Commencement Address by the Vice President at the United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland

10:20 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I don't want to give the wrong speech here.  (Laughter.)  You already heard one, you don't need two. 

Folks, it’s an honor to be here.  Governor McAuliffe, special congratulations to you, old buddy.  Your son Jack, top 10 percent, head of an honors committee, captain of the Rugby team.  Terry, are you sure he’s your son?  (Laughter.)  I don't know, man.  This is a talented young man.  I can understand him being Dorothy’s son, but I don't know.  Congratulations to you, to the McAuliffes.

Secretary Mabus, Admiral Greenert -- the Admiral is always nice to me in spite of the fact that I live in his house.  The Vice President’s home is referred to as NAVOBS.  It’s 78 beautiful acres sitting on the highest point of Washington.  It used to be the CNO’s home.  The Navy still runs it.  I live there, and he still speaks to me.  And I appreciate it.  (Laughter.)  I live on Navy property, I am Navy property.

General Dunford, congratulations.  And Vice Admiral Carter, Captain Byrne, faculty, staff, family, friends, and midshipmen, most of all -- the Class of 2015.

Before I begin I’d like to again mention and honor Midshipman Justin Zemser, Class of ‘17.  Justin was a top student, a gifted athlete -- remembered as a young man of quiet strength and a man of his word.  He would have made a great Navy SEAL.  And he will be missed.  My heart goes out to his family.  No child should predecease a parent.

Class of 2015, you’re among the most promising -- you were among the most promising high school students on the planet.  No one would have blamed you for choosing an easier path.  But you chose service.  You chose honor.  You chose to join the real 1 percent that protects the 99 percent of the rest of us here in America.  (Applause.)

And we owe you.  We're proud of you.

Today, you graduate from one of the most venerated military and academic institutions on the entire Earth.  In the time since you reported for I-Day four years ago, you’ve earned your place.  Enough zero-five-thirty PTs will do that to you.

On the one hand, you’ve been subjected to unflattering haircuts.  On the other hand, though, you get to wear dress whites.  And you all look terrific. 

You’ve spent your summer abroad on real ships rather than internships.  (Laughter.)  And the specter of living in your parents’ basements after this graduation day is not likely to be your greatest concern.  (Laughter and applause.)

And that’s true across the board even for you history and English majors like me.  (Laughter.)  I see all the English majors nodding.  (Laughter.)

And as a point of personal privilege, I’d like to recognize one graduate today, Sarah Behm.  The reason I do, I appointed her father to the academy.  He was the Class of ’78.  Dad, you done real well with this girl.  Congratulations to you.  (Applause.)

And I know all of you parents are just bursting with pride.  Class of 2015, you've been an outstanding class, surpassing even the academy’s high standards.  You excelled on the field -- 13 straight wins against Army football.  (Applause.)  Not bad.  Not bad, except you’re the father of an Army major, Iraqi War veteran with a Bronze Star, who doesn't like it at all.  It’s hard.  We always go to the Army-Navy game, and I tell you what, it’s a devastating thing to sit next to my son.  But congratulations.  (Laughter.)  It makes it very uncomfortable at home, though.  (Laughter.)

You’ve excelled as a community and in the community.  You mobilized midshipmen to perform over 26,000 hours of community service.  You've registered over 2,000 new bone marrow donors, collected and donated over 60,000 pounds of food for those in need. 

And you excelled in the classroom.  You didn't just win the Annual Cyber-Defense Exercise, you became the first graduating class at any school in the United States of America to ever have had every student complete the comprehensive cyber-security curriculum.  (Applause.)

You know, back in 1845, the Secretary of the Navy’s name was Bancroft, and he chose this site for its seclusion -- its seclusion from temptation and distractions of the big cities.  I wonder what the hell/heck he would have done had he known about McGarvey’s and O’Briens and just Armadillo’s.  (Laughter.)  I doubt whether he would have picked this place.

And a few of you, some as a consequence of those temptations, have engaged in minor infractions.  (Laughter.)  So in the spirit of a long-standing tradition, I hereby absolve all midshipmen presently on restriction for minor conduct offenses.  (Applause.)

And I say to all the parents, you notice a few of them didn't cheer initially.  They're afraid they’d be identified as those on restriction.  (Laughter.)  But I say to all those on restriction, or had been on restriction till a moment ago, don't worry, John McCain and I can tell you, it’s never gotten in the way of real talent.  (Laughter.)   You think I’m kidding, don't you?  (Laughter.)  I went to the University of Delaware.  It wasn’t called restriction; it was called social probation.  Oh, God forgive me for what I’ve done.  Anyway.  (Laughter.)

In 15 minutes, you’re about to become part of this long continuum of Naval and Marine officers who have graduated from this incredible institution, a legacy that goes back 170 years.  And as someone who did not graduate from here, but has been in the midst of all of you for my entire professional career, I can tell you, you will join now a fraternity, a sorority that binds you together like nothing I have ever seen in my life -- and I mean this. 

As my military aide, Lieutenant Commander Brett Elko, and thousands of others of men and women who have graduated from the academy will tell you, this legacy will stay with you whether you're in or out of uniform.

You’ll find Annapolis graduates everywhere in the world and know -- you will just know that they will always have your back, whether or not they’ve ever met you before.  It is an incredible thing to see.

And I would now like to ask all those veterans with us today, including the 37 in the Class of 2015, please stand up and be recognized.  Please stand.  (Applause.)  We owe you every breath of our liberty to the sacrifices you have made.  This place has given you, the graduates of 2015, bonds that will last your entire lifetime.  And you've earned it. 

There are no other bonds except one deeper.  And those are the bonds with those who came here today to see you.  Your moms, your dads, your grandparents, brothers and sisters -- they're the ones responsible for your character.  You owe them and America owes them.  So, Graduating Class of 2015, stand up and show your appreciation for your parents.  (Applause.)

Usually when I address a graduating class, I say to the parents, congratulations.  You’re about to get a pay raise.  No more tuition.  But you settled that four years ago.  (Laughter.)

You know, Graduating Class, this path you’ve chosen is not for everyone.  It’s not an easy ride.  It will require much, but it will reward much.  As you know, the true measure of an officer is not only how you sail on calm waters, but how you navigate the storm.  And we, your fellow Americans, expect a great deal from you -- not just your physical courage, but your moral courage as well, which at times can be even harder to muster.

You will be measured by this account as well.  And as officers in the United States military, you must demand that every one of your fellow sailors and Marines is afforded the dignity and respect that they deserve, no matter race, gender, faith, or sexual orientation.

As leaders in the United States Navy, we count on you to refuse to tolerate sexual harassment or sexual assault in any form, under any circumstances.  It’s a matter of honor that you prevent that.  (Applause.) 

And as we look to the future, we look to you to be the forward-deployed face of America, projecting power in every corner of the world.  Because as President Theodore Roosevelt declared in an address to Congress, “A good Navy is not a provocation to war; it’s the surest guarantee of peace.”  A good Navy is the surest guarantee of peace.  The United States is in the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Arctic.  We are an Arctic, Pacific and Atlantic power, as well as a nation.

The seas cover seven-tenths of the globe.  Six-tenths of our borders are seacoast.  Nine out of ten people on the planet live on the coasts.  This maritime domain, the oceans you will roam, will be as important as ever to our national strength and security in the 21st century.  And let me tell you why.

First, the oceans continue to be an arena of potential conflict.  There’s nothing new about events on the seas driving conflict.  But what is new?  As the great powers have stepped back from the brink of mutual assured destruction, there are new fault lines.  These new fault lines will continue to divide the great powers, and they reside in the straits, in the sea lanes that you will come to know so well.  Tensions run high.  As I speak, they run high.  But you will be there to keep the peace. 

U.S. foreign policy is rebalancing toward the vast potential of the Asia Pacific region.  But we can’t succeed if you don’t show up.  That’s why 60 percent of the United States Naval forces will be stationed in the Asia Pacific by 2020 -- P-8s, Zumwalt-class destroyers, littoral combat ships, forward-deployed forces, Marines in Darwin -- all and many more are headed to the Pacific, and so are many of you.  And it matters -- because Pacific peace and prosperity, to a great extent, has depended on and will continue to depend on U.S. Naval power, just as it has for the past 60 years.

President Xi of China, when I was meeting with him, asked me why do I continue to say America is a Pacific power?  And I said because we are.  (Laughter.)  And, Mr. President, you owe your stability over the last 30 years to the United States Navy and military.  And he acknowledged it.  You are a force for peace and security.  We’ve used your power to reinforce and update the international rules and cooperation that benefit all nations to manage the emerging challenges of the century ahead before they devolve into conflict.

In the disputed waters of the South China Sea, the United States does not privilege the claims of one nation over another.  But we do –- unapologetically –- stand up for the equitable and peaceful resolution of disputes and for the freedom of navigation. 

And today, these principles are being tested by Chinese activities in the South China Sea.  They’re building airstrips --the placing of oil rigs, the imposition of unilateral bans on fishing in disputed territories, the declaration of air-defense zones, the reclamation of land, which other countries are doing, but not nearly on the massive scale the Chinese are doing.

We are going to look to you to uphold these principles wherever they are challenged, to strengthen our growing security partnerships, and to make good on our unshakable commitment to the mutual defense of our allies.

You will serve in ships and on squadrons deployed everywhere from these very Pacific sea lanes to the Strait of Hormuz,

where Iranian fast-boats threaten a vital marine chokepoint -- maritime chokepoint. 

In the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea, you will play a major role in protecting a Europe whole, free and at peace at a time when Russian aggression threatens Europe’s frontier.  Around the world, your presence will be felt, convincing potential adversaries that the cost of aggression against us or our allies would be devastating. 

We will look to you to guarantee our strategic nuclear deterrence serving in Navy ballistic missile submarines, the most secure and survivable element of our nuclear triad.  From the offensive firepower of the Marine Expeditionary Force to our Carrier strike forces to our multi-nation ballistic missile defense capable ships [sic], woe betide the foe who decides to challenge the United States of America or our Navy.  (Applause.)  

And the truth that you know as well as I do is it’s not only are you on the seas.  I have been in and out of Afghanistan and Iraq over 27 times.  I’ve seen you.  I’ve seen young Navy captains in FOBs high up in the Kunar Valley.  I’ve watched Marines throw themselves in harm’s way in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Thirty-five thousand of you Marines, 5,000 sailors at this moment are deployed ashore, in conflict areas.  You are everywhere.

There’s a second reason why you remain so vital to us.  As if what I’ve just said were not enough, we also look to you to keep the global economy afloat, because the oceans are the vital avenue of commerce, and we depend on the United States Navy to protect the sea lanes.  

People sometimes think in this day and age of global commerce, think in terms of the Internet and air travel.  But you know the reality.  At this moment, 80 percent of all the commerce in the world is on the back of a container ship.  That remains the backbone of world commerce -- 90 percent of it.  And that's only going to increase.

As you all know too well, the world’s sea lanes do not police themselves.  You, United States Navy, police them -- protecting against piracy and coercion.  And you do it not just for our own ships, but for all who seek to freely navigate the seas.

And in the century ahead, we will look to the oceans you roam -- not just as an arena for potential conflict, not just as avenues of commerce, but as arenas of cooperation to deal with the challenges no other country in the world can solve alone, and few can solve without us.  We'll rely on you, the United States Navy, to lead in solving these emerging problems.

When millions of lives were ravaged by nature, as we saw after the devastating typhoon in the Philippines, the United States Navy filled the void, saving countless lives.  Our presence -- your presence -- matters.

As President Obama discussed at the Coast Guard Academy graduation a couple days ago, a changing climate means “more extreme storms will mean more humanitarian missions to deliver lifesaving help.  Our forces will have to be ready.”  You remain indispensable.

America’s command of the oceans is the measure and the symbol of our diplomatic and military primacy in the world.  As George Washington remarked during the Revolutionary War, "It follows then as certain as that night succeeds day that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive.  And with it, everything honorable and glorious."  That hasn’t changed one single bit. 

So I say to you all, we continue to count on you to protect the world’s security on the high seas, to project the presence required to sustain the United States as a global superpower -- to be where it matters, when it matters most.

We cannot promise you fame or money.  We cannot promise you a calm or quiet passage.  But I can promise you, without and beyond the exception of your mother, father, husband and wife -- there will be no titles you will more proudly bear than being an officer in the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. (Applause.) 

In a different context, in a different century, John Kennedy said something that applies today, as well.  He said, “Any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think he can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction -- ‘I served in the United States Navy.’”  (Applause.)

In the weeks, months and years to come, you’ll be asked to bear burdens and make sacrifices you will never have dreamed of and you wondered whether you would be capable of.  When those moments arise -- and they will -- remember all you’ve learned, all you’ve felt, all you’ve breathed here at the Naval Academy.  And you will rise to the moment.  And know one thing for sure -- you are not alone.  You will never, ever be alone.  You will be surrounded by a family that raised you and a family that made you an officer in the finest military in the history of the world, without exception. 

So, congratulations, Class of 2015.  May God bless and protect the brigades of the Navy and the Marine Corps.  And may you have fair winds and following seas.  And may God protect all our troops in harm’s way.  God bless America.

END
10:46 A.M. EDT

Remarks by the Vice President at Center for American Progress Gala

Andrew Mellon Auditorium
Washington, D.C.

8:01 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, if anyone needs a break, I think you all need a break.  You sounded like you were having a great time before we walked out on this stage.

And I want to thank you, Madam President.  And I understand Senator Gillibrand is here, a great senator.  Lee Saunders, AFSCME, I was told is going to be here.  And Mary Kay Henry of SEIU.  (Applause.)  And by the way, Mary Kay, will tell you she loves me better than anybody.  (Laughter.)  My mother said if someone loves you, you've got love them back.  That's why she likes me.  And Randi is here, as well, I think for the AFT.  (Applause.)  And my buddy Rich Trumka and Ambassador Murphy.

Look, I want to thank everyone at Generation Progress for everything you've done to stop sexual assault on campuses with It’s On Us.  (Applause.)  No, that is a big deal.  That really is a big, big deal.  And we're changing things.  We're changing the culture.  We really are and we really can.  But we have to change the culture.

But look, it’s an honor to be with you tonight.  I spoke to this organization when it was founded, 12 years ago, when John Podesta was 20 years old.  (Laughter.)  And I’ve had the chance to speak with you many, many times.  But what I value most about all of you that are here tonight is your deep passion, always driven by the concern for others.  And that's what distinguishes you among all the groups here in the city of Washington that have consequence and impact on policy.

Your dedication represents, quite frankly, the fuel that has energized everything the President and I have done and continue to try to do.

And together I think we’ve accomplished extraordinary things -— bringing the economy from crisis to recovery to the cusp of genuine resurgence -- as Neera said, 12 million jobs; 1 million manufacturing jobs; longest private sector growth on record; unemployment cut almost in half from when we took office.

But one of the things I want to make clear that I don't think we Democrats do enough, we got to make clear why the economy recovered, and what -- no, no, I tell you why.  Not for credit, for credibility -- for credibility.  Republicans I promise you in this election are going to claim the recovery was related to them.  I know that sounds bizarre, but they are.  (Laughter.) 

You heard immediately when the Majority Leader said -- he acknowledged there’s been a genuine recovery.  And he said it was because of the anticipation and the expectation of a Republican Congress.  Now, you guys make fun of these guys, but guess what, they’ve been better than us in messaging.  They’ve been better than us.  And if they say it enough, and we don't speak out, it will seep back in.

Because look, the way this recovery is perceived is going to set the terms of the debate for years to come, but particularly for this next year.  And the country now faces and will continue to face a stark choice.  And it really is stark:  A return to the failed policies of the Republican Party, the vision that caused the Great Recession; or we're going to continue on a path that will allow us to really have genuine resurgence and bring the middle class back in the game.

Republicans have learned nothing.  They passed a budget -- a congressional budget -- that's essentially the same one they passed six years in a row.  But they passed it in both houses this time.  It’s important to keep this mind, folks.  It’s important to keep this in mind.  The budget they passed attempts to do all that you helped get done to bring about this recovery.

They’re doubling down on the failed economic policies that caused the recession in the first place and crushed the middle class.

The FY16 budget they just passed -- I won’t go into any detail -- but it calls for cuts of $5.3 trillion over the next 10 years.  It ends Medicare, makes it a voucher program.  It cuts $500 billion from Medicaid.  It repeals the Affordable Care Act.  It requires a $500 billion across-the-board cut on everything from manufacturing to education, to NIH, to job training, to law enforcement, to Head Start.  Across the board.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Vote them out!

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, we got to vote, but you got to convince people to vote them out.  Wishing it is not going to happen.

And let me say what I said back to you in 2009 when you invited me to speak after we were elected.  I said, we want to make it possible for everyone who aspires to the middle class to have a fighting chance to get in it, and those who are in the middle class to have a fighting chance to stay there.  I said that’s the goal of our administration.

That was not hyperbole.  When the President asked me to join the administration, to join him in the race, I asked him one question, I mean this sincerely.  I know no one doubts what I say.  The problem is I sometimes say all that I think.  (Laughter and applause.)  But I make no damn apology for that.  (Applause.) 

But I literally asked him, I wanted to know one thing because I’d only worked with him for a couple years.  I said, do you mean what you say about the middle class?

Everybody thinks I’m always preoccupied my last -- my entire career with the middle class.  And by the way, in this town being referred to as Middle Class Joe is meant as an insult.  No, I really mean it.  Because you're not sophisticated if you're middle class.  Because even among some of our -- we Democrats, we're sophisticated jerks lots of times.  No, I really mean it. 

Now, here’s the deal, though.  The reason why I always talk about the middle class -- the reason why we have been the most stable, political and socially stable country in the world is because we’ve had an aspiring and growing middle class.  That's the glue that has held this country together.  And that's why it’s so important.

And the middle class was in dire straits, hemorrhaging over 700,000 jobs a month.  Foreclosures were rampant.  The generation of wealth that middle-class families had built in pensions, savings accounts, home equity —- they were wiped out overnight.

And as the recovery came, as the stock grew from 6,000 to 18,000, they weren’t in on the deal because they had been wiped out.  And so, folks, look, we know we had to take some immediate action, and the action we took was really very unpopular -- even among some Democrats it was unpopular.

And we started off with the Recovery Act.  The Recovery Act turned out to be over an $800 billion expenditure in less than two years.  John Boehner called it “another run-of-the-mill, cumbersome, undisciplined, wasteful Washington spending bill.”

And one of the leading conservative economist Doug Holtz-Eakin said, “If -- even if one believed that countercyclical fiscal policy -- stimulus -- could be executed precisely and had multiplier effects, it’s time to learn by experience that this strategy is not working.”

Well, guess what, I executed it -- we executed it precisely.  The GAO found the program was implemented with less than .2 percent of waste.  (Applause.)  Here’s the deal.  Here’s the deal.   The Chairman of Oversight, Darrell Issa, a really conservative guy, called it “a proven spending transparency approach.”

The reason why it’s important to remind people of that is what is the mantra of the Republican Party?  Government spending is wasteful.  We don't know how to do it.

We do.  And it worked.  (Applause.)

The University of Chicago ran a poll and asked leading economists across the spectrum if they thought the Recovery Act was worth doing; only 12 percent said no.  In other words, 88 percent said yes; 93 percent of those economists agreed that it lowered the nation’s unemployment rate.

Michael Grunwald, a leading reporter, well-respected journalist who was skeptical of the act at first and wrote skeptically, but he ended up writing a book called “The New New Deal” in which he said, “The Recovery Act helped ease a lot of pain, and help avert a depression that would have cause immeasurable pain.”

We came along with TARP.  Talk about the least popular things for anyone to vote for -- bail out the guys who caused the problem.  Ryan called TARP “an ad-hoc, opaque, bailout of a slush fund for large private institutions.” 

But guess what, banks are stable.  They’re lending again.  They paid back everything they owed plus $15 billion more to the Treasury.

Dodd-Frank -- Gingrich -- incredibly unpopular.  Gingrich called it -- he said it would kill the banking industry.  It was attacked on left because we didn't nationalize.  Actual results:  transparency, accountability, compliance, renewed confidence in the business community in Wall Street, which they had lost confidence in.   It took us a long way toward ensuring that our country is never again going to face a banking crisis that destabilizes the economy and destroys livelihoods.

The auto “bailout” -- I know I get blamed for being the guy who pushed that.  I was proud to push it.  Romney called it, “crony capitalism on a grand scale.”  Six out of 10 Americans and a lot of Democrats opposed it.  We were told that we’d never sell more than 13 million automobiles again.  Last year we sold 21.6 million automobiles.  (Applause.)  We saved a million jobs down the supply line, and we added 572,000 new jobs.

Health care.  Boehner said, it would ruin the best health care system in the world.  It would bankrupt our nation and ruin our economy.

Sixteen million people gained insurance since that law was signed.  The lowest inflation rate in increase in health care costs in 50 years.  (Applause.)  And we settled the fight that I’ve been involved in since I was a 29-year-old kid running for Senate -— health care is now a right not a privilege.  It was important.  (Applause.)

Taxes.  We knew we had to bring back fairness to the tax code to get the middle class back in the game.  Because guess what’s happened -- look at all the incentive has gone to the wealthy.  They're not bad guys.  They're just dealing with the system, man.  And so we reward -- we reward unearned income in such a disproportionate way relative to earned income.  We’ve never done it since 1922.  That's why everything we did from expanding the Earned Income Tax Credits for families with children, cutting the payroll taxes to put more money in the pockets of 160 million people.  Now we’re calling for the elimination of over 10 years -- over the next 10 years of $1.1 trillion of tax loopholes that no longer have any productive utility.  None.  They cannot be defended.

If we do this, it will allow us to give the middle class a break, by tripling child care tax credit for working families, providing a $500 tax credit for two-wage-earner families.  It will allow us to strengthen the economy as well as lower the deficit, which we have done by two-thirds.

Look, we’re doing these things not because they're just fair, we're doing it because they provide economic growth for the middle class.  You read The New York Times today, look at what Standard & Poor’s said, the greatest threat to the growth of the world economy is the concentration of wealth.  (Applause.)

If you make the widgets and no one can buy them, things don't grow.  It’s not coming from a liberal, Democratic think tank.  No, I’m serious.  This is important.  We’ve got to change the direction.

Because we know how to grow the economy.  It grows from the middle out -- you invest in education, infrastructure, research and development, that's when the country grows.

And we know that in order to continue to lead the world in the 21st century, we need to do two important things -- and by the way, business is coming back to the United States.  Look at all of the data.  Your generation -- I can see these young people in front of me -- you're not going to hear about outsourcing.  It’s going to be about insourcing.  I’m serious. 

Look at what A.T. Kearney has said.  They do a survey every single year for the last I think 17 years.  They ask the 300 largest industrialists in the world:  Where is the best place in the world to invest?  By a margin larger than any time they’ve kept this -- they’ve had this survey, it said the United States in everything from manufacturing to IT to the service industry.

Secondly, you take a look at -- there’s an outfit called the Boston Economic Group [sic] -- that does this survey every year, of every country -- every company invested in China.  And they ask the same question every year for the last decade or more:  What are your plans for next year?  This year 53 percent said they plan on coming home.  They're coming home for a simple reason, folks.  We have the most agile venture capitalists in the world.  We have a transparent system where your intellectual property is protected.  We have the lowest energy cost of anyplace in the world because we’ll be the epicenter of energy for the remainder of this century.  And we also have the most productive workforce in the world.

But they're not going to keep coming home unless we do two things.  We the best-educated workforce on Earth; and the most modern infrastructure.  And we lack both now. 

That’s why we use the savings from this $1.1 trillion over the next 10 years to invest in providing a fair shot in education -- two years of free community college.  Twelve years is no longer enough.  It simply is not enough.  (Applause.)  Maintain the maximum Pell grants; make college affordable for everyone.  Americans by extending the $2,500 tax credit; limit the payback to 10 percent of disposable income.  This is not doing anybody a favor.  This is doing America a favor.  This is what we need to do.

We have to make sure we have the most modern infrastructure in the world.  Folks, we rank 26th in the world -- the United States of America ranks 26th in the world in transportation infrastructure.

I got criticized for saying La Guardia was like a third-world airport.  (Laughter.)  Guess what, the governor and everybody else, including The New York Times, calls it a third-world airport.  And they're changing it.

We have to invest.  Think about it.  I really mean it.  How can your generation sustain the growth of the United States of America with the infrastructure we now have.  So we’re proposing to invest over $500 billion in highways, rail, ports, canals, as well as modernizing the energy infrastructure.  The American Society of Civil Engineers says we need to invest $3.6 trillion by 2020.  We're not going to get there.

As I said, we rank 28th in the world.  This is not acceptable.  These critical infrastructure investments do a couple things, though.  They immediately provide good jobs for a good purpose. And they start a virtuous cycle.  They attract and keep business, which creates other good jobs because it puts communities to work. 

We proved that in the Recovery Act.  For every dollar we invested, we brought $4 off the sidelines.  That's what this is about.  Growth -- I don't understand how they don't understand this.  (Laughter.)  I really don't.  I didn't used to be this way, folks.   It didn't used to be this way.  Up until 15 years ago, the Republicans were all about infrastructure. 

Look, folks, we're now in a situation where we can't back up.  We can't walk away.  I know -- again, I get criticized for being too straightforward, but, damn it, we ought to stand up and say what we believe and stand by it.  Defend it.  Don't back away from it.  (Applause.) 

We should run on what we’ve done -- whoever is running should also talk about what the resurgence in place in the future is and talk about in 2016 what we’ve done.

Some say this amounts to a third President -- a third term for the President Obama.  I call it sticking with what works and expanding on it to restore the middle class because standing up for the middle class -- (applause) -- look there used to be -- I’ll end with this.  There used to be a basic bargain in the country, and I’m not joking about this.  Since the ‘30s, there was a basic bargain in country, a view shared by Democrats and Republicans.  They differed in degree, but they shared in this view that if you participated in an enterprise where you were part of the reason of the productivity of the enterprise, you got to share in the benefits that flowed from that enterprise.

Today, $4.6 billion over the last five years made by corporate America -- a good thing -- but guess what, 54 percent of it went to buy back their own stock, 37 percent went to pay dividends, leaving 9 percent for everything from salary, expansion, research and development.  We cannot sustain.  We cannot sustain the economy for everyone or anyone if we keep on this path.

Look, dealing with dealing the middle class back in -- because look, when the middle class does well, the wealth do very well.  And the poor have a leg up.  They have a chance. 

And middle class isn’t a number.  I have some leading economists, as John Podesta -- can tell you working for me in the White House.  They’ll end to tell you that middle class is a number.  Is it $51,900 -- it’s not a number.  It’s a value set, guys.

And the value set is to believe that someday you can be able to own your own home and not rent it, send your kid to a park where you know they're going to be safe and come home safe, be able to send them to a high school that if they do well, they can get to college, and if they get to college, you can find a way to get them there because it is the only ticket to the middle class in the 21st century -- be able to take care of your mom when your dad dies, and hope your children never have to take care of you.  That's middle class.  That's where we mostly come from.  That's what this is about. 

And guess what, they're losing faith.  Go home to your old neighborhoods, to the people who didn't do as well as you've done.  Ask them when they look their kids in the eye, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, ask them whether they feel confident they can look their kids in the eye and say, honey, it’s going to be okay.  I promise you. 

That's what it used to be.  That's what it used to be.  And that's what we're about.  That's why we're in this, aren’t we?  Isn’t that who we are as a party?  It’s who we are as a people.  (Applause.) 

Folks, you read probably the same article I did in The New York Times saying the middle class -- the phrase middle class is disappearing from the vocabulary of Democrats.  Well, it’s not disappearing from the vocabulary of this Democrat.  (Applause.) 

I know there’s a view among the “sophisticated” people that the middle class in America, those dreams and aspirations of today just aren’t within striking distance anymore, and that the American people are shorting their dreams.  But they may -- it’s not because they don't want those dreams, it’s they're beginning to doubt whether or not they're within their reach.

But I don't buy that they’ve given up on any of this.  I don't think the American people have given up on dreaming about being able to restore the place they had or their parents had. 

As I said, it’s a value set.  It’s not a number.  And it matters.  It matters.  It matters.  It matters.

So I just think we have to stop being apologetic -- apologetic for anything we’ve done because what we’ve done has been correct.  And if we don't explain to people why this happened, then we are going to lose the bumper sticker war.  And we always do lose the bumper sticker war with the Republicans.  When you don't think government matters, it’s easy to denigrate it.  It’s harder to make the case to build something. 

Look, I really -- I am more optimistic -- when I got here as a 29-year-old kid, I was labeled the young idealist and the young optimist.  And ironically as John Podesta will tell you, if you notice in the press, when they refer to -- they call me the Optimist in the White House, as if I’m the new kid on the block.  I’ve been there longer than all of them, but I am more optimistic today about our chances as a country than I’ve ever been in my life.

We are so much better positioned than any other place in the world.  I want to see China grow.  I want to see Europe grow.  But as they say in my old neighborhood of Claymont, Delaware, they're not a patch on our jeans, guys.  They got problems that exceed ours cubed.

God love China.  They not only don't have enough energy, they don't have enough water.  We got to help them get it.  We want them to grow.

But, folks, we are so well-positioned.  Just don't get caught up in Washington too much.  No, I mean this sincerely -- and not focus on as the economy begins to explode, and it will, we got to deal the middle class back in.  I really mean this.  You got to deal the middle class back in because it is the social fabric.  It is the thing that knits us together as much as sophisticated people make fun of middle-class values. 

And so, guys, ordinary people can and have done extraordinary things.  Never, never, never, never in the history of this country when we’ve given people an even shot -- ordinary people -- have they ever let the country down.  So don't give up on them.  Understand their collective strength.   And their collective wisdom.  They're smarter than we are.  They really are.

As I said at a graduation, I said, don't confuse knowledge with wisdom.  Don't confuse knowledge with wisdom.

Guys, I just think that all we got to do is make our case, give them a shot, keep fighting.  As my grandfather would say -- every time I’d walk out my Grandpop Finnegan’s door, he said, Joey, keep the faith.  And my grandmother would yell, no, Joey, spread it.  (Laughter.)  Go spread the faith. 

Thank you all so much for all that you do.  (Laughter and applause.)  Thank you, see you.  (Applause.)

END
8:25 P.M. EDT

Remarks by the Vice President at Yale University Class Day

Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

2:55 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:   Hello, Yale!  (Applause.)  Great to see you all.  (Applause.)  Thank you very, very much.

Jeremy and Kiki, the entire Class of 2015, congratulations and thank you for inviting me to be part of this special day.  You’re talented.  You’ve worked hard, and you’ve earned this day.

Mr. President, faculty, staff, it’s an honor to be here with all of you.

My wife teaches full-time.  I want you to know that -- at a community college, and has attended 8,640 commencements and/or the similar versions of Class Day, and I know they can hardly wait for the speaker to finish.  (Laughter.)  But I’ll do my best as quickly as I can.

To the parents, grandparents, siblings, family members, the Class of 2015 —- congratulations.  I know how proud you must be. But, the Class of 2015, before I speak to you —- please stand and applaud the ones who loved you no matter what you’re wearing on your head and who really made this day happen.  (Laughter and applause.)   I promise you all this is a bigger day for them than it is for you.  (Laughter.)

When President Obama asked me to be his Vice President, I said I only had two conditions:  One, I wouldn’t wear any funny hats, even on Class Day.  (Laughter.)  And two, I wouldn’t change my brand.  (Applause.)  

Now, look, I realize no one ever doubts I mean what I say, the problem occasionally is I say all that I mean.  (Laughter.)  I have a bad reputation for being straight.  Sometimes an inappropriate times.  (Laughter.)  So here it goes.  Let’s get a couple things straight right off the bat:  Corvettes are better than Porsches; they're quicker and they corner as well.  (Laughter and applause.)  And sorry, guys, a cappella is not better than rock and roll.  (Laughter and applause.)  And your pundits are better than Washington pundits, although I’ve noticed neither has any shame at all.  (Laughter and applause.)  And all roads lead to Toads?  Give me a break.  (Laughter and applause.)  You ever tried it on Monday night?  (Laughter.)  Look, it’s tough to end a great men’s basketball and football season.  One touchdown away from beating Harvard this year for the first time since 2006 -— so close to something you’ve wanted for eight years.  I can only imagine how you feel.  (Laughter.)  I can only imagine.  (Applause.)  So close.  So close.

But I got to be honest with you, when the invitation came, I was flattered, but it caused a little bit of a problem in my extended family.  It forced me to face some hard truths.  My son, Beau, the attorney general of Delaware, my daughter, Ashley Biden, runs a nonprofit for criminal justice in the state, they both went to Penn.  My two nieces graduated from Harvard, one an all-American.  All of them think my being here was a very bad idea.  (Laughter.)

On the other hand, my other son, Hunter, who heads the World Food Program USA, graduated from Yale Law School.  (Applause.)  Now, he thought it’s a great idea.  But then again, law graduates always think all of their ideas are great ideas.  (Laughter.)

By the way, I’ve had a lot of law graduates from Yale work for me.  That's not too far from the truth.  But anyway, look, the truth of the matter is that I have a lot of staff that are Yale graduates, several are with me today.  They thought it was a great idea that I speak here.

As a matter of fact, my former national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, who is teaching here at Yale Law School, trained in international relations at Yale College, edited the Yale Daily News, and graduated from Harvard -- excuse me, Freudian slip -- Yale Law School.  (Laughter.)   You’re lucky to have him.  He’s a brilliant and decent and honorable man.  And I miss him.  And we miss him as my national security advisor.

But he’s not the only one.  My deputy national security advisor, Jeff Prescott, started and ran the China Law Center at Yale Law School.  My Middle East policy advisor and foreign policy speechwriter, Dan Benaim, who is with me, took Daily Themes -— got a B.  (Laughter.)  Now you know why I go off script so much.  (Laughter and applause.)

Look, at a Gridiron Dinner not long ago, the President said, I -- the President -- “I am learning to speak without a teleprompter, Joe is learning to speak with one.”  (Laughter.)  But if you looked at my speechwriters, you know why.

And the granddaughter of one of my dearest friends in life -— a former Holocaust survivor, a former foreign policy advisor, a former Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Congressman Tom Lantos -— is graduating today.  Mercina, congratulations, kiddo.  (Applause.)  Where are you?  You are the sixth -- she’s the sixth sibling in her immediate family to graduate from Yale.  Six out of 11, that's not a bad batting average.  (Laughter.)  I believe it’s a modern day record for the number of kids who went to Yale from a single family. 

And, Mercina, I know that your mom, Little Annette is here.  I don't know where you are, Annette.  But Annette was part of the first class of freshman women admitted to Yale University.  (Applause.)

And her grandmother, Annette, is also a Holocaust survivor, an amazing woman; and both I’m sure wherever they are, beaming today.  And I know one more thing, Mercina, your father and grandfather are looking down, cheering you on.

I’m so happy to be here on your day and all of your day.  It’s good to know there’s one Yalie who is happy I’m being here -- be here, at least one.  (Laughter.)  On “Overheard at Yale,” on the Facebook page, one student reported another student saying:  I had a dream that I was Vice President and was with the President, and we did the disco funk dance to convince the Congress to restart the government.  (Laughter.)

Another student commented, Y’all know Biden would be hilarious, get funky.  (Laughter.) 

Well, my granddaughter, Finnegan Biden, whose dad went here, is with me today.  When she saw that on the speech, I was on the plane, Air Force Two coming up, she said, Pop, it would take a lot more than you and the President doing the disco funk dance. The Tea Party doesn't even know what it is.  (Laughter.)

Look, I don't know about that.  But I’m just glad there’s someone -- just someone -- who dreams of being Vice President.  (Laughter and applause.)  Just somebody.  I never had that dream.  (Laughter.)  For the press out there, that's a joke. 

Actually, being Vice President to Barack Obama has been truly a great honor.  We both enjoy getting out of the White House to talk to folks in the real America -— the kind who know what it means to struggle, to work hard, to shop at Kiko Milano.  (Laughter and applause.)  Great choice.  (Laughter.)

I just hope to hell the same people responsible for Kiko’s aren’t in charge of naming the two new residential colleges.  (Laughter and applause.)

Now, look, folks, I spent a lot of time thinking about what I should day to you today, but the more I thought about it, I thought that any Class Day speech is likely to be redundant.  You already heard from Jessie J at Spring Fling.  (Laughter.)  So what in the hell could I possibly say.  (Laughter.)

Look, I’m deeply honored that Jeremy and Kiki selected me.  I don't know how the hell you trusted them to do that.  (Laughter.)  I hope you agree with their choice.  Actually I hope by the end of this speech, they agree with their choice.  (Laughter.)

In their flattering invitation letter, they asked me to bring along a sense of humor, speak about my commitment to public service and family, talk about resiliency, compassion, and leadership in a changing world.  Petty tall order.  (Laughter.)  I probably already flunked the first part of the test.  

But with the rest let me say upfront, and I mean this sincerely, there’s nothing particularly unique about me.  With regard to resilience and compassion, there are countless thousands of people, maybe some in the audience, who’ve suffered through personal losses similar to mine or much worse with much less support to help them get through it and much less reason to want to get through it. 

It’s not that all that difficult, folks, to be compassionate when you’ve been the beneficiary of compassion in your lowest moments not only from your family, but from your friends and total strangers.  Because when you know how much it meant to you, you know how much it mattered.  It’s not hard to be compassionate.

I was raised by a tough, compassionate Irish lady named Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden.  And she taught all of her children that, but for the grace of God, there go you -- but for the grace of God, there go you.

And a father who lived his motto that, family was the beginning, the middle, and the end.  And like many of you and your parents, I was fortunate.  I learned early on what I wanted to do, what fulfilled me the most, what made me happy -— my family, my faith, and being engaged in the public affairs that gripped my generation and being inspired by a young President named Kennedy  -- civil rights, the environment, trying to end an incredibly useless and divisive war, Vietnam. 

The truth is, though, that neither I, nor anyone else, can tell you what will make you happy, help you find success.

You each have different comfort levels.  Everyone has different goals and aspirations.  But one thing I’ve observed, one thing I know, an expression my dad would use often, is real.  He used to say, it’s a lucky man or woman gets up in the morning -- and I mean this sincerely.  It was one of his expressions.  It’s a lucky man or woman gets up in the morning, puts both feet on the floor, knows what they’re about to do, and thinks it still matters.

I’ve been lucky.  And my wish for all of you is that not only tomorrow, but 20 and 40 and 50 years from now, you’ve found that sweet spot, that thing that allows you to get up in the morning, put both feet on the floor, go out and pursue what you love, and think it still matters.

Some of you will go to Silicon Valley and make great contributions to empower individuals and societies and maybe even design a life-changing app, like how to unsubscribe to Obama for America email list -- (laughter) -- the biggest “pan-list” of all times.

Some of you will go to Wall Street and big Wall Street law firms, government and activism, Peace Corps, Teach for America.  You’ll become doctors, researchers, journalists, artists, actors, musicians.  Two of you -— one of whom was one of my former interns in the White House, Sam Cohen, and Andrew Heymann —- will be commissioned in the United States Navy.  Congratulations, gentlemen.  We're proud of you.  (Applause.)

But all of you have one thing in common you will all seek to find that sweet spot that satisfies your ambition and success and happiness.

I’ve met an awful lot of people in my career.  And I’ve noticed one thing, those who are the most successful and the happiest -- whether they’re working on Wall Street or Main Street, as a doctor or nurse, or as a lawyer, or a social worker, I’ve made certain basic observation about the ones who from my observation wherever they were in the world were able to find that sweet spot between success and happiness.  Those who balance life and career, who find purpose and fulfillment, and where ambition leads them. 

There’s no silver bullet, no single formula, no reductive list.  But they all seem to understand that happiness and success result from an accumulation of thousands of little things built on character, all of which have certain common features in my observation.

First, the most successful and happiest people I’ve known understand that a good life at its core is about being personal.  It’s about being engaged.  It’s about being there for a friend or a colleague when they're injured or in an accident, remembering the birthdays, congratulating them on their marriage, celebrating the birth of their child.  It’s about being available to them when they're going through personal loss.  It’s about loving someone more than yourself, as one of your speakers have already mentioned.  It all seems to get down to being personal.

That's the stuff that fosters relationships.  It’s the only way to breed trust in everything you do in your life.

Let me give you an example.  After only four months in the United States Senate, as a 30-year-old kid, I was walking through the Senate floor to go to a meeting with Majority Leader Mike Mansfield.  And I witnessed another newly elected senator, the extremely conservative Jesse Helms, excoriating Ted Kennedy and Bob Dole for promoting the precursor of the Americans with Disabilities Act.  But I had to see the Leader, so I kept walking.

When I walked into Mansfield’s office, I must have looked as angry as I was.  He was in his late ‘70s, lived to be 100.  And he looked at me, he said, what’s bothering you, Joe?

I said, that guy, Helms, he has no social redeeming value.  He doesn't care -- I really mean it -- I was angry.  He doesn't care about people in need.  He has a disregard for the disabled.

Majority Leader Mansfield then proceeded to tell me that three years earlier, Jesse and Dot Helms, sitting in their living room in early December before Christmas, reading an ad in the Raleigh Observer, the picture of a young man, 14-years-old with braces on his legs up to both hips, saying, all I want is someone to love me and adopt me.  He looked at me and he said, and they adopted him, Joe. 

I felt like a fool.  He then went on to say, Joe, it’s always appropriate to question another man’s judgment, but never appropriate to question his motives because you simply don't know his motives. 

It happened early in my career fortunately.  From that moment on, I tried to look past the caricatures of my colleagues and try to see the whole person.  Never once have I questioned another man’s or woman’s motive.  And something started to change.  If you notice, every time there’s a crisis in the Congress the last eight years, I get sent to the Hill to deal with it.  It’s because every one of those men and women up there -- whether they like me or not -- know that I don't judge them for what I think they're thinking. 

Because when you question a man’s motive, when you say they're acting out of greed, they're in the pocket of an interest group, et cetera, it’s awful hard to reach consensus.  It’s awful hard having to reach across the table and shake hands.  No matter how bitterly you disagree, though, it is always possible if you question judgment and not motive.

Senator Helms and I continued to have profound political differences, but early on we both became the most powerful members of the Senate running the Foreign Relations Committee, as Chairmen and Ranking Members.  But something happened, the mutual defensiveness began to dissipate.  And as a result, we began to be able to work together in the interests of the country.  And as Chairman and Ranking Member, we passed some of the most significant legislation passed in the last 40 years.

All of which he opposed -- from paying tens of millions of dollars in arrearages to an institution, he despised, the United Nations -- he was part of the so-called “black helicopter” crowd; to passing the chemical weapons treaty, constantly referring to, “we’ve never lost a war, and we’ve never won a treaty,” which he vehemently opposed.  But we were able to do these things not because he changed his mind, but because in this new relationship to maintain it is required to play fair, to be straight.  The cheap shots ended.  And the chicanery to keep from having to being able to vote ended -- even though he knew I had the votes. 

After that, we went on as he began to look at the other side of things and do some great things together that he supported like PEPFAR -— which by the way, George W. Bush deserves an overwhelming amount of credit for, by the way, which provided treatment and prevention HIV/AIDS in Africa and around the world, literally saving millions of lives.

So one piece of advice is try to look beyond the caricature of the person with whom you have to work.  Resist the temptation to ascribe motive, because you really don’t know -— and it gets in the way of being able to reach a consensus on things that matter to you and to many other people.

Resist the temptation of your generation to let “network” become a verb that saps the personal away, that blinds you to the person right in front of you, blinds you to their hopes, their fears, and their burdens.

Build real relationships -— even with people with whom you vehemently disagree.  You’ll not only be happier.  You will be more successful.

The second thing I’ve noticed is that although you know no one is better than you, every other persons is equal to you and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.  

I’ve worked with eight Presidents, hundreds of Senators.  I’ve met every major world leader literally in the last 40 years.  And I’ve had scores of talented people work for me.  And here’s what I’ve observed:  Regardless of their academic or social backgrounds, those who had the most success and who were most respected and therefore able to get the most done were the ones who never confused academic credentials and societal sophistication with gravitas and judgment. 

Don’t forget about what doesn’t come from this prestigious diploma -- the heart to know what’s meaningful and what’s ephemeral; and   the head to know the difference between knowledge and judgment.

But even if you get these things right, I’ve observed that most people who are successful and happy remembered a third thing:  Reality has a way of intruding.

I got elected in a very improbable year.  Richard Nixon won my state overwhelmingly.  George McGovern was at the top of the ticket.  I got elected as the second-youngest man in the history of the United States to be elected, the stuff that provides and fuels raw ambition.  And if you’re not careful, it fuels a sense of inevitability that seeps in.  But be careful.  Things can change in a heartbeat.  I know.  And so do many of your parents.

Six weeks after my election, my whole world was altered forever.  While I was in Washington hiring staff, I got a phone call.  My wife and three children were Christmas shopping, a tractor trailer broadsided them and killed my wife and killed my daughter.  And they weren’t sure that my sons would live.

Many people have gone through things like that.  But because I had the incredible good fortune of an extended family, grounded in love and loyalty, imbued with a sense of obligation imparted to each of us, I not only got help.  But by focusing on my sons, I found my redemption.

I can remember my mother -- a sweet lady -- looking at me, after we left the hospital, and saying, Joey, out of everything terrible that happens to you, something good will come if you look hard enough for it.  She was right. 

The incredible bond I have with my children is the gift I’m not sure I would have had, had I not been through what I went through.  Who knows whether I would have been able to appreciate at that moment in my life, the heady moment in my life, what my first obligation was. 

So I began to commute -- never intending to stay in Washington.  And that's the God’s truth.  I was supposed to be sworn in with everyone else that year in ’73, but I wouldn’t go down.  So Mansfield thought I’d change my mind and not come, and he sent up the secretary of the Senate to swear me in, in the hospital room with my children.

And I began to commute thinking I was only going to stay a little while -- four hours a day, every day -- from Washington to Wilmington, which I’ve done for over 37 years.  I did it because I wanted to be able to kiss them goodnight and kiss them in the morning the next day.  No, “Ozzie and Harriet” breakfast or great familial thing, just climb in bed with them.  Because I came to realize that a child can hold an important thought, something they want to say to their mom and dad, maybe for 12 or 24 hours, and then it’s gone.  And when it’s gone, it’s gone.  And it all adds up. 

But looking back on it, the truth be told, the real reason I went home every night was that I needed my children more than they needed me.  Some at the time wrote and suggested that Biden can't be a serious national figure.  If he was, he’d stay in Washington more, attend to more important events.  It’s obvious he’s not serious.  He goes home after the last vote.

But I realized I didn’t miss a thing.  Ambition is really important.  You need it.  And I certainly have never lacked in having ambition.  But ambition without perspective can be a killer.  I know a lot of you already understand this.  Some of you really had to struggle to get here.  And some of you have had to struggle to stay here.  And some of your families made enormous sacrifices for this great privilege.  And many of you faced your own crises, some unimaginable.

But the truth is all of you will go through something like this.  You’ll wrestle with these kinds of choices every day.  But I’m here to tell you, you can find the balance between ambition and happiness, what will make you really feel fulfilled.  And along the way, it helps a great deal if you can resist the temptation to rationalize.

My chief of staff for over 25 years, one of the finest men I’ve ever known, even though he graduated from Penn, and subsequently became a senator from the state of Delaware, Senator Ted Kaufman, every new hire, that we’d hire, the last thing he’d tell them was, and remember never underestimate the ability of the human mind to rationalize.  Never underestimate the ability of the human mind to rationalize -- her birthday really doesn’t matter that much to her, and this business trip is just a great opportunity; this won’t be his last game, and besides, I’d have to take the redeye to get back.  We can always take this family vacation another time.  There’s plenty of time.

For your generation, there’s an incredible amount of pressure on all of you to succeed, particularly now that you have accomplished so much.  You’re whole generation faces this pressure.  I see it in my grandchildren who are honors students at other Ivy universities right now.  You race to do what others think is right in high school.  You raced through the bloodsport of college admissions.  You raced through Yale for the next big thing.  And all along, some of you compare yourself to the success of your peers on Facebook, Instagram, Linked-In, Twitter.

Today, some of you may have found that you slipped into the self-referential bubble that validates certain choices.  And the bubble expands once you leave this campus, the pressures and anxiousness, as well -- take this job, make that much money, live in this place, hang out with people like you, take no real risks and have no real impact, while getting paid for the false sense of both.

But resist that temptation to rationalize what others view is the right choice for you -— instead of what you feel in your gut is the right choice —- that’s your North Star.  Trust it.  Follow it.  You're an incredible group of young women and men.  And that's not hyperbole.  You're an incredible group.

Let me conclude with this.  I’m not going to moralize about to whom much is given, much is expected, because most of you have made of yourself much more than what you’ve been given.  But now you are in a privileged position.  You’re part of an exceptional generation and doors will open to you that will not open to others.  My Yale Law School grad son graduated very well from Yale Law School.  My other son out of loyalty to his deceased mother decided to go to Syracuse Law School from Penn.  They're a year and a day apart in their age.  The one who graduated from Yale had doors open to him, the lowest salary offered back in the early ‘90s was $50,000 more than a federal judge made.  My other son, it was a struggle -- equally as bright, went on to be elected one of the youngest attorney generals in the history of the state of Delaware, the most popular public official in my state.  Big headline after the 2012 election, “Biden Most Popular Man in Delaware -- Beau.”  (Laughter.) 

And as your parents will understand, my dad’s definition of success is when you look at your son and daughter and realize they turned out better than you, and they did.  But you’ll have opportunities.  Make the most of them and follow your heart.  You have the intellectual horsepower to make things better in the world around you. 

You’re also part of the most tolerant generation in history.  I got roundly criticized because I could not remain quiet anymore about gay marriage.  The one thing I was certain of is all of your generation was way beyond that point.  (Applause.)

Here’s something else I observed -- intellectual horsepower and tolerance alone does not make a generation great: unless you can break out of the bubble of your own making -— technologically, geographically, racially, and socioeconomically -— to truly connect with the world around you.  Because it matters.

No matter what your material success or personal circumstance, it matters.  You can't breathe fresh air or protect your children from a changing climate no matter what you make.  If your sister is the victim of domestic violence, you are violated.  If your brother can’t marry the man he loves, you are lessened.  And if your best friend has to worry about being racially profiled, you live in a circumstance not worthy of us.  (Applause.)  It matters.

So be successful.  I sincerely hope some of you become millionaires and billionaires.  I mean that.  But engage the world around you because you will be more successful and happier.  And you can absolutely succeed in life without sacrificing your ideals or your commitments to others and family.  I’m confident that you can do that, and I’m confident that this generation will do it more than any other.

Look to your left, as they say, and look to your right.  And remember how foolish the people next to you look -- (laughter) -- in those ridiculous hats.  (Laughter.)  That’s what I want you to remember.  I mean this.  Because it means you’ve learned something from a great tradition.

It means you’re willing to look foolish, you’re willing to run the risk of looking foolish in the service of what matters to you.  And if you remember that, because some of the things your heart will tell you to do, will make you among your peers look foolish, or not smart, or not sophisticated.  But we’ll all be better for people of your consequence to do it.

That’s what I want you to most remember.  Not who spoke at the day you all assembled on this mall.  You’re a remarkable class.  I sure don't remember who the hell was my commencement speaker.  (Laughter.)  I know this is not officially commencement.  But ask your parents when you leave here, who spoke at your commencement?  It’s a commencement speaker aversion of a commencement speaker’s fate to be forgotten.  The question is only how quickly.  But you’re the best in your generation.  And that is not hyperbole.  And you're part of a remarkable generation.

And, you -- you’re on the cusp of some of the most astonishing breakthroughs in the history of mankind -— scientific, technological, socially —- that’s going to change the way you live and the whole world works.  But it will be up to you in this changing world to translate those unprecedented capabilities into a greater measure of happiness and meaning -—  not just for yourself, but for the world around you.

And I feel more confident for my children and grandchildren knowing that the men and women who graduate here today, here and across the country, will be in their midst.  That’s the honest truth.  That's the God’s truth.  That's my word as a Biden.

Congratulations, Class of 2015.  And may God bless you and may God protect our troops.  Thank you.

END
3:37 P.M. EDT

Remarks by Dr. Jill Biden at Central Piedmont Community College Commencement Address

AS PREPARED FOR DELIVERY

Charlotte, North Carolina

Good afternoon everyone!

Teachers, families, graduates: I am so honored to be back in Charlotte for such an important day.  Graduating from college is an extraordinary achievement, and I would like to congratulate all of you.  Each of you had a hand in the success of these incredible graduates.  Congratulations – you did it!

I’d also like to give a special thanks to President Zeiss for inviting me to join all of you.  Last summer, I had the pleasure of traveling to Switzerland for an international conference on workforce training, where I first met President Zeiss.  Ever since, he’s been encouraging me to visit your beautiful school, and I am so pleased to finally be in Charlotte with you.

Central Piedmont Community College is among the best of the best.  This school is one of the leading institutions of higher education that is adapting to the needs of our modern workforce.  Central Piedmont is equipping students with the skills they need to excel in careers in some of the fastest growing industries in the United States, like manufacturing, engineering and health care.

By partnering with local businesses, you are answering the call of our nation, to provide a well-equipped and well-trained workforce.  And the best-educated workforce too—for many of today’s graduates will continue their education at a four-year university to earn a Bachelor’s, Master’s or a PhD. 

Charlotte is one of the fastest growing cities in the country—and Central Piedmont has been a reflection of that growth.  You are truly the community’s college.  And, I am not the only one who loves being at a community college.

A few days ago, President Obama delivered a commencement speech at a community college in South Dakota.  He and my husband Joe understand what we all understand—community colleges are America’s best-kept secret, and it is time to let the secret out.  That’s why our administration wants to make two years of community college free—to provide millions of responsible students a pathway to new jobs and higher education. 

But I am not a politician.  I am an English professor.  I feel at home here because I have taught in community colleges for more than 20 years, and I still teach full-time at a community college outside of Washington, DC.  Teaching is not just what I do; it’s who I am.

At the end of one semester, a student of mine said she had seen me on TV with First Lady Michelle Obama.  My student said to her mother, “Mom! Mom!  That’s my English teacher!”  And her mother said, “That’s not your teacher, that’s the Second Lady.”  Most of my students don’t know I have two jobs.  But they do know that my first priority is to them.

I’m relieved to have completed another successful year; sad to see my students leave, but enormously proud of what they have accomplished.  And I know many of the teachers here today feel the same way.  So, I’d like to give a special congratulations to all the faculty and staff—teaching with no assistants, responding to emails in the middle of the night, grading papers on the weekends and holidays, getting excited about "summer break" only to begin thinking about your syllabi for next semester.

Working at a community college is a huge honor—and the best motivation is the students we celebrate today—and their families who support them.  To the parents and grandparents, spouses and partners, children and grandchildren, I know how deeply moving this day is for you.  I remember when my kids graduated from college—each nervous but full of potential, more prepared for their life’s work.  This is truly a special moment, and it simply could not have happened without your love and support.

And, of course, I’d like to congratulate the students.  You should be so proud of the hard work you have completed, the relationships you have built, and the enormous honor you are about to receive.

I’d like to take a moment to thank the student veterans who are graduating today.  As a lifelong educator and a military mom, I am always inspired by your strength, resilience, and pride.  I know you have the skills, discipline, and leadership to succeed in anything you put your mind to.  You are among the best our nation has to offer.  Thank you for your service to our country.

Now, most commencement speakers give graduates advice on what to expect when they leave this place and enter the real world.  But, like my students, most of you already live in the real world.

You are students like Kelley Creed—a single mother of two who moved across the country and enrolled at Central Piedmont to provide a better life for her children.  After graduation, Kelley plans to transfer to the University of North Carolina, Charlotte to get her bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy.

You are students like Jaimz Andrews—a single father to a four-year old daughter, and an Air Force veteran who returned to the classroom to complete his education and re-tool his training for a civilian career.  Jaimz was accepted to Central Piedmont’s Cardiovascular Tech program so he’ll be back here for another degree.

You are students like Elizabeth Burgos—who won two music scholarships and has been able to live out her passion playing the piano thanks to this community college.  Elizabeth was accepted into three four-year schools and plans on attending Winthrop University next year and eventually go on to become a teacher.

Like Kelley, Jaimz and Elizabeth, as I work hard every day to inspire my students, it is ultimately they who inspire me.  My students teach me so many lessons of life, more than any lesson I could teach in the classroom—and I would like to share a few of those with you today.

The first of which is to seize opportunity. 

In my classroom, I have students from all over the world—from Poland, Senegal and Taiwan—who left behind their families, their friends and everything that was familiar to them, to get their education in the United States.  Many of them had to overcome so many obstacles in life—tragedy and heart breaking loss—but who are now turning the page on their past and creating a brighter future for themselves and their families.

Remember that the education you received here is so much bigger than the diploma.  It is the confidence to know that you can succeed, even when you face the most difficult, knotted problems.  It is the courage to take a leap of faith into a new career, move to a new city to pursue your dream, or ask for the promotion you know that you deserve.

The second lesson is to be charitable.

A former student at the community college where I teach was one of the lost boys of the Sudan.  During his time at my school, he collected bicycles to send back to his war-torn village, which had been devastated by a Civil War.  Because he knew that even one bike could benefit a whole family and help to change the welfare of his entire community.

So show kindness to others with your time, but most of all with your heart. As college graduates, it is now your responsibility to use your knowledge to lift up others.  As you become successful, pass that good fortune along to those around you.

Third, remember to always, always, be yourself.

One student of mine—an 83-year-old man from Korea—took my class to help improve his English.  Can you imagine being 83 and back in the classroom!  The other students were so nice to him and always helped him out, especially with technology.  For him, he simply loved being in class to better learn a second language.

So, you too can work to identify your greatest passions, the things that captivate and animate you, and strive to match them to the needs of the world around you.

Community colleges are a gateway—a gateway to a new career, to a four-year university and to a more prosperous life.  CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies, star athletes, and public officials have all walked through the doors of a community college.  They started their careers here just like you.

Take for example one of your very own Central Piedmont graduates.  Crystal Carson, who is here with me today, earned her associate’s degree from Central Piedmont in 2011, and now she works for the President of the United States.  Crystal serves as the Assistant to the White House Director and Deputy Director of Communications, and her desk is just down the hallway from the Oval Office.

When I asked Crystal if there was one piece of advice or wisdom that she could share with all of you today, Crystal said, and I quote, “Never quit.  If you believe in yourself, anything is possible.  When presented with opportunity, just say yes and figure out the details later.”

Crystal works alongside Deesha Dyer, who went to a community college in my hometown of Philadelphia, and now works for the President and First Lady as the White House Social Secretary.  Deesha is responsible for hosting hundreds of events that open the doors of the White House, for the world to see our character and vibrancy—from the annual Fourth of July festivities on the South Lawn to State Dinners with foreign leaders.  As Joe would say, her job is a big deal.

The new U.S. Chief Data Scientist, DJ Patil, also went to a community college.  DJ is responsible for helping us use technology to improve the way government works for the American people. 

Finally, take to heart the words of one of my favorite actors, Tom Hanks, who credits his community college experience with his success in life.  As he put it, and I quote, “That place made me what I am today.”

The degree you have earned here will help you build the life you want to live.  So today, reflect on how far you have come.  And know that if you dream big and work hard, there is no limit to how far you can go.  Wherever your path takes you, I hope you will seize opportunity, be charitable, and always, always be yourself.

Cherish this moment, and celebrate your hard-earned achievement with your friends and family.

On behalf of President Obama, the First Lady and the Vice President, my husband Joe—we are so proud of you.

Congratulations, graduates!