[Applause]
good evening
[Music]
good evening good evening
good evening thank you thank you
good evening
[Applause]
so thank you good evening
so congressman
john lewis congressman john lewis
before his passing wrote democracy
is not a state it is an act
and what he meant was that america's
democracy is not guaranteed it is only
as strong
as our willingness to fight for it
to guard it and never take it for
granted
and protecting our democracy takes
struggle
it takes sacrifice but there is
joy in it and there is progress
because we the people have
the power to build a better future
[Music]
and when our very democracy was on the
ballot
in this election with the very soul of
america at stake
and the world watching you
ushered in a new day for america
to our campaign staff and volunteers
this extraordinary team thank you
for bringing more people than ever
before
into the democratic process
and for making this victory possible
to the poll workers and election
officials across
our country who have worked tirelessly
to make sure
every vote is counted our nation
owes you a debt of gratitude
[Applause]
you have protected the integrity of our
democracy
and to the american people who make up
our beautiful country
thank you for turning out in record
numbers to make
your voices heard
and i know times have been challenging
especially
the last several months the grief
sorrow and pain the worries
and the struggles but we have also
witnessed
your courage your resilience
and the generosity of your spirit
for four years you marched
and organized for equality and justice
for our lives and for our planet
and then you voted
and you delivered a clear message
you chose hope and unity
decency science and yes
truth
you chose joe biden as the next
president of the united states of
america
[Applause]
and joe is a healer a uniter
a tested and steady hand
a person whose own experience of loss
gives him a sense of purpose that will
help us
as a nation reclaim our own
sense of purpose and a man with a big
heart who loves with abandon
it's his love for jill who will be an
incredible first lady
it's his love for hunter and ashley and
his grandchildren and the entire
biden family
and while i first knew joe as vice
president
i really got to know him as the father
who loved
beau my dear friend who we remember here
today
and to my husband doug
[Music]
and our children cole and ella and my
sister
maya and our whole family i love you
all more than i can ever express
we are so grateful to joe and jill for
welcoming our family into theirs
on this incredible journey and to the
woman most responsible for my presence
here today
my mother shyamala gopalan harris
who is always in our hearts
uh when she came here from india at the
age of 19
she maybe um didn't quite imagine this
moment
but she believed so deeply in an america
where a moment like this is possible and
so i am thinking about her
and about the generations of women black
women
asian white latina
native american women
who throughout our nation's history
have paved the way for this moment
tonight
women who fought and sacrificed so much
for equality and liberty and justice
for all including the black women who
are often
too often overlooked but so often prove
they are the backbone of our democracy
all the women who have worked to secure
and protect the right to vote for over a
century
100 years ago with the 19th amendment
55 years ago with the voting rights act
and now in 2020 with a new generation of
women
in our country who cast their ballots
and continued the fight for their
fundamental right to vote and be heard
[Applause]
tonight i reflect on their struggle
their determination and the strength of
their vision
to see what can be unburdened
by what has been and i stand on their
shoulders
and what a testament it is to joe's
character
that he had the audacity to break one of
the most substantial
barriers that exists in our country and
select a woman as his vice president
but while i may be the first woman in
this office
i will not be the last
[Applause]
because every little girl watching
tonight
sees that this is a country of
possibilities
and to the children of our country
regardless of your gender our country
has sent you a clear message
dream with ambition lead
with conviction and see yourselves in a
way that others may not
simply because they've never seen it
before
but know that we will applaud you every
step of the way
and to the american people no matter who
you voted for
i will strive to be a vice president
like joe was to president obama
loyal honest and prepared
waking up every day thinking of you and
your family
because now is when the real work begins
the hard work the necessary work
the good work the essential work to save
lives and beat this
epidemic to rebuild our economy
so it works for working people to root
out systemic racism in our justice
system and society
to combat the climate crisis to unite
our country and
heal the soul of our nation
and the road ahead will not be easy
but america is ready
and so are joe and i
we have elected a president who
represents
the best in us a leader
the world will respect and our children
will look up to a commander-in-chief
who will respect our troops and keep our
country
safe and a president for
all americans
[Applause]
and it is now my great honor
to introduce the president-elect
of the united states of america joe
biden