Yesterday, i was proud to take part of the establishment of the Unity Reform Commission which was formed in collaboration between the Clinton Campaign and the Sanders Campaign and the dnc. The commission is made up of representatives from both campaigns and the Democratic National committee. Assessing andwith improving our partys president ial nominating process. Oncifically focusing in superdelegates, caucuses and strategies for opening up our system even more. The commission will set up a set of recommendations for the dnc rules and the Bylaws Committee 1, 2018. Than january takenquate action is not within six months, the commission will present those recommendations before the full Democratic National committee. You thehare with primary season brought to light some issues we need to address as a democratic family. That is exactly what we are going to do. As a party, i believe our diversity is made up strong. It is not required that we always agree, but it is vital that we always move Forward Together. [applause] continually perfect our processes and began a more inclusive, fair and open party within each cycle. I know i speak for a lot of democrats and progressives, and i have said this on saturday, i said i respect and admire senator sanders and his campaign. [applause] the voters and contributors, you were able to mobilize and bring into the process the issues raised and the elevation of our national debate. There is no question the country is better now for your efforts and as we go through the process of improving our nominating process, we will continue to move our party and our country forward. [applause] watched lebron james handseph curry shake after a well thought finals fought finals, we know the country is eager to watch these two giants move Forward Together to champion progressive causes, and most importantly, to ensure we swear in a president come january which will uphold our ideals which we hold most dear. Hillary clinton and Bernie Sanders are our champions. They both deserve our cheers. They both deserve our cheers. [applause] they both deserve our cheers. [applause] i ask you i ask you i ask you if you would do this for me, do this for our party, do this for you and lets show donald trump we can Work Together. Cheer for bernie when he takes the stage. Lets all cheer for bernie tonight when he takes the stage and lets also cheer for hillary when she takes the stage on thursday. [applause] when we leave this convention, we should do so with a united sense of purpose to advance our whend ideals and ensure our next president is sworn in on january 20, we will here for the first time a chief Supreme Court justice say those words, congratulations, madam president. [applause] please welcome state from maine. Ve diane hello, democrats. Ms. Russell im a state representative from the beautiful city of portland, maine, a proud delegate for Bernie Sanders. [applause] [cheering] ms. Russell and im the one who introduced the First Amendment to reform the superdelegate system. [applause] you know, dumbledore from harry takes great said it courage to stand up to your enemies. It takes even greater courage to stand up to your friends. [applause] realusly, weve had a family disagreement over the role of superdelegates in our partys nominating process. , it is supposed to be hard work, but we can definitely do more as a party to ensure a fairer, more open process that places every day voters at the center. [applause] that is why im so pleased to report that a process is underway thanks to you in several states and within our newly formed unity Reforms Commission to open up our nominating procedure and build a fair process going forward. [applause] it is what our voters expect and it is what our party deserves. Honoredm so deeply and beyond grateful to stand her e before you it is a bit of a dream come true. Behalf of senator sanders [cheering] on behalf of senator sanders and the Political Revolution [cheering] strong, unequivocal support to the unity compromise. Plan, and it is a plan, gives us the opportunity to champion a variety of great election reforms, including reducing the number of superdelegates by a full twothirds. [applause] that is written right into the commission charter. I want to be clear. We did not win this by selling out. [applause] we won this by standing up. [cheering] up. We did this. We won this by standing together. [applause] [crowd chanting] so beautiful right now. Since we led the way in maine, inht over there, democrats nearly 20 states, most through their local conventions, have voted to reform the superdelegate system. 20 states. [applause] on top of that, more than 750,000 progressives signed petitions calling for serious structural reforms. [applause] and were doing it. We are doing it because we are the party of democracy. E are the party of the 99 the downtrodden, the forgotten, the working class. [applause] exactly. Not for sale. Chanting not for sale] reform. Ighting to make democrats from a very small but very mighty tightmade threaded a needle to stand for real change against all odds. We won because democrats across the country organized in our home state and we won because our rules Committee Members stayed at the table to negotiate a real solution because they heard you asking for it and amending it and they demanding it and they got it done. [applause] i never thought we would get through the Main Convention and here we are getting it through the national convention. [applause] you have to understand something. The fight to reform the superdelegate system was never about this election. It was always about democratizing our party for generations to come. [applause] it may be hard and, believe me, it may be messy, but ladies and gentlemen, this is what democracy looks like [applause] this is what democracy looks like [applause] , love does trump hate. In the end, i stand with my democratic family in making sure we win this fall. [applause] i dont need to see anyone like my governor because of this president of the United States. [applause] you support Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton, we are all in this together and we will all have a voice in the clinton administration. [cheering] we can Work Together on so much. Despite any differences we may hold, we all know in our heart of hearts that a donald Trump Presidency will hurt our party notour people, and i am ok with that. [applause] always stand strong with Bernie Sanders. And i will also do everything i can do this fall to elect hillary so we have a democrat in the white house. [applause] a is time to get to work on higher minimum wage, expanding Social Security, restoring equal pay for women and making sure the rest of the generations are not saddled with student debt like my generation is. [applause] ahead. The road we are united and fixing the superdelegate system is the path to making sure our party is the Strongest Party not just this fall, but for generations to come. Thank you. [applause] ms. Fudge delegates, you have heard speakers from the clinton and Sanders Campaign speak in favor of the unity report recommended for approval by the rules committee. The chair will entertain a motion to approve these other proposals as recommended for your approval by the Committee Rules the Convention Rules committee. Do i hear a second . Second. Ms. Fudge we will now have a voice vote on approving the unity report and other proposals it has recommended by the rules committee. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Ms. Fudge all those opposed, no. Chair determines the ayes have it. [applause] the permanent chair of the 2016 convention, it gives me great pleasure to introduce a fellow member of congress from maryland and my dear friend, Convention Parliamentarian steny hoyer. Please welcome congressman steny hoyer. [applause] mr. Hoyer thank you, maryland. Good evening. And fellowcrats americans. Im so proud to be addressing you here in americas first capital, the home of independence hall, the liberty bell and the birthplace of our constitution. Im proud to serve as the parliamentarian of this convention and proud to be here with the delegation i just referenced. All ofnds from maryland, my friends from maryland. [crowd chanting steny] i love you, too. To nominate Hillary Clinton because of her [applause] because, because of her ability, her experience and her vision for our country. Onare also here to show america why democrats up and down the ticket are ready to lead. Years,e past eight president obama and Vice President biden worked hard to help americans emerge from the bynomic collapse ushered in republican policies. For the first two years of the president s administration, he had a Democratic Congress that was committed to doing the job and rescuing our government. Thank you. Millionsof americans, of americans work hard tightening their belts, they persevered and never, never, never gave up. And with the help of the d,covery program, we enacte america has come back. However, untilw opportunities come back for every american, there is a lot more work to be done. Gentlemen, let me republicansce the took control of the house of representatives in 2011, they have had a message for the american people. Youre on your own. Hardworking immigrants and citizens, tolgbtq , ton demanding equal pay parents asking for affordable childcare and paid family leave, to millions who have Health Insurance today for the first time through the Affordable Care act [applause] and the Republican Party has said to all of them, youre on your own. But we say, youre not on your own. We are in this together. Kaine, clinton and tim and democrats in congress, will always be on your side. [applause] side because we believe that we are stronger together. [applause]. Nd we are running together as the previous speaker pointed out, to renew faith in government and help al lour people all our people make it in america. Gentlemen, at a speech at the Republican Convention last week, speaker ryan said this election comes down to a contest of ideas. Hes right. But, we have seen the disastrous results of republican ideas. And we have seen what they can do to our economy and to our security. That is why, ladies and gentlemen, all of us, those who supported sanders, those who supported clinton, those who supported my governor omalley, all of us must bind together for our country and elect Hillary Clinton president of the United States of america. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Platform Drafting Committee chair, representative Elijah Cummings from maryland. [applause] mr. Cummings madam chair, honored delegates, and my fellow democrats, i stand before you here today not as a congressman from the inner city of baltimore, but as a son of former sharecroppers who started on a farm in South Carolina wit h no running water, no toilet, but who believed in education and taught their children the value of helping others. My father, the late robert cummings, a man who left school to plowe fourth grade the fields and pick the cotton, he is one of the smartest people i have ever known. Ofsaid, son, the ettest a man is not how much he helped himself. The true test is whether he helps those less fortunate. [applause] son, you go to sed so youget bles can bless. That is the standard by which he measured me growing up and is the standard i which i still measure myself. It is the standard we Democrats Use today. I stand before you because my parents saw promise in their seven children. My parents did not do it alone. No one does it alone. It was our Democratic Party that pushed open the opportunities for me and millions of children across this great country. It was our party that fought for head start and good schools. Affordable ande championed affirmative actions and school desegregation, that passed Social Security and medicare, that fought for veterans back home, that fought for the rights of workers and made the dream of Home Ownership possible for millions of american families. Is our Democratic Party. And Voting Rights and Voting Rights. Democrats it is we democrats who fully understand when you take away a persons away to vote, you take their ability to shape their own destiny. And it was and it is our Democratic Party that fights for womens rights, gay rights. He lgbtq understands that black lives matter. [cheers] cummings but we also recognize that our communities and our Law Enforcement work best when they Work Together. Our party, our party, our party thate diversity diversity is not a problem, but is a promise. And that is why, ladies and gentlemen, that is why ours is a party of unity and not division. I am proud that our partys theform will help not wealthy, not the 1 , but it will help our struggling middle class, our working families, the disadvantaged, and disabled. It will help the less fortunate. And itrm has had has done so not by seeking common ground, but aspiring to higher ground. Where weons a nation do not only an act a minimum wage, but a living wage. We as democrats value every life, black, white, asian, every life. Envisions our nation where we do not have to choose between protecting the environment and creating jobs, but where we can defend our planet against Global Warming while at the same time and acting policies that foster job creation, incentivize new startups, and bring expatriated jobs back home. It envisions a nation where every child can get a firstrate equipped, every school to compete in a global economy. It envisions an american a in which we protect a womans right to choose. Where everyone can get the health care they need when they need it. Regardless of their zip code or circumstance. Care in ourth country is not a privilege. It is now, thanks to president barack obama, our right as americans. Chair, when i say my prayers at night and i look up to the heavens, i see the stars, and sometimes i see my father. I know tonight is smiling on all of us, and he, like me, is proud, proud of our platform and our great nominee, Hillary Clinton, and our partys bright future. And if my father, that brilliant man, with a fourthgrade education, but a mind full of wisdom and common sense, were standing here with us tonight, i know he would be proud of all of you, and he would say these words that this election is bigger than Hillary Clinton, bigger than Bernie Sanders, it is bigger than all of us. It is about generations yet unborn. And he would say these simple blessed, so you can bless others. Go out there and vote and do not stop lifting up the american people. May God Bless America [cheers] seven weeks ago the process for drafting the platform began. Meeting in washington and byenix, that Committee Led congressman cummings had public hours of hearings. I was proud to stand behind the president when he announced new actions never ring loopholes to make it easy for dangerous people to get their hands on guns. Largest cooking and cracker Production Facility in the world in mexico. My employer never expressed to me or any of my coworkers that they were concerned about our future or the future of our families. The voices of those who have experienced poverty firsthand must be included in our countrys government and in our policies. Struggled, but it is never enough. Heard 114mmittee witnesses advocate for positions or includesion in the platform. Bewere looking for women to paid fairly. This will be the first withouttial election the full protections of the Voting Rights act. As a person of color, i know we are resilient. That is why were here. We need to present our children with more than survival. Is why i ask that as you develop your plans for the future, make Climate Change mitigation a top priority. Innovation, job creation, removing barriers, combating Climate Change, and so much more. Asianamericans are quite progressing. Critical to securing justice for all americans. Next stop, st. Louis. Drafting committee meeting, with instructions to seek higher ground, the committee deliberated over positions of the party platform. Of folks working 9 00 until 5 00 to stay alive. After spirited debate them the committee voted to advance its work to the Platform Committee. We got some great stuff in the platform that was never there before. I will therefore vote to pass it on in hopes that the conversation continues in orlando. I e