Oct 1, 2024

Harris Rally in Las Vegas, Nevada

Harris Rally in Las Vegas
RevBlogTranscriptsKamala HarrisHarris Rally in Las Vegas, Nevada

Kamala Harris holds a campaign rally in Las Vegas, Nevada. Read the transcript here.

Captain Quintero (00:09):

Hello, Las Vegas. Very honored to be here tonight and have the opportunity to speak. My name is Noe. I’m a son of Mexican immigrants. I’m a father, a husband, and a middle-class worker, [foreign language 00:00:48].

(00:48)
When I look at my children, I know Kamala Harris is the only choice for this election. I want my children to live in a country where you don’t have to work multiple jobs to put food on the table or pay your rent. Vice President Harris is putting everyday middle-class working families, first, families like mine, family like yours. She’s going to fight to cut costs and create union jobs that my community depends on. And of vital importance, I want my daughters to have a future where their reproductive freedom is protected, a future where they can always get healthcare they need and not worry about whether or not they can afford it or whether or not it’s legal. Now, this is particularly relevant for my family because one of my daughters suffers from a rare debilitating genetic disorder known as Rett Syndrome. It’s a battle that my family and I have been fighting for many years and the Biden-Harris administration has already helped my family by increasing funding for rare disease research so people like my daughter can have a better quality of life. That means everything to my wife and I. I know Vice President Harris will continue to fight to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for everyone.

(02:47)
Now, my parents immigrated to the United States for a better future. They did it for myself, for my siblings. They believed in the American Dream. And now, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz are fighting to protect the promise of America for everyone. So as the son of immigrants, a father, a husband, and a proud member of the working class, I’m proud to support Vice President Harris and Governor Walz in this election. I’m going to vote for the leaders who have been fighting for people like me and my family all along. [foreign language 00:04:01].

(04:16)
And now, it’s my great honor to introduce the next President of the United States, Kamala Harris.

Kamala Harris (06:02):

Hey, Las Vegas. Good evening, Nevada. Good evening, good evening, good evening. Thank you. Thank you, everyone. Thank you. Thank you. And can we please hear for Captain Quintero? Oh, thank you, thank you, everyone. Oh, it is so wonderful to be back in Nevada. Thank you, all. Thank you. And happy Hispanic Heritage Month to everyone. Thank you. Thank you, all. It’s good to be back and I want to thank everyone for all that you do. I know we have some extraordinary elected leaders here and I want to thank them for their incredible work and friendship. It is good to be with all the leaders who are here, including Representative Susie Lee, who is here, Steven Horsford, Dina Titus, the great General Ford, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Senator Jacky Rosen, who we’re going to send back to the United States Senate. Thank you, everyone and all the local leaders here. There are so many leaders here. It is good to be back with you.

(07:20)
Thank you, thank you, thank you. And wait a minute, we also tonight have here some of the Vegas Raiders, who won their game tonight. Congratulations. Oh, congratulations. You came right from the game. Congratulations. Give them a big applause, right? Well done, well done. So in all seriousness, everyone, before I begin, I want to say a few words about Hurricane Helene, and please have a seat if you’re able. I want to talk about Hurricane Helene for a moment, and I know that everyone here sends their thoughts and prayers for the folks who have been so devastated by that hurricane and the ensuing events in Florida, in Georgia, the Carolinas and other impacted states. And we know that so many have been impacted, some have died. But I want to thank everyone for doing everything you can to think about them, send them your thoughts, send them your prayers. I want to thank the first responders who have done so much. And we will stand with these communities

Kamala Harris (09:00):

… communities for as long as it takes to make sure that they are able to recover and rebuild. Earlier today, I received an operational briefing from FEMA Director Criswell. More than 3,300 federal personnel have been mobilized. We are deploying food, water, and generators and working to restore water and power. And the president and I have told state and local leaders we will provide whatever help they need in the days and weeks ahead. And so I thank you all for sending your best wishes to everyone there. Thank you.

(09:45)
So Las Vegas, we have 37 days until the election, 37 days. And we know this will be a tight race until the very end. And let’s level set. We are the underdog. We are the underdog, and we have some hard work ahead. But here’s the thing, we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work is good work. And with your help, we will win in November. Yes, we will. Yes, we will. Yes, we will. We will win.

Audience (10:34):

We will win.

Kamala Harris (10:34):

We will win.

Audience (10:34):

We will win. We will win. We will win.

Kamala Harris (10:34):

We will win.

Audience (10:34):

We will win. We will win. We will win.

Kamala Harris (10:44):

And here’s why. And here’s why. And here’s why. Because we here know that this election is about two very different visions for our nation. And the contrast, I think was quite clear in our debate. Did y’all see the debate?

Audience (11:00):

Yeah.

Kamala Harris (11:07):

And in two days, I know we will cheer on Coach Walz when he debates JD Vance. Yeah.

(11:20)
But listen, also, their debate should not be the last word. I’m trying to debate Donald Trump again, and I think he should debate again. The American people have a right to hear us discuss the issues. And as you say here in Las Vegas, I’m all in. I’m all in. Even if my opponent is ready to fold. So there you go.

(11:52)
But you will remember in our first debate I talked about issues like bringing down the cost of living, investing in small businesses, protecting reproductive freedom and keeping our nation secure.

(12:16)
But from Donald Trump, well it was the same old, tired playbook, same old, tired playbook, with no plan on how he would address the needs of the American people. Well folks, it’s time to turn the page. Time to turn the page.

(12:37)
America is ready to chart a new way forward, ready for a new and optimistic generation of leadership, which is why Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are supporting our campaign because we know we need a president who works for all the American people. Enough of the division. Enough of the hate. We are all in this together. And you all know from my entire career, I’ve only had one client, the people, the people.

(13:35)
From being a young courtroom prosecutor in Oakland, I stood up for women and children against predators. As Attorney General of California, I took on the big banks and delivered $20 billion for middle-class families who faced foreclosure. I stood up for veterans and students being scammed by for-profit colleges, for workers who are being cheated out of their wages. And I pledge to you as president, I will fight for all Americans and together we will build a brighter future for our nation. We will build a future that includes thinking about our economy in a way that it is about lifting everyone up. We will build what I call an opportunity economy so that every American has an opportunity to own a home, to build wealth, to start a business.

(14:56)
And let me tell you, I love our small businesses, of which I’ve met so many right here in Vegas. Growing up, our mother worked very long hours. And so my sister Maya and I would go over two doors down to Ms. Shelton’s house. We called her our second mother. And Ms. Shelton was a small business owner. So I know since I was a young child who our small businesses are, who our small business owners are. Small businesses are the backbone of America’s economy. I know that. I know that. And Latina small business owners are the fastest growing segment of our economy.

(15:50)
So my plan is about tapping into that ambition, those aspirations, those dreams, those incredible ideas, that strong work ethic that people have. Also understanding not everybody gets handed $4 million on a silver platter and files for bankruptcy six times.

(16:14)
So my plan is about saying we’ve got to help entrepreneurs, startups out. And I will give a $50,000 tax deduction to help entrepreneurs start their small businesses. Because right now that tax deduction is $5,000. Can’t nobody start a small business in 2024. So we are going to make it something where it is doable to lift folks up. We also need to build more housing in America.

(16:55)
My mother saved up for years till I was a teenager when she was able to buy our first home. And right now a serious housing shortage is part of what is driving up cost. So we will cut the red tape and work with the private sector to build 3 million new homes and provide first-time home buyers with $25,000 down payment assistance so you can just get your foot in the door. You’ll do the rest.

(17:38)
And we must lower the cost of living because while our economy is doing well by many measures, prices for everyday things like groceries are still too high. You know it and I know it. So I have a plan that includes lowering costs on everything from healthcare to groceries, including I will take on the corporate

Kamala Harris (18:00):

… price gouging that we know has resulted in jacking prices up, often around tragedies and emergencies. We will give a tax cut to a hundred million more Americans, including $6,000 during the first year of a child’s life, knowing that the vast majority of our young parents have a natural desire to parent their children well, but not always the resources to do it. And that $6,000 in extending and expanding the child tax credit will help buying a crib, buying a car seat, doing the things that are so critical in that first phase of life. I will also make sure good paying jobs are available to all Americans, not only those with college degrees, because we need to recognize the value of additional paths, such as apprenticeships and technical programs.

(19:08)
And so as president, part of how I’m going to push this forward is I will get rid of unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs, understanding that having a college degree is not the only measure of the skills and experience of a worker. And when we do that with the federal workforce, I’m coming to ask the private sector to challenge you to do the same. So all of this is the same. I will always put the middle class and working families first. I come from the middle class, and I will never forget where I come from. Now Donald Trump has a different plan. Just Google Project 2025, which I have to say I still can’t believe they put that thing in writing. They printed it up, they bound it, they handed it out.

(20:41)
Just Google it. It is a detailed and dangerous blueprint for what he would do if he were elected again, as president. Donald Trump will give billionaires and corporations massive cuts again, cut Social security and Medicare, and impose what I call a Trump sales tax, which would be a 20% tax on everyday basic necessities, which economists have measured would cost the average family nearly 4,000 more dollars a year in everyday expenses. And on top of all this, Donald Trump intends to end the Affordable Care Act, and he has no plan to replace it. He has “concepts of a plan,” concepts.

(21:55)
So here’s the thing though. We can laugh about many things, but the consequences of this are quite serious, quite serious. Because think about it. He’s going to threaten health coverage and health insurance for 45 million people in our country based on a concept and take us back to when insurance companies could deny people with pre-existing conditions? You remember what that was like? Well, we are not going back. We are not going back. We’re not going back. We’re not going back. We will move forward, and we’ll take on the biggest issues facing our nation. We have talked about the economy. We have talked about what we can do in terms of investing in the ambition, the aspirations of our country. We will take on the issue of immigration. We will take on a number of issues on the subject of immigration. We must have comprehensive immigration reform with strong border of security and an earned pathway to citizenship, including for hardworking immigrants who have been here for years, including our dreamers, including our dreamers. And I was Attorney General of a border state.

(23:51)
I prosecuted transnational criminal organizations who traffic in guns, drugs, and human beings. And as president, I will double the resources for the Department of Justice to go after those transnational cartels and take action to stop the flow of fentanyl coming into our country, which is destroying entire communities. These are serious problems, and we know Donald Trump won’t solve them. When he was president, he did nothing to fix our immigration system. And earlier this year, we had a chance to pass the toughest bipartisan board of security bill in decades, and Donald Trump tanked the bill because he thought that that bill, if passed, would’ve hurt him and he’d prefer to run on a problem instead of fixing a problem. That’s not the kind of president we want. As president, he cruelly separated families and plans to do it again. And he continues to fan the flames of fear and division. Look, we need a president who cares more about solving problems than playing political games and demeaning people full-time. I’m tired of that. We’re done with that. So Nevada, ours is a fight for the future, and it is a fight for freedom, like the fundamental freedom of a woman to be able to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do. And we remember how we got here. Donald Trump hand-selected three members of the United States Supreme Court, the court of Thurgood and RBG, so that they would do as they did and overturn the protections of Roe V. Wade. And now, one in three women in America lives in a state with a Trump abortion ban, many with no exceptions, even for rape and incest. It is immoral, immoral. And let us agree one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree the government shouldn’t be telling her what to do. If she chooses, she will talk with her priest, her pastor, her rabbi, her imam, but not the government telling her what to do with

Kamala Harris (27:00):

… With her body. Come on. And with Jacky Rosen back in the United States Senate, when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom, as President of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law. Proudly sign it into law. And Nevada, you know I’m traveling all over our country. Across our nation, we are witnessing a full on assault on other hard fought, hard won freedoms and rights, like the freedom to vote, the freedom to join a union, the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water. The freedom to love who you love openly and with pride. And the freedom to be safe from gun violence, which after one October in Nevada proved that smart gun safety laws are just common sense.

(28:21)
Look, generations before us, generations of America led the fight for freedom, and the baton, well, it’s now in our hands. It’s now in our hands. And it all comes down to this, we are here together. You came out on a Sunday evening. We are here together because we know what is at stake and we are here together because we love our country. We love our country. We love our country.

Audience (28:55):

USA. USA. USA. USA. USA.

Kamala Harris (28:55):

That’s right. That’s right.

Audience (28:55):

USA. USA. USA. USA. USA.

Kamala Harris (29:15):

And I do believe, I do believe that one of the highest forms of patriotism that we could show is to then fight for the ideals of our country. That’s what this is about. It is a fight to realize the promise of America. And I know the people of Nevada, you are battle born. You are battle born. Yes, you are. And we are all ready for the work ahead. 37 days. 37 days. And here in Nevada, every voter will receive a ballot in the mail, and in-person early voting starts October 19th. So now is the time to make your plan for how you are going to vote, and I’d ask you to start making your plan now for how you are going to vote. And if you choose to vote by mail, do not wait. Fill out your ballot, sign it, and send it back right away. And tell your neighbors, because folks, the election is here and we need to energize and organize and mobilize.

(30:53)
And remember, your vote is your voice. Your voice is your power. Don’t ever let anybody take your power from you. Never. Never. Don’t let anybody silence you ever.

Audience (31:10):

USA. USA.

Kamala Harris (31:14):

So Las Vegas, today I ask you, are you ready to make your voices heard?

Audience (31:20):

Yeah.

Kamala Harris (31:27):

Do we believe in freedom?

Audience (31:27):

Yeah.

Kamala Harris (31:27):

Do we believe in opportunity?

Audience (31:27):

Yeah.

Kamala Harris (31:27):

Do we believe in the promise of America?

Audience (31:27):

Yeah.

Kamala Harris (31:27):

And are we ready to fight for it?

Audience (31:27):

Yeah.

Kamala Harris (33:58):

And when we fight, we win.

Audience (33:58):

We win.

Kamala Harris (33:58):

God bless you and God bless the United States of America.

MUSIC (33:58):

(music)

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