Tim Kaine began this talk by lamenting the situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in terms of its economic and social impact. Nevertheless, he emphasized that there are reasons to be hopeful and that the country will emerge from this situation in the short to medium term. Senator Kaine mentioned the importance for the United States of establishing democratic alliances in Europe, Latin America, and Asia, marking a turning point from the previous Trump administration and its “America First” slogan.
Another key issue discussed during his intervention was domestic policy, with the primary goal being to win the battle against the pandemic. For Kaine, the proposed American Rescue Plan law will be used to “make an investment in a better future than the past, one that is more just and sustainable.” He also took the opportunity to speak about the strong relationship between Spain and the United States in terms of economic, commercial, and democratic alliances.
Following Senator Kaine’s remarks, the debate began, moderated by the Secretary-General of the Spain-U.S. Council Foundation, Manuel Lejarreta. During the Q&A session, we had the opportunity to engage and delve deeper into significant issues such as U.S.-China relations, in light of the recent Anchorage (Alaska) summit. In this bilateral summit, representatives from both countries met with the aim of reconciling positions on economic, commercial, and technological matters. Although the talks highlighted a fracture in the policies between the two countries, Joe Biden has invited President Xi Jinping to participate in the upcoming World Climate Summit alongside 40 world leaders.
On the other hand, Senator Kaine pointed out that the Biden administration will work to improve bilateral relations with Latin American countries like Cuba and Mexico. Regarding the Hispanic/Latino community living in the United States, he sees comprehensive immigration reform as essential, given that it has been 35 years since the last reform of the system responsible for this issue: «We want to see progress from the Latino community in this regard, and the Biden administration will work hard to find a bipartisan agreement on this.»
Lastly, Kaine also made comments positioning himself on the Trump administration and its lasting influence. Additionally, he spoke about the current role of the United States as a global leader, something he believes is at stake: «If we are divided internally, we cannot set an example externally; if we are not economically strong, if we are not committed to being a good democratic example, we will not be strong leaders in the global arena,» added Kaine.
Javier Ubrí
Communication Assistant, INCIPE