Live coverage saturday evening at 8 p. M. Eastern on cspan come on demand at cspan. Org or listen live on the free cspan radio app. Ahead of South Carolinas democratic president ial primary on saturday House Majority whip congressman jim clyburn endorsed joe biden for president this week. At this event mr. Biden let me thank all of you for joining us here this morning. I particularly would like to thank my colleague, ms. Bernice johnson of texas who was my classmate in the congress. We first met at the democratic ennational convention in 1972. We have maintained a friendship ever since. We had no idea that we would end up getting elected to congress the same year, and i owe a great deal to eddie. I i think are so much for being here today. Several other of our colleagues wanted to join us today but when we decide to make this announcement on this day, they are already booked flights back home and back to washington, and could not change the flight. Or they could have but they were not able to get out in time to make votes this afternoon, so they are not here. I have joining with me today several members of this state legislature, to exit senators, Molly Simpson gerry malloy. Gerry malloy and i have spent in much time together as i would spend it may be as i was been with some of my brothers, both on the phone talk about the state that we love so much come to feature the state is all about. I thank him for being here. Molly and peter we have three here. I keep forgetting her. And from the house, marvin. I want to set a couple of things about why we are here. I was next door at establish an award in my wifes name, my late wife, and they decide i first recipient of that award. We met on the campus march 15, 60 years ago. Always remember that day because that was the first day that i was arrested, and i matter in jail on that day. About 18 months later we were married. Stayed married for 58 years. We talked about this day that we love so much. I remember talking about ource experiences, walking two and half miles to school every morning, two and half miles back home every afternoon. Little 22acre farm. She learned how to drive a pickup truck. She came to South Carolina state in that pickup truck with her luggage on the bed. How her father would walk the somerville to work, nor the season, north season. We talked about what our parents sacrificed for us, and what we owed to our children, and all other children similarly situated. We often talk about the leadership of this country, and theres nobody who emily loved as a leader in this country more than she loved joe biden. And we talked about joe all the time. And so as i was trying to make up my mind what i should do and when i should do it, i was informed by my account that passed away, and his funeral was last friday, in a rural part f richland county. I went to the funeral. I got there about 30 minutes early, and is Walking Around speakingng to people, many of wm i had not seen in a long time. As i spoke to them, there was a lady in her upper \80{l1}s{l0}\80{l1}s{l0} sitting on the front pew of the church, just a few seats away from the a coffin. She looked at me and she beckoned to me. Didnt say a word, just beckoned. Beckoned. I went over to her. She said leaned down. I need to ask you a question. I leaned down and she said you dont have to say it out loud, but just whisper it in my ear, who are you going to vote for . Next saturday. Ive been waiting to hear from you. I need to hear from you. This Community Wants to hear from you. I decided then and there that i would not stay silent. Martin luther king, jr. In his letter from Birmingham City jail wrote that he was coming to the conclusion that the people in our society was making much better use of time than the people of goodwill. And he said that we would regret not just for the vitriolic words and deeds of bad people, but for their calling for silence of good people. The appalling silence of good people. I decided that after that experience last friday without elderly lady constituent, and y Background Experience of Martin Luther king, jr. , that i would break my silence today. And ive been saying too many of you, ive known a long time but i have not decided, well, have not shared with the public but i want the public to know that iha am voting for joe bide, South Carolina should be voting for joe biden, and heres why. Theres billboards around this county. On that billboard i pledge. A lot of people asking why do you do billboards . My late wife said to me, i dont care how many tv run, i dont care when you run for office i want to see billboards. Thats why i do billboards. One of my colleagues said this is the first time ive seen a political billboard with no picture on it. What is it your picture on the billboard . I said because it aint about me. Its about the message on that billboard. The message is simply this. Making the greatness of this country accessible and affordable for all. We dont need to make this country great again. This country is great. Thats right. Thats not what our challenge is. Our challenge is to making the greatness of this country accessible and affordable for all. If its healthcare, is it accessible . Is it affordable . Education, is it accessible . Is it affordable . Housing,af energy, making it accessible and affordable. And nobody with whom ive ever worked in public life is in a more committed is anymore committed to that motto, that pledge that i had for my constituents than joe biden. Joe biden and i used to spend a lot of time doing tv stuff together, because we knowch each other. Ji know joe. We know joe, but most importantly, joe knows us. Thats right, thats right. Everybody think about brown v. The board of education. Brown v. The board of education, fiveve cases, one wih some South Carolina, one from virginia, one from district of columbia, one was from kansas the fifth case was from delaware. We have discussed thoroughly the briggs case in South Carolina, thats how a lot of us met, but i know his heart. I knew who he is. I know what he is. I know where this country is. We are at an Inflection Point. On that day that i met him, i went to jaill around 10 00 in te morning and i was discharged from jail, bailed out around 5 30 inor eating. When i stood in jail that day, i wondered whether or not we were doing the right thing but i was never fearful for the future. As i stand before you today, i am fearful for the future of this country. Im fearful for my daughters and their futures, and their children and their childrens future. This country is at an Inflection Point and its time for us to restore this country is dignity. This countries respect. That is what is at stake this year. And i can think of no one better suited, better prepared, i can think of no one that the integrity, no one more committed to the fundamental principles to make this country what it is than my good friend, my late wifes great friend, joe biden. [cheers and applause] its hard to know what to say, for real. You know, jim, when you were talking about those billboards, when i ran for the first time for the United States senate, my deceased wife wanted us to have billboards, for real. And the billboard that she came up with had one saying on it. For all our families. For all our families. Jim, you and ms. Emily have been great friends, also great leaders. Because its never about you. Its always about someone else. Its always about you, your families, the community. They are intertwined. My dad used to say families, beginning at the end, we are all part of it. I know everyone in South Carolina understands what an extraordinary leader jim clyburn is. But i dont know whether sometimes you are, you know, not the hero in your own town. I dont know if you know how respect agendas throughout this country, and how many people, i would add in both political parties, look to jim. Because jim has a voice of powerful, powerful moral clarity that is heard loud and clear in the nations capital, and it always reminds us, remind everyone on both sides of the aisle that its about you, family and community. Its about whether or not we can make a difference in peoples lives. Its just pretty simple. But all too often, all too often people get to Public Office and begin to think its about them. Today we had this debate as my friend, thank you all, every single one of you, thank you, thank you, today people are talking about a revolution. What the country is looking for our results. What they arewh looking for is security. What they areng looking for is o be able to sustain and maintain their dignity. My dad would say how could you have any dignity when you are looking at a child or a spouse or a neighbor, and they dont have access to Health Insurance . How can you maintain your dignity when you are, circumstance, you look at your child and you see enormous potential and or concern him and you know theres nothing you can do about either one because you cant afford it because you are cut out, because you dont have the wherewithal to provide what they need. You know, if you take a look at security, thats what im determined in this state, healthcare is a gigantic issue. We can deliver it quickly and extensively, in my view, White Building on what jim and Eddie Bernice got past, its obamacare. It wouldnt have happened without the leadership. We had to get every democrat out there, some of whom were worried since we neverer had than anythg that, quote, radical, were worried. But this time we are going to be able to do what president obama and i wanted to do in the first place, add a public auction, a medicare like public auction. The fastest way, the fastest way to get coverage for everybody public option. You know, talk about medicare for all, even the supporters of medicare for all talked about, well, this could take three to four years to pass it and then its going to take another three to five, depending on who you are talking to, supports it get it in place. What people want, what youre looking for is some hope, some reassurance. Some notion that i can take care of my family, i can take care of my son and my daughter. I cant fathom what it would have been like with two kids while it was going on not knowing whether or not they could get the best care available. You know, we dont just start from scratch. Right here in South Carolina, your former governor didnt have the guts nor the common sense to take advantage of the medicare expansion provided by obamacare. But they will all be covered, over 200,000 folks would automatically be covered with what we are working on, what we are going to get past, obamacare with a public option. W and thats why as well, you talk about safety and security. How many of you sent your children to school in september, your grandkids, that you learn to power under their desks, run the sag down a hallway six sag want duck and cover . We dont know yet, i predict this is this is a generation thats going to be scarred by fear. Its affecting howng they think about themselves. You know, with jims help, and Eddie Bernice his help, repeat the nra before, we beat them twice. We got rid of assault weapons and those big c magazine clips u could put 100 rounds in. Who who in god today needs 100, or 50, or 2020 rounds, other than do something to kill somebody . No other rationale for it. We also find ourselves in a position where, you think about it, you saw what happened at mothering manual. The charleston loophole that jim has legislation to fill. Meaning that in the background check your background check cant get back to you, in one personsus you, and 24 hours, but in in three days and automatically you get the weapon. The background checks have taken guns out of o the hands of sevel Million People who dont deserve to have one because they theirt to themselves and the community. And along comes jim to fix the charleston loophole. Were going to get it done, jim. I promise you. I promise you. And, folks, you know, we continue to protect gun manufacturers. Just as 2007 when that bill was passed, 150,000 americans had been murdered. Not counting suicide by guns, 150,000. Thats more than, three times as much killed in every war including vietnam on. Theres war on our streets. Imagine if weoo all stood up yor andd said, you know, we want to make an exception. You cant sue drug companies. You cant sue the tobacco companies. You would all think we are nuts, or crazy, allowing gun manufacturers to glamorize, entice, lie about the effects of what theyre producing as on the community. Folks, the carnage has been devastating. Like i said, until you bury a child you have no idea what its like, what its like to be able to look and see your child go off to school and get a phone call saying they are gone. But every single day in this country theres a a mass shootg on our streets and neighborhood neighborhoods, both color and noncolor. Every single day. But i promise you as president i will take on the nra, the gun manufacturers. Im coming for you. Im coming for you. Its got to stop. Jim always talks about opportunity. Well, the great opportunity for jim, great opportunity for miss emily, a great opportunity for me, my family, is to get a good education. That was the opportunity, its the great equalizer. And every child deserves an education that is good and capable of moving on to whatever they want to do. It shouldnt be based on their zip code. Jim has been atnt the forefrontf this fight his entire career. Because at his heart you are still a teacher, jim. At your heart you are still a teacher. To a lot of other things. Tripling that could make it possible, for 4 and 5yearolds to go to school and not daycare. You do that you increase 50 the chances of a child being able to do well through school and beyond. Making Community College free, also getting technical degrees free and what we have to do is invest in not just Community College but hbc yous. Everyone forgets why they occurred, why they existed . Because they couldnt go to school anywhere else. The consequence has been significant. Unable to build a foundational base upon which they have money to invest and look what every other school is doing, they are competing with federal grants to do research. When i was Vice President , the president had me go down to the tidewater investing in a program to teach in hbc you, cyber security, the program is booming. People want to be treated fairly. I was marveling at this neighborhood. This district. The highest even action rate in the United States of america. You see the response, what is happening. The fact is too many communities are being treated unfairly. That is why i propose to build rights for those who are being evicted and help them get a fighting shot to get a home. I remember the day, my sister was with me, my dad walked up a short flight of stairs, doesnt have a job anymore. We are going to have to move. We have to go live with your grandpa. This fall work out. He said it and believed it, you could do anything. Took 3 years to get a home in a different state but he got it. Ask your old friends, that is still likely. In terms of making the core doors of power reflect what everyone looks like, that includes the white house. That includes the Supreme Court and the congress. Our administration was able to appoint the first latina to the Supreme Court. The woman i asked to swear me and privately before the public swearingen, justice sotomayor. As president i would be honored, honored to appoint the first africanamerican woman to the court because it should look like the country. It is long past time. I will end by swearingen, many of you have told me as well, South Carolina, South Carolina chooses president s. Decided to launch bill clinton to the white house and up to that time it didnt look like he was going very far but you did it. You launched barack obama to the white house and i firmly believe, once again on saturday, holding your hands in South Carolina the power to choose the next president of the United States and i am here, heart and soul, with everything ive got, to earn the support of the people of South Carolina. Nothing is expectable guaranteed. I hope i have earned it. I will continue until the last vote is cast, to convince you all that i want to earn it. I promise you this. If you send me out of South Carolina with a victory, there will be no stopping us. We will win the nomination, we will win the presidency, and most importantly, eliminate the fear so many have in this country of a second term of donald trump. Because at the end of the day, it is not hyperbole, we have to restore the soul of america and he does not represent it. May god protect our country. Higher than i have ever been lifted before oh keep it up might be higher i will be at your side forevermore lifting higher higher and higher i feel your love higher and higher i am down the corner for my friend icu came and as soon as we parted we never showed up again that is why your love lifting me higher higher and higher i since your love keep on coming up at noon eastern, democratic president of candidate senator Amy Klobuchar will talk to voters at an event in virginia. Watch live coverage on cspan2. This afternoon Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters and a satellite a rally in columbia live at 2 30 eastern on cspan, online, cspan. Org, or listen with the free cspan radio apps. The South Carolina primary is saturday. Join us to hear the candidates reaction to the results, live coverage saturday evening starting at 8 00 pm eastern on cspan, on dd,