On Saturday, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden delivered remarks at a "Seniors For Biden" rally in Phoenix, Arizona.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you so much for that introduction.
00:20Good afternoon, Phoenix.
00:24Hi, I'm Kathy Salisbury, and it's my pleasure to join you all today for the launch of Seniors for Biden.
00:35I've lived in the Valley now for nearly 10 years and have seen our community do great things and grow.
00:46And over these years, I've been afforded the ability to connect with Arizonans from all walks of life,
00:53thanks to my work with the National Government Multiple Sclerosis Advisory Committee.
01:00You see, I have MS. It's something I have to work through each and every day.
01:15But my disease does not define me, and it does not define who I am, but it's given me a voice.
01:23Fighting as an advocate is now my purpose, and it's because of my work that I'm excited to stand with you today.
01:34Fighting as an advocate is now my purpose, and it's because of my work that I'm excited.
01:43At one point, with all of my medications that I took, it was about $7,000 a year in prescription drug costs.
01:59These costs were very overwhelming for me.
02:02I had to make a decision.
02:04Would I pay for my life-saving medications, or would I be able to afford housing?
02:12I was homeless, yes, and I simply could not afford to do both.
02:20But thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, my costs have been cut in half.
02:28None of this, and I do mean none of this, would have been possible without the work of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
02:47They have put the needs of seniors like me, and I am a senior, on the forefront, and thanks to them, I can now breathe a little easier at night.
03:08And I know that I'm not alone.
03:13I see firsthand, at a job, I am a caregiver as well.
03:19And I work with seniors who have dementia, seniors who have cancer, and these people rely on Medicare and Medicaid.
03:30For my patients, these essential programs are the difference between receiving quality, end-of-life care or not.
03:40But we must do all that we can to stand by these folks, and I know Joe Biden and Kamala Harris will do that for us.
03:59They have cut the cost of insulin to $35 a month.
04:10And not only that, they are people that we can trust, and Arizona seniors can trust the Bidens.
04:26That's why today it is my honor and my pleasure to introduce our First Lady of the United States.
04:35Please, everyone, give a big hand for Dr. Jill Biden!
04:41Thank you, Kathy, for that kind introduction.
05:00And I'm so grateful for your advocacy to make healthcare affordable for everyone.
05:12And it's because of people like you that Joe was able to fight for lower prescription drug prices in the IRA.
05:22And thank you to the Mariachi Band. Wow, thank you!
05:31And to the leaders of the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans.
05:41Thank you for all that you do for older Americans in the Grand Canyon State.
05:48So it's great to be back.
05:51In May, I was here in this area to deliver a commencement to Mesa Community College.
06:00And I was so inspired by the students there.
06:04So today I'm so proud to be here with all the elected officials and labor, faith, and community leaders who are here to launch Seniors for Biden Harris.
06:18And I think we should do just a little clapping for our guests that I just met.
06:29And she had her 101st birthday on Thursday.
06:33You're welcome. You're welcome.
06:42Nana, me, not me, or so I thought.
06:49When our first grandchild Naomi was born, I was ready to welcome a beautiful baby girl into our family.
06:57But what I was not ready for was to be a Nana.
07:03So I kept thinking of my own grandparents, and I just couldn't see myself in their shoes.
07:11Because when I became a grandmom for the first time, I was only 42.
07:16And I bet some of you have felt that too.
07:20Waking up in the morning, like one morning you just wake up and you say to yourself, you look in the mirror and you say,
07:27Where did all these lines in my face come from?
07:31Yeah, I think I see a couple recognition here.
07:34So maybe you feel that way coming to launch the Seniors for Biden Harris.
07:40I don't know.
07:41But yes, here we are.
07:43And this Nana is so proud to stand here with all of you to get to work reelecting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
07:58So age is a gift.
08:01I mean, but there are still those who not only devalue our wisdom and dismiss our experience,
08:08they want to destroy the structures that help us thrive.
08:13Threatening the social security we have earned.
08:20Profiteering off the medications that we need.
08:24Standing in the way of progress that could help people of all ages.
08:29Donald Trump supported ending Medicare as we know it.
08:35He came one vote away from repealing the Affordable Care Act,
08:41which would have raised drug prices by hundreds of dollars a year.
08:47And he repeatedly sabotaged the law.
08:51He wants to cut social security to give more tax breaks to his billionaire friends.
08:59Make no mistake, Donald Trump is dangerous.
09:04Yes, to our livelihood, to our security, and to the future of our country.
09:11We simply cannot let him win.
09:22We can't wake up on November 6th like we did in 2016.
09:30Remember that?
09:32Terrified of the future ahead of us.
09:35Thinking, oh my God, what just happened?
09:42What are we going to do now?
09:44But this isn't just about stopping an extremist.
09:48And this election certainly is not about age.
09:53Joe and the other guy are essentially the same age, so let's not be fooled.
10:02But what this election is about is the character of the person leading our country.
10:10It's about finishing the job we started.
10:20President Biden is a man of great kindness, integrity, and character.
10:27And he is a loving, compassionate father and husband.
10:32Joe Biden is a healthy, wise, 81-year-old, ready and willing to work for you every day to make our future better.
10:49Since my husband Joe took office, we have achieved so much.
10:54Like you said, he caps insulin at $35 per month for singers.
11:00And for the first time in history, made sure that Medicare can negotiate drug prices directly.
11:11Something presidents have been trying to do for decades.
11:15He strengthened the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, bringing the uninsured rate lower than any other president has.
11:25Under his leadership, the financial outlook for Medicare is improving.
11:34And he's accomplished so much more.
11:37Making child care affordable.
11:40Working to expand access to maternal health services.
11:44And how about appointing Ketanji Brown-Jackson to the Supreme Court?
11:48And I'm sure many of you saw him at the G7 this week and in Normandy when we were honoring all of our veterans.
12:01Yes.
12:03How many of you in here are veterans?
12:08Oh, a lot. Yes, thank you.
12:12So Joe is leading the world once again through diplomacy.
12:20And when Joe and Kamala are re-elected, we will continue that progress.
12:25Making sure that all Americans can afford their medications.
12:30Ensuring everyone can age with dignity.
12:34Building a better future for our children and our grandchildren.
12:39You see, Joe isn't just one of the most effective presidents of our time in spite of his age, but because of it.
12:49He knows how to bring people together and get bills passed because he's been doing it for decades.
13:01He knows how to work with people who disagree with him.
13:08Because he's seen and shaped how change happens.
13:12And he's not the only one who understands that.
13:16All of us here, every one of us, have helped transform our communities over the course of our lives too.
13:26We've celebrated victories that once seemed impossible.
13:31But we've also seen how progress can be torn from our grasp.
13:36Roe. Roe Unites.
13:39Healthcare support.
13:41Protections against discrimination.
13:44We will not go back.
13:55We will not sit by while our freedoms and our democracy crumble around us.
14:02We will not allow Trump to appoint more extremist Supreme Court justices.
14:13And we will vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
14:17Nana, Mom, Teacher, First Lady, Senior, Sister, Mentor, Friend.
14:33These titles are glimmers of the extraordinary lives I've been lucky and honored enough to lead.
14:42Together they add up to more, not less.
14:46More wisdom. More grit. More fortitude.
14:50Perspective and perseverance. Dedication and determination.
14:55So yes, seniors are going to vote this November.
15:00But we're also going to bring the experience of all of our years to this moment as if our rights are at risk.
15:15Because they are.
15:17As if our democracy is on the line.
15:21Because it is.
15:23They're so good.
15:26We're going to talk to our friends and families about why this election is so important.
15:33Tell them what's at stake.
15:35Sign up for phone banks and canvassing shifts.
15:38Donate what we can.
15:40No, we, we cannot be defined by a number.
15:45And when people underestimate us, they do it at their own risk.
15:51Let's show what these years can do.
16:10So I know you're going to join me and you're going to be working every day from now until when the polls close.
16:17By re-electing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
16:20By deciding the future we want.
16:23The future we need.
16:25And when we do, seniors, nothing and no one will stand in our way.
16:33Thank you. You've been a great crowd. Thank you.
16:36Thank you.
16:50Thank you.
17:20Thank you.