“This Memorial Day, we honor the American heroes who gave their lives to protect our nation and offer gratitude for the freedoms made possible by their sacrifice. We also welcome President Biden’s decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, finally bringing an end to America’s longest war that has taken the lives of over 2,000 American service members. 

“After a year of loss, today we celebrate our nation emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger and more resilient. As recently as January of this year, many of us expected to once again spend this holiday at home, alone or with our immediate families. However, thanks to President Biden and the American Rescue Plan, over 50% of American adults are fully vaccinated this holiday weekend, putting us well on pace to achieve President Biden’s goal of 70% by July 4 and to continue the progress necessary to finally return our nation to our pre-pandemic norms. While the end is in sight, we take this time to remember we still have a lot of work to do, and pay tribute to the lives lost due to the pandemic, and to those who sacrifice for our country every day.”