Vice President Kamala Harris on the Fight For the Future at the 2025 DNC Winter Meeting

very distinct honor to introduce our next speaker, our dear friend from the great state of California, Vice President Kamala Harris. Now, now, no, no, don't get up yet because we before we bring up the vice president, let me say a few brief words. Democrats, you know this, we all know this. Vice President Harris has put put it all on the line. Yes, >> she put it on the line, not simply for our party, but for our country. And I'll tell you something, she worked her ass off for those 107 days, just like she did as vice president, just like she did as a US senator representing this beautiful state. And as attorney general, she brought energy, enthusiasm, and a deep sense of unity. She brought and continues to a vision. And yes, she brought a plan, right? She fought tirelessly for everybody in this country who feels voiceless, everyone who deserves a champion, everyone who feels that Washington isn't working for them. Kamla Harris inspired Democrats in this room. And she's inspired countless Americans in every corner of our great country. And I am so proud to have her joining us today. DNC Democrats, let's give it up for Vice President Kamla Harris. [cheering] [music] >> I'm talking about [music] things that I love. So please show yourself. [singing] [music] Don't worry about who's still. >> Everybody, >> good afternoon. [applause and cheering] Hi. Hi friends. Hi. Please [cheering] have a seat. [applause] >> To all of us. To all of us. Applause to all of us. Thank you. [cheering and applause] >> Okay, it's my name. Don't wear it out. [laughter] Thank you all. That mean I I love you back. You know that we've all been in these rooms together for many years and I had a chance to greet all of the members of the podium earlier today. And Ken, I just want to say in front of everybody, thank you for your leadership. You've been doing an extraordinary job. Thank [applause] you. Thank you. So, it's great to see you all. Welcome to California. How's the temperature treating you? [laughter] [gasps] So, let me just say um let me just start by saying thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all of you. Not only for the support you have given me and our campaign in 2024, but most importantly, thank you for what you do for our country. you know, um I know the hard work that you all do every day. It is the work that is about the weekends that just vanish. Um it's about the work that does not trend on social media. It's about the work that may not garner you a standing ovation after you have completed an important task that is in furtherance of what is best for our country. But you all are changing lives. We are changing lives and we are shaping elections and all of that strengthens our country. So I start by just saying thank you because I am a public face of a lot of the work that we do and people then come up to me in various places and when they thank me they are thanking you for standing up for our democracy for the rule of law for values and principles for community for the breath bre and depth of who we are with all of our beautiful differences as a nation. When they thank me, they are thanking you for the work that you do that are about upholding basic principles that are at the foundation of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. So, thank you for everything that you have done, that you are doing, and you will do. And I know, look, this year has not been easy, certainly for any of us. [gasps] But the leaders here, you've not been deterred. And last month provides proof of that. >> Last month provides proof of that. [applause] In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger will be the first woman governor in that state's history. [applause] In New Jersey, Mikey Cheryl won the governor's mansion. [applause] In New York, Zoran Mandani is mayor elect, having inspired a broad coalition. [applause] In California, we passed Proposition 50. [cheering] [applause] And in the deep south, where maps were intentionally over a long period of time been drawn to silence black voters, the people were undeterred. In Mississippi, Democrats broke the Republican supermajority in the state senate. [applause] In Georgia, Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubard, >> I hear over there, my Georgia friends, flipped two statewide seats from Richmond to Trenton, from Jackson to Atlanta, from Sacramento to New York. The American people sent a message. They want leaders who fight >> for affordability, for health care, for the right of people to participate in their democracy. Americans want leaders who fight for them. And that is what we will continue to do in 2026 as we compete in every state, in every district, and every level of government. And obviously, we must focus on the midterms, but Democrats, we must also have a clear vision for what comes after the midterms >> and then after Trump. We need to answer the question. We need to answer the question, what comes next for our party and our democracy? And in so doing, we must be honest that for so many, the American dream has become more of a myth than a reality. Whether it's the cost of food, energy, health care, transportation, or housing, America is facing an affordability crisis. A crisis that we are witnessing is fueling cynicism, fear, frustration, and a lack of confidence in our systems. At the same time, AI has started to displace jobs, reshape the future of work, and cause Americans across the country to fear being left behind. Meanwhile, social media, which once promised us to make us feel more connected, is increasingly making us feel more isolated and divided. And all of this is happening against the backdrop of a political system that appears to not only be fractured, but broken. Both parties have failed to hold the public's trust. Government is viewed government is viewed as fundamentally unable to meet the needs of its people. In these and in so many other ways, the people feel that the very institutions that were designed to support them have failed them. And they are not wrong. We must see what is happening. People are done with the status quo and they're ready to break things [applause] to force change. And so, real talk, right? So, in comes Donald Trump, casting himself as the change agent, but with empty promises to the American people. Under his leadership, we all know prices are up, inflation is up, unemployment is up, health care costs for millions of Americans are about to double. We all know that in the midst of all this, the truth and reality of the moment that just a few days ago, he said the economy was I had to count the pluses. They're five. A plus plus plus. That's what he said when asked rate the economy. A plus plus. There is nothing A+ about any of this. [applause] But real talk, we must be candid and clear. Donald Trump is not the only source of our problems. He and the rise of the MAGA movement, I believe, are a symptom of a failed system that is the result of years of outsourcing and offshoring, financial deregulation, growing income inequality, a broken campaign finance system, and endless partisan gridlock, all contributing to how we got here today. So, as we plan for what comes after this administration, we cannot afford to be nostalgic for what was in fact a flawed status quo and a system that failed so many. [applause] We cannot advocate for nor settle for a simple return to what existed in the past. Yes, >> the work ahead requires us to reinvent, to innovate, to inspire and understand that the task before us is not just a political project. It must be a project of civic renewal. It must be a project of civic renewal. Many of you know throughout my career I have invoked a consistent mantra. The power is with the people. Well, this idea we all know comes from the founders. It's not an original thought. It comes from the founders. That in a functioning democracy, we the people have the power to shape our own fate. But today, Americans are skeptical of whether this remains true. Americans wonder whether hard work alone is enough to ensure a good future for themselves and their families. They worry that the forces impacting their day-to-day lives are beyond their control. And is it any wonder when today so many of our nation's political and economic power is concentrated in the hands of the very few? Is it any wonder that the people feel this way? Is there any doubt that such concentration of power is the mark of a corrupted system? that it is corrosive to our democracy. So a primary task I believe must be to confront this excess concentration of power and provide greater agency provide greater agency to everyday citizens. We must reform our institutions in ways that will put the people back in charge in a way that actually promotes the general welfare. And while a project of civic renewal may sound lofty, especially given the challenges of this moment, I believe that it is a necessary endeavor and that it be grounded in certain values that I know we all share. the values that all forms of work contribute to the public good and deserve dignity [applause] and all Americans performing that work deserve to be rewarded fairly [applause] that in addition to economic security Americans well-being also depend on health safety and connection with family and community. That technology should be harnessed on behalf of the public interest. And at its best, it should always seek to enhance human ingenuity, not replace it. To deepen our connections, not so distrust among us. >> [applause] >> that the government derives its legitimacy from the people and so it must be responsive to the actual needs of the people, be more transparent in its activities and most of all that it cannot be bought by outside interests. [applause] >> [applause] >> that the advancement of justice and equality strengthens society as a whole and upholding the rights of the marginalized fortifies the rights of everyone. [applause] that to reinstate a sense of civic solidarity, we should provide more opportunities to perform national service. And we must invest in public education, public spaces, and ambitious national projects that remind us of what we can achieve together. [applause] And that the strength of a pluralistic society requires that we embrace our differences with more with more than just tolerance, but with mutual respect and trust, with the belief that though we are different, each of our fellow citizens is a neighbor. These are the values that I believe must guide our project of civic renewal. So going forward, let us make a new commitment to the common good. One that declares our country will be commanded not by big corporations or career politicians. >> Not by the elite or wealthy, but by everyday citizens. each working to fulfill their potential not just for the betterment of themselves but for the betterment of the country. A commitment that declares that the power of this country does not belong to any king or set of oligarchs. [applause] >> It belongs to we the people. >> [applause] >> And I'll close by saying the stakes have never been higher, but we are cleareyed with grit, determination, and fire that this moment demands. [applause] That when you know what you stand for, you go out and you fight for it. We fight for the future. We fight for the people. [applause] And we love our country. I thank you all very much. Thank [cheering] you. [applause] >> [cheering] [music] >> for [music] just >> [music]

Vice President Harris delivers remarks on the fight for the future at the 2025 Democratic National Committee (DNC) Winter Meeting in Los Angeles, CA. -------------------------------------- Follow Vice President Kamala Harris! Kamala's Twitter: https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris Kamala's Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@kamalaharris Kamala’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/KamalaHarris Kamala's Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/kamalaharris.com Kamala's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KamalaHarris Kamala's Threads: https://www.threads.net/@kamalaharris #KamalaHarris