US President Joe Biden called on Americans of both parties to start treating each other as people rather than enemies during the National Prayer Breakfast. Biden said that working together was necessary to make the country better.
The National Prayer Breakfast took place on Thursday, where Biden called on the attendees that, included Democratic Speaker emerita Nancy Pelosi, defeated GOP gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake, and GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, to start seeing each other as people and work together to better the country.
“I think we see each other as enemies, not friends,” said Biden. “My prayer for this prayer breakfast is that we start to see each other again…argue like hell with each other, but still go to lunch together.”
“While we have profound differences the last two years, we’ve proven we can come together to do big things for the country. We can join hands and get things done. We can redeem the soul of America,” said the US leader.
Biden also urged the lawmakers who are frequently at odds with each other to treat each other with respect, citing his own relationship with McCarthy as an example, the day after McCarthy met with Biden to discuss the US debt ceiling. The US leader noted that the country has suffered in the past several years, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, gun violence, and storms, but the country was able to endure.
“As tough as these times have been, if we look closer, we see the strength and determination that has long defined America,” said Biden.
On the same day, Biden welcomed his predecessor Bill Clinton to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, which guarantees that certain workers may be able to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave without losing their jobs or health insurance benefits. The law has applied to public agencies, schools, and private sector businesses that have at least 49 employees.
The US leader vowed to expand the law, but the proposed legislation that ensured paid leave for Americans has been opposed by Republicans and some Democrats.