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Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of New Mexico and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm and flooding from October 19 to October 20, 2024.

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in Chaves County.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding also is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm and flooding in Chaves County.

Finally, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mr. José M. Gil Montañez of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

###

The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves New Mexico Disaster Declaration appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of New Mexico and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm and flooding from October 19 to October 20, 2024.

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in Chaves County.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding also is available to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm and flooding in Chaves County.

Finally, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Mr. José M. Gil Montañez of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

###

The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves New Mexico Disaster Declaration appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and ordered federal aid to supplement the Tribal Nation’s efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm, straight-line winds, and flooding from July 13 to July 14, 2024.

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm, straight-line winds, and flooding.

Lastly, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

Mr. Edwin J. Martin of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the Tribal Nation and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

###

The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Disaster Declaration for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and ordered federal aid to supplement the Tribal Nation’s efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm, straight-line winds, and flooding from July 13 to July 14, 2024.

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm, straight-line winds, and flooding.

Lastly, Federal funding is available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.

Mr. Edwin J. Martin of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the Tribal Nation and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

###

The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Disaster Declaration for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe appeared first on The White House.

I am grateful to be back at Georgetown for the conversation and the chance to take stock of where we stand at halftime in what has been dubbed the “decisive decade” for global climate action.

In the United States, under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, we have doubled our pace of decarbonization, built 100 gigawatts – 25 million homes worth – of clean power, and catalyzed a trillion dollars of private investment, creating good jobs across the nation.

The scoreboard looks good. The fundamentals are strong. But the hard truth remains that we have more field to gain and even less time to do it. The good news is that we carry with us into the second half a fundamentally rewritten climate playbook – an approach that eschews the gloom and doom and embraces the hope and possibilities. This new playbook is the gamechanger – and why I am confident that America will meet the moment.

Together, we will meet this moment because, over the last four years, we have proven climate action as the new foundry for economic opportunity and economic growth in the United States – the figurative factory floor where we are forging a stronger American middle class and mounting the comeback of American manufacturing.

Proven because the new foundry is already delivering – rising wages, expanding apprenticeships, over 600 new clean energy factories, and union density at rates double the rest of the economy. All of this is accelerating as the foundry taps into the salient, the proximate, and the visible uplift of our communities for its fuel.

We will meet the moment because, in our new playbook, we have pulled the upside of climate action both forward and close, even as we took on a problem that is global in nature and decades in the making.

We have pursued climate action in a way that is co-located with economic opportunity and coincided with pollution reduction – a geographic and temporal alignment of benefits designed to earn the political economy to go big, go fast, and go the distance.

Georgetown Climate Center is an apt place to reflect on this playbook because that approach of co-locating with economic opportunity and coinciding with pollution reduction is impossible to execute without partnership – the kind you work to forge through your efforts here – partnership top to bottom and shoulder to shoulder. That means federal, state, local, and Tribal governments, public and private sector – everybody coming together to make a difference, one neighborhood at a time.

Today, as communities are starting to breathe easier, to turn on the faucet with greater peace of mind, and to work jobs that not only provide pay and benefits but also purpose and dignity, we are unlocking that political economy boost – while those operating the brakes on climate action have become less effective, and the politics of climate inaction are deteriorating.

It might be an unexpected assertion, but it is true – drawn from wellsprings of hope and opportunity, change and improved circumstances, that I have seen as I have traveled from coast to coast, in small towns and big cities: People want us to keep investing in climate solutions and the clean energy economy of the future. And there is a reason.

Today, for hundreds of school districts, because of investments through the Biden-Harris Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the iconic yellow school bus is going green – Made in America, by union workers, and showing up at the end of the driveway, no longer pumping diesel pollution into the air.

Today, in communities built over the last century or two, where pipes had been buried for a hundred years and leaking for decades, pipefitters are not just bending metal but also the arc of methane emissions. That same investment is reducing energy costs and safety risks – and the receipts show the impact.

Today, on 80,000 farms and ranches across the country, a new revenue stream is now part of the ledger as the United States leads the next generation of agricultural practice – one that is smarter both in withstanding the trials of climate change and in sourcing the solutions, with farmers paid, finally, to help the land breathe in the carbon from the sky.

Whether on wheels, under our heels, or growing from the ground on which we stand, these climate solutions are now and here. They are delivering the salient, the proximate, and the visible. And, in turn, they are fueling that new foundry, forging economic opportunity and economic growth all across America.

The success of this paradigm-shifting strategy – this new playbook – also comes from harmonizing two sets of tools, the tools to deliver investments and the tools to set standards, all in support of our economic goals.  

We have seen this strategy at work: The investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act enhanced by a complementary architecture of federal standards that spur demand and generate the regulatory certainty needed to accelerate capital formation and encourage entrepreneurial risk-taking. 

It is an important combination, and the success of our new foundry comes from both – the catalytic public investments and tax credits and also the standards that send a signal to the market, spurring long-term investment and firming up that next bet on America.

Bringing the breadth of our tools and partners together helps as we swing for the fences in every sector of the economy. Looking for wins everywhere – power and transportation, buildings and industry, lands and agriculture – gives us a better shot at delivering for everyone. When executed well, the gains from all-in and searching-for-opportunity-everywhere climate action cascade deep through the economy.

I want to give you two examples – one more obvious and the other, hopefully, to make you smile.

Two years ago, sparked by demand from the solar industry, a former steel plant in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, a relic of the World War II era, announced it was making a comeback. Two years later, that spark has sustained, and the plant has tripled in capacity. Hundreds of jobs in a place where, just a few years ago, opportunity seemed forever fenced out.

And then in Milford, Utah, there is Scotty’s Diner, which also got a taste of that cascading economic opportunity. In a town of just 1,500, Scotty’s got a call from a construction crew for an unusually large order – 40 burgers and 40 fries. The owner has since doubled her staff to keep up with the appetite from what she calls “the geothermal thing” – a mega, two-gigawatt geothermal project now being built in her rural community.

That one plant, by the way, permitted on our public lands, increased total U.S. capacity for geothermal generation by 50 percent and reimagined the frontier on a critical clean energy technology where the U.S. can now have the edge.

These jobs – whether at the steel plant or the diner – bring so much more with them than a paycheck. I saw that this fall when I visited a clean energy factory with Sierra Club’s Ben Jealous. Ben pointed out something that has stuck with me ever since. In the hallway out front, he told me to look at the Earth Day artwork made by the kids of the factory workers. It was what you would expect – the most colorful expressions of wonder at nature and its beauty – and conveyed so much more. The artwork captured how the kids saw their parents: not as workers who walk on the ground, but as superheroes soaring to save the planet.

It is not just about putting steel in the ground or even in the spine of the American middle class – it is about filling our wings with a sense of soaring and uplift.

Today, we should all feel that sense of soaring because America is back in the business of doing big things. Too often in our discourse, we talk as if our imaginations have shrunk, as if the Hoover Dam was the apex of our ability to blueprint and build. But this discourse ignores the facts.

Take a look off the coast of Virginia, where the utility company and workers from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, IBEW, are building a two-gigawatt offshore wind farm. Two gigawatts – the same size as the Hoover Dam – and yet just one of 10 similar offshore wind projects that the Biden-Harris administration greenlit over the last four years. Projects that are now spurring a 50-state supply chain, with steel going into the water and clean electricity coming onto the grid. An industry that was just in our imagination a few years ago, towering high today and lifting up our workers and communities at the same time.

We see it shine through in solar as well.

Half the solar installed today came online during the last four years, and, somehow, that may be the least exciting part of the story. Because of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, a technology that was invented in America decades ago is finally being manufactured in America too. In fact, we have quadrupled our capacity to manufacture solar panels in the United States since the start of this administration, and we are set to double that capacity again in a few years.

That is not all. Thanks to tax guidance that the Treasury Department recently finalized – one of over 75 tax guidance projects completed since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act – we are now bringing ingot and wafer manufacturing to our shores. More energy jobs, more energy security, more opportunity and growth unleashed by our new foundry.

By the way, this manufacturing renaissance is also a big deal for innovation – important for America but also for the world’s ability to race toward and reach collective climate goals.

We know this: Manufacturing is the necessary bridge between invention and impact. No country can lead on innovation without the industrial capacity to turn plans into products. That is why America’s manufacturing renaissance delivers on so many bottom lines; because American scientists and engineers can now shine a brighter light into the future. That is good news for everybody. 

Of course, whether it is geothermal, or wind, or solar, or some other fuel or technology altogether, the value proposition depends on a bigger, better grid.

That is why, since the first day of this Administration, we made this a priority. Today, the Biden-Harris administration has financially boosted or environmentally approved over 5,000 miles of new capacity transmission on the grid – adding roads to the electricity highway system, something that must remain a massive national priority. We have worked to adapt the grid to the new realities imposed by the climate crisis. On a bipartisan basis, investment is now moving to bury lines, harden poles, or lay redundant cabling. Senator Murkowski, a champion of this resilience work, talks eloquently about one of these projects – a new high voltage cable that is going to be laid between Kenai and Anchorage. The next time the community faces the prospect of an outage, that cable becomes a vehicle to allow neighbors to help neighbors.

In addition to the new lanes on the electricity highway system and the physical upgrades to boost its resilience, I am excited about another opportunity we are chasing: simply operating our existing energy highway more creatively.

I will start with something wonky: dynamic line ratings. Our grid, as it stands today, has a static speed limit for electricity across the system. But that static speed limit is designed to safeguard the grid during the worst conditions. It does not allow electricity to travel faster during most times when conditions are good. Today, thanks to better sensors and AI, we can set that speed limit through dynamic line ratings. When conditions are good, we can raise the speed limit on the grid. We can squeeze far more capacity out of our existing infrastructure.

Another way we can get more out of the grid is by repaving the roads our electricity travels on. Most transmission cables use the same design that has been in place for a century: aluminum wires that transmit electricity, wrapped in stainless steel cables for durability.

Today, newer advanced cables being made in America employ carbon fiber and superconductors instead of steel and aluminum, making them stronger, lighter, and capable of carrying far more power than a traditional cable. By “reconductoring” our transmission lines, we can quadruple the pace of power we can add to the grid.

Finally, we can use the grid in a fundamentally different fashion by co-deploying battery storage with transmission, Storage As a Transmission Asset. Batteries can help manage rush hour traffic on the grid. When demand is high and you want to move a lot of electricity through the system, you can use the electricity stored in batteries to supplement power generation. When demand is low, you can recharge them. Overall, batteries help optimize the utilization of the transmission system that you have – fewer emissions, more resiliency, lower consumer costs.

To take advantage of that opportunity, we need to make even more of those batteries here, even more cheaply.

Batteries are another example of technology invented here that we had lost the capacity to make. America once at the frontier of the technology but then, for decades, ground ceded to others. Today, thanks to our new playbook – to the investments and the standards – the United States has become a magnet for that investment. Almost overnight, we have gone from a laggard to a leader, the top nation destination for private investment in this space.

We are making the batteries and – double click on them – the anodes and the cathodes, the separators and the materials that go into them too. Earlier this week, I was with President Cecil Roberts and the United Mineworkers at Ruff Creek, where they are now training up workers to make critical inputs – the active materials that go into the cathode of a cutting-edge battery that operates without nickel and cobalt. A union that powered America’s rise in the industrial age is back on the job, ensuring our competitiveness in the global clean energy economy.

Investing in the capacity that these UMWA workers will now create is essential – because mineral security is essential to climate security. Just as the climate imperative compels us to race forward on securing raw materials, as the U.S. is now doing in places like the Salton Sea, we also have to sprint to stand up our capacities to refine and upgrade, recycle and remake these raw materials, as the clean energy economy becomes a circular economy.

Ultimately, it is not just about the grid, or the batteries, or even the inputs. Ultimately, it is about coming together and doing the work of uplift.

I saw it in Western Michigan, where a shuttered nuclear power plant is coming back to serve two rural co-ops – the Hoosiers and the Wolverines – the co-ops teaming up despite their rivaling basketball loyalties. There, I met a union worker who thought he had retired, but was now coming back – out of retirement like the plant, beaming with a sense of pride, and eager to lift up the next generation of workers who will deliver carbon-free electricity to the grid.

I felt it this summer, standing in the Oval Office as Senator Capito, the Republican Ranking Member, and Senator Carper, the Democratic Chair of the Environment Committee, walked into the Oval Office together and shook the President’s hand; as Joe Biden signed into law a bipartisan piece of legislation to advance nuclear energy, our domestic supply chains, and America’s ability to lead on the next generation of tech.

Time and again, even when folks count us out, we show our ability to come together and do the work of uplift. 

To ratify the first environmental treaty in decades, we came together – the manufacturers association joining with environmental advocates to lift up the common ground. To pass the biggest investment in infrastructure since Eisenhower, bipartisan votes gathered to lift up clean energy technologies and environmental remediation. And as we have implemented this historic agenda on climate and clean energy, governors, mayors, and leaders from all parties have come together, proving climate action as a new foundry for economic opportunity and economic growth – truly a project of uplift.

This morning, I was in sunny Philadelphia in a sandy lot for the last stop of the American Climate Corps Tour. The young people there have grown up in a world where the sky turns orange; smoke fills their lungs from fires burning hundreds of miles away; where they get push alerts on the phone warning of the next flood or hurricane barreling through. These young people have all the reason to be angry or despondent. But they have rejected that. Instead, they have answered President Biden’s call from this past Earth Day to join the first-ever American Climate Corps. Choosing to write a different story – one that ends not with doom and gloom but with hope and possibilities. We have so much work to do. But we carry with us this new playbook. We carry with us proof that climate action can be the new foundry for economic opportunity and economic growth in the United States. And we have the example of our youth, who are showing us the way. We have and we must keep coming together and doing the work of uplift. That is how we meet the moment in this decisive decade.

###

The post Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi at Georgetown Law School on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Work to Rebuild our Middle Class and Accelerate American Manufacturing and Innovation appeared first on The White House.

I am grateful to be back at Georgetown for the conversation and the chance to take stock of where we stand at halftime in what has been dubbed the “decisive decade” for global climate action.

In the United States, under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, we have doubled our pace of decarbonization, built 100 gigawatts – 25 million homes worth – of clean power, and catalyzed a trillion dollars of private investment, creating good jobs across the nation.

The scoreboard looks good. The fundamentals are strong. But the hard truth remains that we have more field to gain and even less time to do it. The good news is that we carry with us into the second half a fundamentally rewritten climate playbook – an approach that eschews the gloom and doom and embraces the hope and possibilities. This new playbook is the gamechanger – and why I am confident that America will meet the moment.

Together, we will meet this moment because, over the last four years, we have proven climate action as the new foundry for economic opportunity and economic growth in the United States – the figurative factory floor where we are forging a stronger American middle class and mounting the comeback of American manufacturing.

Proven because the new foundry is already delivering – rising wages, expanding apprenticeships, over 600 new clean energy factories, and union density at rates double the rest of the economy. All of this is accelerating as the foundry taps into the salient, the proximate, and the visible uplift of our communities for its fuel.

We will meet the moment because, in our new playbook, we have pulled the upside of climate action both forward and close, even as we took on a problem that is global in nature and decades in the making.

We have pursued climate action in a way that is co-located with economic opportunity and coincided with pollution reduction – a geographic and temporal alignment of benefits designed to earn the political economy to go big, go fast, and go the distance.

Georgetown Climate Center is an apt place to reflect on this playbook because that approach of co-locating with economic opportunity and coinciding with pollution reduction is impossible to execute without partnership – the kind you work to forge through your efforts here – partnership top to bottom and shoulder to shoulder. That means federal, state, local, and Tribal governments, public and private sector – everybody coming together to make a difference, one neighborhood at a time.

Today, as communities are starting to breathe easier, to turn on the faucet with greater peace of mind, and to work jobs that not only provide pay and benefits but also purpose and dignity, we are unlocking that political economy boost – while those operating the brakes on climate action have become less effective, and the politics of climate inaction are deteriorating.

It might be an unexpected assertion, but it is true – drawn from wellsprings of hope and opportunity, change and improved circumstances, that I have seen as I have traveled from coast to coast, in small towns and big cities: People want us to keep investing in climate solutions and the clean energy economy of the future. And there is a reason.

Today, for hundreds of school districts, because of investments through the Biden-Harris Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the iconic yellow school bus is going green – Made in America, by union workers, and showing up at the end of the driveway, no longer pumping diesel pollution into the air.

Today, in communities built over the last century or two, where pipes had been buried for a hundred years and leaking for decades, pipefitters are not just bending metal but also the arc of methane emissions. That same investment is reducing energy costs and safety risks – and the receipts show the impact.

Today, on 80,000 farms and ranches across the country, a new revenue stream is now part of the ledger as the United States leads the next generation of agricultural practice – one that is smarter both in withstanding the trials of climate change and in sourcing the solutions, with farmers paid, finally, to help the land breathe in the carbon from the sky.

Whether on wheels, under our heels, or growing from the ground on which we stand, these climate solutions are now and here. They are delivering the salient, the proximate, and the visible. And, in turn, they are fueling that new foundry, forging economic opportunity and economic growth all across America.

The success of this paradigm-shifting strategy – this new playbook – also comes from harmonizing two sets of tools, the tools to deliver investments and the tools to set standards, all in support of our economic goals.  

We have seen this strategy at work: The investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act enhanced by a complementary architecture of federal standards that spur demand and generate the regulatory certainty needed to accelerate capital formation and encourage entrepreneurial risk-taking. 

It is an important combination, and the success of our new foundry comes from both – the catalytic public investments and tax credits and also the standards that send a signal to the market, spurring long-term investment and firming up that next bet on America.

Bringing the breadth of our tools and partners together helps as we swing for the fences in every sector of the economy. Looking for wins everywhere – power and transportation, buildings and industry, lands and agriculture – gives us a better shot at delivering for everyone. When executed well, the gains from all-in and searching-for-opportunity-everywhere climate action cascade deep through the economy.

I want to give you two examples – one more obvious and the other, hopefully, to make you smile.

Two years ago, sparked by demand from the solar industry, a former steel plant in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, a relic of the World War II era, announced it was making a comeback. Two years later, that spark has sustained, and the plant has tripled in capacity. Hundreds of jobs in a place where, just a few years ago, opportunity seemed forever fenced out.

And then in Milford, Utah, there is Scotty’s Diner, which also got a taste of that cascading economic opportunity. In a town of just 1,500, Scotty’s got a call from a construction crew for an unusually large order – 40 burgers and 40 fries. The owner has since doubled her staff to keep up with the appetite from what she calls “the geothermal thing” – a mega, two-gigawatt geothermal project now being built in her rural community.

That one plant, by the way, permitted on our public lands, increased total U.S. capacity for geothermal generation by 50 percent and reimagined the frontier on a critical clean energy technology where the U.S. can now have the edge.

These jobs – whether at the steel plant or the diner – bring so much more with them than a paycheck. I saw that this fall when I visited a clean energy factory with Sierra Club’s Ben Jealous. Ben pointed out something that has stuck with me ever since. In the hallway out front, he told me to look at the Earth Day artwork made by the kids of the factory workers. It was what you would expect – the most colorful expressions of wonder at nature and its beauty – and conveyed so much more. The artwork captured how the kids saw their parents: not as workers who walk on the ground, but as superheroes soaring to save the planet.

It is not just about putting steel in the ground or even in the spine of the American middle class – it is about filling our wings with a sense of soaring and uplift.

Today, we should all feel that sense of soaring because America is back in the business of doing big things. Too often in our discourse, we talk as if our imaginations have shrunk, as if the Hoover Dam was the apex of our ability to blueprint and build. But this discourse ignores the facts.

Take a look off the coast of Virginia, where the utility company and workers from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, IBEW, are building a two-gigawatt offshore wind farm. Two gigawatts – the same size as the Hoover Dam – and yet just one of 10 similar offshore wind projects that the Biden-Harris administration greenlit over the last four years. Projects that are now spurring a 50-state supply chain, with steel going into the water and clean electricity coming onto the grid. An industry that was just in our imagination a few years ago, towering high today and lifting up our workers and communities at the same time.

We see it shine through in solar as well.

Half the solar installed today came online during the last four years, and, somehow, that may be the least exciting part of the story. Because of President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, a technology that was invented in America decades ago is finally being manufactured in America too. In fact, we have quadrupled our capacity to manufacture solar panels in the United States since the start of this administration, and we are set to double that capacity again in a few years.

That is not all. Thanks to tax guidance that the Treasury Department recently finalized – one of over 75 tax guidance projects completed since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act – we are now bringing ingot and wafer manufacturing to our shores. More energy jobs, more energy security, more opportunity and growth unleashed by our new foundry.

By the way, this manufacturing renaissance is also a big deal for innovation – important for America but also for the world’s ability to race toward and reach collective climate goals.

We know this: Manufacturing is the necessary bridge between invention and impact. No country can lead on innovation without the industrial capacity to turn plans into products. That is why America’s manufacturing renaissance delivers on so many bottom lines; because American scientists and engineers can now shine a brighter light into the future. That is good news for everybody. 

Of course, whether it is geothermal, or wind, or solar, or some other fuel or technology altogether, the value proposition depends on a bigger, better grid.

That is why, since the first day of this Administration, we made this a priority. Today, the Biden-Harris administration has financially boosted or environmentally approved over 5,000 miles of new capacity transmission on the grid – adding roads to the electricity highway system, something that must remain a massive national priority. We have worked to adapt the grid to the new realities imposed by the climate crisis. On a bipartisan basis, investment is now moving to bury lines, harden poles, or lay redundant cabling. Senator Murkowski, a champion of this resilience work, talks eloquently about one of these projects – a new high voltage cable that is going to be laid between Kenai and Anchorage. The next time the community faces the prospect of an outage, that cable becomes a vehicle to allow neighbors to help neighbors.

In addition to the new lanes on the electricity highway system and the physical upgrades to boost its resilience, I am excited about another opportunity we are chasing: simply operating our existing energy highway more creatively.

I will start with something wonky: dynamic line ratings. Our grid, as it stands today, has a static speed limit for electricity across the system. But that static speed limit is designed to safeguard the grid during the worst conditions. It does not allow electricity to travel faster during most times when conditions are good. Today, thanks to better sensors and AI, we can set that speed limit through dynamic line ratings. When conditions are good, we can raise the speed limit on the grid. We can squeeze far more capacity out of our existing infrastructure.

Another way we can get more out of the grid is by repaving the roads our electricity travels on. Most transmission cables use the same design that has been in place for a century: aluminum wires that transmit electricity, wrapped in stainless steel cables for durability.

Today, newer advanced cables being made in America employ carbon fiber and superconductors instead of steel and aluminum, making them stronger, lighter, and capable of carrying far more power than a traditional cable. By “reconductoring” our transmission lines, we can quadruple the pace of power we can add to the grid.

Finally, we can use the grid in a fundamentally different fashion by co-deploying battery storage with transmission, Storage As a Transmission Asset. Batteries can help manage rush hour traffic on the grid. When demand is high and you want to move a lot of electricity through the system, you can use the electricity stored in batteries to supplement power generation. When demand is low, you can recharge them. Overall, batteries help optimize the utilization of the transmission system that you have – fewer emissions, more resiliency, lower consumer costs.

To take advantage of that opportunity, we need to make even more of those batteries here, even more cheaply.

Batteries are another example of technology invented here that we had lost the capacity to make. America once at the frontier of the technology but then, for decades, ground ceded to others. Today, thanks to our new playbook – to the investments and the standards – the United States has become a magnet for that investment. Almost overnight, we have gone from a laggard to a leader, the top nation destination for private investment in this space.

We are making the batteries and – double click on them – the anodes and the cathodes, the separators and the materials that go into them too. Earlier this week, I was with President Cecil Roberts and the United Mineworkers at Ruff Creek, where they are now training up workers to make critical inputs – the active materials that go into the cathode of a cutting-edge battery that operates without nickel and cobalt. A union that powered America’s rise in the industrial age is back on the job, ensuring our competitiveness in the global clean energy economy.

Investing in the capacity that these UMWA workers will now create is essential – because mineral security is essential to climate security. Just as the climate imperative compels us to race forward on securing raw materials, as the U.S. is now doing in places like the Salton Sea, we also have to sprint to stand up our capacities to refine and upgrade, recycle and remake these raw materials, as the clean energy economy becomes a circular economy.

Ultimately, it is not just about the grid, or the batteries, or even the inputs. Ultimately, it is about coming together and doing the work of uplift.

I saw it in Western Michigan, where a shuttered nuclear power plant is coming back to serve two rural co-ops – the Hoosiers and the Wolverines – the co-ops teaming up despite their rivaling basketball loyalties. There, I met a union worker who thought he had retired, but was now coming back – out of retirement like the plant, beaming with a sense of pride, and eager to lift up the next generation of workers who will deliver carbon-free electricity to the grid.

I felt it this summer, standing in the Oval Office as Senator Capito, the Republican Ranking Member, and Senator Carper, the Democratic Chair of the Environment Committee, walked into the Oval Office together and shook the President’s hand; as Joe Biden signed into law a bipartisan piece of legislation to advance nuclear energy, our domestic supply chains, and America’s ability to lead on the next generation of tech.

Time and again, even when folks count us out, we show our ability to come together and do the work of uplift. 

To ratify the first environmental treaty in decades, we came together – the manufacturers association joining with environmental advocates to lift up the common ground. To pass the biggest investment in infrastructure since Eisenhower, bipartisan votes gathered to lift up clean energy technologies and environmental remediation. And as we have implemented this historic agenda on climate and clean energy, governors, mayors, and leaders from all parties have come together, proving climate action as a new foundry for economic opportunity and economic growth – truly a project of uplift.

This morning, I was in sunny Philadelphia in a sandy lot for the last stop of the American Climate Corps Tour. The young people there have grown up in a world where the sky turns orange; smoke fills their lungs from fires burning hundreds of miles away; where they get push alerts on the phone warning of the next flood or hurricane barreling through. These young people have all the reason to be angry or despondent. But they have rejected that. Instead, they have answered President Biden’s call from this past Earth Day to join the first-ever American Climate Corps. Choosing to write a different story – one that ends not with doom and gloom but with hope and possibilities. We have so much work to do. But we carry with us this new playbook. We carry with us proof that climate action can be the new foundry for economic opportunity and economic growth in the United States. And we have the example of our youth, who are showing us the way. We have and we must keep coming together and doing the work of uplift. That is how we meet the moment in this decisive decade.

###

The post Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi at Georgetown Law School on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Work to Rebuild our Middle Class and Accelerate American Manufacturing and Innovation appeared first on The White House.

Dane County Regional Airport
Madison, Wisconsin

1:36 P.M. CDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everyone.  Good afternoon.  So, we are in the closing days of this campaign, and Donald Trump and I have been presenting our closing arguments to the American people.

As you’ve heard me say many times, my pledge to the American people is to pursue commonsense solutions, to listen to those — even those who disagree with me, to listen to experts, and to be a president for all Americans.

Donald Trump’s closing argument is very different.  He pits Americans against one another.  He spends full time having Americans point their fingers at one another.  And he spends a considerable amount of time plotting his revenge on his political opponents.

As of last night, just to add more, he has indicated that the person who would be in charge of health care for the American people is be someone who has routinely promoted junk science and crazy conspiracy theories, who once expressed support for a national abortion ban, and who is the exact last person in America who should be setting health care policy for America’s families and children.

And then, even worse, he has increased his violent rhetoric — Donald Trump has — about political opponents and, in great detail — in great detail, suggested rifles should be “trained” on former Representative Liz Cheney. 

This must be disqualifying.  Anyone who wants to be president of the United States who uses that kind of violent rhetoric is clearly disqualified and unqualified to be president.

Representative Tr- — Cheney is a true patriot who has shown extraordinary courage in putting country above party.  Trump is increasingly, however, someone who considers his political opponents the enemy, is permanently out for revenge, and is increasingly unstable and unhinged.  His enemies list has grown longer, his rhetoric has grown more extreme, and he is even less focused than before on the needs and the concerns and the challenges facing the American people.

 I have also thought a lot about what this means in terms of our standing in the world.  As vice president, I have represented the United States of America around the world, and what I know is that when we walk in those rooms representing the United States of America, we have the earned and self-appointed authority to then talk about the importance of democracy, the importance of rule of law.  And as a result, people around the world who are fighting for freedom and opportunity hold us up as a model.

America deserves better than what Donald Trump is offering.  America deserves a president who understands our role and responsibility to our people and to the rest of the world to be a model. 

So, I’ll end with this.  Voters are making their decisions.  Many have voted, but there are still those who are making a decision about who they’ll vote for.  And what I offer is I ask folks to, among the many issues before you, just consider who’s going to be sitting in the Oval Office on January 20th.  Either you’re going to have Donald Trump there, who will be stewing over his enemies list, or I will be there, working hard on your behalf on my to-do list. 

That is the choice, among many, that is at stake in this election, and I would be proud to earn the vote of the American people.  And I do intend to win.

     With that, I’ll take any questions. 

     AIDE:  Aamer, AP.

Q    Thank you, Vice President.  Have you had a had a chance to talk to Liz Cheney?  And then, secondly, are you concerned about her general security?  And does — concerning the situation and how tense things are, do you think that the government or the administration, in some form, needs to provide her with security in this situation?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, I’ve not talked to her since this comment was made.  But I will tell you I know Liz Cheney well enough to know that she is tough, she is incredibly courageous and has shown herself to be a — a true patriot at a very difficult time in our country, where, to your point, we see this kind of rhetoric that is violent in nature, where we see this kind of spirit coming from Donald Trump that is so laden with the — the desire for revenge and retribution. 

 And Liz Che- — Cheney is a tough person.  She is an incredible American.  And I have an incredible amount of respect for her. 

     Q    Are you worried about her safety?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I think that Liz Cheney is courageous and that we will always make sure that we are all fighting against and speaking out against any form of political violence.

     AIDE:  Nandita, from Reuters. 

Q    Thank you.  Madam Vice President, you spoke about early voting.  What is your assessment?  What is the data that you are seeing across the battlegrounds?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I’m seeing the folks who are showing up at the various places where we are inviting people to come and talk with us, and where we are talking about the issues at stake.  And I’m seeing an incredible amount of enthusiasm from people of every walk of life, every generation, from our first-time voters to folks who are seniors and have a lot at stake on issues like Social Security and Medicare. 

And what I am enjoying about this moment most is that in spite of how my opponent spends full time trying to divide the American people, what I am seeing is people coming together under one roof who seemingly have nothing in common and know they have everything in common.  And I think that is in the best interests of the strength of our nation.

Q    Are you encouraged by a lot more women showing up in Pennsylvania — a lot of Democratic women, first-time voters?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Women, men, folks of every background are showing up.

AIDE:  Jen Epstein.

Q    Vice President, you’ve had quite a lot of interruptions during your speeches recently, a lot of pro-Gaza protesters.  And, you know, you certainly have — have spoken about democracy when responding to them.  But do you think that you need to say a little bit more about the Mid-East conflict or about what you would do to try to satisfy them? 

And are you concerned at all about how you’ll do on — in college towns and in Michigan, in particular, with them?  President Trump today is going to Dearborn, is going to a Palestinian restaurant.  He’s really — this is the second kind of Arab American restaurant he’s gone to.  He seems to be really trying to make a play for a group that would traditionally be pretty Democratic.  Do you think you’ve done enough to reach these voters?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’m very proud to have a significant amount of support from the Arab American community, both because of my position about what we need to do in Gaza and in the region to end the war and bring the hostages home, and my commitment to a two-state solution, but also because, within that community, there are many issues that challenge folks and that they want to hear about, including what we’re going to do to make housing affordable, what we’re going to do to bring down the cost of groceries, what we’re going to do to invest in small businesses. 

I have a plan for all of those things, and that is something that resonates within that community and with all Americans.

Q    Just for voters who say that they’re going to protest, that they want to show the administration that what they did, the — the policy and support for Israel is wrong and are going to make a statement and that they don’t care if it makes Trump the president, what would you tell them?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, there’s a real contrast in this race when you look at who stands for democracy and democratic principles and who does not.  Donald Trump is talking about an enemies list.  He is talking about using the American military to turn on American citizens.  He talks in a way that suggests that there should be retribution and severe consequences just because people disagree with him. 

My point is very clear.  I believe in our democracy.  Democracies are complicated, in a wonderful way, because we like debate.  We accept and receive differences of opinion, and we work them out. 

One of the reasons I am going to have a Republican in my Cabinet is because I want different views.  I — I enjoy and benefit from diverse views, from different perspectives that allow me then to make the best decisions I can make. 

That’s a big difference between me and Donald Trump, and that’s the big difference between someone who truly is a leader and someone who is in it for themselves and wants unchecked power. 

     AIDE:  Thank you, Madam Vice President.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  Thank you all.                             

END                1:45 P.M.

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris in Press Gaggle | Madison, WI appeared first on The White House.

Dane County Regional Airport
Madison, Wisconsin

1:36 P.M. CDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Hi, everyone.  Good afternoon.  So, we are in the closing days of this campaign, and Donald Trump and I have been presenting our closing arguments to the American people.

As you’ve heard me say many times, my pledge to the American people is to pursue commonsense solutions, to listen to those — even those who disagree with me, to listen to experts, and to be a president for all Americans.

Donald Trump’s closing argument is very different.  He pits Americans against one another.  He spends full time having Americans point their fingers at one another.  And he spends a considerable amount of time plotting his revenge on his political opponents.

As of last night, just to add more, he has indicated that the person who would be in charge of health care for the American people is be someone who has routinely promoted junk science and crazy conspiracy theories, who once expressed support for a national abortion ban, and who is the exact last person in America who should be setting health care policy for America’s families and children.

And then, even worse, he has increased his violent rhetoric — Donald Trump has — about political opponents and, in great detail — in great detail, suggested rifles should be “trained” on former Representative Liz Cheney. 

This must be disqualifying.  Anyone who wants to be president of the United States who uses that kind of violent rhetoric is clearly disqualified and unqualified to be president.

Representative Tr- — Cheney is a true patriot who has shown extraordinary courage in putting country above party.  Trump is increasingly, however, someone who considers his political opponents the enemy, is permanently out for revenge, and is increasingly unstable and unhinged.  His enemies list has grown longer, his rhetoric has grown more extreme, and he is even less focused than before on the needs and the concerns and the challenges facing the American people.

 I have also thought a lot about what this means in terms of our standing in the world.  As vice president, I have represented the United States of America around the world, and what I know is that when we walk in those rooms representing the United States of America, we have the earned and self-appointed authority to then talk about the importance of democracy, the importance of rule of law.  And as a result, people around the world who are fighting for freedom and opportunity hold us up as a model.

America deserves better than what Donald Trump is offering.  America deserves a president who understands our role and responsibility to our people and to the rest of the world to be a model. 

So, I’ll end with this.  Voters are making their decisions.  Many have voted, but there are still those who are making a decision about who they’ll vote for.  And what I offer is I ask folks to, among the many issues before you, just consider who’s going to be sitting in the Oval Office on January 20th.  Either you’re going to have Donald Trump there, who will be stewing over his enemies list, or I will be there, working hard on your behalf on my to-do list. 

That is the choice, among many, that is at stake in this election, and I would be proud to earn the vote of the American people.  And I do intend to win.

     With that, I’ll take any questions. 

     AIDE:  Aamer, AP.

Q    Thank you, Vice President.  Have you had a had a chance to talk to Liz Cheney?  And then, secondly, are you concerned about her general security?  And does — concerning the situation and how tense things are, do you think that the government or the administration, in some form, needs to provide her with security in this situation?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, I’ve not talked to her since this comment was made.  But I will tell you I know Liz Cheney well enough to know that she is tough, she is incredibly courageous and has shown herself to be a — a true patriot at a very difficult time in our country, where, to your point, we see this kind of rhetoric that is violent in nature, where we see this kind of spirit coming from Donald Trump that is so laden with the — the desire for revenge and retribution. 

 And Liz Che- — Cheney is a tough person.  She is an incredible American.  And I have an incredible amount of respect for her. 

     Q    Are you worried about her safety?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I think that Liz Cheney is courageous and that we will always make sure that we are all fighting against and speaking out against any form of political violence.

     AIDE:  Nandita, from Reuters. 

Q    Thank you.  Madam Vice President, you spoke about early voting.  What is your assessment?  What is the data that you are seeing across the battlegrounds?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  I’m seeing the folks who are showing up at the various places where we are inviting people to come and talk with us, and where we are talking about the issues at stake.  And I’m seeing an incredible amount of enthusiasm from people of every walk of life, every generation, from our first-time voters to folks who are seniors and have a lot at stake on issues like Social Security and Medicare. 

And what I am enjoying about this moment most is that in spite of how my opponent spends full time trying to divide the American people, what I am seeing is people coming together under one roof who seemingly have nothing in common and know they have everything in common.  And I think that is in the best interests of the strength of our nation.

Q    Are you encouraged by a lot more women showing up in Pennsylvania — a lot of Democratic women, first-time voters?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Women, men, folks of every background are showing up.

AIDE:  Jen Epstein.

Q    Vice President, you’ve had quite a lot of interruptions during your speeches recently, a lot of pro-Gaza protesters.  And, you know, you certainly have — have spoken about democracy when responding to them.  But do you think that you need to say a little bit more about the Mid-East conflict or about what you would do to try to satisfy them? 

And are you concerned at all about how you’ll do on — in college towns and in Michigan, in particular, with them?  President Trump today is going to Dearborn, is going to a Palestinian restaurant.  He’s really — this is the second kind of Arab American restaurant he’s gone to.  He seems to be really trying to make a play for a group that would traditionally be pretty Democratic.  Do you think you’ve done enough to reach these voters?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’m very proud to have a significant amount of support from the Arab American community, both because of my position about what we need to do in Gaza and in the region to end the war and bring the hostages home, and my commitment to a two-state solution, but also because, within that community, there are many issues that challenge folks and that they want to hear about, including what we’re going to do to make housing affordable, what we’re going to do to bring down the cost of groceries, what we’re going to do to invest in small businesses. 

I have a plan for all of those things, and that is something that resonates within that community and with all Americans.

Q    Just for voters who say that they’re going to protest, that they want to show the administration that what they did, the — the policy and support for Israel is wrong and are going to make a statement and that they don’t care if it makes Trump the president, what would you tell them?

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  So, there’s a real contrast in this race when you look at who stands for democracy and democratic principles and who does not.  Donald Trump is talking about an enemies list.  He is talking about using the American military to turn on American citizens.  He talks in a way that suggests that there should be retribution and severe consequences just because people disagree with him. 

My point is very clear.  I believe in our democracy.  Democracies are complicated, in a wonderful way, because we like debate.  We accept and receive differences of opinion, and we work them out. 

One of the reasons I am going to have a Republican in my Cabinet is because I want different views.  I — I enjoy and benefit from diverse views, from different perspectives that allow me then to make the best decisions I can make. 

That’s a big difference between me and Donald Trump, and that’s the big difference between someone who truly is a leader and someone who is in it for themselves and wants unchecked power. 

     AIDE:  Thank you, Madam Vice President.

     THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Okay.  Thank you all.                             

END                1:45 P.M.

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris in Press Gaggle | Madison, WI appeared first on The White House.

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2:43 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right, everybody.  Hey, everyone.

Q    Hi.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Hi, hi, hi.  Okay.  I know this is a short flight, but I do have a couple things at the top that’s important.

So, to start, I wanted to mention that open enrollment in the Federal Care Act marketplace, where more than 20 million Americans get health insurance, starts today.  More than a decade after passage of the law, Americans’ health care remains under threat.  Just this week, Speaker Johnson promised massive reform to the ACA.  The Republican Study Committee budget cuts a staggering $4.5 trillion from the ACA, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, consistent with every budget proposed by the former president.

Senator J.D. Vance has taken aim at the very idea of the risk pooling between healthy and sick which lies at the heart of the ACA.  And Republicans in Congress have made clear that one of their first orders of business would be raising premiums in ACA health insurance by an average of 800 bucks per person per year.

President Biden and Vice President Harris have done the po- — the opposite, bringing health insurance to more than ev- — more than ever — mor- — more people than ever before, lowering ACA premiums by 800 bucks per year, getting rid of red tape that the prior administration used to try to keep people from enrolling and expanding enrollment support.

The president and vice president will keep standing up for the affordable health insurance, and they will block any attempt to rip it away. 

Shifting gears just a second, I wanted to quickly discuss a recent ProPublica series highlighting reports of women in states like Texas and Georgia who have died after being denied the lifesaving care they need because of extreme abortion bans.  The stories are heartbreaking, scary, and sickening a- — sickening.  It’s hard to believe or accept as reality, and it’s completely unacceptable. 

This should never happen in America, but, sadly, it is, and tho- — and these abortion bans that are denying women lifesaving care are only possible because the former president appointed three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.  The devastating and gut-wrenching consequences of these bans put in place are — enforced by Republican elected officials are very clear. 

President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that women in every state must have the right to make deeply personal decisions about their health.  They also believe that no woman should ever be denied the care she needs.  They will continue to fight back against these extreme bans and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law.

And finally, we’re en route, as you all know, to Philadelphia, where the president will announce new actions to further his administration’s historic support for unions.  While in Philadelphia, he’ll announce that his administration has protected 1.2 million pensions because of the American Rescue M- — Rescue Plan’s Butch Lewis Act.  During the visit, President Biden will announce new funding to prevent cuts to the earned pensions benefits of 29,000 UFCW workers and retirees.

As you can see to my right, I’m joined by acting secretary — Labor Se- — Labor — Labor, Julia Su, who will share more about today’s action and the historic work the President Biden — the president and the vice president have done to support unions.

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Thank you so much, Karine.  Thank you all for being here.  And so, Karine mentioned this.  We are headed to Philadelphia to announce the restoration of the UFCW Tri-State Pension Fund.  This is part of the president’s commitment, which he has had from day one, to do right by working people.  We know that when jobs are good, when working people are protected, our economy is stronger; our nation is stronger. 

This is the third event that I’m doing like this.  The — the first one was with the carpenters in Detroit.  The second was with the Teamsters in Centralia, Illinois.  Again, you know, a situation where working people who had worked a lifetime and were expecting to be able to retire with dignity because of their pensions were seeing the end of those pensions and were going to see their — their benefits slashed dramatically.

Because of the Butch Lewis Act, because of the actions of President Biden and Vice President Harris — noting that Vice President Harris cast the deciding vote to pass the American Rescue Plan, of which the Butch Lewis Act is a part — because of that, these individuals are now going to be able to retire, to be able to live with dignity, to be able to take care of themselves and their families as they expected.

This announcement also comes, obviously, on the same day that we’ve had a jobs day, and, you know, it’s always a time to talk about good jobs, because this administration now, you know, has presided over more jobs being created than any other administration in the same time period.  It’s now over 16 million jobs.  GDP remains strong.  Inflation is still falling.  Wages are still increasing.  Wages have grown faster than inflation for now 17 months straight.  And the unemployment rate remains at 4.1 percent, so it’s been around 4 percent for the longest stretch since the 1960s.

So, labor market remains very strong, and this shows what happens when you have a president and a vice president who are fighting for workers every single day.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Thank you.   Go ahead.

Q    Thank you, Secretary.  On the jobs report, should Americans be concerned of — that the economy is cooling in this moment, and what is the administration doing at the moment to ensure that jobs continue to be generated going forward?

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Great.  So, two questions and two answers.  No, we should not be concerned about cooling.  There were some anomalies last month that led to a much lower jobs number.  One was, of course, the devastating hurricanes — back-to-back hurricanes that hit the southeast part of the country.  You know, we saw people who lost their lives, lost their homes, lost their businesses.  The federal government was on the ground immediately, working with state and local authorities to do everything from search and rescue to clearing roads to making sure that people had water and power back.

But in terms of the jobs numbers, it meant that there were employers who, you know, would have been hiring or may have been even ramping up because of the holiday season coming up who just simply couldn’t do that.  So, the hurricanes had a really big effect.

And then, of course, there were workers on strike — over 30,000 of them.  And the — when they’re on strike, their numbers also, you know, show up as a decrease in the jobs.  Just the — the nature of the — of the numbers.

But what do we need to do to continue the incredible economy that we have had is to keep on making the investments that the Biden-Harris administration has had, you know, the — where we’ve got over 60,000 infrastructure projects going on around the country.  I’ve visited many of them.  We have apprenticeship programs bursting at the seams.  People being able to look for jobs and get jobs in communities that were shuttered, where factories were closed in the last administration, now opening up again.  And we just need to keep up that work.

Q    Can I ask about the Boeing strike situation?  It sounds like there’s a vote set for Monday, if memory serves.  Can you speak to what your view is — is on the latest on that and whe- — whether membership will accept?  Will you expect that this will pass —

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Yes.

Q    — as opposed to the previous time when it (inaudible)?

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Yes.  So, I was in Seattle from Monday to Wednesday.  I brought the parties together at the — at my office in Seattle.  They, you know, deserve a lot of credit.  I want to acknowledge the leadership of both the machinists and Boeing for coming to the table and doing the hard work of negotiating. 

You know, the president says this all the time; the vice president acknowledges this all the time: Collective bargaining works.  It doesn’t always look pretty from the outside, but when workers have a voice, when unions are strong and workers are able to help determine the conditions of their work, their wages, the future of their industry, it’s better for everybody. 

And so, now they have a — an unprecedented offer on the table that many people thought was impossible.  And — and they’re — they’re going to vote on it on Monday. 

Q    Sounds like you think it’ll pass. 

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  I don’t know.  You know, I — you know, we believe as — that — that it’s up to the members, of course.  You know, but these workers have not seen a wage increase like this in a very, very long time. 

In fact, the first-year wage increase is more than what they’ve had in — in the last many years combined.  So, it’s a — it’s really a sign of collective bargaining working. 

And, you know, workers exercise their right.  They — you know, i- — that they’re part of what we’re seeing in a Biden-Harris America of — of a new era of worker power, and it is resulting in not just the tremendous job growth we keep talking about but really more equity and more — more powerful working people. 

Q    You touched on this.  But just to be specific, because the president said in his statement that job growth is expected to rebound in November as the hurricane recovery and rebuilding efforts continue, can you give us a sense of what you would project that that could look like?  What could the November picture be?

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  So, obviously, the — the devastating weather-related phenomena that we have been facing, you know, has an impact — right? — has a devastating, direct, personal impact on communities that are affected.  It also has an impact on the economy. 

And so, barring something else like that, you know, that was not a sign of weakness in the economy.  That was really a — you know, a weather-related phenomena.  And so, barring that, we expect, you know, those communities to recover. 

We’re obviously not just watching it happen or hoping it happens.  We’re in there helping it to happen. 

And so, you know, again, the investments that we’re making is really the key here, right?  We would not have seen the kind of economy — the 16 million jobs created — without that.  This is not an administration that has just, you know, hoped for the best.  It’s one that inherited the economy that was still reeling from a global pandemic that the last administration had no idea how to address. 

And what we have done is, you know, really, you know, exceeded all expectations on the recovery.  We need to keep on doing that work.  We need to make sure that those infrastructure projects keep breaking ground; that the fabs that are being built, you know, are completed.  And having union workers do that is a part of that too. 

And so, you know, there’s no reason to expect that the resilient economy that we’ve seen so far will not bounce back from the anomalies of October. 

Q    Was President Biden’s transcript altered — 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Hold on — hold on a second.  Wait a minute. 

Q    Yeah.  (Laughs.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Wait a minute.  Is — any other for the secretary?  Can I have her sit down if — if we’re done?

Q    Keep it tight, because we’re going to land soon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Oh, okay.  All right.

Q    Thank you so much.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Be careful.

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Thank you all.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Be careful.  Hold on.  I’m going to let AP go first. 

Go ahead, AP.

Q    Thank you, Karine.  On AP’s reporting from last night about the potential doctored co-  — about the doctored comments in the recent transcript.  Were you aware that the Press Office — White House Press Office had done this before the stenographer had taken an approval?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, I was asked this question — multiple versions of this question on Wednesday.  I don’t have anything else more to share.  What I can say is — and the president put out a statement that was tweeted out — that’s on X, obviously — ver- — being very clear what he meant, understanding that his words could have been taken out of context. 

He was talking about the comedian.  He was talking about the hateful rhetoric coming out of — from the comedian at the Sunday rally in Madison Square Garden. 

And I said this on Wednesday, and I’m going to keep saying this is that the president is always going to continue to call out hateful rhetoric. 

But of course — of course — and you see this today with the pensions announcement; you saw it this week when he went to Baltimore to an- — to announce some ports infrastructure investment, $147 million that went to Baltimore — to Maryland, specifically; 27 states, 11 of those states are red states.  I mean, these are things that the president wants to continue about, and he always will be a president for everyone, even if you did not vote for him. 

I don’t have anything else to share beyond that.  What I — what we want to make sure — we think what the most important thing for Americans to know is that this is a president that went back and wanted to clarify what he said, because he didn’t want to take it out of context.  I think that says a lot about this president.

And we’ve been pretty consistent about him wanting to be a president and continuing to be a president for all Americans.  And that’s what you’re going to see.  I don’t have anything else to add beyond that.

Q    What does the — have you all received reports about Iran potentially having a re- — a strike against — a retaliatory strike from its proxies?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, as you said, there are reports that Israeli in- — intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraqi territory in the coming days, possibly before the U.S. presidential election.  Is — is that the U.S. view as well?  You know, I’m not — I’m going to be really careful.  I’m not going to — to your question, I’m not going to speculate or discuss intelligence assessments on this from here.

So — but we’ve been very clear that Iran should not respond.  I said this on Wednesday.  We will continue to support Israel.  Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad.  And — and if they choose this to do so, obviously we will continue to support Israel as they continue to protect themselves and their security. 

So, I don’t have anything to share.  I’m not going to read into that.

Q    Is the president aware of former President Trump’s comments about Liz Cheney that he made last night?  And does he have a reaction to that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, he’s aware.  Obviously, you all have done — have covered — covered those remarks.  Here’s what I would say to that.  It is — it is unacceptable; it is dangerous to — to — to s- — to speak to political violence, to talk about political vi- — violence, to lift up political violence. 

And what we are doing and we will continue to do is denounce that, condemn that.  There is no place, anywhere, for any type of violence, no place for political violence. 

And it — and this is a time we shouldn’t be using inflammatory language.  We should be specifically focusing on bringing the country together, and that’s what this president wants to see, and that’s what he’s going to continue to speak to. 

Q    Do you think those comments put Liz Cheney at risk?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, look, I can’t speak to that.  I can’t get into hypotheticals.  What we know is that those type of comments tend to be dangerous, right?  They can be dangerous. 

That’s — we’re hearing violent rhetoric, and we’re going to continue to condemn that.  It is inappropriate in the political space, and — and it is inflammatory language that should not be said by anyone, certainly by — not when someone has a — a leadership — national leadership.

Q    Has there been any discussion about heightening the security preparations this week in response to what we’ve seen?  Whether it’s, you know, ahead of the election, after the election for certain members of Congress, what does that look like at this point?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  For certain members of Congress specifically?

Q    Well, just for that and then broader security preparations.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, look, I — I would have to — as it relates to Congress, obviously, that’s the — something for — the Capitol Police can speak to.  I can’t speak to that.

Look, I think that what you’ll see from this — from this president is that, you know, free and fair elections and especially peaceful election are the cornerstone of our democracy.  And election officials and poll workers are dedicated to public servants who make our democracy work, and they deserve to do their job — their job safely and freely without harassment, without threat of violence. 

So, we strongly condemn anyone who threatens or harasses them.  And so — but I also believe and we also believe that people should trust in our institutions and trust that this will be a free and fair election.

Q    What about Lebanon?  Can you give us a status report?  Are those talks dead?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, a couple of things.  As you know, Brett and —

AIR FORCE ONE CREW MEMBER:  Going to need everyone to take their seats, please.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Well, we got to go.

AIR FORCE ONE CREW MEMBER:  There’s going to be some turbulence.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ll — we’ll have more fo- — we can share — I would reach out to the NSC team, and they’ll share more about things.  But we have to sit down.

Thanks, everybody. 

Q    Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Be careful.  It’s really bumpy.

2:59 P.M. EDT

The post Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su En Route Philadelphia, PA appeared first on The White House.

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2:43 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right, everybody.  Hey, everyone.

Q    Hi.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Hi, hi, hi.  Okay.  I know this is a short flight, but I do have a couple things at the top that’s important.

So, to start, I wanted to mention that open enrollment in the Federal Care Act marketplace, where more than 20 million Americans get health insurance, starts today.  More than a decade after passage of the law, Americans’ health care remains under threat.  Just this week, Speaker Johnson promised massive reform to the ACA.  The Republican Study Committee budget cuts a staggering $4.5 trillion from the ACA, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, consistent with every budget proposed by the former president.

Senator J.D. Vance has taken aim at the very idea of the risk pooling between healthy and sick which lies at the heart of the ACA.  And Republicans in Congress have made clear that one of their first orders of business would be raising premiums in ACA health insurance by an average of 800 bucks per person per year.

President Biden and Vice President Harris have done the po- — the opposite, bringing health insurance to more than ev- — more than ever — mor- — more people than ever before, lowering ACA premiums by 800 bucks per year, getting rid of red tape that the prior administration used to try to keep people from enrolling and expanding enrollment support.

The president and vice president will keep standing up for the affordable health insurance, and they will block any attempt to rip it away. 

Shifting gears just a second, I wanted to quickly discuss a recent ProPublica series highlighting reports of women in states like Texas and Georgia who have died after being denied the lifesaving care they need because of extreme abortion bans.  The stories are heartbreaking, scary, and sickening a- — sickening.  It’s hard to believe or accept as reality, and it’s completely unacceptable. 

This should never happen in America, but, sadly, it is, and tho- — and these abortion bans that are denying women lifesaving care are only possible because the former president appointed three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade.  The devastating and gut-wrenching consequences of these bans put in place are — enforced by Republican elected officials are very clear. 

President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that women in every state must have the right to make deeply personal decisions about their health.  They also believe that no woman should ever be denied the care she needs.  They will continue to fight back against these extreme bans and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law.

And finally, we’re en route, as you all know, to Philadelphia, where the president will announce new actions to further his administration’s historic support for unions.  While in Philadelphia, he’ll announce that his administration has protected 1.2 million pensions because of the American Rescue M- — Rescue Plan’s Butch Lewis Act.  During the visit, President Biden will announce new funding to prevent cuts to the earned pensions benefits of 29,000 UFCW workers and retirees.

As you can see to my right, I’m joined by acting secretary — Labor Se- — Labor — Labor, Julia Su, who will share more about today’s action and the historic work the President Biden — the president and the vice president have done to support unions.

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Thank you so much, Karine.  Thank you all for being here.  And so, Karine mentioned this.  We are headed to Philadelphia to announce the restoration of the UFCW Tri-State Pension Fund.  This is part of the president’s commitment, which he has had from day one, to do right by working people.  We know that when jobs are good, when working people are protected, our economy is stronger; our nation is stronger. 

This is the third event that I’m doing like this.  The — the first one was with the carpenters in Detroit.  The second was with the Teamsters in Centralia, Illinois.  Again, you know, a situation where working people who had worked a lifetime and were expecting to be able to retire with dignity because of their pensions were seeing the end of those pensions and were going to see their — their benefits slashed dramatically.

Because of the Butch Lewis Act, because of the actions of President Biden and Vice President Harris — noting that Vice President Harris cast the deciding vote to pass the American Rescue Plan, of which the Butch Lewis Act is a part — because of that, these individuals are now going to be able to retire, to be able to live with dignity, to be able to take care of themselves and their families as they expected.

This announcement also comes, obviously, on the same day that we’ve had a jobs day, and, you know, it’s always a time to talk about good jobs, because this administration now, you know, has presided over more jobs being created than any other administration in the same time period.  It’s now over 16 million jobs.  GDP remains strong.  Inflation is still falling.  Wages are still increasing.  Wages have grown faster than inflation for now 17 months straight.  And the unemployment rate remains at 4.1 percent, so it’s been around 4 percent for the longest stretch since the 1960s.

So, labor market remains very strong, and this shows what happens when you have a president and a vice president who are fighting for workers every single day.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Thank you.   Go ahead.

Q    Thank you, Secretary.  On the jobs report, should Americans be concerned of — that the economy is cooling in this moment, and what is the administration doing at the moment to ensure that jobs continue to be generated going forward?

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Great.  So, two questions and two answers.  No, we should not be concerned about cooling.  There were some anomalies last month that led to a much lower jobs number.  One was, of course, the devastating hurricanes — back-to-back hurricanes that hit the southeast part of the country.  You know, we saw people who lost their lives, lost their homes, lost their businesses.  The federal government was on the ground immediately, working with state and local authorities to do everything from search and rescue to clearing roads to making sure that people had water and power back.

But in terms of the jobs numbers, it meant that there were employers who, you know, would have been hiring or may have been even ramping up because of the holiday season coming up who just simply couldn’t do that.  So, the hurricanes had a really big effect.

And then, of course, there were workers on strike — over 30,000 of them.  And the — when they’re on strike, their numbers also, you know, show up as a decrease in the jobs.  Just the — the nature of the — of the numbers.

But what do we need to do to continue the incredible economy that we have had is to keep on making the investments that the Biden-Harris administration has had, you know, the — where we’ve got over 60,000 infrastructure projects going on around the country.  I’ve visited many of them.  We have apprenticeship programs bursting at the seams.  People being able to look for jobs and get jobs in communities that were shuttered, where factories were closed in the last administration, now opening up again.  And we just need to keep up that work.

Q    Can I ask about the Boeing strike situation?  It sounds like there’s a vote set for Monday, if memory serves.  Can you speak to what your view is — is on the latest on that and whe- — whether membership will accept?  Will you expect that this will pass —

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Yes.

Q    — as opposed to the previous time when it (inaudible)?

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Yes.  So, I was in Seattle from Monday to Wednesday.  I brought the parties together at the — at my office in Seattle.  They, you know, deserve a lot of credit.  I want to acknowledge the leadership of both the machinists and Boeing for coming to the table and doing the hard work of negotiating. 

You know, the president says this all the time; the vice president acknowledges this all the time: Collective bargaining works.  It doesn’t always look pretty from the outside, but when workers have a voice, when unions are strong and workers are able to help determine the conditions of their work, their wages, the future of their industry, it’s better for everybody. 

And so, now they have a — an unprecedented offer on the table that many people thought was impossible.  And — and they’re — they’re going to vote on it on Monday. 

Q    Sounds like you think it’ll pass. 

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  I don’t know.  You know, I — you know, we believe as — that — that it’s up to the members, of course.  You know, but these workers have not seen a wage increase like this in a very, very long time. 

In fact, the first-year wage increase is more than what they’ve had in — in the last many years combined.  So, it’s a — it’s really a sign of collective bargaining working. 

And, you know, workers exercise their right.  They — you know, i- — that they’re part of what we’re seeing in a Biden-Harris America of — of a new era of worker power, and it is resulting in not just the tremendous job growth we keep talking about but really more equity and more — more powerful working people. 

Q    You touched on this.  But just to be specific, because the president said in his statement that job growth is expected to rebound in November as the hurricane recovery and rebuilding efforts continue, can you give us a sense of what you would project that that could look like?  What could the November picture be?

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  So, obviously, the — the devastating weather-related phenomena that we have been facing, you know, has an impact — right? — has a devastating, direct, personal impact on communities that are affected.  It also has an impact on the economy. 

And so, barring something else like that, you know, that was not a sign of weakness in the economy.  That was really a — you know, a weather-related phenomena.  And so, barring that, we expect, you know, those communities to recover. 

We’re obviously not just watching it happen or hoping it happens.  We’re in there helping it to happen. 

And so, you know, again, the investments that we’re making is really the key here, right?  We would not have seen the kind of economy — the 16 million jobs created — without that.  This is not an administration that has just, you know, hoped for the best.  It’s one that inherited the economy that was still reeling from a global pandemic that the last administration had no idea how to address. 

And what we have done is, you know, really, you know, exceeded all expectations on the recovery.  We need to keep on doing that work.  We need to make sure that those infrastructure projects keep breaking ground; that the fabs that are being built, you know, are completed.  And having union workers do that is a part of that too. 

And so, you know, there’s no reason to expect that the resilient economy that we’ve seen so far will not bounce back from the anomalies of October. 

Q    Was President Biden’s transcript altered — 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Hold on — hold on a second.  Wait a minute. 

Q    Yeah.  (Laughs.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Wait a minute.  Is — any other for the secretary?  Can I have her sit down if — if we’re done?

Q    Keep it tight, because we’re going to land soon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Oh, okay.  All right.

Q    Thank you so much.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Be careful.

ACTING SECRETARY SU:  Thank you all.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Be careful.  Hold on.  I’m going to let AP go first. 

Go ahead, AP.

Q    Thank you, Karine.  On AP’s reporting from last night about the potential doctored co-  — about the doctored comments in the recent transcript.  Were you aware that the Press Office — White House Press Office had done this before the stenographer had taken an approval?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, I was asked this question — multiple versions of this question on Wednesday.  I don’t have anything else more to share.  What I can say is — and the president put out a statement that was tweeted out — that’s on X, obviously — ver- — being very clear what he meant, understanding that his words could have been taken out of context. 

He was talking about the comedian.  He was talking about the hateful rhetoric coming out of — from the comedian at the Sunday rally in Madison Square Garden. 

And I said this on Wednesday, and I’m going to keep saying this is that the president is always going to continue to call out hateful rhetoric. 

But of course — of course — and you see this today with the pensions announcement; you saw it this week when he went to Baltimore to an- — to announce some ports infrastructure investment, $147 million that went to Baltimore — to Maryland, specifically; 27 states, 11 of those states are red states.  I mean, these are things that the president wants to continue about, and he always will be a president for everyone, even if you did not vote for him. 

I don’t have anything else to share beyond that.  What I — what we want to make sure — we think what the most important thing for Americans to know is that this is a president that went back and wanted to clarify what he said, because he didn’t want to take it out of context.  I think that says a lot about this president.

And we’ve been pretty consistent about him wanting to be a president and continuing to be a president for all Americans.  And that’s what you’re going to see.  I don’t have anything else to add beyond that.

Q    What does the — have you all received reports about Iran potentially having a re- — a strike against — a retaliatory strike from its proxies?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, as you said, there are reports that Israeli in- — intelligence suggests Iran is preparing to attack Israel from Iraqi territory in the coming days, possibly before the U.S. presidential election.  Is — is that the U.S. view as well?  You know, I’m not — I’m going to be really careful.  I’m not going to — to your question, I’m not going to speculate or discuss intelligence assessments on this from here.

So — but we’ve been very clear that Iran should not respond.  I said this on Wednesday.  We will continue to support Israel.  Our support for Israel’s security is ironclad.  And — and if they choose this to do so, obviously we will continue to support Israel as they continue to protect themselves and their security. 

So, I don’t have anything to share.  I’m not going to read into that.

Q    Is the president aware of former President Trump’s comments about Liz Cheney that he made last night?  And does he have a reaction to that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, he’s aware.  Obviously, you all have done — have covered — covered those remarks.  Here’s what I would say to that.  It is — it is unacceptable; it is dangerous to — to — to s- — to speak to political violence, to talk about political vi- — violence, to lift up political violence. 

And what we are doing and we will continue to do is denounce that, condemn that.  There is no place, anywhere, for any type of violence, no place for political violence. 

And it — and this is a time we shouldn’t be using inflammatory language.  We should be specifically focusing on bringing the country together, and that’s what this president wants to see, and that’s what he’s going to continue to speak to. 

Q    Do you think those comments put Liz Cheney at risk?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, look, I can’t speak to that.  I can’t get into hypotheticals.  What we know is that those type of comments tend to be dangerous, right?  They can be dangerous. 

That’s — we’re hearing violent rhetoric, and we’re going to continue to condemn that.  It is inappropriate in the political space, and — and it is inflammatory language that should not be said by anyone, certainly by — not when someone has a — a leadership — national leadership.

Q    Has there been any discussion about heightening the security preparations this week in response to what we’ve seen?  Whether it’s, you know, ahead of the election, after the election for certain members of Congress, what does that look like at this point?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  For certain members of Congress specifically?

Q    Well, just for that and then broader security preparations.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, look, I — I would have to — as it relates to Congress, obviously, that’s the — something for — the Capitol Police can speak to.  I can’t speak to that.

Look, I think that what you’ll see from this — from this president is that, you know, free and fair elections and especially peaceful election are the cornerstone of our democracy.  And election officials and poll workers are dedicated to public servants who make our democracy work, and they deserve to do their job — their job safely and freely without harassment, without threat of violence. 

So, we strongly condemn anyone who threatens or harasses them.  And so — but I also believe and we also believe that people should trust in our institutions and trust that this will be a free and fair election.

Q    What about Lebanon?  Can you give us a status report?  Are those talks dead?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, a couple of things.  As you know, Brett and —

AIR FORCE ONE CREW MEMBER:  Going to need everyone to take their seats, please.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Well, we got to go.

AIR FORCE ONE CREW MEMBER:  There’s going to be some turbulence.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’ll — we’ll have more fo- — we can share — I would reach out to the NSC team, and they’ll share more about things.  But we have to sit down.

Thanks, everybody. 

Q    Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Be careful.  It’s really bumpy.

2:59 P.M. EDT

The post Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su En Route Philadelphia, PA appeared first on The White House.

Sprinkler Fitters Local 692 Hall
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

4:37 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Hello, Philly!  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Thank you, thank you, truly.

We owe — not o- — not only do we owe you the pension that was owed to you, but we owe you a lot more than that.  You know, the reason this country is working is because the middle class is growing.  The middle class built this country, and unions built the middle class.  (Applause.) 

Look, it’s always great to be working with men and women of the m- — great union movement.  You know, Wayne Miller of the Sprinkler Fitters Local 692, who tha- — thanks for hosting us today.  (Applause.)  Wayne, my staff said you even fed them.  I don’t know — I’m going to (inaudible).  (Laughter.)

And Wendell Young, UFCW 1776 — (applause); and Bill Hamilton, president of Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters.  (Applause.)  I also want to thank the great champions of working people here.  Brendan Boyle is a hell of a guy, man.  (Applause.)  He stuck with me — no. 

And Mary Gay Scanlon — (applause) — who I tell you, I think I hurt her reputation, because you know what?  I found out — you know, once you become elected president — I’m only the second Catholic ever elected.  When I headed to Ireland, they did all this background stuff on me where I’m from.  Well, it turns out — I showed her today; I got in writing — we’re related.  (Laughter and applause.)  I tell you what and —

And Madeleine Dean — where are you, Madeleine?  (Applause.)  She’s back there.   And Donald Norcross — and Donald — (applause).   And our acting secretary of Labor, Julie Su, is doing an incredible job.  (Applause.)  

And the guy — if you’re in trouble; you’re in a foxhole, man, you want him with you — that guy right there.  What’s his name?  (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Bobby!

THE PRESIDENT:  Bobby, good to see you, Bo- — you’re great.  (Applause.)  I — I’m serious.  He’s always, always there.

Look, we know this simple truth, as I said: Wall Street and the — please, if you have seats, take them.  (Laughter.) 

Look, I’m not joking around when I say that, you know, we talk — I come from Delaware.  I represented Delaware for 36 years in the United States Senate.  And, by the way, for 36 years — each year, they list the poorest man in Congress.  (The president raises his hand.)  (Laughter.)  Oh, I’m not joking.  Thirty-six years, I was listed — House and Senate — the poorest man in Congress. 

Never felt myself poor, but I guess came from a typical middle-class family.  You’re breaking your neck — my dad used to have an expression.  He’d say, “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck.  A job is about your dignity.  It’s about respect.  It’s about being treated with respect.  It’s about being able to look people in the eye.  It’s being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, it’s going to be okay,’ and know it’s real.”  That’s what this is all about, man.

I’m so sick and tired — sick and tired of the corporate notion of that it all — if corporations do well, we all do well.  I want corporations to do well as long as their employees do well.  But, man, the way it’s working now and the way it’s been working has not been working so well. 

Look, and I — so, I mean what I say.  Wall Street did not build this country.  They’re not bad guys.  They’re just a little greedy sometimes, but they’re not bad guys.  But Ame- — the middle class built the country.  And it’s not a joke.  You guys built the middle class, for real.  (Applause.)   There would be no middle cl- — not a —

Look, just since I’ve been elected — and I’m proud to be listed as the pr- — most pro-union president in American history — the middle class has grown.  (Applause.)  The middle class is growing.  We have the best economy in the world right now because of you.  (Applause.)

Thank you, John Dean and John Pishko — John — both Johns, for the introduction.  And most of all, thanks for sharing your stories.  Look, think about what they just described.  You all understand it well, but the folks who may be listening don’t u- — quite understand it as much.  It’s a story of — so many union workers could tell about working for decades to raise a family, working for decades just —

I remember my dad lost a pension.  We lived in a three-bedroom house, split-level home, and — down in Wilmington, Delaware, when they’re — in a suburban area of Wilmington, when they were building, like, (inaudible) homes — the same kind of homes.  They were a decent home, but we had four kids living there and a grandpop.  And I remember how restless my dad was one night because my wall — my bedroom was up against his, when my — me and my thr- — two brothers were in that room.  And I asked mom the next morning.  I said, “What’s the matter?”  And she said, “Well, Dad, they just — he just lost his pension.  He just lost his pension.”

But, look, putting money away from paycheck to paycheck for a dignified retirement, knowing that when the time comes, that pension you’ve earned will be there is critical, just for peace of mind.  It has phenomenal impacts on how marriages work and how families hold together when you have that knowledge, because there’s so much pressure.

But then you retire and find out all those years of work and sacrifice were slashed through no fault of your own — none.  Imagine what that does financially, emotionally, and to your dignity.  It’s wrong.  It’s just s- — it’s just simply wrong.  It should have never happened — never.

But then think about what it means to be made whole again, to have your lives, your pension restored, not only h- — don’t have to worry about it but about what you’re going to be able to do.  It matters.  It matters.

Four years ago, Kamala and I inherited a pandemic that was raging and the economy that was reeling.  So, we went to work right away.  We enacted the American Rescue Plan that did a lot more than just pensions.  It’s one of the most significant economic relief packages in the history of America.  Delivered immediate relief to folks that need it most. 

But not a single — this is what’s changed.  I was in the Senate a long — I know I only look like I’m 40, but I’m a little older.  (Laughter.)  But all kidding aside, we used to have real differences in the — in — in the — in the Senate.  But at least when the critical things we’d have — we’d end up getting together.  But not anymore.  This is — this is a different — this is a different deal we’re working with.

Not a single, solitary Republican in the House or the Senate — not one — voted to help with the pensions.  Not one single one.

AUDIENCE:  Booo —

THE PRESIDENT:  No, no.  I — it’s not so much about — it’s the w- — way things have gotten.  You know, it’s like you either vote the right way of one guy wants it or you’re in trouble.  It’s wrong.  It’s not who the hell we are.  I believe a lot of those Republicans who voted no thought it was wrong, but they’re afraid to vote the right way.

As part of the American Rescue Plan, Kamala and I worked like hell to include the Butch Lewis Act to protect the pension of millions of union workers and retirees from Pennsylvania and throughout Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin — all across America. 

Simply put, the Butch Lewis Act is the most significant investment in pension security for union workers and retirees in over 50 years.  (Applause.)  And I might add, it’s not enough.  We got to do a hell of a lot more, but I’ll get to that in a moment.  (Laughter.)

And, again, e- — every — every guy on the other team voted against it — every single one.  Think about that. 

Before the Butch Lewis Act became the law of the land, union workers and retirees faced cuts of up to 70 percent or more of the retirement benefits through no fault of their own — none.  But now, because of what Kamala and I did in Congress and folks like Brendan Boyle and others — because of the labor leaders that are here, because of many of you — the pensions of millions of union workers and retirees are protected.

Food warehouse workers, truck drivers, scores of others don’t worry anymore about their benefits being cut, because now they know, because of what we’ve done, they’ll receive the full amount of their pensions they’ve worked hard for, and they’ll receive it for decades to come.

Folks, look, for all those retirees whose benefits are already cut, as you heard today — and many of you hopefully ben- — benefited as well, they’ll be made whole again — all the — all the — all you lost will be made up.  And those with benefits restored — and restored retroactively.  But, folks, that’s what I call a pretty big deal.  Folks — (applause). 

So, I came to North Philly today to announce major progress we made in implementing the Butch Lewis Act.  But this morning, the U.S. Department of Labor released a report which shows that since we passed the law in March of 2021, we’ve already protected the pensions of over 1.2 million — 1.2 million workers and retirees.  (Applause.)  And that includes over 65,000 workers and retirees across Pennsylvania alone.  (Applause.)

For retirees whose benefits were cut or at risk of being cut, we’ve paid them back more than $1.6 billion so far.  (Applause.)  That’s about $13,600 already paid back in the pockets of each retiree, and some are even more.  It’s a game changer.

Today, I’m also announcing $684 million from the Butch Lewis Act to restore pensions for an additional 29,000 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.  (Applause.)

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  You earned it.  Don’t —

AUDIENCE:  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe!  Thank you, Joe! 

THE PRESIDENT:  Don’t thank me.  Thank you.  You shouldn’t have to thank anybody.  You shouldn’t have to thank anybody. 

Look, there are nearly 11,000 workers and retirees living right here in Pennsylvania. 

For years and years, union workers have been driving trucks from factories to stores, bagging your groceries, constructing your buildings, your bridges, your roads.  We need to do so much more for ironworkers, bricklayers, carpenters, laborers, plumbers, truck drivers, food workers, and more.  These workers are working hard today, and they deserve a secure retirement they’ve earned for the rest of their lives.

Folks, look, we’re just getting started.  By the way, that little — that little, big bill we passed for, you know, dealing with infrastructure?  A trillion three hundred billion dollars, that’s what that bill is worth.  (Applause.) 

Remember the last guy, when he was president, he said we’re going to have — we have re- — retired — we have infr- — anyway, he had — every week, we’re going to have “Infrastructure Week.”

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Joe got it done!

THE PRESIDENT:  Never fin- — he didn’t do a damn thing.  (Applause.) 

But, you know, too many of them face painful cuts to the benefits they’ve worked so hard and counted on — some of you losing 40, 50, 70 percent of your pensions through your — no fault of your own.  That’s why the Butch Act — Lewis Act was so important to pass in the first place. 

And when it comes to office — wh- — when we came to the — when I came into office, I was determined to restore and guarantee pensions that were earned and paid into.  I was also determined to fundamentally transform the way the economy works for everyone. 

You know, I’ve got so sick and tired of the eco- — trickle-down economics.  Remember, that’s how it worked?  The rich, if they do well, they’ll pay their taxes, and it’ll trickle down, and we’ll all benefit.  Well, not a hel- — hell of a lot dr- — trickled down to my father’s kitchen table.  (Applause.)  No, I’m not jo- — this is — I’m dead — I’m dead earnest here.

To grow the economy, when we just sought out to change the way we did it — and if you no- — there’s no reason why you would notice, but all the international economic publications are talking about it now.  I decided we’re going to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up. 

When the middle class does well, everybody does well.  (Applause.)  The wealthy do well.  Put workers first.  Support unions.  Invest in all of America, in all Americans.  When we do these things, we do well. 

That’s what we’re seeing.  Sixteen million new jobs created just so far — (applause) — the greatest job-creation record of any single presidential term in American history.  (Applause.)  1.6 million manufacturing and construction jobs. 

And where is it written that America can’t lead the world in manufacturing?  I got so tick and sired [sick and tired] of hearing that we can’t — come on, man.  (Laughter.)  No, I’m serious.  Think about it.

We have the best workers in the world.  That’s not hyperbole.  That’s a fact.

When I decided to bring back the chips bi- — industry back — we invented that little chip that goes in all those computers.  We invented it.  We used to have 40 percent of the market.  We got down to 4 percent of the market.

Well, guess what?  I told my staff — and even they thought I was crazy.  I said, “I’m going to South Korea.  I’m going to sit down with them and make sure that they start — we start making this stuff home.”  I sat with Samsung.  They invested $15 billion coming back to the United States to build those chips here and build those factories here.  (Applause.)

But over $60 billion more is being inter- — is being made here, and they’re just getting started.  We’re just getting started.

These “fabs,” they call them, they’re as big as football fields.  These fabs, you know what the average salary is?  One hundred and ten thousand dollars a year, and you don’t need a college degree.  (Applause.)  And we’re just getting started. 

This past week, we did- — get very encouraging news about the economy.  Inflation continues to drop.  Remember they said, “Biden is going to get elected, there’s going to be a recession”?  Give me a freaking break.  (Laughter and applause.) 

We got it back down from close to 9 percent down to nearly 2 percent, which means people have more money in their pockets now than they did before the pandemic, and we’re continuing to see economic growth. 

Today, union workers are modernizing American infrastructure — roads, bridges, airports, ports, clean water, affordable high-speed Internet — for every Pennsylvanian — not some, every.  And thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Pennsylvania has received $18 billion so far for 2,000 projects — (applause) — so far.  And that includes a billion dollars for the city of Philadelphia in the few months since Mayor Parker has been in office.  They already got a billion dollars to her.  (Applause.) 

Look, folks, I signed an executive order to make sure large federal construction projects use project labor agreements that are negot- — (applause) — not a joke — negotiated between union and companies before the construction began, because your con- — we make sure construction is top notch, on time, and on budget.  (Applause.)

And, by the way — by the way, employers are starting to figure it out.  Not a joke.  I told you about Samsung.  When the guy said, “Why are you coming to — back to the U- — why are you coming to United States,” he said, “Two reasons: One, you have the best workers in the world.”  (Applause.)  I — no- — not a joke — “the most qualified workers in the” —

People think — I wish union would start talking about what it takes to get — to become whatever you decide to be, whether anything from electrician to whatever.  You have to do somewhere between four and five years of apprenticeship.  It’s like going back to school, man — like going to college.  But people don’t know it.  People don’t know it. 

We got to talk more about it so people who aren’t in unions understand just how damn qualified you are and how hard you worked to get to where you are. 

You know, “Buy American” used to be the law of the land.  By the — by that, is i- — look, the way it works — supposed to work, back in the ‘30s, when they were trying to bust unions or prevent them from co- — coming into being in the first place, what they — passed a law under Roosevelt, which said that if you’re going to have — you’re going to try — if you’re going to fo- — form a union, you can’t do the following things to try to break the union. 

But there was a provision in there and that no — that nobody paid attention to.  It said, “And when the president spends money given to him by the Congress to do something for the country, he has to use American products, and he has to buy — use American workers.”  Nobody did it.  (Applause.)  No, not a joke. 

Well, every damn penny I’ve been sent by the m- — United States Congress has been gone to use American product and American workers — every one.  (Applause.)  Not a joke.  It’s why we’re growing so well.  Federal projects helping build American roads, bridges, highways are now being made with American products, built by American workers, creating good-paying American jobs.

In fact, we’re requiring those kinds of projects to pay Davis-Bacon wages av- — for every single family out there. 

Look, folks — (applause) — many of those jobs don’t require a college degree, but they — look, in fact, we — we extended the registered apprenticeship program.  Remember when the corporations said, “Don’t worry, we’ll take care of training them.  We- — we’ll take care of apprenticeships”?  Give me a break.  (Laughter.)

So, what’d we do?  We decided we were going to make sure they were available.  The result being over a million apprentices since we’ve come into office — a million new apprentices have come (inaudible).  (Applause.) 

And like I said, a lot of folks don’t realize an apprenticeship is like earning a college degree.  In an apprenticeship, you train for four or five years.  They’re some of the best workers in the world. 

Kamala and I have already believe- — always believed that National Labor Relations Board should be pro-labor.  (Applause.)  But those of you involved in leading unions, you know what it’s been under the last guy: anti-labor people put on the — on the Labor Relations Board.  Not anymore, not anymore.  (Applause.) 

That’s why we have — one of the most significant things we’ve done is appoint Na- — National Labor Relations Board members who actually believe in unions and believe in your right to organize.  (Applause.) 

As I said, I’m honored to be considered the most pro-union president in American history, and I’m proud to be the first president to walk a picket line.  (Applause.)  And Kamala is proud to have walked a picket line as well.  The other guy looks to — for picket lines to cross, but we’ve always had your back.  (Laughter.)  We’ve always had your back.

Look, let me — I don’t want to get going here.  (Laughter and applause.) 

We owe you so much.  I really mean it.  The country owes you so much.

Let me close with this.  When I was being raised in Scranton, where my dad taught me something that always stuck with me — and I mentioned to you before — that a job is a lot — about a lot more than a paycheck, and it really is.  Think about it.  Think about what it is.  It’s about your dignity.  It’s about how you treat it.  It’s about how people look at you — look up to you, not down at you.  It’s about your place in the community.  It’s about being able, as I said, to look your kid in the eye and say, “Honey, it’s going to be okay,” and mean it — mean it.

That’s the value set I learned here in Pennsylvania, the value set that’s at the core of the labor — at the core of the American labor market — union market — a movement made up of extraordinary people like you.  And I’m not just trying to be nice, man.  I’m not running again.  (Laughter.)  You’re stuck with me.  And the one thing I don’t think anybody can argue is I never haven’t done what I’ve said I’m going to do.  (Applause.) 

So — and like someone we honor today, Butch Lewis, joining us today is his wife, Rita.  Rita, where are you?  (Applause.)  Come on up here.  Come on up here. 

Rita and Butch are childhood sweethearts.  Butch played baseball — drafted by the Pirates, by the way, out of high school. 

Come over here for a minute.  We’ll walk over there in a minute.

And he enlisted in the Army instead — Special Forces Army Ranger, served in Vietnam, earned a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.  Came back home to Rita, settled in Cincinnati, and became a Teamsters trucker and then president of his Local.  Known as an honorable, honest, decent, labor leader — that’s who he was.

Butch faced severe cuts in pensions and became a fierce advocate of protecting those pensions for fellow workers.  He died almost nine years ago.  And, Rita, you’ve carried on his legacy ever since then.  This is a woman who didn’t stop.  (Applause.)

Together with Democrats in the Congress, the Butch Lewis Act I signed into law now protects pensions for millions of American workers, and it matters.

Rita, can you please join me over here? 

Can you all hear me from here? 

AUDIENCE:  Yes.

THE PRESIDENT:  (Inaudible.)

AIDE:  The Citizens Medal is given to citizens of the United States of America who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. 

A fierce labor leader, Butch Lewis helped to protect hard-earned pensions of millions of Americans.  He passed up a shot at professional baseball, instead serving our nation as a decorated Army Ranger in Vietnam.  He spent 40 years as a trucker, Teamster, and union leader, fighting for the dignity of work and solidarity of workers across Ohio and the country.  A man of humility and warmth, he inspired everyone around him, embodying the simple truth that the middle class built America and unions built the middle class. 

THE PRESIDENT:  Now — (applause) — this is on the verge of being inappropriate.  (Laughter.)  But I’m going to pin this on you.

MRS. LEWIS:  Thank you so much.  I’m so grateful.  My husband would be so happy.

THE PRESIDENT:  He’s looking.

MRS. LEWIS:  (Inaudible) never give up on us.

THE PRESIDENT:  (Inaudible.) 

(The president drops the backing piece of the medal.)

MRS. LEWIS:  Oops!

THE PRESIDENT:  What am I doing here?  Hang on. 

MRS. LEWIS:  I don’t know.  (Laughter.)

MRS. LEWIS:  Do you want me to help you?

THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, I want — see if you can put it on. 

MRS. LEWIS:  (Laughs.)  Okay.  I can’t see through these tears.  I don’t know if I can. 

THE PRESIDENT:  I tell you what, I’m not getting fresh.  (Laughter.) 

MRS. LEWIS:  Oh, I know you’re not.  You never would. 

But I’ve never had a president get fresh with me before.  That would be a first.  (Laughter.)

(The president pins the Citizens Medal.)

THE PRESIDENT:  There you go.  (Applause.)

MRS. LEWIS:  Thank you so much.  Thank you, everyone.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks, my dad had another expression.  He used to say, for real, “Remember, Joey: Family is the beginning, the middle, and the end.”

Thank you all for being loyal to one another, not forgetting where you come from, and sticking with those you need to help. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

5:02 P.M. EDT

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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 Iran that was declared in Executive Order 12170 of November 14, 1979, is to continue in effect beyond November 14, 2024.

Our relations with Iran have not yet normalized, and the process of implementing the agreements with Iran, dated January 19, 1981, is ongoing.  Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12170 with respect to Iran.

                               Sincerely,

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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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 Iran that was declared in Executive Order 12170 of November 14, 1979, is to continue in effect beyond November 14, 2024.

Our relations with Iran have not yet normalized, and the process of implementing the agreements with Iran, dated January 19, 1981, is ongoing.  Therefore, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 12170 with respect to Iran.

                               Sincerely,

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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     On November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) and took related steps to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the situation in Iran.

     Our relations with Iran have not yet normalized, and the process of implementing the agreements with Iran, dated January 19, 1981, is ongoing.  For this reason, the national emergency declared on November 14, 1979, and the measures adopted on that date to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond November 14, 2024.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to Iran declared in Executive Order 12170.

     The emergency declared by Executive Order 12170 is distinct from the emergency declared in Executive Order 12957 on March 15, 1995.  This renewal, therefore, is distinct from the emergency renewal of March 12, 2024.

     This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    November 1, 2024.

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     On November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) and took related steps to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the situation in Iran.

     Our relations with Iran have not yet normalized, and the process of implementing the agreements with Iran, dated January 19, 1981, is ongoing.  For this reason, the national emergency declared on November 14, 1979, and the measures adopted on that date to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond November 14, 2024.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to Iran declared in Executive Order 12170.

     The emergency declared by Executive Order 12170 is distinct from the emergency declared in Executive Order 12957 on March 15, 1995.  This renewal, therefore, is distinct from the emergency renewal of March 12, 2024.

     This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    November 1, 2024.

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The White House Celebrates Día de los Muertos

WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the fourth year in a row, the White House is displaying a Día de los Muertos ofrenda to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed. As part of this experience, First Lady Jill Biden welcomed members of the Latino community for a special White House tour and invited guests to add a photo of a loved one to the display. This year’s ofrenda was created in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Institute, located in Washington, D.C.  
 
“The First Lady continues to open the ‘People’s House’ wider and wider to communities across the country. Through this Día de los Muertos ofrenda, we hope all who visit the White House in the coming days can take a moment to recognize those we’ve lost and celebrate the rich diversity of our country,” said Vanessa Valdivia, Press Secretary for the First Lady.
 
This is the fourth Día de los Muertos ofrenda display during the Biden-Harris Administration, and the second to be made available to view on the public tour of the White House. In 2023, Dr. Biden displayed the ofrenda along the public tour route of the White House for the first time and invited members of the Latino community to add a photo of a loved one. In 2022, Dr. Biden partnered with the National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA) in Chicago, Illinois to display an ofrenda that was located in the West Garden Room of the White House. In 2021, the President and First Lady debuted the first-ever ofrenda at the White House to mark Día de los Muertos.

Photos of the display are available here and additional content is on the @FLOTUS and @LaCasaBlanca accounts.

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La Casa Blanca celebra el Día de los Muertos 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Por cuarto año consecutivo, la Casa Blanca exhibe al público una ofrenda del Día de los Muertos para honrar y celebrar las vidas de seres queridos que han fallecido. La Primera Dama Jill Biden le dio la bienvenida a los miembros de la comunidad latina a un recorrido especial por la Casa Blanca e invitó al público a agregar una foto de un ser querido a la exhibición. Este año, la ofrenda fue creada en colaboración con el Instituto Cultural de Mexico en Washington, D.C.
 
“La Primera Dama continúa abriendo cada vez más la ‘Casa del Pueblo’ a comunidades de todo el país. Con esta ofrenda del Día de los Muertos, esperamos que todos aquellos que visiten la Casa Blanca en los próximos días puedan tomarse un momento para reconocer a aquellos que hemos perdido y celebrar la inmensa diversidad de nuestro país,” expresó Vanessa Valdivia, Secretaria de Prensa de la Primera Dama.
 
Esta es la cuarta vez que se exhibe una ofrenda del Día de los Muertos durante la administración Biden-Harris, y la segunda vez que está disponible para ser vista durante el recorrido público por la Casa Blanca. En 2022, la Dra. Biden colaboró con el Museo Nacional de Arte Mexicano (NMMA por sus siglas en inglés) en Chicago, Illinois para exhibir una ofrenda ubicada en el West Garden Room de la Casa Blanca. En 2021, el Presidente y la Primera Dama estrenaron la primera ofrenda en la Casa Blanca para conmemorar el Día de los Muertos.
 
Las fotos de la exhibición están disponibles aquí y el contenido adicional está en las cuentas @FLOTUS y @LaCasaBlanca.

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The White House Celebrates Día de los Muertos

WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the fourth year in a row, the White House is displaying a Día de los Muertos ofrenda to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones who have passed. As part of this experience, First Lady Jill Biden welcomed members of the Latino community for a special White House tour and invited guests to add a photo of a loved one to the display. This year’s ofrenda was created in partnership with the Mexican Cultural Institute, located in Washington, D.C.  
 
“The First Lady continues to open the ‘People’s House’ wider and wider to communities across the country. Through this Día de los Muertos ofrenda, we hope all who visit the White House in the coming days can take a moment to recognize those we’ve lost and celebrate the rich diversity of our country,” said Vanessa Valdivia, Press Secretary for the First Lady.
 
This is the fourth Día de los Muertos ofrenda display during the Biden-Harris Administration, and the second to be made available to view on the public tour of the White House. In 2023, Dr. Biden displayed the ofrenda along the public tour route of the White House for the first time and invited members of the Latino community to add a photo of a loved one. In 2022, Dr. Biden partnered with the National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA) in Chicago, Illinois to display an ofrenda that was located in the West Garden Room of the White House. In 2021, the President and First Lady debuted the first-ever ofrenda at the White House to mark Día de los Muertos.

Photos of the display are available here and additional content is on the @FLOTUS and @LaCasaBlanca accounts.

###

La Casa Blanca celebra el Día de los Muertos 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Por cuarto año consecutivo, la Casa Blanca exhibe al público una ofrenda del Día de los Muertos para honrar y celebrar las vidas de seres queridos que han fallecido. La Primera Dama Jill Biden le dio la bienvenida a los miembros de la comunidad latina a un recorrido especial por la Casa Blanca e invitó al público a agregar una foto de un ser querido a la exhibición. Este año, la ofrenda fue creada en colaboración con el Instituto Cultural de Mexico en Washington, D.C.
 
“La Primera Dama continúa abriendo cada vez más la ‘Casa del Pueblo’ a comunidades de todo el país. Con esta ofrenda del Día de los Muertos, esperamos que todos aquellos que visiten la Casa Blanca en los próximos días puedan tomarse un momento para reconocer a aquellos que hemos perdido y celebrar la inmensa diversidad de nuestro país,” expresó Vanessa Valdivia, Secretaria de Prensa de la Primera Dama.
 
Esta es la cuarta vez que se exhibe una ofrenda del Día de los Muertos durante la administración Biden-Harris, y la segunda vez que está disponible para ser vista durante el recorrido público por la Casa Blanca. En 2022, la Dra. Biden colaboró con el Museo Nacional de Arte Mexicano (NMMA por sus siglas en inglés) en Chicago, Illinois para exhibir una ofrenda ubicada en el West Garden Room de la Casa Blanca. En 2021, el Presidente y la Primera Dama estrenaron la primera ofrenda en la Casa Blanca para conmemorar el Día de los Muertos.
 
Las fotos de la exhibición están disponibles aquí y el contenido adicional está en las cuentas @FLOTUS y @LaCasaBlanca.

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:       Delegation of Authority Under Section 614(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 614(a)(1) of the FAA to determine whether it is important to the security interests of the United States to furnish up to $76 million in assistance to Ukraine without regard to any provision of law within the purview of section 614(a)(1) of the FAA.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:       Delegation of Authority Under Section 614(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 614(a)(1) of the FAA to determine whether it is important to the security interests of the United States to furnish up to $76 million in assistance to Ukraine without regard to any provision of law within the purview of section 614(a)(1) of the FAA.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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In October, unemployment was unchanged at 4.1%, but the devastation from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and new strike activity, lowered job growth. Job growth is expected to rebound in November as our hurricane recovery and rebuilding efforts continue. In addition, I want to congratulate the leadership of the Machinists and Boeing for negotiating a new contract proposal that will be voted on by union members. Machinists at Boeing have sacrificed over the years and deserve a strong contract.

America’s economy remains strong, with 16 million jobs created since I took office, including an average 180,000 jobs created each month over the last year—more than the year before the pandemic. We have the lowest average unemployment rate of any administration in 50 years, our economy has grown more than any presidential term this century, incomes are up $4,000 over prices, and inflation has fallen nearly to its 2% target.

There’s more work to do. We are working every day to lower costs for working families on rent, prescription drugs, health insurance, and child care. Congressional Republicans, however, are proposing a national sales tax that would cost families nearly $4,000 a year, hurt American manufacturing, and cut hundreds of thousands of jobs. They are fighting for tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations—we are fighting to grow the middle class.

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