Remarks by Vice President Harris Before Adding Her Signature to the Desk Drawer in Her Ceremonial Office

Vice President’s Ceremonial Office
Eisenhower Executive Office Building

 4:24 P.M. EST
 
     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everyone.  (Applause.)  Hi.  Oh, my goodness.  We’ve got alum from years and years ago and days ago here.  (Laughter.)
 
     And — oh, I — I — you know, I saw so many of everyone who was here during the holiday parties, but I just have to say again: I am so proud of our team.  And this is a team that spans many years of doing extraordinary work on behalf of the people.
 
     And as you all have heard me say many times, I am fully aware that I am the public face of a lot of our work.  And so, I have the benefit of running into people all over our country who thank me.  And I will tell you, I am fully aware that when they are thanking me, they are thanking our team for the extraordinary commitment that you each have and as a team have to lifting up the American people — lifting up their condition, lifting up their hopes and dreams, and understanding, through it all, the nobility of public service.
 
     We have each taken on a life and a calling that is about doing work in the service of others and doing it in a way that is fueled, yes, with ambition; yes, with a sense of almost stubbornness about not hearing no; and knowing we can make a difference.
 
     And I’m not going to go through the laundry list of all of our accomplishments.  We know what they are.  But I will tell you that everyone here has so much to be proud of, and our work is not done.
 
     And as you all know me, because we have spent long hours, long days, and months and years together, it is not my nature to go quietly into the night.  (Laughter.)  So, don’t worry about that.
 
     But the ceremony of signing this desk is something that is especially important, so I hope everyone will get a chance to see the desk.
 
     But I have actually, I think with the exception of Truman and Eisenhower, met every person who has signed this desk, every vice president — former vice president.  And, you know, we don’t all — yeah, all of them.  In fact, I talked to Mondale — Vice President Mondale just days before he passed. 
 
And I will say that although many of us might have disagreed — me and some of the previous vice presidents — on — on certain matters, policy matters, I think we all probably have shared a very common experience that is a through line, as evidenced by the fact that we have this tradition of signing this dec- — desk since the — 1940, I believe. 
 
And it is the work of caring about our country.  It is the work of understanding we hold these offices in the public trust with the duty and the responsibility to uphold the oath we take to respect, to defend the Constitution of the United States, to do our work on behalf of the people of the United States.
 
And so, I stand in a long tradition, as the 49th vice president of the United States — in a long tradition of vice presidents who have signed this desk, and I do so with great honor and with the knowledge that our work here has mattered.  It has meaning.  It has impacted people we may never meet, people who may never know our name, but who are ever, forever grateful for the work that you each and we all together have done.  So, I thank you all.
 
And with that, I’m going to pull out the Sharpie.  (Applause.) 
 
(The vice president signs the Theodore Roosevelt desk drawer.)
 
All right.  It’s done.  (Applause.)
 
AUDIENCE:  MVP!  MVP!  MVP!
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  All right.  Doug is going to take a selfie.

     Okay.  Okay.

     THE SECOND GENTLEMAN:  I’m taking pictures now.
(Cross-talk.)

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Let’s — we’ll get the press —

     Q    Madam Vice President, what’s next?
 
THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Just — we’re going to continue getting work done until Monday, and then I’ll keep you posted.  (Laughter.) 

     Thanks, everyone.  Thank you.  (Applause.)
 
                        END                4:29 P.M. EST
 
 

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