Remarks by Vice President Harris before the round-table discussion with the President

Vice President’s Office
Eisenhower Executive Office Building

3:20 p.m. EDT

Vice President: Hello everyone. I want to thank these extraordinary leaders, the leaders of education, for being here. Thank you for being here for this important discussion. I also thank you for the work you do every day to build the future of our country and the world. Thank you very much.

I would first like to talk about the historical significance of the bill passed by the Senate this weekend. Thanks to President Joe Biden and his leadership, we are about to sign the Inflation Reduction Act.

Given this situation, the bill would be the largest investment ever made to address the climate crisis. We’re looking at it — (applause) — sure.

And with the Inflation Reduction Act, we’re looking to invest just about $370 billion to deal with crises that are always apparent when you turn on your TV, from fires on the West Coast to hurricanes and floods.

The bill would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. Here’s what we know — when you think about the cost of living, the cost of living, the burden of getting through the day — drug prices are a big part of life today. It’s putting pressure on American families.

The monthly cap on insulin for seniors will be $35, not to mention lower health insurance premiums.

And as we say, companies pay their fair share because that’s the case.

So this is happening as part of the vision that the President and I laid out early in our administration. It’s about addressing the challenges of the moment and, of course, related to the pandemic and what it was like. To what we always intended about the need to get people vaccinated and get people back to work. And we see progress in building a strong and prosperous America.

So, looking at this and our current situation, I am very proud of the fact that we lifted 40% of children out of poverty in their first year by delivering to American families. In her first year, she lifted 40% of America’s children out of poverty.

We saved small businesses. We’ve seen historic job growth. In fact, we calculate that at least 9 million jobs have been created. So we’ve now got all those jobs back in terms of jobs lost during the pandemic. In fact, it’s the lowest unemployment rate our country has experienced in half a century.

So we are proud of these achievements and the fact that NATO is strong. And a bipartisan bill to address what is needed from a reasonable gun safety perspective. Of course, the nomination and confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and what that means in terms of representation in the Supreme Court. The correct decision of the president in connection with the removal of the al-Qaeda chief.

So while I can say that there is good work done so far, we recognize that there is still work to be done.

As such, on the topic at hand, these leaders are leading at extraordinary times for many reasons. They are building our nation’s future to meet the challenges of today. But we are also doing it in the context of the United States Supreme Court’s decision to deprive the people of the United States, American women, of their constitutional rights. it was allowed.

Please also note that we understand that the majority of women affected by this decision are between the ages of 20 and 29. So, I met with a group of Higher Education Chancellors and Chancellors and our Secretary of Education to discuss how this issue uniquely affects women in that age group, and how it affects women. , more specifically – attend our colleges and universities.

The principle at stake, of course, is that American women must be trusted to make their own most intimate decisions. But the government should not make this decision for her. .

Given the reality of women in college, we can see that there are certain issues that affect them. And we have heard from them. We know that college women are uniquely affected by restrictions on their reproductive rights. So a woman on a college campus, and this is the sad truth, is three times more likely to experience sexual violence than she is.

We know that many women who attend college have academic responsibilities. Many of them may have graduated from college and are working to pay their tuition in a way that limits their ability to travel. In addition to completing school, she can also afford to travel to places where she may receive reproductive health care.

That is why our administration has taken action to protect reproductive health care that is available and accessible to women in America. This includes, of course, allowing states to use Medicaid funds to help women travel or engage in interstate travel for care, within the limits of the Hyde Amendment. will be

Also, our Department of Justice — the U.S. Department of Justice, will file lawsuits challenging the Idaho abortion ban and, where necessary, to ensure that there is no conflict between these state and federal laws. It’s clear we’re ready to do more with litigation.We need access to — guaranteed access to emergency medical care.

Finally, I will conclude by saying: Our colleges and universities are doing an extraordinary job. I know there is work being done to look at ways to protect student access to care, especially by setting flexible attendance policies to allow students to seek care. Create an emergency fund for student care. Also, by clarifying the confidentiality and privacy policies of campus medical services. So there’s good work going on here.

And I’m really looking forward to talking with these leaders, especially during this difficult time.

So, with that, I will hand it over to Secretary of Education Cardona to moderate and begin our discussion.

Ends 3:28 PM EDT