A nearly three-minute recorded message from former Vice President Joe Biden recounting familiar themes from his 2020 presidential campaign was played during the Los Angeles County Democratic Party 2020 John F. Kennedy Awards.
Biden criticized President Donald Trump for his response to the coronavirus outbreak on Saturday evening, calling for “leadership that brings everyone to the table, to rebuild an economy that works for working families, creates millions of good-paying jobs for the future” and “leadership that delivers on the founding principles and ensure that all men are not only equal at their creation but treated equally throughout their lives.”
Trump announced on Wednesday a nearly $2 billion contract with Pfizer Inc. and the German biotechnology company CureVac for 100 million doses of a vaccine for the coronavirus immediately following its approval.
The Department of Health and Human Services' Operation Warp Speed aims to deliver 300 million doses of a safe, effective vaccine for COVID-19 by January as part of a broader strategy to accelerate the development, manufacturing and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, collectively known as countermeasures.
The Republican National Committee has said Biden's promise to sign a repeal of the tax cuts signed into law by Trump would increase unemployment while Americans would have to pay an average of $1,200 more a year in federal taxes, and said that the tax increase would hit 82% of Americans.
Saturday's event was held on a virtual basis because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The honorees included California Sen. Kamala Harris, comedian Kathy Griffin and activist Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers with Cesar Chavez.
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Harris received the JFK Profile in Courage Award for elected officials while Griffin received an honor for activists. Huerta received the Miguel Contreras Leadership Award, named for the late labor leader.
Other speakers included Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Reps. Maxine Waters, Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu and five-time world figure skating champion Michelle Kwan, surrogate director for Biden's campaign.
