Mr. Biden good afternoon, folks. Welcome to the queen theater. Im here today to talk about a crisis. A crisis being felt across the United States of america. And jill and i have just been briefed, as you know, in this room by our Public Health and education experts about what it is going to take to be able to reopen schools safely and effectively. Backtoschool has always been a special time. It is in your family and mine, but particularly in mine, all the years jill and i were married, she was going back to school, too, as a teacher. She would be the first one to tell you this should be a season of promise for our country. Times when classrooms are crackling with the possibilities of the new year, students hopes, all about the future. But this year, we are facing the most difficult circumstances. We are seeing a lot of heart and grit from our educators, our students, to try to rise to the occasion. But our government has not come up to that bar. Hasnt shown much grit or determination. To be clear, if President Trump and his administration had done their jobs early on with this crisis, american schools would be open and open safely. Instead, American Families across this country are paying the price for his failures and his administrations failures. Like many of you, because you are reporters, you have friends, children, youre probably hearing the same thing i have been hearing. They are struggling to figure out how to do the right thing. They are worried. They are worried like the devil. What does it mean for my kids . Is this setting my childs education back beyond just a semester . What impact will it have . How is my child going to catch up . What if i am not doing enough to help my child succeed . All those questions, the selfdoubt has been engaged. President trump may not think this is a national emergency. But i think going back to school, for millions of children and the impacts on families in the community, is a national emergency. I believe that is what it is. Protecting our students, our educators, communities, getting our schools open safely and effectively, this is a national emergency. But President Trump still does not have any real plan for how to open our schools safely. No real plan for how to help parents feel secure for their children. He is offering nothing but failure and delusions, start to finish, American Families and children are paying the price for his failures. Failure to take this virus seriously early on in january, february, as it spread around the globe. Failure to take steps we needed in march and april to get this pandemic under control, to institute widespread testing and tracing to control the spread. Failure to provide clear, national, sciencebased guidelines to state and local authorities. And failure to model even basic responsibility like socially distancing and wearing a mask. And failure to make sure educators and administrators have the equipment, resources, and training needed to open safely under circumstances we find now. Donald trump and betsy devos have not stepped up. We are all seeing the results. Millions of students are starting a new school year in the same way they finished the last one, at home. At home. Parents are doing their best, but more and more are finding themselves at wits end, struggling to balance work, childcare, and education duties. Or worrying about their loss paycheck and how they will make ends meet while trying to keep their kids on track with Remote Learning. Educators are taking on countless hours of additional training to learn how to use Remote Learning tools so they can still be there for their students, but they are worried about all the kids who used to count on our schools. All those children who needed so badly, particularly those who need more than education. They provide meals and safe places to spend the day. You now, we are all concerned about making sure covid19 doesnt further exacerbate disparities, the disparities that already have existed in our educational system. For so many poor children, so many communities of color, it is unacceptable. And it cannot go on like this. We all want our schools to reopen safely. With a plan that Prioritizes Health of students and educators and staff. I laid out my plans back in june and july, a roadmap for how to reopen safely and effectively. You can read them by going to joebiden. Com. We need straightforward, commonsense solutions. But trump refuses to act, starving schools of the needed funding, funding they need now. Now they needed it beginning of the summer. Now trumps fema director is cutting schools loose. Just yesterday, fema announced, after helping three districts i think it was three they will not help pay for cloth masks, ppe for school settings, cleaning. Those basic health needs. Sanitizing everything from laboratories to classrooms. And safety costs for school that do not qualify for Emergency Assistance. This is an emergency, mr. President. This is an emergency. And donald trump and his fema should treat it as one. If i were president today, i would direct fema to make sure our kids k12 get full access to Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance under the stafford act. I would make sure ppe and sanitation supplies qualify as emergency protective measures, which is a phrase they use, to fully be eligible for federal assistance. On top of that, i would be working with the leaders of congress now, today, to pass emergency packages for schools so they would have resources they need in order to be able to open safely. Money for ventilation. I heard that a lot when i have those healthcare experts up on the zoom. Money for ventilation and other health measures, but also more money to hire more teachers. Every recommendation we got was they should be divided into pods, smaller classes. Smaller classes mean more educators are needed. Keeping classes socially distanced, small. Money for more psychologists and counselors. I introduced legislation a long time ago calling for i proposed legislation a long time ago we have one School Psychologist every 1507 children in the school. And the health care, the Mental Health our children need now. The anxiety they are feeling at home, going to school, not being able to go to school. The nations superintendents of schools have estimated they need at least 200 billion to support k12 schools throughout the year for safe reopening. We need the money to hire educators as well for our fouryear colleges and universities, community colleges, hbcus, minority serving institutions. Democratic leaders are ready to get this done. They have already proposed legislation. Mr. President , where are you . Where are you . Why arent you working on this . We need Emergency Support funding for schools and we need it now. Mr. President , that is your job. That is your job. That is what you should be focused on now. Getting our kids back to school safely, keeping schools safely able to remain open once they open. Not whipping up fear and division, not inciting violence in our streets. Get off twitter, and Start Talking to the congressional leaders from both parties. Invite them to the oval office. The oval office. And stop your boast about you always talk about your ability to negotiate. Negotiate a deal. A deal for somebody other than yourself. Now im happy to take questions you may have. I guess staff is going to call on whoever, fire away. Thank you, mr. Vice president. Two quick questions for you, if i may. First, ahead of your trip to kenosha, wisconsin tomorrow, last week your running mate, senator harris, said the officer who shot jacob blake, based on what she had seen, should be charged. Do you agree . Do you believe the same for the officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor . I think we should let the the judicial system work its way. I think there is a minimum need to be charged, the officers, as well as Breonna Taylor. I might add, i think what happened in portland, where one of the trump guys in bands, inciting response, shooting rubber bullets or paintballs, apparently there was someone shot by someone in the crowd with a bullet, killed. I think that person should meet legal requirements, whatever that calls for. It should be investigated and follow through on what needs to be done. Let the judicial system work. Lets make sure justice is done. On a different topic, there is a new book by the new york times, Michael Schmidt that says when President Trump made an unannounced visit to walter reed hospital, Vice President pence was told to be on standby in case the president needed to be on anesthesia. As Vice President , were you ever given any special alert when president obama was going in for medical appointments . Do you have any concern about that walter reed visit, if it followed prior protocol about president ial visits for medical examination . I will not speculate on what it means. Nothing this administration does is normal. Ive not been facetious. Who, in gods name knows what this is all about . I just dont know. I dont know. Im not going to speculate. I will let the experts do that. The only time i have been on notice is when the president is out of the country and i am in the country. Not that i should wait to be immediately aware of but that is something that might be called for. It wasnt called for. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Vice president. The visit to kenosha tomorrow. Local officials had previously discouraged President Trump from visiting. Yesterday, the naacp president said he did not want to see either candidate visit. Including yourself. That it was such a sensitive situation in the city. Why is now the right time to go to kenosha, and what do you hope to accomplish tomorrow . I have spoken to the leaders there. Although, i have an outstanding call with the governor, dealt with staff. There has been overwhelming requests i do come. We have to heal. We have to put things together. Bring people together. My purpose in going will be to do that, to be a positive influence on what is going on, talk about what need be done and try to see if there is a beginning mechanism to bring folks together. We have to heal. This is about making sure we move forward. I have gotten advice from sitting members of the congress and senate to go. And that i should go. Im not going to do anything other than meet with Community Leaders as well as Business People and other folks in Law Enforcement to start to talk about what has to be done. Im not going to tell kenosha what they have to do. What we have to do together. The idea that the president s people retreat to their corners that is a mistake. I spent my whole life, including in this city, bringing people together. Bringing the community and Police Officers together. Bringing Business Leaders and Civic Leaders together. That is my purpose in going. On the fact you are traveling to wisconsin at all, i believe this is only the third time in the last few months since the onset of the pandemic you will be on a plane. You have talked about how you want to make sure you follow all the advice of doctors for campaigning safely. The question we hear from voters is, why are you not out there more . The president was calling into question your schedule. How far are you willing to push the envelope of what is safe to get your message out . And to speak to voters directly . My message is getting out, based on the polling data and the millions of people who have watch what ive had to say in the circumstances in which i have said it. I would like to get more. A president has the responsibility to set examples. Set the right example for how to go out. Not go out and not wear a mask, and not to have large crowds of people standing next to him, not wearing a mask, not to be the potential cauldron of significant outbreaks of covid. I have met with via, this morning, with medical experts. So we worked out a protocol of how i get on the plane, what kind of plane, how it is sanitized, how i engage people. It is like how i engage all of you wherever i go. It is at a safe distance. Everyones wearing masks. The vast majority of people i meeting with have been tested as well. Im trying to set the example. Wearing the protective gear, a mask, which i have with me. I am able at this distance to take it off. Number number two, making sure one. We proceed in a with adequate social distancing and do it the right way. And lastly, quickly, they announced the format and moderators of the president ial debate today. Cleanupwelker batting for that last president ial debate. Is there anything that could dissuade you from participating . How have you prepared . I have begun to prepare by going over what the president has said. The multiple lies he has told. What i would love to have is a crawler at the bottom of the screen. I would love a fact checker at the bottom of the screen. If we really wanted to do something, i think that would make a great debate. Everything both of us said was instantly fact checked as we move forward. That probably would not get very far in a debate. Im looking forward to debating the president. I am going to lay out as clearly as i can what i think we have to do to bring this country back and build it back better. Im looking forward to the debate. [indiscernible] thank you, mr. Vice president. One of the things i have heard from voters across the country is a lot of them are worried and concerned about ongoing violence in cities in this country, including kenosha, wisconsin. Im curious, obviously you are not president now and donald trumps, but if you are president , what would you do to ensure people are kept safe in situations like these . First of all, i would not incite violence. I would condemn it when it occurred. The vast majority of Police Officers are good, decent, honorable women and men. They put on that shield every morning and have a right to go home at night safely. The vast majority. But just those who are not good cops, all the police i have dealt with my whole life, i have gotten overwhelming support from Law Enforcement my entire career. They are the ones who want to get rid of the bad cops more than anyone else because it reflects on them. Number one. Number two, i would make sure everyone understood, if i were president , that any violence protesting is a right and free speech is a right but to engage in violence, burning, looting, the rest, and the name of protesting, is wrong. Persons should be held accountable for their actions. I would be bringing people together in the white house right now. I would be having that Police Commission set up. I would have Law Enforcement at the table. I would have the community at the table. I would have people saying, how do we get through this . What do we do to deal with this . I believe the vast majority of the community at large as well as Law Enforcement want to straighten things out, not inflame things. This president keeps throwing gasoline on the fire every place he goes. I noticed, i did not watch much , but i watched the reports from all of you, from the press, and, you know, when he was asked about what should be done with regards to a young man shot in the back seven times in front of his children i did not hear much of anything come from him. What should we be doing about it . He went down the line. I wish he would take responsibility. As much as he would like to be running against someone else, he is running against me. Joe biden. The fact is he is not acting responsibly. [indiscernible] sorry. You have outlined your plan to reopen schools safely. But what about the interim . Millions of parents are facing this Impossible Task of trying to work fulltime and help their children fulltime to learn virtually. What is your message to these parents . What can you do to help them while you work to reopen schools . Help is on the way. I have laid out a clear plan for childcare, for starting Early Education as well. So threeyearolds, fouryearolds, and fiveyearolds are in school. But im not president now. But we should be doing is we should be providing for more help for people who are trying to juggle the choice between, do i stay home with my threeyearold and take care of them in the middle of this covid problem or do i go to work and earn a salary . What do i do . I have a Major Initiative to deal with childcare and eldercare so people can be adequately paid to take care of folks, children and the elderly that you may be taking care of, a husband or wife may be taking care of, as well as making sure that they are able to get back to work. That is why focusing on daycare centers, making sure they are safe and healthy now is as equally important as dealing with schools. We should be providing all the ppe, safety, sanitary capacity necessary to allow them to open. Hundreds of them have been opening. Because some states have gone and done that. There should be universal guidance coming from the president of the United States of america. There should be basic standards as to how in fact and what circumstance you can safely open a daycare center, a Childcare Center. In addition, in the future, the idea, this has brought home glaring problems we have in america, this pandemic and what has happened in terms of jobs. The idea that we are in a situation where you have so many parents who have to make the difficult choice, as a single parent or working parents to decide whether one gives up their salary and stays home with a child under the age of six or five, and or somehow leaves them with somebody that is not particularly qualified and goes to work so that they can earn a living, is a choice that we should not be making. Were are the only country in the world th