We often lift the stories of big moments and the people who made them those who shouted until they were heard those who created movements who stories end up in our history books but behind the legendary moments and people they're never names that make the headlines parents and siblings grandparents and neighbors teachers and mentors whose every day decisions shape our lives and ripple forward whose stories and legacies are left behind in the hearts of all they touched yes our history is found in the big moments but it's also found in the little ones as well in the warp of the hazy afternoon light when you rap yourself in the blanket that your grandma made probably much like today the one who said brings her memory to life in the words you can hear in your parents voice that tell you to be brave when it the last thing you want to do it's a small moment tiny acts that become part of who we are that guide us forward and pull us home that add up to a history bigger than any one of us that history is here today as politicians and poets as artists and organizers you shape our nation every day and Joe and I are proud to stand beside you to celebrate your victories big and small this week the 2022 national poet laureate the first Latina
The first Latina national poet laureate help me host an event here for student poets and the work of those students was just amazing what I love about Davis' poetry is how she sees the sacred in the mundane moments of our lives in her poem dead stars she writes we are not unspectacular things we've come this far survive this much what would happen if we survived more to love harder. all of us are not unspectacular things as we write our future we do it together in little moments and in the big ones and most of all with love.
we've mentioned that before but it's really constantly on the phone for last week, every local official governor state there's a lot I know a lot I have friends not only in Florida but Puerto Rico that we still have so much more and I just this reception falls on a challenging time a lot of you probably have friends that are I have these hurricanes flooding in our prayers
Today we're doing everything we can in search and rescue recovery rebuilding uncommitted countries committing to do whatever it takes as long as it takes we're going to be there I want to recognize our congressional partners who are here today Pete where you the vice-chairman of the there you go vice chair of the house democratic caucus row chair of Hispanic Black Caucus
early this month I attended the annual dinner the congressional spending caucuses to along with so many of you here today and it was a powerful night celebrating pride possibilities heritage and history and that's what I see in all of you in this room tonight your proof that Hispanic history is American history it's American as a matter of fact they send out y'all were here before we were but our ambassador too to Mexico good friend former governor I remember talking to him and he's saying well you know this I know you're doing such a secret he said my family's been here for 400 years history of the beach in the solar nation remove dreams of those who only just arrived legacy of families who enter like the investors for generations for that reason Congress should take action to honor Latino community and women with their own museums the national morale spy as reflection of the important role each plays in the privacy of our nation you know in moments big and small America is about how we choose to see one another and we choose to treat everyone with dignity and respect that they deserve that's what we're about that's the vision American the vision that we have to choose together and that's why in the depths of the pandemic we fought to pass the American rescue plan expanding child tax credit slash poverty over 40% among Latinos at the lowest rate on record under the secretary Cardona we safely reopen our schools and absolutely necessary for all of our kids including the one in four children in public schools that are Latino one in four 25 almost 26% show those of different rivers to hang on man we're coming look we're canceling $10,000 in student debt $20,000 out of felt Tangerines Americans making less than 125 grand look that means millions of Latino student borrowers are federal loans will see the debt forgiven game change will be a game changer we've helped more Latinos gain health insurance than ever before in the face of the spring courses stream decision on dogs we've taken access to protect access to healthcare for women and their fundamental rights this is this is going to end back Cortina is all across the map and under the small business administrator Guzman Latinos are now starting new businesses at the fastest rate that's occurred in 10 years say every 10 million jobs since we came to office the biggest one year drop in Hispanic unemployment ever in America and together with members of Congress here we also pass infrastructure law the modernized roads bridges ports public transit I just to three PL poisonous lead pipes so every child in America and three quarter out of the faucet or at school the fountain and had clean water these are basic things but just the United States of America for God said and we passed historic inflation reduction as slashing the cost of prescription drugs health insurance home energy and finally making big corporations again to pay the fair share the law makes the biggest climb investment ever environmental justice the frontline and bring environmental justice frontline and fence line communities along with secretary Marcus I'm also committed to fixed term aggression system for good providing a pathway for dreamers Can you imagine maybe some of you are dreamers it's like I don't want people expect to say when mom is taking you cross the Rio Grande and say no my mom stand here I'm not going I'm gonna make my choice come on this is bizarre the temporary status holders farmworkers and essential workers as well we have to do more to modernize the loss of business and get workers in need and families don't have to wait decades to be together two days after the massacre and involving Texas Jill and I visited the schools memorial spent over 4 1/2 hours with the family members stayed in spoke to every single family member return the service of Sacred Heart Catholic Church fish were leaving grandma United Church we lost her granddaughter gave me a handwritten note when you get a chance to read the aisle so I got out of church and said Mr. President invisible lines provide information whether it's for the people you baldy or El Paso or the places that never make the news together and you we're going to embrace erase that invisible line we have to do that there's no option together we pass the sign the first meaningful gun safety law in 30 years now we're not stopping there I'm coming back we are going to ban assault weapons I didn't watch and I'm gonna do it again let me close with this I always said Americans defined by one word when I I spent more time with XI jingling any world leader hands we were in the Tibetan plateau he and I turned to me and I had an interpreter he had simultaneous interpreter as well and you look at me shake you didn't find America for I said I can't one word possibilities anything any are they only nation built on an idea every other nation is built based on geography and Mississippi vision or whatever the only one based in idea never fully lived that lived upstairs they've never walked away we hold these truths to be self-evident Roman women down by their creator with certain inalienable rights life liberty we say it all the time that's who we are that's the nation we are nation of immigrants nation of immigrants the possibilities in these list are no more evidence anywhere than in Hispanic community United States I mean it's silly think about nowhere more ever courage and character reflects who we are as a nation great nation because we are good people we are good people so all I wanna say is God bless you all and God protects our troops and hope.
x
