# Kamala Harris in La Crosse, Wisconsin | October 17, 2024 Auto-transcribed by https://aliceapp.ai on Friday, 18 Oct 2024. Synced media and text playback available on this page: https://aliceapp.ai/recordings/MuYPcsqp9iWN6jVzARQeOImgyBT1EdSk * Words : 2,875 * Duration : 00:28:08 * Recorded on : Unknown date * Uploaded on : 2024-10-18 00:09:43 UTC * At : Unknown location * Using : Uploaded to aliceapp.ai ## Speakers: * Kamala Harris - 100.0% ---------------------------- Kamala Harris [00:00:01] Good afternoon, Wisconsin. Good afternoon. Kamala Harris [00:00:08] Oh, it's wonderful to be back in here at the University of Wisconsin lacrosse. Thank you all. Kamala Harris [00:00:17] Go, Eagles. Kamala Harris [00:00:24] Oh, it's good to be everyone. And, Mark Cuban, thank you for all that you are and being a part of it. Thank you. So some of you may know, when I was five years old, we lived in Wisconsin. Kamala Harris [00:00:42] My parents taught at the University of Wisconsin and Madison for a time. And every now, every time I come now, when I land, governor, uh, evers will greet me and he'll say, welcome home. So it is good to be back in Wisconsin. Kamala Harris [00:01:03] And this is, uh, a room full of leaders. And I thank you all for taking the time out of your busy lives to be here to have this conversation. I want to thank Mayor Reynolds, thank you for the warm welcome and all you do and lacrosse. Let's reelect someone who has spent her career fighting for the families of Wisconsin. Kamala Harris [00:01:25] Your senator, Tammy Baldwin. Kamala Harris [00:01:31] We need her in Washington. We need her in Washington. Good. Kamala Harris [00:01:42] So election day is in 19 days. 19 days. And if anyone, if you all have a chair or a seat, please do sit for anyone who has a chair. Okay, so listen, we are nearing the home stretch, and this is going to be a tight race until the very end. And we, we got this. Kamala Harris [00:02:09] I see you. And, and reality check. We are the underdog, okay? And that's why I'm here with you. And you are taking the time to do the hard work that is necessary. Kamala Harris [00:02:24] It's why I'm campaigning for every vote, because I want and intend to be a president for all Americans. Kamala Harris [00:02:39] And no matter their political party, where they live, or where they get their news. Okay? Kamala Harris [00:02:52] And on that point last night, you may have seen, I went on Fox News, and while I was doing that, Donald Trump was at a univision town hall where a voter asked him about January 6. Okay? So now we here know. January 6 was a tragic day. It was a day of terrible violence. Kamala Harris [00:03:26] There were attacks on law enforcement. 140 law enforcement officers were injured. Some were killed. And what did Donald Trump say last night about January 6? He called it a, quote, a day of love. Kamala Harris [00:03:54] He points out something that everyone here knows. The american people are exhausted with his gaslighting. Exhausted with his gaslighting. Enough. We are ready to turn the page. Kamala Harris [00:04:13] Turn the page. Kamala Harris [00:04:21] We're done. And Wisconsin. Kamala Harris [00:04:29] And we're not going back because this election, and we are not going back because we know that this, this election is about two very different visions for our nation. One that is focused his on the past and ours that is focused on the future. Kamala Harris [00:05:13] As represented by everyone here, and especially the students who are here right now. Yeah, you guys, you guys. Yeah. Yeah. It's about you guys. Kamala Harris [00:05:30] It really is. It really is. And we know that America is ready for a new way forward. Kamala Harris [00:05:44] We are ready for a new and optimistic generation of leadership, which is why Democrats and independents and Republicans are supporting our campaign. In fact, just yesterday, I was with over 100 republican leaders from across the country who joined me on the campaign trail. Kamala Harris [00:06:15] And as they said, it was about putting country before party. And some of them served in Donald Trump's previous administration, the people who know him best. Okay? And I believe, and I think we all know, Americans want a president who works for all the american people. Kamala Harris [00:06:43] It's what we deserve. And that has been the story of my entire career. In my career, I've only ever had one client, the people. Kamala Harris [00:06:56] When I was a young courtroom prosecutor, I stood up for women and children against predators. As attorney general of California, I took on the big banks, fought to deliver $20 billion for middle class families who faced foreclosure. I stood up for veterans and students being scammed by for profit colleges. Kamala Harris [00:07:20] I stood up, uh, for workers who are being cheated out of the wages they were due, stood up for seniors facing elder abuse. And I promise, as president, I will always fight for all the american people. And together, together, we can and we will build a future, a brighter future for our nation. Kamala Harris [00:07:44] That's why we're all here together. We love our country. Kamala Harris [00:07:56] Together, we will build in that future what I call an opportunity economy, which is where every American has an opportunity to own a home, to start a business, to build wealth. Under my plan. And I know this is a big deal for the young people here. We will bring down the cost of housing, because there was a time that generations of Americans could count on the american dream. Kamala Harris [00:08:30] But for far too many these days, it is just out of reach. Kamala Harris [00:08:35] So we will deal with the housing supply, and I will commit to creating a $25,000 down payment assistance, so you can, for the first time, homebuyers, just get your foot in the door. Kamala Harris [00:08:57] We will help entrepreneurs and I, small businesses, to begin and grow, because we know small businesses are part of America's backbone in terms of the strength of our economy. You know, the woman who helped raise my sister and me was a small business owner. I know, uh, we do. We have small business owners who are here. Kamala Harris [00:09:18] Raise their hands. Kamala Harris [00:09:20] Yeah. You are not only business leaders, you are civic leaders. You are community leaders. And you really are part of the backbone of America's economy, and we've got to invest in you and make your jobs easier. Kamala Harris [00:09:42] My plan will help expand Medicare to cover home health care for seniors. Kamala Harris [00:09:54] This is personal for me. So part of you may know, um, some of you may know that, um, when my mother was sick, I took care of her. And for anybody who is taking care of an elder parent when they are in their time of need, the work includes trying to cook something that they feel like eating. Kamala Harris [00:10:17] Right, helping them put on a sweater, trying to make them just laugh from time to time, right? It's about dignity. Kamala Harris [00:10:27] It's about dignity. But for far too many people, including people in the sandwich generation, who are raising young children and taking care of a parent, oh, it's so rough. And so my plan is this. It's to say, instead of how it currently is, which is in order for you to be able to get help to come in, you're going to have to pretty much get rid of all your savings to qualify for Medicaid. Kamala Harris [00:10:56] What I'm saying is, no, this is a matter of dignity, and it is a matter of your ability to participate in the workforce and be productive and have a quality of life. Kamala Harris [00:11:06] So we're going to change the system. So Medicare will cover your ability to have home health care for your elder parents. Kamala Harris [00:11:22] Because you see, part of the difference between the way we see our country and the world, and the way my opponent sees it is we actually see real people and care about them and have a sense of understanding about how tough times can be, but how good times can be if we put the work into solving problems instead of trying to run on problems like Donald Trump. Kamala Harris [00:11:55] And so that's why we will also lower costs on everything from health care to groceries, including taking on corporate price gouging, which I've done before, and I will do again. Kamala Harris [00:12:15] And we will give a middle class tax cut to 100 million Americans, including $6,000 for young parents, parents who are just starting out during the first year of their child's life, knowing the vast majority of our parents have a natural desire to parent their children well, but not always the resources to do it. Kamala Harris [00:12:39] And so this is about helping folks out to be able to buy a car seat and a yemenite crib just during that most critical phase of their child's development. This is all about dignity, and this is about understanding. Kamala Harris [00:13:02] And so I share this to say, I will always put the middle class and working families first. It's where I come from, and I will never forget where I come from. Kamala Harris [00:13:17] I will never forget where I come from now, Donald Trump has a different plan. Kamala Harris [00:13:30] I love you back, by the way. Thank you. Donald Trump has a different. So just Google project 2025. Kamala Harris [00:13:41] Now we're at a place of higher learning. So I, um, must say, I can't believe they put that thing in writing. I really can't. They put it in writing. They bound it like they bound it and handed it out. Kamala Harris [00:13:58] So, look, we read it, right? It's a detailed and dangerous blueprint for what he will do if he is elected president. You know, I said many times, you've heard me say Donald Trump is an unserious man, and the consequences of him ever getting his foot back in the Oval Office are brutally serious. Kamala Harris [00:14:23] Brutally serious. So Donald Trump, huh? Kamala Harris [00:14:27] Right. That's why we're here together, and we're here because we know we got work to do still. Donald Trump will give billionaires and corporations massive tax cuts. He will cut Social Security and Medicare. He will get rid of the dollar 35 cap on insulin for seniors. Kamala Harris [00:14:46] He will make it easier for companies to check this out. He will make it easier for companies to deny overtime pay for workers, and will impose what I have named a Trump sales tax, because essentially he plans on putting a 20% tax, if not higher, on everyday basic necessities, which economists have estimated will cost the average american $4,000 more a year. Kamala Harris [00:15:20] And on top of all of this, Donald Trump intends to end the Affordable Care act. Kamala Harris [00:15:28] And he has no plan to replace it. Kamala Harris [00:15:33] You guys watch the debate. Kamala Harris [00:15:37] He has, quote, concepts of a plan. Concepts. Kamala Harris [00:15:48] So here's the thing again, it's a serious issue, right? So he's going to threaten the health insurance coverage of 45 million people in America based on a concept taking us back to when insurance companies had the power to deny people with pre existing conditions. You remember what that was? Kamala Harris [00:16:22] Well, we are not going back. Kamala Harris [00:16:32] We are not going back. We are not going back. Kamala Harris [00:16:40] We're not going back. We're not going back. And just like Wisconsin's state motto tells us, we will move forward. Kamala Harris [00:16:56] We will move forward because ours is a fight for the future, and it is a fight for freedom. For freedom, like the fundamental freedom of a woman to make decisions about her own body and not have her government tell her what to do. Kamala Harris [00:17:28] Right, I see you. Kamala Harris [00:17:36] And again, we're not going to be gaslighted on this. We remember Donald Trump hand selected three members of the United States Supreme Court with the intention that they would undo the protections of Roe v. Wade, and they did as he intended. Kamala Harris [00:17:59] Oh, you guys are at the wrong rally. Kamala Harris [00:18:14] No, I think you meant to go to the smaller one down the street. Kamala Harris [00:18:26] Come on. Kamala Harris [00:18:31] So. But back to the matter at hand. We need a medic here. We need a medic, um, right here. And then let's part the way so someone can come through and bring help. Kamala Harris [00:18:50] Okay? Okay. All right, we're good. So, on the subject of his intention and what he actually did to undo the protections of Roe v. Wade, let's understand what has happened since. Kamala Harris [00:19:07] It is now the case that in America, one in three women live in a state with a Trump abortion ban. Many, many of, uh, these bans have no exception, even for rape or incest. Kamala Harris [00:19:24] And you react that way because we understand the idea that someone who calls themselves a leader would even make no exceptions for a survivor of a violation to their body. And to tell that survivor they have no right to make a decision about what happens to their body next. That's immoral. That's immoral. Kamala Harris [00:19:48] It's immoral. Kamala Harris [00:19:55] And I know we all agree, one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree. The government should not be telling her what to do. Kamala Harris [00:20:13] If she chooses, she will talk with her priest. If she chooses, she will talk with her priest or her pastor, her rabbi, her imam, but not the government telling her what to do. And it is my pledge to you that when Congress passes a bill to restore reproductive freedom nationwide, as president of the United States, I will proudly sign it into law. Kamala Harris [00:20:46] Proudly. Proudly sign it into law. Kamala Harris [00:21:05] Lots of work. Lots of work to do. So listen, so much is on the line in this election. You all know that. Again, that's why you're here. Kamala Harris [00:21:15] And this. This is not 2016 or 2020. The stakes are even higher, because a few months ago, the United States Supreme Court told the former president he is effectively immune, no matter what he does in the White House. Now, think about that. Think about that. Kamala Harris [00:21:40] Just imagine Donald Trump with no guardrail, right? He who has vowed, if re elected, he will be a dictator on day one. Kamala Harris [00:21:54] He who has called. He who has called for the termination of the Constitution of the United States of America. Kamala Harris [00:22:08] And let us be very clear. Someone who suggests we should terminate the constitution of the United States should never again stand behind the seal of the president of, um, the United States. Never again. Never again. Never again. Kamala Harris [00:22:44] And then consider the comments that he made just in the last few days, because he just. He's got more. Kamala Harris [00:22:53] He said he will target and punish those who disagree with him or refuse to bend to his will. He calls these Americans the enemy within and says that he would use the american military to go after american citizens, journalists whose stories he doesn't like, non partisan election officials who refuse to cheat by finding a few extra votes for him, judges who insist on following the law instead of following him. Kamala Harris [00:23:36] It is for reasons like these that General Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Donald Trump's top general, has called Trump, and I quote, fascist to the core. Kamala Harris [00:23:56] And it is clear Donald Trump is increasingly unstable and unhinged and will stop at nothing to claim unchecked power for himself. He wants to send the military after american citizens. He wants to prevent women from making decisions about their own body. He wants to threaten fundamental freedoms and rights, like the freedom to vote, the freedom to be safe from gun violence, to breathe clean air and drink clean water, and the freedom to love who you love openly and with pride. Kamala Harris [00:24:47] So much is on the line in this election. So much is on the line. And Wisconsin, when it comes down to it, look, we are all here together because we know what is at stake. We are all here together because we love our country. Kamala Harris [00:25:10] And I do believe it is the highest form of patriotism to then fight for the ideals of our country and fight. Cisco, you said it. To realize the promise of America. Kamala Harris [00:25:31] The promise of America. Kamala Harris [00:25:38] So election day is in 19 days. And here in Wisconsin, early voting starts next Tuesday, October 22. Kamala Harris [00:25:50] So now is the time to make your plan to vote. And if you have received your ballot, if you have received your ballot in the mail, please do not wait, fill it out and return it today. And remember that Wisconsin has same day voter registration. Kamala Harris [00:26:12] So if you are nothing, register to vote. You can register when you vote. And please do vote early or on election day, because the election is. And bring an id. Kamala Harris [00:26:26] Because the election is here. And listen, I'm telling everybody what you already know and have been doing. We've got to energize. Let's mobilize, let's organize. Let's continue in this process also to do what everyone here is doing. Kamala Harris [00:26:42] Let's build community. You know, let's build coalitions. Kamala Harris [00:26:53] Let's remind each other that we are all in this together. Let's remind each other we have so much more in common than what separates us. And let's do all this knowing that our vote is our voice, and your voice is your power. Kamala Harris [00:27:18] So, Wisconsin, today, I then ask you, are you ready to make your voices heard? Kamala Harris [00:27:28] Do we believe in freedom? Um. Do we believe in opportunities? Opportunity? Do we believe in the promise of America? Kamala Harris [00:27:43] And are we ready to fight for it? Kamala Harris [00:27:50] And when we fight, we win. God bless you. God bless the United States of America.