More than 2,000 Marylanders flocked to Prince George’s County Community College’s Novak Field House on Aug. 15 to witness President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, in their first joint appearance since Biden ended his reelection campaign and endorsed Harris to lead the Democratic Party to victory in November.
During the rally, days before the kickoff of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago (Aug. 19-22), the president and vice president announced a significant stride in health care, celebrated administration achievements, and emphasized the need to win the general election.
“It’s good to see so many friends. … There’s a lot of love in this room for our president, and for a lot of reasons,” the vice president said, before sharing big news in relation to the Inflation Reduction Act.
“Today we take the next step. No senior should choose between their rent and their medication. Why are prescription drugs so expensive? Big Pharma has often raised the price, charging many times what it costs to make and millions of Americans have suffered,” she said. “Two years ago as vice president, I was proud to cast the tie-breaking vote that gave Medicare the power to negotiate. I was proud when that bill crossed his desk and our president signed that bill into law.”
The Inflation Reduction Act will halve the cost of nine of the 10 prescription drugs under Medicare’s Price Negotiation Program, including Enbrel, Stalara, and Januvia.
Biden also highlighted the big win for health care, but not before the crowd celebrated him, offering a 90-second standing ovation, with many people shouting, “Thank you, Joe!”
“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time,” said Biden. “Kamala and I both get it. It’s not just about health care. It’s about dignity, security, peace of mind, taking care of your family,” the president said. “I think health care should be a right not a privilege in America.”
The president pushed the importance of advancing health care for all Americans– no matter the age. He said the first bill he co-sponsored in the U.S. Senate was a 1973 bill to allow Medicare to directly negotiate with drug companies, a dream his administration is now putting into law.
“I was too damn young when I first got elected at 29, and now I’m too damn old,” he reflected.
More than 50 years later, there’s still a lot of work to do to advance health care, Biden emphasized.
“We pay more for medication than any other industrialized country in the world. If I took you to Toronto, it would be about 46% cheaper. It’s so expensive that Americans skip doses, cut pills in half,” the president explained. “We beat Big Pharma, without a single Republican vote. The guy Kamala is running against, he wants to get rid of this.”
Harris, Biden, and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becarra celebrated this Medicare advancement as a win for consumers that saves over $6 billion for taxpayers.
Administrator for Medicaid and Medicaid Services Chiquita Brooks-LaSure also spoke at the rally and celebrated the stride in health care.
“Today’s announcement is a huge step forward for medical care in America,” said Brooks-LaSure of the historic negotiation with Medicare. “These are some of the most costly and frequently used drugs; they treat diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and more. This will save billions for not only the government, but for all Medicare recipients. We thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for their tireless work on behalf of all Americans.”
Maryland Residents, Leaders Celebrate Harris: ‘President’s a Good Title for Her‘
The Novak Field House’s bleachers were packed to the brim more than an hour before President Biden was even scheduled to speak. Audience members ranged from an infant swaddled by his mother to senior citizens, many of whom had stage front seating.
There was so much Harris pride in the room.
A lengthy line stretched behind the community college’s Health Studies building, filled with people hoping to purchase Harris-Walz campaign merchandise. The stands were filled with people donning Howard University and Alpha Kappa Alpha paraphernalia, as Harris attend the historically Black institution and is a member of the sorority.
At multiple points before Harris stepped onstage, the crowd led booming chants to showcase Howard pride, saying: “H-U. You Know.”
In addition, there was a lot of Maryland and Prince George’s pride.
Both Harris and Biden thanked Maryland leaders such as Gov. Wes Moore, Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. Kweisi Mfume, and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (all D) for their partnership and support. Biden also gave well wishes and a speedy recovery to his longtime friend, U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer, who recently suffered a mild stroke.
Prince George’s has shown a lot of love for Biden and Harris over the years. The Biden-Harris ticket received over 90% of the vote in Prince George’s in 2020, among the most Democratic counties in the nation.
Alsobrooks, a U.S. Senate nominee, celebrated the president and vice president’s accomplishments.
“How lucky are we to have Joe Biden as our president and how proud are we to have Kamala Harris as our vice president? You’d agree with me, they’ve done an outstanding job,” said Alsobrooks, who is facing off against former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) in a fight for partisan control of the U.S. Senate.
The county executive touted the current administration’s achievements and highlighted their continuous support of Prince George’s.
“We are Prince George’s proud here today to discuss the tremendous progress of their administration, all their work to lower costs for Americans. Men and women all across our state, our nation work so hard to provide for our family. Biden and Harris have worked tirelessly to lower costs for hardworking families, that has been the number one priority of this administration. They never lost sight of the goal: America does well when Americans are thriving,” Alsobrroks said. “On behalf of Prince George’s, I want them to know how thankful we are. This is just the third time this administration has visited Prince George’s in the last two months.”
While many elected officials were in Ocean City for the annual Maryland Association of Counties gathering and unable to attend the rally, several local leaders were present for the occasion. Moore, State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D), Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott (D), State Sens. Arthur Ellis and Jim Rosapepe (D), Dels. Jazz Lewis (D), Jeffrie Long (D), and Ashanti Martinez (D), Prince George’s Democratic Central Committee members Antwan Brown, Sylvia Johnson , and Dani Moore-King, former Board of Education Member Jocelyn Route, and healthcare advocate Vinny Demarco were all spotted at Thursday’s rally.
Moore, sharing a personal anecdote, also weighed in on the importance of the administration’s work surrounding health care.
“Some of my earliest memories were right in this area. And some of my most traumatic memories. I saw my father die in front of me at the age of three because he couldn’t get the proper medical care,” said the governor. “I don’t come from a family used to making policies; we are used to suffering the consequences of them. This moment is personal and it’s exciting to know we have an administration that sees us. We have an obligation to have a medical system that doesn’t overlook any of us. Together, we are going to build a future that leaves no one behind.”
U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, celebrated the administration’s work to cap out of pocket costs of insulin, defend social security, lower overdraft fees, and reduce the burdens of student loan debt.
“With Kamala Harris as the tie breaking vote, serving as the President of the Senate, we have significantly lowered the cost of prescription drugs,” said Senator Cardin, who is in his final year as a legislator following decades in the General Assembly, House of Representatives, and Congress.
With all the praise for the administration, there was also a clear goal: elect Harris for president.
“President’s a good title for her,” Cardin said about Harris.
Biden stated his big plans to save democracy plainly.
“What’s our Project 2025,” Biden asked the audience near the end of his speech. “To beat the hell out of those Republicans!”
