Biden tells mayors virus will be 'first priority'

President-elect Joe Biden met virtually Monday with the U.S. Conference of Mayors about the coronavirus pandemic, pledging to work with the city leaders regardless of party and insisting it will be his "first priority" as president. (Nov. 23)

Video Transcript

JOE BIDEN: And I want to thank all of the folks for joining us, for everything you're doing to keep your residents and community safe through this pandemic. And I want to take a moment to acknowledge, as I said, my hometown. But I also want to personally thank you all for doing what you're doing to keep us safe, not only in Delaware, but around the country.

All of you have-- are on the frontlines from the very beginning. And as we head into this Thanksgiving and a very dark winter with cases and hospitalizations and deaths spiking, I want you to know that we're here for you, and we're going to listen to you and work with you. And it's the first priority we're going to have once sworn in.

This is our message to a bipartisan group of governors, the National Governors Association. We have the same message, and we want to-- we met a few days ago. And no matter which party, or your political, whether you're a Democrat or a Republican, there is a strong sense of common purpose, a real desire for real partnership between states and cities and the federal government. The bottom line is, we can' do this without you. This country's built from the bottom up here.

There's nothing beyond our capacity. We just have to come together as a country. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I know when I said that when I announced for president almost 500 some days ago. I said I wanted to unify the country. Well, I mean it. We mean it. I hope you are prepared to do that as well.

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