Nov. 9 (UPI) — Speaking one day after the midterm elections, President Joe Biden noted the “giant red wave didn’t happen,” but said he understands voters “are frustrated” and promised to “compromise with Republicans” moving forward.
Biden spoke to reporters at the White House on Wednesday and called Tuesday’s elections “a good day, I think, for democracy.”
“Our democracy has been tested in recent years, but with their votes the American people have spoken and proven once again that democracy is who we are,” Biden said. “The states across the country saw record voter turnout.”
“While we don’t know all of the results yet, at least I don’t know them all yet, here’s what we do know. While the press and the pundits predicted a giant red wave, it didn’t happen,”
Biden said as he acknowledged Democratic losses and what the voters had to say.
“While any seat lost is painful, some good Democrats didn’t win last night, Democrats had a strong night,” Biden said.
“Voters spoke clearly about their concerns about rising costs and the need to get inflation down. There’s still a lot of people hurting. They are very concerned about crime and public safety.”
Biden also thanked young voters who turned out in “historic numbers.”
“And they sent a clear message that they want to preserve our democracy and protect the right to choose in this country,” Biden said. “And they voted to continue addressing the climate crisis, gun violence, their personal rights and freedoms and the student debt relief.”
On Tuesday night, Biden worked the phones to congratulate several candidates who won their races, including the first member of GenZ to be elected to Congress.
“Last night, I was pleased to call Maxwell Frost, the 25 year-old who got elected, I guess the youngest man ever elected to the United States Congress,” Biden said. “I’m looking forward to the work we’ll do together,” Biden tweeted.
Toward the end of Wednesday’s remarks, Biden reiterated what his administration has done well and what he plans to do in the next two years.
“When I came to office, we inherited a nation with a pandemic raging and an economy that was reeling. We acted quickly and boldly to vaccinate the country and to create stable and sustained growth on our economy,” Biden said. “After 20 months of hard work, the pandemic no longer controls our lives.”
“We’re lowering gas prices, we’re taking on powerful interests, lowering prescription drug costs, and health insurance premiums and energy bills.”
“It’s just getting underway, he said. “It is going to come into clear view for people in the months of January, February, March of next year.”
Biden also promised to work “across the aisle” to get things done.
“As I have throughout my career, I am going to continue to work across the aisle to deliver for the American people,” he said. “Regardless of what the final tally of these elections show, there’s still counting going on, I’m prepared to work with my Republican colleagues.”
And Biden promised to bring representatives from both parties together at the White House to discuss how they can work together.
“When I return from the G20 meetings in Indonesia with other world leaders, I’m going to invite the leaders of both political parties, as I have done in the past on my foreign trips, to the White House to discuss how we can work together,” Biden said.
“And I’m open to any good ideas to advance the economic and national security policies of the United States.”
While acknowledging his determination when it comes to abortion and the climate crisis, Biden said he is “ready to compromise with Republicans wherever it makes sense,” he said. “And I will always put the needs and interests of the American people first.”
“In this election season, the American people made it clear. They don’t want everyday going forward to be a constant political battle. There’s too much of that going on. There’s too much that we have to do,” Biden said.
“The future of America is too promising to be trapped in endless political warfare.”
