[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 23, 2024)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 84453-84454]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24760]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 205 / Wednesday, October 23, 2024 / 
Presidential Documents

[[Page 84453]]


                Proclamation 10842 of October 18, 2024

                
National Character Counts Week, 2024

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                In the Oval Office, I sit surrounded by portraits of 
                exceptional American Presidents and busts of inspiring 
                American leaders. They remind me each and every day 
                that we are a Nation of dreamers and doers, of promise 
                and possibilities, and of ordinary Americans doing 
                extraordinary things. Above all, we are a Nation of 
                good people, who show our kindness and character 
                through small acts every single day. This National 
                Character Counts Week, we celebrate the core values of 
                decency, honesty, dignity, and equality that have long 
                defined the character of America.

                Our Nation is strong, and our future is bright--in 
                large part because of the upstanding character that 
                resides within all Americans. I have witnessed it up 
                close in educators like the First Lady, who inspire our 
                Nation's youth to reach for every possibility; mothers, 
                fathers, and parental figures who raise their children 
                with care, courage, and grit; first responders, who run 
                toward danger to protect others; union workers, who are 
                building America; and brave service members, who stand 
                on the frontlines of freedom to defend our democracy. 
                Across the country, American workers are writing the 
                greatest comeback story we have ever known--restoring 
                pride in our hometowns, pride in America, and pride in 
                knowing we can get big things done when we work 
                together.

                Since I came into office, my Administration has taken 
                large strides toward building an America that lives up 
                to those values. The American Rescue Plan helped keep 
                child care programs open, families in their homes, and 
                small businesses on their feet. We set a record for 
                Federal contract spending on small businesses. Our 
                historic investments across the clean energy economy 
                are helping to combat climate change and create good-
                paying jobs. Through the American Rescue Plan and 
                Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, we have made 
                significant investments in reducing crime, preventing 
                gun violence, and saving lives, and last year, we saw 
                one of the lowest rates of violent crime in more than 
                50 years. We are also ensuring that America is a Nation 
                where everyone is respected and where we give hate no 
                safe harbor. That is why I signed the COVID-19 Hate 
                Crimes Act, making it easier to report hate crimes, and 
                hosted the United We Stand Summit to counter the 
                corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence. My 
                Administration continues to work to counter 
                antisemitism, Islamophobia, and hate in all its forms 
                and ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and 
                respect.

                Under my Unity Agenda, we are tackling the opioid 
                epidemic and mental health crisis, holding Big Tech 
                accountable, supporting our veterans and their 
                families, and ending cancer as we know it. We are 
                investing more than $1 billion to help schools across 
                the country train and hire new mental health counselors 
                through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, we have 
                granted new disability benefits to over one million 
                veterans and their families under the PACT Act, and we 
                launched the Advanced Research Projects Agency for 
                Health to fast-track progress on how we prevent, 
                detect, and treat cancer and other diseases.

                My father taught me that our character is not measured 
                by how many times or how hard we get knocked down but 
                by how quickly we get

[[Page 84454]]

                back up. Even in the face of challenges ahead and 
                obstacles in our way, Americans always get back up. It 
                is what drives our great country forward and what makes 
                our Nation strong. This week and every week, let us 
                recommit to upholding our most essential values and 
                remember that the sacred task of perfecting our Union 
                is not just about any one of us but about ``We the 
                People.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 20 
                through October 26, 2024, as National Character Counts 
                Week. Now and throughout the year, I encourage all 
                Americans to engage in efforts that honor and express 
                the best attributes of our character, extend a hand of 
                fellowship to their neighbors, and unite in service to 
                their communities.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                eighteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                ninth.
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                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2024-24760
Filed 10-22-24; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P