Jayapal on the Election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris
“Today is only possible because people across our state and throughout our country put aside cynicism, doubts and fears to step up, speak out and organize—not only for this election but for the past four years of the Trump presidency.” —Rep. Pramila Jayapal
SEATTLE — United States Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, issued the following statement today on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris being elected the next President and Vice President of the United States:
“I came to the United States by myself 38 years ago because my parents believed in the promise of America—so much so that they sent their 16-year-old across the ocean knowing we may never live on the same continent again. They believed in America’s ideals, in our democracy and that this was a place where change and progress were possible. These results prove that our democracy still works and that the power always belongs to the people through the power of the vote.
“I extend my enthusiastic congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden on his victory and for showing us that compassion, truth and science win out over cruelty, fear and lies. As the first South Asian American woman ever elected to Congress, I am also deeply proud and excited to call Kamala Harris our next Vice President—the first woman, first South Asian American and first Black woman to ever be elected to the position. This is a truly meaningful moment in history for our country, including for so many women and people of color. We have not only shattered ceilings, but we have constructed a different path for so many millions of people across the country as they imagine their own futures.
“I look forward to working with both of them to not only repair the damage done by this dangerous president and his corrupt administration, but to put America on a more just and equitable path. I am ready to get to work on a robust COVID-19 relief package that matches the scale of this crisis, on guaranteeing health care to everyone as a human right, on creating good jobs that pay a living wage, on passing humane immigration reform, on transitioning to a renewable energy future, on making higher education accessible to all, on taking on the corruption we saw flourish in this administration and on doing everything necessary to protect our democracy for generations to come.
“Today is so much bigger than these two individuals or one political party. Today is only possible because people across our state and throughout our country put aside cynicism, doubts and fears to step up, speak out and organize—not only for this election but for the past four years of the Trump presidency. Millions of people have shown their belief in a system that takes care of all of us by taking to the streets for women’s rights, flooding airports to fight xenophobic bans, turning back assault after assault on our health care and demanding an end to kids in cages and family separation. Even as we opposed, our movements for justice proposed a different vision: one that stands firmly for Black lives and racial justice, for climate justice, for respect on all levels for women and our choices, for public education, for peace domestically and internationally, for love meaning love regardless of gender, for the power of people over the power of corporations and for a country that works for all of us not the wealthiest few.
“Our work is only beginning. Our task is to keep momentum high and to remember that without young people, people of color, progressives, working people and the most vulnerable turning out in record numbers and tipping us to victory in key states, we would not have won. We must now organize for people-first policies that make opportunity for all a reality, to finally reckon with white supremacy and anti-Blackness and to chart a course that never, ever leaves even one of us behind.
“Finally, I want to make clear that I will fight back against any and all attempts Donald Trump and his administration make to challenge the vote and voice of the people. I will continue holding them accountable until the day they leave office—and beyond. And I will never stop fighting for the people of Washington’s Seventh Congressional District, those across our state and everyone throughout this country. The power is in our hands; and when we exercise that power, there is nothing that can stop us on the road to justice.”
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