The Congressional Black Caucus PAC held a press briefing about Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Okay, we're going to get started, everyone. Thank you.
00:05Good afternoon.
00:09We're here today
00:13to first say thank you
00:16to President Joe Biden.
00:23He's done what he has done for his entire career
00:27care for America,
00:31standing up to do the right thing
00:34and putting people over politics in the country over all else.
00:39He loves democracy.
00:41He loves this country
00:43and history will record him
00:45as one of the greatest presidents
00:48who have gotten us through some of the toughest times ever.
00:53We thank Joe Biden
00:55for being who he is, the leader that he is
00:58and for the man that he is
01:00and all the work that he's done.
01:03He's a statesman
01:05and he's undoubtedly an individual
01:08that children yet unborn
01:11will look at the work
01:13and the accomplishments that he has made.
01:20And in that wisdom,
01:23he decided to make sure that he had someone beside him
01:28to make and win and have the accomplishments
01:32over the last three, four years.
01:37He made a commitment of having a person
01:41who created her own path
01:46as the AG,
01:48as a district attorney,
01:50as a US senator
01:52and as the Vice President of the United States
01:55and Kamala Harris.
01:58And she is the appropriate person to now lead us.
02:03Her record of delivering for all Americans
02:06is exactly why she has the full
02:11and unanimous support
02:14of the Congressional Black Caucus.
02:17She helped restore the world's faith in America
02:20across the globe.
02:22And I can talk about that specifically watching her
02:25as the former chair, now ranking member,
02:29and when American people finish speaking in November,
02:32the chair again of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
02:37I've watched her as she's visited over 20 countries.
02:44I've watched her as she's met with over 150 world leaders.
02:49In fact, if you check it out,
02:52she is the most experienced individual
02:57for our safety and security around the world.
03:01She has more experience than any of the past four presidents
03:05before President Biden.
03:08She's the right person at the right time
03:11to get the job done.
03:14She's an individual who we know,
03:18who we've worked with, who was one of us,
03:21a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
03:24And I got to say, and I'm proud because
03:27she's also a Howard University graduate.
03:31I had to get that in.
03:36The real H-U.
03:39Now let me just say,
03:42the CBCPAC,
03:45the members of this great caucus,
03:50we now are on a mission.
03:53And the mission is to make sure that Kamala Harris
03:57is the next president of the United States.
04:01In just a short period of time,
04:04less than, a little more than 24 hours,
04:07over $100 million have come into the campaign.
04:12And the CBCPAC, small dollar money,
04:16we're now in just two days,
04:19over a million and a half dollars
04:23of small money that just came in online
04:26because they're supporting in the excitement
04:29of Kamala Harris to be the next president
04:32of the United States.
04:35It's also in support, of course,
04:38of the historical opportunities
04:41because what will take place at the same time
04:44and right before she's sworn in on January 20th,
04:47we'll be swearing in Hakeem Jeffries
04:49as the first speaker of the United States
04:52House of Representatives.
04:54We'll also be looking forward to seeing
04:56Lisa Blunt Rochester elected
04:59to the United States Senate.
05:04And Angela also Brooks from Maryland
05:07to the United States Senate.
05:11And we will continue to expand
05:13the Congressional Black Caucus.
05:15We are 60 members strong.
05:17There's no limit on how much more
05:19we can grow and develop because it is
05:21a true reflection of America.
05:25And Colin Allred in Texas,
05:29another senator.
05:31But we are truly a reflection
05:35of the diversity of this great country.
05:37That's who we are.
05:38And that's what the Congressional
05:39Black Caucus represents.
05:41So we'll be going on tours.
05:44We'll be having members in each
05:46and every battleground state.
05:48We'll be making sure that we have members
05:50in our front runners, in our red to blue states.
05:53We're going to be actively on the ground.
05:56We're going to visit over 1,000
05:58voter engagements for Democrats
06:00across the country.
06:02And we're going to have a complete tour
06:04of which we're going to be delivering
06:05and giving out to individuals
06:07very, very shortly.
06:08We're working on that now.
06:10So let me conclude this simply by saying this.
06:14The camera of history is rolling.
06:18And every now and then,
06:21when you're living in a historic moment,
06:23sometimes you don't really understand it.
06:26Some of the people out there
06:28may not have gotten it.
06:31But this is history that is taking place right now.
06:35And it's going to be recording what we all do.
06:38And that history is going to reflect
06:40that the Congressional Black Caucus,
06:42who, as we said to a person,
06:45we were with Joe Biden,
06:47let him make his decision.
06:49And if it was not Joe Biden,
06:51it had to be the Vice President,
06:54Kamala Harris.
06:57That's who we are.
06:59It has been the Congressional Black Caucus
07:02that has had to step up
07:05and our constituencies
07:08at times to save America.
07:11Save it from the harms of an individual
07:15who we know is not worthy
07:18of being President of the United States.
07:20Simply look at who he is.
07:23Simply look at what he has done.
07:27This country never was more divided
07:29than under his four-year leadership year.
07:31We're going to repair it.
07:33We're going to fix it.
07:34We don't need to go back.
07:35Make America great again?
07:37I don't know what America they're talking about.
07:40We're going to go forward.
07:41We're going to make America
07:43live up to its true meaning of its creed.
07:45And with that, let me present
07:48the Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus,
07:51who has led in the forefront for the last two years.
07:54He understands it more than anyone else
07:56because when you look at his district,
07:58it is as diverse as America.
08:00He knows how to communicate to everyone.
08:02He is a leader's leader.
08:04Our friend, our Chairman, Stephen Horsford.
08:13Good afternoon, everyone.
08:14I am honored to be here.
08:16I'm Congressman Stephen Horsford,
08:17representing Nevada's 4th Congressional District,
08:20and I'm honored to stand here with my colleagues
08:23from the Congressional Black Caucus,
08:25the largest in our history with 60 members,
08:28representing 120 million Americans,
08:31one-third of the U.S. population.
08:34We represent every region of the country.
08:36We have the youngest member of Congress
08:39and the dean of the House as members.
08:43We have every ideological perspective.
08:46And today, we are here unified behind one purpose,
08:51and that is to win for the American people.
08:56Now, I come from a battleground state of Nevada.
09:01I represent a frontline district.
09:04I know how hard it is to win in difficult cycles,
09:08and I, too, want to stand with my colleagues
09:11in commending President Joe Biden,
09:14who I was with in my district last week,
09:17talking about the issues of housing and affordability
09:20and addressing the cost of rent
09:22and all the other issues
09:24that the Congressional Black Caucus stands for.
09:27I want to thank him for being such a consequential president
09:31at a time when our country needed
09:33the soul of our nation to be restored.
09:37He did what he came to office to do.
09:40The Congressional Black Caucus stood with him,
09:43and one of the first decisions that he made
09:46was to select Vice President Kamala Harris
09:50as his governing partner.
09:53It's with the vice president
09:55that we were able to achieve historic legislation,
09:58from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Law
10:02to the Inflation Reduction Act
10:04to the American Rescue Plan
10:06to the Chips and Science Law
10:08to the Bipartisan Safer Communities Law.
10:11These are bills that were done
10:13because of Democrats in Congress
10:15that was led by the CBC
10:17with Vice President Kamala Harris
10:20as the governing partner to the president.
10:23And because of those legislative achievements,
10:26we have seen historic low unemployment in black America.
10:32We've seen 3 million black entrepreneurs
10:36start businesses in the last 3 1⁄2 years.
10:40We lifted 50% of black children out of poverty
10:44to the middle class,
10:46and we are just beginning to move our country forward.
10:52And so while the decision for the president
10:57to turn the baton over to the vice president
11:01had to be a difficult decision,
11:03we respect and honor that decision,
11:07and we are ready for the next generation of leadership
11:11with our vice president, Kamala Harris.
11:14And we have one objective now, and that is to win.
11:19We have 105 days, I believe it is.
11:22And not just to win the White House,
11:26but to win the majority in the House of Representatives,
11:31to make Hakeem Jeffries the next speaker,
11:35the first black speaker in U.S. history,
11:38to return the gavels to Maxine Waters
11:41over financial services,
11:43to Chairman Gregory Meeks over foreign affairs,
11:47to Bobby Scott with education and labor,
11:50to Benny Thompson and Department of Homeland Security
11:53and all the subcommittee chairs who will also be elevated,
11:57not only for the gavels, but for the American people,
12:01for the issues, to center the people in the policy
12:05that we are seeking to advance.
12:08And I want to commend Vice President Kamala Harris
12:11because we've been working in partnership with her
12:14on the Reproductive Justice Tours
12:17to protect a woman's right
12:19to make her own health care decisions about her body
12:22that disproportionately affect black women.
12:26The fact that she has joined with the Congressional Black Caucus
12:30on the Economic Opportunity Tours
12:32to help lift up black America
12:35through our work, wages, and wealth agenda
12:37that the Congressional Black Caucus is leading.
12:40It's because of this work that we will win.
12:43But my message to the American people is,
12:45democracy is a team sport.
12:49And it's going to take all of us to defeat Donald Trump.
12:54Now, the Vice President is the most prepared,
12:57the most qualified person to win this nomination.
13:00She has now secured the nomination
13:03as our presumptive nominee.
13:05She is the most qualified and prepared person
13:08to defeat Donald Trump,
13:10and she is the most prepared and qualified person
13:13to lead us forward, not backward.
13:16She is the future of our party,
13:18and she is the next generation of leaders.
13:21So we are proud, as the Congressional Black Caucus,
13:24to stand with her and to work with her
13:27between now and November
13:29to win for the American people,
13:31to win for black America.
13:33That is what we are here to do,
13:35and I'm so proud to stand with my colleagues
13:37to make sure that that happens.
13:45This is about our future,
13:47and Trump, Donald Trump,
13:49and Trump's Project 2025
13:52is about tearing down our communities,
13:55not building them up.
13:57It's about dividing us,
13:59not bringing us together through coalition.
14:02That is not the future of America,
14:04and we're not going back.
14:06We're going forward.
14:08With that, I'd like to turn it over
14:10to our immediate past chairwoman,
14:12the gentlelady from Ohio,
14:14the person who has gotten us
14:16the infrastructure bill,
14:18who made sure we had investments
14:20in the Chips and Science Act,
14:22who has worked hard to advance
14:24the Voting Rights Advancement Act
14:26of John R. Lewis,
14:28and so many of our colleagues,
14:30Congresswoman Joyce Beatty.
14:32It is indeed an honor
14:34to join my colleagues
14:36here today, especially
14:38Congressman Greg Meeks,
14:40and our leader, our chair
14:42of the Congressional Black Caucus.
14:44It's very simple for me today.
14:46We come to represent
14:48all the individuals
14:50who have stood with us.
14:52They've stood with us because
14:54they understand the work
14:56that President Joe Biden did.
14:58I could tell you about
15:00our children, which you've heard,
15:0250% of them lifted out of poverty.
15:04We could talk about our
15:06seniors in health care,
15:08but I know,
15:10as someone who's diabetic,
15:12what it means to put a cap
15:14on insulin at $35
15:16for our seniors.
15:18I know what it's like
15:20to be able to have
15:22some 4 million
15:24students to get that
15:26forgiveness plan.
15:28I know what it's like when you talk about
15:30growing up and living in a community
15:32with crime, and to have
15:34a president
15:36who passed the most progressive
15:38gun safety
15:40legislation, keeping
15:42our communities.
15:44We come here, yes,
15:46unapologetically black,
15:48representing, as you have heard,
15:50120-some
15:52million Americans,
15:5420 black Americans.
15:56So we say, Mr. President,
15:58thank you. Thank you
16:00for being on our side. Thank you
16:02for appointing, as you promised
16:04before elected,
16:06a black woman,
16:08Katonji Brown Jackson,
16:10to the Supreme Court.
16:12It changed America.
16:14I know.
16:16I got to testify on her
16:18behalf. But lastly,
16:20let me say, not only
16:22thank you to you, but
16:24thank you for keeping your word
16:26and making a
16:28female your vice president.
16:30I am
16:32so honored I'm almost emotional
16:34to be able to say
16:36we thank you for
16:38giving us Vice President
16:40Kamala Harris.
16:42We say thank you, Vice
16:44President, and we stand
16:46with you, the largest
16:48caucus in the Congress.
16:50We stand for you
16:52because we know
16:54that you will continue to represent
16:56us, whether it is domestic
16:58or whether it is in foreign lands.
17:00And let us set the record
17:02straight. She
17:04has visited some
17:0620 countries and met with more
17:08than 150
17:10national leaders. She
17:12is ready. She is set and prepared
17:14to go. We know that
17:16she leads the fight for women
17:18with women's reproductive
17:20rights. Just watch
17:22her. When a child
17:24looks up to her
17:26face and she bends
17:28down to touch them,
17:30that's our future.
17:32She is bending down
17:34and lifting up.
17:36So today I say thank you,
17:38America, and we stand
17:40with Vice President Kamala
17:42Harris, who will be our
17:44next president
17:46of these United States
17:48of America, with
17:50Hakeem Jeffries as
17:52the speaker in the House
17:54of Representatives. It's a good
17:56day. Thank you, America.
17:58It is
18:00indeed my honor
18:02to bring a gentleman
18:04up here, my colleague,
18:06the congressman from
18:08Colorado. He is the future.
18:10He is our assistant
18:12Democratic leader that will
18:14become our assistant
18:16to the speaker in the
18:18United States House of Representatives.
18:20Congressman Joe
18:22LaRue.
18:28Well, it is
18:30difficult, if not
18:32impossible, to follow
18:34our Chairwoman Emeritus, who
18:36spoke with such clarity of conviction
18:38about the next president
18:40of the United States, Kamala Harris.
18:42It's impossible to follow
18:44Chairman Horsford and Chairman Meeks,
18:46but I will try. I am filled
18:48today with a sense of
18:50gratitude and pride.
18:52Maya Angelou once said
18:54that people may forget
18:56what you did. They may forget what you said.
18:58They'll never forget
19:00how you made them feel.
19:02President Biden did a lot
19:04during his consequential term
19:06in office, the most significant
19:08policy achievements since the Great Society
19:10of the 1960s. He said
19:12a lot. Powerful articulations
19:14of the work we must do
19:16to protect our democracy. But what
19:18I think about today is how he made
19:20us feel. Every
19:22single American that we mattered,
19:24that we mattered to him,
19:26that we mattered to each other.
19:28I'm filled with a sense of pride
19:30and gratitude for the President's
19:32decision-making, for his leadership
19:34and the wisdom that he
19:36displayed in selecting
19:38an incredibly exceptional
19:40woman to be his Vice
19:42President and now, ultimately, to
19:44be our next President of the
19:46United States. It is fitting
19:48at a time of great euphoria
19:50here for the Black Caucus that we also
19:52find ourselves in mourning.
19:54Yesterday, we honored our
19:56dearly departed colleague, our beloved
19:58friend, Judge Sheila Jackson Lee
20:00from the great state of Texas. And as we
20:02gathered on the floor, Representative Mufume
20:04was reminding us that we
20:06stand on the shoulders of the giants who
20:08came before and that Sheila
20:10Jackson Lee had taken that baton
20:12from Barbara Jordan and
20:14carried it forward. And I
20:16imagine she's looking down
20:18today with great
20:20pride, great pride
20:22in the President and in the
20:24next President of the United States.
20:26I will say just one word about
20:28Kamala Harris. You've heard
20:30this from Chairwoman Emeritus Beatty,
20:32from Chair Horsford, from Chairman Meeks.
20:34It bears repeating.
20:36She is the most
20:38experienced candidate
20:40for President of the United States
20:42in a quarter century.
20:44She served as Attorney General, she served
20:46as a County Prosecutor, she served as
20:48a United States Senator, and she has served
20:50for the better part of the last four years as
20:52Vice President of the United States.
20:54Her achievements
20:56will stand the test of time.
20:58And I cannot wait, I cannot
21:00wait to Chairwoman Emeritus Beatty's
21:02to hold my daughter's hand,
21:04who's five years old,
21:06on January 20th and
21:08see this incredibly talented
21:10black woman become President of the
21:12United States of America.
21:14It is a moment that we will work towards
21:16and secure over the course of
21:18these next 105 days because we know everything
21:20is on the line.
21:22If we do our job,
21:24we will make that dream come true.
21:26And a key
21:28component of that dream,
21:30because when Vice President
21:32Harris becomes President Harris,
21:34she's going to need governing partners.
21:36We know she's going to have a Democratic majority
21:38led by Speaker Hakeem Jeffries
21:40and the U.S. House of Representatives, but the Senate
21:42matters too. And she will
21:44have a new governing partner
21:46in the United States Senate.
21:48Someone whom she knows well.
21:50Someone she trusts.
21:52Someone who is a trailblazer in her
21:54own right. The first black
21:56woman to be the next U.S. Senator
21:58from the great state of Delaware,
22:00Lisa Blunt Rochester.
22:08Wow.
22:10Thank you, Joe, for that
22:12introduction.
22:14I am Congresswoman Lisa Blunt
22:16Rochester.
22:18I'm a little emotional.
22:20It's alright.
22:22The CBC
22:24is family.
22:26Looking at everyone's
22:28faces, I wasn't
22:30scheduled to speak,
22:32and I kept standing
22:34there asking, God,
22:36what do you want me to say
22:38in this moment?
22:42First, I want to say
22:44that I am
22:46Joe Biden's Congresswoman.
22:50And I am so proud
22:52of the man that he
22:54is, the human being
22:56that he is.
22:58The partnership and the accomplishments
23:00that we
23:02have made together.
23:04Historic.
23:06Our Vice President said yesterday
23:08in a speech to all of us in Delaware
23:10that Joe Biden
23:12has done more in three years
23:14than some presidents do in two terms.
23:16And so first,
23:18I stand here also
23:20with the word gratitude.
23:22Gratitude
23:24for this great man, this
23:26great American.
23:28And then my second
23:30word is
23:32determination.
23:34Determination.
23:36Because
23:38we may have a honeymoon period
23:40right now. We may be celebrating
23:42right now. We may even see the vision
23:44of our children holding
23:46hands and looking up.
23:48But we have to make it a reality.
23:50And so
23:52I think the word determination,
23:54we are determined
23:56to make sure that Kamala Harris is the next
23:58president of the United States.
24:00I served on the
24:02VP selection committee. Four of us.
24:04So I know
24:06all of the people who were in the running
24:08for this position.
24:10And Joe Biden said to us, his instructions
24:12were, I want somebody who's ready
24:14on day one. She was ready on day one
24:16three years ago.
24:18And so we are
24:20determined to elect
24:22this qualified,
24:24compassionate,
24:26brilliant
24:28person
24:30who represents the United States
24:32in all its beauty and splendor and glory.
24:34We are also determined
24:36and united
24:38to defeat
24:40Donald Trump.
24:42And I want to say this
24:44one more
24:46time. We are determined
24:48Catch me
24:50cameras. We are determined
24:52to beat
24:54Donald Trump because this
24:56is about two different visions
24:58and versions of this country.
25:00We choose
25:02hope over fear.
25:04Love over
25:06hate.
25:08Justice for all of us.
25:10And so in addition to
25:12that, we also
25:14want to make sure that Project
25:162025, a
25:18900-page book
25:20becomes a history book.
25:22It's going to be history.
25:24And so
25:28as Joe Biden's Congresswoman,
25:30as somebody now running for the Senate,
25:32I just left Angela
25:34also Brooks. We know that in the history
25:36of this country, there have only been three
25:38black women in the United States Senate.
25:40Right, Barbara?
25:42Three.
25:441789.
25:46We have had Carol Moseley Braun.
25:48We have had Kamala
25:50Harris. We have LaFonza
25:52Butler. And number
25:54four and five are coming.
25:56Four and five
25:58are coming.
26:00We're coming.
26:02We're coming.
26:04So my last word to all of us is that
26:06we have spent a couple of weeks worrying.
26:08Right?
26:10And so now it's time for
26:12moving from worry
26:14to work to win.
26:16Worry, work,
26:18win. That's what we're about
26:20to do.
26:22That's great.
26:24I will
26:26be as brief as possible.
26:28But
26:30many of you know that I am
26:32yes, that's my name.
26:34Jasmine Crockett, I proudly
26:36represent Texas 30th Congressional District.
26:38Many of you know
26:40that I am an attorney.
26:42But I've never been a prosecutor.
26:44But between now
26:46and November 5th,
26:48let me reintroduce myself.
26:50I will be
26:52assistant prosecutor
26:54to Vice President Kamala
26:56Harris. And
26:58when I sit and I listen
27:00as Congressman Meeks
27:02opened up, he talked about history.
27:04And I want to start to
27:06prosecute the case
27:08because we know that any
27:10time Donald Trump has to come in front of a
27:12prosecution and
27:14there's a jury that has a decision
27:16to make, we know
27:18which way those juries tend to go.
27:20So American people, you are
27:22my jury. And we will
27:24be prosecuting this case
27:26between now and November
27:285th. So let me go ahead and break
27:30this down a little bit for you and take you through
27:32history. I know some don't want you to
27:34know history. They want you to
27:36forget it. But I'm going to give you all a little bit
27:38of recent history.
27:40When we start to talk about why
27:42this House will end up coming back
27:44and belonging to the Democrats,
27:46let's take you through what it's been like
27:48for me, from my eyes, as a
27:50freshman Congresswoman.
27:52You see, on day one, I didn't get to
27:54swear in because they
27:56couldn't figure out who their leader needed to be.
27:58Now, some people may have forgot that, but
28:00that's kind of historic. It had never happened.
28:02In fact, I remember having
28:04conversations with Congressman
28:06Clyburn, and I said, the last time,
28:08he's like, yo, this ain't never happened.
28:10I don't know what to tell you.
28:12That was the beginning of the
28:14dysfunction known as the 118th.
28:16After they
28:18couldn't get a speaker, they
28:20then said, you know what, we are going
28:22to hold this debt ceiling
28:24hostage. We are going
28:26to make sure that our American credit
28:28is downgraded. And it's
28:30not that we ran up the credit card.
28:32They forget that they, homeboy,
28:34charged it up with $8 trillion
28:36in one term.
28:38Something that has never been done
28:40before.
28:42And then they decided, you know what,
28:44because y'all decided
28:46to finally move forward
28:48and try to save
28:50the United States
28:52and our credit from crashing, we're going to go
28:54ahead and fire the guy that it took us forever
28:56to decide that we wanted to hire.
28:58And then we had to go through rounds
29:00and rounds and rounds of them not
29:02knowing who they wanted their next leader to be.
29:04But finally we got to the point
29:06that we started governing, or we thought
29:08we were going to get to governing,
29:10but we were about six months late
29:12when it came time to pushing
29:14forward with a budget. So as we
29:16go out and we talk to American people, and they
29:18tell us, you know, we're concerned about
29:20inflation, we're concerned about the cost of
29:22housing, we're concerned about the cost of food.
29:24They're telling us their concerns,
29:26but I don't know that
29:28anybody has made it clear
29:30to the media
29:32that my Republican colleagues are doing
29:34things like pushing an agenda around
29:36gas stoves. Now, I've
29:38knocked a few doors in my day
29:40and nobody asked me about a gas stove.
29:42I tell you
29:44all this to say
29:46is that I need the American people to remember
29:48what it was that they
29:50did when they had the power
29:52in their hands. And all
29:54they did was cause chaos
29:56and confusion. They have been known
29:58as a circus.
30:00That is what the American people need to remember.
30:02Because that is only a microcosm
30:04of exactly what we will get.
30:06This is about the
30:08blue team, and the blue team
30:10is working for the United States of
30:12America. That is why it's
30:14not only important that our
30:16quarterback be Kamala Harris,
30:18but that we have a Democratic House,
30:20that we have a Democratic Senate, because
30:22when we talk about the work that
30:24this president has been able to do
30:26for the American people, he
30:28wasn't able to do it by himself.
30:30It is important that we recognize
30:32and we dig deep and say we
30:34deserve better. It's not
30:36about an individual. It's about
30:38you having an opportunity to choose
30:40the blue team or the orange team.
30:42Do y'all know what the orange
30:44team means?
30:46Nevertheless, it is
30:48important that we understand, as
30:50has already been laid out,
30:52it's time to get to work.
30:54We can get there, but
30:56if we go ahead and cede
30:58our power, we will not make it.
31:00But the power belongs
31:02to the people, and I'm telling you right now
31:04that so long as we do our part,
31:06we will win and we
31:08will save democracy.
31:10We have seen it from the moment that she got
31:12into this race. You have seen
31:14nothing but history being made,
31:16finally, for the right reasons, instead of
31:18for the wrong reasons. You see historic
31:20amounts of money being raised.
31:22You see historic amounts of
31:24women coming together online and black
31:26men coming together online and
31:28raising money. That is because
31:30we understand the assignment.
31:32And right now, we need the American people
31:34to understand the assignment.
31:36This is about saving all of
31:38us collectively, not about
31:40serving an orange Jesus.
31:42Yes.
31:44I believe that.
31:46I believe.
31:48Let me
31:50take a moment to thank
31:52Mr. Chairman and Mr. Chairman
31:54and our entire Congressional Black
31:56Caucus, the PAC,
31:58for pulling us together today
32:00to speak for just a
32:02few minutes with regard to our
32:04Vice President, who will be
32:06the next President of the United
32:08States of America.
32:10And in listening to our members,
32:12let me just first associate
32:14myself with everything that was said,
32:16but also just add a couple of things,
32:18and I'm reminded of the scriptures,
32:20the book of Queen Esther.
32:22She has come for such a time
32:24as this.
32:26Vice President Harris is prepared.
32:28She's ready.
32:30She's experienced. She's faced
32:32many, many challenges, and she's
32:34pushed through those with
32:36people, because people connect with her
32:38and understand who she is, and that
32:40she is for them, not
32:42for corporations and
32:44profits and putting people first.
32:46She does constantly, and I met
32:48Vice President Harris
32:50decades ago. She was born
32:52in Oakland, California,
32:54raised in Berkeley in the East Bay
32:56of Alameda County.
32:58And let me tell you just a couple of things about
33:00her. She ran
33:02for the Attorney
33:04General, as you know, of California.
33:06No one thought she could win.
33:08No one.
33:10Someone said, do you think
33:12you're going to elect a black woman
33:14as the top cop
33:16in California? I said, yes,
33:18we do. She
33:20won. But she won
33:22because people circled the wagons
33:24and voted for her because they knew
33:26her experience and her brilliance, and she
33:28was the best candidate. When she ran
33:30for the United States Senate,
33:32there were those who didn't believe she
33:34could win. And she said,
33:36watch me. And as Dr.
33:38Maya Angelou said, in spite
33:40of all the challenges, and still we rise.
33:42And she won. I was there
33:44with her when she announced her
33:46candidacy for the United States presidency
33:48in Oakland, California.
33:50She lifted up the legacy
33:52of my mentor, and I know many
33:54members' mentors, his. The
33:56Honorable Shirley Chisholm, who was the first
33:58black woman who ran for the presidency.
34:00And Vice President Harris
34:02then, in her kickoff for
34:04her presidential campaign, lifted up
34:06this legacy and talked about
34:08this was another step
34:10in that march to
34:12justice and freedom and equity.
34:14And finally, I'll
34:16just say that
34:18we have to, and I'm glad that
34:20CBC is so happy
34:22to be here because
34:24lifting up President Biden with
34:26a sense of gratitude and
34:28thankfulness is extremely important
34:30during this period. Because
34:32he put country
34:34over self.
34:36His history
34:38has been one, and
34:40my sister here knows,
34:42it's been transformational
34:44in terms of equity and in terms of
34:46justice and in terms of ensuring
34:48that African Americans and
34:50people of color and people who did not have a
34:52seat at the table have one.
34:54Vice President Kamala Harris
34:56was someone he appointed
34:58and selected as his Vice
35:00President because of those reasons.
35:02Because of those reasons.
35:04And so coming from Oakland, California
35:06and Berkeley and the East Bay and
35:08Alameda County where we know her well,
35:10we know that she brings people
35:12together. We have a very diverse
35:14constituency in California.
35:16She cares about everyone. She's a
35:18leader. I was with her,
35:20many of us were there in Florida
35:22talking about reproductive freedom.
35:24In Florida,
35:26thousands of people welcomed her.
35:28And so she will bring
35:30this country together.
35:32She is unifying our Democratic
35:34Party, not will, she is unifying
35:36it. And we're going to march on
35:38to victory and we're going to connect with voters
35:40because it's going to be the people and the voters
35:42of the United States of America
35:44who are going to make sure that the
35:46scriptures are going to be fulfilled.
35:48She has come truly for such a time as this.
35:50Thank you again.
35:52We're going to take questions.
35:54Let me just close
35:56before we take questions because Barbara
35:58mentioned Shirley
36:00Chisholm who has to be
36:02looking down now
36:04smiling at what she started
36:06with Sheila
36:08standing side by side.
36:12I'm proud to be a Democrat
36:14today.
36:16What we've seen in just a short
36:18period of time is batons
36:20being passed. We saw
36:22one of the greatest speakers
36:24in the history of our country
36:26take her baton
36:28and put it in the hands of
36:30Hakeem Jeffries who will be the next speaker.
36:32And now we've seen
36:34Joe Biden
36:36take his baton
36:38and put it in the hands
36:40of Kamala Harris.
36:42This is the time,
36:44the time is now, the time
36:46is right now
36:48where we will make sure
36:50that America
36:52becomes a more perfect union.
36:54When you talk about
36:56MAGA, you're talking
36:58about America, when what?
37:00I'm old enough
37:02to remember
37:04when I traveled with my parents
37:06to their home in South
37:08Carolina, colored
37:10and white signs.
37:12I don't want to go back to that. That wasn't
37:14the best of times for America.
37:16I can remember
37:18that my father and parents
37:20could not vote, did not
37:22have the right. We're not going back
37:24to that America. It is
37:26the Congressional Black Caucus
37:28that have led, that started
37:30out with nine,
37:32that is now 60 strong
37:34and growing, that is going
37:36to make sure that we're bringing
37:38a collective
37:40coalition with us.
37:42As Jesse Lewis
37:44Jackson said,
37:46it is a rainbow
37:48of all people working
37:50together with the same values
37:52to make a difference
37:54and make America a better place.
37:56So to Jesse
37:58Jackson, to Shirley Chisholm,
38:00to Dr. King,
38:02who said, you're going to judge a person
38:04by the content of their
38:06character and not the color
38:08of their skin, that dream
38:10is now a reality
38:12when we elect
38:14Kamala Harris, the next
38:16president of the United States
38:18of America. We'll take questions.
38:22Yes.
38:24Vice President Harris has declined
38:26to preside over
38:28Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech tomorrow.
38:30Does the caucus
38:32or your members have any
38:34plans of protests or
38:36sending out a speech tomorrow?
38:38Well, let me first say that she didn't decline.
38:40She had a previous engagement.
38:42I know for a fact that
38:44long before
38:46we even knew the date
38:48of Prime Minister Netanyahu
38:50going here, she had a
38:52previous arrangement at that time.
38:54She is not sitting out.
38:56She's not hiding. She is
38:58just making her commitment
39:00that she had made well
39:02in advance. She's keeping that
39:04commitment.
39:06I just want to emphasize
39:08her foreign
39:10policy and international and national
39:12security experience. Many of
39:14us have been with the Vice President
39:16abroad. I was with
39:18her a couple of times, once
39:20at the Munich Security Summit.
39:22I just wanted to
39:24say very quickly how
39:26her input, her advice, her understanding
39:28of the issues and our foreign
39:30policy, she brings to
39:32already the
39:34national security space that
39:36this administration holds.
39:38She has experience.
39:40She meets with world leaders
39:42already who listen to her
39:44and who value her input and who
39:46lead so many of our international
39:48organizations. That's an aspect I hope
39:50that the press will report in terms
39:52of her qualifications
39:54as a global leader.
39:56That's absolutely correct.
39:58I was with her with President Zelensky.
40:00I was with her
40:02with President
40:04Macron. I was with her
40:06when she was over in the
40:08Ségolène Dialogue.
40:10She is ready.
40:12Yes.
40:28Not only
40:30is the Vice President the most
40:32prepared and qualified person,
40:34but these attacks
40:36that somehow it's because
40:38of her ethnicity,
40:40her race, that she's in her
40:42position are
40:44unfounded.
40:46They are disgusting
40:48and offensive.
40:50I just want to say
40:52this. They are not only attacks
40:54on her.
40:56When they have attacks on DE&I,
40:58they're attacks on you
41:00and I. We are a multiracial,
41:02multigenerational
41:04society. This is what
41:06Donald Trump and
41:08MAGA Republicans don't want to
41:10accept. We're not going back
41:12to the days that we're not counted as
41:14full citizens. Again, I represent
41:16one of the most diverse districts
41:18demographically in the country.
41:20Strong
41:22and vibrant
41:24African-American community, politically
41:26active. 30%
41:28Latino. The fastest
41:30growing
41:32AANHPI
41:34community and all
41:36the other communities that I represent.
41:38The attacks on DE&I
41:40are an attack on all of us.
41:42Donald Trump
41:44and other Republicans
41:46who are waging these
41:48anti-DE&I attacks
41:50are not only doing it against
41:52the Vice President, they're doing it against
41:54all Americans.
41:56It must end now.
41:58It is
42:00embedded in Trump's
42:022025. It's part of their
42:04agenda to dismantle,
42:06to defund
42:08diversity, equity, and inclusion in government,
42:10in the private sector, to bully
42:12the private sector into believing
42:14that this is not a business imperative.
42:16They are trying to do it on our college
42:18campuses, in our medical schools,
42:20and the Congressional Black Caucus
42:22has held the line against these
42:24attacks. And we understand
42:26where they're coming from.
42:28They're very well funded
42:30attacks, but it's part
42:32of a larger agenda, and that is why
42:34this election is so
42:36consequential. But guess what?
42:38We're not powerless. Because
42:40when the people show up and vote
42:42in record numbers
42:44as we've done in prior elections
42:46and as we will do
42:48in 2024 for Vice President
42:50Kamala Harris to be the 47th
42:52President of the United States,
42:54the people will win.
42:56You mentioned earlier
42:58the enthusiasm of the black men
43:00and the enthusiasm of the black women
43:02and all the money that's been raised over the last few
43:04days. There are 105 days
43:06to the election. How do you maintain that
43:08momentum? How do you keep these communities
43:10that are so exuberant, so excited
43:12about what's happening now, how do you maintain
43:14that excitement
43:16and maintain that momentum as you head to the general?
43:18Well, I would love
43:20our Chair Meredith to also talk about
43:22this, but when with black women
43:24met the other day,
43:26they had over 40,000
43:28participants. When with black men
43:30was on last night,
43:32we had over 35,000
43:34men from all across the country.
43:36They have raised, actually,
43:38over $3 million collectively
43:40and 100,000
43:42people have signed up to
43:44organize in their local
43:46communities. And we're just beginning.
43:48We're going to continue this work through
43:50the Congressional Black Caucus PAC
43:52and other organizations
43:54to reach people where they are
43:56and to invite them into this process.
43:58This democracy that we're
44:00fighting for
44:02and fighting to restore
44:04and uphold for all of us,
44:06it is for us.
44:08But we have to participate in it.
44:10And the greatest way to participate is to
44:12make sure our voices are heard
44:14at the ballot box. But you can also
44:16volunteer. You can also
44:18make calls. You can canvas.
44:20You can make
44:22donations. To date, they've raised
44:24$100 million
44:26since Sunday night.
44:2860% of the donations
44:30are from grassroots donors,
44:32some of them for the first
44:34time they've donated this election cycle.
44:36The energy, the excitement,
44:38the enthusiasm
44:40is just beginning. And it's because
44:42we have the future of
44:44our party in Vice President
44:46Kamala Harris to lead us
44:48forward. But I would love for
44:50another woman to talk more about what
44:52happened on the
44:54Women with Black Women call.
44:56Well, first of all, let me just say thank you.
44:58You said it directly.
45:00Let me just tell you, it started out
45:02with a TV interview when we knew
45:04we had 1,000, a capacity
45:06for 1,000. And I said something
45:08like, oh, it's going to be 18,000.
45:10That was the Joyce Beatty way. And when it was
45:12challenged, I said, well, it might be 20 to 25,000.
45:14Well, that message
45:16went out across the United
45:18States. Before we could get on
45:20the line, 5,000 people
45:22had already tried to get on
45:24a line for 1,000. We
45:26delayed it and increased it and increased
45:28it until we were able to get the
45:30president to be able to let
45:32it be open. And as Stephen said,
45:3444,000
45:36people got on the
45:38call for three hours.
45:40Brothers were on the call that night.
45:42An Asian sister was on
45:44the call that night. Many of our
45:46colleagues were on the call. And I was
45:48on the call in the studio with Roland Martin
45:50when the brothers died.
45:52But to more directly, very briefly
45:54answer your question, it was that
45:56call to action of men
45:58and women being together
46:00and not competing against one another.
46:02It was working together
46:04and people are still calling
46:06to say, when's the next call?
46:08How do I volunteer?
46:10How do I go out there?
46:12Because this is about the future.
46:14This is about our children,
46:16our grandchildren, and those yet
46:18unborn. And that is what
46:20Kamala Harris brings to the
46:22table. She brings the
46:24future. She brings the next
46:26generation. And so I can tell
46:28you we're going to be engaging with
46:30database, and this is the time that I'll say
46:32thank you for technology,
46:34that we're using all platforms
46:36that are available to us
46:38to get more contributors,
46:40more supporters, more volunteers.
46:42And we're not having to
46:44work hard to do that because
46:46people want to be a part of history.
46:48And it starts now.
46:50Let me just tell you, there's an example.
46:52I thought I'd never see it
46:54again in my lifetime.
46:56I thought that what I saw
46:58in 2008 could never be
47:00duplicated. I
47:02thought that that interest, you know, people
47:04thought that that would fade away
47:06during that time.
47:08Let me tell you, what
47:10we are seeing right now
47:12goes farther
47:14than what I saw at the beginning in
47:162008. And
47:18then what I recall, the
47:20one time in my life where I saw
47:22lines around the block
47:24of people waiting
47:26to vote, taking their time,
47:28making sure they had
47:30the right to vote and they were going to vote
47:32was 2008.
47:34That, I will say,
47:36will be shattered
47:38in 2024 in November.
47:40So, look
47:42out because when you talk
47:44about what we're going
47:46to do, Detroit, here
47:48we come. Philadelphia,
47:50here we come. Pittsburgh,
47:52here we come. Milwaukee,
47:54here we come. Las Vegas,
47:56here we come. Phoenix,
47:58here we come. Atlanta,
48:00here we come. Charlotte,
48:02here we come. And when you see
48:04those lines coming out in those
48:06areas, then you know what's coming next.
48:08The next president of the
48:10United States,
48:12Kamala Harris.
48:18On the voter
48:20connection and the
48:22continuation of the
48:24momentum, last night we had
48:2610,000
48:28women, primarily black
48:30women, on a Zoom call from
48:32California. Tonight we're having
48:34another one in addition to the 44,000
48:36on, was it Sunday night?
48:38We are very
48:40clear about how we're going to move
48:42forward in winning California, of course.
48:44But I want you to know
48:46that people in California
48:48will be going
48:50and working in states
48:52that were just listed where
48:54are must-win states. And so
48:56we will be
48:58augmenting the volunteer base,
49:00the organizational base,
49:02the fundraising base, not only
49:04in California, but throughout the country.
49:06Also voter protection, we've
49:08got to remember that. And so we're
49:10organizing groups and
49:12people with legal
49:14backgrounds to make sure
49:16that not only during
49:18election, but before
49:20the election, that all of the voter
49:24machinations that could occur
49:26won't occur. Because we have a
49:28very important strategic
49:30voter protection plan in place.
49:32Last question.
49:34My question was kind of touching on that.
49:36Assuming it's a big turnout, how
49:38troubling are some of the new restrictive
49:40voting laws in a handful of
49:42states? Some states criminalize
49:44bringing water to people online.
49:46There's a handful of other things.
49:48So I can say, last week
49:50in Las Vegas,
49:52we had the National Bar Association's
49:54convention, and I met
49:56with and addressed
49:58their body. These are black lawyers from
50:00all over the country. And in fact, the
50:02DNC just invested
50:04$100,000 into voter
50:06protection efforts
50:08in partnership with National Bar
50:10and other organizations that will be
50:12involved. We understand that there's
50:14misinformation and disinformation
50:16campaigns, some of it
50:18from foreign actors outside
50:20the country, some of it domestic
50:22misinformation.
50:24And we are on guard. We have
50:26infrastructures in place. We will
50:28push back. We are making sure
50:30that technology companies are
50:32held accountable because we will
50:34not have our communities misled
50:36or have disinformation
50:38targeting our
50:40community at a time when their
50:42votes are so essential
50:44in the upcoming election.
50:46And you'll see people,
50:48water's not going to stop them from voting.
50:50Threats are not
50:52going to stop them from voting.
50:54And you see folks who want to make sure
50:56that there's a change. Nothing
50:58deters them. They will
51:00stand, and they will make sure.
51:02You'll see what we've seen previously.
51:04We've had individuals
51:06in 08,
51:08a 98-year-old woman
51:10wouldn't even want to jump the line
51:12because I don't want to jump in front of anybody. I want to stand
51:14on this line and
51:16wait because I'm going to vote
51:18today. And you're going to
51:20see that kind of determination
51:22in this race. And not only
51:24for African-Americans. I can tell you,
51:26I chair the Queens County Democratic
51:28Organization. I've got lawyers
51:30that are calling me of all nationalities
51:32right now and says, send me
51:34where I need to go.
51:36They tell me I have the money to pay
51:38for my campaign to pay for them.
51:40I have my own dollars.
51:42I have my own wherewithal. I want
51:44to utilize my
51:46legal experience to make sure
51:48that every American that wants to
51:50vote, every American that wants to
51:52have their voice heard gets a chance to
51:54vote. So we will be ready
51:56for anything.
51:58But I will tell you, the power always
52:00belongs to the people. And these people
52:02are ready to make any
52:04sacrifice to make sure they make that
52:06vote because they know so many other
52:08people died for them to
52:10have the right to vote. And they will not
52:12be denied now.
52:14Freedom.
52:16Last question.
52:18I want to ask you about
52:20some of your house colleagues that
52:22have not yet endorsed
52:24Kamala Harris as
52:26the nominee.
52:28I know as a frontliner yourself,
52:30there's been some frontliners saying they're not sure
52:32how she's going to perform
52:34down ballot. What is your response
52:36to that and is your reaction
52:38to members of the House of Representatives?
52:40Well, look, let me just say this.
52:42Number one, every member
52:44will make their own decision.
52:46But Kamala Harris
52:48has now earned more
52:50than the required number
52:52to become our presumptive nominee.
52:54So it's
52:56time for us to come together to be
52:58unified in one
53:00objective, and that is defeating
53:02Donald Trump. I know that
53:04Leader Jeffries and Senator Schumer
53:06met earlier today
53:08and have endorsed her campaign
53:10because they also understand that this is
53:12about winning the House
53:14back
53:16and Democrats taking the majority
53:18and protecting the Senate
53:20where so many important issues from our
53:22judges,
53:24confirmation of
53:26U.S. attorneys and other
53:28important positions including the Cabinet
53:30are made. And so we are
53:32laser-focused on winning.
53:34Winning for the people
53:36and every single member should get on board
53:38with Vice President
53:40Kamala Harris. She is the future of our party
53:42and for all of those who
53:44had questions
53:46or had any doubt, just
53:48look in the last two days
53:50since Sunday night at the energy,
53:52the excitement, the enthusiasm
53:54that she's bringing, not only to
53:56this party, but I've got nonpartisans
53:58and independents in my district,
54:0030% of whom
54:02are the electorate in Nevada
54:04and they're excited for her
54:06candidacy and the future of her
54:08leadership. So it's time for us to
54:10unify behind Kamala Harris,
54:12the 47th President
54:14of the United States. But as
54:16has been said, we're done with
54:18worrying, it's now time to do the work
54:20and to win. So let's go do the work.