Press Release - Excerpts As Prepared for Delivery from Vice President Harris's Keynote Address for the United States Naval Academy Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony

"The global pandemic has accelerated our world into a new era. It has forever impacted our world. It has forever influenced our perspective. If we weren't clear before, we know now: Our world is interconnected. Our world is interdependent. Our world is fragile."

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"A deadly pandemic can spread throughout the globe in just a matter of months. A gang of hackers can disrupt the fuel supply of a whole seaboard. One country's carbon emissions can threaten the sustainability of the whole Earth. This, Midshipmen, is the era we're in. It is unlike any era that came before. So, the challenge before us now is how to mount a modern defense to these modern threats."

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"So, we must defend our nation against these threats. And at the same time, we must make advances in things like quantum computing, artificial intelligence, robotics, things that will put our nation at a strategic advantage. You will be the ones to do it. The United States military is the best, the bravest, and the most brilliant. From walkie talkies, to the Internet, to satellite navigation, the United States military that has been at the forefront of research, development and technological advancement. That is a point of American pride. And as I look at you, I know you will build on this leadership."