Statements and Releases

On July 17, the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention convened over 30 state government officials from 16 states, including leaders from 12 state Offices of Gun Violence Prevention (OVPs). The convening brought together key violence prevention leaders to

• Share strategies around gun violence prevention that have contributed to the historic decrease in homicide across the nation;
• Identify what collaboration with local, state, and federal offices can and should look like;
• Discuss the importance of raising awareness around gun violence prevention work; and
• Receive information on federal resources available to the state OVPs.

These conversations build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s long record of empowering state government leaders, who know their communities, to intervene against and prevent gun violence. In attendance were representatives from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Representatives from the United States Department of Justice, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention presented on the resources and programs their agencies offer to support the work of gun violence prevention. The convening also amplified the variety of federal resources available to support community violence intervention efforts and strategies, including through President’s Biden’s Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant legislation to prevent gun violence in nearly 30 years.

The President continues to use every tool at his disposal to keep Americans safe from violent crime, including the public health crisis of gun violence. State OVPs, a solution recommended in White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention’s Safer States Agenda, are a critical piece of a comprehensive effort to keep communities safe.

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To view the letter from the Physician to the President, visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Letter7.19.24.pdf

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Communities across the United States and around the world are facing a plastic pollution crisis. Plastic production and waste have doubled over the past two decades, littering our ocean, poisoning the air of communities near production facilities, and threatening public health. The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes that pollution can occur at every stage of the plastic lifecycle, disproportionately impacting communities with environmental justice concerns, contributing to loss of biodiversity, and exacerbating the impacts of climate change.

President Biden is committed to taking ambitious actions throughout the lifecycle of plastic to end plastic pollution and is working with the global community to do the same. Today the Biden-Harris Administration is releasing the first comprehensive, government-wide strategy to target plastic pollution at production, processing, use, and disposal. Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles, and Priorities outlines existing and new federal actions to reduce the impact of plastic pollution throughout the plastic lifecycle and calls for sustained and coordinated work with state, local, Tribal, and Territorial governments, local communities, the private sector, and other stakeholders to address the scale and breadth of the plastic pollution challenge.

Additionally, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing a new goal to phase out federal procurement of single-use plastics from food service operations, events, and packaging by 2027, and from all federal operations by 2035. This commitment builds on President Biden’s Executive Order on Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs through Federal Sustainability and the President’s Federal Sustainability Plan, which directs the federal government to achieve net-zero procurement by 2050, including by phasing out procurement of single-use plastic products. Meeting the new goal by selecting reusable, compostable, and highly recyclable products in lieu of single-use plastics in food service will further agencies’ obligations under the Executive Order.

Today’s actions further leverage the purchasing power of the federal government to reduce emissions, protect public health, and spur markets for new sustainable products. They also enhance domestic initiatives that reinforce United States leadership in ongoing international efforts to develop a strong agreement to tackle the plastic pollution crisis across the globe.

Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles, and Priorities

In Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution: Progress, Principles, and Priorities, the federal government is — for the first time — formally acknowledging the severity of the plastic pollution crisis and the scale of the response that will be required to effectively confront it. Developed by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Interagency Policy Committee on Plastic Pollution and a Circular Economy, the report outlines key principles for reducing plastic pollution, focus areas of federal agencies, and opportunities for further action:

Assessing and Reducing Pollution from Plastic Production: Over 90% of plastic is derived from fossil fuels.Under President Biden’s leadership, federal agencies are taking steps to reduce pollution from the extraction of fossil fuels and production of plastic. This includes chemicals of concern and a range of hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds, some of which are known carcinogens. Pairing these measures with improved data collection is necessary to understand the full extent of the environmental and human health risks of plastic production. This work aligns with EPA’s ongoing efforts towards meeting the goals of the Biden Cancer Moonshot.

Innovating Materials and Product Design: Agencies are advancing work to explore alternative materials and processing methods.Innovation in materials and services can help ensure that products are compatible with waste management systems and have minimal impacts on human health and the environment. Actions include participating in the development of standards to promote recyclability and reuse, innovation in materials management, and additional research and development of materials that will create a more circular economy.

Decreasing Plastic Waste Generation: A key step to decreasing the quantity of plastic waste generated is limiting the initial use of materials that are unnecessary, difficult to manage, or likely to end up as pollution in the environment. Federal agencies are leading by example to reduce single-use plastic within their own operations by targeting specific items or pollution pathways, such as introducing more environmentally friendly systems like water refill stations as a substitute for single-use plastic bottles.

Improving Environmentally Sound Waste Management: President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is helping improve environmentally sound waste management, particularly in communities that are already overburdened by pollution. To ensure plastic waste is properly handled, additional actions are needed to improve environmentally-sound and worker-safe waste management practices and the associated infrastructure needs. These include efforts to optimize the collection of plastic, enhance plastic recycling, and other measures to prevent plastic waste from entering the environment.

Informing and Conducting Capture and Removal of Plastic Pollution: Several federal agencies are leading efforts to clean up existing plastic pollution and prevent additional plastic pollution from entering the environment, including the ocean.Additional action is needed to improve the capture of plastic, both before it enters the waste management system, and to address and prevent its escape during the waste management process.

Biden-Harris Administration Leadership to Tackle Plastic Pollution

Today’s announcements showcase efforts underway across the Biden-Harris Administration to address plastic pollution across its lifecycle. Examples of agency leadership include:

Addressing Pollution from Chemical Manufacturing for Plastic Production and Advancing Environmental Justice: Under President Biden’s leadership, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing critical health protections to hundreds of thousands of people living near facilities that produce chemicals used in the manufacture of plastics and other products, including finalizing rules to reduce emissions of toxic air pollutants and harmful pollution that contributes to smog, expanding the Toxics Release Inventory Program to improve the public’s understanding of releases associated with plastics production, and starting the process of prioritizing five chemicals used in plastic production, including vinyl chloride, for risk evaluations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPA is also currently evaluating several flame retardants and phthalate chemicals used in plastics under TSCA.

Reducing Single-Use Plastic on Public Lands and in Department of the Interior Facilities: Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued Secretary’s Order 3407 to reduce the procurement, sale, and distribution of single-use plastic products and packaging Department-wide, with a goal of phasing out single-use plastic products on Interior Department-managed lands by 2032. To support this effort, the Department is working to provide additional water bottle filling stations on public lands, working with concessionaires to reduce the sale of single-use plastics on Department-managed lands, and cleaning up plastic marine debris.

Investing in Infrastructure to Improve Reuse, Recycling and Composting: EPA is investing $275 million in Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grants as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. EPA made 140 grant selections for projects ranging from recycling, composting, and reuse infrastructure improvements to technical support for local waste management staff. This grant program marks the first time that funding of this scale has been available specifically for the purpose of improving solid waste infrastructure.

Cleaning Up Existing Plastic Pollution in the Environment: Under President Biden, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provided nearly $70 million in federal funding for transformational, multi-year projects removing large marine debris and using proven interception technologies to capture marine debris throughout the coastal United States, Great Lakes, territories, and Freely Associated States. NOAA also announced $27 million for its first 29 Sea Grant projects that support the creation of coalitions and innovative research that will address the prevention and removal of marine debris over time.

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My condolences to Madam Ngô Thị Mận and the people of Vietnam on the loss of Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, leader of Vietnam for the last 13 years.

General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng was a champion of the deep ties between the American and Vietnamese people whose leadership helped nurture the friendship and partnership our countries enjoy today. His 2015 historic visit to the White House was a milestone in our bilateral relationship. Thanks to his vision, during my 2023 state visit to Hanoi, Vietnam and the United States became “comprehensive strategic partners,” the highest level of partnership in the Vietnamese system. The people of Vietnam and the United States – and people across the Indo-Pacific region – enjoy greater security and opportunity today because of the friendship between our two countries. That is thanks to him.

The United States – and I personally – will remember and appreciate his commitment to reconciliation and to building a future oriented toward peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and around the world.  We honor his legacy and mourn his passing alongside the people of Vietnam.

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Today, Evan Gershkovich received a sentence of 16 years in a Russian prison, despite having committed no crime. Rather, he was targeted by the Russian government because he is a journalist and an American. We are pushing hard for Evan’s release and will continue to do so.

As I have long said and as the UN also concluded, there is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime. We will continue to stand strong for press freedom in Russia and worldwide, and stand against all those who seek to attack the press or target journalists. Additionally, since the very first day of my Administration, I have had no higher priority than seeking the release and safe return of Evan, Paul Whelan and all Americans wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad. Evan has endured his ordeal with remarkable strength. We will not cease in our efforts to bring him home. And Jill and I are holding Evan and his family in our prayers.

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To view the letter from the Physician to the President, visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Letter7.18.24.pdf

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan hosted Brazilian Presidential Advisor Celso Amorim for a meeting yesterday at the White House. The two leaders discussed progress on deepening our bilateral relationship, including through the Partnership for Workers’ Rights, which President Biden and President Lula launched on the margins of last year’s United Nations General Assembly to empower workers and combat some of the most significant issues facing working people, such as forced labor, workplace discrimination, and heat stress. National Security Advisor Sullivan and Presidential Advisor Amorim also discussed several global and regional priorities, including Haiti, Venezuela, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and the Middle East.

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Today, my Administration is canceling student debt for 35,000 people through Public Service Loan Forgiveness, bringing the total number of Americans who have benefitted from our various debt relief actions to 4.76 million people. Each of those borrowers has received an average of over $35,000 in debt cancellation. These 35,000 borrowers approved for forgiveness today are public service workers – teachers, nurses, law enforcement officials, and first responders who have dedicated their lives to strengthening their communities, and because of the fixes we made to Public Service Loan Forgiveness, they will now have more breathing room to support themselves and their families.

Today’s announcement comes on top of the significant progress we’ve made for students and borrowers over the past three years. That includes providing the largest increases to the maximum Pell Grant in over a decade; fixing Income-Driven Repayment so borrowers get the relief they are entitled to under the law; and holding colleges accountable for taking advantage of students and families. And earlier this year, I laid out my Administration’s new plans that would cancel student debt for more than 30 million Americans when combined with everything we’ve done so far.

From day one of my Administration, I promised to fight to ensure higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. I will never stop working to make higher education affordable – no matter how many times Republican elected officials try to stop us.

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The United States welcomes a 15-day extension of the humanitarian truce committed to by the parties to the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).  This extension will be in effect until 11:59pm local time on August 3 and recommits the parties to the conflict to silence their weapons and provide humanitarian personnel unfettered access to vulnerable populations.

The United States has closely monitored allegations of truce violations since July 5.  While the parties to the conflict have largely respected the truce, we condemn the civilian loss of life in Bweremana and will work with the Ad Hoc Verification Mechanism to investigate this and other potential violations and to hold parties responsible.

In support of the Luanda Process, we commit to working with the Governments of the DRC, Rwanda, and Angola to use this truce extension to outline a series of steps to reach a durable cessation of hostilities and set conditions for the voluntary return of displaced populations.

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National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan hosted the inaugural meeting of the Angel Investor Network announced by President Joe Biden, Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in November 2023 under the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (Americas Partnership). At the meeting, the diverse group of experienced and successful angel and venture capital investors pledged to collectively invest more than $1 billion in early-stage companies and entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2030.  As a key part of their broader investment pledge, these investors will provide financing, mentoring, and advisory support to entrepreneurs in the Americas Partnership Accelerator program, a program that President Biden launched in November 2023 to link cohorts of innovative entrepreneurs in Latin America and the Caribbean to capital, knowledge, and networks that will help bring their business ideas to life.  National Security Advisor Sullivan  reiterated the United States’ commitment to support efforts that build entrepreneurial capacity, encourage innovation, and drive inclusive growth in our hemisphere.  

U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power, foreign ministers and senior officials of the eleven other Americas Partnership countries, IDB Lab Chief Executive Officer Irene Arias, and members of the Americas Partnership Angel Investor Network discussed how to work together to mobilize more early-stage investments in startups offering solutions to humanity’s biggest challenges, such as those in deep tech, green tech, and biotech.

Administrator Power and International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen of Canada described progress made in the Americas Partnership Accelerator programs, including the selection of the first cohort of entrepreneurs.  Foreign Minister Omar Paganini of Uruguay described the activities and goals of the Network and encouraged the roundtable participants to expand it to include more angel and venture capital impact investors from throughout the region.

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Earlier today following his first event in Las Vegas, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is vaccinated and boosted and he is experiencing mild symptoms. He will be returning to Delaware where he will self-isolate and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time. The White House will provide regular updates on the President’s status as he continues to carry out the full duties of the office while in isolation.
 
Note from the President’s Doctor:
 
The President presented this afternoon with upper respiratory symptoms, to include rhinorhea (runny nose) and non-productive cough, with general mailaise. He felt okay for his first event of the day, but given that he was not feeling better, point of care testing for COVID-19 was conducted, and the results were positive for the COVID-19 virus. Given this, the President will be self-isolating in accordance with CDC guidance for symptomatic individuals.  PCR confirmation testing will be pending. His symptoms remain mild, his respiratory rate is normal at 16, his temperature is normal at 97.8 and his pulse oximetry is normal at 97%. The President has received his first dose of Paxlovid. He will be self-isolating at his home in Rehoboth.

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Today, the U.S. Navy is righting an historic wrong by announcing the exoneration of 258 Black Sailors who were unjustly tried and convicted of mutiny and disobeying orders following the tragic explosion at Port Chicago, California nearly 80 years ago. At the time, future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall represented the “Port Chicago 50” in their appeal of their courts-martial convictions, writing that, “justice can only be done in this case by a complete reversal of findings.” With this action, we are answering that call.

On July 17, 1944, two U.S. Navy ships were destroyed when the S.S. E.A. Bryan cargo ship exploded at Port Chicago while being loaded with ammunition. This explosion, the deadliest home-front disaster in the U.S. during World War II, led to the tragic deaths of 320 Sailors and civilians, with hundreds more injured. In the wake of that tragedy, Black Sailors were required to clean up the carnage and return to the dangerous work of handling munitions without adequate training and protective equipment while white Sailors were granted leave. In the face of this injustice, 258 Black Sailors refused orders to load ammunition and soon after were convicted at courts-martials for disobeying orders and mutiny.

After conducting a careful and deliberative review, the U.S. Navy has determined that the courts-martials for all 258 Black Sailors were fundamentally unfair, plagued by legal errors, and tainted by racial discrimination. Today’s announcement marks the end of a long and arduous journey for these Black Sailors and their families, who fought for a nation that denied them equal justice under law. May we all remember their courage, sacrifice, and service to our Nation.

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A U.S. interagency delegation comprising of senior members of the National Security Council staff, the Departments of State and Defense, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) traveled to Papua New Guinea, July 14-16, 2024, for meetings with senior Papua New Guinea officials focused on deepening our bilateral relationship, including through the US-PNG Defense Cooperation Agreement. The delegation presented a number of new initiatives responsive to Papua New Guinea’s most pressing development and security priorities, advancing this critical Pacific partnership.

The delegation underscored U.S. commitment to PNG through new and sustained initiatives in a whole-of-government approach to: accelerate implementation of new projects linked to the Defense Cooperation Agreement; deployment of civil affairs and medical training teams to Papua New Guinea; work to help resolve the ongoing fuel crisis through government and private sector initiatives; support to PNG’s efforts to boost its electricity connectivity through the PNG Electrification Project; partnerships to enhance disaster preparedness and response; grants to increase professional development and educational exchanges; projects to improve community stability, including law enforcement capacity building and support for the prevention and response of gender-based violence through the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability; and unprecedented Foreign Military Financing to enhance the capabilities of the PNG Defense Force. 

The delegation of interagency partners included Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Dr. Mira Rapp-Hooper, Special Assistant to the President and National Security Council Senior Director for East Asia and Oceania; Daniel Kritenbrink, Department of State Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs; Michael Schiffer, U.S. Agency for International Development Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia; and Anka Lee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia, joined by U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and the Republic of Vanuatu Ann Marie Yastishock, representing the full scope of U.S. efforts in diplomacy, development, and defense to advance the U.S.-PNG strategic partnership based on shared history and values.

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Biden-Harris Administration announces $5 billion for new infrastructure projects and releases new tools for Americans to see how the President’s actions are lowering costs and benefiting their daily lives

This week, the Biden-Harris Administration will launch its fifth Investing in America tour: Investing in America, Made in America. President Biden’s Cabinet and White House officials will make over 70 stops to over 30 states across the country to highlight how President Biden’s policies are lowering costs, creating good jobs, rebuilding America’s infrastructure, and spurring investments in manufacturing so that goods are once again made in America by American workers. After four years of trickle-down policies that set rural communities back, with President Biden’s help, today rural communities are making a comeback. The fifth Investing in America tour comes as Republican Members of Congress continue to push an extreme agenda that would raise costs on American families, cut Medicare and Social Security, and undermine policies that are driving investments in manufacturing and job creation here in America.  

To kick off the tour, the White House released new tools on Invest.gov that highlight how the President’s agenda is benefitting Americans’ daily lives, including a Savings Explorer to show users how the Biden-Harris Administration is helping them save money on everyday costs and basic needs, and a new website page that highlights stories of Americans benefitting from Biden-Harris Administration investments in rural communities. The Biden-Harris Administration also announced $5 billion in awards for infrastructure projects to repair, reconstruct, and restore large bridges across the country. And, today the Department of Commerce announced a $400 million CHIPS and Science Act preliminary agreement with Globalwafers to manufacture semiconductor components, strengthening the domestic supply chain and creating jobs in Texas and Missouri.

White House launches new Savings Explorer on Invest.gov

This week the White House launched a new tool on Invest.gov, allowing Americans to explore how much they can save on average per year from the Biden-Harris Administration actions to lower costs – ranging from health care and home energy to education and groceries. President Biden has taken historic action to lower costs for families, including capping insulin costs at $35 for seniors, giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, lowering home energy bills for low-income Americans, canceling student loan debt for 4.75 million people, and cracking down on junk fees in banking and hospitality.

While President Biden continues to take action to lower costs for working families, Congressional Republicans continue to side with special interests to push an extreme agenda that would raise costs on working families, give tax breaks to corporations and billionaires, and cut benefits to Medicare and Social Security. President Biden vowed not to raise taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 per year and has taken steps to protect Social Security and Medicare, not weaken it.

Visit invest.gov/savings to use the Savings Explorer.

Invest.gov/Rural spotlights impact stories in rural communities

President Biden promised to be a President for all Americans, in every state and community. This week, the White House also launched a new website called Invest.gov/rural, highlighting stories of individuals, businesses, and local governments benefitting from Biden-Harris Administration investments in Rural America. It includes impact stories of specific communities – from a town in rural Georgia that is receiving funding to construct a new wastewater treatment plant to a hospital in rural Michigan that is expanding critical, life-saving emergency services thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan.

Visit Invest.gov/Rural to see the impact stories.

Biden-Harris Administration announces $5 billion in awards for bridge infrastructure projects

Today, the Department of Transportation is announcing $5 billion in awards from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to reconstruct, repair, and restore 13 large bridges across the country. These bridges play a critical role in connecting communities to jobs and resources, economic development, and serve as essential corridors for freight travel. These projects will also address important safety issues and make the bridges more resilient to extreme weather, all while creating good-paying construction jobs. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will travel to Pennsylvania to make the announcement of the awards. To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced over 60,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects across the country, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, including nearly 10,000 bridge projects already underway.

Fifth Investing in America tour highlights Made in America policies and investments

The fifth Investing in America tour: Investing in America, Made in America will highlight how President Biden has unleashed unprecedented investments in the United States, creating good jobs across America, lowering costs, and spurring economic comebacks in communities too often left out or left behind. To date, over 63,000 clean energy and infrastructure projects are underway across the country, and companies have announced $877 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments. Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic steps to bolster domestic manufacturing of semiconductors, electric vehicles and component materials, clean technology, fiber optic cable, and infrastructure across the United States. Those historic investments have helped double the construction of factories in the United States under President Biden, and construction employment has reached a record high.

The Investing in America, Made in America tour coincides with Made in America week. Throughout the tour, White House officials and the President’s Cabinet will highlight these Made in America investments, including:

• Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will travel to Phoenix, Arizona to highlight new funding for the Valley Metro Rio East-Dobson Streetcar Extension, as part of the Administration’s efforts to reduce transportation-related air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will travel to Pennsylvania to highlight $5 billion going to more than a dozen states to repair and replace some of the nation’s most significant bridges. Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these investments are helping drive record increases in construction jobs under the Biden-Harris Administration. He will later travel to Southern California to celebrate a groundbreaking on a major port project also funded by the infrastructure law that will improve efficiency, lower costs for consumers, and reduce air pollution.

• Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra is traveling to Nevada to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic actions to lower health care and prescription drug costs, including giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.

• Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will travel to South Carolina to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to provide student debt relief, and to visit Historically Black Colleges and Universities and highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in rural and technical HBCUs.

• Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm is traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands to emphasize the Administration’s commitment to delivering clean and reliable energy for all Americans, as well as to Puerto Rico to highlight how the Biden-Harris Administration is making historic investments to secure clean energy access during extreme weather events, ensuring battery storage and upgrades to the electric grid to make sure no community is left behind.

• Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan traveled to Nevada for the NAACP Convention and to tour a cooling center to highlight how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is protecting communities from extreme heat and delivering cleaner air, safer water, and environmental justice, while lowering costs and creating economic opportunity in the process. He will also travel to Pennsylvania to announce new investments from the Biden-Harris Administration to tackle the climate crisis and create clean energy jobs in the United States.

• Administrator of the Small Business Administration Isabel Guzman will travel to Arkansas to highlight how the Biden-Harris Administration has overseen record small business growth, with 18 million new business applications filed under the President’s leadership.

• Secretary Haaland will travel to Alaska to meet with Tribes and highlight the transformational investments provided through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to strengthen Indian country. Then, she will travel to Washington to highlight how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is protecting communities from wildland fire, restoring ecosystems in partnership with Tribes and safeguarding local water supplies.

• Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will travel to Pennsylvania to highlight how President Biden is making critical investments to support urban and rural agriculture and advance equity in farming and rural communities. He will also discuss how the President’s Investing in America agenda is making historic investments in on-farm conservation and helps producers build resilience to climate change.

• Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada to address the UNIDOS Conference and the NAACP Annual Conference, highlighting the good jobs created by the Biden-Harris Administration. Also while in Nevada, she will highlight IIA investments during a stop for the Department of Labor’s Good Jobs Summer Tour, and will engage members of the AANHPI community at an event with Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden. Later this week, Acting Secretary Su will travel to Georgia to highlight the Administration’s recently awarded Domestic Conversion Manufacturing Grants, which are helping auto manufacturing companies like clean school bus manufacturer Blue Bird invest in American manufacturing and create clean energy jobs.

• Director of the National Economic Council Lael Brainard will travel to Chicago to discuss building innovation clusters throughout the country. She will also participate in an Energy Communities Summit and a Roosevelt Institute convening on placed based investment policy.

• White House Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez will travel to Pennsylvania to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s recent domestic manufacturing grant to Volvo to help them invest in America and create clean energy jobs.  

• White House Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy Arati Prabhakar and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology Laurie E. Locascio will travel to Colorado to highlight a CHIPS and Science Act preliminary agreement with Entegris, which is creating 1,100 new jobs in construction and manufacturing and helping build out the American semiconductor supply chain.

• Chief Economist of the White House Investing in America Cabinet Heather Boushey is traveling to Kentucky for a site-visit to a cattle farm that transitioned to solar energy in Hardinsburg. Then, she will travel to Louisville for an event highlighting public and private sector investments in the state highlighting good paying jobs with the Louisville Mayor.

While White House and Cabinet officials are highlighting the President’s Made in America policies in communities across the country, Republican elected officials continue to try to raise costs on working families and roll back investments that are bringing jobs and opportunity to their communities. Their plan would:

• Increase costs for health care, prescription drugs, and insulin by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and Affordable Care Act and slashing Medicare.
• Increase utility bills and energy costs by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act.
• Raise taxes for middle-class families by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act and the Affordable Care Act.
• Raise housing costs by cutting rental assistance and programs to build new homes.

• Undermine $877 billion in private sector manufacturing and clean energy investments spurred by the President’s Investing in America agenda and ship hundreds of thousands of jobs in clean energy and manufacturing overseas by repealing the Inflation Reduction Act.

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President Biden and Vice President Harris are working to ensure that all Latino families and communities can achieve greater opportunity. Over the past three years, the Administration has taken historic action to expand opportunity for Latino families and communities, including creating more than 15 million jobs – with 5 million created for Latinos, helping Latino entrepreneurs start new businesses at the fastest rate in over 10 years, working to ensure equitable educational opportunity for students, addressing our broken immigration system through new executive actions, and more.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new actions to advance educational opportunities for Latino communities and give more families a fair shot at achieving the American dream.  

Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Hispanic-Serving Institutions

Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) play a critical role in shaping the future of our Nation. With more than 500 HSIs across 27 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, HSIs make an extraordinary contribution to our Nation’s higher education system, including educating more than 4.7 million students. More than 65 percent of Hispanic and Latino college students in the U.S. attend an HSI, and nearly 40 percent of those students attend a two-year HSI.

To strengthen the Federal Government’s commitment to advancing opportunity, today, President Biden will sign an Executive Order establishing the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Hispanic-Serving Institutions. This Executive Order creates a new Initiative and President’s Board of Advisors for HSIs that will work to:

• Increase awareness of opportunities for HSIs to equally participate in Federal programs and enhance the capacity of HSIs to meet the educational needs of their students.
• Identify best practices for HSIs to scale effective strategies, programs, and initiatives to support the educational success and economic mobility of their students.
• Improve the ability of HSIs to align program offerings with the economic needs of the Nation and their local economies, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and teaching.
• Coordinate efforts to help HSIs become or remain fiscally secure institutions.
• Foster cross-sector collaboration among HSIs and philanthropic, public, and private sector organizations.
• Strengthen Federal recruitment activities at HSIs to build accessible and equal pathways into Federal career opportunities for HSI students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
• Provide tools, data, and analytics to support HSIs in improving educational equity, excellence, and economic opportunity for students.

Making America’s Immigration System More Fair and More Just

Since Day One, President Biden has called on Congress to fix our broken immigration system. While Congress has failed to act on these critically needed reforms, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to make our immigration system more fair and more just.

Today, the Administration is highlighting steps taken to fulfill the President’s promise to keep families together and allow more Dreamers to contribute to our economy, and announcing new actions to expand access to legal representation and immigration services so that more people have the tools and support they need to navigate our complex immigration system. These actions build on steps the Administration has taken to strengthen and improve our immigration system, including eliminating the backlog of naturalization applications, vigorously defending the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) policy in court, extending Affordable Care Act coverage to DACA recipients, and streamlining, expanding, and instituting new programs so that families can stay together while they complete the immigration process.

Today’s new announcements include:

Announcing key progress on actions to keep families together 

On June 18th, the President announced a new process to help U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children who have been here for 10 years or more keep their families together. This new action – which will help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residence without leaving the country – is expected to apply to approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and 50,000 noncitizen children whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen. And today, the President is announcing that beginning on August 19, 2024, eligible spouses and children will be able to apply for this process to obtain legal status while remaining with their families.

In June, President Biden also announced new actions to help young people who have been educated in the U.S., including DACA recipients and other Dreamers, receive work visas more quickly. These actions will help more young people use their talents to enrich our communities and strengthen our economy. The Department of State has updated its public guidance – making it clear that it is in the public interest that individuals who graduated from a U.S. institution of higher education and are seeking a work visa are able to put their degree to use in the United States, and that these factors should be considered favorably when recommending waivers in the visa application process.

Helping thousands of Dreamers transition successfully to college

Today, the Administration is also announcing that the Department of Education is issuing a proposed rule to expand the federal TRIO program to ensure Dreamers and others can enroll. By providing high school students with services and supports such as college campus visits, tutoring, and help completing college and financial aid applications, the TRIO program helps students from low-income backgrounds and students who would be the first in their family go to college successfully transition from high school to college. The proposed expansion would mean that an estimated 50,000 more students each year would be able to access TRIO programs and services, and thousands more would go to college.

Expanding access to legal representation

Today, the Department of Justice Executive Office of Immigration Review (EOIR) is doubling the number of locations for their “Attorney of the Day” program, which makes volunteer lawyers available in immigration courtrooms to provide assistance to those who do not have representation at their initial immigration court hearings. The Department will expand this program to include immigration courts in Hyattsville, Maryland; New York City; and Atlanta in addition to the three current locations: San Francisco, New Orleans, and Chicago. The Department is also increasing free and low-cost legal representation by increasing participation of law students in clinical programs and expanding training opportunities such as its mock trial program.

Earlier this year, the Department of Justice announced the launch of the Respondent Access Portal, a secure online platform that allows unrepresented noncitizens with proceedings before EOIR to view case information and scheduled hearings, download their electronic case record, and file documents directly with the immigration court.

Additionally, the Justice Department is creating a new leadership position focused on improving access to the immigration system and finding innovative ways to increase representation rates for noncitizens in immigration court.

Finally, the Administration is announcing a call to action for members of the legal community, including law firms, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and other stakeholders to make commitments of pro bono support for those who are unrepresented in immigration proceedings. In response, the American Bar Association will leverage its existing resources to help and encourage more lawyers to provide pro bono support to unrepresented noncitizens in immigration proceedings. The Administration welcomes additional commitments from interested stakeholders to build upon these efforts.     

Ensuring access to immigration services

The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is announcing the launch of a new initiative – “USCIS to You” – to bring immigration-related assistance into local communities, including rural and underserved areas. Services that may be provided include naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies, customer service appointments, and education on immigration benefits and processes. “USCIS to You” events will be coordinated in partnership with communities, including libraries, community colleges, and other local entities.

USCIS is also providing up to $2.6 million to help small public and non-profit organizations establish new citizenship programs and train staff to assist lawful permanent residents in understanding and navigating the naturalization process. USCIS has released this new Notice of Funding Opportunity and plans to announce grant recipients by September 2024.

Today’s announcements build on additional historic action President Biden has taken to advance opportunity for Latino communities, including:

• Bringing the Latino unemployment rate to a near record low of 4.9%.

• Taking action to support Latino-owned businesses, which are now starting up at the fastest rate in fifteen years.

• Doubling Latino enrollment in health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, and fighting to protect the Affordable Care Act.

• Expanding access to Affordable Care Act benefits to DACA recipients.

• Expanding the Child Tax Credit which lifted 1.2 million Hispanic children out of poverty in 2021.

• Investing over $15 billion in Hispanic-serving colleges and universities—the largest ever investment. This investment strengthened the capacity of HSIs to better serve their students, including meeting their basic needs and completing their programs.

• Securing a $900 increase to the maximum Pell Grant award – the largest in the last decade – to benefit students from low- and middle-income backgrounds in their pursuit of a college degree.

• Canceling $167 billion in student loan debt for 4.75 million borrowers. Student loan debt disproportionately burdens Latino borrowers who are more likely to take on student loans than their white peers and who also end up holding nearly twice as much debt as their white peers four years after graduation.

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The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions to Expand Opportunities for Latino Communities and Ensure Every Family Has a Fair Shot at the American Dream appeared first on The White House.

Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada

2:09 P.M. PDT

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

Folks, my name is Joe Biden, and I’m a lifetime member of the NAACP.  (Applause.)  And I am all in.  (Applause.)  My word, I am all in.

President Johnson, thank you for that introduction and for your leadership and, most of all, for your friendship. 

And thanks to all of the thousands of members of — across America that are here.  One of the most important organizations in our country. 

And a special thanks — and I mean this sincerely — to the members of Congress who are here, including Nevada’s own Steven Horsford, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.  (Applause.)  I don’t know where he is, but I know he’s out there.  (Laughs.) 

As so members of the CBC, members defending freedoms and — like Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, chair — (applause) — chair of January 6th Committee; and the best friend anyone can have, Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.  (Applause.)

In case you didn’t notice, Jim turned it around for me in 2020.  (Laughs.) 

Look, in June of ‘47 — 1947, Harry Truman became the first president to — to speak at this convention.  And he was remembered for a lot of things.  With the help of the NAACP, he desegregated the military.  (Applause.)  He laid the groundwork for the civil rights agenda, and he — built upon President Kennedy by that — President Johnson, who signed the Civil Rights Act of ‘64, 60 years ago. 

Harry Truman was a president who was often counted out, but he was also known for something else.  The story goes, Truman said, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”  (Laughter.)  Well, guess what?  The last couple weeks — after the last couple of weeks, I know what he means.  (Laughter and applause.)

But that’s why it’s so good to have real friends.  I’m not being solicitous.  I have real friends.  So many of you had my back, and I think I’ve had yours as well.  (Applause.)  And I will never forget it. 

We have so- — a couple of Delaware folks here still, and one of my best friends from when we used to — when I was a lifeguard in the projects, he was a — his name is — his nickname is “Mouse.”  Mousy, there you are, pal.  (Applause.)  End up running the longshoremen, and loyal as hell.  

I’m truly honored to be here to meet at this tense moment in this country — and it is a tense moment — just a few days after the assassination attempt on Donald Trump.  We’re grateful he was not seriously injured.  We continue to pray for him and his family. 

It’s time for an important conversation in this country.  Our politics has gotten too heated.  (Applause.)  I said in the Oval Office on Sunday night, as I’ve made clear throughout my presidency, we all have a responsibility to lower the tempergee — temperature and condemn violence in any form.  (Applause.)  

We’ve got to remember: In America, we’re not enemies.  We’re friends.  We’re neighbors.  We’re fellow Americans. 

Most importantly, we must fully and firmly reject not only political violence but violence of any kind.  Period.  No exceptions.  We have to say with one voice that violence is not the answer.  That’s what we should rally around as a nation.  That’s the unity I’m talking about.

Few organizations know that better than the NAACP.  For the race riots in Springfield, Illinois, in 1908, the NAAC[P] was formed.  That’s what started it.  You know the pain and the price of violence.  You understand, if you’re going to talk about standing against violence, you must stand against all violence.  (Applause.)

We’re going to stand against violence perpetrated against presidential candidates in Pennsylvania.  We must stand against all violence: the violence perpetrated against George Floyd in Minnesota — (applause); against Black veterans like Police Officers Eugene Goodman on January 6th; and Black election workers like Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss in Atlanta.  (Applause.)

We have to stand against the violence and intimidation of white supremacy that murdered innocent lives in that grocery store in Buffalo, New York — when I went up there — Mother Emanuel church in Charleston, South Carolina.

We must stand against the violence that murdered children in Sandy Hook and Uvalde, concertgoers in Las Vegas, innocents on the street all across America that never make the news.  There’s a Uvalde every day in the communities across the country.

If you’re going to be outspoken on one, don’t be silent on others.  (Applause.) 

If we’re going to speak about violence, we’re going to speak about guns. 

More children in America die of a gunshot wound than any other reason.  That’s stunning, and that is sick.  (Applause.)   And it’s sheer cowardice if we do nothing about it. 

So, if you want to stand against violence in America, then join me in getting these weapons of war off the streets of America.  (Applause.) 

An AR-15 was used at the shooting of Donald Trump, just as it was the assault weapons that killed so many others, including children.  It’s time to outlaw them.  (Applause.)  I did it once, and I will do it again.  (Applause.)

Now, just because we must lower the temperature in our politics as it relates to violence, it doesn’t mean we should stop telling the truth.  (Applause.)  Who you are, what you’ve done, what you’ll do — that’s fair game. 

As Harry Truman said, “I have never deliberately given anyone hell.  I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.”  (Laughter and applause.)  And that’s what I’m going to do. 

Well, here’s the truth about why Donald Trump’s presidency was hell for Black America.  He tried to repeal Obamacare to kick millions — I mean millions of Black Americans off their health insurance.  He had a $2 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefitted the super wealthy, the biggest corporations and exploded the federal debt larger than any one president has in one term.

He left no room for us to do what we should be doing: investing in things that affect people’s lives, like childcare, eldercare, and so much more that grow the economy and help people.  (Applause.)

His mismanagement of the pandemic was especially devastating to Black communities — (applause) — oh, I — I know becau- — and other countries — other communities of color.  That economic crisis drove up Black unemployment, decimated small Black businesses. 

And you peacefully protested George Floyd’s murder; Donald Trump called for the National Guard to go after you.  What in the hell is the matter with this man?  (Applause.)  No, I’m serious. 

Go figure, from the guy who spread the “birthism” lie against Barack Obama, saying he wasn’t born in America and he wasn’t a U.S. citizen. 

Of course, here’s what he thinks of “Black jobs.”  I love his phrase, “Black jobs.”  (Laughter.)  It tells a lot about the man and about his character.

Folks, I know what a Black job is.  It’s the vice president of the United States.  (Applause.) 

I know what a Black job is: the first Black president in American history, Barack Obama.  (Applause.) 

I was vice president to Barack, and she is my vice president. 

I nominated the first Black Secretary of Defense in America history, and he’s doing one hell of a job.  (Applause.)  I nominated the first Black woman to the United States Supreme Court.  (Applause.)  It matters.  It matters.

And I promised myself and I promised America that my administration would look like America.  (Applause.)  And I’m proud that we have the most diverse administration in all of history that taps into the full talents of our nation.  That’s who we are.  These guys don’t get it.  That’s why we’re so successful.  No, I’m serious.  That’s what makes us the greatest nation on Earth.  That’s not hyperbole. 

Folks, it’s because of you that I am president and Kamala Harris is vice president.  (Applause.) 

And, by the way, she’s not only a great vice president; she could be president of the United States.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  With th- — with the help — with the help of the NAACP, the Black elected members in the Congress, we’ve gotten so much done.  Seriously.  Presidential historians said we’ve gotten more done of consequence than any president since Franklin Roosevelt.  (Applause.)

Just think about where the Black community was when we — community was when I came into office.  Think about how far the Black community has come.  But we’ve still got a long way to go.  

COVID no longer controls our lives.  Our economy is — not figuratively, literally — the strongest economy in the world.  (Applause.)   Historic low Black unemployment.  Record growth in Black small businesses. 

And let me say this again, because Trump is lying like hell about it.  (Applause.)  The Black unemployment hit a record low under Biden-Harris administration.  (Applause.)

The first bill I passed, we put $1,400 checks, plus $300 checks per child, per family, per month in the pockets of people in this country to get them through the pandemic.  Not Trump’s administration — Kamala and I did that.  (Applause.)  We put more money in the pockets of — than anyone.  We cut Black — and, of consequence, we cut Black child poverty in half.  (Applause.)

And what we’re finally getting through to people: My economic policy grows the economy when we spend money — grows it.  We grew the American economy to the strongest in the world.  And I’m determined to make that tax cut permanent.  (Applause.)  No child should ever go hungry in America.

And, by the way, all the data shows if we — they can’t let them tell us we drive up deficits.  They drive up deficits, folks. 

When you have childcare, guess what?  Mom or Dad can work — (applause) — and the child can be safe.

We’re connecting Black neighborhoods that were cut off when old highways and disinvestment decades ago. 

My city of Wilmington, Delaware: I-95 runs up through what used to be the Black community, divided it.  It’s six lanes wide.  We’re going to make sure that if the states want it, we’re going to be able to pave over the top of that and still have the highway — connecting neighborhoods.  (Applause.) 

We’re removing, which is costly, every poisonous lead pipe in a house in America so every child can drink clean water without fear of brain damage.  (Applause.) 

We’re delivering high-speed and affordable broadband.  No child should have to sit out in a parking lot with their moms in front of a McDonald’s so they can get online to do their homework.  (Applause.) 

And because of you, we’re not only protecting Obamacare, you allowed me to increase it, making health care more affordable.  We’re putting — and, by the way, more than it’s ever been — more than it’s ever been.  Millions of African Americans have — now have health care because of what we’ve done.

We’re putting homeownership — (applause) — homeownership within reach. 

How do you generate generational wealth no matter what community you’re from?  I know how we did it when we — when everything got stuck in Scranton and we had no jobs; we moved to Delaware.  Dad worked like hell so he could get a down payment to buy a small house.  That’s how you build equity.  A small — it was a three-bedroom, split-level home, with four kids and a grandpop living with us, but it was a home.  And he was able to build some equity.

Look, we’re making the most significant investment in climate ever in all of history — (applause) — including the most significant action on environmental justice ever. 

Look, folks, think about this.  My state of Delaware, if you know — you don’t — not many of you don’t know my state.  My state of Delaware has the Delaware River that runs up along and —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible).  (Laughter.) 

THE PRESIDENT:  — is jagged.  But at the top of the state, there’s a half-moon, and it goes up along more oil refineries on the other side of that half-moon, in Marcus Hook and areas, than anywhere in the country, including Houston. 

And guess what?  The wind blows southeast.  We had the highest cancer rate for the longest time.  But you know who was affected?  Fence-line communities.  Do you know who the fence-line communities are?  Black communities.  (Applause.) 

And I promised, as we make this legislation work, we’re going to take care of those communities first — first, first, first.  (Applause.)  I mean it.  The same way in Louisiana.  The same way in other places.

Look, we — we relieved student debt for more than 4 million borrowers.  (Applause.)  A significant amount are Black borrowers.  I don’t know how many have called me to say, “Mr. President, we’re god — gave” — I’ve gotten phone numbers; I’ve called them back — “Mr. President, thank you.  I couldn’t get married; my debt was so large.”  “We couldn’t have children.”  “I couldn’t think of” — No, I’m serious.  You know it.  “I couldn’t buy a home, but what you did: You freed me of my debt and — and you gave me 10,000 bucks for a down payment on a home.”  (Applause.)

In this Project 2024, Trump’s — 2025, Trump’s deal —   you know, he talks about education.  HBCUs are as good as any other university.  Guess what the problem is?  (Applause.)  No, I’m serious.  Not a joke. 

And Kamala and I have a constant fight: She says — she says Howard is the best; I say Delaware State is the best, because that’s — (applause) — because that’s where I got my start.

But my point is this.  My point is this: They don’t have the endowment.  So, what are the jobs of the future — the high-tech jobs of the future?  They’re going to pay a lot of money.  They don’t have the money for the laboratories, don’t have the money for all that material. 

So, that’s why I’ve invested a s- — rech- — record $16 billion in HBCUs — (applause) — because no HBCU student is any less qualified than any student anywhere else.

And, by the way, we’re making sure that no one goes to jail for the mere use or possession of marijuana.  (Applause.)  Their records should be expunged.  It holds them back. 

All told, because of you, the NAACP, we’re making the most significant investments in Black America ever in all of history.  We’re seeing the results. 

The racial wealth gap is the lowest it’s been in 20 years. 

Inflation is down in three years and coming down further, and we’re going to have, as they say, a “soft landing.” 

Folks, you’re going to see us grow faster and faster.  That’s not just my view.  It’s a view of 16 Nobel Prize-winning economists, who put out a statement looking at my economic plan and Trump’s.  They said my plan will continue to lower inflation, continue to grow the economy.  Prices are falling for cars, appliances, and groceries.  We’re going to keep co- — corporate greed at the — at — at bay. 

But here’s the thing, what they said about Trump — they said his policies will cause a recession.  No, this is a — and — and, by the way, these aren’t — these are not a Democratic outfit — 16 Nobel laureates. 

Look, and we’re going to — I come from the corporate state of the world, Delaware.  I know how they work.  There’s more corporations incorporated in my state than any state in America, all combined.  But let’s what?  We have to deal with corporate greed now.  (Applause.)  No, it is.  Corporate profits are double since the pandemic, and they keep bringing prices down — we have to bring prices down further. 

Look, folks, the idea — the idea that corporate-owned housing is able to raise your rent 3-, 400 bucks a month or something — under what I’m about to announce, they can’t raise it more than $55 [5 percent]. (Applause.)  That debate is taking place. 

The bottom line is we’re just getting started. 

Well, no, it’s not enough to talk about the past.  We need a vision for the future. 

Here is my plan for the first 100 days in a second term:   Kamala and I are calling on Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.  (Applause.)  I did all that I was constitutionally able to do with executive authority, but we need the act.  And we need to pass the Freedom to Vote Act.  (Applause.)  And I will sign them both into law immediately.

And guess what?  Come hell or high water, we’re going to restore Roe v. Wade as the law of the land.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Four more years!  Four more years!  Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT:  I know — I know you say, “Joe, you may not have a Congress.”  Well, guess what?  You all told me I couldn’t pass the Inflation Reduction Act.  You all told me I couldn’t face the — anyway, we did it — (laughter) — with your help.

Republicans blocked police reform in Congress, so I signed a hista- — a historic executive order on police reform.  And I’m going to come back and will sign the George Floyd [Justice] in Policing Act into law, come hell or high water.  (Applause.) 

We’re not only going to stop MAGA Republicans, we’re going to stop them and their program on 2025.  We’re going to stop them from cutting Social Security and Medicare.  I’m going to expand Social Security and Medicare by making the very wealthy begin to pay their share.  (Applause.)

We’re going to bring rents down, as I said.  We’re going to build 2 million affordable homes and cap rent increases at 5 percent a year so corporate landlords can’t gau- — anyway, I don’t want to get going.  I’m going to get very upset.  But what they’re — they’re just gouging Americans.

And we’re going to keep relieving student debt.  (Applause.)

And we’re going to end medical debt.  We’ve already made sure medical debt can no longer be put on a credit report.  (Applause.)  Well, I’m working with states to wipe out medical debt for pennies on the dollar so it’s not hanging over you the rest of your life.

We’re going to raise the federal minimum wage.

Our first term, we capped the cost of insulin for seniors at $35; total — total drug costs for seniors, beginning in 2024 — -5 at $2,000 for — and some of those cancer drugs are $10-, $12-, $14,000 a year.  But the second term, we’re going to do that for not just seniors — for everyone in America.  (Applause.)

And, by the way, it not only saves lives.  It will save taxpayers, just what I did on the first round on deal- — dealing with Medicare.  It saves the taxpayer $160 billion — (applause) — because they don’t have to pay these exorbitant prices to these — anyway, I won’t —

This year, Medicare is negotiating lower prices for some of the costliest drugs on the market that threats everything for — that treats everything from heart disease to arthritis.  In the next term, we want to go further: give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices for 50 drugs a year, not 10.  That not only will save lives, it’s estimated to save the taxpayer another $200 billion a year.  This is saving taxpayers money.

And, by the way, if you notice, all the stuff they said — “Big spendin’ Biden” — we have lowered the deficit, not raised it.  We’ve increased economic growth.  (Applause.) 

Folks, here’s what else I’m determined to do.  I’m determined to end Tump’s trac- — Trump’s tax cuts for the very wealthy and big corporations and make the tax code fair and ease the burden on working people.   

I kept my commitment that no one making less than $400,000 — which I never saw in my life until I got elected president — will pay a penny more in federal taxes. 

But here’s the deal, we have in America, since the pandemic, 1,000 billionaires — 1,000.  You know how much in federal tax they pay?  8.2 percent.  That’s their federal tax: 8.2 percent. 

We’re going to make billionaires pay a minimum of 25 percent, which is low.  (Applause.)  No billionaire should pay a lower tax rate than a teacher, a firefighter, or a nurse, a janitor.  That’s simply ridiculous.  And when we do that, that alone will generate $500 billion in revenue over the next 10 years, allowing us lower costs for families and save the government money.  We on can do more eldercare and childcare, bringing down the federal deficit, and so much more.

This is not rocket science, folks.  But they’ve convinced us that any spending of money is costly.  It’s saving money.  I — God’s truth, it’s saving money.  And it’s vitally important.

You know, the next president of the United States could appoint two or more justices to the Supreme Court.  (Applause.)  Just imagine.  I know the stakes. 

Folks, my vision for the future will continue to be all about the working people in this nation.  In all, I’ve — my whole career, you can go back and look at it.  I’ve not been perfect by any stretch of the imagination.  But a simple proposition — the family I come from, the neighborhood I come from: Everybody deserves a shot — just a shot, no guarantee.  Give hate no safe harbor.  Leave no one behind.  (Applause.)

And that’s in stark contrast to my predecessor and the MAGA officials.  They’ll do everything — undo everything the NAACP stands for.  But now, they’re trying to deny it.  They’re lying about their Project 2025.

They want to deny you freedom: the freedom to vote, have your vote counted. 

They would impose a nationwide ban on abortion.  His new vice president — you ever had any doubt, man, just take a look at what he’s been saying. 

They want to prosecute political enemies. 

They’d want to cut Social Security and Medicare; rip away protections for millions of preexisting conditions — over 400 million people; stop Medicare from negotiating lower prescription drug prices — risking people’s lives, costing the government more money. 

They would eliminate the Department of Education.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  No, you ought to read it.  Saying it’s a state issue.  Give me a break.  A state — we know how well we do with the states.

They would cut school lunches, eliminate the Head Start program for lower-income children. 

They’d allow employees to stop paying overtime — employers to stop paying — catch this one — to stop paying overtime to hourly workers.  They’re such good people.  But give the very wealthy a big corporate — and corporations a new tax cut. 

They’ve already evisevated — eviscerated affirmative action. 

They’d also de- — decimate diversity, equity, and inclusion all across American life.  They’re already trying to do it.  By banning books, they’re trying to erase Black history.  Black history is American history.  (Applause.)  Folks, I’m not being dramatic here.  We cannot let that happen.

That’s why it’s so important to me — it was so important to me to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.  (Applause.)  They can’t erase it.  Now people are going to know what happened on Juneteenth. 

And that’s why I made federal — lynching a federal hate crime in Emmett Till’s memory, and that’s where you’re being reminded — (applause) — remember what they tried to do? — as well as establish national monuments for Mamie and Emmett Till, and so much more, so there’s no doubt about what’s happening.

Look, folks, as I’ve said before, we know Black history is American history.  It’s as simple as that.

Let me close with this.  (Inaudible) tells us, “I’ve been young, and now I’m old; yet, I have not seen the righteous forsaken.”  (Applause.)  I have not seen righteous forsaken, and I will not see the righteous forsaken. 

Hopefully, with age, I’ve demonstrated a little bit of wisdom. 

Here’s what I do know: I know how to tell the truth.  (Applause.)

I know right from wrong.  (Applause.)

I know how to do this job.  (Applause.)

And I know the good Lord hasn’t brought us this far to leave us now.  (Applause.)

We have more work to do.  This is a moment to be engaged.  The work wer- — you’re doing to recruit hundreds of thousands of volunteers, move millions of people to the make their voices heard may well determine America’s future for decades to come.  And, folks, that’s important. 

We must all be defenders for freedom, justice, equality, and the bedrock of democracy. 

And there’s been no more important voice in that truth than the voices of the Black community.  (Applause.)  I mean it. 

And when America has failed to live up to what we say we believe, you don’t give up hope, nor do I.  We’ve always loved this country, even when it has not loved us back.  (Applause.)  We’ve worked hard — hard as hell.

Just think about it.  Our children, your children, our grandchildren — ask yourself: What America do you want to leave them? 

My answer is an America of hope, fairness, opportunity, possibilities.

Look, I spent more time with Xi Jinping of China than any oth- — any other world leader has.  I was with him in the — in — in China, on the steps of the mountains, and he looked at me and he said, “Can you define America for me?”  This is the God’s truth.  And I said — it’s recorded.  I said, “Yes, in one word, America: possibilities.”  (Applause.)

Nothing is beyond our capacity.  America, where it’s full of promises, available to everybody.  America, where racism and violence are no longer the ghost that have too long haunted the nation.

Folks, this is about you and your families and everything the NAACP has stood for for a generation: freedom, democracy, America.  Always marching, always believing, always keeping the faith. 

We’re going to do this. 

So, let me ask you, are you all in?

AUDIENCE:  All in!

THE PRESIDENT:  Because I’m all in.  (Applause.)

We just have to remember who we are.  We are the United States of America, and there is nothing — nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.  And let’s stay together.

God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.

2:40 P.M. PDT

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President Biden calls on corporate landlords to cap rent increases at 5% and takes action to make more public land available for housing

President Biden is taking action to make renting more affordable for millions of Americans. Today, President Biden is announcing new actions to lower housing costs, including:

• Calling on Congress to pass legislation giving corporate landlords a choice to either cap rent increases on existing units at 5% or risk losing current valuable federal tax breaks;
• Repurposing public land sustainably to enable as many as 15,000 additional affordable housing units to be built in Nevada; and
• Rehabilitating distressed housing, building more affordable housing, and revitalizing neighborhoods, including in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The President called on Congress to make the American Dream a reality for more families by passing the Biden-Harris Housing Plan, which would build 2 million homes, and provide $10,000 in mortgage relief to unlock homeownership for millions of Americans. Already, more units are under construction than at any time in over 50 years, and the rate of new housing starts is up 17 percent compared to the last Administration.

The Biden-Harris Administration is using all available tools to lower housing costs, including limiting rent increases on rentals built with federal tax credits; supporting local communities that are building more housing; standing up to price-fixing by corporate landlords setting high rents for tens of millions of apartments; and cutting energy costs by making housing more efficient and climate resilient.

Republicans in Congress have blocked the President’s housing agenda. Congressional Republicans have tried to cut rental assistance and programs that build more homes and lower mortgage costs. And Senate Republicans are currently blocking a bill that passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support that would help build 200,000 affordable homes. In addition, the previous administration secured a special tax subsidy for corporate landlords. While Republicans side with corporate landlords that are raising rents, President Biden is cracking down on price gouging and building more homes to lower rents and put homeownership in reach for working families.

Cracking Down on Corporate Landlords and Lowering Rents

Some corporate landlords have taken advantage of the shortage of available units by raising rents by more than increases in their own costs—resulting in huge profits at a time when millions of Americans are struggling to cover rent each month. And recent analysis showed that the six largest publicly-traded apartment companies reported large profits earlier this year, and many of these same landlords are named in pending litigation for their alleged use of proprietary algorithms to raise rents on tenants.

President Biden is calling on Congress to pass legislation presenting corporate landlords with a basic choice: either cap rent increases on existing units to no more than 5% or lose valuable federal tax breaks. Under President Biden’s plan, corporate landlords, beginning this year and for the next two years, would only be able to take advantage of faster depreciation write-offs available to owners of rental housing if they keep annual rent increases to no more than 5% each year. This would apply to landlords with over 50 units in their portfolio, covering more than 20 million units across the country. It would include an exception for new construction and substantial renovation or rehabilitation. The policy is a bridge to rents stabilizing as President Biden’s plan to build more takes hold. The President believes that this combination of anti-gouging policies and historic levels of support to build more affordable housing effectively balances the needs of tenants without limiting incentives for more supply. The Administration looks forward to working with Congress to ensure renters are protected and corporate landlords comply with the intent of this proposal.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is announcing new actions to protect renters in multifamily properties financed by loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These protections apply to future loans acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, who have financed an average of 1.2 million multifamily rental units over the past three years. The protections include:

• Requiring 30-day notice before rent increases;
• Requiring 30-day notice on lease expiration; and
• Providing a 5-day grace period before imposing late fees on rental payments.

Repurposing Public Land to Build More Affordable Housing

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new actions to repurpose federal land to build tens of thousands of affordable homes. The Federal Government is the largest landholder in the country, and state and local governments, as well as entities like transit agencies, school districts, public utilities, and faith-based institutions, own considerable amounts of land that are underutilized and may be used in ways that better reflect local priorities and housing needs.

The President is calling on all federal agencies to assess surplus federal land that can be repurposed to build more affordable housing across the country. The White House will work with federal agencies with land disposition authorities, as well as agencies that provide financing tools for housing and needed infrastructure—with a goal of quickly building more housing that is affordable for working families and climate resilient, which will bring down energy costs, while protecting local lands and waters.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is announcing new actions to create thousands of affordable housing units on BLM land in Nevada. BLM is opening a public comment period on a sale of 20 acres of public land to Clark County, Nevada for below market value at just $100 per acre—the largest-ever sale for affordable housing under the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act program, which the county estimates will enable the development of nearly 150 affordable homes for households making less than 80% of area median income. BLM will also soon announce the proposed below-market sale of an additional 18 acres to the City of Henderson, which the City estimates will provide nearly 300 affordable housing units for rent. These actions are the first affordable housing sales conducted under a memorandum of understanding between BLM and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) earlier in this Administration that improves the sale process and lowers the cost for affordable housing parcels.

BLM is considering an additional 562.5 acres of public lands that have been identified by local governments in Southern Nevada and that are appropriate for affordable housing in the Las Vegas Valley—supporting the building of up to 15,000 or more additional affordable rental and homeownership units for Nevadans. BLM will also work with local governments as they come forward with housing-related requests for the roughly 26,000 acres in Las Vegas Valley that remain under BLM control and are eligible for disposition under the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act program.

The United States Forest Service (USFS) is announcing plans to lease Forest Service land to build workforce housing—the first-ever such projects in the nation. USFS is planning to lease strategically positioned sites for workforce housing developments in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Ketchum, Idaho, to create new affordable housing. USFS is actively exploring additional federal land that can be leveraged to support workforce housing, including in high-cost areas across the country.

The United States Postal Service (USPS) will pilot the repurposing of certain surplus properties for housing. USPS owns more than 8,500 facilities nationwide, including some that are not needed for postal operations in areas that face a shortage of affordable housing.

HUD, Health and Human Services (HHS), and General Services Administration (GSA) plan to release a final rule to make it easier for public and nonprofit developers to use federal buildings and land to house the homeless. The Title V program, authorized by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, allows federal agencies to use unutilized, underutilized, excess, or surplus federal properties at no cost to develop housing for people experiencing homelessness. The new rule would make it easier for developers to navigate the process, potentially resulting in thousands of additional housing units to address homelessness and affordability challenges.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) published interim guidance to permit transit agencies to use their property to support transit-oriented development. This will make it easier to build affordable housing near transit.

Call to action for state and local governments to build more affordable housing on public lands. The White House is also calling on state, local, tribal, and territorial entities, as well as transit agencies, public utilities, school districts, and other quasi-governmental agencies, and encouraging faith-based, community, and other non-profit institutions to consider whether land they hold might be suitable for the development of affordable housing. Based on new analysis, the Center for Geospatial Solutions at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy estimates the development potential of underutilized state and local government land located near transit at approximately 1.9 million units nationwide. HUD and DOT both offer technical assistance that can help governments identify and repurpose land they own for housing, and HUD published a best practices guide that includes examples and strategies governments can deploy to repurpose their land for housing.

Investing $325 Million in Housing and Community Development

HUD is announcing $325 million in Choice Neighborhoods grants to build new deeply-affordable homes, spur economic development, and revitalize neighborhoods in communities across the country. The awards will build over 6,500 units of new housing, support small businesses, build childcare centers and new parks, and will be used to leverage more than $2.65 billion in additional public and private investments in these neighborhoods. These awards reflect deep engagement and input from the community, including residents, local leaders, and other stakeholders, such as public housing authorities, cities, schools, law enforcement, business owners, nonprofits, and private developers that have come together to create and implement plans to preserve and expand housing, build neighborhood resources and amenities, and invest in the people who live in these communities.

For example, the $50 million grant awarded today to the Southern Nevada Regional Housing Authority and the City of Las Vegas will restore 235 existing affordable housing units for extremely low-income renters and build 400 new units of housing. They will invest in an early learning center and provide support for small businesses. In addition, these funds will leverage an additional $212 million in public and private resources in this community, that will activate indoor and outdoor community spaces, and provide supportive services to residents.

Other recipients of these grants include Syracuse, NY; Chattanooga, TN; Huntsville, AL; Miami, FL; Houston, TX; Trenton, NJ; Phoenix, AZ; Shreveport, LA; Cleveland, OH; Baton Rouge, LA; Camden, NJ; Winston-Salem, NC; Lewiston, ME; and Norfolk, VA.

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Families deserve housing that’s affordable—it’s part of the American Dream. Rent is too high and buying a home is out of reach for too many working families and young Americans, after decades of failure to build enough homes. I’m determined to turn that around.

Today, I’m sending a clear message to corporate landlords: If you raise rents more than 5% on existing units, you should lose valuable tax breaks. My Administration is also taking action to cut red tape and repurpose public land to build more affordable homes—including thousands of new homes in Nevada—and announcing new grants to build thousands of homes from Las Vegas to Syracuse. And I’m reiterating my call for Congress to pass my plan to build 2 million new homes—to lower housing costs for good, we need to build, build, build.

While the prior administration gave special tax breaks to corporate landlords, I’m working to lower housing costs for families. Republicans in Congress should join Democrats to pass my plan to lower housing costs for Americans who need relief now.

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Today at the White House, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi, Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and a senior Israeli interagency delegation for a meeting of the U.S.-Israel Strategic Consultative Group. They were joined by senior representatives from their respective foreign policy, defense, and intelligence agencies. The discussion centered on countering Iran’s threats to Israel and the broader region. Mr. Sullivan affirmed President Biden’s ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, including in the face of ongoing and reckless attacks against Israel by Lebanese Hezbollah. He emphasized that Israel has every right to defend itself against these attacks, and affirmed U.S. support for a diplomatic resolution that permits Israeli and Lebanese families to safely and securely return to their homes. They also discussed developments with respect to Iran’s nuclear program, and discussed mutual coordination on a series of measures to ensure that Iran can never acquire a nuclear weapon. Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Blinken, Mr. Dermer, and Mr. Hanegbi also discussed developments in Gaza and progress towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal. The Israeli side affirmed its full support for the deal as outlined by President Biden and endorsed by the UN Security Council, G7, and countries around the world.   

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I have been briefed on the shooting at former President Trump’s event in Pennsylvania. 

Doug and I are relieved that he is not seriously injured. We are praying for him, his family, and all those who have been injured and impacted by this senseless shooting.

We are grateful to the United States Secret Service, first responders, and local authorities for their immediate action.

Violence such as this has no place in our nation. We must all condemn this abhorrent act and do our part to ensure that it does not lead to more violence.

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