President Biden will deliver his final speech Thursday at the inaugural gala celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Washington, headlining the event himself for the third consecutive year.
Ahead of Biden's attendance at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' (CHCI) banquet, Vice President Harris is scheduled to speak at CHCI's annual conference prior to the party on Wednesday.
Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will also host a Hispanic Heritage Month reception at the White House.
“We are honored to have President Biden and Vice President Harris join us at this year's CHCI Leadership Conference and Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), CHCI Board Chair.
“Their participation is a powerful reminder of this administration's consistent commitment to Latino families and communities,” Espaillat added. “We appreciate their continued efforts and are honored to have them join us at this year’s event.”
The 2024 gala will mark the 47th annual event, which traditionally invites a sitting president to address the audience.
Presidents Carter, Reagan, Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama all spoke at the event, although President George H. W. Bush was invited to attend each of his four years in office but was unable to do so.
Former President Trump's invitation was rescinded in 2017 amid ongoing family separations at the border, and he never attended the event.
Biden delivered keynote speeches at the 2020 event as the Democratic presidential candidate and at the 2021 event as president, but both events were held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Biden's running mate and vice presidential nominee in 2023, Harris was interviewed onstage by actor John Leguizamo during a college tour that foreshadowed Harris's rallies as an eventual candidate.
“I embarked on this college tour, and I know that everyone here knows about CHCI, our interns, our fellowship program, the years of developing and elevating young leaders, and I wanted to get out of Washington, D.C. and be with young leaders where they are,” Harris told Leguizamo.
The CHCI appearance is part of a busy post-debate media schedule for Harris, who has been criticized for being too sequestered.
“President Biden and Vice President Harris' dedicated work and historic achievements speak to the power of perseverance, and their commitment to using public service to serve families reflects the core values of CHCI's leadership program,” said Marco Davis, CHCI president and CEO.
“We look forward to welcoming them to our conference and celebration. Their insights will inspire our network of leaders who will continue to shape the future of our nation,” Davis continued.
