THE VICE PRESIDENT: Register to vote after which vote. (Laughs.) (Applause.)
And, once more, let me thank the leaders who’re right here. Simply allow us to replicate on what the parents right here achieved in 2020. We had been within the top of a pandemic. There was a rare quantity of loss: lack of life, lack of group, lack of normalcy, folks misplaced their jobs.
And within the midst of all of that, the leaders who’re right here gathered the braveness and the optimism to speak with neighbors and associates and kin and colleagues, and to remind them of the ability of their voice by their vote, and achieved historic outcomes.
We had a file voter turnout for African Individuals in 2020. We had a file turnout of younger voters in 2020, because of the work of everybody right here. (Applause.) The NAACP, by some calculations, turned out tons of of hundreds of votes alone simply based mostly in your organizing and activism.
And let’s replicate on what that has meant. Nicely, one factor is it scared some folks. And it’s by no coincidence that instantly thereafter, you began seeing extremist so-called leaders passing legal guidelines proscribing voting days, making it harder to vote, banning drop packing containers, shortening the period of time folks might vote forward of the election, passing a regulation making it unlawful to offer any individual meals and water whereas they’re standing in line to train their civic duty and obligation.
Allow us to additionally point out the hypocrisy. Don’t these folks actually consider the phrases about “love thy neighbor”?
And what we have now seen after 2020 is a few folks received scared, however a complete lot of different folks received empowered. Due to what you probably did in 2020, Joe Biden received elected president of america and I received elected the primary Black lady to be vp of america. (Applause.) As a result of folks voted.
And what occurred? Nicely, let’s give it some thought. Earlier than, we knew that our seniors—and Black people are 60 % extra prone to be identified with diabetes—earlier than, we knew that our seniors had been making tough selections about whether or not they might put meals on their desk or fill a health care provider’s prescription [that] would save their life. And since you voted, we have now now capped the price of insulin at $35 a month for our seniors. (Applause.)
Due to that election and folks voted, we have now now capped the annual price of prescription treatment for seniors at $2,000 a 12 months, since you organized and led and reminded folks their voice issues.
Give it some thought. Earlier than, so many individuals in so many locations round our nation, together with proper right here in Boston, had been speaking about how we have to cease and finish these lead pipes, as a result of the water popping out of these lead pipes is poisonous and it’s harming the well being of our infants and impacting their capacity to study.
And for years, people had been speaking from the group about this and saying, “You realize, I will not be a health care provider, however I’m not silly. I do know what is going on.” And since folks voted, the president and I, along with your assist and assist, will now do away with all lead pipes in America over the subsequent eight years. (Applause.)
Earlier than, our small companies, that are a part of the lifeblood—the financial lifeblood, the cultural lifeblood—of our communities, had been saying…, for minority-owned companies, it’s onerous to get entry to capital. However as a result of folks voted and stated small companies are a precedence, we have now now, since we’ve been in workplace, elevated to the best price the variety of small companies which have been created in any two-year interval. And Black companies are serving to to propel these numbers. (Applause.)
The work we’ve executed has been about saying that we have to hear the cries of households who know that america of America, one of many wealthiest international locations on the earth, has…one of many highest charges of maternal mortality. And since people voted and we had been in a position to be there, we elevated the problem of maternal mortality—and significantly Black maternal mortality, as a result of on this nation, Black girls are three to 4 occasions extra prone to die in reference to childbirth than different girls. And we stated, “We’ve received to handle this.”
And since we’re doing that, we see, for instance, that in states earlier than we began, solely three…prolonged Medicaid protection for postpartum care from two months to 12 months. And we issued the decision and the problem, and now 35 states have postpartum care [for] as much as 12 months.
