It’s been a few weeks, and I’m honored to be writing to you as your president-elect.

I know that last month was not an easy one, but for so many Americans, this Thanksgiving holiday reminded us of the ideals at the core of this holiday: faith, courage, sacrifice, service to country, service to each other, and gratitude even in the face of suffering.

To those who forewent family traditions, who stayed home, and celebrated in new ways, thank you. Jill and I are thankful for your sacrifice.

And today, AJAY, I’m writing with a message of hope: help is on the way.

With Vice President-elect Kamala Harris by my side, my team and I are hard at work preparing to fight for you and your family on day one of my administration. We know there isn’t a moment to waste as we confront this pandemic and start building back better.

So AJAY, I hope you’re getting some rest over this holiday season — because we’ve got tough work ahead, and I’m going to need you by my side.

Now, I’ll get right to it. Here’s what the Biden-Harris Transition has been doing, and what we have in store ahead of January 20th.

Transition Updates

Just before Thanksgiving, I announced the core members of my national security, foreign policy, and law enforcement team. They are experienced and crisis-tested. They will keep us safe and secure. And, they are leaders who look like America and reflect my core belief that we lead not just by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.

You can click the image below to learn about this historic team. Together, we have a loud and clear message: America is back. And America is ready to lead.

But we need to act now — and we have to work together. That’s why I’ve assembled a first-rate team that will be ready on day one to pull every lever of government to help those hardest hit by COVID-19 and address the structural inequalities in our economy.

You can click the image below to meet the people who will lead the charge to get us through the economic crisis and help build our economy back better than before:

What’s Coming

We’ll continue to fight for the heroes on the front line of this crisis, like the health care workers that Jill and I were honored to speak with on Thanksgiving Day. We’re thankful every day for the nurses and firefighters who sacrifice so much to keep our communities safe. We see the very best of America in your courage and selflessness. And we’re going to fight like hell to keep you safe.

In all sincerity though, I’m assembling a team to confront the crises we face — containing this pandemic, rebuilding our economy, ending racial injustice, fighting climate change, and more — and I’m so proud that you’re a part of it.

We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, AJAY.

But these past few weeks have left me even more inspired by the American people. It’s always been a bad bet to bet against America, and that’s more true today than ever.

So AJAY, I’ll leave you with something my Dad used to say to me.

He’d say, “Joey, I don’t expect the government to solve my problems. But I expect it to understand my problems.”

We’re building a team that understands.

The Biden-Harris Administration will understand your struggles, and we’ll do our best to fix them. And together, we can begin the work to heal, unite, and rebuild our country.

And now, it’s time to get to work.

– Joe