[Democracy in Action Transcript
| video]
Good morning and thank you very much for joining me.
I want to express to each of you my deep gratitude for helping to create an unprecedented grassroots political campaign that has had a profound impact in changing our nation.
I want to thank the hundreds of thousands of volunteers who knocked on doors, millions of them, in the freezing winters of Iowa and New Hampshire, and in the heat of Nevada, and in South Carolina, and in states throughout the country.
I want to thank the two million Americans who have contributed financially to our campaign and showed the world that we can take on a corrupt campaign finance system and run a major presidential campaign without being dependent upon the wealthy and the powerful. Thank you for your 10 million contributions, averaging 18 dollars and 50 cents a donation.
I want to thank those who phone banked for our campaign, and those of you sent out millions of texts.
And I want to thank the many hundreds of thousands of Americans who attended our rallies, town meetings and house parties from New York to California. Some of these events had over 25,000 people, some had a few hundred and some had a dozen, but all were important. And let me thank those who made these many events possible.
I also want to thank our surrogates, too many to name. I can't imagine that any candidate has ever been blessed with a stronger and more dedicated group of people who have taken our message to every part of this country. And I want to thank all those who made the music and the art an integral part of our campaign.
I want to thank all of you who spoke to your friends and neighbors posted on social media and worked as hard as you could to make this a better country. Together we have transformed American consciousness as to what kind of nation we can become and have taken this country a major step forward in the never ending struggle for economic justice, social justice, racial justice, and environmental justice.
I also want to thank the many hundreds of people on our campaign staff, you were willing to move from one state to another and do all the work that had to be done. No job was too big or too small for you. You rolled up your sleeves and you did it. You embodied the words that are at the core of our movement: Not me, but us. And I thank each and every one of you for what you've done.
As many of you will recall Nelson Mandela, one of the great freedom fighters in modern world history, famously ane I quote, "It always seems impossible until it is done," end quote. And what he meant by that is that the greatest obstacle to real social change has everything to do with the power of the corporate and the political establishment to limit our vision as to what is possible and what we are entitled to as human beings.
If we don't believe that we are entitled to health care as a human right, we will never achieve universal health care.
If we don't believe that we are entitled to decent wages and working conditions, millions of us will continue to live in poverty.
If we don't believe that we are entitled to all of the education we require to fulfill our dreams, many of us will leave school saddled with huge debt or never get the education we need.
If we don't believe that we are entitled to live in a world that has a clean environment, and is not ravaged by climate change, we will continue to see more drought, floods, rising sea levels and increasingly uninhabitable planet.
If we don't believe that we are entitled to live in a world of justice, democracy and fairness, without racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, or religious bigotry, we will continue to have massive income and wealth inequality, prejudice and hatred, mass incarceration, terrified immigrants and hundreds of thousands of Americans sleeping out on the streets in the richest country on Earth,
And focusing on that new vision for America is what our campaign has been about and what in fact we have accomplished.
Few would deny that over the course of the past five years, our movement has won the ideological struggle. In so called red states and blue states and purple states, a majority of the American people now understand that we must raise the minimum wage to at least $15 an hour, that we must guarantee health care as a right to all of our people, that we must transform our energy system away from fossil fuel, and that higher education must be available to all, regardless of income.
It was not long ago that people considered these ideas radical and fringe. Today they are mainstream ideas, and many of them already being implemented in cities and states across the country. That is what we have accomplished together.
In terms of healthcare, even before this horrific pandemic we are now experiencing, more and more Americans understood that we must move to a Medicare for All single payer program. During the primary elections exit polls showed in state after state, a strong majority of Democratic primary voters supported a single government health insurance program to replace private insurance. That was true, even in states where our campaign did not prevail.
And let me just say this in terms of health care, this current horrific crisis that we are now in has exposed for all to see how absurd our current employer based health insurance system is. The current economic downturn we are experiencing has not only led to a massive loss of jobs, but has also resulted in millions of Americans losing their health insurance. While Americans have been told over and over again how wonderful our employer-based private insurance system is, those claims sound very hollow today as a growing number of unemployed workers struggle with how they can afford to go to the doctor or not go bankrupt, with a huge hospital bill. We have always believed that healthcare must be considered as a human right, not an employee benefit and we all right.
Please also appreciate that not only are we winning the struggle ideologically, we are also winning it generationally. The future of our country rests with young people. And in state after state whether we won or whether we lost the Democratic primaries or caucuses, we received a significant majority of the votes, sometimes an overwhelming majority from people not only 30 years of age or under, but 50 years of age or younger. In other words, the future of this country is with our ideas.
As we are all painfully aware, we now face an unprecedented crisis. Not only are we dealing with a coronavirus pandemic, which is taking the lives of many thousands of our people, we are also dealing with an economic meltdown that has resulted in the loss of millions of jobs.
Today families all across our country face financial hardship unimaginable only a few months ago. And because of the unacceptable levels of income and wealth inequality in our economy many of our friends and neighbors have little or no savings and are desperately trying to pay their rent or their mortgage or even put food on the table.
This reality makes it clear to me that Congress must address this unprecedented crisis in an unprecedented way that protects the health and economic well being of the working families of our country, not just powerful special interests.
As a member of the Democratic leadership in the United States Senate, and as a senator from the state of Vermont, this is something that I intend to intensely be involved in over the next number of months and that will require require an enormous amount of work.
Which takes me to the state of our presidential campaign. I wish I could give you better news, but I think you know the truth. And that is that we are now some 300 delegates behind Vice President Biden, and the path toward victory is virtually impossible. So while we are winning the ideological battle, and while we are winning the support of so many young people and working people throughout the country, I have concluded that this battle for the Democratic nomination will not be successful. And so today, I am announcing the suspension of my campaign.
Please know that I do not make this decision lightly. In fact it has been a very difficult and painful decision. Over the past few weeks Jane and I in consultation with top staff, and many of our prominent supporters have made an honest assessment of the prospects for victory. If I believed we had a feasible path for nomination, I would certainly continue the campaign. But it's just not there.
I know that there may be some in our movement who disagree with this decision, who would like us to fight on to the last ballot cast at the Democratic Convention. I understand that position. But as I see the crisis gripping the nation, exacerbated by a president unwilling or unable to provide any kind of credible leadership, and the work that needs to be done to protect people in this most desperate hour, I cannot in good conscience continue to mount a campaign that cannot win, and which would interfere with the important work required of all of us in this difficult hour.
But let me say this very emphatically. As you will know we have never been just a campaign. We are a grassroots multiracial, multigenerational movement which has always believed that real change never comes from the top on down, but always from the bottom on up. We have taken on Wall Street, the insurance companies, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry, the military industrial complex, the prison industrial complex, and the greed of the entire corporate elite. That struggle continues. While this campaign is coming to an end, our movement is not.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reminded us that, quote, the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice, end quote. The fight for justice is what our campaign has been about. The fight for justice is what our movement remains about.
Today, I congratulate Joe Biden, a very decent man, who I will work with to move our progressive ideas forward. On a practical note, let me also say this. I will stay on the ballot in all remaining states and continue to gather delegates. While Vice President Biden will be the nominee, we must continue working to assemble as many delegates as possible at the Democratic Convention, where we will be able to exert significant influence over the party platform and other functions. Then together, standing united, we will go forward to defeat Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in modern American history. And we will fight to elect strong progressesives at every level of government, from Congress to the school board.
As I hope all of you know, this race has never been about me. I ran for the presidency because I believed that as a president I could accelerate and institutionalize the progressive changes that we are all building together. And if we keep organizing and fighting, I have no doubt, but that that is exactly what will happen. While the path may be slower now, we will change this nation, and with like minded friends around the globe, change the entire world.
On a very personal note, speaking for Jane myself and our entire family, we will always carry in our hearts the memory of the extraordinary people we have met across this country. We often hear about the beauty of America, and this country is incredibly beautiful, but to me the beauty I will remember most is in the faces of the people we have met from one corner of this nation to the other. The compassion, love and decency I have seen in them makes me so hopeful for our future. It also makes me more determined than ever to work to create a nation that reflects those values and lifts up all of our people.
Please stay in this fight with me. Let us go forward together. The struggle continues. Thank you all very much.
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Biden for President
April 8, 2020
Statement from Vice President Joe Biden
Today, Senator Sanders announced he was suspending his campaign. Bernie has put his heart and soul into not only running for President, but for the causes and issues he has been dedicated to his whole life. So, I know how hard a decision this was for him to make — and how hard it is for the millions of his supporters — especially younger voters — who have been inspired and energized and brought into politics by the progressive agenda he has championed. Bernie has done something rare in politics. He hasn’t just run a political campaign; he’s created a movement. And make no mistake about it, I believe it’s a movement that is as powerful today as it was yesterday. That’s a good thing for our nation and our future.Senator Sanders and his supporters have changed the dialogue in America. Issues which had been given little attention — or little hope of ever passing — are now at the center of the political debate. Income inequality, universal health care, climate change, free college, relieving students from the crushing debt of student loans. These are just a few of the issues Bernie and his supporters have given life to. And while Bernie and I may not agree on how we might get there, we agree on the ultimate goal for these issues and many more.
But more than any one issue or set of issues, I want to commend Bernie for being a powerful voice for a fairer and more just America. It’s voices like Bernie’s that refuse to allow us to just accept what is — that refuse to accept we can’t change what’s wrong in our nation — that refuse to accept the health and well-being of our fellow citizens and our planet isn’t our responsibility too. Bernie gets a lot of credit for his passionate advocacy for the issues he cares about. But he doesn’t get enough credit for being a voice that forces us all to take a hard look in the mirror and ask if we’ve done enough.
While the Sanders campaign has been suspended — its impact on this election and on elections to come is far from over. We will address the existential crisis of climate change. We will confront income inequality in our nation. We will make sure healthcare is affordable and accessible to every American. We will make education at our public colleges and universities free. We will ease the burden of student debt. And, most important of all, we will defeat Donald Trump.
At this moment, we are in the middle of an unprecedented crisis in American history. There is enormous fear and pain and loss being felt all across the country. There are also untold stories of heroism — of nurses and health care workers and doctors and first responders and grocery store workers and truck drivers and so many others on the front lines of this crisis. Putting their own lives in danger for the rest of us. If we didn’t know it before, we know it now: This is the backbone of our nation.
Our first job is to get through the immediate crisis threatening the public health and getting into the pockets of America’s workers. But we also need to take a hard look at what we need to fix and change in this country. Many of the biggest cracks in the social safety net have been laid bare — from health care to paid sick leave to a more extensive and comprehensive system of unemployment benefits. We will need to address these. Just as we need to address rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure. And we all know — the clock is ticking — we don’t have a moment to waste in combating the climate crisis.
As friends, Jill and I want to say to Bernie and Jane, we know how hard this is. You have put the interest of the nation — and the need to defeat Donald Trump — above all else. And for that Jill and I are grateful. But we also want you to know: I’ll be reaching out to you. You will be heard by me. As you say: Not me, Us.
And to your supporters I make the same commitment: I see you, I hear you, and I understand the urgency of what it is we have to get done in this country. I hope you will join us. You are more than welcome. You’re needed.
Together we will defeat Donald Trump. And when we do that, we’ll not only do the hard work of rebuilding this nation — we’ll transform it.
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Donald J. Trump for President, inc.
Trump campaign statement on Bernie Sanders suspending his campaign
“With Bernie Sanders suspending his campaign, it’s all but official that the Democrat establishment got the candidate they wanted in Joe Biden, as well as the candidate President Trump will destroy in November. President Trump is still disrupting Washington, DC, while Biden represents the old, tired way and continuing to coddle the communist regime in China. Democrat elites shoved Bernie Sanders to the side for a second time, leaving many of his supporters looking for a new home.”- Brad Parscale, Trump 2020 campaign manager
Democracy for America
DFA praises Sanders “transformational” campaign, is “100% committed” to ensuring Biden beats Trump
Sen. Bernie Sanders just announced the suspension of his 2020 campaign for President. Democracy for America endorsed Sanders in 2016 and fought along his side from early in the campaign all the way to the convention. The grassroots progressive group endorsed Sanders again prior to the Super Tuesday contests following a vote of DFA members.Statement from Democracy for America Chair Charles Chamberlain on the suspension of Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign:
“Both in 2016 and in 2020, Bernie Sanders built a grassroots movement that brought millions into the political process, led a progressive transformation of the national policy debate, and ushered in the leadership of the next generation of progressive changemakers.
“Put simply, over the last five years, Bernie Sanders has fundamentally altered the range of what is politically possible in American politics and the progressive movement is stronger now than it has ever been because of it.
“In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s more clear than ever that our country needs the political revolution that Bernie Sanders has been calling for not just over his last two campaigns, but over his entire political life. While we’re disappointed today, we refuse to cave to the cynicism that remains the real enemy of progress.
"Specifically, we take heart in the fact that, in exit polls in state after state, from California to Mississippi, Democrats are unified behind the big, bold progressive agenda on issues, like Medicare for All, that fueled Bernie Sanders in this race.
“At the same time, Democratic voters, including many progressives, backed Joe Biden largely because they believed he was the candidate best positioned to defeat Donald Trump.
“While DFA members disagreed, Democratic voters have spoken clearly through this primary process and, now that it’s over, we are 100% committed to doing everything we can to ensure that Joe Biden beats Donald Trump.
“And, after Joe Biden's wins, as we will make sure he does, the progressive movement will push him every single day to be the progressive president America demands and our challenging times require.” — Charles Chamberlain, Chair, Democracy for America
American Bridge 21st Century
American Bridge on Senator Sanders Suspending Presidential Campaign
American Bridge President Bradley Beychok released the following statement regarding Senator Bernie Sanders decision to suspend his presidential campaign:"I want to congratulate Senator Bernie Sanders on running a campaign that energized voters across the country and fought hard to expand the electorate. Together, we all agree that Donald Trump poses an existential threat to our country and our future. To ensure Trump is a one-term president, we need Senator Sanders, his supporters, and a full-throttled Democratic party united behind Vice President Joe Biden heading into the general election. Together with our Democratic allies, we will do everything we can to make sure Joe Biden is elected as the next President of the United States in November."
Democratic National Committee
April 8, 2020
DNC Statement on the Presumptive Democratic Nominee
DNC Chair Tom Perez released the following statement on Senator Bernie Sanders suspending his campaign and Vice President Joe Biden becoming the presumptive Democratic nominee:“This primary has been one of the most inclusive and transparent in our party’s history. It has showcased the best of our party, and I’m so inspired by all of our candidates. All of them brought integrity to this contest. All of them brought talent, drive, and enthusiasm. And most importantly, all of them showed an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of the American people. I want to congratulate Vice President Biden and his team on their victory, and I also want to congratulate Senator Sanders and his team on theirs. His energy, ideas, and leadership have strengthened our Democratic Party, and we need Sen. Sanders and his team to continue leading in this fight.
“Now it’s time to come together and unite around our presumptive nominee. It’s time to finish the job and send Joe Biden to the White House. For more than half a century, Joe Biden has fought for the underdog – from lifting up workers and middle-class families, to protecting survivors of domestic abuse through the landmark Violence Against Women Act, to leading the fight against the NRA and the gun lobby in the United States Senate. And as labor secretary under President Barack Obama, I got to see Vice President Biden’s invaluable leadership firsthand as he helped to lift our economy out of a recession, rescue the auto industry from collapse, and expand health care coverage for millions of Americans, including those with preexisting conditions.
“Joe Biden is Donald Trump’s worst nightmare. And you don’t have to take my word for it. Even Trump’s own advisors have admitted Trump is terrified of running against Vice President Biden. The choice for the American people could not be clearer: Donald Trump is a man of chaos and cruelty; Joe Biden is a man of character and compassion. Donald Trump has failed every test of presidential leadership and broken just about every promise he’s made, including during this public health crisis; Joe Biden has a decades-long record of delivering results for the American people.
“Now more than ever, we need a change in leadership to get our country on the right track. The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the utter incompetence, inexperience, and ineffectiveness of Donald Trump. His failure to prepare for this crisis and to listen to health experts has cost people their jobs, their savings, and even their lives. In times of crisis, we need a president with the experience and empathy to lead the way forward. We need Joe Biden.
“The American people know the Democratic Party has their back. They know Democrats are the only party fighting to protect their health care, their jobs, their homes, and their future. They know Democrats are the only party fighting to end gun violence, combat climate change, and protect reproductive rights. They know Democrats are the only party who will give them a fair shake – no matter what they look like, where they come from, who they love, or how they pray. That’s why they’re ready to elect Joe Biden as the next president of the United States.”
Copyright © 2020 Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in
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