Showing posts with label Joe Biden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joe Biden. Show all posts

Friday, April 12, 2024

Statement from President Joe Biden on $7.4 Billion in Student Debt Cancellation for 277,000 More Borrowers

APRIL 12, 2024

Statement from President Joe Biden on $7.4 Billion in Student Debt Cancellation for 277,000 More Borrowers

Today, my Administration is canceling student debt for 277,000 more people, bringing the total number of Americans who have been approved for debt relief so far under my Administration to 4.3 million borrowers through various actions. These 277,000 borrowers are enrolled in my Administration’s SAVE Plan, or were approved for relief because of fixes we made to Income-Driven Repayment Plans and Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

Today’s announcement comes on top of the significant progress we’ve made for students and borrowers over the past three years. That includes: providing the largest increases to the maximum Pell Grant in over a decade; fixing Public Service Loan Forgiveness so teachers, nurses, police officers, and other public service workers get the relief they are entitled to under the law, and holding colleges accountable for taking advantage of students and families. And, earlier this week, I laid out my Administration’s new plans that would cancel student debt for more than 30 million Americans when combined with everything we’ve done so far.

From day one of my Administration, I promised to fight to ensure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. I will never stop working to cancel student debt – no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us.

Monday, August 22, 2022

Statement by President Joe Biden Marking Slavery Remembrance Day

President biden released the following statement on Slavery Remembrance Day

More than 400 years ago, twenty enslaved Africans were forcibly brought to the shores of what would become the United States. Millions more were stolen and sold in the centuries that followed, part of a system of slavery that is America’s original sin.

Great nations don’t hide from their history. They acknowledge their past, both the triumphs and the tragedies. Today is a day to reflect on the terrible toll of slavery, and on our nation’s profound ability to heal and emerge stronger. Despite the horrors they faced, these men and women and their descendants have made countless contributions to the building of this nation and the continuous effort to realize the American ideal. I was honored last year to declare Juneteenth a national holiday, another moment to reflect and rededicate ourselves to becoming a more perfect union. And it’s why my Administration will continue the hard, ongoing work to bring true equity and racial justice to our country.

I’m grateful for the efforts of Congress—in particular, Representative Al Green and Senator Elizabeth Warren—to recognize the significance of this day.

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

President Biden nominate Vanessa Avery to run U.S. Attorney's office in Connecticut

President Joe Biden has nominated a diverse group of six attorneys to run for U.S. attorneys’ offices across the country, their latest picks for top law enforcement positions. The nominees announced by the White House include Vanessa Avery.

If confirmed, Avery would be the first African American woman to serve as U.S. attorney in Connecticut.

Avery is a former federal prosecutor who is now a an associate state attorney general in the Connecticut attorney general's office, to be the U.S. attorney there. Since 2021, she has served as the chief of the Division of Enforcement and Public Protection at the state attorney general's office. She was an associate state attorney general and worked as an assistant U.S. attorney in Connecticut.

From 2004 to 2005, Avery served as a trial attorney at the U.S, Department of Justice in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division, according to the White House.

She received a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1999 and an undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1996.

Saturday, March 20, 2021

Biden, Haris, Warnock, Ossoff, and Stacey Abrams meet to discuss voting rights

President Biden on Friday met with Stacey Abrams and Georgia lawmakers while in Atlanta to discuss voting rights in the face of legislation introduced by state GOP lawmakers in various states that would restrict access to the ballot.

Biden and Vice President Harris met with Abrams, Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms during a stop at Emory University.

"They discussed state legislation in Georgia and across the country that would make it harder for people to vote, along with possible solutions to make voting more accessible," White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "The President re-affirmed his commitment to re-authorizing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and his strong belief that every eligible voter should be able to vote and have their vote counted."

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Thursday, February 04, 2021

Statement by President Joe Biden On Black History Month

President Joe Biden released the following statement on Black History Month:

This February, during Black History Month, I call on the American people to honor the history and achievements of Black Americans and to reflect on the centuries of struggle that have brought us to this time of reckoning, redemption, and hope.

We have never fully lived up to the founding principles of this nation that all people are created equal and have the right to be treated equally throughout their lives. We know that it is long past time to confront deep racial inequities and the systemic racism that continue to plague our nation.

A knee to the neck of justice opened the eyes of millions of Americans and launched a summer of protest and stirred the nation’s conscience.

A pandemic has further ripped a path of destruction through every community in America, but we see its acute devastation among Black Americans who are dying, losing jobs, and closing businesses at disproportionate rates in the dual pandemic and economic crises.

We are also less than a month after the attack on the Capitol by a mob of insurrectionists and white supremacists that shows that we are very much in a battle for the soul of America.

In the Biden-Harris Administration, we are committed to finishing the work left undone and fulfilling the promise of America for Black families and communities and for all Americans.

We bring to our work a seriousness of purpose and urgency to contain the pandemic, deliver economic relief to tens of millions of Americans, and advance racial justice and equity across the board in health care, education, housing, our economy, our environment, our justice system, and in our electoral process.

We do so not only because it is the right thing to do, but because it is the smart thing to do and benefits all of us in this nation.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Rep. Cedric Richmond joining the Biden administration

Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.) is joining the Biden administration.

Richmond will serve as senior adviser to the President and director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.

Calling it "one of the hardest decisions" of his life, Richmond said, "I am not leaving the people of Louisiana. I am not leaving the people of the second Congressional District. I am New Orleans through and through. I bleed black and gold."

Sunday, November 08, 2020

Michelle Obama congratulates Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on presidential election victory

Former First Lady Michelle Obama offered her congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris via Twitter after their historic presidential election victory.

I’m beyond thrilled that my friend @JoeBiden and our first Black and Indian-American woman Vice President, @KamalaHarris, are headed to restore some dignity, competence, and heart at the White House. Our country sorely needs it.

President-Elect joe Biden to Black Community: I'll have your back

During his victory speech President-Elect Joe Biden took the time to thank Black voters for their support and to let them know that he will always have their back.

Monday, November 02, 2020

Stacey Abrams speech in support of Joe Biden at Atlanta Rally 11/02/2020

Former Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks at a rally in support of Joe Biden and other Democrats at a rally hosted by former President Barrack Obama in Atlanta. Watch her entire speech below:

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Obama to hit the campaign trail for Biden

Former President Barack Obama is expected to hit the campaign trail next week, Democratic officials tell CNN, as he looks to step up his work in support of his one-time partner -- former Vice President Joe Biden -- in the final stretch of the election.

Obama intends to focus his efforts on early voting states in the final two weeks of the race, the officials tell CNN. The former President will not aggressively barnstorm swing states, but rather intends to visit a handful of critical battlegrounds where voting is underway.

His schedule has not been finalized, officials said, but states under consideration for his solo appearances include Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin and more.

"He's doing enough for our campaign," Biden told reporters before boarding a flight in New Castle, Delaware, Tuesday. "He'll be out on the trail and he's doing well."

Obama's expected return to the campaign trail could energize Democratic voters in the final weeks before the election as the former president remains among the Democratic Party's most popular figures. The Biden campaign believes Obama can help in three particular areas, officials say, including: Black men, Latinos and young voters.

The events will be socially distant -- similar to the tactics adopted by the Biden campaign during the coronavirus pandemic -- but are designed to garner local media coverage in key areas. President Donald Trump's campaign has dispatched far more surrogates ahead of the election -- along with the President's rallies -- and the Obama visits are designed to help Biden draw more attention in places where voting is happening.

[SOURCE: CNN]

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Joe Biden endorses Mike Espy in Mississippi U.S. Senate race

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has endorsed Mississippi U.S. Senate candidate Mike Espy:

“A lifelong Mississippian, Mike Espy has spent his career working to improve the lives of Mississippi’s working families,” Biden said. “From his times as the first Black congressman from Mississippi since Reconstruction to his critical leadership as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to his role helping to build a strong rural economy across the South, Mike Espy has the experience to move Mississippi forward.”

Espy is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who defeated Espy in a special election for the Senate seat in 2018.

Wednesday, October 07, 2020

Michelle Obama's Closing Argument: why you should vote for Joe Biden

With the election right around the corner, and votes are already being cast, Michelle Obama makes a final argument for Americans to support Joe Biden. We have to take action and vote like our lives depend on it. Go to iwillvote.com and make a plan to vote right now.

Watch her comments below:

Monday, September 07, 2020

Anita Hill says she will vote for Joe Biden

Nearly 30 years after Anita Hill testified before a now-infamous Senate Judiciary hearing led by Joe Biden, she says she wants the Democratic presidential candidate to get elected this November.

Hill testified in 1991 before the Senate Judiciary Committee that then-U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas had sexually harassed her. Biden chaired that all-male committee, which questioned her character, and came off to many as not taking Hill seriously.

But between Biden and President Donald Trump, Hill says she picks Biden.

Watch her comments below:

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Biden says he regrets 'you ain't Black' comment

During his first sit-down interview since officially becoming the Democratic presidential nominee, Joe Biden addressed a controversial comment he made in the spring regarding the Black community.

The former vice president came under fire in May when he told “Breakfast Club” radio host Charlamagne tha God that African American voters aren’t Black if they support President Donald Trump over him in November.

Sunday, ABC’s Robin Roberts asked Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, about the comments made in May.

“I shouldn’t have said that,” Biden said. “But I was trying to make the point that this is a man who spent his entire career denigrating African Americans.”

Biden went on to argue that he would be a much better ally to the Black community than Trump.

“The truth is there’s a fundamental difference between Donald Trump and me on the issue of race across the board,” Biden said. “I’m not going to try and divide people. It’s all about bringing people together.”

Biden has relied heavily on the African American vote to secure his party’s nomination, which he officially accepted during last week’s virtual convention.

“I wouldn't be here without the African American community,” Biden added when speaking about his support within the Black community in his home state of Delaware.

[SOURCE: THE DENVER CHANNEL]

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Watch Kamala Harris first campaign speech as vice presidential candidate

In her first campaign speech, presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris spoke about Joe Biden's empathy, her family and why President Donald Trump should be defeated in the 2020 presidential election.

Watch her full speech below:

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

NAACP statement on Biden picking Kamala Harris as his running mate




Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, released the following statement on the selection of Senator Kamala Harris as a candidate on the presidential ticket of a major political party:

Throughout the history of this nation, Black women have been at the forefront of moving us toward a more representative and unified society. From the voting booth to grassroots movements, Black women have fought for and uplifted this country with their vote and voice. But their representation in the highest levels of government has never matched their unwavering participation in our democracy. Today’s announcement of a Black woman, Sen. Kamala Harris, as the first vice-presidential candidate of a major political party, breaks down one of these barriers in historic proportions. That it comes at a time in which Black Americans face dueling threats from a global health crisis and ingrained racism is all the more powerful.

This moment is long overdue. For far too long, we have undervalued Black women’s political power and their role in shaping our culture, communities, and country. The selection of Sen. Harris as a vice-presidential candidate on a major party ticket is the culmination of the tireless work of Shirley Chisolm, Charlene Mitchell, Sojourner Truth, Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hamer, Barbara Jordan, Ida B. Wells, and Myrlie Evers in their fight for representation and equality. Their sacrifices, told and untold, made it possible for Sen. Harris to make political history today. Regardless of party affiliation, every American should be proud that this milestone was finally reached.

While we do not support a political party, we recognize the overwhelming significance of this moment and what it means for this nation. We must not allow coverage of Sen. Harris’ historic candidacy to decline into ugly racist and sexist stereotypes and attacks. We call upon the media, members of both political parties, and the people of this nation to honor this historic moment and treat Sen. Harris’s candidacy with the respect and esteem it deserves throughout this election season.

As the presidential campaign progresses, the NAACP remains steadfast in our pursuit of full participation in democracy for Black people. With our ongoing commitment to dismantling institutional injustice, uplifting Black culture, and maximizing our economic and political power, we know that this pivotal moment sets the stage for our continued work to realize equal justice.

Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Howard University response to alumni Kamala Harris being picked as Biden’s running mate

Howard University tweeted the following response to Joe Biden’s pick of Howard alumni Kamala Harris as his VP puck:

From the Hilltop to Capitol Hill, congratulations to our alumna, Senator @KamalaHarris, The democratic candidate for Vice President of the United States.

Sunday, July 26, 2020

Rep. Karen Bass on VP talk: Willing to serve however I can




Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Karen Bass tells CNN's Jake Tapper that she's wants to do whatever she can to help Joe Biden get elected.




Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Biden compiling list of possible Black women nominees for the Supreme Court

Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden said Tuesday that he’s compiling a list of Black women that could be potential nominees to the Supreme Court.

“We are putting together a list of a group of African American women who are qualified and have the experience to be in the court,” Biden said during a press conference in Delaware. “I am not going to release that until we go further down the line of vetting them as well.”

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

Rep. Karen Bass being vetted to be Biden running mate

Congresswoman Karen Bass, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, is undergoing vetting as a candidate to be Joe Biden's running mate, CBS News has learned according to sources familiar with the process.

The five-term congresswoman represents Los Angeles and endorsed Biden for president in mid-March.

It is not immediately clear where Bass stands in the vetting process but her name has been floated for consideration by powerful Democrats like House Majority Whip James Clyburn. "Karen Bass would be a big plus…she is a great person in my mind, I work with her every day," Clyburn told CNN in June when asked about Biden's vetting process.

Bass' vetting comes as pressure builds on Biden to pick a woman of color to join him on the ticket.

From her perspective, Bass told Garrett she "would certainly like to see" a woman of color chosen as Biden's running mate but added it was not "imperative."

Neither Bass' congressional office nor Biden's campaign immediately responded to a request for comment.

[SOURCE: CBS NEWS]