APLA Health Chief Executive Officer Craig E. Thompson issued the following statement on the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris:

“Yesterday, we welcomed new national leadership with the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, a California native and the first Black person, the first South Asian person, and the first woman to ever ascend to the second-highest seat in our government.

“Additionally, Alex Padilla became the first Latino person to represent California in the U.S. Senate. Raphael Warnock became Georgia’s first Black senator and the first African American Democratic senator from a formerly Confederate state. Jon Ossoff became the first Jewish senator from Georgia, making him the first Jew since 1974 to win statewide national office in the South. Their election to the highest offices in the nation are a fitting tribute to the millions of Americans who peacefully marched for racial justice last year.

“But we know the work is far from over. President Biden and Vice President Harris are assuming office at a time when the nation is confronting some of the most significant challenges in modern history: the COVID-19 pandemic has taken the lives of over 400,000 fellow Americans, millions of people have lost their jobs and are struggling to make ends meet, and the country remains deeply divided.

“As always, APLA Health stands ready to work with the incoming administration as they tackle these crises as well as other issues that are critical to improving the lives of the individuals and communities we serve. The Biden-Harris administration has already made bold commitments to rapidly implement a science-based pandemic response, increase access to quality, affordable healthcare, end the HIV epidemic by 2025, dismantle the pernicious effects of inequality and systemic racism, protect immigrants and their families, and expand rights for LGBTQ+ people.

“Yesterday was an extraordinary moment. Today we begin the work of holding our national, state and local leaders accountable to deliver on this shared commitment to the people that we serve.”