joe biden speech today

joe biden speech today

Joe Biden’s Speech: A Call to Action

1. Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen, a call to action. We are in the city of Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania. Just as two of the founding fathers did in this place 224 years ago to this very day, we are commemorating now in this city the 224th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In doing so, we are called to think of the vision as crafted by Jefferson and adopted by the Continental Congress. A vision which led and has led since the century of the Declaration to a nation which has grown from a few million to over 200 million. A vision which has taken us from 13 states on the eastern seaboard to 50 great states reaching from sea to shining sea. A vision which took us from an agrarian society through a great industrial revolution to the high-tech society of today. Great movements for change in this nation have been inspired by the spirit of the Declaration. In the years of the Civil War, Lincoln referred to it as a new birth of freedom. And in the two centuries since, we have seen a constant struggle for expanded voting rights, for civil rights for minority groups, for women’s rights, and hope for an end to poverty and greater social justice for all. And it is out of respect for that great vision and that courage of all those who supported and fought for it that we now reflect upon the current state of our nation and the future to which it is headed.

2. Addressing Key Issues

He says that there needs to be more transparency with the money that is given to corporations and banks, and that the citizens of America have the right to know where their tax money is going. The Obama administration seeks to create more jobs by giving incentives to business and to create jobs for projects aimed to “reduce our reliance on foreign oil and build a more economically, environmentally sustainable energy infrastructure.” Step by step, showing how money is given and where it will take the nation, Biden believes that this can save or create “at least three to four million jobs of Americans who are providing these very same services”.

The third and final region that Biden’s speech concentrates on is his methods to stop the recent financial situation in America. Due to the fact that the financial situation was a major factor that contributed to the overall failure of the previous administration, this factor is tied closely to the issues already mentioned. Biden reiterates that the overall problem with the stimulus package offered by the Bush administration is that it did not effectively target the existing problems.

3. Policy Proposals

• The most effective way to reduce health costs is to curb the rapid growth in the price and utilization of high-tech procedures. Congress and the President should establish a National Health Board with broad discretion to regulate the financing, purchasing, and clinical indications of new high-technology medical equipment, drugs, and procedures. The Board would be a federal-state partnership and funded by federal block grants.

• Enact legislation to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost of new treatments, and require the Medicare program to conduct more comparative studies on treatments for seniors. The President should hold ’roundtables’ and meetings with beneficiaries of all ages to explain that the Medicare Program and its beneficiaries are paying too much for high-tech treatments of marginal or no effectiveness and meet considerable resistance in attempts to change that.

• Cash-strapped state and local governments are cutting back on health care for the poor, disabled, and prisoners. As a transitional step to a more efficient health care system, the federal government should provide a temporary infusion of funds to cover these costs.

• In the near term, propose a tax credit to offset all catastrophic health care costs for the insured and eliminate all cost-sharing/co-payments for preventive services.

A. Proposals to rein in health costs:

4. Unifying the Nation

America will never be destroyed from the outside. America would divide and fall victim to a few common terrorist acts and phenomena, in addition to political turmoil in the aftermath which could potentially threaten our future and our children’s future. The acts and phenomena include: Harassment of Arab and Muslim Americans, hate crimes, and the in-house spread of terrorism, particularly anthrax. First, we are experiencing a surge in hate crimes against Arab and Muslims. It is reported that more than 300 acts of violence and harassment have occurred since Sept 11, and this is over twice the normal rate. This harassment cannot and will not be tolerated. Whether you are a natural-born citizen, a legal immigrant, or one born on our soil under foreign nationality, if you’re an American, if you swear by our constitution, and if you stand by our nation and its fight against terrorism, you are as legitimate as I or any other person that can claim ancestry within our nation. No one group should be singled out and attacked, and speaking from the heart, I can sense it and see it in the eyes of the nation, that we are better than this. We are the good guys, and acts of terror inflicted against us from a few hateful and vengeful groups do not change the fundamental fiber of our nature. Let us find and capture the guilty and cleanse the system, but why do we attack our own, and others who have nothing to do with it? And what of these hate crimes? A number of stories are surfacing across the country of vandalism against Arab Americans’ homes and shops, to intimidation and violence against those who admit their faith and ethnicity. This is a sickening act and a total contradiction to the American way of life. No more needs to be said, we must stop it and make these victims whole again.

5. Conclusion and Call to Action

After his Munich speech, welcomed by many other national leaders and an increasing number of foreign policy experts, President Biden can anticipate broader support for his global initiatives. This comes at a time when there is increasing danger for illiberal powers developing the wherewithal to challenge and change the current rules-based global order. This will provide ample opportunity and need for U.S. leadership to act in defense of its interests and democratic values, posed that meet the challenges with effectiveness and restraint. Mr. Biden’s initiatives should be tested and adjusted. But for now and the near future, there is no clearer alternative to recent years of too often poorly conceived and executed military intervention.

The content of his assessment and the messages in these presentations present substantial evidence regarding the need for applying strategies other than military force in our engagements with other nations on the U.S. part. As Daniel Larison states in his blog, “Biden is implicitly admitting that the U.S. is at a significant disadvantage when it comes to ‘strategic competition’ with China and Russia. This is probably the most that we can hope to get from him on the subject.” The president clearly believes that it is in the best interest of the United States to use diplomatic measures and alliances to build fences and deny hostile others the position where they can challenge U.S. interests and values. He says that the best way of doing that is to show U.S. power and influence by leading with the power of example, as was stated in his recent quote of Franklin Roosevelt’s declaration that the Four Freedoms are a treasure to be sought to be attained in the world. Pass a complex and precise here. Tell me about the challenges and implications and how there can now be a U.S. response.

When Joe Biden became president, the U.S. was facing multiple serious, concurrent crises. He made a commitment to Americans to “marshal the forces of this nation on a global, comprehensive strategy to confront the defining challenges of the 21st century.” After his assessment of international hot spots, his analysis of recent developments regarding China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea and their implications for the U.S., and his speech at the recent Munich Security Conference made it clear that he is committed to fulfilling his promise.