The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
May 12, 2015

Remarks by the Vice President at TOP COPS Awards Dinner

J.W. Marriott Hotel
Washington, D.C.

7:52 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Please sit down.  Thank you very much.  Mick, thank you for that great introduction.  The reason Mick mentioned Scranton is his grandfather and father are from Scranton.

To your executive director, I’ve worked with a long time, Bill Johnson.  I understand my good friend Senator Joe Donnelly was here a little bit earlier.  And it is a privilege -- as they say a point of personal privilege, used to say in the United States Senate, I understand Wilmington Safe Streets Unit is here.  So to my hometown, hello.

And, folks, it’s been the honor of my career to work with NAPO for all these years.  I think I’ve made every TOP COP event but one when I was in the hospital.  And other than that, I’ve made every one.  And we go all the way back to the days when I was a local official in New Castle County, Delaware.

And ever since that time, we have supported each other on every single issue that’s been important to your membership.  And you’ve always had my back.  You've always had my back in these fights up on Capitol Hill, and it’s made a gigantic difference.

There wouldn’t have been a Biden crime bill, there wouldn’t have been that crime bill that put 100,000 cops in the street in the first place were it not for the fact that NAPO from the very beginning was the staunchest, staunchest advocate for it.

We would never have won that ridiculous fight -- why we had to fight so hard to outlaw cop-killer bullets -- but it would have never happened without NAPO.  You've been there, and you've demanded it.  And you forced everyone to listen.

We worked together on the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program, which has helped purchase over 1 million protective vests for officers.  And lord knows how many lives have been saved.  The idea again we had to fight for that is sort of ridiculous, but we did. 

And it’s been an honor to fight at your side to pass the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Act in 1976, to expand it in 2001.  And with Senator Hatch, a good Republican friend of mine, we raised that death benefit from $150,000 to $250,000, and then most importantly, we later indexed it, so it’s now $339,000.  But you all know it could be $10 million.  It’s not enough.  It’s not enough.  It’s not enough to make up for the loss of a fallen cop.

It’s not enough to provide a lump sum payment.  We have the responsibility to look after the spouses and children, as well, beyond the monetary needs.  So back in 1996, we passed the Federal Law Enforcement Dependents Assistance Act, which added education benefits to the law.

In 2000, with your help, we amended the law to make sure those benefits were retroactive, so any spouse or child whose parent was killed in the line of duty from 1978 on would receive an education benefit of up to -- worth up to $1,018 per month.  We know all these benefits, as I said, can’t do anything that can replace a father, a mother, a husband, a wife.  But the fact is that I’m confident all of you TOP COPS in here know that you get some solace at least knowing you're going into life-threatening situations, knowing that if something happens, if you're permanently disabled, if you -- something happens to you, that you're not going to have to wonder about who will care for you if you're disabled.  You're not going to have to wonder who is going to care for your family, God forbid, if you don't make it out; or how is my kid going to get to college.  Those things matter.  You guys don't talk about it a lot, but you think about it a lot.

We know the risk you take to protect us every single, solitary day –- from Hattiesburg, Mississippi to New York City.  And we as a nation have an unshakeable and undeniable responsibility to do everything we can to protect you -- and your families -- in return.  We shouldn’t even have to discuss it, shouldn’t even have to be a matter of a debate.  And finally we're getting there.

To the families here today, I want to say thank you, as Mick did.  For you parents who are here, you’ve raised such fine women and men with such unshakeable sense of duty, I want to thank you.  The country owes you for molding such men and women of character.  You've done something extraordinary.

And for the wives and husbands in the audience, one thing I’ve learned from my long, long acquaintance with law enforcement is that it takes a special person to marry a cop -- a special person.  (Laughter.)  As my mother, Jean Finnegan, would say, no purgatory for you, dear.  None.  Straight to heaven.  (Laughter.)

Because what you really do know -- and I’m joking but you know it’s true -- you know when you marry a cop, you’re marrying his or her job.  You know it.

You sit on the steps holding your kids tight when the lights have gone out in the city, and you turn to your husband, and you say, go do your job.  Go do your job.

All of you know and experience that every time your husband, wife, sister, brother, son or daughter pins on that shield and walks out the door.  Whether it’s after tucking the kids in bed at night and giving them a kiss goodnight, whether it’s early in the morning, you all know.

And I know from a little experience you all worry about that phone call -- the phone call at that unexpected time when you shouldn’t be expecting a phone call, and the feeling that goes through you just for a second when that phone rings at that unexpected time.  We owe you so much.  We owe the families so much.  The English poet John Milton once wrote, he said:  “They also serve who only stand and wait.” 

Some of you have waited so long in such desperate circumstances.  We can never repay you.  There is no group of women and men more driven by a sense of loyalty and responsibility than the women and men we’re honoring here today.

You pursued a kidnapper in Phoenix, who was biking away with a terrified four-year-old girl.  When that little girl was rescued, she went home and she said, “Daddy, daddy, guess what?  The bad guy took me out of the house, but the police saved me.”  The police saved me.  The police saved me.  (Applause.)

You do it every single day when no one hears about it, when no one knows.  You had no idea when you started your shift that you’d be called upon to prevent a massacre at a Las Vegas shopping mall.  But you all did with incredible professionalism.

There was no way you could have known that you’d have to shift from taking down a traffic complaint, to putting down an assassin intent on killing cops in the LA police station.  But you did.  You acted -- without hesitation.

When you answered the call for backup in Corpus Cristi, you couldn’t have possibly known you’d have to render medical assistance to a fellow officer while returning fire at the gunman.  But you saved that officer.  You stopped the suspect in spite of a bullet wound in your own leg.

Bullets didn’t stop you in the Brightwood neighborhood of Indianapolis either.  You took cover, radioed critical information, and you took down a suspect in spite of having a gunshot wound in your own abdomen.

You acted as a team in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago to save a fallen captain who’d put himself in harm’s way to protect his fellow officers.

You took down a dangerous gunman without harming any civilians in a running battle through the streets of Dorchester.  That's what you did.

You stared down a cop killer with an AK-47 in Norfolk; and a hatchet-wielding assailant in Queens.

You brought the heroism that earned you a Bronze Star in Afghanistan home to stop a mass shooting in Palm Beach.

Collectively, you’ve done all of these things and so many more that no one ever, ever, ever, ever hears about.  You pull over somebody on a highway at 2:00 in the morning, a routine stop, you have no idea whether you're going to be handed a license or a Glock aimed at you.  You get a call for a disturbance in a three-story walkup in the middle of the night, and you walk up, stop some poor woman from being beaten.  And you have no idea what’s going to greet you on the other side of that door, but you open it, and you walk through.  You're a remarkable, remarkable group of women and men.

And as you know -- because I’ve been with you for a long, long time -- we’ve all attended too damn many funerals together.  And fortunately a whole lot more celebrations.  And I find I get the same answer every time I say you, congratulations.  Thanks for your courage.  You all say essentially the same exact thing.  You say, sir, just doing my job, sir.  Just doing my job.

What a job.  And what shape we’d be in as a nation if we didn't have you doing that job.  We expect you to do everything.  We expect you to be constitutional scholars.  We expect you to have instantaneous reactions to a crisis without making any mistake, without knowing what’s behind that door, what’s in that guy’s pocket.  And when you make a mistake, we come down on you like a ton of bricks.  But you still do your job. 

I try to explain to people -– because they know my relationship from the time I was a kid with law enforcement -- I try to explain to people that being a cop is not what you do –- it’s who you are.  It’s who you are.  It’s stamped into your DNA.

I don’t know each of you personally, but I know you.  I know you well.  You’re the same guys and women I grew up with in Scranton and Claymont who would always step in when a kid was being bullied, even if there were four guys.  You’re always the guys no matter what the number, you jumped in, always having somebody’s back.  You're the same ones after working all day go out and volunteer to line the Little League field when the season opens.  You're the same guys who do fundraisers -- not just for your fallen officers you work with, but for victims and their families.  Who else does that besides you? 

Today we honor you not just because of your bravery but your professionalism, your commitment, your example.  I can say without fear of contradiction I’ve always been proud to stand with you on this and any other occasion -- previous occasions at the TOP COPS Rose Garden ceremonies and dinners.

But I have to admit every year you've been kind enough to invite me, it’s always sort of bittersweet.  Because I want to come and personally thank and honor those TOP COPS -- because although we honor these women and men, who are here because they're some of the bravest among us, some of the really bravest among us aren’t with us tonight.  That's the bitter part.

Allen Beck; Igor Soldo, Las Vegas; Brian Jones, Virginia; Officer Casey Kohlmeier, Illinois -- they are not here to receive our thanks and our appreciation, although they're here.  But I want to personally thank their families.

To Casey’s mom, Keri Jo, my heart aches for you.  No parent should ever have their child predecease them.  And to Riley, you know your brother is bone of your bone, blood of your blood.  He’ll be in your life forever.

Just like you, Robert.  Your brother died the way he lived -– serving and protecting.

Nicole, Andrea, Rebekah, I don't know quite what to say to you except that I really admire your courage being here today.  All the cops in this room know how hard it is to be here.  Because although you're proud of the service of your husbands and the sacrifices they made for their community, it’s bittersweet.

I know from experience because you relive the moment you got the call every single time.  They're focused on it as if it was yesterday.  And I also know from experience there’s nothing anyone can say or do that will ease that overwhelming sense of loss.  There’s a headstone in Ireland that reads:

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal;
Love leaves a memory that no one can steal.

And I promise you, it may have already happened, but I promise you -- and I hope it’s happened already -- but I promise you the day will come when something will trigger the memory -- a smell, the way the lights shine in, a look on your child’s face, the way you open the bathroom door, something that reminds you of him.  The day will come when that occurs and the first thing that will happen you’ll get a smile to your lips before a tear to your eye.  That's when you know.  That's when you know.  That's when you know you're going to make it.

My prayer for each of you is that day will come sooner than later, but I promise it will come.

And I hope the families of the fallen take solace in the outpouring of love, affection, and gratitude that's on display today and back home.  You now are locked in forever to this brotherhood and sisterhood, which you’d just as soon not be part of, but it’s real -- a brotherhood and sisterhood of law enforcement throughout the nation that will be there for you, for your children, for your family as long as you live.

My mom used to drill into her four kids -- me and my siblings -- she’d look at me and say, Joey, look at me, and she said, just remember you’re defined by your courage, and you’re redeemed by your loyalty.  You're defined by your courage and redeemed by your loyalty.

I challenge anyone to think of a group of women and men who had more courage, had such an intense sense of loyalty, than all of the officers that we honor today.  You all are a rare breed.  And thank God for you.

May God bless you and protect you and every other law enforcement officer and their families until we meet again next year.  God love you all.  You're incredible.  We owe you.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

END
8:11 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
May 06, 2015

Readout of Vice President Biden's Meeting with Iraqi Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barzani

This morning, Vice President Joe Biden hosted Iraqi Kurdistan Regional President Masoud Barzani at the Naval Observatory for breakfast. The Vice President underscored the United States’ strong commitment to working with the global coalition and the Iraqi people to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL through a comprehensive campaign including military, political, economic, and humanitarian efforts. Vice President Biden and President Barzani discussed ongoing U.S. security assistance to the Kurdish Peshmerga in full coordination with the Government of Iraq. Both leaders agreed on the profound need for close cooperation between the Government of Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the global coalition in the ongoing fight against ISIL, particularly with respect to the liberation of Mosul. They also agreed on the need for close coordination between Baghdad and Erbil to advance key elements of the Government of Iraq’s national program. 

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
May 06, 2015

Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Republic of Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades about the conflict settlement process, bilateral relations, and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The Vice President underscored the importance of seizing the opportunity to work with newly-elected Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci to conclude a settlement as soon as possible to reunify the island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation, which is in the overwhelming interest of all Cypriots. The Vice President and President Anastasiades also agreed to continue strengthening our strategic partnership to deepen and expand areas of bilateral cooperation. Finally, on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the two leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining transatlantic solidarity and support for the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.   

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
May 03, 2015

Remarks by Dr. Jill Biden at the 28th Annual Human Rights Campaign Atlanta Gala Dinner

Atlanta, Georgia

May 2, 2015

 

Thank you, Chad, for that great introduction.  Hello, Atlanta!  I am so proud to be here with all of you tonight. 

I’d like to start by saying I think Chad is doing a phenomenal job leading HRC.  But, as a mother myself, I think we owe Chad’s parents – Betty and Butch Hightower – a round applause for doing such a great job of raising Chad.  

I’d also like to acknowledge Congressman John Lewis is here tonight.  He is an embodiment of courage, foresight, and lasting commitment.

It was so nice to meet Jim Obergefell, who’s here tonight as well, the lead plaintiff from the historic Supreme Court case argued earlier this week.  We’re with you, Jim. Keep up the fight!

It’s an honor to be here because I truly believe in the work that you do – that all of us do together – to advance equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans.  As my husband Joe often says, this is the civil rights cause of our lifetime.

Joe and I came of age during a time when there was no Human Rights Campaign to proudly wave its flag of equality, yellow over blue, at rallies and in marches across the country.  Back then, a gathering like this would not just have been unthinkable; in many places, it would have been illegal.  Look how far we’ve come.

Last year, when Joe and I spoke at the HRC dinner in Los Angeles, he told a story from his youth about how his father drove him to the city courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware and while they were parked outside, Joe saw two men kissing each other goodbye.  Joe didn’t know what to think, but his father turned to him and explained: “they love each other. That’s the end.”

Because “love is love,” today – 50 years later – two men or two women can walk into the courthouse in that same city of Wilmington and get a marriage license.  And we won’t rest until that freedom to marry is available to any loving, committed couple in this country.  Look how far we’ve come.

I am proud to be here on behalf of an Administration that has done more to secure equality and justice for the LGBT community than any past Administration – combined.  Working with you, we: Repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell; ended the HIV travel ban; passed a hate crimes law bearing Matthew Shepard’s and James Byrd’s names; established a National HIV/AIDS Strategy; supported Gay Straight Alliances and aggressively pursued justice for LGBT students; stood up for the rights of LGBT people around the world; prohibited discrimination in federally funded programs; and, argued for the freedom to marry before the Supreme Court. These are your victories.

Now, I’m not a politician but I’ve been around politics long enough to recognize that nothing compares to the kind of sweeping change we have seen on LGBT issues in the last six years.  But ultimately, this isn’t about changing laws – it’s about changing lives.

Change is young people who are comfortable in their own skin and proud of who they are, because they know it gets better.  As an educator, I know the kind of bullying and harassment that some of my students face in the classroom, and the rejection they encounter at home.  I’ve read it in their journals, and I’ve even chastised an entire class for mistreating one my LGBT students.

Change is serving the country you love regardless of who you love.  As a military mom, I care deeply for our service members and their families.  I saw the burden that “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and DOMA placed on so many of our military families – families who serve this nation with just as much courage and patriotism and sacrifice as any other military family. Today, because those discriminatory laws are no longer on the books, their lives are so much better, and they can worry about the things every family, every military family worries about: Deployment and return; raising their kids; and transitioning from service to civilian life. 

And, speaking of family, change is having a family that fully respects and affirms who you are.  Earlier in the program, you heard from a smart, talented, beautiful young woman from Delaware named Sarah McBride.  Can we give her another round of applause?  Now, Delaware isn’t a big state, so perhaps it comes as no surprise to all of you that Joe and I have known Sarah McBride and her family for many years.  The McBride’s are a giving family—who are always ready to step up and help out when you’re in need.  Sarah’s older brother went to high school with our daughter Ashley, and Sarah worked on our son Beau’s campaigns for Attorney General in 2006 and 2010. 

So I know a little more about her story – and I know that when she came out, her parents didn’t hesitate one moment.  They embraced the child that they love – the daughter they have, unequivocally.  Because they know what you know: treating people differently because of who they are is no different than the cruel laws John Lewis bravely fought against for years.  As Joe says, “I don’t care how you dress it up or how you justify it—prejudice is prejudice is prejudice.” And so, Sarah’s parents didn’t just stand with her at home; they stood with her before the Delaware legislature to fight for transgender equality and to demand dignity and fairness for their daughter.  Their embrace never yielded, from the morning she came out to them, to the afternoon her father walked her down the aisle, to the evening she lost her husband.  Isn’t that what parents are supposed to do?  Parents celebrate, support, and they comfort – because they see, and love, their child for who they truly are.

Now, Sarah will be the first to admit: she’s one of the lucky ones.  Because for every Sarah McBride there are – tragically – too many stories like Leelah Alcorn’s.  Instead of being accepted, Leelah was rejected. Instead of being supported, she was isolated. Instead of beginning her transition, she was forced into conversion therapy.  Leelah’s story is all too common in America today.  We know that 1 in 3 LGBT youth experiences some form of conversion therapy, and that this has devastating effects, including depression, substance abuse, and suicide.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  It can’t be this way.  That’s why I was so proud when our Administration recently stood up for children like Leelah—to condemn conversion therapy in all its forms, and issued a call for action.  Because we believe young people should be valued for who they are, no matter what they look like, where they’re from, the gender with which they identify, or who they love.

As an educator, as a military mom, and as a mother and grandmother, I know and have seen firsthand the importance of family in a time of need.  When our son Beau was deployed to Iraq in 2009 for a year, it wasn’t easy for our family but we supported one another.  A few years ago, I wrote a children’s book to share our family experience—of what life was like for our grandchildren, Natalie and Hunter, when their father was away at war.  I bring this up because children’s books have this amazing power to explain the simple truths in life.  Think about it: they teach us how to overcome adversity; how to live by the golden rule; and my favorite, that sharing is caring.

Twenty five years ago, another children’s book was published that describes how all families are not the same, but also not all that different.  I would like to read you quote from Heather Has Two Mommies: “It doesn’t matter how many mommies or how many daddies your family has.  It doesn’t matter if your family has sisters or brothers or cousins or grandmas or grandpas or uncles and aunts… The most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love each other.”

What was once controversial is now commonplace.  At its core, Heather Has Two Mommies was about the importance of family.  And, it seems only fitting that 25 years later the Supreme Court of the United States could issue a historic decision for the freedom to marry.

This happened because of all of you—because you came out and marched; because of heartbreaking stories of loss and rejection; and inspiring stories of love and acceptance.  We should celebrate moments like these that remind us that the moral arc of the universe may be long but it does bend towards justice.

We know that the work doesn’t end with a Supreme Court victory.  If we’ve learned anything from the story of civil rights and equality in America, it’s that real, lasting change requires long-term commitment.  Just ask John Lewis.  It means staying engaged and vigilant, and not taking progress for granted because, if you’re not careful, it can be taken away.  So do it for our kids and our families; for our service members and Heather’s two mommies; for Sarah McBride and Leelah Alcorn.  And know that Barack, Michelle, Joe and I will be with you every step of the way.

Thank you again for having me here.  God bless.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
May 02, 2015

Readout of Vice President Biden's Call with Prime Minister Al-Abadi of Iraq

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi. The Vice President reaffirmed the US commitment under the Strategic Framework Agreement to a united, federal, and democratic Iraq, as defined in the Iraqi constitution. He further reaffirmed, pursuant to this commitment, that all U.S. military assistance in the fight against ISIL comes at the request of the Government of Iraq and must be coordinated through the Government of Iraq. 

The Vice President and Prime Minister also spoke about recent security developments inside Iraq. The Vice President underscored America’s commitment to help Iraqis reclaim their territory from ISIL, and the Prime Minister expressed appreciation for U.S. coordination and air strikes by the International Coalition in support of Iraqi forces and Iraqi volunteers operating under Iraqi government command. The Vice President also expressed his condolences on behalf of the United States for the victims of ISIL's barbaric terrorist attacks, including car bombs recently against innocent civilians in Baghdad. Both leaders emphasized their mutual commitment to working together to defeat ISIL and helping Iraqi forces protect Iraq's full sovereignty and independence.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
May 01, 2015

Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk

Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk to discuss the situation in eastern Ukraine and Ukraine’s reform agenda. The Vice President congratulated the Prime Minister on a successful international reform conference and encouraged Ukraine to continue implementing economic and rule of law reforms to improve the business climate and attract investment. Regarding the security situation in eastern Ukraine, the two leaders called on Russia to fulfill its commitments under the Minsk agreements, including the withdrawal of all heavy weapons and foreign fighters; the release of all prisoners in Russian custody; and allowing Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe election monitors to begin preparations for local elections as provided for in the February Minsk Implementation Plan.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
April 24, 2015

Readout of Vice President Biden’s Meeting with Former Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri

The Vice President met this morning with former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. The Vice President reaffirmed the United States’ support for Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence, as well as the wide-ranging partnership between the United States and the government and people of Lebanon. The Vice President praised the courage of the Lebanese Armed Forces in confronting extremists inside Lebanon and expressed support for Lebanon’s policy of dissociation from the conflict in Syria. The Vice President and former Prime Minister discussed regional and international developments, including ongoing nuclear diplomacy with Iran. The Vice President underscored that no nation in the Middle East should enjoy a sphere of influence at the expense of its neighbors’ sovereignty. 

The Vice President and the former Prime Minister also discussed Lebanon’s political situation. They agreed on the need for Lebanese leaders to reach agreement, for the good of their country, to fill the current Presidential vacancy. The Vice President recognized the immense humanitarian challenge confronting Lebanon and all of Syria’s neighbors, and the former Prime Minister expressed his gratitude for U.S. humanitarian support for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
April 23, 2015

Remarks by Vice President Joe Biden the 67th Annual Israeli Independence Day Celebration

Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium
Washington, D.C.

7:29 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Ron, Mr. Ambassador, my name is Joe Biden, and everybody knows I love Israel. 

I was thinking as Ron was saying that he doesn't know what it’s like in Catholic families -- whether we argue as much as allegedly occurs in Jewish families.  Well, I settled all that.  Two of my three children married Jews.  (Laughter.)  And you want to see what happens then.  (Laughter.) 

As a matter of fact, my daughter -- I -- the dream of every Irish-Catholic father is for his daughter to marry a Jewish surgeon.  (Laughter.)  And she did.

But I want you to know I think the only time on record, at least in the state of Delaware, in the oldest Catholic church in the state, the second oldest -- 1842 -- we signed the ketubah in the Catholic rectory.  (Laughter.)  Not a joke.  (Laughter.)  Not a joke.  I think that's a first.  We had a chuppah on the altar, handmade, magnificently, beautiful chuppah.  And we had a Catholic priest, Father Murphy, and a rabbi, and it was hard getting a rabbi, by the way.  (Laughter.)  I had to go up to Montgomery County to find one.  (Laughter.)  And the reason why -- Montgomery County, Pennsylvania -- and the reason he came is his mother loved me.  (Laughter.)  But -- and my daughter asked me, she said, Daddy, what do you want played at the wedding?  I said, just one -- maybe the concluding hymn could be “On Eagles’ Wings”.

And so the rabbi was a wonderful guy, literally presided over 75 percent of the wedding.  The vows were administered by the Catholic priest.  And as the wedding party was departing, as the bride and groom were departing down the aisle, they played the hora.  (Laughter.)  So I figured it out.  One way to end arguments is to marry.  (Laughter.) 

Look, the fact of the matter is that 77 years [sic] ago, at midnight on May 14, 1948, against all odds, in the wake of searing tragedy, defiant in the face of overwhelming military numbers massed on its borders, the modern State of Israel was born.   (Applause.)

What you did next was no less than miraculous.  You were blessed with one of the greatest generations of founding fathers and mothers of any nation in the history of the world -- Ben-Gurion, Meir, Begin, Sharon, Rabin, Peres.  They all fashioned Israel into a vibrant, vibrant democracy. 

And in the process, you built one of the most innovative societies on Earth.  In the process, you defended your homeland and became the most powerful military in the entire region.  And all these years later, things have changed, but the danger still exists.  But the people of Israel still live in a dangerous neighborhood.  And just to be an Israeli -- it still demands uncommon courage.

Much has changed, but two things have remained absolutely the same: the courage of your people and the commitment of mine.  (Applause.)   

So today, we celebrate your independence and our friendship, which was born just 11 minutes after Israel’s founding.  And President Obama and I are proud to carry forward the unbroken line of American leaders –- Democrat and Republican —- who have honored America’s sacred promise to protect the homeland of the Jewish people.

It’s no secret that, like administrations before us, as the Ambassador said, we’ve had our differences.  I have been here for a long time, for eight Presidents.  I’ve witnessed disagreements between administrations.  It’s only natural for two democracies like ours.  As Ron said, we’re like family.  We have a lot to say to one another.  Sometimes we drive each other crazy.  But we love each other.  And we protect each other.   (Applause.)

And it’s hard to see with these lights, but I suspect I know many of you personally.  As many of you heard me say before, were there no Israel, America would have to invent one.  We’d have to invent one because Ron is right, you protect our interests like we protect yours.  (Applause.)

So let’s get something straight.  In this moment of some disagreement occasionally between our governments, I want to set the record straight on one thing:  No President has ever done more to support Israel’s security than President Barack Obama.  (Applause.)

Just look at the facts.  Each time a rocket has rained down from Gaza, President Obama stands up before the world and defends Israel’s right to defend itself like any other nation. 

Under President Obama, with the United States Congress, America has provided $20 billion in military assistance to Israel -– and cutting edge weaponry needed to maintain the qualitative advantage against any potential opponent. 

You all know the stories of Iron Dome.  What you may not know is that next year, we will deliver to Israel the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter –- our finest -– making Israel the only country in the Middle East with a fifth-generation aircraft.  No other.  (Applause.)

And we continue to discuss, as the Israeli military here and the intelligence communities will tell you in Israel as well as here -- we continue to discuss what more must be done in the near term and the long term to continue to strengthen Israel so she can maintain that edge.  (Applause.)

Our commitment to protect Israel’s security in my case and many of your case is not just political or national interest, it’s personal.  It’s personal for me and it’s personal for the President.

You've heard me say this many of my friends out there before, but it bears repeating on this day, it began at my father’s dinner table.  My father was a righteous Christian.  We assembled to eat, to have discussions -- and occasionally eat.  My father talked about how he could not understand why there was a debate among Americans or why there was a debate among American Jews about whether or not we should have recognized Israel; why there would be any debate about why we hadn’t done more; why we hadn’t -- that's where I first learned about not bombing the railroad tracks.  I learned from my father about the concentration camps.  And the first thing I did with my children when each of them turned 15, I took them to Europe, flew them directly to Dachau, and made them spend a day there with me.  And I’ve done the same with my grandchildren.  My grandchild Finnegan as recently as just a month ago where we met with a 94-year-old survivor of Auschwitz, as well as Dachau.  He showed us the camp because he was proud -- proud -- to welcome the Vice President and his granddaughter.

All you have to do to understand is stand on the Golan and look down.  I remember the first time I did that as a young senator.  All you have to do is wander throughout Israel.  All you have to do is take that helicopter ride the entire length of the fence.  All you have to do is just look at the map.  All you had to is set foot at Yad Vashem -— and you understand. 

I’ve had the great privilege of knowing every Israeli Prime Minister since Golda Meir and more than just casually.  And I’ve worked with many of you in this room for up to 40 years.  You know me.  You raised me.  You educated me.  And I know you. 

So believe me when I tell you:  It’s not only personal to me, it’s personal to President Obama, as well.  The President was raised with memories of his great-uncle, who marched with Patton’s Army to liberate Jewish prisoners from the horrors of Buchenwald.  As a young man, he grew up learning about Israel from the stories of Leon Uris’ in “Exodus”; the Six-Day War; and Moshe Dayan, with his eye patch and his courage.  I remember sitting in front of Golda Meir’s desk as she flipped those maps up and down, chain-smoking, talking about the losses of the Six-Day War, sitting next to her military attaché at the time, a guy named Rabin.

But Barack, as a young senator -- being 19 years younger than I am, he heard about it.  He read about it.  As senator, Barack Obama went to a small town in southern Israel to see with his own eyes the lives of the families who live under threat of rockets -– families that he has helped protect as Commander-in-Chief, under Iron Dome. 

As President, he stood in Jerusalem, and declared to the whole world, “Those who adhere to the ideology of rejecting Israel’s right to exist, they might as well reject the earth beneath them or the sky above, because Israel is not going anywhere.  So long as the United States of America is there, Israel will never be alone.”  (Applause.)  He means it.  He means it.  You know I mean it.  I’m telling you he means it.

That’s my President.  He understands the need for Israel to have the right and the capacity and the capability to defend itself.  At the same time, he says, “we have Israel’s back” -- and you can count on it.

The same commitment to the survival and security of Israel is fundamental to our strategy for the entire Middle East.  And then we get into the controversial piece.  Iran.  Remember this is the President who made it for the first time in American history a declared policy of the United States to use all the instruments of our power to prevent -— not contain, prevent –- Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon.  He stated that all options are on the table -— then he made sure of what did not exist before.  He made sure we spent the time and money and the research to develop the capacity required to act against their capacity to develop a weapon if ever needed.

Over the skepticism of many, we worked with the U.S. Congress, our European allies, and Russia, China, to put in place the toughest sanctions regime in modern history.

We also knew the cost of not negotiating.  Midway through the last administration, the U.S. government refused to directly engage.  It insisted at the same time that Iran dismantle its entire program.

The result?  By the time President Bush left office, Iran had dramatically advanced its movement toward ability to acquire a nuclear weapon.  So we’ve taken a different approach, combining unprecedented pressure with direct diplomacy to find an enduring solution. 

Negotiations began.  And we’ve come a long way.  And you’ve all seen the parameters that were put forward.  It’s a framework, only a framework -- not a final deal.  A great deal of work lies ahead to see if Iran will actually enshrine the commitments that went into that framework as part of a final deal.

If they do, each of Iran’s paths to a bomb would be meaningfully and verifiably blocked.  Iran would cut its enrichment capacity by two-thirds; shrink its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98 percent.  Breakout time to create a weapon’s worth of bomb-grade material will go from two to three months, which it is today, to over a year.

The deal would ensure at least a one-year breakout cushion for a decade.  And for years after that, the breakout time would continue to be longer than it exists today.

We’ll prevent the Arak reactor from ever being a source of plutonium for nuclear weapons.  We will put in place the toughest transparency and verification requirements in history -— providing the best possible check against a secret path to the bomb.

This isn’t a grand bargain between the United States and Iran.  It’s a nuclear bargain between Britain, France, Russia, China, Germany, the EU, America and Iran.  It’s based on hard-hitting, hard-headed, uncompromising assessments of what is required to protect ourselves, Israel, the region, and the world.

And if the final deal on the table that doesn’t meet the President’s requirements, we simply will not sign it.  

A final deal must effectively cut off Iran’s pathways to the bomb.  If it doesn’t, no deal.

A final deal must ensure a breakout timeline at least for one year for a decade.  If it doesn’t, no deal. 

A final deal must include phased sanctions relief, calibrated against Iran taking meaningful steps to constrain their program.  If it doesn’t, no deal. 

A final deal must provide a verifiable assurance to the international community demands to ensure Iran’s program is exclusively peaceful going forward.  If it doesn’t, no deal. 

And if Iran cheats at any time and goes for a nuclear weapon –- every option we have to respond today remains on the table.  And your military will tell you, and more.

I’ve been involved in arms control negotiations since I was a kid in the Senate at 30 years of age -- every major SALT agreement, START agreement, and toward the end, I was deeply involved negotiating when Brezhnev was still around, leading a delegation of senators.  But just like arms control talks with the Soviet Union —- another regime we fundamentally disagreed with, another regime whose rhetoric was outrageous and unacceptable, another regime whose proxies were forcefully making trouble, and we forcefully countered around the world –- we negotiated to reduce the nuclear threat to prevent a nuclear war.  And it kept us safer.  That’s what we’re attempting to do today.

We also continue to agree with Israeli leaders going back decades –- from Rabin to Sharon, whose funeral I had the great honor of eulogizing –- that a two-state solution is essential to Israel’s long-term survival as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people.   Consistent with our commitment to Israel’s security and survival, the United States stands ready to help Israel decide -- if they decide -- how to get there and if they want our help in getting there.

I’ll always remember what my friend and mentor, and Holocaust survivor who worked for me as my national security advisor before he became Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Lantos once said.  He said, “the veneer of civilization is paper thin.  We are its guardians and can never rest.”

That’s why we must never retreat from fighting every scourge and source of anti-Semitism as we find it.  You see, in too many places where legitimate criticism crosses over into bigotry and anti-Semitism; where an explicitly anti-Semitic attack takes place at a kosher grocery store; assaults on religious Jews in the streets of major European capitals.  Some of you may remember how harshly I was criticized as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee over 15 years ago when I held hearings on anti-Semitism in Europe.  Emerson said, society is like a wave, the wave moves on, but the particles remain the same.  Wherever, in whatever country, whatever circumstance it rears its head, we have to stop it. 

Enough is enough.   We have to fight it everywhere we find it. 

I’ll conclude -- and my friends kid me and I imagine Ron may, as well -- telling you the story about my meeting with Golda Meir.  The reason I do it had a profound impact on me, one of the most consequential meetings I’ve ever had in my life.  I think I’ve met every major world leader in the last 36 or 37 years in the world, in a literal sense.

But I remember meeting for close to an hour with her.  She went through what happened in the Six-Day War, and the price that was paid.  And I just had come from Egypt.  They let me go to Egypt and go to the Suez Canal.  And I was saying to she and Rabin that I thought that they were getting ready to attack again.  And everyone including my military and Israeli military thought I was crazy.

I remember driving from Cairo all the way to out to the Suez.  And you could see these great plumes of dust and sand.  But none it seemed isolated.  It turns out it was maneuvers taking place in the desert.  And I was really worried.  And we went through, and she painted a bleak, bleak picture -- scared the hell out of me, quite frankly, about the odds. 

And all of a sudden she looked at and she said, would you like a photograph?  And I said, yes, ma’am.  And those double-blind doors opened up into that hallway -- not hallway.  It looks like -- it’s a foyer.  And we walked out, and the press was standing there.  We didn't say anything.  We just stood side by side.  And she must have thought I looked worried.  And it’s an absolutely true story.  She didn't look at me, she spoke to me.  She said, Senator, you look so worried.  I said, well, my God, Madam Prime Minister, and I turned to look at her.  I said, the picture you paint.  She said, oh, don't worry.  We have -- I thought she only said this to me.  She said, we have a secret weapon in our conflict with the Arabs.  You see, we have no place else to do.

I was criticized in the national press a couple weeks ago when I said that, in fact, every Jew in the world needs there to be an Israel.  And it was characterized by some of the conservative press as saying that I was implying Jews weren’t safe in America.  They don't get it.  They don't get it.  Israel, Israel is absolutely essential -- absolutely essential -- security of Jews around the world.  And that's why you have never farmed out your security.  You’ve accepted all the help we could give.  The most admirable thing about you is you’ve never asked us to fight for you.  But I promise you, if you were attacked and overwhelmed, we would fight for you, in my view.  (Applause.)

The truth of the matter is we need you.  The world needs you.  Imagine what it would say about humanity and the future of the 21st century if Israel were not sustained, vibrant and free.

We’ll never stop working to ensure that Jews from around the world always have somewhere to go.  We’ll never stop working to make sure Israel has a qualitative edge.  And whomever the next President is -- Republican or Democrat -- it will be the same because the American people, the American people are committed.  The America people understand. 

So I say happy birthday, Israel.  Happy Independence Day.  May God bless you and may God bless and protect the United States of America.  Thank you all so very much.  (Applause.)

END
7:52 P.M. EDT

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
April 23, 2015

FACT SHEET: Vice President Biden Announces It’s On Us Progress and Marks Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

“Violence against women is not a women’s issue alone. It’s a man’s issue as well… So to all of the guys out there—you have to step up. That’s how we can change the culture on campus and around the country to one that understands no means no.” – Vice President Biden

In remarks at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Vice President Biden will honor Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month with an important update on the Administration’s efforts to help combat instances of sexual assault, including on college and university campuses. 

President Obama and Vice President Biden have made it a national priority to root out sexual violence and assault wherever it exists, especially in our schools. As part of their efforts, they launched a public awareness and education campaign last year called It’s On Us. The campaign seeks to empower college students – and all members of campus communities – not only to respond effectively to sexual assault, but also to prevent it in the first place. That is why It’s On Us was launched in partnership with student body leadership from nearly 200 colleges and universities across the country, collegiate sports organizations such as the NCAA, and private companies that have strong connections with students at colleges and universities, in addition to Generation Progress.

As part of the Administration’s ongoing effort to combat sexual violence, the Vice President is traveling to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to recognize new It’s On Us commitments and progress, and the critical role that students at the University and across the country play in championing the It’s On Us mission. The Vice President will be joined on campus by actress Jessica Szohr to help amplify this important message. 

New It’s On Us National Milestones

  • 200,000: More than 200,000 people around the country have taken the It’s On Us pledge, a personal commitment to help keep women and men safe from sexual assault.
  • 600: More than 600 It’s On Us events have taken place, including rallies, pledge drives, and campus dialogues.
  • 300: More than 300 campuses have hosted It’s On Us student-led campaigns.
  • 190: More than 190 campuses have created their own public service announcements.

New It’s on Us Commitments

Funny Or Die: Funny or Die, whose network reaches directly into the It's On Us target demographic, will produce creative content and celebrity engagement to create a culture where sexual violence is unacceptable. The site has over 19 million unique users per month, over 60 million video views per month, and has grown into a vertically integrated digital studio that produces content over numerous platforms, including on Twitter and Facebook.

Pandora: Pandora is teaming up with the It’s On Us campaign to spread the word about the importance of bystander intervention. Pandora is running the It’s On Us public service announcement, specifically targeting 10 million men ages 18-22 on college campuses across the country. The most popular online radio platform in the United States, Pandora reaches over 80 million Americans online each month.

USA Network: In a renewed partnership, USA Network and actress Jessica Szohr, star of the new television series new series “Complications,” will be joining Vice President Biden at the It’s On Us rally to help amplify the important message. In addition to providing ongoing digital and social promotion, USA Network will be commemorating National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month and highlighting the It’s On Us campaign during a special marathon of “Law & Order: SVU” on Sunday, April 26, which focuses on ending campus sexual assault.

Greek Organizations: Several Greek organizations, including Alpha Chi Rho, Alpha Kappa Lambda, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Pi Kappa Alpha, Pi Kappa Phi, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Sigma Psi Zeta, and Zeta Beta Tau have signed on as partners of the It’s On Us campaign and are working with their local chapters to get the word out about the pledge, host events and trainings, and film public service announcements.

It’s On Us Partnerships

It’s On Us now includes 75 non-profit and private sector partners that focus on supporting the campaign using digital, television, and alternative strategies.

The full list of It’s On Us partners includes:

A Call to Men, AAUW, ACC, Alpha Chi Rho (AXP) National Fraternity, Alpha Kappa Lambda, Atlantic 10, Big East, Big Ten, Big Twelve, Booster, Campus Advantage, Circle of 6, Clear Channel, College Humor, Conversant Media, Culture of Respect, Custom Ink, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Electronic Arts, Everfi, Feminist Majority, Generation Progress, GLAAD, Great Lakes Valley Conference, Hillel International, iHeart Media, Jewish Women International, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Landmark, LiveSafe, Lyft, Mekanism, Men Can Stop Rape, Microsoft, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), National Sexual Violence Resource Center, NCAA, NCLC, Newsweek, Northeast Conference, NWLC, On Campus Media, Only With Consent, Our Time, Pac 12, Park Pictures, Participant Media, Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, PVBLIC, RAINN, Roosevelt Campus Network, SB Nation, SEC, Sigma Psi Zeta, Snapchat, Southern Conference, Southwestern Athletic Conference, Symplicity, Tau Kappa Epsilon, The Mill, The White House, Tumblr, UltraViolet, USA Bobsled and Skeleton, USA Characters Unite, USA Squash, USA Swimming, USA Water Polo, USA Wrestling, United States Olympic Committee, Verifone Media, Viacom - VH1, MTV, BET, CMT, Spike, Young Invincibles, YWCA, Zeta Beta Tau.

The White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault and the Not Alone Campaign

“It’s On Us” is a critical step forward in the Administration’s multipronged approach to combat campus sexual assault through the work of the White House Task Force to Protect Students From Sexual Assault.  The Task Force was established by President Obama on January 22, 2014, and is co-led by the Office of the Vice President and the White House Council on Women and Girls.  Since its inception, this collaborative interagency effort has worked to explore the scope of the problem, foster the development of best practices, and improve the federal government’s efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault on our nation’s campuses. 

On April 29, 2014, the Task Force released its first report – Not Alone – which included recommendations, action steps, and policy templates to help colleges and universities better address the problem.  Since then, the Task Force has continued to provide additional resources through its website – NotAlone.gov – including sample policy language, memoranda of understanding, and toolkits for schools to adapt as they seek to strengthen collaborations, enhance prevention efforts, and address the needs and choices of survivors of sexual assault.  Recognizing that sexual violence in all its forms is a significant public health problem, the Task Force is also engaged in identifying how its recommendations apply to students attending our elementary and secondary schools.  

Going forward, the Task Force and the It’s On Us campaign look to build upon these efforts and to sustain the momentum on this important issue.  It’s on us – all of us – to step up, take action, and protect our nation’s students.

The White House

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release
April 20, 2015

Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Nigerian President Jonathan

Vice President Biden spoke today with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to commend him for his leadership in ensuring Nigeria’s recent elections were peaceful and orderly. The Vice President noted that President Jonathan’s actions to accept the results and congratulate President-elect Buhari, as well as his steps to date to ensure a successful transition, have strengthened Nigeria’s democracy and set a strong example for Africa and the world. The Vice President encouraged President Jonathan to remain engaged and play a leadership role in global issues after his presidency ends.