As First Lady Jill Biden spoke to a crowd of Kamala Harris supporters and teachers, she reminded voters about the stakes of the upcoming November election.
“We have to work harder than we’ve ever worked before. We have to push further than we’ve pushed in the past,” Biden said. “We have to meet this moment as if our democracy is on the line, because it is.”
Jill Biden spoke to Harris supporters at the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers on Saturday afternoon. The First Lady drew on her experiences as an educator and encouraged voters to support Kamala Harris and Democrats this November.
The visit came ten days before Election Day and coincided with President Joe Biden’s speech to Pittsburgh union workers. It began at Redhawk Coffee Roasters in Sharpsburg, where the First Lady thanked and greeted about 30 people organizing to elect Harris. Joined by State Rep. Mandy Steele, Biden asked those in attendance to remember how they felt waking up the morning after the 2016 election and encouraged them to continue organizing.
“I don’t want you to wake up and think to yourself, ‘oh, if we had only done a little bit more’ … because everything you do makes a difference,” Biden said. “Every person you talk to, whether it’s at school, whether it’s in your church, whether it’s your book group, whether you see somebody in your neighborhood, every vote counts.”
Biden took pictures with supporters before riding to Southside Flats to speak at the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and Melanie Williams, executive board member of PFT Local 400, introduced Biden to the crowd of about 70 attendees. She commented on the state rivalry between eastern and western Pennsylvania, but encouraged the voters to rally around the Harris-Walz ticket.
“Even though we have some few irreconcilable differences, like Flyers vs. the Penguins, Steelers vs. the Eagles, Sheetz vs. Wawa, I know we can agree on a few things,” Biden said. “Number one, we all want to see the Patriots lose. Number two, we love the Commonwealth with all our hearts and we know that the path to electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz runs through the Keystone State.”
Biden told the educators in attendance that Harris understands the impact of teachers, citing Harris’ pick of Tim Walz, a former teacher, as her running mate.
“Kamala knows how you spend your weekends grading piles of paper — I was grading on the way here on the plane — and how about how we put extra granola bars in our desk drawers because someone might come to school without breakfast or lunch, and how educators don’t leave the hard work to someone else,” Biden said. “We are doers, we are problem solvers, and so is Kamala Harris.”
Biden highlighted the impact of the election season on children and students and the role adults play in helping them navigate it.
“Our students are watching and they’re looking to us to explain what they’re seeing on the television and on social media, and then rely on us to show them what we value in this country, that our differences are precious and our similarities are infinite. That true strength comes through kindness and respect,” Biden said.
After the speech, Cheryl Patalano, a Bellevue resident and Northgate School Board director, said she was drawn to see Biden speak because of her connection with education.
“I wanted to come see [Biden] and just see what she had to say about Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, and I’ve never been to a rally before so who better to come see,” Patalano said.
Patalano said she voted early for Harris and said Biden’s remarks reminded her of the negative emotions she felt following former President Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory.
“I do not want to feel that again, so I’m just really hoping that we can get everybody on board to mobilize and get out the vote [and] hopefully turn Pennsylvania blue,” Patalano said.
Emily Carson, a Bellevue resident and product manager, said she hasn’t voted yet, but plans on voting for Harris because “what’s the alternative?”
“It’s terrible, the stripping of basic human rights in our country. There’s almost no alternative,” Carson said.
Patalano seconded Carson’s sentiment, but emphasized Harris’ strengths as a candidate.
“Even if you just take Trump out of the picture, [Harris is] just an incredibly intelligent person and that’s who you want to have in charge of your entire country,” Patalano said.
