VP Harris remarks on infrastructure and creating good-paying jobs

By: Vice President Kamala Harris

Chicago, Ill. – Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon. Please have a
seat. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Chris, thank you for that introduction, and thank you for all the work you’ve been doing. He and I talked backstage about the 100th anniversary is coming up and the whole
history of the work that has happened here that really is America’s history. And — an I’m very honored to be with you today and everyone here. We have so many leaders. So I want to thank you all for the work you do. And I want to wish you a happy new year. UAW Local 551, thank you for all that you do and for being an incredible model of the work that is happening
around the country. The work you do here is to build Ford cars. And it’s here — right here on the South Side. And there are generations of people in
this community and across our country who have benefited from your work. I want to thank my longstanding friend, Senator Dick Durbin, for your leadership, for your friendship, and for what you do for the state
of Illinois and the people of our country. Thank you, Dick. And, Mayor Lightfoot, thank you for the warm welcome always, on the tarmac,
and for your leadership in Chicago. And, Mayor Prince, thank you — from Gary. I talked with you about my previous visits there. And Gary really is part of the history of our country as well. So thank you for your leadership and being here. And, of course, Cook County Board President Tony PrePreckwinkle, thank you for your work and for your leadership.
And, of course, among the people that must be thanked, first and foremost, is our President, Joe Biden. (Applause.) So when President Biden and I took office, we made a promise. We vowed to fight for every person in our nation — every American, in every community, in every corner of our
country. Because, you see, the President and I, and we all here, we believe in America’s greatness. And we know that greatness is powered by the incredible ambition and aspiration of the American people. We see what can be, unburdened by what has been. We see, as Americans, opportunity
where others might see obstacles. We don’t just shoot for the Moon, we plant our flag on it — especially when we fight not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans for our shared future and our common destiny.