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East Room

10:09 A.M. EST

THE FIRST LADY:  Hello.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)  Hey, Kate.  Hey, Randi.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Hello!  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you very much.  Please be seated.  (Applause.)

Well, Joe, that started our day off right, didn’t it?  (Laughter.)

So, welcome to the White House.

Several years ago, a student of mine came running into my classroom and breathlessly said that she had seen me on TV.  (Laughter.)  She had said, “Mom!  Mom!  That’s my English teacher!”  And her mother said, “That’s not your English teacher.  That’s the second lady.”

So, when Joe was elected as vice president, people assumed that I would stop teaching.  But, you know, I just couldn’t give it up.  I am first, foremost, and forever a teacher.  (Applause.)  So, I — I did both: Wh- — the White House and teaching.

In the morning, I’d stand in front of my community college students for th- — (applause) — (laughs) — for — for their 8:00 a.m. English comp class.  Actually, I’m still doing it.  (Laughter.)  And by — and by the evening, I was at a White House state dinner or boarding Air Force Two.  

Then, one day in 2010, some White House advisers were trying to figure to — out and determine, you know, who could highlight the role of community colleges in our economy.  Then someone had this revelation — you know, so- — (laugher) — “Wait, doesn’t the second lady work at a community college?”  (Laughter.)

So, this might be surprising, but I think I had gotten so good at stitching t- — the two worlds together, and sort of hiding the seams, that I never considered using my experience to become an advocate.  But I said yes. 

And at the time, I called community colleges America’s best-kept secret.  And I knew that they deserved to be seen and celebrated and championed at every level of government. 

And Joe knows this too.  So, when he became president, Joe put community colleges front and center in his workforce strategy.  (Applause.) 

And from day one as first lady, I knew that community colleges would be a priority for me.  So, part of that means pushing to make them tuition free.  And — (applause).   

So, I’ve been so proud to work alongside dedicated leaders like my friend Martha Kanter — (applause) — where’s Martha? —  Walter Bumphus, and Jee Hāng Lee, who have put — who have been dedicated partners in this work.

So, today, less than a decade after we launched the effort to make cuni- — community college free, 34 states — plus Washington, D.C. — and counting offer tuition-free community college and job training programs.  (Applause.) 

We came close to making community college free for everyone across the country, but a few senators — I’m not going to name them — (laughter) — blocked our way.  But that wasn’t the end.  This movement continues to gain momentum.  We must keep fighting for free community college.  (Applause.) 

As first lady, I’ve also focused on strengthening the pathways between classrooms and careers.  Nearly — and you probably all know this — but nearly 60 percent of graduating high school students don’t go directly to a four-year degree.  We know that — 6 out of every 10 students.  Some will start working.  Some will go to community college or technical colleges.  Some won’t even know what they want to do next. 

So, we continue to keep transforming education to bridge the gap between what students learn and the careers that they can enter. 

We’ve had amazing partners in high schools across the country and in advocates like Becky Pringle and Randi Weingarten.  (Applause.)

Together, we’re making sure that high school graduation isn’t a s- — y- — a sudden halt in a student’s education but rather like the seamless step forward, whether that’s on a college campus, a registered apprenticeship, or another career opportunity.  And we’ve partnered with the leaders of unions and businesses and school districts, colleges, and universities and — to match what — local employers and the workers that they need. 

And that’s what we’ve ab- — been able to do with our Investing in America Workforce Hubs.  And it’s a model that communities across the country can replicate.

Community colleges are no longer America’s best-kept secret.  Thanks to the progress of Joe’s administration and what they’ve created, we’re on our way to making them America’s best-kept promise.  Thank you.  (Applause.) 

But there’s more ground to cover, and it will take all of us to get there.  If we work together, we can build a future where more high school students will graduate with credits and skills that they can apply to their future careers, where community college is free for every student in every state of America, and where all students have a clear pathway to jobs that pay well right in the communities where they grew up.

This semester is coming to a close.  My students are starting to write their last assignments, and they’re signing up for new classes, or some are going to graduate. 

Joe and I are also preparing for what’s coming next.  (Laughter.) 

(The president makes the sign of the cross.)  (Laughter and applause.) 

It has been the honor of our lives to serve in the White House and to work alongside, really, all of you in this room.  So, as you keep pushing forward to make our country shine with opportunity, know that you will always have a partner in us. 

And now, I’d like to introduce a longtime champion of our nation’s students.  Not only has Joe always supported my career as an educator, but as president, he wakes up every day with a mission to lift up all Americans through the endless possibility of education. 

Please welcome your president, my husband and hero, Joe Biden.  (Applause.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  Thank all of you.  (Applause.)  Please. 

I’m Joe Biden.  I’m Jill Biden’s husband.  (Laughter.)  And you can see she doesn’t have any strong notions or ideas.  (Laughter.)

You know, teaching is not what Jill does; it’s who she is — and I mean that — like many of you teachers.  It’s — it’s just built in her DNA.  She was surprised when we got elected vice president, and she said she wanted to keep teaching.  I said, “Of course.”  She looked at me like, “Really?  You’re going to do that?”  And we did it. 

But the point is that this is a passion.  It’s a passion for Jill.  And the way I look at it is it’s a simple proposition: How can we be the greatest nation in the world and not have the best education system in the world?  (Applause.)  No, I mean it.  Think about it.  It’s pretty straightforward.

So, I’m honored to host this White House Classroom of [to] Career Summit.  

Look, 15 years ago, when Jill hosted the first one during our vice presidency, to state the obvious, as I said, what Jill is — for Jill, being an educator is just what she is.  Period.  And I believe the work she’s done to connect students and good-paying jobs will prove one of the most important efforts of our presidency, and I mean it.

Look, that’s why we’re all here today.  And I want to thank Congressman Norcross of New Jersey.  I keep reminding — my Jersey guys, we do really well in Jersey.  Jill is a Jersey girl, born and raised.  (Laughter.)  And I tell him, though, there was actually a case a long time ago.  Delaware is the second smallest state in the nation, and we own the Delaware River up to the high-water mark in New Jersey.  (Laughter.)  It was a Supreme Court decision, for real.  And so, I’m — I just want you to know.  That’s why we’re so close.  (Laughter.)  You just step off of — (laughs) — anyway.  (Laughter.)  You’re a good man, pal.  You really are.

And to members of my Cabinet who are here, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you — and leaders of business, education, unions, philanthropy, nonprofits, and more, you know, for being here and for your leadership.  And I mean it sincerely.

You know, when we came into office, the pandemic was raging and the economy was reeling.  And from day one, I was determined not only to vaccinate the nation, to deliver immediate economic relief for the folks who needed it the most, but I also determined to transform the way our economy works for everyone, to write a new economic playbook — and I mean it sincerely — a new economic playbook from — build the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, not from the top down. 

My dad used to have an expression.  He’d say, “You know, Joey, when you talk about trickle-down economics, not a whole hell of a lot trickles down on our kitchen table.”

Well, when we do that, the poor have a ladder up and the middle class do well, and the wealthy still will be able to do very well.  And we all do well.

It’s a playbook based on a value set that my dad taught me.  He used to say — and I mean this sincerely — “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck.  It’s about your dignity.  It’s about your place in the community.  It’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, it’s going to be okay,’ and mean it — and mean it.”  It matters. 

Well, not everyone has felt the progress, because it takes time.  We’ve emerged from a crisis.  We have the strongest economy in the world.  More to — much more to do.  Working families and the middle class are — are the center of a strong, equitable, and sustainable recovery. 

And the big reason why is that I call the Investing in American agenda.  You know, it’s a page from our economic playbook that invests in all of America and all Americans, creating pathways for millions of good-paying jobs being created in our economy. 

You know, the key pieces of the Investing in America include historic laws that I’ve signed, historic investments in modernizing our roads and bridges, our ports, airports, public transit. 

We’re — we’re replacing poisonous lead pipes.  We’re delivering clean water to every American.  It’s taking time — it’s going to, but it’s t- — beginning.  It’s real.  It’s there. 

We’re delivering affordable, high-speed Internet and so much more. 

Roosevelt talked about the need to electrify America during that (inaudible).  Well, how can — how can you have access to being able to participate in everything — in fact, you don’t have access to affordable Internet?  You don’t have access to — anyway.  Don’t get me going.  (Laughter.) 

But — but, look, we’re also making sure that the supply chain — I don’t think Americans heard much about supply chains before we came to office — (applause) — but the supply chain st- — starts in America.  We can no longer — for the longest time — for the longest time, corporate America decided to export the jobs because of cheaper labor and import the product.  Well, not us.  We’ve changed that dynamic. 

For example, semiconductors — those little computer chips, smaller than the tip of my little finger, you know, they power everything from our smartphones to automobiles to weapon systems.  America invented those chips.  We, in the United States, invented them.  We modernized them.  We did all the work on it, but we stopped making them.  We used to have over 40 percent of the market, and we got down to virtually none of it. 

But not anymore.  Today, we’re making once-in-a-generation investments in American science and innovation that are building chip factories all across America, and they’re going to be creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs — and that’s not hyperbole.  But it takes time to build them. 

The one thing we — you know, I was all excited about how much we’ve invested and how much is g- — coming, but it’s taken time.  You have to build those so-called fabs.  These, quote, “fabs” — these factories to build these things are as long — as big as football fields.  And guess what?  They pay about an average of $105,000 a year, and you don’t need a college degree to get there.  And that doesn’t even count the tens of billions of dollars being spent to build these facilities and attract other businesses. 

And I signed the most significant climate law ever in American history but — in the history of the world.  (Applause.)

The congressman will tell you, we were told we couldn’t get it done, but we got it done.  We got it done. 

And, you know, it’s leading us into a clean energy future with even more good-paying clean energy jobs and American workers.

As a result of these laws and other things we’ve done — I won’t take all your time, but the key actions — the end result is: We’ve created, in the four years we’ve been — almost four years we’ve been here, we’ve created 16 million new jobs — brand-new jobs — since I took office — (applause) — and in — the most in any single U.S. presidential term.

Inflation is at 2.6 percent — close to the pre-pandemic rate. 

Unemployment is down to 4.1 percent — longest stretch for a long, long time, that low.

Despite the critics saying we had to lower ambitions to get the economy going, we’ve attracted off the sidelines from private enterprise over $1 trillion — $1 trillion in private investment in clean energy and manufacturing that are creating good-paying jobs and building factories here in America, where they belong.

Now, all this historic investment is happening in every part of the country.  You know, you may re- — recall saying, “I’m a president for all Americans no matter who they voted for.”  Well, keeping that commitment, the majority of the investments are actually in red states, not blue states, because they got hurt the most by the policies early on — all those factories shutting down. 

How many times did you come from places where you’d have, “Mom and my grandpop and grandmom worked in that factory, and my mom and dad worked there, my — but I got to move, Mom, because there’s no job.  The factory is gone”?  They got hurt very badly.  It takes away the soul of the — of community.

And we’re making sure these Americans have access to good-paying jobs that are being created. 

“Buy America” has been the law of the land since the ‘30s, which hardly anybody knew, hardly anybody paid attention to. 

When Franklin Roosevelt was trying to make it fair for i- — for unions to be able to organize so the business couldn’t just crush them because they started, there was a provision in the law in the early ‘30s that said when a president is authorized by Congress to spend money on a project, he has to do it — two things: He has to use that money to hire American workers, and he has to use American products.  Well, this administration — past administrations failed to do that.  Like I said, so much was exported overseas.  Well, not — not on my watch. 

My administration buys American.  We’re making sure the federal projects we’re building — roads, bridges, highways, and more — are getting made with American products, built by American workers, and creating good-paying American jobs — jobs that don’t require a four-year college degree, jobs you can raise a family on.  In fact, my administration is requiring many of these kinds of projects to pay what — a union wage called a Davis-Bacon prevailing wage. 

We’re expanding registered apprenticeships, resulting in hiring more than 1 million apprentices since we’ve come into office.  Remember, business came along and said, “We’ll do the apprenticeships.”  (Laughs.)  Yeah, right.  (Laughter.)  Well, guess what?  They’re not.

A lot of folks don’t realize that an apprenticeship is like earning a college degree.  You know, you spend up to four, five years training — wh- — you get paid while you’re doing it — to learn a trade to lead you to a good-paying job, like going to school before you can be registered in that particular expertise.  They’re among the best workers in the world. 

Today, I’m proud to announce that for the first time ever, the number of women in apprenticeships has reached 100,000 — (applause) — 100,000 — three times the number from a decade ago. 

When I took office, not a single state had a registered apprenticeship program for teachers.  Today, 46 states, plus Puerto Rico and D.C., have launched registered apprenticeship programs for teachers.  (Applause.)

Some will say I did that because I feared for my life, but — (laughter) — but not true.  I wanted to do it anyway.  (Laughter.)

I’m also proud to announce that we’ve committed more than $80 billion — $80 billion — toward strengthening and expanding our workforce. 

As Jill just described, that includes supporting free community college programs so students and workers can train for good jobs without the burden of student debt. 

It also described what we launched — the Workforce Hubs, where we collaborate with local leaders, community colleges, unions, local businesses to train and connect Americans to good-paying jobs.  And it’s good for students and workers.  It grows the economy for everyone. 

I know I’m listed as the most pro-union president in American history.  I’m very proud of that.  But guess what?  (Applause.)  Guess what, folks?  Business is now acknowledging tha- — it helps them too.

I had Treasury Department do a study: What’s the effect of focusing on unions?  Everybody — everybody’s standard of living is raised — everybody’s. 

We’ve also — really proud to have launched the American Climate Corps, you know, patterned after the Peace Corps and the AmericaCorps [AmeriCorps], to put tens of thousands of young people on a path to good-paying clean energy apprenticeships and jobs.  That’s the future.  

And with the support of the private sector, we’re also bringing business into the high schools so younger students can learn about and train for good-paying jobs, including those that that don’t require a four-year degree, as Jill pointed out. 

There’s so much more that you’ll learn about at today’s summit.  And you — many of you will bring more information as well.  But, look, it really matters. 

Let me close with this.  You heard Jill speak about incredible students.  Well, joining us today is another American worker who embodies the incredible character that we see all over the country: Maurice Bogard, Jr. — Maurice, I’m going to ask you to come up here in a second — a father of two young children, one of whom I work for.  (Laughter.) 

He — he’s going to actually come up?  (Applause.)

(Mr. Bogard and two children join the president on stage.)  (Applause.)

Now, look, Maurice is from Cleveland, Ohio.  From the day his children were born, he had a survival mindset to do whatever he could to improve the positive cir- — circumstances for his family: 12-to-16-hour days at multiple jobs, even working out of town for months at a time just to get by, just — it meant fewer hours with his children, as well, and his family. 

Last year, his sister, who is also with him today — sis, stand up — (applause) — every man like me needs a strong sister — (laughter) — I have one — sent him to a link to a — about a pre-apprentice program where you can learn a trade, funded by my American Re- — by the American Rescue Plan that I signed into law as soon as I came to office.  Well, Maurice signed up.  Within hours, he had an appointment.  He soon started a four-week training program to connect him with his local IBEW, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. 

Today, he’s on his way to becoming a journeyman electrician, working — (applause) — working at the stadium of his hometown baseball team, the Cleveland Guardians.  (Laughter).

MR. BOGARD:  Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT:  A good-paying job with good hours, good benefits, and a lifelong career and a sense of dignity and pride to be the father he always wanted to be.

MR. BOGARD:  Yes, sir.

THE PRESIDENT:  And it’s not just him.  Millions of workers and families have more opportunity today than they did four years ago in an economy — economy that’s growing from the middle out and bottom up. 

(Addressing Mr. Bogard.)  You — he can — put him down.  He can do whatever he wants.  (Laughter.)

(Addressing child.)  All you got to do — look, you can do anything you want, pal.  (Laughter.)  Okay?  You want to make a speech later, you can.  All right?  (Laughter.)  All right. 

An economy where everyone has a fair shot, we leave nobody behind, and invest in America and all Americans — that’s what we’ve done together by reminding ourselves who we are. 

For Lord’s sake, we’re the United States of America.  There is nothing — I mean this from the bottom of my heart — there’s nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.  And there’s no b- — group I’d rather be doing it with than all of you.

So, God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

10:33 A.M. EST

The post Remarks by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the Classroom to Career Summit appeared first on The White House.

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:49 P.M. EST

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everyone.

Q Good afternoon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, okay. (Laughter.) I’m excited to see you all too.

Okay. So, today, President Biden met with President-elect Trump for approximately two hours in the Oval Office. White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles joined the meeting.

It was substantive meeting and exchange of views.

They discussed important national security and domestic policy issues facing the nation and the world.

President Biden also raised important items on Congress’s to-do list for the lame-duck session, including funding the government and providing the disaster supplemental funding the president requested.

Finally, the president rei- — reiterated what he said to the president-elect the day after the election and to the American people in the Rose Garden just last week: We will have an orderly transition and a peaceful transition of power.

With that, as you can see, I have the national security advisor with me, Jake Sullivan, who is going to preview APEC in Peru and also G20 in Brazil. The president is going to be leaving tomorrow, as you all know.

And, Jake, the floor is yours.

MR. SULLIVAN: Thanks, Karine. And hi, everybody. I’m going to make some brief comments about the president’s trip that he leaves on tomorrow, answer a few questions, because I know the issue you are most interested in is hearing from Karine about the meeting, so I will not dally too long up here. But I think it is important to lay out the president’s trip here over the next several days.

Tomorrow, he travels to South America. His first stop will be Peru for the APEC Summit — the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit — and then he’ll go on to Brazil for the first-ever presidential trip to the Amazon and then to the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

At APEC, the president will reinforce America’s leading role in the Indo-Pacific. And over the last four years, he has markedly enhanced our strategic position in this vital region, from our treaty alliances to AUKUS to the Quad to the historic trilateral with Japan and Korea.

And with respect to that trilateral, he will meet with President Yoon of South Korea and Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan to celebrate the historic cooperation between our three nations and discuss the importance of institutionalizing the progress we’ve made so that it carries forward through the transition.

While in Lima, President Biden will also meet with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. This will be the third in-person meeting between the two leaders since President Biden came into office and their final meeting as presidents. They previously met, as you know, in Bali in 2022 at the G20 Summit and at Woodside, California, near San Francisco in 2023 on the margins of APEC Summit, which was exactly one year and one day ago.

And throughout his time in office, President Biden and his team have worked to effectively and responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the PRC.

The president’s approach on the PRC has prioritized investments in sources of American strength at home, including growing the middle class and ensuring that America maintains its industrial capacity and its innovation edge in fields such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

He has strengthened our alliances around the world and especially in the Indo-Pacific, he has boosted American deterrence, and he’s ensured that America remains the partner of choice for countries both in the region and across the world.

The president has also taken commonsense measures to advance our national — national security and protect our most sensitive technologies to prevent them from being exploited or used against us by the PRC, including through significant new export control measures.

At the same time, the president has demonstrated that the U.S. and the PRC can manage our differences and prevent competition from veering into conflict or confrontation, and he has done that by ensuring the maintenance of open lines of communication at the leader level, at the military-to-military level, and at every level of our respective governments. And we’ve also worked to advance cooperation where our interests align, including on counternarcotics and climate change, which is what the people of our two countries expect and what the world expects.

And this meeting between President Biden and President Xi will be an opportunity to ensure a smooth transition and also to continue to keep those channels of communication open, including those especially critical military-to-military channels of communication.

Of course, in Lima, President Biden will also meet President Boluarte of Peru to mark the strength and durability of our bilateral relationship with Peru.

After that, the president will travel to Brazil, and he’ll start with a historic stop in the Amazon to underscore his personal commitment and America’s continuing commitment at all levels of government and across our private sector and civil society to combat climate change at home and abroad. And this has been, obviously, one of the defining causes of President Biden’s presidency.

While in Manaus, in the Amazon, President Biden will visit the rainforest, engage with local leaders who are working to preserve and protect this critical ecosystem. And as I noted, this will be the first-ever visit of a sitting U.S. president to the Amazon.

President Biden will then travel to Rio de Janeiro to par- — participate in his fourth and final G20 Leaders’ Summit.

High on the agenda there will be issues associated with debt sustainability for low- and middle-income countries; mobilizing finance for infrastructure — physical, digital, energy infrastructure around the world; and also dealing, obviously, with the major geopolitical issues of the day, from Ukraine to the Middle East.

As you all know, the G20 is a unique forum. It includes both our closest allies and partners as well as our adversaries, and pulling this group together around shared challenges is never easy, but we do expect to make some progress, particularly around debt and finance, during our time in Rio.

The president, of course, will also meet with President Lula of Brazil. The two leaders have really built a strong, productive relationship over the last four years, and they’re looking forward to have their final meeting together as presidents as well.

So, we’ve got a busy week ahead of us.

And with that, as I said, I’ll take a few questions and then turn it back over to Karine.

Yeah.

Q Thanks again for doing this, Jake. In the run-up to the election, President Biden warned that allies were worried about America’s commitment to the world. What’s his message to those allies after this election?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, he is going to have the same message that he’s had for four years as president, which is that he believes that America’s allies are vital to America’s national security. They make us stronger. They multiply our capability. They take a burden off of our shoulders. They contribute to our common causes, including the cause of standing up for freedom and territorial integrity in Ukraine.

And as I noted in my opening comments, when he goes to this Asia-Pacific summit in Peru, he’ll go with our alliances in the Indo-Pacific at a literal all-time high — Japan, Korea, Australia, the Philippines — a really remarkable record over four years. And that’s what he’s going to hand off to President Trump.

And he is going to be making the case to our allies and, frankly, to our adversaries that America is standing with its alliances, investing in its alliances. And then asking its allies to step up and do their part, which they have done these past four years, is central to American strength and capacity in the world.

That will be his message. It’s a message of principle. It’s a message of practicality. And it’s been one of the causes of President Biden’s life.

Yeah.

Q Karine said national security obviously came up in the meeting today. You’ve suggested that the president would make the case to the president-elect not to walk away from Ukraine. Was that message conveyed? How was — it was — how was it received?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, I’ll let Karine speak to what happened in the meeting. I will only note that President Biden reinforced his view that the United States standing with Ukraine on an ongoing basis is in our national security interest. And it’s in our national security interest because a strong Europe, a stable Europe, standing up to aggressors and dictators and pushing back against their aggression is vital to ensuring that we don’t end up getting dragged directly into a war, which has happened, obviously, twice in the 20th century on the European continent.

So, the president has made this case. He’ll continue to make this case both privately and publicly. And he will make the case that our investment in Ukraine, the — the funds that the Congress has appropriated, these aren’t just dollars that we’re picking up and shipping over to another country. They’re dollars we’re investing here in the United States in American jobs, producing American weapons that we send to Ukraine and American weapons that we are building to expand our own industrial base and our own military capacity to deter other adversaries all around the world.

So, he laid this out. He will continue to make this case as we go forward. And as we go through this transition, it will be our responsibility as the national security team to lay out for the incoming team both what we see and a — you know, in terms of the current situation — and how we believe that the United States of America, through this transition and beyond, can put Ukraine in the strongest possible position on the battlefield so that it’s in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table for an ultimate deal.

Yeah.

Q The families of the American hostages who are held in Gaza are going to meet with President Biden today. We’ve heard from the families that they would like to see the Biden administration and the incoming Trump administration work together to try to secure the release of these hostages.

Do you see any room for cooperation or coordination between your team, the president’s team, and Trump’s team to try to get a deal before Biden leaves office?

MR. SULLIVAN: I met with the hostages myself yesterday, and, as you noted, President Biden will meet with the — the families of the hostages yesterday, and President Biden will meet with them very shortly. And they asked me this question, and I was very simple and emphatic with them: Yes, of course, we’re prepared to work with the incoming team in common cause on a bipartisan basis to do everything in our collective American power to secure the release of the hostages, both living and deceased.

So, we are open to have that engagement, have that collaboration, and we will continue to work in every remaining day that President Biden has in office, that we have in these jobs to try to bring those — those hostages home to their loved ones.

Yeah.

Q Just to clarify real quick, though. There’s been no discussion yet with the Trump team about doing that?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, I will say that this is a topic — obviously, the American hostages being held in Gaza — that President Biden and President Trump covered today, but we have not had the opportunity to engage with the incoming team yet.

I — I’m only expressing, standing here today, as I did to the hostage families yesterday, we are very much willing to do so. And we’ve sent a signal to the incoming team that we’re prepared to work with them on this issue, as with every other issue, because President Biden’s cardinal direction to us is ensure a smooth and orderly transition.

Q O- — on that, are you finding the Israelis as responsive to the Biden administration inquiries or requests, given that we know the prime minister is in pretty frequent touch with the president-elect?

MR. SULLIVAN: I had the opportunity to sit down yesterday with the Israeli minister of strategic affairs, Ron Dermer. We had a detailed discussion about every element of the current situation in the Middle East, and it was a constructive discussion. We are still actively working in support of our common efforts to push back against our common adversaries, to try to deal with the situation in Gaza, in Lebanon, and directly with respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

And just to give you an example, we are working on an ongoing, daily basis to try to increase the amount of humanitarian assistance getting into Gaza, giving the suffering of the innocent civilians there who are trapped amidst the crossfire between the IDF and — and the terrorist group Hamas. We have made some progress in that regard. I — we extracted further commitments from the Israeli side over the course of the past couple of days. We want to see those commitments followed through on.

So, we believe that we can continue to work across the board on all of the relevant issues, whether it’s humanitarian assistance or it’s ensuring the defense of Israel against Iranian attacks or it’s working on ceasefire efforts and — and a hostage deal in Gaza or it’s ultimately bringing a diplomatic resolution to Lebanon, which we’re actively working on. We’ll continue to do that every day that we have remaining in office.

Yeah.

Q Jake, I know you can’t speak to what happened in this — in the meeting earlier. We’ll ask Karine about that. But eight years ago, then-President Obama explicitly warned incoming-President Donald Trump about the urgent threat posed by North Korea. He said it was the most urgent national security threat the U.S. was facing at the time.

What would you communicate to your national security advisor peer, who is going to be following you in this job? What is the most urgent national security threat facing the United States today, as Donald Trump prepares to take office?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, I would say two things in answer to that question. The first is that if you look out at a strategic level, the competition with the People’s Republic of China is going to be defining for what the world looks like over the course of the next 10, 20, and 30 years, and so that has got to be a paramount priority for the incoming administration.

And the person who’s been named as my successor, the person who’s been floated as the secretary of State, these are people who have very much focused on that challenge, and we’ll look forward to talking to them about how we’ve approached it and obviously pass on the current state of play.

Then there’s the most immediate issue, which is Iran and its proxy groups continue to take actions that directly threaten Americans and American interests in the Middle East, and that has to be dealt with on an urgent basis.

Now, that’s at the macro level and the micro level. In between those two, you have an ongoing war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine representing a larger threat to European security and, therefore, global security. And you’ve got North Korea coming behind to provide troops in that war.

So, these are all issues for which we have clear approaches, working in coordination with allies and partners, and we are going to try to ensure that we pass off each of these areas to the next team in a way that is as smooth as possible.

Q Last time Donald —

MR. SULLIVAN: Yeah.

Q Last time he was going to — just to follow up quickly. Last time, in that same meeting, Obama told Trump that he had real concerns about the hiring of a national security advisor, Mike Flynn. Donald Trump ultimately hired Mike Flynn. Do you have any concerns about the names that you have heard mentioned so far and announced so far by Donald Trump to serve in his administration in a national security role?

MR. SULLIVAN: I know some of them. I’ve engaged with some of them. And — and people like, for example, Congressman Waltz, who’s been named to be my replacement, he’s somebody that I have engaged with in the past. I respect his service to this country in uniform. He’s put his life on the line. I respect his service in Congress.

He and I obviously don’t see eye to eye on every issue, but I am very much looking forward to engaging him over these next 60 days, as I said, so that we can have this smooth handoff.

There are other people that he’s named who I just don’t know, I haven’t met, and therefore can’t comment on.

Q Thank you.

MR. SULLIVAN: Yeah.

Q So, you — you talk about wanting to engage, wanting to smooth this transition. Why hasn’t it happened yet? Is there — is the signing of the MOUs an actual issue that is preventing you from coordinating with the Trump — incoming Trump team?

MR. SULLIVAN: So, I’ll defer to Karine to kind of go into the nitty-gritty. What I’ll say at a broad level, though, is the MOU creates the opening for the landing teams to arrive at the agencies, to include the NSC.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t reach out and get — you know, and express our willingness to engage with our counterparts — our incoming counterparts. We’ve done that. And so, I expect that in a matter of days here, we should be able to have some engagement.

Of course, that depends on whether the incoming team wants to engage, and — and that will be up to them.

But for our part, we are more than willing to do what is our responsibility as directed by the president and, frankly, as dictated by the Constitution, which is to ensure the peaceful transition of power.

Yeah.

Q I just have a China-related question as well. You know, the — the Biden administration largely left in place the Trump-era tariffs on China. The policy hasn’t been — towards China, it hasn’t been wildly divergent. Do you see the potential for bipartisan agreement on the relationship with China in the next administration or going forward?

MR. SULLIVAN: I think for us to succeed in the long-term competition with the PRC, it will require a bipartisan foundation. The best traditions of American foreign policy have always had a bipartisan element. And many aspects of the policy that we have pursued in this administration, with respect to the PRC and with respect to the Indo-Pacific, have been bipartisan.

By the way, the same thing is true with respect to Ukraine, where there has been strong bipartisan support and votes in both the House and the Senate for the resources and the strategy for Ukraine.

So, from our perspective, we would like to see that continue. Now, obviously, we don’t know what the incoming team is going to do, how divergent they will be. Those will be decisions they take. Not for me to comment on.

All I can say is that when it comes to investing in our alliances, the sources of strength at home, the protections of our advanced technologies, these are things we’re going to advocate continue because we think that they are not political issues. They’re American issues that can serve all of the people of this country.

Yeah.

Q Thanks, Jake. Will the president raise this alleged hack by a Chinese hacking group when he meets with President Xi, and are you planning any kind of consequences for that hack?

MR. SULLIVAN: It is a significant issue. I expect that the FBI and CISA will have an update in terms of their investigation, which is ongoing into the hack, soon. We here at the White House have stood up at the — at the NSC what’s called the UCG, a Unified Coordinating Group, in order to coordinate the entire U.S. government to be able to deal with this hack, which is a hack of private telecommunications providers, but private telecommunications providers that provide services to U.S. government personnel, among others. So, you will hear from the FBI and CISA on that.

I do expect this will come up in the meeting in Peru.

And I’m not going to speak to consequences from this podium. I will only say that we have made clear over time that we will respond when we see actions taken, in terms of cyberattacks, cyber espionage, cyber intrusions. That has been a feature of our policy to date. It will remain a feature of our policy going forward.

I’ll take just a couple more and then let Karine take over.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Jake. Can you give us a sense of what else President Biden said to President Trump about Russia in their meeting?

And also, with regard to China, will he pass on any tips or color from his meeting with President Trump to President Xi when they meet? And what will his message be to — to President Xi?

MR. SULLIVAN: I’ve already mildly violated the not reading out the meeting proviso. (Laughter.) So, I will pass that off to —

Q Keep going.

Q Not a problem with that here.

MR. SULLIVAN: — I will pass that off to Karine. Mild — mild violations.

But with respect to his meeting with President Xi, I don’t expect him to pass messages. Obviously, President Trump, when he comes into office, will have his opportunity to engage directly with President Xi.

But I will observe that transitions are uniquely consequential moments in geopolitics. They’re a time when competitors and adversaries can see possibly opportunity, because you have this — this change in government here.

And so, part of what President Biden will communicate is that we need to maintain stability, clarity, predictability through this transition between the United States and China.

And he will also really reinforce the point that in order for us to manage this competition responsibly going forward, we have to sustain, over the long term, the channels of communication at every level, particularly the military-to-military level.

And then, of course, he will look to try to consolidate progress on areas where we can work together, for example, on counternarcotics and fentanyl coordination, and on trying to manage the safety risks associated with artificial intelligence.

So, it’s an important meeting. It will not be just a valedictory. Although there will be an element of reflecting over the course of their long relationship, there is actual work to do in this critical moment between the U.S. and China to ensure that we don’t run into any problems in the next two months in this transition of power.

Last question.

Q Can you sort of explain the strategy for the remaining drawdown authority for Ukraine, and also, if the administration is going to ask for any additional drawdown authority in like an end-of-the-year CR or spending plan?

MR. SULLIVAN: So, the president has made clear and he has directed his team to ensure that every dollar that the Congress gave to him, authorized him to spend, he will spend on behalf of Ukraine before he leaves office.

Now, again, these are not dollars he is putting on an airplane and flying across the ocean. These are dollars he is investing in the American defense industrial base. As we provide weapons to Ukraine, we make new weapons to give to the U.S. military.

All of those dollars will be spent, will be obligated by the time he leaves office on January 20th.

Therefore, it only stands to reason that in the next two months, the administration will signal to Congress that we would like to see additional funds for Ukraine for 2025 so that they can be in the best possible position, the strongest possible position to negotiate, to ensure they achieve their objectives, that they win at the negotiating table.

Now, what form will that take — CR, et cetera — I’m going to not get myself in trouble by turning into the OMB director up here. I will just say that the administration very much sees the necessity and the logic of seeking additional resources for 2025 since we are doing what Congress asked us to do, which is dispersing the funds they gave us for 2024.

And with that, I’ll turn it over to Karine.

(Cross-talk.)

Q Jake, on the Amazon trip —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you, Jake.

Q Congrats on becoming a congressional spouse. (Laughter.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I just have one more thing, and then I’ll go into your questions.

So, today, the president and the first lady welcomed nearly 200 education and workforce leaders to the White House for the Biden-Harris administration’s Classroom [to] Career Summit.

The administration’s Investing in America agenda is creating millions of good-paying jobs, many of which do not require a four-year college degree. And its investments will continue to drive job creation for years to come.

The summit highlighted the record progress to expand career pathways to these good-paying jobs in infrastructure, clean energy, ad- — advanced manufacturing, and so much more.

With that, Josh, it’s good to see you, as always.

Q Goo- — good to see you, Karine. Regarding the meeting.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. (Laughter.)

Q President Biden has given a lot of statements about his concern for the U.S. democracy. Did he share any of those concerns with President-elect Trump in their meeting about what he feels should be done or needs to be done?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I’m not going to go into granular detail of what was discussed in — in the meeting.

What I can say: that it was indeed very cordial, very gracious, and substantive. And I mentioned at the top, national security was discussed. Domestic polishy — policy issues were discussed.

I had an opportunity to speak with the president in the Oval Office right before coming out to do this press briefing, because I wanted to make sure that I got what the president wanted to share with all of you, so certainly that everything that I’m saying is — is sanctioned, if you will, by the president.

He wanted you all to know that the president-elect, again, was gracious, came with a detailed set of questions. It was, again, substantive.

But I do want to take a little bit of a step back here, because it’s really important to note, and you hear — you’re going to hear me continuing to say this over and over again: the importance of having a smooth transition, an importance of having an orderly transition.

The president respects the will of the — the American people and wants to make sure that occurs. That is what he believes the American people deserve.

And so, that is as far as I can go. That is what I am sharing with you from the president directly.

And — and, look, we’re going to make sure, as Jake Sullivan was saying, that his team has what they need. Right? They want to make sure that it is indeed an efficient, effective transition so that we can — so that we hand over the people’s business so that they can continue the people’s business.

Q Can you say how President Biden answered some of those detailed questions?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I will say that the president certainly looked forward to — looked forward to the meeting, appreciated the conversation, and answered any questions that the president-elect had; offered up his — his thoughts. But I’m not going to go any further than that.

Go ahead, Mary.

Q You said “gracious,” “cordial,” “substantive.”

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q The president obviously hit on a wide range of issues, but did he get a sense that the issues that he was impressing upon, that any advice he was giving was being well received?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think so. I think that’s why the president was saying — was wanting me to let you all know that there was a — you know, a very good back-and-forth, and it was substantive, as I mentioned before.

And I want to be mindful. It was a private conversation, so I don’t want to go into specifics or details.

But, look, they met for more than two hours. They met for a very long time — or nearly two hours, pardon me. And I think by — the length of the meeting tells you that they had an in-depth conversation on an array of issues.

And so, look, the president reached out to the president-elect, wanting to make sure that he gave an opportunity to the president-elect, afforded him that opportunity to — to have a meeting with him to talk about the different issues that matter to the American people.

But nearly two hours says — I think says a lot about how the meeting went.

Q Any plans to keep a line of communication open?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The president is always going to, obviously, keep that line of communication open to the president-elect. We’ve got to remember, this is not about the two presidents. This is not about President Biden or President-elect Trump. This is about the American people and what’s right for the American people. And, if anything, the president has led by example — right? — over the last week or — week — week now on making sure that we have this cordial transition of power.

Q Can I ask one on just one other topic?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q President-elect Trump’s nominee for Defense secretary has questioned whether or not women should serve in combat roles in the military. Wondering what the administration makes of that. Is there any concern about women’s ability to serve in certain roles going forward?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think we’ve made ourselves really clear. I’m not going to speak to this pick. That’s not — the president is g- — the — the president-elect is going to lay out his — certainly, his — his personnel and who he wants to fill these Cabinet position, who he wants to be in the White House with him. And we will give them the space to do that.

But I think we’ve been very, very clear about how we see the importance of — of gender equality, the importance of women in the workforce. I think we have been an administration that has led on that issue, and certainly we do not agree with those views. But that is for the pr- — obviously, the president-elect to — to speak to his picks, and I’m going to let them do that.

Go ahead, Jeff.

Q You said the president-elect came with a detailed list of questions.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.)

Q That’s — that’s surprising to me. What — what was on his list?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to go into details of what was on the list. I wanted — I shared that and the president wanted you all to know that because we want to be very clear, it was a- — actually a substantive meeting — nearly two hours.

There was a lot discussed. There was a lot of back-and-forth. And I’m not going to go into specifics. I think if the president-elect wants to share his set of questions to President Biden, he certainly can and — and will, if he chooses.

But wanted to give you as much information as I could without — without, you know, going into too much specifics on a private conversation.

Q Was the list typed out on a piece of paper?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.) I don’t have — I appreciate the — the effort there, Jeff. I don’t have anything beyond that.

Q Did the issue of the fact that President Trump did not acknowledge Bi- — President Biden as the winner in the 2020 election come up today?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What we want to do is move forward. We do. W-

Q Really?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, seriously. What we want to do is move forward. We respect the will of the people. There was an election, as you know, last week, and the American people spoke. And so, the president is going to make sure that he puts the American people first. He’s going to make sure that we move forward in this process and this transition process in a way that is respectful to the American people and to sh- — to lead by example.

And so, that’s our focus. That’s what we want to do. I think the president has shown that in the past week of — of that leadership. And so, that’s what you’re going to hear. That’s what we’re going to continue to do in the 68 days that we have left in this administration.

Q I understand that. I guess —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yep.

Q — that just seems like a piece of unfinished business between them. Did it come up at all?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, that is something certainly that I would leave for the president-elect to speak to. What I can speak to is this president wanting to focus on the American people, wanting to focus on issues that matter — domestic policy issues, national security issues that are critical and important in how we move forward as a country. That’s what the president wanted to focus on.

Again, it was gracious. It was substantive. And I think that’s what’s important. And what we are showing the American people is how you do this — how do you have a peaceful transition of power, how it looks leading by example. And that is quintessential Joe Biden, I believe.

Go ahead.

Q Yeah. Thanks, Karine. I’m just trying to understand. I mean, besides demonstrating —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — a peaceful transfer of power, what was the big message that President Biden was trying to convey to incoming-President Trump?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think just that, and the American people, you know. You h- — all had an — those who were able to be in the room got to see the — the two presidents sitting side by side, shaking hands. You heard what the president-elect talked about politics — politics being tough and understanding what that looks like. We get that as well. You know?

And I’ll go back to what we said last week. Did the elections turn out the way we wanted? Absolutely not. Are we disappointed? Yes, we’re disappointed.

But, again, there was an election. The American people decided. And what the president wants to focus on is what it looks like — what it looks like to — to move forward, to put the country first, put — to put the American people first and move forward in a — in a respectful way. And I think that was also the message that you saw from this president today.

Q A- — and then, does the White House have any reaction to this Department of Government Efficiency that Trump announced yesterday? He’s brought on Elon Musk and Vivek R- — Ramaswamy to lead. Says the group is — is ta- — is being tasked to find ways to cut government spending waste, regulations. Does the White House have any concerns about this effort, or do you think maybe it’s a good idea to look at these things?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — no comment.

Q Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to comment.

Go ahead.

Q You’ve talked about ensuring that the next administration has all the resources they need for this transition, but one thing that needs to happen in order for the Trump transition to have access to agencies and such are these signings of the memorandums —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — of understanding with both the GSA and the White House, including an ethics plan. Did that come up in any way in the conversation today, even if it was just between Jeff Zients and Susie Wiles?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And I was just going to say that. As you know, Jeff Zients, the chief of staff, had an opportunity to speak with the incoming chief of staff. I have not spoken to Jeff on if that issue came up, but Jeff has been leading this effort of making sure that we have that smooth transition of power. We are ready. We are ready to go. We — and I’ve also mentioned that the cochairs of the — of the Trump transition have said that they are — they are — in public, have said that they are going to sign the MOUs. So, I’m going to have to leave it to them.

We are ready. And Jake, I think, put it really well when he said it doesn’t mean that we can’t still have conversations. It doesn’t mean we can’t engage with our counterparts or those who are — have been picked by the president-elect to come into this administration. Certainly, we are open to that and want that to happen.

But I would have to, you know, refer you to the Trump transition, who have — they have said they would sign those MO- — MOUs.

Q And back in 2000, then-Vice President Al Gore actually hosted George W. Bush a few days after he had conceded the election. When Bush came to meet with Clinton, he then went on to meet with Gore. Did Vice President Harris stop by the meeting at all today, and does she intend to host vice — Vance?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I can say the vice president did not attend the meeting between the two presidents this morning. I would have to refer you to her team on how she wishes to move forward and — and her part in all of this. But you also heard from her last week when she talked about the importance, as well, of having a peaceful transition of power. So, leave that to her to answer.

Go ahead, Ed.

Q Just to work out a few of the details.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q So, it was the four of them in that room: the president —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.

Q — the president-elect —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.

Q — the chief of staff, the chief-elect — chief of staff designee?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes, sir.

Q Were the two presidents ever left alone in the room?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything beyond what I shared. What I can say is it happened for almost two — approximately two hours, and it included the two — the current chief of staff, the incoming chief of staff, and obviously the two presidents.

I can’t speak if — to if the presidents had an opp- — the — the presidents themselves, president-elect and the pr- — President Biden had an opportunity to speak privately. I — I can’t speak to that. I didn’t ask.

Q Because it started over in the Diplomatic Room, right? And then they —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Right. So, to your point, you are correct. We sent out a pool note about how the — the president — President Biden and also First Lady Dr. Biden greeted President-elect Trump upon his arrival. And just to — just to add a little bit of color there, she gave — she gave the president-elect a handwritten letter to congratulate Mrs. Trump, and so — also expressed their readiness to be involved and engaged with her team — Mrs. Trump’s team. And so, that specific piece, obviously, I would — I would direct to the first lady’s office.

But, yes, they first met and greeted each other in the Diplomatic Room.

Q But Jake or nobody else came in or would —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It was just the four.

Q — have met with them at all?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It was just the four of them, as far as out — who — who was in the room with the president.

Q And it was in the Oval the whole time?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: As far — yes, it was in the Oval. The Ov- — the Oval meeting was in the Oval, as I just stated, and you flagged for — for me that they — they greeted the president — they, meaning the first lady and also the pres- — President Biden, greeted President Trump when — President-elect Trump when he arrived.

Q I had one other question about this weekend that people might wonder.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q It’s their third meeting since President Biden took office, but why bother having a meeting with Chinese President Xi if there’s only 68 days left to go on the Biden administration?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think — I — look, this is — you know Joe Biden. He — he understands the important of having face-to-face, one-on-one conversations with world leaders. And I think Jake did a pretty good job laying out what — what’s next, what they are thinking about — the reason for having the bilat, but it is — it is an opportunity. They’re both going to be in Peru. They’re go- — both going to be attending the APEC conference. It was an opportunity for them to meet.

I think it’s important. The issues that they’re obviously going to speak about are important to the American people — you think about national security, you think about Indo-Pacific.

And so, you know, I think it’s in — this is very much something that the president would do: have that face to face, have those in-person conversations with other world leaders on issues that matter here to — to us and, obviously, globally.

Go ahead, Peter.

Q Thanks, Karine. Did President Biden show incoming President Trump anything classified?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

Q No. Why not?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Why would he? This is a — this was an opportunity for them to speak candidly, openly. I’ve said to you that it was gracious, it was incredibly subs- — substantive. And I’ll just leave it there.

Q The last time these two were together in the same room was at the debate. They talked a fair amount about playing golf. Do you know if a plan was made — (laughter) — for them to play golf in President Biden’s retirement?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Actually, that’s not the last time they saw each other. They saw each other at September 11th.

I’m going to move on.

Go ahead, Ed.

Q Thanks, Karine. In — in the meeting, we saw a unified front related to a transition in the Oval Office meeting. But a lot was said on the campaign trail, like Trump is a dangerous “threat” to our country and our democracy. Was there an apology today?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m sorry?

Q Was there an apology from —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Apology from whom?

Q — from President Biden for the words — some of the words he used?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, you — an apology from the president — President Biden —

Q To President-elect Trump for some of the words that was used on the campaign trail.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look — and I’ve answered this a couple of times about a “threat to democracy” in the past week. The president is going to always feel obligated to be honest with the American people.

What he says still stands. And it’s not just him. You heard this from former staffers. You’ve heard that from the former chief of staff, John Kelly, and others. You’ve heard it directly from the president — president-elect, the former president about “enemy of the people” very, very clear — very clear.

What we want to be also very clear about is the importance of listening to the will of the American people. There was an election. It is important to respect our institution. It is important to respect the free and fair elections. And that’s what this president is doing: leading by example and putting — putting that aside and putting the American people first.

But what he said still stands. And it’s not just him. I don’t — we should not just put this at the president. His own people said this. So, I want to be really, really clear about that and not forget the facts. There are facts here that we should certainly also lift up as you’re asking me these questions.

Go ahead, Anita.

Q Thank you. Did the two presidents discuss transatlantic security or climate change efforts and the U.S. role in that?

And relatedly, what is President Biden’s message to G20 leaders on these two issues and on the institutions and frameworks that hold them up — talking about NATO and the G- — and the Paris Agreement?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. So, look, obviously, they talked about national security issues. Mentioned that already.

There was a substantive, pretty detailed set of questions that the president-elect presented the — the — President Biden with. They went back and forth on that. I don’t have anything. I’m not going to get into the nitty-gritty, into the specifics of what that top- — those topics were. Not something that I’m going to do from here.

And, look, the president is looking forward to going to the G20. You heard Jake do a pretty good lay down of the importance of the president going — it will be his last G20; obviously, he’s also going to go to APEC — APEC will be first — and the importance of meeting with these world leaders on issues and matters that ma- — that are important to the American people. That’s what you’re going to see.

This is going to be a continuation of the progress that we have made in almost four years on the world stage, whether it’s talking about Ukraine and continue to support Ukraine, talking about Indo-Pacific, talking about the Middle East and how to move forward here.

And so, all of those — all of those issues and topics are certainly going to come up, and the president looks forward to — to —

Q But what is message —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — having those conversations.

Q — considering that we know that President-elect Trump does not look favorably upon NATO or upon the Paris climate change agreement?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That’s for — something for the president-elect to — to speak to. I mean, he has.

What we have done here in the past four years is strengthen NATO. What we have done here is making sure that we strengthen our relationship with allies and partners. What we have done here is put the American people first, put our national security first, and really have conversation with lur- — world leaders on shared priorities.

And so, that’s going to continue in the next 68 days. And that’s the progress that the president wants to continue to have conversations about. And that’s what you’re going to see on this next OCONUS trip.

Go ahead.

Q To the swing counties in the back of the room, perhaps?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead.

Q Thank you. Thank you. I think, in this room, we’ve all watched the very, like, somber speeches that the president gave on democracy in —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — Philadelphia, at the Capitol. And today, we see these pictures of two leaders chatting around the fireplace. It’s — it — there’s a stark contrast here. And isn’t there a risk that, in the future, when voters are faced with, you know, warnings about democracy, they’re just going to dismiss them and think, “This is just campaign stuff. This is just political”?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think they’re two different things here. When it comes to what the president said — in the past year, even more s- — more so — about our democracy, the importance of our democracy, let’s not forget, you know, we saw that Americans do care about democracy. They care about protecting our freedoms. That is something that the president is never going to shy away from. He’s never going to shy away talking about that. And it is important on how we move forward. Right? It is important.

But what we’re seeing right now is also a democratic principle. Right? This is d- — we’re talking about — we’re talking about transition of power. It is about our democratic principle as well. It is about continuing that transfer of power. It is about continuing that democracy. They are — I know I said these are two different things but are also connected as well.

And so, for him to do that, for him to invite the president-elect and to have important conversations on issues that matter to the American people is actually part of what democracy looks like. And the president is never going to shy away from that.

And, again, were the elections what we had hoped? Absolutely not. We’re not — we’re not hiding that. We’ve been very clear about that. But we have to move forward. We have to move forward on behalf of the American people.

And what you saw and what you’re going to see when we talk about transition is about our dema- — democratic proc- — principles.

Go ahead.

AIDE: We have time for (inaudible).

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Q Thank you, Karine. Going back to her question on the G20, is — Jake was saying that he is hoping for some progress. But is progress possible — possible when allies, the G20 allies are trying to understand and are expecting a change in the administration here? So, how does the — the incoming administration can undermine this progress they are trying to reach there and also progress with the Brazilian government on climate, democracy, and labor cooperation that are going to expect to discuss there?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yep. I’m not going to get ahead of what’s going to be discussed at the G20. And I’m not going to get ahead of what the Trump administration policies are going to look like. That is certainly something for them to address in how they move forward on domestic policies, national security policies, and they will do just that.

What I can talk about is the progress that the president wants to continue to — to make and the strengthening of our alliances, strengthening of our partners — partnerships and making sure that we continue to stand up with Ukraine as they continue to fight against Russia’s aggression, and a range — range of issues of Indo-Pacific to the Middle East. You’ve ba- — talked about climate change, especially as that relates to Brazil.

So, those issues are going to be discussed. We’ve made progress on all of those policies that we’re going back and forth on.

I’m just not going to — to speak to private conversations that are going to happen, what’s going to be discussed, and just speak to what we can do, what we’re looking to do, and why it’s important. This OCONUS that the president is going to go on is — is a — is going to be a continuation of what he has been able to do for almost four years now.

Q And what does a Trump victory mean to the world?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You know, what I can say, and I’m going to sound like a broken record: What the president is going to do is continuing to make sure that we follow the — the election results, the will of the people majority of Americans decided. And what we can do is make sure that democracy continues here by doing this trans- — transition of power and doing it in an effective, orderly, peaceful way.

And the president is going to focus on the progress that he has made. He has relationships with these world leaders, obviously, not just for — some of them, not just the past almost four years but for some time. And, you know, he’ll have honest, direct conversations with them.

I’m just not going to get into philosophizing and getting into the bigger picture. I’m just going to focus on what’s ahead in the next 68 days.

Go ahead, Akayla. I think I have to —

Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — head out.

Q Do you know if President-elect Trump has already started to receive intelligence briefings or if there’s plans to start doing those briefings again?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That’s something for ODNI to speak to, not something for me to speak from — to from here.

Go ahead.

Q I’m going to kind of try and circle back on this.
You said that the conversation was cordial, graci- — gracious, substantive. Was there any acknowledgement about some of the harsh rhetoric that Donald Trump had issued regarding Kamala Harris, calling her, for example, a “low-IQ individual,” et cetera?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I don’t have anything to share beyond what I stated at the top and during these back-and-forths. I don’t have anything outside of that.

Go ahead. Go ahead.

Q Yeah. I — I was going to ask a similar question. Was there any acknowledgement or discussion about the election and how the vice president ran her campaign?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything else beyond what I just stated. (Laughs.)

Q Afghanistan, please.

Q Row six.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Phil.

Q I might be trying the same thing again and again, but —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Yeah.

Q — you talked about how this was a cordial discussion between the two of them —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — how the incoming president came with a list of questions. Were there any top-level areas of agreement or overlap between the two presidents in terms of maybe challenges that are ahead for the country or potential solutions? Any areas of — of agreement?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: A lot was discussed. (Laughter.) It was detailed set of questions. The pregis- — president appreciated having a substantive conversation with the president-elect.

I’m not going to go into details. Maybe the president-elect will speak on his behalf on what he wants to share coming out of the meeting, but this is what we’re going to share from here.

Two hours is — nearly two hours is a long time to — to talk about what’s important for the American people and how to move forward. And I think that’s important. I think that’s impor- —

Q Had to try.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I appreciate the effort.

All right, everybody. Thank you so much.

Q For the —

Q Thanks, Karine.

(Cross-talk.)

Q For the record, can you just share or find out if there was any time that the two met individually so we’re all on the same page?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.

Q And should there be — will there be photos?

Q On Afghanistan, Karine.

2:37 P.M. EST

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Oval Office

11:07 A.M. EST

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Mr. President-Elect and former president —

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you very much, Joe.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  — and — Donald, congratulations.

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  And looking forward to having a, like we said, smooth transition — do everything we can to make sure you’re accommodated, what you need.  And we’re going to get a chance to talk about some of that today.  So —

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Good.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  — welcome.  Welcome back.

PRESIDENT TRUMP:  Thank you very much.  And thank you very much.

And politics is tough.  And it’s, many cases, not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today.  And I appreciate it very much — a transition that’s so smooth it’ll be as smooth as it can get.

And I very much appreciate that, Joe.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  You’re welcome.

Thank you all.

11:08 A.M. EST

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In July, the United States, Canada, and Finland announced a groundbreaking new partnership that advances our national security by spurring the production of polar icebreakers and other capabilities. This partnership will ensure that the polar and Arctic regions remain peaceful and cooperative. 

Today, just months after we kicked off this partnership, we are taking a significant step forward to enhance collaboration on the production of these vessels through the exchange of knowledge, information, and resources among our countries. This transformative partnership will enhance our ability to uphold international rules and maintain security in the polar and Arctic regions, while at the same time laying the foundation for a resilient and competitive shipbuilding industry that is capable of meeting both national and global demand for these critical assets.

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Today’s report shows CPI inflation was 2.6% in October, close to its pre-pandemic rate. This has been a hard-fought recovery, but we are making progress for working families, with gas prices down to $3.08 per gallon, insulin prices down from as much as $400 to $35 per month for seniors, and household incomes up by $4,000 more than prices during this Administration. We will keep fighting to lower costs for families on key items like housing and health care, and against policies that would undermine our progress on bringing inflation down.

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Colleagues, on behalf of President Biden: the United States is here at COP29 to help produce successful outcomes that keep 1.5 C alive.

We face an urgent question: do we secure sustainable prosperity for our countries, or do we condemn our most vulnerable to unimaginable climate disasters?

2024 will be the hottest year on record.

The consequences of a rapidly warming planet are all around us: from the hundreds of people killed by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the United States, to the millions of children at risk of starvation in southern Africa from the worst drought in decades… to the torrential rain stranded students in schools, and displaced nearly 100,000 in Colombia.

Vulnerable communities do not just need ambition – they need action.

That’s why President Biden and Vice President Harris have marshalled unprecedented climate resources over the past four years.

Because of historic private sector investments made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act, the United States economy will continue down the path of decarbonization, reducing emissions for years to come.

And we are on track to meet President Biden’s ambitious international public finance commitment of $11 billion per year by the end of 2024.

To accelerate our progress here at COP29, we need to first conclude key negotiated outcomes.

This includes building on last year’s Global Stocktake… concluding work on Article 6… and adopting a robust NCQG that addresses climate insecurity while building strong, sustainable economies.

It should be multi-layered with an ambitious, realistically achievable support layer involving new contributors… underpinned by a set of qualitative elements that evolve the international financial architecture, enhance access to finance for developing countries, and improve debt sustainability.

Second, countries – particularly major economies – need to keep their Dubai commitment and submit 2035 NDCs that are economy-wide, 1.5 aligned, and include all greenhouse gases.

Third, we encourage countries to submit the first Biennial Transparency Reports by December 31st. The United States will meet that commitment.

And fourth, promote the “action agenda” of key initiatives outside of the Paris Agreement. 

Colleagues, we have a clear choice: between a safer, cleaner, fairer future, and a dirtier, more dangerous, and more expensive one. 

We know what to do. Let’s get to work. Let’s get it done. Thank you.

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Today, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will welcome approximately 200 education and workforce leaders to the White House for the Biden-Harris Administration’s “Classroom to Career” Summit. The Administration’s Investing in America agenda is creating millions of good-paying jobs—many of which do not require a four-year college degree—and its investments will continue to drive job creation for years to come. The Summit will highlight record progress to expand career pathways to these good-paying jobs in infrastructure, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and more.

The Summit will bring together Cabinet members and other senior Administration officials, state and local elected officials, community college presidents, K-12 leaders, unions, workforce development leaders from the nine White House Workforce Hubs and other communities across the country, business leaders, representatives of philanthropic organizations, and students.

At the Summit, President Biden will announce that more than $80 billion from his American Rescue Plan has now been committed to strengthening and expanding the American workforce, helping to meet the promise of these historic investments—from supporting high-quality free community college programs in high-demand fields, to expanding Registered Apprenticeships, to attracting and retaining a skilled, diverse workforce in critical industries. These efforts are helping students and workers—including those without four-year degrees—access good-paying opportunities spurred by the Investing in America agenda.

The Summit will take place nearly fifteen years after Dr. Biden, a lifelong educator and community-college champion, led the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges as Second Lady, where she set the path forward for community colleges to be a critical part of America’s economic vision for the future.

Senior Administration officials, federal agencies, and key external stakeholders will announce new actions and recent achievements during the Summit, including:

Expanding quality career and technical education (CTE) and community college training

During today’s Summit, Administration officials will highlight efforts to expand access to evidence-based, high-quality CTE programs and affordable community college pathways:

• First Lady Jill Biden will announce that 34 states and Washington, DC now have a free community college program. In total, over 400 colleges, cities, and states now offer tuition-free college and job training—up from about 50 programs when she, President Obama, and then-Vice President Biden launched the America’s College Promise Initiative in 2015. Several of the newest free community college plans were launched with support from American Rescue Plan funds. As First Lady, Dr. Biden has championed community colleges and workforce training programs, traveling the country to highlight evidence-based models and promising practices that connect high school and community college students to good-paying jobs.

• The Department of Education (ED) will publish new analysis of ED data on postsecondary programs that provide pathways to jobs created or fueled by the Investing in America agenda. The Department will also release a mapping tool to help the public find those programs and a public-use data set that will allow researchers and policymakers to further explore these connections. This analysis comes on the heels of a years-long effort to better connect both high schools and postsecondary programs to career pathways through the Unlocking Career Success Initiative, which invested $31 million in building model career-connected programs in high schools that will provide up to 120,000 students with pathways to high-wage, high-demand careers. 

• The Department of Commerce (DOC) will announce that over one-quarter of states and territories have proactively allocated more than $300 million in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding towards workforce development initiatives. These states are building the skilled construction workforce needed to connect every American to reliable and affordable high-speed Internet by investing in community college job training programs, Registered Apprenticeships, and sectoral partnership training models.

• DOC will also announce that more than 80 community colleges across 22 states have created or expanded programming to train semiconductor workers for advanced manufacturing jobs spurred by the President’s CHIPS and Science Act. In addition, ten states have announced new dedicated state funding for workforce development investments to support CHIPS facilities.

Additional new announcements:

• Scholarship America, ECMC Foundation, GoFundMe.org, Trellis Foundation, Ascendium Education Group, and the Crimsonbridge Foundation will launch a new national emergency aid program to assist students, including students who are single mothers, in 2025. Nearly 10 percent of undergraduates—1.7 million students—are single mothers, and while single moms earn higher GPAs than their non-parenting peers, they experience greater rates of financial distress. Research shows emergency grants are effective at keeping financially distressed students on track to complete their degrees.

• Invest in Our Future will support expansion of YouthBuild’s new solar panel training and certification pilot program to 16 new locations in 2025. YouthBuild’s solar program, which launched its first three locations in October, partners with industry to prepare youth ages 16 to 24 for good clean energy jobs spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act.

• The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), with support from Ascendium, will launch an initiative to help community colleges design processes to build capacity to create new Registered Apprenticeship programs in occupational sectors that have not traditionally used apprenticeship as a training pathway. ACCT will engage 20 community colleges from across the country in designing and implementing new Registered Apprenticeship programs, demonstrating the potential for community colleges to serve as apprenticeship intermediaries in addition to instructional providers.

Growing Registered Apprenticeships and other high-quality workforce programs

The Administration has made record high-quality workforce development models, including Registered Apprenticeships—the gold-standard earn-and-learn pathway—as well as industry-led sector partnerships that bring together employers, unions, community colleges, and other partners to develop high-quality training programs.

• The Department of Labor (DOL) will announce that more than one million Americans have started a Registered Apprenticeship since President Biden took office—and this month, the number of women in apprenticeships will surpass 100,000for the first time ever.

• DOL will also announce that 46 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico now have K-12 teacher Registered Apprenticeship programs. Not a single state had a teacher Registered Apprenticeship program when the Administration took office.

• DOC will announce that 12,000 participants have been successfully trained and placed into good jobs in the first wave of the Good Jobs Challenge, a flagship sector strategies program funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

• The Department of Transportation (DOT) will announce that it has invested $93 million to support the rail workforce since the start of the Administration through the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) Program. These funds, which include $54 million awarded in October, invest in the hardworking Americans who will help maintain and operate the nation’s rail networks into the future by creating new apprenticeship programs, expanding training opportunities, establishing partnerships with universities, and advancing innovative research.

• DOT will also announce it has awarded a total of $137 million in workforce funding to transit agencies in over 100 communities since the Administration took office through the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Low or No Emission grant program. This program gives transit agencies the option to set aside up to 5 percent of grant funds to train workers on new electric vehicle fleets.

• DOT will also publish new case studies on three states—California, Maryland, and Oregon—that are developing skilled, diverse infrastructure workforces by investing their flexible federal highway funds. Michigan and Pennsylvania have also announced workforce development initiatives that will lead to significant workforce investments from their state departments of transportation. This comes six months after the Administration called on states to invest at least 0.5 percent of eligible highway formula funds in high-quality workforce development approaches such as Registered Apprenticeship, pre-apprenticeship, and supportive services like child care and transportation for workers.

• DOT will highlight how hundreds of projects are now using local (geographic) and economic hiring preferences—an order of magnitude more than a decade ago. Local and economic hiring preferences are an important tool to expand hiring of underrepresented populations into good construction jobs, by establishing hiring goals for workers from disadvantaged circumstances or distressed neighborhoods. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) made local and economic hiring preferences newly allowable, and DOT has strongly encouraged these preferences through its discretionary grant process, technical assistance, and place-based initiatives. Prior to BIL, only 16 pilot projects had preferences, all of them in highway and transit. Today, the Federal Highway Administration alone has approved 74 projects with project labor agreements and local hiring preferences—totaling nearly $4.6 billion—and preferences also cover rail, port, and airport projects.

Additional new announcements:

• The Families and Workers Fund (FWF) will announce it has surpassed $45 million in aligned funding commitments—matched by nearly $60 million from peer funders—to expand pathways to good jobs and build an inclusive, competitive workforce. These resources support initiatives like PowerCorpsPHL’s Climate Corps in Philadelphia, which collaborates with employers to offer paid workforce training and supportive services—such as transportation and mental health resources—to connect out-of-school and out-of-work young people with good-paying jobs in climate resilience and clean energy. The program transitions 92 percent of its graduates to quality career paths and substantially reduces recidivism among justice-involved young people. With support from FWF, PowerCorpsPHL will scale Climate Corps models to ten additional cities, serving an additional 1,300 young people.

• The State of Maryland will soon issue a call for applications under its new $24 million, six-year workforce investments using federal highway funds. The state will seek applications to provide high-quality workforce approaches to help fill good-paying transportation infrastructure jobs—including those created through the Baltimore Workforce Hub—such as Registered Apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, integrated education and training, and supportive services such as child care and transportation assistance.

• The Washington Education Association (WEA) launched the first educator-led, union-run teacher Registered Apprenticeship program in the nation in 2022–and last month, WEA successfully transitioned its innovative teacher residency program to an apprenticeship model. The WEA Apprenticeship Residency in Teaching (WEA-ART), which addresses acute special education teacher shortages in the state, was developed with a grant from U.S. DOL. The 18-month program trains future teachers in ten school districts across Washington using a school-based, clinical preparation model, with resident apprentices earning at least $40,000 with benefits during their full-year co-teaching placement.  

• Safal Partners will announce commitments from its partners to provide cybersecurity Registered Apprenticeship opportunities for 2,000 Americans by the end of 2025. This follows the nearly 3,000 cybersecurity apprentices Safal has already served, 82 percent of whom came from underserved and underrepresented communities.

• OpenClassrooms will train up to 300 Registered Apprentices in cybersecurity and other technical career paths by 2026, in partnership with Wright Resource Group and other affiliates.

Spreading skills-based and skills-first hiring

Millions of Americans already possess the skills and capabilities to succeed at family-sustaining jobs but are held back because they lack a four-year college degree. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Federal government is leading the way in implementing skills-based practices, opening up pathways to good-paying jobs for more Americans by valuing their skills and abilities—regardless how they acquired those skills. At the Summit, Administration officials will urge employers in all sectors—public, private, and nonprofit—to remove unnecessary degree requirements, and to recognize the value of and provide high-quality alternative pathways such as registered apprenticeship and community college programs.

• The General Services Administration (GSA) will announce it intends to apply a skills-based hiring approach to an estimated $100 billion of federal agency task orders, by eliminating unnecessary degree and experience requirements for IT cybersecurity jobs at the Master Contract level in its planned Polaris and Alliant 3 Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts.

• The Department of Energy (DOE) will modify its multi-billion-dollar, enterprise-wide IT contract to remove degree requirements for cyber and IT jobs—impacting over 1,000 full-time-equivalent positions by December 2024.

• The Department of Defense (DOD) will apply a skill-based approach to more than 75 jobs created through its $40 million Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) contract, recognizing education, training, certifications, or years of experience—including experience gained through on-the-job training.

• DOL and DOC will publish The Skills-First Hiring Starter Kit—a plain-language, practical guide to help talent-hungry employers broaden candidate pools, boost retention, and improve worker engagement. The guide, which can be read in less than 15 minutes, is a user-friendly resource on hiring and promoting workers based on the skills they have instead of unnecessary education, degree, or other requirements. The guide was developed in consultation with a diverse group of 15 organizations, including the Business Roundtable, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), LinkedIn, AFL-CIO, Opportunity@Work, Indeed, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), and SHRM Foundation.  

Additional new announcements:

• Leidos launched the Leidos Skills Taxonomy, which the company will apply to its full workforce of 48,000 employees as part of its comprehensive skills strategy. Leidos is also pledging to share best practices and outcomes from its skills strategy across the industry, and to hire 15,000 Veterans and military spouses by 2030.

• Palo Alto Networks has successfully mapped the capabilities and skills of over 8,500 employees and developed targeted learning programs to enhance these workers’ skills. Since March 2024, the company has used this skills-first approach to onboard 400 new hires. The company now commits to mapping capabilities and skills of an additional 4,000 employees by the end of 2025, and will expand upskilling opportunities to over 5,000 existing employees, focusing initially on sales and technical solutions roles.     

• Opportunity@Work will publish a new analysis of skills-first practices implemented by state governments in 2022 and 2023. The analysis finds that in 15 states that took action to remove unnecessary four-year degree requirements from job postings, 7% more middle- and high-wage state jobs—or 3,000 additional job postings—became open to workers without four-year degrees.

Leading the way in the White House Workforce Hubs

In May 2023, First Lady Jill Biden announced five White House Workforce Hubs in regions where the Administration’s Investing in America agenda is catalyzing historic public- and private-sector investments— Augusta, Baltimore, Columbus,  Pittsburgh, and Phoenix. Since then, President Biden designated four additional Workforce Hubs in Milwaukee, Upstate New York, Philadelphia, and the state of Michigan. In these Workforce Hubs, the Administration has partnered with state and local officials, employers, unions, community colleges, K-12 schools, and other stakeholders to ensure a diverse and skilled workforce can meet the demand for labor driven by these investments. The President, First Lady, and other senior Administration officials have traveled to the Workforce Hubs, convened Hub partners, and celebrated progress to expand career pathways and high-quality workforce approaches.

The White House Workforce Hubs have continued to lead the way on equitable workforce development between convenings, taking actions such as:

• In Columbus, anchor institution Columbus State Community College, and partners Intel and the Ohio Semiconductor Collaboration Network, completed the July 2023 commitment to develop a new certificate program for good semiconductor technician jobs. In January, the partners launched the Semiconductor Fundamentals Certificate program, a stackable credential that builds to an Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology AAS degree, which has already enrolled 100 students.

• In Baltimore, Amtrak has put a memorandum of understanding in place with the Maryland Philanthropy Network and the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development to provide $5 million over four years for pre-apprenticeship training and supportive services for apprentices, helping Amtrak to meet its Hub commitment to ensure at least 50 percent of apprentice hours for Baltimore City residents in the ZIP codes immediately impacted by the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Project.

• In Augusta, Hub anchor institutions Augusta Technical College and Aiken Technical College deepened their partnerships with local building and construction trades unions to expand inclusive access to local trades apprenticeship programs. Augusta Technical College is newly partnering with the UA Local 150 Plumbers and Steamfitters to co-deliver Registered Apprenticeship, opening a co-branded training facility to deliver a plumbing and steamfitting apprenticeship program, and expanding the co-delivered Registered Apprenticeship program with the IBEW Local 1579 to serve an additional 200 apprentices. Aiken Technical College, in partnership with the local building and construction trades, launched a pre-apprenticeship program with preferential entry to apprenticeship programs across 17 trades, with the first cohort starting in October 2024.

• In Pittsburgh, Hub partners cut the ribbon on the first-in-the-nation EV Automotive Technician Registered Apprenticeship Program in October, fulfilling a commitment made at the Hub’s November 2023 convening with First Lady Jill Biden and expanding training opportunities for good clean energy jobs. The program is a true public-private partnership—hosted at a new EV lab at the Community College of Allegheny County, with support for technical instruction provided by a $3.75 million DOL Building Pathways to Infrastructure Jobs grant to anchor institution Partner4Work; employer contributions in the form of apprentices’ wages and benefits; and equipment purchased with support from the Hillman Family Foundations. The program will include outreach and recruitment of apprentices from underserved communities. The first cohort will begin in spring 2025.

• Today, the City of Philadelphia will announce three upcoming projects that will be covered by the new Geographic and Economic Hiring Preferences Pilot Program. These include two federally funded transportation projects identified by the Streets Department and one lead service line project from the Philadelphia Water Department, with collective costs greater than $87 million. Today’s announcement marks the first phase in Philadelphia-wide adoption of these hiring preferences—a commitment made at the Hub’s convening in July 2024—which will expand opportunities for Philadelphia residents by requiring that at least half apprentices on publicly funded projects come from disadvantaged ZIP codes in the City.

• Building on efforts launched in the Upstate New York Hub, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and Micron will scale their innovative partnership on AFT’s Advanced Technology Framework to the Michigan Hub and Minnesota, with support from a new $1.7 million grant from Natcast, established by the CHIPS and Science Act. AFT’s Framework provides industry-based career exploration to prepare high school students for technical careers in the semiconductor supply chain. The Framework is already being implemented across 10 school districts in New York.

• Today, in Milwaukee, BuildUS announced it will commit $250,000 to the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (WRTP) | BIG STEP, given its proven track record in connecting people across Wisconsin, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, into family-sustaining, union jobs. BuildUS funding will support increased capacity for clean water infrastructure and lead service line coordination, outreach, program development, and operation, as well as support instruction and additional services for students.

• In Phoenix, TSMC successfully launched the state of Arizona’s first semiconductor technician Registered Apprenticeship program in April with support from the City of Phoenix and the Arizona State Apprenticeship Office, following its commitment to establish the program at the Hub’s January convening. TSMC anticipates expanding the program to hundreds of apprentices in 2025.

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Today, President Biden welcomed President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia to the White House. The two leaders commemorated 75 years of diplomatic relations built on shared values of democracy, pluralism, and a common commitment to the rules-based international order. As the world’s second- and third-largest democracies, the United States and Indonesia share a commitment to addressing evolving challenges and capitalizing on emerging opportunities based on mutual benefit and respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Over the last 75 years, our countries have continued to deepen our partnership, most recently elevating the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2023.  

Since 2002, the United States has provided over $6.8 billion in development, economic, health, and security assistance to support Indonesian development efforts, which includes more than $2.2 billion to jointly advance education and health outcomes and over $1.4 billion to promote economic growth, democratic governance, and human rights, including support to civil society. To continue expanding this cooperation, President Biden and President Subianto announced new initiatives to deliver a better future for our citizens and a free, open, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific. 

PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT ECONOMIC GROWTH

The United States and Indonesia have long been partners in advancing prosperity for our citizens and those across the Indo-Pacific, including through the G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. The United States will continue to partner with Indonesia on activities to promote sustainable urban development, including the deployment of innovative smart city solutions, quality infrastructure, and international best practices to improve the quality of life for city residents in Indonesia. Ongoing technical assistance, pilot projects, and training programs supported by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the U.S. Department of Commerce are designed to mobilize capital, deploy innovative and secure technologies, and foster new public-private partnerships to advance Indonesia’s sustainable development goals. As part of the two leaders’ commitment to implement our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, President Biden has announced the following programs to promote sustainable economic prosperity. 

• Trade and Investment Framework Agreement: The United States and Indonesia are committed to future engagement and cooperation on trade, including agricultural trade, and will explore holding a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement meeting in 2025. The United States looks forward to expanding our robust relationship in agricultural trade that accounted for $7 billion in two-way annual trade in 2023.        
• Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF): The United States, Indonesia, and 12 other IPEF partners have broken new ground with this framework that will deliver economic benefits and serve as a regional platform for long-term economic cooperation. The IPEF partners have negotiated three economic cooperation agreements aimed at promoting competitive supply chains, accelerating the transition to cleaner economies, and creating a more predictable playing field for workers and businesses.
• Millennium Challenge Corp (MCC) Indonesia Infrastructure and Finance Compact:  The U.S. MCC and the Government of Indonesia launched the $649 million Indonesia Infrastructure and Finance Compact—a five-year grant focused on improving the quantity and quality of infrastructure investments and increasing access to finance for small and medium enterprises, especially those owned by women.
• Promoting Labor Rights: The U.S. Department of State and DOL have provided more than $2 million for programs in Indonesia to foster labor rights and workplace democracy, as well as ensuring occupational health for workers in high-risk industries.
• Digital Infrastructure Smart City Pilot Project: USTDA partnered with Autodesk, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco, ESRI, Honeywell, IBM, and Motorola to launch a $7.6 million project. This project will implement innovative smart city technologies to enhance urban management, streamline emergency response, and support sustainable infrastructure.

The Biden-Harris Administration has reiterated its commitment to partnering with Indonesia on tackling the climate crisis and ensuring the United States and Indonesia are at the forefront of harnessing the clean energy transition, as well as reducing deforestation. As co-leads with Japan of the International Partners Group (IPG), the United States has been working with Indonesia to help implement its goals in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP).  We are helping to catalyze $21.6 billion in public ($11.6 billion) and private ($10 billion) sector financing.  To date, we have 32 ongoing technical assistance programs funded by the countries in the IPG that total $202.7 million with an additional $831.42 million approved in seven loan and equity investments. 

• Supporting Clean Energy Transition Planning: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting a JETP Captive Coal study for site-specific decarbonization of the steel, cement, paper, and aluminum industries, which could lead to $2 billion in investment for clean energy deployments. Furthermore, USAID has assisted Indonesia to accelerate its net zero emission target in the power sector and define policy reforms to achieve its JETP goals.
• Mobilized Finance for Clean Energy: USAID and the U.S. Development Finance Corporation assisted one geothermal and two small hydropower plants obtain $239.5 million in private investment to support Indonesia’s commitment to reach net zero emissions in the energy sector by 2060 or earlier.
• Just Energy Workforce Transition: The United States is partnering with Indonesia to develop a jobs data collection methodology to address Indonesian workforce clean energy transition.
• Mobilizing Renewable Energy Mini Grids: USTDA, in a public-private partnership with the DOE’s national labs under the Net Zero World Initiative, is supporting mobilization of $6 to $10 million at five sites and will mobilize up to $2 billion in investments to convert 500 MW of diesel to renewable energy hybrid mini grids. 
• Exploring Clean Energy Alternatives for Industrial Growth: The United States and Indonesia are partnering on a “Battery2EV” supply chain roadmap that identifies clean energy alternatives to captive coal-powered industrial growth. 
• Expanding Access to Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation: USAID is expanding Indonesian access to climate-resilient water and sanitation in 38 cities and districts.  Technical assistance integrates upstream water resource management with downstream urban service delivery.
• Signed Marine Conservation Debt-For-Nature Swap Agreement: In 2024, Indonesia and the United States signed the largest bilateral debt-for-nature swap agreement as part of the Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act. The roughly $34 million agreement provides funding to conserve coral reefs across much of Central and Eastern Indonesia.
• Emergency Management Memorandum of Understanding: The United States and Indonesia disaster response agencies signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding that will serve as a framework for future cooperation in disaster preparedness.

The United States is investing in Indonesia’s healthy workforce. Access to quality health services in Indonesia, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable people, remains a challenge. Through USAID, the United States has invested more than $1.1 billion to help Indonesia strengthen its health systems—including $58.9 million last year. These investments include the following:

• Bolstering Health Security: The United States supports Indonesia’s effort to prevent and respond to infectious and zoonotic disease outbreaks. USAID helped expand Indonesia’s early warning alert and response system in the animal and human health sectors for emerging infectious diseases from two to 38 provinces.
• Tuberculosis Detection: In over 250 hospitals, USAID-supported screening efforts reached more than four million people, resulting in the identification and treatment of 40,000 TB patients. Additionally, USAID supported the establishment of 12 drug-resistant tuberculosis clinics, delivering life-saving treatments to 321 patients.
• Expanding Use of National Electronic Health Platform: USAID helped connect more than 23,500 healthcare facilities in 38 provinces to a national electronic health information platform, improving data access and enhancing health services for patients.

INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE

President Biden and President Subianto celebrated the health and strength of our people-to-people ties. Over the past year, around 100 Indonesian leaders have traveled to the United States to participate in U.S. Department of State professional exchanges on journalism, economic development, financial systems, civil aviation, and cybersecurity, among other topics. This year, we celebrated 10 years of academic exchange through the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). In 2024 alone the United States hosted 165 young leaders from Indonesia through YSEALI and other youth exchange programs. Building on this decades-long partnership and recognizing this new era of cooperation under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, President Biden announced the following new programs to further strengthen these ties:

• Cultural Heritage Preservation: A $275,000 grant will assist several Indonesian museums to develop and digitize a cataloging system enhancing their emergency preparedness capacity. Another $299,800 grant assists with documenting and preserving Indonesian local languages through community engagement and open-source digital platforms.   
• Interfaith Dialogue: The United States and Indonesia engaged in interfaith dialogues, including the Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy Conference to strengthen tolerance, promote inclusivity, and encourage interfaith collaboration.
• Increased Access to Higher Education: In 2023, USAID trained over 700 staff members and over 6,000 students from more than 55 Indonesian universities in soft skills development, applied STEM learning. USAID improved access for Indonesian students to U.S. education through a  new Indonesia government-funded scholarship program that sent, worth a value of approximately $9.56 million.  
• Educational Exchange: Indonesia and the United States plan to expand the Fulbright program to welcome American Fulbright scholars and English Teaching Assistants into educational institutions run by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The EducationUSA Fall Fair showcased 92 registered U.S. universities and expanded its capacity to provide free information about U.S. higher education to Indonesian students by 25 percent in 2024
• Improving Digital Literacy: USAID’s Saring Daring U-Challenge activity, in partnership with Meta and Love Frankie, has improved the ability of 288 university students to create and disseminate content on digital literacy issues, and increased engagement among 120,000 students and enhanced digital literacy awareness among an additional 240,000 students. USAID is also partnering with AWS to train 50,000 university students in market-driven cloud computing skills.
• Partnering on Resilient Semiconductor: Purdue University has formed a strategic partnership with Indonesia’s National Semiconductor Ecosystem Development Task Force to enhance Indonesia’s supply chain resilience in critical and emerging semiconductor technologies, leveraging Purdue University’s expertise as a leading research university.
• Promoting Democratic Governance and Human Rights: The Biden-Harris Administration has invested over $50 million through Department of State and USAID in initiatives that strengthen democratic governance, promote respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights, and bolster the role of civil society in Indonesia. The United States and Indonesia have also reaffirmed their steadfast support for the Open Government Partnership as a way to enhance transparency, accountability and public participation, deliver for the public, and advance anti-corruption priorities.

DEEPENING REGIONAL AND GLOBAL COOPERATION

The United States and Indonesia are united by a shared commitment to ASEAN centrality and the common principles articulated in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific (AOIP) and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy.  In 2022, Presidents Biden and Jokowi upgraded ASEAN-U.S. relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in recognition of the breadth and depth of U.S. cooperation with ASEAN across a wide range of important issues in ASEAN’s political-security, economic, and socio-cultural community pillars. In 2023, Indonesia as ASEAN chair spearheaded the ASEAN-U.S. Statement on Cooperation on the AOIP to affirm the fundamental principles shared between the AOIP and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy and enhance ASEAN-U.S. coordinated action across the AOIP’s four areas of cooperation.  The Biden-Harris Administration advanced our collective security through: 

• Expansion of Super Garuda Shield: Super Garuda Shield has expanded from being the cornerstone for the U.S.-Indonesia military relationship to include troops from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, and this year included a cyber exercise for the first time. It involves more than 4,000 service members from 23 nations observing — or training side-by-side — in one of the largest multinational exercises in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Expanding Military-to-Military Relationship: The United States and Indonesian militaries conduct over 200 different types of military engagement each year. Additionally, the International Military Education and Training program with Indonesia represents the largest U.S. training education program in the USINDOPACOM area.

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Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is honored to welcome Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to Washington, D.C. As we commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations, we reflect on our shared experiences, from which we have emerged as the world’s second- and third-largest democracies.
As part of this growing relationship, one year ago, Indonesia and the United States elevated bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and institutionalized efforts to expand cooperation amidst global and emerging challenges.

As we deepen our diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation, we pay tribute to our predecessors for their wisdom, courage, and vision. Building on this shared history, the two leaders reaffirmed our commitment to democracy, pluralism, human rights, and a stable and open international system. The leaders committed to continue advancing our vision for an open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific regional architecture, with ASEAN at the center, that upholds international law. Building on their CSP, the leaders pledged to work to ensure a strong, resilient, and prosperous Indonesia and underlined their countries’ shared commitment to promote peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.

Fostering a Long-Term Partnership

The leaders applauded the progress in our partnership, reflecting deepening ties and a mutual desire to foster greater understanding between the United States and Indonesia. To sustain and further elevate this momentum, both leaders underscored their commitment to regularly convene the Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue between Indonesia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Secretary of State. Both leaders committed to deepen relations further by introducing new cooperation in areas such as climate, energy, human and labor rights, foreign policy, and national security policy. The two leaders also welcomed the revival of the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Indonesia Caucus by U.S. Representatives Strickland and Miller, and look forward to sustained legislative cooperation to enhance dialogue and mutual understanding on U.S.-Indonesia relations.

Looking to the future, the two countries will build on the CSP to increase dialogue on domestic, regional, and global security issues as we learn from each other’s experiences, ensuring that our shared history and democratic values remain central to our efforts.  Both countries are committed to continuing the annual consular and management dialogue to ensure each can shape better policy and adequately manage consular and diplomatic facilities to support this elevated relationship, in accordance with international conventions, bilateral agreements, and the respective laws of both countries.

Encouraging Sustainable, Inclusive, and Resilient Economic Growth

The United States government stands ready to assist the Indonesian government as it strives to improve food security through sustainable agriculture. To advance these efforts, the leaders highlighted their commitment to promote research collaboration at the nexus of artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable farming practices, including through the 2nd Indonesia – U.S. Digital Technology Dialogue on Agriculture. The two sides also committed to strengthen Indonesia’s food resilience through promotion of sustainable management practices for fisheries and aquaculture, and enhancing the effectiveness of Indonesia’s marine protected areas management, in line with respective national laws.

The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of innovation-driven, inclusive and sustainable economic growth to deliver better livelihoods for the American and Indonesian peoples. Both sides affirmed their membership to the Open Government Partnership to enhance transparency, accountability and public participation and advance anti-corruption priorities. Both sides are committed to deepening engagement and cooperation on economic policy based on business best practices, labor rights, and human rights and fair trade, including through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in all pillars and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. We recognize the importance of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) in fostering trade, supporting industry and promoting sustainable development for both countries. As part of this effort, we will explore holding a strategic economic dialogue and a U.S.-Indonesia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) meeting.

President Biden expressed his support for Indonesia’s efforts towards an expedited accession bid to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which provides a pathway to faster and higher quality economic growth through stronger and more accountable policy. As the process gets under way, the United States looks forward to working with the Indonesian government to ensure it is successful in aligning with OECD standards and best practices, including by supporting Indonesia as it undertakes all necessary economic, governance, trade, and labor reforms. The two leaders also expressed their commitment to a rules-based international trading system and recognized the importance of multilateral institutions and norms which promote free and fair trade. Both leaders pledged to advance dialogue and consultations in settling WTO disputes.

President Subianto and President Biden acknowledged the essential role of diverse and resilient critical mineral supply chains to bolster the manufacturing sector and economic growth in both nations, as well as support the global clean energy transition. They affirmed their commitment to develop a critical minerals supply chain in both countries through a mutually beneficial partnership that promotes principles of sustainable development, including strong environmental and labor standards. To achieve this, they pledged to expedite ongoing discussions on critical minerals.

Reaffirming that the climate crisis poses an existential threat, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This includes submitting 2035 nationally determined contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement that are aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius and in the spirit of responding positively to the first Global Stocktake. We are committed to more ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories that are aligned with achieving our respective net-zero targets. 

They further resolve to expand collaboration on clean and renewable energy generation and to accelerate their clean energy transitions. Indonesia and the United States are continuing to closely and concretely collaborate, including with other partners, on the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) by implementing the Comprehensive Investment and Policy Plan. JETP, in parallel with domestic policy reform, will continue to mobilize investments in Indonesia’s domestic renewable energy production to reduce emissions, strengthen and expand the grid, advance energy security, create jobs, and grow the clean energy economy in Indonesia. 

President Biden and President Subianto discussed carbon capture and storage (CCS) and methane abatement as key opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Both leaders expressed their commitment to supporting methane reduction capacity building. The two leaders seek to develop affordable and cost-effective CCS solutions and deploy methane abatement strategies that contribute to Indonesia’s net-zero targets and global climate goals. President Biden congratulated Indonesia on its recent success in reducing emissions from deforestation and offered continued U.S. support for Indonesia to reach its forestry and land sector net sink target by 2030.

As one way to mobilize private finance for emissions reductions from forests and other sectors, President Biden expressed his support for Indonesia’s efforts to develop a high-integrity carbon market and offered U.S. support for accessing international demand for carbon credits. The leaders pledged to deepen bilateral discussions under the U.S.-Indonesia Climate Change Working Group and through technical cooperation.

Promoting Innovation through Digital and Technology Cooperation

Both Indonesia and the United States concurred that AI and other digital technologies should be optimized to enable sustainable development and bridge the digital divide. President Biden and President Subianto underscored the pressing need to enhance capacity building to ensure equitable access to secure and resilient AI and related digital innovations. The leaders also welcomed the opportunity to expand radio access network (Open RAN) projects in Indonesia, acknowledging the importance of improving Indonesia’s cellular network performance, creating a secure, resilient, and fostering a competitive ecosystem for advanced technology, and providing broader connectivity.

The two leaders acknowledged the need to continuously explore initiatives to secure cyberspace and welcomed the intention to elevate their cooperation, particularly through the exchange of best practices, capacity building, and research cooperation in the near future. This enhanced collaboration should be rooted in their shared desire to promote a peaceful, secure, and resilient cyberspace that serves as an enabler of economic progress and betterment of living standards for all. The leaders also celebrated the U.S. State Department’s partnership with the Government of Indonesia through the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund under the CHIPS Act of 2022.

The leaders expressed their intention to enhance Indonesia’s human resource capacity in the semiconductor industry, as well as human resources development, through collaborations with American universities and optimizing U.S. government support through the ITSI Fund. The United States is committed to support Indonesia in developing its small modular reactor (SMR) technology, including by expediting ongoing feasibility studies and exploring potential collaboration to build Indonesian expertise through nuclear assessor research certification programs.

Investing in People, Education, and Health

We also use this opportunity to commemorate the 20th anniversary of a massive tsunami that devastated coastal communities across the Indian Ocean region, including Aceh Province in Indonesia. In response, the United States mobilized over $400 million in emergency aid to support Indonesia’s response, assisting over 580,000 people. President Biden and President Subianto recognize the resourcefulness and perseverance of the tsunami’s survivors and applaud the bravery of humanitarian responders. We have built on this experience, and expanded our cooperation to include a Memorandum of Understanding between our disaster management agencies. Our leaders reaffirmed our commitment to boost disaster risk reduction and to work together on humanitarian aid and disaster relief to other vulnerable locations. 

Building on our strong people-to-people ties, President Biden and President Subianto underscored their plan to deepen cooperation in education, research, and development. The leaders announced the opening of a new American Corner in Makassar in 2025. The two leaders also welcomed further cooperation to promote science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) fields, language education, and entrepreneurship collaboration, with a focus on women, youth, and persons with disabilities. As part of these efforts, both leaders emphasized the importance of expanding vocational and skills training, technical education and certification with a focus on technology, manufacturing, health, hospitality, construction, and creative industries.

Both countries are also committed to furthering health cooperation to advance clinical research, public health goals, and health systems to address emerging and chronic health conditions, as well as infectious diseases, including tuberculosis. The two leaders also welcomed a future signing of an elevated Memorandum of Understanding on health between Indonesia and the United States. This effort underscores both nation’s unwavering commitment to collaborate to realize Indonesia’s health transformation goals. President Biden also expressed support for Indonesia’s national program to provide nutritious and healthy meals for school children and expecting mothers.

Both leaders emphasized the significance of recognizing and honoring their respective cultural heritage, which serve as invaluable bridges in fostering stronger people-to-people connections. President Subianto further commended the United States for its support of Indonesia’s safeguarding of its cultural heritage from the growing threat of illicit trafficking, including the continued repatriation of Indonesian artifacts held within the United States. The leaders also applauded the new U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation project to assist Indonesian museums to build new documentation systems and enhance emergency preparedness.

Deepening United States – Indonesia Defense and Security Cooperation

President Biden and President Subianto committed to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional security and stability, and emphasizing the significance of the Defense Cooperation Arrangement concluded in 2023. Both leaders pledged to cooperate on strengthening maritime security capabilities and to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, as well as fishing associated with transnational organized crime. The two leaders also welcome continued cooperation on defense and military modernization in a manner consistent with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.   

President Biden praised Indonesia for successfully hosting the 2024 Super Garuda Shield exercise and the potential expansion of the multilateral exercise which recently engaged eight other partner nations, twelve observer countries, and over 6,000 personnel, aimed at enhancing collective security capabilities to better prepare for the challenges of an increasingly complex global landscape.

The two leaders reaffirmed their intention to hold the 2nd U.S.-Indonesia Senior Officials’ Foreign Policy and Defense Dialogue, the 21st U.S.-Indonesia Security Dialogue (IUSSD), and the U.S. and Indonesia Bilateral Defense Discussion (USIBDD), before the end of the first quarter of 2025. In the field of maritime cooperation, both leaders welcomed the establishment of the U.S.-funded BAKAMLA ‘Anambas’ Maritime Training Center in Batam this year. Our leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to holding a maritime dialogue and intended to explore new areas of discussion, including cooperation on a sustainable maritime economy and advancing marine science and technology. The leaders also pledged to explore the establishment of a defense alumni network to strengthen defense cooperation ties.

The two leaders condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and committed to work together to prevent and counter terrorism. The leaders applauded our longstanding, successful cooperation to counter terrorism and welcomed the renewal of the U.S.-Indonesia Memorandum of Understanding on counterterrorism until 2027 as part of this effort.

Deepening Regional and Global Cooperation

Both leaders acknowledged the importance of enhancing global peace, security, and stability to further the progress in their CSP. President Subianto welcomed sustained U.S. support for ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and acknowledged the value of regional and sub-regional mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions working with ASEAN on specific areas of common interests. Both leaders committed to work together to uphold an open, inclusive, rules-based, and ASEAN-centered regional architecture that upholds international law.

Both leaders underscored their unwavering support for upholding freedom of navigation and overflight as well as respect for sovereign rights and jurisdiction of coastal states over their exclusive economic zones in accordance with international law of the sea, as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The United States and Indonesia also recognized the importance of the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and expressed support for ASEAN efforts to develop an effective, and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea that adheres to international law, in particular UNCLOS, and respect the rights and interests of third parties. The leaders note the ruling of the 2016 arbitral tribunal, constituted pursuant to UNCLOS.

President Biden expressed support for ASEAN’s efforts to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. Our leaders reiterated full support for ASEAN’s central role and the implementation of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, and expressed appreciation for the work of the ASEAN and UN Special Envoys on Myanmar. The two leaders denounced and called for the immediate cessation of the continued acts of violence against civilians. They urged all parties to exercise utmost restraint, ensure the protection of civilians, and create a conducive environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. President Biden and President Subianto also called on the Myanmar regime to create the conditions for national dialogue that re-establishes Myanmar’s path to inclusive democracy.  

The United States and Indonesia reaffirm support for the establishment of a durable peace on, and the complete denuclearization of, the Korean Peninsula. The leaders urged all parties to fully implement their international obligations and commitments, including halting actions that violate UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) that threaten peace and stability in the region. Both leaders called on the concerned parties to comply fully with all relevant UNSCRs and to engage in peaceful dialogue.

President Biden and President Subianto reiterated the urgent call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza through the release of hostages, an exchange of prisoners, the free flow of humanitarian assistance, and an end to the conflict. The two leaders expressed grave concern over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, and condemned all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. The leaders underscored that the future recovery and reconstruction of Gaza will rely on sustained engagement from the international community. Both leaders remain committed to a viable and independent Palestinian state and Israel’s security concerns as part of a two-state solution that enable both Israelis and Palestinians to live in a just, lasting and secure peace. Any unilateral actions that undermine the prospect of a two-state solution, including expansion of Israeli settlements and violent extremism on all sides, must end. The leaders underscore the need to prevent the conflict from escalating and spreading further into the region. The two leaders reaffirmed that it is imperative to reach a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon. 

Building off of our successful cooperation on Indonesia’s airdrop of humanitarian aid to Gaza in April, President Biden and President Subianto also committed to expand cooperation on addressing the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. The leaders pledged to work together to facilitate the medical evacuation of Palestinian children in order to receive critical care, and committed to support humanitarian and early recovery activities on the ground in Gaza. President Biden conveyed his appreciation for Indonesia’s role in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission and joined Indonesia in calling for all to respect the inviolability of UN premises, as well as calling for the protection of and to avoid military activity that might risk harming UNIFIL personnel.

The leaders discussed the war against Ukraine and reaffirmed our respect for sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity, and the UN Charter. Both leaders underlined the importance of serious engagement in a genuine dialogue for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. They also called for the facilitation of rapid and safe access to humanitarian assistance for those in need in Ukraine, and for the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and persons in vulnerable situations. 

President Biden welcomed Indonesia’s leadership in the G20 on issues of concern to the developing world, including on evolving the multilateral development banks and strengthening the global health architecture. The two leaders pledged to cooperate on providing a pathway to growth for developing countries by unlocking space for countries with mounting debt burdens to invest in their futures.

Both countries also stressed the importance of continuing the discussions towards the UN Security Council reform. A transparent, democratic, efficient, effective and inclusive UN Security Council is crucial in efforts to maintain international peace and security.

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FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Leverages Historic U.S. Climate Leadership at Home and Abroad to Urge Countries to Accelerate Global Climate Action at the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29)

Since Day One, President Biden has treated climate change as not only one of the greatest challenges of our time, but also as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unleash a new era of economic growth, good-paying union jobs, historic investment, and energy security. The United States heads into the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan with a four-year record of spearheading the most significant climate action in history at home and leading efforts to tackle the climate crisis abroad.  At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration will highlight global economic opportunities afforded by accelerating climate action in this decisive decade and will announce new initiatives to galvanize global efforts to keep a resilient, 1.5°C future within reach.

At home, actions like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – the largest ever investment by any country in clean energy and climate action – and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) have unleashed an unprecedented wave of investment and ignited a clean manufacturing boom.  These actions have stimulated over $450 billion in announced private investment in clean energy manufacturing and deployment since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration and created over 330,000 clean energy jobs in just over two years, with an additional 1.5 million jobs projected to be created over the next decade.  Hard-hit communities are reaping the biggest economic benefits – since the IRA passed, 75% of private clean energy investments have occurred in counties with lower than median household incomes, and clean energy investment in energy communities has doubled. This government-enabled, private-sector led approach, complemented by increased action from state and local governments, has set the United States on a path to achieve our 1.5°C-aligned emissions target under the Paris Agreement.  And historic investments in climate and disaster resilience are making communities across the country safer and stronger in the face of extreme weather events, which we know are getting more frequent and more dangerous because of climate change.

The investments the United States is making at home are catalyzing progress abroad, lowering the cost of clean energy for everyone and saving hundreds of billions of dollars globally.  The IRA is projected to produce more than $5 trillion in global economic benefits from reduced climate pollution between now and 2050.  Over the next seven years, according to analysis from the Department of Energy (DOE), twice as much U.S. wind, solar, and battery deployment is expected than would have been without the IRA.  This progress complements U.S. efforts to rally other countries to accelerate the clean energy transition and enhance their climate ambition.

At COP29, the U.S. delegation will promote U.S. efforts to seize the economic opportunities of the clean energy transition, address the risks climate change poses to our national security, and accelerate climate action in this decisive decade.  Key announcements include:

• Powering Forward with Ambitious Domestic Climate Action – by announcing the finalization of a new rule to reduce economically wasteful methane emissions; establishing new, bold targets for expanding U.S. nuclear energy capacity and releasing a framework to achieve them; and highlighting new actions to unlock potential for a new source of clean baseload power: enhanced geothermal.
  
  
• Accelerating Global Climate Action to Keep the 1.5°C Goal Within Reach – by driving progress on reducing methane and other high-impact non-carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (“super pollutants”) at a COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs alongside China and Azerbaijan and announcing new efforts to implement the over $1 billion in grant funding unveiled at COP28 as part of the Methane Finance Sprint; by announcing new members of the Carbon Management Challenge that President Biden launched in 2023; and by announcing new investments and initiatives to help partners transition away from unabated coal, deploy renewables, and reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors.

• Mobilizing Finance at Scale – including by scaling up U.S. international climate finance for developing countries from $1.5 billion in FY21 to $9.5 billion in FY23, a more than sixfold increase that was enabled by record-high levels of investment across the USG, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM).  This increase puts the United States on track to meet President Biden’s pledge to work with Congress to scale up our support to over $11 billion per year by 2024.  The United States is also announcing a new $1 billion guarantee for the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP), which will unlock over $4.5 billion in investment, and supporting the launch of the Climate Investment Funds Capital Markets Mechanism, which is projected to raise $5 billion or more over 10 years.

• Bolstering Global Climate Resilience – by scaling up U.S. support for vulnerable developing countries to over $3 billion in FY23 to implement the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), achieving President Biden’s pledge to do so by 2024 one year early; by expanding access to cutting-edge climate information, data, and early-warning systems in over 80 countries; and by marshalling over $3 billion in additional resources since 2022 from 40 U.S. and global companies and partners in response to the PREPARE Private Sector Call to Action.

• Advancing Women’s and Girls’ Leadership in Tackling the Climate Crisis – by announcing new investments to support the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative, a public-private partnership launched by Vice President Harris in 2023 through which the United States has galvanized over $2 billion in commitments by governments, private sector companies, foundations, and civil society to bolster women’s economic participation in sectors such as clean energy, fisheries, recycling, forest management, and environmental conservation.

POWERING FORWARD WITH AMBITIOUS DOMESTIC CLIMATE ACTION

• Reducing Wasteful Methane Emissions – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, following the directive from Congress in the IRA to collect a Waste Emissions Charge to better ensure valuable natural gas reaches the market rather than polluting the air.  Today’s final rule delivers on this directive and incentivizes companies to take near-term action to conserve valuable energy resources and reduce methane emissions – a potent GHG that is responsible for approximately one-third of the global warming we are now experiencing. EPA estimates that this rule alone will result in cumulative emissions reductions of 34 million metric tons CO2-equivalent by 2035, with cumulative climate benefits of up to $2 billion. Today’s final rule is just one of more than 100 actions that U.S. Federal agencies have taken in 2024 alone to sharply reduce methane emissions under the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, helping to deliver on the Global Methane Pledge. U.S. actions this year have included plugging leaks and regulating emissions in the oil and gas sector, remediating pollution from abandoned coal mines, curbing food waste and emissions from agriculture practices, investing in cleaner industrial processes and buildings, and building a new, integrated system of satellite, aerial, and on-the-ground detections to stop major methane emissions events.

• Establishing Bold Targets for Expanding Domestic Nuclear Energy and Announcing  a Framework for Action to Achieve Them – acknowledging the crucial role that nuclear power will play to support energy security and clean economic growth, the United States is establishing a national goal to build 200 GW of new nuclear power generation capacity by 2050, as our Nation’s contribution to the global “Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy” from 2020 levels endorsed by 25 countries at COP28.  The United States is also establishing nearer-term targets to jumpstart the expansion of nuclear energy deployment with 35 GW of new domestic nuclear energy capacity built or under construction by 2035 and ramping-up to a sustained pace of producing 15 GW per year by 2040.  These targets are part of “Safely and Responsibly Expanding U.S. Nuclear Energy to Tackle the Climate Crisis and Invest in America: Deployment Targets and a Framework for Action” that establishes a set of guiding principles for successfully scaling up nuclear energy in the United States in a manner that advances core values and commitments—including ensuring public health and safety protecting the environment, ensuring energy affordability, meaningfully engaging with communities and delivering local community benefits, honoring Tribal sovereignty, advancing environmental justice, and promoting national security.  The Framework also and identifies more than 30 key actions the U.S. government can take, along with the U.S. nuclear energy industry, power customers, and civil society, to meet this moment.  To help inform implementation of this Framework, the Administration is launching Tribal consultation and will issue a Request for Information to ensure that governmental, public and community engagement inform implementation of this Framework.

• Doubling the Number of Scalable Clean Baseload Power Sources by Rapidly Commercializing Geothermal Energy – The Administration’s recent actions are enabling enhanced geothermal to become a key source of clean baseload power and heat in the United States. Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved in record time the development of the world’s largest next-generation geothermal project, which has the potential to generate up to 2 GW, proposed a new environmental review tool to facilitate confirmation of geothermal resources on federal lands, and hosted the largest lease sale of federal lands for geothermal electricity projects in more than 15 years. This year, the Department of Energy (DOE) also made the first federal investment of $60 million under BIL to support novel demonstration projects for next-generation geothermal technologies. As a result of these efforts, within one year of the first 3.5 MW enhanced geothermal project’s delivery of power in November 2023, over 600 MW of power purchase agreements have been signed for geothermal power using this pioneering technology—presenting new pathways to leverage oil and gas industry expertise and workforces to support a robust, resilient, and secure energy grid with good jobs.

• Leading by Example by Reducing U.S. Government Emissions – by announcing a new suite of actions to reduce the U.S. government’s indirect (“Scope 3”) emissions and engage other governments and suppliers.  This includes launching a new target to reduce the Federal Government’s Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 – the equivalent of 40 million metric tons of CO2 annually – and releasing the first comprehensive measurement of the federal Scope 3 footprint. The United States is also launching the Government Scope 3 Alliance, a coalition of national and state governments whose members commit to set Scope 3 targets for government operations and report annually on progress.

• Releasing a National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy – Today, the White House is releasing a new national strategy to advance research on the benefits, risks, and tradeoffs associated with marine carbon dioxide removal, a set of innovative technologies that could help address the climate crisis in concert with substantial cuts to carbon emissions.  Marine CO2 removal uses ocean processes to increase the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide the ocean removes from the atmosphere, but it requires additional research to determine if it is a safe and effective climate tool.  The strategy, which responds to a key objective of the Ocean Climate Action Plan, provides recommendations to guide accountable research, ensure community engagement, and clarify the regulatory process for scientific researchers.

ACCELERATING GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION

President Biden has rallied world leaders to accelerate action in key areas that the latest science has identified as critical to keeping the goal of limiting average warming to 1.5°C within reach.  At COP29, the United States announced progress in each of these key areas, including:

• Reducing Methane and Other Non-CO2 GHG Super Pollutants:

• Hosting a COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs – The Summit, co-hosted with China and Azerbaijan, showcased new actions to cut emissions of these climate super-pollutants that account for over half of warming, including national commitments to cover all GHGs in national climate targets, new policy and regulatory actions, and new scientific progress.  As the two largest emitters in the world, responsible for roughly 10% and 30% of global GHG emissions, respectively, the United States and China have helped catalyze global attention on non-CO2 GHGs. These efforts include the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), which more than 155 countries have now endorsed and are taking steps to meet the goal to cut global methane emissions by 30% by 2030. At COP29, with announcements from new countries, there are now nearly 100 methane action plans completed or underway, including China’s national action plan on methane and the United States’s Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan update. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which serves as GMP Secretariat, is funding implementation projects in 65 countries. 

• Mobilizing billions to tackle super pollutants – At the COP29 Non-CO2 Summit, partners announced implementation steps for over $1 billion in grant funding previously announced at COP28 as part of the Methane Finance Sprint. This grant funding is already mobilizing billions more in methane-related project investment by the World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and regional multilateral development banks, among others.

• Leveraging new action and science to cut nitrous oxide (N2O) and Tropospheric Ozone – The United States and partners announced new global action and science on cutting super pollutants like N2O and tropospheric ozone, which account for roughly one-fifth of today’s warming, with significant impacts on public health and agricultural productivity. New steps include the release of aGlobal N2O Assessment, the United Nations  Environment Program’s new commitment to advance science on reducing climate impacts of tropospheric ozone, and private sector steps to tackle N2O and tropospheric ozone precursors.

• Leading Global Efforts to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Deployment:

• Implementing and expanding the effort to triple nuclear energy –by co-leading a coalition of countries working to advance the global goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity from 2020 levels by 2050, including by setting an example that shows how the United States will do its part, by establishing 2050 and nearer-term domestic nuclear energy deployment targets and outlining a Framework for Action.  Thirty countries from four continents now endorse the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy, after an additional five countries joined the effort at COP29.  Endorsers also highlighted recent stakeholder support for the effort, including from 14 major global financial institutions that announced support for the tripling goal during New York Climate Week in September 2024.

• Supporting Ukraine’s leadership in safe and secure nuclear energy –by announcing $30 million in funding from the U.S. Department of State for cooperation with Ukraine under the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Technology (FIRST) program to develop: (1) a Clean Fuels from SMRs Pilot Plant, which will demonstrate the production of clean hydrogen and ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizers, in Ukraine using simulated SMR technology; (2) Project Phoenix, to facilitate the conversion of Ukraine’s coal plants to SMRs by developing a comprehensive strategy, conducting feasibility studies, and providing advisory services; and (3) the Clean Steel from SMR Roadmap, which will help rebuild, modernize, and decarbonize Ukraine’s steel industry using clean electricity, process heat, and hydrogen from SMRs for steel manufacturing.

• U.S. – Romania Partnership to Create Over 1.5 GW of Clean Energy –Sargent & Lundy (U.S.), AtkinsRealis (Canada), and Ansaldo (Italy) reached a new milestone in the Cernavoda nuclear power plant project, and finalized a contract for an international consortium to complete two new reactors at Romania’s Cernavoda site, which, once completed, will generate over 1.5 GW of clean power for the region. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Romania Ministry of Energy facilitated the agreement and catalyzed the project by signing an intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and Romania.

• Decarbonizing the Energy Sector by Scaling Technologies Critical to Achieving the 1.5°C Goal:

• Advancing the goal to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency –including by co-leading the effort to establish international goals at COP29 to increase energy storage and expand and modernize grids, two key ingredients needed to scale up renewable energy in line with keeping the 1.5°Cgoal within reach.  Endorsers of the Energy Storage and Grids Pledge will set global goals to achieve 1500 GW of energy storage and 25 million km of built or refurbished grids by 2030, with an additional 65 million km by 2040.  The United States also provided over $4.5 billion in support for international clean energy projects in FY23, which will significantly advance efforts to triple renewable energy and double efficiency by 2030.

• Zero Emissions and Resilient Buildings Accelerator (ZERB Accelerator) – which brings together a cohort of leading cities, states, and regions committed to ambitious climate mitigation and resilience goals in the buildings sector, including the collective reduction of annual emissions by at least 50 million metric tons below 2020 levels, by 2030.  Incubated by the Subnational Climate Action Leaders’ Exchange (SCALE) partnership, the initiative will strengthen multilevel collaboration between these subnational jurisdictions and their national governments and will mobilize a broad coalition of organizations offering support in the areas of policy and technical assistance, financing, and measuring, reporting, and verification capacity to move the building sector to zero emissions and resiliency.

• Advancing the Carbon Management Challenge – Since President Biden announced the Carbon Management Challenge (CMC) last year at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, 22 countries and the European Commission have joined the initiative.  This includes 5 new members since COP28: Bahrain, Kenya, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Senegal.  In the past year, the CMC established a Secretariat to advance carbon management at the billion-ton scale by delivering outcomes on (1) developing country finance; (2) project deployment and tracking; and (3) strategic communications and engagement.

• Launching the U.S-India Low Carbon Comfort Cooling Collective – a new initiative aimed at harnessing the power of the public and private sectors to mobilize large-scale private investment towards a 50% reduction in cooling-related emissions in India by 2030.  At COP29, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $1 million to support this new partnership.  In the face of intensifying extreme heat, the activity aims to reduce carbon emissions from cooling, decrease stress on electricity networks, and lower the cost of efficient cooling and alternative cooling solutions.

• Mobilizing Investment for Early Retirement of Indonesia Coal-fired Power Plant –USAID is assisting a consortium in Indonesia, led by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, to establish an approximately $255 million equity investment in the first coal power, early phase-out transaction under the Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership.  USAID will support an agreement between Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund and public infrastructure company, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur, and private investors to finalize the early retirement of the 660 MW Cirebon coal-fired power plant.

• Accelerating clean energy deployment and decarbonization in the power and industrial sectors – through the Power Sector Program and Energy and Mineral Governance Program, the Department of State is committing $10.6 million to strengthen grid infrastructure to improve reliability and resiliency, deploy clean energy technologies to decarbonize the power and industrial sectors,expand cross border power trade, and create opportunities for private sector investment. The Energy and Mineral Governance Program is committing a further $5 million to expand technical support to enable emissions reductions in the oil and gas sector through methane abatement and decarbonization technologies, in support of the Global Methane Pledge.

• Advancing the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) –At COP29, AIM for Climate will announce $2.9 billion in new investments, innovation sprints, and partners.  Launched by President Biden at COP26, AIM for Climate is a 5-year initiative co-led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).  In just 4 years, AIM for Climate partners have mobilized $29.2 billion in increased investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, over a 2020 baseline, including over $4.3 billion by the United States.  On the margins of COP29, the United States and the UAE will host the 3rd AIM for Climate Ministerial, a strategic opportunity to highlight the institutional legacy of AIM for Climate, including the recent  AIM for Climate Report.

MOBILIZING FINANCE AT SCALE

From Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed to boosting international climate finance.  This includes scaling-up our own bilateral finance, fully leveraging multilateral financial institutions, and mobilizing private investment.  These efforts are also in direct support of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment.  As a result of these efforts over the last three years, the United States significantly scaled up our climate finance – from $1.5 billion in FY21 to over $9.5 billion in FY23, a more than sixfold increase.  These actions build on domestic efforts to catalyze investments in game-changing climate mitigation and climate resilience innovations.  At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new efforts to mobilize investment at the speed and scale the climate crisis requires, including:

• Announcing a $1 billion guarantee for ADB’s Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP) – a $2.5 billion climate finance platform for Asia and the Pacific, making the United States the Facility’s largest donor.  The U.S. guarantee will enable $4.5 billion in new lending from ADB, which will start this month.

• Supporting the Launch of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Capital Markets Mechanism –an innovative new mechanism that will allow the CIF to raise funds directly in the capital markets, where it estimates it could raise $5 billion or more over 10 years.

• Achieving Record-Levels of Climate Investments through DFC and EXIM –with DFC reaching$3.71 billion in FY24 and mobilizing significant private investment to support over 1 GW of new clean energy capacity, improving U.S. partners’ energy security and access.  In line with its congressional mandate, EXIM has more than doubled its investments in clean energy and other environmentally beneficial exports – from $1.1 billion in FY23 to a record $1.6 billion in FY24.  These new investments, which represent over one-fourth of EXIM’s transactions this year, supported $1.7 billion in clean energy and other environmentally beneficial exports, EXIM’s highest-ever levels.

• Pioneering Innovative Approaches to Mobilize Private Investment –working with Congress, USAID is investing $41.1 million to drive private finance into hard-to-reach geographies and sectors.  This includes a $7.25 million investment through the Enterprises for Development, Growth, and Empowerment (EDGE) Fund to incentivize private investment in impact funds and mobilize investment in natural climate solutions which includes $2.75 million in grants to enable two new investment fund managers under the PREPARE Adaptation Finance Window that aim to catalyze additional public partners to co-invest.  USAID will also commit $27.7 million for the Colombia Invest for Climate activity, which aims to transform markets and financial systems and direct public and private funds into climate-smart businesses.  Finally, USAID is committing $6.1 million to the Partnerships for Green Investment initiative announced at COP28 last year to mobilize at least $200 million to achieve 50 million tons of emissions reductions, climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and benefit sharing across Southeast Asia.    

• Supporting the Development of the Cambodia Climate Financing Facility (CCFF) –USAID provided technical assistance to support the development of the CCFF, a $100 million green bank that will fill a critical funding gap for climate projects in Cambodia.  Once operationalized, the facility will provide concessions to local banks and businesses to stimulate investment in climate adaptation and mitigation projects, assisting Cambodia in meeting its Nationally Determined Contribution.

• Investing in Clean Energy and Critical Minerals Value Chains in Africa –as part of collaboration with Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway, the United States, working with Congress, will make an initial commitment of $10 million over two years into the Investment Mobilization Collaboration Alliance’s third funding window through Power Africa, supporting clean energy and critical mineral investments in Africa.  This investment will improve critical minerals value chains and increase access to and use of energy to advance industrialization.  In joining this impactful, innovative international partnership, Power Africa will leverage partner funds and support proposals to advance clean energy across the continent.

BOLSTERING GLOBAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE

The Administration is announcing new efforts to accelerate the implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), which aims to help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change this decade.  Through these efforts, the United States has provided over $3 billion in adaptation finance in FY23, achieving President Biden’s pledge to work with Congress to increase U.S. international public adaptation finance to $3 billion by FY24 to help implement PREPARE one year early.  This includes the following additional efforts across PREPARE:

• Scaling-Up DFC’s Adaptation Investments to Record-High Levels –DFC invested $1.3 billion in adaptation in FY24, including projects that will strengthen food and water security and sustainable practices to adapt to and increase resilience to the threat of climate change.  
• The $458 million Zambia Farm-to-Market Compact –MCC’s $458 million Zambia Farm-to-Market Compact, signed in October 2024, aims to improve Zambia’s agriculture and agro-processing sectors. The compact will focus on rural road infrastructure, increasing access to finance for irrigation, electricity, storage and processing facilities, and supporting agricultural policy reform initiatives. The Improving Roads Activity will improve road conditions, quality, access, and climate resilience for selected segments within the identified agricultural corridors through the design, construction, expansion, rehabilitation, upgrades, and strengthening in key agricultural corridors It also focuses on integrated planning, climate-resilient road infrastructure, building a local green/climate finance market, and improving agricultural productivity through better management of soils, irrigation, and watersheds.

• Expanding Access to Cutting-Edge Climate Information and Early Warnings through PREPARE –The United States has invested billions to develop world-leading weather and climate-related information and service capabilities – from launching leading-edge satellites, amassing relevant observational data from a global network of sensors, and developing advanced modelling technology.  The United States is using these capabilities to support vulnerable developing countries to better understand, anticipate, and prepare for climate impacts.  At COP29 the United States is announcing several new efforts, including working with Congress to announce a new the SERVIR Central America Hub that will launch in December and will bolster the resilience of over 50 million people to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts and environmental degradation. NOAA is announcing $4.7 million to bolster multi-hazard early warning capabilities in Pacific Islands, including through capacity building, data sharing, and expansion of sea-level rise monitoring stations to help with coastal inundation. The United States is also launching the Global Sea Level Explorer– anew earth.gov platform that will provide foundational information about global sea level and flooding to help inform decision-making, resource management, and emergency operations for each coastal country across the globe.

• Climate Smart and Disaster Ready –as part of its Climate Smart and Disaster Ready initiative, USAID announced $11.8 million in new awards to strengthen localized climate adaptation for communities at the greatest risk of climate-related disasters in current and foreseeable humanitarian contexts, bringing the total investment under this initiative to date to $16.2 million.  Under this program, USAID has funded five multi-year initiatives in West Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands, including the previously announced $4.4 million to support young people in the Pacific Islands to advance disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation efforts in their own communities.

• Climate Finance for Agriculture in Africa –USAID will invest $9.3 million to accelerate climate finance for climate-resilient and low emissions development investments in agriculture and food systems across Africa, working with Congress.  In Zambia, USAID is supporting the country’s first climate-focused investment fund, aiming to mobilize $70 million for climate adaptation in critical sectors, including agriculture. In Ghana, USAID created a $2.6 million co-investment program to incentivize private sector investment in climate adaptation and mitigation in agriculture, complementing cooperation with the government on national carbon market development. Finally, through the Africa Trade and Investment activity, USAID is supporting a pan-Africa Fund to finance African microfinance institutions and agricultural entities, aiming to leverage an additional $5 million in commercial investments for climate-smart agriculture, with a total investment leverage ratio of 6:1. 

• Expanding Technical Support for SIDS through the Local2030 Islands Network – the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of State will invest nearly $500K to expand technical support to the Local2030 Islands Network for peer-to-peer learning, engagement and training to bolster the use of adaptive solutions and scientific data and planning.  This announcement builds on a prior investment of approximately $12 million into the Local2030 Islands Network, a global island-led network committed to net zero emissions and strengthening island resilience to climate change, with an emphasis on advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

• $144 million in new partnership agreements in Mozambique –MCC’s $144 million in new partnership agreements in Mozambique with local non-governmental partners Biofund and ProAzul for MCC’s Coastal Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project will leverage nature-based low carbon infrastructure to restore coastal ecosystems and their functions.

• Bolstering the Resilience of Critical Infrastructure: Enhancing Grid Resilience in Africa – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a feasibility study grant to Côte d’Ivoire Energies to help develop a smart grid control system that will increase stability of the national grid and reduce potential blackouts in the face of extreme weather events or climate disruptions.  USTDA is also supporting a grid resilience and efficiency event series, which will connect officials from public and private entities in sub-Saharan Africa’s power sector to the latest U.S. technologies services, and equipment for improved electricity transmission and distribution systems.

ADVANCING WOMEN AND GIRLS’ LEADERSHIP IN CLIMATE ACTION

Recognizing that no economy can get ahead if half of its population is left behind, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to preparing women for leadership roles in the industries of the future, including through efforts that advance the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative—an over $2 billion public-private partnership that aims to close gender gaps in access to training, jobs, leadership roles, and finance in green and blue sectors.  At COP29, the Administration announced:

• Advancing Women’s Leadership in the Clean Energy Economy –At COP29, USAID is announcing $10.8 million to champion women as decision-makers, stakeholders, educators, and experts in responding to the climate crisis.  USAID is investing in programs that support women’s equitable access to land; integrate gender-based violence prevention in fisheries conservation; and promote women’s participation and economic empowerment in green industries and clean energy sectors. 

• Accelerating Women’s Leadership in Climate Action – One year after the release of the U.S. Strategy to Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Women, the State Department is releasing a progress report outlining initiatives and programs worth $10.7 million to empower women and girls as climate leaders while addressing the disproportionate impacts they face from the climate crisis.  These initiatives include efforts to train and connect women leading the clean energy transition, building climate-smart agricultural systems, and promoting Indigenous management of natural resources.

• Women In Agriculture Gain Economic Security (WAGES) –This program supports women in agricultural cooperatives across Tunisia to address the impacts of climate change, increase profitability, and improve food security.  The project focuses on optimizing natural resource use and enhancing the business operations of women-led cooperatives.  The $2.1 million project tackles women’s limited access to training and resources by forming partnerships with regional stakeholders and adapting approaches to address the needs of local women leaders. 

• Supporting Women Environmental Defenders –The Department of State is expanding support for women environmental defenders through the EMPOWER and WE-Defend programs, enabling their safe and meaningful participation in environmental governance and policy making. The EMPOWER program, now totaling $1.7 million, supports defenders globally, while WE-Defend, with a total investment of $1.2 million, focuses on empowering Filipina environmental defenders in decision-making processes related to environmental policies.

• Advancing Women in Clean Energy and Minerals (AWCEM) Program – The Department of State announced $1.25 million to increase women’s leadership in the clean energy and critical mineral mining sectors in Latin America, empowering women to become leaders and agents for change to support decarbonization and the clean energy transition.

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The East Room

Thank you, Clare. You and everyone at the Foundation are continuing James Beard’s legacy—bringing incredible food to more people and celebrating the chefs who make it. 

Ethan—you’ve been an incredible leader, not just in these last few years at the State Department, but over your three decades of service. As anyone who’s met you knows—and as we all just saw—you light up every room you walk into and you bring us joy. Joe and I are so grateful for your friendship.

And I know we have so many other friends here—people like Robert Irvine who has brought comfort to so many military families. 

Welcome to the White House!

Food is love.

It’s my sisters and me bursting into our grandmom’s house in South Jersey every Sunday as pots of sauce simmered on her stove. It’s my mother always putting fresh flowers on the table, even if we were just eating frozen fish sticks. It’s my Italian American family teaching me to never waste an opportunity to invite more people to the table.

When we share a meal—that love fills the air around us and opens our hearts to friendships old and new. That’s true in the United States—and it’s true around the world. It’s the gift chefs, like the ones here today, give us.

Just a few weeks ago, I saw that gift unfold while working with José Andrés, Katie Button, and other chefs in Asheville, North Carolina. They cooked for thousands trying to rebuild after the hurricane that swept through their community. We stirred giant pots and handed out meals, and I watched as the food gave people hope.

Even amid devastation, they had a reason to feel a little less alone, to know their community was there for them—because they had a meal—made with love.

That connection is what diplomacy is about as well. It’s not only government-to-government relationships. It’s people to people. Heart to heart. 

I’ve seen that these last four years at the White House. With every State Dinner, with every reception, with the James Beard curated chefs who helped us bring first spouses together during the UN General Assembly. In those moments, food helps us tell the stories of our countries—in all their flavors and notes.

I’m so happy to welcome back our incredible former White House Executive Chef, Cris Comerford. You have helped so many first families weave together diplomacy and food. Joe and I are so grateful that we got to be a part of your time here.

Cris once said about cooking, “In America, we play Jazz.”

That’s what our American Culinary Corps does in their kitchens. You show the world who we are as Americans, in all our precious differences and infinite similarities. You innovate and improvise. You discover new rhythms and perfect your own special techniques, bringing together the cultures and communities that make this country great.

In some ways, that’s what the Diplomatic Corps does too. You bring to our shores pieces of your homes—your favorite traditions, the history and hope of your nations – and, of course, the foods that hold the memories of generations past.

As you work across borders and oceans, those pieces join to make something new—something that can only happen when we understand each other, opening up the possibilities of the world. And in those moments of wonder, we find the common ground on which our future can be built.

It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as First Lady and do that work alongside you.

As Joe and I begin our final months here, I know we will see so many of you again as we continue to build our tomorrows together.  

With all of my heart, and on behalf of my husband, thank you for helping us reach toward the safe and peaceful world we all dream of. And let us keep coming together, side by side at our shared table, with understanding and open hearts, savoring every moment and all the love they hold.

Thank you.

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Oval Office

2:45 P.M. EST

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Mr. President, welcome to the White House.

PRESIDENT SUBIANTO:  Thank you very much, sir.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Good to have you here.  And we’re making —

PRESIDENT SUBIANTO:  Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  We’re marking an important anniversary: 75 years of diplomatic relationship with Indonesia and the United States — 75 years.  I’m proud that the partnership between our countries is stronger than it’s ever been. 

And today, we’re going to discuss how we continue to strengthen that partnership, first, in my view, by advancing free and open Indo-Pacific with ASEAN at its center.  As two of the largest democracies in the world, it seems to me that our nations have a special responsibility in this vision. 

Second, fighting the climate crisis.  Indonesia is a critical player in the clean energy transition.

And third, by building a secure and resilient supply chain.

And finally, by deepening our comprehensive strategic partnership that includes deepening our security cooperation. 

We’ll discuss, also, global challenges, including in Gaza and the South China Sea. 

So, Mr. President, I’m looking forward to our discussion, and welcome.  I’m delighted to have you here, and the floor is yours.

PRESIDENT SUBIANTO:  Thank you.  Thank you, President Biden.  Thank you for receiving me. 

I also would like to thank you: You — you phoned me yourself upon my election and —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  A great victory.

PRESIDENT SUBIANTO:  Yes.  Thank you very much.

And then, finally, I could make it and you received me today.

United States, for us, is a very great friend.  United States supported us in our struggle for independence and helped us many times in our time of need. 

Therefore, I will work very hard to strengthen Indonesia and United States’ relationship.  And I would like to work towards this end, that we have a strong cooperation.

Once again, President Biden, thank you very much for receiving me.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, thank you.  I look forward to our discussion.

PRESIDENT SUBIANTO:  Thank you, sir.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you.

PRESIDENT SUBIANTO:  Thank you, sir.

2:48 P.M. EST

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Oval Office

11:55 A.M. EST

Q    President Biden, do you think we can get a hostage deal by the end of your term?

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Do you think you can keep from getting hit in the head by a — a camera behind you? 

All right.  Well, thank you all. 

Well, Mr. President, welcome back to the Oval Office and the White House.  You’ve been a friend for a long time, a personal friend.  And you know my commitment to Israel is ironclad and we share a deep friendship. 

I want to thank you again for being here, and the floor is yours. 

PRESIDENT HERZOG:  Thank you, Mr. President.  It’s always a great honor to be here in the Oval Office and be — to be with a friend such as you, Mr. President. 

I will start, of course, with the sad news of the day.  In the last two hours, two Israelis were mor- — murdered by rocket attacks from Lebanon in the t- — northern town of Nahariya, a beautiful seashore town in the northern part of Israel.  Early in the day, a kindergarten teacher of a kindergarten of special needs — childrens with special needs — rescued, bravely and wisely, the toddlers in the kindergarten from a drone attack.  A drone exploded in the kindergarten.

This is what we’re going through from Lebanon, Mr. President, and you know it all too well.  We are fighting hard.  We’re defending our people, our brave soldiers and pilots.  And I know that you’re working very hard to make sure that this war will end and that will — there will be, first and foremost, security for the people of Israel as well as for the people of Lebanon.

And in Gaza, we have 101 hostages.  Over 400 days, I know, Mr. President, that you know you — you are day-in, day-out, actively seeking their surf- — safe return home as they are going through hell in the dungeons of Gaza.

Clearly, you’re thinking and working about the day after as well, which perhaps should be a trajectory of hope to the people of the region and the ability to have our neighbors, as well as us, live in security and peace.

But first and foremost, we have to get the hostages back home. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  I agree.

PRESIDENT HERZOG:  And it all starts in Tehran.  It all starts in the empire of evil, where in Tehran, with its proxies, they are doing whatever they can to re- — derail stability and security and peace, calling for the annihilation of the State of Israel and seeking nuclear weapons. 

And, Mr. President, this has to be a major objective all throughout your term and the next term of the next president because we have to make sure that they cannot fulfill their evil intentions.

They’re also a major engine of antisemitism, Mr. President.  And I know how much you put a focus on fighting and combating anti- — antisemitism.

But most importantly, I’m here on behalf of the people of Israel and the nation of Israel and the State of Israel to say to you, Mr. President, thank you very much.  As we say in Hebrew, toda raba. 

You have been an incredible friend of Israel and the Jewish people for decades, and we will never forget, ever in history, how you stood up with us in our darkest hour, which became our finest hour — how you came to Israel a few days after the barbaric attack of October 7th, how you helped us and supported us with words and deeds.

And I want to express my — our heartfelt thanks to you, Mr. President, which is a great legacy that you stood up with the Jewish people and the State of Israel, as al- — you always did.

So, I brought you a little gift —

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  It’s a magnificent gift.

PRESIDENT HERZOG:  — which is an archeological artifact from the foot of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which has the word “Joseph” — Yosef.  And as you know, in the Bible, it is — says that Joseph will strengthen Israel.  And clearly, Mr. President, you’ve done it.

Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, I hope my father heard that.  He’d be — my father was what we call a righteous Christian.  He couldn’t understand why we didn’t move more rapidly back in World War II (inaudible).  Any rate.  I —

PRESIDENT HERZOG:  I think that was a great legacy with — of your father.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, it was.  And I remember how I got in trouble — we were friends even back then — when I said — years ago, as a senator, I said, “You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist.”  I’m a Zionist.

PRESIDENT HERZOG:  And I know you are. 

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  And it’s really — 

PRESIDENT HERZOG:  You’re clearly a Zionist, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, God love you. 

PRESIDENT HERZOG:  Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thanks for being here, pal.

12:00 P.M. EST

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Arlington National Cemetery

11:52 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  It’s a great honor to be standing here again.

Over 160 years ago, during what would become his final days in office, President Abraham Lincoln addressed this nation, and he said, “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle.”

My fellow Americans, the first lady, Vice President Harris, and the second gentleman; Secretary Blinken, Austin, McDonough, Mayorkas; Chairman Brown; and, most importantly, our veterans, service members, and their families, I’ve said many times before — I got in trouble for saying it when I was a young senator — I said we have many obligations, but only one truly sacred obligation — sacred: to prepare those we send into harm’s way and to care for them and their families when they return home and when they don’t.  It’s an obligation not based on party or politics but on a promise that unites us all. 

Today, as we strive on to finish the work of our moment to bind the nation’s wounds once again, we commit and recommit to this sacred vow.

This is the last time I will stand here at Arlington as commander-in-chief.  It’s been the greatest honor of my life to lead you, to serve you, to care for you, to defend you just as you have defended us generation after generation after generation.  You are the greatest fighting force — and this is not hyperbole — the finest fighting force in the history of the world. 

I will never forget standing at Valley Forge, where our nation’s first soldiers laid down their lives to deliver a nation where everyone is entitled to inalienable rights: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.

And I’ll never forget walking the hills of Gettysburg, where thousands more shed their blood to make those words real.

I’ll never forget at Belleau Woods– visiting there to pay tribute to the heroes who stepped on that beach or standing on the cliffs of Normandy 80 years after D-Day to honor the service members and veterans who literally saved the world with absolute heroism.  Just standing there, you wonder how in God’s name did they have the courage to do what they did. 

I’ll never forget visiting bases in Korea where America’s sons and daughters answers a call to defend a people they had never met or paying my respects in Hanoi where so many of our troops defended democracy, including my friend — and once worked for me — John — the senator John McCain. 

I’ll never forget my trips to Afghanistan and Iraq, where tour after tour young men and women served and sacrificed to keep our nation safe.

Four presidents faced a decision after we’d gotten bin Laden whether to end our longest war in history in Afghanistan.  I was determined not to leave it to the fifth. 

Every day, I still carry a card with me — my schedule — every single day for the last 10 years.  On the back of my schedule, it says, “U.S. daily troops in Afghanistan — U.S. troops died in Afghanistan as of today: 2,465.  Troops wounded in Afghanistan: 20,769.  U.S. troops, Iraq — died in Iraq: 4,620.  Wounded in Iraq: 32,766.” 

Ladies and gentlemen, this is my duty as president but also as a parent.  Like many of you, our son, Beau Biden, deployed to Iraq for a year with the Delaware National Guard.

I still remember the day he asked me to pin his bars on him — he stood ramrod straight — and how proud Jill and I and our entire family felt.

But like so many of you, we also remember how hard it was when he was deployed: empty seats at the dinner table, missed holidays and birthdays, prayers of hope and worry repeated every morning and every night.

Just as we ask everything of our veterans, we ask everything of their families.

The English poet John Milton wrote, and I quote, “They also serve who only stand and wait,” as so many of you have. 

So, for all the military families, to all those with a loved one still missing or unaccounted for, to all Americans grieving the loss of a loved one who wore the uniform, Jill and I want you to know we see you, we thank you, and we will never stop working to meet our sacred obligation to you and your families.

Jill and I, Doug and Kamala, our entire administration are proud of our work over the past four years.

Together, we’ve passed more than 30 bipartisan laws to support our veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors. 

We’ve brought veteran homelessness down to a record low. 

We’ve delivered more benefits to more veterans than any — ever before in VA history.

We’ve invested re- — record resources to reduce the scourge of veteran vi- — su- — suicide. 

And we took action to protect veterans from scams, because no veteran should be defrauded by those defended — they defended.

All these actions are vital, but I am particularly proud of finally passing the PACT Act.  (Applause.)  This is the most significant law in our history — our nation’s history to help millions of veterans who were exposed to toxins like Agent Orange and burn pits during their military service.  Pits the size of football fields that incinerated the wastes of war: tires, chemicals, batteries, jet fuel, and so much more.  Pits that left too many veterans with headaches, numbness, dizziness, as- — asthma, and cancer.

The PACT Act has already helped over 1 million veterans and their families get the benefits they deserve.  They deserve those benefits.  (Applause.)

Today, I’m proud to announce that the VA will expand the number of cancers covered under the PACT Act and to all the veterans — (applause) — who served at K-2 Air Base in Ur- — Uzbekistan constantly surrounded by toxins.

We want to honor you.  We want to have your back just like we did in Agent Orange, just like we’re working on a rule to make sure you don’t have to prove your illness as a consequence of your service, which is often too hard to do.  (Applause.)

God willing, we will make sure that any rare condition you’ve developed is covered.  And we’re committed to getting this rule in place by the end of my term.

Folks, this matters.  Too many of our nation’s veterans have served only to return home to suffer from permanent effects of poisonous chemicals.  Too many have died.

Like our son, Beau, and Ser- — like Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson for whom the PACT Act was named.

A couple years ago, after I signed the PACT Act, I handed the pen to his daughter Brailey [Brielle]. 

She and her mom are with us today.  I don’t know where you are, but God love you.  There they are.  Stand up, ladies.  (Applause.) 

I give you my word I mean this: I’ll never forget, after I handed the signing pen — that beautiful young lady who had lost her whole world — she held the pen in her hand and she looks at me and she said, “Thank you.  Thank you for my daddy.”

God love you, honey.  (Applause.)  God love you. 

But I don’t think she was just thanking me.  She was thanking all of you here, all of us, everyone who fought hard and came together to keep our promise to our veterans to keep the faith.

My fellow Americans, we stand here today.  We think about all that our veterans have given to our nation, serving and sacrificing in uniform just as they serve and sacrifice here at home as educators, firefighters, law enforcement officers, construction workers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, doctors, nurses, elected leaders, and so much more.

And just as routinely — they routinely put aside differences to work together, this is the moment — this is the moment to come together as a nation to keep faith in each other.

The world is depending on each of you and all of us — all of you to keep honoring the women and the men and the families who have borne the battle, to keep protecting everything they’ve fought for, to keep striving to heal our nation’s wounds, to keep perfecting our union. 

We’re the only nation in the world built on an idea.  Every other nation is based on things like geography, ethnicity, religion.  But we’re the only nation — the only in the world — built on an idea, and that idea is we are all created equal and deserve to — created equal throughout lives.  We haven’t lived up to it every time, but we’ve never walked away from it even when it’s hard — especially when it’s hard.

And today standing together to honor those Americans who have dared all, risked all, and given all to our nation, we must say clearly: We never will give up. 

God bless our veterans and their families.  And may God protect our troops today and always.  

God love you.  Thank you so much.  (Applause.)

12:04 P.M. EST

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Good afternoon everyone, and for those who might have wandered into the wrong room, I’m John Podesta.

I’m going to speak for a few minutes and then I’m going to take some questions from the press. But I want to start by recognizing our wonderful Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby who is sitting up here in the front row.

We have a big team. Jane Nishida is here from EPA, we have my colleagues from SPEC. And I want to also acknowledge the hard work and the professionalism of the Azerbaijan COP team led by Minister Babayev as COP29 comes to order.

So, I want to address tonight a topic that is on everyone’s mind –the U.S. election.

For those of us dedicated to climate action, last week’s outcome in the United States is obviously bitterly disappointing, particularly because of the unprecedented resources and ambition President Biden and Vice President Harris brought to the climate fight.

Starting with our bold 2030 NDC to cut emissions by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels.

By rejoining Paris.

By making the largest investment in climate and clean energy in history through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The President’s commitment to quadruple international climate funds from the United States to $11 billion per year.

It’s clear that the next Administration will try to take a U turn and reverse much of this progress.

Of course, I am keenly aware of the disappointment that the United States has at times caused the parties of the climate regime, who have lived through a pattern of strong, engaged, effective U.S. leadership, followed by sudden disengagement after a U.S. presidential election.

And I know that this disappointment is more difficult to tolerate as the dangers we face grow ever more catastrophic.

But that is the reality. In January, we will inaugurate a President whose relationship to climate change is captured by the words “hoax” and “fossil fuels”.

He has vowed to dismantle our environmental safeguards— and once again withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement.

This is what he has said, and we should believe him.

The United States is a democracy. And in a democracy, the will of the people prevailed.

Our administration is working with the incoming Administration to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power. 

But what I want to tell you today is that while the United States federal government under Donald Trump may put climate action on the back burner, the work to contain climate change is going to continue in the United States with commitment and passion and belief.

As President Biden said in the Rose Garden last week, setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable.

This is not the end of our fight for a cleaner, safer planet.

Facts are still facts. Science is still science.

This fight is bigger than one election, one political cycle, in one country. This fight is bigger still.

Because we are all living through a year defined by the climate crisis, in every country of the world.

July 22nd was the hottest day in recorded history. The consequences of living on a rapidly warming planet are all around us—and not just in collapsing coral reefs and melting ice sheets.

It’s had devastating impacts on people’s lives. This fall, Hurricanes Helene and Milton slammed into the southeastern United States, killing hundreds and cutting off power and water in communities for weeks.

The worst drought in decades in southern Africa is putting 20 million children at risk of malnutrition and even starvation.

Wildfires and drought are ravaging the Amazon and the Pantanal, destroying Indigenous communities and burning up an area the size of Switzerland.

Catastrophic floods in Spain just two weeks ago poured a year’s worth of rain in a single day.

In Asia, in September, supercharged Typhoon Yagi killed hundreds and caused $16 billion in damages from the Philippines to Myanmar.

None of this is a hoax. It is real. It’s a matter of life and death.

Fortunately, many in our country and around the world are working to prepare the world for this new reality and to mitigate the most catastrophic effects of climate change.

From Day One, President Biden and Vice President Harris built a climate team to work with partners around the world to build strong, sustainable, equitable economies.

We sought to open up finance for developing economies to accelerate their own clean energy transitions.

We saw a gap between clean energy supply and anticipated demand – and sought to close it.

And our global partners know that addressing the climate crisis also bolsters their own national security and global security… while creating jobs… new industries… and new opportunities.

The United States has been the world’s partner in these efforts for four years. That remains our mission.

For example, the Inflation Reduction Act is unleashing a clean energy boom in America that’s boosting innovation and lowering costs for clean energy technology by as much as 25%.

That helps speed deployment of clean energy not just in the U.S., but across the globe, slashing emissions everywhere.

As a result, the Rhodium Group found that for every ton of carbon pollution cut…reduced in America because of the IRA, it will drive reductions of up to 2.9 tons outside the United States. 

The historic investments under President Biden and Vice President Harris have crucially been government enabled but private-sector led.

In total, just since the President took office, companies have announced more than $450 billion in new clean energy investments.

Here at COP29 and moving forward, the private sector must continue to lead – to make new and bigger investments in clean energy technologies, to continue to innovate and build a net zero economy.

And we will also continue to need subnational actors in the U.S. and globally to lead the way.

In the wake of COP22 in Marrakesh and President Trump’s decision in 2017 to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, the “We Are Still In” movement was born in the United States.

It’s now grown into the most expansive coalition ever assembled in support of U.S. climate action, with more than 5,000 states, businesses, local governments, tribal nations, universities, and more.

At this year’s COP, we expect to see representation from many of these leaders, as well as several states and cities and a bipartisan group from the U.S. Congress.

Because support for clean energy has become bipartisan in the United States. You might not know that by reading the newspapers, but it has.

57 percent of the new clean energy jobs created since the Inflation Reduction Act passed are located in Congressional districts represented by Republicans.

Those jobs come from over 350 new clean energy projects totaling $286 billion in investment.

Many Republicans—especially governors—know all this activity is a good thing for their districts, states, and for their economy.

Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina, Governor Kevin Stitt in Oklahoma, for example, have welcomed clean energy investments in their states for many years.  From the EV supply chain…to the solar supply chain.

And earlier this year, 18 House Republicans wrote a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson urging him not to repeal the IRA’s energy tax credits.

The letter says, “a full repeal would create a worst-case scenario where we would have spent billions of taxpayer dollars and received next to nothing in return.”

It’s precisely because the IRA has staying power that I am confident that the United States will continue to reduce emissions – benefitting our own country and benefitting the world.

The economics of the clean energy transition have simply taken over.

New power generation is going to be clean.

The desire to build out next generation nuclear is still there.

Farmers and ranchers are reducing emissions and raising their incomes through more efficient and biologic fertilizers, biodigesters, and feed additives.

The hyperscalers are still committed to powering the future with clean energy, including safe, reliable nuclear energy.

The auto companies are still investing in electrification and hybridization.

All those trends are not going to be reversed.

Are we facing new headwinds? Absolutely.

But will we revert back to the energy system of the 1950s? No way.

And, we have only one administration at a time.

Until late January, President Biden and Vice President Harris will still be in the White House.

So we are here at COP29 to continue to work together with our global partners and other Parties.

The COP is a critical opportunity to cement our progress and keep 1.5 degrees alive…

To accelerate progress on reducing all greenhouse gases…

And, perhaps most notably, to strengthen global cooperation on adaptation and climate finance.  We are here to work, and we are committed to a successful outcome at COP 29. 

We can and will make real progress on the backs of our climate committed states and cities, our innovators, our companies and our citizens, especially young people, who understand more than most that climate change poses an existential threat that we cannot afford to ignore.

Failure or apathy is simply not an option.

Today is a day across much of the world that we remember those who were willing to pay the ultimate price to build a more peaceful world.  

In the United States, it’s Veterans Day. A day to honor all those who answered our country’s highest call to service. To whom we owe not just our eternal gratitude, but truly our freedom.

We owe it to them and all people who care about the future of our planet to make the most of the next two weeks to make sure we have a successful outcome.

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Administration announces record-low number of veterans experiencing homelessness nationwide, expands eligibility for disability benefits and sets record for care and benefits delivered to veterans through President Biden’s Unity Agenda

President Biden believes we have a sacred obligation to care our nation’s veterans and their families. Simply put, we owe them a debt we can never fully repay. Supporting those who wear the uniform is a commitment that unites all Americans and it’s why the President has made supporting our veterans a core pillar in his Unity Agenda for the nation. Since taking office, President Biden has signed into law over 34 bipartisan bills that address some of the most important issues facing veterans today, including the PACT Act, which is most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years. The Biden Harris Administration and Congress have worked together to expand access to health care, address veteran homelessness, improve access to child and long-term care, and support education and workforce opportunity for veterans and their families.

To mark this Veterans Day, President Biden will announce that his Administration has delivered more benefits and health care, more quickly, to more veterans than ever before. In 2024 alone, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) delivered $187 billion in earned benefits to 6.7 million veterans and survivors, and processed a record 2.51 million disability claims. VA delivered more than 131 million health care appointments, over 6 million dental procedures, and provided services and assistance to more than 88,095 family caregivers. Veterans’ trust in VA also reached an all-time high in 2024.  

The Administration is building on this historic progress and announcing new actions to address toxic exposures for veterans, including by expanding the types of cancers considered presumptive for VA disability benefits. Today, new data were also released showing that veteran homelessness has reached its lowest point on record, marking a 7.5% reduction in veteran homelessness in the last year alone and 55.6% percent reduction since 2010. Additionally, the Department of Education is announcing $9 million in funding to support student veterans.

Expanding benefits for toxic exposed veterans. For far too long it has taken too much time for the government to acknowledge and address the harms associated with military related toxic exposures. In part due to the PACT Act, VA now has the ability to act more swiftly and in the interest of veterans. Last week, VA announced it would proceed with an accelerated review to support rulemaking that would create a presumption for Gulf War deployed veterans, including those who deployed to Karshi-Khanabad (K2) in Uzbekistan, a location described as a “toxic soup of exposures,” and are diagnosed with rare conditions that could be related to the many contaminants of concerns found at K2. Rulemaking would commence this year. VA also announced it will be moving forward with rulemaking to add four cancers, including bladder cancer, ureter cancer, multiple myeloma, and leukemias, to the list of conditions presumed to be related to burn pit exposure for all veterans deployed to the Southwest Asia area of operations, including for K2 veterans.

Ending veteran homelessness. Thanks to the efforts of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and VA, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness has reached a record low since measurement began in 2009. This reflects a 7.5% reduction in veterans experiencing homelessness since 2023, an 11.7% decrease since 2020, and a 55.6% reduction since 2010.  In 2024 alone, VA has permanently housed nearly 48,000 veterans and awarded over $800 million in grants to help veterans experiencing homelessness. VA also expanded access to legal assistance for homeless veterans and helped more than 158,000 veterans and their families retain their homes or otherwise avoid foreclosure. Additionally, so far in 2024, nearly 90,000 veterans were under lease with vouchers through the HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) – the most veterans served at any point in the program’s history. President Biden has also called on Congress to triple the number of veterans who receive housing vouchers – a critical tool to help prevent veteran homelessness in the first place.

Supporting student veterans. It has been 80 years since the enactment of the Montgomery GI Bill. This law and the post-9/11 GI bill, allow veterans and eligible family members to receive educational benefits to help them obtain higher education and job training. Today, to support students returning to college, the Department of Education announced $9 million in awards to 13 grantees across 10 states under the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) program which funds model programs to support veteran student success in postsecondary education by coordinating comprehensive and targeted services to address the academic, financial, physical and mental health, and social needs of veteran students. Funds are being used for a variety of activities, including to enhance data systems to identify and track services and impact, including program completion, hire dedicated veteran success coaches, mentors, and coordinators, increase outreach, communication, and continuity of services, and provide professional development to faculty and staff on supporting veteran students.

These new announcements build on Administration-wide actions to support veterans and their families, including: 

Lowering health care costs and expanding health care eligibility for veterans. President Biden believes access to health care is a right not a privilege. Today, millions of veterans are eligible for VA health care, thanks to the efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration. Since passage of the PACT Act, over 796,000 veterans have newly enrolled in VA health care. And, beginning last March, VA made all veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving our country—at home or abroad—eligible for VA health care without any need to first apply for VA benefits. This includes all veterans who served in the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other combat zone after 9/11. In addition to expanding care, veterans trust in VA reached 80.4% this year, an all-time record and an increase of 25% since 2016. Survey data also found that veteran trust in VA outpatient care increased to 91.8%, an all-time high. And, today, VA announced it plans to eliminate copayments for all telehealth care visits, building upon its September announcement which made tele-emergency care available nationwide, making it easier for veteran to receive timely access to virtual care when needed. These actions make it faster and easier for millions of veterans to access quality health care that they’ve earned and deserve.

Providing benefits to address toxic exposures. The bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act represents the most significant expansion in benefits and services for veterans in over thirty years. At President Biden’s direction, VA expedited health care and benefits eligibility under the PACT Act by several years, ensuring that they did not need to wait any longer for the care and benefits they deserved. VA has also conducted the largest outreach campaign in the history of the department, driving all-time record benefits applications and a sharp increase in health care enrollments. Since enactment, VA has received over 2 million PACT Act related claims and has granted toxic exposure benefits to more than 1.1 million veterans and over 11,000 survivors. Additionally, nearly 360,000 veterans eligible under the PACT Act have newly enrolled in VA health care and more than 5.82 million veterans have been screened for toxic exposure.  More than 60,000 Veterans have enrolled in VA health care thanks to the expediting of the PACT Act, and more than 350,000 Veterans have granted PACT claims due to the elimination of the phase in approach.

Understanding the harms of toxic exposures. VA has ongoing efforts to research and understand the health conditions that veterans experience so that VA can provide them with all of the benefits and care they deserve. Last month, VA announced a new scientific assessment to determine if there is a relationship between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure during military service and kidney cancer among veterans. This review helps advance the President’s Unity Agenda and Biden Cancer Moonshot goals to understand and address environmental and toxic exposures and end cancer as we know it.

Reducing veteran suicide. Since releasing a comprehensive public health strategy for reducing military and veteran suicide, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to improve suicide prevention efforts. As of October 2024, VA has provided no-cost life-saving care to more than 82,000 veterans at risk of suicide since the program began. VA awarded over $150 million in grants for community-based organizations to deliver or coordinate suicide prevention programs and services for veterans and their family members. In September, VA announced more than $4.3 million in cooperative agreements to states and territories to help fund and provide technical assistance to better inform veteran suicide prevention suicide. Because economic and financial uncertainty can increase the risk of suicide, VA launched the National Veterans Financial Resource Center earlier this year to provide veterans and their families with a one-stop website to locate tools and resources to improve financial wellbeing.

Improving access to child and long-term care options. Last year, President Biden signed an historic Executive Order calling for more than 50 administrative actions that would improve access to and quality of child care and long-term care for Americans, including for our nation’s heroes. Thanks to these actions, each VA medical center offers veterans and their families with self-directed care options through the Veteran Directed Care (VDC) program. More than 700 Veterans are now receiving VDC services through the new programs.

Protecting veterans and their families from predatory actors and scams. In 2023, veterans, military personnel, and their families reported $477 million in losses to fraud. Last November, the President announced the new Veteran Scam and Fraud Evasion (VSAFE) Task Force to better protect veterans and their families against these scams. In 2024, VSAFE released several resources to cut down on any confusion, and get veterans, Service members, and their family members routed to the best support as effectively and efficiently as possible. A centralized website, VSAFE.gov, is a fraud prevention, response, and reporting information hub. Information from across federal agencies can be accessed in one place, making it easy for veterans, Service members, and their families to find out more about different kinds of fraud, to get assistance, and to report. A single shared call line, 833-38V-SAFE, will connect veterans, Service members, and their families with the best agency to handle their report and get help.

Improving Equity. Women are the fastest growing group of veterans who use VA services and the Administration is committed to addressing and providing resources for their specialized health care needs. In October 2023, to improve health outcomes for mothers and their newborn children, VA expanded access to its maternity care coordination from 8 weeks to 12 months post-partum. In total, VA is now serving more women than ever before, with nearly 750,000 receiving disability compensation benefits from VA in 2024. To ensure that all LGBTQ+ veterans can access the benefits they have earned, the Department of Defense announced it would proactively review and consider discharge upgrades for veterans who were discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and VA expanded access to care and benefits for those with other than honorable discharges. Additionally, VA released its 2024 Agency Equity Action Plan to help ensure that VA delivers on its promise to provide world-class care and benefits to all veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors ― regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or geographic location.

Advancing economic security for military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. Since Day One of the Biden-Harris Administration, First Lady Jill Biden, through her Joining Forces initiative, has worked to eliminate barriers to employment and increase economic opportunity for military-connected families. In June 2023, the President, alongside the First Lady, signed an Executive Order that included nearly 20 new actions to enhance career stability, expand employment resources, and improve transition assistance support for military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. In February 2024, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a government-wide plan to tackle employment barriers and expand opportunities for military-connected spouses, caregivers, and survivors. And, in April 2024, the Administration announced a permanent memorandum of agreement between the Department of Defense and State Department to strengthen the Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas (DETO) program for military spouses who work for the federal government. These actions represent the Biden-Harris Administration’s holistic commitment to ensuring that the Federal government is a leader among employers, modeling approaches to recruit, hire, and retain military spouse talent.

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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will host President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia for a bilateral meeting at the White House on November 12, 2024.  During the visit, President Biden will celebrate the 75th anniversary of U.S.-Indonesian relations and pay tribute to those affected by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.  The two leaders will also explore ways to strengthen U.S.-Indonesian cooperation as part of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.  The leaders will coordinate on sustainable approaches to food security, the clean energy transition, democracy and pluralism, regional peace and stability, and people-to-people ties, as well as advancing our cooperation on humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

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At President Biden’s invitation, President Biden and President-elect Trump will meet in the Oval Office on Wednesday at 11:00 am. Additional details to follow. 

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The President is announcing his intent to nominate two individuals to federal district courts—both of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.

These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country—both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.

This will be President Biden’s fifty-sixth round of nominees for federal judicial positions, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 261.

United States District Court Announcements

1. Tali Farhadian Weinstein: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Tali Farhadian Weinstein has been Of Counsel in the New York office of Hecker Fink LLP since 2022. Earlier, she served as General Counsel of the Office of the District Attorney for Kings County, New York from 2018 to 2020. From 2011 to 2017, Ms. Farhadian Weinstein served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. She joined that office after serving as Counsel to the Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice from 2009 to 2010. She worked as an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York from 2006 to 2007. Ms. Farhadian Weinstein has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at New York University School of Law and Columbia Law School. She began her legal career as a law clerk for Judge Merrick B. Garland at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from 2003 to 2004 and then for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor at the U.S. Supreme Court for two consecutive Terms, from 2004 to 2006. Ms. Farhadian Weinstein received her J.D. from Yale Law School in 2003, her M.Phil from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar in 1999, and her B.A. from Yale University in 1997.

• Chief Judge Frances Marie Tydingco-Gatewood: Nominee for the United States District Court of Guam

Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood has served as a federal district judge on the United States District Court of Guam since 2006. Prior to her appointment to the federal bench, she served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of Guam from 2002 to 2006 and as a trial judge on the Superior Court of Guam from 1994 to 2002. Before beginning her judicial service, Chief Judge Tydingco-Gatewood served as Chief Prosecutor and Assistant Attorney General in the Guam Attorney General’s Office from 1990 to 1994 and 1984 to 1988, respectively, and Assistant Prosecutor with the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office in Missouri from 1989 to 1990. She served as a law clerk to Judge Forest W. Hanna on the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri from 1983 to 1984. Chief Judge Tydingco-Gatewood received her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law in 1983 and her B.A. from Marquette University in 1980.

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Dear Mr. Speaker:   (Dear Madam President:)

In accordance with section 203(b) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the “Act”), I hereby transmit documents to the Congress that describe the safeguard action that I have proclaimed on imports of fine denier polyester staple fiber, pursuant to the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including sections 201 and 203(a)(1) of the Act, and the reasons for taking these actions.

                              Sincerely,                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate to Facilitate Positive Adjustment to Competition from Imports of Fine Denier Polyester Staple Fiber appeared first on The White House.