Statements and Releases

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria.  President Biden offered his condolences on the recent flooding that has impacted northeastern Nigeria and underscored his appreciation for President Tinubu’s leadership in securing the release on humanitarian grounds of American citizen and former U.S. law enforcement official Tigran Gambaryan last week.  The two leaders also spoke about the value of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership in addressing global challenges and advancing security and prosperity across multiple sectors. In particular, President Biden expressed appreciation for cooperation on law enforcement, including through the recently announced Bilateral Liaison Group on Illicit Finance and Cryptocurrencies, for collaboration on new and innovative technologies, and on shared interests in reforming international organizations to reflect African voices.

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On October 30, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will host President Nikos Christodoulides of the Republic of Cyprus for a bilateral meeting at the White House. Building on the successful inaugural U.S.-Republic of Cyprus Strategic Dialogue, launched on October 23, the leaders will discuss a range of global issues, including energy security and cooperation, events in the Middle East, and continued robust support to Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression. Acknowledging the 50th anniversary of the island’s division, President Biden will reiterate U.S. support for a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality for all Cypriots.  

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President Biden will travel to the Port of Baltimore to announce $147 million in awards, which will support up to 2,000 good-paying and union jobs at the Port

Today, President Biden will travel to the Port of Baltimore to announce a $3 billion investment from his Inflation Reduction Act to improve and electrify port infrastructure, support an estimated 40,000 good-paying and union jobs, reduce pollution, and combat the climate crisis.  The announcement includes $147 million in awards for the Maryland Port Administration, which will support over 2,000 good-paying and union jobs by enabling the purchase and installation of zero-emission port equipment, charging infrastructure, and power improvements. During the visit, President Biden will highlight how his Investing in America agenda is making an historic impact on communities and workers in Baltimore and across the country.

$3 Billion Investment to Strengthen Port Infrastructure

Today, President Biden is announcing $3 billion in Environmental Protection Agency Clean Ports grants, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, to 55 selectees across 27 states and territories, including $147 million in implementation and planning grants for the Maryland Port Administration. The nation’s ports are the lynchpin of our nation’s supply chains and employ over 100,000 union workers across the United States.

This funding will protect and create good-paying and union jobs and better working conditions by upgrading port operations and infrastructure to cleaner equipment, while ensuring cleaner air for port workers and nearby communities. The Clean Ports program will support an estimated 40,000 jobs across the economy, including over 6,500 manufacturing jobs, and is expected to increase demand for American manufactured electric cargo handling equipment at least six-fold over the life of the program.

While a major economic driver, our nation’s ports are a major source of pollution for workers and surrounding communities. Communities living near ports and other transportation corridors are exposed to toxic pollution which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular harm, especially in children. The Clean Ports program will improve air quality at ports across the country by installing clean, zero-emission freight and ferry technologies along with associated infrastructure, eliminating more than 3 million metric tons of carbon pollution over the first ten years of implementation, equivalent to 391,220 homes’ energy use for one year. The funds announced today will support the purchase of battery-electric and hydrogen-powered human-operated and human-maintained equipment, including over 1,500 units of cargo handling equipment, 1,000 drayage trucks, 10 locomotives, and 20 vessels, as well as shore power systems for ocean-going vessels, battery-electric and hydrogen vehicle charging and fueling infrastructure, and solar power generation. The Clean Ports program advances the President’s Justice40 Initiative and aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal for a zero-emission freight sector.

Investing in the Port of Baltimore

President Biden will announce the funding at the Port of Baltimore in Maryland. The Port of Baltimore is one of the busiest ports on the East Coast and is a major hub for the import and export of vehicles. More than 20,000 workers support daily Port operations, including unionized longshoreman and truckers. Each day the Port’s economic impact represents $192 million or more than $70 billion a year, representing 13% of Maryland’s gross domestic product.

The Maryland Port Administration’s Equipment Electrification and Terminal Decarbonization project has been selected to receive over $145 million to purchase zero-emission cargo handling equipment and drayage trucks and facilitate the transition of the port to a zero-emission facility, as well as a nearly $2 million planning grant to help the port chart a path to greater emissions reductions in the future, delivering cleaner air for the port and neighboring communities. The port is a major economic engine for the region, providing thousands of jobs and contributing billions of dollars to the local economy—and this new investment will support over 2,000 jobs, including more than 350 manufacturing jobs.

Creating Good Paying, Union Jobs in Baltimore and Across the Country

President Biden is the most pro-union president in history. He’s the first and only president to walk a picket line, and under his Administration, unions have secured historic labor wins. Last month, President Biden signed an Executive Order that calls on agencies to promote strong labor standards such as family-sustaining wages, workplace safety, and the free and fair choice to join a union, and encourages agencies to implement these standards through their Investing in America programs. This builds on a record of pro-worker accomplishments throughout the Biden-Harris Administration. For example:

• Workers are filing for union representation at twice the rate they were at the start of the Biden-Harris Administration—the first Administration in five decades to have an increase in union petitions. In Maryland, union petitions increased by 55% percent. The National Labor Relations Board has met this historic moment by reducing unnecessary delays in union representation elections and by expanding remedies available to workers when their employers engage in unionbusting.
• The vast majority of Investing in America programs require grantees to pay Davis-Bacon prevailing wages for workers. The Administration also published the first update to Davis-Bacon prevailing wages in nearly 40 years, which will increase pay for one million construction workers over time.
• The Department of the Treasury finalized a rule implementing prevailing wage and apprenticeship bonus credits for certain clean energy projects funded by the President’s Inflation Reduction Act to ensure clean energy workers are paid good wages and that these projects create equitable pipelines to these good jobs.

Building on Historic Investments in Maryland’s Infrastructure and Economy

Today’s announcement builds on a historic investment in the state of Maryland under the Biden-Harris Administration. To date, the Investing in America agenda has delivered over $13 billion for over 970 projects in Maryland, spurring over $3 billion in private sector investments.

This includes a number of projects in Baltimore, for example:

• $4.7 billion for Amtrak’s Frederick Douglass Tunnel—which will replace the 150-year-old Baltimore and Potomac tunnel that is currently one of the largest rail bottlenecks on the Northeast Corridor;
• $213 million to replace the Maryland Transit Administration’s entire fleet of 52 aging light rail vehicles with new, modern rail cars;
• $80 million for interchange improvements at the I-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel;
• $68 million for upgrades at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall airport;
• $43 million to identify and replace toxic lead pipes across Maryland;
• $31 million to rehabilitate a section of the Dundalk Marine Terminal at the Port; and
• $9 million to Baltimore City Public Schools for clean school buses.

Baltimore was also named an Investing in America Workforce Hub, where the Administration is bringing together industry, government, educators, non-profits and unions to help workers in Maryland access good jobs created by private and public sector investments in the state. In November 2023, Hub partners announced new efforts to train and hire local residents to support major infrastructure projects. These commitments include one from the State of Maryland to incorporate a Project Labor Agreement in the bidding process for nine projects covering $9 billion in investment and 11,000 jobs—including 7,000 construction jobs. One of these commitments includes Amtrak promising to invest at least $5 million in funding received through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to create recruitment and training programs for new jobs for Baltimore residents as part of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program.

The Department of Commerce also awarded the Maryland Department of Labor $23 million through the Economic Development Administration’s Good Jobs Challenge to create a new apprenticeship model for the growing offshore wind industry in Maryland, working with leading employers and local unions to develop a training model focused on underserved populations. The Maritime Administration is further supporting the Maryland offshore wind industry through a $47 million grant to Sparrows Point Steel to retool, a former Bethlehem Steel mill in Baltimore, to establish an offshore wind logistics and manufacturing hub in partnership with the United Steelworkers.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has also unleashed $3 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments in Maryland, including:

• A $350 million investment by United Safety Technology in Baltimore to produce critical medical supplies, including personal protective equipment.
• A $300 million investment by AstraZeneca in a state-of-the-art facility in Rockville to launch life-saving cell therapy platforms for cancer trials.
• A $230 million investment by Catalent to expand its advanced gene therapy manufacturing campus in Harmans.

The Administration’s Investing in America agenda continues to make critical investments that will improve the lives and futures of all Marylanders.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Ongoing Support for Baltimore

President Biden was last in Baltimore in the immediate aftermath of the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge, which claimed the lives of six construction workers and closed ship traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore. There, he said his Administration would move heaven and earth to reopen the Port of Baltimore as quickly as possible to support Maryland’s workers and economy. A Unified Command led by the United States Coast Guard and the Army Corps of Engineers cleared 50,000 tons of wreckage from the channel, allowing the Port to fully reopen 78 days after the bridge collapse. The Department of Labor and Small Business Administration mobilized quickly to support workers and small businesses impacted by the port closure, including thousands of Longshoremen and Teamsters who rely on the port for their livelihood. And the Department of Transportation and the Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force worked to limit supply chain disruptions, keep costs down, and ensure cargo quickly returned to the Port once it reopened. Today, port workers are back on the job, once again moving more than 100,000 tons of cargo per day.

The President also committed to rebuilding the bridge as quickly as possible. Thanks to close collaboration with the Department of Transportation, Maryland is on the fast track to rebuild the bridge. In July, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Categorical Exclusion, allowing the project to clear a critical permitting milestone. And in August, Maryland selected a contractor to design and build the new bridge.  Immediately following the bridge collapse, President Biden called on Congress to fully fund the replacement bridge and his Administration reiterated this request in July.

The Biden-Harris Administration also committed to holding the owners of the DALI cargo ship accountable for the disaster. Just last week, the Department of Justice announced a settlement of over $100 million with the owners of the DALI to cover federal government costs incurred in responding to the collapse. While the State of Maryland continues to pursue a separate lawsuit for damages incurred to the local economy, community, and families impacted by the collapse, the Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to working with Baltimore and the State of Maryland to ensure the city’s long-term recovery and success.

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Cross-border investment flows and the United States’ open investment policy contribute to our economic vitality. Countries of concern, however, are exploiting certain U.S. outbound investments in ways that threaten to accelerate the development of sensitive technologies and products that undermine our national security interests. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to keeping America safe by preventing countries of concern—namely the People’s Republic of China—from advancing in key technologies that are critical to their military modernization.

Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a Final Rule to implement President Biden’s Executive Order 14105 of August 9, 2023, “Addressing United States Investments in Certain National Security Technologies and Products in Countries of Concern.”  The Final Rule provides the operative regulations and a detailed explanatory discussion regarding its intent and application. 

As directed in the President’s Executive Order, the Final Rule prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in certain transactions involving a defined set of technologies and products that pose a particularly acute national security threat to the United States.  The Final Rule also requires U.S. persons to notify the Department of the Treasury of certain other transactions involving a defined set of technologies and products that may contribute to a threat to the national security of the United States. 

Covered technologies fall into three categories: semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies, and artificial intelligence.  This narrow set of technologies is core to the next generation of military, cybersecurity, surveillance, and intelligence applications. 

The United States already prohibits or restricts the export to countries of concern of many of the technologies and products covered by the Final Rule.  This program complements the United States’ existing export control and inbound screening tools by preventing U.S. investment from advancing the development of sensitive technologies and products in countries of concern.

Today’s announcement follows extensive and thorough consultations with hundreds of stakeholders, bipartisan members of Congress, industry members, and foreign allies and partners and two rounds of formal comments from the public. The announcement is the final step in the process President Biden announced in August of 2023 when he signed the Executive Order.

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White House announces new analysis of the strength and impact of NLEAD

President Biden and Vice President Harris are committed to doing everything we can to make our communities safer, including by advancing effective and accountable policing. That’s why the President issued Executive Order 14074, Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices To Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety, which, in part, requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to establish a national database documenting misconduct by federal law enforcement officers. The National Law Enforcement Accountability Database (NLEAD) is operational and searchable by federal law enforcement agencies, so that agencies are able to hire or promote the best personnel, and avoid hiring candidates with disqualifying histories.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is releasing a new analysis on the size and scope of NLEAD, which has the participation of every federal agency that employs law enforcement officers:

NLEAD is comprehensive.  As of last month, every one of the 90 federal agencies that employs law enforcement officers, consistent with relevant collective bargaining agreements, has reported into NLEAD as required by the Executive Order. The database contains 5,300 records covering misconduct for more than 4,300 past and present federal officers over the last 7 years.  There are currently more than 150,000 law enforcement officers across the federal government.

NLEAD is being used regularly.  This year, federal agencies already have conducted thousands of NLEAD checks to identify potential misconduct before making critical decisions about hiring, promotions, and officer work assignments.  

NLEAD is making a difference.  During these checks, NLEAD revealed dozens of positive hits – meaning instances of the types of misconduct identified in the Executive Order.  When there is a positive hit, agencies can get more details about these incidents from the entity that reported the misconduct.  This process has impacted holistic employment and officer assignment decisions, ensuring that officers who may undermine public trust do not end up in positions of authority.  After conducting NLEAD checks, agencies repeatedly have made adverse employment decisions.

The Biden-Harris Administration has improved transparency around state and local policing.  Most policing and most public interactions with police happen at the local level.  That’s why President Biden and Vice President Harris have continued to urge Congress to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to implement policing reforms at the state and local level. But we are not waiting for Congress to act, the Biden-Harris Administration has encouraged state and local agencies to expand their use of the National De-Certification Index (NDI), a registry containing state and local police misconduct that is currently in place in all 50 states and DC.  Specifically:

1. DOJ structured $471 million in discretionary grants to give priority consideration to law enforcement agencies that use the NDI.

2. Law enforcement agencies can obtain accreditation through accreditation bodies if they adopt certain standards.  Pursuant to the Executive Order, DOJ created standards for these accreditation bodies that includes reviewing NDI as part of background investigations for officers.  Moreover, DOJ’s Community Policing Development program has been giving grant funding to agencies for them to obtain accreditation.

3. DOJ provided $3 million in grant funding to expand the NDI so that it includes information about the same misconduct types as NLEAD. 

Since May 2023, the number of NDI users has increased almost 75%, and the number of records in the database has increased almost 85%.  The average number of monthly queries has increased about 85%. 

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Since Hurricane Helene’s destructive landfall one month ago, the Biden-Harris Administration has mobilized a Federal response that has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in financial assistance to survivors, substantial debris removal and power restoration, and a sustained commitment to long-term recovery efforts. As President Biden and Vice President Harris have said, their Administration will be with the people across the Southeast and Appalachia no matter how long it takes.

Thus far, the Administration has approved over $2.1 billion in Federal assistance for those affected by Hurricane Helene, as well as Hurricane Milton, which made landfall in Florida shortly after Helene.

This includes over $1 billion in assistance for individuals and families to help pay for housing repairs, personal property replacement, and other recovery efforts. To date, the Administration has also approved over $1.1 billion in Public Assistance funding to support local and state governments. This funding is primarily being used to support debris removal, as well to pay for emergency protective measures like surging first responders and providing shelter, food, and water during and after the storms.

President Biden, Vice President Harris, and senior leaders across the Administration have spoken with and coordinated closely with Governors, Senators, Representatives, Mayors, and other state and local elected officials in impacted states before, during, and after the storms. The President, Vice President, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, and multiple cabinet members and other Administration leaders have been in impacted states to meet with state and local counterparts, survey damage, assess what additional Federal support should be prioritized, and meet with first responders and survivors. 

On October 26, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall traveled to North Carolina to coordinate recovery efforts with Governor Roy Cooper, FEMA, and philanthropic partners on the ground. She underscored the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to innovative partnerships that can speed recovery and rebuilding — through collaboration with state and local officials, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and philanthropic donors—for as long as it takes.

Nearly 5,000 Federal personnel remain deployed to North Carolina and Florida, working side-by-side with state and local officials, to help survivors get what they need to accelerate their recovery.

For communities affected by Helene, FEMA has delivered over 11 million meals and 9.6 million liters of water. FEMA now has 65 Disaster Recovery Centers open throughout all of the affected communities to provide survivors with in-person assistance with more opening each day. As of October 27, there will be 21 Disaster Recovery Centers open in North Carolina. Power and cellular service are restored for 99 percent of customers in impacted areas.

As communities begin their road to rebuilding, the Administration continues to provide support and resources, including:

Defense Personnel Supporting On-The-Ground Recovery

Throughout Hurricane Helene response operations, the National Guard and Department of Defense have been engaged in the whole-of-government response efforts across the impacted areas. Members of the North Carolina National Guard, together with active duty servicemembers and guardsmen from 15 other states, have conducted more than 1,200 ground missions and more than 400 air missions in coordination with the state of North Carolina, and under the direction of the Dual Status Commander. 

These efforts delivered more than 13,500 tons of humanitarian aid overland, and nearly another 2,000 tons through the air. This includes 614,881 gallons of bulk water, 4,331 pallets of bottles of water, and 3,108 pallets of food. Service members were active in route clearance – clearing hundreds of miles of roads, which enabled increased access to some of the hardest hit areas of the state.

From the onset of this mission, the primary goal of active-duty Department of Defense Title 10 personnel and equipment was to provide immediate, short-term assistance to aid the most urgent response efforts. As of last week, Governor Cooper determined that the active-duty troops were no longer needed for this phase, and active-duty service members transitioned their mission to the National Guard and returned to their home bases. The National Guard, working with FEMA, and other Federal, state, and local partners, will remain actively engaged to address ongoing needs, rebuild infrastructure, and aid communities in long term recovery.

The National Guard has roughly 2,000 Guardsmen, 65 high-water vehicles, and 7 helicopters still mobilized across seven states for the response to Hurricane Helene.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has more than 450 personnel engaged in missions across six states – supporting debris removal, temporary power, infrastructure assessments, , and safe waterways assessments. 

Supporting and Protecting Public Health

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking action to support providers and suppliers impacted by Hurricane Helene. These providers and suppliers may face significant cash flow issues from the unusual circumstances impacting facilities’ operations, preventing facilities from submitting claims and receiving Medicare claims payments. As a result of the presidential disaster declaration, and HHS public health emergencies declared in the wake of Hurricane Helene, CMS made available accelerated payments to Medicare Part A providers and advance payments to Medicare Part B suppliers affected by Hurricane Helene beginning October 2, 2024. CMS has also made available certain flexibilities related to provider and supplier fee-for-service Medicare debt.

Following storm damage from Hurricane Helene at Baxter International Inc.’s North Cove facility in North Carolina, the Biden-Harris Administration continues taking action to support access to IV fluids, including ensuring restoration of key production sites, protecting products, and opening imports, in partnership with manufacturers, distributors, hospitals, and other stakeholders. As a result of these steps, Baxter anticipates restarting the highest-throughput IV solutions manufacturing line within the next week. The Biden-Harris Administration also moved quickly to open up imports from six facilities around the world and made it easier for hospitals to produce their own IV fluid during the shortage.

Supporting Students and Student Loan Borrowers

The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is partnering with disaster-declared states to determine the extent of impacts to educational communities; identify gaps in resources for response and recovery; and share critical resources to help restore learning conditions. These resources include Project SERV, which provides funding for local educational agencies and institutions of higher education that have experienced a traumatic crisis, including weather-related natural disasters, to assist in restoring a safe learning environment. 

ED is ensuring affected borrowers in areas impacted by the hurricanes can focus on their critical needs without having to worry about missing their student loan payments. Direct Loan borrowers and federally-serviced Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) borrowers in the affected area who miss their payments will be automatically placed into a natural disaster forbearance. During forbearance, payments are temporarily postponed or reduced, and interest is still charged. Thanks to regulations issued by the Biden-Harris Administration, months in this forbearance will count toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income Driven Repayment forgiveness. Direct Loan and federally serviced FFEL borrowers are not required to take an action, but have the option to call their servicer if they wish to enroll in the forbearance proactively. Perkins loan borrowers should contact their loan holder to request natural disaster forbearance. 

ED continues to monitor impacts to schools in the affected states, including school closures, damage to school buildings including ongoing utility outages, schools being used as shelters, and the number of displaced students and staff. ED is sending an assessment team to North Carolina this coming week to evaluate damages and work with the state to develop a plan to get students back into classrooms as quickly as possible. In parallel, ED is closely communicating with the leadership of 531 Title IV-participating institutions, across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia due to impacts associated with Hurricane Helene. ED has also posted electronic announcements, reminding impacted institutions of available regulatory flexibilities, and providing guidance on managing Title IV student aid during disaster situations. 

Supporting Farmers, Agriculture, and Consumers

The Department of Agriculture (USDA), in coordination with approved insurance providers, announced more than $233 million to help farmers recover from hurricane damage during the fall harvest season. Currently, Hurricane Helene indemnities are estimated to be nearly $208 million for Georgia, nearly $13 million for Florida, $5 million for Alabama, and more than $4 million each for North and South Carolina.  

To date, USDA has approved Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) benefits to help eligible residents cover the cost of groceries in 112 counties in Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee. D-SNAP is a program focused on getting food assistance to those in need for people in communities affected by disasters, who may not otherwise be eligible.

Supporting Infrastructure and Transportation Recovery

Since Hurricane Helene made landfall, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been committed to helping water utilities and health departments in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and North Carolina as they work around the clock to bring clean, safe drinking water back to communities impacted by the storm. EPA and its state and local partners have made significant progress restoring drinking water and wastewater services in a vast majority of communities. In Western North Carolina, EPA has deployed two mobile water testing labs. EPA has received and analyzed approximately 700 samples, giving residents clear data about the safety of their drinking water. In addition to water testing, EPA has collected approximately 1,000 containers with oil, hazardous materials, or propane since clean-up efforts began in North Carolina.  

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) continues to support response and recovery efforts in impacted communities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) worked with partners in affected areas to ensure the national airspace quickly returned to normal operations. The FAA deployed personnel to conduct vital infrastructure assessments and restore communications to impacted towers and airports, including Asheville Regional Airport in North Carolina and ongoing work at Valdosta Regional Airport in Georgia, among others. Approximately 133 personnel from Technical Operations and the communications support team remain on the ground supporting a range of response and restoration activities.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) sent $144 million in “Quick Release” Emergency Relief funding to North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. These funds represent a ‘down payment’ to help with the immediate aftermath of the hurricane. Additional funding will be flowing to affected communities from the Emergency Relief program pending availability of funds. FHWA also worked closely with all impacted states and other federal agencies to help support their assessments of infrastructure damage.

Providing Financial Flexibilities to Homeowners, Renters and Taxpayers

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) as well as foreclosures of mortgages to Native American borrowers guaranteed under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program. The moratorium and extension are effective as of the President’s disaster declaration date in each state. When homes are destroyed or damaged to an extent that reconstruction or complete replacement is necessary, HUD’s Section 203(h) program provides FHA insurance to disaster victims, including renters. Borrowers from participating FHA approved lenders are eligible for 100 percent financing including closing costs. HUD’s Section 203(k) loan program enables individuals to finance the purchase or refinance of a house, along with its repair, through a single mortgage. Homeowners can also finance the rehabilitation of their existing homes if damaged. FHA is coordinating and collaborating with the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Agriculture to ensure consistent messaging and policies for single family loans regarding foreclosure moratoriums and repayment/arrearage agreements. Additionally, affected homeowners that have mortgages through Government-Sponsored Enterprises – including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – and the FHA are eligible to suspend their mortgage payments through a forbearance plan for up to 12 months.

The Internal Revenue Service announced disaster tax relief for all individuals and businesses affected by Hurricane Helene, including the entire states of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina and parts of Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. Taxpayers in these areas now have until May 1, 2025, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service provided more than 1,000 employees to help with FEMA disaster relief call lines and intake initial information to help disaster victims get federal relief. IRS Criminal Investigation agents were also on the ground in devastated areas to help with search and rescue efforts and other relief work – including assisting with door-to-door search efforts.

Supporting Workers and Worker Safety

Working alongside the Department of Labor, the States of Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee have all announced that eligible workers can receive federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance to compensate for income lost directly resulting from Hurricane Helene. And, through the Department of Labor’s innovative partnership with the U.S. Postal Service, displaced workers from North Carolina and South Carolina can now go to the post office in any other state and verify their ID for purposes of getting their benefits quickly.

Additional Response and Recovery Efforts

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has offered over $51 million in tentatively approved disaster loan funding to survivors of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The SBA also has hundreds of staff working on the ground supporting communities in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia in disaster recovery centers, as well as in loan processing and customer service centers that are fielding around 15,000 calls a day with an average wait time of 15 seconds. The SBA is continuing to process disaster loan applications while it awaits Congressional action to replenish their disaster loan funds.

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Today marks six years since a white supremacist used a weapon of war to murder 11 precious souls and wound many more at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. This unspeakable act — fueled by antisemitic hate — was the deadliest attack on the American Jewish community in our Nation’s history. As we remember the victims of this horrific mass shooting, we also honor the courage of the first responders, some of whom were injured during this attack, and commemorate the resilience of the Pittsburgh community. This summer, ground was broken on the nation’s first museum and education center on the history of antisemitism in America at the site of the synagogue, a symbol of this enduring strength.

As we know, today’s remembrance also comes amid a rise of antisemitism, here and around the world. Earlier this month, we marked one year since the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack against Israel in which 1,200 innocent people were massacred, 250 people taken hostage, and where Hamas committed unspeakable sexual violence. 

I will always work to ensure the safety and security of Jewish people in the United States and around the world, and will always call out antisemitism whenever and wherever we see it. Doug and I are proud to have worked alongside President Biden to combat antisemitism, including through the National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. This work is not new for me: I have spent my entire career fighting antisemitism, including prosecuting hate crimes as a District Attorney and publishing an annual report on hate crimes as Attorney General of California to ensure that policymakers and law enforcement respond with a sense of urgency to this crisis. And since the beginning of our administration, we have secured record funding for the physical security of nonprofits and faith-based institutions around the country, including synagogues, Jewish Community Centers, and Jewish day schools.

 Additionally, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights continues to investigate cases of antisemitism and other forms of hate on campus making clear that each university must ensure all students and faculty are safe and secure on campus.  We also continue our work to ensure that every person in our Nation can live free from gun violence — in their places of worship, schools, and communities. To take on the epidemic of gun violence, our administration enacted the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years and created the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which I am proud to lead.

Today, Doug and I stand in solidarity with the survivors of this attack, the families who lost loved ones, and the entire Jewish community.

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Six years ago, as congregants prayed at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh on a quiet Shabbat morning, a gunman armed with an AR-15, multiple handguns, and hate in his heart, opened fire and killed 11 Jewish worshippers and wounded six more, in the deadliest act of Antisemitism in our history. It shattered families, pierced the heart of the Jewish community, and struck the soul of our nation.

For the families of the victims and the survivors, this difficult day of remembrance brings it all back like it just happened – and our country holds them and their loved ones close in our hearts. As we grieve the precious lives stolen on that day, we draw strength from the memory of the beautiful lives they lived, and from the hope of the Pittsburgh community that came together from all faiths to support their Jewish neighbors. In the years since, the Jewish community has also shown the country how to courageously turn pain into purpose. They have launched a global initiative to counter hate and hate-fueled violence. This summer, at the site of the synagogue, the nation’s first museum and education center on the history of Antisemitism in America broke ground. It is a symbol of the enduring spirit of Jewish resilience despite centuries of suffering, persecution, and pain.

Of course, this year’s remembrance of the Tree of Life attack falls just days after Jews observe the sacred holiday of Simchat Torah and the first Hebrew calendar anniversary of the October 7th attack in Israel, during which Hamas killed more than 1,200 people, took another 250 hostage, and committed horrific acts of sexual assault. One year later, the trauma and losses from that day and its aftermath are not only raw, but exacerbated by the appalling surge of Antisemitism against Jews in America and around the world. 

Even before October 7th, I launched the first National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism in American history, and together with Vice President Harris, the Second Gentleman, and our entire Administration, we are aggressively implementing it. Since I have taken office, we have secured a record of $1.2 billion for the physical security of nonprofits including synagogues, Jewish Community Centers and Jewish day schools. We have put colleges on notice that Antisemitism is discrimination and is prohibited under Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Department of Justice is investigating and prosecuting Antisemitic hate crimes. Globally, we have mobilized over 40 countries and international organizations to support our new guidelines for countering Antisemitism. And to take on the scourge of gun violence, I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years and created the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

There is more to do, but my Administration will continue to condemn and combat Antisemitism at every turn. As the Talmud says, “It is not your duty to finish the work but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.” On this solemn day of remembrance for the attack in the Tree of Life Synagogue, let us come together as Americans to ensure Antisemitism and hate in all its forms have no safe harbor in America – for all the lives we have lost and all those we can still save.

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Today, we, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), have reached a consensus on how to deliver approximately $50 billion in Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loans to Ukraine.

These loans will be serviced and repaid by future flows of extraordinary revenues stemming from the immobilization of Russian Sovereign Assets, in line with G7 respective legal systems and international law. The loan proceeds will be disbursed through multiple channels to support Ukraine’s budgetary, military and reconstruction assistance, as consistent with all applicable law and G7 members’ respective legal systems. Our aim is to begin disbursing the funds by the end of the year.

We express our utmost appreciation for the timely implementation of this historic G7 Leaders’ decision by the Finance Ministers, who have agreed on a technical solution ensuring consistency, coordination, fair distribution of lending, and solidarity among all G7 partners. We are particularly grateful to the European Union and its Member States for their constructive engagement towards this remarkable result.

Today’s announcement confirms that the G7 fulfills the commitment they made in June at the Apulia G7 Leaders’ Summit. Russian illegal and unprovoked aggression has caused untold harm to the people of Ukraine and to global peace and security. We will not tire in our resolve to give Ukraine the support it needs to prevail. Russia must end its illegal war of aggression and pay for the damage it has caused to Ukraine in line with international law.

The G7 remains steadfast in its solidarity to support Ukraine’s fight for freedom, and its recovery and reconstruction. With the large amount of financing from the ERA loans to meet its pressing need, we have once again made clear our unwavering commitment to stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. Time is not on President Putin’s side.

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Dear Mr. Speaker:   (Dear Madam President:)

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date.  In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to Sudan declared in Executive Order 13067 of November 3, 1997, is to continue in effect beyond November 3, 2024.

The crisis that led to the declaration of a national emergency in Executive Order 13067; the expansion of the scope of that emergency in Executive Order 13400 of April 26, 2006; the taking of additional steps with respect to that emergency in Executive Order 13412 of October 13, 2006, Executive Order 13761 of January 13, 2017, and Executive Order 13804 of July 11, 2017; and the further expansion of the scope of that emergency in Executive Order 14098 of May 4, 2023, has not been resolved.  The policies and actions of the Government of Sudan, and the situation in Sudan and Darfur, continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13067, as expanded by Executive Orders 13400 and 14098, with respect to Sudan.

                               Sincerely,

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Japanese National Security Advisor Akiba Takeo on October 25, 2024, in Washington, D.C., to discuss bilateral cooperation and global and regional security issues.

National Security Advisor Sullivan looks forward to working with Prime Minister Ishiba’s administration to continue strengthening the U.S.-Japan global partnership that was celebrated during former Prime Minister Kishida’s Official Visit to Washington, D.C., last April. Both National Security Advisors discussed progress on implementing key initiatives announced during that visit, including efforts to enhance bilateral defense cooperation and economic security cooperation.

The National Security Advisors also discussed global and regional security challenges, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.  They expressed grave concern over troop deployments by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to Russia, potentially for use on the battlefield against Ukraine. They reaffirmed the central importance of the U.S.-Japan Alliance in maintaining deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region and in upholding a free and open, rules-based order.

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met with Director of National Security Shin Wonsik of the Republic of Korea (ROK) on October 24, 2024, in Washington, D.C., to discuss bilateral cooperation and global and regional security issues, particularly regarding the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and its deployment of troops to Russia.

The two officials condemned in the strongest possible terms the DPRK’s ongoing support to Russia’s brutal and illegal war against Ukraine, including the deployment of troops to Russia as well as the transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia and Russia’s use of these missiles against Ukraine. The DPRK’s support is directly increasing the suffering of the Ukrainian people, violates multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, undermines the global non-proliferation regime, and has significant security implications for Europe, the Korean Peninsula, and the Indo-Pacific region. The two officials committed to continuing close cooperation in support of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.

The two officials discussed recent concerning actions taken by the DPRK, including changes to its constitution to define the ROK as a hostile state and the bombing of roads and railways connecting the South and North. The two officials reaffirmed that the United States and the ROK will maintain a strong combined defense posture in the face of the DPRK’s activities in border areas. National Security Advisor Sullivan reiterated the U.S. ironclad commitment to the ROK.

National Security Advisor Sullivan noted the precedent-setting cooperation between the United States that has been spearheaded by the leadership of President Biden and President Yoon. In particular, they noted the adoption of the U.S.-ROK Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula in July. The U.S.-ROK Alliance has expanded into a truly global partnership. From cooperation on the world’s most challenging security threats to setting the foundation for a clean energy future, the two officials agreed that the Alliance is poised to stand the test of time.

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On Friday, October 25, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Republic of Korea National Security Advisor Shin Wonsik, and Japanese National Security Advisor Akiba Takeo met in Washington, D.C., for the second trilateral National Security Advisors meeting since their leaders met at Camp David in August 2023 and the fifth of the Biden Administration.  The three National Security Advisors reaffirmed their commitment to address common regional and global challenges and promote security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
 
In particular, National Security Advisors Sullivan, Shin, and Akiba expressed grave concern over troop deployments by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to Russia, potentially for use on the battlefield against Ukraine. This deployment is the latest in a series of concerning indicators of deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including arms and ballistic missile transfers in direct violation of United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. The National Security Advisors call on Russia and the DPRK to cease these actions that only serve to expand the security implications of Russia’s brutal and illegal war beyond Europe and into the Indo-Pacific. The National Security Advisors reiterated the firm commitment of the United States, the Republic of Korea, and Japan to help Ukraine defend itself, and they committed to coordinate support for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, recovery and reconstruction, and efforts to hold Russia accountable for its actions.

Furthermore, the National Security Advisors reviewed progress on a wide range of trilateral initiatives announced in the Spirit of Camp David statement.  They welcomed several notable achievements over the past year, including the operationalization of a trilateral missile warning data sharing mechanism, the establishment of a cutting-edge trilateral quantum workforce training program, and the launch of the first multi-domain trilateral exercise—FREEDOM EDGE—and a multiyear exercise plan. They also highlighted numerous high-level trilateral dialogues this year, including the first trilateral commerce and industry ministerial meeting, the first trilateral defense ministers meeting in Tokyo, and two trilateral foreign minister and two vice foreign minister meetings.

The three National Security Advisors discussed next steps on trilateral cooperation, including efforts to strengthen technology cooperation and economic security such as critical minerals supply chains and promoting trusted telecommunications networks across the Indo-Pacific region, improve maritime security coordination, expand cyber security cooperation and advance closer trilateral ties between the U.S., Korean, and Japanese business communities.

The National Security Advisors condemned the DPRK’s illicit arms transfers, malicious cyber activities, and dispatch of workers abroad to fund its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs, and committed to continue trilateral efforts focused on combatting them. They welcomed the recent launch of the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) by their respective Vice Foreign Ministers and likeminded partners in Seoul last week, which will reinstate a comprehensive and effective monitoring and reporting mechanism for UN sanctions on the DPRK. They acknowledged their support for President Yoon’s vision of a free, peaceful, and prosperous Korean Peninsula and reiterated their support for a unified Peninsula that is free and at peace.

The National Security Advisors strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion in the waters of the Indo-Pacific and underscored their commitment to the global maritime order based on international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), including freedom of navigation and overflight. They reaffirmed the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and called for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues. The National Security Advisors also agreed to increase coordination of efforts to combat pervasive threats in the cyber domain. They expressed concern over the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and called on all parties to de-escalate tensions and work toward a sustainable ceasefire. National Security Advisor Sullivan, National Security Advisor Shin, and National Security Advisor Akiba resolved to institutionalize efforts to build a new era of trilateral partnership that will be a force for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond for years to come. They committed to work toward holding another Trilateral Leaders’ Summit at the earliest opportunity.  

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One year ago, an act of senseless violence carried out with a weapon of war took the lives of 18 loved ones and injured 13 others in Lewiston, Maine. Doug and I join all Mainers in remembering those who lost their lives on that fall night, standing with their families, and thinking of the survivors of this horrific mass shooting.
 
In the 12 months since this tragedy took place at a local restaurant and a bowling alley, the Lewiston community has shown incredible unity, resilience, and strength. They have responded by reminding the nation of the unacceptable fact that far too many families have experienced the tremendous pain and trauma caused by the epidemic of gun violence. This is exactly why I have worked to take action to address this issue with the urgency it demands and keep our loved ones safe.
 
With the help of gun violence survivors, families of those who have lost loved ones, young leaders, and local advocates, our administration fought to enact the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act — the first major gun safety law in nearly 30 years. We expanded background checks, closed the gun show loophole, made the largest investment in youth mental health in history, supported the implementation of red flag laws across the country, and invested in community violence intervention. Additionally, we launched the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, an office that I am proud to oversee. Following the tragic shooting in Lewiston, this office coordinated the first-ever federal interagency response – listening to survivors’ needs and ensuring victim services are tailored to meet them.
 
While we have made critical progress, there is still work to do to keep our kids and communities safe. I continue to call on Congress to pass universal background checks, red flag and safe storage laws, a ban on bump stocks, and a renewal of the assault weapons ban. In the meantime, I will continue our work to save lives and ensure that every person in our nation can live free from violence, fear, and hate.

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On Monday, October 21st, President Biden held an East Room ceremony at the White House to present the 2022 and 2023 National Medals of Arts and the 2022 and 2023 National Humanities Medals.

The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists, arts patrons, and groups by the United States Government and honors exemplary individuals and organizations that have advanced the arts in America and offered inspiration to others through their distinguished achievement, support, or patronage. The National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadened our citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects.

Below are the citations presented to the 2022 and 2023 medal recipients:

National Medal of Arts – Class of 2022

Ruth Asawa (Posthumously)

For groundbreaking modernism and championing art for everyone. From a family of Japanese immigrants separated in incarceration camps, Ruth Asawa emerged to become a renowned educator and artist, bringing her distinctive wire sculptures to the Nation’s museums, homes, and classrooms, and leaving a legacy as powerful and profound as her portfolio.

Randy A. Batista

For focusing the lens on human nature. Born in Tampa, Florida, to Italian and Cuban immigrants and raised on both sides of the Straits of Florida, Randy Batista is known as the people’s photographer. With the camera as his sixth sense of deep empathy, he captures people’s pain and challenges us to respect their inherent dignity.

Clyde Butcher

For focusing the lens on Mother Nature. From humble beginnings as a self-taught photographer, Clyde Butcher is considered America’s most acclaimed landscape photographer today. From the Rocky Mountains to the Everglades, and countless pristine places in between, his images inspire and challenge us to respect and defend our natural wonders.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

For cataloging one of the Nation’s great homegrown art forms. As the world’s largest repository of country music history, in the country music capital of Nashville, Tennessee, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum preserves history, honors giants of the genre, and inspires future generations to write their own songs about the American story.

Melissa “Missy” Elliott

For shattering glass ceilings with timeless beats. From a child singing in the church choir to becoming a best-selling female rapper and pioneering hip-hop icon, Missy Elliott’s genre-defying music and rhymes have elevated an industry into a global powerhouse and inspired generations to push the sound and movement of America.

Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez

For harnessing heritage to enrich American music. The son of a musical family in Texas, Flaco Jiménez mastered the accordion and Spanglish lyrics as a trailblazer of Conjunto. Blending Norteño, Tex Mex, and Tejano music with the Blues, Rock n’ Roll, and Pop Music, he sings the soul of America’s Southwest.

Eva Longoria

For recognizing the strength of our diversity and the full talents of our Nation. Actor, producer, director, and proud Mexican American, Eva Longoria has broken barriers on screen and uses her power to lift up Latino voices all across American life — challenging stereotypes and instilling Latino pride in our Nation.

Idina Menzel

For magical songs that lift our spirits and stir our souls. From Broadway stages to movie screens, Idina Menzel’s powerful voice has sold out shows, topped Billboard charts, and above all, empowered millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds to be strong, use their voice, and lead with their hearts.

Herbert I. Ohta

For redefining ukulele music as a deeply moving American sound. The Hawaiian son of Japanese immigrants, Herb Ohta learned his first chords as a child and played through his service as a United States Marine. A musical innovator and mentor, he has bridged cultures and genres, spreading the peace and hope of aloha spirit.

Bruce Sagan

For seeking the truth as a true public citizen. A Chicago, Illinois, journalism legend and lifelong supporter of the performing arts, Bruce Sagan’s seven decades of leadership and stewardship in building, protecting, and uplifting local newspapers, voices, artists, and dancers have inspired his beloved city and enriched the tapestry of American life and culture.

Carrie Mae Weems

For capturing the resilience and dignity of Black America and our deeper humanity.

Over three decades at the forefront of American expression, Carrie Mae Weems has honed her craft as a renowned artist whose photography, film, video, and art confront hard truths about power and prejudice, while celebrating the indomitable human spirit.

National Medal of Arts – Class of 2023

Mark Bradford

For revealing the full history of the Nation through groundbreaking art. Inspired by the diverse cultures of Southern California, Mark Bradford’s paper-on-canvas storytelling reveals the interwoven hopes, sorrows, and joys of communities of color, with each layer challenging convention, shining light, and reminding us all of the full potential of America.

Ken Burns

For documenting the hope and history of our Nation. From his home in rural New Hampshire and deep from his imagination, Ken Burns´ pioneering documentaries of diverse people, places, and histories have shaped our understanding of the American experience, and defined him as one of the most respected filmmakers of our time.

Bruce Cohen

For championing the arts to express our highest ideals of freedom, justice, and equality.

An entertainment industry icon ahead of his time, Bruce Cohen has produced our biggest moments on screen and stage by lifting up people and stories that need to be seen and heard, making real the promise of America for all Americans.

Alex Katz

For conjuring an enduring portrait of America. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian immigrants, Alex Katz is among the most prolific and distinctive artists in our history. With a ferocious work ethic and visionary style, he continues to condense the complexities of everyday life into iconic faces and landscapes that reveal the essence of who we are as Americans.

Jo Carole Lauder

For devoted support of the arts, culture, and civic causes in America. A renowned philanthropist leading an array of causes — from supporting the White House Historical Association to refurbishing and preserving United States embassies abroad to inspiring participation in Jewish life worldwide —Jo Carole Lauder channels her creative talents to beautify the spirit of our Nation.

Spike Lee

For revolutionizing American cinema and culture. One of the most thought-provoking filmmakers of our time, Spike Lee honors his Brooklyn, New York, roots by daring to capture the depth of the Black experience and lifting up Black culture on the world stage through vibrant films and courtside pride that shapes our Nation’s collective conscience.

Queen Latifah

For leading the Nation as a champion of women’s empowerment. A natural storyteller and one of the first ladies of hip-hop, Queen Latifah breaks the mold for women in entertainment — rapping about overcoming loss and abuse of power to exuding cool and confidence as a critically-acclaimed actor and activist, showing how infinite love is the only hope for unity.

Selena Quintanilla (Posthumously)

For cementing Tejano music into the heart of the Nation. The youngest of the Quintanilla music family, Selena brought Latin music to the masses as the Queen of Tejano music and one of the most celebrated entertainers in our history. Her young life was tragically cut short, but her voice and spirit endure for the ages.

Steven Spielberg

For filmmaking that entertains, educates, and inspires. Growing up moved by the power of films, Steven Spielberg is considered one of the greatest filmmakers ever, using his gift of storytelling to stretch our imaginations, confront the horrors of history, and inspire us to be the characters of our Nation and the world’s future — full of courage, honor, and dignity.

National Humanities Medal – Class of 2022

Wallis Annenberg

For transforming philanthropy in our Nation. The daughter of a groundbreaking media family in Los Angeles, California, Wallis Annenberg is a visionary giver and innovator who has donated to thousands of organizations in the arts, education, environment, medical research, social justice, and more — transforming countless lives by advancing, healing, and inspiring communities across America.

Appalshop

For amplifying the voices of Appalachia. Located in Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains for 50 years, Appalshop is home to the world’s largest collection of creative work on Appalachia — a hub for new generations of artists, filmmakers, musicians, and playwrights to share their stories of pride and promise of their American roots.

Joy Harjo

For shining the light on the sacred traditions of Native American storytelling. A member of the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma, and the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States, Joy Harjo’s distinguished poetry and award-winning music about art, justice, and healing honors ancestral generations and empowers those that follow.

Robin Harris

For educating our youngest students to be dreamers and doers of our Nation. As an elementary school teacher and trailblazing principal in Massachusetts, Robin Harris is redefining K-12 education to empower students, embrace parents, and extend learning and leadership beyond the walls of the classroom and into the free spirit of the mind.

Juan Felipe Herrera

For poeticism that captures America’s imagination. The son of California farm workers, Juan Felipe Herrera takes readers across countries and cultures, genres, and disciplines as a towering figure in Chicano poetry and the first Latino Poet Laureate of the United States, using the power of his pen to give life to our identities and common bonds.

Robert Martin

For dedicating his career to the academic achievement of Native American students. A member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Dr. Robert Martin has led Tribal colleges and launched Indian Studies programs at institutions of higher learning across the country to strengthen Tribal self-determination and empower future Native American leaders.

Jon Meacham

For drawing wisdom from history to shape the future of America. A proud son of Tennessee and celebrated historian and biographer, Jon Meacham chronicles the journey of America with an unmatched mix of historical context, parables from Scripture, and unyielding faith in the goodness of the American people that makes us a truly great Nation.

Ruth J. Simmons

For pioneering equity in our Nation’s higher education system. One of twelve children born into a sharecropper family in Texas, Dr. Ruth Simmons blazed trails in academia as a distinguished professor of literature and the first African American woman president of an Ivy League institution—showing how an education makes one free and fearless.

Pauline Yu

For a lifetime of advocacy for the humanities in America. The daughter of Chinese immigrants raised in Rochester, New York, Dr. Pauline Yu is a respected scholar of Chinese poetry and renowned advocate for the humanities, who has deepened cross-cultural understanding through language and literature, and advanced core democratic values of truth, reason, and free inquiry.

National Humanities Medal – Class of 2023

Anthony Bourdain (Posthumously)

For making food a gateway to understanding the world and one another. A beloved chef, writer, and social commentator, Anthony Bourdain is remembered across the globe for his empathy, openness, and humor—approaching every table with equal reverence for the people it convened, and embodying the best of American curiosity and exploration.

LeVar Burton

For imagining a more optimistic and enlightened America for everyone. A celebrated actor, advocate, and storyteller, LeVar Burton confronted the trauma of history, took us to the depths of space, and transformed literacy in America by sharing the gift of reading with generations of children, unlocking our imaginations and spirit of discovery.

Roz Chast

For healing a Nation with humor and observation. One of the most prolific cartoonists of our time, Roz Chast has wielded pen and watercolor for over 45 years to make ordinary things extraordinary, blaze a trail for women in her field, and define an era of American wit and wisdom.

Nicolás Kanellos

For amplifying Hispanic voices in America’s past, present, and future. Raised between Puerto Rico and Jersey City, New Jersey, Nicolás Kanellos channeled a childhood love for Spanish literature into a distinguished literary career in Houston, Texas, leading the Nation’s oldest and largest Hispanic publishing house and elevating the diversity of American literature.

Robin Wall Kimmerer

For sharing Indigenous wisdom in America’s natural sciences. A citizen of Potawatomi Nation and a renowned scientist and writer, Robin Wall Kimmerer has transformed our understanding of environmental science by incorporating Indigenous knowledge into college curriculum and critical efforts to heal a climate in crisis, offering new hope for generations to come.

Mellon Foundation

For charting an unparalleled course for the arts and humanities in America. For over 50 years, the Mellon Foundation has been the trusted benefactor for thousands of people and organizations harnessing the power of ideas and imagination to advance social justice and freedom, and defend the arts as essential to American democracy.

Dawn Porter

For documenting the good, the bad, and the truth of our Nation. Beginning her career as a lawyer, Dawn Porter pursued filmmaking to showcase the vibrancy of Black culture and history. By chronicling the lives of America’s everyday heroes and legendary leaders, her award-winning documentaries remind us that the work of perfecting our Union is essential and never-ending.

Aaron Sorkin

For trademark storytelling in America. Drawn to theatre at a young age, Aaron Sorkin found his calling as a groundbreaking writer and creator, scripting and show-running iconic films and television shows that inspired an entire generation to believe in the possibilities of our Nation and walk, talk, and answer “what’s next?”

Darren Walker

For showing us hope is the oxygen of democracy. With boundless passion and enduring purpose, Darren Walker harnesses empathy from his modest upbringing in the South to advance the most ambitious philanthropic goals of our Nation, as a visionary leader whose commitment to improving the human condition has fortified justice and good governance in America and around the world.

Rosita Worl

For embodying the resilient community spirit of Native American culture. As a child in Alaska, Dr. Rosita Worl survived the brutalities of Federal Indian boarding school that took her from her family and Nation. As an anthropologist and advocate, she has since spent her life pushing to right wrongs and build a new era of understanding and healing.

Additional information

National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), established by Congress in 1965, is an independent Federal agency that is the largest public funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. The NEA’s mission is based on an abiding conviction that the arts play an integral role in our national life and public discourse. The arts strengthen and promote the well-being and resilience of people and communities. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts belong to and benefit everyone in the United States.

National Endowment for the Humanities

Created in 1965 as an independent Federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other humanities subjects by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the Nation that support research in the humanities, foster education, nurture humanities infrastructure, and expand the reach of the humanities. Since 1965, NEH has awarded over six billion dollars to cultural institutions, individual scholars, and communities throughout the United States. The Endowment serves and strengthens the country by bringing high-quality historical and cultural experiences to large and diverse audiences in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and five territories; providing opportunities for lifelong learning, expanding access to cultural and educational resources, and preserving the human stories that connect all Americans.

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities

The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) was founded in 1982 by Executive Order to advise the President on cultural policy. The First Lady has historically served as Honorary Chair of the Committee, which is composed of members appointed by the President. Private committee members include prominent artists, scholars, and philanthropists who have demonstrated a serious commitment to the arts and humanities. Public members represent the heads of key Federal agencies with a role in culture, including the Chairs of the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Librarian of Congress, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, and the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services among others. The PCAH facilitates public-private partnerships, promotes interagency cooperation, and proposes programs that enhance arts, humanities, museums, and library services across the country. Over the past 40 years, PCAH has catalyzed Federal programs and played a vital role in the advancement of arts and humanities education, cultural diplomacy, and the creative economy.

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The United States is proudly a leader and core strategic partner in the world’s quest to eradicate polio and because of our efforts, the world has a historic window of opportunity to end polio for good. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to secure a polio-free future.

Through our leadership in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, our sustained commitment to ending polio has resulted in 20 million people walking today who otherwise could have been paralyzed. We have reduced the number of children paralyzed by 99.9 percent and vaccinated over 3 billion children against polio. However, polio persists in some of the world’s most challenging environments.

If high vaccination rates against polio are not achieved and maintained, including amidst instability, conflict, and misinformation mounting around the world, the risk of polio outbreaks will rise even in places long considered polio-free, like we’ve recently seen in New York, London, and Ukraine as well as in Gaza, where all parties must ensure the safe and effective implementation of the polio vaccination campaign that is urgently needed throughout Gaza.

In order to achieve the goal of eradicating polio, the world must rally together. Delivering a polio-free world with stronger health systems and communities is not only the right thing to do for humanity, but a smart investment in the health of future generations and our collective global health security. Together, we can make it a reality.

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Tomorrow, at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona, President Biden will outline his record of transformative investment in Indian Country and relationships with Tribal Nations, advancing Tribal sovereignty and self-determination, respecting Native cultures, and protecting Indigenous sacred sites. 

President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken historic actions to support Indian Country through executive actions, historic investments, and strengthening government-to-government relationships. The President has issued three historic Executive Orders that reform federal funding to help live up to the promise of Tribal self-determination, improve public safety and criminal justice for Native Americans while targeting the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people, and improve educational outcomes and career opportunities for Native American students by focusing on systemic barriers and increasing access to high-quality education. The President has also taken further executive action through two Presidential Memoranda on Tribal consultation, including his 2021 Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships and his 2022 Memorandum on Uniform Standards for Tribal Consultation.

This executive action builds on the historic investments President Biden has made in Indian Country, including:

• $32 billion in the American Rescue Plan, the largest direct federal investment in Tribal Nations in history.
• $13 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to build high-speed internet, roads, bridges, public transit, and clean water sanitation infrastructure in Tribal communities.
• $700 million in the Inflation Reduction Act to invest in Native communities for climate resilience and adaptation programs, drought mitigation, home electrification, and clean energy development.
• Obligating billions of federal contract dollars—and significant percentages of agencies’ overall procurement dollars—to Native-owned or controlled businesses through the Buy Indian Act, a law that has been re-invigorated under the Biden-Harris Administration.

The Biden-Harris Administration has made honoring Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples central to our conservation agenda, including by restoring and designating multiple new national monuments that honor Tribal Nations by protecting sacred ancestral places and their historically and scientifically important features, designating the first Indigenous-focused national marine sanctuary, directing federal agencies to support First Foods including healthy and abundant native salmon and steelhead, signing over 200 new co-stewardship agreements with Tribes, issuing an updated Sacred Sites MOU and best practices, and implementing a first-of-its kind Indigenous Knowledge guidance.

The President has also sought to have an Administration that reflects the priorities of Indian Country by hiring over 80 Native appointees in historic positions, including the first Native American Cabinet Secretary with Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and the first Native American Treasurer of the United States with Chief Lynn Malerba. In addition, the President followed through with his promise to reinstate the annual White House Tribal Nations Summit and the White House Council on Native American Affairs.

Dr. Biden has been a champion for Native communities. As First Lady, she has visited Native communities ten times, highlighting the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic investments in youth mental health, Native language revitalization, and infrastructure and economic development, and she has worked to improve access to cancer screening and cancer care for Native communities.

The President also believes that to usher in the next era of the Federal-Tribal relationships we need to fully acknowledge the harms of the past. That is why he is issuing a historic Presidential apology for the Federal Indian Boarding School era. For over 150 years, the federal government ran boarding schools that forcibly removed generations of Native children from their homes to boarding schools often far away. Native children at these schools endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and, as detailed in the Federal Indian Boarding School Investigative Report by the Department of the Interior (DOI), at least 973 children died in these schools. The federally-run Indian boarding school system was designed to assimilate Native Americans by destroying Native culture, language, and identity through harsh militaristic and assimilationist methods.

In making this apology, the President acknowledges that we as a people who love our country must remember and teach our full history, even when it is painful. And we must learn from that history so that it is never repeated.

The Presidential apology builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s extraordinary accomplishments working with Tribes and Native Communities:

Strengthening Tribal Self-Determination

• Executive Order 14112 on Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations to Better Embrace Our Trust Responsibilities and Promote the Next Era of Tribal Self-Determination (Dec. 2023): EO 14112 directs agencies to reform federal funding programs in a manner that reflects trust in Tribal priorities and deference to Tribal decision-making. The Executive Order directs the White House Council on Native American Affairs, the Office and Management and Budget, and the White House Domestic Policy Council to work across the Federal Government to measure the chronic shortfalls of existing federal funding for Tribes and develop recommendations for what additional funding and programming is necessary. 

Addressing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons and Gender-Based Violence in Native Communities

• Signing an Executive Order to improve public safety and criminal justice and address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) by directing agencies to prioritize addressing this crisis and assessing what more they can do.
• Signed into law the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act of 2022, which expanded special Tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Native perpetrators of sexual violence, child violence, stalking, assaults on Tribal law enforcement officers, and sex trafficking on Tribal lands, in addition to domestic and dating violence.
• Awarded $68 million in FY 2023 VAWA grants and more than $85 million in FY 2024 VAWA grants to support Native communities to provide services and promote justice for survivors.
• Established the Not Invisible Act Commission to improve the federal government’s efforts to address violent crime and the high rates of people reported missing in Native communities.

Historic Investments in Indian Country

• Historic investments in Tribal Nations, including $32 billion in the American Rescue Plan, the largest direct federal investment to Tribal Nations in history; $13 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; and $700 million in the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Through the President’s Justice40 Initiative, more than 500 federal programs, including programs funded and created through the President’s Investing in America agenda, are working to deliver benefits to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. All federally recognized Tribes and Tribal entities are recognized as disadvantaged for purposes of benefitting from the Justice40 Initiative. These investments are resulting in cleaner air and water, more affordable clean energy, good-paying jobs, and other benefits that Tribes are seeing and experiencing today and into the future.

Supporting Native-owned Businesses

• The Biden-Harris Administration has spent billions of federal contract dollars with Native-owned or controlled businesses through the Buy Indian Act, a law that authorizes the Department of the Interior and Indian Health Service (IHS) at the Department of Health and Human Services to have contract set-asides for Tribal and Native-owned businesses.
• Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Federal spending with Native firms has increased by $8.2B between FY20 and FY23. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has expanded access to capital for Native communities by nearly doubling the total dollar amount lent to Native American small businesses. SBA now has 12 Native-owned banks and CDFIs that lend with SBA backing.

Advance Appropriations for Indian Health Service

• For the first time ever, and after many years of Tribal advocacy, the Biden-Harris Administration successfully secured advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service (IHS), and the President has requested mandatory funding for IHS moving forward.

Regulations Supporting Tribes and Native Communities

• The Biden-Harris Administration has worked consistently with Tribal Nations throughout the last four years to secure regulatory improvements that reflect long-standing Tribal priorities. Some of this regulatory work includes revising regulations for promoting economic development opportunities across Indian Country, revising regulations for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), increasing transparency for Nation-to-Nation consultation and other changes to support Tribal Self-Governance, updating the federal regulations regarding the Indian Reorganization Act to streamline the process for placing land into trust, proposing updated regulations pertaining to groups petitioning the Department for federal acknowledgment, updating Class III Indian gaming compacts to increase transparency and provide guidance to Tribes and states, updating regulations for modernizing Indian Arts and Crafts Act regulations, revising the Agricultural Leasing regulation to ensure Tribal self-determination is being upheld and proposing a rule that describes Tribally chartered entities as having the same federal tax status as their owning Tribes and clarifying Tribal eligibility for elective pay to access Inflation Reduction Act tax credits.

Tribal Consultation

• Signing two Presidential Memorandums directing federal agencies to submit plans of action to implement meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations and establishing uniform standards for Tribal Consultation.

A Whole-of-Government Approach to the Federal Trust Responsibility

• Re-launching the Tribal Nations Summit and re-establishing the White House Council on Native American Affairs that serves to foster an all-of-government approach to coordinating and developing Tribal policy.

Protecting Tribal Treaty Rights, Sacred Sites and Tribal Homelands

• Restoring and strengthening protections for areas of national importance and of cultural significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples, including Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts National Monuments, as well as the Tongass National Forest.
• Designating new National Monuments that honor Tribal Nations by protecting sacred ancestral places and their historically and scientifically important features: Camp Hale – Continental Divide in Colorado; Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada; Castner Range in Texas; and Baaj Nwaajo I’tah Kukveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon  in Arizona; expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument and San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in California.
• Designated the first Indigenous-focused marine sanctuary, the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, following nearly a decade of work by Tribes, Indigenous Peoples, community leaders, and committed to work meaningfully with Indigenous Peoples to help guide sanctuary management.
• Took Presidential action and reached a historic agreement to work in partnership with Tribes and states from the Pacific Northwest to restore wild salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin, including the issuance of a Presidential Memorandum on Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead, and other Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River Basin.
• Signed the Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Indigenous Sacred Sites in 2021, which commits the signatory agencies to identifying best practices for the management and protection of sacred sites on federal lands and waters. Fulfilling this commitment, WHCNAA has completed a Best Practices Guide for Tribal and Native Hawaiian Sacred Sites, which provides best practices, procedures, and guidance for the management, treatment, and protection of sacred sites, identifies impediments to federal-level protection of sacred sites, and helps federal agencies address and remedy impediments. The initial draft was based on comments heard at two federal listening sessions, and the final version has been expanded and improved based on comments received through Tribal consultation
• Signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Regarding Interagency Coordination and Collaboration for the Protection of Tribal Treaty Rights and Reserved Rights at the 2021 Tribal Nations Summit, where 17 federal agencies, coordinated through WHCNAA committed to integrate Tribal treaty rights into agency decision-making processes. In 2022, the 17 signatories developed and released the Best Practices Guide for Identifying and Protecting Tribal Treaty Rights, Reserved Rights, and Other Similar Rights in Federal Regulatory Actions and Federal Decision-Making. This year, the MOU Workgroup will be issuing government-wide trainings on the protection of Tribal treaty rights.
• Signed more than 200 co-stewardship or co-management agreements with Federal agencies, which allow Tribal Nations to collaborate with the agencies to manage the federal lands, waters, and resources that are most important to them. The announcements include the first ever co-stewardship agreement with the Department of Commerce (DOC), more than 70 co-stewardship agreements with the Department of the Interior (DOI), and over 120 new co-stewardship and co-management agreements with the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which also tripled its investment in these agreements to over $68 million.
• Protected significant lands and waters: Took action to protect the cultural and historic resources surrounding Chaco Culture National Historical Park from new oil and gas leasing and mining claims. Rejected the proposed Ambler Road project, which would have traversed 211 miles of significant wildlife habitat and pristine waters that are vital for the subsistence activities of Tribal communities along the iconic Brooks Range in north central Alaska.

Revitalizing Native Languages

• Native Languages MOA: At the 2021 Tribal Nations Summit, several agencies and offices—DOI, USDA, HHS, ED, Institute for Museum and Library Sciences, NEA, NEH, DOT, and White House CEQ—signed a Memorandum of Agreement on Native Languages, kickstarting a new interagency initiative to preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom of Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native languages. Since 2021, several other agencies have signed on to the MOA including, ACHP, OPM, SSA, SBA, OMB, DHS, DOC, DOL, DOS, VA, AmeriCorps, and EPA.

Strengthening Education for Native American Students

• Executive Order 14049 on Establishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities: EO 14049 seeks to improve educational outcomes and career opportunities for Native American students. It focuses on addressing systemic barriers, increasing access to high-quality education, and fostering economic empowerment.

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I am pleased that American citizen and former U.S. law enforcement official Tigran Gambaryan has been released on humanitarian grounds by the Nigerian Government and is on his way back to the United States so that he can receive needed medical attention. As soon as we secured Mr. Gambaryan’s release, I called his wife Yuki to share this good news. I am grateful to my Nigerian colleagues and partners for the productive discussions that have resulted in this step and look forward to working closely with them on the many areas of cooperation and collaboration critical to the bilateral partnership between our two countries.

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SBA backed over 100,000 small business financings this year—the most in over 15 years

Today, Vice President Harris announced that the Small Business Administration (SBA) provided a record $56 billion through more than 100,000 small business financings in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024—the most in more than 15 years. The Vice President also announced new actions by the Biden-Harris Administration to cut red tape and expand access to Federal contracting opportunities.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. And we know that small business owners need access to capital to hire more employees, grow their businesses, and advance innovation,” said Vice President Harris. “Today I am proud to announce that the U.S. Small Business Administration has made record lending to over 100,000 small businesses in the last year, the most by the agency in over 15 years. When small businesses thrive, our local economies thrive.”

The Biden-Harris Administration has powered a small business boom across the country. Since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, American entrepreneurs have filed nearly 20 million applications to start new businesses. Business ownership has doubled among Black families and hit a 30-year high for Hispanic families.

While the Biden-Harris Administration doubles down on supporting this small business boom, Congressional Republicans have repeatedly tried to cut SBA’s funding by nearly a third and want to raise taxes and costs for small businesses by repealing Inflation Reduction Act investments.

Building on these efforts to support small businesses, Vice President Harris is announcing:

New Records for Lending to Small Businesses

The SBA released its 2024 Capital Impact Report, showing that the agency increased its lending to small businesses to a record high $56 billion in FY 2024—a 50% increase over FY 2020. Further, SBA provided over 100,000 small business financings last year—the most in over 15 years. Since FY 2020, SBA has increased lending to underserved businesses including a:

• 3x increase in loans to Black-owned businesses
• 2.5x increase in loans to Latino-owned businesses
• 2x increase in loans to women-owned businesses
• 2x increase in small dollar loans (loans of less than $150,000)

Increasing Access to Federal Contracting Opportunities

The SBA is proposing new regulations to increase small business participation on multiple award contracts, a popular buying tool used for over 20 percent of all contracting by the Federal Government. The proposed rule will require agencies to set aside orders made under these contracts when two or more small business contract holders are expected to submit competitive offers. Multiple award contracts allow agencies to meet mission needs in a timely, cost-effective manner by awarding task and delivery orders to contract holders using streamlined competitions.

The SBA proposed rule will require agencies to take steps that make it easier for small businesses to become contract holders on multiple-award contracts where they will then be eligible to compete for task and delivery orders through streamlined competitions. SBA projects that the new rule, if finalized as proposed, will result in up to $6 billion in additional awards to small businesses each year. This new proposed rule will further implement OMB’s January 2024 memo on “Increasing Small Business Participation on Multiple-Award Contracts.” The members of the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council will also be proposing regulatory changes in the near future to implement OMB’s guidance and align with SBA’s rulemaking.

Direct Support to Meet Businesses’ Individual Needs

This summer marked the first year of the Capital Readiness Program (CRP), funded by the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)’s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) and announced by Vice President Harris in August 2023. The CRP is a $125 million investment to help minority and underserved entrepreneurs grow and scale their businesses, the largest-ever direct Federal investment in small business incubators and accelerators of its kind. Today’s data shows the incredible impacts the 43 program awardees have already made in their communities in the first year of the program. Through September 30, 2024, following their efforts to quickly stand-up programs, the 43 awardees have already:

• Enrolled over 6,300 small businesses
• Hosted nearly 2,500 networking events
• Supported the formation of over 2,600 new businesses
• Raised over $260 million in capital for small businesses

Cutting Red Tape for Small Businesses Seeking Federal Contracts

The SBA just launched MySBA Certifications to simplify and streamline certifications for small business Federal contractors. The Biden-Harris Administration committed to using every tool at its disposal to reduce administrative burden for small businesses seeking to compete for Federal contracts. Building on this goal, MySBA Certifications is a one-stop-shop that allows small business owners to apply for multiple certifications with a single application, rather than submitting separate applications for the HUBZone, 8(a), Women Owned, and Veteran Owned Small Business Certification programs. SBA also simplified and modernized its application—using plain language, eliminating redundant questions, and reducing documentation requirements—reducing the time to apply by 40% for a single certification and over 70% for multiple certifications. SBA’s new operational efficiencies will reduce processing times across the programs—meaning firms will receive their decisions more quickly and can begin competing for sole-source and set-aside contracts. In FY 2024, SBA certified more than 17,000 small businesses—a single year record and a nearly 40 percent increase over FY 2023. The agency expects to build on this success with MySBA Certifications and significantly grow the base of certified small business government contractors—helping the Federal Government meet the President’s 15 percent small disadvantaged business goal in FY 2025.

Leveraging Public and Private Capital Through the State Small Business Credit Initiative

The Department of the Treasury plans to release the 2022-2023 SSBCI Annual Report next week, providing additional background on data first previewed in July 2024. SSBCI is a nearly $10 billion program that is providing investment and support to small businesses across the country. Through 2023, SSBCI had already enabled access to $3.1 billion in public and private financing for thousands of small businesses. The report will show that 75% of transactions supported underserved businesses and 78% supported very small business with fewer than 10 employees through the end of 2023.

In 2024, local jurisdictions have continued to leverage partnerships to catalyze SSBCI dollars. Efforts include:

• The Access Small Business program by Calvert Impact: This program leverages funds from SSBCI to bring access to capital and technical assistance to underserved small businesses in New York, New Jersey, Nevada, and Washington State, as well as access to capital markets for community lenders. Partners include the Community Reinvestment Fund, Grow America, and the Urban Investment Group at Goldman Sachs Alternatives.

• The Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship (IIE): IIE is a public-private collaboration to ensure the equitable implementation of SSBCI. IIE’s initial 18-month pilot was incubated by Hyphen, a leading national public-private partnership accelerator. The initiative’s implementation partners include Aspen Institute’s Business Ownership Initiative, Founders First Capital Partners, JumpStart, Mission Driven Finance, Next Street, Nowak Metro Finance Lab, and Scale Link. Across IIE programs, the Initiative deployed over $10 million in direct funding and secured over $177 million in loans, loan matches, grants, and private capital. Additionally, Mission Driven Finance announced the Indigenous Futures Fund, combining a target of $25 million in credit and $2 million in grants to support Tribal SSBCI recipients. Starting in July 2024, the Milken Institute began serving as IIE’s new home.
• Tribal Consortia: In August 2024, SSBCI announced a consortium of 125 Alaska Tribes, the nation’s largest Tribal SSBCI consortium and part of the most expansive investment in small business financing for Tribal governments in history. In total, four Tribal consortium representing 170 Tribes have been awarded $124 million in SSBCI Capital Program funds to support investments in Tribal enterprises and small businesses. Partnerships among Tribal Nations are important to expanding the reach of SSBCI.
• Supportive Business Services: In September and October 2024, Treasury announced 14 awards to 12 states and two Tribal governments through the $75 million Investing in America Small Business Opportunity Program (SBOP). SBOP grantees will provide legal, accounting, and financial advisory services to small businesses in a wide range of industries and will engage at least 34 partners for program deployment.

Developing New Tools to Help Small Businesses Access Capital, Customers, and Technical Assistance

The Interagency Community Investment Committee (ICIC) developed fifteen state-specific small business resource guides, covering over 55 programs offered by nine federal agencies. The guides are intended to help small businesses identify federally-supported sources of capital and technical assistance available in their communities, and help direct businesses to federal contracting and tax resources. ICIC leadership has been conducting a series of virtual events in October with small business owners to talk about the Biden-Harris Administration’s small business programs and these new resource guides.

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Today, the President is issuing the first-ever National Security Memorandum (NSM) on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The fundamental premise is that AI will have significant implications for national security. The AI NSM sets out goals to enable the US Government to harness cutting-edge AI technologies, and to advance international consensus and governance around AI.

In addition, there are implications for economic policy. The AI National Security Memorandum establishes that retaining US leadership in the most advanced AI models will be vital for our national security in coming years. The US lead today on the most advanced AI models reflects several important US economic strengths: our innovative private sector, the ability to develop and source world class talent, strengths in advanced semiconductor design, dynamic capital allocation, and abundant compute power.

We should not take those strengths for granted in the future. Indeed, we are all familiar with past instances when we saw critical technologies and supply chains that were developed and commercialized here in the US migrate offshore for lack of critical public sector support. That is why we are laser focused on maintaining the strongest AI ecosystem in the world here in the United States. The NSM directs the National Economic Council to coordinate an economic assessment of the relative competitive advantage of the US private sector AI ecosystem.

Sustaining US preeminence in frontier AI into the future will require strong domestic foundations in semiconductors, infrastructure, and clean energy—including the large datacenters that provide computing resources. The private sector is already making significant investments in AI innovation, and now we’re making sure the government is moving quickly on policy changes and the support necessary to enable rapid AI infrastructure growth over the next several years. The historic Biden-Harris investment laws will be critical enablers.

Developing AI systems will require a large volume of the most advanced semiconductors. The CHIPS and Science Act is enabling major investments here in the US for the fabrication of the leading-edge semiconductors that are critical to AI frontier models, in close proximity to world-class chips designers and downstream customers.

One of the most pressing needs is the rapid growth in computational power for the training and operation of frontier AI models. AI datacenters will need to run on clean energy and in order to meet their needs we will need to accelerate the deployment of transmission and clean energy projects. We will meet these needs while keeping residential electricity costs low and meeting our climate goals. Fortunately, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the clean energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act have given us a good foundation to build on. We are committed to helping navigate permitting processes across the federal government, and working with states and localities. We took a step towards supporting these goals with the Task Force on AI Datacenter Infrastructure that we launched last month. And we have seen a number of recent announcements of companies investing in projects that will bring new clean energy online to power AI data centers.

Having the right workforce and talent will also play a key role in developing large-scale AI datacenters. This will range from AI experts to pipefitters and electrical workers. We are taking action to ensure AI infrastructure creates good jobs, while investing in our workforce to enable American workers to drive innovation.

Of course, all of these efforts must be governed by the critical guardrails established last year by the Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence and commitments we secured last year from leading AI companies to manage the risks posed by AI. Today’s NSM is just the latest step in a series of actions thanks to the leadership and diplomatic engagement of the President and Vice President, and there will be additional steps taken in the coming months to further support US leadership in AI.

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