President Biden’s speech at the virtual fundraising reception of the Democratic National Committee

By conference call

7:19 p.m. EDT

The President: Thank you, Tom. Thank you for your introduction and your generous support. I want to thank everyone. And, Jaime, thank you for your support and willingness to serve as chairman.

You know, I don’t own it like you do, but I remember when my father-when the Scranton thing disappeared; the coal dries. He is not a coal miner; my great-grandfather is. But he is not a coal miner, everything else dries up. He said-I remember he went back to my grandfather, he had four sons and a daughter, and asked if he could let his wife-my mother Jean-move in with him for a year with three children Left and right, until they went straight to a small town called Claremont in northern Delaware.

So-he said-I will never forget it. He said, Joey, I go home every weekend. Every weekend. Only 147 — 157 miles. I thought, “Gosh, that’s a million miles.” I’m going-I’m in third grade, in fourth grade. You know, it’s a–

They once had a way of expression—but never did—that is the truth of God. We came to Delaware. After five years of hard work, he was finally able to buy a small three-bedroom house. He once said, Joey, a job is more than just a salary. It’s about-it’s about your pride. It is about your place in the community. It is about your ability to see children with your eyes. This is about your dignity. So it’s a lot-a lot.

So, you know, when I run with your help—I can’t succeed—with the help of everyone on this line—you know—you know that we are part of something special because You allow me to participate in the competition.

We—I think we organized one of the most important sports in modern history. Because in my opinion, this is really a fight for the soul of the country: basic decency, build a bottom-up and middle-class middle class, instead of waiting for everything to slowly settle down.

Many of you are very successful people online, but you shared this point of view and gave me money and contributions to complete-you know, I said-I should say competition.

So, one of the most important first six months in the history of this country was not because of me – but because of this country; it was about people strengthening.

Think about the past six months. American rescue plan.

We shot in the arms of millions. Checks in the pockets of hundreds of millions of Americans. Perhaps the thing that I am most proud of: We received the largest middle-class tax credit ever-halving child poverty through childcare-a child tax credit.

165 million Americans are fully vaccinated. You have more than 190 at least one lens-one lens.

This was the fastest job growth in the first four months of the predecessor’s term. period.

The economic growth rate is expected to be close to 7%-the highest level in four years.

Last week, they — the infrastructure plan I introduced at runtime and worked with a bipartisan group — I had to make some compromises, but this would have a huge impact.

For example, it will change the economy. It’s over-more than one trillion dollars. It will eliminate all lead pipes in the United States and allow people to have decent drinking water. Build roads—until snuff, so we fix them back to where they were, you know, make sure they are in their current environment—no—we have to fix them better. Parenting. Caring for the economy. Pension. What the American public wants most.

Man, look-and provide high-speed internet for every American. As I said, provide clean water for every American.

Build a more resilient power grid. Install electric vehicle charging stations-more than 500,000. The largest investment in rail public transportation since Amtrak was founded 50 years ago.

But as my father thought, all this is to create high-paying American jobs for millions of middle and working classes. This is related to our economic competitiveness.

You know, as the Democratic Party, I think it can be said that entering these non-annual elections, as the chairman said, we can do it. We can serve the American people. We can unite this country. We can change their lives.

And, you know, this time including everyone — blacks, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native American communities — because I said the government and our efforts will reflect what this country looks like.

As I said, in the 21st century economic competition, the rest of the world will not wander and wait. We must act fast.

For me, the bottom line is: this is sending a signal to the rest of the world and to ourselves that we can operate, we can deliver, and we can do important things. We still have a lot to do because we invest in physical infrastructure, as well as human infrastructure, childcare, paid leave, two-year programs, and two-year preschools in community colleges.

When I heard, well, you know, it’s not—that’s not an investment—well, let me tell you, when I was the vice president, I was asked to investigate five 500 CEOs together with the Secretary of Commerce— -Fortune 500, see what their biggest needs are. We got 340. Do you know what they almost said to one person? They said that we need a better educated public. Well, they are not educating the public. So, what are we going to do?

If I tell you tomorrow, we can maintain the excessive tax cuts for the super-rich—many of you are—or we can ensure that every child, from the age of three, four, and five, goes to preschool, Instead of nurseries, they can go to community colleges, so we are the best educated public in the world. Which one do you think can best promote the development of the country? You know what this is.

So look, let me close. I-I spent too much time. I want to know each of you. But look, we need-the most important thing we must do is that we must protect the voting system and protect the sacred voting rights. It was attacked in a way I had never seen in my entire career. When I was chairman of the Judiciary Committee 25 years ago, I was the one who was able to extend the right to vote. Until the Supreme Court came out and said, no, no, it is no longer needed.

This is about who can vote, whether the ballot is important, and who can count the ballot. We have a system that can do these things independently and completely. But what Republicans want to do is to say that a party can decide whether a vote is important. This is ridiculous. We must fight desperately to prevent this from happening. This is one of the most important things we can do.

There is a lot of work ahead. It will not be easy. But I need you to do it. DNC will need you. Because-this is the deal: we win in 2020 as a unified party. Looking ahead to 2022, we need to maintain unity. The question the American people want to ask is whether we are helping them and their families, whether we understand what they are going through; whether we understand their problems; can we deliver goods for them?

You know, as Democrats, we must show that we understand, first; we are delivering, and second; we keep our promises. We just need to continue to present our reasons-just as the Republican Party today only provides fear, lies, and breach of promise. We must continue to lift the fog of the Republican Party-the government is not the problem, and show that we, the people-we, the people, will always be the solution.

It is the most unique country in the history of the world. You have heard me say this before. We are the only country organized based on ideas-based on ideas, not religion, race, or geography-based on the idea that we believe these truths are self-evident, that all men and women are equal and are given- —You know the rest.

But you must be able to vote. This is the most important thing we can do. We will have to win the contest where the votes are placed.

You know, in 2018, I left, but I campaigned in 58 districts-congressional districts they said we couldn’t win. We won back the US Congress.

And, look, if we make the right decision in the next few years, people will look back in 50 years and say that this is the moment when the United States won the 21st century. I really believe it. But we can’t do it without you. You know, we have to prove that democracy is feasible.

Finally, I want to say—the media on the Internet have heard me say this before—Xi Jinping, and—I met him for a few hours—over 25 hours—24 hours a person. I won, he called me to congratulate. We spent two hours, I think it was almost 25 minutes of phone calls.

Like other dictators, he believes that in the modern world, things change so fast, so fast, that democracies cannot act together and unite to compete with authoritarian governments. He does believe this. He decided that by 2045, they will become the world’s most powerful military force, as well as the world’s largest economy and the most organized economy.

We must prove that democracy can operate and protect. I think its impact on our influence around the world is more important than anything.

This is why we have to do something like this with other people to complete it-complete it. I believe there is not much we can’t do. I think the country is ready. Because of you, I think we will be able to complete it.

But I want to thank everyone. thanks for all you have done. And, you know, we have to prove that we can make democracy work again. This is what it means.

So, God bless you all what you have done and will do—what you will do. May God protect our army.

7:29 p.m. EDT