About taxes, borders and Trump: what Kamala Harris said at the Democratic convention

On the evening of August 22, concluding the four-day Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris gave a keynote speech. The main theme of the message was the unity of the nation - regardless of party affiliation, race, gender, language and country of origin of every American citizen. During her nearly hour-long speech, Harris sharply criticized the policies of Trump, her main rival. The full text of the speech of the Democratic presidential candidate was published by the agency ABC News. We publish it with slight abbreviations.

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"I'm not against incredible travel"

“The path that brought me here was unexpected. But I'm not against incredible travel. My mother Shyamala Harris had her own path. She was 19 when she crossed the world alone, traveling from India to California with an unwavering dream of becoming a scientist who would cure breast cancer. When she graduated, she was expected to return home and enter into a traditional arranged marriage. But as fate would have it, my mother met my father, Donald Harris, a student from Jamaica. They fell in love and got married. And through this act of self-determination, my sister Maya and I were born. We moved around a lot as children. I will always remember the big Mayflower truck filled with our things and ready to go to Illinois, to Wisconsin, wherever our parents' jobs took us. My early memories of my parents are joyful ones. A house full of laughter and jazz music. I remember how we were walking in the park, and my mother asked my sister and me to stay close, but my father just smiled and said: 'Run, Kamala, run. Don't be afraid. Don't let anything stop you.' From a very early age, he taught me to be fearless.

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But the harmony between my parents did not last long. When I was in elementary school, they separated, and my sister and I were raised primarily by my mother. Before she could afford to buy a house, Mom rented a small apartment in the East Bay (a region in northern California that includes the cities and towns located on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay. - Approx. Ed.) A great working area for firefighters, nurses and construction workers.

My mother worked long hours and, like many working parents, she asked neighbors to look after us. Mrs. Shelton, who ran the daycare, became like a second mother to us. Uncle Sherman, Aunt Mary, Uncle Freddie and Aunt Chris - none of them were related by blood. And they all became relatives by love. This was the family that taught us how to cook gumbo, play chess, and sometimes even let us win. A family who loved us. She believed in us. And she told us that we can become anything we want. Do anything. They instilled in us the values ​​that they themselves exemplified. They taught us the importance of treating other people the way you would like to be treated - with kindness, respect and compassion.

My mother was a short, dark, bright woman who spoke with an accent. As the oldest child, I saw how the world treated her sometimes, but she never lost her cool. She was tough and courageous. She became one of the pioneers in the fight for women's health. And she taught Maya and me a lesson - never complain about injustice, but do something about it.

Besides, my mother taught us to never do anything half-heartedly.”

“In my entire career as a prosecutor, I have only had one client – ​​the People”

“I grew up with the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement. My parents met at a civil rights meeting, and they made sure we knew about the leaders of the movement, including lawyers like Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley. About those people who fought in the courtroom to make the Promise of America a reality. So at a young age I decided that I wanted to do this too.

I wanted to become a lawyer, and when it came time to choose the type of law I would practice, I remembered one of the turning points in my life. When I was in high school, I began to notice that something was wrong with my friend Wanda. She was sad, sometimes she didn’t want to go home. One day I asked if she was okay. Wanda confided in me that she was being sexually abused by her stepfather. I immediately told her that she should move in with us. And my friend did just that.

That's one of the reasons I became a prosecutor, to protect people like Wanda. Because I believe everyone has the right to safety, dignity and justice.

As a prosecutor, I addressed the accused not on behalf of the victim, but on behalf of the People. The reason is simple. In our justice system, harm done to any of us is harm to all of us. I have often explained this to crime victims to support them. To remind them that no one should fight alone. We are together. Every day in the courtroom I said to the judge: 'Kamala Harris is for the People.'

Understand: in my entire career, I have only had one client - the People.

Therefore, now I speak on behalf of the People. On behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender, or the language your grandmother speaks. On behalf of my mother and everyone who has ever embarked on their own incredible journey. On behalf of people who work hard, follow their dreams and take care of each other.

I speak on behalf of all whose history could only be written in the greatest country on Earth. I accept the party's nomination to nominate me as a candidate for President of the United States. With this election, our country has a precious opportunity to leave behind the bitterness, cynicism and contradictions of the past.

We have people with different political views watching us tonight. I want you to know that I promise to be a president for all Americans. You can always trust me to put country before party and myself. I will uphold America's founding principles, from the rule of law to free and fair elections to the peaceful transfer of power. I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations.

As a young prosecutor in Oakland, I defended women and children from rapists. As California's attorney general, I fought the big banks. Provided $20 billion to middle-class families facing foreclosure. (Kamala Harris refers to the measures she took in response to the subprime mortgage crisis that occurred in the United States in 2008. During the financial crisis, many families faced the loss of their homes due to mortgage defaults, leading to massive foreclosures. When Kamala Harris served as California's Attorney General, she played a major role in the settlement negotiations between the government and the nation's largest banks, which led to the creation of the National Mortgage Settlement. The $20 billion amount Harris mentions likely refers to the portion of the settlement that was aimed at helping middle-class families in California to help them keep their homes or receive compensation for wrongful seizures. – Approx. Ed.). I helped pass the Homeowners Bill of Rights, one of the first of its kind.

I have defended veterans and students who were defrauded by large for-profit colleges, workers who were cheated out of their paychecks, and retirees who faced elder abuse.

I fought cartels that trafficked weapons, drugs and people. They [the cartels] threaten the security of our borders and the safety of our communities."

“Trump’s main idea is to return the country to the past”

“Fellow Americans, this election is not only the most important of our lives. They are one of the most important in the life of our country. In many ways, Donald Trump is not a serious person. But the consequences of Donald Trump returning to the White House are extremely serious.

Think not only of the chaos that reigned while he was in power, but also of the seriousness of what has happened since he lost the last election. Donald Trump tried to throw away your votes. When he failed, he sent an armed mob into the Capitol, where they attacked law enforcement officers. When politicians from his own party begged him to call off the mob, he did the opposite. He fanned the flames. And now, for a completely different set of crimes, a jury of ordinary Americans found him guilty of fraud.

Separately, he was found guilty of sexual assault. Think about what he intends to do if we give him power again. Consider his clear intent to free the violent extremists who attacked law enforcement officers at the Capitol. About his clear intention to imprison journalists, political opponents - everyone he considers enemies. His clear intention to use our active military against our own citizens.

Think about the power he will have, especially after the US Supreme Court just ruled that he will be immune from criminal prosecution. Just imagine Donald Trump, with nothing holding him back.

How will he use the enormous powers of the US President? Not to improve your life. Not to strengthen our national security. And to serve the only client he's ever had: himself.

And we know what Trump's second term will look like. All this is laid out in "Project 2025", written by his closest advisers. His main idea is to return our country to the past. But we won't go back. We won't go back to the time when Donald Trump tried to cut Social Security and Medicare. We won't go back to when he tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

We will not allow him to eliminate the Department of Education that funds our public schools. We won't let him shut down early childhood education and child care programs. America, we are not going back."

“The middle class is critical to America's success.”

“We are forging a new path forward. Forward to a future with a strong and growing middle class. Because we know that a strong middle class has always been critical to America's success. And the creation of this middle class will be the defining goal of my presidency. Middle class is where I come from. My mother stuck to a strict budget. We lived within our means. However, we didn't want much. And she expected us to make the most of the opportunities available to us, and to be grateful for them. Because such opportunities are not available to everyone.

That's why we will create what I call an opportunity economy.

An opportunity economy where everyone has a chance to compete and a chance to succeed, whether you live in a rural area, a small town or a big city. We will unite workers, small business owners and entrepreneurs, and American companies. The goal is to create jobs and develop the economy. The result is a reduction in the cost of everyday needs such as healthcare, housing and food.

We will provide access to capital to small business owners and those founding startups. We will end America's housing shortage and protect Social Security and Medicare. Compare this to what Donald Trump is proposing. He's not really fighting for the middle class. Instead, he fights for himself and his billionaire friends. He would give them another round of tax breaks, which would add $5 trillion to the national debt.

All the while, he intends to impose what is essentially a national sales tax (let's call it the Trump tax) that will raise prices for middle-class families by almost $4000 a year.

Well, instead of a tax increase, we will pass a middle class tax cut that will benefit over 100 million Americans.”

"TOWhen will Congress pass a bill to restore reproductive freedom?"As President of the United States, I will proudly sign it."

“Friends, I believe that America cannot be truly prosperous if Americans cannot take full responsibility for their own lives and make decisions based on their own desires, especially in matters relating to their personal lives. But too many women in America today are unable to make these decisions.

Let's make it clear why. Donald Trump hand-picked members of the US Supreme Court to help pass a decision that strips women of their reproductive freedom, and is now proud to have done it.”

(Kamala Harris in her speech referred to the process of appointing US Supreme Court justices who played a key role in overturning the precedent that ensured women's right to abortion. Donald Trump, while president, appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett These appointments significantly strengthened the conservative majority on the court.

Harris was likely referring to the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, in which the court overturned Roe vs Wade — a decision passed in 1973 that guaranteed the right to abortion at the federal level. This decision, by placing regulation of the issue under the jurisdiction of individual states, many of which have imposed strict restrictions or outright bans on abortion, effectively deprived women of their constitutional right to an abortion.

Thus, Harris argues that Trump, by choosing judges with certain views, contributed to a decision that, in her opinion, deprives women of their reproductive rights. – Approx. Ed.)

Over the past two years, I have traveled around our country and women have told me their stories. Husbands and fathers shared theirs too. These were stories of women who miscarried in a parking lot, who developed sepsis and lost the ability to ever have children again.

And all because doctors are afraid of going to jail for helping patients. There are couples who dream of children, but do not have the opportunity to undergo the IVF procedure. There are children who have survived sexual violence and are forced to carry a pregnancy to term. This is what is happening in our country because of Donald Trump.

And Trump won't stop there. As part of his agenda, he and his allies would limit access to birth control, ban medication abortions and enact a nationwide abortion ban—with or without Congress. And guess what, he plans to create a National Abortion Coordinator and force states to report miscarriages and abortions among women.

Simply put: they're crazy.

And we need to ask: why exactly do they not trust women?

We trust women. And when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom, as President of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law.

Many fundamental freedoms are at stake in this election. Freedom to live safely from gun violence - in our schools, communities and places of worship. The freedom to love who you love openly and proudly. Freedom to breathe clean air, drink clean water. And the freedom that unlocks all the others: freedom to vote.

With this election, we finally have the opportunity to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Voting Freedom Act.”

“I will bring back bipartisan border security legislation.”

“After decades of working in law enforcement, I know how important security is, especially on our border.

Last year, Joe [Biden] and I brought together Democrats as well as conservative Republicans to write the strongest border bill in decades. The Border Patrol has approved it, but Donald Trump believes the border agreement will hurt his campaign.

So he ordered his allies in Congress to cancel the agreement.

Well, I refuse to play political games when it comes to our safety. Here's my promise to you: As president, I will bring back the bipartisan border security bill he rejected. I will sign it into law.

I know we can live up to our proud heritage as a nation of immigrants and reform our broken immigration system.

We can create a clear path to citizenship while protecting our borders. We must be persistent in promoting our values ​​abroad.

As Vice President, I confronted threats to our security, negotiated with foreign leaders, strengthened our alliances, and engaged with our brave troops overseas.

As Commander in Chief, I will ensure that America always has the most powerful and lethal fighting force in the world. I will fulfill our sacred responsibility to care for our soldiers and their families."

"AT I know the struggle between democracy and tyranny where is the united states of america located»

“I will ensure that we lead the world into a future in space and artificial intelligence, that America, not China, wins the competition for the 21st century, and that we strengthen our global leadership rather than abdicate it.

Trump, on the other hand, has threatened to withdraw from NATO. He called on Putin to invade the territories of our allies, he helped Russia “do whatever it wants.” Five days before Russia attacked Ukraine, I met with President Zelensky to warn him about Russia's invasion plan.

I helped mobilize a global response—more than 50 countries—to defend against Putin's aggression. And as president, I will stand firmly with Ukraine and our NATO allies.

Regarding the war in Gaza, President Biden and I are working around the clock because now is the time to reach a hostage agreement and a ceasefire.

Let me be clear: I will always defend Israel's right to self-defense and will always ensure that Israel has the ability to defend itself because the people of Israel must never again face the horror that the terrorist organization Hamas unleashed on October 7, 2023. We remember the massacre and sexual violence, the murder of young people at a music festival. At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is terrible.

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President Biden and I are working to end this war so that Israel is safe, the hostages are freed, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to live in dignity.

I will not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to protect our forces and our interests from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists. And I won't suck up to tyrants and dictators like Kim Jong Un, who root for Trump because they know he can be easily manipulated with flattery and favors.

They know Trump won't hold autocrats accountable because he wants to be an autocrat.

In the ongoing struggle between democracy and tyranny, I know where I stand and where the United States of America stands. I see an America where we hold fast to the beliefs that formed our nation. Here, in this country, everything is possible, nothing is unattainable.

My mother taught me a lesson: never let anyone tell you who you are. Show them who you are. America, let's show each other (and the world) who we are and what we stand for. Freedom. Possibilities. Compassion. Dignity. Justice.

And endless possibilities.

We are heirs to the greatest democracy in the history of the world. And on behalf of our children and grandchildren, and all those who have sacrificed for our freedom and independence, we must do what the generations before us have done. To fight for this country we love, to fight for the ideals we cherish, and to stand up for the great responsibility that comes with the greatest privilege on Earth.

It is a privilege and pride to be an American.

So let's fight for it. Let's vote for this. And together we will write the next great chapter in our history. God bless you. God bless the United States of America."

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