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2:38 P.M. EDT

MODERATOR:  Good afternoon, everyone.  Thanks so much for joining today’s call.  As a reminder, this call will be on background, attributable to senior administration officials, and it is embargoed until 5:00 p.m. Eastern today.

For your awareness, not for your reporting, on the call today we have [senior administration official], [senior administration official], [senior administration official], and [senior administration official]. 

We’ll follow up shortly after the call with embargoed materials as well, but I will turn it over to [senior administration officials] who will have a few words at the top, and then we’ll take your questions. 

Over to you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks, Eduardo, and thanks to everybody for joining us today.

Since the earliest days of the administration, President Biden has said we are at an inflection point with respect to advanced technologies.  And as he’s often said, we will see more technological change in the next 10 years than we saw in the last 50.

And that has motivated historic investments, mobilizing hundreds of billions of dollars in private investment to rebuild American manufacturing and innovation. 

The flipside of that, of course, of promoting critical technologies is, of course, protecting them.  And recognizing how transformative certain technologies can be, the President directed his national security team to ensure that where we have significant advantages, our world-leading technologies and know-how are not used against us to undermine our national security.  That’s been the guiding principle for the Biden-Harris administration’s export control policies, as well as the Outbound Investment Program that we’re glad to announce is being finalized today. 

As many of you know, we’ve been working on this approach to address certain outbound investments in sensitive technologies and critical sectors that could undermine American national security for some time.  And, in particular, we’ve been focused on the exploitation of certain intangible benefits that often accompany U.S. outbound investments and that help companies succeed through, for example, enhancing their standing and prominence, providing certain types of assistance, introducing investment and talent networks, opening up market access, and enhancing access to additional financing. 

The People’s Republic of China has a stated goal, as you know: to develop key sensitive technologies that will directly support the PRC’s military modernization and related activities, including weapons development, and it has exploited U.S. investments to develop domestic, military, and intelligence capabilities. 

So, today, the Treasury Department will issue a Final Rule to implement President Biden’s Executive Order 14105, from August of 2023, which is entitled “Addressing United States Investments in Certain National Security Technologies and Products in Countries of Concern.” 

The Final Rule provides the operative regulations and a detailed, explanatory discussion regarding its intent and application.  And as directed in the President’s executive order, the Final Rule does prohibit U.S. persons from engaging in certain transactions involving a defined set of technologies and products that pose a particularly acute national security risk to the United States. 

The Final Rule also requires U.S. persons to notify the Treasury Department of certain other transactions involving a defined set of technologies and products that may contribute to a threat to the national security of the United States. 

Covered technologies fall into three categories: semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies, and artificial intelligence.  This set of technologies, we believe, is core for the next generation of military, cybersecurity, surveillance, and intelligence applications, providing what we believe are force multiplier capabilities. 

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

The Treasury Department, as [senior administration official] will lay out, has used feedback through the notice and comment process to help design a carefully tailored approach.  And we also want to commend Senators Casey and Cornyn, Representatives DeLauro, Fitzpatrick, and Pascrell, as well as Representatives Meeks and McCaul in particular, for their leadership on this issue. 

The overwhelmingly bipartisan vote on Senators Casey and Cornyn’s Outbound Investment Transparency Act as an amendment to the Senate NDAA demonstrates the shared will of Congress and the administration to meaningfully regulate outbound investments. 

So, with that, I’ll turn it over to [senior administration official] to provide more detail on the content of the Final Rule. 

Over to you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks very much.  As mentioned today, Treasury is issuing, at the direction of the President, a targeted and narrowly scoped regulation that implements a new program to address this threat to U.S. national security.  The Final Rule has clear thresholds and definitions to implement the executive order, and provides detailed, explanatory discussion regarding its intent and application to assist investors and other stakeholders to help them navigate this new program. 

The Final Rule does two things at its core, as previewed: First, it prohibits U.S. persons from engaging in certain transactions involving semiconductors, quantum, and artificial intelligence.  And second, it requires U.S. persons to notify Treasury of certain other transactions involving semiconductors and artificial intelligence. 

The rule explains in detail the scope of the program, definitions, processes, requirements, and penalties for non-compliance, among other things.  Importantly, this rule has benefited from the input of a variety of stakeholders, industry experts, and allies and partners. 

We had two rounds of formal comments on the rulemaking to implement the executive order, first with the August 2023 ANPRM that was issued alongside the ENO and on which we got 60 comments from stakeholders.  Those comments were integral in developing the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that we issued in June of this year and on which we received more than 40 additional comments, which further informed the development of the Final Rule.

Over two-plus years, Treasury, along with the Departments of State and Commerce, have led extensive engagements with stakeholders across the globe.  These engagements and our deliberate decision to offer two rounds of public comment have helped us receive insightful feedback that has helped inform the Final Rule to ensure to choose our national security objectives while taking into account the need to be focused, targeted, and clear. 

Now, I’ll briefly discuss a few key aspects of the rule. 

First, as [senior administration official] suggested, the rule imposes requirements on U.S. persons.  This includes prohibiting U.S. persons from engaging in certain transactions with what the rule identifies as covered foreign persons, and requires the U.S. persons to notify the Treasury Department about other transactions that involve covered foreign persons. 

Second, the Final Rule focuses on specific categories of investment transactions where the target of the investment has a nexus to the PRC and activities involving sensitive technologies and products. 

In terms of what transactions are covered, the Final Rule applies to, among other things, a U.S. person’s acquisition of an equity interest or contingent equity interest, certain debt financing, certain greenfield investments, or investments that could result in corporate expansion and joint ventures.  This would include, for example, a U.S. investment firm taking an equity stake in an advanced semiconductor manufacturer in the PRC.  It would also cover a U.S. company’s purchase of land in the PRC to develop a quantum computing research facility. 

There are exceptions for certain types of transactions that are less likely to contribute to the national security threat we’re worried about. 

For example, the Final Rule excepts or carves out certain investments by a U.S. person to publicly trade securities and certain investments made by a limited partner in a pooled investment fund, among others.

In light of our ongoing conversations with allies and partners on the importance of multilateral efforts in this area, the Final Rule also includes an exception for certain transactions involving a person of a country or territory outside the United States where the Secretary of the Treasury has determined that the country or territory is addressing national security concerns posed by outbound investment. 

And third, in terms of the technologies and products in scope for the program, the Final Rule provides technical details on the subsets of semiconductors, quantum, and artificial intelligence that are relevant to the program. 

For example, a U.S. person is prohibited from acquiring equity in a PRC entity that manufactures advanced semiconductors or that is developing an AI system designed exclusively or intended for a military end use.  A U.S. person would be required to notify Treasury if they are acquiring equity in a PRC company that manufactures legacy semiconductors. 

Other examples include direct equity investments by a company or private equity fund into any PRC company that is repurposing an AI model for penetration testing or automated vulnerability detection and exploitation, which would be covered under the rule as either notifiable or prohibited, depending on the design end use and computing power used to train an AI system. 

In addition to direct investments, indirect investments through a parent of a PRC company that is using AI models to improve targeting, intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance, or autonomous weapons systems for military use would be prohibited, as would such indirect investments in a PRC company developing or scaling quantum computers or networks to undermine encryption systems.  These technologies can be used for advanced code breaking, the development of next-generation military applications, or offensive cyber operations. 

Additionally, in general, the rule is based on a U.S. person’s knowledge of the relevant facts, rendering a transaction to be covered under the rule.  Enforcement and penalties are consistent with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, the authority by which the President issued the executive order. 

The Final Rule takes effect on January 2nd, giving stakeholders time to organize internal infrastructure and processes to ensure compliance with the rule. 

The lengthy preamble to the rule summarizes the response to the comments received, as well as provides an explanation of the changes since the proposed rule issued over the summer. 

And let me make two additional and final points before concluding. 

First, this program is calibrated to help ensure our actions can be supported multilaterally, which is a critical component to maximize its effectiveness and reduce backfill from other investors.  The administration has been engaged in extensive conversations with allies and partners on the issue, and we are encouraged to see some allies and partners, including the European Commission and the United Kingdom, exploring the issue of outbound investment security in their own jurisdictions.

Second, cross-border investment flows have long contributed to U.S. economic vitality.  This targeted action is focused on national security and scope to address specific risks posed by certain U.S. outbound investment, and it maintains our longstanding commitment to open investment. 

Thanks.  And back to you, Eduardo, for questions.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  We now have time for a few questions.  If you’d like to ask a question, please use the “Raise Your Hand” feature on Zoom, and we’ll come to you. 

First up, we’ll go to Michael Martina.

Q    Hi there.  Appreciate you doing this.  So, what you described sounds quite similar to the notice for proposed rulemaking earlier in the year.  I’m wondering if you can detail any specific or key changes that you made to the original notice you said it was used to inform this Final Rule.  So, are any changes from earlier?

And just an effort at clarification.  You know, given the exemptions for publicly traded securities, is it the White House’s contention that China has not significantly exploited publicly traded security purchases by U.S. investors to enhance their military or intelligence capabilities?  My understanding is that this is perfectly fine — you could trade public securities for Chinese defense companies under this; that’s totally within the rules.  Is that correct?  Thanks. 

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So, maybe I’ll take the first question, Eduardo.  And then, [senior administration official], if you want to chime in on the second from a White House perspective.

So, I think while largely consistent with the NPRM in scope and structure, the Final Rule does contain some changes, including with respect to clarity of the rule and thinking forward to compliance. 

So, for example, we’ve selected clear technical thresholds for notifiable and prohibited transactions involving AI systems based on the amount of compute power to train an AI system that is open in the NPRM; refine how the rule applies to U.S. persons with investment banking authority and non-U.S. entity, such that it clearly applies only to those who actually exercise authority, for example; and clarifying with respect to compliance and enforcement with the rule. 

And so, there are a number of areas where we have honed and focused and sharpened the rule since then, and those are some examples.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks for the question, Michael.  So, I will say we do have existing authorities to address the threat you were discussing.  So, for example, Treasury has authorities — the Chinese military industrial complex sanctions regulations that are intended to address U.S. persons from purchasing or selling publicly traded securities and companies that are involved in this sector, and there are others as well. 

MODERATOR:  Next up, we’ll go to the line of Anita Powell.

Q    Thank you so much.  As you guys are surely aware, Elon Musk is developing a data center in China to train the algorithm to work on self-driving cars.  That’s a lot simpler than I think it really is.  But anyway, is this the type of investment that might be restricted under this new rule?  Can you just kind of flesh that out for us?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Sure.  Happy to start. 

Look, I don’t think we’re going to get into hypothetical scenarios, but just reiterate some of the points that I’ve said. 

What the rule is really targeted on is capital and the intangibles that can flow from such American capital to go into the development of PRC-based — not just based, but PRC-based entities that are developing these advanced technologies.  And so, that’s sort of the scope of the rule. 

And one thing I will mention is that Treasury will provide some guidance and other documents during this interim period before the rule goes online.  That’s certainly our intent to help flesh this out.  But I think going back to the core tenets of the rule is the best way to answer that.

MODERATOR:  Next up, we’ll go to the line of (inaudible).

Q    Yeah, hi.  Thanks for doing this and for taking my question.  Could you talk a little bit more about the engagement with allies and partners in the process of finalizing this rule, specifically which allies specifically you engaged with and whether there are any allies who are going to create similar rules of their own?  Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  [Senior administration official], maybe you could start with engagements with allies that you’ve had, but then maybe, [senior administration official], if we could go to you, you could talk a little bit about the G7 as well.  That might be helpful.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:   Yeah, sure.  Thanks. 

So, in terms of — just to sort of put a topper before going to [senior administration official], we’ve had a number of engagements with partners and allies, which have resulted in not only sort of technical exchanges about what we are doing and why we’re doing it, but also various statements.  And [senior administration official] will allude to one of them with regard to the G7, but obviously the European Commission and the United Kingdom have made statements in support of these goals.  And so, it’s an ongoing process and one that will continue.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yeah, and just to add on to what [senior administration official] said, this is something that, you know, even from the White House level we engage with our closest allies and partners on.  And [senior administration official] referenced, you know, a line in the G7 leaders’ statement from Apulia early this year that refers to, you know, recognizing that appropriate measures designed to address risk from outbound investments are important to complement our existing toolkit. 

So, it’s a conversation that we’re frequently having with our key partners and allies.

MODERATOR:  And we have time for one more.  We’ll go to the line of Patrick Tucker.

Q    Hey.  Thanks.  Patrick Tucker from Defense One.

So, when you say the rule prohibits people from acquiring equity in a PRC entity that manufactures semiconductors that might be used in autonomous weapons systems or that might be repurposed for AI penetration testing, is that based on an observation that there are U.S. firms that currently have investments in those areas of autonomous weaponry and penetration testing for China?  Or are you making the rule now in anticipation that firms might begin to invest in that sort of thing?  I’m trying to get a sense of the degree to which U.S. firms have exposure and have willingly made investments in these areas of the Chinese military.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So let me start, [senior administration official], and then perhaps, [senior administration official], pass it to you. 

I think what we are worried about, which I would focus on, is the kinds of scenarios that we have outlined, which is supported by data.  And one statistic that comes to mind — and I won’t get it exactly right, so I’d refer you to the Georgetown Center for — I think it’s Technology — that had a statistic that said something to the effect of: For a five-year period, I think between 2016 and 2020 or 2021, 17 percent of investment in Chinese artificial intelligence companies included U.S. participation, and of that, 91 percent was at the venture capital stage. 

I think if you think about those sets of facts and scenarios, that’s the kind of situation that when it comes to certain artificial intelligence capable of impacting our national security, from military intelligence, cyber, other related perspectives, that’s what we’re concerned about. 

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yeah, I would just add to that that part of the motivation, as we were looking at some case studies to inform the development of this executive order and the regulation, actually was focused on cybersecurity, where we had a number — we saw a number of VC investments directly into firms working on cybersecurity that ended up on the entity list for working with Chinese military or intelligence services.

MODERATOR:  Thanks, everyone, for joining.  That’s all the time we have for today.  As a reminder, this call was on background, attributable to senior administration officials, and the contents of the call are embargoed until 5:00 p.m. Eastern. 

We’ll follow up shortly with embargoed materials as well. but do reach out to us, to the NSC or Treasury, with any questions in the meantime.  Thanks so much.

3:00 P.M. EDT  

The post Background Press Call on U.S. Efforts to Address U.S. Investments in Certain National Security Technologies and Products in Countries of Concern appeared first on The White House.

Port of Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland

2:18 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Baltimore!  (Applause.)  Hello, hello, hello.

Don’t jump, guys.  All right?  (Laughter.)

Thank you, Gwen, for that introduction.  And a big congratulations to your fellow longshoremen, who just won record wage gains.  You deserve it, man.  (Applause.) 

You know, I’m called the most pro-union president in history.  It’s nothing hard, man.  It’s a simple proposition.  The middle class built this country, and unions built the middle class, period.  (Applause.)  I mean it.

You sacrificed so much to keep America’s ports open, especially during the pandemic.  You deserve a strong contract.

I also want to thank the Governor Moore.  I think he may be the best governor in the country, man.  Where are you, Gov?  (Applause.)  I tell you what, man, I wish to hell I would play ball with him.  (Laughter.)  

You know, and — and, Mayor Scott, where — where — I — I — there you go.  Stand up, man.  Let them see you.  (Applause.)  This guy has got a — being a mayor of a major city is one of the hardest jobs in American politics.  They think you have all the answers, and they know where you live.  (Laughter.) 

And Johnny O., county exec — where are you, Johnny?  There you are.  (Applause.)  I used — I used to be a county councilman.  I think it’s the hardest job in America.  People think you know what you have.  You don’t have nearly what you think you have.  They think you can solve all your problems.  And when you can’t, you get in trouble.  And they know where you live too.  So, thank you, Johnny O.  (Laughter.)  Appreciate it.  We look forward to seeing you in Congress next year, man.  Look forward to seeing you in Congress.  (Applause.)

And Senator Ben Cardin and Senator Chris Van Hal- — Von Hallen — what the hell is his name?  He’s new.  (Laughter.)  Chris Von — (laughs).  Chris and I have been doing this for so many years now, it’s getting old.  Or at least I’m getting old; Chris isn’t getting old.

And, Ben, we’re going to miss you in the Senate.  We’re going to miss you in the Senate.

And I want to thank Congressmen Mfume and Ruppersberger and Sarbanes.  But, you know, every time I see Sarbanes, he seems about a foot taller.  (Laughter.)  I don’t know, man.  Work — his dad taught me that I better understand and learn — I better learn Greek or I’m going to be in trouble. 

And my good friend — and he is a good friend; we’ve shared a lot together — Steny Hoyer.  Steny, thanks for all you’ve done, pal.

And from my Cabinet and EPA — the director, Michael Regan.

You know, last spring, in the dead of night, that massive container ship crashed into the Key Bridge.  Within seconds, steel beams crumbled into the harbor like toothpicks.  Thirty thousand people lost their daily route to work, to school, and to home.  Twenty thousand port-related paychecks became at risk. 

Six construction workers were killed in the process.  All were Marylanders: hardworking, strong, and selfless.  I met with their families, as many of you did.  And I vowed to them we would never forget the contributions these men made to this city and that we wou- — and we’d do everything possible to reopen this port as fast as it possibly could be. 

And I’m proud to say, with all the folks sitting — assembled here and the unions assembled here, you did just that.  The Port of Baltimore is back open for business. 

I want to thank the Coast Guard, the Navy, the Army Corps of Engineers — helped remove 50,000 tons of concrete and steel wreckage — 50,000 tons.  Some thought the shipping channel would be blocked for six months or more, but you cleared it in just 78 days — 78 days.  (Applause.)  

On top of this, my administration provided $60 million in federal funding to res- — and for res- — response and recovery, offered grants to displaced port workers to get paid to help with the cleanup, and we teamed up with businesses to keep auto farm — auto and farmers’ shipments moving.  The result: 8,000 workers back on the job, over one hun- — 100,000 tons of cargo pass through this port again on a daily basis. 

But as I promised last spring, we won’t stop until the new bridge is finished completely — finished, finished, finished.  (Applause.)  I’m calling on Congress to fully fund it this year — before we go out, this year — a new bridge built with American steel and union labor.

And that’s not all.  For years, I’ve been saying it’s not enough to just rebuild America.  We have to build it back better and stronger than before.  (Applause.)  That’s why today I’m proud to announce we’re delivering $3 billion in funding from my Inflation Reduction Act to help clean up and modernize ports in 27 different states and territories, from Pennsylvania to Georgia, Michigan, and beyond — including, yes, Puerto Rico.  (Applause.) 

I’d like to take that guy for a swim out there.  Anyway.  (Laughter.)  Steny is looking at me, “Don’t get going, Joe.”  (Laughter.)  “Don’t get going, Joe.  Slow up.”   

But this also includes a $447 million [$147 million] for the Port of Baltimore to upgrade its cargo equipment, infrastructure, and power grid. 

Folks, ports are the lynchpin — the lynchpin to America’s supply chain.  They keep goods moving.  They keep the economy strong.  And they employ over 100,000 union workers, from teamsters to longshoremen. 

But for too long, they’ve run on fossil fuels and aging infrastructure, putting workers at risk and exposing nearby communities to dangerous pollution.  Studies show more childhood asthma, lung disease, and heart disease and cancer in folks who live close to ports. 

It’s about environmental justice.  I asked Gloria, who you heard from earlier, were any of the neighbors in Turner Station or across the water in Curtis City [Bay] — communities too long left behind.  It’s simply wrong. 

The new $3 billion funding we’re delivering today will help ports and communities all across America.  It will cut ports’ opening costs, strengthen supply chains, make America businesses more competitive, and keep consumer prices down while slashing carbon pollution, and support an estimated 40,000 new, good-paying jobs at the port and clean-energy manufacturing all across America.  (Applause.)

In fact, the funding for this port is estimated to create 2,000 new jobs — jobs for longshoremen, ironworkers, engineers, electricians, utility workers, steelworkers, laborers, and so much more — good-paying union jobs you can raise a family on without a college degree.  (Applause.)

We’re making sure all new port equipment funded by the Clean Port — Clean Ports Program will be operated and maintained by people, not by robots, which is going to protect those jobs far into the future.

Folks, this is just a smart part of — small part of what we call Investing in America agenda, to invest in America and all Americans.  It’s working.  Just look at how far we’ve come from the crisis we inherited from my predecessor. 

An example, my American Rescue Plan — which not a single Republican voted for, I might add, although there is (inaudible) — delivered immediate economic relief to those who need it most and got us through the pandemic. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is one of the most significant laws ever, ever written to modernize our roads, our bridges, our ports, our airport, help replace every poisonous lead pipe in America, and bring affordable high-speed Internet to every household. 

My predecessor promised “Infrastructure Week” every week for four years, but he never built a damn thing.  (Laughter.)

My CHIPS and Science Act also bringing semiconductor and advanced manufacturing back home where it belongs, where it started.  And through the Inflation Reduction Act, we made the largest investment ever in history to fight climate change and accelerate clean energy, which is the way my predecessor said — by the way, he’d repeal it if elected. 

Folks, a lot at stake here.

We’re all Investing in America agenda, and because of what we did, remember how we were going to go into depression and all that stuff?  Guess what?  We got the strongest economy in the world.  (Applause.)  The whole damn world.  And in America, our Invest in America agenda has already attracted $1 trillion in private-sector investments — $1 trillion in ener- — clean energy, high-tech factories, and so much more.  (Applause.)  

And here’s what it means for Maryland.  So far, in this state alone, it pro- — it — it provides $13 billion for nearly 1,000 infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing projects.  It matters.  For example, look at the Baltimore and the Potomac Tunnel.  It’s 150 years old.  I’ve walked through that — I used to commute every day back and forth from Wilmington to — to Washington.  I walked through it.  It’s leaking.  It needs to be replaced.  It’s badly needed.

And thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, it finally is being replaced.  When the project is done, it will shorten commute times significantly, increase safety, and, in the process, will create 20,000 new construction jobs.  And that’s just one example of the investment.  (Applause.)  

Folks, it’s clear after years of broken promises by the last administration, Kamala and I and our entire administration are delivering for America.  We created a record 16 million new jobs, more than any single presidential term in American history.  Wages are up.  We brought inflation down to the same rate it was before the pandemic.  In fact, wage gains have outpaced inflation.  Some people have more money in their pockets.  Interest rates are falling.  Unemployment has been this — this low — hadn’t been this low for this long in over 50 years because of you all.  Manufacturing is making a comeback. 

Where the hell is it written saying we can’t be the manufacturing capital of the world?  Where is that written?  (Applause.)  So, we’re bringing jobs back home and factories home. 

And, by the way, we’ve invested more in red states than in blue states, because I said, when we got elected, we’d rep- — I’d be president for all Americans — more in red states than in blue states.  And those of you in Congress know that there’s a group of Republican members of the House saying we got to keep this going — because, all of a sudden, they’re realizing how helpful it is.

America once again has the wr- — world’s strongest economy.  Folks have filed a record 19 million new business applications since we took office.  Each filing for a new business application is an act of hope.

Put all together, in thousands of cities and towns, we’re seeing the great American comeback story.

Consumer confidence is up this month larger than ever.  The economy is growing.  The middle class is doing well.  We’re showing we’re the only nation in the world that always emerges stronger from a crisis than we went into the crisis — the only one.  We have to keep that progress going and growing.

Let me close with this.  When I — when I see this port now — cranes in the air, ships and cargo on the move — I hope and feel what I hope you feel: a real sense of pride.  I mean it sincerely.  Pride.  Pride in your community.  Pride in our country.  Pride in the capacity of our labor unions.

That’s what “Baltimore Strong” is all about.  It’s about pride.

I know because generations of Bidens lived here since the 1850s.  My dad was born here.  He always told me the true measure of a person is not how often you get knocked down; it’s how fast you get back up.  That’s Baltimore.  It gets back up fast.  (Applause.)  That’s Maryland.  It gets back up.  (Applause.)

And that’s why I’ve never been more optimistic for our future.  We just have to remember who in the hell we are.  We’re the United States of America, and there is nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.  So, let’s keep working together. 

God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.  (Applause.)

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

Thank you.  Thanks.  (Applause.) 

 2:31 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden on How His Investing in America Agenda is Rebuilding Infrastructure, Tackling the Climate Crisis, and Creating Good-Paying Jobs | Baltimore, MD appeared first on The White House.

6:53 P.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  (In progress) — and your friendship.  And thanks to everyone —
 
MS. TERESA:  So, President —
 
THE PRESIDENT:  — at Voto Latino.  (Inaudible.)
 
MS. TERESA:  So, President Biden, before we get started — before we get started, I just want to say, literally, three and a half years ago, we — when we were hunkered down, we were doing Zoom calls very similar to this, you came in and you talked to our community, and you said, “Maria Teresa, we are going to have the largest climate change legislation, the biggest infrastructure,” and you listed 20 things, and he’s like, “Will you be there with me?”  And I said, “Absolutely.”  And I said, “Do you think we’re going to get it done?”  You’re like, “Absolutely.”  And you know what?  You have. 
 
So, I’m incredibly grateful for all the work that you’ve done, and I would love for you to say a few words to — to the community based on your ability to deliver every single time.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We got it done.  I didn’t get it done.  Every major thing we tried to do, from over a trillion dollars in infrastructure to work on communities that need help to health care to — I mean, a whole range of things, and we got it done.
 
As I said earlier, your partnership, your friendship, and your leadership has really made a big difference.  And thank everyone at Latino — you know — excuse me, thank everyone at your organization, Voto Latino, for all you do.  You know, you’ve always had my back, and I think it’s fair to say I’ve always had yours.
 
This is it.  This is it.  Seven days to Election Day, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.  And that’s not a — that’s not an exaggeration.  The choice couldn’t be clearer.
 
Presidential historians tell us the most important thing about a president is character — does he or she have character.  Kamala has character.  She’ll always stand up for Latinos, but not just Lati- — she’ll stand up for everyone who deserves to be stood up for, and that’s all Americans.
 
Donald Trump has no character.  He doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community.  He’s failed businessman.  He’s — he only cares about the billionaire friends he has and accumulating wealth for those at the top.

You know, he says immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of our country.  Give me a break.  He wants to do away with the birthright citizenship.  Who the hell else said that in the last 100 years? 

And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”  Well, let me tell you something.  I don’t — I — I don’t know the Puerto Rican that — that I know — or a Puerto Rico, where I’m fr- — in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people.  The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.  It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.  
 
Now, Trump has di- — tried to divide the country based on race, ethnicity, anything that does harm, to take their eye off the ball about what the terrible things he’s done and will do.  But Kamala Harris has fought for all Americans and will be a president for all of America.
 
Look, folks, we’ve gotten a lot done together, as you pointed out.  Look, Maria Teresa, we did everything from the infrastructure bill to health care to making sure that veterans are taken care of.  I mean, across the board, we’ve done so much.  We’ve created over 16 million jobs.  More Latinos have jobs than ever before.
 
Look, a quarter of all — here’s the way I look at it.  A quarter of all the children in our schools today are Latino — are Latino, a quarter of them.  How could we possibly not invest everything we have in a quarter of our population that’s going to be our future?  It’s going to make a major, major, major, major piece of what this country looks like and what we think and what we believe.  So, these are going to have to be the doctors, the teachers, the scientists, and, yes, presidents.
 
You know, I know we’ve asked a lot of each other, but I’m talking to you about one more thing and asking you, as a favor, all of you listening, to vote.  Get out early and vote.  Do it early.
 
You know, I — I know the long waits on Election Day are all too common, especially in Latino communities.  You know, I cast my ballot yesterday.  I stood in line for 40, 45 minutes with all the people in Delaware, and I cast my vote yesterday in my home state.  I waited in line with a lot of other people. 
 
There was a woman ahead of me, an elderly woman, who was in her 90s in a wheelchair, and it was a heavy wheelchair and the person pushing it was having trouble, so I spent time with her.  She — she’s — she’s over 90 years old, and she’s breaking her neck to vote because she knows how important it is.
 
Today is National Vote Early Day.  Let me say it again.  Today is National Vote Early Day.  Remind folks to vote early, to return mail-in ballots. 
 
Vote for access to a good education so everyone has an opportunity.  Vote to eliminate not — what Trump wants — he wants to eliminate the Department of Education and no early education.  We’re fighting like hell, and we’re fighting like hell for early education because, you know, it increases exponentially the prospect of success for our sons and our daughters. 
 
Vote to give our daughters the same opportunities we give our sons, instead of taking away their rights. 
 
Vote to make sure we maintain a significant health care that would provide for our parents and our families and basic health care for all Americans.  Trump is trying like hell to get rid of it.  More people have health care now than ever before.  He says he’s going to — wants to get rid of it.
 
Vote to continue the progress we made on job growth — the growth in jobs for everyone, including Latinos — a significant job growth.
 
Vote for comprehensive imm- — immigration reform instead of mass deportation.  What’s he talkin- — think about it. 
 
You know, I travel the world because of my role as president and my knowledge of foreign policy.  I get inquiries from other heads of state, “Does Trump really mean it?  Are you really going to send out the police to gather up thousands and millions of people and deport them?”  What the hell is going on here?  Vote for comprehensive immigration reform instead of mass deportation. 
 
In short, vote to keep Donald Trump out of the White House.  He’s a true danger to not just Latinos but to all people, particularly those who are in a minority in this country. 
 
You know, we have to vote to elect Kamala as president, Tim Walz as vice president.  It’s (inaudible) — it’s never been more important.
 
We’ve known each other a long time, Maria Teresa — a long time.  And I want to tell you something I can say without equivocation.  Our democracy is at stake.  And to translate that into pure English — and that’s wh- — I should be able to speak Spanish, but I can’t.  We should be able to talk about what this means.
 
He wants to fundamentally change the way our Constitution works.  He wants to take away people’s rights.  He wants to concentrate power in the hands of a very few — people like him.
 
So, go to IWillVote.com and make your plan to vote early.  Make it today, because voting early (inaudible) now basically through election.  Make a plan to vote, please, please, please.  Your vote is critical.  A Latino vote is critical.  Let’s make it heard.
 
I want them to remember who you are and who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  And there’s nothing, nothing at all beyond our capacity when we do it together.
 
So, God bless you all.  And God bless you, Maria Teresa, for all you’ve been doing.  We have more to do, but we got to get it done. 
 
This el- — this election is the most consequential election we’ve ever voted in, no matter how old or how young you are — this election.
 
God bless you all.  And God protect our troops.
 
MS. TERESA:  Thank you so much, President Biden.  And I have to tell you, what you really — what you are saying is a clarion call.  It’s a multicultural democracy, and it’s us, as Americans first, that will save this country and our democracy.  And I’m so grateful for the time —
 
THE PRESIDENT:  The reason why we’re strong.
 
MS. TERESA:  — you’ve spent with us.  (Inaudible.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We’re the most diverse country, and that’s why we’re strong.  That is our strength.
 
MS. TERESA:  Right.  (Laughs.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  (Inaudible) our weakness.  It’s our strength.
 
MS. TERESA:  No, I call it our superpower — our superpower.  And I always say, like, you don’t have to take my word for it.  The reason that you have disinformation around race is because the Russians and the Chinese recognize that racism is our Achilles heel, but it — they also recognize that it’s our multiculturalism that is our superpower and our strength.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We bring all the best of every culture together.  We really do.  It’s not hyperbole.  That’s a fact.
 
MS. TERESA:  It’s true.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Sometimes I think our folks (inaudible) don’t realize it, but it’s truly a fact.  Anyway.
 
God love you for what you’re doing.  Keep it going, kid.
 
MS. TERESA:  I’m super grateful.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Keep it going.
 
MS. TERESA:  Yeah, we’re not done yet.  We’re just getting started.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We’re not even close to done.
 
MS. TERESA:  (Inaudible.)  (Laughs.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  And I may be — I may be leaving office on January 20th, but I’m not leaving. 
 
MS. TERESA:  I — I —
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I’m not leaving.
 
MS. TERESA:  You promise?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I’m leaving office, but I’m not leaving this fight. 
 
MS. TERESA:  (Laughs.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  God love you.  Thank you so much.
 
MS. TERESA:  I’m going to remind you of that.  Much love.  Say hello to Jill.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, you don’t (inaudible) — I’m going to ask for your help and let me join you.
 
MS. TERESA:  I will always be there, President. 
 

7:02 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden on a Call with Voto Latino appeared first on The White House.

6:53 P.M. EDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  (In progress) — and your friendship.  And thanks to everyone —
 
MS. TERESA:  So, President —
 
THE PRESIDENT:  — at Voto Latino.  (Inaudible.)
 
MS. TERESA:  So, President Biden, before we get started — before we get started, I just want to say, literally, three and a half years ago, we — when we were hunkered down, we were doing Zoom calls very similar to this, you came in and you talked to our community, and you said, “Maria Teresa, we are going to have the largest climate change legislation, the biggest infrastructure,” and you listed 20 things, and he’s like, “Will you be there with me?”  And I said, “Absolutely.”  And I said, “Do you think we’re going to get it done?”  You’re like, “Absolutely.”  And you know what?  You have. 
 
So, I’m incredibly grateful for all the work that you’ve done, and I would love for you to say a few words to — to the community based on your ability to deliver every single time.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We got it done.  I didn’t get it done.  Every major thing we tried to do, from over a trillion dollars in infrastructure to work on communities that need help to health care to — I mean, a whole range of things, and we got it done.
 
As I said earlier, your partnership, your friendship, and your leadership has really made a big difference.  And thank everyone at Latino — you know — excuse me, thank everyone at your organization, Voto Latino, for all you do.  You know, you’ve always had my back, and I think it’s fair to say I’ve always had yours.
 
This is it.  This is it.  Seven days to Election Day, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.  And that’s not a — that’s not an exaggeration.  The choice couldn’t be clearer.
 
Presidential historians tell us the most important thing about a president is character — does he or she have character.  Kamala has character.  She’ll always stand up for Latinos, but not just Lati- — she’ll stand up for everyone who deserves to be stood up for, and that’s all Americans.
 
Donald Trump has no character.  He doesn’t give a damn about the Latino community.  He’s failed businessman.  He’s — he only cares about the billionaire friends he has and accumulating wealth for those at the top.

You know, he says immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of our country.  Give me a break.  He wants to do away with the birthright citizenship.  Who the hell else said that in the last 100 years? 

And just the other day, a speaker at his rally called Puerto Rico a “floating island of garbage.”  Well, let me tell you something.  I don’t — I — I don’t know the Puerto Rican that — that I know — or a Puerto Rico, where I’m fr- — in my home state of Delaware, they’re good, decent, honorable people.  The only garbage I see floating out there is his supporter’s — his — his demonization of Latinos is unconscionable, and it’s un-American.  It’s totally contrary to everything we’ve done, everything we’ve been.  
 
Now, Trump has di- — tried to divide the country based on race, ethnicity, anything that does harm, to take their eye off the ball about what the terrible things he’s done and will do.  But Kamala Harris has fought for all Americans and will be a president for all of America.
 
Look, folks, we’ve gotten a lot done together, as you pointed out.  Look, Maria Teresa, we did everything from the infrastructure bill to health care to making sure that veterans are taken care of.  I mean, across the board, we’ve done so much.  We’ve created over 16 million jobs.  More Latinos have jobs than ever before.
 
Look, a quarter of all — here’s the way I look at it.  A quarter of all the children in our schools today are Latino — are Latino, a quarter of them.  How could we possibly not invest everything we have in a quarter of our population that’s going to be our future?  It’s going to make a major, major, major, major piece of what this country looks like and what we think and what we believe.  So, these are going to have to be the doctors, the teachers, the scientists, and, yes, presidents.
 
You know, I know we’ve asked a lot of each other, but I’m talking to you about one more thing and asking you, as a favor, all of you listening, to vote.  Get out early and vote.  Do it early.
 
You know, I — I know the long waits on Election Day are all too common, especially in Latino communities.  You know, I cast my ballot yesterday.  I stood in line for 40, 45 minutes with all the people in Delaware, and I cast my vote yesterday in my home state.  I waited in line with a lot of other people. 
 
There was a woman ahead of me, an elderly woman, who was in her 90s in a wheelchair, and it was a heavy wheelchair and the person pushing it was having trouble, so I spent time with her.  She — she’s — she’s over 90 years old, and she’s breaking her neck to vote because she knows how important it is.
 
Today is National Vote Early Day.  Let me say it again.  Today is National Vote Early Day.  Remind folks to vote early, to return mail-in ballots. 
 
Vote for access to a good education so everyone has an opportunity.  Vote to eliminate not — what Trump wants — he wants to eliminate the Department of Education and no early education.  We’re fighting like hell, and we’re fighting like hell for early education because, you know, it increases exponentially the prospect of success for our sons and our daughters. 
 
Vote to give our daughters the same opportunities we give our sons, instead of taking away their rights. 
 
Vote to make sure we maintain a significant health care that would provide for our parents and our families and basic health care for all Americans.  Trump is trying like hell to get rid of it.  More people have health care now than ever before.  He says he’s going to — wants to get rid of it.
 
Vote to continue the progress we made on job growth — the growth in jobs for everyone, including Latinos — a significant job growth.
 
Vote for comprehensive imm- — immigration reform instead of mass deportation.  What’s he talkin- — think about it. 
 
You know, I travel the world because of my role as president and my knowledge of foreign policy.  I get inquiries from other heads of state, “Does Trump really mean it?  Are you really going to send out the police to gather up thousands and millions of people and deport them?”  What the hell is going on here?  Vote for comprehensive immigration reform instead of mass deportation. 
 
In short, vote to keep Donald Trump out of the White House.  He’s a true danger to not just Latinos but to all people, particularly those who are in a minority in this country. 
 
You know, we have to vote to elect Kamala as president, Tim Walz as vice president.  It’s (inaudible) — it’s never been more important.
 
We’ve known each other a long time, Maria Teresa — a long time.  And I want to tell you something I can say without equivocation.  Our democracy is at stake.  And to translate that into pure English — and that’s wh- — I should be able to speak Spanish, but I can’t.  We should be able to talk about what this means.
 
He wants to fundamentally change the way our Constitution works.  He wants to take away people’s rights.  He wants to concentrate power in the hands of a very few — people like him.
 
So, go to IWillVote.com and make your plan to vote early.  Make it today, because voting early (inaudible) now basically through election.  Make a plan to vote, please, please, please.  Your vote is critical.  A Latino vote is critical.  Let’s make it heard.
 
I want them to remember who you are and who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  And there’s nothing, nothing at all beyond our capacity when we do it together.
 
So, God bless you all.  And God bless you, Maria Teresa, for all you’ve been doing.  We have more to do, but we got to get it done. 
 
This el- — this election is the most consequential election we’ve ever voted in, no matter how old or how young you are — this election.
 
God bless you all.  And God protect our troops.
 
MS. TERESA:  Thank you so much, President Biden.  And I have to tell you, what you really — what you are saying is a clarion call.  It’s a multicultural democracy, and it’s us, as Americans first, that will save this country and our democracy.  And I’m so grateful for the time —
 
THE PRESIDENT:  The reason why we’re strong.
 
MS. TERESA:  — you’ve spent with us.  (Inaudible.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We’re the most diverse country, and that’s why we’re strong.  That is our strength.
 
MS. TERESA:  Right.  (Laughs.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  (Inaudible) our weakness.  It’s our strength.
 
MS. TERESA:  No, I call it our superpower — our superpower.  And I always say, like, you don’t have to take my word for it.  The reason that you have disinformation around race is because the Russians and the Chinese recognize that racism is our Achilles heel, but it — they also recognize that it’s our multiculturalism that is our superpower and our strength.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We bring all the best of every culture together.  We really do.  It’s not hyperbole.  That’s a fact.
 
MS. TERESA:  It’s true.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Sometimes I think our folks (inaudible) don’t realize it, but it’s truly a fact.  Anyway.
 
God love you for what you’re doing.  Keep it going, kid.
 
MS. TERESA:  I’m super grateful.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Keep it going.
 
MS. TERESA:  Yeah, we’re not done yet.  We’re just getting started.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  We’re not even close to done.
 
MS. TERESA:  (Inaudible.)  (Laughs.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  And I may be — I may be leaving office on January 20th, but I’m not leaving. 
 
MS. TERESA:  I — I —
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I’m not leaving.
 
MS. TERESA:  You promise?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I’m leaving office, but I’m not leaving this fight. 
 
MS. TERESA:  (Laughs.)
 
THE PRESIDENT:  God love you.  Thank you so much.
 
MS. TERESA:  I’m going to remind you of that.  Much love.  Say hello to Jill.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, you don’t (inaudible) — I’m going to ask for your help and let me join you.
 
MS. TERESA:  I will always be there, President. 
 

7:02 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden on a Call with Voto Latino appeared first on The White House.

BMORE LICKS
Baltimore, Maryland

3:02 P.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, will you be watching the vice president’s speech tonight?

THE PRESIDENT:  I will.

Q    Why are you not attending?  It’s right there on the Ellipse?

THE PRESIDENT:  Because it’s for her.  This is her night.

Q    What do you expect to hear out of her tonight?  What’s the closing message from the vice president?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ll let you hear it first.

Q    Mr. President, are you worried about the North Korean troops in Kursk, in Russia?

THE PRESIDENT:  I am concerned about it, yes.

Q    Should the Ukrainians strike — strike back?

THE PRESIDENT:  If they cross into Ukraine, yes.

3:03 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden in Press Gaggle | Baltimore, MD appeared first on The White House.

BMORE LICKS
Baltimore, Maryland

3:02 P.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, will you be watching the vice president’s speech tonight?

THE PRESIDENT:  I will.

Q    Why are you not attending?  It’s right there on the Ellipse?

THE PRESIDENT:  Because it’s for her.  This is her night.

Q    What do you expect to hear out of her tonight?  What’s the closing message from the vice president?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ll let you hear it first.

Q    Mr. President, are you worried about the North Korean troops in Kursk, in Russia?

THE PRESIDENT:  I am concerned about it, yes.

Q    Should the Ukrainians strike — strike back?

THE PRESIDENT:  If they cross into Ukraine, yes.

3:03 P.M. EDT

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Today, the White House Task Force on AI Datacenter Infrastructure convened experts from power companies, grid operators, software companies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to explore how advanced computing and software solutions, including artificial intelligence (AI), can accelerate grid integration of clean energy. Maintaining U.S. leadership of AI globally is a national security and an economic imperative. That is why the Biden-Harris Administration is focused on maintaining the strongest AI ecosystem in the world here in the United States and ensuring AI datacenters run on clean energy and without raising costs for American consumers. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta, and National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi encouraged participants to invest in innovative solutions that further accelerate deployment and ensure we reliably meet our energy needs, keep electricity costs low, and achieve U.S. climate targets.

Participants discussed efforts underway to get more sources of supply on the grid by addressing the backlog of projects to power the grid currently waiting in “interconnection queues,” situations where additional computing solutions can make the biggest difference, and strategies on how to pursue those opportunities.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Willie Phillips joined the convening and explained how stakeholders would benefit from the Commission’s July 2023 rule on interconnecting new generation resources.

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced a forthcoming new program that will use AI to help clean energy project developers submit applications that grid operators can evaluate more quickly. DOE also highlighted an investment announced earlier this month to help transmission owners and grid operators replace fragmented data management systems with a standardized, cloud-based software solution that supports a faster interconnection process.

Moreover, participants discussed DOE initiatives unveiled earlier this year as part of its novel Interconnection Innovative e-Xchange, or i2X, program, highlighting roadmaps with recommended solutions to implement a simpler, faster, and fairer interconnection process and opportunities for stakeholders to get involved.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has accelerated hundreds of billions of dollars of investments in clean electricity generation across the country and enabled historic actions to get energy projects funded, permitted, and deployed across the country – fueling over 250,000 new, good-paying energy jobs in 2023, which are growing at twice the rate of the rest of the economy. Applications for nearly 2,600 gigawatts of generation and battery storage capacity – twice current U.S. generation capacity – are waiting in interconnection queues to be connected to the grid. Accelerating the process by which grid operators study, determine, and approve needed grid upgrades to interconnect projects will enable clean energy to come online faster – energy America needs to fuel our economic growth, from our expanding manufacturing sector to datacenters that ensure U.S. leadership in AI to electric vehicles and more.

###

The post Readout of White House Discussion on AI and Advanced Software Solutions to Accelerate Clean Energy Grid Integration appeared first on The White House.

Today, the White House Task Force on AI Datacenter Infrastructure convened experts from power companies, grid operators, software companies, NGOs, and other stakeholders to explore how advanced computing and software solutions, including artificial intelligence (AI), can accelerate grid integration of clean energy. Maintaining U.S. leadership of AI globally is a national security and an economic imperative. That is why the Biden-Harris Administration is focused on maintaining the strongest AI ecosystem in the world here in the United States and ensuring AI datacenters run on clean energy and without raising costs for American consumers. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta, and National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi encouraged participants to invest in innovative solutions that further accelerate deployment and ensure we reliably meet our energy needs, keep electricity costs low, and achieve U.S. climate targets.

Participants discussed efforts underway to get more sources of supply on the grid by addressing the backlog of projects to power the grid currently waiting in “interconnection queues,” situations where additional computing solutions can make the biggest difference, and strategies on how to pursue those opportunities.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Willie Phillips joined the convening and explained how stakeholders would benefit from the Commission’s July 2023 rule on interconnecting new generation resources.

The Department of Energy (DOE) announced a forthcoming new program that will use AI to help clean energy project developers submit applications that grid operators can evaluate more quickly. DOE also highlighted an investment announced earlier this month to help transmission owners and grid operators replace fragmented data management systems with a standardized, cloud-based software solution that supports a faster interconnection process.

Moreover, participants discussed DOE initiatives unveiled earlier this year as part of its novel Interconnection Innovative e-Xchange, or i2X, program, highlighting roadmaps with recommended solutions to implement a simpler, faster, and fairer interconnection process and opportunities for stakeholders to get involved.

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has accelerated hundreds of billions of dollars of investments in clean electricity generation across the country and enabled historic actions to get energy projects funded, permitted, and deployed across the country – fueling over 250,000 new, good-paying energy jobs in 2023, which are growing at twice the rate of the rest of the economy. Applications for nearly 2,600 gigawatts of generation and battery storage capacity – twice current U.S. generation capacity – are waiting in interconnection queues to be connected to the grid. Accelerating the process by which grid operators study, determine, and approve needed grid upgrades to interconnect projects will enable clean energy to come online faster – energy America needs to fuel our economic growth, from our expanding manufacturing sector to datacenters that ensure U.S. leadership in AI to electric vehicles and more.

###

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The United States has long stood with the Georgian people and supported the country of Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. That is why I have been deeply alarmed by the country’s recent democratic backsliding, including the enactment of legislation mirroring Russian laws that restrict fundamental freedoms and limit the space for independent civil society organizations. Most recently, Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections were marred by numerous recorded misuses of administrative resources as well as voter intimidation and coercion. Georgian citizens have a right to peacefully express their views regarding the conduct of these elections, which independent international and domestic observers have not said were free and fair. We call on the Georgian government to transparently investigate all election irregularities, to repeal laws such as the so-called “Foreign Influence Law” that limit freedoms of assembly and expression, and to begin an immediate, inclusive dialogue with all political forces in Georgia about restoring election integrity. We call for all parties to strictly respect the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, which remain the foundation for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future. 

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Democratic Backsliding in the Country of Georgia appeared first on The White House.

The United States has long stood with the Georgian people and supported the country of Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. That is why I have been deeply alarmed by the country’s recent democratic backsliding, including the enactment of legislation mirroring Russian laws that restrict fundamental freedoms and limit the space for independent civil society organizations. Most recently, Georgia’s October 26 parliamentary elections were marred by numerous recorded misuses of administrative resources as well as voter intimidation and coercion. Georgian citizens have a right to peacefully express their views regarding the conduct of these elections, which independent international and domestic observers have not said were free and fair. We call on the Georgian government to transparently investigate all election irregularities, to repeal laws such as the so-called “Foreign Influence Law” that limit freedoms of assembly and expression, and to begin an immediate, inclusive dialogue with all political forces in Georgia about restoring election integrity. We call for all parties to strictly respect the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, which remain the foundation for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future. 

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

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

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

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The post Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the Visit of President Nikos Christodoulides of the Republic of Cyprus appeared first on The White House.

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

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On October 25, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands and ordered Federal assistance to supplement territory and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Ernesto from August 13 to August 16, 2024.

Federal funding is available to territory 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 Tropical Storm Ernesto in the islands of St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, and Water Island.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire territory.

Lai Sun Yee 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 territory 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 U.S. Virgin Islands Disaster Declaration appeared first on The White House.

On October 25, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands and ordered Federal assistance to supplement territory and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by Tropical Storm Ernesto from August 13 to August 16, 2024.

Federal funding is available to territory 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 Tropical Storm Ernesto in the islands of St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, and Water Island.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the entire territory.

Lai Sun Yee 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 territory 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 U.S. Virgin Islands Disaster Declaration appeared first on The White House.

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

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

$3 Billion Investment to Strengthen Port Infrastructure

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

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

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

Investing in the Port of Baltimore

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

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

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

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

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

Building on Historic Investments in Maryland’s Infrastructure and Economy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Ongoing Support for Baltimore

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

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

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

###

The post FACT SHEET: President Joe Biden Announces $3 Billion to Strengthen Port Infrastructure, Create Good-Paying and Union Jobs, Bring Cleaner Air to Communities appeared first on The White House.

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

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

$3 Billion Investment to Strengthen Port Infrastructure

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

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

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

Investing in the Port of Baltimore

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

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

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

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

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

Building on Historic Investments in Maryland’s Infrastructure and Economy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Ongoing Support for Baltimore

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

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

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

###

The post FACT SHEET: President Joe Biden Announces $3 Billion to Strengthen Port Infrastructure, Create Good-Paying and Union Jobs, Bring Cleaner Air to Communities appeared first on The White House.

The University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA

SECOND GENTLEMAN DOUGLAS EMHOFF: Thank you, Meryl and Yoni, and thank you Pittsburgh. You’ve welcomed me many times to mourn, to remember, and to rededicate ourselves to living proudly as Jews.
 
Thank you for opening your doors and arms once again, at this critical moment.
 
We have one week to go. One week to turn the page, chart a new way forward, and elect Kamala Harris.
 
I am so proud of the way she has stepped up, shared her vision, and prosecuted the case against Donald Trump’s unhinged view of America and of our fellow Americans.
 
Kamala brings both joy and toughness to everything she does – and this campaign is no different.
 
Yesterday we marked the anniversary of the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history, a massacre at Shabbat services not far from where we gather right now.
 
And one year after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel, we are all still reeling.
 
So I want to talk about how we feel when we wake up, walk through the world, and stare at the ceiling at night:
 
It is an uncomfortable and unsettling time to be Jewish. These are hard days.
 
There is pride in our people, but also a deep sense of insecurity.
 
Like you, I know people who think twice about wearing a kippah or a Star of David.
 
Parents who are worried sick about their kids’ safety on college campuses.
 
Young people who aren’t just afraid that they’re going to grow up with fewer rights than their grandparents, but who are being targeted for being Jewish in ways we thought only happened in our grandparents’ time.
 
Everywhere I go, people tell me they also feel something else: loneliness.
 
In the rooms where you used to feel safe, you no longer feel welcome. It didn’t always feel this lonely to be Jewish in America.
 
Like many of you, my family came to this country to escape these very fears. To feel this way in 2024 is disorienting and disconcerting.
  
But I’ll tell you one place I’ve never felt that – where I’ve actually felt the opposite: the home I share with Kamala.
 
When we’re shaken, we go home and talk to the people we love.
 
After Charlottesville, after Tree of Life, after October 7, the person I turned to and talked to was my wife.
 
After Hamas executed Hersh and the other hostages, she and I grieved together.

When we see the antisemitic attacks that are happening week by week in America – like the students wearing kippot who were assaulted while walking to the Hillel on this very campus, like the Federation building in Detroit that was vandalized on the anniversary of October 7, like the historic synagogue in Philadelphia that was defiled just last week, like the man who was shot in Chicago while walking to Shabbat services two days ago – Kamala and I recommit ourselves to extinguishing this epidemic of hate.
 
And let me make something else clear: we do not cower.
 
We take inspiration from communities like this one, which came together as one after Tree of Life – and from those Pitt students, who say they wear the signs of their Judaism even more proudly since being attacked.
 
We heard the antisemitic and racist speeches at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally yesterday.
 
It’s appalling to hear those slurs, especially in the closing days of a campaign – and even more painful to hear them on the anniversary of the massacre at Tree of Life.
 
But nothing will stop me from living fearlessly as a Jew. Nothing will stop Kamala and me from speaking out. Nothing will take away our joy or our faith in America.
 
Kamala is someone whose conviction and compassion is driven by empathy as well as experience.
 
She hears the stories of people who practice a different faith – and especially those who are targeted because of it – and comes away with a sense of personal responsibility.
 
She knows how deeply our community has been re-traumatized and our fears about the future.
 
So this is not a footnote in her agenda. Bringing us together, defending those who are wronged, disparaged, and excluded is the essence of her life and her leadership.
 
And that is what we need in the Oval Office.
  
Now, anybody can say the right things on the campaign trail, and then go home and turn it off. Not Kamala.
 
Because when Kamala walks through the door at the end of the day, that door has a mezuzah on it.
 
And three months from now, with your help, the White House residence could have a mezuzah on its doorpost.
 
Let me be direct and answer the question that Jews have asked for generations: Yes, she feels it in her gut. Kamala feels it, as we say, in her kishkes.
 
Her commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering. I know this not just because of what she’s said publicly – though she has said it consistently her entire career – but also by what she does and says when it’s just us.
 
I’ve talked to her before and after her calls with Israel’s leaders and diplomats.
 
She takes seriously her pledge – and I’m going to quote Kamala here – to “always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists.”
 
I saw her determination earlier this month after she spent hours in the Situation Room, coordinating in real time with our military to shoot down the missiles Iran launched into Israel’s skies.
 
I’ve been next to her as she’s steeled herself, with such care and compassion, to meet the hostage families.
 
And I’ve seen how those conversations both break her heart and strengthen her resolve.
 
I know what’s in her soul. She feels what you and I – and Jews across America – are feeling today. She gets it.
 
And to tell you the truth, it’s not because she married a nice Jewish boy. To be honest, she’s been working on this longer than I have.
 
Growing up, she collected donations, in those iconic blue-and-white tzedakah boxes, to plant trees in Israel.
 
As District Attorney of San Francisco, she prosecuted antisemitic attacks as hate crimes.
 
As Attorney General, she published an annual report on hate crimes.
 
As a U.S. senator, the first resolution she passed – the very first – was to speak out against antisemitism.
 
Throughout her career, Kamala has strengthened the bonds between the United States and Israel, between the Israeli people and the American people.
 
She knows those bonds must remain strong regardless of which administration or leader is in power.
 
Over the last year, Kamala has worked every day for a deal to bring the hostages home and for a ceasefire – to protect innocent civilians in Gaza and make sure aid gets to those in need – and for a reality in which Israel is secure and Palestinians know the dignity, freedom, and self-determination they deserve.
 
Throughout her career, Kamala has been crystal clear in pledging – again, I’m going to use her words – to “always work to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people here and around the world” and “support the existence of a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people.” Those are direct quotes.
 
When Kamala is President, she will continue to stand with Israel and with the Jewish community – our community. She will reject antisemitic hate and the notion that Israel does not have the right to exist.
 
Kamala also knows that the justice Judaism commands us to pursue is not only about foreign policy.
 
It is also about ensuring everyone is respected, every vote is counted, and every woman has the freedom to make decisions about her own body.
  
Like some of you, I have walked along the train tracks that led into, but not out of, Auschwitz.
 
I have spoken to Holocaust survivors who hear in the present-day propaganda and intolerance the echoes of the 1930s – and warned us what was heading for America.
 
Last year, I met with a survivor who escaped to present-day Ukraine from Germany – but who now has been forced, in her advanced age, to escape to Germany from Ukraine.
 
And I went with Kamala to visit Yad Vashem. Before we left, Kamala wrote a note to share how devastated she was by – as she put it – “the silent testimonials of those who perished in the Shoah.”
 
Kamala hears the silence of those we lost – she hears the silence of those who look the other way – and she urged me to use my voice. That is why I have used this role to do this work of fighting antisemitism and hate.
 
That’s right: it was Kamala who encouraged me to take up this mission as Second Gentleman.
 
I am so proud to have helped the President and Vice President establish the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, mobilizing the full force of the federal government to protect Jewish communities.
 
One thing we know about antisemitism is that those who discriminate against us discriminate against all of us. There are many Jews far more religiously observant than I am – but as I said to an Orthodox rabbi, they hate us all equally.
 
Another thing we know is that anti-Semites usually don’t stop there.
 
Those who hate Jews often hate Muslims, hate people of color, hate LGBTQ people, hate anyone who doesn’t look or pray or think like they do.
 
And a third thing we know about antisemitism is that whenever chaos and cruelty are given a green light, Jew-hatred is historically not far behind.
 
That matters today because Donald Trump is nothing if not an agent of chaos and cruelty.
  
People run for office for one of two reasons: to hold power or to lead people.
 
And when you look at the candidates on your ballot, that is the choice.
 
He is running for himself. She is running for you – for us. In fact, that distinction has been the driving force for each of them throughout their very different careers.
 
He is a conman and a convicted criminal who tears others down. She is a prosecutor and a public servant who lifts people up.
 
He has lost the support of those who worked with him the closest. She proudly accepts their endorsements.
 
He demeans immigrants with the same hateful slurs hurled at our ancestors – “vermin” and “animals” who “poison the blood of our country.”
 
He scapegoats Jewish voters to our faces, saying that if he loses, it will be the fault of the Jews.
 
He looks at Adolf Hitler’s generals and sees something to admire.
 
Let that sink in. 
 
You do not reward someone like that with a platform – or with power – and never again with the Presidency.
  
Now, you and I have heard the arguments that give Trump the benefit of the doubt despite all his nonsensical, hateful rhetoric; despite his takeover of the Supreme Court; despite his insurrection at the Capitol; despite his promise to be a dictator on day one.
 
But this is different. Last time, there were people around him who checked his worst instincts.
 
If there is a next time, they won’t be there. The people who know that Trump should be nowhere near the Situation Room are the ones who will be locked out.
 
Just listen to his own Vice President, his own Chief of Staff, his own Defense Secretary, his own National Security Advisor.
 
Donald Trump demands loyalty – but he is loyal to nothing but himself. If it suited his selfish interests, Trump would turn his back on Israel and the Jewish people on a dime.
 
Whenever antisemitism rears its ugly head in this country, we should never have to wonder where our government stands.
 
We should never have to wonder whether our leaders are praising Nazis behind closed doors.
 
When I used to speak to a jury at the end of a trial, I would often say to them: Believe what you see. Trust the facts staring you in the face.
 
So when Donald Trump says something unhinged, do not roll your eyes. Roll up your sleeves.
  
Let me finish where I started: this has been a heartbreaking year to be a Jew in America.
 
The question is: will next year be even harder – for us and for Americans of every background, for all of us who believe in freedom?
 
The answer is in our hands. The answer is on our ballots.
 
How many times have you read our history and asked: What were they thinking? Why didn’t they stop it? Why didn’t they act?
 
Embedded in that question is this truth: we have a choice.
 
There is a fire in this country. Either we pour water on it, or we pour gasoline.
 
That is the choice every one of us faces right now. Because fighting antisemitism and all forms of hate is the responsibility of every American.
 
Kamala and I planted a pomegranate tree at the Vice President’s residence this past October 7.
 
It commemorates both the pain and the perseverance of the Jewish people.
 
We pray that this symbol of hope will grow into a tree of life, reflecting the resilience of the congregation here in Pittsburgh of the same name.
 
Our Proverbs liken the Torah to a Tree of Life. But there’s an important condition attached. The full verse says it is “a tree of life – for those who hold fast to it.”
 
In other words, it is only a source of goodness if you choose to honor it.
 
That is the story of America, too.
 
Our Constitution only works if we choose to respect the rule of law.
 
Our democracy only works if we choose to respect one another – and if we elect leaders who serve us rather than themselves.
 
As Ben Franklin famously said here in Pennsylvania, it’s only a republic if we can keep it.
 
This is the most important election in our lifetimes – and as Kamala says, the most important election in the lifetime of our nation.
 
We’re being asked whether we will protect America’s promise as a welcoming society – for Jews and for everyone. A nation where no one ever feels attacked or alone.
 
There is only one candidate in this race who will bring us closer to that reality.
 
In your gut – in your kishkes – you know that’s true. And you know what we need to do to elect her as our next President.
 
Thank you.

The post Remarks by the Second Gentleman at a Campaign Event | Pittsburgh, PA appeared first on The White House.

The University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA

SECOND GENTLEMAN DOUGLAS EMHOFF: Thank you, Meryl and Yoni, and thank you Pittsburgh. You’ve welcomed me many times to mourn, to remember, and to rededicate ourselves to living proudly as Jews.
 
Thank you for opening your doors and arms once again, at this critical moment.
 
We have one week to go. One week to turn the page, chart a new way forward, and elect Kamala Harris.
 
I am so proud of the way she has stepped up, shared her vision, and prosecuted the case against Donald Trump’s unhinged view of America and of our fellow Americans.
 
Kamala brings both joy and toughness to everything she does – and this campaign is no different.
 
Yesterday we marked the anniversary of the deadliest antisemitic attack in American history, a massacre at Shabbat services not far from where we gather right now.
 
And one year after the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel, we are all still reeling.
 
So I want to talk about how we feel when we wake up, walk through the world, and stare at the ceiling at night:
 
It is an uncomfortable and unsettling time to be Jewish. These are hard days.
 
There is pride in our people, but also a deep sense of insecurity.
 
Like you, I know people who think twice about wearing a kippah or a Star of David.
 
Parents who are worried sick about their kids’ safety on college campuses.
 
Young people who aren’t just afraid that they’re going to grow up with fewer rights than their grandparents, but who are being targeted for being Jewish in ways we thought only happened in our grandparents’ time.
 
Everywhere I go, people tell me they also feel something else: loneliness.
 
In the rooms where you used to feel safe, you no longer feel welcome. It didn’t always feel this lonely to be Jewish in America.
 
Like many of you, my family came to this country to escape these very fears. To feel this way in 2024 is disorienting and disconcerting.
  
But I’ll tell you one place I’ve never felt that – where I’ve actually felt the opposite: the home I share with Kamala.
 
When we’re shaken, we go home and talk to the people we love.
 
After Charlottesville, after Tree of Life, after October 7, the person I turned to and talked to was my wife.
 
After Hamas executed Hersh and the other hostages, she and I grieved together.

When we see the antisemitic attacks that are happening week by week in America – like the students wearing kippot who were assaulted while walking to the Hillel on this very campus, like the Federation building in Detroit that was vandalized on the anniversary of October 7, like the historic synagogue in Philadelphia that was defiled just last week, like the man who was shot in Chicago while walking to Shabbat services two days ago – Kamala and I recommit ourselves to extinguishing this epidemic of hate.
 
And let me make something else clear: we do not cower.
 
We take inspiration from communities like this one, which came together as one after Tree of Life – and from those Pitt students, who say they wear the signs of their Judaism even more proudly since being attacked.
 
We heard the antisemitic and racist speeches at Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally yesterday.
 
It’s appalling to hear those slurs, especially in the closing days of a campaign – and even more painful to hear them on the anniversary of the massacre at Tree of Life.
 
But nothing will stop me from living fearlessly as a Jew. Nothing will stop Kamala and me from speaking out. Nothing will take away our joy or our faith in America.
 
Kamala is someone whose conviction and compassion is driven by empathy as well as experience.
 
She hears the stories of people who practice a different faith – and especially those who are targeted because of it – and comes away with a sense of personal responsibility.
 
She knows how deeply our community has been re-traumatized and our fears about the future.
 
So this is not a footnote in her agenda. Bringing us together, defending those who are wronged, disparaged, and excluded is the essence of her life and her leadership.
 
And that is what we need in the Oval Office.
  
Now, anybody can say the right things on the campaign trail, and then go home and turn it off. Not Kamala.
 
Because when Kamala walks through the door at the end of the day, that door has a mezuzah on it.
 
And three months from now, with your help, the White House residence could have a mezuzah on its doorpost.
 
Let me be direct and answer the question that Jews have asked for generations: Yes, she feels it in her gut. Kamala feels it, as we say, in her kishkes.
 
Her commitment to the security of Israel is unwavering. I know this not just because of what she’s said publicly – though she has said it consistently her entire career – but also by what she does and says when it’s just us.
 
I’ve talked to her before and after her calls with Israel’s leaders and diplomats.
 
She takes seriously her pledge – and I’m going to quote Kamala here – to “always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists.”
 
I saw her determination earlier this month after she spent hours in the Situation Room, coordinating in real time with our military to shoot down the missiles Iran launched into Israel’s skies.
 
I’ve been next to her as she’s steeled herself, with such care and compassion, to meet the hostage families.
 
And I’ve seen how those conversations both break her heart and strengthen her resolve.
 
I know what’s in her soul. She feels what you and I – and Jews across America – are feeling today. She gets it.
 
And to tell you the truth, it’s not because she married a nice Jewish boy. To be honest, she’s been working on this longer than I have.
 
Growing up, she collected donations, in those iconic blue-and-white tzedakah boxes, to plant trees in Israel.
 
As District Attorney of San Francisco, she prosecuted antisemitic attacks as hate crimes.
 
As Attorney General, she published an annual report on hate crimes.
 
As a U.S. senator, the first resolution she passed – the very first – was to speak out against antisemitism.
 
Throughout her career, Kamala has strengthened the bonds between the United States and Israel, between the Israeli people and the American people.
 
She knows those bonds must remain strong regardless of which administration or leader is in power.
 
Over the last year, Kamala has worked every day for a deal to bring the hostages home and for a ceasefire – to protect innocent civilians in Gaza and make sure aid gets to those in need – and for a reality in which Israel is secure and Palestinians know the dignity, freedom, and self-determination they deserve.
 
Throughout her career, Kamala has been crystal clear in pledging – again, I’m going to use her words – to “always work to ensure the safety and security of the Jewish people here and around the world” and “support the existence of a secure, democratic homeland for the Jewish people.” Those are direct quotes.
 
When Kamala is President, she will continue to stand with Israel and with the Jewish community – our community. She will reject antisemitic hate and the notion that Israel does not have the right to exist.
 
Kamala also knows that the justice Judaism commands us to pursue is not only about foreign policy.
 
It is also about ensuring everyone is respected, every vote is counted, and every woman has the freedom to make decisions about her own body.
  
Like some of you, I have walked along the train tracks that led into, but not out of, Auschwitz.
 
I have spoken to Holocaust survivors who hear in the present-day propaganda and intolerance the echoes of the 1930s – and warned us what was heading for America.
 
Last year, I met with a survivor who escaped to present-day Ukraine from Germany – but who now has been forced, in her advanced age, to escape to Germany from Ukraine.
 
And I went with Kamala to visit Yad Vashem. Before we left, Kamala wrote a note to share how devastated she was by – as she put it – “the silent testimonials of those who perished in the Shoah.”
 
Kamala hears the silence of those we lost – she hears the silence of those who look the other way – and she urged me to use my voice. That is why I have used this role to do this work of fighting antisemitism and hate.
 
That’s right: it was Kamala who encouraged me to take up this mission as Second Gentleman.
 
I am so proud to have helped the President and Vice President establish the first-ever National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, mobilizing the full force of the federal government to protect Jewish communities.
 
One thing we know about antisemitism is that those who discriminate against us discriminate against all of us. There are many Jews far more religiously observant than I am – but as I said to an Orthodox rabbi, they hate us all equally.
 
Another thing we know is that anti-Semites usually don’t stop there.
 
Those who hate Jews often hate Muslims, hate people of color, hate LGBTQ people, hate anyone who doesn’t look or pray or think like they do.
 
And a third thing we know about antisemitism is that whenever chaos and cruelty are given a green light, Jew-hatred is historically not far behind.
 
That matters today because Donald Trump is nothing if not an agent of chaos and cruelty.
  
People run for office for one of two reasons: to hold power or to lead people.
 
And when you look at the candidates on your ballot, that is the choice.
 
He is running for himself. She is running for you – for us. In fact, that distinction has been the driving force for each of them throughout their very different careers.
 
He is a conman and a convicted criminal who tears others down. She is a prosecutor and a public servant who lifts people up.
 
He has lost the support of those who worked with him the closest. She proudly accepts their endorsements.
 
He demeans immigrants with the same hateful slurs hurled at our ancestors – “vermin” and “animals” who “poison the blood of our country.”
 
He scapegoats Jewish voters to our faces, saying that if he loses, it will be the fault of the Jews.
 
He looks at Adolf Hitler’s generals and sees something to admire.
 
Let that sink in. 
 
You do not reward someone like that with a platform – or with power – and never again with the Presidency.
  
Now, you and I have heard the arguments that give Trump the benefit of the doubt despite all his nonsensical, hateful rhetoric; despite his takeover of the Supreme Court; despite his insurrection at the Capitol; despite his promise to be a dictator on day one.
 
But this is different. Last time, there were people around him who checked his worst instincts.
 
If there is a next time, they won’t be there. The people who know that Trump should be nowhere near the Situation Room are the ones who will be locked out.
 
Just listen to his own Vice President, his own Chief of Staff, his own Defense Secretary, his own National Security Advisor.
 
Donald Trump demands loyalty – but he is loyal to nothing but himself. If it suited his selfish interests, Trump would turn his back on Israel and the Jewish people on a dime.
 
Whenever antisemitism rears its ugly head in this country, we should never have to wonder where our government stands.
 
We should never have to wonder whether our leaders are praising Nazis behind closed doors.
 
When I used to speak to a jury at the end of a trial, I would often say to them: Believe what you see. Trust the facts staring you in the face.
 
So when Donald Trump says something unhinged, do not roll your eyes. Roll up your sleeves.
  
Let me finish where I started: this has been a heartbreaking year to be a Jew in America.
 
The question is: will next year be even harder – for us and for Americans of every background, for all of us who believe in freedom?
 
The answer is in our hands. The answer is on our ballots.
 
How many times have you read our history and asked: What were they thinking? Why didn’t they stop it? Why didn’t they act?
 
Embedded in that question is this truth: we have a choice.
 
There is a fire in this country. Either we pour water on it, or we pour gasoline.
 
That is the choice every one of us faces right now. Because fighting antisemitism and all forms of hate is the responsibility of every American.
 
Kamala and I planted a pomegranate tree at the Vice President’s residence this past October 7.
 
It commemorates both the pain and the perseverance of the Jewish people.
 
We pray that this symbol of hope will grow into a tree of life, reflecting the resilience of the congregation here in Pittsburgh of the same name.
 
Our Proverbs liken the Torah to a Tree of Life. But there’s an important condition attached. The full verse says it is “a tree of life – for those who hold fast to it.”
 
In other words, it is only a source of goodness if you choose to honor it.
 
That is the story of America, too.
 
Our Constitution only works if we choose to respect the rule of law.
 
Our democracy only works if we choose to respect one another – and if we elect leaders who serve us rather than themselves.
 
As Ben Franklin famously said here in Pennsylvania, it’s only a republic if we can keep it.
 
This is the most important election in our lifetimes – and as Kamala says, the most important election in the lifetime of our nation.
 
We’re being asked whether we will protect America’s promise as a welcoming society – for Jews and for everyone. A nation where no one ever feels attacked or alone.
 
There is only one candidate in this race who will bring us closer to that reality.
 
In your gut – in your kishkes – you know that’s true. And you know what we need to do to elect her as our next President.
 
Thank you.

The post Remarks by the Second Gentleman at a Campaign Event | Pittsburgh, PA appeared first on The White House.