WEBVTT 00:07.540 --> 00:11.090 good afternoon . Since the United 00:11.090 --> 00:13.610 States recorded its first covid 19 00:13.610 --> 00:16.520 death in February 2020 more than 00:16.520 --> 00:19.300 550,000 Americans have died in the 00:19.300 --> 00:22.810 pandemic . More than 30 million 00:22.810 --> 00:24.860 Americans have been infected . 00:26.640 --> 00:28.950 Millions of Americans lost loved ones , 00:29.840 --> 00:32.007 often without having the chance to say 00:32.007 --> 00:35.830 goodbye . No one has been immune to the 00:35.830 --> 00:38.780 virus . It's hit people of color , 00:38.780 --> 00:41.130 especially hard , devastating 00:41.130 --> 00:43.352 communities and deepening our country's 00:43.352 --> 00:47.030 racial and economic divides . And Covid 00:47.030 --> 00:49.030 nineteen's massive health and death 00:49.030 --> 00:52.190 toll has been matched by its economic 00:52.200 --> 00:55.720 and social consequences . Restaurants , 00:55.730 --> 00:58.560 bars , movie theaters closed , 00:59.640 --> 01:02.650 many permanently . Millions of kids 01:02.650 --> 01:04.850 stayed home from school , losing 01:04.850 --> 01:07.560 precious classroom time , and millions 01:07.560 --> 01:09.671 of women dropped out of the workforce 01:09.671 --> 01:11.893 to care for Children or aging parents . 01:12.740 --> 01:15.010 For all of these reasons , stopping 01:15.010 --> 01:17.200 Covid , 19 , is the Biden Harris 01:17.200 --> 01:19.550 administrations . Number one priority . 01:20.740 --> 01:23.280 Otherwise , the coronavirus will keep 01:23.280 --> 01:25.113 circulating in our communities , 01:25.440 --> 01:27.162 threatening people's lives and 01:27.162 --> 01:29.440 livelihoods , holding our economy back . 01:31.040 --> 01:34.610 We cannot fully recover , much less 01:34.890 --> 01:36.834 build a better future the American 01:36.834 --> 01:38.890 people deserve until the pandemic is 01:38.890 --> 01:42.010 over . From day one , the 01:42.010 --> 01:44.010 administration has led a full court 01:44.010 --> 01:45.732 press to get as many Americans 01:45.732 --> 01:47.454 vaccinated as fast as possible 01:47.740 --> 01:49.740 president . Biden set a goal of 100 01:49.740 --> 01:52.170 million shots in 100 days . We hit that 01:52.170 --> 01:55.320 goal by day 58 . Now we're racing 01:55.320 --> 01:57.510 towards our new goal of 200 million 01:57.510 --> 02:01.000 shots in 100 days . The administration 02:01.000 --> 02:02.667 is moving quickly to open new 02:02.667 --> 02:04.889 vaccination sites across the country so 02:04.889 --> 02:06.960 that 90% of Americans will be living 02:06.960 --> 02:09.360 within five miles of one by April 19 . 02:10.240 --> 02:13.630 That's two weeks from today . All the 02:13.630 --> 02:15.750 while , we've been producing vaccines 02:15.760 --> 02:18.660 at a rapid clip . By the end of May , 02:19.240 --> 02:21.296 we'll have enough vaccine supply for 02:21.296 --> 02:24.550 all adults in America . And so far , 02:25.040 --> 02:26.984 the news about the efficacy of the 02:26.984 --> 02:30.470 vaccines has been very reassuring . The 02:30.470 --> 02:32.692 American people can take hope and pride 02:32.692 --> 02:34.748 in the fact that we're making strong 02:34.748 --> 02:36.803 progress against the virus at home . 02:37.140 --> 02:39.251 It's a credit to our health workers , 02:39.251 --> 02:43.050 our scientists , our government . Still , 02:43.540 --> 02:46.230 we're not at the finish line yet . We 02:46.230 --> 02:49.200 can't afford to ease up . This is the 02:49.200 --> 02:51.422 time for Americans to keep wearing mask 02:51.422 --> 02:53.256 and social distancing and to get 02:53.256 --> 02:56.450 vaccinated when it's your turn , do it 02:56.450 --> 02:59.570 for yourselves , your families , your 02:59.570 --> 03:02.090 neighbors and for the people you might 03:02.090 --> 03:04.490 never meet , but whose lives you might 03:04.490 --> 03:08.490 save through your actions . There's 03:08.490 --> 03:10.823 another major element to stopping covid , 03:11.340 --> 03:13.284 and that's what we're here to talk 03:13.284 --> 03:16.780 about today . This pandemic won't end 03:16.780 --> 03:19.660 at home until it ends worldwide , 03:20.540 --> 03:22.596 and I want to spend a minute on this 03:22.596 --> 03:24.707 because it's critical to understand . 03:25.840 --> 03:29.430 Even if we vaccinate all 332 million 03:29.430 --> 03:31.597 people in the United States tomorrow , 03:31.740 --> 03:33.851 we would still not be fully safe from 03:33.851 --> 03:36.400 the virus . Not while it's still 03:36.400 --> 03:38.440 replicating around the world and 03:38.440 --> 03:40.690 turning into new variants that could 03:40.690 --> 03:43.010 easily come here and spread across our 03:43.010 --> 03:46.070 communities again . And not if we want 03:46.070 --> 03:48.750 to fully reopen our economy or start 03:48.750 --> 03:52.330 traveling again . Plus , if other 03:52.330 --> 03:54.441 countries economies aren't rebounding 03:54.441 --> 03:56.497 because they're still afflicted with 03:56.497 --> 03:58.608 covid , that will hurt our recovery , 03:58.608 --> 04:01.730 too . The world has to come together to 04:01.730 --> 04:03.674 bring the covid pandemic to an end 04:03.674 --> 04:06.060 everywhere , and for that to happen , 04:06.820 --> 04:09.550 the United States must act and we must 04:09.550 --> 04:12.690 lead . There is no country on earth 04:12.760 --> 04:14.900 that can do what we can do both in 04:14.900 --> 04:16.733 terms of developing breakthrough 04:16.733 --> 04:18.733 vaccines and bringing governments , 04:19.140 --> 04:20.751 businesses and international 04:20.751 --> 04:22.990 institutions together to organize . The 04:22.990 --> 04:25.400 massive sustained public health effort 04:25.400 --> 04:27.850 will take to fully end the pandemic . 04:29.040 --> 04:31.280 This will be an unprecedented global 04:31.280 --> 04:33.760 operation involving logistics , 04:34.140 --> 04:36.840 financing , supply , chain management , 04:37.120 --> 04:39.610 manufacturing and coordinating with 04:39.610 --> 04:41.832 community health workers who handle the 04:41.832 --> 04:44.166 vital last mile of health care delivery . 04:45.340 --> 04:47.410 All of that will take intensive 04:47.420 --> 04:50.290 diplomacy . The world has never done 04:50.300 --> 04:53.390 anything quite like this before . This 04:53.400 --> 04:55.400 is a moment that calls for American 04:55.400 --> 04:57.760 leadership . Now . The Biden Harris 04:57.760 --> 05:00.180 administration's main focus to date has 05:00.180 --> 05:02.760 been to vaccinate Americans too slow 05:02.770 --> 05:05.250 and ultimately stop covid here at home . 05:06.340 --> 05:08.396 We at the State Department have been 05:08.396 --> 05:10.618 focused on vaccinating our workforce in 05:10.618 --> 05:12.784 the United States and in embassies and 05:12.784 --> 05:14.840 consulates around the world . That's 05:14.840 --> 05:16.784 been the right call . We serve the 05:16.784 --> 05:18.840 American people first and foremost . 05:18.940 --> 05:21.107 Plus , we can't forget that the United 05:21.107 --> 05:23.162 States has had the highest number of 05:23.162 --> 05:25.384 covid cases of any country in the world 05:25.384 --> 05:28.090 by a significant margin . So stopping 05:28.090 --> 05:30.220 the spread here has been urgently 05:30.220 --> 05:33.460 needed for our people and for the world . 05:34.940 --> 05:37.150 We have a duty to other countries to 05:37.150 --> 05:39.410 get the virus under control here in the 05:39.410 --> 05:42.950 United States , but soon the United 05:42.950 --> 05:45.006 States will need to step up our work 05:45.240 --> 05:47.184 and rise to the occasion worldwide 05:47.540 --> 05:49.707 because again , only by stopping covid 05:49.707 --> 05:51.818 globally , will Americans be safe for 05:51.818 --> 05:55.000 the long term ? Moreover , we want to 05:55.000 --> 05:57.510 rise to the occasion for the world by 05:57.510 --> 05:59.510 helping bring to a close one of the 05:59.510 --> 06:01.677 deadliest pandemics in human history . 06:01.677 --> 06:03.788 We can show the world once again what 06:03.788 --> 06:05.566 American leadership an American 06:05.566 --> 06:09.360 ingenuity can do . Let's make that the 06:09.360 --> 06:12.780 story of the end of covid 19 . We've 06:12.780 --> 06:15.790 already taken some important steps . On 06:15.790 --> 06:18.170 Day one of the administration , we re 06:18.170 --> 06:20.337 joined the World Health Organization . 06:20.640 --> 06:22.960 By being at the table , we can push for 06:22.960 --> 06:25.990 reforms so that we can prevent , detect 06:26.000 --> 06:28.060 and rapidly respond to the next 06:28.070 --> 06:30.980 biological threat . Congress recently 06:30.980 --> 06:33.710 provided more than $11 billion for 06:33.710 --> 06:36.050 America's global covid response , which 06:36.050 --> 06:38.272 will use in several ways , including to 06:38.272 --> 06:40.217 save lives by supporting broad and 06:40.217 --> 06:42.272 equitable vaccine access , providing 06:42.272 --> 06:44.328 aid to mitigate secondary impacts of 06:44.328 --> 06:46.550 covid like hunger and helping countries 06:46.550 --> 06:49.890 boost their pandemic preparedness . I 06:49.890 --> 06:51.690 note that this builds on a long 06:51.690 --> 06:54.850 tradition of American leadership . The 06:54.850 --> 06:56.906 United States is the world's largest 06:56.906 --> 06:58.683 donor to global health by far , 06:58.740 --> 07:00.962 including through international efforts 07:00.962 --> 07:02.907 like the Global Fund and the World 07:02.907 --> 07:05.018 Health Organization , and through our 07:05.018 --> 07:07.184 own outstanding global health programs 07:07.184 --> 07:09.240 like PEPFAR , which has helped bring 07:09.240 --> 07:11.462 the world to the cusp of the first AIDS 07:11.462 --> 07:14.420 free generation . We've also made a $2 07:14.420 --> 07:16.698 billion donation to the Kovacs program , 07:17.040 --> 07:19.262 which will supply covid vaccines to low 07:19.262 --> 07:21.484 income and middle income countries . We 07:21.484 --> 07:23.740 pledged another $2 billion that will 07:23.740 --> 07:25.962 provide as other countries fulfil their 07:25.962 --> 07:27.907 own pledges . We've already loaned 07:27.907 --> 07:29.962 vaccines for our closest neighbors , 07:29.962 --> 07:32.420 Mexico and Canada , and we'll work with 07:32.420 --> 07:34.520 global partners on manufacturing and 07:34.520 --> 07:36.631 supplies to ensure there'll be enough 07:36.631 --> 07:40.530 vaccine for everyone everywhere . As 07:40.530 --> 07:42.586 we get more confident in our vaccine 07:42.586 --> 07:45.150 supply here at home , we are exploring 07:45.150 --> 07:47.400 options to share more with other 07:47.400 --> 07:49.990 countries going forward , we believe 07:49.990 --> 07:52.280 that will be in a position to do much 07:52.280 --> 07:55.600 more on this front . I know that many 07:55.600 --> 07:57.600 countries are asking for the United 07:57.600 --> 07:59.711 States to do more , some with growing 07:59.711 --> 08:01.767 desperation because of the scope and 08:01.767 --> 08:03.878 scale of their covid emergencies . We 08:03.878 --> 08:06.770 hear you and I promise we're moving as 08:06.770 --> 08:09.990 fast as possible . We'll be guided 08:10.130 --> 08:13.060 every step by core values . 08:14.340 --> 08:16.229 We won't trade shots and arms for 08:16.229 --> 08:19.130 political favors . This is about saving 08:19.130 --> 08:21.590 lives . We'll treat our partner 08:21.590 --> 08:24.130 countries with respect . We won't over 08:24.130 --> 08:27.340 promise and under deliver well 08:27.340 --> 08:29.229 maintained high standards for the 08:29.229 --> 08:31.118 vaccines that we help to bring to 08:31.118 --> 08:33.510 others . Only distributing those proven 08:33.590 --> 08:36.930 to be safe and effective will insist on 08:36.930 --> 08:40.610 approach . Built on equity , Covid has 08:40.620 --> 08:42.676 already come down hard on vulnerable 08:42.676 --> 08:44.910 and marginalized people . We cannot 08:44.910 --> 08:47.490 allow our covid response to end up 08:47.490 --> 08:49.601 making racial and gender inequality . 08:49.601 --> 08:52.450 Worse will embrace partnership , 08:53.140 --> 08:55.060 sharing the burden and combining 08:55.060 --> 08:58.120 strengths . The collaboration reformed 08:58.120 --> 09:00.342 a few weeks ago with the Quad Countries 09:00.370 --> 09:03.230 India , Japan , Australia is a good 09:03.230 --> 09:05.980 example . Together , we're increasing 09:05.980 --> 09:08.160 the world's manufacturing capacity so 09:08.160 --> 09:10.327 we can get more shots out the door and 09:10.327 --> 09:12.604 into people's arms as fast as possible . 09:13.440 --> 09:15.607 And by the way , one of the reasons we 09:15.607 --> 09:17.051 work through multilateral 09:17.051 --> 09:18.990 collaborations where possible is 09:18.990 --> 09:21.300 because they often share and defend 09:21.340 --> 09:24.640 these same values . For example , the 09:24.650 --> 09:26.850 Kovacs initiative is designed 09:26.860 --> 09:28.749 explicitly to ensure that low and 09:28.749 --> 09:30.804 middle income countries can also get 09:30.804 --> 09:32.749 vaccines because it's only through 09:32.749 --> 09:34.804 broad and equitable vaccination that 09:34.804 --> 09:38.500 will end . The pandemic finally will 09:38.500 --> 09:40.520 address the current emergency while 09:40.530 --> 09:43.860 also taking the long view . We can't 09:43.860 --> 09:46.910 just end this pandemic . We must also 09:46.910 --> 09:49.077 leave our country and the world better 09:49.077 --> 09:51.160 prepared for the next one to do that 09:51.540 --> 09:53.651 will work with partners to reform and 09:53.651 --> 09:55.873 strengthen the institutions and systems 09:55.873 --> 09:58.096 that safeguard global health security . 09:58.096 --> 10:00.207 That will require countries to commit 10:00.207 --> 10:02.207 to transparency information sharing 10:02.540 --> 10:04.780 access for international experts . In 10:04.790 --> 10:07.520 real time , we'll need a sustainable 10:07.520 --> 10:10.050 approach to financing surge capacity 10:10.050 --> 10:12.540 and accountability so all countries can 10:12.540 --> 10:14.762 act quickly to stem the next outbreak . 10:15.440 --> 10:17.551 And we'll keep pushing for a complete 10:17.750 --> 10:20.020 and transparent investigation into the 10:20.020 --> 10:22.250 origins of this epidemic to learn what 10:22.250 --> 10:25.060 happened . So it doesn't happen again . 10:26.340 --> 10:28.860 All told , this work is a key piece of 10:28.860 --> 10:30.860 President Biden's build back better 10:30.860 --> 10:33.560 agenda . We've got to make sure that we 10:33.560 --> 10:36.310 can better detect , prevent , prepare 10:36.310 --> 10:38.560 for and respond to future pandemics and 10:38.560 --> 10:41.470 other biological threats . Otherwise 10:41.800 --> 10:43.856 we'll be badly letting ourselves and 10:43.856 --> 10:46.650 future generations down . This is a 10:46.650 --> 10:48.670 pivotal moment , the time for us to 10:48.670 --> 10:51.520 think big and act boldly , and the 10:51.520 --> 10:53.360 United States will rise to the 10:53.360 --> 10:56.800 challenge . I'm here today with a 10:56.810 --> 10:59.130 remarkable leader who will help us do 10:59.130 --> 11:01.890 just that . Gayle Smith was the 11:01.890 --> 11:04.380 administrator of USAID for President 11:04.380 --> 11:06.330 Obama and served on the National 11:06.330 --> 11:08.330 Security Council for both President 11:08.330 --> 11:10.497 Obama and President Clinton , where we 11:10.497 --> 11:12.608 first got to know each other and work 11:12.608 --> 11:14.719 together . She has deep experience in 11:14.719 --> 11:16.830 responding to public health threats , 11:16.830 --> 11:18.941 having helped lead the U . S response 11:18.941 --> 11:20.997 to the Ebola crisis in 2014 , having 11:20.997 --> 11:23.108 worked for years on the global fights 11:23.108 --> 11:26.060 against malaria , tuberculosis , HIV 11:26.060 --> 11:28.900 AIDS . She's joining us from her most 11:28.900 --> 11:31.820 recent role as president and CEO of the 11:31.820 --> 11:34.100 one campaign , which fights extreme 11:34.100 --> 11:35.989 poverty and preventable disease , 11:35.989 --> 11:38.860 primarily in Africa . She's tested . 11:39.640 --> 11:42.020 She is highly respected . She will hit 11:42.030 --> 11:44.670 the ground running and I can say from 11:44.680 --> 11:46.847 having worked with Gail . And it fired 11:46.847 --> 11:48.970 her for years that no one will work 11:48.970 --> 11:52.590 harder , faster or more effectively to 11:52.590 --> 11:55.020 get us to the finish line . I'm 11:55.020 --> 11:57.131 grateful she's agreed to serve as the 11:57.131 --> 11:59.242 coordinator for global covid response 11:59.242 --> 12:02.180 and health security . Gayle Smith . The 12:02.180 --> 12:04.236 floor is yours . Thank you for doing 12:04.236 --> 12:05.236 this . 12:13.240 --> 12:15.520 Thank you , Mr Secretary . It's a 12:15.520 --> 12:17.576 pleasure to be able to work with you 12:17.576 --> 12:19.750 again and to call you Mr Secretary . 12:20.940 --> 12:23.080 I'd also like to thank my friends of 12:23.080 --> 12:24.913 the one campaign for making this 12:24.913 --> 12:27.200 possible . And I look forward to 12:27.200 --> 12:29.311 working with the men and women of the 12:29.311 --> 12:31.200 department and across the federal 12:31.200 --> 12:33.311 government , including because I know 12:33.311 --> 12:36.760 what you can do I want to thank in 12:36.760 --> 12:39.400 particular some really smart scientists 12:40.240 --> 12:42.310 President Biden and the staff and 12:42.310 --> 12:45.330 volunteers at Howard University , where 12:45.330 --> 12:47.990 tomorrow I will get my second dose of 12:47.990 --> 12:51.460 the Covid vaccine . That vaccine is 12:51.470 --> 12:53.637 good for the body , but it's also good 12:53.637 --> 12:55.692 for the mind and the soul because it 12:55.692 --> 12:58.720 inspires hope in the future , and our 12:58.720 --> 13:02.640 job is to shape that future . I fought 13:02.640 --> 13:04.710 some viruses in the past and I've 13:04.710 --> 13:08.200 learned two lessons . The first is that 13:08.200 --> 13:10.370 if the virus is moving faster than we 13:10.370 --> 13:14.310 are , it's winning . The second is 13:14.310 --> 13:17.010 that with unity of purpose , science , 13:17.020 --> 13:20.370 vigilance and leadership , we can 13:20.370 --> 13:23.730 outpace any virus . America has done it 13:23.730 --> 13:27.200 before . 18 years ago , a Republican 13:27.200 --> 13:29.450 president launched a bold initiative to 13:29.450 --> 13:33.000 take on the HIV AIDS epidemic . A 13:33.000 --> 13:35.550 Democratic president went on to expand 13:35.560 --> 13:38.940 that mission and scope . In 2014 , the 13:38.940 --> 13:40.940 Obama Biden administration , with a 13:40.940 --> 13:43.700 strong and generous support of Congress , 13:44.340 --> 13:46.250 defeated the world's first Ebola 13:46.250 --> 13:49.750 epidemic . Our challenges now are too 13:50.740 --> 13:53.210 first to shorten the lifespan of a 13:53.210 --> 13:55.377 borderless pandemic that is destroying 13:55.377 --> 13:57.610 lives and livelihoods all over the 13:57.610 --> 14:00.940 world , and the second is to ensure 14:00.940 --> 14:03.150 that we can prevent , detect and 14:03.150 --> 14:05.620 respond to those future global health 14:05.620 --> 14:08.480 threats we know are coming . American 14:08.480 --> 14:10.930 leadership is desperately needed . And 14:10.930 --> 14:13.270 I'm extremely confident we can rise to 14:13.270 --> 14:15.480 the occasion . I'm honored to be here 14:15.490 --> 14:17.160 and thank you very , very much .