Remarks by Vice President Harris in a Conversation with the National Association of Black Journalists | Philadelphia, PA
WHYY Studios
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2:28 P.M. EDT
Q Let’s meet our three moderators for today’s discussion. Gerren Keith Gaynor is the White House correspondent and managing editor of politics for TheGrio. Eugene Daniels is co-author of the Politico Playbook and is Politico’s White House correspondent. Tonya Mosley is the co-host of NPR and WHYY’s “Fresh Air.” (Applause.)
Q Hello, everyone, and welcome. We’re going to get right to it. Without further ado, Vice President Kamala Harris. (Applause.)
Thank you.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Okay. Good afternoon, everyone.
AUDIENCE: Good afternoon.
Q Madam Vice President, thank you so much for doing this and making the time.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Of course.
Q It’s a little bit busy right now. We want to start on an issue that Americans across the country say is their number one concern, and that’s the economy.
A question that has been asked of you and everybody that’s on the Democratic side is whether or not voters are better off now than they were four years ago. Are they better off now than they were four years ago?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, when we came into — well, first of all, let me just say: It — it is good to be with the National Association of Black Journalists, and I thank you for the work you do and that your members do every day. It is very important that we ensure that this organization and your members always have the resources and the platforms to deliver the voices that must be heard. So, I thank you for hosting me today.
Four years ago, when we came in, we came in during the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. We came in during the worst public health epidemic in centuries. We came in after the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. And a lot of it due, in large part, to the mismanagement by the former president as it relates to COVID and, obviously, January 6th.
And we had, then, a lot of work to do to clean up a mess. As of today, we have created over 16 million new jobs, over 800,000 new manufacturing jobs. We have the lowest Black unemployment rate in generations. We have invested in small businesses, and I’m — they’re — to the benefit of many people but including Black small businesses — some of the highest rate of creation of new Black small businesses in years.
We have done the work of capping the cost of prescription medication for our seniors for issues like insulin. And, again, I’m speaking to the Black journalists who care about all people, but, in particular, I’ll talk about the impact on Black people, where we know Black folks are 60 times more likely — 60 percent, excuse me, more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes.
And we have now finally capped the cost of insulin for our seniors at $35 a month, capped the cost of prescription medication for our seniors at $2,000 a year, because we — unlike the former president, who promised to do it, we finally have allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices against the big pharmaceutical companies. And these are just some of the accomplishments.
Is the price of groceries still too high? Yes. Do we have more work to do? Yes.
And I will tell you, I do believe that I offer a new generation of leadership for our country that is about, in particular, turning the page on an era that sadly has shown us attempts by some to incite fear, to create division in our country, and to do the work that is about bringing some level of optimism and, dare I say, ambition, about what I know is possible in our country.
And so, my plan for the economy includes what I imagine and believe and call an “opportunity economy,” what we can do to grow an opportunity economy where all people have access to the resources to compete, to apply their incredible work ethic, their ambition, their aspirations, and their dreams and actually not just get by but get ahead.
And I can talk in more detail about it, but, specifically, I’ll mention a few things.
Q Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: One of the big issues that affects people right now in terms of the economy and their economic well-being is we have a shortage of housing supply. It’s too expensive. People can’t afford to buy a home.
You know, we grew up, our parents, where they had the ability to somehow believe the American dream was attainable. Not so much for younger working people. And I recognize that.
So, my approach is a new approach, which is to say, let’s just take this and deal with it head on. And part of my approach is to say I’m going to employ and — and en- — and engage the private sector — in particular, homebuilders — with tax credits to give them the incentive to create new housing — 3 million by the end of my first term.
And understanding that not everybody is, you know, handed a silver spoon but works hard and is trying to save up for a down payment, part of my plan under my opportunity economy is to give first-time homebuyers a $25,000 down payment assistance so they can just get their foot in the door to be able to then engage in what will prove to be their opportunity to build intergenerational wealth.
And here’s my personal experience coming at that: I grew up a middle-class kid. My mother was hardworking. She raised me and my sister, Maya. She saved up, and it was only by the time I was a teenager that she could afford to — to actually buy her first home. And I know and I identify with — I know where I come from.
Q Madam Vice President —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And I know — but I’m just going to finish. I know that so many people work so hard and should have the opportunity to just get their foot in the door. Again, so it’s not just about getting by but getting ahead.
Please.
Q I’d like to ask you more about the opportunity economy. Housing is —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q — a part of it, as well as expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q — financial support, as you mentioned, for first-time buyers —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yep.
Q — and a $50,000 tax deduction for start-ups and small businesses.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q But I want to talk to you about the squeeze that millions of Americans are also dealing with that impacts their ability to work and make money, and that is childcare —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q — and eldercare.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q And it’s a squeeze for millions of people. In some parts of the country, it costs more for childcare than for rents. I think Bloomberg —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: That’s right.
Q — recently reported an average of $33,000 a year. So, I’m just wondering: You mentioned that — in your opportunity economy, a Child Tax Credit, but that’s just one part of an ecosystem.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah. Right.
Q Please tell us: What plans will you propose to guarantee that families can actually afford childcare and eldercare?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, to your point, it is — it is, sadly, the state of affairs in our country that working people often have to decide to either be able to work or be able to afford childcare. Like, they can’t afford childcare and actually do the work that they want to do because it’s too expensive, and it doesn’t actually level out in terms of the expense versus the income.
My plan is that no family — no working family should pay more than 7 percent of their income in childcare, because I know that when you talk about the return on that investment, allowing people to work, allowing people to pursue their dreams in terms of how they want to work, where they want to work benefits us all. It strengthens the entire economy.
We saw, for example, during the pandemic, what happened, and it sadly has dissipated as a conversation that we need to resuscitate, which is the number of women that had to leave the workforce because of a lack of childcare and home health care. And so many of our families — and, in particular, women end up carrying the responsibility — men do too, of course — of what — what we call people who are in — in the sandwich generation —
Q Exactly.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — who have young children and are also taking care of their parents. And it is just absolutely too expensive for them to be able to work and do that.
So, my plan is not only about 7 percent of income for working people for childcare, but also, we need to do better for our childcare providers and our home health care providers, in terms of ensuring that they receive the wages that they deserve based on the dignity of their work.
I have spent time with home health care providers, and their work is some of the most taxing work you can imagine. And I actually, when my mother was sick with cancer, did a lot in terms of taking care of her.
And the — the work that is about taking care of a loved one — in particular, an elder — is extraordinarily heavy in terms of the emotional toll, the time it takes. And — and we do it because that is what we do. But not everyone has the ability to take time from work to do it, and they need help. And we need to make sure we have home health care workers that can help them.
But I want to also get back to the earlier point that you made about extending the Child Tax Credit. So, part of my new approach is we need to expand the Child Tax Credit. And so, part of my plan that is under an opportunity economy is to extend and expand the Child Tax Credit to $6,000 so that young families, in particular, for the first year of their child’s life, which is an extraordinarily important time in their development, have the resources to be able to buy a crib, buy a car seat, buy children’s clothing and not have to worry about whether they’re going to be able to meet their other needs.
And I will — I don’t need to remind anybody here, especially these — these esteemed journalists — but when we expanded the Child Tax Credit a couple years ago, we reduced Black child poverty by half.
And so, again, if you talk about the benefit and if you think about the benefit to the economy overall, it strengthens our economy to do things like pay attention to affordable childcare, affordable home health care, and extending the Child Tax Credit.
Q Madam Vice President, Black men, as you know, are a closely watched voting bloc. You’ve hosted Black men at your residence.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yep.
Q You have engaged Black men and centered them in your Eco- — Economic Opportunity Tour. But polling shows that some Black men, particularly young Black men, are considering voting for Donald Trump, and they see him as better for the economy. What is your message to young Black male voters who feel left out of this economy? And how can your economic policies materially change their lives?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, I appreciate the spirit of the question. But I’ll tell you, I’ve often been asked this question in a way that I’ve had to respond by first saying that I think it’s very important to not operate from the assumption that Black men are in anybody’s pocket. Black men are like any other voting group. You got to earn their vote.
So, I’m working to earn the vote, not assuming I’m going to have it because I am Black but because the policies and the perspectives I have understands what we must do to recognize the needs of all communities, and I intend to be a president for all people.
Specifically as it relates to what we need to do, to your point, around economic opportunity, yes, I started — way before I was at the top of the ticket and — what I called an Economic Opportunity Tour focused on Black men, understanding that, for example, we have so many entrepreneurs in the community who do not have access to capital, but they’ve got great ideas, an incredible work ethic, the ambition, the aspiration, the dream but don’t have the relationships, necessarily.
So, my work has included, as vice president, getting billions more dollars into community banks, including working with the big banks to do that so that we can increase access to capital for our small businesses, for our start-ups.
Part of my plan, under my economic opportunity plan going forward, is that right now start-up entrepreneurs, small businesses only get a tax deduction of $5,000. Nobody can start a small business with $5,000. So, I’m expanding that to $50,000, understanding, again, that when people have the opportunity to have the resources to get started, they’re going to put the good ideas, they’re going to put the hard work into it.
And part of what I also know is that our young Black men, our Black men, just like any group of people, anybody — our small businesses are really the — the backbone of our economy overall. And when they do better economically, we all do better.
Part of my work is about understanding what we need to do in dealing with, for example, the historic inequities that have faced the Black community around homeownership. Right? I don’t have to go through the history with anybody here about what that has meant in terms of redlining, what that has meant in terms of biases in home appraisals, and what that — the impact it has had on stemming the opportunity to build intergenerational wealth because of those obstacles.
So, part of the work that I have done and will continue to do is identify, speak truth about those obstacles, and address them.
Another example is medical debt. One in four Black families or individuals is more likely to carry medical debt than others. So, part of my perspective and, as vice president, part of the work that we have done is to say that we’re going to eliminate medical debt from being on your credit score. Because, until now, medical debt worked against your credit score. And, you know, people know their me- — their credit score like you know your weight. Right? You know that number.
And the difference between what that number is and what it needs to be is the difference between you being able to get a can loan, a small business loan, or even a lease in an — on an apartment. And so, part of my approach is understanding the obstacles that traditionally and currently exist to allow anyone, including Black men, be able to achieve economic wealth.
And I’mma tell you, I don’t think it is sufficient to just only talk about economic policy around reducing unemployment. It is an important marker, and I’m proud of the work that we’ve done thus far, but it should be a baseline that everybody’s working.
The point is: Do people have an opportunity to build wealth if that’s what they choose to do, if that’s what they want to do? And a lot of my perspective as we go forward is just that.
I believe that there are a lot of opportunities that are available to the American people if we just see — if we see people and understand what they want for themselves and their families, and then meet them where they are.
Q Madam Vice President, I want to switch gears a little bit and talk about the war in Gaza. You’ve called for a ceasefire hostage deal and a two-state solution as an end to the war for many months now. And while you’ve expressed support for Israel to defend itself, a two-state solution and a ceasefire are at odds with what Benjamin Netanyahu has said is their right to defense.
If it matters, as you say, how Israel defends itself, where do you see the line between aggression and defense and our power as Israel’s ally to — to do something?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Okay. A lot to unpack in what you just said, so let’s start with this.
I absolutely believe that this war has to end, and it has to end as soon as possible, and the way that will be achieved is by getting a hostage deal and a ceasefire deal done. And we are working around the clock to achieve that end.
Stepping back, October 7, 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered — and actually — and some Americans, by the way, in that number, slaughtered — young people who were attending a — a concert. Women were horribly raped.
And, yes, so I have said Israel has a right to defend itself. We would. And —
Q But, Madam Vice President —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: But n- — but let me finish —
Q — I think my ask is the —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, no, let me finish.
Q — difference between aggression and defense here.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, but it’s important to put it in context, which is what I’m doing, and I’ll get to that.
And so, how it does so matters. And far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed — women and children. We have seen with horror the images coming out of Gaza. And we have to take that seriously. And we have to agree that not only must we end this war, but we have to have a goal of a two-state solution, because there must be stability and peace in that reason [region] inasmuch as what we do in our goal is to ensure that Israelis have security and Palestinians, in equal measure, have security, have self-determination, and dignity.
Q A question for you on that, though: What levers does the U.S. have to support Palestinians in their right to self-determination? And is it even possible as Israel’s ally?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, absolutely. I’m — I — I will tell you, I have been actively involved in, for example, meeting not only with Israeli officials but with Arab officials to
talk about how we can construct a day-after scenario where we participate in ensuring those exact goals that I outlined, including, as part of the principles that should be applied to those goals, that there be no reoccupation of Gaza, that there be no changing of the territorial lines in Gaza, that there be a — an ability to have security in the region for all concerned in a way that we create stability — and let’s — let us also recognize, in a way that ensures that Iran is not empowered in this whole scenario in terms of the peace and stability of the region.
But absolutely, the U- — the — the United States of America absolutely has a role, which is why we have been active, in particular, with the Qataris and the Egyptians around attempting to get a deal done and get it done as quickly as possible.
Q Madam Vice President, just to — to follow up really quickly. Is there a specific policy change that you, as vi- — as president of the United States, would say you would do that would help this along? Because, you know, you’ve gotten a lot of credit for emphasizing the humanity of Palestinians. But what I often hear from folks is that there’s no policy change that would — that — that either you or the president — President Biden have gone and said they would do.
Is there a specific policy change, as president, that you would do in our helping of Israel —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We need to get —
Q — in this war?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — this deal done, and we need to get it done immediately —
Q But in the way that —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — and that is my position, and that is my policy. We need to get this deal done.
Q But in the way that we send weapons, in the way that we interact as their ally, are there specific policy changes?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, Eugene, for example, one of the things that we have done that I am co- — entirely supportive of is the pause that we’ve put on the 2,000-pound bombs. And so, there is some leverage that we have had and used.
But ultimately, the thing that is going to unlock everything else in that region is getting this deal done. And I can — I’m not going to disclose private conversations, but I will tell you I’ve had direct conversations with the prime minister, with the president of Israel, with Egyptian leaders, and with our allies. And I think we’ve made ourselves very clear: This deal needs to get done in the bent- — best interest of everyone in the region, including getting those hostages out, who — I mean, we saw the — the latest example of what happened with the — the six most recently, one of whom was an American citizen.
Q But what do you say to those that say that’s not enough, that stopping the 2,000-pound bombs the one time wasn’t enough, that this administration and your possible administration has to do more?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, we are doing the work of putting the pressure on all parties involved to get the deal done. But let me be very clear, also: I support Israel’s ability to defend itself, and I support the need for Palestinians to have dignity, self-determination, and security as we move forward and get a two-state deal done.
But right now, the thing we need to get done is this hostage deal and the ceasefire deal. We need a ceasefire. We need the hostage deal.
Q I want to switch gears to racial justice, Madam Vice President. Last month, you eulogized Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q Jackson Lee’s signature bill, one of a few, was H.R.40, which would create a commission to study the history of U.S. slavery and study the issue of reparations. She introduced H.R.40 every session of Congress, taking up the mantle from Congressman John Conyers. This is a bill that you have cosponsored as a U.S. senator.
Yet this has — despite the fact that this has been sir- — similar commissions have been created on the state level and on the local level, it’s yet to pass in Congress, let alone come out of committee. Congresswoman Jackson Lee, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and other advocates have called for President Biden to take executive action to ins- — to take — to create this commission. Would you, as president, take executive action to create this commission, or do you believe that it should happen in Congress?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, I just — as you mentioned, Sheila Jackson Lee — she was an extraordinary leader, who we just recently lost, and — and she was a friend and a real champion for so many issues. So, I feel compelled to say that about her.
On the issue of what we need to do going forward. Look, first of all, we just need to speak truth about history, in spite of the fact that some people would try and erase history and try and teach our children otherwise. We need to speak truth about the generational impact of our history, in terms of the generational impact of slavery, the generational impact of — of redlining, of Jim Crow law- — I could go on and on and on.
These are facts that have had impact, and we need to — we need to speak truth about it, and we need to speak truth about it in a way that is about driving solutions.
And frankly, I think that we — you know, and part of that is — is studying it to figure out exactly what we need to do. But part of what we can do right now is, for example, what I’m talking about in terms of building an opportunity economy, which is addressing explicitly the obstacles that historically and currently exist and dealing with them: student loan debt; medical debt; bias in home appraisals; what we need to do in terms of dealing with an issue that I have championed for years, Black maternal mortality, which is the fact that Black women are three to four times more likely to die in connection with childbirth than other women, and we know that the reasons for that include disparities that preexist her pregnancy, including disparities that exist in the system during her pregnancy.
So, all of those things must be addressed.
Q Do you have a position on whether that should happen — this commission should happen through executive order or via Congress?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I — I think Congress ultimately will have the ability to do this work. I’m not discounting the importance of — of any executive action. But ultimately, Congress — because if you’re going to talk about it in any substantial way, there will be hearings, there will be
a level of public education and dialogue that — and I think that was part of the — the spirit behind the congressional action thus far, to ensure that everyone can participate in this conversation in a way that elevates knowledge about history and the reference points that have — that are the impetus of this conversation.
Q Madam Vice Pre- —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Especially, again, when people are trying to deny history; when people — our, you know, so-called leaders are saying that enslaved people benefited from slavery. I mean, let’s talk about the delta here in terms of the work that needs to be done. It’s profound.
Q Madam Vice President, I want to move to Springfield, Ohio, and what’s happening there.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q We’ve seen school closures —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q — parents worried about their kids leaving the home because of racist conspiracy theories that I won’t repeat here. But they have been repeated by leaders on the Republican side: President Trump, vice president- — excuse me, former President Trump, vice — (laughs) — and vice-presidential nominee J.D. Vance.
From your perspective, is this just a case of irredeemable racism that can’t be mitigated by any rational action, or is this a situation in which a federal response could help this community heal? Is it a question of resources and —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, n- — I — I’ll let you finish, and then I’ll speak.
Q No, please.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: It’s a crying shame. I mean, my heart breaks for this community. You know, there were children — elementary school children who it was — it was school photo day — you remember what that’s like, going to school on picture day? — who were dressed up in their best, got all ready, knew what they were going to wear the night before, and had to be evacuated. Children. Children. A whole community put in fear.
And I’ll say a couple things about it. One, you know, I learned a long time ago in my career, having a background as a prosecutor, when you have these positions, when you have that kind of microphone in front of you, you really ought to understand at a very deep level how much your words have meaning. I learned at a very young stage of my career
that the meaning of my words could impact whether somebody was free or in prison.
As attorney general, I was — of California, the fifth largest economy in the world — I was acutely aware that my words could move markets.
When you are bestowed with a microphone that is that big,
there is a profound responsibility that comes with that that is an extension of what should not be lost in this moment, this concept of the public trust, to then understand what the public trust means. It means that you have been invested with trust to be responsible in the way you use your words, much less how you conduct yourself — and especially when you have been and then seek to be again president of the United States of America.
And so, I go back to it’s a crying shame, literally, what’s happening to those families, those children in that community, not to mention what is happening in terms of — look, you say you care about law enforcement — law enforcement resources being put into this because of these serious threats that are being issued against a community that is living a productive, good life before this happened, and — and spewing lies that are grounded in tropes that are age-old.
And, look, I said it not very far from here the other day at the debate. This is not new. This is not new in terms of these tropes. This is not new in terms of where it’s coming from.
And, you know, whether it is refusing to rent to people, rent to Black families; whether it is taking out a full-page ad in The New York Times against five innocent Black and Latino teenagers, the Central Park Five, calling for their execution; whether it is referring to the first Black president of the United States with a lie, birther lies —
And, look, the American people deserve and, I do believe, want better than this. I do believe that. I know — I know the vast majority of us as Americans know we have so much more in common than what separates us. I know that. I know that regardless of someone’s background, their race, their gender, their geographic location — I know that people are deeply troubled by what is happening to that community in Springfield, Ohio. And it’s got to stop.
And we’ve got to say that you cannot be entrusted
with standing behind the seal of the president of the United States of America engaging in that hateful rhetoric that, as usual, is designed to divide us as a country, is designed to have people pointing fingers at each other. It’s designed to do that.
And I think most people in our country, regardless of their race, are starting to see through this nonsense and — and to say, “You know what? Let’s turn the page on this.” This is exhausting and it’s harmful and it’s hateful and — and grounded in some age-old stuff that we should not have the tolerance for.
So, let’s turn the page and chart a new way forward and say, “You can’t have that microphone again.”
Q Madam Vice President, I’m switching gears again.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Okay.
Q Quick question. I want to talk to you about gun control.
So, you’ve said you support an assault weapons ban and universal background checks. And we actually learned during the debate that you are a gun owner. But in cities like Philadelphia, handguns are responsible for most homicides and violent crime. The most recent FBI data shows handguns were involved in 59 percent of murders in our country.
How will you address the issue of the use of handguns? Because a push for an assault weapons ban only addresses a significant but small part of the problem.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: So, first of all, yes, I am a gun owner. And Tim Walz is a gun owner. And we’re not trying to take anybody’s guns away from them. But we do need an assault weapons ban.
Assault weapons are designed to kill a lot of human beings quickly and have no place —
Q I ask an assault weapons ban — yes.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — and have no pla- — I’m going to get to it.
Q Yes.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And have no place on the streets of a civil society.
We need universal background checks, which, to your point about handguns, is about saying that it is just reasonable to want reasonable gun safety laws that say we should do background checks, that we ought to know — it’s just reasonable — you might want to know, before someone can buy a lethal weapon, if they’ve been found by a court to be a danger to themselves or others. You might just want to know. And then un- —
Q And, respectfully, we do understand that.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: But you —
Q Yes.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You’re asking about — you’re asking —
Q I’m asking specifically about handguns, because many of those handguns are purchased in places —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Universal background checks —
Q Yes.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: — apply to handguns.
Q Yes.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: They do. And —
Q But in many instances, those handguns aren’t even bought lawfully, yes.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Which is why I also have been very adamant for years — in fact, I myself protested at a gun show probably 10, 15 years ago about the gun show loophole and why we need to close that. Because what ends up happening is that gun shows at flea markets, gun dealers are not, under existing law in the past, required to register their sales.
And so, you are exactly right that a lot of homicides, for example, a good number — I don’t have the — the st- — statistic in front of my mind — are committed with illegally purchased guns. And that’s why we need to address each entry point in the issue, including universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole, and what we need to do as a general matter to focus not only on reaction to crime but prevention of crime.
So, you’re raising a very important issue that has many facets, including what we need to do in terms of reasonable gun safety laws and what we need to do around crime prevention, what we need to do around crime deterrence.
But, listen, I have personally prosecuted homicide cases. I have held the mo- — hands of mothers who have come to me crying, who have said, “I only want to talk to Kamala,” because they knew, when they sat down, I would treat them with the dignity and respect that they were entitled and due about the loss of their child — often, their son — to gun violence and the need to take it seriously.
And we must take it seriously in every way, understanding it’s not just about a sound bite; it’s about a comprehensive approach that deals with the tragedy of, to your point, everyday gun violence in America. It’s real.
It has had a profound impact in terms of trauma that, for the most part, has gone undiagnosed and untreated. The trauma that exists in communities around the violence of losing their children, losing a brother, losing a father, an uncle — all of that must be addressed, and we have to have a holistic response to it.
Q Are there things we haven’t thought about yet? Because every time we bring up this issue of gun violence, universal background checks comes up and an a- — a ban on assault weapons. Are there other solutions that you’re also thinking about that will get at this issue?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Absolutely. For example, part of what we did with — so, we — in — as vice president, with — with the president, we were able to pass the first meaningful gun safety legislation in 30 years. And part of what that involved was millions and millions of dollars to put more mental health counselors in public schools. Right? Because we know that there is an aspect of this that is about treating the trauma and — and dealing with it at its source before it ends up manifesting itself in a problem.
There is the work that we need to do that is about putting resources into communities around violence prevention. I’ve been a big advocate of that for years, which includes what we need to do around putting resources into community-based intervention that is not just requiring on the good people in the community to volunteer to do the intervention but actually paying people to do it because it’s a full-time job.
It’s about understanding what we need to do to, again, understand that, to your point, we have to have a holistic response to this issue and prioritize it, instead of reacting to the tragedy that, sadly, they are too predictable. Let’s all agree: Enough of that. We — there are very few solutions that we haven’t thought of.
Q Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We need to re- — put the resources into them.
Q Madam Vice President, we want to move to the topic of reproductive access —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q — something that you have worked in leading on, both for the administration, Democrats, and — and now the top of the ticket. You’ve said that, as president, you would want to codify Roe. If it came to your desk, you would sign a bill —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q — that did that. Roe protected access until fetal viability, which it also says is, quote, “at about seven months, but it may occur earlier, even at 24 weeks.”
So, do you similarly support also codifying Roe’s restrictions, which allowed states to ban abortion in the third trimester of pregnancy, unl- — unless necessary to save the mother’s life?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We need to put the protections of Roe v. Wade back into law. And when that bill gets passed by Congress, I will proudly sign it into law.
Understand what is happening in our country. Over 20 states have passed what I call Trump abortion bans, because u- — understand how we got here. The former president handpicked three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade. They did as he intended, and in state after state, laws have been passed criminalizing health care providers.
I don’t know if anyone here has heard, most recently, the stories out of Georgia — tragic story about a young woman who died because it appears the people who should have given her health care were afraid they’d be criminalized after the — the Dobbs decision came down.
Laws that make no exception even for rape or incest, which means that you’re telling a survivor of a crime of a violation to their body that they have no right to make a decision about what happens to their body next, which is immoral.
The — an approach that doesn’t take into account that most people, I think, agree you don’t have to abandon your faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government should not be telling her what to do with her body. If she chooses, she will talk with her pastor, her priest, her rabbi, her imam. But it should not be the government or Donald Trump telling her what to do about her own body and her life.
So, that’s where I stand. We need to put back in place the protection of Roe v. Wade and put that into law —
Q And those re- — and those restrictions that are also in Roe?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: We need to put back in protect- — in place the protections of Roe v. Wade and let an individual, in consultation with her doctor, make the decision based on what she can determine, because she’s smart enough to know what’s in her best interest, instead of having her government tell her what to do — especially a bunch of people in these state capitals who think they’re in a better position to tell her what to do than she is to know what’s in her best interest.
Q Before we conclude, Madam Vice President, “joyful warrior” has been used to describe your campaign.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: You didn’t see that just a minute ago, though. (Laughter.)
Q And —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Okay. I’m back to my joyful part. (Laughs.)
Q And your — you opponent and Republicans have, at times, weaponized you laughing in — in campaign ads, for example. Wh- — why is joy important to you to insert into this election? And what do you make of — of Republicans using that as a way to suggest that you’re not a serious candidate?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, sometimes, I think — and I’ll say to whoever the young people are who are watching this: There are some times when your adversaries will try and turn your strength into a weakness. Don’t you let them. Don’t you let them.
I find joy in the American people. I find joy in optimism, in what I see to be our future and our ability to invest in it. I find joy in the ambition of the people. I find joy in the dreams of the people. I find joy in building community. I find joy in building coalitions. I find joy in believing that the true measure of the strength of a leader is not based on who you beat down but who you lift up.
And — and I think we should all find joy and have a sense of optimism about who we are as Americans and what we mean to each other and what we can do to lift each other up.
Q Madam Vice President —
Q Madam — yeah.
Q — did you — President Biden spoke to former President Trump after the attempt on his life this weekend. Did — have you spoken to him?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I have.
Q And — earlier today, I assume?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q How’d that go? You want to give us some intel?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Sure. I — I checked on him to see if he was okay.
Q Yeah.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: And I told him what I have said publicly: There is no place for political violence in our country. I am in this election, in this race for many reasons, including to fight for our democracy. And in a democracy, there — there is no place for political violence. We can and should have healthy debates and discussion and disagreements but not resort to violence to — to resolve those issues.
Q On January 6, your vehicle was allowed to kind of — passed a viable pipe bomb. We’ve seen these —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: No, I was in the building.
Q You were in the building.
Q You were in the building?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Uh-huh.
Q And we’ve seen what’s happening with former President Trump. Do you have full confidence in the Secret Service —
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I do.
Q — to protect all of you?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I do.
Q You — you feel safe, you and your family?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I do.
But, I mean, you can go back to Ohio. Not everybody has Secret Service. And there are far too many people in our country right now who are not feeling safe. I mean, I look at Project 2025, and I look at, you know, like the “Don’t Say Gay” laws coming out of Florida. Members of the LGBTQ community don’t feel safe right now. Immigrants or people with an immigrant background don’t feel safe right now. Women don’t feel safe right now.
And so, yes, I feel safe. I have Secret Service protection, but that doesn’t change my perspective on the importance of fighting for the safety of everybody in our country and — and doing everything we can to, again, lift people up and not beat people down so they feel alone and are made to feel small and made to feel like they’re somehow not a part of it or us.
Q Madam Vice President, thank you so much for your time.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you.
Q Yes.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I’ve appreciated this. Thank you. Thank you. (Applause.)
Thank you. Thank you all. Take care. Thank you.
END 3:13 P.M. EDT
