President Joe Biden expressed his desire for international peace at the 2024 National Prayer Breakfast.
Members of Congress gather for the annual event on the first Thursday of February. The bipartisan gathering began in 1953 and was held this year, for the first time, at the National Statuary Hall.
Biden’s remarks come months into the Israel-Hamas conflict and almost two years since Russia invaded Ukraine.
“We are all blessed to live in a nation where we can practice our many faiths and practice them freely,” Biden said on Feb. 1 during his 10-minute address. He mentioned that “our prayers continue to be with the families of the three service members” who were killed during a drone attack in Jordan on Jan. 28. Over 30 other service members were injured. Biden blamed the attack on militia groups supported by Iran and promised to respond – increasing concern about rising geopolitical tensions.
“I also see the trauma, the death and destruction in Israel and Gaza,” Biden continued. “And I understand the pain and passion felt by so many here in America and around the world. We value and pray for the lives taken, for the families left behind, and for all those who are living in dire circumstances – innocent men, women and children held hostage or under bombardment or displaced not knowing where the next meal will come from or if it will come at all.”
“Not only do we pray for peace, we are actively working for peace, security and dignity for the Israeli people and the Palestinian people,” he said.
The president commended the Ukrainian people for their “incredible resolve and resilience” against Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “aggression.”
“We must continue to help them,” he told the audience. “The challenge of our times reminds us of our responsibility as a nation – to help each other just and lasting peace delivered abroad and here at home.”
The president’s closing his remarks centered around a message of unity.
“I’ve long believed that we have to look at each other – even in our most challenging times – not as enemies but as fellow Americans,” he said. “As a nation, we continue to believe in honesty, decency, dignity and respect. We see each other not as enemies, but as fellow human beings, each made in the image of God.”
When he attended the National Prayer Breakfast in 2023, Biden spoke for roughly 20 minutes.
In addition to Biden’s remarks at this year’s event, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries both read prayers from the Old Testament at the breakfast. The keynote address was delivered by Senate Chaplain Barry Black, who has held his position for over 20 years.
