Presidential Documents

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


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84454 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 205 / Wednesday, October 23, 2024 / Presidential Documents 

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 fortyninth. 

[FR Doc. 2024–24760 

Filed 10–22–24; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 3395–F4–P 


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