Statements and Releases

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is traveling to Bangkok, Thailand from January 25-27. There, he will meet with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Srettha Thavisin and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara. In these meetings, Mr. Sullivan will reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Thailand treaty alliance and partnership and discuss opportunities to strengthen cooperation across a range of bilateral and global issues. 

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WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve as key leaders in his Administration:

• Tracey Ann Jacobson, Nominee to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iraq
• Patrick J. Fuchs, Nominee to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board

Also today, the White House will continue renominating candidates whose nominations were returned to the President at the end of the first session of the 118th Congress. Today’s transmission to the Senate will include 10 renominations. The White House hopes the Senate will take action expeditiously.

Tracey Ann Jacobson, Nominee to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iraq

Tracey Jacobson, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Career Minister, most recently served as Charge d’Affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has been a U.S. Ambassador on three occasions – to Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kosovo, and the Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Riga, Latvia. In addition to senior leadership roles overseas, Jacobson served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs and as the National Foreign Affairs Training Center’s (FSI) Dean of the School of Professional and Area Studies and then as the Deputy Director. At the National Security Council, Jacobson was the Deputy Executive Secretary and Senior Director for Administration.

Jacobson earned her B.A. degree from Johns Hopkins University and her M.A. degree from the School of Advanced International Studies, also at Johns Hopkins. She is the recipient of multiple awards from the State Department, two Presidential Rank Awards, and the Order for Peace, Democracy and Humanism “Ibrahim Rugova” (Kosovo).

Patrick J. Fuchs, Nominee to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board

Patrick J. Fuchs has served as a Member of the Surface Transportation Board since January 2019. While on the Board, he has advanced transportation policies that address unreasonable practices and inadequate service, adjudicated railroad transactions that generate new capital investments and routing options, and streamlined inefficient processes that unduly burden the public. Before his appointment, Fuchs served as a senior professional staff member working on surface transportation and maritime issues for the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Fuchs played an integral role in the development and enactment of significant railroad legislation, including the reform of railroad infrastructure programs and the first reauthorization of the Surface Transportation Board since its creation in 1996. Before his time with the Senate, he was a policy analyst and Presidential Management Fellow at the Office of Management and Budget, where he managed railroad and maritime regulatory reviews. Fuchs also served at the U.S. Department of State, where he received the Meritorious Honor Award for extraordinary contributions to substantive economic analysis. A Wisconsin native, Fuchs earned a B.A. with distinction in economics and political science and an M.P.A. from the University of Wisconsin, where he received the Director’s Achievement Award for his outstanding academic record.

 
 
 

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Phoenix launches one of the first Registered Apprenticeship programs in support of booming semiconductor and advanced manufacturing ecosystems with state, local, and philanthropic investments
 

Today, Senior Biden-Harris Administration officials will travel to Phoenix, Arizona for a Workforce Hub convening announcing commitments to equitable workforce development from Hub collaborators. In 2023, First Lady Jill Biden announced Phoenix as one of five Workforce Hubs where President Biden’s Investing in America agenda—including the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act—is driving historic private and public investments while creating pathways into good jobs.  In Phoenix, these investments demonstrate how Bidenomics is growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up.

Today’s announcements include: a $5 million private sector commitment to establish a new semiconductor technician Registered Apprenticeship program, a $5 million commitment from philanthropic organizations to provide 1,500 Arizonans with supportive services to enter in-demand jobs of the future, new partnerships between unions and community colleges to expand access to apprenticeship and credentialing programs, and more.

Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, Arizona has seen over $77 billion in private investment in semiconductor, battery, electric vehicle, clean energy, and biomanufacturing sectors. In response, the state is rapidly expanding equitable workforce pathways into advanced manufacturing to meet demand for talent in these critical sectors.  In November, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Commerce Authority announced $4 million from the President’s American Rescue Plan to fund wraparound support services such as child care, transportation tuition, and supplies for apprentices in semiconductor-related Registered Apprenticeships.

Building on that investment, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, with support from Governor Katie Hobbs, established a series of critical new partnerships to build talent pipelines in partnership with the Workforce Hub’s two anchor institutions, Maricopa Community College and Arizona State University.  By launching new collaborative efforts with employers, unions, community colleges, and other institutions, Phoenix will support a diverse range of workers to enter and succeed in careers in advanced manufacturing. As a result of this work, the Phoenix region is now home to the Arizona’s first semiconductor Registered Apprenticeship programs and the city’s workforce board is the first-ever to sponsor a Registered Apprenticeship program in this industry.

The Hub’s work also supports the Administration’s Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Sprint —an intensive nationwide drive to build a diverse, skilled pipeline of workers for good advanced manufacturing jobs.

Major advancements expanding pathways into good jobs from Phoenix Hub collaborators are below.

• TSMC Arizona (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) is investing $5 million and establishing a new semiconductor technician Registered Apprenticeship program. TSMC Arizona intends to train 80 facility technician apprentices over five years, with support from the City of Phoenix and the Arizona State Apprenticeship Office, and will scale over time and expand its curriculum to additional roles.  As a part of this effort, TSMC Arizona will also recruit technician apprentices from local communities.
   
• Arizona Community Foundation will drive the creation of a $5 million philanthropic fund in partnership with other community-based organizations for equitable workforce development initiatives. The fund is designed to support 1,500 non-traditional talent and underserved residents with training to enter in-demand jobs of the future. Recognizing that individuals from underserved communities often need support to successfully complete training, the fund will provide grants to organizations that provide wrap-around services for workforce training and attainment.
   
• South Mountain campus of the Maricopa Community College System and the Arizona Building Trades Council (AZBTC) will signa Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that details their shared commitment to work together to expand enrollment in construction trades Registered Apprenticeship programs. As a part of this MOU, South Mountain will provide the AZBTC access to students and facilities and both partners will engage in joint recruitment. These efforts will support pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs and will serve individuals from underserved communities (primarily Latino, Indigenous, and first-generation students). Since the inception of South Mountain Community College’s Construction Trades Institute, 126 students have earned certificates: 50 in carpentry, 56 in plumbing, and 20 in electrical.
   
• Phoenix Union School District and the Western Maricopa Education Center working in collaboration will enable high school students to access in-demand advanced manufacturing credentials. This effort will support a program in which high school students earn certifications that will make them competitive for jobs in advanced manufacturing. All participants will have tuition covered by the State. This program is set to launch Fall 2024.
   
• Phoenix is investing $10 million in American Rescue Plan funds in additional wrap-around services training efforts at Maricopa Community Colleges.These funds are providing monthly stipends of $1,000 to eligible participants to assist with transportation and other personal expenses which support individuals while completing an at one of the Maricopa Community Colleges. Individuals with young children (13 years old and under) receive an additional $500 per month to cover childcare expenses.
   
• Arizona Commerce Authority is investing over $80 million from the President’s American Rescue Plan to expand university partnerships focused on infrastructure and workforce, including—
  
  • $30 million for a Materials-to-Fab Center located at the Arizona State University (ASU) that will power shared research, development, and prototyping, accelerating semiconductor innovation;
     
  • $17.5 million to enhance Arizona’s research, development, and workforce training capabilities at ASU to create a GaN (gallium nitride) manufacturing and research ecosystem, developing 6G (sixth generation technology for wireless communications) in partnership with an employer partner, NXP Semiconductors;
     
  • $35.5 million supporting the University of Arizona’s Micro/Nano Fabrication Center in Tucson that will drive manufacturing and research efforts involving semiconductors, computer chips, optical devices, and quantum computing systems; and
     
• BuilditAZ Apprenticeship is leading a statewide initiative to double the number of construction and trades registered apprentices by 2026 to almost 8,000. This program is expanding access to pre-apprenticeships, creating pathways, especially for women and other individuals from underrepresented communities, and increasing postsecondary attainment.
   
• Future48 Workforce Accelerator is establishing a new semiconductor-focused collaboration led by the Arizona Commerce Authority with Maricopa Community College that will further build the pipeline of talent for semiconductor and advanced manufacturing industries.
   
• Governor Katie Hobbs in collaboration with the Arizona Commerce Authority, Department of Economic Security, and other organizations are conducting a child care needs study. This partnership is working to meet the child care needs across industries, including semiconductors, to ensure that Arizona supports successful CHIPS implementation.

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President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Mrs. Kishida Yuko of Japan for an Official Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on April 10, 2024. The visit will underscore the enduring strength of our Alliance partnership, the unwavering U.S. commitment to Japan, and Japan’s increasing global leadership role.  President Biden and Prime Minister Kishida will discuss efforts to strengthen our political, security, economic, and people-to-people ties so that our Alliance is postured to address evolving challenges and advance our shared vision for a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and world.    

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Office of Management and Budget guidance expands access for small businesses to high value and high use contracts; Small Business Administration revamps mentoring programs for underserved businesses interested in doing business with the government and releases new demographic data on government contracts

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced its latest actions to expand access for small businesses to the over $700 billion spent through federal contracts each year, particularly for those owned by individuals from underrepresented communities. The federal government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world, making federal contracts a powerful tool to build wealth in underserved communities and ensure that the federal government is leveraging talent from all corners of the country. These new initiatives will advance the President’s Investing in America agenda and bold goal of increasing the share of federal contracting dollars going to small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals (SDBs) to 15% by Fiscal Year (FY) 2025, a 50% increase from spending levels when he first took office. 

In each of the last three fiscal years, the Administration has increased spending on contracts to small businesses on the way to this goal, with small businesses receiving nearly $163 billion in federal contracting dollars in FY 2022, $70 billion of which was earned by SDBs. Supporting small businesses and giving entrepreneurs the tools to thrive is a key pillar of Bidenomics. Under President Biden, a record 16 million new business applications have been filed, while the share of Black households owning a business has more than doubled, and the share of Latino households owning a business has increased by 40%.

In 2021, President Biden took the historic step of ordering the public release of federal contract data broken down by business owner race and ethnicity to bring increased transparency to federal contracting. New data for FY22 released today shows that businesses owned by historically underrepresented groups earned more through federal contracts across every category.

The Administration continues to stand behind our programs to support small businesses, and today, the Administration is announcing new actions to help small businesses access federal contracts, including issuing new guidance to federal agencies from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), providing new technical resources to SDBs to help them obtain contracts and expand revenue, and sharing data on federal contracts to traditionally underserved small businesses.  Actions include:

• New OMB guidance to all federal agencies to help more small businesses participate in high use federal contracts. Today, OMB issued guidance on strategies federal agencies should adopt so that small businesses can participate in multiple-award contracts – a contract vehicle that accounts for nearly $160 billion, or over 20%, of all federal government contract dollars. Agencies rely on multiple-award contracts because they allow agencies to meet mission needs with more timely, cost-effective and streamlined competitions. To ensure that small businesses have opportunities to participate in multiple-award contracts, the guidance encourages earlier engagement and planning for multiple-award contracts to maximize opportunities for small business contract holders; additional consideration of “on-ramps” to allow for businesses to be added during the performance period of the multiple-award contract; and the use of small business set aside orders for competition among small businesses. These changes will help more small businesses participate in federal contracts, support a and resilient federal marketplace and ensure federal contracts are best delivering for the American people.
  
• Improved technical assistance opportunities for small businesses looking to do business with the federal government. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is announcing a slate of major improvements to the popular 7(j) technical assistance program – now called Empower to Grow (E2G) – which is available to SDBs located in areas of high unemployment or low income. The improved E2G program will offer customized one-on-one training tailored to small business needs and guide them through the process of pursuing government contracts, convening networking and matchmaking events between government agencies and prime contractors.  In FY 2023, the E2G program provided support to 6,000 small businesses and helped 2,000 small businesses grow their participation in federal contracting. Small businesses that received training reported, on average, a 45% increase in annual revenue.

Today’s actions build on significant steps the Biden-Harris Administration has already taken to support small businesses. This includes:

• SBA expanded its lending program focused on underserved communities for the first time in 40 years and made critical program changes to increase lending to underserved small businesses. This fall, the SBA issued new licenses to lenders in the Small Business Lending Company (SBLC) program for the first time in 40 years. The lenders in this program have a track record of strong lending to traditionally underserved communities, and the new lenders each specialize in delivering capital to sectors and groups that face persistent capital access gaps. SBA also made critical reforms to its loan programs in 2023 that supported significant progress in addressing barriers to capital facing small business owners. In FY 2023, SBA made record gains in lending to Black, Latino, Native, AAPI, women, and veteran entrepreneurs – including $1.5 billion in loans to Black-owned businesses and $3 billion to Latino-owned businesses. Total loans and total loan dollars to Black-owned businesses more than doubled under the Biden-Harris Administration, and total loans to Latino-owned businesses doubled with total loan dollars increasing by more than 80%.
  
• The Department of the Treasury administers $10 billion State Small Business Initiative (SSBCI). Funded by the American Rescue Plan, Treasury’s SSBCI program delivers funding to states, territories, and tribal governments that spur lending and investing in small businesses, and provides critical technical assistance. So far, Treasury has approved $7.7 billion in allocations to 54 states and territories and 25 tribal governments. In addition, Treasury announced a $75 million competitive grant program for states to provide services to help very small and underserved businesses access opportunities created by the President’s Investing in America agenda – which includes the historic investments made by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and American Rescue Plan – by offering them technical assistance.
  
• The Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) Capital Readiness Program is investing in small business incubators and accelerators. The MBDA’s Capital Readiness Program awarded $125 million to 43 non-profit community-based organizations to help underserved entrepreneurs launch and scale their small businesses. This program, funded through the American Rescue Plan, is the largest-ever direct federal investment in small business incubators and accelerators of its kind.
  
• SBA’s Community Navigators Program provides critical technical assistance. In December 2023, the SBA released a report that found that its more than 50 American Rescue Plan-funded Community Navigators grantees had already helped to secure more than $270 million in approved funding for small businesses, trained over 350,000 business owners, and conducted 175,000 hours of one-on-one counseling. With funding set to expire by the end of this year, the Biden-Harris Administration proposed additional funding for the program in its FY24 Budget proposal and has called on Congress to continue the program. 

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Following the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Roe v. Wade, Jennifer Klein, Assistant to the President and Director of the Gender Policy Council, and Tom Perez, Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, convened state leaders who have been on the front lines of the fight to defend reproductive rights. Today, state legislators tuned in to hear from Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Pennsylvania Speaker Joanna McClinton, Florida Leader Fentrice Driskell, and Texas Leader Carol Alvarado on the impact of dangerous abortion bans and their respective efforts to protect access to reproductive health care.

President Biden and Vice President Harris stand with the vast majority of Americans who believe that the right to choose is fundamental. Directors Klein and Perez emphasized that state leaders are invaluable allies in the Administration’s fight to defend reproductive freedom.

This meeting builds on more than two dozen White House-led working discussions with state legislators in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, including an in-person convening of more than 80 state legislators from 41 states in June 2023, as well as ongoing collaboration with governors, who President Biden convened for a discussion on reproductive rights in the wake of the Dobbs decision. The convening comes the same week that the Vice President kicked off her nationwide Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour in Wisconsin, building on her travel to 20 states and meetings with more than 250 state legislators, health care providers, and advocates in the past year. 

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Today we learned that the U.S. economy grew 3.1 percent over the past year while adding another 2.7 million jobs, and with core inflation moving back down towards the pre-pandemic benchmark. As a result, wages, wealth, and employment are higher now than they were before the pandemic. That’s good news for American families and American workers. That is three years in a row of growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up on my watch.
 
But our work is not done. I will continue to fight to lower costs — from implementing historic legislation to lower prescription drugs costs, health insurance premiums, and clean energy costs, to taking on hidden junk fees that companies use to rip off consumers, to calling on large corporations to pass on to consumers the savings they have been seeing for months now. And I won’t allow extreme Republicans to hand out massive giveaways to the wealthy and large corporations, while raising your costs and cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. That’s not how we give American families more breathing room.
 

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Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new executive actions to help promote safe storage of firearms that implement President Biden’s Executive Order on promoting safe gun storage in order to reduce gun violence and make our communities safer.

Gun violence is the leading cause of death of children in America. That is why the Biden-Harris Administration is taking comprehensive action to prevent gun violence affecting children. Approximately 4.6 million children live in homes with unsecured firearms. Studies show that safe storage can dramatically reduce children’s risk of self-inflicted harm and unintentional shootings.

Safe storage of firearms can physically prevent youth from accessing firearms, helping to keep youth, schools, and communities safe from gun violence. Unsecured guns are also closely associated with school shootings, youth suicide, unintentional shootings, and theft of firearms.

• 76 percent of school shootings are committed with guns from the home. The Department of Homeland Security’s National Threat Assessment Center reviewed targeted school violence over the past 40 years and found that three-quarters of school shooters acquired their firearm from the home of a parent or close relative.
• 80 percent of firearm suicides by children (age 18 or younger) involved a gun belonging to a family member. The firearm suicide rate among children and teens has increased by 66 percent over the past decade.
• 76 percent of unintentional shootings of children were committed with unsecured guns from the home, most often stored in nightstands or other sleeping areas. From 2003 to 2021, 1,262 children (0-17 years) were killed by fatal unintentional firearm injury, with approximately half caused by another person.
• Over 1 million stolen firearms. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) reported that from 2017 to 2021, local law enforcement reported 770,642 private theft incidents involving 1,026,538 firearms. A rising trend has been firearms stolen from unattended motor vehicles.

New Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Save Lives

Local leaders, like school officials, community and faith leaders, and law enforcement can be trusted, credible messengers when it comes to providing guidance on gun violence prevention and safe firearm storage options. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing three actions to help further promote safe storage and protect children:

• The U.S. Department of Education will take new action on safe firearm storage by sending a letter to school principals across the country explaining the importance of safe storage and encouraging them to communicate with parents, families, caregivers, and the broader community about how safe storage can protect students in school and in their communities.
• The U.S. Department of Education will also issue a new communication template that principals and school leaders can use to engage with parents and families about the importance of safe firearm storage, and encourage more people to take preventive action by safely storing firearms.
• The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will release a guide to safe storage of firearms in order to provide subject matter expertise on different types of storage devices and best practices for safely storing firearms. This is the most comprehensive guide on safe storage ever released by the federal government.

To highlight these new actions, First Lady Jill Biden, White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention Director Stefanie Feldman and U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona will join a town hall with school principals at the White House. The town hall will elevate the importance of safe firearms storage and emphasize the role that principals and education leaders can play in helping prevent gun violence. A livestream of the town hall is available here: School Principals Town Hall with the Office of Gun Violence Prevention & the Department of Education – YouTube

Building on a Record of Action to Promote Safe Storage of Firearms

These new actions build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to promoting safe storage of firearms, including:

• The Administration’s launch of an unprecedented focus on lethal means safety in the White House strategy to reduce military and veteran suicide, with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) also launching the first of its kind paid media campaign, KeepItSecure.net to highlight the importance of firearm safe storage in preventing veteran suicide. The Department of Defense (DoD) also released new evidence-informed communication tools, including a public service announcement, to encourage safe storage among military service members and their families.
• The issuing of a new ATF final rule clarifying firearms dealers’ statutory obligations to make available for purchase gun storage or safety devices compatible with the dealer’s firearm inventory.
• The publishing by ATF of an open letter to all federal firearms licensees on their legal obligations if they choose to provide temporary storage options on their premise.
• The DOJ announcement of new grant funds available through its STOP School Violence Program for schools to promote awareness of safe storage.  The DOJ’s Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program made grant funds available for law enforcement to acquire gun locks and storage devices that can be distributed to individuals and businesses.
• The release of a statement by the Assistant Secretary of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration bringing attention to lethal means safety, and particularly safe storage of firearms, as a critical component of comprehensive suicide prevention efforts.
• The publishing of a Vital Signs Report on Firearm Safety by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) highlighting the growing disparities in firearm violence, including firearm-related suicide and emphasized the importance of lethal mean safety. CDC also published a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report examining unintentional injury among children and teens that emphasized the role of unsecured firearms and how safe storage can prevent harm.

The Biden-Harris Administration will continue to take action to promote safe storage and calls on Congress to assist these efforts by passing a national safe storage law to create accountability for those who leave firearms unsecured. In addition, the Administration is working with state and local leaders on safe storage efforts.

In December, Vice President Harris, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs convened 100 state legislators to announce the Biden-Harris Administration’s Safer States Initiative to reduce gun violence and save lives. The Administration urged states to enact and implement strong laws requiring firearms owners to safely store their firearms in their homes and vehicles. The laws should impose a clear standard to penalize those who do not safely store their weapons and whose weapons end up being used for violence.

• States were also encouraged to invest in efforts that raise awareness of the range of safe storage options available to keep guns out of the hands of children and unauthorized individuals, and fund individuals’ access to effective storage options through tax incentives and other programs.
• In addition, the Department of Justice published model safe storage legislation to help states craft appropriate requirements for securing firearms kept in residences and vehicles and to ensure that those firearms do not fall into the hands of children, teens, and prohibited persons.

While safe gun storage is an important factor in curtailing death and injuries among children, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and other grant programs, has also provided unprecedented funding to establish safe, healthy, and supportive learning opportunities and environments; to increase access to school-based mental health services; and to strengthen the pipeline of mental health professionals in high-need communities. These historic investments provide greater access to the services and supports that help keep students safe and healthy. These investments help advance the President’s Mental Health Strategy, which directly implements his Unity Agenda for the nation by helping to tackle the mental health crisis.

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Today, President Biden will visit Superior, Wisconsin, where the Blatnik Bridge connects Wisconsin and Minnesota, to announce nearly $5 billion in funding for major transportation projects across the country as part of his Investing in America agenda. A key pillar of Bidenomics, the President’s Investing in America agenda—including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act—is making long overdue investments in infrastructure, unleashing a clean energy and manufacturing boom, and creating good-paying jobs, many of which do not require a college degree. To date, the Administration has announced over $400 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding for over 40,000 infrastructure projects across the nation, and has mobilized over $640 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in the United States. And, since day one of the Biden Administration, over 670,000 construction jobs and 210,000 clean energy jobs have been created in communities across the country.

Two years ago, after he signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, President Biden visited the Blatnik Bridge and highlighted the vital yet deteriorating bridge as the type of infrastructure that he would rebuild across the country. Today’s announcement—a transformative $5 billion investment that includes $1 billion to replace the Blatnik Bridge itself—is a key example of the President following through on that commitment. Due to its poor condition, the current Blatnik Bridge is predicted to close by 2030, and this new investment will change that by expanding weight capacity to accommodate freight, building wider shoulders to improve safety, and increasing accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists. During his visit to Wisconsin, President Biden will highlight the impact of the Blatnik Bridge investment on people in the community—including small business owners who rely on timely orders, deliveries, and commutes for their customers and employees; families that need to cross the bridge safely and with less traffic; truck drivers whose loads are too heavy for the current bridge; workers who will be hired on the project, and more. The President will meet with a small business owner who says his local business—and the downtown community in Superior—will benefit from the new Blatnik Bridge.

In addition to the Blatnik Bridge, key projects from today’s announcement include: replacing the I-5 Bridge over the Columbia River between Vancouver, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, which carries over 143,000 vehicles per day and no longer meets the needs of commerce and travel; improving 10 miles of I-10 through the Gila River Indian Community and Pinal County in Arizona; making multimodal improvements in the I-376 corridor of Pittsburgh; and reconnecting communities divided by the Cross Bronx Expressway in New York, which displaced residents and separated communities when constructed in the mid-1900’s. These historic projects will create good-paying jobs, make our transportation systems safer and more resilient, and unlock economic opportunity for communities across in every corner of the country. Overall, half of the funding announced today – nearly $2.8 billion – is going to projects in rural areas. These investments also build on historic funding that President Biden has announced over the past year—including $1.7 billion through the Mega and INFRA programs early last year, $2.1 billion through the Bridge Investment Program, and major rail announcements at the end of 2023—$16.4 billion to modernize Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor and $8.2 billion for world-class rail, including the country’s first high speed rail projects.

Already, the projects funded by previous announcements are hitting major milestones. For example, thanks to $1.6 billion in funding, construction to upgrade the existing Brent-Spence Bridge and build a new bridge along this critical freight corridor is expected to begin this year. In addition, thanks to the $11 billion investment from the Biden-Harris Administration, construction is now underway to replace the over 100-year-old Hudson River Tunnel between New York and New Jersey, which serves 200,000 passengers daily and is a source of frequent delays. Early work is now underway to replace the 150-year-old Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Baltimore, thanks to $4.7 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Work is also underway to construct the 10.3-mile St. Paul Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit system that will serve nearly 2 million passengers annually thanks to $240 million in funding. Thanks to $198 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, construction is also ongoing to extend the Phoenix Northwest Light Rail which will serve about 2 million passengers per year. Finally, due to a $84.5 million investment, upgrades to Boston Logan Airport’s Terminal E are now complete, with increased capacity, improved energy efficiency, and new passenger waiting areas.
Funding announced today will support 37 projects across the country, including: 

• $1.06 billion to replace the Blatnik Bridge connecting Superior, Wisconsin with Duluth, Minnesota. The Blatnik Bridge is a 1.5-mile-long bridge that connects Duluth, MN, and Superior, WI, often referred to as the “Twin Ports”. The current bridge is weight restricted and cannot carry large or heavy trucks, causing lengthy detours for regional freight. The replacement bridge will increase capacity and create a new shared-use path for pedestrians and bicyclists.
   
• $600 million to replace the over 100-year-old I-5 Bridge—a critical connection linking Oregon and Washington across the Columbia River as part of a vital regional, national and international trade route. This project will replace the aging bridge with a modern, earthquake-resilient, multimodal bridge. It will also add safety shoulders and auxiliary lanes, include add transit improvements, and create safe and accessible shared use paths.
   
• $427 million for the Humboldt Offshore Wind project in California. The project will establish the first offshore wind terminal on the Pacific Coast. The terminal will support the transport, assembly, launch, and maintenance of floating offshore wind turbines.  
   
• $372 million to replace the 80-year-old Sagamore Bridge, one of the Cape Cod Bridges that spans the Cape Cod Canal and provides the only vehicle access to the Massachusetts mainland from Cape Cod.
   
• $300 million for the Louisiana International Terminal Project to construct a new container terminal on the Gulf Coast for the Port of New Orleans. The new terminal will be a new alternative for larger vessels compared to inland terminals that have height restrictions.
   
• $200 million for the Hood River White Salmon Bridge in Oregon and Washington. The project will replace the bridge between Hood River, OR, and White Salmon, WA, which serves as a critical link for freight and provides hospital access and a wildfire evacuation route. The current bridge is structurally deficient, and the replacement will have higher clearance, wider lanes, seismic improvements, and a separate bicycle and pedestrian pathway.
   
• $150 million to reconnect communities divided by the Cross Bronx Expressway between the Harlem River and the Hutchinson River Parkway in New York—one of the most congested stretches of interstate in the U.S. with some of the highest rates of traffic and collisions. The project will improve pedestrian, bicycle, and transit connections across the highway and along parallel routes, expand open space, increase safety on local routes along the corridor, and improve traffic management, especially for freight vehicles. The Expressway was constructed between 1948 and 1972 and divided the borough, displacing residents and separating communities.
   
• $95 million for the Gila River Indian Community I-10 Project in Arizona. The project will widen approximately 10 miles of I-10 in Pinal County from two lanes to three lanes, make interchange improvements and build a new interchange, and remove or replace low-clearance bridges along the route. The project will improve safety, increase capacity, and provide job opportunities for the Gila River Indian Community.
   
• $66 million for the Mineral County I-90 Improvement Project in Montana. The project will reconstruct almost six miles of I-90, making resilience, drainage, and safety improvements, and replacing three bridges on westbound I-90. 
   
• $28 million for the Elko Nevada Rail Corridor Enhancement project in Nevada. The project will make improvements on the Union Pacific Railroad at the Elko Yard. Track improvements, infrastructure upgrades, and enhanced signal infrastructure will reduce an average of 2.5 hours of delay per freight train using the corridor.
   
• $15 million for the East River Terminal Berth Replacement project in Georgia. The project will replace three berths at the Port of Brunswick’s East River Terminal, as well as support growing export of wood pellets at the port.

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We are gravely concerned by reports today of strikes hitting a UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) facility — with subsequent reports of fires in the building—in a neighborhood in southern Gaza where more than 30,000 displaced Palestinians had reportedly been sheltering. While we don’t yet have all the details on what happened and will continue to seek further information regarding today’s incidents, the loss of every innocent life is a tragedy. This conflict has already resulted in the devastating deaths and injuries of tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians, and we mourn every single civilian life that has been lost. It’s heartbreaking to see children killed, injured, and orphaned. The United States is unwavering in our support for Israel’s right to defend itself, consistent with international humanitarian law, against Hamas terrorists who hide among the civilian population and want to annihilate the State of Israel. But Israel retains a responsibility to protect civilians, including, humanitarian personnel and sites. And, as President Biden has been clear from the earliest days of this crisis, the United States will also continue working to increase life-saving humanitarian assistance into Gaza and to bring home all of the hostages held there.

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Jill and I are praying for the family members of the eight victims killed in Joliet, Illinois, and for the broader community devastated by these tragic shootings. 

Federal law enforcement agencies assisted local law enforcement with the investigation.

This tragedy underscores why I am doing everything in my power to keep guns off our streets and out of the hands of those who seek to harm themselves or others. It’s why my administration is strengthening the gun background check system and cracking down on gun trafficking through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. It’s why I’ve taken dozens of executive actions to strengthen gun safety and end the gun violence epidemic. And it’s why I continue to call on Congress to pass universal background checks and a national red flag law, in addition to other commonsense gun safety measures.

It is within our power to stop the epidemic of gun violence tearing our communities apart. Congress must act now.

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Today, we broke another record when it comes to lowering costs and ensuring Americans have access to quality, affordable healthcare: 21.3 million Americans have signed up for health coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. That means 9 million more people have gained coverage under the law – and peace of mind – since I took office. It’s no accident. My actions to protect the Affordable Care Act and lower premiums continue to make a big difference. And the American people have made it clear: they don’t want the Affordable Care Act weakened and repealed – they want it strengthened and protected.

We need to build on the progress we’ve made by making lower premiums permanent.  But Republicans in Congress have a different vision. Their recent budget would get rid of the improvements I signed into law, raising costs for millions of people. Over the last decade, extreme Republicans in Congress have blocked efforts to lower health care costs, and they’re still trying to end the Affordable Care Act, just as my predecessor tried and failed to do. Repealing the Affordable Care Act would throw these 21 million people off their coverage, and end Medicaid coverage for millions more. It would return to the days when insurance companies could rip Americans off by denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, charge women more than men, and make older adults pay astronomical health care premiums based on their age. We must not and will not go back.

If the extreme Republicans in Congress get their way, millions of families would face skyrocketing health care costs or lose their health care altogether. I won’t let it happen on my watch, and I’ll keep fighting to bring down health care and prescription drug costs.

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In response to continued illegal and reckless Houthi attacks against vessels transiting the Red Sea and surrounding waterways, the armed forces of the United States and United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conducted additional strikes against eight targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in accordance with the inherent right of individual and collective self-defense, consistent with the UN Charter.  These strikes were designed to disrupt and degrade the capability of the Houthis to continue their attacks on global trade and innocent mariners from around the world, while avoiding escalation. 

The thirty-plus attacks that the Houthis have launched on commercial and naval vessels since mid-November constitute a threat to all countries that rely on international maritime shipping.  We condemn these attacks, and demand an end to them.  We also underscore that those who supply the Houthis with the weapons to conduct these attacks are violating UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and international law.  The January 22 international response to the continuing Houthi attacks demonstrated shared resolve to uphold navigational rights and freedoms, and to defend the lives of mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks.

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met today with National Security Advisor Henrik Landerholm of Sweden.  Mr. Sullivan underscored the United States’ strong support for Sweden joining NATO as soon as possible and applauded the Turkish parliament’s ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession today. They welcomed the recent signing of the U.S.-Sweden Defense Cooperation Agreement.  Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Landerholm emphasized their commitment to continue supporting Ukraine as it defends itself from Russia’s invasion.  They discussed the ongoing Iranian-backed Houthi attacks against merchant and naval vessels transiting the Red Sea, as well as the importance of increasing humanitarian aid and civilian protections for people in Gaza as Israel defends itself from Hamas.  They also discussed our growing bilateral cooperation on emerging technologies and the close partnership on a range of shared global challenges.

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Today, the Biden-Harris Administration will announce new commitments to workforce development from the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Sprint. The Sprint, which First Lady Jill Biden announced in May and the Administration kicked off in October, is an intensive drive to build a diverse, skilled pipeline of workers for good advanced manufacturing jobs, including union jobs, many of which do not require a four-year college degree. This comes as President Biden’s historic Investing in America agenda—including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and American Rescue Plan—is creating strong demand for skilled advanced manufacturing workers in clean energy, biotechnology, semiconductors, and more.

Today, Neera Tanden, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, in partnership with the National Economic Council, will highlight some of the many new commitments in remarks to 850 community college and other labor and workforce leaders in New Orleans, Louisiana. More than 160 organizations are participating in the Sprint—including community colleges, employers, unions, education and training providers, community-based groups, philanthropic organizations, and state and local governments—by taking tangible steps to help more Americans train for and succeed in good advanced manufacturing jobs and careers.

In the three months since the Administration kicked off the Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Sprint:

• Over 160 organizations have made new commitments to workforce development and job quality in advanced manufacturing.
• Over 150 new advanced manufacturing-related Registered Apprenticeship programs and occupations have been created or are newly under development.
• Over 4,700 new apprentices have been hired in advanced manufacturing occupations.
• The Administration is announcing new investments—including more than $50 million in January alone—to grow and diversify America’s advanced manufacturing workforce.
• The AFL-CIO Working for America Institute, in partnership with labor and industry, will lead development of a universal pathway curriculum for advanced manufacturing to provide students and workers an onramp to good advanced manufacturing careers.

The Biden-Harris Administration continues to encourage and support expansion of high-quality pathways into advanced manufacturing, and invites additional interested organizations to join the Sprint by submitting a commitment.

Alongside Director Tanden’s remarks today, the Administration is highlighting dozens of concrete actions by Sprint participants and agencies to expand high-quality pathways into good advanced manufacturing jobs and careers:

• The Department of Labor announced that more than 4,700 apprentices have been hired and more than 150 new programs and occupations created or under development during the course of its Advanced Manufacturing Registered Apprenticeship Accelerator Series. The effort was launched on October 6 to meet critical recruitment, retention, and training needs in advanced manufacturing occupations—including in the clean energy, semiconductor, aerospace, automotive, and biotechnology sectors. Registered Apprenticeship programs offer a proven earn-and-learn pathway that benefit workers and employers alike.
• Examples of employer and non-profit actions to expand Registered Apprenticeship programs and other high-quality pathways include:
  • Multiverse, in collaboration with partners such as Rolls Royce, will scale its advanced manufacturing-related Registered Apprenticeship programs to support 1,000 roles, such as Data Analyst, over the next two years.
  • Rockwell Automation, a smart manufacturing company, will expand its Academy of Advanced Manufacturing, a 12-week residential program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Cleveland, Ohio that equips veterans with the technical and workplace skills to fill in-demand manufacturing jobs. The program has served over 500 participants, 38 percent of whom are people of color.
  • Micron, the only U.S.-based leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing company, partnered with the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance and College of Western Idaho to expand their first-ever Registered Apprenticeship Program in Advanced Mechatronics. Micron is also advancing its partnerships with community colleges to increase recruitment of underrepresented students, including with a $5 million investment to Onondaga Community College to support a new Micron Cleanroom Simulation Laboratory.
  • Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) – Atlanta/Georgia Chapters, a non-profit trade organization, committed to hiring 125 additional Electrical Registered Apprentices. 
  • Global Foundries, semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company, has committed to enrolling 130 incumbent workers in its Industrial Manufacturing Technician Registered Apprenticeship program.
  • Jobs for the Future (JFF), a workforce development organization, will register at least 825 apprentices annually, at least 50 percent of whom will be from populations underrepresented in the advanced manufacturing workforce. JFF will also provide free coaching and technical assistance—including on equitable recruiting strategies—for employers and other group sponsors launching a registered apprenticeship in manufacturing.

• Examples of community college actions to increase high-quality programming and partnerships include:
  • Delta College in Michigan plans to enroll 300 students during the first two years of a new 15-week accelerated technician certificate program or engineering degree programs this year, both developed in partnership with local semiconductor manufacturers Hemlock and SK Siltron. Delta will recruit students from local K-12 schools and provide wraparound supports such as housing stipends, child care, transportation and food assistance, and healthcare, partnering with local community groups.
  • Nunez Community College in Louisiana, in partnership with NASA and Boeing, will register its Aerospace Manufacturing Technology Training program as a Registered Apprenticeship program. 
  • Fullerton Community College in Californiawill work with up to 100 area employers to implement Registered Apprenticeships for CNC/Machinists.
  • St. Petersburg Community College in Florida, in partnership with GE Aerospace, plans to launch a new Registered Apprenticeship program in Avionic Technology in early 2024.  
  • Leeward Community College in Hawaii will create new specializations in Advanced Additive Manufacturing, Robotics, Cobotics, accessible as part of an associate’s degree in Integrated Industrial Technology or as a stackable credential for workers seeking to upskill.
  • Parkland College in Illinois, in partnership with AGCO, an American agricultural machinery manufacturer, will launch a Registered Apprenticeship program in 2024 for Agricultural Equipment Technicians, which will target underserved youth. 

• Examples of partnerships between unions, employers, and education providers to deliver high-quality pathways into good advanced manufacturing jobs and careers include:
  • The American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—in partnership with the New York State United Teachers, the United Federation of Teachers, Micron, and Governor Kathy Hochul—launched a $4 million project to develop an Advanced Technology Framework for students to hone technical skills for semiconductor jobs, which will be piloted in 10 school districts starting next fall.
  • In March, the Department of Labor will launch a National Manufacturing Sector Table of leading labor, industry and workforce organizations in the manufacturing sector and support them to develop and lift up workforce solutions that equitably build and grow the next generation of the manufacturing workforce.
  • The AFL-CIO Working for America Institute (WAI) will support DOL’s Sector Table by working with other organizations to develop, scale, and adopt a universal pathway curriculum for advanced manufacturing. The universal pathway will provide workers and students an onramp to a variety of good manufacturing jobs and careers, while creating a pipeline of job-ready workers for employers.
  • SME—a nonprofit association of professionals, manufacturers, educators, and students committed to supporting the manufacturing industry—announced the Manufacturing Imperative – Workforce Pipeline Challenge (MI-WPC), a collaboration with 25 community and technical colleges, each of member which aims to enroll 1,000 individuals per year in pathways that lead to family-sustaining manufacturing jobs.
  • North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the National Education Association (NEA) will develop and disseminate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) template to help local school districts, community colleges, and unions form partnerships to build students’ awareness of and access to good union careers—building on similar MOUs announced in the Augusta Workforce Hub. The template may include language for developing training partnerships such as pre-apprenticeship and Registered Apprenticeship programs; engaging education professionals such as school counselors and career and technical education (CTE) instructors; and reaching underrepresented students. Local areas can adapt the template for their needs and apply it in construction trades, advanced manufacturing, and other sectors.

• The White House Workforce Hubs—announced in five cities across the country that are seeing significant public- and private-sector investment—continue to lead the way on equitable workforce development, including for good advanced manufacturing jobs and careers. For example:
  • In Columbus, Columbus State Community College (CSCC) launched its semiconductor technician certificate program developed with Intel—announced during First Lady Jill Biden’s visit to the Columbus Workforce Hub in July—which is part of a suite of engineering technology programs that CSCC plans to grow fourfold by 2030, enrolling 5,000 students a year.
  • In Pittsburgh, the German American Chamber of Commerce, Pittsburgh Chapter will launch a new Electric Vehicle (EV) Technician Registered Apprenticeship in August 2024. Five employers have signed on to host apprentices; the program is committed to having the highest safety standards for its apprentices in the industry.
  • In Augusta, Augusta Technical College, in collaboration with the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), announced it will enhance its Nuclear Engineering Technology program curriculum, supported by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Minority Serving Institutions Partnership Program (MSIPP). The initiative includes establishing a new apprenticeship program at SRNL; adding modules for radiation control and protection; and engaging high school students early through site visits, hands-on learning experiences, and a summer internship program.
  • In Phoenix, the City—in partnership with Arizona State University (ASU), Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD), and Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC)—is establishing Innovation 27, a workforce training and education collaborative focused on semiconductor, bioscience, information technology, healthcare, and other emerging industries. It is supported by $18.5 million in funding from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan.

• The 17 Manufacturing USA Institutes, which collectively comprise over 2,500 member organizations across the nation and engage more than 106,000 people in advanced manufacturing training, announced recent steps to expand workforce development:
  • Revitalizing America’s Manufacturing Workforce—a national roadmap to develop advanced manufacturing technologies, grow the advanced manufacturing workforce, and connect workers to good jobs in advanced manufacturing.
  • BioFabUSA welcomed the inaugural cohort of the first-of-its-kind Biofabrication Technician Registered Apprenticeship Program in November. Apprentices completed customized coursework in math, biology, chemistry, and cell culture, along with soft skills and hands-on training to prepare them for the workplace. Participants will begin a year of on-the-job training, with pay and benefits, in late January 2024.
  • NIMBL, the Department of Commerce Manufacturing USA Institute, launched its 2024 application for the NIMBL eXperience program, which will offer postsecondary students real-world exploration of careers in the biopharmaceutical industry, targeting students of color, including at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

These commitments complement new and ongoing federal investments to expand and diversify the advanced manufacturing workforce, including:

• The Department of Labor awarded more than $65 million to develop, scale, and diversify Registered Apprenticeship programs to 46 states and territories—with 19 states focusing on advanced manufacturing as a target sector with $36 million in formula funds.
• The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) launched a $28 million Future Manufacturing competition on January 10 to catalyze new manufacturing capabilities that do not exist today through research, education, and workforce training that will overcome scientific, technological, educational, economic, and social barriers. Applicants must develop a plan to prepare diverse students and a skilled technical workforce that can transition new discoveries into U.S. manufacturing enterprise.
• NSF will announce upwards of $20 million for its Experiential Learning in Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) program in March. ExLENT is a first-of-a-kind training initiative that provides paid experiential learning opportunities such as Registered Apprenticeships to current professionals in any field, helping them build the skills they need to pivot into careers in emerging technology fields, such as advanced manufacturing, microelectronics, biomanufacturing, and energy. This new announcement will build on NSF’s inaugural ExLENT awards of $18.8 million to 27 project teams.
• On January 22, Department of Energy (DOE) announced its intent to invest up to $24 million in high-quality training for union apprentices, incumbent workers, and students for in-demand jobs in advanced manufacturing and clean energy through the Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) Program. The announcement is part of the IAC Program’s unprecedented expansion to include Registered Apprenticeship, union-led training, and community and technical college programs through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. It follows DOE’s $40 million investment, announced in November, to support 17 new IACs as well as the inaugural cohort of 10 Building Training and Assessment Centers. 

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Advanced Manufacturing Sprint builds on the Administration’s prior workforce sprints, which have driven commitments to equitable workforce development and job quality improvement to address critical needs. These include efforts to expand Registered Apprenticeships in trucking and cybersecurity, and to build pathways into good jobs and careers in broadband, electrification, and construction through the Talent Pipeline Challenge. The Sprint also supports the goals of the plan to expand education and training opportunities to biotechnology and biomanufacturing released in July.

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Today, on the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), I commend the entire MCC team for the tremendous impact they have had on the lives of millions of people around the world through their innovative, cost-effective, data-driven development model. MCC’s novel approach is one based on partnership, in which it partners with low-income and lower-middle income countries that share a commitment to good governance, democracy, and investing in their people, to tackle key constraints to growth. Over the past 20 years, MCC has made critical investments to support farmers and strengthen food systems; unlocked critical policy reforms; strengthened the delivery of essential health services; built educational facilities and supported training opportunities for educators, healthcare workers, and nearly half a million students; and invested billions of dollars in climate-resilient infrastructure, including roads, water and sanitation, energy, and agriculture-related infrastructure in countries around the world. With strong bipartisan support from Congress, MCC has delivered nearly $17 billion in aid to 47 low-income and lower-middle income countries across six continents, lifted more than 300 million people out of poverty, generated economic growth in hard-to-reach communities, and strengthened democratic institutions across five continents. MCC’s projects have left a lasting and monumental impact on every community they have touched. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this model of development will have on millions more people in the years to come.

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President Biden’s Special Advisor for the Americas Christopher Dodd and Commander of the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) General Laura Richardson met today with President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa and will meet with other senior Ecuadorian government officials tomorrow to showcase U.S. support for the country in the wake of a surge in violence.  The discussions are focused on ongoing commitment to democratic values and the rule of law, and ways to deepen bilateral cooperation, including with respect to security, counter drug cooperation, migration, and economic development.

This week, the United States is facilitating the delivery of over 20,000 bullet proof vests and more than $1 million worth of critical security and emergency response equipment, including ambulances and defense logistic support vehicles.  The United States also announced that, in the coming days, the FBI will increase its personnel in-country to support the Ecuadorian National Police and Attorney General’s Office.  In addition, the Department of Homeland Security is deploying personnel to support the ongoing training of the police and prosecutors; offering additional support in digital forensics and other analysis critical to targeting gang members, drug trafficking networks, and corrupt officials; and providing key training and technical assistance with respect to protection of executive officials. USAID also is augmenting support for its municipal security programs, including support for crisis communications.  Meanwhile, the United States, Ecuador, and other regional partners continue to advance the goals under the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity initiative launched by President Biden in June 2022 to help provide greater economic opportunity to Ecuadorians, which is crucial to addressing the underlying drivers of insecurity, criminality, and migration.

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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke this afternoon with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom.  The President and Prime Minister discussed ongoing Iranian-backed Houthi attacks against merchant and naval vessels transiting the Red Sea. They reiterated their commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks. The President and Prime Minister discussed the importance of increasing humanitarian aid and civilian protections for people in Gaza, and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas. The President and Prime Minister also reiterated their support for Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia’s continuing aggression.

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Jill and I are mourning the tragic deaths of two of America’s finest—Navy SEALs who were lost at sea while executing a mission off the coast of East Africa last week.  Over ten days, the United States military conducted an extensive search and rescue mission. Recovery efforts are still continuing as we grieve this profound loss for our country. These SEALs represented the very best of our country, pledging their lives to protect their fellow Americans.  Our hearts go out to the family members, loved ones, friends, and shipmates who are grieving for these two brave Americans. Our entire country stands with you. We will never fail to honor their service, their legacy, and their sacrifice. 

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Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Help Strengthen Access to Contraception, Protect Access to Medication Abortion, and Ensure Patients Receive Emergency Medical Care

Today, on what would have been the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, women’s health and lives hang in the balance due to extreme state abortion bans. These dangerous state laws have caused chaos and confusion, as women are being turned away from emergency rooms, forced to travel hundreds of miles, or required to go to court to seek permission for the health care they need. In the face of the continued threats to reproductive freedom, President Biden will convene the fourth meeting of the Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access, where agencies will announce new actions to protect access to reproductive health care. The Task Force will also hear directly from physicians who are on the frontlines of the fallout from the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Also today, the Vice President is launching her nationwide Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour to continue fighting back against extreme attacks throughout America.

During the Task Force meeting, members will report on ongoing implementation of the President’s three Executive Orders and a Presidential Memorandum on access to reproductive health care and announce new steps to:

• Strengthen Contraception Access and Affordability for Women with Private Health Insurance. The Administration is committed to ensuring that women have access to contraception—an essential component of reproductive health care that has only become more important in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade—and reducing barriers that women face in accessing contraception prescribed by their provider. The Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and Health and Human Services (HHS) are issuing new guidance to clarify standards and support expanded coverage of a broader range of FDA-approved contraceptives at no cost under the Affordable Care Act. This action builds on the progress already made by the Affordable Care Act to expand access to affordable contraception for millions of women nationwide.
  
  In addition, the Office of Personnel Management will strengthen access to contraception for federal workers, retirees, and family members by issuing guidance to insurers participating in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program that incorporates the Departments’ guidance. OPM will also newly require insurers that participate in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program to take additional steps to educate enrollees about their contraception benefits.
  
• Reinforce Obligations to Cover Affordable Contraception. The Secretary of HHS is issuing a letter to private health insurers, state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs, and Medicare plans about their obligations to cover contraception for those they serve. The letter targets a wide range of payers to advance compliance with existing standards and underscore the Administration’s commitment to ensuring that women across the country can access affordable contraception. The letter also highlights recent HHS action to expand coverage and improve payment for contraceptives for Medicare beneficiaries, improving access for women with disabilities.
  
• Educate Patients and Health Care Providers on Their Rights and Obligations for Emergency Medical Care. The Administration is committed to helping ensure all patients, including women who are experiencing pregnancy loss and other pregnancy-related emergencies, have access to emergency medical care required under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). The Administration has long taken the position that the required emergency care can, in some circumstances, include abortion care. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is defending that interpretation of the law before the Supreme Court, which is expected to rule by June. 
  
  To increase awareness of EMTALA and improve the procedures for ensuring that patients facing all types of medical emergencies receive the care to which they are entitled, HHS is announcing today a comprehensive plan to educate all patients about their rights and to help ensure hospitals meet their obligations under federal law. This effort will include the launch of new accessible and understandable resources about rights and protections for patients under EMTALA and the process for submitting a complaint. HHS will also disseminate training materials for health care providers and establish a dedicated team of experts who will increase the Department’s capacity to support hospitals and providers across the country in complying with federal requirements—to help ensure that every patient receives the emergency medical care required under federal law.
  
• Protect Access to Safe and Legal Medication Abortion. One year ago today, President Biden issued a Presidential Memorandum directing further efforts to support patients, providers, and pharmacies who wish to legally access, prescribe, or provide medication abortion—including by taking steps to safeguard their safety and security. Today, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Homeland Security will report on their implementation of this Presidential Memorandum, including the resources they have disseminated to health care providers, including pharmacies, to support safe access to legal medication abortion.

Today’s announcements build on the Administration’s strong record of taking action since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. These ongoing efforts to defend reproductive rights include:

Protecting Access to Abortion, including Medication Abortion

• Defend FDA Approval of Medication Abortion in Court.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and DOJ are defending access to mifepristone—a safe and effective drug used in medication abortion that FDA first approved more than twenty years ago—and FDA’s independent, expert judgment in court, including in a lawsuit before the Supreme Court that attempts to curtail access nationwide. The Administration will continue to stand by FDA’s decades-old approval and regulation of the medication and by FDA’s ability to review, approve, and regulate a wide range of prescription medications. Efforts to impose outdated restrictions on mifepristone would limit access to reproductive health care in every state in the country.
  
• Protect Access to Safe and Legal Medication Abortion.  On what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, President Biden issued a Presidential Memorandum directing agencies to consider further efforts to protect access to medication abortion. This Presidential Memorandum was issued in the face of attacks by state officials to prevent women from accessing mifepristone and discourage pharmacies from becoming certified to dispense the medication. These attacks followed independent, evidence-based action taken by FDA to allow mifepristone to continue to be prescribed by telehealth and sent by mail as well as to enable interested pharmacies to become certified.
  
• Partner with State Leaders on the Frontlines of Abortion Access.  The White House continues to partner with leaders on the frontlines of protecting access to abortion—both those fighting extreme state legislation and those advancing proactive policies to protect access to reproductive health care, including for patients who are forced to travel out of state for care. The Vice President has led these efforts, traveling to 20 states and meeting with more than 250 state legislators, health care providers, and advocates in the past year. Today, she is kicking off her nationwide Fight for Reproductive Freedoms tour in Wisconsin.
  
• Ensure Access to Emergency Medical Care.  Republican elected officials in states across the country have put women’s lives at risk by banning abortion even when her doctor determines that an abortion is necessary to prevent serious health consequences. The Administration is committed to ensuring all patients, including women who are experiencing pregnancy loss and other pregnancy-related emergencies, have access to the full rights and protections for emergency medical care afforded under federal law—including abortion care when that is the stabilizing treatment required. HHS issued guidance and Secretary Becerra sent letters to providers affirming the Administration’s view that EMTALA preempts conflicting state law restricting access to abortion in emergency situations. The Department of Justice has taken action defend and enforce these protections in court, including in a case currently before the Supreme Court.
  
• Provide Access to Reproductive Health Care for Veterans.  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued an interim final rule to allow VA to provide abortion counseling and, in certain circumstances, abortion care to veterans and VA beneficiaries. VA provides abortion services when the health or life of the patient would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term or when the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. When working within the scope of their federal employment, VA employees may provide abortion services as authorized by federal law regardless of state restrictions. DOJ will support and provide representation to any VA providers whom states attempt to prosecute for violations of state abortion laws where those providers were appropriately carrying out their duties under VA’s interim final rule. 
  
• Support Access to Care for Service Members.  The Department of Defense (DoD) has taken action to ensure that Service members and their families can access reproductive health care and that DoD health care providers can operate effectively. DoD has released policies to support Service members and their families’ ability to travel for lawful non-covered reproductive health care and to bolster Service members’ privacy and afford them the time and space needed to make personal health care decisions.
  
• Defend Reproductive Rights in Court. DOJ created a Reproductive Rights Task Force, which monitors and evaluates state and local actions that threaten to infringe on federal protections relating to the provision or pursuit of reproductive health care, impair women’s ability to seek abortion care where it is legal, impair individuals’ ability to inform and counsel each other about the care that is available in other states, ban mifepristone based on disagreement with FDA’s expert judgment about its safety and efficacy, or impose criminal or civil liability on federal employees who provide legal reproductive health services in a manner authorized by federal law.

Supporting Women’s Ability to Travel for Medical Care

• Defend the Right to Travel.  On the day of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, President Biden reaffirmed the Attorney General’s statement that women must remain free to travel safely to another state to seek the care they need. In November 2023, DOJ filed a statement of interest in two lawsuits challenging the Alabama Attorney General’s threat to prosecute people who provide assistance to women seeking lawful out-of-state abortions. DOJ explained that the threatened Alabama prosecutions infringe the constitutional right to travel and made clear that states may not punish third parties for assisting women in exercising that right. DOJ continues to monitor states’ efforts to restrict the constitutional right to travel across state lines to receive lawful health care.
  
• Support Patients Traveling Out of State for Medical Care.  HHS issued a letter to U.S. governors inviting them to apply for Section 1115 waivers to expand access to care under the Medicaid program for women traveling from a state where reproductive rights are under attack and women may be denied medical care. HHS continues to encourage state leaders to consider and develop new waiver proposals that would support access to reproductive health care services.

Safeguarding Access to Contraception

• Strengthen Access to Affordable, High-Quality Contraception.  Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the President issued an Executive Order directing agencies to consider actions to improve access and affordability for women with private health insurance; promote increased access to over-the-counter contraception; support access to affordable contraception through Medicaid and Medicare; ensure Service members, veterans, and Federal employees are able to access contraception; bolster contraception access across Federal health programs; and support access for college students and employees. These are just some of the recent actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration to implement this Executive Order:
  • Following FDA’s approval of the first daily oral contraceptive in the United States without a prescription, the Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and HHS issued a Request for Information to solicit public input on how to best ensure coverage and access to over-the-counter preventive services, including contraception, at no cost and without a prescription from a health care provider.
  • Vice President Harris and the Department of Education convened representatives from 68 college and university leaders in 32 states to hear promising strategies from leaders of postsecondary institutions for protecting and expanding access to contraception for their students and on campus.
  • The Gender Policy Council, Domestic Policy Council, and leaders from the Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and HHS convened private sector leaders to stress the need to continue to build on the significant progress already made under the Affordable Care Act in expanding access to contraception and call on participants to take robust additional actions to improve access.
  • The Health Resources and Services Administration proposed new data measures for federally funded health centers that, once finalized, will help ensure that patients are screened for contraception needs. Screening and data measures will help enhance the overall delivery of voluntary family planning and related services, which is a required primary health care service under federal law.
  • The Office of Personnel Management launched a public education campaign to highlight contraception benefits available to federal employees and their family members.
  • HHS is continuing its public-private partnership to expand access to contraception with Upstream, a national nonprofit organization that provides health centers with free patient-centered, evidence-based training and technical assistance to eliminate provider-level barriers to offering the full range of contraceptive options. To date, HHS has connected Upstream to nearly 100 health care clinics, resulting in partnerships that will help Upstream accelerate their national expansion to reach 5 million women of reproductive age every year.

• Clarify Protections for Women with Private Health Insurance. Under the Affordable Care Act, most private health plans must provide coverage for contraception and family planning counseling with no out-of-pocket costs. The Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and HHS convened a meeting with health insurers and employee benefit plans. These agencies called on the industry to meet their obligations to cover contraception as required under the law. Following this conversation, these agencies issued guidance to clarify protections for contraceptive coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
  
• Expand Access Under the Affordable Care Act.  The Departments of the Treasury, Labor, and HHS proposed a rule to strengthen access to contraception under the Affordable Care Act so all women with private health coverage who need and want contraception can obtain it without cost sharing. Millions of women have already benefited from this coverage, which has helped them save billions of dollars on contraception.
  
• Support Title X Clinics.  Last year, HHS provided $263 million to over 4,000 Title X clinics across the country to provide a wide range of voluntary, client-centered family planning and related preventive services. The Title X Family Planning Program remains a critical part of the nation’s safety net, providing free or low-cost services for 2.6 million clients in 2022.
  
• Promote Access to Contraception for Service Members and Their Families and Certain Dependents of Veterans.  To improve access to contraception at military hospitals and clinics, DoD expanded walk-in contraceptive care services for active-duty Service members and other Military Health System beneficiaries, and eliminated TRICARE copays for certain contraceptive services. And VA proposed a rule to eliminate out-of-pocket costs for certain types of contraception through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Promoting Safety and Security of Patients, Providers, and Clinics

• Promote Safety and Security of Patients, Providers and Clinics. DOJ continues to robustly enforce the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which protects the right to access and provide reproductive health services.

Safeguarding Privacy and Sensitive Health Information

• Strengthen Reproductive Health Privacy under HIPAA.  HHS issued a proposed rule to strengthen privacy protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). As proposed, this rule would prevent an individual’s information from being disclosed to investigate, sue, or prosecute an individual, a health care provider, or a loved one simply because that person sought, obtained, provided, or facilitated legal reproductive health care, including abortion. By safeguarding sensitive information related to reproductive health care, the rule will strengthen patient-provider confidentiality and help health care providers give complete and accurate information to patients. Prior to the proposed rule, HHS issued guidance reaffirming HIPAA’s existing protections for the privacy of individuals’ protected health information.
  
• Take Action Against Illegal Use and Sharing of Sensitive Health Information.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has committed to enforcing the law against illegal use and sharing of highly sensitive data, including information related to reproductive health care. Consistent with this commitment, the FTC has taken several enforcement actions against companies for disclosing consumers’ personal health information, including highly sensitive reproductive health data, without permission.
  
• Help Consumers Protect Their Personal Data.  The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched a new guide for consumers on best practices for protecting their personal data, including geolocation data, on mobile phones. The guide follows a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by FCC that would strengthen data breach rules to provide greater protections to personal data. Separately, HHS issued a how-to guide for consumers on steps they can take to better protect their data on personal cell phones or tablets and when using mobile health apps, like period trackers, which are generally not protected by HIPAA.
  
• Protect Students’ Health Information.  ED issued guidance to over 20,000 school officials to remind them of their obligations to protect student privacy under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The guidance helps ensure that school officials—at federally funded school districts, colleges, and universities—know that, with certain exceptions, they must obtain written consent from eligible students or parents before disclosing personally identifiable information from students’ educational records, which may include student health information. The guidance encourages school officials to consider the importance of student privacy, including health privacy, with respect to disclosing student records. ED also issued a know-your-rights resource to help students understand their privacy rights for health records at school. 
  
• Safeguard Patients’ Electronic Health Information.  HHS issued guidance affirming that doctors and other medical providers can take steps to protect patients’ electronic health information, including their information related to reproductive health care. HHS makes clear that patients have the right to ask that their electronic health information generally not be disclosed by a physician, hospital, or other health care provider. The guidance also reminds health care providers that HIPAA’s privacy protections apply to patients’ electronic health information.

Reinforcing Nondiscrimination Protections under Federal Law

• Protect Students from Discrimination Based on Pregnancy.  The Department of Education (ED) released a resource for universities reiterating their responsibilities not to discriminate on the basis of pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, including termination of pregnancy. This guidance reminds schools of their existing and long-standing obligations under Title IX.
  
• Strengthen Nondiscrimination in Healthcare.  HHS issued a proposed rule to strengthen nondiscrimination in health care. The proposed rule would implement Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and affirms protections consistent with President Biden’s Executive Orders on nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Providing Access to Accurate Information and Legal Resources

• Ensure Easy Access to Reliable Information.  HHS launched and maintains ReproductiveRights.gov, which provides timely and accurate information on people’s right to access reproductive health care, including contraception, abortion services, and health insurance coverage, as well as how to file a patient privacy or nondiscrimination complaint. DOJ also launched justice.gov/reproductive-rights, a webpage that provides a centralized online resource on the Department’s ongoing work to protect access to reproductive health care services under federal law.
  
• Hosted a Convening of Lawyers in Defense of Reproductive Rights.  DOJ and the Office of White House Counsel convened more than 200 lawyers and advocates from private firms, bar associations, legal aid organizations, reproductive rights groups, and law schools across the country for a convening of pro-bono attorneys, as directed in the first Executive Order. Following this convening, reproductive rights organizations launched the Abortion Defense Network to offer abortion-related legal defense services, including legal advice and representation.

Promote Research and Data Collection

• Use Data to Track Impacts on Access to Care.  HHS convened leading experts to discuss the state of existing reproductive health research and what the data tells us about the impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, as well as the future of research on reproductive health care access. These convenings helped identify research gaps, opportunities for collaboration, and ways to bolster research efforts for both Federal agencies and external partners.

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The post FACT SHEET: White House Task Force on Reproductive Healthcare Access Announces New Actions and Marks the 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade appeared first on The White House.