Shaheen Statement on Inauguration of President Joe Biden

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement in response to the inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Kamala Harris as President and Vice President of the United States: 

“I hope Joe Biden’s message to Americans today echoes in communities across the nation: a brighter future is on the horizon and the way forward is together. The last year alone has been brutal for Granite Staters and all American families, with the coronavirus taking the lives of more than 400,000 and putting millions of Americans out of work. Getting to the other side of this crisis and helping people rebuild will require a whole of government approach. It demands a leader who will put people over politics and country over party. That leader is President Joseph R. Biden Jr.,” said Shaheen.  

Shaheen continued, “In addition to fighting through the pandemic and economic fallout it created, we have immense tasks ahead to undo the damage of the last four years. No longer will the United States shirk its responsibility as a leader on climate change. We will stand by our allies and stand up to our adversaries. The strength of our economy will be measured by the success of main street, not Wall Street. Our nation will uphold immigration policies that reflect our moral values. The well-being of working families struggling to afford health care or college will come ahead of tax breaks for the super wealthy. The future Joe Biden wants to build for the United States isn’t divided by party lines for Democrats or Republicans; it is for all Americans. 

“Joe Biden ran for office in response to the violence and vitriol we saw on the streets of Charlottesville, and in the aftermath of the horrific insurrection at the Capitol, his determination to heal these divides has never been more urgently needed. With a partner like Kamala Harris, who sealed her name in history today as the first woman and woman of color to become Vice President, my hope for tomorrow has never been stronger. Like President Biden, I too believe in the strength and resilience of the American people. Despite the chaos that sought to undermine our democracy, there are more of us who want to save it than tear it down. There are better days ahead and we will reach them together.”