Hawai‘i Delegation Express Hope Following Inauguration of President Biden

President Joe Biden bumps fists with Vice President Kamala Harris at Wednesday’s inauguration. (PC: bideninaugural.org)

Today, Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th President of the United States along with Kamala Harris as his Vice President in Washington DC.

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) said the event marks a day of hope for Hawai‘i and the country.

“The last four years have been difficult,” Schatz said. “It has tested the very idea of who we are as a country and what we stand for. We have experienced historic challenges, real pain, and a despicable attack on our Capitol two weeks ago today. But through it all, our democracy has endured, and there is reason to be hopeful.

The Biden-Harris administration take the reins from former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence.

With the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris today, Schatz added “we have a chance to unite our country and move into a new direction – one that is focused on ending the pandemic, helping struggling families and small businesses, creating new jobs, and building back a better, fairer, more inclusive country.”

President Biden assumes office at a time when our nation is facing crises that demand urgent action. Starting today, the President will take decisive actions to address these challenges, prevent other harms, and restore America's place in the world.

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 20, 2021

Together, Schatz said they’ll work to fight climate change, expand health care, protect benefits for Hawai‘i’s seniors, and ensure Hawaii continues to get its fair share of federal dollars.

“It won’t be easy, and there will be setbacks that come with success, but I am confident that this new administration will always strive to do good, to help people, and to work towards ‘a more perfect union’ that our founders believed in,” the senator said.

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) shared Schatz’s optimism for the future.

“After four years of chaos, division, and mindless cruelty, the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris offers a profound moment to turn the page, reflect on the challenges we face, and steel ourselves for the hard work to come,” Hirono said.

As the work begins today, Hirono said, she draws strength from the challenge President Biden issued to everyone — to defend the truth and unite to confront the multiple crises facing the country.

“Working together, I am hopeful that we can defeat this pandemic, reinvigorate our economy, combat the climate crisis, and confront systemic racism in our country,” she said.