Closing arguments
Vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris: There are many crises, but they’re all part of a crisis of leadership
Over the past four years and accelerating through 2020, a series of major crises have taken hold of our country
For instance, we face a public health crisis, where the COVID-19 pandemic is still accelerating even as it has killed more than 230,000 Americans and counting. There’s a related economic crisis, with 200,000 Virginians out of work in the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression. And there’s a racial justice crisis, touched off once again by the death of George Floyd in May and continuing with protests throughout the summer and fall.
These are many crises, but they’re all part of a larger crisis: a crisis of leadership. We can get our country back on track and unite our nation, but only with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the White House.
Biden is the only candidate in this race with plans to stop the spread of the virus and fix our health care system. He’ll empower scientists and public health experts, not spread misinformation to undercut their recommendations. He’ll invest in testing to make it widely available and free for everyone. He’ll make sure all frontline workers have the protective equipment they need, and accelerate development of a safe and trustworthy vaccine that will be free, regardless of whether or not you have insurance.
These are the kinds of science-backed solutions that will help stop the spread of the virus. On top of managing the COVID pandemic, he will build on the success of the Affordable Care Act. Biden will expand affordable health insurance to millions of more Americans and protect those with pre-existing conditions like asthma, COVID, diabetes or a history of cancer, who may lose their coverage or be charged exorbitant rates if the Trump administration’s effort to strike down the Affordable Care Act in court succeeds.
On the economy, Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan will push for loans and grants to small businesses — particularly businesses owned by women and people of color — to ensure they get the help they need to rebuild. His plan to fight climate change is first and foremost a jobs agenda and will spur unprecedented investment in new clean energy industries that will create 10 million new jobs and protect communities such as Hampton Roads that are vulnerable to sea level rise. And Biden’s proposed combination of tax credits and expanded housing assistance would be the biggest anti-poverty plan in decades. It’s these plans — not another tax cut for big corporations that will ultimately raise taxes on Virginians — that will get our economy back on track.
When I think about the stakes of this election, I often return to the stories of people such as Gabrielle Aldea, a young woman from Virginia Beach with a pre-existing condition who knows that the health care she gets thanks to the Affordable Care Act means the difference between a normal life going to school or dying in a hospital. I think about my friend Lori Haas, who has been fighting for common-sense gun safety laws ever since her daughter survived the Virginia Tech shooting. I think of my friend Gaylene Kanoyton who lost her mother to COVID-19 this year. How much of their worry, their sorrow and pain could have been prevented if we simply had someone like Joe Biden leading our nation?
Gabrielle, Lori and Gaylene are poignant reminders that elections have consequences, and despite the pain and turmoil this administration has caused, they’re persisting and fighting for Joe Biden this year. The fight for change begins with making your voice heard at the ballot box.
To find information on where to vote, go to IWillVote.com/VA to see poll hours and locations. And call our voter protection hotline at 844-482-8683 with any problems you encounter at the polls. November third is truly the most important election of our lifetimes. Let’s not waste our opportunity to move our country in a better direction.
“Joe Biden is the only candidate in this race with plans to stop the spread of the virus and fix our health care system.” — Susan Swecker