LIVE: Biden Makes Remarks Following Former President Jimmy Carter's Death

Are you guys still hearing a buzz? Check 1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2-1-2. Check 1-2-1-2-1-2-3-4-5. We think you're okay. Okay, do you want me to try to turn the speaker back on? Can you let me know when you're set? Testing 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for having me here today. Check 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18. Check 1-2-3. Are you still hearing that buzz or that swing anymore? You're not hearing anymore? Hang on, I'm going to do one more check. Do what I could do. Yep. Joey, come on. You know, this is a sad day, but it brings back an incredible amount of good memories. Today, America and the world, in my view, lost a remarkable leader. He was a statesman and humanitarian. And Jill and I lost a dear friend. I've been hanging out with Jimmy Carter for over 50 years, it's dawned on me. And I always would be proud to say that he used to kid me about it, that I was the first national figure to endorse him in 1976 when he ran for president. There was an overwhelming reason for it, his character. What I find extraordinary about Jimmy Carter, though, is that millions of people all around the world, all over the world, feel they lost a friend as well, even though they never met him. And that's because Jimmy Carter lived a life measured not by words, but by his deeds. Just look at his life, his life's work. He worked to eradicate disease, not just at home, but around the world. He forged peace, advanced civil rights, human rights, promoted free and fair elections around the world. He built housing for the homeless with his own hands. And his compassion and moral clarity lifted people up and changed lives and saved lives all over the globe. Jimmy Carter was just as courageous in his battle against cancer as he was in everything in his life. Cancer is a common bond between our two families, as are many other families. And our son Bo died when he died. Jimmy and Rosalyn were there to help us heal. Jimmy knew the ravage of the disease too well. He lost his father, his brother, his sisters to this terrible disease. So when Jimmy was diagnosed, we did our best to comfort him. We met with him down in Plains. We met with him – anyway, we talked and shared our beliefs that, as a nation, we have the talent, we have the talent and the resources to one day end cancer as we know it, if we make the investments. He believed that like I do. I'll always cherish having seen Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter together. Theirs was a love affair of the ages. I will miss them both dearly. They do take some solace in what our kids were saying, that if we unite once again, we're going to remain forever in our hearts that they're together again. The entire Carter family, on behalf of the world, the whole nation, we send our whole heartfelt sympathies and gratitude, our gratitude for sharing President Carter for so many years. You know, Jimmy Carter stands as a model of what it means to live a life of meaning and purpose, life of principle, faith, and humility. His life is dedicated to others. You know, he's like my dad. He thought that, you say, Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about dignity, your dignity, about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, honey, everything's going to be okay. He believed, as I do, as many as you do, that that's absolutely possible. It's within our grasp to do that. It's not that hard. His life, he served the nation in the Navy. He led the state of Georgia. He became president and a beloved statesman all over the world. But to know his core, you need to know he never stopped being a Sunday school teacher at that Baptist church in Plains, Georgia. Today's world, some look at Jimmy Carter and see a man of a bygone era with honesty and character, faith and humility that matter. But I don't believe it's a bygone era. I see a man not only in our time, but for all time. Someone who embodies the most fundamental human values we can never let slip away, although sometimes it seems like it is. We may never see his life again. We'd all do well to try and be a little more like Jimmy Carter. You know, my mom, you've heard me say this before, used to say, bravery lives in every heart, and someday it'll be summoned. Every time it was summoned, he stepped up. Every time, politically, personally, morally, and, you know, everything. The one thing I admired most about him, he thought and believed, he really did believe this, and I do as well. Everybody deserves an even shot. No guarantees, just a shot. Everybody deserves a shot. And, you know, he gave an awful lot of people a chance. So, as I said, I was an admirer. I consider myself a friend. I kept in touch with him, and I was going to tell you a story his son told me, but that'd be inappropriate. Maybe he'll tell you, but I think he's happy. I think he's happy in the world. Yeah, never give up hope. Never give up hope. I mean it from the bottom of my heart. So much negativism out there. I know you're tired of hearing me say it over the last four years, but, folks, there's nothing beyond our capacity, nothing beyond our capacity, if we do it together, and I mean it. I mean it. And he believed it. I have a number of them. I guess maybe my fondest memory of Jimmy Carter was when he grabbed me by the arm and said, I need you to help me with my campaign. And I said, I've only been around a couple of years, Mr. Governor. He said, no, it'll make a difference. I said, I'm not sure it will. He said, no, it will. When I endorsed him for president, I told him why I was endorsing him, and that it was not only his policies, but his character, his decency, the honor he communicated to everyone. But he was also very, very, he and Rosalyn were very kind to Jill and me when we lost my son Beau. They were there for us. And I don't know, it's a, I think that what Jimmy Carter is an example of is just simple decency. Simple decency. And I think that's what the rest of the world looks to America for. So what members of the family have you spoken to? I think I've spoken to all the children. Maybe some, I just got the phone with, I think there were, I don't know how many on the phone. But I think, and I've spoken to some of the friends of the family that are helping with the services. And my team is working with this family. And, and others to see to it that he is remembered appropriately here in the United States and around the world. There's a process going, we're going through that will take a little time to set up this. I announced earlier today we're going to do a major service in Washington, D.C. on behalf of him. That's a, that's a formal procedure that's underway. So I'm sure we start talking a lot to the family. My main contact is Chip. Decency, decency, decency. Everybody deserves a shot. Everybody. Can you imagine Jimmy Carter walking by someone, they need something to just keep walking. Can you imagine Jimmy Carter referring to someone by the way they look or the way they talk? I can't. I can't. You know, I think the end of the deal here is that one of the reasons why we're looked to by the rest of the world, for the bulk of our, our nation, we've laid out what our values are. We've settled to believe. It's not just in the deck, right? We hold these truths to be self-evident, but there's a feeling. The rest of the world looks to us, looks to us. And he was worth looking to. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.