proudly represent oregon. Bare. Laid we went to bridge divides and make sure that everybody had access to quality care. 16 votes forasts Bernie Sanders. Votes joecast 57 biden. Pennsylvania. When joe biden was young, his father sat down on jills bed and told him he lost his job. Right now, across america, working families i experience the same fear and uncertainty. Joe biden has a plan to build back better. Some more parents can tell their kids what his dad said all those use ago. We cast 175 votes for the next president of the u. S. , scrantons of joe biden. [speaking spanish] rhode island. Rhode island, the ocean state. Our restaurant and fishing industry have been decimated by this pandemic. Governorcky to have a who let fishermen sell their catches directly to the public. We cast one vote Bernie Sanders and 34 votes for the next president , joe biden. South carolina. I am jamie harrison. Speaking for the campus of South Carolina state university. And for whom the Honors College is name. 22 general officers to our service. 15 for Bernie Sanders and 49 for our next president of the u. S. , joe biden. South dakota. Of the tribe, i welcome you to the black hills, the site of my creations and the great sioux nation. We are all related. Our next president must lead by this philosophy for the betterment of the next seven generations. We cast 17 votes for our next, jill biden. Joe biden. Tennessee became the 36th and deciding state to ratify the 19th amendment, granting women the right to vote. This year, i am testing my first president ial vote for joe biden. We will replace donald trump with a president who respects us tennessee casts 50 votes for our josephesident, mr. Biden. Ago, we were targeted by an arsonist and it devastated all of us. In the face of he, we choose love. In the face of continued gun violence in america, we demand change. The time,. Nextst 161 vote for our president , joe biden. Had mailinwe have voting for years. He automatically get sent a ballot. It is fast. We had turn out well over 80 . This year, we are expecting even higher. Mailin voting strengthens our democracy. Utah cost 17 votes for bernie. Anders the state of vermont strongly believing an economic justice, social justice, Racial Justice and Environmental Justice, probably. Imminently opposed to authoritarianism is proud to cast 15 votes for vermont senator Bernie Sanders and nine votes for joe biden. Recognition, i will. Edicate [indiscernible] mites and beaches and friendly people. Virginia. Charlottesville, virginia was attacked by whites assist and a young woman was killed. We were attacked again when donald trump praised those races , turning his back on a community that just wanted. That is when joe biden decided to join the battle. Soul. E come to know his he will bring this nation together. For our president , joe biden. As a refugee from, i knew that education was the key. When having children of my own,. Became an advocate in educationest because we are committed to fighting for all kids. President , our next joe biden. Changedvirginians have the narrative. Parents, teachers and personnel have worked together. Sufficient funding for classroom equipment and fair wages for teachers and School Service personnel. Fighting to guarantee a quality education for all children and a president who will fight alongside as. We cast ready for votes for next president , joe biden. After our sons death, jill biden helped joe to pass legislation. We see in him so much of what needed matts life so special. His passion for social justice and his compassion for others. Casts 11 votes for the next president of the u. S. , Jill Biden Joe biden. Welcome back to wisconsin. It is a place where i was born and raised. This is a community that has been faced with significant challenges but what many do not relys the opportunity that on this community. ,e are hardworking people fighting to provide for our families. We know that we build a Better Future by channeling wisconsins legacy as the Progressive Movement and uniting around agenda that uplifts every community. One that recognizes health care is a human right and taking on racial and economic injustice. Votes for thes 67 next president of the usa, joseph biden. Delaware. Long before this train station for his name, see joe biden appear. It has always been his north star. Working people who struggle and sacrifice to build a better life. No one has ever had to wonder who joe is and it for. For 40ve known joe years. Humble,more, she is tells the truth and treats everyone with respect. He is a leader made for this moment and the finest Public Servant i have ever known. Vote. Are proud cast our joe biden. [applause] thank you to all of our delegations. I am pleased to announce that Vice President joe biden has officially been nominated by the Democratic Party for our candidate for president of the usa. He is now invited to deliver an acceptance speech. Much. Nk you very from the bottom of my heart, thank you all. It means the world to me and my family. I will see you on thursday. Thank you, thank you, thank you. [applause] that was so sweet with the grandkids. Now we have an official nominee. Onto the next step. Make sure that you have a plan to the. Text the to find out how. Now we are going to talk about a topic that touches all of our lives, health care. The Affordable Care act was game changing. Tot how important it is protect and improve a. Bringing down Health Care Costs has always been a priority for joe biden because for joe and for all of us, health care is personal. It is the toughest battles that call for steady leadership. They were told to give up on Affordable Health care. They knew that it would cost than politically. But not nearly as much as it would cost the American People, if they did nothing. We will not slow up on providing Affordable Health care for americans. Giving up on the Affordable Care act would have meant leaving many out in the cold, but joe biden was not about to give up because he knew what it was like to stand in their shoes. He was sworn into the next to a hospital bed. His wife and daughter had been killed in a car crash. His twod not dead were sons. 40 years later, one of those little boys, his son, was diagnosed with cancer and given only months to live. Hard to imagine a greater grief than to lose a child. But he always knew that his family was one of the lucky ones. After the accident, his son got 40 more years of life because he had health care. Thehe motion is laid on table. Now it is unthinkable that donald trump is trying to take that health care away. In the middle of a pandemic, he is trying to get rid of the Affordable Care act. Joe. Fight is personal for when he says he has a plan to strengthen the Affordable Care withprotect those preexisting conditions and expand access, he is thinking about how having Health Care Help to save his boys. About his son, who spent his final days in comfort insured. E was you. Is is my promise to i will takeesident, care of your Health Care Coverage and your family, the same way i would my own. That is what the presidency is, the duty to care, to care for all of us. This job is not about me. It is about you and us. How are you, you handsome boy . Heartwas born with a condition. He ended up requiring a transplant. Something that we think about all the time, especially with the potential coverage. Remember inking, as he lay , thinking to myself, what would i do if the doctor walked in and said, im sorry. You have reached your cap. Suffer the last few months of your life on your own. Basically everyone was a republican and i was a republican. We put off going to the doctor because we did not have health insurance. Looknally got some but a at my throat and they said, you have cancer. Applied for Affordable Care act and my coverage began april 1 2012. That same day, they started my radiation and it saved my life. I am here today. You are concerned about people spiritually, but also other areas of their life. That includes their physiological wellbeing because there are people in our country and in my church who cannot take advantage of it because they do not have health care. That is discouraging to me. A lot of our medication, we have to fight for. Theorried about preexisting conditions for children. Becauseed about age having the cost of medication, we would have reached that milliondollar cap end time. Had it passed, we no longer not cap. Inthe fear that you all live , if they said, no insurance, you are not covered. It is just devastating. How are you doing . , but doing it all, trump was trying to rip away your coverage. I cannot imagine what it must have been my, go to sleep at night and wondering what you are going to do. Bed,ery night, i go to concerned about news i would get in the morning. Even today, they are still trying to take away our health care. We will make sure that we do not is that. Where if you qualify for medicaid and the state has not provided it, we will automatically enroll. We look, see you i met him at a campaign event. Indeed, i have what has been diagnosed as terminal cancer. The empathy and human love he has shared with me has kept me going. Provided by the care act. I finished my course of treatment and instead, i have been cancer free. I watched with emanation as President Donald Trump dismantled the Affordable Care act. My purpose in life is to devote all my energy to get joe elected. I jumped at the chance to become a biting delegate. By that time you are watching this, you will have grown up to be strong and courageous. But i dont know how much longer i will be around for you. Als, which is a deadly, debilitating disease. After i was diagnosed, the passed a tax bill that put my health care risk. So i went to washington, d. C. My next guest made headlines when he confronted a republican senator on an airplane. I wanted to help create a better country for you to live in. America is beautiful beautiful. All that matters to me is to make you proud, because i am already so proud of you. Hello, america. I am speaking to you through this computer voice because i have been paralyzed by a Mysterious Illness called als. Like so many of you, i have experienced the raise our Health Care System is fundamentally broken. Enormous costs, denied claims. Since my shocking diagnosis, i have traveled the country meeting countless patients like me, demanding more of our representatives and our democracy. Today we are witnessing the tragic consequences of our failing Health Care System. In the midst of a pandemic, nearly 100 million americans do not have sufficient health insurance, and even good insurance does not cover essential needs like longterm care. Our loved ones are dying in unsafe nursing homes. Our nurses are overwhelmed and unprotected, and our essential workers are treated as dispensable. We live in the richest country in history and yet we do not guarantee this most basic human right. Everyone in america should get the health care they need, regardless of their Employment Status or ability to pay. Crisis, donald trump the republican politicians are trying to take away millions of Peoples Health insurance. With the existential threat of another four years of this president , we have the profound obligation to act, not only to vote, but to make sure our friends, family, and neighbors photo as well. We must elect joe biden. Each of us must be a hero for our communities, for our country, and then with the compassionate and intelligent president , we must act together and put on his desk a bill that guarantees us all the health care we deserve. M to learn how0330 to vote safely, because our lives depend on it. Tracee politics and elections can seem like these faraway things that you might not have change. R to but what is happening in our country right now makes it clear how personal politics are. I discovered that when i get informed and participate, my fear gets smaller. Voting is a big part of that. Want,wing the change you vote for the leaders you think will make it happen, and if you are able, if you can, help fund this campaign. Please go to joebiden. Com and chip in whatever you can. With leaders like joe biden and Kamala Harris, we can build back better here at home and once again strengthen our nations security and standing in the world. , i am 34e is demarcus years old, and i currently live in los angeles. I am a graduate of the u. S. Naval academy in annapolis, and i served the marine corps is an officer for six years. Ath to support and defend the constitution of the United States of america, and i know that joe biden took a similar oath, and he understands that situation of men and women in uniform overseas right now fighting for the ideals of this nation, that liberty and justice can be extended to all people. I know that joe biden understands about at his core. I trust him to lead us on day one into a greater future. There is nothing more important for me right now than making sure that we restore the soul of our nation, and i think joe biden is the best person to do that. Thanks, joe. Hi, i am john kerry. Thethe eight years of Obamabiden Administration, we lead by example. I limited the threat of iran with a nuclear weapon, we forged a coalition to destroy isis, we attacked Climate Change. We stopped ebola before he became a pandemic. Donald trump inherited a growing economy and a more peaceful world, and like Everything Else he inherited, he bankrupted it. When this president goes overseas, it isnt a goodwill mission, it is a blooper reel. He breaks up with our allies and writes love letters to dictators. America deserves a president who is looked up to, not left at. Donald trump pretends russia did not attack our elections, and now he does nothing about russia putting a bounty on our troops. He will not defend our country, he doesnt know how to defend our troops. Interestedon he is at defending is himself. This is the bottom line, our , and our, our ideals brave men and women in uniform cannot afford four more years of donald trump. Our troops cannot get out of harms way by hiding in the bunker, they need a president who will stand up for them, and President Biden will. Joes moral compass is always pointed in the right direction, from the fight to break apartheid, to the struggle to wake up the world to genocide in the balkans. Joe understands that none of the issues in this world, not nuclear weapons, not the challenge of Building Back better after covid, not terrorism and certainly not the Climate Crisis can be done without bringing people together in strength that humility. He understands those values dont limit our power, they magnify it. He knows you cant spread democracy around the world if you dont practice it at home, and he knows that even the United States of America Needs friends on this planet. Before donald trump, we used to talk about american exceptionalism. The only thing exceptional about the incoherent trump Foreign Policy is that it has made our nation more isolated than ever before. Joe biden knows we are not exceptional because we bluster that we are, we are exceptional because we do exceptional things. On june 6, 1944, Young Americans gave their lives on the beaches of normandy to liberate the world from tyranny. Out of the ashes of that war, we made peace and rebuilds the world. World. Ilt the that was and remains exceptional. It is the opposite of everything donald trump stands for. This moment is a fight for the security of america and the world. Only joe biden can make america lead like america again. 30330 agree, text join to. Thank you. In the situation room, president s make decisions of war and peace, so when biden walked into the situation room, first and foremost on his mind is, how will my decision impact the lives of American People . He is experienced. He has made the tough calls. Hes got coverage. Courage, character and judgment, and he can be tough i witnessed it close up. He is decisive and wellprepared for any issue. There is no one more qualified than joe biden to be set up the head of the table in the situation room, making decisions for this country having sent. His son to war, i dont think anyone can be more ready than President Biden. He knows exactly what is at troopshen he sends our overseas. Biden understands how important it is to have allies standing with us. They are force multipliers. Joe biden has a unique apology to connect to people. He knows leaders and he knows what makes them tick. They trust his judgment and they know that his word is good. I know that bidens personal diplomacy will save american lives. To build these relationships takes decades, and to tear them tweet. Ll it takes is a thanks to donald trump, our adversaries are stronger and bolder. Not been trump has the standing up to the dictators in china and russia. I served for 36 years. I have led space corps drones, Nuclear Missile quadrants and i never thought we would have a president who is a danger to national security. President trump has degraded and do based the presidency and our country in the eyes of the world. Them bounties on the u. S. Soldiers, i was shocked when i read that. But the president did not even ask president putin about it. That is unamerican. That is a dereliction of duty. You are feeling the troops and the country. First being the president s to do is find out what the facts are. This president is not care about facts. Biden cares about the safety and welfare of american servicemen and women. We have a policy to maintain a presence in syria. We actually came to the aid and stop the advance. President trump told us simply, abandon the kurds. Shameful. Joe biden will be stronger against dictators. I have heard them on the phone with some pretty tough characters. You talk about joe bidens sympathy and decency, but joe biden is tough as nails and Everybody Knows it. He will do the right thing the matter the political cost. I have served with two republican president and one democratic president. I have seen the Trump Administration make decisions without any thought, any preparation, that have life and death consequences. At one of the most defining times in the history of the world, joe biden is uniquely qualified to be president of the United States. If you want a strong america, you want joe biden. Hi, i am former secretary of state colin powell. 100 years ago, a young immigrant left a dirt firm in jamaica and set out for america. Three years later, a ship pulled into new york harbor, a young jamaican woman gazed into the statue of liberty for the first time. They became my parents and they inspired me to join college and finish the army to finish college and join the army. This Began Service up the rest to the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and secretary of state. The values i learned growing up in the south bronx and serving in uniform were the same values that joe bidens parents instilled in him in scranton, pennsylvania. I support joe biden for the presidency of the United States because those valleys still do fight him and we need to the white house values to the white house. Stillause those values define him and we need to restore those valleys to the white house. It comes from the experience he shares with millions of military families, sending his beloved son off to war and praying to god he would come home safe. Joe biden will be a president we will all be proud to salute. With biden in the white house, you will never doubt that he will stand with our friends and stand up to our adversaries, never the other way around. He will trust our diplomats and our intelligence community, not the flattery of dictators and despots. He will make it his job to know that when anyone dares to threaten us, he will stand up to our adversaries with strength and experience. They will know he means business. I support biden because the beginning of day one, he will restore americas leadership and moral authority. He will be a president who knows that america is strongest when, as he has said, you need both with power and example and was power. Ple of he will restore americas leadership in the world and restore the alliances we need to address the dangers that threaten our nation, from Climate Change to nuclear proliferation. Today we are a country divided, and we have a president doing everything in his power to make it that way and keep us that way. What a difference it will make a make a president to have president who unite us and restores our strength and our soul. I still believe that in our hearts we are the same america our ought my parents to shores. An america that inspire freedom around the world. Joe biden will lead as americas president. Thank you so much. It was a friendship that should not have worked. Pilot, juster Navy Released from the north vietnamese prison. Joe, a young senator from delaware. Wasin the 1970s, joe assigned as a military aide. I was a liaison and the use to carry bags on overseas trips. The son of a gun never carry my bag. He was supposed to carry my bag but he never carry my bag. [laughter] john and joe traveled thousands of miles together. Their families got to know each other, gathering for picnics in the bidens backyard. Joke. Y would just sit and it was like a comedy show sometimes to watch the two of them. But when john was elected to the senate as a republican from arizona, they found themselves on the opposing sides. We are in different parties, we hold different views on many issues. They would go out on the floor and you would think, these guys must really, really, really dislike each other. Than they would be having dinner. Senator biden had Great Respect for the institution of the senate. He built relationships that were cordial, that were personal. Mr. Biden we thought that other guy was right, you cross your eyes and lock arms. It is good for the country. It takes trust to get things done in a divided government. When joe biden was telling you that your points were equally valid to him. It was always joe who tried to cross the aisle. He was like a natural for that. He just had an ability to find a Common Ground but never give up principles. For three decades, joe was able to move his colleagues and find a way forward. On violence against women, banning chemical weapons, assault weapons, and Controlling Nuclear arms. With a style of legislating and leadership that you dont find much anymore. And when millions of americans were faced with losing their health insurance, it was joes friend who saved obamacare by crossing the aisle. Mccain cast his vote with a thumb down. John and i have been given several awards about bipartisanship. We dont understand why you should get an award for bipartisanship. Example. You for your i am proud to remain the same good guy that you were when you first got here. Most of all, for your friendship, my life and the lives of many have been enriched by it. Good day, sunshine good day sunshine. I have a rule that i never think of anything negative and i am running. Out en the sun is when i set my mind to something, i find a way to get it done. Mr. Biden she is so tough and loyal. You. I met jill, i do my brother said, this woman, you really like her. So i give her a call, and she had a date that night. He said, do you think you could break your date . Fmr. Vice pres. Biden and what did you do . I called and told the guy that i had a friend in from out of town, and i went out with joe. I was 30 and i was a senator and the widower. Seven years earlier, a tractortrailer broadsided my wife and three children. My wife was killed and my daughter was killed. I wasnt big on the whole date ne thing. But when i met jill, i fell in love with her when i saw her. Ive got sunshine on a cloudy day. He said, id really like to see you again. He is looking at his calendar and he is, oh, thursday, i am busy. No, i am busy friday. How about tomorrow . And i thought, buddy, you just blow your cover. [laughter] mr. Biden the boys fell in love with jill too. I am brushing my teeth one morning and they came running in and blow said, dad, we think it is time you marry jill. [laughter] to marry me five times. It wasnt just my heart that was on the line. I loved the boys so much, i had to be sure that it had to be forever. Mr. Biden now i am going to ask you one more time, will you marry me . She goes like this ok. [laughter] someday, we will put it together and we will get it undone together. She put us she give me back my life and she gave us back a family. We were raised with the same values. I grew up in pennsylvania, right outside of philly. Was englishscottish, and my dad was italian. My grandmother made the homemade noodles that would hang. She would be drying her noodles. Mr. Biden very close family. She is kind of like the godmother of all of us. [laughter] i think we have all seen the feistiness in her. There was a bully in my school, she marched up the street and knocked on his door,. And i punched him right in the face. My father fought in world war ii. He was in the navy. And he was very patriotic. He would take us to watch the blue angels, and he was so proud. We worshiped our mother. I can picture her so well, reading for hours. , she just loves to read. That had a great influence on me. Went to college at the university of delaware then i went and taught in high school. I got up every single day so excited to go teach. When i married joe, i took off time to establish myself as the boys mom. We dont use the term stepmother. No,biden beau and hug said we have a mom and the mummy. Our mummy died. This is our mom. Then along came ashley. And our family was complete. Mr. Biden year. When i was growing up, mom was fun. It started when i was a teenager. It was in public. She drilled with it by taking up running. She started to basically run marathons. I never doubted that anything she set her mind to, she could do. She got her doctorate degree in education at the university of delaware. Turn it positive, so. Say, she is not your average grandmother. Yeah she is the grandmother who wakes you up at 5 00 a. M. [laughter] we have a lot of stories. She is a prankster. [laughter] when she goes on a run, sometimes she will find like a dead snake and she will pick it up and put it in her bag and use it to scare someone. Oh that is a classic jill. She wasnt really a washington person. I dont think she ever imagined herself being like that. [applause] when joe was selected to Vice President , i just thought, hey, ive got to step it up here, because there are things i really care about. Having had his father in the military, having a son deployed in iraq, i found the need to support military families. Dr. Biden could draw anyone in and they thought they were talking to an old friend. That is one of her superpowers. When she was second lady, joe told me that she would like to continue teaching at Community College. I said, that is insane, you cannot possibly do that. I said, i know i can do both jobs. I never saw her on any day of the week which it was not carrying a huge stack of papers to grade. Mr. Biden as second lady, she was teaching fulltime for eight years 15 credits a semester. These were students who wanted to be in your classroom and i saw their tenacity,. They were taking care of children just like i had done. You get 100 from her. She is a great teacher. Mr. Biden teaching is not what jill does, it is who she is. Jill simply cares. Cares about people about people. Was diagnosed with cancer, nobody knew what we were going through. The secret service come let you know, they are not supposed to react to your life are what you are doing. , it is your strength that holds the family together and i know that you will make us whole again. You never stop grieving, ever, but you do need to find purpose. Please welcome my husband, joe biden [applause] president , it is tough to not be together. The future first lady of the United States. There you go. [applause] if dr. Biden is our first lady, the country will be getting one of the best humans that we have. She has been through some really tough things in her own life and she knows how hard it can be. Mr. Biden the American People in their heart know she will fight like hell for them. We all need community. We need to depend on others for our strength. All American Families, we all need each others strength. Now, please welcome dr. Jill biden. Mrs. Biden i have always loved the sounds of the classroom. The client that sparks with possibility just before students shuffle in. The rumor of ideas bouncing backandforth as we explore the world together, the laughter and that you find in materials you have taught a million times. When i taught english year at brandywine high school, i would spend my summer preparing for the school year about to start filled with anticipation. But this client is heavy. You could hear the anxiety that echoes down empty hallways. Newe is no smell of notebooks or freshly wa floors. That bright faces of that should fill the rooms are confined to boxes on the computer screen. From so many of you, the frustration of parents juggling work well the support their childrens learning. Afraid that their kids might get sick from school. The concern of every person working without enough protection. The despair in the lines that stretch out before food banks. S. And the indescribable sorrow that follows every lonely last breath when the ventilators turn off. As a mother and a grandmother, as an american, i am heartbroken by the magnitude of this loss, by the failure to protect our , but every precious and irreplaceable life gone. Like so many of you, i am left asking, how do i keep my family safe . You know, motherhood came to me in a way that i never expected. I fell in love with a man and two little boys standing in the wreckage of unthinkable loss, mourning a wife and a mother, and daughter and a sister. I never imagined at the age of 26 i be asking myself, how do you make a broken family whole . Boys, joe always told the mommy sent jill to us. And how could i argue with her . So we figured it out together, in those big moments that would go by too fast thanksgivings and state championships, birthdays and weddings, in the mundane days where we didnt even know were shaping our lives, reading stories piled on the couch, rowdy sunday dinners and silly arguments. Listening to the sounds of laughter that would float downstairs as joe put the kids to bed every night while i studied for grad school or graded papers under the pale yellow kitchen lamp, the dinner dishes waiting in the sink. That love holds a family together. Love makes us flexible and resilient. It allows us to become more than ourselves together. And although it cant protect us from the sorrows of life, it gives us refuge, a home. How do you make a broken family whole . The same way you make a nation whole, with love and understanding and with small acts of kindness. With bravery, with unwavering faith. You show up for each other in big ways and small ones, again and again. It is what so many of you are doing right now for your muslims for loved ones, for complete strangers, for your communities. There are those who want to tell us that our country is hopelessly divided, that our differences are irreconcilable, but that is not what i have seen over these last few months. We are coming together and holding onto each other. We are finding mercy and grace, and the moments we might have once taken for granted. We are seeing that our differences are precious and our similarities intimate. We have dr. Biden we have shown that the heart of this nation still beats with kindness and courage. Thats the soul of America Joe Biden is fighting for now. Cancer, ison died of wondered if i would ever smile or feel joy again. It was summer, but there was no warmth left for me. After his funeral, i watched joe shave, put on his suit. I saw him steel himself in the mere, take a breath, put his shoulders back and walk out into a world empty of our son. He went back to work. Thats just who he is. There are times when i couldnt even imagine how he did it, how front ofe foot in the other and kept going. Always understood why he did it. For the daughter who convinces her mother to get a Breast Cancer screening. For the Community College survivedho has homelessness and abuse, but finds the grit to finish her degree and make a good life for her kids. For the little boy whose mama serving as a marine in iraq who puts on a brave face in his video call and does not complain when the only thing he wants for his birthday is to be with her. People joe gives his personal phone number two at forts, the ones he talks to hours at dinner, helping them smile through their loss, letting them know that they arent alone. He does it for you. Joes purpose has always driven him forward. His strength of will is unstoppable and his faith is unshakable. Politicians not in or Political Parties or even in himself, its in the providence of god. His faith is in you, in us. Yes, so many classrooms are quiet right now. The playgrounds are still. But if you listen closely, you can hear the sparks of change in the air. Country, educators, parents, first responders, americans of all walks of life are putting their shoulders back, fighting for each other. We havent given up we just need leadership worthy of our nation, worthy of you. Honest leadership to bring us back together, to recover from this pandemic and prepare for whatever else is next. Reimagine what our nation will be. Thats joe. Will work as hard as you do every day to make this nation better. And if i have the honor of serving as your first lady, i will, too. And with joe as president , these classrooms will ring out with laughter and possibility once again. Heavyrdens we carry are and we need someone with strong shoulders. I know that if we entrusted this entrustto joe i this nation to joe, he will bring us together and make us whole, carry us forward in our time of need, keep the promise of america for all of us. [laughter] mr. Biden how are you . Hey, everyone. Husband. Bidens she never gives herself much credit, but the truth is, she is the strongest person i know. She has a backbone like a ramrod. She loves fiercely, cares deeply. Nothing stops her when she sets her mind to getting something right. For all of you across the country, just think of your favorite educator who gave you the confidence to believe in yourself. Thats the kind of first lady, lady, lady this jill biden will be, god willing. Den. Com to go to joebi join our campaign. Mr. Biden thank you for watching. See you soon. [applause] thank you so much for being a part of this night. As dr. Biden just reminded us, joe is a steady and experienced leader who can bring us together and help us heal, who will support us in Getting Better. Remember, we bend the arc of justice if we participate, if we vote. This moment is not beyond you. It is up to you. Tomorrow night, we will meet choice for Vice President and learn more about their vision for the future of the country. We will also hear from senator Elizabeth Warren and president barack obama, plus performances from billie elish an Jennifer Hudson and Jennifer Hudson. Now, here is john legend. Thing, baby d whenever life is hard, we will because weour way, both know who we are who knows about tomorrow i just know i will always follow the light in your heart about t worried ends ow how this story we will never break, we will never break we will never break, as the water rises and the mountains shake we will never break we will never break builds our Foundation Strong enough to stay break, as ther water rises and the mountains shake our love will remain to nine is all about leadership tonight is all about leadership. We will meet to meet arc start work to meet our export and or challenges extraordinary challenges. Faced with a president of cowardice, joe biden is a man with proven courage. He will restore our moral compass by confronting our challenges, not by hiding from them or undermining our elections to keep his job. We need a president who respects our laws and the whoilege of Public Service, reflects our values and cares about our people. Interview, the differences start difference is stark. You know what joe biden will do, build back better. Joe understands our values dont limit our power, they magnify them. He knows you cannot spread democracy around the world if you do not practice it at home. Joe biden will be a president we will all be proud to salute. I know that if we entrust this nation to joe, he will do for your family what he did for ours, bring us together, and carry us forward in our time of need, keep the promise of america for all of us. I am the bishop of the a piscopo diocese of washington, d. C. And i am honored to offer the benediction tonight. Hear these words from pastor, civil rights leader, and peace activist. Grace never you the to sell yourself short, grace to do Something Big for something good, grace to remember that the world is too dangerous now for anything but truth and two small for anything but too small for anything but love. Now, may the blessing of god, the source about goodness, truth, and love inspire us all to realize dr. Kings dream of the beloved community, congressman lewis dream of a just society, president lincolns dream of a more Perfect Union in this country in our time. Amen in our time. Delegates and distinguished guests, that will have concluded this evenings convention program. We will stand in recess until tomorrow evening. If you have been watching the last 2. 5 hours, you have seen speeches by colin powell, john kerry, two former president and jill biden, along with a cameo by joe biden. ,ou also saw the roll call where the democrats have officially nominated joe biden to be their candidate. Time for your reaction. 202 is the area code. Here are the numbers for you to call. We also want to hear from you via text. Please include your first name and your city, if you would, so we can identify you that way. We are going to begin taking those in just a minute. Joe biden was nominated by a woman named jacqueline brittany. Here was her nomination. I take powerful people up on my elevator all the time. When they get off, they go to their important meetings. I just go back to the lobby. In the short time i spent with that hen, i could tell ac