First Lady Pool Reports of March 25, 2022

FLOTUS Pool Report

Pool walked into private DNC fundraiser at 6:45 p.m. Friday inside the Clayton Members Club & Hotel in Denver. The room was crowded and loud with conversation as around 60 people sat at low tables and couches. Attendees included Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and Polis' spouse Marlon Reis, who met First Lady Jill Biden at the airport earlier in the day.

Biden entered and stood at the front of the room at around 6:46 p.m.

The fundraiser host Judy Wagner introduced Biden.Wagner — treasurer of the Boettcher Foundation and founder of several investment and banking companies — thanked Biden for her work in education.

"We know that you are so committed to community colleges and that's part of what we're talking about tonight," Wagner said. "You're leading us in a way that is really making a change. And the fact that you're working while you're leading us, teaching, it's just astounding."

Local student Luz Rivera spoke next, praising Biden for her career as a professor at the Northern Virginia Community College since 2009. Rivera said Biden is the first presidential spouse to maintain an independent career outside of the White House to thunderous applause from the room.

Rivera explained that she began taking classes at the Community College of Aurora while a high schooler inAurora Public Schools. She said she's about to graduate in May with her associates degree and plans to finish her degree at the University of Colorado Anschutz to become a nurse.

"First Lady Jill Biden's devotion to support cancer patients and their families remains deep within my heart. … I would like to dedicate my life as an oncology nurse to help improve the lives of cancer patients and their loved ones," Rivera said.

Biden then took the microphone from the podium and walked up to a rope set up to distance the crowd from the speakers.

"First of all, we're not having this," Biden said, asking a staff member to remove the rope as the crowd laughed. "Come on, come here, I want to talk to you," she yelled, beckoning members of the audience to move closer. "Doesn't that feel so much better? I've got to feel the crowd, you know."

Biden said she was teaching yesterday and grading papers on the plane on the way to Colorado.

Switching topics, she declared it has been "an amazing month for women." Biden discussed the accomplishments of former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright who passed away earlier this week. Biden also celebrated Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson, saying she "is doing a great job," and the U.S. women's soccer team for their newly won pay equity.

"I had a speech but then I thought, really, people are coming to hear about what's going on," Biden said. "You don't want to hear a prepared speech, right? I mean, I don't. How many have I listened to?"

Biden said she just came from St. Jude's Hospital where families from Ukraine had been brought in through Poland.

"I got to meet with the families of kids with cancer," Biden said. "It was amazing to see how desperate these families were to get care. One little child had brain cancer just like my son and other children had tumors, but there they were. They had just gotten there on their long journey and on Monday they're going to bring, I think, 50 more Ukrainians in to give them care."

Biden said she spoke to President Joe Biden earlier today, revealing that he is in Poland meeting with U.S. soldiers to see how they're doing and to thank them for their sacrifice.

"He said the talks were going well and he's trying to get the leaders together," Biden said. "I have to say, Joe really has the experience and he has a steady hand. He's thoughtful and he has a vision, he knows where he wants to take this country."

"You wanted that steady calm leadership, you didn't want this up and down every single day where you didn't know what was going to happen," Biden said. "So many people have said to me, 'Jill, I feel like I can finally take a breath. I can breathe.' And I think that's true because after Joe was elected, so many good things happened."

Biden celebrated President Joe Biden's accomplishments during his presidency, pointing to COVID-19 vaccine distribution and reopening schools.

"I know we're hitting a couple bumps in the road with the gas crisis, but I think for the most part we're moving forward. We're making progress," Biden said, adding that 1.5 years ago everyone was washing their groceries and teaching via Zoom.

Biden thanked the attendees for their support and said they need to keep their efforts focused on the upcoming midterm election.

"I think a lot of people in the press are saying, 'Oh, those Democrats they're going to lose, they're going to lose.' We're not going to lose. We're gonna win.Because we have too much to do," Biden said,receiving loud applause.

Biden listed childcare access, universal preschool and equity within education and public health systems as work that still needs to be done.

"We're not done yet. As Joe always says, 'Keep the faith.' And I think that that's true. We just have to stick together," Biden said.

Biden's remarks ended at around 7:05 p.m. and she entered the crowd to start mingling. The pool was then escorted out of the room.