President Joe Biden swore in hundreds of administration officials and thanked them for joining the government but warned them against disrespecting their colleagues.
During the virtual event, Biden told the new staffers on Wednesday, Biden said, âWe have to restore the soul of this country. And Iâm counting on all of you to be part of that, and itâs not hyperbole.â
He continued, âThe only thing I expect with absolute certitude is honesty and decency in the way you treat one another, the way you treat people you deal with⌠Remember, people donât work for us. We work for the people. I work for the people.â
He added that he is âhonoredâ that the appointees accepted their posts before saying, âYouâre going to work like the devil. We all do. We all work long hours.â
He also thanked their families for âthe sacrifices.â
âBut, Iâm not joking when I say this, if youâre ever working with me and I hear you treat another colleague with disrespect, talk down to someone, I promise I will fire you on the spot,â Biden said.
He added, âOn the spot, no ifs, ands or buts. Everybody, everybody is entitled to be treated with decency and dignity.â
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After administering the oath of office to the officials, Biden said, âAs my mom would say, God, love yâall. We got a lot of work to do. Thank you for being willing to join.â
Biden was sworn in as the 46th president earlier on Wednesday and has already gotten to work rolling back some of former President Donald Trumpâs policies through executive orders and implementing a mask-wearing mandate on federal property to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
While Biden is moving quickly to fulfill what campaign promises he can without legislation, he so far has just one Cabinet official who has been confirmed by the Senate.
