Remarks by the Second Gentleman at the Miami Open in in Miami Gardens, Florida

[As prepared for delivery]

SECOND GENTLEMAN DOUGLAS EMHOFF: Good morning, everyone.

James, I'm a big fan. Thank you for your leadership on and off the court. You've inspired so many athletes, and you've helped shape the Miami Open into the elite competition it is today.

It's great to be back in Florida and here at the Miami Open.

Tennis was a big part of my own childhood. I grew up in a tennis family in the 70s. I played in the junior circuit and then in high school. It's something I love very much.

As Second Gentleman, I've been honored to engage in sports diplomacy and meet athletes all over the world. I led the Presidential Delegation to the Women's World Cup in New Zealand, met amazing NBA and WNBA players at All-Star Weekend in Indiana, and most recently hosted a roundtable on equal pay ahead of the National Women's Soccer League Challenge Cup.

Sports play a unique and critical role in uniting our country and our world. They have the ability to bring people together and encourage us to live active and healthy lives.

Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, our administration is working to build a healthier future for all Americans.

In 2022, President Biden hosted the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in 50 years. It was long overdue.

At that conference, we brought together Americans from across the country and worked to enact 60 public and private commitments, totaling over $8 billion, to fight hunger and diet-related diseases.

President Biden also announced the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.

The strategy outlines an ambitious goal to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases by 2030, and importantly, close disparities among the most impacted communities.

We know we can't do this work alone. We need support from the public and private sectors to keep the momentum going, which is why we're here today.

Last year, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities: a nationwide call-to-action to inspire stakeholders across the country to make bold commitments.

Since the Challenge began, we've received more than 140 external commitments, totaling nearly $1.7 billion, from a wide range of partners.

In February, I was proud to announce one of these new commitments: a partnership between the sports leagues, players associations, and the President's Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition to boost physical activity and increase nutrition programming across the country.

And today, I'm honored to share that the United States Tennis Association is the newest sports association, and the first racquet sport, to join this historic partnership.

As part of this commitment, the USTA will work with the President's Council to: promote wellness by growing the game of tennis and making it more accessible to all; host public events that focus on nutrition and exercise during local league play, National Tennis month, and at tournaments and matches; and develop programming that teaches healthy eating and exercise habits to students, athletes, and other communities.

By promoting healthy lifestyles to the millions of people who engage with tennis every year, the USTA will make a positive impact on the physical and mental health of people across the nation.

This partnership will make a real difference in real lives. Thank you to the USTA for your dedication to this critical work.

With your help, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the entire Biden-Harris Administration will continue to make progress in the fight to end hunger and build healthy communities in America.

Now, I'd like to pass it over to Dr. Brian Hainline, Chairman of the Board and President of the United States Tennis Association.