President Biden Pays Respects to the Victims of the Attack in Lewiston, Maine Transcript

I’m sorry.

No [inaudible 00:00:13]

Hello everyone. While I wish it was under better circumstances, I would like to welcome you all to the great city of Lewiston, our home. I’d also like to take a moment to acknowledge the bravery and professionalism of the men and women standing behind us. Among them, from the Lewiston Police Department to Lewiston Fire to United Ambulance, and the many medical staff who helped save the lives of our friends and neighbors. Over the past week and a half, they’re all heroes and shining examples of how our city has risen up to meet the moment of this horrible tragedy. And we have risen up to meet this moment. Most mayors would tell you that this is a city known for its grit. We are resilient, strong, and used to putting our shoulder to the wheel, but nothing can prepare community for the grief and sorrow of losing 18 souls to horrific violence.

(01:32)
But the world saw what Lewiston is made of. We saw it in the actions of our people, a bar manager, a bowling coach, many others to forfeit their own safety in order to protect those around them. We saw in the off-duty LPD officers rushing towards the sound of gunfire. We saw it in the nurses and doctors working around the clock in trauma units. We saw as thousands gathered at the basilica on Sunday to mourn our dead. We’ve seen it in countless acts of kindness and compassion, small and large, over the past 10 days. Lewiston is a magnificent city and our collective strength is far greater than any number of bullets. No community can confront a challenge like this on its own. I’d like to thank main state police, the many municipal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, Governor Mills and her administration, and our entire federal delegation, including Senator Collins and King, and Representative Golden for the incredible work they’ve done to support our city. And as we responded to this crisis, we received unconditional support and assistance from the man to my left, President Joe Biden and his administration.

(02:57)
On behalf of our city. I would like to express our deep gratitude to the president and his administration for the work to help our community in our time of need. And I’ll invite him to take the podium at this time. Thank you for coming, Mr. President.

Governor Mills, Mr. Mayor, Senator Collins, Senator King, and Chellie Pingree. Look, he couldn’t be here, but I also want to acknowledge representative Jared Golden and all the people of Maine. We’ve done, Jill and I have done too many of these. Jill and I are here though on behalf of the American people, to grieve with you and to make sure you know that you’re not alone. We just visited a memorial at the restaurant and we’re here at the bowling alley where we met with the first responders standing behind me. We’ll never forget the trauma they experienced. And as I said, I can’t express how much we appreciate what you did, and also the members from the nurses and docs in the hospital who took care of these folks. I don’t know how they do it. We’re also meeting with survivors and families of the victims who will never quite be the same. No pain’s the same, but we know what it’s like to lose a piece of our soul and the depths of a loss is so profound. Some of us have been there.

(04:41)
18 precious souls stolen, 13 wounded children, grandchildren, spouses, siblings, parents, grandparents, bowling coaches, union workers, beloved members of advocates and friends of Lewiston Deaf and hard of hearing community, all of them lived lives of love and service and sacrifice. We also remember the survivors who will forever carry the memories and the physical emotional scars of this. They should be embraced. I know you will. I know you do. As we mourn today in Maine, this tragedy opens a painful, painful wounds all across the country. Too many Americans have lost loved ones or survived the trauma of gun violence. I know because Jill and I have met with them in Buffalo and Uvalde, in Monterey Park and Sandy Hook and all [inaudible 00:05:51]. Anyway, too many to count. Too many to count from places that never make the news all across America.

(05:59)
It’s about bringing people together, different voices and perspectives for an honest conversation and what’s to be a long road to recovery. And I’ve been at this a long time. I know consensus is ultimately possible. This is about common sense, reasonable and responsible measures to protect our children, our families, our communities. Because regardless of our politics, this is about protecting our freedom to go to a bowling alley, a restaurant, a school, a church without being shot and killed. Let me close with this. Scripture says the Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit, and saves the crushed in spirit.

(07:02)
Our prayer is that the crushed in spirit survive this more rapidly than otherwise. As we gather here today, we know your hearts are broken, but we also know your spirits are strong. The way this community has come together, the way this state has come together has been a marvel for the rest of the country. So God bless those we lost, those who have been wounded. May God bless the first responders as well, as the nurses. I told the nurses, docs, if there’s any angels in heaven, male and female nurses are the ones that are in heaven. Docs let you live. Nurses make you want to live for a guy who spent a lot of time in ICU. So thank you, thank you, thank you. Now, I’d like to invite Senator Collins to come up and say a few words as well. Senator.

Thank you very much, Mr. President. I’ve been asked to remind the cameras to include our interpreter in your shot so that others who are watching will be able to follow what’s going on. First, let me express my deep gratitude to the President and the first lady for being here. It means so much to this community and to the entire state of Maine. I also want to thank our first responders who are there behind us, and all of the federal, state and local officials who have responded to this heinous killings. October 7th is a day that is seared in our memories, a day of horror and grief, but also a day of courage and compassion to the families of those who lost loved ones. I offer this proverb, death leaves a heartache that no one can heal.

(09:28)
Love leaves a memory that no one can steal in their memory. Let us continue to support those who’ve lost loved ones, those who are injured, those who are recovering. As they grieve, let them know that we are with them and let us ensure that what makes Lewiston and all the communities in this close knit area so special continues. Lewiston strong. To my friends in the deaf community, stay strong.

It is fitting that a president who has known the depths of personal grief has come to Maine and to Lewiston today to share the grief of our families and our state. And I want to thank him and the first lady for making this journey. There’s little that we can say or do to ease the pain of a tragedy like this, but we have to start by acknowledging it and committing ourselves to the sacred duty of remembering those who we have lost. And today is about remembrance. I’ve said for years that Maine is a big small town with very long streets. We know each other. We care about each other. We’re an old fashioned community. And that’s why this tragedy has hit us so hard hard. What happened last week was a tear in the fabric of that community, but it will heal. It will heal, as we come together in respect, in remembrance and in love. God bless those we have lost and those they left behind. And God bless the state of Maine.

I, too, want to add my thanks to the President and the first Lady for making the trip to Maine. I know how much it means to Lewiston and to Maine people. And frankly, no one is better than this President, at comforting someone, at telling them that eventually it will be better, at letting them talk about the family member they’ve lost. We are so grateful that you took the time to be here with all of us. And I want to add my thanks to the first responders who were there to the law enforcement who conducted a massive search in a very difficult moment in time to all the doctors and nurses at the hospital. I’m sorry my colleague Jared couldn’t join us today.

(12:35)
But I want you to know that when he and I went back to Washington this week, we were instantly embraced by our colleagues from all over the country, some of them sharing stories of the horrific shootings that had happened in their districts, but all of them saying that they had been watching what had been going on in Maine every second of the way, that they were there to help us, that they were there to support our state in any possible way. And last night, Jared read a beautiful tribute on the floor, the two of us, the delegation of two from Maine and the Main House of Representatives. But he did a wonderful tribute to his home community, to those lives that were lost to what we need, to do moving forward. So I’m very pleased to be here with all of you.

(13:11)
I don’t live in Lewiston, but I represent half of the state of Maine. And what I’ve told all of my colleagues is when you live in Maine, it feels not only like a very small town, but each one of us lives in a community where you drop your kids off at the bowling alley, where you go somewhere for a beer, where you feel this level of comfort, knowing everybody, knowing you’re going to be safe. That safety was shattered. We can never let that happen again. But thank you so much again, Mr. President, for being here with us, the First Lady. You’ve brought us so much comfort and it means so much to our state.

President Biden, Dr. Biden, on behalf of the people of Lewiston and on behalf of the people of Maine, thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming here today. We are enduring, unfathomable pain from the families of those tragically taken from us, to those who are injured, to all the people of Lewiston, to all the people of Maine. But out of this darkness, I believe there is light. I believe there is hope. I see it in the people of Lewiston, a people who are as resilient as they are kind, a people who are as strong as they are, compassionate. That hope, that love is all around us Today. It is in every blue heart and every window. It is in every ribbon tied on every telephone pole. It is in every thank you card written by every volunteer. It’s in every small act of kindness. It is the love that is in our hearts for one another.

(15:03)
Today, we honor the lives of the 18 beloved people. We lost, and we grieve with their families. We wrap our arms around those who were injured, and we give unending gratitude to the law enforcement officers and our healthcare professionals whose heroic actions saved lives. Mr. President, in this difficult time, we take comfort and solace in knowing that the entire nation stands with Lewiston and with Maine. We feel the warmth of your visit and the strength of your unwavering support for our state. And we see love and hope in the future. As difficult as that may be, we put one foot forward in front of the other. We know the road to healing will be long and tough, but we will heal together. Thank you, and may God bless the people of Lewiston, the people of the great state of Maine, and the United States of America. Thank you.