What Did Joe Biden Do Today?
September 18, 2024 Recap
In her remarks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 47th Annual Leadership Conference, Vice President Kamala Harris celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month and praised the leadership of the Hispanic community. She shared her personal background, emphasizing the values her mother instilled in her, such as hard work, community, and the importance of standing up against injustice.
She highlighted key areas of focus during her career, including protecting vulnerable communities, fighting for workers' rights, and expanding healthcare access. Harris emphasized her administration's work to lower prescription drug costs, particularly insulin, and the fight against corporate price gouging. She also spoke about housing affordability, expanding healthcare for all Americans, and advocating for the rights of DREAMers.
Vice President Harris contrasted the administration's vision for progress with what she described as the backward agenda of Donald Trump and his allies, criticizing their stances on Medicare, Social Security, immigration, and reproductive rights. She underscored her commitment to restoring reproductive freedoms and protecting women's rights while condemning recent abortion bans in many states.
Harris concluded by encouraging the audience to remain engaged, register voters, and continue the fight for a future of equality and opportunity, reaffirming that "when we fight, we win."
President Biden delivered a speech at a reception celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at the White House. In his remarks, he highlighted the significant contributions of the Hispanic community to the U.S., emphasizing that 25% of K-12 students are Hispanic, signaling the community's growing influence on the country.
He praised the entrepreneurial success of Hispanic Americans, particularly Jessica Alba, who was introduced as a role model for her accomplishments in building a billion-dollar company. Biden reflected on the Hispanic community's role in shaping the nation and reaffirmed his administration's commitment to diversity and inclusion, noting that it includes several prominent Hispanic leaders, such as Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Small Business Administrator Isabel Guzman.
The president also celebrated economic progress, including the creation of over five million jobs for Hispanic Americans, record-low Hispanic unemployment rates, and investments in Puerto Rico and Hispanic-serving institutions. He discussed his administration's policies on education, health insurance, immigration, and reducing the racial wealth gap, emphasizing a vision for an inclusive immigration system and rejecting the demonization of immigrants.
Biden concluded by calling for continued efforts to build national museums honoring Latino and women's history and reaffirming that Hispanic history is American history. He ended on an optimistic note, expressing his belief in the country's and the Hispanic community's potential and urging unity in moving the nation forward.
In a message to Congress, President Biden announced the continuation of the national emergency initially declared on September 23, 2001, regarding persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism. Under the National Emergencies Act, the national emergency would automatically terminate unless the President takes action to extend it. President Biden has determined that the ongoing threats of terrorism, particularly from foreign actors, still pose a significant danger to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and the economy. As a result, he has decided to extend the national emergency beyond September 23, 2024.
The Biden-Harris Administration's new U.S. Strategy on Global Development aims to address critical global challenges like poverty, health, climate change, democracy, and conflict. It outlines five main objectives:
Reduce Poverty through Inclusive Economic Growth: The U.S. will focus on reducing extreme poverty and fostering sustainable growth by investing in infrastructure and addressing developing countries' high debt burdens.
Invest in Health, Food Security, and Human Capital: The U.S. aims to strengthen health systems, tackle diseases, support food security, and promote education access, especially for marginalized communities.
Decarbonize the Economy and Increase Climate Resilience: The strategy emphasizes reducing carbon emissions, expanding clean energy access, and helping communities adapt to climate change.
Promote Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance: Efforts will be made to counter authoritarianism, support democratic governance, and address conflict and fragility globally.
Respond to Humanitarian Needs: The U.S. will continue to lead humanitarian efforts, providing aid during crises and working on long-term solutions to reduce dependency on assistance.
The White House held a National Voter Registration Day roundtable with youth voting leaders to discuss their nonpartisan efforts in promoting youth civic engagement. Participants from various states shared strategies to help young Americans register to vote. They highlighted challenges such as unfamiliarity with the voting process, limited access to registration information, and voter suppression, including restrictions on the use of student IDs for voting.
The Biden-Harris Administration reaffirmed its commitment to expanding voting access for young Americans and called for the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. They also discussed ongoing efforts such as the revamped vote.gov website, which is now available in 19 languages and has accessibility features. Additionally, initiatives like CMS’s integration of voter registration information into HealthCare.gov and the display of vote.gov posters in 17,000 Post Offices nationwide were announced to further promote voter registration access.
In today’s White House Press Briefing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was joined by Special Assistant to the President and White House Director of Coalitions Media, Luisana Perez Fernandez, who opened the briefing with remarks on Hispanic Heritage Month. Fernandez highlighted the importance of celebrating the rich history, culture, and contributions of the Latino community in the U.S. According to Fernandez. The Biden administration has made significant strides in promoting equality and opportunities for Latinos, citing achievements such as lowering Latino unemployment to historic lows, supporting the growth of Latino small businesses, expanding affordable healthcare, and increasing Latino homeownership. The President and First Lady were set to host a reception celebrating Latino leaders, and President Biden would honor Latino excellence at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Gala.
Following Fernandez, Admiral John Kirby from the National Security Council provided an overview of the President’s upcoming foreign policy engagements, including the Quad Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, and the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City. The Quad Summit will bring together leaders from Japan, Australia, and India to discuss shared priorities, such as maritime security, climate change, and emerging technologies. Kirby emphasized the administration's efforts to strengthen alliances, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, while also noting Biden’s relationships with the leaders of these countries. At the UNGA, President Biden will reaffirm U.S. leadership on key global issues like climate change, the opioid epidemic, and the wars in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan. Kirby stressed that U.S. diplomatic efforts would continue to focus on preventing further escalation in these conflicts.
In response to questions, Kirby addressed the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, particularly the escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon. He noted that while recent incidents had increased concerns about a broader conflict, the U.S. remained committed to diplomacy and de-escalation, especially along the Israel-Lebanon border. Kirby also mentioned the administration’s ongoing efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, but he acknowledged that progress had been slow and a breakthrough was not imminent.
On the domestic front, Jean-Pierre addressed economic concerns, specifically in light of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate cut. She framed the decision as a moment of progress, pointing out that inflation had steadily decreased and the labor market remained strong. She emphasized that the Biden administration’s economic policies, including lowering inflation and interest rates, benefited American consumers. However, Jean-Pierre refrained from commenting on potential recession risks, reiterating the administration’s confidence in the economy’s resilience.
Jean-Pierre also responded to questions about the UAW strike negotiations, stating that President Biden supports the right to strike and believes that the parties involved should continue negotiating in good faith. She highlighted the administration’s pro-union stance, noting that Biden has strongly advocated for workers’ rights and collective bargaining.
Another topic discussed was the Senate hearing in which Arab American executive Maya Berry was insulted. Jean-Pierre condemned the remarks made during the hearing as "shameful." He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to fighting against hate and discrimination in all forms, including anti-Arab sentiment and Islamophobia. She stressed the importance of leaders condemning such rhetoric and standing against all forms of bigotry.
Finally, when asked about polling that indicated a significant portion of voters—both Republicans and Democrats—expressed distrust in the election system, Jean-Pierre reiterated the President’s belief in the importance of respecting election results, regardless of the outcome. She emphasized that protecting democracy and ensuring free and fair elections remain core principles of the Biden administration.
President Biden Hosts a Reception in Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month at the White House
