Statements and Releases

Semiconductors – those tiny chips smaller than the tip of your finger – power everything from smartphones to cars to satellites and weapons systems. America invented these chips, but over time, we went from producing nearly 40% of the world’s capacity to just over 10%, and none of the most advanced chips, exposing us to significant economic and national security vulnerabilities. I was determined to turn that around, and thanks to my CHIPS and Science Act – a key part of my Investing in America agenda – semiconductor manufacturing and jobs are making a comeback.
 
Today, we continue building on that historic progress, with the Department of Commerce announcing a preliminary agreement with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to support the construction of leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing facilities right here in the United States. Thanks to this investment, TSMC will also build a third chip factory in Phoenix, increasing its total investment in Arizona to $65 billion and creating over 25,000 direct construction and manufacturing jobs, along with thousands of indirect jobs. These facilities will manufacture the most advanced chips in the world, putting us on track to produce 20% of the world’s leading-edge semiconductors by 2030. The agreement also dedicates $50 million of CHIPS funding to training and developing the local workforce, so workers don’t have to leave their hometowns to find good-paying jobs in innovative industries.
 
A year and a half ago, I toured the site of TSMC’s first new fab in Phoenix, Arizona. TSMC’s renewed commitment to the United States, and its investment in Arizona represent a broader story for semiconductor manufacturing that’s made in America and with the strong support of America’s leading technology firms to build the products we rely on every day.

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Today, Biden-Harris Administration leaders will fan out across the country as President Biden announces his Administration’s new plans to cancel student debt for tens of millions of Americans. The plans, if implemented, would provide debt relief to over 30 million Americans when combined with actions the Biden-Harris Administration has already taken to cancel student debt over the past three years. While Republican elected officials try every which way to block millions of their own constituents from receiving student debt cancellation, President Biden has vowed to use every tool available to cancel student debt for as many borrowers as possible, as quickly as possible. Today, President Biden will travel to Madison, Wisconsin to announce these new plans, while Vice President Harris will travel to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will travel to Phoenix, Arizona, and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will travel to New York City to meet with borrowers benefitting from the Administration’s student debt relief actions.

President Biden from Day One has worked to fix the student loan system and make sure higher education is a ticket to the middle class – not a barrier to opportunity – because he knows that debt cancellation not only benefits borrowers, it benefits the entire economy.  

To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved $146 billion in student debt relief for 4 million Americans through more than two dozen executive actions. That includes fixing Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income-Driven Repayment plans, so borrowers finally get the relief they are entitled to under the law. It also includes launching the most affordable student loan repayment plan ever – the SAVE plan – which cuts undergraduate loan payments in half, ensures borrowers never see their balance grow from unpaid interest, helps drop millions of borrowers’ monthly payments down to $0, and cancels debt for low-balance borrowers faster. Nearly 8 million borrowers have enrolled in the SAVE plan, 4.5 million borrowers have a monthly payment of $0 under the plan, and an additional 1 million borrowers have a monthly payment of less than $100.  The Biden-Administration has also secured the largest increase to Pell Grants in a decade and has taken significant steps to hold colleges accountable for leaving borrowers with mountains of debt and without good job prospects.

Last June, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision blocking the Biden-Harris Administration’s original student debt relief plan, President Biden vowed to keep fighting to deliver student debt relief to borrowers held back by the burden of student loan debt. Immediately following that, the Department of Education began pursuing an alternative path to debt relief through negotiated rulemaking under the Higher Education Act.

Today’s announcement lays out the plans the Biden-Harris Administration is pursuing through that effort. In total, these plans would fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million borrowers, would cancel the full amount of student debt for over 4 million borrowers, and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in debt relief or more.

Canceling runaway interest for millions of borrowers

More than 25 million borrowers owe more than they originally borrowed, including many who have made years of payments, due to the interest rates on Federal student loans. President Biden will announce plans that, if finalized as proposed, would cancel up to $20,000 of the amount a borrower’s balance has grown due to unpaid interest on their loans after entering repayment, regardless of their income. Low and middle-income borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan or any other income-driven repayment (IDR) plan would be eligible for the entire amount their balance has grown since entering repayment to be canceled under the Administration’s plans. This group of borrowers includes single borrowers who earn $120,000 or less and married borrowers who earn $240,000 or less. No application will be needed for borrowers to receive this relief if the plan is implemented as proposed.

Millions of the borrowers who could be helped by these plans have continued to see their balances grow because of accrued interest, despite making their monthly payments.  Many have also had this unpaid interest capitalized, meaning it is added to their principal balance and borrowers are now paying interest on that higher amount. The Administration’s plan would forgive interest balances built up to date for 25 million borrowers, with 23 million likely to have all of their balance growth forgiven.   

This plan builds off the actions the Biden-Harris Administration has already taken to prevent the negative effects of excessive interest accrual on student loans going forward by eliminating all interest capitalization not required by law. The SAVE Plan does not charge unpaid interest for borrowers who make their monthly payments, and has canceled interest for at least 4.5 million borrowers to date.

Automatically canceling debt for borrowers eligible for loan forgiveness under SAVE, PSLF, closed school discharge, or other forgiveness programs but not enrolled

Too many borrowers eligible for relief – including immediate cancellation –have not been able to overcome paperwork requirements, bad advice, or other obstacles. Since its first days in office, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to get borrowers the relief to which they are entitled.

Today, the Administration is proposing to automatically cancel debt for borrowers otherwise eligible for relief through the SAVE plan, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or other forgiveness opportunities like closed school loan discharges but who have not successfully applied for that assistance.

Under SAVE, borrowers who originally took out $12,000 or less in loans and have been in repayment for 10 years are eligible to get their remaining debt canceled. For every additional $1,000 in loans they took out (up to $21,000 total for undergraduate loans and $26,000 total for graduate loans), a borrower is eligible for relief after an additional year of repayment. For example, if a borrower took out $13,000 in loans, they would be eligible for debt cancellation after 11 years in repayment.

Under Public Service Loan Forgiveness, borrowers in public service for 10 years who have made 120 months of qualifying payments can get their remaining student debt canceled.

The Administration’s plans would allow the Department of Education to use data it has on hand to identify borrowers otherwise eligible for this type of relief without requiring them to apply for these programs. The Administration expects this action would cancel debt for around 2 million borrowers across the country.  

Canceling student debt for borrowers who entered repayment over 20 years ago

More than 2.5 million borrowers have had their share of student loans for two decades or longer and still carry debt from long-ago loans. The Biden-Harris Administration has already cancelled $45.6 billion in student debt so far for nearly 1 million borrowers who have been in repayment for at least 20 years, but never got the relief they were entitled to because of administrative problems with income-driven repayment plans. The Administration’s new proposals, if finalized as proposed, would cancel student debt for borrowers who first entered repayment 20 or more years ago. Borrowers with only undergraduate debt would qualify for forgiveness if they first entered repayment 20 years ago (on or before July 1, 2005), and borrowers with any graduate school debt would qualify if they first entered repayment 25 or more years ago (on or before July 1, 2000). Both Direct Loans and Direct Consolidation Loans that repay only undergraduate study or graduate study for 20 or 25 years respectively are eligible for relief in this proposal.  Borrowers would not need to be on an income-driven repayment plan to qualify.

Canceling student debt for borrowers who enrolled in low-financial-value programs

One of the Biden-Harris Administration’s top priorities when it comes to higher education is holding colleges accountable when they leave students with mountains of debt and without good job prospects. To this end, the Department has taken significant steps to crack down on colleges that provide low-value programs to borrowers, when they cheat students and families, and when they close unexpectedly – leaving borrowers and taxpayers to foot the bill.

Today, President Biden is announcing his Administration’s plans that, if finalized as proposed, would cancel student debt for loans associated with institutions or programs that lost their eligibility to participate in the Federal student aid program or were denied recertification because they cheated or took advantage of students. Further, borrowers who attended institutions or programs that closed and failed to provide sufficient value— for example that leave graduates with unaffordable loan payments or earnings no better than what someone with a high school diploma earns— would be eligible for relief under this proposal.

Canceling student debt for borrowers experiencing hardship paying back their loans

President Biden and his Administration recognize that the current student loan system and repayment programs don’t reach all borrowers, and for many Americans student loans continue to be a barrier for them participating in the economy, accessing economic mobility, or pursuing their dreams. The Administration’s plan for student debt relief will also include a plan that would cancel student debt for borrowers experiencing hardship in their daily lives that prevents them from fully paying back their loans now or in the future.

This plan could provide relief to millions of borrowers who experience hardship—such as borrowers who are at high risk of defaulting on their student loans, who could be eligible for automatic relief, or families who are burdened with other expenses like medical debt or child care who can apply for relief in the future.

Providing relief to millions of borrowers this year

The Biden-Harris Administration plans to release proposed rules on these plans over the coming months. If these plans are finalized as proposed, this fall the Administration would begin canceling up to $20,000 in interest for millions of borrowers and full loan forgiveness for millions more.    

Building off unparalleled record canceling student debt under President Biden

Today’s announcements follow historic actions the President and his Administration have already taken to approve student debt cancellation for nearly 4 million Americans and make student loan payments easier for millions more through the SAVE plan. These actions have benefited borrowers from all 50 states and U.S. territories, borrowers from different walks of life, and borrowers of all ages. To date:

• The Administration has canceled over $62.5 billion in student debt for 871,000 public service workers, including teachers, firefighters, nurses, and more. Prior to the Biden Administration, only 7,000 people in total had received debt forgiveness through Public Service Loan Forgiveness in the over 15 years since the program was put in place. The Biden Administration implemented fixes to make sure public service workers received the relief they are entitled to under the law, helping nearly 900,000 public service workers receive relief to date.

• The Administration has approved $45.6 billion in debt cancellation for nearly 1 million borrowers through fixes to income-driven repayment. For too long, as a result of administrative failures and loan servicer errors, borrowers never got credit for being in repayment. The Biden-Harris Administration fixed that, and has approved debt cancellation for over 930,000 borrowers who have been in repayment for over 20 years.

• The Administration has approved $22.5 billion in debt cancellation for borrowers cheated by their schools, who saw their schools abruptly close, or who were covered by related court settlements. The Administration has approved borrower defense and closed school discharges to provide debt cancellation for students that attended and were cheated by for-profit institutions like Corinthian Colleges and ITT Technical Institute. Less than $600 million in debt relief had been approved through borrower defense, closed school discharges, and related court settlements from all prior administrations combined, compared to the $22.5 billion approved under the Biden-Harris Administration alone.

• The Administration has approved $14 billion in debt cancellation for over 548,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability. Through automatic matches with the Social Security Administration and other actions, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved debt cancellation for over half a million borrowers with total and permanent disabilities.

• The Administration launched the SAVE plan – helping borrowers of all ages and walks of life manage their monthly payments, not charging interest for millions of borrowers, and setting $0 payments for 4.5 million borrowers every month. To date, nearly 8 million borrowers have enrolled in SAVE, and 4.5 million of them have a monthly payment of $0, meaning they are also not accumulating interest that would otherwise be due. An additional million borrowers have a monthly payment of less than $100. Already the Administration has canceled debt for 153,000 borrowers enrolled in SAVE who took out low balances and have been in repayment for at least 10 years. And in July, the SAVE plan will cap monthly payments for undergraduate loans at 5% of income compared to the 10% threshold now – which will save many young borrowers money on their monthly payments. The Administration continues to encourage borrowers to sign up for the SAVE plan at studentaid.gov/SAVE to save money on their monthly payments and reach loan forgiveness faster.

• The Administration secured the largest increase to Pell Grants in a decade, and has expanded eligibility for the maximum Pell Grant to 1.7 million more Americans. The President has taken historic steps to bring college in reach for more Americans, including low-income Americans. The President secured the largest increase to Pell Grants in a decade, expanded eligibility to Pell to 665,000 new students, and expanded eligibility for the maximum Pell Grant to 1.7 million more students. The President has also proposed making community college free so more Americans can access the promise of higher education.

President Biden will not stop fighting to cancel more student debt for as many Americans as possible, and today’s announcements are a key step forward in that effort.

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From Day One President Biden vowed to fix the Federal student loan program and make sure higher education is a ticket to the middle class – not a barrier to opportunity. To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic action to approve debt cancellation for 4 million borrowers, helping these borrowers get more breathing room in their daily lives, access economic mobility, buy homes, start businesses, and pursue their dreams. Today, President Biden is announcing his Administration’s new plans that, if finalized as proposed, would provide debt relief to over 30 million borrowers when combined with actions the Administration has taken over the last four years. These plans would not only help create more financial stability for millions of working and middle-class families, they would also help address the disproportionate debt burden on communities of color and advance racial equity.

These actions are expected to provide significant relief to Black and Latino borrowers, borrowers who attended community college, and borrowers who are financially vulnerable because they took out debt but never had the chance to complete their degree. Not only are Black students more likely to take on student loans than their white peers, but they also end up holding nearly twice as much debt as their white peers four years after graduation.  And Latino borrowers are also more likely to default on their student loans compared to white borrowers.

The plans President Biden is announcing today, if finalized as proposed, would deliver some amount of relief to:

• Borrowers who owe more than they did at the start of repayment. Millions of borrowers across the country owe more than they did when they started repaying because of accrued and capitalized interest. Black and Latino borrowers are likelier to experience growth in their student loan balances due to excessive interest accumulation. Four years after graduation, Black bachelor’s degree borrowers on average owe more than they borrowed.
• Borrowers who are otherwise eligible for loan forgiveness, but have not yet applied. Borrowers face administrative burdens with completing loan forgiveness applications. Many borrowers would receive automatic debt relief for loan forgiveness programs that they are eligible for but have not successfully applied for, such as the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, or other forgiveness programs.
• Borrowers who first entered repayment many years ago. Many borrowers are repaying their loans decades after leaving school. The Administration’s new plan would cancel debt for all borrowers with only undergraduate student debt who entered repayment 20 or more years ago and cancel loans for borrowers with any graduate student debt that first entered repayment 25 or more years ago.  
• Borrowers who enrolled in low-financial-value programs. Thosewho attended institutions or programs that failed accountability measures or failed to provide students with sufficient financial value would be eligible for relief, including those whose institutions closed prior to the finalization of such determinations.  Black and Latino borrowers make up a disproportionately larger share of students enrolled in these programs.
• Borrowers experiencing hardship paying back their loans. Millions of borrowers could be eligible for relief if they are experiencing hardship in their daily lives that prevent them from fully paying back their loans now or in the future. Black and Latino borrowers have higher default rates than white borrowers, undermining their ability to build generational wealth, start businesses, buy homes, and more.

The plans announced today would address the disproportionate debt burden on borrowers of color and other vulnerable borrowers.

Black borrowers

• In order to afford a college education, Black families—already disadvantaged by generational wealth disparities—rely more heavily on student debt than white families do.
• Twenty years after first enrolling in school, the typical Black borrower who started college in the 1995-96 school year still owed 95% of their original student debt.
• After 20 years of starting school, just 26% of Black borrowers were able to pay off all of their loans.
• A disproportionate number of students at for-profit colleges are Black, and many of these students have attended low-quality programs, leaving them with unaffordable debts and low prospects.

Latino Borrowers

• Latino borrowers have lower household incomes and significantly less wealth than their white counterparts, causing them greater difficulty in paying off loans.
• Latino students are also more likely not to complete college, making them more likely to have debt with no degree.
• Latino borrowers are also more likely to default on their student loans compared to white borrowers, with 15% of those in repayment in default and 29% in serious delinquency.
• Latino students are also a disproportionate number of students enrolled in for-profit programs.

Community college borrowers

• Under the Biden-Harris Administration’s SAVE Plan, 85% of community college borrowers are projected to be debt-free within 10 years.
• Latino students make up a disproportionately larger share of community college students, making up 23% of community college enrollees but only 18% of the overall undergraduate population.
• The share of community college students who are Latino and Black students is also increasing, with 2023 community college enrollment increasing by 2.1% for Black students, 5.5% for Hispanic students, and decreasing by 2.0% for white students.

The plans announced today, together with the Administration’s past actions, will provide relief to more than 30 million borrowers.  These plans would fully eliminate accrued interest for 23 million borrowers, cancel the full amount of student debt for over 4 million borrowers, and provide more than 10 million borrowers with at least $5,000 in debt relief or more.  With disproportionately high debt burdens, Black and Latino borrowers will get substantial benefits from this relief.

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On this day 30 years ago, a brutal and systematic campaign of slaughter began in Rwanda. In the 100 days that followed, more than 800,000 women, men, and children were murdered. Most were ethnic Tutsis; some were Hutus and Twa people. It was a methodical mass extermination, turning neighbor against neighbor, and decades later, its repercussions are still felt across Rwanda and around the world. 

Today, as Rwanda begins its annual Kwibuka period of remembrance, the United States stands with the people of Rwanda in their grief. We honor the victims who died senselessly and the survivors who courageously rebuilt their lives. And we commend all Rwandans who have contributed to reconciliation and justice efforts, striving to help their nation bind its wounds, heal its trauma, and build a foundation of peace and unity. Those efforts continue to this day. 

We will never forget the horrors of those 100 days, the pain and loss suffered by the people of Rwanda, or the shared humanity that connects us all, which hate can never overcome.

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Leuven, Belgium

I. Introduction

The sixth ministerial meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (“TTC”) took place in Leuven, Belgium, on 4 and 5 April 2024. It was co-chaired by European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager, European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai, joined by European Commissioner Thierry Breton, and hosted by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The meeting took place against the backdrop of significant geopolitical developments and challenges, including Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine and the escalation of violence in the Middle East, that have shaken the international rules-based order to which we are jointly committed. The United States and the European Union remain unwavering in our long-term political, financial, humanitarian, and military support to Ukraine.

There has been a buildup of global economic pressure through extensive non-market policies and practices. This accentuates excessive and possibly high-risk dependencies of strategic supplies, tilts the level playing field, and poses a threat to our economic security, our prosperity, and the well-being of our firms, workers, and citizens.

The acceleration of the digital transformation creates unprecedented opportunities for growth and innovation but also raises numerous risks and challenges that call for accelerating our efforts to establish joint leadership and continue robust coordination on our approaches for creating rules of the road for emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technologies, and 6G wireless communication systems. We aim to foster interoperability and support our common democratic values and the protection of human rights, while also promoting innovation. We are also dedicated to continuing to equip our workforce with the skills necessary to meet the needs created by rapidly changing technology, including AI.

The cooperation between the United States and the European Union continues to be the bedrock for dealing with such global challenges, and the TTC has played a vital role in shaping a forward-looking dialogue and facilitating unprecedented coordination and quick responses to key trade and technology related issues and developments, not least in the context of Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine. We therefore reaffirm the importance of the TTC and will continue to refine and adapt this forum to advance our shared objectives.

We have used the TTC to address global trade challenges, strengthen our economic and trade ties, accelerate the transition to climate-neutral economies, and boost our economic security. With the Transatlantic Initiative on Sustainable Trade (TIST), the TTC is contributing to the creation of a stronger, more sustainable, and more resilient transatlantic marketplace and facilitating environmentally responsible trade in goods and technologies. We have increased cooperation on interoperability of digital trade tools as well as standardisation of critical and emerging technologies to reduce the costs of trading across the Atlantic. To boost our economic security, we continue to cooperate through the TTC to diversify strategic supply chains, including solar panels, semiconductors, and critical raw materials, and to reduce vulnerabilities, including those caused by other countries’ non-market policies and practices. We have also deepened our dialogue and cooperation on export controls and investment screening.

Working with stakeholders, we continue to use the TTC to advance the governance of critical and emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, semiconductors, biotechnology, and online platforms, including by supporting the development of rights-respecting international technical standards, codes of conduct, principles, and guidance. In particular, we call upon online platforms to ensure their services contribute to an environment that protects, empowers, and respects their users and the general public. We are working together to advance public interest research on online platforms, including to address particular societal risks, such as technology-facilitated gender-based violence. We will continue to combat foreign information manipulation and interference and to protect human rights defenders online, including in the context of elections.

We intend to continue our trade and technology cooperation as set out below.

II. Key Outcomes of the Sixth TTC Ministerial Meeting

A. Advancing Transatlantic Leadership on Critical and Emerging Technologies Artificial Intelligence

The United States and the European Union reaffirm our commitment to a risk-based approach to artificial intelligence (AI) and to advancing safe, secure, and trustworthy AI technologies. The dedicated coordination under the TTC continues to be instrumental to implementing our respective policy approaches which aim to reap the potential benefits of AI while protecting individuals and, society against its potential risks, and upholding human rights.

Our exchanges confirm our joint understanding that transparency and risk mitigation are key elements to ensure the safe, secure, and trustworthy development and use of AI, and we will continue to coordinate our contributions to multilateral initiatives such as the G7, the OECD, G20, Council of Europe, and UN processes to advance the responsible stewardship of AI. We encourage advanced AI developers in the United States and Europe to further the application of the Hiroshima Process International Code of Conduct for Organizations Developing Advanced AI Systems which complements our respective governance and regulatory systems.

With a view to ensuring continued and impactful cooperation on AI, leaders from the European AI Office and the U.S. AI Safety Institute have briefed one another on their respective approaches and mandates. These institutions today committed to establishing a Dialogue to deepen their collaboration, particularly to foster scientific information exchange among their respective scientific entities and affiliates on topics such as, benchmarks, potential risks, and future technological trends.

This cooperation will contribute to making progress with the implementation of the Joint Roadmap on Evaluation and Measurement Tools for Trustworthy AI and Risk Management, which is essential to minimize divergence as appropriate in our respective emerging AI governance and regulatory systems, and to cooperate on interoperable and international standards. Following stakeholder consultations, we have further developed a list of key AI terms with mutually accepted joint definitions and published an updated version.

We are also united in our belief of the potential of AI to address some of the world’s greatest challenges. We applaud the United Nations General Assembly Plenary Resolution “Seizing the Opportunities of Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence Systems for Sustainable Development,” that has solidified a global consensus around the need to manage the risks of AI while harnessing its benefits for sustainable development and the protection and promotion of human rights.

We are advancing on the promise of AI for sustainable development in our bilateral relationship through joint research cooperation as part of the administrative arrangement on artificial intelligence and computing to address global challenges for the public good. Working groups jointly staffed by U.S. science agencies and European Commission departments and agencies have achieved substantial progress by defining critical milestones for deliverables in the areas of extreme weather, energy, emergency response, and reconstruction. We are also making constructive progress in health and agriculture.

We will continue to explore opportunities with our partners in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany in the AI for Development Donor Partnership to accelerate and align our foreign assistance in Africa to support educators, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens to harness the promise of AI.

Quantum

The United States and the European Union established a Quantum Task Force to address open questions on science and technology cooperation between the United States and the European Union on quantum technologies. Its primary objective is to bridge gaps in research and development (R&D) between the United States and the European Union, thereby harmonizing efforts in quantum technology advancements. This includes the establishment of a shared understanding and approach to technology readiness levels, development of unified benchmarks, identification of critical components in quantum technology, and advancement of international standards.

The task force continues work to address key questions that are necessary to reach an agreement on launching joint actions for science and technology cooperation in quantum, such as reciprocity in openness of quantum research programs and in intellectual property rights regimes.

Post-Quantum Cryptography Coordination

The United States and the European Union affirm the importance of the rapid mobilization to secure our digital communication networks against the threats posed by the potential for a future cryptanalytically-relevant quantum computer. Our joint work in Post Quantum Cryptography (PQC), feeding into the U.S-EU Cyber Dialogue, enables U.S. and EU partners to share information to understand activities in PQC standardization and in the transition to PQC.

The Road to 6G

The United States and the European Union share the belief that advanced connectivity can  facilitate a more inclusive, sustainable, and secure global economy. We concur on shared principles for the research and development of 6G wireless communication systems, and we recognize that by working together we can support the development of technologies and global technical standards for tomorrow’s critical digital infrastructure that reflect shared principles and values. We support open, global, market-driven, and inclusive multi-stakeholder approaches for the development of technical standards for secure and interoperable telecommunications equipment and services. On the road to 6G, in a geopolitical environment increasingly marked by tension and conflict, the growing requirement for security and resilience of key enabling communications technologies and critical infrastructure highlights the need to rely on trusted suppliers, to prevent vulnerabilities and dependencies, with potential downstream effects on the entire industrial ecosystem.

We delivered a 6G outlook in May 2023. In addition, the two main industry associations on each side of the Atlantic jointly developed a 6G Industry Roadmap in December 2023. The roadmap affirmed the commitment of the stakeholders to collaborate on the development of 6G networks and proposed a comprehensive set of critical strategic reflections and recommendations from academia and industry. On 26 February 2024, ten countries, including some EU Member States concluded a joint statement on 6G.

These milestones have contributed to shaping the joint “6G vision” that we are adopting today. This vision focuses on technology challenges and research collaboration including on microelectronics; AI and cloud solutions for 6G; security and resilience; affordability and inclusiveness, sustainability and energy efficiency; openness and interoperability; efficient radio spectrum usage; and the standardisation process.

Having decided on this 6G vision, the United States and the European Union will strengthen cooperation between their research and innovation funding agencies, notably through an Administrative Arrangement signed between the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Directorate‑General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG Connect) of the European Commission covering collaboration in the field of 6G and Next Generation Internet technologies.

Considering the importance of developing a common vision to 6G and cooperating in the global standardisation process through standardisation organisations such as ETSI/3GPP, we also intend to develop an outreach plan with likeminded partners to support and advance the development of 6G networks.

Semiconductors

The coordination on our respective efforts to build resilient semiconductor supply chains remains crucial to the secure supply of semiconductors, which are indispensable inputs to an ever-growing range of key industry sectors, and to ensure leadership in cutting-edge technologies.

We have been cooperating fruitfully under two administrative arrangements:

• A joint early warning mechanism aimed at identifying (potential) supply chain disruptions and enabling early action to address their impacts, which has already proven useful in monitoring developments in the gallium and germanium markets; and
• A transparency mechanism for reciprocal sharing of information about public support provided to the semiconductor sector.

We intend to extend the two administrative arrangements for a period of three years to enable further coordination and to establish synergies between our support for investments in the semiconductor sector taking place under the EU Chips Act and the U.S. CHIPS Act.

The United States and the European Union share concerns about non-market economic policies and practices that may lead to distortionary effects or excessive dependencies for mature node (“legacy”) semiconductors. On the side of the fifth TTC ministerial meeting, which took place on 30 January 2024 in Washington, D.C., we held a joint roundtable with high-level industry representatives dedicated to legacy semiconductor supply chains. Both the United States and the European Union are committed to continuing to engage closely with industry on the issue. We plan to convene further government-to-government discussions with like-minded countries on this topic in the near future. In January 2024, the United States launched an industry survey to assess the use of legacy chips in supply chains that directly or indirectly support U.S. national security and critical infrastructure. The European Union is also gathering information on this issue. We intend to, as appropriate, continue to collect and share non-confidential information and market intelligence about non-market policies and practices, commit to consult each other on planned actions, and may develop joint or cooperative measures to address distortionary effects on the global supply chain for legacy semiconductors.

We plan to continue working to identify research cooperation opportunities on alternatives to the use of per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) in chips. For example, we plan to explore the use of AI capacities and digital twins to accelerate the discovery of suitable materials to replace PFAS in semiconductor manufacturing.

Biotechnology Cooperation to Promote the Bioeconomy and Address Global Challenges

The bioeconomy is supported by the use of foundational and widely-applicable tools and technologies (including emerging biotechnologies), which have the potential to drive innovation to address global challenges. .These tools and technologies also represent an opportunity to begin developing a common international understanding of the bioeconomy and future efforts to evaluate, measure, and grow the global bioeconomy as a whole. A crucial component of this effort is establishing a shared understanding of some of the risks and vulnerabilities associated with the bioeconomy, including economic and security considerations, alongside a simultaneous commitment to enabling the safe, secure, sustainable, and responsible use of tools and technologies for bioeconomic development.

We look forward to cooperating on shared research, development, and innovation priorities through the U.S.-EU Joint Consultative Group that will push bioeconomic development forward in ways that address the most pressing global challenges we all face.

We acknowledge the significant promise and risks associated with the integration of advanced biotechnology with other technological disciplines such as AI, information technology, nanotechnology, neurotechnology, chemistry, and medicine, which will drive innovation and have significant implications for academia, industry, and economic security. To address the potential risks associated with the convergence of these technologies, we are committed to work toward mechanisms to safeguard dual-use advanced biotechnology items and equipment.

Transatlantic Cooperation on Standards for Critical and Emerging Technologies and Clean Energy Transition

The United States and the European Union share an interest in recognizing mutually compatible technical standards as a way to expand transatlantic approaches for the deployment of critical and emerging technologies that reflect our shared values.

We plan to continue to exchange information on international standardisation activities for critical and emerging technologies via the “Strategic Standardisation Information (SSI)” mechanism, as established at the second U.S-EU TTC ministerial meeting. Our deepened cooperation enables us to cooperate on global standards. In order to strengthen collaboration with the private sector, we organised a joint stakeholder workshop in Washington D.C. on 17 November 2023, which identified relevant areas for transatlantic collaboration.

Together with standards development organisations and stakeholders, we have endeavoured to work towards mutually compatible standards and best practices in areas of strategic interest with the objective of avoiding unnecessarily burdensome technical trade barriers, without prejudice to the specificities and needs of our respective legal systems.

Over the last two years, our cooperation has led to tangible outcomes. We have facilitated commonly recognised international standards for the rollout of megawatt charging systems for heavy-duty vehicle charging points, and joint work of U.S. and EU standardisation bodies on plastics recycling and additive manufacturing since the start of the TTC. Our work continues to facilitate the development of mutually recognised and compatible standards to enhance new opportunities for cooperation within our respective standardisation systems.  

Following a successful round of government-to-government technical exchanges, the European Commission and U.S. government released a Digital Identity Mapping Exercise ReportDigital Identity Mapping Exercise Report which provides the results of an initial mapping centred on the definitions, assurance levels, and references to international standards included across Revision 3 of the NIST Digital Identity Guidelines (Special Publication 800-63, Revision 3) and European Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions in the internal market. The next phase of this project will focus on identifying potential use cases for transatlantic interoperability and cooperation with a view toward enabling the cross-border use of digital identities and wallets.

The United States and the European Union intend to continue to identify emerging technology standards that are enablers of the clean energy transition for transatlantic collaboration.

B. Promoting Sustainability and New Opportunities for Trade and Investment 

Transatlantic Initiative on Sustainable Trade 

The Transatlantic Initiative on Sustainable Trade (TIST) work programme, which we launched at the fourth U.S-EU TTC ministerial meeting in May 2023, has advanced our cooperation on actions to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral economies in the United States and the European Union in a mutually beneficial way. The United States and the European Union have been making progress on the different work strands under the TIST work programme and will continue to advance this work.

Building a Transatlantic Green Marketplace

Building on our strong economic links to accelerate the green transition while creating new business opportunities for our firms and good employment opportunities for our citizens is a key objective of the TIST.

On 30-31 January 2024, the United States and the European Union jointly organised the “Crafting the Transatlantic Green Marketplace” event in Washington, D.C. The event brought together representatives from the U.S. and EU business, civil society, and labor communities to engage in a series of thematic stakeholder-led discussions that focused on identifying opportunities for transatlantic collaboration to promote the transition to a more sustainable and climate-neutral economy on both sides of the Atlantic. The United States and the European Union thank the participants for their time and input. We are currently analysing the various proposals for cooperation received from the stakeholders to assess their potential to be taken forward.

In addition, the United States and the European Union will continue various efforts under the TIST umbrella, including exploring potential avenues of cooperation on conformity assessment.

Green Public Procurement

The United States and the European Union underscore that, by achieving a common understanding on green public procurement practices, we can accelerate the uptake of more sustainable and greener solutions to achieve our common environmental and climate goals.

To this end, we have issued a Joint U.S.-EU Catalogue of Best Practices on Green Public Procurement. It will contribute to advancing sustainability objectives by identifying and promoting policy tools for accelerating the deployment of publicly financed sustainability projects in the United States and the European Union.

The Joint Catalogue presents a collection of policies, practices, and actions used across all stages of the procurement process, from the strategic planning to pre-procurement, procurement, and post-contract award stage, and addresses all types of environmental and climate challenges, such as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency or promoting circular economy approaches. It can serve as an inspiration for policymakers and suppliers, as well as provide ideas for the uptake of green solutions in public procurement globally.

The United States and the European Union will continue to work together on how to use the Joint Catalogue and maximise its impact.

Secure and Sustainable Supply Chains for the Clean Energy Transition

The United States and the European Union reaffirm that secure and sustainable transatlantic supply chains are key for a solid and steadfast transition towards a net zero economy and will help reduce excessive dependencies in strategic economic activities. We intend to continue to cooperate on strategic supply chains, such as solar, to help us increase secure supply of clean energy. The United States and the European Union share common challenges in the solar sector and reaffirm the importance of a dedicated workstream that explores ways to jointly support our photovoltaic manufacturing capacity (including equipment) and to diversify and de-risk this supply chain.

The United States and the European Union also continue efforts to promote transparency and traceability to improve social standards and environmental protections across supply chains that support the green transition. In this context, we are planning a workshop with stakeholders to present ongoing initiatives to promote innovative solutions in the management of sustainable supply chains, including a focused session on solar.

U.S-EU Clean Energy Incentives Dialogue

The United States and the European Union share a strong commitment to tackling the climate crisis. We want to further the growth of the global clean energy economy while establishing resilient, secure, and diverse clean energy supply chains. By strengthening and expanding clean energy industries and investing in future-oriented sectors, we generate jobs, ignite a positive cycle of innovation, and decrease costs for clean energy technologies.

Through the U.S-EU Clean Energy Incentives Dialogue, we continue to work in a transparent and mutually reinforcing manner, to avoid zero-sum competition, subsidy races and distortions in transatlantic trade and investment flows that could arise from our respective policies and incentives. In this way, we strive to maximise clean energy technology deployment that creates jobs and does not lead to windfalls for private interests. To further enhance transparency, we intend to share specific information about our respective public incentive programs starting with one sector as a pilot with the possibility to extend this to further sectors in the future and will explore putting in place a reciprocal mechanism for consultations.

We share concerns about a range of third country non-market policies and practices. We have discussed thoseused by certain third countries to attain a dominant global position in clean energy sectors, and recognise the value of continuing to exchange information on such non-market policies and practices. We will continue to explore policy tools and possible coordinated action to address harm caused by these policies and practices. including by fostering supply chain diversification, reducing dependencies, and building resilience to economic coercion.

Critical Minerals

The United States and the European Union affirm their close collaboration on diversifying global critical minerals supply chains. We welcome the launch of the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP) Forum, which we will co-chair. The MSP Forum will formalize and expand its existing engagements with minerals producing countries, with a particular focus on advancing and accelerating individual projects with high environmental protections and social governance and labor standards and promoting discussion of policies that contribute to diverse and resilient supply chains.

Continuing our well-established cooperation on critical raw materials, a workshop on “Developing the permanent magnets value chain” resulted in valuable exchanges focussing on rare earth magnets. We plan to continue these exchanges in the future.

To promote a green transition, enhance economic security, and strengthen environmental protections and labor rights in international critical minerals supply chains, the United States and the European Union are advancing negotiations toward a Critical Minerals Agreement.

Transatlantic E-Mobility Cooperation

We welcome the successful completion of the Electro-mobility and Interoperability with Smart Grids workstream with the publication of the U.S-EU joint technical recommendations for “Future Public Demonstrations of Vehicle-Grid Integration (VGI) Pilots”. Devised in consultation with industry experts and stakeholders, the recommendations propose the development of best practices to prepare for large-scale VGI demonstrations, educate potential customers, and incorporate requisite customer-related factors in demonstration programme designs, and aim at supporting communication and coordination between the United States and the EU.

The recommendations complement the “Transatlantic Technical Recommendations for Government Funded Implementation of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure,” which were presented at the fourth TTC ministerial meeting in May 2023 in Luleå, Sweden.

Together, the two sets of recommendations can benefit companies and end users, and transatlantic trade and investment, by supporting the expansion of e-mobility as well as the realization of U.S. and EU clean energy and de-carbonization commitments.

Enhancing eInvoicing Interoperability between the United States and the European Union

As part of our efforts to increase the use of digital tools that enhance trade, Electronic Invoicing (eInvoicing) has emerged as a transformative tool in modern business, offering efficiency gains, cost savings, and trade benefits. The continued cooperation and efforts towards compatible eInvoicing between the United States and the European Union. offer a spectrum of advantages, with the potential to significantly reshape cross-market transactions and the dynamics of transatlantic trade. Even though most of the eInvoicing technical specifications and profiles are highly aligned, there are differences between our respective eInvoicing systems. We intend to continue to cooperate and coordinate for greater compatibility, particularly in terms of business and technical interoperability, as outlined in the declaration annexed to this Joint Statement.

Trade and Labor in the Green Transition

Today, the United States and the European Union held their third session of the tripartite Transatlantic Trade and Labor Dialogue (TALD). This session brought together TTC principals and senior representatives from labor, business, and government from both sides of the Atlantic and continued the joint transatlantic work with social partners on the promotion of sustainable and responsible supply chains with strong protections for labor rights. Building on the discussions during the workshop on the “Promotion of Good Quality Jobs for a Successful, Just and Inclusive Green Transition” on 30 January 2024, the TALD meeting provided the opportunity to dive deeper and hear views from labor and business stakeholders on the topic of the green transition, with specific focus on the green transition and other challenges, and the future of TALD.

In addition, the United States and the European Union reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate to eliminate forced labor from global supply chains, as called upon in the labor and businesses stakeholders’ May 2023 joint recommendations, and they expressed the intention to continue technical dialogue to exchange information, as well as share best practices regarding the implementation of their forced labor policies, including with regard to research and risk assessment.

C. Trade, Security, and Economic Prosperity

Trade for Economic Security

Strengthening our economic security is a fundamental pillar of the transatlantic partnership. The TTC has helped provide a better understanding of our respective approaches to economic security. We intend to continue cooperation under the TTC to address common challenges using relevant trade and technology tools, bilaterally and in relevant fora, including the G7 and the World Trade Organization. We reaffirm shared concerns about the challenges posed to our economic security by, among other issues, economic coercion, the weaponization of economic dependencies, and the use of non-market policies and practices by third countries. We share the objective of continuing efforts to de-risk and diversify our trade and investment relations, including by reducing critical and excessive dependencies and strengthening the resilience of strategic supply chains.

Cooperation on Export Controls and Sanction-Related Export Restrictions

We continue to recognise the important role played by the TTC in supporting the European Union, the United States, and other international partners in their unprecedented cooperation on measures against Russia and Belarus. Such cooperation has helped bring about a continuous alignment of our regulations and a consistent application of export restrictions targeting Russia and Belarus through, for example, regular exchanges of information about authorisation and denial decisions. It has also supported coordination to counter the circumvention of our measures, such as through the creation and update of a common list of high priority items (CHP) and our outreach to industry.

We will continue to work to further align U.S. and EU priorities on Russian export restrictions and coordinated international messaging on those priorities to combat circumvention and improve efficiency and effectiveness of domestic controls. As regards the implementation of export restrictions against Russia, both sides welcome the setting up of the platform for the exchange of licensing information and plan to continue to exchange information on outreach activities, including to third countries and industry.

Both sides have also decided to continue work on facilitating secure high-technology trade and reducing administrative burdens in areas covered by export controls by developing a common understanding of respective rules and mapping out measures that would help streamline this trade, while maintaining a well-functioning and effective export control regime. For example, the United States has expanded licencing exceptions to EU Member States.

We welcome the impulse the TTC has given to coordinated action by the United States and the European Union in reaching out to other countries and supporting them in strengthening their export controls, for example, through the provision of secure software for the processing of licenses.

Investment Screening

We reiterate the importance of having effective foreign direct investment (FDI) screening mechanisms in place aimed at addressing national security risks in the United States and addressing threats to security and public order in the European Union. We welcome the progress in this regard and will continue to support the development and implementation of these mechanisms, while promoting an open and attractive investment environment.

We have carried out joint work to identify certain best practices on foreign direct investment screening with the intention to eventually bring these to the attention of screening authorities and stakeholders more broadly. We will soon launch of a joint repository that will provide additional resources to U.S. and EU Member State investment screening professionals. We have deepened our cooperation on investment screening through hosting a public stakeholder event and conducting outreach to like-minded partners in the Western Balkans to support their development of effective FDI screening mechanisms and intend to continue such outreach in 2024.

We will continue our cooperation on investment screening through technical exchanges, including on investment trends impacting security risks related to specific sensitive technologies to provide a better understanding of similarities and differences in approach.

Outbound Investment Security

We recognize the importance of investment, innovation, and open economies. At the same time, we are also attentive to concerns regarding potential security threats and risks to international peace and security that may arise from certain outbound investments in a narrow set of critical technologies. Against this background, the United States and the European Union will continue to exchange information on the security risks, risk analyses, and on our respective approaches around this issue, and how to address this new challenge.

Addressing Non-Market Policies and Practices

The United States and the European Union remain concerned about the persistent use of other countries’ non-market policies and practices and the challenge they pose both to our workers and businesses and to other third-country markets. We continue to exchange on the risks that non-market policies and practices, including non-market excess capacity, pose in certain sectors and to engage with partners where appropriate.

We engaged with other countries who share our concerns about China’s non-market policies and practices in the medical devices sector, and conveyed these concerns directly to China. The United States and the European Union will continue to monitor developments in the medical devices sector.

D. Defending Human Rights and Values in a Changing Geopolitical Digital Environment

Protecting Information Integrity in a Pivotal Year for Democratic Resilience

The United States and the European Union reiterate our unwavering commitment to support democracies across the world. We are determined to defend human rights and will continue to call out authoritarianism. In a year marked by democratic elections around the world, we call upon all actors including governments, industry, journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society to protect and defend information integrity both online and offline.

We express our strong support for the role of free, pluralistic, and independent media in protecting information integrity. Independent media should serve as a public watchdog and a key pillar of democracy, as well as an important and dynamic part of our economy. We recognize its indispensable role informing public opinion, fact-checking, and holding those in power accountable.

We are witnessing rapid technological advancements which provide opportunities to enhance information integrity but also create new risks. The United States and the European Union share the concern that malign use of AI applications, such as the creation of harmful “deepfakes,” poses new risks, including to further the spread and targeting of foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI). We call upon technology companies and online platforms to uphold information integrity, including in the run-up to elections across the world.

In the European Union, the Digital Services Act (DSA) requires designated very large online platforms and search engines to assess and mitigate societal risks emanating from their services, including negative effects on civic discourse and electoral processes and recommends specific measures, including on generative AI content.

 Cooperation on Online Platforms

The United States and the European Union reaffirm their view that online platforms should exercise greater responsibility in ensuring that their services contribute to an online environment that protects, empowers, and respects their users. We reiterate that online platforms should take appropriate actions to address the impact of their services on the mental health and development of children and youth.

The United States and the European Union also reaffirm that urgent action is needed to address technology-facilitated gender-based violence, which disproportionately impacts women and girls, who often experience multiple and intersecting discriminations and oppressions. We developed a set of joint principles on combatting gender-based violence on online platforms that complement further the joint high-level principles on the protection and empowerment of children and youth and facilitation of data access from online platforms for independent research, which were released at the fourth TTC ministerial meeting. 

In addition to releasing these principles, we are also publishing a status report on mechanisms for researcher access to online platform data, which builds upon efforts undertaken by the academic and research community. The aim of this work is to disseminate information about the new and improved possibilities now available to study and understand systemic risks related to online platforms. We call on online platforms to expand and improve access for researchers, particularly on societal risks.

To deepen this work, in the margins of this Ministerial Meeting, we organized a joint workshop on access to platform data and using this data to combat technology-facilitated gender-based violence. We invited, and continue to encourage, the research community to analyse these data access mechanisms, and to explore how they can contribute to a better understanding of the functioning of – and the potential risks emanating from online platforms with regard to areas such as the mental health and development of children and youth, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

We share the commitment to the highest appropriate standards of protection in these areas for users in both the United States and the European Union.

Protecting Human Rights Defenders Online

The United States and the European Union recognise the key role human rights defenders (HRDs) play in defending human rights and fundamental freedoms, and we are committed to the protection of HRDs online and offline. We are working together to address human rights risks stemming from the misuse of digital technologies, including combatting internet shutdowns, unlawful surveillance, and the targeting of HRDs online. Elevating the critical role of HRDs and supporting and protecting them in doing their work safely is not only a shared foreign policy priority for the United States and the European Union, but an imperative for advancing human rights for all.

Following the commitment made at the fourth TTC ministerial meeting, we have published joint Recommended Actions for Online Platforms on Protecting Human Rights Defenders Online. This document sets out ten recommendations that online platforms can take globally to prevent, mitigate, and provide remedy for attacks against HRDs online.

These recommendations reflect commitments we made with global partners through the Declaration of the Future of the Internet and reflect key principles of U.S. and EU legislation, initiatives, and policies to safeguard human rights online. They were informed by extensive stakeholder consultations organized by the United States and the European Union from January 2023 to February 2024. The United States and the European Union intend to take further actions to address the needs of HRDs around the world. We will engage with all relevant stakeholders to promote the recommended actions and facilitate their implementation. We will also facilitate further exchanges and cooperation between the European Union- and United States-based emergency mechanisms on support strategies which seek to prevent, curb, mitigate, and eliminate online attacks, including the use of arbitrary and unlawful surveillance targeting HRDs.

Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference in Third Countries

The United States and the European Union consider foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) to be geopolitical and security challenges. We share the aim of addressing this threat and enhancing the resilience of democracies. Against this background, we have taken a number of actions to increase transatlantic cooperation to proactively address FIMI, including disinformation, while upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms. We will continue to work together to address FIMI through the TTC and other multi- and bilateral contexts.

We will continue to jointly use and further advance the common analytical methodology to identify, analyse and detect FIMI decided at the fourth TTC ministerial meeting. We are engaging with other international partners on a quarterly basis to familiarise them with this methodology. Expanding the network of partners familiar with this methodology will enhance our common understanding of the threat and allow us to jointly identify, analyse, and counter FIMI globally.

The European Union, the United States, and the Western Balkan partners share the same vision for an open, reliable, and secure Internet, as evidenced by their joint endorsement of the Declaration for the Future of the Internet. We will coordinate our efforts in order to support the Western Balkan partners by launching a coordination mechanism to address FIMI threats more effectively in the region. This is in line with the European Union’s and like-minded partners’ initiatives to increase their capabilities to further identify, assess, and counter FIMI. Our support will reduce third countries’, and in particular Russia’s and other actors’, including China’s, ability to effectively employ FIMI campaigns in the region. We will help our partners in the Western Balkans to develop capacity in five key action areas: the development of national strategies and policies, the creation of dedicated governance structures and institutions, increasing human and technical capabilities, protecting and supporting the role of independent media, academia, and civil society, and multilateral engagement.

Secure and Trusted Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity in Third Countries

The United States and the European Union reiterate the importance of and support for secure, trusted, and resilient digital connectivity and information and communication technology and services (ICTS) supply chains in third countries, provided by trusted suppliers.

We commend the decisions taken by partner countries towards trusted ICT ecosystems by ensuring high cybersecurity and resilience standards for connectivity solutions and networks, including by restricting or excluding high-risk suppliers from their national networks and using trusted vendors and services providers for maintenance and repair.

We will continue to reach out to partners across the world to understand the needs and challenges around securing digital infrastructure and explore how we can best collaborate to support the digitalisation goals of emerging economies. We continue to engage emerging economies through technical discussions and high-level roundtables to increase interest in secure digital connectivity. We also remain committed to continued exchanges with relevant industry actors such as mobile network operators and trusted equipment suppliers.

We are delivering on our commitments to support to secure and resilient connectivity projects in Costa Rica, Jamaica, Kenya, and the Philippines, including through mechanisms like the Global Gateway, the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, and technical exchanges, including third counties sharing experiences to accelerate secure connectivity in other parts of the region.

The United States and the European Union are supporting Tunisia’s goal of establishing secure digital connectivity and infrastructure by relying on trusted vendors through collaborative advocacy, technical assistance and by exploring financing, coordination, and policy alignment. This includes providing training programs to targeted Tunisian government agencies, IT professionals, and businesses, and promoting the development of cybersecurity standards and frameworks, in particular for 5G. The United States and the European Union are advancing discussions with relevant financial institutions for the mobilisation of support for secure digital connectivity infrastructure projects with trusted vendors.

We aim to continue our actions to support secure and resilient digital connectivity in third countries. Following the earlier signing of a memorandum of understanding between the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the United States and the European Union intend to augment their actions by furthering cooperation between the EU Member State and United States financing agencies. In 2023, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) signed co-financing memorandums of understanding with the Swedish EKN and Finnish Finnvera respectively to facilitate joint support for export projects, and has enabled direct support to trusted suppliers from both sides.

We are committed to exploring options to act strategically, cooperatively, and efficiently to provide attractive incentives to partner countries to choose trusted suppliers for the development of their connectivity networks.

Secure and Resilient International Connectivity

The United States and the European Union recall the economic and geostrategic importance of cooperating on trust and security in the entirety of ICT infrastructure, including maintenance and repair. To this end, we continue to seek ways to advance cooperation on international connectivity with trustworthy, secure, and resilient networks. This could include trans-oceanic routes including through the Arctic and Pacific regions.

III. Building the Transatlantic Partnership Together with Stakeholders

We remain committed to high levels of transparency and the close involvement of the transatlantic stakeholder community at large in the work of the TTC, including businesses, labor organisations, non-profit organisations, environmental constituencies, and academics.

We have therefore extensively reached out to stakeholders and given them the possibility to be involved and to provide input and receive feedback through the organisation of events, roundtables, and workshops and the establishment of dedicated websites like Futurium. With the support of the EU-financed Trade and Technology Dialogue, several high-level events have taken place and stakeholders have been consulted on topics such as sustainable trade, standardisation, AI, connectivity, and semiconductors.

In addition to these activities, we have also engaged with relevant stakeholders in more structured formats such as the Transatlantic Trade and Labor Dialogue, the Talent for Growth Task Force, and with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in a series of webinars on the topic of SME access to and use of digital tools.

Talent for Growth

The Talent for Growth Task Force, launched in April 2023 with a one-year mandate, has served both as a platform for best practices and a catalyst for innovative skills approaches that promote economic growth and create opportunities for workers in the technology sector. The Task Force brought together leaders from government, business, labor unions, and organisations that support training from the United States and the European Union. The Task Force identified, mapped, and disseminated implementable models and ideas in four critical areas: training workers to meet business needs, including women and underrepresented groups in technical jobs, Moving to a skills-first culture, and micro-credentials. The Task Force endorsed a statement featuring key messages stemming from these discussions.

The discussions in this group have confirmed the critical role talent plays for the sustainable growth of our economies and the well-being of our societies in an age of rapidly changing technology. It examined the acceleration of change brought about by AI. The Task Force has established bilateral relations between Task Force members which have catalysed private-sector initiatives and will last beyond the timeframe of the Task Force. The European and the United States remain dedicated to continuing to equip our workforces with the skills necessary to meet the needs created by rapidly changing technology, including AI.

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

The United States and the European Union recognise the use of digital tools as a key enabler for SMEs to innovate, grow, and compete and are continuing their work to promote the uptake of digital technologies by SMEs.

Several webinars and outreach activities where SMEs shared their needs and experience were held during the last two years. After an analysis of these stakeholder exchanges, we have developed a common set of recommendations for U.S. and EU policymakers to implement measures to help SMEs to accelerate access to these technologies.

The recommendations focus on the topics of digital-related trainings; transatlantic exchange programmes; information-sharing on cyber-security, intellectual property, and standards; and access to finance. To continue the work, we intend to develop an implementation process for these recommendations, including measures such as a webinar on access to finance and the publishing of cross-referenced U.S. and EU websites with practical information for SMEs.

IV. Conclusion and Next Steps

Since its inaugural meeting on 29 September 2021, the TTC has realized substantial progress and achievements across all workstreams. These results have enabled the United States and the European Union: to explore how to create new trade and investment opportunities, notably to contribute to the green transition; to advance our shared leadership in emerging technologies, such as 6G, quantum, and biotechnology so that democracies can remain at the vanguard of these developments; to provide a robust joint response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; to cooperate on economic security measures to reduce economic dependencies; to continue to develop a shared understanding of the non-market policies and practices and the risks they pose or our workers, businesses and markets globally; to jointly enhance supply chain resilience while promoting transparency and cooperation on our industrial policy approaches in key sectors, including semiconductors and clean energy; to exchange information on best practices in eliminating forced labor from our global supply chains; to advance and reinforce interoperability between AI governance frameworks based on our shared democratic values to achieve our common vision for safe, secure, and trustworthy AI globally ; to advance the resilience and security of our ICT infrastructures; and to finance and promote secure connectivity with trusted suppliers around the world.

These achievements demonstrate the enduring ties between the United States and the European Union and the importance of maintaining an operational forum for cooperation on strategic trade and technology issues of common interest and geopolitical relevance. As the United States and the European Union enter their respective electoral processes, the work we do under the TTC will remain relevant, strategic, and timely, while allowing for the necessary flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances.

Building on the lessons learned from our cooperation so far, we intend to use the remainder of 2024 to engage with U.S. and EU stakeholders to learn their views on the future of the TTC.

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke by telephone on Wednesday with Sri Lankan National Security Advisor Sagala Ratnayake. Their discussion covered areas of bilateral engagement including U.S. support to Sri Lanka’s security and sovereignty, Sri Lanka’s ongoing efforts to complete the fiscal, monetary, and governance elements of its IMF program, and future opportunities for cooperation. National Security Advisor Sullivan expressed his interest in maintaining an ongoing engagement with Sri Lanka in order to collaboratively pursue peace and security in the region.

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Today’s report marks a milestone in America’s comeback. Three years ago, I inherited an economy on the brink. With today’s report of 303,000 new jobs in March, we have passed the milestone of 15 million jobs created since I took office. That’s 15 million more people who have the dignity and respect that comes with a paycheck.

My plan is growing the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, investing in all Americans, and giving the middle class a fair shot. Unemployment has been under 4% for the longest stretch in more than 50 years. Wages are going up. Inflation has come down significantly.

We’ve come a long way, but I won’t stop fighting for hardworking families. I’m taking action to lower costs, from bringing down the price of insulin and inhalers and prescription drugs, to eliminating junk fees. I’m calling on large corporations to pass along their record profits to consumers. And I’ll continue to stand against Congressional Republicans’ efforts to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid and to enact massive tax giveaways for the wealthy and big corporations.

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Unified Command structure immediately established and clearing wreckage
 
$60 million in federal Emergency Relief funds quickly approved for Maryland’s initial costs
 
Small Business Administration to provide low-interest disaster loans to eligible businesses
 
 Department of Labor approves first tranche of Dislocated Worker Grant funding to support workers impacted by bridge collapse
 
President Biden requests congressional authorization to fully cover the cost of rebuilding the Francis Scott Key Bridge
 
Private sector makes commitments to support workers

Following the devastating collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, President Biden has launched a whole-of-government effort to provide immediate response, reopen the port, rebuild the bridge, and support the people of Baltimore. President Biden and his team have worked with Governor Moore, Senator Cardin, Senator Van Hollen, Congressman Mfume, Mayor Scott, and numerous state and local officials. The President’s message has been clear: This Administration will be with the people of Baltimore every step of the way. This tragedy has had a devastating impact on the victims and their families, and as the President has said, our prayers are with them. The victims were fathers, husbands, and friends in their homes, work, and communities. The Administration will continue to work alongside our state and local partners to attend to the needs of the families and to assist in the ongoing search and recovery efforts of those still missing.  
 
Working Safely and Quickly to Clear Wreckage and Reopen the Port
 
Clearing the wreckage will be a complex and highly coordinated effort, as teams determine how to precisely cut the bridge’s steel trusses into movable pieces; develop plans to safely extract the cargo ship, which is weighed down by thousands of tons of wreckage; and as divers navigate murky waters with little to no visibility. The Biden Administration has taken decisive action to deploy federal resources to begin work to clear the wreckage and reopen the port as quickly and safely as possible.
 

• Immediately standing up a Unified Command: The U.S. Coast Guard immediately deployed following the collapse to support local emergency personnel. Federal agencies are working closely with the State of Maryland to survey the wreckage in the channel and allow the Port of Baltimore to reopen as soon as humanly possible. Through the Unified Command, the U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating this effort, in collaboration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the State of Maryland, and others, leveraging a unique coordinating function the Coast Guard is trained to perform in circumstances like this. The Unified Command brings order to a response with multiple stakeholders, prioritization of tasks, integration of skills and resources as needed, and prompt access to additional Federal resources as emerging needs are identified. 
  
• Completing initial survey work: Dive teams continue to work in extremely hazardous conditions, rain, choppy cold water, and little to no visibility so that surveys can be completed in order to start removing wreckage from within the federal channel.  Using these surveys, USACE is developing a plan to open a deeper draft channel to allow limited cargo traffic to start transiting to the Port which will be a key step in the recovery process.  This is an extraordinarily complicated process and will be executed with the safety of all personnel as the top priority.
  
• Deploying assets for wreckage removal: Hundreds of personnel from the USACE, Coast Guard, Navy, and the State of Maryland are supporting efforts on the ground. Highly trained salvage crews successfully cut and removed the first pieces of steel wreckage from outside the federal channel on Saturday, March 30. The Unified Command has a fleet of six heavy lift crane barges to conduct wreckage removal within the federal channel, including the Chesapeake 1000, the largest crane barge on the East Coast – which is nearly 200 feet long and can lift 1,000 tons. This will be a critical asset in clearing large wreckage from across the bow of the stranded MV Dali. Earlier this week, the Unified Command was able to open two small alternate channels for essential vessels supporting wreckage removal to better access the area, marking the first time vessels have been able to cross the harbor since the bridge collapse.
  
• Announcing a timeline for reopening: After detailed studies and engineering assessments, the USACE announce yesterday that they tentatively expect to open a limited access channel for barge container service and some vessels that move automobiles and farm equipment by the end of April and to restore the port to normal capacity by the end of May. More information is available here.

Providing Necessary Resources to Rebuild the Bridge

The Port of Baltimore is essential to the regional economy and the national supply chain, and the I-695 corridor, of which the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a part, provides a vital connection for people and goods traveling along the East Coast. Over 30,000 vehicles crossed the bridge daily.

• Quickly releasing emergency funds: Within hours of receiving the request, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced the immediate availability of $60 million in “quick release” Emergency Relief funds for the Maryland Department of Transportation. These funds serve as a down payment toward initial costs, and additional Emergency Relief program funding will be made available as work continues. These “quick release” Emergency Relief funds are an initial installment to help with costs associated with wreckage removal efforts, restore essential transportation and design and reconstruction on I-695 and the bridge. FHWA is also providing technical assistance, conducting site assessments, and administering emergency contracts for the new bridge.
  
• Covering the costs of repair: The President has also been clear since day one about his commitment that the Federal government should cover any needed costs for reconstructing the bridge. While we continue to assess those costs alongside our Federal and state partners, the Biden-Harris Administration is asking Congress to join us in demonstrating our commitment to aid in recovery efforts by authorizing a 100 percent Federal cost share for rebuilding the bridge. This authorization would be consistent with past catastrophic bridge collapses, including in 2007, when Congress acted in a bipartisan manner within days of the I-35W bridge collapse in Minnesota.
  
• Holding the responsible parties accountable: President Biden also made clear that as the Administration pursues its work to clean up wreckage, clear the channel, and rebuild the bridge, it will continue to pursue all avenues to recover costs of past, current, and future work, and ensure that any compensation for damages or insurance proceeds collected will reduce costs for the American people.

Supporting the Workers and Businesses of Baltimore and Mitigating Economic Impacts

The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation’s largest shipping hubs and the Francis Scott Key Bridge is critical to travel in the Northeast Corridor. The Biden Administration, in coordination with State of Maryland and other partners, has been working around the clock to mitigate the economic impacts of this temporary disruption, including:

Supporting industry to mitigate supply chain disruptions. Since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the President’s Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force has engaged extensively with state and local officials, Port of Baltimore leaders, industry, labor unions, ocean carriers, rail and trucking companies, and ports along the East Coast to minimize economic disruptions. As a result of these discussions and collective efforts, import and export disruptions have been minimized. This work has included:

• Supporting the continued movement of autos and farm machinery through Baltimore. In 2023, Baltimore was the busiest port nationwide for handling of cars and light trucks, and is a hub for transporting other vehicles and machinery, all of which can require specialized equipment and facilities to load and unload. Over the past week, DOT has been working closely with the Port of Baltimore, Baltimore County, and the private Tradepoint Atlantic terminal operator to facilitate handling of additional “roll-on/roll-off” cargo at Sparrows Point, the only portion of the Port of Baltimore that is still accessible and operational following the bridge collapse. Additionally, to expand operations during this time, DOT is amending a previously awarded $8.26-million grant to help Tradepoint Atlantic take on permanent additional capacity that will also assist in handling vessels that are unable to access the other terminals at the Port of Baltimore. This funding will be reallocated to support paving of at least 10 acres, which will allow the Terminal to more than double its prior capacity of 10,000 autos per month to be able to handle over 20,000 autos per month. Tradepoint Atlantic estimates the new facility will be operational later this month.
  
• Encouraging East Coast port coordination and streamlining of rail service to Baltimore. Because of close coordination and collaboration among East Coast ports, ocean carriers, and others, dozens of vessels unable to dock at Baltimore have been successfully diverted to other East Coast ports for unloading so that Americans can get the goods they need. To help get that cargo to Baltimore for processing and storage as seamlessly as possible, the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force worked with Norfolk Southern Railway Company to launch a dedicated new service between Elizabeth Marine Terminal at the Port of New York and New Jersey and the Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore. This service is in addition to the service that rail company CSX has announced between New York and Baltimore.

Receiving commitments from businesses to support workers and Baltimore. The Port of Baltimore is a bedrock for the Baltimore economy, generating over $70 billion in economic impact for the State of Maryland in 2023 as it handled record cargo. Around 8,000 people work at the Port of Baltimore facility, many of them union members. Thousands more work nearby and depend on the port, including employees at small businesses in Baltimore. Businesses large and small over the past week have rallied to make clear that they will stick with Baltimore and its workers through this temporary disruption. Specific commitments made this week include:

• Keeping workers on payroll. Major local employers, including UPS, Amazon, Domino Sugar, Home Depot, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, and Floor & Decor, are committing to retain their workers—amounting to thousands of jobs—in their Port of Baltimore facilities.
  
• Providing work and relief to longshoremen and stevedores. On April 5, the port’s collective bargaining parties will make lump-sum payments to over 1,200 longshore workers valued at between 1 and 4 weeks of salary. This scheduled payment represents vacation pay earned under the collective bargaining agreement during the previous six months. Additionally, Ports America Chesapeake, one of the largest employers at the Port of Baltimore, has committed to provide temporary work to hundreds of longshoremen who would otherwise go without hours or pay with no new shipments through the port. The Biden Administration, in coordination with State of Maryland counterparts, will continue to work closely with the International Longshoremen’s Association, the Teamsters, and other unions to monitor risks of layoffs and income loss.
  
• Committing to resume business at the Port of Baltimore. As companies temporarily reroute shipments to other East Coast ports, companies and manufacturers have committed to take steps to try to return key cargo operations to the Port of Baltimore once it reopens. These companies include the Port of Baltimore’s top four largest automobile importers Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Subaru, and Mitsubishi Motors, as well as Amazon.

Standing strong with the people and businesses of Baltimore. President Biden has made clear that his Administration will move heaven and earth to fully reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible, and to stick with the people of Baltimore every step of the way. An outpouring of support has come in this week to support the victims’ families, affected workers and businesses, and broader recovery efforts. And, the federal government is working with its Maryland government counterparts to make every tool available for these efforts. These efforts include: 

• Promoting the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Alliance. The Biden Administration has partnered with Governor Moore, Baltimore Mayor Scott, Baltimore County Executive Olszewski, and Anne Arundel County Executive Pittman to support the Maryland Tough Baltimore Strong Alliance. Through organizations like the Greater Baltimore Committee, Maryland Chamber of Commerce, Baltimore Community Foundation, and Baltimore Civic Fund, the Alliance has collected commitments to support impacted workers, families, organizations, and businesses that rely on the Port of Baltimore.  
  
• Supporting the Building Bridges to Recovery Initiative. The Biden-Harris Administration and state and local partners are working with the Maryland Chamber of Commerce to support the Building Bridges to Recovery coalition. This broad-based coalition includes the Maryland Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Greater Baltimore Committee, World Trade Center Institute, Greater Washington Partnership, along with regional and local chambers, economic development organizations, industry associations, neighborhood groups and others united to assist businesses across Maryland impacted by the bridge collapse and partial closure of the Port of Baltimore. Through this collaborative effort, businesses gain access to vital information and resources while having a powerful platform to share their experiences, articulate their needs, and ensure robust advocacy efforts are provided to rebuild and strengthen Maryland’s economy in the wake of these disruptions.
  
• Providing relief for displaced workers. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) released an initial tranche of $3.5 million from its Dislocated Worker Grants Program for employment services and temporary jobs to assist with clean-up in the wake of the Key Bridge disaster—and approve up to $25 million in overall funding. These funds can be used for worker training, and to pay or subsidize wages for those who lost their jobs and are engaged in post-disaster relief employment. This initial tranche of funding is in response to the State of Maryland’s request, and DOL expects to release additional funds as Maryland implements its grant activities.
  
• Assisting workers in accessing benefits: DOL is working closely with the State of Maryland to launch ‘Worker Support Centers’—in-person services that will offer support to port workers and others to access all of the benefits that they are entitled to. The first center launched yesterday and Maryland is committed to ensuring these centers expand across the impacted counties in the state and to cover vulnerable workers.
  
• Supporting small businesses in need. In the days following the accident, the Small Business Administration quickly approved a disaster declaration that will provide low-interest disaster loan assistance available to eligible businesses in need. These loans will provide up to $2 million to overcome any temporary loss of revenue stemming from the bridge collapse and may be used to pay normal operating expenses such as fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disruption.  SBA has also set up two Business Recovery Centers to provide on-the-ground assistance to business owners in completing their applications and received over 550 applications. Yesterday, SBA approved the first four loans totaling $159,100, with more expected in the coming days.  
  
• Additionally, the Baltimore Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses team has committed to work on the ground in Baltimore to connect impacted small businesses with resources, navigate federal funding opportunities, organize network alumni, and connect impacted workers with temporary hiring opportunities.

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We welcome the steps announced by the Israeli government tonight at the President’s request following his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu. These steps, including a commitment to open the Ashdod port for the direct delivery of assistance into Gaza, to open the Erez crossing for a new route for assistance to reach north Gaza, and to significantly increase deliveries from Jordan directly into Gaza, must now be fully and rapidly implemented. 

As the President said today on the call, U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these and other steps, including steps to protect innocent civilians and the safety of aid workers. We are prepared to work in full coordination with the Government of Israel, the Governments of Jordan and Egypt, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations, to ensure that these important steps are implemented and result in a significant increase in humanitarian assistance reaching civilians in dire need throughout Gaza over the coming days and weeks.

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Today, my Administration is announcing protections for 2.2 million career civil servants from political interference, to guarantee that they can carry out their responsibilities in the best interest of the American people. Day in and day out, career civil servants provide the expertise and continuity necessary for our democracy to function. They provide Americans with life-saving and life-changing services and put opportunity within reach for millions. That’s why since taking office, I have worked to strengthen, empower, and rebuild our career workforce. This rule is a step toward combatting corruption and partisan interference to ensure civil servants are able to focus on the most important task at hand: delivering for the American people.

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 Fifty-six years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his last breath in the cause to redeem the soul of our nation. He was in Memphis to march with sanitation workers rightly demanding safer working conditions, fairer wages, and basic dignity as part of the larger quest to make real the promise of America for all Americans.
 
But then, an extremist – armed with a rifle in his hands and fueled by the poison of white supremacy in his heart – shot and killed a great American who loved his country so deeply to make it better – even greater – even when it didn’t always love him back. Dr. King and generations of foot soldiers known and unknown embody a patriotism that continues to inspire generations of Americans, including me.
 
Dr. King is one of my political heroes. I was just out of law school when my hometown of Wilmington, Delaware was among the many cities engulfed in turmoil in the wake of his assassination. His unfinished mission inspired me to leave a prestigious law firm to become a public defender and begin a career in public service.
 
Since then, I’ve seen the push and pull and progress and setback on everything he stood for from voting rights to jobs and justice for all Americans. I’ve had the greatest honor to serve as Vice President to the first Black President and now President with the first woman Vice President, as we carry forward his vision of a beloved community.
 
But on this day, and in this time, we all do well to remember another essential lesson about Dr. King’s life and legacy. All Americans – regardless of party or background – should be able to reject political violence and hate-fueled violence in any form. We must condemn it, not condone it. We must confront it, not whitewash it. As we do, we must teach history and make history, not erase history. We must choose community over chaos.
 
Jill and I send our love to the entire King family. We especially keep in our hearts the legacy of Mrs. Coretta Scott King, who we all miss dearly and who did so much in her own right to redeem the soul of our nation.
 
May God bless Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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The Uganda Constitutional Court’s decision to uphold most aspects of the Anti-Homosexuality Act is deeply disappointing, imperils human rights, and jeopardizes economic prosperity for all Ugandans.
 
While the Court overturned some clauses of the law, in failing to fully overturn the Act, the Court has left LGBTQI+ persons vulnerable to hate-fueled violence, discrimination, persecution, life imprisonment, or even the death penalty – simply for existing as they are. As President Biden said when this legislation was enacted: “No one should have to live in constant fear for their life or being subjected to violence and discrimination. It is wrong.”
 
As directed by President Biden, the United States continues to assess implications of the AHA on all aspects of U.S. engagement with the Government of Uganda and has taken significant actions thus far. The United States will continue to hold accountable individuals and entities that perpetrate human rights abuses in Uganda, both unilaterally and with partners around the world.
 
Yesterday’s ruling is a missed opportunity for Uganda—not only to uphold the human rights of all Ugandans, but also to reaffirm the importance of dignity, compassion, and tolerance for all. The United States remains committed to the Ugandan people and has the greatest respect for Uganda’s human rights defenders that are bravely fighting for the rights of all. We will continue to work to strengthen democratic institutions, protect human rights, and accelerate the fight against corruption, in Uganda, at home, and globally.

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President Biden spoke by telephone with Prime Minister Netanyahu. The two leaders discussed the situation in Gaza. President Biden emphasized that the strikes on humanitarian workers and the overall humanitarian situation are unacceptable. He made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps. He underscored that an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians, and he urged the Prime Minister to empower his negotiators to conclude a deal without delay to bring the hostages home. The two leaders also discussed public Iranian threats against Israel and the Israeli people. President Biden made clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats.

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New state-by-state analysis shows how the Republican Study Committee budget would also worsen wait times for seniors who call for assistance with Medicare and Social Security

During his State of the Union Address, President Biden made clear that he will always stand up for America’s seniors and stand in the way of any Congressional Republicans who try to cut Social Security and Medicare. He laid out his vision for a future where we make the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share while protecting and strengthening these bedrock programs that hardworking Americans pay into their entire working lives.

Less than two weeks later, the Republican Study Committee—which speaks for 80% of House Republicans and 100% of their leadership—released an extreme budget that takes direct aim at Medicare and Social Security. Their plan:

• Calls for over $1.5 trillion in cuts to Social Security, including an increase in the retirement age to 69 and cutting disability benefits.
• Raises Medicare costs for seniors by taking away Medicare’s authority to negotiate prescription drug costs, letting drug companies raise prices without consequence, and repealing $35 insulin and the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap in the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Transitions Medicare to a system that would raise premiums for many seniors.

Congressional Republicans are demanding these reckless cuts in order to make room for another $5.5 trillion in tax cuts skewed to the wealthy and big corporations—including by providing massive tax cuts for billionaire investors, repealing President Biden’s minimum tax on billion-dollar corporations, and weakening the IRS’s ability to make wealthy tax cheats pay the taxes they owe.

At the same time, the Republican Study Committee budget would also require a roughly 31% cut to non-defense discretionary spending, which would force devastating cuts to countless programs that hardworking Americans count on. What would these cuts mean for seniors and people with disabilities who call for assistance with their Social Security and Medicare?

• Social Security: People applying for disability benefits would have to wait at least two months longer for a decision. With fewer staff available, seniors would also be forced to endure longer wait times when they call for assistance with Social Security, and many Social Security field offices would be forced to close or shorten the hours they are open to the public.

• Medicare: Seniors and people with disabilities in states across the country would be forced to endure longer wait times when they call the Medicare call center, potentially increasing average wait times from five to more than twelve minutes.

Below is a state-by-state breakdown showing how many Americans would face longer wait times when calling for assistance with Medicare and Social Security under the Republican Study Committee budget:

Impact of Republican-Proposed Reduction to Social Security and Medicare Administrative Funding
Number of beneficiaries impacted by RSC budget proposalState or TerritoryMedicare EnrolleesSocial Security and/or Supplemental Security Income BeneficiariesAlabama             1,095,969                     1,271,110Alaska                114,560                        121,947Arizona             1,450,888                     1,572,937Arkansas                666,139                        783,091California             6,740,207                     7,028,718Colorado             1,004,624                     1,003,278Connecticut                730,973                        766,671Delaware                235,718                        252,898District of Columbia                   95,598                        100,438Florida             5,000,231                     5,429,229Georgia             1,886,764                     2,147,409Hawaii                299,283                        309,201Idaho                379,816                        414,029Illinois             2,362,004                     2,484,919Indiana             1,340,157                     1,505,777Iowa                668,579                        720,042Kansas                574,432                        618,746Kentucky                969,832                     1,126,358Louisiana                924,261                     1,047,919Maine                369,141                        389,655Maryland             1,114,980                     1,150,875Massachusetts             1,421,815                     1,439,660Michigan             2,196,981                     2,470,760Minnesota             1,115,271                     1,186,800Mississippi                631,140                        758,911Missouri             1,300,245                     1,442,657Montana                255,037                        268,394Nebraska                373,424                        388,983Nevada                 583,337                        629,242New Hampshire              332,890                        344,762New Jersey             1,716,970                     1,809,342New Mexico                453,190                        502,257New York             3,822,366                     4,141,114North Carolina             2,160,891                     2,417,289North Dakota                143,541                        151,537Ohio             2,475,491                     2,667,022Oklahoma                785,494                        900,692Oregon                925,614                        982,160Pennsylvania             2,885,014                     3,164,221Rhode Island                236,676                        256,810South Carolina             1,187,364                     1,335,123South Dakota                193,214                        206,006Tennessee             1,445,200                     1,644,532Texas              4,605,871                     5,059,972Utah                448,571                        479,038Vermont                161,347                        170,059Virginia             1,636,771                     1,747,890Washington             1,482,637                     1,547,916West Virginia                446,668                       519,308Wisconsin             1,277,405                     1,404,426Wyoming               123,476                        130,282Puerto Rico                 775,298                      827,567Total 65,623,365 71,239,979

This analysis assumes an across-the-board reduction of roughly 31% compared to the currently enacted FY 2024 levels for non-defense discretionary (NDD) accounts. This aligns with the Republican Study Committee Budget, which would cut NDD base funding to $534 billion in FY 2025, a roughly 31% reduction from the funding provided in the enacted FY 2024 bills.

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This week, Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden, Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Andrea Palm, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Deputy Administrator and Director of the Center for Medicare Dr. Meena Seshamani, and Gender Policy Council Deputy Director Katie Keith headlined a White House convening on how President Biden’s prescription drug law, the Inflation Reduction Act, is directly benefitting women with Medicare, as well as the Biden-Harris Administration’s ongoing efforts to lower prescription drug costs for women of all ages.

Senior Administration officials highlighted new research released today by the Department of Health and Human Services on how the President’s prescription drug law is lowering costs for women enrolled in Medicare, including the nearly 30 million women in Medicare Part D. From lowering caps on costs for covered insulin to $35 per month, to capping out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare enrollees at $2,000 annually in 2025, to negotiating the prices of prescription drugs for the first time, the Administration is helping women and their families save money on the care they need—from treatment for cancer to asthma to autoimmune diseases.

The convening also featured a panel with leading experts and advocates who discussed how women are benefitting from President Biden’s historic prescription drug law. Panelists highlighted the importance of the Inflation Reduction Act in promoting women’s economic security and ensuring that more women can access affordable medications for themselves and their families. Panelists also discussed the importance of the law’s benefits to younger women and the need to continue the Administration’s fight to lower health care costs for all Americans and deliver a better deal for women and their families.

Panelists and speakers included:

• Sneha Dave, Executive Director, Generation Patient
• Stacie Dusetzina, Professor, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
• Jocelyn Frye, President, National Partnership for Women & Families
• Leigh Purvis, Prescription Drug Policy Principal, AARP
• Samantha Reid, Patient Advocate and Senior Director of Digital Engagement, Center for American Progress

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Today, we celebrate a historic milestone: the 75th  anniversary of NATO.

This is the greatest military alliance in the history of the world. But it didn’t happen by accident, nor was it inevitable. Generation after generation, the United States and our fellow Allies have chosen to come together to stand up for freedom and push back against aggression—knowing we are stronger, and the world is safer, when we do.

We saw this during the Cold War, as we stood united against the forces of Soviet totalitarianism. We saw it again when America was attacked on September 11, 2001 and our Allies invoked NATO Article 5—an attack against one, is an attack against all—for the first and only time in history. And we’ve seen it over the last two years, as Allies have stepped up to support the brave people of Ukraine in the face of Russia’s vicious invasion—the largest war in Europe since World War II.

Today, NATO is larger, stronger, and more determined than ever before. We’ve added Finland and Sweden to the Alliance—two democracies, with two highly capable militaries. Over the past three years, our NATO Allies have increased their own annual defense spending by almost $80 billion. As our adversaries have plotted to break our remarkable unity, our democracies have stood unwavering. And this July, the United States will host a Washington NATO Summit—bringing together our Allies to modernize our defense and deterrence.

Now, like generations before us, we must choose to protect this progress and build on it. We must remember that the sacred commitment we make to our Allies—to defend every inch of NATO territory—makes us safer too, and gives the United States a bulwark of security unrivaled by any other nation in the world. And like our predecessors, we must ask ourselves what can we do—what must we do—to create a more peaceful future.

75 years ago today—after signing the treaty that brought NATO into existence—President Harry Truman said: “If there is anything certain today, if there is anything inevitable in the future, it is the will of the people of the world for freedom and for peace.” I believe that will is stronger today than ever before—and in the years ahead, I know we’ll prove it. 

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Vice President Harris and Administrator Regan to visit Charlotte, North Carolina to announce selectees under the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund
 

First-of-its-kind national network to fund tens of thousands of climate and clean energy projects across America, especially in communities historically left behind and overburdened by pollution

Today, Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael Regan will announce selections for $20 billion in awards to stand up a national financing network that will fund tens of thousands of climate and clean energy projects across the country, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities, as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This investment is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, afirst-of-its-kind and national-scale $27 billion program funded through President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to combat the climate crisis by catalyzing public and private capital for projects that slash harmful climate pollution, improve air quality, lower energy costs, and create good-paying jobs. This program will ensure communities across the country have access to the capital they need to participate in and benefit from a cleaner, more sustainable economy.

Vice President Kamala Harris and EPA Administrator Michael Regan will be joined by Governor Roy Cooper, Mayor Vi Lyles, and Congresswoman Alma Adams to announce the selections under these two grant competitions in Charlotte, North Carolina.

This historic investment will support a wide range of climate and clean energy projects, including distributed clean power generation and storage, net-zero retrofits of homes and small businesses, and zero-emission transportation, all of which can lower energy costs for families and improve housing affordability while tackling the climate crisis. Collectively, the selected applicants have committed to reducing or avoiding up to 40 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually over the next seven years, contributing toward the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic climate goals. In addition, selectees plan to mobilize almost $7of private capital for every $1 of federal funds—approximately $150 billion total—ensuring that today’s awards will have a catalytic, ongoing effect on the deployment of climate and clean energy technologies at scale, particularly in underserved communities.

The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program advances the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits from certain federal climate, clean energy, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. At least70% of the funds announced today—over $14 billion of capital—will be invested in low-income and disadvantaged communities, including historic energy communities that have powered our nation for over a century, communities with environmental justice concerns, communities of color, low-income communities, rural communities, Tribal communities, and more. This makes the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund the singlelargest non-tax investment within the Inflation Reduction Act to build a clean energy economy while benefiting communities historically left behind.

Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress are already attempting to roll back these historic investments. Last month, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1023, which would repeal the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. On March 19, President Biden issued a Statement of Administration Policy with his intent to veto that bill if it were to pass the Senate and come to his desk.

Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Selectees

The $20 billion in awards announced today will be deployed through eight selected applicants across two separate and complementary programs under EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund—the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF) and the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA). Together, the two programs will create a first-of-its-kind national network of mission-driven, community-led financial institutions that will finance climate and clean energy projects across the country, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Under the $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund (NCIF), selected applicants will partner with the private sector, community organizations, and others to provide accessible, affordable financing for new clean technology projects nationwide. While EPA required that at least 40 percent of NCIF funds flow to low-income and disadvantaged communities, each selected applicant significantly surpassed that requirement. Therefore, almost 60 percent of NCIF funds will flow to the communities that need it most. The three NCIF selectees are:

• Climate United Fund ($6.97 billion award), a nonprofit formed by Calvert Impact to partner with two U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Self-Help Ventures Fund and Community Preservation Corporation. Together, these three nonprofit financial institutions bring a decades-long track record of successfully raising and deploying $30 billion in capital with a focus on low-income and disadvantaged communities. Climate United Fund’s program will focus on investing in harder-to-reach market segments like consumers, small businesses, small farms, community facilities, and schools—with at least 60% of its investments in low-income and disadvantaged communities, 20% in rural communities, and 10% in Tribal communities.
  
• Coalition for Green Capital ($5 billion award), a nonprofit with almost 15 years of experience helping establish and work with dozens of state, local, and nonprofit green banks that have already catalyzed $20 billion into qualified projects—and that have a pipeline of $30 billion of demand for green bank capital that could be coupled with more than twice that in private investment. The Coalition for Green Capital’s program will have particular emphasis on public-private investing and will leverage the existing and growing national network of green banks as a key distribution channel for investment—with at least 50% of investments in low-income and disadvantaged communities.
  
• Power Forward Communities ($2 billion award), a nonprofit coalition formed by five of the country’s most trusted housing, climate, and community investment groups that is dedicated to decarbonizing and transforming American housing to save homeowners and renters money, reinvest in communities, and tackle the climate crisis. The coalition members—Enterprise Community Partners, LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), Rewiring America, Habitat for Humanity, and United Way—will draw on their decades of experience, which includes deploying over $100 billion in community-based initiatives and investments, to build and lead a national financing program providing customized and affordable solutions for single-family and multi-family housing owners and developers—with at least 75% of investments in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Through the $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA), selected applicants will establish hubs that provide funding and technical assistance to community lenders working to finance clean technology projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities—leading to near-term deployment of climate and clean energy projects while building the capacity of community lenders to finance projects at scale for years to come. 100 percent of CCIA funds will flow to low-income and disadvantaged communities. The five selectees of the CCIA are:

• Opportunity Finance Network ($2.29 billion award), a ~40-year-old nonprofit CDFI Intermediary that provides capital and capacity building for a national network of 400+ community lenders—predominantly U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI Loan Funds—which collectively hold $42 billion in assets and serve all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories.
  
• Inclusiv ($1.87 billion award), a ~50-year-old nonprofit CDFI Intermediary that provides capital and capacity building for a national network of 900+ mission-driven, regulated credit unions—which include CDFIs and financial cooperativas in Puerto Rico—that collectively manage $330 billion in assets and serve 23 million individuals across the country.
  
• Native CDFI Network ($400 million award), a nonprofit that serves as national voice and advocate for the 60+ U.S. Treasury-certified Native CDFIs, which have a presence in 27 states across rural reservation communities as well as urban communities and have a mission to address capital access challenges in Native communities.
  
• Justice Climate Fund ($940 million award), a purpose-built nonprofit supported by an existing ecosystem of coalition members, a national network of more than 1,200 community lenders, and ImpactAssets—an experienced nonprofit with $3 billion under management—to provide responsible, clean energy-focused capital and capacity building to community lenders across the country.
  
• Appalachian Community Capital ($500 million award), a nonprofit CDFI with a decade of experience working with community lenders in Appalachian communities, which is launching the Green Bank for Rural America to deliver clean capital and capacity building assistance to hundreds of community lenders working in coal, energy, underserved rural, and Tribal communities across the United States.

Expanding Access to Clean Energy

Today’s historic Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund announcement builds on a range of innovative tools and programs in President Biden’s Investing in America agenda that aim to empower the communities that can benefit most from new investments to take an active role in building the clean energy economy. These programs leverage a range of approaches to make it easier and more affordable for states, cities, Tribes, schools, nonprofit organizations, and businesses of all sizes to build, own, and benefit from cost-saving clean energy projects, invest in energy efficiency improvements, expand access to clean transportation, and participate fully in decisions that affect underserved communities and populations.

For example:

• In March, the Treasury Department finalized rules for direct pay—a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act that enables, for the first time, tax-exempt entities like states, cities, Tribes, counties, territories, nonprofit organizations, public schools, hospitals, rural electric co-operatives, and more to access clean energy tax credits and fully participate in building and owning new clean energy projects. For example:
  
• To meet its goal of 100% carbon free operations by 2030, the City of Madison, Wisconsin is planning to access $13 million via direct pay to support transitioning their municipal fleet to low and no-carbon vehicles, as well as for solar and geothermal energy projects.
  
• The City of San Antonio, Texas is taking advantage of direct pay to build and own the largest municipal onsite solar project in Texas. This $30 million project will install roof top, parking, and park canopy solar photovoltaic systems at 42 city facilities to lower their energy costs and energy consumption and make progress toward their goal of achieving net-zero energy for all municipal buildings by 2040.
  
• The Inflation Reduction Act’s transferability provision allows businesses to transfer all or a portion of certain clean energy tax credits to a third-party in exchange for cash, so that small businesses, start-ups, and other entities without sufficient tax liability may still take advantage of the credits. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has already registered more than 45,000 new projects seeking to benefit from this new tool, which is lowering financing costs for clean energy projects and helping accelerate the buildout of the clean energy economy.
  
• The Low-Income Communities Bonus Credit program created by the Inflation Reduction Act promotes cost-saving clean energy investments in low-income communities, on Tribal lands, as part of affordable housing developments, and that benefit low-income households by providing a 10 to 20 percentage point bonus credit for up to 1.8 GW of small clean energy projects per year. In the first year of the program, the administration received more than 46,000 applications for allocations, signaling robust market demand to build projects serving low-income communities. The second year of the program will open for applications later this spring.
  
• In March, the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) offered its first conditional commitment through the Tribal Energy Financing Program, which was expanded and provided new loan authority by the Inflation Reduction Act to support tribal entities in building out energy infrastructure. LPO announced up to $72.8 million for a partial loan guarantee to finance the development of a solar-plus long-duration energy storage microgrid on the Tribal lands of the Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Indians near Alpine, California. 
  
• Last week, LPO offered its first conditional commitment through the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Program under Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Section 1706, first authorized and appropriated by the Inflation Reduction Act, to finance projects that retool, repower, repurpose, or replace energy infrastructure that has ceased operations or enable operating energy infrastructure to reduce pollution. These projects direct new investment in historical energy communities that have powered our nation for over a century. Last week’s offer of a conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan guarantee to Holtec Palisades will finance the restoration and resumption of service of an 800-MW electric nuclear generating station in Covert Township, Michigan that closed in May 2022 and upgrade it to produce baseload clean power for decades to come. 
  
• Last week, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Acting Secretary Todman traveled to Chicago to announce that the Department has now awarded more than half of the nearly $1 billion provided through the Inflation Reduction Act to make homes more energy-efficient, comfortable, and climate resilient for low-income Americans. The Green and Resilient Retrofit Program makes grants and loans to finance energy and climate renovations in HUD-assisted multifamily housing for low-income individuals, families, and seniors.
  
• Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested more than $1.8 billion through their Rural Energy for America Program, which provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding for rural small businesses and agricultural producers to adopt clean energy and save money. President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act invests more than $2 billion to expand this program, and USDA just announced the latest tranche of over $120 million in awards for projects in 44 states last week.
  
• In December 2023, EPA announced 11 grant makers to receive $600 million from the Inflation Reduction Act through the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program to offer subgrants for environmental justice projects to local community-based organizations around the country. This new program is designed to make it easier for small community-based organizations to access federal environmental justice funding and responds to feedback about the need to reduce barriers to federal funds and improve the efficiency of the awards process to benefit underserved communities. 
  
• In November 2023, EPA announced approximately $2 billion in funding available to support community-driven projects that deploy clean energy, strengthen climate resilience, and build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges. The Community Change Grants Program is the single largest investment in environmental justice going directly to communities in history, and will advance collaborative efforts to achieve a healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all. 

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The Republican Study Committee, which represents 100% of House Republican leadership and about 80% of their members, released a budget that would severely cut critical funding for states to respond to the overdose epidemic.
 
More Americans between the ages of 18 and 49 die from opioid overdoses than any other cause. President Biden believes we should come together as Americans to do everything we can to fight the opioid crisis that is devastating millions of families in every state and community across the country. That’s why the President has made beating the opioid epidemic a key priority in his Unity Agenda for the Nation and has called on Republicans and Democrats to work together to crack down on fentanyl trafficking and expand access to life-saving treatment for addiction.
 
Under President Biden’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration has invested more funding and broken more barriers to treatment than any previous administration. That includes signing the bipartisan law that expanded the number of health care providers who can prescribe life-saving treatment for opioid use disorder by more than 1.8 million. And it includes fighting for the toughest, fairest bipartisan border security legislation in modern history to help strengthen our ability to stop fentanyl trafficking at the border.
 
In contrast, about 80% of House Republicans recently proposed a budget that would cut critical investments in families and communities by over 30 percent. That would include slashing funding for State Opioid Response Grants – the primary way the federal government helps states and territories fight the opioid epidemic. At a time when more than 27 million Americans had a drug use disorder in 2022, and when we are losing one American to drug overdose every five minutes, House Republicans are proposing to rip away life-saving treatment for opioid use disorder. These cuts are on top of the $4.5 trillion they want to cut from Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, which would throw millions off their coverage and cut services for many more, including people who depend on these programs for mental health and substance use disorder care.
 
The State Opioid Response grant program provides critical funding for states and territories to increase access to medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder, and strengthen prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for substance use disorder. Through this program, states have been able to provide treatment services to over 1.2 million people across the country since 2018. States have also been able to purchase approximately 10 million overdose reversal medication kits and reverse more than 550,000 overdoses using these grant funds.
 
But under House Republicans’ latest budget proposal, nearly 39,000 fewer Americans across the country would be served by this critical program:
 

Republican-Proposed Reduction to State Opioid Response Grants
Impact of RSC budget proposal, compared to FY24 enacted levelState or TerritoryHow Many Fewer People Served*Alabama441Arizona867Arkansas295California2,905Colorado572Connecticut390Delaware984District of Columbia570Florida2,749Georgia803Hawaii8Idaho215Illinois1,009Indiana791Iowa246Kansas227Kentucky963Louisiana474Maine172Maryland1,373Massachusetts1,550Michigan1,000Minnesota308Mississippi197Missouri687Nebraska72Nevada454New Hampshire754New Jersey1,797New Mexico207New York1,543North Carolina965Ohio2,623Oklahoma438Oregon420Pennsylvania2,172Rhode Island66South Carolina492Tennessee827Texas1,432Utah294Virginia759Washington746West Virginia1,174Wisconsin459Puerto Rico320Indian Tribes961Total38,771*Estimates subject to change 

This analysis assumes an across-the-board reduction of roughly 31% compared to the currently enacted FY 2024 levels for non-defense discretionary (NDD) accounts. This aligns with the Republican Study Committee Budget, which would cut NDD base funding to $534 billion in FY 2025, a roughly 31% reduction from the funding provided in the enacted FY 2024 bills.

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The post FACT SHEET: House Republicans Propose Severely Undermining Fight Against Opioid Crisis in Latest Extreme Budget Proposal appeared first on The White House.

We are monitoring reports of the earthquake impacting Taiwan and continue to monitor its potential impact on Japan. The United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance. All those affected are in our prayers.

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I am outraged and heartbroken by the deaths of seven humanitarian workers from World Central Kitchen, including one American, in Gaza yesterday. They were providing food to hungry civilians in the middle of a war. They were brave and selfless. Their deaths are a tragedy.

Israel has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into why the aid workers’ vehicles were hit by airstrikes. That investigation must be swift, it must bring accountability, and its findings must be made public. 

Even more tragically, this is not a stand-alone incident. This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed. This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult – because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians. Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen. Israel has also not done enough to protect civilians. The United States has repeatedly urged Israel to deconflict their military operations against Hamas with humanitarian operations, in order to avoid civilian casualties. 

The United States will continue to do all we can to deliver humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in Gaza, through all available means. I will continue to press Israel to do more to facilitate that aid. And we are pushing hard for an immediate ceasefire as part of a hostage deal. I have a team in Cairo working on this right now.

Earlier today, I spoke with my friend Chef José Andrés, the founder of World Central Kitchen, to convey my deepest condolences for the deaths of these courageous aid workers and to express my continued support for his and his team’s relentless and heroic efforts to get food to hungry people around the globe. 

May God bless the humanitarian workers killed yesterday and comfort their families and loved ones in their grief.

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