Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Campaign Event | Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

11:34 P.M. EST

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good evening, Philadelphia! (Applause.) Good evening, everyone.

First of all, can we hear it for Oprah, please? (Applause.) And the first second gentleman of the United States, my husband. (Laughs.) (Applause.)

Oh, it's good to be back. It's good to be back and to be with so many incredible leaders, including Bob Casey. Let's send him back to the United States Senate. (Applause.)

I want to thank all the outstanding artists and performers who are here tonight and sharing the gift that they have with all of us. I thank you all so very much.

And to everyone here, thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to be here, for us to all be here together, showing who America is, that we are all in this together. (Applause.) We are all in this together.

So, Philadelphia, you ready to do this? (Applause.)

Are we ready to vote? (Applause.)

Are we ready to win? (Applause.)

Oh, it's good to be back in the City of Brotherly Love - (applause) - where the foundation of our democracy was forged. And here, at these famous steps, a tribute to those who start as the underdog and climb to victory. (Applause.)

So, America, it comes down to this. One more day - just one more day in the most consequential election of our lifetime, and the momentum is on our side. (Applause.)

Our campaign has tapped into the ambitions and the aspirations and the dreams of the American people. We are optimistic, and we are excited about what we can do together, and we know it is time for a new generation of leadership in America. (Applause.) And I am ready to offer that leadership as the next president of the United States of America. (Applause.)

However, the race ain't over yet - (laughs) - and we must finish strong. And this could be - this could be one of the closest races in history. Every single vote matters.

So, let me ask you: Who here has a plan to vote? (Applause.) (Inaudible.)

All right. Well, help spread the word. Here in Pennsylvania, polls are open tomorrow morning from 7:00 a.m. to se- - to 8:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. And no matter what state you live in, if you are watching this, please go to IWillVote.com for all the information you need, including when and where to vote and where to drop off your mail-in ballot.

And I also ask you to please talk with your friends and your family and your neighbors. Share your perspective on why you took the time to be here this evening and why this election is important to you. Encourage folks to make their voices heard, because we need everyone to vote in Pennsylvania. And you will decide the outcome of this election, Pennsylvania. (Applause.)

So, with only a few hours left, we still have work to do. And as you've heard me say before, we like hard work. (Applause.) Hard work is good work. Hard work is joyful work.

And make no mistake, we will win. (Applause.) We will win.

AUDIENCE: We will win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: And we will win - we will win -(laughs).

AUDIENCE: We will win! We will win! We will win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: And we will win because - and we will win because when you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for. (Applause.)

And we have an opportunity in this election to finally turn the page on a decade of politics that has been driven by fear and division. We are done with that. We're done. We're exhausted with it. (Applause.)

America is ready for a fresh start, ready for a new way forward, where we see our fellow American not as an enemy but as a neighbor. And we are ready for a president who knows that the true measure of a leader is not based on who you beat down but based on who you lift up. (Applause.)

And, Pennsylvania, you know me. I'm not afraid of tough fights. For decades, as a prosecutor and the top law enforcement officer of the biggest state in this country, I won fights. I won fights against the big banks when they ripped off homeowners. I won fights against for-profit colleges that scammed veterans and students; against predators who abused women, children, and seniors; against cartels that trafficked in guns and drugs and human beings.

My entire career has been driven by a singular purpose: to fight on behalf of the people - (applause) - on behalf of the people. And it is my pledge to you that if you give me a chance to fight on your behalf, as president, there is nothing in the world that will stand in my way. (Applause.)

And instead of stewing over an enemies list, I will spend every day on your behalf working on my to-do list - (applause) - full of priorities to improve your lives.

Together, we will build an economy where we bring down the cost of living. We will ban corporate price gouging on groceries. (Applause.) We will make housing and childcare more affordable. (Applause.) We will cut taxes for workers, for middle-class families, and small businesses. We will lower health care costs, including the cost of home care for seniors - (applause) - because on the issue of health care, I absolutely believe access to health care should be a right and not just the privilege of those who can afford it. (Applause.)

And to anyone out there watching this, while we're here, who still is trying to get rid of the Affordable Care Act and take us back to the days when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions, well, Philly, you know what I'm about to say: We are -

AUDIENCE: Not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: - not going back. We are not going back.

AUDIENCE: We're not going back! We're not going back! We're not going back!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: We're not going back. We are not going back. And we are not going back because ours is a fight for the future - (applause) - and - and ours is a fight for freedom - (applause) - including the most fundamental freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do. (Applause.)

And when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law. (Applause.) Proudly. Proudly.

So, America, I am asking for your vote. And here is my pledge to you. As president, I pledge to seek common ground and commonsense solutions to the challenges you face. I am not looking to score political points. I am looking to make progress.

And I pledge to listen to those who will be impacted by the decisions I make. I pledge to listen to experts. I pledge to listen to people who disagree with me, because, you see, I don't believe that people who disagree with me are the enemy. I'll give them a seat at the table. That's what real leaders do. (Applause.) That's what strong leaders do.

And I pledge to always put country above party and self and to be a president for all Americans. (Applause.)

So, Philadelphia, we are here together for many reasons, but probably one of the most important: because we love our country. We love our country. And when you love something, you fight for it. (Applause.)

And I do believe it is one of the highest forms of patriotism, of our expression of our love for our country, to then fight for its ideals and to fight to realize the promise of America.

I have always believed in our nation's promise because I have lived it. I grew up as a child of the Civil Rights Movement. My parents would take me to the marches when I was in a stroller. And we all know and we've read about it - at those marches, there were people from every walk of life who came together to fight for freedom and for opportunity.

You know, growing up, I saw how hard my mother worked to give her daughters the same chances our country gave her. And I was blessed growing up to have family by blood and to have family by love, who instilled in me the values of community, of compassion, and faith.

I've spent my life fighting for people who have been hurt and counted out but who never stop believing that, in our country, anything is possible.

I have lived the promise of America, and today I see the promise of America in everyone who is here, in all of you. (Applause.) We are the promise of America. We are the promise of America.

I see its promise in the fathers and the mothers and the grandparents across our nation who work so hard every day for our children's future.

I see it in the women who refuse to accept a future without reproductive freedom and in the men who support them. (Applause.)

I see it in people of all ages who have knocked on doors, made calls, sent texts, and who will spend tomorrow driving their fellow Americans to the polls. (Applause.)

I see it in Republicans, who have never voted for a Democrat before, but who put the Constitution of the United States above party. (Applause.)

And I see the promise of America in all the young leaders who are voting for the very first time. Where are you? I know you're here. (Applause.) (Laughs.) I know you're here. And you who are determined to live free from gun violence, who are determined to tackle the climate crisis, who are ready to shape the world you inherit.

To you, in particular, I say, I see your power, and I am so proud of you. Can we all applaud our first-time voters? (Applause.)

So, America, we started this campaign 107 days ago. (Applause.) And from the beginning, ours has not been a fight against something. It has been a fight for something - (applause) - a fight for a future with freedom, with opportunity, and with dignity for all Americans.

Our campaign has brought together people from all corners of this nation and from all walks of life, united by our love for our country and our faith in a brighter, stronger, and more hopeful future that we will build together.

And tonight, then, we finish as we started: with optimism, with energy, with joy, knowing - (applause) - knowing that we, the people, have the power to shape our future and that we can confront any challenge we face when we do it together.

Generations of Americans before us led the fight for freedom, and now the baton is in our hands. And to everyone who continues to pour so much of yourselves into this campaign as an extension of your love for our country, I thank you for your time, your effort, and the heart you are putting into this. (Applause.)

And together, I know - I know that, together, we are also intentional about, in this process, building community and building coalitions. And because of you, each of you and collectively, our people-powered movement reflects a simple and undeniable truth: that we are all in this together. We are all in this together. (Applause.)

So, we have one day to get this done, which means now we need to get to work and get out the vote. (Applause.) So, let's reach out, once again, to our family members, friends, classmates, neighbors, coworkers, knowing and reminding them that we all have so much more in common than what separates us.

And let us please remind everyone that your vote is your voice, and your voice is your power. (Applause.)

So, tonight, I ask you one last time: Are you ready to make your voices heard? (Applause.)

Do we believe in freedom? (Applause.)

Do we believe in opportunity? (Applause.)

Do we believe in the promise of America? (Applause.)

And are we ready to fight for it? (Applause.)

And when we fight -

AUDIENCE: We win!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: - we win.

God bless you. And God Bless the United States of America. God bless you. (Applause.)

END 11:54 P.M. EST

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