Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2021

July 20, 2021

The President. Well, look, todayâtoday's Cabinet meeting, I want to give a brief progress report as to where I think we are and the job you're doing in the first 6 months.

First, the pandemic. I know folks are watching the number of cases rising again and wondering, quite frankly, what it means to them. But overallâoverallâCOVIDâ19 deaths are down dramatically. Dramatically. And these last 6 months, about 90-percent down due to our vaccination program. And I want to thank you all for the great job you did in getting that done.

But we have to stay vigilant, especially with the Delta variant that's out there. While COVIDâ19 cases are rising, virtually all of the COVID deathâvirtually all of the COVID deaths and hospitalizations are from unvaccinated people. Let me say it again: Virtually all are from unvaccinated people.

And that means the safest thing to do is to get vaccinatedâget vaccinated. And that's why we're focusing, on our next phase, on getting the unvaccinated vaccinated. I know it seems like a constant uphill climb, but it's graduallyâwe're making progress, but we've got a way to go yet.

Secondly, the economy. Yesterdayâthat I spoke of the historic economic progress we've made, which starts with the American Rescue Plan: shots in arms that saved a lot of lives; checks and tax cuts to give them just a little extra breathing room, ordinary Americans; and lower health care costs, just when so many Americans needed that help. And it's helped create 3 millionâ3 million jobsâmore than any administration has done in the first 6 months of being in officeâ again, thanks to all of you.

And with our bipartisan infrastructure framework and our Build Back Better plan, I think we can turn thisâthis great movement into a economic boom for some time to come. And I really mean that. I think we're in a cuspânot only getting us out of the hole, but setting us on aâon a path that's going to generate significant continued economic growth.

And the American people are overwhelmingly supportive of our plansâthat's support that a lot of our friends on the other team kind of miss. The polling data shows that they strongly supportâstrongly support our efforts for infrastructure.

I think they're a little tired of "infrastructure week" for 4 years in a row. I think we're on the verge of me being able to get something really doneârebuilding roads and bridges; replacing lead water pipes; delivering high-speed internet to every Americanârural and inner city; and taking on the climate crisis withâwith American jobs.

And they want us to build backâto build back better. They don't know the name necessarily, but they know that they support universal pre-K and 2 years of community college; paid leave and childcare, which is essentially a significant tax cut for working class families; and allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug cost, which will significantly reduce drug prices across the board for people.

And they support asking the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans and corporate America not to pay more than they should; just begin to pay their fair share, just step up a little bit.

The idea that 50 of the largest corporations in America pay no tax, it'sâI think people should be able to be millionaires and billionaires if they have the ideas, but, Lord's sake, the ideaâlet's start paying your fair share.

And third thing is, there areâand, by the way, there's overwhelming evidence in the polling data, they support what we're doing, is how to pay for these programs.

Thirdly, restoring American leadership in the world. I know you all haveâthose of you who've traveled around the worldâI know our Ambassador to the United Nations knows it full wellâthat America hasâwas really behind the eight ball the last 4 years. We've lost a lot of our standing. I don't have to tell that to my buddy sitting on my right here, the Secretary of State. He understands it well.

And as I've said before, we areâwe are definingâin a defining competition right now for the 21st centuryâfor the second quarter of the 21st centuryâwith China and many other nations. And many of these nations believe that autocracy is the future; that democracies cannot compete with autocracies, because it's so hardâthings are moving so rapidly, technologically and otherwise, that democracies can't get the act together enough to get a consensus how to move.

Well, I reject that mostânotion completely, and I think the vast majority of American people do as well.

You know, in my conversations and meetings with world leadersâjust coming back from, I guess, what 8, 9 days over there, ending with a meeting with Putinâyou know, I'm making it absolutely clear that democracy is more capableâmore capable, and America is back, whether it's helping vaccinate the world. And we're not just vaccinating ourselfâwe'll get into itâwe're going to vaccinateâhelp vaccinate the world.

We're building back better to create jobs and grow the middle class not just at home, everywhere. It's in our interests the economicâthe economies of these other nations grow.

And we're going to lead the fight against the climate crisis and tacklingâtackling the challenges of cybersecurity. We've been very clear to ourâourâother nations as to what we expect in terms of their conduct.

And finally, there's much more to be done and so much more to doâtackling voting rights, which is an existential threat to democracy right now. The things that are being asked are just beyond the pale. And the Vice President has been working hard on this issue and is going to continue toâwe all areâbut there's much more to do. We have to tackle the immigration problem, which we're working really hard to get done in a humane and serious way. Police reform and crime.

And the bottom line is: We're delivering on our promises. We have to deliver on all the promises we made. Because I think we're in a situation where the vast majority of the public agrees with the essence of what we're trying to do.

And so I just think that we're showing there's nothing that America is unable to do when we do it together.

And so, you know, I think it's time for us to stop now so we can get started with our meeting.

So are you ready, folks, to go to work?

Participants. Yes.

Q. Mr. President, quickly: Do you think vaccinated people should start wearing masks?

Q. [Inaudible]

The President. Guys, we're going to work now. We'reâwe'll have plenty of time toâ [inaudible].

NOTE: The President spoke at 3:31 p.m. in the Cabinet Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin of Russia.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Cabinet meeting. Locations: Washington, DC.

Names: Blinken, Antony J.; Harris, Kamala D.; Putin, Vladimir Vladimirovich; Thomas- Greenfield, Linda.

Subjects: Cabinet meetings; Civil rights : Voting rights; Communications : Broadband and wireless technologies; Congress : Bipartisanship; Coronavirus pandemic, international cooperation efforts; Defense and national security : Cybersecurity :: Strengthening efforts; Diseases : Coronavirus, domestic prevention efforts; Economy, national : Strengthening efforts; Education : Early childhood education programs; Education : Postsecondary education :: Community colleges; Employment and unemployment : Job creation and growth; Environment : Climate change; Environment : Lead service lines, replacement efforts; Health and medical care : Affordability and costs; Health and medical care : Medicare and Medicaid; Health and medical care : Prescription drugs, affordability and costs; Immigration and naturalization : Reform; Infrastructure, national improvement efforts; Law enforcement and crime : Policing best practices, improvement efforts; Russia : President; Science and technology : Research and development; State, Department of : Secretary; Taxation : Corporate tax rates; Taxation : Tax Code, reform; Taxation : Tax relief; Transportation : Highway system, modernization efforts; United Nations : U.S. Permanent Representative; White House Office : Vice President.

DCPD Number: DCPD202100596.