Read here the full transcript of Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech in Georgia during a rally with supporters on September 4, 2024.
Listen to the audio version here:
TRANSCRIPT:
Opening Remarks
Hi guys, thank you all. It’s so good to be back in New Hampshire. Doug sends his love to everyone as well. Thank you, Nicole. You guys are just so extraordinary, and I applaud the way you do business and the love you give to the community. I love our small business owners; you are part of the essential fabric of a community that cares about one another. Thank you for everything.
Thank you to the outstanding congressional delegation: Senators Shaheen, Hassan, Representatives Pappas and Kuster, and all the leaders who are here today. Thank you all for taking the time to be here this afternoon.
Addressing the Georgia Shooting
Before I begin, I want to say a few words about the tragic shooting that took place this morning in Winder, Georgia. We’re still gathering information about what happened, but we know that there were multiple fatalities and injuries. Our hearts are with all the students, the teachers, and their families. We are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement that were on the scene, but this is just a senseless tragedy on top of so many senseless tragedies.
It’s outrageous that every day in our country, parents have to send their children to school worried about whether or not their child will come home alive. It’s senseless; we’ve got to stop it. We have to end this epidemic of gun violence in our country once and for all. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Reflections on School Safety
Last year, I started a college tour, traveling our country and meeting with young leaders. I love Gen Z.
One of the things I asked every time I went to an auditorium filled with these young leaders was, “Raise your hand if at any point between kindergarten and twelfth grade you had to endure an active shooter drill.” Almost every hand went up.
Many of us had earthquake drills or fire drills, but our kids are sitting in classrooms where they should be fulfilling their God-given potential, and some part of their big, beautiful brain is concerned about a shooter busting through the door. It does not have to be this way.
The Upcoming Election
New Hampshire, we have 62 days to go. This race is going to be tight until the very end. Let’s not pay too much attention to the polls because we are running as the underdog. We know what they’re capable of on the other side. The only thing we can take for granted is the love that we as Americans have for each other, knowing we have so much more in common than what separates us.
We’ve got some hard work ahead, but we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work. We are up for the task, and with your help, we will win in November.
Building an Opportunity Economy
We love our country, and we believe in the promise of America. That includes what I call an opportunity economy. My vision of an opportunity economy is one where everyone can compete and have a real chance to succeed. Where everyone, regardless of who they are or where they start, can build wealth, including intergenerational wealth.
I believe America’s small businesses are an essential foundation to our entire economy. Small businesses in our country employ half of all private sector workers. They do trillions of dollars of business every year. They generate revenue that helps repair our roads and pay our teachers.
Supporting Small Businesses
As president, one of my highest priorities will be to strengthen America’s small businesses. Here are a few elements of my plan:
We’re going to help more small businesses and innovators get off the ground. I want to see 25 million new small business applications by the end of my first term.
We will help existing small businesses grow by providing low and no-interest loans to those that want to expand.
We will cut the red tape that can make starting and growing a small business more difficult than it needs to be.
We will invest in small businesses and innovators throughout America, with a particular focus on rural communities.
We will make our tax code more fair while prioritizing investment and innovation.
Billionaires and big corporations must pay their fair share in tax. It’s just not right that those who can most afford it are often paying a lower tax rate than our teachers, nurses, and firefighters. That’s why I support a billionaire minimum tax and corporations paying their fair share.
While we ensure that the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share, we will tax capital gains at a rate that rewards investment in America’s innovators, founders, and small businesses.
Contrasting with the Opposition
Now compare that to what Donald Trump plans. He intends to cut off federal programs that give loans to small businesses. He plans to give billionaires massive tax cuts and to cut corporate taxes by over a trillion dollars, even as they pull in record profits. His plans will add more than $5 trillion to the national debt, on top of the $2 trillion tax cut he gave them when he was president.
Defending Healthcare and Reproductive Rights
If Donald Trump were to win in November, he intends to end the Affordable Care Act, which would significantly increase costs for small businesses. He wants to take us back to a time when insurance companies could deny people with preexisting conditions.
We are here to tell him and them we are not going back. We’re not going back. No, we are not, and we will move forward, because ours is a fight for the future, and it is a fight for freedom.
Protecting Fundamental Freedoms
Across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on attack on hard-fought, hard-won fundamental freedoms and rights. This includes the freedom to vote, the freedom to be safe from gun violence, the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water, and the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride.
Closing Remarks
Generations of Americans before us fought for freedom and led the fight for freedom in our country. Now, the baton is in our hands. Let us understand our purpose at this very moment. Let us remember the broad shoulders upon which we stand and the traditions of this very fight that have led to what we have been able to accomplish.
When we say fight, it is a fight for something, not against something. This is what we’re talking about when we talk about a new way forward. This is for something.
So I’ll end where I started. When it comes down to it, we are all here together because we love our country. We love our country. And we know the privilege and pride that comes with being an American. I do believe it is one of the highest forms of patriotism to fight for the ideals of our country. That is how we realize the promise of America.
Are you ready to have your voices heard? Do we believe in freedom? Do we believe in opportunity? Do we believe in the promise of America? And are we ready to fight for it? When we fight, we win. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
