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Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Phoenix, AZ (March 19, 2024)

Speeches and Remarks - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 15:04

El Portal Mexican Restaurant
Phoenix, Arizona
(March 19, 2024)

4:49 P.M. MST

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, folks, I have to tell you straight up: I like y’all, but I couldn’t resist that little baby.  (Laughter.)

Well, first of all, I want to thank you all and thank Luis for that introduction.  When — when you’re president and they say, “Joe Biden is out in the waiting room,” promise me you won’t say, “Joe who?”  (Laughter.)  (Inaudible.)

Folks, look, you know, when I get criticism some places for having such a strong interest in Latino voters and Latino Americans and people here in the country, I point out to them — I say, “Can you imagine when you have 28 percent of all the students in public school are Latino, and — nationwide — anybody who doesn’t pay attention is really stupid.”  (Laughter.) 

No, I’m serious.  Think about it.  Think about what this means.  Think about the future.  There’s such enormous opportunities. 

You know, and I made a historic investment — a $15 billion investment in — in Hispanic-serving institutions, including Arizona State now.  (Applause.)

But I should have started off by thanking Mary and Earl.  Thank you very, very much.  (Applause.)  Thank you for very much for hosting us.  Small businesses like yours all across America are the glue that holds communities together, and we want to thank you for that.  I really mean it.  (Applause.)  Thank you. 

Look, and I want to thank my campaign manager you heard speak first.  She is a — it’s a little bit in her blood.  Cesar Chavez is her grandfather.  (Applause.)  And he’s the guy that got me interested. 

When he came to Delaware when I was running in 19- — I won’t even tell you when — (laughter) — 1871.  (Laughter.)  He came to Delaware in the 1970s to help deal with the farmworkers.  And we had — we have — Delaware has a gigantic industry in agriculture.  That whole thing called the Delmarva Peninsula — Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia — it’s a $4 billion industry, primarily in agriculture but particularly in chickens. 

And he was organizing.  And I — I got — I got involved with him and in trying to make some — some headway.  And in southern Delaware, they talk at you like this, you know what I mean? (Pronounced in an accent).  (Laughter.)  And it was one of the best things I ever did in my life, because I learned a whole heck of a lot that I didn’t know.

You know, and one of the things is that — someone who did so much to improve the lives of — of Latinos all across Arizona and all across the country, and it’s in her blood.  It’s in her blood deeply.  I’m sure it is in a lot of you as well. 

I’m excited to be down the street from our new campaign headquarters.  I don’t think we could fit anybody in — everybody in at this moment.  But it’s in the heart of the community.  And we have seven more offices that are — seven offices are opening here and at — by the end of the month. 

Second thing.  You know, last time, you’re the reason why, in large part, I beat Donald Trump.  Let’s beat him again.  (Applause.)

Well, you know, we — I need you.  I need you badly.  I need the help.  Kamala and I desperately need your help, because, look, there’s only about six or seven states that are going to determine the outcome of this election.  They’re toss-up states, and this is one of them. 

And I made sure that, by the way, when I got elected that my — I told you my campaign would look like America, my administration would look like America.  We have — and I’ve followed through on that. 

For example, Secretary Becerra is lowering prescription drug costs.  He’s heading up one whole agency.  Secretary Cardona is easing student debt, among other things.  And — and Administrator Guzman is investing in small business.

  Look, I want to remind folks, because we turned out in 2020, we achieved the lowest unemployment rate for Latinos in a long, long time.  We cut Hispanic child poverty to record lows.  We lowered the healthcare costs.  We made historic investments in Latino small businesses.  And we addressed gun violence in the communities. 

And we’re excited now that ASU is joining the ranks of other historic [Hispanic]-serving institutions, because they can get part of that $15 billion now.  (Laughter and applause.)

Look, one of the reasons why I’ve spent so much time and effort in dealing with Latino small — Latino universities and Black universities is they haven’t had the endowments these other universities had.  So, the jobs of the future — the high-tech jobs — they don’t have the laboratories.  They don’t have the ability to tra- — they — every student is as competent as anybody going to Harvard or Yale or Stanford or anywhere else.  But they don’t have the — they don’t have the means to train.  And so, that’s where the money is going, primarily. 

It’s going not only to get them in school, but to be able to put together the laboratories to train them to be the engineers, the technicians, the people who are going — who are going to lead the technology of the future.

And look, folks, the fact is that — I — I shouldn’t probably get started on it, but — (laughter) — because I promised I’d be brief because I want to say hello to every one of you, but — (laughter).

Look, this — this election is — is not a referendum on me.  It’s — it’s an election between me and a guy named Trump.  And — and this is a guy who — whose — the way he talks about the Latino community is — well, in 2016, he called Latinos “criminal, drug dealers, and rapists” when he came down that escalator.  Now he says immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” 

What the hell was he talking about?  No, I’m serious.  Think — think about it.  We are — we are — in fact, the reason we’re as good as we are is because we are the most diverse country in the world.  Seriously, the most — (applause).

And look, you know, that’s not all.  He wants to get rid of all the programs we put together — from healthcare, to education, to small-business help.  And Social Security, he wants to cut.  He said, “No, I don’t want to cut it.”  He just said, “But there’s a lot you can do to trim and cut.” 

Well, let me tell you something.  Folks, he only cares about — he only cares about the wealthy.  This — I love this quote from him.  At Mar-a-Lago, Trump told his friends, and I quote, “I know plenty of you, and you’re rich as hell, and we’re going to give you more tax cuts.”  That was recently, okay? 

Well, that’s — that’s the last thing I’m going to do, I want to tell you. 

You may remember when we started off this campaign in 2020, there were 55 major corporations that made $40 billion and didn’t pay a single penny in taxes.  And I was able to get a 15 percent minimum tax on them and paid for every single thing we did and still cut the budget a trillion dollars. 

And so, folks, look, let me — let me — (applause).

I don’t want to get going, giving a whole speech, because I want to meet you.  (Laughter.)

Let me just tell you one thing.  The fact of the matter is I come from a household that is like maybe a lot of yours.  We weren’t poor, but we were, I guess, technically h- — from a — from a financial standpoint, lower-middle class. 

When coal died in Scranton, where I was born, we moved down to Claymont, Delaware, a little steel town.  And we lived in what later became subsidized housing.  It wasn’t at the time.  It was an apartment complex. 

And my dad kept trying to figure out how we can own a home.  Because you own a home, you can build some equity in a home.  When you build equity, you can then save and do — move on from there. 

And we lived in a three-bedroom split-level home in a development, they called it — 45 homes built — the same exact kind of homes.  And there were th- — four kids and a grandpop living with us in that home.  We never thought we were — we were poor.  We never thought we were left behind.  But we had to figure out how to get scholarships to go to school.  We had to figure out how to pay to get — my dad busted his neck to make sure we had whatever we needed and could have whatever we needed. 

But the end result of it was that it was — we used to have a thing called trickle-down economics, where if the wealthy did very well, it trickled down, everybody did fine.  Well, I observed nothing ever trickled down to my dad’s kitchen table. 

And so, when I got elected, I decided I was going to build the country from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.  That way everybody does well.  The wealthy still can do well.  They don’t pay their taxes very much, but they do well.  I’m serious.  And the middle class does well and the poor have a way up. 

And so, that’s why we’ve been able to create all these jobs nationwide.  That’s why we’ve been able to grow the economy as we have.  And that’s just starting to kick in. 

And, folks, look, you know, I’ll end by saying this.  The tax system now is not fair.  Trump wants another $2 trillion tax cut to be — that’s what he says he wants — the first thing he wants to do when he gets elected. 

Well, his administration caused the biggest deficit in American history in a four-year period — the biggest in American history.  And we’ve cut deficit by over — by the time it’s out, over $2 trillion we’ve cut the deficit. 

But here’s what he wants to do.  He wants to make sure that the biggest corporations continue to benefit. 

Well, look, in the United States today — and I’ll end with this — there are 1,000 billionaires.  I’m a capitalist.  If you can make a billion dollars, wonderful.  If you can make a million dollars, wonderful.  But I tell you what: You ought to pay your fair share.  (Applause.)

You know what — you know what the average — what the tax a billionaire pays — these 100 [1,000] billionaires?  8.3 percent federal tax.  Every one of you here would trade for that, wouldn’t you? 

Well, let me tell you something.  I’m going to make sure it gets raised to a minimum of 25 percent — (applause) — which is still significantly lower than the top rate. 

But here’s what that would do.  If we raised that one thing — if we raised that 25 percent tax, it would raise $500 billion over 10 years — $500 billion. 

We’d be able to have childcare again for everybody at $300 per kid.  We’d be able to make sure that everybody has an access to an education.  We’d be able to have early education for families that don’t have the capacity. 

We’ve been able — we’d be able to do so much more.  We’d be able to cut the deficit as well. 

So, folks, I’m optimistic.  America has the capacity to do almost anything.  We just have to remember who the hell we are.  We’re the United States of America.  (Applause.)  There — no, no.  And there is — there is nothing — there is nothing beyond our capacity. 

We’re the only nation in the world that has gone through that I — and as a — a researcher in history, the only thing — on- — I can — only nation in the world that w- — has gone through — every crisis we’ve ever gone through, we’ve come out stronger than we went in — only case, only nation. 

Let’s remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  Nothing is beyond our capacity when we work together.  And with you all, we’re going to work together and change the world here.  Not a joke.  There is so much more to say, but I’m going to stop now. 

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

      5:01 P.M. MST

The post Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Phoenix, AZ (March 19, 2024) appeared first on The White House.

Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Phoenix, AZ (March 19, 2024)

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 15:04

El Portal Mexican Restaurant
Phoenix, Arizona
(March 19, 2024)

4:49 P.M. MST

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, folks, I have to tell you straight up: I like y’all, but I couldn’t resist that little baby.  (Laughter.)

Well, first of all, I want to thank you all and thank Luis for that introduction.  When — when you’re president and they say, “Joe Biden is out in the waiting room,” promise me you won’t say, “Joe who?”  (Laughter.)  (Inaudible.)

Folks, look, you know, when I get criticism some places for having such a strong interest in Latino voters and Latino Americans and people here in the country, I point out to them — I say, “Can you imagine when you have 28 percent of all the students in public school are Latino, and — nationwide — anybody who doesn’t pay attention is really stupid.”  (Laughter.) 

No, I’m serious.  Think about it.  Think about what this means.  Think about the future.  There’s such enormous opportunities. 

You know, and I made a historic investment — a $15 billion investment in — in Hispanic-serving institutions, including Arizona State now.  (Applause.)

But I should have started off by thanking Mary and Earl.  Thank you very, very much.  (Applause.)  Thank you for very much for hosting us.  Small businesses like yours all across America are the glue that holds communities together, and we want to thank you for that.  I really mean it.  (Applause.)  Thank you. 

Look, and I want to thank my campaign manager you heard speak first.  She is a — it’s a little bit in her blood.  Cesar Chavez is her grandfather.  (Applause.)  And he’s the guy that got me interested. 

When he came to Delaware when I was running in 19- — I won’t even tell you when — (laughter) — 1871.  (Laughter.)  He came to Delaware in the 1970s to help deal with the farmworkers.  And we had — we have — Delaware has a gigantic industry in agriculture.  That whole thing called the Delmarva Peninsula — Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia — it’s a $4 billion industry, primarily in agriculture but particularly in chickens. 

And he was organizing.  And I — I got — I got involved with him and in trying to make some — some headway.  And in southern Delaware, they talk at you like this, you know what I mean? (Pronounced in an accent).  (Laughter.)  And it was one of the best things I ever did in my life, because I learned a whole heck of a lot that I didn’t know.

You know, and one of the things is that — someone who did so much to improve the lives of — of Latinos all across Arizona and all across the country, and it’s in her blood.  It’s in her blood deeply.  I’m sure it is in a lot of you as well. 

I’m excited to be down the street from our new campaign headquarters.  I don’t think we could fit anybody in — everybody in at this moment.  But it’s in the heart of the community.  And we have seven more offices that are — seven offices are opening here and at — by the end of the month. 

Second thing.  You know, last time, you’re the reason why, in large part, I beat Donald Trump.  Let’s beat him again.  (Applause.)

Well, you know, we — I need you.  I need you badly.  I need the help.  Kamala and I desperately need your help, because, look, there’s only about six or seven states that are going to determine the outcome of this election.  They’re toss-up states, and this is one of them. 

And I made sure that, by the way, when I got elected that my — I told you my campaign would look like America, my administration would look like America.  We have — and I’ve followed through on that. 

For example, Secretary Becerra is lowering prescription drug costs.  He’s heading up one whole agency.  Secretary Cardona is easing student debt, among other things.  And — and Administrator Guzman is investing in small business.

  Look, I want to remind folks, because we turned out in 2020, we achieved the lowest unemployment rate for Latinos in a long, long time.  We cut Hispanic child poverty to record lows.  We lowered the healthcare costs.  We made historic investments in Latino small businesses.  And we addressed gun violence in the communities. 

And we’re excited now that ASU is joining the ranks of other historic [Hispanic]-serving institutions, because they can get part of that $15 billion now.  (Laughter and applause.)

Look, one of the reasons why I’ve spent so much time and effort in dealing with Latino small — Latino universities and Black universities is they haven’t had the endowments these other universities had.  So, the jobs of the future — the high-tech jobs — they don’t have the laboratories.  They don’t have the ability to tra- — they — every student is as competent as anybody going to Harvard or Yale or Stanford or anywhere else.  But they don’t have the — they don’t have the means to train.  And so, that’s where the money is going, primarily. 

It’s going not only to get them in school, but to be able to put together the laboratories to train them to be the engineers, the technicians, the people who are going — who are going to lead the technology of the future.

And look, folks, the fact is that — I — I shouldn’t probably get started on it, but — (laughter) — because I promised I’d be brief because I want to say hello to every one of you, but — (laughter).

Look, this — this election is — is not a referendum on me.  It’s — it’s an election between me and a guy named Trump.  And — and this is a guy who — whose — the way he talks about the Latino community is — well, in 2016, he called Latinos “criminal, drug dealers, and rapists” when he came down that escalator.  Now he says immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.” 

What the hell was he talking about?  No, I’m serious.  Think — think about it.  We are — we are — in fact, the reason we’re as good as we are is because we are the most diverse country in the world.  Seriously, the most — (applause).

And look, you know, that’s not all.  He wants to get rid of all the programs we put together — from healthcare, to education, to small-business help.  And Social Security, he wants to cut.  He said, “No, I don’t want to cut it.”  He just said, “But there’s a lot you can do to trim and cut.” 

Well, let me tell you something.  Folks, he only cares about — he only cares about the wealthy.  This — I love this quote from him.  At Mar-a-Lago, Trump told his friends, and I quote, “I know plenty of you, and you’re rich as hell, and we’re going to give you more tax cuts.”  That was recently, okay? 

Well, that’s — that’s the last thing I’m going to do, I want to tell you. 

You may remember when we started off this campaign in 2020, there were 55 major corporations that made $40 billion and didn’t pay a single penny in taxes.  And I was able to get a 15 percent minimum tax on them and paid for every single thing we did and still cut the budget a trillion dollars. 

And so, folks, look, let me — let me — (applause).

I don’t want to get going, giving a whole speech, because I want to meet you.  (Laughter.)

Let me just tell you one thing.  The fact of the matter is I come from a household that is like maybe a lot of yours.  We weren’t poor, but we were, I guess, technically h- — from a — from a financial standpoint, lower-middle class. 

When coal died in Scranton, where I was born, we moved down to Claymont, Delaware, a little steel town.  And we lived in what later became subsidized housing.  It wasn’t at the time.  It was an apartment complex. 

And my dad kept trying to figure out how we can own a home.  Because you own a home, you can build some equity in a home.  When you build equity, you can then save and do — move on from there. 

And we lived in a three-bedroom split-level home in a development, they called it — 45 homes built — the same exact kind of homes.  And there were th- — four kids and a grandpop living with us in that home.  We never thought we were — we were poor.  We never thought we were left behind.  But we had to figure out how to get scholarships to go to school.  We had to figure out how to pay to get — my dad busted his neck to make sure we had whatever we needed and could have whatever we needed. 

But the end result of it was that it was — we used to have a thing called trickle-down economics, where if the wealthy did very well, it trickled down, everybody did fine.  Well, I observed nothing ever trickled down to my dad’s kitchen table. 

And so, when I got elected, I decided I was going to build the country from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.  That way everybody does well.  The wealthy still can do well.  They don’t pay their taxes very much, but they do well.  I’m serious.  And the middle class does well and the poor have a way up. 

And so, that’s why we’ve been able to create all these jobs nationwide.  That’s why we’ve been able to grow the economy as we have.  And that’s just starting to kick in. 

And, folks, look, you know, I’ll end by saying this.  The tax system now is not fair.  Trump wants another $2 trillion tax cut to be — that’s what he says he wants — the first thing he wants to do when he gets elected. 

Well, his administration caused the biggest deficit in American history in a four-year period — the biggest in American history.  And we’ve cut deficit by over — by the time it’s out, over $2 trillion we’ve cut the deficit. 

But here’s what he wants to do.  He wants to make sure that the biggest corporations continue to benefit. 

Well, look, in the United States today — and I’ll end with this — there are 1,000 billionaires.  I’m a capitalist.  If you can make a billion dollars, wonderful.  If you can make a million dollars, wonderful.  But I tell you what: You ought to pay your fair share.  (Applause.)

You know what — you know what the average — what the tax a billionaire pays — these 100 [1,000] billionaires?  8.3 percent federal tax.  Every one of you here would trade for that, wouldn’t you? 

Well, let me tell you something.  I’m going to make sure it gets raised to a minimum of 25 percent — (applause) — which is still significantly lower than the top rate. 

But here’s what that would do.  If we raised that one thing — if we raised that 25 percent tax, it would raise $500 billion over 10 years — $500 billion. 

We’d be able to have childcare again for everybody at $300 per kid.  We’d be able to make sure that everybody has an access to an education.  We’d be able to have early education for families that don’t have the capacity. 

We’ve been able — we’d be able to do so much more.  We’d be able to cut the deficit as well. 

So, folks, I’m optimistic.  America has the capacity to do almost anything.  We just have to remember who the hell we are.  We’re the United States of America.  (Applause.)  There — no, no.  And there is — there is nothing — there is nothing beyond our capacity. 

We’re the only nation in the world that has gone through that I — and as a — a researcher in history, the only thing — on- — I can — only nation in the world that w- — has gone through — every crisis we’ve ever gone through, we’ve come out stronger than we went in — only case, only nation. 

Let’s remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  Nothing is beyond our capacity when we work together.  And with you all, we’re going to work together and change the world here.  Not a joke.  There is so much more to say, but I’m going to stop now. 

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

      5:01 P.M. MST

The post Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Phoenix, AZ (March 19, 2024) appeared first on The White House.

Remarks by President Biden on Lowering Housing Costs for American Families | Las Vegas, NV (March 19, 2024)

Speeches and Remarks - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 14:46

Stupak Community Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
(March 19, 2024)

2:19 P.M. PDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello. Pablo, thank you for that introduction. I appreciate it. And thank you for sharing your story.

You know, you immigrated to America as a teenager, graduated from high school, and spent four years as a union apprentice, which is like earning a college degree, before you become a journeyman.

You know, I’m a big pro-union guy. I make no apologies about it. But everybody talks about unions — (applause) — but it’s interesting, people who don’t understand, they go, “Well, you know, a union, what — what do they (inaudible) — they like walk in and say, ‘I want to be an electrician.’ ‘I want to be a plasterer.’” You got four or five years of apprenticeship. You earn it. You earn it, and you deserve it.

You help build homes for others and reach their dreams, and now you’re in the market yourself to continue your dream.

I also met another mother named Latree — — Latreshu — where is Latree?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Latreca.

THE PRESIDENT: Latreca. Excuse me. (Applause.) There she is.

Who was able to buy her first home with a $15,000 down payment by the American Rescue Plan, which we wrote. (Applause.)

All she needed was a fair shot. She found a good-paying union job. She took home- — homeownership classes to raise her credit score. She did her hard work, and now she owns a home in Paradise with her 16-year-old daughter, a straight-A student. Stand up, kiddo. (Applause.)

We’re fortunate to have great partners in Congress here today who are helping to make these dreams possible.

Representative Steven Horsford, a great leader of the 4th District and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, who works every single day to reduce housing costs and close the racial wealth gap, which is happening.

Representative Susie Lee, who is a driving force to cut red tape and build more affordable housing all across Nevada.

Representative Dina Titus. God love you, Dina; you’re an old friend. You’ve always had my back, and I’ve had yours, and you had the people of this country’s and this city’s back. Housing is so much more than just a — just a word. It’s about people’s lives.

You know, you can’t be here today because there are votes in Washington, but I want to thank your outstanding senators, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, for their leadership — (applause) — in making housing more accessible and affordable.

I also want to thank all of the housing advocates here today who are doing God’s work. All the — housing advocates, stand up. (Applause.) No, I really mean it. You’re doing everything — you’re doing a great job. And, by the way, you know — I won’t go into it, I guess, but —

Look, folks, when I came to office, the pandemic was raging and our economy was reeling.

Nevada was especially hard hit as tourism took a dive — a gigantic dive.

Before I came to office, the unemployment had reached 30 percent here. And we’re turning things around today because of the folks I just talked about. And Nevada has created 274,000 jobs, bringing back lost jobs of the pandemic and adding another 129,000 jobs. Things are on the move.

Unemployment is down dramatically, with more Nevadans working today than ever before in the history of Nevada. And thousands of cities across all of America are seeing this great comeback story.

You know, my American Rescue Plan — which, I might add, not a single, solitary Republican voted for — provided $350 billion to state and local governments, including funds for every city, county, town, Tribe in this state. And your state put that money to good use.

It put cops on the beat and teachers in the classroom. It kept small businesses on their feet and families in their homes. And that’s not all.

You can’t have the best economy in the world, which we do now, if you don’t have the best infrastructure in the world.

My predecessor promised — remember my predecessor kept talking about “Infrastructure Week” for four years? Well, he didn’t build a damn thing. You all think I’m kidding; I’m not.

I proposed and signed the most significant investment in our nation’s infrastructure in generations, and now we’re going to have an “Infrastructure Decade” — so far, 47,000 new projects modernizing Americans’ roads, bridges, ports, airports, public transit, and so more. It’s happening. Creating jobs now and jobs for the future as well. $3.4 billion in projects right here in Nevada — $3.4 billion. (Applause.)

When I was writing this and talking about it, all I kept thinking about was Harry Reid.

We’re connecting the entire state to affordable high-speed Internet. By the end of this decade, every single part of the state will have high-speed, affordable Internet, and we’re already saving 276,000 Nevadan families as much as $75 a month on their Internet bills.

And I know our friend Harry is looking down and saying — damn proud of the airport in his name is getting an upgrade as well. (Laughter.) I couldn’t do one without the other, you know. He’s so proud of building America’s first high-speed rail line that — to take folks from Las Vegas to the — to Los Angeles in two hours instead of four.

You know, that’s going to create 35,000 — this first maj- — major high-speed rail line in America — 35,000 good-paying jobs, take 3 million vehicles off the road, and reduce pollution significantly.

It’s also taking the most signi- — (applause) — and, by the way, it’s going to cut the time in half. Now, I don’t know why anybody would want to get to LA in half the time — (laughter) — but I know why they all want to come here. (Laughter.)

All kidding aside, it really is — it really is incredible. It’s a gigantic project. And — by the way, it’s en- — it’s encouraged California and central California to build a high-speed rail as well.

You know, the idea that we’re — haven’t had one single high-speed rail built in America up to now is ridiculous. And so, you know, Chinese have a rail system that goes 130 miles an hour — anyway — 230 miles an hour, I should say.

But look, we’re taking the most significant action to fight climate change ever. My policies have attracted $650 billion in private-sector investments from companies that are moving clean energy factories and jobs back here to America where they belong.

For example, in Reno, Redwood — Redw- — Redwood Materials is going to invest $3.5 billion — $3.5 billion — one of the country’s major electric vehicle battery recycling and manufacturing plants — creating thousands of jobs here. Thousands of jobs.

Tomorrow — (applause) — and, by the way, tomorrow in Arizona, I’ll be talking about how America invented the semiconductor chip — the tiny chips the size of the tip of your little finger, which powers everything from automobiles to smartphones to weapon systems.

We invented those chips. We made them better, but then we lost the market because a lot of the corporations said, “Let’s send the jobs overseas where they’re cheaper and bring the product home, which is more expensive.” We don’t do that anymore. We make it here. We keep the jobs here, and we send products overseas. (Applause.)

But the reason I mention it, we’ve been able to bring the chips manufacturing back home. We attracted $240 billion in private-sector investments to build chip factories here in America.

And, by the way, they’re creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, both in construction and manufacturing. And the average salary in one of their — they call them “fabs” — the factories is $100,000 a year, and you don’t need a college degree to get that job.

Across the country, folks have filed a record number of new business applications since I took office. The fastest growth of Latino-owned businesses in more than a decade. More Black small businesses starting at the highest rate in 30 years.

In Nevada, since I came to office, we’ve seen 195,000 small business applications, and every one of those applications is an act of hope.

It’s critical because small businesses and pe- — the reason I keep talking about small businesses — small businesses make up half the GDP, half the economy of America. Half of all — all the economy in America is generated by small businesses.

But here’s the deal: As more folks move to Nevada for good-paying jobs, we need housing that’s affordable. The depth of the pandemic and — in the depth of the pandemic, the American Rescue Plan delivered funds to keep 8 million families in their homes nationwide by preventing foreclosures and evictions.

Here in Nevada, you used those funds to keep 50,000 people’s rent be able to be paid — (applause) — hundreds of first-time homebuyers be able to make a down payment. You invested more in building and renovating affordable homes than almost any other part of the country, any state in the country.

For example, here in Clark County, nearly a thousand brand-new, affordable units for seniors are under construction today as a result — 8,000 homes total for families, seniors, and veterans.

And across the country, more people own homes now than before the pandemic. We’re seeing fewer foreclosures than any time in decades, but we have a lot more to do.

For too many people, the dream of having a good home, it still feels out of reach. I get it.

Look, here’s my plan — but, you know, everybody thinks because I was president, I was probably born wealthy and come from a significant background of — economically. Well, I had the dubious distinction of being listed as the poorest man in Congress for 36 years. (Laughter.)

I got a phone call. My wife was campaigning up — I was campaigning up in New Hampshire back when that statistic came out in the ‘90s, and she called — and I used to call when — because the kids were little — when I was away and say, “How is everything going?” And I got this, “Fine.” You know you’re in trouble when your wife or husband says, “Fine.” (Laughter.) And I said, “What’s the matter?” And she said — only a — an elected official’s husband or wife would understand this.

She said, “Did you read today’s paper?” (Laughter.) I said, “They don’t have today’s paper — the Wilmington paper — Delaware up in Neva- — up in — where — with Leahy — where I was with Leahy, up in Vermont.” And she said, “Well, let me read it. Top of the fold headline: ‘Biden, Poorest Man in Congress.’ Is that true?” (Laughter.) I thought, “I don’t know the hell if it’s true.” But it turned out it was true. (Laughter.)

But here’s the deal, my new budget works to lower housing costs for owners and renters alike today.

I was raised in a — you know, when my — when Scranton, where I was born and ear- — in my early years was raised — when Scranton went dead, in terms of the economy, we moved down to a little place called Claymont, Delaware, where my dad had started off as a kid. And we couldn’t afford anything. We lived in a — a duplex called Brookview Apartments, which became public housing years later. And — and my dad kept trying to figure out how we’d get the down payment to get the first home.

Well, we rented and we saved — he saved, and we were able to buy a three-bedroom home in a new development because of the — these areas were building 40, 50 homes at a shot. We had four kids in three bedrooms and a grandpop living with us. And we weren’t poor, but we never had anything at the end of the month.

And so, what — what my dad used to always say was that the way you build equity in your home is the way you build wealth, so th- — when you build enough equity in your home, then you have enough money to borrow to get something new and move and so on.

And that’s how everybody makes it — everybody in the middle class makes it, they — usually through equity in their home.

Well, look, it works — what we’ve been doing works to increase housing supply and keep costs down in the future.

First, for homeowners: If inflation keeps coming down — and it’s predicted to do that — mortgage rates are going to come down as well, but I’m not going to wait. I’m not going to wait. (Applause.)

I want to provide an annual tax credit that will give Americans $400 a month for the next two years as mortgage rates come down to put toward their mortgage when they buy their first home or trade up for a little more space if they come from a middle-class background, if they come from a family that has well under $200,000 or less.

We’re also making it more affordable to refinance your home by eliminating title insurance fees on federally funded mortgage- — backed mortgages.

That’s going to save folks as much a 100- — $1,500. The federal government can afford to do that.

In addition, last week the National Association of Realtors agreed for the first time that Americans can negotiate lower commissions when they buy or sell their home. (Applause.)

On a typical home purchase, that alone could save folks an average of $10,000 on the sale or purchase.

I’m calling on realtors to follow through on lowering their commissions to protect homebuyers.

And, folks, we’re also working to end the legacy of discrimination on the basis of home valuations. It ex- — it’s exa- — it’s exacerbated, as you know — (applause) — it’s exacerbated the racial wealth gap and held back Black and brown families. And it’s simply wrong.

You know, if you build a — if a developer came along and built 20 homes on one side of a highway and 20 homes on the others, and the one side had people of Black and brown backgrounds and the same exact home was built in the white neighborhood, guess what? The day you bought that home, that Black home was worth 20 percent less than the white home — or the Hispanic home is worth 20 percent less. It’s wrong.

Second, my plan goes to work so we can bring the rents down. My administration is tr- — cracking down on big corporations who break antitrust laws by price-fixing to keep the rents up. That’s how they work it out.

Landlords should be competing to give folks the best deal, not conspiring to charge them more. (Applause.)

And we’re also going after what I call unfair rental junk fees, you know, like the ones you’re charged when you move into an apartment — one of those surprise “convenience” fees that aren’t convenient at all. They can add up to hundreds of dollars. And you — some of you have been stuck with that.

Folks are tired of being played for suckers, and I’m tired of letting them be played for suckers.

We’re also expanding rental assistance to over 100,000 more low-income families since I took office — the biggest increase in 20 years. (Applause.)

And my new plan would help hundreds of thousands more, including foster kids — as was mentioned earlier — aging out of foster care so they have to move out, living on their own for the first time.

It’s also going to help thousands of veterans afford their rent, because no one should be homeless in America, especially someone who served this country. (Applause.)

And, folks, we know affordable housing has been a challenge for a long time. To solve it long term, we have to increase supply, because when supply is down and demand is up, costs rise.

The bottom line to lower housing costs for good is to build, build, build. And that’s why — (applause) — with the help of your congressional delegation, I’ve cut red tape so more builders can get federal financing for their new projects.

A record 1.7 million new housing units are under construction nationwide right now because of it. In fact, today my administration reported that single-family housing starts are the highest level they’ve been in nearly two years.

And my new plan would create 2 million affordable homes, including tens of thousands right here in Nevada. You know — (applause) — and we’re doing this through what is called the Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit to build or renovate affordable housing.

And, you know — and we — and we do it by expanding the bipartisan Low-Income — it’s called the Low-Income — sorry with all these titles, but that’s what these bills are — the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to build affordable rental units, which is supported by lenders, builders, families, and housing advocates alike.

Look, my plan will also establish an innovative program to help communities build and renovate housing or convert housing from empty off- — empty office spaces into housing, empty hotels into housing.

My plan would provide $8 billion to fight homelessness and move people into homes and off the street. And I’ll say it again — (applause) — in the United States, no one should have to live on the street — no one.

Folks, all together, experts are calling these measures, quote, “the most consequential” housing plan in more than 50 years.

But let me be clear. It’s not only my plan, it’s — it’s fully paid for. And while I’m paying for it, we’re also reducing the federal debt [deficit] at the same time.

I know the Republicans talk about, you know, “big-taxing Democrats.” Give me a break. Come on. We’ve al- — I’ve already cut the federal deficit by $1 trillion since I took office.

The last guy — (applause) — the last guy increased the deficit by a larger margin than any president in American history in the four years he was president.

I signed the bipartisan budget deal to cut another trillion dollars in the next decade.

For example, because of the law I signed, finally, Big Pharma — the pharmaceutical companies — and we — we finally beat them — giving Medicare the power to negotiate the prescription drug prices they pay for seniors, like they do at the Veterans Administration. The VA says, “I need this for veterans, but I’m not going to pay you more than this — for this amount of money.”

Well, it doesn’t just save seniors money. It’s already saving taxpayers money.

The one thing we’ve been able to do is — when I did that one thing in making sure that you’re going to be able to have insulin for 35 bucks instead of 400 bucks a month — (applause) — well, guess what? That cut the deficit by $160 billion — $160 billion.

And there’s a reason for it. It not only saves seniors a lot of money — when I first wrote it, it included everybody, and the Re- — Republicans knocked out — everybody left the seniors in. They couldn’t lose that one.

But here’s the deal: $160 billion over the next decade, because Big Pharma [Medicare] doesn’t have to pay out the $400 a month. They’re paying out $35 a month to Big Pharma.

My plan would double the number of drugs able to be negotiated to save another $200 billion a year. This bill has already been passed.

Here’s the deal, folks. You know, right now, there — we — we cut the deficit by more — even more by making the very wealthy begin to pay their fair share.

But here’s the deal. If you’re going to deal with Medicare, and you — and you want to make sure you’re going to be able to save money, well, guess what? Many of you know seniors who have cancer drugs that cost up to — up to $35,000 — $15,000 a year — 12-, 15,000 bucks with all their other — all their other costs.

Well, guess what? Already passed a law. Beginning in 2024 — or 20- — in January 2025, no matter what the total cost of prescription drug costs for a senior are, they will not have to pay more than $2,000. Period. Two thousand dollars. (Applause.) It’s going to save another $200,000 — anyway, I’m — I get really — (laughter).

If I — if we ge- — if we drove out to the airport and put you on Air Force One and you said — and you had a prescription you needed filled and it was an American company that made it, I’d say, “Okay, let’s go to — let’s fly to Toronto or to Berlin or to London or to Rome or any major city in America [the world], I’ll get you that same prescription filled in those cities for 40 to 60 percent less than it would cost you at a pharmacy here.” It’s wrong.

But, look, I’m a capitalist. If you want to make a million bucks, great. Just begin to pay your fair share in taxes. (Applause.)

In 2020, 55 of the largest Fortune 500 companies made $40 billion in profits. They paid zero in federal taxes. Not anymore. Thanks to the law I wrote and we signed, big companies now have to pay a minimum of 15 percent. But that’s still too little to have to pay in federal — wouldn’t you all trade that? You’d pay 15 percent instead of what you’re paying now.

But, look, it’s time to raise the corporate minimum tax to at least 21 percent so every big corporation finally begins to pay their fair share.

You know, before the rec- — before the — the whole thing with COVID, there were 750 billionaires — with a “B” — in America. Today, there are a thousand. You know what they pay in average — what — the average tax for billionaires in America? 8.2 percent federal tax. Anybody want to trade them — the billionaire tax? I’d take 8.2 percent.

That’s far less than the vast majority of Americans pay. No billionaire should pay a lower tax than a teacher, a sanitation worker, a nurse — (applause) — anybody busting their neck.

And that’s why I’m proposing — if I’m reelected, we’re going to get it done — to — a minimum tax of 25 percent for billionaires. That’s not even the highest tax rate. Just 25 percent.

You know how much that would raise over 10 years? Five hundred billion dollars in 10 years — (applause) — $500 billion if they just start to pay that.

Imagine what we could do. We could cut the federal deficit even more. We could invest in things that make America great again: childcare — a whole range of things we could do. And we’d all be better — affordable child- — home care, housing — all of which help families grow our economy.

And, by the way, every one of these things that I proposed, I asked the — I asked the Treasury Department to do a study for me, because I’m a pro-union guy and everybody — I ¬¬– I’ve been the most pro-union president in American history. And here’s the deal — (applause).

And people say, “Well, that costs a lot of money.” It saves money. The study they done points out that union labor and contracts raise everybody’s income — everybody’s income. And they have the best in the world — besides, like I said, when I got all the — when I got that $350 billion invested for computer chips, I was in — I was at Samsung in South Korea, convinced them to come here.

I said, “Why would you come here?” He said, “You have the best workers in the world. And my safest investment is in America.”

Folks, there’s so much we can do.

But my — my predecessor has a totally different view when it comes to fair taxes. He said — and he said to his friends in Mar-a-Lago, quote — it’s on the record — “I know plenty of you.” This is his quote: “You’re rich as hell. And we’re going to give you tax cuts.” That’s what he says out loud.

When the President enacted a $2 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefits the very wealthy and biggest corporations, he exploded the federal deficit, as I said. He added more to the national debt than any president has in one term in all of American history.

And he wants to do it again. He’s committed to another two thou- — $2 trillion tax cut for the wealthy and biggest corporations.

He also proposed cutting funds for affordable housing — not building them, cutting the funds for them.

Folks at home, does anybody really think — anybody really think the tax code is fair? I don’t know. You don’t really think the wealthy and big corporations need another $2 trillion tax cut, do you? Well, they’re doing pretty well. I sure in hell don’t.

Look, I’m going to keep fighting like the devil to make sure the wealthy pay their fair share to make the tax system fair.

And under my plan — (applause) — just to make sure I wasn’t able to be at the other end of his demagoguery, I made a commitment when I got elected, and I kept it: No one earning less than $400,000 a year, which is a lot of money where I come from, will pay an additional penny in federal tax. Not one single penny. Not one penny. But everybody else is going to start paying their fair share.

Let me close with this.

As I travel the country, folks often tell me how back in 2020 they were down, they’d lost their business, they’d lost faith in the system. But then the laws we passed, the work we’ve done together got them back on their feet. We created 15 million new jobs in three years — more than any administration has in history. We’re keeping millions of people in their homes.

We’re creating a new cycle of hope and pride: pride in your hometowns making a comeback, pride in America, pride in knowing you can get thing- — big things done if we work together.

I’ve never been more o- — we have a lot more to do — a lot more to do. The reason this election is so important is not about me. It’s about the future. It’s about the future. He wants to undo every single thing we’ve done if he gets elected. He stated it straight up.

But there’s so much more to w- — to keep and to do. I’ve never been more optimistic about our future. We just have to remember who in hell we are. We’re the United States of America. There is nothing — I mean this — think about it — nothing beyond our capacity when we work together.

We’re the only nation in the world that’s come out of every crisis stronger than we went in every time when we work together. And with your help, we’re going to get people working together in a way they haven’t for decades.

So, ladies and gentlemen, may God bless you. And may God protect our troops. Let’s get this done. (Applause.)

2:44 P.M. PDT

The post Remarks by President Biden on Lowering Housing Costs for American Families | Las Vegas, NV (March 19, 2024) appeared first on The White House.

Remarks by President Biden on Lowering Housing Costs for American Families | Las Vegas, NV (March 19, 2024)

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 14:46

Stupak Community Center
Las Vegas, Nevada
(March 19, 2024)

2:19 P.M. PDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello. Pablo, thank you for that introduction. I appreciate it. And thank you for sharing your story.

You know, you immigrated to America as a teenager, graduated from high school, and spent four years as a union apprentice, which is like earning a college degree, before you become a journeyman.

You know, I’m a big pro-union guy. I make no apologies about it. But everybody talks about unions — (applause) — but it’s interesting, people who don’t understand, they go, “Well, you know, a union, what — what do they (inaudible) — they like walk in and say, ‘I want to be an electrician.’ ‘I want to be a plasterer.’” You got four or five years of apprenticeship. You earn it. You earn it, and you deserve it.

You help build homes for others and reach their dreams, and now you’re in the market yourself to continue your dream.

I also met another mother named Latree — — Latreshu — where is Latree?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Latreca.

THE PRESIDENT: Latreca. Excuse me. (Applause.) There she is.

Who was able to buy her first home with a $15,000 down payment by the American Rescue Plan, which we wrote. (Applause.)

All she needed was a fair shot. She found a good-paying union job. She took home- — homeownership classes to raise her credit score. She did her hard work, and now she owns a home in Paradise with her 16-year-old daughter, a straight-A student. Stand up, kiddo. (Applause.)

We’re fortunate to have great partners in Congress here today who are helping to make these dreams possible.

Representative Steven Horsford, a great leader of the 4th District and Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, who works every single day to reduce housing costs and close the racial wealth gap, which is happening.

Representative Susie Lee, who is a driving force to cut red tape and build more affordable housing all across Nevada.

Representative Dina Titus. God love you, Dina; you’re an old friend. You’ve always had my back, and I’ve had yours, and you had the people of this country’s and this city’s back. Housing is so much more than just a — just a word. It’s about people’s lives.

You know, you can’t be here today because there are votes in Washington, but I want to thank your outstanding senators, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, for their leadership — (applause) — in making housing more accessible and affordable.

I also want to thank all of the housing advocates here today who are doing God’s work. All the — housing advocates, stand up. (Applause.) No, I really mean it. You’re doing everything — you’re doing a great job. And, by the way, you know — I won’t go into it, I guess, but —

Look, folks, when I came to office, the pandemic was raging and our economy was reeling.

Nevada was especially hard hit as tourism took a dive — a gigantic dive.

Before I came to office, the unemployment had reached 30 percent here. And we’re turning things around today because of the folks I just talked about. And Nevada has created 274,000 jobs, bringing back lost jobs of the pandemic and adding another 129,000 jobs. Things are on the move.

Unemployment is down dramatically, with more Nevadans working today than ever before in the history of Nevada. And thousands of cities across all of America are seeing this great comeback story.

You know, my American Rescue Plan — which, I might add, not a single, solitary Republican voted for — provided $350 billion to state and local governments, including funds for every city, county, town, Tribe in this state. And your state put that money to good use.

It put cops on the beat and teachers in the classroom. It kept small businesses on their feet and families in their homes. And that’s not all.

You can’t have the best economy in the world, which we do now, if you don’t have the best infrastructure in the world.

My predecessor promised — remember my predecessor kept talking about “Infrastructure Week” for four years? Well, he didn’t build a damn thing. You all think I’m kidding; I’m not.

I proposed and signed the most significant investment in our nation’s infrastructure in generations, and now we’re going to have an “Infrastructure Decade” — so far, 47,000 new projects modernizing Americans’ roads, bridges, ports, airports, public transit, and so more. It’s happening. Creating jobs now and jobs for the future as well. $3.4 billion in projects right here in Nevada — $3.4 billion. (Applause.)

When I was writing this and talking about it, all I kept thinking about was Harry Reid.

We’re connecting the entire state to affordable high-speed Internet. By the end of this decade, every single part of the state will have high-speed, affordable Internet, and we’re already saving 276,000 Nevadan families as much as $75 a month on their Internet bills.

And I know our friend Harry is looking down and saying — damn proud of the airport in his name is getting an upgrade as well. (Laughter.) I couldn’t do one without the other, you know. He’s so proud of building America’s first high-speed rail line that — to take folks from Las Vegas to the — to Los Angeles in two hours instead of four.

You know, that’s going to create 35,000 — this first maj- — major high-speed rail line in America — 35,000 good-paying jobs, take 3 million vehicles off the road, and reduce pollution significantly.

It’s also taking the most signi- — (applause) — and, by the way, it’s going to cut the time in half. Now, I don’t know why anybody would want to get to LA in half the time — (laughter) — but I know why they all want to come here. (Laughter.)

All kidding aside, it really is — it really is incredible. It’s a gigantic project. And — by the way, it’s en- — it’s encouraged California and central California to build a high-speed rail as well.

You know, the idea that we’re — haven’t had one single high-speed rail built in America up to now is ridiculous. And so, you know, Chinese have a rail system that goes 130 miles an hour — anyway — 230 miles an hour, I should say.

But look, we’re taking the most significant action to fight climate change ever. My policies have attracted $650 billion in private-sector investments from companies that are moving clean energy factories and jobs back here to America where they belong.

For example, in Reno, Redwood — Redw- — Redwood Materials is going to invest $3.5 billion — $3.5 billion — one of the country’s major electric vehicle battery recycling and manufacturing plants — creating thousands of jobs here. Thousands of jobs.

Tomorrow — (applause) — and, by the way, tomorrow in Arizona, I’ll be talking about how America invented the semiconductor chip — the tiny chips the size of the tip of your little finger, which powers everything from automobiles to smartphones to weapon systems.

We invented those chips. We made them better, but then we lost the market because a lot of the corporations said, “Let’s send the jobs overseas where they’re cheaper and bring the product home, which is more expensive.” We don’t do that anymore. We make it here. We keep the jobs here, and we send products overseas. (Applause.)

But the reason I mention it, we’ve been able to bring the chips manufacturing back home. We attracted $240 billion in private-sector investments to build chip factories here in America.

And, by the way, they’re creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, both in construction and manufacturing. And the average salary in one of their — they call them “fabs” — the factories is $100,000 a year, and you don’t need a college degree to get that job.

Across the country, folks have filed a record number of new business applications since I took office. The fastest growth of Latino-owned businesses in more than a decade. More Black small businesses starting at the highest rate in 30 years.

In Nevada, since I came to office, we’ve seen 195,000 small business applications, and every one of those applications is an act of hope.

It’s critical because small businesses and pe- — the reason I keep talking about small businesses — small businesses make up half the GDP, half the economy of America. Half of all — all the economy in America is generated by small businesses.

But here’s the deal: As more folks move to Nevada for good-paying jobs, we need housing that’s affordable. The depth of the pandemic and — in the depth of the pandemic, the American Rescue Plan delivered funds to keep 8 million families in their homes nationwide by preventing foreclosures and evictions.

Here in Nevada, you used those funds to keep 50,000 people’s rent be able to be paid — (applause) — hundreds of first-time homebuyers be able to make a down payment. You invested more in building and renovating affordable homes than almost any other part of the country, any state in the country.

For example, here in Clark County, nearly a thousand brand-new, affordable units for seniors are under construction today as a result — 8,000 homes total for families, seniors, and veterans.

And across the country, more people own homes now than before the pandemic. We’re seeing fewer foreclosures than any time in decades, but we have a lot more to do.

For too many people, the dream of having a good home, it still feels out of reach. I get it.

Look, here’s my plan — but, you know, everybody thinks because I was president, I was probably born wealthy and come from a significant background of — economically. Well, I had the dubious distinction of being listed as the poorest man in Congress for 36 years. (Laughter.)

I got a phone call. My wife was campaigning up — I was campaigning up in New Hampshire back when that statistic came out in the ‘90s, and she called — and I used to call when — because the kids were little — when I was away and say, “How is everything going?” And I got this, “Fine.” You know you’re in trouble when your wife or husband says, “Fine.” (Laughter.) And I said, “What’s the matter?” And she said — only a — an elected official’s husband or wife would understand this.

She said, “Did you read today’s paper?” (Laughter.) I said, “They don’t have today’s paper — the Wilmington paper — Delaware up in Neva- — up in — where — with Leahy — where I was with Leahy, up in Vermont.” And she said, “Well, let me read it. Top of the fold headline: ‘Biden, Poorest Man in Congress.’ Is that true?” (Laughter.) I thought, “I don’t know the hell if it’s true.” But it turned out it was true. (Laughter.)

But here’s the deal, my new budget works to lower housing costs for owners and renters alike today.

I was raised in a — you know, when my — when Scranton, where I was born and ear- — in my early years was raised — when Scranton went dead, in terms of the economy, we moved down to a little place called Claymont, Delaware, where my dad had started off as a kid. And we couldn’t afford anything. We lived in a — a duplex called Brookview Apartments, which became public housing years later. And — and my dad kept trying to figure out how we’d get the down payment to get the first home.

Well, we rented and we saved — he saved, and we were able to buy a three-bedroom home in a new development because of the — these areas were building 40, 50 homes at a shot. We had four kids in three bedrooms and a grandpop living with us. And we weren’t poor, but we never had anything at the end of the month.

And so, what — what my dad used to always say was that the way you build equity in your home is the way you build wealth, so th- — when you build enough equity in your home, then you have enough money to borrow to get something new and move and so on.

And that’s how everybody makes it — everybody in the middle class makes it, they — usually through equity in their home.

Well, look, it works — what we’ve been doing works to increase housing supply and keep costs down in the future.

First, for homeowners: If inflation keeps coming down — and it’s predicted to do that — mortgage rates are going to come down as well, but I’m not going to wait. I’m not going to wait. (Applause.)

I want to provide an annual tax credit that will give Americans $400 a month for the next two years as mortgage rates come down to put toward their mortgage when they buy their first home or trade up for a little more space if they come from a middle-class background, if they come from a family that has well under $200,000 or less.

We’re also making it more affordable to refinance your home by eliminating title insurance fees on federally funded mortgage- — backed mortgages.

That’s going to save folks as much a 100- — $1,500. The federal government can afford to do that.

In addition, last week the National Association of Realtors agreed for the first time that Americans can negotiate lower commissions when they buy or sell their home. (Applause.)

On a typical home purchase, that alone could save folks an average of $10,000 on the sale or purchase.

I’m calling on realtors to follow through on lowering their commissions to protect homebuyers.

And, folks, we’re also working to end the legacy of discrimination on the basis of home valuations. It ex- — it’s exa- — it’s exacerbated, as you know — (applause) — it’s exacerbated the racial wealth gap and held back Black and brown families. And it’s simply wrong.

You know, if you build a — if a developer came along and built 20 homes on one side of a highway and 20 homes on the others, and the one side had people of Black and brown backgrounds and the same exact home was built in the white neighborhood, guess what? The day you bought that home, that Black home was worth 20 percent less than the white home — or the Hispanic home is worth 20 percent less. It’s wrong.

Second, my plan goes to work so we can bring the rents down. My administration is tr- — cracking down on big corporations who break antitrust laws by price-fixing to keep the rents up. That’s how they work it out.

Landlords should be competing to give folks the best deal, not conspiring to charge them more. (Applause.)

And we’re also going after what I call unfair rental junk fees, you know, like the ones you’re charged when you move into an apartment — one of those surprise “convenience” fees that aren’t convenient at all. They can add up to hundreds of dollars. And you — some of you have been stuck with that.

Folks are tired of being played for suckers, and I’m tired of letting them be played for suckers.

We’re also expanding rental assistance to over 100,000 more low-income families since I took office — the biggest increase in 20 years. (Applause.)

And my new plan would help hundreds of thousands more, including foster kids — as was mentioned earlier — aging out of foster care so they have to move out, living on their own for the first time.

It’s also going to help thousands of veterans afford their rent, because no one should be homeless in America, especially someone who served this country. (Applause.)

And, folks, we know affordable housing has been a challenge for a long time. To solve it long term, we have to increase supply, because when supply is down and demand is up, costs rise.

The bottom line to lower housing costs for good is to build, build, build. And that’s why — (applause) — with the help of your congressional delegation, I’ve cut red tape so more builders can get federal financing for their new projects.

A record 1.7 million new housing units are under construction nationwide right now because of it. In fact, today my administration reported that single-family housing starts are the highest level they’ve been in nearly two years.

And my new plan would create 2 million affordable homes, including tens of thousands right here in Nevada. You know — (applause) — and we’re doing this through what is called the Neighborhood Homes Tax Credit to build or renovate affordable housing.

And, you know — and we — and we do it by expanding the bipartisan Low-Income — it’s called the Low-Income — sorry with all these titles, but that’s what these bills are — the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to build affordable rental units, which is supported by lenders, builders, families, and housing advocates alike.

Look, my plan will also establish an innovative program to help communities build and renovate housing or convert housing from empty off- — empty office spaces into housing, empty hotels into housing.

My plan would provide $8 billion to fight homelessness and move people into homes and off the street. And I’ll say it again — (applause) — in the United States, no one should have to live on the street — no one.

Folks, all together, experts are calling these measures, quote, “the most consequential” housing plan in more than 50 years.

But let me be clear. It’s not only my plan, it’s — it’s fully paid for. And while I’m paying for it, we’re also reducing the federal debt [deficit] at the same time.

I know the Republicans talk about, you know, “big-taxing Democrats.” Give me a break. Come on. We’ve al- — I’ve already cut the federal deficit by $1 trillion since I took office.

The last guy — (applause) — the last guy increased the deficit by a larger margin than any president in American history in the four years he was president.

I signed the bipartisan budget deal to cut another trillion dollars in the next decade.

For example, because of the law I signed, finally, Big Pharma — the pharmaceutical companies — and we — we finally beat them — giving Medicare the power to negotiate the prescription drug prices they pay for seniors, like they do at the Veterans Administration. The VA says, “I need this for veterans, but I’m not going to pay you more than this — for this amount of money.”

Well, it doesn’t just save seniors money. It’s already saving taxpayers money.

The one thing we’ve been able to do is — when I did that one thing in making sure that you’re going to be able to have insulin for 35 bucks instead of 400 bucks a month — (applause) — well, guess what? That cut the deficit by $160 billion — $160 billion.

And there’s a reason for it. It not only saves seniors a lot of money — when I first wrote it, it included everybody, and the Re- — Republicans knocked out — everybody left the seniors in. They couldn’t lose that one.

But here’s the deal: $160 billion over the next decade, because Big Pharma [Medicare] doesn’t have to pay out the $400 a month. They’re paying out $35 a month to Big Pharma.

My plan would double the number of drugs able to be negotiated to save another $200 billion a year. This bill has already been passed.

Here’s the deal, folks. You know, right now, there — we — we cut the deficit by more — even more by making the very wealthy begin to pay their fair share.

But here’s the deal. If you’re going to deal with Medicare, and you — and you want to make sure you’re going to be able to save money, well, guess what? Many of you know seniors who have cancer drugs that cost up to — up to $35,000 — $15,000 a year — 12-, 15,000 bucks with all their other — all their other costs.

Well, guess what? Already passed a law. Beginning in 2024 — or 20- — in January 2025, no matter what the total cost of prescription drug costs for a senior are, they will not have to pay more than $2,000. Period. Two thousand dollars. (Applause.) It’s going to save another $200,000 — anyway, I’m — I get really — (laughter).

If I — if we ge- — if we drove out to the airport and put you on Air Force One and you said — and you had a prescription you needed filled and it was an American company that made it, I’d say, “Okay, let’s go to — let’s fly to Toronto or to Berlin or to London or to Rome or any major city in America [the world], I’ll get you that same prescription filled in those cities for 40 to 60 percent less than it would cost you at a pharmacy here.” It’s wrong.

But, look, I’m a capitalist. If you want to make a million bucks, great. Just begin to pay your fair share in taxes. (Applause.)

In 2020, 55 of the largest Fortune 500 companies made $40 billion in profits. They paid zero in federal taxes. Not anymore. Thanks to the law I wrote and we signed, big companies now have to pay a minimum of 15 percent. But that’s still too little to have to pay in federal — wouldn’t you all trade that? You’d pay 15 percent instead of what you’re paying now.

But, look, it’s time to raise the corporate minimum tax to at least 21 percent so every big corporation finally begins to pay their fair share.

You know, before the rec- — before the — the whole thing with COVID, there were 750 billionaires — with a “B” — in America. Today, there are a thousand. You know what they pay in average — what — the average tax for billionaires in America? 8.2 percent federal tax. Anybody want to trade them — the billionaire tax? I’d take 8.2 percent.

That’s far less than the vast majority of Americans pay. No billionaire should pay a lower tax than a teacher, a sanitation worker, a nurse — (applause) — anybody busting their neck.

And that’s why I’m proposing — if I’m reelected, we’re going to get it done — to — a minimum tax of 25 percent for billionaires. That’s not even the highest tax rate. Just 25 percent.

You know how much that would raise over 10 years? Five hundred billion dollars in 10 years — (applause) — $500 billion if they just start to pay that.

Imagine what we could do. We could cut the federal deficit even more. We could invest in things that make America great again: childcare — a whole range of things we could do. And we’d all be better — affordable child- — home care, housing — all of which help families grow our economy.

And, by the way, every one of these things that I proposed, I asked the — I asked the Treasury Department to do a study for me, because I’m a pro-union guy and everybody — I ¬¬– I’ve been the most pro-union president in American history. And here’s the deal — (applause).

And people say, “Well, that costs a lot of money.” It saves money. The study they done points out that union labor and contracts raise everybody’s income — everybody’s income. And they have the best in the world — besides, like I said, when I got all the — when I got that $350 billion invested for computer chips, I was in — I was at Samsung in South Korea, convinced them to come here.

I said, “Why would you come here?” He said, “You have the best workers in the world. And my safest investment is in America.”

Folks, there’s so much we can do.

But my — my predecessor has a totally different view when it comes to fair taxes. He said — and he said to his friends in Mar-a-Lago, quote — it’s on the record — “I know plenty of you.” This is his quote: “You’re rich as hell. And we’re going to give you tax cuts.” That’s what he says out loud.

When the President enacted a $2 trillion tax cut that overwhelmingly benefits the very wealthy and biggest corporations, he exploded the federal deficit, as I said. He added more to the national debt than any president has in one term in all of American history.

And he wants to do it again. He’s committed to another two thou- — $2 trillion tax cut for the wealthy and biggest corporations.

He also proposed cutting funds for affordable housing — not building them, cutting the funds for them.

Folks at home, does anybody really think — anybody really think the tax code is fair? I don’t know. You don’t really think the wealthy and big corporations need another $2 trillion tax cut, do you? Well, they’re doing pretty well. I sure in hell don’t.

Look, I’m going to keep fighting like the devil to make sure the wealthy pay their fair share to make the tax system fair.

And under my plan — (applause) — just to make sure I wasn’t able to be at the other end of his demagoguery, I made a commitment when I got elected, and I kept it: No one earning less than $400,000 a year, which is a lot of money where I come from, will pay an additional penny in federal tax. Not one single penny. Not one penny. But everybody else is going to start paying their fair share.

Let me close with this.

As I travel the country, folks often tell me how back in 2020 they were down, they’d lost their business, they’d lost faith in the system. But then the laws we passed, the work we’ve done together got them back on their feet. We created 15 million new jobs in three years — more than any administration has in history. We’re keeping millions of people in their homes.

We’re creating a new cycle of hope and pride: pride in your hometowns making a comeback, pride in America, pride in knowing you can get thing- — big things done if we work together.

I’ve never been more o- — we have a lot more to do — a lot more to do. The reason this election is so important is not about me. It’s about the future. It’s about the future. He wants to undo every single thing we’ve done if he gets elected. He stated it straight up.

But there’s so much more to w- — to keep and to do. I’ve never been more optimistic about our future. We just have to remember who in hell we are. We’re the United States of America. There is nothing — I mean this — think about it — nothing beyond our capacity when we work together.

We’re the only nation in the world that’s come out of every crisis stronger than we went in every time when we work together. And with your help, we’re going to get people working together in a way they haven’t for decades.

So, ladies and gentlemen, may God bless you. And may God protect our troops. Let’s get this done. (Applause.)

2:44 P.M. PDT

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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at Amazon Web Services IMAGINE: Nonprofit Conference

Speeches and Remarks - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 14:04

Arlington, VA

Thank you, Allyson. 

Amazon Web Services has changed the way our world works – transforming how companies do business. That innovation and the ideas it has sparked are now part of the fabric of our lives. And I know they’ve also changed so much for non-profits like the ones in this room.

Thank you for investing in these organizations and finding ways to help them grow. And as you do, you push forward the cutting-edge technology that will help make people’s lives better.

I’m honored to join all of you today.

In the early 1970s, researchers in the U.S. studied estrogen’s effect in preventing heart attacks.

You see, it was observed that women who had gone through menopause – therefore who had lower levels of estrogen – were more likely to have heart attacks.

So, a study was conducted asking whether estrogen prevents heart attacks.

8,341 people were selected for that study.

All of them men!

This is just how things were done.

Women’s health research has been overlooked and underfunded. Too many of our medications, treatments, and medical school textbooks are based on men.

So, in November, Joe and I launched the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, with a clear goal: to fundamentally change how our nation approaches and funds research on women’s health.

When our non-profits come together with universities, entrepreneurs, investors, and city and state leaders to drive innovation you’ve proven there’s nothing that’s beyond our capacity.

I encourage you to harness that same spirit of discovery and ambition to take on the next great health care challenge of our time – finding innovative solutions in women’s health.

It’s the right thing to do, and it could be the “next big thing” for your bottom line.

In 2021, the women’s health market was estimated to be $9 billion. The Boston Consulting Group estimates that, in just eight years, that number will grow to $29 billion.

Amazon’s Chief Technology Officer recently announced his top four predictions for 2024. He predicted that “FemTech finally takes off… Women’s health care reaches an inflection point as FemTech investment surges.”

McKinsey and Company estimates that investments addressing the women’s health gap could boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by the year 2040.

Women’s health is having a moment. And to help it grow, we need to transform the way we approach women’s health research.

Women in this country live longer than men, but what are those years like?

Many women spend their later years struggling with chronic diseases that we don’t know enough about and that don’t have effective treatment options…because medical studies have often left out women.

This is the result of a choice – one that’s been made over and over for decades.

President Biden is making a different choice.

Just two days ago, as part of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, he signed the most comprehensive executive order ever to expand and improve research on women’s health. Joe is directing his administration to find ways to use artificial intelligence and other technology to advance research on women’s health.

And, in his State of the Union address, Joe called on Congress to make an unprecedented $12 billion investment into that work.

ARPA-H, the agency Joe created to pursue breakthrough health research at lightning speed, launched its first-ever “sprint” for women’s health, which will invest $100 million in life saving research on women this year.

These historic actions will make sure that women’s health is no longer overlooked or left behind.

And when we combine that momentum with the possibility of technology, we can imagine a new world for women’s health – for all the women who leave doctor’s offices with more questions than answers, who are told “it’s all in your head,” or “it’s just stress,” who spend their lives fighting diseases we don’t know enough about.

Because the solution they need could be the watch on their wrist or the app in their pocket.

It could be getting access to specialized care, quickly, through a virtual doctor’s appointment.

It could be artificial intelligence that analyzes more information, faster, to predict and prevent diseases.

Or things that, as of yet, still lie beyond the limits of our imaginations. Thank you.

###

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Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at Research Triangle Park

Speeches and Remarks - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 14:03

Durham, North Carolina

Thank you, Governor Cooper, for that introduction and for all you’re doing for the state of North Carolina.

I also want to thank Mayor Williams and Mayor Pro Tem Melton for welcoming me.

Good afternoon.

In the early 1970s, researchers in the U.S. studied estrogen’s effect in preventing heart attacks. You see, it was observed that women who had gone through menopause – therefore who had lower levels of estrogen – were more likely to have heart attacks.

So, a study was conducted asking whether estrogen prevents heart attacks.

8,341 people were selected for that study.

All of them men!

This is just how things were done.

And while we’ve made progress since that study over the last forty years – due to the work by some of you – women’s health research is overlooked and underfunded.

Medical studies have often left out women. And too many of our medications, treatments, and medical school textbooks are based on men.

So, in November, Joe and I launched the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, with a clear goal: to fundamentally change how our nation approaches and funds research on women’s health.

Because, if you ask any woman in America about her health care, she probably has a story to tell.

You know her.

She’s the woman who gets debilitating migraines, but doesn’t know why, and can’t find treatment options that work for her.

She’s the woman going through menopause who has more questions than answers because more research is needed to find solutions.

She’s the woman whose heart attack isn’t recognized because her symptoms don’t look like a man’s, even as heart disease is the leading cause of death among women.

So many of us – and so many of the women in our lives – suffer from health conditions for which we simply don’t have answers or solutions.

Think about it: even if you have the best doctors, or the best insurance…when it comes to Alzheimer’s…IBS…or terrible menopause symptoms, is that enough?

No!

We simply don’t know enough about how to prevent, detect, and treat the conditions that only affect women, affect women more than men, or affect women differently than men.

President Biden is the first President to make women’s health research a top White House priority, investing resources into understanding the science behind the conditions that so many women experience.

Just a few weeks ago, ARPA-H, the new agency President Biden created to pursue breakthroughs in health research, launched its first-ever “sprint” for women’s health, putting $100 million into women’s health research and development this year!

During Joe’s State of the Union address, he called on Congress to invest $12 billion into women’s health research.

And just two days ago, he signed the most comprehensive executive order ever to expand and improve research on women’s health, and announced $200 million in new NIH funding for this work.

Joe is unlocking incredible resources for researchers, entrepreneurs, and life sciences companies to pioneer the next generation of great discoveries – this time, in women’s health.

That’s why I’m here in the Research Triangle today. Drawing on the might of your world-class universities, and led by visionary state, academic, and business leaders, you have created one of the world’s most powerful research and development ecosystems. 

From agricultural technology to the life sciences, you’ve proven there’s nothing that’s beyond your capacity when your universities, entrepreneurs, investors, companies, and city and state leaders come together to drive innovation.

As the Research Triangle continues to grow, I encourage you to harness that same spirit of discovery and ambition, to take on the next great health care challenge of our time – finding innovative solutions in women’s health.

It’s the right thing to do, and it could be the “next big thing” for your bottom line.

In 2021, the women’s health market was estimated to be $9 billion. The Boston Consulting Group estimates that, in just eight years, that number will grow to $29 billion.

Amazon’s Chief Technology Officer recently announced his top four predictions for 2024.

He predicted that “FemTech finally takes off… Women’s health care reaches an inflection point as FemTech investment surges.”

And, McKinsey and Company estimates that investments addressing the women’s health gap could boost the global economy by $1 trillion annually by the year 2040.

Women’s health is having a moment.

And with President Biden’s investments in women’s health research, I know the Research Triangle can lead the way. Not only will your universities, businesses, and community benefit from it – but so will millions of women across North Carolina and the United States.

This is only the beginning.

Together, we can write a new future for health care.

A future where women leave doctors’ offices with more answers than questions. Where no woman or girl has to hear that, “it’s all in your head,” or “it’s just stress.” Where women aren’t just an after-thought in a world designed for men, but the first thought in a world designed for everyone. We are building a world where women don’t just survive, they lead long, healthy, and happy lives.

Today is only the beginning.

Thank you.

###

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Remarks by President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, and Maria Shriver at a Women’s History Month Reception (March 18, 2024)

Speeches and Remarks - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 13:46

11:55 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Greetings, everyone.  Greetings and Happy Women’s History Month.  (Applause.)

To our incredible President, Joe Biden, who, of course, we all know as a tireless fighter for the safety and wellbeing of women.  To our First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, who is a longstanding, lifelong champion for women’s health and women’s health research.  To the first Second Gentleman of the United States, my husband, Doug Emhoff — (applause) — who’s been a powerful advocate for gender equity.  And to the members of our administration and all the extraordinary leaders.  And I’m going to come to Maria later.  (Laughter.)  It is an honor to be with all of you.

So, this month, and every month, we honor the women who shaped our nation and our world through their vision, courage, determination, and incredible skill, and upon whose broad shoulders we all stand.

So, as many of you know, my mother was a scientist.  And when she began her career, only 7 percent of science and engineering PhD graduates were women — and even fewer, of course, were women of color.

My mother had two goals in her life: to raise her two daughters — my sister, Maya, and me — and to end breast cancer. 

And because of the fact that our mother never asked anyone permission to pursue her dreams, within one generation, I stand before you as the first woman Vice President of the United States.  (Applause.)

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

And as Vice President, I have traveled to 20 countries in every hemisphere in the world.  And I believe the measure of the strength of a democracy is measured based on the standing of its women.  (Applause.) 

President Joe Biden and I, then, have been very intentional — and he’s been an extraordinary leader of our country — in ensuring that we do all that we can to lift up the status of the women of our nation, including their economic status, understanding, of course, that when you lift the economic status of women, families benefit, communities benefit, and all of society benefits.  (Applause.)

And so, with that knowledge, we have taken on issues like student loan debt, understanding women carry nearly two thirds of all student loan debt — two thirds.  And we have cancelled nearly $138 billion in student loan debt — (applause) — for almost 4 million Americans and counting, an average of more than $30,000 per person.  And for public servants, including our teachers, of whom more than 70 percent are women — (applause) —

THE FIRST LADY:  (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — (laughs) — and one quarter of this stage — (laughter).  And for those who are in public service, like our teachers, we have forgiven an average of over $60,000 in student loan debt.  (Applause.)

To lift up the economic status of women, we have also invested in women entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

Across our nation, millions of women want to start or grow a business but don’t necessarily have access to the capital that allows them to do that.  So, building on work that I did with many of you in the United States Senate and under the leadership of our President, we have now invested billions of dollars to expand access to capital for women entrepreneurs. 

To lift up the status of women — (applause) — we have lowered the cost of healthcare, in particular, the cost — (applause) — in particular, the cost of insulin for our seniors.  What many of the leaders here know is that a fifth — one fifth — of women over the age of 65 have diabetes and far too many have had to make the choice between either being able to afford to fill their prescription or fill their refrigerator. 

We also know seniors who are women are 80 percent more likely to live in poverty, so the President and I and our administration capped the cost of insulin for our seniors at $35 a month.  (Applause.) 

But even as we lift up the women and all people of our nation, there are those who are intent on dragging us backward. 

At this moment, in states across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on attack against hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights, including the right of women to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do.  (Applause.) 

Today, in America, one in three women of reproductive age live in a state with an abortion ban. 

Since Roe was overturned, I have met women who have had miscarriages in toilets because they were refused care, women who went to an emergency room to receive care and were rejected because the healthcare providers there thought they would be sued and potentially sent to jail if they administered care.  And it was only when she developed sepsis that she received care. 

Just last week, I visited a clinic in Minnesota, where I met with medical professionals — courageous and dedicated women who provide critical healthcare and who see, like we all do, clinics across our country, which have been closing and forced to close, leaving millions of women without access to essential, everyday, lifesaving care. 

So, in conclusion, I’ll just say this.  There is so much at stake in this moment.

And we each face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in?  Do we want to live in a country of liberty, freedom, and rule of law or a country of disorder, fear, and hate? 

Each of us has the power to answer that question with our feet, with our voice, and with our vote.  (Applause.) 

So, let us continue — let us continue to fight for our freedoms.  And as we know from our history, when we fight, we win.  (Applause.)  There we are. 

And now it is my great honor to introduce someone that I have known for many, many years, who is an extraordinary leader in every way and has done so much for the women of America and for the women of my home state of California, and a friend to all of us, the great Maria Shriver.  (Applause.)

MS. SHRIVER:  Thank you, Madam Vice President.  As she just told me, that stands for “MVP.”  (Laughter.)  I like that.  I like that.

Mr. President, Dr. Biden, thank you so much for inviting me here today.  And all of you.  I’d like to tell you to sit, but there’s no chairs.  (Laughter.)  But I — I want to say how extraordinary it is to see all of you, to see your faces, to watch you listen to the Vice President, to see the joy in your faces, to be with you all here to celebrate women’s history in this extraordinary historic home.

You can just close your eyes and imagine the history that has been made here.  You can see it on the walls.  You can see it everywhere.  You can feel it when you walk in.

But today — today is a day to keep your eyes wide open, because you, my friends, are about to watch history get made.

For the first time ever in our nation, a president — that guy right there — (laughter and applause) — he is going to sign an executive order that will transform the way our federal government deals with women’s health.

This executive order will direct the most comprehensive set of executive actions ever taken to ensure that women’s health gets integrated and prioritized across all federal agencies.

It will galvanize new research on a wide range of topics and help prevent, diagnose, and treat women’s health conditions once and for all.  (Applause.)

I also wager — and I’m not even a betting woman, but I’ll bet today that this is the first time a President of the United States has ever signed an executive order that mentions the words “menopause” and — (laughter and applause) — and “women’s” — and “women’s midlife health” in it.

With the stroke of his pen, women will get the answers and the care they have long sought and they so rightly deserve.  (Applause.)

In the time since I first sat in the First Lady’s office last April talking about the need for a new comprehensive plan around women’s health research, this White House, Jen Klein, Dr. Mazure, Secretary Becerra, the entire White House, women of all ages, races, religions, and all political backgrounds, they came together and they have transformed — they have coordinated a revolution that will transform care for the 165 million American women in this country — women of all ages, all races, all ethnicities, and all political backgrounds.

This President has also called on Congress to make a bold, big, brave investment of $12 billion.  (Applause.)  Think about that.

I remember saying to the First Lady, “We need to get at least a billion dollars.”  (Laughter.)  And then, she said, “How’s 12?”  I’m like, “That’s good.  I’ll take it.”  (Laughter.)  But he called for $12 billion dollars — think about that — in new funding for women’s health research.  (Applause.)

This is an extraordinary example of government working quickly and working for those who have left behind.

Dr. Biden, you deserve to stand so proud in this moment.  (Applause.)  It’s true.

She took this mission up the flagpole, through the halls of government, into the Oval Office, and transformed the way government sees us.  (The President makes the sign of the cross.)  (Laughter.)  She and her husband have launched an entire new era for women’s health research.

This is an undertaking that could only be put into a motion by a president who respects women — (applause) — by a man who sees women, who understands women, and who wants the best for women, who wants us all to achieve our highest potential.

Not too long ago, I was asked, “Maria, why do we need women’s health research?  Why does this matter?”  I was like, “Let me tell you.”  (Laughter.) 

It matters because women do not, nor do their doctors, have the necessary research or data to make informed decisions.  It matters because women are sicker than they have ever been, and no one knows why.  It matters because women make up two thirds of those with Alzheimer’s and no one knows why that is.

We make up 80 percent of those with autoimmune diseases, the majority of those with MS.  No one knows why that is. 

Black and brown women are more likely to develop endometriosis and face pregnancy-related complications, and we don’t have the research to tell them what to do about it.

This matters because when women ask questions, they can’t get answers because the majority of the research that’s been done in this country has only been done on men.  Most of the medications women take have only been tested on men. 

That’s not right, that’s not just, and it’s going to change.  (Applause.)

So, now that the President has done his job, we have to do ours.  We have to get Congress to approve the $12 billion investment this President has called for to implement this bold vision.  So every woman, every philanthropist, every innovator, every advocate, every research, and every instigator in this room and out of this room needs to get in on this and join us in this massive undertaking.

And make no mistake, this is a massive undertaking.  But as those of you who are gathered in this room know very well, women have never shied away from massive undertakings.  We have changed history over and over again.  And guess what?  We get to do it one more time.  (Applause.)

You know, today when I walked in here with my son, Christopher, and my brothers, Timmy and Mark — and Mark is the one that got me in the door, so I have to thank him — (laughter) — I couldn’t help but think of my — our mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.  (Applause.)

Our mother spent a lot of time in this house, pressuring her brother, President John F. Kennedy, to make changes for families who had children with intellectual disabilities.  She pressured him to understand that it mattered whether they were included in research and whether they were included in all areas of life.

She got to change history because he listened.  She was a force of nature.  But she was also a woman who struggled her entire life and our entire lives with her health.

She had stomach issues.  She had gut issues.  She had sleep issues.  And every doctor she went through — went to — and she traveled all over this country visiting doctors, trying to get help, trying to get answers.  She couldn’t get any answers because they told her, “We don’t have any answers for you.”

Everywhere she went, they told her to relax.  (Laughter.)  They told her that maybe she was under stress, that maybe it was in her head.  That didn’t go over well.  (Laughter.)  They gave her medications that made it so she couldn’t sleep, that she couldn’t eat.

She ended up in a cycle that so many women find themselves in.  Instead of getting better, she just kept getting worse.  Her needs were dismissed time and time again.  And she was the sister of the President of the United States. 

So, imagine what it’s like for millions of women who have no connections, who have no help, who can’t even get time off for work to visit a doctor.

The research and answers and the hope they need will now be on the way because of this man.  Imagine how long this has taken for us to get to this moment.  Imagine what it has taken for us to bring about this transformative change.

Women of America, this is our moonshot.  I call it “the Minerva Challenge.”  (Laughter.)  It’s way bigger than any one of us standing here or any one of us listening out in the country.

We need to come together to bring this $12 billion home.  If we want our children, our sisters, our mothers, and our grandmothers to be able to hold the world upon their shoulders, which they are already doing, we owe them our best efforts and we owe them the best research that we can.

So, let’s come together and do this for every single woman who has felt her health concerns have been dismissed, for every single woman who has been told to relax, for every single woman who has been told, “This is in your head.  You don’t feel what you tell me you feel.” God forbid.

Today, we join forces and we begin anew.  We begin together.

With this moonshot and by working together, we can finally singl- — signal to women of all ages that, at long last, we really do love them and value them to the moon and back.

Now — (applause) — now it is my great honor to introduce the woman who without none of this — none of this would be possible without her — without her ability to take this up the flagpole, without her persistence, and without her passion, my great friend, Dr. Jill Biden.  (Applause.)

THE FIRST LADY:  Quote, “If you don’t have an idea that materializes and changes a person’s life, then what have you got?  You have talk, research, telephone calls, meetings, but you don’t have a change in the community,” end quote.  Eunice Kennedy Shriver.  (Applause.)

Maria, you live your mother’s words purely, lovingly, and relentlessly.  (Laughter.) 

Thank you for your life’s work and for being an amazing partner in this effort.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

So, good morning. 

AUDIENCE:  Good morning.

THE FIRST LADY:  In the early 1970s, researchers in the United States studied estrogen’s effect in preventing heart attacks.  You see, it was observed that women who had gone through menopause — therefore, who had lower levels of estrogen — were likely to have heart attacks.  So, a study was conducted asking whether estrogen prevents heart attacks.  Eight thousand three hundred and forty-one people were selected for that study.  All of them were men.  (Laughter.)

This is how things were done.  Even though women are half the population, women’s health research has been underfunded and understudied.  Too many of our medications, treatments, and medical school textbooks are based on men and their bodies.

But that ends today.  (Applause.)

Finally, women will get the healthcare we deserve.  In just a few moments, my husband, President Biden — (applause) — (laughs) — see, Joe, now I just have to say your name and — (laughter) — will sign the most comprehensive executive — executive order in history to advance research on women’s health.

So, on behalf of all of us, thank you, Joe.  (Applause.)

If you ask any woman in America about her healthcare, she probably has a story to tell.  You all know her.  She’s the woman who gets debilitating migraines but doesn’t know why and can’t find treatment options that work for her.  She’s the woman going through menopause who visits her doctor and leaves with more questions than answers, even though half the country will go through menopause at some point in their lives.

She’s the woman whose heart attack isn’t recognized because her symptoms don’t look like a man’s, even as heart disease is the leading cause of death among women. 

So many of us and so many of the women in our lives suffer from health conditions for which we simply don’t have the answers or the solutions. 

Think about it.  You might have the best doctors or the best insurance, but when it comes to Alzheimer’s, endiom- — endimet — endio- —

AUDIENCE:  Endometriosis.  

THE FIRST LADY:  Thank you.  (Laughs.)  And I’m an English teacher.  (Laughter.)

— IBS, or disruptive menopausal symptoms, is that enough?  No.  We simply don’t know enough about how to prevent, detect, or treat the conditions that affect women uniquely, disproportionately, or differently. 

And that’s the result of a choice, because, for decades, “business as usual” has meant understudying and underfunding research on women’s health.  Your president believes that this is unacceptable.  (Applause.)

When Maria brought this issue to me and Joe less than a year ago, he knew it could make a real difference.  And that’s what Joe does best.  He takes action and quickly.  Joe is the first president to make investing in women’s health research — investing in your health, in our health — a top priority for the White House.  (Applause.)

It’s no secret that Joe’s accomplishments on healthcare are historic.  You heard about this — his successes already: reducing healthcare premiums and prescription drug costs; protection — protecting millions of patients from surprise medical bills and junk fees; and getting more Americans covered by insurance. 

But it’s important that you know what Joe is doing through this White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research is different and without precedent.  He is investing resources and actually understanding the scientific basis of women’s health conditions, which will allow researchers, doctors, and industry to find new ways to prevent, detect, and treat women’s health.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)

Thanks to Joe’s experience and vision, he’s approaching this problem differently too.  As President, Joe created ARPA-H, a new healthcare agency that pursues breakthroughs in health research at lightning speed. 

Just a few weeks ago, ARPA-H launched its first-ever sprint for women’s health, putting $100 million into women’s health research and development.  (Applause.)

And during his State of the Union Address, Joe called on Congress to invest $12 billion into women’s health and research, giving researchers the funding needed to make the kinds of discoveries that will change everything.  And he’s calling, just like Maria did, on entrepreneurs, investors, private industries, and philanthropists to do their part, because it’s going to take all of us.

Joe is fighting to finally deliver the answer that millions of women need about their health.  This executive order wouldn’t be possible without so many women who have been at this work for decades — many of them doctors who are here with us today: Valerie, Susan, Carolyn, and so many others.

So, today, as we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s write a new future for ourselves, for the girls and the women who will follow — a future where women leave doctors’ offices with more answers than questions; a future where no woman or girl has to hear, like Maria said, “It’s all in your head” or “It’s just stress” — (applause); a future where women aren’t just an afterthought in a world designed for men but the first thought in a world designed for everyone; a future where women don’t just survive, they lead long, healthy, and happy lives.

Today is just the beginning.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

And now, it is my honor to introduce a person who is helping make the future a reality: my husband, the President of the United States, Joe Biden.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  My name is Joe Biden.  (Laughter.)  I’m Jill Biden’s husband.  (Laughter and applause.) 

Folks, Happy Women’s History Month.  (Applause.)

I’m smart enough to know that when you have Ji- — Jill, Kamala, and Maria, and all of you — the most powerful, accomplished women — in the room all at once, it’s — I’m — I just should hush up, as my mom said, and leave.  (Laughter.)

But all kidding aside, just let me say this.  Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day here at the White House.  Today is Women Histories Mo- — Women’s History Month — two of the best days of the year back to back.  (Laughter and applause.)

The late Irish poet Eavan Boland wrote, “I’ve learned my name.  I rise.  I rose up.  I remembered it.  And now I can tell my story.  It was different from the story told about me,” end of quote. 

That poem entitled “Mother Ireland,” but she captures the spirit of women’s history in America as well.  

And, you know, in your own way, all of you are — generations of women before you have risen up, shown your power, and told your story.  It’s made all the difference in the world in telling the full story of America.  
We’re the only nation in the world divided — and devined — defined — every other nation is defined based on geography or — or ethnicity.  We’re the only nation based on an idea.  Think about it.  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all women and men are created equal, endowed by…” — et cetera.  Treated equally our whole lives, it’s supposed to be.  We’ve never fully lived up to that, but we — we’ve never walked away from it either. 

But Jill and I, Kamala and Doug, and the entire administration have never walked away from it either, especially when it comes to women. 

To state the obvious, women are half the population, underrepresented across the board.  But not in my administration.  (Applause.) 

To state the — state the truth, all the women in our family are brighter than all the men, so it’s not a hard decision.  (Laughter.)

We’re proud to have an administration that looks like America, with more women serving in senior positions than any time in American history.  Our his- — his- — our historic Vice President, who is doing an incredible job.  (Applause.)  The Cabinet and staff at every level across the administration, including military women who have gotten confirmed for two four-star generals to lead combat — combat committees — (applause) — the second and third women ever to do so, as well as the first woman ever to be on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

It matters.

Together, we’ve put the first Black woman on the United States Supreme Court.  (Applause.)  And I’m mildly prejudiced, but I think she’s the brightest person on the Court.  (Laughter.)  And more Black women on the federal circuit courts of appeals than all previous presidents combined. (Applause.) 

And together, we’ve made historic progress through one of the toughest periods that our nation has ever been through. 

Folks — and as Jill just talked about, we’ve launched the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research to pioneer the next generation of scientific research and discovery in women’s health.  Think of all the breakthroughs we’ve made in medicine across the board, but women have not been the focus.  Research has been taking much too long to get to you all. 

I’ve called on Congress, as we’ve said — I’m repeating myself here — $12 billion for that effort.  And today — (applause) — today, we’re jumpstarting that investment by dedicating $200 million to the National Institute of Health to tackle some of the most pressing health problems facing women today.  

With the executive order I’m about to sign, I’m directing the most comprehensive set of executive actions ever taken to improve women’s health — ever taken.  

And I’m going to ensure that women’s health is integrated and prioritized across the entire federal government.  It’s not just in women’s health.  It’s not just in NIH.  The National Science Foundation, the Defense Department, the Environmental Protection Agency — I mean, across the board, this is really serious.

And I will spearhead new research and innovation for breakthroughs on a wide range of women’s health needs and — that they experience throughout your — you experience throughout your lives.  Because it really matters.  It matters. 

Because we’re focused on supporting women together, our administration has turned around the economy, because we focused on women, by the way — focused on women.  (Applause.)

We’ve achieved the lowest unemployment rate for women in 70 years.  (Applause.)  More women, especially mothers, in the workforce than ever before; the narrowest gender [pay] gap on record; but so much more to do — so much more to do.

Historic investments in over 225,000 childcare centers, 90 percent of which are owned by wo- — owned by women and staffed by women so families can take care of their children and get to work and improve the economy.  Sixty percent in- — (applause) — sixty percent increase in loans to small businesses owned by women, totaling $5.1 billion.  We’re just getting started.

Through my American Rescue Plan and the Child Tax Credit, we cut child poverty nearly in half.  That’s a fact.  (Applause.)  Which I might add, my Republican friends tell me we’re spending a lot of money?  It’s saving billions of dollars — saving billions of dollars.  We’re actually cutting the deficit too.

Republicans voted against it and let it expire, but I’m fighting to bring the Child Tax Credit back.  (Applause.)  We’re making sure that women can access jobs in sectors that have been historically underrepresented: manufacturing, construction, clean energy.  

And I make i- — no apologies for being pro-union, but I tell you what — (applause) — we had very (inaudible) meetings with the union leadership.  Not a joke.  I said I want you to show me on a yearly basis increased number of women in unions, an increased number of minorities in unions.  (Applause.)

All kidding aside, there’s not a damn thing a man can do that a woman can’t do.  (Applause.)  To state the obvious, if we want to have the strongest economy in the world, you can’t leave half the workforce behind.

As we advance women’s economic empowerment, we’re also ensuring their physical security.  With the help of so many of you, we’ve brought the total of investment against — Violence Against Women Act, which I proudly spent six years getting passed and wrote when I — as my daughter said, with my own paw.  (Laughter.) 

We proudly wrote — we’ve provided $700 million in 2023 — most ever — funding for everything from community groups focused on prevention, establishing the first-ever hotline on abuse, holding pr- — predators accountable, et cetera.  It matters a lot.  (Applause.)

Because of women leaders in Congress, I also signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years — (applause) — to keep guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers.  The idea I had to fight to get that done?  Domes- — convicted domestic abusers were not allowed, under the law I wrote, that’s saying the — they can’t own a weapon.

And so, we — in addition to that, we finally got it passed.  I ca- — anyway.  (Laughter.)

So our children can learn to read and write, not learn how to duck and cover in school.  I mean, seriously, think about that.  In the y- — in the year 2024, we’re talking about children learning to duck and cover in school? 

But I will not stop until I ban assault weapons again and high-capacity magazines.  (Applause.)  Not a joke.

That doesn’t abuse the Second Amendment.  You’ve never been able to have any weapon.  That never was the case from the very beginning.

We created reforms that fundamentally shift how our military investigates and prosecutes sexual afuse — assault and domestic abuse.  And by the way, she’s not here today, but you all — all thank Kirsten B- — Gillibrand for that fight — (inaudible).  (Applause.)

We’re also continuing to stand with women and girls worldwide against rape and sexual violence used as weapons of war and terror.  And we’ve spoken on it.  We’re one of the few leaders in the world that have spoken against it, because we’re going to — and we’re punishing countries that engage in it.

But, folks, as I said in my State of the Union Address, there’s no ordinary time in our history.  Democracy is literally at stake here at home and abroad.  Our basic freedoms are under assault: freedom to vote, the freedom to choose, and so much more. 

My predecessor and his allies in Congress make no apologies for it. 

But here’s the deal: In its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court wrote, quote, “Women are not without e- — electoral and/or political power.”  (Applause.)  No kidding.  (Applause.) 

As they say in Claymont, Delaware, where I spent my childhood, “They ain’t seen nothing yet.”  (Laughter.)

No, I’m serious, though.  Clearly, those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade who support a national ban on abortion have no clue about the power of women.  I mean it sincerely.  (Applause.)

But they’re finding out. 

When reproductive freedom was on the ballot, the American people spoke in 2022 and 2024 [2023].  And with the leadership of this woman to my left here, they’re going to speak out again in 2024.  (Applause.) 

If you send me a Democratic Congress that supports reproductive freedom, I promise you — I promise you, we will restore Roe v. Wade again as the law of the land.  (Applause.)  

Look, you’ve been standing a long time.  (Laughter.)  So, let me conclude this.  You can’t lead America with old ideas that take us backwards.  To lead America — I was with Xi Jinping in the Tibetan Plateau.  I traveled 17,000 miles with him.  I’ve spent more time with him than any other world leader.  And on the Plateau, he asked me, “Can you define America for me?”  This is the God’s truth. 

And I said, “Yes, I can.  One word: possibilities.”  We’re the only nation in the world that believes anything is possible. 

To lead the land of possibilities, we need a vision for the future laying out what we can and should do and what we’re going to do.  I’ve made it clear I see — a future I see. 

I see a future where we defend democracy, not diminish it; a future where we restore the right to choose and protect our freedoms, not take them away; a future where the middle-class family has a fair shot and the wealthy begin to pay their fair taxes. 

I see a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence.  All within our power. 

And, above all, I see a future for all of America, a future for my daughter and my four granddaughters.  And, by the way, they’re s- — they’re incredible.  You should meet my granddaughters.  (Laughter.)  Oh, you think I’m kidding.  I’m not.

A future for all women.  And I will always be a president for all Americans because I believe in America.  And without any exaggeration, I believe in you.  You’re the reason I’m more optimistic than I’ve ever been in my entire career. 

So — so, let’s — let’s rise up, know — know our power, tell our story. 

And let’s remember who we are, for God’s sake.  We’re the United States of America.  There is nothing beyond our capacity — nothing, nothing, nothing — when we work together.  (Applause.)

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

You are the best.  It’s is a great honor.  (Applause.)  No, I really — thank you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

(The President holds hands with the First Lady.)  I just wanted to hold your hand.

I like to embarrass her and hold her hand in public.  (Laughter.)

I’m going to sign this executive order now.  (Applause.)

(The executive order is signed.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

THE FIRST LADY:  Thanks.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thanks for getting her in.  (Laughter.)

Thanks, everybody.  (Applause.)

Mark my words, in four years, you’re going to see significant change in women’s health.  I promise you.  (Applause.)

12:38 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, and Maria Shriver at a Women’s History Month Reception (March 18, 2024) appeared first on The White House.

Remarks by President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, and Maria Shriver at a Women’s History Month Reception (March 18, 2024)

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 13:46

11:55 A.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Greetings, everyone.  Greetings and Happy Women’s History Month.  (Applause.)

To our incredible President, Joe Biden, who, of course, we all know as a tireless fighter for the safety and wellbeing of women.  To our First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, who is a longstanding, lifelong champion for women’s health and women’s health research.  To the first Second Gentleman of the United States, my husband, Doug Emhoff — (applause) — who’s been a powerful advocate for gender equity.  And to the members of our administration and all the extraordinary leaders.  And I’m going to come to Maria later.  (Laughter.)  It is an honor to be with all of you.

So, this month, and every month, we honor the women who shaped our nation and our world through their vision, courage, determination, and incredible skill, and upon whose broad shoulders we all stand.

So, as many of you know, my mother was a scientist.  And when she began her career, only 7 percent of science and engineering PhD graduates were women — and even fewer, of course, were women of color.

My mother had two goals in her life: to raise her two daughters — my sister, Maya, and me — and to end breast cancer. 

And because of the fact that our mother never asked anyone permission to pursue her dreams, within one generation, I stand before you as the first woman Vice President of the United States.  (Applause.)

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

And as Vice President, I have traveled to 20 countries in every hemisphere in the world.  And I believe the measure of the strength of a democracy is measured based on the standing of its women.  (Applause.) 

President Joe Biden and I, then, have been very intentional — and he’s been an extraordinary leader of our country — in ensuring that we do all that we can to lift up the status of the women of our nation, including their economic status, understanding, of course, that when you lift the economic status of women, families benefit, communities benefit, and all of society benefits.  (Applause.)

And so, with that knowledge, we have taken on issues like student loan debt, understanding women carry nearly two thirds of all student loan debt — two thirds.  And we have cancelled nearly $138 billion in student loan debt — (applause) — for almost 4 million Americans and counting, an average of more than $30,000 per person.  And for public servants, including our teachers, of whom more than 70 percent are women — (applause) —

THE FIRST LADY:  (Inaudible.)

THE VICE PRESIDENT:  — (laughs) — and one quarter of this stage — (laughter).  And for those who are in public service, like our teachers, we have forgiven an average of over $60,000 in student loan debt.  (Applause.)

To lift up the economic status of women, we have also invested in women entrepreneurs and small-business owners.

Across our nation, millions of women want to start or grow a business but don’t necessarily have access to the capital that allows them to do that.  So, building on work that I did with many of you in the United States Senate and under the leadership of our President, we have now invested billions of dollars to expand access to capital for women entrepreneurs. 

To lift up the status of women — (applause) — we have lowered the cost of healthcare, in particular, the cost — (applause) — in particular, the cost of insulin for our seniors.  What many of the leaders here know is that a fifth — one fifth — of women over the age of 65 have diabetes and far too many have had to make the choice between either being able to afford to fill their prescription or fill their refrigerator. 

We also know seniors who are women are 80 percent more likely to live in poverty, so the President and I and our administration capped the cost of insulin for our seniors at $35 a month.  (Applause.) 

But even as we lift up the women and all people of our nation, there are those who are intent on dragging us backward. 

At this moment, in states across our nation, we are witnessing a full-on attack against hard-fought, hard-won freedoms and rights, including the right of women to make decisions about their own body and not have their government tell them what to do.  (Applause.) 

Today, in America, one in three women of reproductive age live in a state with an abortion ban. 

Since Roe was overturned, I have met women who have had miscarriages in toilets because they were refused care, women who went to an emergency room to receive care and were rejected because the healthcare providers there thought they would be sued and potentially sent to jail if they administered care.  And it was only when she developed sepsis that she received care. 

Just last week, I visited a clinic in Minnesota, where I met with medical professionals — courageous and dedicated women who provide critical healthcare and who see, like we all do, clinics across our country, which have been closing and forced to close, leaving millions of women without access to essential, everyday, lifesaving care. 

So, in conclusion, I’ll just say this.  There is so much at stake in this moment.

And we each face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in?  Do we want to live in a country of liberty, freedom, and rule of law or a country of disorder, fear, and hate? 

Each of us has the power to answer that question with our feet, with our voice, and with our vote.  (Applause.) 

So, let us continue — let us continue to fight for our freedoms.  And as we know from our history, when we fight, we win.  (Applause.)  There we are. 

And now it is my great honor to introduce someone that I have known for many, many years, who is an extraordinary leader in every way and has done so much for the women of America and for the women of my home state of California, and a friend to all of us, the great Maria Shriver.  (Applause.)

MS. SHRIVER:  Thank you, Madam Vice President.  As she just told me, that stands for “MVP.”  (Laughter.)  I like that.  I like that.

Mr. President, Dr. Biden, thank you so much for inviting me here today.  And all of you.  I’d like to tell you to sit, but there’s no chairs.  (Laughter.)  But I — I want to say how extraordinary it is to see all of you, to see your faces, to watch you listen to the Vice President, to see the joy in your faces, to be with you all here to celebrate women’s history in this extraordinary historic home.

You can just close your eyes and imagine the history that has been made here.  You can see it on the walls.  You can see it everywhere.  You can feel it when you walk in.

But today — today is a day to keep your eyes wide open, because you, my friends, are about to watch history get made.

For the first time ever in our nation, a president — that guy right there — (laughter and applause) — he is going to sign an executive order that will transform the way our federal government deals with women’s health.

This executive order will direct the most comprehensive set of executive actions ever taken to ensure that women’s health gets integrated and prioritized across all federal agencies.

It will galvanize new research on a wide range of topics and help prevent, diagnose, and treat women’s health conditions once and for all.  (Applause.)

I also wager — and I’m not even a betting woman, but I’ll bet today that this is the first time a President of the United States has ever signed an executive order that mentions the words “menopause” and — (laughter and applause) — and “women’s” — and “women’s midlife health” in it.

With the stroke of his pen, women will get the answers and the care they have long sought and they so rightly deserve.  (Applause.)

In the time since I first sat in the First Lady’s office last April talking about the need for a new comprehensive plan around women’s health research, this White House, Jen Klein, Dr. Mazure, Secretary Becerra, the entire White House, women of all ages, races, religions, and all political backgrounds, they came together and they have transformed — they have coordinated a revolution that will transform care for the 165 million American women in this country — women of all ages, all races, all ethnicities, and all political backgrounds.

This President has also called on Congress to make a bold, big, brave investment of $12 billion.  (Applause.)  Think about that.

I remember saying to the First Lady, “We need to get at least a billion dollars.”  (Laughter.)  And then, she said, “How’s 12?”  I’m like, “That’s good.  I’ll take it.”  (Laughter.)  But he called for $12 billion dollars — think about that — in new funding for women’s health research.  (Applause.)

This is an extraordinary example of government working quickly and working for those who have left behind.

Dr. Biden, you deserve to stand so proud in this moment.  (Applause.)  It’s true.

She took this mission up the flagpole, through the halls of government, into the Oval Office, and transformed the way government sees us.  (The President makes the sign of the cross.)  (Laughter.)  She and her husband have launched an entire new era for women’s health research.

This is an undertaking that could only be put into a motion by a president who respects women — (applause) — by a man who sees women, who understands women, and who wants the best for women, who wants us all to achieve our highest potential.

Not too long ago, I was asked, “Maria, why do we need women’s health research?  Why does this matter?”  I was like, “Let me tell you.”  (Laughter.) 

It matters because women do not, nor do their doctors, have the necessary research or data to make informed decisions.  It matters because women are sicker than they have ever been, and no one knows why.  It matters because women make up two thirds of those with Alzheimer’s and no one knows why that is.

We make up 80 percent of those with autoimmune diseases, the majority of those with MS.  No one knows why that is. 

Black and brown women are more likely to develop endometriosis and face pregnancy-related complications, and we don’t have the research to tell them what to do about it.

This matters because when women ask questions, they can’t get answers because the majority of the research that’s been done in this country has only been done on men.  Most of the medications women take have only been tested on men. 

That’s not right, that’s not just, and it’s going to change.  (Applause.)

So, now that the President has done his job, we have to do ours.  We have to get Congress to approve the $12 billion investment this President has called for to implement this bold vision.  So every woman, every philanthropist, every innovator, every advocate, every research, and every instigator in this room and out of this room needs to get in on this and join us in this massive undertaking.

And make no mistake, this is a massive undertaking.  But as those of you who are gathered in this room know very well, women have never shied away from massive undertakings.  We have changed history over and over again.  And guess what?  We get to do it one more time.  (Applause.)

You know, today when I walked in here with my son, Christopher, and my brothers, Timmy and Mark — and Mark is the one that got me in the door, so I have to thank him — (laughter) — I couldn’t help but think of my — our mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver.  (Applause.)

Our mother spent a lot of time in this house, pressuring her brother, President John F. Kennedy, to make changes for families who had children with intellectual disabilities.  She pressured him to understand that it mattered whether they were included in research and whether they were included in all areas of life.

She got to change history because he listened.  She was a force of nature.  But she was also a woman who struggled her entire life and our entire lives with her health.

She had stomach issues.  She had gut issues.  She had sleep issues.  And every doctor she went through — went to — and she traveled all over this country visiting doctors, trying to get help, trying to get answers.  She couldn’t get any answers because they told her, “We don’t have any answers for you.”

Everywhere she went, they told her to relax.  (Laughter.)  They told her that maybe she was under stress, that maybe it was in her head.  That didn’t go over well.  (Laughter.)  They gave her medications that made it so she couldn’t sleep, that she couldn’t eat.

She ended up in a cycle that so many women find themselves in.  Instead of getting better, she just kept getting worse.  Her needs were dismissed time and time again.  And she was the sister of the President of the United States. 

So, imagine what it’s like for millions of women who have no connections, who have no help, who can’t even get time off for work to visit a doctor.

The research and answers and the hope they need will now be on the way because of this man.  Imagine how long this has taken for us to get to this moment.  Imagine what it has taken for us to bring about this transformative change.

Women of America, this is our moonshot.  I call it “the Minerva Challenge.”  (Laughter.)  It’s way bigger than any one of us standing here or any one of us listening out in the country.

We need to come together to bring this $12 billion home.  If we want our children, our sisters, our mothers, and our grandmothers to be able to hold the world upon their shoulders, which they are already doing, we owe them our best efforts and we owe them the best research that we can.

So, let’s come together and do this for every single woman who has felt her health concerns have been dismissed, for every single woman who has been told to relax, for every single woman who has been told, “This is in your head.  You don’t feel what you tell me you feel.” God forbid.

Today, we join forces and we begin anew.  We begin together.

With this moonshot and by working together, we can finally singl- — signal to women of all ages that, at long last, we really do love them and value them to the moon and back.

Now — (applause) — now it is my great honor to introduce the woman who without none of this — none of this would be possible without her — without her ability to take this up the flagpole, without her persistence, and without her passion, my great friend, Dr. Jill Biden.  (Applause.)

THE FIRST LADY:  Quote, “If you don’t have an idea that materializes and changes a person’s life, then what have you got?  You have talk, research, telephone calls, meetings, but you don’t have a change in the community,” end quote.  Eunice Kennedy Shriver.  (Applause.)

Maria, you live your mother’s words purely, lovingly, and relentlessly.  (Laughter.) 

Thank you for your life’s work and for being an amazing partner in this effort.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

So, good morning. 

AUDIENCE:  Good morning.

THE FIRST LADY:  In the early 1970s, researchers in the United States studied estrogen’s effect in preventing heart attacks.  You see, it was observed that women who had gone through menopause — therefore, who had lower levels of estrogen — were likely to have heart attacks.  So, a study was conducted asking whether estrogen prevents heart attacks.  Eight thousand three hundred and forty-one people were selected for that study.  All of them were men.  (Laughter.)

This is how things were done.  Even though women are half the population, women’s health research has been underfunded and understudied.  Too many of our medications, treatments, and medical school textbooks are based on men and their bodies.

But that ends today.  (Applause.)

Finally, women will get the healthcare we deserve.  In just a few moments, my husband, President Biden — (applause) — (laughs) — see, Joe, now I just have to say your name and — (laughter) — will sign the most comprehensive executive — executive order in history to advance research on women’s health.

So, on behalf of all of us, thank you, Joe.  (Applause.)

If you ask any woman in America about her healthcare, she probably has a story to tell.  You all know her.  She’s the woman who gets debilitating migraines but doesn’t know why and can’t find treatment options that work for her.  She’s the woman going through menopause who visits her doctor and leaves with more questions than answers, even though half the country will go through menopause at some point in their lives.

She’s the woman whose heart attack isn’t recognized because her symptoms don’t look like a man’s, even as heart disease is the leading cause of death among women. 

So many of us and so many of the women in our lives suffer from health conditions for which we simply don’t have the answers or the solutions. 

Think about it.  You might have the best doctors or the best insurance, but when it comes to Alzheimer’s, endiom- — endimet — endio- —

AUDIENCE:  Endometriosis.  

THE FIRST LADY:  Thank you.  (Laughs.)  And I’m an English teacher.  (Laughter.)

— IBS, or disruptive menopausal symptoms, is that enough?  No.  We simply don’t know enough about how to prevent, detect, or treat the conditions that affect women uniquely, disproportionately, or differently. 

And that’s the result of a choice, because, for decades, “business as usual” has meant understudying and underfunding research on women’s health.  Your president believes that this is unacceptable.  (Applause.)

When Maria brought this issue to me and Joe less than a year ago, he knew it could make a real difference.  And that’s what Joe does best.  He takes action and quickly.  Joe is the first president to make investing in women’s health research — investing in your health, in our health — a top priority for the White House.  (Applause.)

It’s no secret that Joe’s accomplishments on healthcare are historic.  You heard about this — his successes already: reducing healthcare premiums and prescription drug costs; protection — protecting millions of patients from surprise medical bills and junk fees; and getting more Americans covered by insurance. 

But it’s important that you know what Joe is doing through this White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research is different and without precedent.  He is investing resources and actually understanding the scientific basis of women’s health conditions, which will allow researchers, doctors, and industry to find new ways to prevent, detect, and treat women’s health.  (Applause.)  (Laughs.)

Thanks to Joe’s experience and vision, he’s approaching this problem differently too.  As President, Joe created ARPA-H, a new healthcare agency that pursues breakthroughs in health research at lightning speed. 

Just a few weeks ago, ARPA-H launched its first-ever sprint for women’s health, putting $100 million into women’s health research and development.  (Applause.)

And during his State of the Union Address, Joe called on Congress to invest $12 billion into women’s health and research, giving researchers the funding needed to make the kinds of discoveries that will change everything.  And he’s calling, just like Maria did, on entrepreneurs, investors, private industries, and philanthropists to do their part, because it’s going to take all of us.

Joe is fighting to finally deliver the answer that millions of women need about their health.  This executive order wouldn’t be possible without so many women who have been at this work for decades — many of them doctors who are here with us today: Valerie, Susan, Carolyn, and so many others.

So, today, as we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s write a new future for ourselves, for the girls and the women who will follow — a future where women leave doctors’ offices with more answers than questions; a future where no woman or girl has to hear, like Maria said, “It’s all in your head” or “It’s just stress” — (applause); a future where women aren’t just an afterthought in a world designed for men but the first thought in a world designed for everyone; a future where women don’t just survive, they lead long, healthy, and happy lives.

Today is just the beginning.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

And now, it is my honor to introduce a person who is helping make the future a reality: my husband, the President of the United States, Joe Biden.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  My name is Joe Biden.  (Laughter.)  I’m Jill Biden’s husband.  (Laughter and applause.) 

Folks, Happy Women’s History Month.  (Applause.)

I’m smart enough to know that when you have Ji- — Jill, Kamala, and Maria, and all of you — the most powerful, accomplished women — in the room all at once, it’s — I’m — I just should hush up, as my mom said, and leave.  (Laughter.)

But all kidding aside, just let me say this.  Yesterday was St. Patrick’s Day here at the White House.  Today is Women Histories Mo- — Women’s History Month — two of the best days of the year back to back.  (Laughter and applause.)

The late Irish poet Eavan Boland wrote, “I’ve learned my name.  I rise.  I rose up.  I remembered it.  And now I can tell my story.  It was different from the story told about me,” end of quote. 

That poem entitled “Mother Ireland,” but she captures the spirit of women’s history in America as well.  

And, you know, in your own way, all of you are — generations of women before you have risen up, shown your power, and told your story.  It’s made all the difference in the world in telling the full story of America.  
We’re the only nation in the world divided — and devined — defined — every other nation is defined based on geography or — or ethnicity.  We’re the only nation based on an idea.  Think about it.  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all women and men are created equal, endowed by…” — et cetera.  Treated equally our whole lives, it’s supposed to be.  We’ve never fully lived up to that, but we — we’ve never walked away from it either. 

But Jill and I, Kamala and Doug, and the entire administration have never walked away from it either, especially when it comes to women. 

To state the obvious, women are half the population, underrepresented across the board.  But not in my administration.  (Applause.) 

To state the — state the truth, all the women in our family are brighter than all the men, so it’s not a hard decision.  (Laughter.)

We’re proud to have an administration that looks like America, with more women serving in senior positions than any time in American history.  Our his- — his- — our historic Vice President, who is doing an incredible job.  (Applause.)  The Cabinet and staff at every level across the administration, including military women who have gotten confirmed for two four-star generals to lead combat — combat committees — (applause) — the second and third women ever to do so, as well as the first woman ever to be on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

It matters.

Together, we’ve put the first Black woman on the United States Supreme Court.  (Applause.)  And I’m mildly prejudiced, but I think she’s the brightest person on the Court.  (Laughter.)  And more Black women on the federal circuit courts of appeals than all previous presidents combined. (Applause.) 

And together, we’ve made historic progress through one of the toughest periods that our nation has ever been through. 

Folks — and as Jill just talked about, we’ve launched the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research to pioneer the next generation of scientific research and discovery in women’s health.  Think of all the breakthroughs we’ve made in medicine across the board, but women have not been the focus.  Research has been taking much too long to get to you all. 

I’ve called on Congress, as we’ve said — I’m repeating myself here — $12 billion for that effort.  And today — (applause) — today, we’re jumpstarting that investment by dedicating $200 million to the National Institute of Health to tackle some of the most pressing health problems facing women today.  

With the executive order I’m about to sign, I’m directing the most comprehensive set of executive actions ever taken to improve women’s health — ever taken.  

And I’m going to ensure that women’s health is integrated and prioritized across the entire federal government.  It’s not just in women’s health.  It’s not just in NIH.  The National Science Foundation, the Defense Department, the Environmental Protection Agency — I mean, across the board, this is really serious.

And I will spearhead new research and innovation for breakthroughs on a wide range of women’s health needs and — that they experience throughout your — you experience throughout your lives.  Because it really matters.  It matters. 

Because we’re focused on supporting women together, our administration has turned around the economy, because we focused on women, by the way — focused on women.  (Applause.)

We’ve achieved the lowest unemployment rate for women in 70 years.  (Applause.)  More women, especially mothers, in the workforce than ever before; the narrowest gender [pay] gap on record; but so much more to do — so much more to do.

Historic investments in over 225,000 childcare centers, 90 percent of which are owned by wo- — owned by women and staffed by women so families can take care of their children and get to work and improve the economy.  Sixty percent in- — (applause) — sixty percent increase in loans to small businesses owned by women, totaling $5.1 billion.  We’re just getting started.

Through my American Rescue Plan and the Child Tax Credit, we cut child poverty nearly in half.  That’s a fact.  (Applause.)  Which I might add, my Republican friends tell me we’re spending a lot of money?  It’s saving billions of dollars — saving billions of dollars.  We’re actually cutting the deficit too.

Republicans voted against it and let it expire, but I’m fighting to bring the Child Tax Credit back.  (Applause.)  We’re making sure that women can access jobs in sectors that have been historically underrepresented: manufacturing, construction, clean energy.  

And I make i- — no apologies for being pro-union, but I tell you what — (applause) — we had very (inaudible) meetings with the union leadership.  Not a joke.  I said I want you to show me on a yearly basis increased number of women in unions, an increased number of minorities in unions.  (Applause.)

All kidding aside, there’s not a damn thing a man can do that a woman can’t do.  (Applause.)  To state the obvious, if we want to have the strongest economy in the world, you can’t leave half the workforce behind.

As we advance women’s economic empowerment, we’re also ensuring their physical security.  With the help of so many of you, we’ve brought the total of investment against — Violence Against Women Act, which I proudly spent six years getting passed and wrote when I — as my daughter said, with my own paw.  (Laughter.) 

We proudly wrote — we’ve provided $700 million in 2023 — most ever — funding for everything from community groups focused on prevention, establishing the first-ever hotline on abuse, holding pr- — predators accountable, et cetera.  It matters a lot.  (Applause.)

Because of women leaders in Congress, I also signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years — (applause) — to keep guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers.  The idea I had to fight to get that done?  Domes- — convicted domestic abusers were not allowed, under the law I wrote, that’s saying the — they can’t own a weapon.

And so, we — in addition to that, we finally got it passed.  I ca- — anyway.  (Laughter.)

So our children can learn to read and write, not learn how to duck and cover in school.  I mean, seriously, think about that.  In the y- — in the year 2024, we’re talking about children learning to duck and cover in school? 

But I will not stop until I ban assault weapons again and high-capacity magazines.  (Applause.)  Not a joke.

That doesn’t abuse the Second Amendment.  You’ve never been able to have any weapon.  That never was the case from the very beginning.

We created reforms that fundamentally shift how our military investigates and prosecutes sexual afuse — assault and domestic abuse.  And by the way, she’s not here today, but you all — all thank Kirsten B- — Gillibrand for that fight — (inaudible).  (Applause.)

We’re also continuing to stand with women and girls worldwide against rape and sexual violence used as weapons of war and terror.  And we’ve spoken on it.  We’re one of the few leaders in the world that have spoken against it, because we’re going to — and we’re punishing countries that engage in it.

But, folks, as I said in my State of the Union Address, there’s no ordinary time in our history.  Democracy is literally at stake here at home and abroad.  Our basic freedoms are under assault: freedom to vote, the freedom to choose, and so much more. 

My predecessor and his allies in Congress make no apologies for it. 

But here’s the deal: In its decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court wrote, quote, “Women are not without e- — electoral and/or political power.”  (Applause.)  No kidding.  (Applause.) 

As they say in Claymont, Delaware, where I spent my childhood, “They ain’t seen nothing yet.”  (Laughter.)

No, I’m serious, though.  Clearly, those bragging about overturning Roe v. Wade who support a national ban on abortion have no clue about the power of women.  I mean it sincerely.  (Applause.)

But they’re finding out. 

When reproductive freedom was on the ballot, the American people spoke in 2022 and 2024 [2023].  And with the leadership of this woman to my left here, they’re going to speak out again in 2024.  (Applause.) 

If you send me a Democratic Congress that supports reproductive freedom, I promise you — I promise you, we will restore Roe v. Wade again as the law of the land.  (Applause.)  

Look, you’ve been standing a long time.  (Laughter.)  So, let me conclude this.  You can’t lead America with old ideas that take us backwards.  To lead America — I was with Xi Jinping in the Tibetan Plateau.  I traveled 17,000 miles with him.  I’ve spent more time with him than any other world leader.  And on the Plateau, he asked me, “Can you define America for me?”  This is the God’s truth. 

And I said, “Yes, I can.  One word: possibilities.”  We’re the only nation in the world that believes anything is possible. 

To lead the land of possibilities, we need a vision for the future laying out what we can and should do and what we’re going to do.  I’ve made it clear I see — a future I see. 

I see a future where we defend democracy, not diminish it; a future where we restore the right to choose and protect our freedoms, not take them away; a future where the middle-class family has a fair shot and the wealthy begin to pay their fair taxes. 

I see a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence.  All within our power. 

And, above all, I see a future for all of America, a future for my daughter and my four granddaughters.  And, by the way, they’re s- — they’re incredible.  You should meet my granddaughters.  (Laughter.)  Oh, you think I’m kidding.  I’m not.

A future for all women.  And I will always be a president for all Americans because I believe in America.  And without any exaggeration, I believe in you.  You’re the reason I’m more optimistic than I’ve ever been in my entire career. 

So — so, let’s — let’s rise up, know — know our power, tell our story. 

And let’s remember who we are, for God’s sake.  We’re the United States of America.  There is nothing beyond our capacity — nothing, nothing, nothing — when we work together.  (Applause.)

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

You are the best.  It’s is a great honor.  (Applause.)  No, I really — thank you.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

(The President holds hands with the First Lady.)  I just wanted to hold your hand.

I like to embarrass her and hold her hand in public.  (Laughter.)

I’m going to sign this executive order now.  (Applause.)

(The executive order is signed.)

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

THE FIRST LADY:  Thanks.

THE PRESIDENT:  Thanks for getting her in.  (Laughter.)

Thanks, everybody.  (Applause.)

Mark my words, in four years, you’re going to see significant change in women’s health.  I promise you.  (Applause.)

12:38 P.M. EDT

The post Remarks by President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, and Maria Shriver at a Women’s History Month Reception (March 18, 2024) appeared first on The White House.

FACT SHEET: Delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Commitment to Democratic Renewal at the Third Summit for Democracy

Statements and Releases - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 06:00

President Biden launched the historic Summit for Democracy in 2021 to strengthen democratic institutions, protect human rights, and accelerate the fight against corruption, both at home and abroad.  

At the first Summit, approximately 100 participating governments made over 750 commitments on a wide array of deliverables, including in the areas of advancing technology for democracy, media freedom, countering the misuse of technology, and improving financial transparency, gender equity and equality, and rule of law.  The second Summit built on these efforts, convening government stakeholders, youth voices, civil society, and the private sector to demonstrate the power of cross-sectoral collaboration and amplify the importance of including diverse voices in these spaces.  This year, the Republic of Korea hosted the third Summit for Democracy in Seoul under the theme “Democracy for Future Generations.”  

The U.S. delegation in the ROK, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, highlighted U.S. efforts to strengthen democratic resilience, respect for human rights, and good governance globally.  The Biden-Harris Administration has requested $11.8 billion in Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG) foreign assistance, of which $5.8 billion has already been appropriated for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023.  The Administration intends to provide the remaining $6 billion over the next two years, subject to the availability of appropriations.  During the Summit, the United States held a high-level, multi-stakeholder event on combatting the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware, which not only threatens democratic institutions but also poses risks to global security.

Under President Biden’s leadership, the United States has taken concrete steps to advance previous commitments and initiatives launched over the past three years, which include:

Advancing Technology for Democracy:

  • In February 2024, the State Department announced a new visa restriction policy for individuals involved in or financially benefiting from the misuse of commercial spyware.
  • In February 2024, the Department of Commerce imposed export controls on a company that has enabled foreign governments to conduct mass web-monitoring, censorship, and surveillance of perceived political opponents and human rights defenders.
  • In February 2024, the United States joined the United Kingdom and France-led Pall-Mall Declaration, which brought together international partners and stakeholders to address the proliferation and irresponsible use of commercial cyber intrusion tools and services.
  • In March 2024, the Treasury Department imposed unprecedented financial sanctions targeting five commercial spyware entities and their leadership that have enabled the misuse of commercial spyware. This was the first time that the U.S. Government sanctioned actors involved in the misuse of commercial spyware.
  • In March 2024, the U.S. Government convened members of the investor community – during which the investors revealed voluntary principles and commitments – to discuss the role of trusted capital in advancing technology while promoting the values of free and open societies, including guarding against the misuse of commercial spyware and encouraging safe AI development.
  • Since its launch at the first Summit for Democracy, the U.S. Government has contributed more than $46 million to the Surge and Sustain Fund for Anti-Censorship Technology, including $31 million in 2023 alone, to support 30 million users of circumvention tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs) each month.

Supporting Free and Independent Media

  • USAID’s International Fund for Public Interest Media – announced at the second Summit for Democracy – has committed nearly $9 million in 32 grants across 16 countries to independent media outlets in urgent need of support and to strengthen their long-term sustainability.  The U.S. Government’s initial seed funding of $20 million has leveraged an additional $32 million from 15 governments, philanthropies, and corporate entities.
  • The State Department launched two programs under its Journalism Protection Platform to combat impunity for violence against journalists and strengthen holistic security for journalists and independent media outlets, including those operating in exile.

Fighting Corruption

  • In December 2023, the United States assumed the presidency of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) Conference of the States Parties (COSP).  At COSP, the United States secured consensus to adopt the U.S.-led Atlanta Declaration, which holds governments accountable to their UNCAC obligations and announced a new Presidential Proclamation restricting entry into the United States for those who enable corruption.
  • In 2023, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on more than 130 individuals and entities engaged in corruption, spanning 17 countries, while the State Department issued public visa restrictions on more than 90 individuals from around the world for their involvement in significant corruption. 
  • USAID kickstarted implementation of the Countering Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge for Development, with an initial focus on reducing corruption in the supply of green minerals. USAID also initiated new activities to seed a new investigative journalism network in Southeast Asia, strengthen public accountability in Zambia, and address Kremlin-backed strategic corruption in Eastern and Central Europe.
  • In September 2023, the State Department expanded its Transnational Anticorruption Partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ International Corruption Unit, which places regional anticorruption advisors in the field to build partners’ capacities to investigate and prosecute transnational corruption cases.  This program, part of the U.S. Democracies against Safe Havens initiative to tackle kleptocracy, has upskilled law enforcement agencies in over 30 countries, resulting in dozens of new actionable leads, cases initiated, and instances of cross-border cooperation to hold kleptocrats and money launderers accountable.    
  • In the past year, the United States has made historic strides in preventing corrupt and other illicit actors from laundering funds through anonymous companies and advancing rulemaking processes to guard against dirty money in the residential real estate sector and investment advising industry.

Bolstering Human Rights and Democratic Reformers

  • Since the first Summit, USAID’s Partnership’s for Democratic Development (PDD) has allocated $53 million to deepen relationships with democratic reformers and accelerate democratic development in nine countries.  PDD will provide up to $52 million in additional funding in the coming year, subject to availability of funds, to expand democratic reform and ensure PDD partner countries are given the support they need to make their democratic transformation a reality.
  • Since announcing the Advancing Women’s and Girls’ Civic and Political Leadership Initiative at the first Summit, USAID has allocated over $15 million in nine focus countries to build and sustain women’s participation in political and civic engagement. USAID will provide up to $10 million in additional funding this year, subject to availability of funds.
  • The Community of Democracies (CoD) is working towards the 2024 launch of the global Youth Democracy Network, announced by the United States at the second Summit for Democracy.  Ahead of the launch, the CoD YouthLeads, who will serve as the inaugural advisory board for the Network, are driving discussion on youth engagement in elections, including a new series of articles, “A Blueprint for Youth Electoral Engagement,” to showcase effective strategies and policies from around the globe that enhance youth participation in electoral processes.

    Defending Free and Fair Elections
  • Following a commitment made at the first Summit for Democracy, USAID has worked with more than 30 leading international organizations and elections networks to launch the Global Network for Securing Election Integrity (GNSEI) to promote electoral integrity in the face of critical threats to democracy.  In 2024, GNSEI intends to develop and promote two electoral integrity priorities: one on principles to support democratic electoral reform processes and the other on safeguarding election management bodies’ independence in their interactions with other domestic agencies.
  • In 2023, USAID launched the Defending Democratic Elections Fund, which is helping to pilot and scale up approaches to addressing critical long-standing and emerging electoral integrity issues — including on strengthening information integrity and resilience – particularly during the period in between elections, when resources have often been scarce. This past year, USAID provided nearly $16 million in additional support across 17 countries to tackle issues like campaign finance reform, and barriers to women’s political participation.
  • The State Department contributed $25 million in new funding under the Political Accountability, Inclusivity, and Resiliency Support mechanism to promote political competition by building stronger connections between political parties and citizens.  

At the third Summit for Democracy, the United States reiterated and expanded upon its commitment to bolstering democratic resilience and advancing human rights at home and abroad.  Specifically, the U.S. delegation announced several new commitments and initiatives to further progress in the years ahead: 

  • On March 18, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Poland signed the Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware, which was launched by an initial group of 11 like-minded countries at the second Summit for Democracy, expanding the coalition of countries committed to implementing robust guardrails against misuse of commercial spyware. The Joint Statement affirms the threat posed by the misuse of commercial spyware and countries commit to working within their domestic systems to establish robust guardrails to counter the proliferation and misuse of this sophisticated surveillance technology.
  • The Biden-Harris Administration aims to provide financial support, working with Congress and subject to appropriated funds, to committed partners like the Platform for the Engagement of Civil Society, to coordinate the ongoing work of the Summit, including future convenings, and to build networks among the existing democratic renewal architecture.
  • The United States, led by USAID, will convene a meeting to galvanize momentum for the next Summit gathering and to show our continued commitment to democratic renewal around the world on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly session in September 2024. 
  • On March 17, USAID launched the Advancing Digital Democracy (ADD) Academy, building upon the ADD initiative announced at the second Summit for Democracy.  In partnership with multinational technology firms, the ADD Academy will offer essential skills training in cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud computing, and responsible AI, among other topics.   In the initial phase, ADD Academy intends to work with technology partners Cloudflare, Google, and Microsoft. 
  • On March 18, the State Department released U.S. Guidance for Online Platforms on Protecting Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) Online, which highlights best practices online platforms can take to prevent, mitigate, and provide remedy for actions targeting HRDs online, building on joint guidance recently released by the U.S. and the EU through the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council.
  • Through the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse, which was announced during the first Summit, the United States and UK are developing a response framework for coordinated, evidence-informed action to prevent, disrupt, and reduce the spread of targeted online campaigns against women political and public figures and human rights defenders, which will be informed through a first-of-its-kind global conference on countering gendered disinformation held in Kenya on March 25-27, 2024. Complementing the goals of this framework, in January 2024 the State Department announced a new Global Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) Rapid Response Fund for women politicians, political candidates, and civil society leaders who have experienced extreme forms and/or threats of TFGBV and need urgent access to flexible resources to meet their immediate needs.   
  • On March 20, the United States released its second National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct, which outlines efforts to expand U.S. government guidance to and coordination with external stakeholders on responsible business conduct, strengthen federal procurement processes related to human rights, and promote access to remedy for those harmed by irresponsible business conduct.

###

The post FACT SHEET: Delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Commitment to Democratic Renewal at the Third Summit for Democracy appeared first on The White House.

FACT SHEET: Delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Commitment to Democratic Renewal at the Third Summit for Democracy

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 06:00

President Biden launched the historic Summit for Democracy in 2021 to strengthen democratic institutions, protect human rights, and accelerate the fight against corruption, both at home and abroad.  

At the first Summit, approximately 100 participating governments made over 750 commitments on a wide array of deliverables, including in the areas of advancing technology for democracy, media freedom, countering the misuse of technology, and improving financial transparency, gender equity and equality, and rule of law.  The second Summit built on these efforts, convening government stakeholders, youth voices, civil society, and the private sector to demonstrate the power of cross-sectoral collaboration and amplify the importance of including diverse voices in these spaces.  This year, the Republic of Korea hosted the third Summit for Democracy in Seoul under the theme “Democracy for Future Generations.”  

The U.S. delegation in the ROK, led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, highlighted U.S. efforts to strengthen democratic resilience, respect for human rights, and good governance globally.  The Biden-Harris Administration has requested $11.8 billion in Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG) foreign assistance, of which $5.8 billion has already been appropriated for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023.  The Administration intends to provide the remaining $6 billion over the next two years, subject to the availability of appropriations.  During the Summit, the United States held a high-level, multi-stakeholder event on combatting the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware, which not only threatens democratic institutions but also poses risks to global security.

Under President Biden’s leadership, the United States has taken concrete steps to advance previous commitments and initiatives launched over the past three years, which include:

Advancing Technology for Democracy:

  • In February 2024, the State Department announced a new visa restriction policy for individuals involved in or financially benefiting from the misuse of commercial spyware.
  • In February 2024, the Department of Commerce imposed export controls on a company that has enabled foreign governments to conduct mass web-monitoring, censorship, and surveillance of perceived political opponents and human rights defenders.
  • In February 2024, the United States joined the United Kingdom and France-led Pall-Mall Declaration, which brought together international partners and stakeholders to address the proliferation and irresponsible use of commercial cyber intrusion tools and services.
  • In March 2024, the Treasury Department imposed unprecedented financial sanctions targeting five commercial spyware entities and their leadership that have enabled the misuse of commercial spyware. This was the first time that the U.S. Government sanctioned actors involved in the misuse of commercial spyware.
  • In March 2024, the U.S. Government convened members of the investor community – during which the investors revealed voluntary principles and commitments – to discuss the role of trusted capital in advancing technology while promoting the values of free and open societies, including guarding against the misuse of commercial spyware and encouraging safe AI development.
  • Since its launch at the first Summit for Democracy, the U.S. Government has contributed more than $46 million to the Surge and Sustain Fund for Anti-Censorship Technology, including $31 million in 2023 alone, to support 30 million users of circumvention tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs) each month.

Supporting Free and Independent Media

  • USAID’s International Fund for Public Interest Media – announced at the second Summit for Democracy – has committed nearly $9 million in 32 grants across 16 countries to independent media outlets in urgent need of support and to strengthen their long-term sustainability.  The U.S. Government’s initial seed funding of $20 million has leveraged an additional $32 million from 15 governments, philanthropies, and corporate entities.
  • The State Department launched two programs under its Journalism Protection Platform to combat impunity for violence against journalists and strengthen holistic security for journalists and independent media outlets, including those operating in exile.

Fighting Corruption

  • In December 2023, the United States assumed the presidency of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) Conference of the States Parties (COSP).  At COSP, the United States secured consensus to adopt the U.S.-led Atlanta Declaration, which holds governments accountable to their UNCAC obligations and announced a new Presidential Proclamation restricting entry into the United States for those who enable corruption.
  • In 2023, the Department of the Treasury imposed sanctions on more than 130 individuals and entities engaged in corruption, spanning 17 countries, while the State Department issued public visa restrictions on more than 90 individuals from around the world for their involvement in significant corruption. 
  • USAID kickstarted implementation of the Countering Transnational Corruption Grand Challenge for Development, with an initial focus on reducing corruption in the supply of green minerals. USAID also initiated new activities to seed a new investigative journalism network in Southeast Asia, strengthen public accountability in Zambia, and address Kremlin-backed strategic corruption in Eastern and Central Europe.
  • In September 2023, the State Department expanded its Transnational Anticorruption Partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigations’ International Corruption Unit, which places regional anticorruption advisors in the field to build partners’ capacities to investigate and prosecute transnational corruption cases.  This program, part of the U.S. Democracies against Safe Havens initiative to tackle kleptocracy, has upskilled law enforcement agencies in over 30 countries, resulting in dozens of new actionable leads, cases initiated, and instances of cross-border cooperation to hold kleptocrats and money launderers accountable.    
  • In the past year, the United States has made historic strides in preventing corrupt and other illicit actors from laundering funds through anonymous companies and advancing rulemaking processes to guard against dirty money in the residential real estate sector and investment advising industry.

Bolstering Human Rights and Democratic Reformers

  • Since the first Summit, USAID’s Partnership’s for Democratic Development (PDD) has allocated $53 million to deepen relationships with democratic reformers and accelerate democratic development in nine countries.  PDD will provide up to $52 million in additional funding in the coming year, subject to availability of funds, to expand democratic reform and ensure PDD partner countries are given the support they need to make their democratic transformation a reality.
  • Since announcing the Advancing Women’s and Girls’ Civic and Political Leadership Initiative at the first Summit, USAID has allocated over $15 million in nine focus countries to build and sustain women’s participation in political and civic engagement. USAID will provide up to $10 million in additional funding this year, subject to availability of funds.
  • The Community of Democracies (CoD) is working towards the 2024 launch of the global Youth Democracy Network, announced by the United States at the second Summit for Democracy.  Ahead of the launch, the CoD YouthLeads, who will serve as the inaugural advisory board for the Network, are driving discussion on youth engagement in elections, including a new series of articles, “A Blueprint for Youth Electoral Engagement,” to showcase effective strategies and policies from around the globe that enhance youth participation in electoral processes.

    Defending Free and Fair Elections
  • Following a commitment made at the first Summit for Democracy, USAID has worked with more than 30 leading international organizations and elections networks to launch the Global Network for Securing Election Integrity (GNSEI) to promote electoral integrity in the face of critical threats to democracy.  In 2024, GNSEI intends to develop and promote two electoral integrity priorities: one on principles to support democratic electoral reform processes and the other on safeguarding election management bodies’ independence in their interactions with other domestic agencies.
  • In 2023, USAID launched the Defending Democratic Elections Fund, which is helping to pilot and scale up approaches to addressing critical long-standing and emerging electoral integrity issues — including on strengthening information integrity and resilience – particularly during the period in between elections, when resources have often been scarce. This past year, USAID provided nearly $16 million in additional support across 17 countries to tackle issues like campaign finance reform, and barriers to women’s political participation.
  • The State Department contributed $25 million in new funding under the Political Accountability, Inclusivity, and Resiliency Support mechanism to promote political competition by building stronger connections between political parties and citizens.  

At the third Summit for Democracy, the United States reiterated and expanded upon its commitment to bolstering democratic resilience and advancing human rights at home and abroad.  Specifically, the U.S. delegation announced several new commitments and initiatives to further progress in the years ahead: 

  • On March 18, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Poland signed the Joint Statement on Efforts to Counter the Proliferation and Misuse of Commercial Spyware, which was launched by an initial group of 11 like-minded countries at the second Summit for Democracy, expanding the coalition of countries committed to implementing robust guardrails against misuse of commercial spyware. The Joint Statement affirms the threat posed by the misuse of commercial spyware and countries commit to working within their domestic systems to establish robust guardrails to counter the proliferation and misuse of this sophisticated surveillance technology.
  • The Biden-Harris Administration aims to provide financial support, working with Congress and subject to appropriated funds, to committed partners like the Platform for the Engagement of Civil Society, to coordinate the ongoing work of the Summit, including future convenings, and to build networks among the existing democratic renewal architecture.
  • The United States, led by USAID, will convene a meeting to galvanize momentum for the next Summit gathering and to show our continued commitment to democratic renewal around the world on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly session in September 2024. 
  • On March 17, USAID launched the Advancing Digital Democracy (ADD) Academy, building upon the ADD initiative announced at the second Summit for Democracy.  In partnership with multinational technology firms, the ADD Academy will offer essential skills training in cybersecurity, data privacy, cloud computing, and responsible AI, among other topics.   In the initial phase, ADD Academy intends to work with technology partners Cloudflare, Google, and Microsoft. 
  • On March 18, the State Department released U.S. Guidance for Online Platforms on Protecting Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) Online, which highlights best practices online platforms can take to prevent, mitigate, and provide remedy for actions targeting HRDs online, building on joint guidance recently released by the U.S. and the EU through the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council.
  • Through the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse, which was announced during the first Summit, the United States and UK are developing a response framework for coordinated, evidence-informed action to prevent, disrupt, and reduce the spread of targeted online campaigns against women political and public figures and human rights defenders, which will be informed through a first-of-its-kind global conference on countering gendered disinformation held in Kenya on March 25-27, 2024. Complementing the goals of this framework, in January 2024 the State Department announced a new Global Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV) Rapid Response Fund for women politicians, political candidates, and civil society leaders who have experienced extreme forms and/or threats of TFGBV and need urgent access to flexible resources to meet their immediate needs.   
  • On March 20, the United States released its second National Action Plan on Responsible Business Conduct, which outlines efforts to expand U.S. government guidance to and coordination with external stakeholders on responsible business conduct, strengthen federal procurement processes related to human rights, and promote access to remedy for those harmed by irresponsible business conduct.

###

The post FACT SHEET: Delivering on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Commitment to Democratic Renewal at the Third Summit for Democracy appeared first on The White House.

FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Up To $8.5 Billion Preliminary Agreement with Intel under the CHIPS & Science Act

Statements and Releases - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 05:00

Funding catalyzes $100 billion in private investment from Intel to build and expand semiconductor facilities in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon and create nearly 30,000 jobs

Today, President Biden will travel to Chandler, Arizona, to visit Intel’s Ocotillo campus and announce that the Department of Commerce has reached a preliminary agreement with Intel to provide up to $8.5 billion in direct funding along with $11 billion in loans under the CHIPS and Science Act. The announcement will support the construction and expansion of Intel facilities in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon, creating nearly 30,000 jobs and supporting tens of thousands of indirect jobs. During his visit to Arizona, President Biden will discuss the vision that he laid out in his State of the Union, underscoring how his Investing in America agenda is building an economy from the middle out and bottom up, creating good-paying jobs right here in America, strengthening U.S. supply chains, and protecting national security.

Semiconductors were invented in America and power everything from cell phones to electric vehicles, refrigerators, satellites, defense systems, and more. But today, the United States produces less than 10 percent of the world’s chips and none of the most advanced ones. Thanks to President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act, that is changing. Companies have announced over $240 billion in investments to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States since the President took office. Semiconductor jobs are making a comeback. And thanks to CHIPS investments like the one today, America will produce roughly 20% of the world’s leading-edge chips by the end of the decade.

Today’s announcement is critical to realizing President Biden’s vision to reestablish America’s leadership in chip manufacturing. In particular, this CHIPS investment will support Intel’s construction and expansion projects across four states and will create nearly 30,000 jobs:

  • Chandler, Arizona: Funding will help construct two leading-edge logic fabs and modernize one existing fab, significantly increasing manufacturing capacity to produce Intel’s most advanced semiconductors in the United States. This investment will create over 3,000 manufacturing jobs, 7,000 construction jobs, and thousands of indirect jobs. Intel’s investment in Arizona is among the largest private sector investments in the state’s history.
  • New Albany, Ohio: Funding will establish a new regional economic cluster for U.S. chipmaking with the construction of two leading-edge logic fabs. This investment will create 3,000 manufacturing jobs, 7,000 construction jobs, and an estimated 10,000 indirect jobs. Intel’s investment in Ohio is the largest private-sector investment in the state’s history.
  • Rio Rancho, New Mexico: Funding will support the nearly complete modernization and transformation of two fabs into advanced packaging facilities, where chips are assembled together to boost their performance and reduce costs. Advanced packaging is critical for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and the next generation of semiconductor technology. It also allows manufacturers to improve performance and function and shorten the time it takes to get many advanced chips to market.  When completed, these facilities will be the largest for advanced packaging in the United States. This investment will create 700 manufacturing jobs and 1,000 construction jobs.
  • Hillsboro, Oregon: Funding will expand and modernize facilities to increase clean-room capacity and utilize advanced lithography equipment, further strengthening this critical innovation hub of leading-edge development and production in the United States. This investment will support several thousand new permanent and construction jobs and thousands of indirect jobs.
     

Creating Good-Paying and Union Jobs with Good Benefits Across America

President Biden promised to be the most pro-worker, pro-union President in American history, and his Administration has committed to ensuring that workers have the free and fair choice to join a union and equitable training pathways to good jobs. As part of the Administration’s effort to connect workers with good-paying jobs created by the President’s Investing in America agenda, the White House announced five initial Workforce Hubs across the country – two of which have focused on building pipelines to good jobs in the semiconductor industry: Phoenix, Arizona, and Columbus, Ohio. And, last year, the National Science Foundation and Intel announced $100 million to expand semiconductor workforce training opportunities, education, and research across the nation.

Under their preliminary agreement with the Department of Commerce, Intel has committed to work closely with workforce training providers (e.g., educational institutions, state and local agencies, labor unions) to develop and train workers for jobs created by the investment announced today. The Ohio State Building Trades signed a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the Ohio construction site, and there is a majority-union construction crew in both the Arizona and Oregon sites. The Administration strongly supports workers’ right to organize and expects Intel to continue its longstanding tradition of creating good jobs and respecting workers’ rights, including expecting Intel to neither hold mandatory captive audience meetings nor hire anti-union consultants.

The announcement today also includes significant funding to train and develop the local workforce, including $50 million in dedicated CHIPS funding. The focus of this funding will be further determined in the coming months based on the Department of Commerce’s labor and workforce priorities in partnership with the Department of Labor. Those priorities include funding workforce intermediaries and labor-management partnerships, promoting inclusive and equitable training and hiring across the construction and facilities workforces, and providing supportive services, such as child care. Intel’s construction spending is contributing to union apprentice programs across all four sites—expected to amount to over $150 million in apprenticeship contributions. Additionally, Intel has committed to providing affordable, accessible, high-quality child care for its workers across its facilities. Intel will be increasing the reimbursement amount and duration for its back-up care program, adding additional access to discounted primary child care providers, and expanding access to a vetted network of child care providers for its employees. In addition, Intel will pilot a primary child care reimbursement program for non-salary employees.
 

Strengthening Local Economies

Today’s announcement is also poised to strengthen the local economies of these states and cities, and is part of the President’s commitment to investing in all of America and leaving no community behind. Intel’s investments in Arizona and Ohio are among the largest private-sector investments in each state’s history, and Arizona has received the highest level of private sector manufacturing investment per capita of any state since the President took office. Intel’s investment in Arizona is expected to create tens of thousands of indirect jobs across suppliers and supporting industries – on top of the nearly 30,000 manufacturing and construction jobs it will create, fostering a more resilient semiconductor supply chain in the U.S.

In Arizona, Intel’s investments have grown the surrounding community, attracting opportunities for professional growth and upward economic mobility for everyone – from graphic designers to restaurants and small businesses. And in Ohio, Intel continues expanding their partnerships with local businesses to support their construction projects and operations at other facilities – growing from 150 Ohio-based suppliers in 2022 to over 350 today. 

Intel has also prioritized sustainability and being responsible stewards of the environment at its facilities. It currently uses 100% renewable electricity in its fabs and factories in the United States, and plans to achieve net-positive water and zero waste to landfill by 2030.

Building on Historic Progress Under the CHIPS and Science Act

Today’s announcement is the fourth and largest preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) under the CHIPS and Science Act:

  • In February 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $1.5 billion for GlobalFoundries to support the development and expansion of facilities in Malta, NY, and Burlington, VT.
  • In January 2024, the Administration announced $162 million for Microchip Technology Inc. to increase its production of microcontroller units and other specialty semiconductors, and to support the modernization and expansion of fabrication facilities in Colorado Springs, CO, and Gresham, OR.
  • In December 2023, the Administration announced $35 million for BAE Systems Electronic Systems to support the modernization of the company’s Microelectronics Center in Nashua, NH. This facility will produce chips that are essential to our national security, including for use in F-35 fighter jets.


President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – including the CHIPS and Science Act – is spurring a manufacturing and clean energy boom. Since President Biden took office, companies have announced over $675 billion in private sector investments in manufacturing and clean energy, and over 50,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects are underway. This announcement is part of the President’s broader commitment to build an economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down, and invest in all of America. 

###

The post FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Up To $8.5 Billion Preliminary Agreement with Intel under the CHIPS & Science Act appeared first on The White House.

FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Up To $8.5 Billion Preliminary Agreement with Intel under the CHIPS & Science Act

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Wed, 03/20/2024 - 05:00

Funding catalyzes $100 billion in private investment from Intel to build and expand semiconductor facilities in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon and create nearly 30,000 jobs

Today, President Biden will travel to Chandler, Arizona, to visit Intel’s Ocotillo campus and announce that the Department of Commerce has reached a preliminary agreement with Intel to provide up to $8.5 billion in direct funding along with $11 billion in loans under the CHIPS and Science Act. The announcement will support the construction and expansion of Intel facilities in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon, creating nearly 30,000 jobs and supporting tens of thousands of indirect jobs. During his visit to Arizona, President Biden will discuss the vision that he laid out in his State of the Union, underscoring how his Investing in America agenda is building an economy from the middle out and bottom up, creating good-paying jobs right here in America, strengthening U.S. supply chains, and protecting national security.

Semiconductors were invented in America and power everything from cell phones to electric vehicles, refrigerators, satellites, defense systems, and more. But today, the United States produces less than 10 percent of the world’s chips and none of the most advanced ones. Thanks to President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act, that is changing. Companies have announced over $240 billion in investments to bring semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States since the President took office. Semiconductor jobs are making a comeback. And thanks to CHIPS investments like the one today, America will produce roughly 20% of the world’s leading-edge chips by the end of the decade.

Today’s announcement is critical to realizing President Biden’s vision to reestablish America’s leadership in chip manufacturing. In particular, this CHIPS investment will support Intel’s construction and expansion projects across four states and will create nearly 30,000 jobs:

  • Chandler, Arizona: Funding will help construct two leading-edge logic fabs and modernize one existing fab, significantly increasing manufacturing capacity to produce Intel’s most advanced semiconductors in the United States. This investment will create over 3,000 manufacturing jobs, 7,000 construction jobs, and thousands of indirect jobs. Intel’s investment in Arizona is among the largest private sector investments in the state’s history.
  • New Albany, Ohio: Funding will establish a new regional economic cluster for U.S. chipmaking with the construction of two leading-edge logic fabs. This investment will create 3,000 manufacturing jobs, 7,000 construction jobs, and an estimated 10,000 indirect jobs. Intel’s investment in Ohio is the largest private-sector investment in the state’s history.
  • Rio Rancho, New Mexico: Funding will support the nearly complete modernization and transformation of two fabs into advanced packaging facilities, where chips are assembled together to boost their performance and reduce costs. Advanced packaging is critical for artificial intelligence (AI) applications and the next generation of semiconductor technology. It also allows manufacturers to improve performance and function and shorten the time it takes to get many advanced chips to market.  When completed, these facilities will be the largest for advanced packaging in the United States. This investment will create 700 manufacturing jobs and 1,000 construction jobs.
  • Hillsboro, Oregon: Funding will expand and modernize facilities to increase clean-room capacity and utilize advanced lithography equipment, further strengthening this critical innovation hub of leading-edge development and production in the United States. This investment will support several thousand new permanent and construction jobs and thousands of indirect jobs.
     

Creating Good-Paying and Union Jobs with Good Benefits Across America

President Biden promised to be the most pro-worker, pro-union President in American history, and his Administration has committed to ensuring that workers have the free and fair choice to join a union and equitable training pathways to good jobs. As part of the Administration’s effort to connect workers with good-paying jobs created by the President’s Investing in America agenda, the White House announced five initial Workforce Hubs across the country – two of which have focused on building pipelines to good jobs in the semiconductor industry: Phoenix, Arizona, and Columbus, Ohio. And, last year, the National Science Foundation and Intel announced $100 million to expand semiconductor workforce training opportunities, education, and research across the nation.

Under their preliminary agreement with the Department of Commerce, Intel has committed to work closely with workforce training providers (e.g., educational institutions, state and local agencies, labor unions) to develop and train workers for jobs created by the investment announced today. The Ohio State Building Trades signed a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the Ohio construction site, and there is a majority-union construction crew in both the Arizona and Oregon sites. The Administration strongly supports workers’ right to organize and expects Intel to continue its longstanding tradition of creating good jobs and respecting workers’ rights, including expecting Intel to neither hold mandatory captive audience meetings nor hire anti-union consultants.

The announcement today also includes significant funding to train and develop the local workforce, including $50 million in dedicated CHIPS funding. The focus of this funding will be further determined in the coming months based on the Department of Commerce’s labor and workforce priorities in partnership with the Department of Labor. Those priorities include funding workforce intermediaries and labor-management partnerships, promoting inclusive and equitable training and hiring across the construction and facilities workforces, and providing supportive services, such as child care. Intel’s construction spending is contributing to union apprentice programs across all four sites—expected to amount to over $150 million in apprenticeship contributions. Additionally, Intel has committed to providing affordable, accessible, high-quality child care for its workers across its facilities. Intel will be increasing the reimbursement amount and duration for its back-up care program, adding additional access to discounted primary child care providers, and expanding access to a vetted network of child care providers for its employees. In addition, Intel will pilot a primary child care reimbursement program for non-salary employees.
 

Strengthening Local Economies

Today’s announcement is also poised to strengthen the local economies of these states and cities, and is part of the President’s commitment to investing in all of America and leaving no community behind. Intel’s investments in Arizona and Ohio are among the largest private-sector investments in each state’s history, and Arizona has received the highest level of private sector manufacturing investment per capita of any state since the President took office. Intel’s investment in Arizona is expected to create tens of thousands of indirect jobs across suppliers and supporting industries – on top of the nearly 30,000 manufacturing and construction jobs it will create, fostering a more resilient semiconductor supply chain in the U.S.

In Arizona, Intel’s investments have grown the surrounding community, attracting opportunities for professional growth and upward economic mobility for everyone – from graphic designers to restaurants and small businesses. And in Ohio, Intel continues expanding their partnerships with local businesses to support their construction projects and operations at other facilities – growing from 150 Ohio-based suppliers in 2022 to over 350 today. 

Intel has also prioritized sustainability and being responsible stewards of the environment at its facilities. It currently uses 100% renewable electricity in its fabs and factories in the United States, and plans to achieve net-positive water and zero waste to landfill by 2030.

Building on Historic Progress Under the CHIPS and Science Act

Today’s announcement is the fourth and largest preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) under the CHIPS and Science Act:

  • In February 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $1.5 billion for GlobalFoundries to support the development and expansion of facilities in Malta, NY, and Burlington, VT.
  • In January 2024, the Administration announced $162 million for Microchip Technology Inc. to increase its production of microcontroller units and other specialty semiconductors, and to support the modernization and expansion of fabrication facilities in Colorado Springs, CO, and Gresham, OR.
  • In December 2023, the Administration announced $35 million for BAE Systems Electronic Systems to support the modernization of the company’s Microelectronics Center in Nashua, NH. This facility will produce chips that are essential to our national security, including for use in F-35 fighter jets.


President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – including the CHIPS and Science Act – is spurring a manufacturing and clean energy boom. Since President Biden took office, companies have announced over $675 billion in private sector investments in manufacturing and clean energy, and over 50,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects are underway. This announcement is part of the President’s broader commitment to build an economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down, and invest in all of America. 

###

The post FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Up To $8.5 Billion Preliminary Agreement with Intel under the CHIPS & Science Act appeared first on The White House.

Statement from President Joe Biden Marking Nowruz

Statements and Releases - Tue, 03/19/2024 - 18:23

Today, Jill and I send our best wishes to the millions of people around the world celebrating Nowruz—a time of reflection, renewal, and rebirth.

Generations of Americans have spread the hope of this holiday across every part of our nation. We see it in the pastries and presents exchanged between family and friends. We hear it in the sound of children banging pots, and in the laughs of families who’ve come together around the Haft-Sin table. And we feel it as communities gather to make this celebration such a joyous part of American culture—one that reflects the soul of who we are as a nation, and reminds us that hope lies ahead.

This year, Nowruz comes at a difficult time for many—when this hope is needed more than ever. The United States will continue to stand with the courageous women of Iran, who are fighting for their freedoms. And together with our partners, we will hold Iranian officials to account for denying fundamental human rights. The war in Gaza has also inflicted terrible suffering on the Palestinian people, and we will continue to lead international efforts to get more humanitarian assistance to them—including urgently needed food, water, medicine and shelter.

We have decorated our Haft-Sin table at the White House to reflect our hopes, and the potential and promise of the new year. And, as we mark the start of Spring, we honor the diverse diaspora communities across our nation, who have adapted old traditions anew to tell the ongoing story of America. To all who celebrate: Eid-eh Shoma Mobarak—we wish you a peaceful and joyous new year.

###

The post Statement from President Joe Biden Marking Nowruz appeared first on The White House.

Statement from President Joe Biden Marking Nowruz

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Tue, 03/19/2024 - 18:23

Today, Jill and I send our best wishes to the millions of people around the world celebrating Nowruz—a time of reflection, renewal, and rebirth.

Generations of Americans have spread the hope of this holiday across every part of our nation. We see it in the pastries and presents exchanged between family and friends. We hear it in the sound of children banging pots, and in the laughs of families who’ve come together around the Haft-Sin table. And we feel it as communities gather to make this celebration such a joyous part of American culture—one that reflects the soul of who we are as a nation, and reminds us that hope lies ahead.

This year, Nowruz comes at a difficult time for many—when this hope is needed more than ever. The United States will continue to stand with the courageous women of Iran, who are fighting for their freedoms. And together with our partners, we will hold Iranian officials to account for denying fundamental human rights. The war in Gaza has also inflicted terrible suffering on the Palestinian people, and we will continue to lead international efforts to get more humanitarian assistance to them—including urgently needed food, water, medicine and shelter.

We have decorated our Haft-Sin table at the White House to reflect our hopes, and the potential and promise of the new year. And, as we mark the start of Spring, we honor the diverse diaspora communities across our nation, who have adapted old traditions anew to tell the ongoing story of America. To all who celebrate: Eid-eh Shoma Mobarak—we wish you a peaceful and joyous new year.

###

The post Statement from President Joe Biden Marking Nowruz appeared first on The White House.

Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Reno, NV

Speeches and Remarks - Tue, 03/19/2024 - 17:06

Washoe County Democratic Party Office
Reno, Nevada

11:11 A.M. PDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I know who I’m voting for.  (Laughter.)
 
Well, first of all, thank you, thank you, thank you.  And in my house, kids rule.  So, don’t worry, okay?  (Laughter.)  No, I’m serious.  If they want to let them run around, that’s good by me as well.  (Laughter.)
 
Look, the bottom line is, if you think about it: All of us in this room have one fundamental difference between us and Trump.  And I mean this sincerely.  We have a different value set.  It gets — to me, you know, I’ve been campaigning around the country and been in this job for three years and it’s — you know, it makes it — the more I’ve thought about it, it’s just fundamentally different. 
 
You mentioned vets.  Well, you know this is a guy who said, when he wouldn’t go up to visit a cemetery of veterans, that they’re a bunch of “losers” and “suckers.”  My son was one of those “losers” and “suckers.” 
 
You know, it just — I — I just — I — I’ve never heard a president say the things that this guy has said.  But the difference is he means them.  He means what he says.
 
With your help, we got elected in the first time around.  And this — this county and this state is really, really, really critical.  (Applause.)

Number two.  Number two, my campaign manager here, she’s had enough.  (The President refers to child in audience.) (Laughter.)  She doesn’t like all that noise either.  (Laughter.)
 
Look, last week, Donald Trump and I clinched the nominations.  We’re going to beat him again.  (Applause.)
 
We not only have this office; we’ve opened up four offices so far — we’re — in this state.  Four.  And there are going to be more.
 
And, folks, you know, we’re going to keep making the case for a second term by lowering the costs and creating more jobs.
 
You know, we — we have grassroots support.  You know, so far, this campaign, we’ve rais- — more than 1,300,000 people have contributed under $200 to us — 1,300,000.  And 500,000 of those people are brand new from before.  And it’s a — (applause) —
 
And, folks, you know, the fact is that the support around the country is real.  I mean, it’s not just — and it’s not just for me.  It’s for Kamala and for the Democratic Party. 
 
The third thing is, you know, we’re — we’ve already created tens of thousands of good-paying jobs right here in this state as well — by the way, clean jobs — jobs that — clean energy jobs. 
 
Trump lost millions of jobs — millions when he was president.  It’s amazing how the nostalgia for a lost four years was. 
 
I mean — I mean, look, Trump passed a tax cut.  Here’s what he said.  He said in Mar-a-Lago when he passed his last tax cut, which increased the deficit — exploded the deficit larger than any president ever has in a four-year term.  And here’s what he said.  He said, “I made a lot of you richer.” 
 
This time out, he’s saying — he was in Mar-a-Lago, and he told a crowd of people — I want to look down and make sure I get it exactly right.  He said — he described the crowd as, “I know you’re rich as hell, but that’s why I’m going to give you another big tax cut.” 
 
The point is it’s about values.  What — what do we value? Who are we?  I mean, who are we for?  What are we trying to get done?
 
Folks, you know, Trump wants to undo everything we’ve done.  You know, he wants to strip Medicare of the ability to negotiate prices. 
 
I’ve been fighting my whole career as a senator and then as a — as a vice president to make sure that Medicare is able to do what the VA is able to do.  The VA can negotiate with the drug companies as to how much they’re going to pay for all the m- — all the medicines that come into the VA, but we’ve never been able to do it. 
 
We finally beat them.  (Applause.) 
 
Not a joke: If we got back on Air Force One here and you picked any state — any capital in the world and said — and brought a prescription you had to have filled by whatever the company is — an American manufa- — American pharmaceutical company — I ca- — you could fly to Toronto, to — to London, to Paris, to Budapest, anywhere.  I promise you that you can buy it there for 40 to 60 percent less than you’re paying for it.
 
How many of you know someone who needs — needs insulin?  Okay, well, guess what?  It was costing 4- — 400 bucks a month on average.  It now costs $35 a month.  (Applause.)
 
And, by the way, they’re still making over 300 percent.  Do you know how much it costs to make it?  Ten dollars — T-E-N.  Ten dollars. 
 
We also wrote into the law he wants to get rid of that, in fact, no senior, no matter how high the prescription tr- — bills are — and, by the way, some of the cancer drugs are $10-, $12-, $14,000, $15,000 — will never have to pay more than $2,000 a year for their drug — (applause) — $2,000. 
 
And guess what?  With your help, we’ll get elected the next four years, we’re going to change that to apply to everybody in America.  (Applause.)  I mean it.
 
When I first passed the insulin, it — it applied to everyone.  When I tried to get it re- — reauthorized, I — the Republicans blocked it. 
 
But, look, folks, the bottom line is he wants to undo everything we’ve done.  You know, we’ve created over 800,000 manufacturing jobs nationwide.  We created an awful lot of jobs right here in your state. 
 
And, by the way, you know, I was — every time I land here, I think of Harry Reid, in Nevada.  (Applause.)  Harry — Harry and so many of you talked about — talked about the fact that we need a high-speed rail from — from Vegas to California, to — to Los Angeles.  Well, guess what?  It’s coming.  (Applause.)  Well over a billion dollars, man.
 
And you’re going to be able to get to — not that anybody wants to get to Lo- — to Los Angeles, but — (laughter) — people from Los Angeles want to get to Nevada.  (Applause.)  Well, they’ll do it in two hours instead of four and take tens of thousands of vehicles off the road and improve the environment.  (Applause.)
 
Look, folks, the fact is that there’s a reason why we’re doing so well.  It’s because of union labor.  (Applause.)  Not a joke.  And, by the way, that’s not a joke.  It’s a — it’s a fact. 
 
I didn’t realize — although I’d been around — you know, I know I’ve only been around a little — I look like I’m 25, 30, but — (laughter).  But I didn’t realize back when the law was passed during the FDR administrations that labor unions were able to organize and the rules (inaudible) organization — that they passed a provision in the law that I didn’t realize until a couple of years ago — until about eight years ago that existed.  It says if a president is given money by the Congress to spend on any American project or individuals that that president must use, one, American products in doing it and, two, must use American labor to do it.  (Applause.)
 
As I (inaudible) my labor friends will tell you, I’ve been the most pro-labor president in the history of the United States of America for a simple reason.  (Applause.)  They grow the economy.  They grow the economy. 
 
I had the Treasury Department do a study.  I asked them — I said, “What is the effect of using union labor on the rest of the economy?”  Everybody does better when unions do better.  Everybody does better.  (Applause.)  Wages up across the board. 
 
So, folks, look — I’m going on too long.  I apologize.  (Music plays.)  (Laughter.)  That must be my traveling staff.  (Laughter.)  
 
One — one closing comment.  We’ve never had a president who has said or done some of the things this guy has said.  We have thousands upon thousands of people dying in Ukraine. 
 
One of the things that Dr. Kissinger said — Henry Kissinger said before — he called about 10 days before he died, and — and asked if I — I would speak to him.  And so, I — I cal- — he didn’t call.  He asked if I’d call him and I did. 
 
And he said — you know, he said, “Not since — not since the time of — way back when” —

(A toddler in the audience babbles.)

Are you really?  (Laughter.)  No, I’m ki- —

“For the longest time, Europe looked over its shoulder at Russia with some dread.”   And he said, “Not since Napoleon have they not looked over their shoulder, until we came along.”  He said, “You’ve strengthened NATO like it’s never been strengthened before.  You’ve united Europe in a way.  You’ve increased NATO and the border of NATO from bringing in Sweden and Norway.”  And he says, “It’s — it’s changed the world.” 
 
This guy is talking about Putin like he’s his lost lo- — long-lost buddy, which he is.  No, here’s what he said.  He said: If Putin — if the — if a NATO member or a European country doesn’t do — pay their dues, then come in, do whatever the hell you want, Putin. 
 
Folks, this is — this is — this guy is — he has no basis on understanding what American foreign policy is about and what our national security is about.  The idea that we’d walk away from a sacred obligation that has existed since World War Two, has kept the peace in Europe is crazy. 
 
But look, I’m confident — I’m confident we get our message out to the American people, we’re going to win again. 
 
But here’s the deal.  You’re the ones that are going to do it.  And that’s not hyperbole.  I’m not joking with you.  It gets on — down to, as we used to say — my football coach, all blac- — block and tackling: knocking on doors, calling people, going and making the case face to face with them. 
 
That’s why we’re opening these campaign headquarters.  We’re opening them all over the country.  And we’re going to continue to do so, so people can ask questions — people can look us in the eye and ask the questions, and we can have an- — we have answers for them. 
 
So, the bottom line here is: I feel really good as I go around the country.  Not a joke. 
 
And, by the way, I — and the press are all good guys in here, but — but — (applause) — but they report a lot of polls.  The last four polls out, we’re winning.  Okay?   (Applause.) 
 
But guess what?  None of these polls mean a damn thing this early on, so we just got to keep at it.  
 
Anybody want to ask me any questions?
 
Q    I have one. 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.
 
Q    The child — the child family credits really helped save my daughter’s family during COVID.  Is there any possibility of bringing those back?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  That is one of the — I — what — I didn’t get into — what I plan on doing next time out: We’re going to bring back the Child Tax Credit.  It cut child poverty in half.  (Applause.) 
 
And, by the way, it grows the economy.  When women are able to go to work knowing they have a safely — a safe place for their children, it grows the economy — in terms of education, as well, by the way.

We’re in a situation where — think about it — you know, a lot of people haven’t had the advantage others have had.  They may come from a home that is — doesn’t have the same background, doesn’t have the same educational background, doesn’t have books in the house. 

All the studies show, for example, if a child comes from a broken home where there are no books in the house and mom or dad are having real trouble, they’re going to hear a million fewer words spoken bef- — not the — not different words, total words spoken — than — than a kid coming from a middle-class household.  A million.  And it puts them — and they start off way, way behind.
 
But what we found out w- — there are significant studies being done — that if, in fact — if, in fact, you have a circumstance where you start a kid in preschool at the age three, four, and five, they have a 50 percent better chance — 50 percent of them go on to go all through 12 years and on to college if, in fact, they have that cha- — and it doesn’t cost us much.
 
How the hell can we lead the world if we don’t have the best infrastructure in the world, we don’t have the best education in the world, we don’t have the best tax system, and so on. 
 
And the other thing I’m going to do — I’m going to talk about it down in Vegas — is that we’re going to also make sure that we deal with all those things that affect people’s daily lives. 
 
Look, you know, I come from a house — and I’ll end with this.  I’ll — come from a household where there was a — we lived in a three-bedroom h- — we weren’t poor, but my dad — I guess we were technically lower-middle class ec- — income.  We never thought of ourselves that way.  But we lived in a decent house, a three-bedroom house, a split-level home with four kids and a grandpop living with us.  And — and I — and — you know, but there wasn’t — on the trickle-down economics — you know, everybody talks about — not a whole hell of a lot ever trickled down on my dad’s kitchen table. 
 
My dad used to say — for real, not a joke — my dad used to say, “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck.  It’s about your dignity.  It’s about respect.”  (Applause.)  For real.  For real.  “It’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, everything is going to be okay.'”  Well, that’s what we’re working on. 
 
We’re building this economy from the middle out and the bottom up.  When that happens, everybody does well, including the wealthy. 
 
And, by the way, I — I’m a capitalist.  If you can make a million bucks or a billion bucks, go make it.  Just pay your fair share of taxes.  (Applause.)  Okay? 
 
By the way, you know, we have — in the United States of America, we have a thousand billionaires now since —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Wow.  Wow.

THE PRESIDENT:  A thousand.  It was 740 when it was — before the pandemic.  Now it’s a thousand.

And guess what happened?  You know how — you know what their — their average tax rate is — federal tax rate?  8.3 percent.

I plan on raising it — and we’re going to get it done if you give me a Democratic Congress — to 25 percent.  That’s all.  Twenty-five percent.  (Applause.) 

And, by the way, guess what that will do?  That’ll raise $400 billion over 10 years.  (Applause.)  And imagine what we could be doing with childcare, healthcare, so many other thing- —

Quick question there.

Q    I wanted to ask you, because I know you going to win — (laughter) — I wanted you, when you win, please, support the registry.  It’s a law that just needs to be adjust and will help — help (inaudible) million immigrants, because, you know, immigrants are the (inaudible) of this country.  (Inaudible.)  
 
THE PRESIDENT:  All right.
Q    It’s a — it’s a law.  It’s already 80 years old.  It needs to be adjust.  Hasn’t been adjusted for the last 40 years.  So, when you become the president who can (inaudible) — you will.  I wanted to — (laughter) —

THE PRESIDENT:  By the way, get her phone number.  I’ll call you.  Okay?  (Laughter and applause.)  No, I’m serious.  Okay?  (Applause.) 
 
Q    Yes. 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  All right.

I know, I know, I know, I know.  I got to go.  I —

Anyway —

11:28 A.M. PDT

The post Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Reno, NV appeared first on The White House.

Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Reno, NV

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Tue, 03/19/2024 - 17:06

Washoe County Democratic Party Office
Reno, Nevada

11:11 A.M. PDT
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I know who I’m voting for.  (Laughter.)
 
Well, first of all, thank you, thank you, thank you.  And in my house, kids rule.  So, don’t worry, okay?  (Laughter.)  No, I’m serious.  If they want to let them run around, that’s good by me as well.  (Laughter.)
 
Look, the bottom line is, if you think about it: All of us in this room have one fundamental difference between us and Trump.  And I mean this sincerely.  We have a different value set.  It gets — to me, you know, I’ve been campaigning around the country and been in this job for three years and it’s — you know, it makes it — the more I’ve thought about it, it’s just fundamentally different. 
 
You mentioned vets.  Well, you know this is a guy who said, when he wouldn’t go up to visit a cemetery of veterans, that they’re a bunch of “losers” and “suckers.”  My son was one of those “losers” and “suckers.” 
 
You know, it just — I — I just — I — I’ve never heard a president say the things that this guy has said.  But the difference is he means them.  He means what he says.
 
With your help, we got elected in the first time around.  And this — this county and this state is really, really, really critical.  (Applause.)

Number two.  Number two, my campaign manager here, she’s had enough.  (The President refers to child in audience.) (Laughter.)  She doesn’t like all that noise either.  (Laughter.)
 
Look, last week, Donald Trump and I clinched the nominations.  We’re going to beat him again.  (Applause.)
 
We not only have this office; we’ve opened up four offices so far — we’re — in this state.  Four.  And there are going to be more.
 
And, folks, you know, we’re going to keep making the case for a second term by lowering the costs and creating more jobs.
 
You know, we — we have grassroots support.  You know, so far, this campaign, we’ve rais- — more than 1,300,000 people have contributed under $200 to us — 1,300,000.  And 500,000 of those people are brand new from before.  And it’s a — (applause) —
 
And, folks, you know, the fact is that the support around the country is real.  I mean, it’s not just — and it’s not just for me.  It’s for Kamala and for the Democratic Party. 
 
The third thing is, you know, we’re — we’ve already created tens of thousands of good-paying jobs right here in this state as well — by the way, clean jobs — jobs that — clean energy jobs. 
 
Trump lost millions of jobs — millions when he was president.  It’s amazing how the nostalgia for a lost four years was. 
 
I mean — I mean, look, Trump passed a tax cut.  Here’s what he said.  He said in Mar-a-Lago when he passed his last tax cut, which increased the deficit — exploded the deficit larger than any president ever has in a four-year term.  And here’s what he said.  He said, “I made a lot of you richer.” 
 
This time out, he’s saying — he was in Mar-a-Lago, and he told a crowd of people — I want to look down and make sure I get it exactly right.  He said — he described the crowd as, “I know you’re rich as hell, but that’s why I’m going to give you another big tax cut.” 
 
The point is it’s about values.  What — what do we value? Who are we?  I mean, who are we for?  What are we trying to get done?
 
Folks, you know, Trump wants to undo everything we’ve done.  You know, he wants to strip Medicare of the ability to negotiate prices. 
 
I’ve been fighting my whole career as a senator and then as a — as a vice president to make sure that Medicare is able to do what the VA is able to do.  The VA can negotiate with the drug companies as to how much they’re going to pay for all the m- — all the medicines that come into the VA, but we’ve never been able to do it. 
 
We finally beat them.  (Applause.) 
 
Not a joke: If we got back on Air Force One here and you picked any state — any capital in the world and said — and brought a prescription you had to have filled by whatever the company is — an American manufa- — American pharmaceutical company — I ca- — you could fly to Toronto, to — to London, to Paris, to Budapest, anywhere.  I promise you that you can buy it there for 40 to 60 percent less than you’re paying for it.
 
How many of you know someone who needs — needs insulin?  Okay, well, guess what?  It was costing 4- — 400 bucks a month on average.  It now costs $35 a month.  (Applause.)
 
And, by the way, they’re still making over 300 percent.  Do you know how much it costs to make it?  Ten dollars — T-E-N.  Ten dollars. 
 
We also wrote into the law he wants to get rid of that, in fact, no senior, no matter how high the prescription tr- — bills are — and, by the way, some of the cancer drugs are $10-, $12-, $14,000, $15,000 — will never have to pay more than $2,000 a year for their drug — (applause) — $2,000. 
 
And guess what?  With your help, we’ll get elected the next four years, we’re going to change that to apply to everybody in America.  (Applause.)  I mean it.
 
When I first passed the insulin, it — it applied to everyone.  When I tried to get it re- — reauthorized, I — the Republicans blocked it. 
 
But, look, folks, the bottom line is he wants to undo everything we’ve done.  You know, we’ve created over 800,000 manufacturing jobs nationwide.  We created an awful lot of jobs right here in your state. 
 
And, by the way, you know, I was — every time I land here, I think of Harry Reid, in Nevada.  (Applause.)  Harry — Harry and so many of you talked about — talked about the fact that we need a high-speed rail from — from Vegas to California, to — to Los Angeles.  Well, guess what?  It’s coming.  (Applause.)  Well over a billion dollars, man.
 
And you’re going to be able to get to — not that anybody wants to get to Lo- — to Los Angeles, but — (laughter) — people from Los Angeles want to get to Nevada.  (Applause.)  Well, they’ll do it in two hours instead of four and take tens of thousands of vehicles off the road and improve the environment.  (Applause.)
 
Look, folks, the fact is that there’s a reason why we’re doing so well.  It’s because of union labor.  (Applause.)  Not a joke.  And, by the way, that’s not a joke.  It’s a — it’s a fact. 
 
I didn’t realize — although I’d been around — you know, I know I’ve only been around a little — I look like I’m 25, 30, but — (laughter).  But I didn’t realize back when the law was passed during the FDR administrations that labor unions were able to organize and the rules (inaudible) organization — that they passed a provision in the law that I didn’t realize until a couple of years ago — until about eight years ago that existed.  It says if a president is given money by the Congress to spend on any American project or individuals that that president must use, one, American products in doing it and, two, must use American labor to do it.  (Applause.)
 
As I (inaudible) my labor friends will tell you, I’ve been the most pro-labor president in the history of the United States of America for a simple reason.  (Applause.)  They grow the economy.  They grow the economy. 
 
I had the Treasury Department do a study.  I asked them — I said, “What is the effect of using union labor on the rest of the economy?”  Everybody does better when unions do better.  Everybody does better.  (Applause.)  Wages up across the board. 
 
So, folks, look — I’m going on too long.  I apologize.  (Music plays.)  (Laughter.)  That must be my traveling staff.  (Laughter.)  
 
One — one closing comment.  We’ve never had a president who has said or done some of the things this guy has said.  We have thousands upon thousands of people dying in Ukraine. 
 
One of the things that Dr. Kissinger said — Henry Kissinger said before — he called about 10 days before he died, and — and asked if I — I would speak to him.  And so, I — I cal- — he didn’t call.  He asked if I’d call him and I did. 
 
And he said — you know, he said, “Not since — not since the time of — way back when” —

(A toddler in the audience babbles.)

Are you really?  (Laughter.)  No, I’m ki- —

“For the longest time, Europe looked over its shoulder at Russia with some dread.”   And he said, “Not since Napoleon have they not looked over their shoulder, until we came along.”  He said, “You’ve strengthened NATO like it’s never been strengthened before.  You’ve united Europe in a way.  You’ve increased NATO and the border of NATO from bringing in Sweden and Norway.”  And he says, “It’s — it’s changed the world.” 
 
This guy is talking about Putin like he’s his lost lo- — long-lost buddy, which he is.  No, here’s what he said.  He said: If Putin — if the — if a NATO member or a European country doesn’t do — pay their dues, then come in, do whatever the hell you want, Putin. 
 
Folks, this is — this is — this guy is — he has no basis on understanding what American foreign policy is about and what our national security is about.  The idea that we’d walk away from a sacred obligation that has existed since World War Two, has kept the peace in Europe is crazy. 
 
But look, I’m confident — I’m confident we get our message out to the American people, we’re going to win again. 
 
But here’s the deal.  You’re the ones that are going to do it.  And that’s not hyperbole.  I’m not joking with you.  It gets on — down to, as we used to say — my football coach, all blac- — block and tackling: knocking on doors, calling people, going and making the case face to face with them. 
 
That’s why we’re opening these campaign headquarters.  We’re opening them all over the country.  And we’re going to continue to do so, so people can ask questions — people can look us in the eye and ask the questions, and we can have an- — we have answers for them. 
 
So, the bottom line here is: I feel really good as I go around the country.  Not a joke. 
 
And, by the way, I — and the press are all good guys in here, but — but — (applause) — but they report a lot of polls.  The last four polls out, we’re winning.  Okay?   (Applause.) 
 
But guess what?  None of these polls mean a damn thing this early on, so we just got to keep at it.  
 
Anybody want to ask me any questions?
 
Q    I have one. 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.
 
Q    The child — the child family credits really helped save my daughter’s family during COVID.  Is there any possibility of bringing those back?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  That is one of the — I — what — I didn’t get into — what I plan on doing next time out: We’re going to bring back the Child Tax Credit.  It cut child poverty in half.  (Applause.) 
 
And, by the way, it grows the economy.  When women are able to go to work knowing they have a safely — a safe place for their children, it grows the economy — in terms of education, as well, by the way.

We’re in a situation where — think about it — you know, a lot of people haven’t had the advantage others have had.  They may come from a home that is — doesn’t have the same background, doesn’t have the same educational background, doesn’t have books in the house. 

All the studies show, for example, if a child comes from a broken home where there are no books in the house and mom or dad are having real trouble, they’re going to hear a million fewer words spoken bef- — not the — not different words, total words spoken — than — than a kid coming from a middle-class household.  A million.  And it puts them — and they start off way, way behind.
 
But what we found out w- — there are significant studies being done — that if, in fact — if, in fact, you have a circumstance where you start a kid in preschool at the age three, four, and five, they have a 50 percent better chance — 50 percent of them go on to go all through 12 years and on to college if, in fact, they have that cha- — and it doesn’t cost us much.
 
How the hell can we lead the world if we don’t have the best infrastructure in the world, we don’t have the best education in the world, we don’t have the best tax system, and so on. 
 
And the other thing I’m going to do — I’m going to talk about it down in Vegas — is that we’re going to also make sure that we deal with all those things that affect people’s daily lives. 
 
Look, you know, I come from a house — and I’ll end with this.  I’ll — come from a household where there was a — we lived in a three-bedroom h- — we weren’t poor, but my dad — I guess we were technically lower-middle class ec- — income.  We never thought of ourselves that way.  But we lived in a decent house, a three-bedroom house, a split-level home with four kids and a grandpop living with us.  And — and I — and — you know, but there wasn’t — on the trickle-down economics — you know, everybody talks about — not a whole hell of a lot ever trickled down on my dad’s kitchen table. 
 
My dad used to say — for real, not a joke — my dad used to say, “Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck.  It’s about your dignity.  It’s about respect.”  (Applause.)  For real.  For real.  “It’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, everything is going to be okay.'”  Well, that’s what we’re working on. 
 
We’re building this economy from the middle out and the bottom up.  When that happens, everybody does well, including the wealthy. 
 
And, by the way, I — I’m a capitalist.  If you can make a million bucks or a billion bucks, go make it.  Just pay your fair share of taxes.  (Applause.)  Okay? 
 
By the way, you know, we have — in the United States of America, we have a thousand billionaires now since —

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Wow.  Wow.

THE PRESIDENT:  A thousand.  It was 740 when it was — before the pandemic.  Now it’s a thousand.

And guess what happened?  You know how — you know what their — their average tax rate is — federal tax rate?  8.3 percent.

I plan on raising it — and we’re going to get it done if you give me a Democratic Congress — to 25 percent.  That’s all.  Twenty-five percent.  (Applause.) 

And, by the way, guess what that will do?  That’ll raise $400 billion over 10 years.  (Applause.)  And imagine what we could be doing with childcare, healthcare, so many other thing- —

Quick question there.

Q    I wanted to ask you, because I know you going to win — (laughter) — I wanted you, when you win, please, support the registry.  It’s a law that just needs to be adjust and will help — help (inaudible) million immigrants, because, you know, immigrants are the (inaudible) of this country.  (Inaudible.)  
 
THE PRESIDENT:  All right.
Q    It’s a — it’s a law.  It’s already 80 years old.  It needs to be adjust.  Hasn’t been adjusted for the last 40 years.  So, when you become the president who can (inaudible) — you will.  I wanted to — (laughter) —

THE PRESIDENT:  By the way, get her phone number.  I’ll call you.  Okay?  (Laughter and applause.)  No, I’m serious.  Okay?  (Applause.) 
 
Q    Yes. 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  All right.

I know, I know, I know, I know.  I got to go.  I —

Anyway —

11:28 A.M. PDT

The post Remarks by President Biden at a Campaign Event | Reno, NV appeared first on The White House.

Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on S.B. 4

Statements and Releases - Tue, 03/19/2024 - 15:51

We fundamentally disagree with the Supreme Court’s order allowing Texas’ harmful and unconstitutional law to go into effect. S.B. 4 will not only make communities in Texas less safe, it will also burden law enforcement, and sow chaos and confusion at our southern border. S.B. 4 is just another example of Republican officials politicizing the border while blocking real solutions. We remained focused on delivering the significant policy changes and resources we need to secure the border – that is why we continue to call on Congressional Republicans to pass the bipartisan border security agreement, the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades.

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The post Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on S.B. 4 appeared first on The White House.

Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on S.B. 4

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Tue, 03/19/2024 - 15:51

We fundamentally disagree with the Supreme Court’s order allowing Texas’ harmful and unconstitutional law to go into effect. S.B. 4 will not only make communities in Texas less safe, it will also burden law enforcement, and sow chaos and confusion at our southern border. S.B. 4 is just another example of Republican officials politicizing the border while blocking real solutions. We remained focused on delivering the significant policy changes and resources we need to secure the border – that is why we continue to call on Congressional Republicans to pass the bipartisan border security agreement, the toughest and fairest set of border reforms in decades.

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The post Statement from White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on S.B. 4 appeared first on The White House.

Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Reno, NV

Press Briefings - Tue, 03/19/2024 - 15:45

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Reno, Nevada

12:01 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Welcome to our three-state trip in two days. Exciting.

All right. This afternoon, in Las Vegas, the President will double down on his plan to lower housing costs for American families. Under his leadership, we have already taken action to lower housing costs and increase the housing supply by reducing mortgage insurance premiums, expanding rental assistance, and building tens of thousands of affordable housing units.

While on the ground, the President will meet directly with everyday Americans, everyday people who have been able to secure affordable housing as a result of these investments.

In this state alone, the President’s American Rescue Plan, which every Republican in Congress voted against, provided $1 billion dollars to boost affordable housing, lower — lower housing costs, and keep hone- — homeowners and renters in their homes.

Still, the President knows that more must be done to help American families who are still struggling with the cost of housing. That’s why he’s calling on Congress to pass his housing plan, which some of — some experts are calling the most consequential housing plan in more than 50 years.

The President’s plan would build on the efforts we have already taken to lower — lower housing costs by providing a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, cracking down on corporate actions that rip off renters, and building and renovating more than 2 million homes.

Republicans in Congress should pass the President’s plan to lower housing costs rather than try to cut taxes for the wealthy and large corporations. And you’ll hear that from the President later today.

With that, Seung Min.

Q Does the White House have a reaction to the spending deal that the congressional leaders reached? And is the White House satisfied with how that package approaches DHS funding, in particular?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we put out a statement this morning. You probably were not able to see it —

Q Probably in flight, yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, in flight — in flight.

So, this agreement on the six remaining funding bills, including DHS — this agreement abides by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and provides the remaining agencies with funding through the rest of the fiscal year.

The House and Senate appropriations committees are in the process of finalizing the text for Congress to review and pass as soon as possible to keep the government open, and the President will sign it immediately.

Congress must also pass the bipartisan national security supplemental. As you know, it passed overwhelmingly in the Senate. We want to see the — the — we want to see the Speaker put that on the floor and — this is — and — and also the border sec- — border agreement, which also came out on the Senate — obviously, wasn’t passed out of the Senate because of politics — politics was put — put in the way of even moving forward the border agreement — but to provide reforms and funding needed to secure the border.

And so, we want to see those two — the border — border agreement negotiations go through the process. And we want to see the national security supplemental that was passed by 70-29 out of the Senate go to the floor of — of the House so that we know — we know for a fact that we would see overwhelming support from the House. We want to see that movement as soon as possible.

Q And does the administration have any more specifics on when that meeting with the Israeli officials will take place with the administration —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So —

Q — when, where, who?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, so, we’re working on scheduling and preparations. It will likely be early next week, is what we’re anticipating. But obviously, we’ll let you know more when we have more to share.

Just to give you a little bit of what Jake said yesterday. So, ye- — so, the President asked Prime Minister to send senior interagency team r- — composed of military, intelligence, and humanitarian officials to Washington in the upcoming days, as I said, probably early next week.

As far as who on our side, it’ll be senior members from the administration acro- — across the administration will participate.

Q Karine, can you give us an update about the peace talks going on in Qatar today? And also a comment on — the U.N. Human Rights Agency said that because famine is coming closer or already there in Gaza, that would be a war crime by Israel. Does the United States view that as well?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, what I can say is this, as it relates to the report that we all — all of you has been reporting on. So, we certainly are deeply concerned about the report yesterday indicating, as you just stated in your question, about the imminent famine in Gaza. And so, as the report makes clear, despite ongoing and tireless efforts, including by this administration, the amount of aid reaching people in Gaza and particularly those most need — need remains insufficient.

So, we have been clear that there is more that needs to be done and that this report is a stark and devastating reminder of this.

Everyone needs to do more. Israel needs to provide sustained and un- — unimpeded access for assistance to enter both Northern and Southern Gaza. Donors, the international community also need to make sure that the right type of assistance is getting to the most vulnerable.

Obviously, this is why we’ve been working towards the hostage deal to make sure that — not only that we get a temporary ceasefire to get those hostages home — let’s not forget, there are also American hostages that are being held by Hamas — but also to get that all-important, needed aid to the — to the Palestinian people in Gaza.

So, we’re continuing to do that work. I know that Jake spoke to this as well when he was at the — at the podium yesterday. So, we’re going to continue to push forward and do everything that we can to get that hostage deal so that we can get more humanitarian aid and, obviously, get hostages home.

And we’re — we’re up — as you know, we’re increasing our humanitarian efforts into Gaza with the pier, with the airdrops. And, also, as you know, we also announced more funding — more humanitarian funding over the past week or so. So, that is — that is our — and we see that as an imperative, and we’re going to continue to do that work.

Q And — and specifically on the allegation that Israel is using hunger as a weapon, which would be considered a war crime?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I — obviously, I can’t speak to that. What I can speak to is the efforts that we are making to make sure that we’re getting humanitarian aid into — into Gaza. We’ve had conversations, as I’ve stated in — earlier, with the Israeli government to — for them also to do more in getting that humanitarian aid, getting the trucks in — right? — getting — and doing more, keeping — keeping those — keeping — keeping that going.

And so, that’s what I can speak to at this time.

Q Karine, Hong — Hong Kong passed its controversial new security law — Hong Kong.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, Hong Kong. Okay.

Q An- — and I was wondering if you guys had any reaction or if you were at all concerned about the impact on American businesses that were operating there.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I — I saw that reporting. I haven’t had a chance to talk to our team yet so — so I can give you a full- — full-throated answer. So, I’m going to have to go back. But I saw that this morning. I just haven’t had a chance to have the conversation.

Q One other one on Ukraine. There have been a series of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities that are processing oil. Is that a concern that the U.S. has, that it could potentially lead to higher global oil prices? And is that something that you’ve conveyed to the Ukrainians?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, the President has done everything that he can to deal with — to deal with oil. Obviously, lowing down — lowering — the actions that he took led to lowering gas prices. So, we’re — we’re always monitoring. We’re always watching. I don’t have anything specific on — on what could potentially happen in that particular incident. But, obviously, this is something that we monitor and keep —

Q Karine, on Ukraine. There’s been some talk among Republicans about possibly making aid to them a loan. What is the White House’s thoughts on that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look — and I just said this moments ago: The House needs to pass the bipartisan national security supplemental. That’s what we need to see. We saw it come out of the Senate — again, I just said this earlier — 70 to 29. It is imperative that gets done.

Ukraine needs — needs the assistance. We have to continue our commitment to the brave people of Ukraine as they’re fighting and doing everything that they can to fight for their democracy. So, we got to — the Speaker has to bring it to the floor. He has to put politics aside. We know what happens when you don’t — when we don’t stop a dictator, when we don’t address tyranny.

And so, that’s what we’re going to continue to call for. And we’re going to stay steadfast on that.

Q In a — in a new book, former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer expresses his concern about the direction of the Supreme Court. A new article in The Atlantic also calls for Justice Sonia Sotomayor to retire. Where does the White House stand, kind of, in a post-Dobbs world on Supreme Court reform? And has the White House considered asking Justice Sotomayor to retire?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, that’s a personal decision for her to make. That is something that — (laughs) — that she has to make. It’s not something that we make — we — we lean in on or get involved in. So, I’m not even going to address that — that question.

As it relates to the Supreme Court, look, we saw
what happened with Dobbs — the Dobbs decision. We saw, with that decision, it led to Republicans introducing three national — national abortion bans. And that has caused — because of the Dobb’s decision, because of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it’s caused chaos.

You’ve heard us talk about IVF, how now there’s legislation — we saw legislation in Alabama to take away the right for a family to make a decision — right? — for — you know, for a couple or for an individual to make a decision on when to start a family. And that’s because of the chaos that — overturning Roe v. Wade.

And so, the Supreme Court made that decision. It was very clear what the last President said. He wanted to put — put together a Supreme Court that would do that, that would overturn Roe v. Wade. And so, we’ve seen their action. We’ve seen it with affirmative action, what they’ve been able to do there.

And so, I think that speaks — their actions speak for themselves. I’m just not going to go beyond that.

Q Karine, Chef José Andrés was pretty critical of the President’s efforts to get humanitarian aid and specifically food on the ground in Gaza. This is a person who obviously works to feed people all over the world, and he said the efforts from the White House weren’t enough, the maritime direction wasn’t the best way to go.

Who is the White House working with on the ground to get that sense of what the best way forward is to feed people in Gaza?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, as you know, there are organizations on the ground — right? — that — that we work with and that we know are — are helping and assisting getting more aid to — to Palestinians in — Palestinian citizens in Gaza. So, that is obviously a way that — that we have seen that process go.

Look, we have upped our — we’ve upped what we’ve been trying to do in getting more aid — more humanitarian aid into Gaza. We believe a mar- — the maritime — the pier is one way to do that. The airdrops is another way to do that. We are doing everything that we can to get that hostage deal.

We understand what’s happening in Gaza. There’s a humanitarian crisis that innocent Palestinians are dealing with, and so, obviously, we take — we’re very concerned about that. And we’re going to do everything that we can to continue those efforts.

We know we need to up our efforts. And so, that’s why you’ve heard us almost every week announcing new ways to do that.

We have to get this hostage deal. We are — we are doing — working 24/7, leaning in, and trying to make sure that we get that — get that hostage deal, so that we have a temporary ceasefire so that we can — we can get that all-important aid into — into Gaza. So, that’s been a — very much a big focus, as well as getting American — American hostages and hostages, obviously, back home to their friends and families.

Q Did you guys see the statement from the chef? Do you have a specific reaction?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I did not see the statement.

Q Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can speak to is our efforts here. And we’ve been pretty consistent. You know, we’ve been talking about ways that we’re trying to make sure that we get that aid in. We understand what the crisis that’s going on in — in Gaza. We see it, you know, and — and we want to do everything that we can to get that aid in.

And so, you’ve heard from USAID. You’ve heard from the State Department. Sec- — Secre- — Secretary Blinken right now is in the region, which is important — having important, critical diplomatic conversation. That’s going to include humanitarian aid.

And so, the President and his team has been really, really focused on that — that approach as well: getting humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Q We’re heading to a couple of border states. In Arizona and in Texas, they’re considering laws that would essentially make officers able to arrest undocumented immigrants they suspect crossed to the state illegally. Is there more that the White House can do to prevent these states from essentially setting up their own immigration enforcement laws?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, I’ve — I’ve mentioned this multiple times already. We got to get that border supp- — that border deal — that border security deal done. We need to provide DHS with more funding, more — with more resources to actually deal with the challenges at the border.

And so, that has been our focus. Let’s not forget, this se- — this — this border security deal was a bipartisan deal that came out of the Senate — Republicans, Democrats. It took us months to get the — to get us there.

The President directed his — his team to work with them. And — and we were able to get something done that was supported by the Border Patrol union, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This is something that you don’t see in this type of political discourse. Right? And we were able to get that done.

Now, Republicans blocked it because of politics, because of the former President. And if we want to be where a majority of Americans are — wanting to deal with the immigration system, wanting to deal with the challenges of the border — we got to get this done.

And so that’s our answer there: We want to move forward. We think that the Senate and the House need to — need to get that done. We have — we have a deal. We have a negotiation that took months to get done — months to get done that will actually address this issue or start the process.

It — if it is put into law, it would be the toughest and the fairest immigration border security deal that we have seen in years. And so, that’s what the President has been — continued to — to speak to, and that’s what we want to see.

Q Going back to the loan question. I mean, obviously, I know the White House’s preference is for that supplemental to pass the House. But is the loan option something that the administration has researched, whether it’s OMB or elsewhere, whether it’s even possible or workable in the way that some Republicans have been discussing it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, rather than go back to basics, we’re — we don’t — we want to see — we want to see —

(A reporter picks up a binder tab and returns it to Ms. Jean-Pierre.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Is that mine? Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much. My tab. (Laughter.)

We want see the bipartisan — the bipartisan nat- –national — national security supplemental. We — we don’t want to go back to basics. That’s not what we want to see, and time is running out.

We’ve talked about this over and over again. You’ve heard from Jake. You’ve heard from my colleagues at NSC. You know, we see that Ukraine — because of the inaction of Congress over the last couple of months, Ukraine is actually losing ground in the battlefield. And it is, you know, due to our inaction.

And so, they’re fighting for their sovereignty. They’re fighting for their democracy. And we know what it means if we don’t get involved here, if we don’t stop a dictator. You know, they’re fighting against a tyrant. And so, that is the best way to deal with what — to give Ukraine what they need is to get that national supplemental passed.

And we know — we know for a fact that there are multiple Republican congressional members in the House who have said that they would vote for it if it goes to the floor. We know where Democrats are on this. So, overwhelming support. The Speaker has to put it to the floor and not put — and not get — let politics get in the way.

Q Karine, former President Barack Obama was at 10 Downing Street yesterday. Did he give the White House a heads-up on that meeting? And do you know what he discussed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, yes, we were aware in advance of the meeting, and President Biden’s — Pre- — pardon me, Presid- — President Obama’s team reached out to the White House ahead of the meeting.

But as we — and I think it’s been reported that this was an informal courtesy call conducted by a private citizen in his personal capacity. It’s — it’s not our — it’s not our conversation to speak to. We leave it to the pres- — the — President Obama and his personal office to speak to. But yes, obviously, we were given a heads up.

Q When was the last time President Biden and President Obama spoke?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have a call to read out to all of you. But as you know, they’re close; they’re like family. They speak regularly. And just don’t have anything — don’t have anything else to share.

All right —

Q Karine, the admin- — the administration is announcing that it is soft- — is softening fuel economy standards, which will slow the — slow the transition to electric vehicles. Is there any concern in the White House that that will make it harder for President Biden to achieve his overall climate goals?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, we don’t have any concerns. Look, the President is really proud of the historic piece of legislation that he was able to get done as it relates to electric vehicles. Obviously, the Inflation Reduction Act is a part of that. The bipartisan infrastructure legislation is a part of that. And so, we’re — we’re going to stay really focused on — on the goal ahead. But no, we don’t have
concerns.

Q But is the — the need to, sort of, be less stringent with the fuel economy standards an acknowledgement that the infrastructure just isn’t there yet and that the demand just isn’t there yet for EVs?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, the Infla- — the Inflation Reduction Act was so critical and important because it was the — it was the most comprehensive piece of legislation — now, law, obviously — to deal with climate change. And the Pre- — the President is certainly focused on that. It is a — he called it, when he walked in, part of one of the four crises that we had to deal with not just as a cou- — a country but as a — the world — right? — which is the climate change crisis.

So, look, we know with these types of things it takes — it takes time. And we understand that, but we’re still going to stay committed to our goals.

Q The White House (inaudible) said the President would sign legislation to force ByteDance to sell TikTok. But has the President spoken with senators to ask them to vote for the bill? And is the White House encouraging the Senate to move on this quickly?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we’ve encour- — we — we welcome the bill. We’ve said that. We’ve said that before — it — while it was going through the House, when it came out of the House. This is a divestment. This is not about banning TikTok. That’s how we see this bill, how — that’s how it’s written.

And so, obviously, we have provided technical support for — for this legislation. It’s in the Senate now. The Senate is — is taking a look at it.

I don’t have any calls to read out that the President has had with any members of the Senate or Congress or congressional members on this particular piece of legislation. But, look, we welcome it. We think it’s important to this — this legislation — this is a divestment bill, not a ban. And so, I’ll just leave it there.

All right.

Q I think when you first spoke to the TikTok legislation at the briefing, you mentioned the legal issues that the White House had raised and were working out with the sponsors. Have those technical issues, legal issues been fixed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I — I don’t have an update for you on that. Obviously, we think that’s important, right? And we’re providing those technical assistance, as I just mentioned. I just don’t have an update on where they are in that process.

But it’s in the Senate. The Senate is looking at it. We welcome the bill. We think it’s important to deal — to deal with the — to — and I think this is something that the National Security Advisor said — right? — just last week, which is we — it — it is incredibly important to know where data lives — where privacy data — where American data lives. Does it live here or does it live in China? Right? When we talk about ownership, is ownership here or is ownership in China?

And we want to make sure that — that we’re able to protect — it’s about national security, right? — protect that data. And so, that’s what you’re seeing.

It’s a divestment; it’s not a ban. And so, we are providing technical support.

Now, it’s in the Senate. And so, we’ll let it — we’ll let that process move forward.

Don’t have anything else to share.

Okay. Thanks, everybody.

Q Thank you.

12:22 P.M. EDT

The post Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Reno, NV appeared first on The White House.

Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Reno, NV

Whitehouse.gov Feed - Tue, 03/19/2024 - 15:45

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Reno, Nevada

12:01 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Welcome to our three-state trip in two days. Exciting.

All right. This afternoon, in Las Vegas, the President will double down on his plan to lower housing costs for American families. Under his leadership, we have already taken action to lower housing costs and increase the housing supply by reducing mortgage insurance premiums, expanding rental assistance, and building tens of thousands of affordable housing units.

While on the ground, the President will meet directly with everyday Americans, everyday people who have been able to secure affordable housing as a result of these investments.

In this state alone, the President’s American Rescue Plan, which every Republican in Congress voted against, provided $1 billion dollars to boost affordable housing, lower — lower housing costs, and keep hone- — homeowners and renters in their homes.

Still, the President knows that more must be done to help American families who are still struggling with the cost of housing. That’s why he’s calling on Congress to pass his housing plan, which some of — some experts are calling the most consequential housing plan in more than 50 years.

The President’s plan would build on the efforts we have already taken to lower — lower housing costs by providing a $10,000 tax credit for first-time homebuyers, cracking down on corporate actions that rip off renters, and building and renovating more than 2 million homes.

Republicans in Congress should pass the President’s plan to lower housing costs rather than try to cut taxes for the wealthy and large corporations. And you’ll hear that from the President later today.

With that, Seung Min.

Q Does the White House have a reaction to the spending deal that the congressional leaders reached? And is the White House satisfied with how that package approaches DHS funding, in particular?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we put out a statement this morning. You probably were not able to see it —

Q Probably in flight, yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, in flight — in flight.

So, this agreement on the six remaining funding bills, including DHS — this agreement abides by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and provides the remaining agencies with funding through the rest of the fiscal year.

The House and Senate appropriations committees are in the process of finalizing the text for Congress to review and pass as soon as possible to keep the government open, and the President will sign it immediately.

Congress must also pass the bipartisan national security supplemental. As you know, it passed overwhelmingly in the Senate. We want to see the — the — we want to see the Speaker put that on the floor and — this is — and — and also the border sec- — border agreement, which also came out on the Senate — obviously, wasn’t passed out of the Senate because of politics — politics was put — put in the way of even moving forward the border agreement — but to provide reforms and funding needed to secure the border.

And so, we want to see those two — the border — border agreement negotiations go through the process. And we want to see the national security supplemental that was passed by 70-29 out of the Senate go to the floor of — of the House so that we know — we know for a fact that we would see overwhelming support from the House. We want to see that movement as soon as possible.

Q And does the administration have any more specifics on when that meeting with the Israeli officials will take place with the administration —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So —

Q — when, where, who?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, so, we’re working on scheduling and preparations. It will likely be early next week, is what we’re anticipating. But obviously, we’ll let you know more when we have more to share.

Just to give you a little bit of what Jake said yesterday. So, ye- — so, the President asked Prime Minister to send senior interagency team r- — composed of military, intelligence, and humanitarian officials to Washington in the upcoming days, as I said, probably early next week.

As far as who on our side, it’ll be senior members from the administration acro- — across the administration will participate.

Q Karine, can you give us an update about the peace talks going on in Qatar today? And also a comment on — the U.N. Human Rights Agency said that because famine is coming closer or already there in Gaza, that would be a war crime by Israel. Does the United States view that as well?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, what I can say is this, as it relates to the report that we all — all of you has been reporting on. So, we certainly are deeply concerned about the report yesterday indicating, as you just stated in your question, about the imminent famine in Gaza. And so, as the report makes clear, despite ongoing and tireless efforts, including by this administration, the amount of aid reaching people in Gaza and particularly those most need — need remains insufficient.

So, we have been clear that there is more that needs to be done and that this report is a stark and devastating reminder of this.

Everyone needs to do more. Israel needs to provide sustained and un- — unimpeded access for assistance to enter both Northern and Southern Gaza. Donors, the international community also need to make sure that the right type of assistance is getting to the most vulnerable.

Obviously, this is why we’ve been working towards the hostage deal to make sure that — not only that we get a temporary ceasefire to get those hostages home — let’s not forget, there are also American hostages that are being held by Hamas — but also to get that all-important, needed aid to the — to the Palestinian people in Gaza.

So, we’re continuing to do that work. I know that Jake spoke to this as well when he was at the — at the podium yesterday. So, we’re going to continue to push forward and do everything that we can to get that hostage deal so that we can get more humanitarian aid and, obviously, get hostages home.

And we’re — we’re up — as you know, we’re increasing our humanitarian efforts into Gaza with the pier, with the airdrops. And, also, as you know, we also announced more funding — more humanitarian funding over the past week or so. So, that is — that is our — and we see that as an imperative, and we’re going to continue to do that work.

Q And — and specifically on the allegation that Israel is using hunger as a weapon, which would be considered a war crime?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I — obviously, I can’t speak to that. What I can speak to is the efforts that we are making to make sure that we’re getting humanitarian aid into — into Gaza. We’ve had conversations, as I’ve stated in — earlier, with the Israeli government to — for them also to do more in getting that humanitarian aid, getting the trucks in — right? — getting — and doing more, keeping — keeping those — keeping — keeping that going.

And so, that’s what I can speak to at this time.

Q Karine, Hong — Hong Kong passed its controversial new security law — Hong Kong.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, Hong Kong. Okay.

Q An- — and I was wondering if you guys had any reaction or if you were at all concerned about the impact on American businesses that were operating there.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I — I saw that reporting. I haven’t had a chance to talk to our team yet so — so I can give you a full- — full-throated answer. So, I’m going to have to go back. But I saw that this morning. I just haven’t had a chance to have the conversation.

Q One other one on Ukraine. There have been a series of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities that are processing oil. Is that a concern that the U.S. has, that it could potentially lead to higher global oil prices? And is that something that you’ve conveyed to the Ukrainians?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, the President has done everything that he can to deal with — to deal with oil. Obviously, lowing down — lowering — the actions that he took led to lowering gas prices. So, we’re — we’re always monitoring. We’re always watching. I don’t have anything specific on — on what could potentially happen in that particular incident. But, obviously, this is something that we monitor and keep —

Q Karine, on Ukraine. There’s been some talk among Republicans about possibly making aid to them a loan. What is the White House’s thoughts on that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look — and I just said this moments ago: The House needs to pass the bipartisan national security supplemental. That’s what we need to see. We saw it come out of the Senate — again, I just said this earlier — 70 to 29. It is imperative that gets done.

Ukraine needs — needs the assistance. We have to continue our commitment to the brave people of Ukraine as they’re fighting and doing everything that they can to fight for their democracy. So, we got to — the Speaker has to bring it to the floor. He has to put politics aside. We know what happens when you don’t — when we don’t stop a dictator, when we don’t address tyranny.

And so, that’s what we’re going to continue to call for. And we’re going to stay steadfast on that.

Q In a — in a new book, former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer expresses his concern about the direction of the Supreme Court. A new article in The Atlantic also calls for Justice Sonia Sotomayor to retire. Where does the White House stand, kind of, in a post-Dobbs world on Supreme Court reform? And has the White House considered asking Justice Sotomayor to retire?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, that’s a personal decision for her to make. That is something that — (laughs) — that she has to make. It’s not something that we make — we — we lean in on or get involved in. So, I’m not even going to address that — that question.

As it relates to the Supreme Court, look, we saw
what happened with Dobbs — the Dobbs decision. We saw, with that decision, it led to Republicans introducing three national — national abortion bans. And that has caused — because of the Dobb’s decision, because of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it’s caused chaos.

You’ve heard us talk about IVF, how now there’s legislation — we saw legislation in Alabama to take away the right for a family to make a decision — right? — for — you know, for a couple or for an individual to make a decision on when to start a family. And that’s because of the chaos that — overturning Roe v. Wade.

And so, the Supreme Court made that decision. It was very clear what the last President said. He wanted to put — put together a Supreme Court that would do that, that would overturn Roe v. Wade. And so, we’ve seen their action. We’ve seen it with affirmative action, what they’ve been able to do there.

And so, I think that speaks — their actions speak for themselves. I’m just not going to go beyond that.

Q Karine, Chef José Andrés was pretty critical of the President’s efforts to get humanitarian aid and specifically food on the ground in Gaza. This is a person who obviously works to feed people all over the world, and he said the efforts from the White House weren’t enough, the maritime direction wasn’t the best way to go.

Who is the White House working with on the ground to get that sense of what the best way forward is to feed people in Gaza?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, as you know, there are organizations on the ground — right? — that — that we work with and that we know are — are helping and assisting getting more aid to — to Palestinians in — Palestinian citizens in Gaza. So, that is obviously a way that — that we have seen that process go.

Look, we have upped our — we’ve upped what we’ve been trying to do in getting more aid — more humanitarian aid into Gaza. We believe a mar- — the maritime — the pier is one way to do that. The airdrops is another way to do that. We are doing everything that we can to get that hostage deal.

We understand what’s happening in Gaza. There’s a humanitarian crisis that innocent Palestinians are dealing with, and so, obviously, we take — we’re very concerned about that. And we’re going to do everything that we can to continue those efforts.

We know we need to up our efforts. And so, that’s why you’ve heard us almost every week announcing new ways to do that.

We have to get this hostage deal. We are — we are doing — working 24/7, leaning in, and trying to make sure that we get that — get that hostage deal, so that we have a temporary ceasefire so that we can — we can get that all-important aid into — into Gaza. So, that’s been a — very much a big focus, as well as getting American — American hostages and hostages, obviously, back home to their friends and families.

Q Did you guys see the statement from the chef? Do you have a specific reaction?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I did not see the statement.

Q Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What I can speak to is our efforts here. And we’ve been pretty consistent. You know, we’ve been talking about ways that we’re trying to make sure that we get that aid in. We understand what the crisis that’s going on in — in Gaza. We see it, you know, and — and we want to do everything that we can to get that aid in.

And so, you’ve heard from USAID. You’ve heard from the State Department. Sec- — Secre- — Secretary Blinken right now is in the region, which is important — having important, critical diplomatic conversation. That’s going to include humanitarian aid.

And so, the President and his team has been really, really focused on that — that approach as well: getting humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Q We’re heading to a couple of border states. In Arizona and in Texas, they’re considering laws that would essentially make officers able to arrest undocumented immigrants they suspect crossed to the state illegally. Is there more that the White House can do to prevent these states from essentially setting up their own immigration enforcement laws?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, I’ve — I’ve mentioned this multiple times already. We got to get that border supp- — that border deal — that border security deal done. We need to provide DHS with more funding, more — with more resources to actually deal with the challenges at the border.

And so, that has been our focus. Let’s not forget, this se- — this — this border security deal was a bipartisan deal that came out of the Senate — Republicans, Democrats. It took us months to get the — to get us there.

The President directed his — his team to work with them. And — and we were able to get something done that was supported by the Border Patrol union, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. This is something that you don’t see in this type of political discourse. Right? And we were able to get that done.

Now, Republicans blocked it because of politics, because of the former President. And if we want to be where a majority of Americans are — wanting to deal with the immigration system, wanting to deal with the challenges of the border — we got to get this done.

And so that’s our answer there: We want to move forward. We think that the Senate and the House need to — need to get that done. We have — we have a deal. We have a negotiation that took months to get done — months to get done that will actually address this issue or start the process.

It — if it is put into law, it would be the toughest and the fairest immigration border security deal that we have seen in years. And so, that’s what the President has been — continued to — to speak to, and that’s what we want to see.

Q Going back to the loan question. I mean, obviously, I know the White House’s preference is for that supplemental to pass the House. But is the loan option something that the administration has researched, whether it’s OMB or elsewhere, whether it’s even possible or workable in the way that some Republicans have been discussing it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, rather than go back to basics, we’re — we don’t — we want to see — we want to see —

(A reporter picks up a binder tab and returns it to Ms. Jean-Pierre.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Is that mine? Oh, my gosh. Thank you so much. My tab. (Laughter.)

We want see the bipartisan — the bipartisan nat- –national — national security supplemental. We — we don’t want to go back to basics. That’s not what we want to see, and time is running out.

We’ve talked about this over and over again. You’ve heard from Jake. You’ve heard from my colleagues at NSC. You know, we see that Ukraine — because of the inaction of Congress over the last couple of months, Ukraine is actually losing ground in the battlefield. And it is, you know, due to our inaction.

And so, they’re fighting for their sovereignty. They’re fighting for their democracy. And we know what it means if we don’t get involved here, if we don’t stop a dictator. You know, they’re fighting against a tyrant. And so, that is the best way to deal with what — to give Ukraine what they need is to get that national supplemental passed.

And we know — we know for a fact that there are multiple Republican congressional members in the House who have said that they would vote for it if it goes to the floor. We know where Democrats are on this. So, overwhelming support. The Speaker has to put it to the floor and not put — and not get — let politics get in the way.

Q Karine, former President Barack Obama was at 10 Downing Street yesterday. Did he give the White House a heads-up on that meeting? And do you know what he discussed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, yes, we were aware in advance of the meeting, and President Biden’s — Pre- — pardon me, Presid- — President Obama’s team reached out to the White House ahead of the meeting.

But as we — and I think it’s been reported that this was an informal courtesy call conducted by a private citizen in his personal capacity. It’s — it’s not our — it’s not our conversation to speak to. We leave it to the pres- — the — President Obama and his personal office to speak to. But yes, obviously, we were given a heads up.

Q When was the last time President Biden and President Obama spoke?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have a call to read out to all of you. But as you know, they’re close; they’re like family. They speak regularly. And just don’t have anything — don’t have anything else to share.

All right —

Q Karine, the admin- — the administration is announcing that it is soft- — is softening fuel economy standards, which will slow the — slow the transition to electric vehicles. Is there any concern in the White House that that will make it harder for President Biden to achieve his overall climate goals?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, we don’t have any concerns. Look, the President is really proud of the historic piece of legislation that he was able to get done as it relates to electric vehicles. Obviously, the Inflation Reduction Act is a part of that. The bipartisan infrastructure legislation is a part of that. And so, we’re — we’re going to stay really focused on — on the goal ahead. But no, we don’t have
concerns.

Q But is the — the need to, sort of, be less stringent with the fuel economy standards an acknowledgement that the infrastructure just isn’t there yet and that the demand just isn’t there yet for EVs?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, the Infla- — the Inflation Reduction Act was so critical and important because it was the — it was the most comprehensive piece of legislation — now, law, obviously — to deal with climate change. And the Pre- — the President is certainly focused on that. It is a — he called it, when he walked in, part of one of the four crises that we had to deal with not just as a cou- — a country but as a — the world — right? — which is the climate change crisis.

So, look, we know with these types of things it takes — it takes time. And we understand that, but we’re still going to stay committed to our goals.

Q The White House (inaudible) said the President would sign legislation to force ByteDance to sell TikTok. But has the President spoken with senators to ask them to vote for the bill? And is the White House encouraging the Senate to move on this quickly?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we’ve encour- — we — we welcome the bill. We’ve said that. We’ve said that before — it — while it was going through the House, when it came out of the House. This is a divestment. This is not about banning TikTok. That’s how we see this bill, how — that’s how it’s written.

And so, obviously, we have provided technical support for — for this legislation. It’s in the Senate now. The Senate is — is taking a look at it.

I don’t have any calls to read out that the President has had with any members of the Senate or Congress or congressional members on this particular piece of legislation. But, look, we welcome it. We think it’s important to this — this legislation — this is a divestment bill, not a ban. And so, I’ll just leave it there.

All right.

Q I think when you first spoke to the TikTok legislation at the briefing, you mentioned the legal issues that the White House had raised and were working out with the sponsors. Have those technical issues, legal issues been fixed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I — I don’t have an update for you on that. Obviously, we think that’s important, right? And we’re providing those technical assistance, as I just mentioned. I just don’t have an update on where they are in that process.

But it’s in the Senate. The Senate is looking at it. We welcome the bill. We think it’s important to deal — to deal with the — to — and I think this is something that the National Security Advisor said — right? — just last week, which is we — it — it is incredibly important to know where data lives — where privacy data — where American data lives. Does it live here or does it live in China? Right? When we talk about ownership, is ownership here or is ownership in China?

And we want to make sure that — that we’re able to protect — it’s about national security, right? — protect that data. And so, that’s what you’re seeing.

It’s a divestment; it’s not a ban. And so, we are providing technical support.

Now, it’s in the Senate. And so, we’ll let it — we’ll let that process move forward.

Don’t have anything else to share.

Okay. Thanks, everybody.

Q Thank you.

12:22 P.M. EDT

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