Confident of their victory in the United States presidential election, Democratic candidate Joe Biden and his running mate, Senator Kamala Harris, have begun to work on the task ahead by focusing on two critical areas of public health and economy, both affected by the raging Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the latest projections, Biden had 264 of 538 electoral college votes at stake. It only requires another six votes from the electoral college to reach the magic number of 270, to be declared elected as the next president of the United States.
“As we await the final results, I want people to know that we are not waiting to go to work,” Biden said in an address to the nation from campaign headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, on Friday night.
“I want everyone to know that on the first day we are going to implement our plan to control this virus. That may not save any of the lives that have been lost, but it will save many lives in the coming months, “said the 77-year-old former US Vice President.
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The day before, he and Harris met with a group of experts on public health and the economic crises facing the country.
“Senator Harris and I also heard yesterday about how the recovery is slowing down due to the failure to control the pandemic,” he said.
“More than 20 million people are unemployed. Millions of people are worried about paying rent and putting food on the table. Our economic plan will focus on the road to a strong recovery, ”he said.
Noting that the pandemic is becoming significantly more worrisome across the country, Biden said daily cases are skyrocketing and it is now believed that they could see spikes of up to 200,000 cases in a single day.
“The death toll is close to 240,000 lives lost by this virus. There are 240,000 empty chairs at kitchen and dining room tables across the United States, ”he said.
“We can never measure all the pain, loss and suffering that so many families have experienced. I know what it feels like to lose someone you love and I want them to know that they are not alone. Our hearts break with you. I know tensions can be high after a difficult election like the one we just had, “he said.
Biden urged his compatriots to remain calm and patient as the vote counting process is still continuing in some key states on the battlefield.
“And let’s let the process work while we count all the votes. “We are again demonstrating what we have demonstrated for 244 years in this country. Democracy works. Your vote will be counted. I don’t care how hard people try to stop it. I won’t let it happen. People will be heard and our journey towards a more perfect union continues, ”he said.
“In the United States we have strong views and we have strong disagreements. And that’s fine. Strong disagreements are inevitable in a democracy, and strong disagreements are healthy. They are a sign of vigorous debate, deeply held opinions, ”he said.
But we must remember: the purpose of our policy is not a total, relentless and endless war. No. The purpose of our policy, the nation’s job, is not to fan the flames of conflict, but to solve problems. Guarantee justice. To give everyone a fair chance. Improve the lives of our people. We can be opponents, but not enemies. We are Americans, ”he said.
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Noting that the vast majority want to get the virulence out of politics, he said: “Certainly we will not agree on many of the issues, but at least we can agree to be civil among ourselves. We must leave behind anger and demonization. ” It is time for the nation to come together as a nation and heal.
“It will not be easy, but we must try. My responsibility as president will be to represent the entire nation. And I want you to know that I will work just as hard for those who voted against me as I will work for those who voted for me. That is the job. It’s called duty of care. For all Americans, ”he said in a message of unity.
“We have serious issues to deal with, from Covid to our economy, racial justice, and the climate. We have no more time to waste in partisan warfare. And more than that. We have an incredible opportunity to build the future we want for our children and grandchildren, ”said Biden.
Biden said he has never been more optimistic about the future of the nation. “There is no reason why we cannot own the 21st century. We just need to remember who we are. This is the United States of America. And there’s never been anything that we couldn’t do when we’ve done it together, ”he said.
The United States is the country most affected by the coronavirus that has killed more than 236,000 Americans and infected more than 9 million. The pandemic has devastated the country’s economy and resulted in the loss of millions of jobs. US central bank chief Jerome Powell said Friday that a full economic recovery is unlikely until people are sure it is safe to resume normal activities.
The reopening of the economy has caused a rapid rebound in activity and real GDP increased at an annual rate of 33 percent in the third quarter. In recent months, however, the pace of improvement has moderated, he said.
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