Joe Biden: I’ll help Texans recover from coronavirus, economic collapse under Trump

Texas is tough — as tough as it gets. But you’re feeling the hurt right now, too.

Between a pandemic that has taken the lives of nearly 230,000 Americans, an economic collapse deeper than anything we’ve seen in nearly a century and a crisis of racial injustice, there’s no question that times are hard.

More than 925,000 Texans have been infected with the coronavirus. More than 18,000 have died. about 752,000 of the jobs lost in Texas during this pandemic have still not come back. And right now, President Donald Trump is in court trying to kick nearly 800,000 Texans off of their health insurance by challenging the Affordable Care Act — in the middle of a pandemic.

Meanwhile, since the start of this year, the 100 richest people in America have made more than $400 billion.

Back in February, Trump knew this disease was deadly. His administration warned investors on Wall Street — but he hid the truth from the American people. And when he was asked about the 1,000 Americans dying from COVID-19 every day, he simply said, “it is what it is.”

It is what it is because he is who he is.

The sad truth is that Trump sees the world only from Wall Street. He looks down on families, like mine, that come from places where people make a living with their hands. He looks down on Americans who wear our uniform, such as my late son, Beau, and the patriots serving at Fort Hood and Fort Bliss. He calls them “suckers” and “losers.”

I see the world from my hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania. I know that working people built this country. That’s why Kamala Harris and I will make sure that as we recover from this pandemic, we don’t just go back to where we were before. We’ll build back a better economy — one that deals everybody in.

That starts with getting the virus under control by making testing free, quick and available, and making treatment free, too. And as soon as we have a safe and effective vaccine, we’ll ensure everyone can get it without paying a dime.

I will not raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 a year — period. But I will make big corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share. And with that revenue, we’ll not only protect Social Security and Medicare, we’ll create millions of good-paying union jobs, including in manufacturing and innovation — because the future must be Made in America. Made in Texas. And, we’ll protect and create energy jobs here because Texas will continue to play a critical role in powering our nation.

We’ll also give folks a hard-earned raise by increasing the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 an hour. We’ll make education beyond high school, child care and elder care more affordable.

We’ll lower health care costs for Texans with insurance today, and automatically enroll onto a new public insurance option — for free — the 1.5 million Texans who are uninsured because your state leaders have refused to expand Medicaid eligibility. And we’ll work to root out the discrimination that is holding back so many communities.

All told, an independent analysis projects that my economic plan will create 7 million more jobs and lead to $1 trillion more in economic growth than what the president has proposed.

But this election is about much more than policy.

The character of our country is on the ballot. And if you elect me, I promise to fight as hard for those who don’t support me as those who do.

If you keep turning out at the polls like never before, we will win Texas’s 38 electoral votes, which will help us earn a decisive mandate on election night to bring this country together — not as Democrats and Republicans, but as Americans. Because this is the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do if we do it together.

So if you haven’t cast your ballot yet, go to IWillVote.com/TX and make a plan. If you have, tell your friends and family members to do the same.

This is more than an election. It’s a battle for the soul of this nation we love. I believe we’re going to win it because if we come together, America’s future is as big and bright as it’s ever been.