Attorney General Ellison: ‘Competent, compassionate, moral people are now leading our country’ on ‘a new day’

I extend my congratulations to President Joe Biden, and my special congratulations to Vice President Harris for making history today as our first woman, African American, and Asian vice president. Above all, I congratulate the people of the United States, because competent, compassionate, moral people are now leading our country. Because of the damage done to it during the last four years, there is much work to do. Thankfully, the Biden/Harris Administration appears to be off to a fast start on some of the most pressing issues we face including climate change, immigration, and racial justice.  

As harmful as the Trump presidency was, it provided us with opportunities to move forward now in brand-new ways. The pandemic has shown us that we need to move boldly in providing affordable, high-quality healthcare for everyone, no exceptions. The attack on democracy has shown us we need move boldly on expanding the electorate and access to voting. The attack on our country of January 6, 2021 has destroyed the myth that criminality and terrorism come in only one color and shown us we need to move boldly on keeping all communities truly safe. The rise in extreme inequality and the neglect of both rural and urban Americans, while corporations have grown dangerously large and dangerously powerful, has shown us we need to move boldly on economic justice and helping all people afford their lives, not just the richest and most powerful. 

The time to go back to normal has long passed. The time to build back better is now here. 

Although our nation’s president has changed, my job as Minnesota’s attorney general remains the same: helping Minnesotans afford their lives and live with dignity, safety, and respect. As I did during the previous administration, I will continue to step in to protect them from harm if and when the federal government abandons its responsibility to do so. But unlike during the previous administration, Minnesotans now have partners in the White House who protect and support them.  

Congratulations, America. It’s a new day. 

The Official Website of Office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.

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