In his first public statement on the newly cemented Democratic presidential ticket, President Joe Biden heaped praise both on Vice President Kamala Harris’ “first major decision” as the party’s presumptive nominee, and on Gov. Tim Walz’s pedigree as a soldier, high school teacher, U.S. representative and Minnesota governor.

“The first major decision a party nominee makes is their choice for Vice President,” Biden said Tuesday. “And Kamala Harris has made a great decision in choosing Governor Tim Walz to be her running mate.”

Biden called Walz “a strong, principled, and effective leader,” and noted that he came to Washington as the highest-ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress.

“The Harris-Walz ticket will be a powerful voice for working people and America’s great middle class,” Biden said. “They will be the strongest defenders of our personal freedoms and our democracy. And they will ensure that America continues to lead the world and play its role as the indispensable nation.”

The president also called on “all Democrats ― and indeed all Americans ― committed to freedom, democracy, and American leadership in the world” to rally behind the ticket.

“Every generation of Americans faces a moment where they are asked to defend American democracy,” he wrote. “That moment is now.”