Vice President Kamala Harris tried to encourage Democratic staffers facing layoffs from the DNC on Sunday, telling them that their “spirit will not be defeated.”
Harris made the comments during the DNC’s holiday celebration in Washington, D.C., on Sunday. She spoke alongside President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the event, which played host to staffers who were let go from the DNC without severance packages after the election.
“This holiday season, like any time of the year, let us really be conscious of all the blessings we have. Let us celebrate the blessings we have; let us celebrate and advance the blessings we have yet to create,” Harris said. “And let us always remember our country is worth fighting for, and our spirit will not be defeated.”
“And hear me when I say this, that spirit that fuels the countless hours and days and months of work that you have put into this, that spirit. It can never be defeated. Our spirit is not defeated. We are not defeated. Let’s be clear about that. We are strong. We are clear about why we are in this. And because you’re here right now. I say again, thank you. Because not only are you clear about all of that, you’re willing to put in the hard work and that work must continue,” she said.
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Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. (AP/Jacquelyn Martin)
Biden took the stage after Harris and defended the pair’s legacy as they prepare to leave office. He argued that the country is in a “resoundingly” better position today than when he and Harris entered the White House.
“The one thing I’ve always believed about public service, and especially about the presidency, is the importance of asking yourself, have we left the country in better shape than we found it? Today, I can say with every fiber of my being, of all my heart, the answer to that question is a resounding yes,” he said.
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He went on to encourage staffers to “stay engaged” in the years ahead.
“You’re not going anywhere, kid,” Biden said of Harris. “Because we’re not gonna let you.”
President Joe Biden defended his administration’s legacy during a speech at the DNC holiday party. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
Some DNC staffers had expressed frustration at the post-election layoffs, which are relatively common in Washington, D.C. The DNC union objected to the lack of severance packages and other benefits when the layoffs were announced in late November.
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“We find it very cruel that DNC management is trying to claim that layoffs are just part of the job,” a DNC union member told Mother Jones.