Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2023

May 16, 2023

Thank you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Please. Please.

I'm Joe Biden. I'm Jill Biden's husband. [*Laughter*] And I look around this room and, as they say in Southern Delaware, there's a lot of you who have brung me to the dance, man. [*Laughter*] I'm serious. Thank you all for all you do every day, not just in fighting anti-Semitism, but being engaged in your country's business.

Public Debt Limit/The President's Travel Schedule

Before I begin, I just finished aâbecause the press will want to hear this before they hear me say anythingâ[*laughter*]âand it's just to keep them quiet for aâ[*laughter*]âI'm only kidding. Butâis that we just finished another good, productive meeting with our congressional leadership about a path forward to make sure that America does not default on its debt for the first time in its history.

There is stillâthere's still work to do, but I made it clear to the Speaker and others that we'll speak regularly over the next several days, and the staff is going to continue meeting daily to make sure we do not default.

I'm scheduled to travel tomorrow to the Gâ7 summit in Japan. And America's role in the world is vital, especially right now as we work together with other countries to support Ukraine and take on all the challenges that demand international cooperation, from tackling climate change to strengthening global economicâthe global economy. And the nature of the Presidency is addressing many of the critical matters all at once, so I'm confident we're going to continue to make progress toward avoiding default and fulfilling America's responsibility as a leader on the world stage.

However, I'm cutting my trip short. I'm postponing the Australia portion of the trip and my tripâmy stop in Papua New Guinea in order to be back for the final negotiations with the congressional leaders. And I spoke today with Prime Minister Albanese of Australia andâa short time agoâand let him know what was going on. There was an overwhelming consensus, I think, in today's meeting with the congressional leaders that defaulting on the debt is simply not an option.

Our economy would fall into recession. It would devastate retirement accounts, increase borrowing costs. And according to Moody's, nearly 8 million Americans would lose their jobs. And our international reputation would be damaged in the extreme if we were to let that happen.

It's disappointing that in our discussions the congressional Republicans have not been willing to discuss raising revenues. But the policy differences between the parties should not stop Congress from avoiding default. I made clear again in today's meeting that default is not an option. America pays its debt, pays its bills, and there'll be plenty of time to debate the policy differences. But the country is neverâwe've never defaulted on our debt, and we never will.

Jewish American Heritage Month

Now, for the reasons why we're here this evening. Thank you, Doug. [*Laughter*] Thank you very much. It's always an honor to be introduced by the first-ever Jewish spouse of an American Vice President. Kamala is here as well. She was at these meetings with me as well.

And it's always great to be with Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultzâwhere are you, Debbie? There you areâ[*applause*]âwho many call the mother of the Jewish American Heritage Monthâ[*laughter*]âyou're too young, Momâ[*applause*]âfor working for nearly two decades to make it a reality.

And I also want to thank our special guest, Michel [Michael; White House correction], whoâensure that today'sâtoday is both delicious and *glatt *kosher. [*Laughter*] WhereâI don't know where the chef is. There you are. Well, stand up, man. And I'm honored he's on my Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. So I know it's going to be good. [*Laughter*]

And finally, I thank all of you for joining us as we celebrate Jewish Americans, whose values, culture, and contributions have shaped who we are as a nation. And that's not hyperbole. Over generations, the story of resilience, hope, faith of the Jewish people and the adversity, prejudice, and persecution and the promise of a better tomorrow has inspired people everywhereâeverywhere around the world.

Back in 1600, even before the founding of the Americanâa small band of 23 JewsâJewish refugees fleeing persecution abroad sailed to the port of modern-day New York City. They came seeking religious freedom, helping define one of the bedrock principles on which this Nation was built.

And in the years since, Jewish artists, entertainers, and poets like Emma Lazarus, who Jill mentioned, helped me defineâhelped us define America's vision of liberty for millions of people who came to our shores: Jewish suffragettes and advocates who fought for women's rights, voting rights, workers' rights; Jewish activists who marched, petitioned, and boarded buses to demand civil rights for all; Jewish scientists, doctors, andâwho led to breakthrough scienceâscientific breakthroughs in science and medicine.

And across the public service, Jewish Americans have proudly served the Nation in uniform, in elected office, in Embassies, in civil service, and on our Nation's highest courts. And fearless American journalists, like Evan, who's being heldâof Wall Street Journalâbeing held in aâ shedâbecause he shed some light on the darkness in Russia. My administration is working every day for Evan's release, along with Paul Whelan, who's also been wrongfully detained in Russia.

We also know the contributions of Jewish Americans are shadowed by a long and painful history of the oldest and most sinister forces, hate and anti-Semitism, like the story of Leo Frank you just heard from theâfor our performers on Broadway in the show "Parade." I thank them for telling the truth about what happened so it cannot be buried or erased. It matters that the truth be made public.

My dad first taught me about the horrors of the Shoah in ourâat our family dinner table. Our dinner table was a place you got together to have conversation and, incidentally, eat. I've takenâ[*laughter*]âand my dad talked about how outraged he was about why we didn't bomb the railroad tracks into the concentration camps, why we didn't let the ship in with Jewsâand just go on and on. And he talked about the need to make sure every generation understood.

And since then, I've taken my childrenâevery child, when they turned 14, I put them on a planeâthe first trip they've ever taken abroad. We fly directly to Dachau because I want them to seeâI want them to seeâhow no one could pretend they didn't know, how you walk through that gateâand all my colleagues went through that gateâwalk through that gate and you see, along the fence line of the entire area, beautiful homes withâbeautiful roofs and windows andâI mean, justâand the idea they didn't know what was going on there is just bizarre. Just bizarre.

And so I wanted them to bear witness to the perils of indifference.

I was reminded of the importance of that remembrance when I visited Israel again last yearâI've been there many, many timesâwhere I met two Holocaust survivors at Yad Vashem. You knowâand there, I reaffirmed America's unshakable commitment to Israel's security and its right to exist as an independent Jewish state, a commitment I reaffirm today withâas rockets are launched indiscriminately into Israel from the terrorists in Gaza, forcing terrified families to hide with their children in bunkers to seek safety.

My support for Israel's security remains longstanding and unwavering, including the right of Israel to defend itself against attacks. And I'm proudâI'm proud of our supportâand my colleagues that are here today as wellâfor Israel's Iron Dome, which has intercepted thousands of rockets and saved countless lives in Israel. But sadly, security for the Jewish people isn't just an issue abroad.

I decided to run in 2017 when Jill and I were deciding we weren't going to run. We had just lost our son. We weren't going to back in. BecauseâI was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. We weren't going to run.

We turned on that televisionâyou all remember the nightâwhen you saw those people walking out of the fields in Charlottesville, carrying torches and Nazi insignias and literally singing the sameâchanting the same anti-Semitic bile that was allâheard all through Germany in the early thirties.

And a young womanâI got to talk to her mom. An innocent bystander was killed. She was killed by that mob. And what did we hear when asked? We heard, quote, "There were very fine people on both sides." That was the response that we got when asked about whatâwhat heâ what the person thought. That's when I knew we had to stay engaged in the work of our time.

Hate never goes away. I came out of the civil rights movementâI used to think you could defeat itâyou could defeat hate, wipe it out. But you can't. It just hides under the rocks until someone breathes oxygen under those rocks and it comes roaring back out.

In the past several years, it's been given too much oxygen. You know, the reports have shown that anti-Semitic incidents are at a record highâthis is hard to believeâat a record high in our history, at a record high in the United States of America: violent attacks on synagogues and Jewish businesses; Jewish institutions are under armed guard; Jews wearing religious attire beaten on the street; Jewish students harassed and excluded on college campuses; swastikas on cars, in cemeteries, and in schools; anti-Semitism flyerâanti-Semitic flyers in driveways and banners on bridges; anti-Semitic conspiracy theories rampant online.

It's unconscionable. It's almost unbelievable. It's despicable. These acts are a threat to other minority communities as well. But more importantly, it's theâliterally the stain on the soul of America. We have to be clear. That expression is true: Silence is complicity. Silence is complicity. We can't remain silent. I will not remain silent, nor will any of you.

Under my Presidency, we're going to continue to condemn and combat anti-Semitism at every turn. That's why I signed the bipartisan COVIDâ19 Hate Crimes Act to help enforce betterâand help enforceâlaw enforcement better address these hate crimes. Appointed America's first Ambassador-level Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Antisemitism.

Denorahâexcuse me. Deborah. Is Deborah here? Stand up. Deborah Lipstadt, thank you. She's worked closely with the Second Gentleman, who is a leading voice on this issue as well.

I convened the first-of-its-kind White House Summit on Combating Hate-Fueled Violence. And the Department of Justiceâand the Attorney General is hereâhas made prosecuting hate crimes a top priority. And the Attorney General is going to stick with that as long as he's there. We're alsoâ[*applause*].

We also helped secure the largest increase in Federal funding ever for the physical security of nonprofits, including synagogues, Jewish community centers, Jewishâand Jewish day schools, because nobody should have to fear going to a religious school or in a school or walking down a street with symbols of your faith.

But allâbut that's not all. We'll soon be releasing the first-ever U.S. national strategy to counter antisemitism. This strategy reflects input from over thousands ofâa thousand Jewish community members and other stakeholders, including Jews from diverse backgrounds and all denominations. It also includes Members of Congress, businessesâbusiness and civil society leaders, State and local officials, and so many more.

Many of you are in this room, and I wanted to thank you for your partnership. All of you who were involved in this, stand up. Come on. Come on. [*Applause*] You're being too humble.

It matters. It's the most ambitious, comprehensive effort in our history to combat antisemitism in America. This strategy includes over a hundred meaningful actions that Government agencies are going to take to counter anti-Semitism. It also includes calls to action for Congress, State and local governments, technology, and other companies, civil society, faith leaders to counter antisemitism.

My strategy consists of four key pillars. First, we must increase awareness and understanding of both anti-Semitism and Jewish American heritage. Second, we have to improve safety and security of Jewishâfor Jewish communities. Thirdly, we must reverse the normalization inâof anti-Semitism and address anti-Semitic discrimination now and loudly. And finally, we have to continueâwe must continue to build coalitions all across communities to fight the hate.

You know, as we work together to implement this report, we're sending a clear and forceful message: In America, evil will not win. Hate will not prevail. The venom and violence of anti- Semitism will not be the story of our time.

Let me close with this. We're the only country in the world founded on an ideaâan ideaâ not on geography, not on religion, not on anâon ethnicity, but an idea. A sacred proposition rooted in faith and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence that we're all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives.

We have never fully lived up to that idea, but we have never, never walked away from it, even though we have leaders who try to get us to walk away from it. This is the work of our democracy. In a literal sense, it's the work of our democracy. The Talmud says, quote, "It's not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it."

You know, the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us. And that's the American story. It's been written in part by Jewish Americans who have turned their pain and purpose into bringing us closer to realizing the promise for all Americans.

That was the message when we hosted the first Jewish High Holiday reception ever in the White House. It was our message on Hanukkah, when we lit the first permanent White House menorah, which is the first Jewish artifact in the entire White House collection.

And that's our message today for the Jewish American Heritage Month: celebrating and connecting, feeling the pride and heritage and community, remembering we are the United States of America. There's nothingânothing, nothing, nothingâbeyond our capacity if we do it together.

I believe that from the bottom of my heart. And the reason I'm so optimistic: this new generation of young peopleâthe best educated, least prejudiced, most engaged generation in

American history. We're counting on them, but we've got to help them. We've got to help them get this right, finally.

God bless you all, and may God bless America. Thank you.

NOTE: The President spoke at 4:46 p.m. in the East Room at the White House. In his remarks, he referred to Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin O. McCarthy and House Minority Leader Hakeem S. Jeffries; Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Minority Leader A. Mitchell McConnell; Douglas C. Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala D. Harris; Israeli chef and restaurateur Michael Solomonov; Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was arrested by Russian authorities on March 29; Paul N. Whelan, a U.S. citizen who was arrested and held on espionage charges by Russian security services in Moscow, Russia, on December 28, 2018; Holocaust survivors Gita Cycowicz and Rena Quint, who greeted the President in the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel, on July 13, 2022; Susan Bro, mother of Heather D. Heyer, who was killed during the vehicular attack in Charlottesville, VA, on August 12, 2017; and former President Donald J. Trump. The transcript released by the Office of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of the First Lady and Douglas C. Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala D. Harris. Audio was not available for verification of the content of these remarks.

Categories: Addresses and Remarks : Jewish American Heritage Month celebration. Locations: Washington, DC.

Names: Albanese, Anthony; Biden, Ashley; Biden, Jill T.; Biden, R. Hunter; Bro, Susan; Cycowicz, Gita; Emhoff, Douglas C.; Garland, Merrick B.; Gershkovich, Evan; Harris, Kamala D.; Jeffries, Hakeem S.; Lipstadt, Deborah E.; McCarthy, Kevin O.; McConnell, A. Mitchell; Quint, Rena; Schumer, Charles E.; Solomonov, Michael; Trump, Donald J.; Wasserman Schultz, Deborah; Whelan, Paul N.

Subjects: Anti-Semitism; Attorney General; Australia, Prime Minister; Civil rights movement; Climate change; Economic improvement; Federal deficit and debt; Group of Seven (Gâ7) nations; Hate crimes, prevention and prosecution efforts; Hate-based violence, efforts to combat; House majority leader; Israel, relations with U.S.; Israel, security cooperation with U.S.; Jewish American Heritage Month; Russia, conflict in Ukraine; Russia, detention of U.S. citizens; Senate majority leader; Senate minority leader; Speaker of the House of Representatives; Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition, President's Council on; Tax Code reform; U.S. Special Envoy To Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism; Ukraine, Russian invasion and airstrikes; Vice President; Virginia, 2017 civil unrest and violence in Charlottesville; Women's rights and gender equality.

DCPD Number: DCPD202300421.