Subject: Remarks by Vice President Biden on the Western Hemisphere
From: "Erikson, Daniel P. EOP/OVP" <[email-masked]>
To: "Erikson, Daniel P. EOP/OVP" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 12 May 2016 21:21:58 +0000

Colleagues---I’m sharing for your reference excerpts from the Vice President’s remarks yesterday at the University of Tampa, at an event host by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.  Regards, Dan

EXCERPTS FROM REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN

ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

Hosted by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce

University of Tampa

Tampa, Florida

May 11, 2016

     I want to thank you for hosting me today.   This is a beautiful, beautiful -- obviously, beautiful city -- but it’s a beautiful campus.  And I’m here to discuss with you today with your permission the relationship with our neighbors throughout the hemisphere.

     And I wanted to come here to Tampa because our policy in the Americas isn’t just a matter of think tank, and the think tank crowd in Washington, D.C.  Our neighbors in Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean -- they impact on our domestic security and prosperity like no other region in the world.

     I was just -- on the way down on Air Force Two had a long discussion with President Peña Nieto.  And there’s a lot going on.  And I pointed out to him -- or we discussed that we have no more important relationship than with Mexico and the rest of the hemisphere.  The possibilities for this hemisphere are staggering.

     I believe that’s as true today, than it’s been any other moment in history, that we are better positioned in this hemisphere than we have ever been.  And that's why from the outset, our administration, the President and I have made improving relationships with our neighbors a priority.  And I emphasize the word relationships.  Not just specific transactional occurrences, our overall relationship.

     I need not tell this great university that there’s a lot of history shaping our engagement in the region, and not all of it positive.  And we all -- we've recognized that.  But we've also made a decision.  We weren’t going to be bound by the mistakes of the past or trapped in outmoded ideologies that no longer were relevant in the 21st century.  So from the outset, when the President one day turned to me, like is his habit, and he said, Joe, why don't you do the hemisphere?.......And I said, okay, Mr. President, I’ll do the hemisphere.  But all kidding aside, we made it clear -- and I made it clear from the beginning -- our relationship, this administration’s relationship, America’s relationship with the hemisphere would be grounded on mutual respect.  No longer would we ask what can the United States do for the region.  What we literally ask and want to know is what can we do with the region in true partnership.  It’s not what we can do for, it’s what we can do with.

     And just that one commitment has had a profound impact on our relationships from Chile to Mexico, and everywhere in between.

*             *             *

     And so I’m proud to say that today, I think I can say it without fear of contradiction, our relationships in the neighborhood are as good as they've ever been in American history.  That doesn't mean we still don't have disagreements.  We do.  But our willingness to engage with seriousness and with respect has changed the way the leaders -- and I would argue -- the people of the region view us, from the CARICOM countries, throughout the hemisphere.

     And that's critical, in my view, because the Western Hemisphere is not the same place it was 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago.  Today, the nations of the Americas are defined by opportunity by and large, not crisis.  Oh, challenges persist.  And I’ll address some of those today.  But we've seen vital shifts in the hemisphere.

     The expansion of trade and regional economic growth has helped bring in tens of millions of people out of poverty into the middle class.  With courage and determination, the people of the region have made democracy an established norm.  There are exceptions, but it’s become the norm rather than the exception.  We're increasingly seeing political pragmatism replace populism.  And across the region, nations are stepping out on a global scale to contribute more internationally.

     For the first time in our history, in my view, I think it’s possible to imagine a hemisphere that is middle class, secure from -- just simply secure -- all the way from the northern reaches of Canada to the tip of Chile.  I think that is within our wheelhouse.  It’s within our power.  If we're smart and we get a little lucky.

     We're not there yet, but I’m confident if we make the right choices, we can be.  And as a consequence of that, I predict to you -- the students that are here -- I will not be around to determine whether my prediction is right or not -- but 25 years from now, the single-most consequential hemisphere in the world will be the Western Hemisphere.

     And this transformation will generate opportunity for all of the people in the Americas, including the United States -- notwithstanding what you hear some other voices saying these day.  So that's what I’d like to talk to you a few minutes about today.

*             *             *

We've done this all while insisting on new international norms and standards for workers’ rights, for environmental protection, and the protection of intellectual property.  We're already beginning to see the impact of these tightened regulatory standards for those who want to be part of it.  Mexico has just announced an unprecedented change in their labor laws, including their constitution.

     And while in the midst of an energy revolution here in the United States and North America, we're being put in a position where we're able to generate significant economic gains.  Thanks to our abundance of natural gas and renewable energy resources, North America -- the United States, Canada, Mexico -- is the new epicenter -- is the new epicenter -- of energy in the world.

     CENTCOM is going to have a lot less reason to have to invest as much as we've invested over the last 40 years.  It’s not going to be the Arabian Peninsula, not Russia, not Iran, not Nigeria, not Venezuela.  North America -- Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

     And this shift has unlocked significant opportunities -- reducing our trade deficit, giving us greater flexibility in dealing with other oil-producing states.  Not many nations have leverage over us anymore.  And it’s increasing energy trade in the hemisphere, bolstering the energy security of our closest neighbors.

     Last week I hosted Presidents and Prime Ministers and senior leaders from across Central America and the CARICOM countries.  The purpose was to discuss our progress in integrating regional energy markets and diversifying into more renewable, more affordable, and more reliable sources of energy.

     To help meet those needs, we recently opened a new liquefied natural gas export terminal.  The first shipment left Louisiana for Brazil in February.  And we will see even greater opportunities when the Panama Canal opens -- and two new locks -- next month.  I’ve seen the Seven Wonders of the World.  You want to see the eighth, go to the Panama Canal.  I’m serious.  These two new locks are absolutely breathtaking in their scope and their size and their capacity.

*             *             *

     We should also seize the moment to strengthen our relationships with the region’s people and harness the good will that we have earned.  And that starts with our two closest neighbors -- Canada and Mexico.

     The strength of our North America partnership is vital to the prosperity and security of the United States.  In February, I traveled to Mexico for what they called the third High Level Economic Dialogue, which has opened up new partnerships and opportunities for our people to do even more business together.

*             *             *

     We’ve built strong relationships with the people of Brazil, as well as vital trade partnerships.  And that's critical because Brazil will remain a global economic power, even as it navigates its current very difficult political challenges.  I know how many of you have closely followed our opening with Cuba.  It’s been mentioned already.  And not just because the Tampa Bay Rays beat Cuba 4 to 1.  (Laughter and applause.)  In March.

     Notwithstanding that, we actually created new opportunities for U.S. business in emerging Cuban private sector.  And it’s engendered greater personal connection with the citizens of Cuba.

     And here’s the thing, I’ve had a chance to meet every leader of every country in the hemisphere.  And the single act of beginning to normalize the relationship with Cuba has lifted an enormous burden off of them, allowing them much more flexibility to deal with us as they want to do.  It’s had multiple benefits so far.  It’s paid important foreign policy dividends.

     We still have real disagreements with the Cuban government about its denial of basic freedoms to its citizens.  And we're going to continue to raise these issues and stand up for the protection of human rights.  I was asked to speak to the OAS when we were in the process of moving forward, and I said to them quite bluntly, we're doing what you've wanted us to do.  And it’s the right thing to do.  But now we expect you to speak up when we talk about the violation of human rights.  You all must be part of making sure that this reform ultimately takes place.

     But shifting from isolation to engagement proved that our promise to listen rather than dictate to the region was more than just words.  And in the past several months, I’ve had conversations with the Presidents of Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and many more.  And all of them told me how it has significantly enhanced their ability and flexibility at home to build partnerships and get things done with the United States of America.

*             *             *

     We also have a chance to restore our relationship with Argentina, which has been on rocky grounds for over a decade.  When I recently traveled to give the keynote address to the World Economic Forum in Davos last January, I made the point of meeting for some time with Argentina’s new President.  And in March, President Obama made the first visit of an American President in more than decade.

     President Macri has laid out an ambitious reform agenda and demonstrated a renewed willingness to return to the international financial community.  It’s already yielding new collaboration in the energy sector, as well as improved security cooperation.  Our relationship with Cuba and Argentina illustrate an important theme:  We won’t close off any opportunity to build relationships with the people of the region.

     And I might add that includes Venezuela.  Last December we saw a watershed in Venezuela politics, an election won by the opposition.  Their national assembly now represents the diversity of the political views of the country.  But as neighbors who care about the Venezuelan people, we are deeply concerned about the current economic situation, food shortages, lack of medicine, and even water, blackouts, rising crime rates, homicide rates.  And the Venezuelan government continues to commit serious human rights violations -- throwing people in jail, intimidating and silencing its opponents, denying prisoners due process and holding them inhumane conditions.  The government is taking steps to prevent the peoples’ representatives in the assembly from carrying out the duties to which they were elected to carry out.

     So releasing political prisoners like the mayor of Caracas, the opposition leader Mr. Lopez, are absolutely necessary in starting a productive dialogue between the government and the opposition and the hemisphere.  That's what’s needed to overcome the extreme polarization and economic disaster that's occurring now in Venezuela.  It’s a dialogue that's long overdue.  And the United States in consultation with all our partners in the region is prepared to help.

*             *             *

     Progress is possible.  We've seen it.  Not even two decades ago Colombia was a war zone.  I remember my first visit down there as I was writing Plan Colombia, meeting with the President of the country, and two days after I left, one of the cartels walked into the Supreme Court and shot up and killed Supreme Court justices, while they sat hearing a case.

     Back then I was either the Chairman or the Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Committee, championing Plan Colombia in the Senate, working with Republicans and Democrats to help the people of Colombia pull themselves back from the brink.

     We invested a lot of money.  They invested four times as much in the effort.  And today we're on the verge of a historic peace deal between the government of Colombia and the guerrilla groups, ending one of the longest running conflicts in modern history.  God willing.

     It’s a remarkable transformation and an affirmation of the power of democracy to solve challenges if you have the political will to take the chance to do it.

*             *             *

     The success of Plan Colombia also offers a model for what we're working toward in Central America, helping governments take responsibility and address their own challenges, while providing some vital support.  That's why we've taken the dual steps of dramatically increasing our assistance for El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras -- $750 million just from this year’s budget, up from $560 million last year; while also insisting on high expectations and setting benchmarks as to what they have to meet in order to qualify for the funding.  And they are.  They've created with the help of the IDB a thing called the Alliance for Progress, to strengthen and coordinate their efforts.

     And those three countries are investing on their own $2.6 billion of their own money this year.  This is an area where I’ve been particularly hands-on as Vice President.  I’ve already met with the leaders of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras three times just since January.  And I’m proud that we're beginning to see some progress.

     I find that with dealing with countries that are in trouble, detail matters.  Detail matters.  Specific, precise goals agreed to matter.  The only way that occurs is with repetition and constant meeting.

     They've started anti-corruption initiatives to reform police departments, courts, customs, tax collection systems; economic programs to tackle poverty; helping towns and cities set up community policing to generate greater confidence in the police departments and make neighborhoods literally safer.

     We've been able to do this because we've developed some partnerships and trust, the kind that can only be built after spending hours and hours and hours with specific leaders.  The Congresswoman has heard me say this, I dare not try to improve on famous Speaker Tip O’Neill’s axiom that, “all politics is local.”  All foreign policy is personal.  It’s all personal.  You have to know the other leader with enough detail -- whether they like you or not, or you like them or not -- to understand what they're objectives are and what their limits are.  Listening to their perspective while sharing their own.

     I always say when I sit down with a foreign leader -- and I’ve met every world leader, literally every major world leader in the last 35 years.  I always start by saying, I never attempt to tell another man or woman what’s in her interest.  And I never attempt to tell another country what’s in their interest.  But I’m here to tell you what’s in our interest, and why I think it’s helpful to you.  If you want to participate, we're in.  If you don't, your decision.

     It’s amazing how much further along that gets you than going in and attempting to dictate.

     But we have a long way to go.  And it’s going to require more than just Presidents and political leaders.  It requires the business community and civil society and individual citizens all pulling together.  And I believe the people of the region are actually so fed up with the circumstances they've been in for so long that they're ready to take a chance.  They're ready to change.

*             *             *

     Earlier this year I attended in the inauguration of President Morales in Guatemala.  Jimmy Morales, the comedian.  He was anything but a comedian that day when he was sworn in.  He was elected on his promise to end corruption after the previous President and Vice President were both ousted on corruption charges.

     And his inauguration was fascinating.  He made clear in his inaugural address what his priority would be because that's the only reason he was elected.  The people of Guatemala said we're sick and tired of the corruption and the special interests.

     And during his speech, his inauguration speech, he looked into the cameras and said to everyone in front of him, and he said to all the people listening, he said, I ask you, my fellow citizens, at home, as well as here, to stand, place your hand on your heart, and join me in taking the oath to fight corruption and put Guatemala first.

     I’ve never seen that happen.  It doesn't mean it will happen.  But I’ve never seen that happen.  And all the reports were throughout the country of Guatemala, ordinary citizens -- some illiterate -- standing up, putting their hand on their heart, and raising the right hand.

     All I’m saying is that means there’s an overwhelming yearning in the region for better governance.  Corruption is a cancer that eats away at the body politic.  Nobody likes it -- rich, poor, left, right, center.  But in order for Guatemala to succeed and reach its full potential, the entire nation has to contribute.  Everyone has to be part of it.  And that requires some sacrifices on the part of ordinary citizens, as well.  But it was a powerful moment, a powerful message.  So we have made progress.

     The opportunities before us are real, and so are the considerable challenges that remain in Central America throughout the hemisphere -- generations of endemic poverty, weak institutions out of decades of corruption and political strife, pervasive violence that still plagues too many countries in the Americas.  But they're trying to fight through it in Colombia, in Central America.  It’s possible.

*             *             *

     And the United States is committed -- our administration is committed to helping our partners address the dynamics that they -- that have held them back for much too long.

     I just ask you to picture it -- I’m being very serious about this.  Imagine if Central America from Guatemala to Panama was actually economically prosperous, actually had governments that functioned not undermined by corruption, actually had energy and the capacity to attract business.  Imagine how transformative that alone would be for connecting the hemisphere.

     But only then can we undertake the hard work to meet these challenges.  The reality is security is the baseline for all progress we hope to see.  Without security, virtually nothing else is possible.

     Now, we're already deeply engaged in securing the region against narco-traffickers, human smuggling organizations, organized crime, and gangs who rule through violence and fear.  You already have our military engaged in advising, playing a major part, spending tens of millions of dollars to try to coordinate efforts.  Our law enforcement communities are beginning to work more closely.  U.S. Southern Command plays an essential role in helping our partners strengthen their defensive capabilities and target transnational crime.

     But in order to succeed, there’s also an urgent need to institute reforms -- replacing corrupt courts, training civilian police to respect human rights, modernizing their ports and customs systems, which are rife with corruption -- just to name a few.

     And we're helping there, as well.  Representatives from the Department of Justice are in place right now insisting and assisting with investigators in the fight against organized crime.  Literally helping these countries who never had a court system that was anything other than corrupt how to build such a system.  Literally doing what we did in Plan Colombia.  The FBI vetting with lie detector tests thousands of Colombian police, expelling those who did not pass.

     We've sent security advisors to help clean up the police forces, aid prosecutors so that the people of the region can begin to have some confidence in the law -- the rule of law.

     In too many places -- and you know it, those of you who do business in the region, extreme poverty prevents people from reaching anywhere near their potential.  And so we've made sure that the growth is shared more broadly, that no community is marginalized or excluded from economic opportunity.  That's why we created a wide variety of programs for our AID programs and others to spur entrepreneurship, especially the young people and women, to help small businesses.

     In places like Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, we're working to combat hunger and malnutrition.  The kind of challenges that set children back.  And in many instances the science now shows sets them back permanently by affecting their brain development.

     And we're working with the International Development Bank and other partners to help countries improve their tax collection.  We're sending down folks from our IRS to show them how to set up a system; increasing transparency, implementing economic reforms in order to better create a business environment.

     Because to really create jobs and opportunity, the region needs to draw much more investment from the private sector -- both in their own home countries, as well as from abroad.

     And by the way, as I say all around the world, these aren’t dictates that we're insisting on.  No nation today is able to economically prosper without a transparent business environment.  No one is going to invest.  Without being able to deal with and assure investors that corruption is under control, and without having a tax system that actually is fair where people who owe taxes have them collected.

*             *             *

     Look, and these issues will only worsen if we fail to address the existential threat of climate change, which is already impacting on the livelihood and security of so many vulnerable people throughout the region.  Now maybe some of you don't believe there’s climate change.  So I don't want to get into an argument about that.  Let’s talk about the changing weather that's occurring.

     Denying climate change these days is like denying gravity in my view, but that's another story.  But look, look what’s happening in the region -- those of you who do business here.  Farmers can't plant.  Drought is a significant impact, including on hydroelectric power, denying access to power in certain of these countries.  So that's why we're helping farmers across Central America and the Caribbean adapt climate-resilient approaches, like drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, drought-resistant seeds.

     In Jamaica, for example, we've trained more than 3,000 farmers.  And in agricultural states like mine and yours, we're used to what is done by the -- our Department of Agriculture.  We've trained 3,000 farmers at climate-smart field schools.  They've increased their crop yields by 30 percent in a number of cases, particular crops.  We're developing tools to help farmers throughout Central America share vital information about weather forecasts and blights like coffee rust, so they can plan and adapt to the changing climate.

     Violence and poverty -- they're the twin drivers in the other major challenge:  Migrants traveling from their homes to the United States, including unaccompanied children.  That's what initially got me engaged.  I was actually in the Middle East working on an ISIS question, I got a call from the President would I go then, from there, to meet with the Latin American Presidents and make it clear to them something had to be done.

     Well, the real solution to the challenge of migration is helping our partners build safer, more prosperous communities, so the people stay and make their lives in their home countries.

*             *             *

     We have to treat those who arrive on our borders with compassion and dignity.  I know that’s something you take very seriously here in Tampa.  I’m told we're joined today by representatives from the Children’s Home of Tampa Bay and the Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services.  I want to thank you for your efforts.  Their organizations along with so many other others have provided vital services to vulnerable refugee children from Central America.

     But to achieve these goals, we believe that the emergence of good governance is absolutely essential.  It’s the cornerstone of our policy in Central America and throughout the hemisphere.  Because if we don't get that done, if we don't do away with the reason why people pull up and leave, we're not going to solve the problem.

     It means rooting out corruption that stifles economic growth, the corruption that promotes inequity, abets human rights abuses, fuels organized crime, all the seeds of instability.

     And in country after country, citizens have risen up to expose government abuses and condemn the misuse of public resources.  And the United States and our international partners are helping countries take the hard but necessary steps to break down systematic corruption.

     Underlying our entire approach is an unwavering commitment to advance democracy and human rights.  The United States cannot choose how other nations will govern themselves.  But we will always speak out for what we believe is right.  Nations are stronger when they respect the rights of their citizens.  Criticism does not weaken government; it strengthens it.

*             *             *

     And the same is true for a vigorous free press.  Vibrant civil societies undergird all successful democracies.  These aren’t our rules.  Those are rules of the 21st century.  They're the lessons we've learned from the history of our own republic.  And I believe we're seeing a new generation of leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean who share these ideas and aspirations for their own countries.

     So we're going to continue to work with all the nations of our region to defend and strengthen those democratic values, which unite us.  We've come a long way in the past seven years.  Through vigorous engagement and concerted efforts to break down regional enmities, we've arrived at a moment of unprecedented possibilities.

     Our hemisphere has the resources, the ingenuity, and the dynamism to lead the world in the 21st century.  That is not hyperbole.  We have that capacity.  And by joining our efforts with those of our partners throughout the region who are willing to take the steps that need to be taken, we'll bolster our own security.  We’ll sharpen our competitive advantage in the global economy.  That's why our positive engagement with the region has traditionally gained strong bipartisan support.

     It’s good for the American people.  And the final point that I want to make today is this.  As you all know it, progress is still fragile.  The opportunities we've cultivated could slip away if we fail to honor one fundamental truth:  Every good relationship between countries is built on respect.

     I’ve held high public office for a long time.  I got elected to the Senate when I was 29 years old in 1972.  I understand what it means to compete in a heated election contest.  But by insulting our partners throughout the hemisphere, by tarring all immigrants with a xenophobic brush, some leaders are actively undermining our security and our prosperity.

     And make no mistake, our future is right here.  It’s in this hemisphere.  And if we seek to pull back or put up barriers -- whether those barriers are physical or political -- we're only going to sabotage our own success.  And that's true when it comes to talk of building walls, or rolling back engagement with Cuba, or failing to ratify legitimate trade agreements.  It’s true of policies that alienate more than 55 million Americans of Hispanic descent, more than 4 million -- the vast majority of whom are citizens -- here in the state of Florida.  Everyone, everyone, everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.  It’s basic.  It’s just basic.

*             *             *

Tampa was built by immigrants from Cuba and nations across Latin America, from Spain, Italy, Germany, Romania, China.  Ybor City stands as their enduring mark in your history.  So we can't abandon our commitment to fixing a broken immigration system.  Protecting our borders, but also providing opportunity for 11 million undocumented people to come across and come out of the shadows to contribute their fair share after paying the price they have to pay to do that.

     And as we move forward, we can never forget that the reason why people repair to America, and other people respect us so much, and other nations is not merely the example of our power, but the power of our example -- of us acting consistent with what we say our values are.  Because they're the values that are shared throughout the world and throughout the region.

     So, folks, there’s no -- in my view -- no separating our future from the fate of our neighbors.  Instead we need to harness all the progress and all the opportunities we see across this region.  We need to take it in our hands and bend the future a little bit.  Bend it just a little bit to meet those challenges that exist head on.  And we can do this.  I’m absolutely convinced.  We have so much to gain and so much to lose if we fail to seize the moment of this opportunity.

     I believe we made the right choices.  I can guarantee you that President Obama are going to keep working full steam to deepen our relationships throughout this hemisphere as long we're in.  There’s only another 10 months or so.  Because there’s nothing we can't accomplish in America, as we’ve all demonstrated when we set our will to it.  That's the landmark.  That's the notion every American shares.

*             *             *

     Everything in America from our founding to today, is because we have believed that anything is possible if we set our mind to it.  And we've done it.  We've demonstrated it.

     So my plea to all of you -- there’s a lot of cynicism right now.  But remember who we are.  Remember what we've done.  And imagine what we can do.  We're all about possibilities.  And the possibilities are extremely positive if we seize them.

     Thank you so very much.