White House Tribal Nations Summit. Morning Session

Remarks by President Biden at the Tribal Nations Summit

November 15, 2021 • Speeches and Remarks

Via Teleconference | South Court Auditorium | 11:50 A.M. EST
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, Madam Secretary.  And I say to the press, “Excuse my back.”  (The President turns to the video call screen behind him.)  Next time in Washington, okay?  I see you all up on the board behind me, and I hope we do this in person.  I hope, I hope, I hope.  That’s my — that’s my hope.  Thank you.
 
Good morning.  I want to thank you for joining us.  This is a big day.  I think, as my mother would say, former Senator Dan Inouye is looking down going, “Finally.  Finally.”  I was raised by Dan Inouye in the United States Senate.
 
And to President Fawn Sharp and Chairman Hill of the Oneida Nation, and our President Holsey: I thank you all for what you’re doing, and I want to recognize you.
 
And, Chairman Hill, I thought going — being from Upstate New York, in college, and my deceased wife is from Skaneateles Lake, not far from Oneida, New York — I thought that the Oneida Nation was all in Central New York, but obviously you’re up in Wisconsin.  Come down and see us in Oneida.  (Laughs.)
 
Anyway, I want to thank you, Madam Secretary, for your remarks.  But I also want to thank you, Deb, for being willing to join when I asked you to come along and to serve.  And as I said, I was confident, at the time, you would be incredibly important.