Below is Joe Biden’s newsletter for the Week of April 20th. Please submit questions and feedback here. 

Hi, I sincerely hope this message finds you well and you’re holding up in these difficult times.

I’m home in Delaware, and like many of you, I’m focusing on finding the joy in little things like being home with Jill, my grandkids coming over to talk through the screened porch, and having more time to call small-dollar donors and volunteers and hearing their unique stories.

And I’m grateful for the way the lens has shifted to our unsung heroes, the essential workers who have for far too long not been seen for the work that they do to keep our lives moving along every day. Stocking our shelves, delivering our mail, caring for our aging family members, they are people who didn’t hear thank you enough before, and now we are yelling it from the rooftops.

So, I put together some thoughts to share with you today. I hope there is some comfort here. I hope this reminds you we’re all in this together. 

• Stop shaking hands. Do this instead. - CNN Travel
  In this new reality, we need to reconsider our old ways of interacting and connecting with each other. We can find inspiration from around the world on ways to show connections and greet one another. This article made me smile. I hope it makes you smile, too.
   
• The Supermarket After the Pandemic - The Atlantic
  A thought-provoking read about the enduring power of the traditional grocery store, as well as the long-term changes we may see as many Americans move to ordering their groceries online as we shelter in place. The article notes this isn’t the first time the global stage has changed how we buy food, citing the development of the modern supermarket post-World War II. The article notes how small grocery stores and supermarket workers might be hit hardest.
   
• Democrats Show Fund-Raising Energy in Key Senate Races - The New York Times
  Winning a Senate majority will pave the way for everything from building on the Affordable Care Act to fighting the climate crisis. It’s incredibly important. We have real momentum in states Republicans thought were strongholds. Even in these challenging times, folks are stepping up to power huge grassroots fundraising hauls for Democratic Senate candidates, through one small-dollar donation at a time. It’s powerful, and it will help us all win in November.

Folks, now that we’re entering the general election phase of the campaign, every dollar will be put toward building the operation that will beat Donald Trump in November.

It’s a hard time to ask for money, and I understand you may not be able to give. But if you can, we could use your support. My finance team tells me if just 10% of the people who read this chip in, we will hit our donation goal for the day.

So please, chip in $5 today to help us get there:

Campaign Updates

Folks, last week I was honored to welcome Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to our campaign team and I am looking forward to working with them as we create a Democratic platform that is inclusive to all.

I was also proud to earn the endorsement of my friend President Barack Obama. Serving as his Vice President was one of the honors of my life, and I look forward to campaigning with him in the coming months.

And the general election has already started. Trump has invested in false, negative ads against me that try to distract from his own failings in dealing with China that have led us down an avoidable path with this pandemic.

Former Deputy Secretary of State in our administration and now my senior foreign policy advisor, Tony Blinken, made a video with our campaign that outlines this. You can watch it here >>

My team has been hard at work making policy plans that could help Americans now, and for when the time comes to rebuild after we have come out on the other side of this pandemic.

I know I am not the presumptive president, I am just the presumptive Democratic nominee, but I have said since the beginning of this campaign that anyone elected will need to be ready on day one to rise to our current challenges and I take that incredibly seriously. 

As I shared last time, I have offered my help to President Trump and encourage him to take any and all of these policies. Below are some plans you can count on me to implement if I am elected, although I hope they can be implemented sooner:

The Biden 4-Point Plan for Essential Workers
To put it plainly, our essential workers have been saving our hides on the frontlines of this pandemic. But the truth is these roles are often filled by our lowest paid workers. It’s unacceptable. Here, I lay out 4 things we can do right now to protect and support them. It can’t wait.

The Biden Plan to Scale Up Employment Insurance by Reforming Short-Time Compensation Programs
The unemployment claim numbers every week are startling, and there are actions we can take now to curb them. One thing we can do is get all 50 states to scale up short-time compensation programs. We outline it here.

Hey, Joe!

1. Question from Tara in Boston: What are your plans for engaging with young people (virtually for now and in person when it’s safe) to get them out to vote for you?
   We hosted a virtual Town Hall for young people the other week. It was a great conversation, and we’re looking forward to doing more. Young people today don’t need to be told about the urgency of the moment, they’ve seen it all around them their whole lives. I know a lot of young people supported Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and I am looking forward to talking more with them and doing the hard work of earning their votes. I see them, I hear them, and I understand the urgency of what it is we have to get done in this country.
    
2. Question from Shani in Orange County: How can we best support our local health care workers, grocery workers, and small local businesses during this pandemic?
   I’ve always believed, my whole life, that we needed to thank the people who provide essential services more than we do. When we hosted a campaign event it was always a top priority for me that we found the workers who kept the spaces clean and safe and we thanked them before we left. So I encourage you to do that now, and I encourage you to do that when we come out on the other side of this thing. Don’t stop seeing these people, don’t.
   
   And if you have extra masks people can use to protect themselves, donate those. And above all, if you’re in a position to stay home, stay home. Helping them stay safe and healthy is the best “thank you” in the world.
    
3. Question from Mary in Annapolis: What are the key criteria you are using in selecting your running mate, and when will you make that decision?
   I learned from the best -- Barack Obama -- on what to look for. When it comes to the Vice Presidency, I’m looking for someone to be a partner in progress. Someone who’s simpatico in how they see the challenges the country faces. Someone who is ready to be President at a moment’s notice. I’ll assure you now, as I have said before, my running mate will be a woman because it is well past time we had a woman in that office. My main criteria is that my running mate will be my partner in governing just as much as she will be in campaigning. Someone who will fight for the American people every day on the job.

Spread The Faith

Last Thursday, Switzerland projected an image onto one of their tallest mountains, The Matterhorn. The image? The American flag. We have friends rooting for us from around the world, America.

In cities across the country at 7pm you can hear clapping as health care workers change shifts as part of the “Clap Because We Care” movement. In hospitals across the country, outside firehouses, you can see people at a safe distance, with signs, cheering, celebrating. It’s more than just saying thank you, it’s unifying to celebrate one another. Here’s a video The Guardian put together of New Yorkers clapping for frontline workers. You can watch it here.

What’s Coming Up

Podcast today: I’m on the podcast with Senator Amy Klobuchar. She’s been at the forefront of making sure Americans can vote safely, so we’ll catch up on what we can do to make sure our voting and our democracy are safe. You can listen to all episodes here >>

Soul of the Nation Saturday: Saturday marks one year since we launched this campaign. We’ll be hosting virtual organizing meetings around the country to talk about how we can organize in our communities for this campaign but also to help our neighbors and support our local heroes and frontline workers. Sign up here to host a virtual event or here to attend one.

Livestreams and Virtual Town Halls: Keep following JoeBiden.com/Live for virtual Town Halls and discussions.

Thanks for reading, folks.

I know that as a country we will come out of this strong, and better at using video conference calls. (Jill and I are having some struggles here, too, but we’re getting better!)

There’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together. But let’s all agree to mute when we’re not talking.

Keep the Faith,
Joe

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