Along with millions of Americans, I was moved by the historic Inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris this week.

Among other things, for the first time, children across our nation can look upon a woman, and a woman of color, serving her country in the second highest office in the land and those kids now know that their futures too are limitless.

Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, thank you for listening.

The President and Vice President assumed office during a difficult time.

The coronavirus pandemic rages on, with more Americans falling ill and more people losing their lives every day. Thousands of people are out of work through no fault of their own. Small businesses are struggling to survive. Families are wondering when help will come so that they may pay the mortgage, send their kids to school and pay for fuel and food.

President Biden spoke eloquently to the divisions that have plagued our nation and the mission he and all Americans now assume to heal the wounds of the past and address the many crises that our nation can no longer ignore, not for one minute more.

With the peaceful transfer of power we renewed our hope for a united nation, where our divisions are healed by a recognition of our common bonds and shared loved for this nation.

A nation where we are not simply Republicans or Democrats or Greens or Independents; but a nation where we are all Americans, united by our sacred freedoms, our fundamental liberties and our civic responsibilities and bound by the promise of a more perfect union.

There is hard work ahead, but as Americans, we are defined by our resiliency, our ability to rise to the challenges of our times and our commitment to creating a better, safer world for our children and for their children, regardless of the magnitude of the problems we face. Maine joins that challenge.

As Amanda Gorman, the youngest Inaugural poet in history, so powerfully put it: “We lift our gazes not to what stands between us, but what stands before us. We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another. We seek harm to none and harmony to all. Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true. That even as we grieved, we grew. That even as we hurt, we hoped.”

On behalf of the State of Maine, I have extended my sincere congratulations to President Biden and Vice President Harris.

I look forward to working with the Biden Administration to turn back the coronavirus pandemic, to get our people back to work, to strengthen our economy, and to chart a more prosperous future for all Maine families and for all Americans.

As the poet and the playwright have said, “History has its eyes on us.”

This is Governor Janet Mills. Thank you for listening.