The Democratic National Committee holds a virtual meeting just after President Biden announced he would no longer seek re-election in November.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you, Madam Secretary, for thank you both for your friendship
00:09and your leadership. And I want to thank everyone that is on the call today. Folks, as the Secretary
00:19mentioned at the beginning of this call, we got word of the President's decision. And
00:24I'm sure we will hear more from him this week. And I just want to say this on a personal
00:30level. I am emotional about the President's decision. Because this President, Joe Biden,
00:41has been a transformational President. He's been a great leader. He's a good man, a decent
00:47man who has done so much for this nation, but so much to see us as people, to value
00:57us, to fight for us. I think about the transformational things we have seen over the course of these
01:06past three and a half years, from the investment into our climate, fighting against the climate
01:12crisis, helping those burdened by student loans, bringing down the cost of prescription
01:17drugs. It has been transformational as it relates to what he has done and what he has
01:24accomplished. And, you know, I'm emotional, because I am still, still riding with Biden.
01:35I still support my President. And we will get through this, my friends, as we always
01:40do. So I just wanted to put that on record, that I love Joe Biden. And I'm so appreciative
01:49of his leadership over these years. You know, I'm honored to speak with all of you. The
01:55Credentials Committee plays a critical role in our party and our convention. I want to
02:01thank you for your leadership in guiding this process. Again, I want to say thank you
02:05to Jim Roosevelt and Marsha Fudge. On behalf of myself and the co-chairs, I want to thank
02:11all of the Credential members who have been elected in every state and territory, and
02:16the at-large PLEO members for being with us today. We also want to acknowledge everyone
02:21who is online watching the live stream of our meeting. One of my great honors as Chair
02:26of the DNC is working with all 57 states and territorial Democratic parties to ensure
02:32that Democrats everywhere have the resources they need to win elections. Across this nation,
02:38I see the hard work, the dedication and commitment you all have to our party and to our country.
02:45I see it every day on the ground. I saw it in the members of the Rules and Bylaws Committee,
02:49and now I see it in the Credentials Committee. You have worked tirelessly to ensure that
02:55the seating of delegates and alternates is done in accordance with our rules. And you've
02:59committed to ensuring that our delegates represent the diversity of our country. Our committee
03:05is representative of every American who wants to be heard and be a part of this process.
03:12Those are the values our party speaks of, and those are the values our party stands
03:17for. So thank you again to all of our delegates, and thanks to each and every one of you. Our
03:24delegates depict the diversity and the inclusivity of our party, and our state delegates represent
03:30the people in their communities. So thanks to you all, we will execute the most successful
03:35convention in our party's lifetime. And thanks to you, we will nominate a Democratic president,
03:41and we will defeat Donald Trump and J.D. Vance. So thank you all again for all that you do.
03:47You're on this committee because you are Democrats who believe in our democracy and country.
03:52You believe in the electoral process, and every voter having a voice in who represents
03:56them. So today, that's what we are going to do, is to fight for those values and to make
04:03sure that we seat our delegates. We're all in this together, my friends, and I'm so glad
04:08that you are here today. So with that, I will turn it back over to my dear friend, Secretary
04:13Marsha Fudge.
04:14Thank you so much, Chair Harrison. Credentials Committee members, your participation today
04:20is truly admirable and appreciated because you play no small part in electing our nominee
04:28and protecting our democracy from MAGA extremism. While Trump and extreme Republicans aim to
04:36tear down the diversity and freedoms that make our country the envy of the world, Democrats
04:42are celebrating our differences and championing our individual strengths. Our convention and
04:49the work we do on this committee reflect those important values. And critically, those
04:55values are best represented in our candidate. President Biden, to this point, has spent
05:03his years in public service fighting for vulnerable Americans, expanding freedoms, and building
05:09an economy that works for everyone. And I know that our new nominee will stand for the
05:15same things. We are a stronger America because of the work that he has done. We need to finish
05:23the job as Democrats. And I think it is very, very important, and I am truly honored to
05:29co-chair such an important process. I thank you, and I will pass it back to Jim.
05:37Thank you, Secretary. And I want to thank you all for being with us today. I want to
05:42echo the comments made by Chair Harrison and Secretary Fudge. The Convention Credentials
05:50Committee is a critical key to making our convention a success, and our job, all of
05:56us, is incredibly important. As you vote on delegates today, you are helping us take one
06:03more step toward nominating the strongest possible candidate for president and candidate
06:08for vice president of the United States. They will be champions for democracy, freedom,
06:15and the American people. And in August, those are the values our convention will uplift.
06:21While Trump and the RNC spent four days spreading fear and hatred, maybe about 15 minutes spreading
06:28unity and the rest of four days spreading fear and hatred, the DNC represents the diversity
06:34and love of our country. Our delegate selection process is designed to ensure every voice
06:41and vision is heard, and our state and territory delegations accurately represent their respective
06:49electorates. And today we see that that is more important than ever. That's why we designed
06:54it this way. As a party, our strength is in our diversity, and I'm so proud to see the
07:00incredible people here today as active participants in democracy. While extreme
07:06mega-Republicans run with Project 2025's agenda to tear down the systems and the progress that
07:14we hold so dear, you are fighting to protect our country's future. Thank you again, and now I'm
07:21going to pass it back to Marsha.
07:24Thanks, Sharon. As we get underway today, we must first establish that we have a quorum of the
07:30Credentials Committee members present for today's meeting. To register your attendance, please open
07:36the Credentials Committee meeting homepage on your browser and mark yes on the screen. Members,
07:44you will need to have two windows open in your browser or the homepage open on a second device
07:49during this meeting to participate in this Zoom meeting and to vote on committee business. If you
07:56have any trouble, please send a chat to member support. Again, please keep both browser windows
08:03open during our meeting. A quorum is constituted by a majority of the total votes present,
08:11which is 91.75 votes. Staff, if you will confirm for us that we have a quorum.
09:19I have been informed we have a quorum present. With that, I will now ask the DNC's parliamentarian,
09:37Helen McFadden, to review the committee's rules of procedure that will govern today's meeting.
09:43You received a copy of these rules via email, and they are also available on the Credentials
09:48Committee homepage. I would note that the proposed rules of procedure supplement the
09:54rules of procedure prescribed in Appendix A of the call and include language to ensure our meeting is
10:01conducted in a way that lives up to the highest standards of accessibility and inclusion.
10:07Helen, please give us an overview. Thank you, Madam Secretary. These rules were sent out
10:16yesterday with the agenda and the draft resolutions for this meeting. The rules are
10:22essentially those that have been used for many years. As the Secretary said, they are in compliance
10:28with the call and in compliance with the call as amended. They have been slightly modified
10:34for the context of a virtual meeting. So, I would call your attention to several things.
10:42All of the votes taken during this meeting will be on the electronic platform. As the
10:50Chair has already asked you to open that up in order to show that you are present for purposes
10:56of a quorum, you should still have that open. It will be your means to vote. Please keep it open.
11:03These rules, if you adopt them, limit debate to 20 minutes on a main motion and 10 minutes in
11:12addition if there is any amendment to the main motion or subsidiary motion. Minority reports,
11:21if applicable, are fully described in Rule 13. And finally, there is a rule in this
11:29set of rules indicating that recognition will be given to persons identified from the Biden
11:38campaign who will be the recognized speakers. Everything else is at the discretion of the Chair.
11:48With that, Madam Secretary, I believe that is a quick summary of the rules.
11:55Thank you very much, Helen. The Chair will now recognize Everett Brown for the purpose of making
12:03a motion to approve the Committee's Rules of Procedure. Good morning. I move to approve the
12:10Rules of Procedure. Thank you. The Chair now recognizes Susan Valdez who wants to second the
12:18motion. So moved. Thank you. We have a motion and a second. Is there any discussion?
12:32I'll ask the Chair to advise if a member has raised their hand.
12:37Seeing no further discussion, we will now vote on the motion to adopt the Rules of Procedure.
13:03Please cast your vote on the Credentials Committee meeting homepage.
13:08Again, if you're having trouble voting, please send a chat to Member Support.
13:33What is the outcome of the motion? The motion passes.
14:03Jim, I'll now turn it back to you.
14:13The Rules and Bylaws Committee's report to the Credentials Committee.
14:17This report provides an overview of the RBC's work regarding the 2024 Delegate Selection process.
14:25You may notice that I am one of the Co-Chairs alongside my fantastic colleague and the
14:30wonderful DNC Convention Chair, Mignon Moore. Mignon and I began working on the nominating
14:37process for this cycle right after the last election, and I'm so grateful to her for her
14:42friendship and her contributions to our party and our country. Under the Delegate Selection Rules
14:48for the 2024 Convention, and the call for the 2024 Convention as adopted by the Democratic
14:56National Committee in September of 2022, the DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee, which you'll
15:03hear me refer to as the RBC, was given the authority to administer the 2024 Delegate
15:09Selection process. For the last two years, the RBC has worked closely with all of the state
15:16and territorial Democratic parties, the presidential campaigns, and others to oversee
15:22the implementation of the process for selecting all official convention participants.
15:29Part of the RBC's oversight responsibility is jurisdiction over challenges to the
15:35seating of delegates and alternates, which, pursuant to the rules transferred to the
15:39Credentials Committee on June 24, 2024, the 56th day before the convention.
15:46So that authority is now in this committee. There was a challenge to the implementation
15:52of the Mississippi Delegate Selection Plan filed on June 24, 2024. After reviewing the challenge,
16:00it was determined that the challenge was not properly filed in accordance with either the
16:04Rules of Procedure of the Rules and Bylaws Committee or the Credentials Committee, and
16:12therefore that no further action could be taken on it. Throughout the 2024 Delegate Selection
16:18process, the RBC has worked to ensure an open, fair, and honest nominating process for all who
16:25wish to participate as Democrats. In this spirit, the committee has endeavored to provide each state
16:31party with flexibility while following the rules set forth in the 2024 Delegate Selection Plan.
16:39And Delegate Selection Rules, 2024 Delegate Selection Rules,
16:44and the administration of the Delegate Selection Procedures.
16:48The committee's overall objective is to have a small-D democratic process
16:54that expands participation for voters across the country, as our capital-D Democratic Party
17:02works diligently to do at all times. To that end, we are proud to say that the 2024 Democratic
17:08National Convention will be the most inclusive in history and reflect a Democratic Party that
17:14truly represents the diversity and strengths of our party and our country. Marsha?
17:22Thank you. Thank you, Jim, for that overview of the Rules and Bylaws Committee's work,
17:27and this committee's role in the process. I am pleased to report that we have no challenges to
17:32hear or resolve pertaining to the seating of Delegates and Alternates to the 2024 Democratic
17:39National Convention. Therefore, for today's meeting, we have two proposed resolutions.
17:45One provides for the seating of the Delegates and the Alternates from each state and territory.
17:51The other resolution delegates administration to the Delegate Selection Procedures,
17:55and the third resolution delegates Administrative Enforcement Authority to the Co-Chairs to finalize
18:01this committee's work. These are both available on your secure voting homepage. Our rules provide
18:08for a Committee Co-Chair to recognize a member to introduce each proposed resolution. After the
18:15resolution is introduced, we will recognize any additional speakers that have been pre-designated
18:21by the campaigns as provided in our committee's Rules of Procedure. After discussion, we will move
18:28to a vote. During this time, the speakers in time for debate on the resolution has been pre-designated
18:34by the campaign. Jim and I will call on the speakers who have been pre-designated by the
18:39campaign on each of the resolutions. This process, as provided in our rules, will ensure our virtual
18:46meeting will run smoothly. Resolution 1. The Chair recognizes Stacey Abrams for the purpose of
18:53making a motion to adopt the resolution on the seating of Delegates and Alternates to the 2024
19:00Democratic National Convention from unchallenged states and territories. Ms. Abrams.
19:05Ms. Abrams. You're muted.
19:14Thank you, Chairman Fudge. I therefore move to adopt this resolution.
19:20Thank you. The Chair recognizes Noddy Green to second the motion.
19:28So moved. Thank you. We have a motion and a second.
19:32Is there any discussion? I will ask the staff to advise the Chair if a member has raised their hand.
19:43Chair, seeing none. Thank you. Seeing no discussion, we will now vote on the motion to adopt the
19:50resolution on the seating of Delegates and Alternates to the 2024 Democratic National
19:55Convention from unchallenged states and territories. Please cast your vote on the
20:01Credentials Committee meeting homepage. Again, if you're having trouble voting, please send a chat
20:08to Member Support.
20:43The motion carries. The Chair recognizes Representative Anna Ramos for the purpose
20:51of making a motion to adopt the resolution delegating enforcement authority to the
20:56Chairs of the Credentials Committee. Representative Ramos. Thank you. I move to adopt this resolution.
21:04Thank you. The Chair recognizes Angela Zong to second the motion.
21:10So moved. Thank you. We have a motion and a second. Is there any discussion?
21:21Chair, seeing none. Thank you. Seeing no further discussion, we will now vote on the motion to
21:30adopt the resolution delegating enforcement authority to the Chairs of the Credentials
21:35Committee. Please cast your vote on the Credentials Committee meeting homepage.
22:37Credentials Committee members, we have taken action on all of the business before us today.
22:43The Chair recognizes Senator Maddie Hunter for the purpose of making a motion to approve the
22:49report of this committee and authorize staff to make corrections as needed. Senator Hunter.
22:56I move to adopt the report. Thank you. The Chair recognizes
23:01Deara Ballinger who wants to second the motion.
23:08So moved. Thank you. We have a motion and a second. Is there any discussion?
23:15Thank you. Seeing no further discussion, we will now vote on the motion to approve the report of
23:21this committee and authorize staff to make corrections as needed. Please cast your vote
23:27on the Credentials Committee meeting homepage. Thank you.
23:36Please cast your vote on the Credentials Committee meeting homepage.
24:06Thank you all. Jim, are you with us?
24:16If not, Jim and I are proud of the work. Go ahead, Jim.
24:22So thank you, Secretary Fudge, for getting the essential work of this committee done.
24:30And I want to acknowledge that the vote on the Credentials Committee report has passed.
24:38I want to thank everyone again for their participation in this meeting. I also want
24:43to thank once again our Credentials Committee staff and the Secretary's Office for making this
24:49all function in the interest of our democracy. We appreciate everyone's input on this committee
24:57We appreciate everyone's input on these important issues for the committee to consider. I have no
25:03doubt that our party is going to work tirelessly to elect a president who represents everybody in
25:10this country and a vice president to support that president. We also are going to work tirelessly
25:18to elect Democrats all across this country. And I'm looking forward to seeing all of you in Chicago.
25:28Thank you so much. Jim and I are proud of the work we've accomplished. I want to thank you all,
25:34all of the members and staff who have been working so diligently on this meeting and to make sure
25:40that this was a smooth and seamless process. The strength of our party is in its diversity,
25:47and there is more that unites us than divides us. We all understand how vital this year's
25:53election is to our nation and our future, and I believe that we will win because we are the party
25:59that is on the right side of history. We are the party that believes in humanity and civility,
26:05in the rule of law, in the Constitution. I am proud to be a Democrat, and I am proud to have
26:12worked with this president, and I'm going to be even more proud to work with our next one.
26:18Members, we have concluded the business scheduled for our meeting today. Thank you again for joining
26:25us today. Have a wonderful evening, and we will see you at the convention and on the campaign trail.
26:31This meeting is now adjourned.