Walz Speaks at Labor Day Rally

Whoa. Happy Labor Day weekend. Let me tell you, I’ve had a fantastic weekend. I spent yesterday in Janesville, Wisconsin with my brother Peter Barca from the 1st congressional district. We were at a UAW hall. Brats, beer, heaven. But I want to welcome all of you. I want to welcome our special guest, Tim Walz here today. I want to welcome him to the Milky Way, to Milwaukee. And if you’re back there listening somewhere, Tim, and he’s got a wife, I think her name is Gwen, if you’re back there listening backstage somewhere, Tim, let me tell you a little bit something, something about Milwaukee. Milwaukee is one of the places where the labor movement was started in this country. Citizens in Milwaukee shed their blood for the eight-hour work day. Milwaukee was a place where we challenged the fugitive slave law when Joshua Glover was captured in Racine in the 1st congressional district, when he was captured in the place where I was born and brought to Milwaukee, 5,000 Milwaukeeans stormed the jail at Cathedral Center Square and Freedom. We don’t want any slaves here. We want workers that work with dignity and are paid. Being for labor is part of our DNA. This is the place where… Wisconsin is the place where the Wisconsin idea comes from. Oh yeah, civil service, workman’s compensation, social security.

(02:55)
Hey, we got some skin in the game in making sure that a presidency that would implement Project 2025 and take away all of these things does not prevail. We’re on the front lines, brothers and sisters, and I want to just acknowledge my sisters in the struggle. I know they’re here. I don’t see them. Milwaukee County Labor Council President Pam Fendt. Oh, yeah. Madam President Wisconsin AFL-CIO Stephanie Bloomingdale, Executive Director of Big Step Lindsay Blumer. Oh yeah, y’all, we going to put a woman in charge in Washington, D.C., and we’ve… But there’s no place like starting it right here at home.

(03:58)
I hear that the Honorable Mayor, Cavalier Johnson was here earlier, the Honorable County Executive, David Crowley. Hey, they’re nonpartisan, but guess what y’all? They Democrats. You’re going to hear from his Excellency, Governor Evers and her Majesty U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin. Now, I know you already heard from Peter Barca, so I’m not going to go over his whole resume, but I just want to tell you a little something, something that I know something about, and that’s Peter Barca.

(04:46)
He served in the state legislature for two decades. And guess what? I was there for 16 of those years. So I know him. And he’s somebody that has worked tirelessly, Secretary Peter Barca in Evers administration, and he’s continued his struggle for economic development and job creation. And even though he was placed into a horrible minority until we got Janet Protasiewicz. He was the minority leader, even though this was where voting rights for labor were eviscerated, we turned into a right-to-work state, derailed the $800 million federal money for that rail and got conned in Foxconn out of Foxconn. But let me tell you something, y’all, Peter used to be the congressman of 1st congressional district, and let me tell you, he’s going to be like the Phoenix rising from the ashes in November to take that seat back.

(06:10)
It is not my job to introduce Tim Walz, so I won’t even attempt to do that. But I just have to tell you a little something, something I know about him. He was elected in the 110th Congress and I was elected in the 109th Congress, so I had a chance to serve with him. And the other day I was watching YouTube and he started talking about the necessity to clean your gutters. And so I looked at it again and he said that whether or not you clean your gutters has something to do… You can tell what your character is whether or not you clean your gutters.

(07:02)
And it was very timely because as we speak, they have delivered stuff to my house to replace all my gutters. I was one of those people not paying attention to my gutters. And let me tell you, just like he said, the gutters will destroy your home. You could have water coming into your home and rotting out the infrastructure, creating mold and mildew in your house. It will destroy the foundation of your home. Ladies and gentlemen, we need Tim Walz. We need somebody to come clean the gutters out.

(07:48)
Our gutters are clogged up so badly, it’s clogged up our economy, clogged up our democracy, clogged up our civil rights, our voting rights, our reproductive rights. We’ve clogged up with $2 trillion worth of tax breaks for the wealthiest people and corporations rather than the opportunity economy we need. The gutters are full of wealthy tax scams that allow the richest to avoid tax payment. And let me tell you, there’s a piece of the gutter missing. It’s called the tax gap and it’s estimated to be somewhere between 500 billion and a trillion dollars a year where tax cheats and wealthy people avoid paying taxes that they owe. We got to flush these gutters out y’all.

(08:43)
We got to make sure that opportunity for housing and rental property and stuff that Tim Walz is going to talk to you about what their plan is so that economic freedom can flow in our communities, educational opportunity can flow in our communities, and we can continue to expand the CHIPS and Science Act to create semiconductors, give down payment assistance.

(09:15)
Before I exit, I just want to say one thing about his service. I never served in the military, but I’m from a military family. Every generation of my family has served this great country. And let me tell you, JD Vance had the audacity to talk about our candidate, our nominee for the vice presidency. And let me tell you something, I served with him and in 2010 when we took that shellacking and when 63 members of the Democratic Party all across the country lost, and we lost the majority because of Obamacare that now provides millions of people with healthcare, when we had dozens of Democrats that didn’t vote for it because they were terrified of losing because the Tea Party had deployed all of their agents all over the country to intimidate people, guess who voted for the Affordable Care Act from a marginal district? Guess who stood up? Tim Walz of Minnesota. That’s what you call courage, when you care more about your people than you do this seat.

(10:53)
I’m going to tell you something else about courage.

We love you, Gwen.

Huh? I know I’m running out of time. I’m going to tell you one more thing about courage. Tim Walz retired in 2001, but came back into service after 9/11. That is because he wanted to clean the gutters. I’m going to just say one more thing. The hook is coming pretty soon.

(11:26)
They’re going to start playing the music in a minute, so I got to run. But you know what? Before the ticket changed, The New York Times wrote an article claiming that union voters were about 50-50 on Trump and our Democratic nominee. Why is that, y’all? Don’t they know… I was at the scene of the crime in 2018 when Trump blocked 750,000 federal employees from belonging to unions. I was at the scene of the crime when he signed Schedule E, designed to put civil service job protections, to destroy them.

(12:21)
Think Project 2025, y’all. When then President Trump overturned an Obama era ruling under the NRLB that said that you had to have elections for unions swiftly. Now, Biden reversed all this, but I want you to remind y’all when y’all get to the podium and when you are a union member, who is it that passed the Butch Lewis Act, restoring your pensions with not a single Republican vote? Who is it that votes for the Pro Act? Not a single Republican. Think about that when you go to the polls.

(13:14)
All right, labor, I’m out.

Please welcome the Governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers.

How about that Gwen Moore? Hello, Labor Fest. How’s it going today? How the hell are you? Are ready to hear the Vice President of the United States of America? I think that’s a yes. I’ll take that as a yes.

(14:32)
It’s great to be here with all of you as we celebrate this holiday and everything Wisconsin’s union labor does to make Wisconsin strong. One of the great honors of being governor of Wisconsin is seeing the important determination, ingenuity, and drive of the union workers first-hand. We have some of the best workers and best labor leaders in the country, and our state is stronger because of that.

(15:06)
As your governor, I fought to protect workers’ rights. We’ve lowered taxes so working families can keep more of their hard-earned cash. We put people to work fixing the damn roads, over 7,000 of them across the state, and we’ve invested in apprenticeship and job training programs to prepare folks for good-paying jobs across our state. And I vetoed bills that would’ve made it more easy for children to be put into the workforce. Because we’re doing the right thing, folks, Wisconsin’s economy is strong. We have more people working today than ever before in our state’s history, and the future is bright.

And let me tell you, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz know two or three things about working families too. As our vice president, Kamala Harris has spent time in the last four years delivering for us, she worked with President Biden to pass the Inflation Reduction Act, bipartisan infrastructure law, and so much more, and those bills created hundreds and hundreds of good and paying jobs in the state of Wisconsin. Their great work, these investments are transforming our state, putting people to work, and lowering costs, and then you have my good friend and our next door neighbor, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. Like me, he’s a former union member, he signed the most pro-worker package in Minnesota history to strengthen workforce protections, give people paid leave, and lots more.

(17:09)
And Wisconsin, you all know what happens when you elect a former teacher, don’t you? We get shit done. We always do what’s best for kids and working families. We work to find common ground and consensus, and we work and lead with kindness, respect, and passion. Those are the exact Midwestern values, qualities, and work ethic that will make Tom a great vice president. So, I’m going to ask you, Wisconsin, are you all in to win?

Yeah.

That’s great because we’ve got work to do, we have just over 60 days and we don’t have a minute to waste. Because here’s the truth about the other two jokers in this race, and you know who I mean, Donald Trump and J. D. Vance. They’re a dangerous threat to our country and to our democracy. They’re not running to help others, they’re running to serve themselves. And their radical agenda doesn’t support working families, it hurts them. It hurts a lot. Donald Trump brags about how he killed Roe. v. Wade, which forced Wisconsin women to experience firsthand what it’s like to have their rights taken away overnight. The radical agenda that Trump and Vance would take to The White House includes a national abortion ban, rolling back access to birth control, emergency contraception, and even fertility treatments. I think Wisconsin will something to say about that this November, right?

(19:08)
And you’ve all seen what their Project 2025, to me, it’s a nightmare agenda that would mean for workers’ rights, it would weaken child labor protections, remove overtime rules and minimum wage laws, and help corporations bust unions. Take it for someone who knows how to beat an anti-work politician. When you come after working families, Wisconsin isn’t going to put up with that crap. And you know what we’re going to tell Donald Trump, J. D. Vance, and Republicans up and down the belt on November 5th? And that is, we are not going back. We’re not going back. We’re not going back.

We’re not going back.

Not going back. We’re not going back.

We’re not going back.

Wisconsin, this November, the people have power and we have a choice. We have a choice between those who want to conquer by dividing, and Kamala and Tim, who will build by unifying. We have a choice between people who think you succeed by kicking workers to the curb and people who believe they deserve a seat at the table. We have a choice, we have a choice, folks, between those who want to turn back to the past and people who want to go forward toward a better future. Folks, let’s get to work and let’s go win this damn thing. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Not going back, not going back, not going back, not going back.

Please welcome our United States Senator Tammy Baldwin.

Hello Wisconsin. I am so excited to be with all of you today, and it is such an honor to be joined by Governor Tim Walz, the next vice president of the United States of America. So, I want to start by welcoming all of the labor organizations from across the state in attendance today for your leadership fighting for workers, especially during a time when we are seeing unprecedented attacks on organized labor from some of the most powerful corporate interests. Thank you for your tenacity in defending the dignity of every worker. And of course, I want to extend a huge thank you to our workers. Now, I always like to say this, and I’m going to say it again, Wisconsin is home to the best workers in the world. And we make just about everything from paper to engines, from tools to ships, and from beer to brats, and cheese, and more.

(23:16)
Our workers do so much to keep our made in Wisconsin economy going strong and to keep our state moving forward. That’s why I promise I’m always going to have your backs. Now, we’re all here today to celebrate Labor Day, which has special roots in our state. As many of you know, Wisconsin has a rich history as a pro-union stronghold in the Midwest, and I am proud to be working every day to honor that reputation and that legacy. In fact, believe it or not, Wisconsin’s first union was organized a year before we officially became a state, back in 1847. And in 1911 we passed the nation’s first apprenticeship law.

(24:20)
But I have to say, a century later, Wisconsin took a huge step backwards in our fight for workers’ rights, with the passage of Act 10 and a so-called right-to-work bill, renewing special interests and corporate attacks on our workers. But our unions and our workers, we didn’t sit back, and I’m proud to have stood shoulder to shoulder… In fact, marched shoulder to shoulder with you, as we’ve taken on the big fights to restore Wisconsin’s pro-worker legacy.

[inaudible 00:25:00].

And you know what? Together we’ve had some pretty big wins. When we passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act, I made sure that my Buy America rules were included in there, so that when we’re building new bridges, roads, and transportation infrastructure all across the country, we are using American steel and American concrete to do all of it. And all of those projects mean great union jobs right here in Wisconsin. So, I have been proud to support some historic measures that will create good-paying union jobs in the trades through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Chips and Science Act. In fact, the investments in the Inflation Reduction Act are expected to create 9 million good new jobs over the next decade across America, including nearly 1 million in manufacturing.

(26:17)
And of course, we worked hard to make sure that the Inflation Reduction Act had strong labor standards, ensuring that many of these jobs in growing sectors like clean energy, clean manufacturing, and efficient building will offer workers good wages, and good benefits, and good security. But we’ve still got more work to do. Right now, we are fighting to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, otherwise known as the Pro Act, to strengthen our unions, to protect workers, to protect workers’ rights, to collectively bargain for better pay, benefits, and working conditions. Because workers everywhere deserve the freedom and opportunity to organize a union in their workplace, an advocate for fair working environments. Unions give workers more than just a paycheck, they provide security, dignity, and respect, and they’re necessary in creating an economy that rewards hard work and works for everyone. So, I’m incredibly proud, I’m incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together, and I promise that we’re going to keep on working to create more job opportunities, support workers’ rights, and protect our workers’ hard-earned benefits because that’s what our workers expect, and have deserved, and have earned. So, thank you so much for letting me join you today to celebrate Labor Day. Thanks again to our workers and our unions who do so much to keep our country moving forward. And remember, our rights and freedoms are on the line this November 5th, use your voice and use your vote. Thank you.

Tammy, Tammy, Tammy, Tammy.

Can I kick it?

(29:10)
Yes, you can.

(29:10)
Can I kick it?

(29:10)
Yes, you can.

(29:10)
Can I kick it?

(29:10)
Yes, you can.

(29:10)
Can I kick it?

(29:10)
Yes, you can.

(29:10)
Can I kick it?

(29:10)
Yes, you can.

(29:10)
Can I kick it?

(29:10)
Yes, you can.

(29:10)
Can I kick it?

(29:10)
Yes, you can.

(29:10)
Well, I’m gone.

(29:10)
Go on then.

(29:17)
Can I kick it?

(29:18)
To all the people who can Quest like A Tribe does.

(29:21)
Before this, did you really know what live was?

(29:24)
Comprehend to the track, for it’s why ’cause.

(29:26)
Getting measures on the tip of the vibers.

(29:28)
Rock and roll to the beat of the funk fuzz.

(29:31)
Wipe your feet really good on the rhythm rug.

(29:33)
If you feel the urge to freak, do the jitterbug.

(29:36)
Come and spread your arms if you really need a hug.

(29:38)
Afrocentric living is a big shrug.

(29:41)
A life filled with fun, that’s what I love.

(29:43)
A lower plateau is what we’re above.

(29:46)
If you diss us, we won’t even think of.

(29:48)
Will Nipper the doggy give a big shove?

(29:51)
This rhythm really fits like a snug glove.

(29:53)
Like a box of positives is a plus, love.

(29:56)
As the Tribe flies high like a dove.

From the Ironworkers Local 8, please welcome Rich Kangas.

One, two, three, uh.

(30:09)
My baby don’t mess around.

(30:09)
Because she loves me so.

(30:09)
And this I know fo sho.

(30:09)
But does she really want to.

(30:09)
But can’t stand to see me walk out the door?

(30:09)
Don’t try to fight the feeling-

Good afternoon, Milwaukee. Happy Labor Day.

Happy Labor Day.

Could we have any better weather than today to gather for this? This is awesome, right? Well, my name is Rich Kangas and it’s a pleasure to join you today at Laborfest 2024. I’m the vice president of Ironworkers Local 8 and our political coordinator. Go Ironworkers. I’ve been doing this trade for nearly 14 years, and you could see the most recent project I worked on from the festival grounds, the Couture Skyscraper, if you walk around the buildings, you can see it. It’s an honor to follow our great governor, Tony Evers, and the Senator Tammy Baldwin, fighting for us in Washington. We’re going to re-elect Tammy this November, she’s doing great things for us. And it’s a pleasure today to welcome our special guest, Governor Tim Walz, and his lovely wife, Mrs. Gwen Walz. When Vice President Harris chose Governor Walz as her running mate, I was very happy to have not only a fellow union member, but a fellow Midwesterner on

On the ticket. Governor Walz passed the most pro-worker package of laws in Minnesota’s history, making it easier to form unions, strengthen workers’ protections, cracking down on union busting, and giving workers paid leave. I say that’s what we need to see in Washington DC. As part of the most pro-union administration in history, Vice President Harris has created millions of good-paying jobs, whether through the bipartisan infrastructure law, which has impacted so many folks here, or the CHIPS Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and so many more critical pieces of legislation. I’ve felt the impact of Vice President Harris’ work firsthand. As a construction worker, we used to be happy about having 18 months of projected work. We’re looking at 10 years of projected work.

(33:16)
The historic legislation that Vice President Harris helped pass, has more than solidified my future as an iron worker and the future of all my brother and sister iron workers. Vice President Harris is a strong supporter of the PRO Act and casts the deciding vote on legislation that saved hundreds of thousands of union worker pensions. And as our Madam Vice President, Kamala Harris has proudly joined union members on the picket line. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for working families here in Wisconsin, a future where every worker can join a union and bargain for better wages, better benefits, and better lives.

(34:22)
Meanwhile, Donald Trump was one of the worst and one of the most anti-worker and anti-union presidents in history. He hurt auto workers, shipped jobs overseas, lined the pockets of super wealthy and big corporations at the expense of the middle class, and he long-promised an infrastructure week that never came. We didn’t get that infrastructure week until Joe Biden and Kamala Harris delivered on an infrastructure for a decade. The Biden-Harris administration has helped create good-paying union jobs here in Wisconsin and across the country. And anytime my brothers and sisters are working, it warms my heart. In choosing Governor Walz as her running mate, Vice President Harris has picked someone who will continue the historic effort to support unions and workers because he knows when unions are strong, we are strong. And so it’s my pleasure to introduce our next Vice President, Governor Tim Walz.

Thank you. Thank you, Rich. Good afternoon, Wisconsin. Good afternoon, neighbors. First off, let me say, some of you might’ve heard, some of my staff and members of the press that were traveling with us were involved in a traffic accident on the way here today. We’ve spoken with the staff, I’m relieved to say that with a few minor injuries, everybody’s going to be okay. So, thank you. President Biden and Vice President Harris called to check in and we certainly appreciate their concern. And I want to express my sincere thanks to the US Secret Service and all the local first-responders for their quick reaction to help. So on behalf of the vice president, myself and our entire campaign, we’re grateful for your work today and every day. Thank you. Happy Labor Day, folks.

(37:39)
I have to tell you, I can’t think of a better way to spend it than at Labor Fest right over here. I’m grateful for that. To Rich, the iron workers, they’re lucky to have you. I appreciate that kind introduction. As always, to the mayor, thank you. Every time we come here, there’s a big enthusiastic crowd fighting for Middle America. So thank you, mayor. And I have the privilege for years to serve in the house with your United States Senator, who is absolutely incredible. Send Tammy Baldwin back to the Senate. And it was a wonderful site to come off that plane at the airport and be met with one of my dear friends and my colleague, Gwen Moore.

(38:40)
There are many reasons to thank Wisconsin, but I have to tell you, on behalf of America, thank you for Tony Evers, a national treasure. And the first lady of Wisconsin, Kathy Evers, thank you. And I have to tell you, when we have President Harris, she is going to need to have a majority in the House of Representatives, send Peter Barca to Congress again. Send Peter Barca to Congress. Thank you to County Executive, David Crowley for looking out for folks every day. And a special thank you to President Fendt and the Milwaukee Area Labor Council for the invitations and putting this on. A point of personal privilege, a thank you to Minnesota’s First Lady, my wife, Gwen. She brings the fire. She brings the fire.

(39:51)
To everyone who can’t be here because they’re working, they’re working overtime, they’re working jobs, they’re working to keep us safe, they’re working to keep the country running. Let’s give them a big round of applause. And all of you, could have been anywhere today. Last big fling of summer, could have been out doing something, could have been out boating, could have been doing anything. You came here for the reason the vice president always said, it’s beautiful and simple, you love this country, so you came here. Thank you. If you haven’t heard, I was a teacher and a coach for a lot of years, and what goes with making a career out of teaching and coaching is, I was a dues-paying member of my union. I always feel like maybe we should elect a few more dues-paying members to elected positions. Start thinking about it folks. Start thinking about running.

(41:03)
I can remember, and this was one, Republicans came up to me in one of my campaigns and they said, “Tim is in the pocket of organized labor.” I said, “That’s a damn lie. I am the pocket. I am the pocket.” And I told them, “If you want to attack me for standing up for collective bargaining, for fair wages, for safe working conditions, for healthcare and retirement, you roll the damn dice. I’ll take my chances on that. I’ll take my chances.”

(41:42)
Folks, you know this, unions and organized labor are more popular today than at any time in our lifetimes. Anytime. And you know why? Because it’s union halls where the purest form of democracy is practiced. The opportunity to speak your mind about your job, the opportunity to elect your leadership, the opportunity to talk about the things that impact your life, and then go advocate for it. That’s how democracy is supposed to work. That’s how it’s supposed to work. And I can tell you, Vice President Harris, as a protector of democracy, when we win this election, we’ll have your back just like you’ve had our back. This is where we tell the story to our relatives. As California Attorney General Kamala Harris sued the big banks because they were mismanaging pension funds. And when she won her court case, millions of dollars went back to working people and their families on their pensions that they earned. Vice President Harris was the deciding vote on the American Rescue Plan that kept workers on the job and the public safe during the pandemic. It was Vice President Harris and President Biden that protected over 1 million workers’ pensions and retirees that we got back. And it’s not bragging if it’s true, she was part of the most pro-union administration in American history. From sticking up for workers, to voting for fair legislation, to walking picket lines, she was there with workers every step of the way.

(43:50)
So look, some people want to tell you, you got to elect them because they’re the only people that can save things. They’re the ones that did things. They’re the ones who did this. We know exactly who built this country, it was labor that built this country. We also know it was unions that built the blue wall too, people, just to be very clear. If those guys think there’s a crack in the blue wall, they are sadly mistaken, Governor Evers, they are sadly mistaken, Governor Whitmer, they are sadly mistaken with Governor Shapiro because the blue wall stands firm, it stands with workers.

(44:40)
Really simple. It’s really simple, when unions are strong, America is strong. We know that in Minnesota, as governor of Minnesota, it was my privilege to sign one of the biggest and best pro- worker packages in Minnesota history. We made it easier to form a union, not harder. We strengthened worker protections. You should be able to go home at the end of the day without getting killed on the job. That’s a basic line. And in Minnesota, it’s against the law to put your workers in a room and do an anti-union meeting. You can’t do that. You can’t do that. So today, you see it, Minnesota is one of the best states in the country for workers. But guess what? We’re a top five best state for business too. You don’t have to choose between workers and business, you can do both. You can do both.

(45:54)
Just think what would happen if Wisconsin, if you, gave this man a majority in the House and Senate, what would happen here? Just imagine. One vote, one Senate vote in Minnesota was the difference between that. One Senate vote in Minnesota gave us paid family and medical leave. One vote expanded healthcare. One vote made sure that we’re addressing climate change. That’s what you can give to this governor, and that’s what we need to give to Vice President Harris. That’s our vision for the country. Now look, we don’t expect everybody to think like us. Now we know that Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, they have a little bit different vision of America. I do say this, he does know something about working people, Donald Trump does, he knows how to take advantage of them. That’s what he knows how to do. Every single chance these guys have gotten, they’ve waged war on workers in the middle class. As president, Trump blocked overtime for millions of workers. Hell, why pay the bills? He doesn’t pay his own. Why should we pay somebody for overtime? What are they going to do? That’s what they do.

(47:05)
He opposed efforts to raise the minimum wage, for God’s sakes. That shouldn’t be that difficult. If people put in an honest day’s work, they should receive an honest day’s pay. And look, I know Wisconsin knows this, again, give him a working majority because he’s a guy who supports so-called right to work laws that deprives unions of the funds they need. Everybody here today knows what right to work really means. It means the right to work for less money. It means the right to work in dangerous situations. It means the right to work with no pensions. That’s what Right to work means. It doesn’t help with our ability to collectively bargain and to fight with the dignity of work that we know every single person in America deserves. So look, I sometimes

… time say this. We’re running for something, we’re running to run forward to the future. And I don’t think it’s always great to run against something, but I do think it’s important to be informed. If you think those guys were bad the last time he was in the White House, just wait if he gets another shot at it. And again, they have told us exactly what they’re going to do. The goals in Project 2025 are clear. It should be subtitled, “How to screw the working people.” That’s how it should be listed. When you make it harder to unionize, you make it harder on all workers. Allowing employers to cut overtime pay or even eliminate it. Look, Project 2025 is even going after the 40-hour work week. Let’s all be very clear. It’s the folks standing here and those whose shoulders we stand on gave us the 40-hour work week and the weekend. So thank you, Labor. Somebody said, “What’s next? Child labor?” Hell yeah, it’s in there. That’s what they’ve got in there. You see states doing that, putting our children at risk, that’s what they’ll do. So look, they’ll go after things like Social Security and Medicare. And I keep saying this, refill the Affordable Care Act, go back to no pre-existing condition protections. And even if you’re not on the ACA, you know somebody who relies on it. And here’s what I say, they don’t think a damn about Social Security because I guess if you’ve got a billion dollars, you don’t care if your Social Security check shows up. But I tell you who does. My mom. She pays the bills with that and the heat and buys food with her Social Security check and she worked for it and earned it. That’s how it worked.

(49:51)
Look, I know this is preaching to the choir, but we’ve got about 64 days to sing, choir. We’ve got 64 days to get to our relatives, to talk to them, to tell them what’s out there. Look, this guy has made it clear how he stands. He’s sitting down at Mar-a-Lago after he got elected president and this was his exact quote. He’s talking to a bunch of folks at Mar-a-Lago, “You’re rich as hell and we’re going to give you a tax cut.” At the same time he was telling workers they get paid too much already. That’s who this guy is. You tell me who in Wisconsin is sitting around saying, “Damn, I wish they’d give billionaires tax cuts and screw me over. Damn, I wish they’d take my healthcare away. I wish they’d underfund my public school. I wish they would make my job more difficult and more dangerous. And then at the end of the day, I wish they’d make me work till I’m 75 years old.” No one’s saying that. No one’s asking for that agenda. What they’re asking for is to be treated fairly with dignity. That’s what we have.

(50:50)
Look, I know we all know this. I remember a time when Republicans talked about things like freedom, they meant it. They would never turn their back on our allies. But that’s not these guys. Trump and Vance, when they talk about freedom, it means government should have to the freedom to invade every corner of our life. They talk about small government, small enough to be in your bedroom, small enough to be in your exam room, small enough to be in your library, telling you the things that you should make decisions about. So let’s be very clear, where I come from and where you come from as neighbors, we respect differences. That’s your opinion. Look, we’re sitting here together, Brewers and Twins fans, Vikings and Packers. Look, we respect it. But on things like healthcare and what books I read and democracy, we all live by that very simple golden rule. Mind your own damn business. Mind your own business. Your Republican neighbors want to live that way. We have to tell that story.

(52:04)
But look, I agree with this. We have a responsibility to tell people not just what we’re against but what we’re for. So let me just take a second here to tell you exactly what Vice President Harris and I will do. As president, Vice President Harris will sign the PRO Act and make it easier to form unions, period. And you know what comes out of that? You can collectively bargain. You can go do the work to get fairer wages, safer working conditions, good healthcare, and a good pension. I saw last week the Wall Street Journal was trying to say because they did a story that apparently I am the poorest person to ever run for vice president. But then they did another story that said, “Oh, he’s actually richer than his statement says. Because he has,” and I quote like this is an evil thing, “A defined benefit pension plan.” That is my wish for every American to have a defined benefit pension plan.

(53:20)
So look, we’ll lower taxes on working families and we can make corporations pay their fair share. Look, they’re doing really well. They can pay their fair share because guess what? We have a saying in Minnesota, when everybody does better, everybody does better. It’s not that difficult. It’s not that difficult. And you can be sure we’ll keep fighting for Social Security and Medicare and we’re damn sure not going to cut taxes for the wealthy and raise the age on Medicare and Social Security. That will not happen. So look, we’ve got it in Minnesota and we want it for everybody. We’re going to fight for paid family and medical leave for everybody in this country.

(54:05)
It shouldn’t be asking so much to spend a little time with your child after they’re born or if you’ve got chemotherapy treatments to be able to not lose your house because you’re getting healthcare. That’s not that difficult. Well, we want to make sure that you don’t just get by, but that you can get ahead and thrive. And be clear, we can’t state this enough, I hope you’re getting sick and tired of hearing about it, because this is the defining issue around freedom and the difference is this, we, Vice President Harris, myself and everyone here believes that you should be free to make your own healthcare decisions, not politicians. It’s simple.

(54:48)
And all of you here and my teacher friends, education should be a pathway to a thriving future, not crippling debt. And while we’re on schools and kids, we believe our kids should be free to go to school without worrying about being shot dead in the halls. And I’m going to continue to say it. I’m a veteran and damn proud of 24 years of that. I’m a hunter and pretty good at that. And every year they do a congressional trap shoot, I was one of the best shots in Congress after all those years running. I’ve got the trophies to prove it. I can out-shoot these guys. So I support the Second Amendment, but I’m not going to stand around and let people hide behind that when our first responsibility is to protect our children. That’s our first responsibility.

(56:05)
So that’s our plan and we’re proud of it. Trump, he’s going to keep hiding behind that. He says he doesn’t know anything about this Project 2025, doesn’t know a damn thing about it. Here’s what I say. I coached football long enough to know, you take the time to draw up a playbook, you’re damn sure going to use it. You are damn sure going to run those plays. And you know how it starts. So you ask yourself, who’s the right leader for our country? Kamala Harris, who has spent decades putting criminals behind bars or Donald Trump and JD Vance who get up every single morning, run to the nearest camera and whine how they’re being treated unfairly?

(56:46)
I’ll damn sure guarantee you when they wake up in the morning, they’re not thinking about you. You can be sure of that. They’ve never thought about you. Since the very beginning, Donald Trump has been running on the politics of fear. Look, I know something about that. I supervised the lunchroom for a bunch of years. Fear is a good short-term motivator, but it doesn’t inspire people, it doesn’t change their behaviors. And what I did know about that lunchroom too is the bullies who want to instill fear, they’re the first ones to find out what happens when the tide turns. He’s running scared now. He’s running scared.

(57:28)
So look, all of the policy positions, all of the good policy positions, all of the things we know to be true, but we get a rare opportunity too, to put an end to that divisiveness, to put it behind us, a future where we work together. And as I said, there’s a lot of differences in here. We’re a big tent party. We’ve got a lot of differences that can come together. But at the end of the day to find that new way forward, we put those differences aside and let’s get together for 64 days to take this country forward. Let’s move [inaudible 00:58:03].

(58:13)
I feel like I’ve done pretty well in here, so I’m not going to throw any shade on the Packer, I have to tell you. I’ve kind of got you, I’m going to be there. Look, I hear all the jokes. People hold up their hand and say, “You know what that is? That’s a Viking Super Bowl ring.” We know we don’t have one. Give me a little bit of this. So look, we know what season it is, football starts this week, we know that we’re all on the same team. We know that we come together. It isn’t just idle talk, when we come together, we can do amazing things. So here’s the deal, sisters and brothers in labor, it’s time to get off the sidelines and get on the field. I know you’re busy, I know you’ve got full-time jobs, you’ve got kids going back to school. Thank God, they’re going back to school. Teachers, nothing on that.

(59:02)
But you’ve got things to do. But this is it. And when people come up to me and I hear it, and I know they want to make politics ugly, they want to make it dismissive and they want to make it to the point where people just throw up their hands and say, “Look, I’m just not that into politics.” My response when somebody tells me they’re just not that into politics is this, “Too damn bad, politics is into you.” And if you want it in your exam room, if you want it in your bedroom, if you want it in your labor hall, then set back. But if you want to take control of things and you want to make sure that we have government serves the people not the other way around, then you need to get out there.

(59:42)
Whether it’s labor rights, middle class rights, having corporations pay their fair share, all those things that impact our lives means we need you on the team and we need you now. So here’s what we’re going to do. We’re doing it because we believe in the promise of America. We’re doing it for folks, and some of you, I know you have your barbecues and folks come and they say, “Oh, I wish I was in a union and had pension plan and things like that.” And once again, yeah, we wish you were too. We wish you were too. Talk about the things we can make a difference. We’re going to have to fight for this. It’s not going to be easy. We’re coming from behind, as I said, but we’re comfortable in that position. Because I talk about this, the vice president oftentimes says this, “When we fight, we win.”

(01:00:25)
We know that that’s the case. You know what, when you talk to labor, you don’t have to talk about fighting, you’ve been fighting your whole damn lives. It’s what you do. You fight for everything you get. They’re not going to give you that raise unless you go in there. They’re not going to give you those protections unless you go in there. So look, if we’re going to do this, if we’re going to do this thing, I keep saying this, we’ve got 64 days. You’ve heard me say this, some people are taking this pretty seriously, me included on this is, we’ll sleep when we’re dead, now is not the time. Now is not the time. We need to knock the doors, make the phone calls, register people to vote, give what we can, encourage people to get out there, have the conversations. And the one thing that the vice president does it all with is hard work can be good work. Difficult tasks can be done with a sense of joy. Because our country depends on it. Our children depend on it. And to be quite candid, the rest of the world depends on us to stand up and vote for a pro-democracy, pro-worker, pro-future candidate. So it’s our time. So let me say, when we fight.

We win.

When we fight.

We win.

When we fight.

We win.

Let’s go.

USA. USA. USA.