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Tomorrow, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we join nations around the world and pause to mourn one of the darkest chapters in human history, when six million Jews were systematically targeted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators in the Holocaust during the 1930s and 1940s. We also grieve the Roma, Sinti, Slavs, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ individuals, racial minorities, and political dissidents who were abused or killed. And we honor the courage of survivors and the heroism of people who bravely stood up to the Nazis, risking everything to save innocent lives.
 
This year, the charge to remember the Holocaust, the evil of the Nazis, and the scourge of antisemitism is more pressing than ever. On October 7 Hamas terrorists unleashed pure, unadulterated evil on the people of Israel, slaughtering approximately 1,200 innocent people and taking hundreds more hostage – including survivors of the Shoah.  It was the worst atrocity committed against the Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust. 
 
In the aftermath of Hamas’s vicious massacre, we have witnessed an alarming rise of despicable antisemitism at home and abroad that has surfaced painful scars from millennia of hate and genocide of Jewish people. It is unacceptable. We cannot remember all that Jewish survivors of the Holocaust experienced and then stand silently by when Jews are attacked and targeted again today. Without equivocation or exception, we must also forcefully push back against attempts to ignore, deny, distort, and revise history. This includes Holocaust denialism and efforts to minimize the horrors that Hamas perpetrated on October 7, especially its appalling and unforgiveable use of rape and sexual violence to terrorize victims.                                                           
 
Under my presidency, and our first-ever National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, we are continuing to condemn and fight antisemitism at every turn. Because sadly, these events remind us that hate never goes away. It only hides until it is given a little oxygen. And we must each do our part to ensure that hate in all its forms has no safe harbor anywhere in the world. It is our shared moral responsibility to stand up to antisemitism and hate-fueled violence at home and abroad and to make real the promise of “Never Again.”
 
It was a promise my father first instilled in me at our family dinner table, educating my siblings and me about the horrors of the Shoah. It is a lesson I have passed down to my children and grandchildren by taking them to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany, so they could understand for themselves the depth of this antisemitic evil and the complicity of silence or indifference. And it is a message that I have strived to honor during my visits to Israel and by inviting Holocaust survivors and Jewish hostage families to the White House – so the entire nation bears witness.
 
On this somber International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we hold the Jewish community and the people of Israel close in our hearts. We recommit to carrying forward the lessons of the Shoah, to fighting antisemitism and all forms of hate-fueled violence, and to bringing the hostages home.  And we remember the enduring strength, spirit, and resilience of the Jewish people – even in the darkest of times.
 

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on International Holocaust Remembrance Day appeared first on The White House.

Tomorrow, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we join nations around the world and pause to mourn one of the darkest chapters in human history, when six million Jews were systematically targeted and murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators in the Holocaust during the 1930s and 1940s. We also grieve the Roma, Sinti, Slavs, people with disabilities, LGBTQI+ individuals, racial minorities, and political dissidents who were abused or killed. And we honor the courage of survivors and the heroism of people who bravely stood up to the Nazis, risking everything to save innocent lives.
 
This year, the charge to remember the Holocaust, the evil of the Nazis, and the scourge of antisemitism is more pressing than ever. On October 7 Hamas terrorists unleashed pure, unadulterated evil on the people of Israel, slaughtering approximately 1,200 innocent people and taking hundreds more hostage – including survivors of the Shoah.  It was the worst atrocity committed against the Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust. 
 
In the aftermath of Hamas’s vicious massacre, we have witnessed an alarming rise of despicable antisemitism at home and abroad that has surfaced painful scars from millennia of hate and genocide of Jewish people. It is unacceptable. We cannot remember all that Jewish survivors of the Holocaust experienced and then stand silently by when Jews are attacked and targeted again today. Without equivocation or exception, we must also forcefully push back against attempts to ignore, deny, distort, and revise history. This includes Holocaust denialism and efforts to minimize the horrors that Hamas perpetrated on October 7, especially its appalling and unforgiveable use of rape and sexual violence to terrorize victims.                                                           
 
Under my presidency, and our first-ever National Strategy to Combat Antisemitism, we are continuing to condemn and fight antisemitism at every turn. Because sadly, these events remind us that hate never goes away. It only hides until it is given a little oxygen. And we must each do our part to ensure that hate in all its forms has no safe harbor anywhere in the world. It is our shared moral responsibility to stand up to antisemitism and hate-fueled violence at home and abroad and to make real the promise of “Never Again.”
 
It was a promise my father first instilled in me at our family dinner table, educating my siblings and me about the horrors of the Shoah. It is a lesson I have passed down to my children and grandchildren by taking them to the Dachau concentration camp in Germany, so they could understand for themselves the depth of this antisemitic evil and the complicity of silence or indifference. And it is a message that I have strived to honor during my visits to Israel and by inviting Holocaust survivors and Jewish hostage families to the White House – so the entire nation bears witness.
 
On this somber International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we hold the Jewish community and the people of Israel close in our hearts. We recommit to carrying forward the lessons of the Shoah, to fighting antisemitism and all forms of hate-fueled violence, and to bringing the hostages home.  And we remember the enduring strength, spirit, and resilience of the Jewish people – even in the darkest of times.
 

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on International Holocaust Remembrance Day appeared first on The White House.

In every corner of the country and the world, people are suffering the devastating toll of climate change. Historic hurricanes and floods wiping out homes, businesses, and houses of worship. Wildfires destroying whole neighborhoods and forcing families to leave their communities behind. Record temperatures affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans, especially the most vulnerable.

From Day One, my Administration has set the United States on an unprecedented course to tackle the climate crisis at home and abroad – securing the largest climate investment in the history of the world, unlocking clean energy breakthroughs that will power a clean economy and create thousands of jobs, advancing environmental justice for all, and rallying world leaders to transition away from the fossil fuels that jeopardize our planet and our people.

But more action is needed.

My Administration is announcing today a temporary pause on pending decisions of Liquefied Natural Gas exports – with the exception of unanticipated and immediate national security emergencies. During this period, we will take a hard look at the impacts of LNG exports on energy costs, America’s energy security, and our environment. This pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time.

While MAGA Republicans willfully deny the urgency of the climate crisis, condemning the American people to a dangerous future, my Administration will not be complacent. We will not cede to special interests.

We will heed the calls of young people and frontline communities who are using their voices to demand action from those with the power to act. And as America has always done, we will turn crisis into opportunity – creating clean energy jobs, improving quality of life, and building a more hopeful future for our children.

###

The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Decision to Pause Pending Approvals of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports appeared first on The White House.

President Biden has been clear that climate change is the existential threat of our time – and we must act with the urgency it demands to protect the future for generations to come. That’s why, since Day One, President Biden has led and delivered on the most ambitious climate agenda in history, which is lowering energy costs for hardworking Americans, creating millions of good-paying jobs, safeguarding the health of our communities, and ensuring America leads the clean energy future.
 
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing a temporary pause on pending decisions on exports of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to non-FTA countries until the Department of Energy can update the underlying analyses for authorizations. The current economic and environmental analyses DOE uses to underpin its LNG export authorizations are roughly five years old and no longer adequately account for considerations like potential energy cost increases for American consumers and manufacturers beyond current authorizations or the latest assessment of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. Today, we have an evolving understanding of the market need for LNG, the long-term supply of LNG, and the perilous impacts of methane on our planet. We also must adequately guard against risks to the health of our communities, especially frontline communities in the United States who disproportionately shoulder the burden of pollution from new export facilities. The pause, which is subject to exception for unanticipated and immediate national security emergencies, will provide the time to integrate these critical considerations.
 
The U.S. is already the number one exporter of LNG worldwide – with U.S. LNG exports expected to double by the end of this decade. At the same time, the U.S. remains unwavering in our commitment to supporting our allies around the world. Today’s announcement will not impact our ability to continue supplying LNG to our allies in the near-term. Last year, roughly half of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe, and the U.S. has worked with the E.U. to successfully economize consumption and manage its storage to ensure that unprovoked acts of aggression cannot threaten its supply. Furthermore, in 2022, the E.U and U.S. pledged to work toward the goal of ensuring additional LNG volumes for the E.U. market – with the U.S. exceeding our annual delivery targets to the E.U. in each of the past two years. Through existing LNG production and export infrastructure, the U.S. has – and will continue – to deliver for our allies.
 
As Republicans in Congress continue to deny the very existence of climate change while attempting to strip their constituents of the economic, environmental and health benefits of the President’s historic climate investments, the Biden-Harris Administration will continue to lead the way in ambitious climate action while ensuring the American economy remains the envy of the world.
 
Biden-Harris Administration’s Top Climate Accomplishments:

1. Signed into law the largest climate investment in history, the Inflation Reduction Act, which has already created 210,000 new jobs across nearly every state and attracted more than $200 billion in private clean energy investments ($365 billion since President Biden took office), while putting the U.S. on a path to meet our climate goals and reach 80% clean energy by 2030 – in addition to securing the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and CHIPS and Science Act
   
2. Established a whole-of-government strategy to tackle methane emissions – from plugging wells and leaks in the oil and gas sector, to reclaiming abandoned coal mines, to reducing food waste and agricultural emissions, and finalized a historic rule to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations by nearly 80%, delivering billions of dollars in health and economic benefits
   
3. Launched the American Climate Corps to mobilize a new, diverse generation of Americans – putting them to work conserving and restoring our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, and advancing environmental justice, all while creating pathways to high-quality, good-paying jobs 
   
4. Advancing the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in history, including by signing a historic Executive Order that calls on the federal government to bring clean energy and healthy environments to all and mitigate harm to those who have suffered from toxic pollution and other environmental burdens like climate change; delivering on the Justice40 initiative, which is ensuring that the benefits of President Biden’s historic investments in America – from clean energy projects to floodwater protections – reach communities that need them most; replacing lead pipes and taking action to protect communities from PFAS pollution; accelerating Superfund cleanups; tightening air quality enforcement near pollution facilities; and more
   
5. Protected 26 million acres of lands and waters – on track to conserve more lands and waters than any President in history – including five new national monuments that include protections for lands in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and most recently, the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona; initiating new national marine sanctuaries as part of the President’s goal of conserving 30% of lands and waters by 2030, delivering billions of dollars to accelerate land, water, and wildlife conservation efforts in all 50 states, territories, the District of Columbia, and Tribal nations; and more
   
6. Canceled remaining oil and gas leases issued by the previous administration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, proposed protections for more than 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, and withdrew approximately 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea, ensuring the entire United States Arctic Ocean is off limits to new oil and gas leasing
   
7. Signed an Executive Order that sets an ambitious target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions, while proposing strongest-ever limits on tail pipe emissions and issuing fuel economy standards, giving Americans more choices about the cars they drive, and saving Americans hundreds of dollars at the pump
   
8. Proposed carbon pollution standards for coal and gas-fired power plant emissions that would avoid hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions and protect people’s health
   
9. Accelerated permitting of clean energy projects, including 47 projects on public lands that total 11.2 megawatts of wind, solar and geothermal energy on public lands – enough to power more than 3.5 million homes, and broke ground on 10 major transmission projects, which are slated to connect 19.5 gigawatts of new generation to the grid
   
10. Rallied world leaders to raise global climate ambition, including by securing commitments from more than 155 countries to reduce methane emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030, joining leaders at COP28 to commit, for the first time, to transition away from fossil fuels, end new unabated coal capacity globally, and agree to triple renewable energy globally by 2030
    
11. Invoked the Defense Production Act using emergency authority on the basis of climate change to increase domestic production of key clean energy technologies, such as solar, transformers and electric grid components, and heat pumps 

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The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Temporary Pause on Pending Approvals of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports appeared first on The White House.

In every corner of the country and the world, people are suffering the devastating toll of climate change. Historic hurricanes and floods wiping out homes, businesses, and houses of worship. Wildfires destroying whole neighborhoods and forcing families to leave their communities behind. Record temperatures affecting the lives and livelihoods of millions of Americans, especially the most vulnerable.

From Day One, my Administration has set the United States on an unprecedented course to tackle the climate crisis at home and abroad – securing the largest climate investment in the history of the world, unlocking clean energy breakthroughs that will power a clean economy and create thousands of jobs, advancing environmental justice for all, and rallying world leaders to transition away from the fossil fuels that jeopardize our planet and our people.

But more action is needed.

My Administration is announcing today a temporary pause on pending decisions of Liquefied Natural Gas exports – with the exception of unanticipated and immediate national security emergencies. During this period, we will take a hard look at the impacts of LNG exports on energy costs, America’s energy security, and our environment. This pause on new LNG approvals sees the climate crisis for what it is: the existential threat of our time.

While MAGA Republicans willfully deny the urgency of the climate crisis, condemning the American people to a dangerous future, my Administration will not be complacent. We will not cede to special interests.

We will heed the calls of young people and frontline communities who are using their voices to demand action from those with the power to act. And as America has always done, we will turn crisis into opportunity – creating clean energy jobs, improving quality of life, and building a more hopeful future for our children.

###

The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Decision to Pause Pending Approvals of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports appeared first on The White House.

President Biden has been clear that climate change is the existential threat of our time – and we must act with the urgency it demands to protect the future for generations to come. That’s why, since Day One, President Biden has led and delivered on the most ambitious climate agenda in history, which is lowering energy costs for hardworking Americans, creating millions of good-paying jobs, safeguarding the health of our communities, and ensuring America leads the clean energy future.
 
Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing a temporary pause on pending decisions on exports of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to non-FTA countries until the Department of Energy can update the underlying analyses for authorizations. The current economic and environmental analyses DOE uses to underpin its LNG export authorizations are roughly five years old and no longer adequately account for considerations like potential energy cost increases for American consumers and manufacturers beyond current authorizations or the latest assessment of the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. Today, we have an evolving understanding of the market need for LNG, the long-term supply of LNG, and the perilous impacts of methane on our planet. We also must adequately guard against risks to the health of our communities, especially frontline communities in the United States who disproportionately shoulder the burden of pollution from new export facilities. The pause, which is subject to exception for unanticipated and immediate national security emergencies, will provide the time to integrate these critical considerations.
 
The U.S. is already the number one exporter of LNG worldwide – with U.S. LNG exports expected to double by the end of this decade. At the same time, the U.S. remains unwavering in our commitment to supporting our allies around the world. Today’s announcement will not impact our ability to continue supplying LNG to our allies in the near-term. Last year, roughly half of U.S. LNG exports went to Europe, and the U.S. has worked with the E.U. to successfully economize consumption and manage its storage to ensure that unprovoked acts of aggression cannot threaten its supply. Furthermore, in 2022, the E.U and U.S. pledged to work toward the goal of ensuring additional LNG volumes for the E.U. market – with the U.S. exceeding our annual delivery targets to the E.U. in each of the past two years. Through existing LNG production and export infrastructure, the U.S. has – and will continue – to deliver for our allies.
 
As Republicans in Congress continue to deny the very existence of climate change while attempting to strip their constituents of the economic, environmental and health benefits of the President’s historic climate investments, the Biden-Harris Administration will continue to lead the way in ambitious climate action while ensuring the American economy remains the envy of the world.
 
Biden-Harris Administration’s Top Climate Accomplishments:

1. Signed into law the largest climate investment in history, the Inflation Reduction Act, which has already created 210,000 new jobs across nearly every state and attracted more than $200 billion in private clean energy investments ($365 billion since President Biden took office), while putting the U.S. on a path to meet our climate goals and reach 80% clean energy by 2030 – in addition to securing the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and CHIPS and Science Act
   
2. Established a whole-of-government strategy to tackle methane emissions – from plugging wells and leaks in the oil and gas sector, to reclaiming abandoned coal mines, to reducing food waste and agricultural emissions, and finalized a historic rule to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations by nearly 80%, delivering billions of dollars in health and economic benefits
   
3. Launched the American Climate Corps to mobilize a new, diverse generation of Americans – putting them to work conserving and restoring our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, and advancing environmental justice, all while creating pathways to high-quality, good-paying jobs 
   
4. Advancing the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in history, including by signing a historic Executive Order that calls on the federal government to bring clean energy and healthy environments to all and mitigate harm to those who have suffered from toxic pollution and other environmental burdens like climate change; delivering on the Justice40 initiative, which is ensuring that the benefits of President Biden’s historic investments in America – from clean energy projects to floodwater protections – reach communities that need them most; replacing lead pipes and taking action to protect communities from PFAS pollution; accelerating Superfund cleanups; tightening air quality enforcement near pollution facilities; and more
   
5. Protected 26 million acres of lands and waters – on track to conserve more lands and waters than any President in history – including five new national monuments that include protections for lands in Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and most recently, the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona; initiating new national marine sanctuaries as part of the President’s goal of conserving 30% of lands and waters by 2030, delivering billions of dollars to accelerate land, water, and wildlife conservation efforts in all 50 states, territories, the District of Columbia, and Tribal nations; and more
   
6. Canceled remaining oil and gas leases issued by the previous administration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, proposed protections for more than 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, and withdrew approximately 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea, ensuring the entire United States Arctic Ocean is off limits to new oil and gas leasing
   
7. Signed an Executive Order that sets an ambitious target to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 zero-emissions, while proposing strongest-ever limits on tail pipe emissions and issuing fuel economy standards, giving Americans more choices about the cars they drive, and saving Americans hundreds of dollars at the pump
   
8. Proposed carbon pollution standards for coal and gas-fired power plant emissions that would avoid hundreds of millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions and protect people’s health
   
9. Accelerated permitting of clean energy projects, including 47 projects on public lands that total 11.2 megawatts of wind, solar and geothermal energy on public lands – enough to power more than 3.5 million homes, and broke ground on 10 major transmission projects, which are slated to connect 19.5 gigawatts of new generation to the grid
   
10. Rallied world leaders to raise global climate ambition, including by securing commitments from more than 155 countries to reduce methane emissions by at least 30 percent by 2030, joining leaders at COP28 to commit, for the first time, to transition away from fossil fuels, end new unabated coal capacity globally, and agree to triple renewable energy globally by 2030
    
11. Invoked the Defense Production Act using emergency authority on the basis of climate change to increase domestic production of key clean energy technologies, such as solar, transformers and electric grid components, and heat pumps 

###

The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Temporary Pause on Pending Approvals of Liquefied Natural Gas Exports appeared first on The White House.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met today in Bangkok, Thailand with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of Thailand. He also met with Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara.  Mr. Sullivan reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Thailand treaty alliance and partnership, and discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation across a range of bilateral and global issues.  Mr. Sullivan emphasized U.S. commitment to expanding collaboration on trade and investment, accelerating the transition to a clean energy future, deepening our people-to-people ties, and broadening our security cooperation as we promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.  Mr. Sullivan affirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to ASEAN centrality, and welcomed the United States’ engagement with Thailand in ASEAN settings. The two sides also discussed the importance of democracy, human rights, and ensuring all citizens can freely participate in the political process.

Mr. Sullivan also discussed regional and global issues, including efforts to address the worsening crisis in Burma.  They discussed the importance of providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Burma, and welcomed efforts to advance meaningful implementation of the ASEAN Five Point Consensus. Mr. Sullivan also emphasized U.S. commitment to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.  Mr. Sullivan welcomed plans to increase the pace of high-level U.S.-Thai engagement, including through the U.S.-Thailand Strategic and Defense Dialogue in February, through which U.S. and Thai officials will build on our 190 years of bilateral relations to further strengthen our alliance and partnership.  

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The post Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meetings with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Srettha Thavisin and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara appeared first on The White House.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met today in Bangkok, Thailand with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of Thailand. He also met with Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara.  Mr. Sullivan reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Thailand treaty alliance and partnership, and discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation across a range of bilateral and global issues.  Mr. Sullivan emphasized U.S. commitment to expanding collaboration on trade and investment, accelerating the transition to a clean energy future, deepening our people-to-people ties, and broadening our security cooperation as we promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.  Mr. Sullivan affirmed the United States’ unwavering commitment to ASEAN centrality, and welcomed the United States’ engagement with Thailand in ASEAN settings. The two sides also discussed the importance of democracy, human rights, and ensuring all citizens can freely participate in the political process.

Mr. Sullivan also discussed regional and global issues, including efforts to address the worsening crisis in Burma.  They discussed the importance of providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Burma, and welcomed efforts to advance meaningful implementation of the ASEAN Five Point Consensus. Mr. Sullivan also emphasized U.S. commitment to secure the release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.  Mr. Sullivan welcomed plans to increase the pace of high-level U.S.-Thai engagement, including through the U.S.-Thailand Strategic and Defense Dialogue in February, through which U.S. and Thai officials will build on our 190 years of bilateral relations to further strengthen our alliance and partnership.  

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The post Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meetings with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Srettha Thavisin and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara appeared first on The White House.

Stanford Mansion
Sacramento, California 

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Hi, everyone.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  Thank you. 

Okay.  Let’s get to the business at hand.  (Laughter.)  Enough of that. 

(Referring to a handheld microphone.)  Is this working?  Okay.

It’s good to be home.  It’s really good to be home. 

Mr. Speaker, Madam Senate pro Tem, I want to thank you.  I was talking with Robert Garcia, the Congressman, and Congresswoman Doris Matsui, and we’ve been working together in D.C., and we just love our home state and thought, “Well, let’s try and figure out a way to get to Sacramento,” so I could hang out with you all for minute.  (Applause.)  And that’s why we’re here.  And that’s why we’re here. 

And I just want to start by thanking all of you. 

And — and, McGuire, where are you?  I know you’re coming in as Sen- — where is he?  Where is — he’s back there in the ba- — okay.  Not your time yet to be in the front of the room, right?  (Laughter.)  Congratulations to you as well.

And, of course, to our Governor, who is in South Carolina right now on behalf of our administration.  So, let’s applaud his work and his leadership.  (Applause.)

So, I just wanted to — to visit with everyone, to come back home.  And, you know, I know the press is here, but the rumor mill among those of us who have worked in Sacramento is this building is haunted.  (Laughter.)  And I’m sure some of us have had haunting experiences in this building.

But it is certainly good to be back home and to be in a place that really is a heartbeat of so much that happens in our beautiful state but has happened around the country historically and today.  And so, first and foremost, I want to thank you all for your leadership.

And, as many of you know, I have served in local government as DA, served in the state government and here in Sacramento as AG and then Senate, and now as Vice President.  And I know the work that you all do.  And I know how committed you are.  And I have had the pleasure and the joy and the good fortune of working with most of you to see how you do what you do.  And it’s extraordinary.

We have a state with a population of over 40 million people, and we take great pride in what we know we can have in terms of impact — for each of you, for your constituents directly, but by extension, the impact you have on our state, and, therefore, on the rest of the country.  And you take that work very seriously.

And, you know, I, maybe with a bit of bravado, will repeat what I think we all say: So goes California, goes the nation.  So, I start by saying thank you.

And I wanted to come and visit with you to also highlight that this is going to be an extraordinary year of extraordinary consequence.  And I know you know that.  We are looking at an election that is coming up that is, without any question, existential in terms of where we go as a country and, by extension, where we go as a world.

So, as Vice President, I will tell you, I have now met with over 150 world leaders: presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, and kings.  In fact, hosted a number of them at my new temporary public housing in Washington, D.C.  (Laughter.)  But I have met with many of them now many times and have formed relationships with them.

So, the last international trips that I took were actually to Dubai to represent our country at COP28 — and, of course, California has had a profound impact on the discussions that have happened at COP over the years — and then I was also in the United Kingdom, in London, to represent our perspective on what should be the future of the safety of AI for the world.  And, of course, California has and continues to have an outsized impact on what that will mean.

But all of that being said, being there, then, to a one, the leaders of nations around the world — and, in particular, our allies — came up to me, and the first point they made is, “I hope you guys are going to be okay.” 

And when they ask that question, it is absolutely for them out of self-interest.  Because understand, when we walk in those rooms around the world representing the United States of America, we walk in those rooms, historically, chin up, shoulders back, with the self-appointed and earned authority to talk about the significance of democracies, rule of law.

But the thing — I say to a room of role models — about being a role model is people watch what you do to see if it lines up with what you say.  And best believe that then the outcome of this November will have a profound impact on whether we will either remain in a position to walk around and in those rooms with allies and adversaries alike, talking about the strength that democracies give to its people and talk about it by example, or not.

The impact of this upcoming election is, without any question, global in its reach.  And then let us talk about what it means for your constituents, for our neighbors, for our family members, and for our friends.

You know, New Hampshire this week made it pretty clear where this is going to go.  Okay?  The process is still unfolding.  But I would offer that in the midst of so much that is weighted and — and complex about what is happening in our world and, therefore, not binary — November of ’24: binary.

I’d ask us to just put up a split screen.  On the one side, you’ve got a former President who openly applauds dictators and has pretty explicitly suggested that that’s the role that he intends to take on if reelected, who openly has talked about an intention to weaponize the Department of Justice to exact consequence to those who he has determined are his political enemies. 

Split screen.  On the other side, you have, in Joe Biden and what we have accomplished as an administration, competence, compassion, skill, and performance.  Because of the support and, in so many ways, the role modeling of people in this room, our administration has been able to accomplish transformative work.

On the issue of climate, California has always been a leader.  It has been leadership coming right out of this town — Sacramento.  And because of the way that we know we should think about the future, our administration has been able to now, by my calculation, invest over $1 trillion in the next 10 years on addressing the climate crisis — (applause) — around resilience, adaptation, and a clean energy economy.  Competence.

You know, they talked for years — in administrations of — of, you know, both parties — about what we need to do around America’s infrastructure, which, by many calculations, is 150 years old.  We got it done. 

California is going to get $33 billion out of that infrastructure bill — (applause) — to upgrade our roads and bridges and sidewalks.  Talk to any parent, a mom or a dad, trying to push a stroller on those broken sidewalks.  Of great consequence, the work that we have achieved. 

An investment in the CHIPS and Science Act, which is an investment in R&D, a lot of the work that started right here in our state — (applause) — so that we will be competitive and a leader globally on the trajection, on the future of this work. 

As many of you know, my mother, in her last years, ran a lab at UC Berkeley.  She was a breast cancer specialist.  We take great pride out of UC and — and the community colleges for the work that we’ve done in California — (applause) — in terms of our investment in semiconductor and science and — and advancement. 

Think about the work that we have done that has been about saying we got to have compassion and understand, for too long, our seniors have been having to make a choice of whether they could fill their refrigerator or fill a doctor’s prescription.  And we finally got it so that Medicare can finally negotiate drug prices for our seniors and cap that cost at $2,000 a year.  (Applause.)

Cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month — African Americans, 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes; Latinos, 70 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. 

So, let’s just pull up the split screen to see.  It’s really quite binary in terms of what we’re looking at and what’s at stake. 

And so, I’m here to talk with the leaders who are here to, most of all, just ask you to always do and continue to do what you do so well.  Because I know you, and I know how you do what you do. 

And so, it is about, in the midst of an environment that is, frankly, I think, a bit perverse in terms of what it is suggesting leaders look like — you know, this environment that suggests you measure a leader based on who they beat down, instead of what we know is the real measure of the strength of a leader, based on who you lift up; this environment that suggests it’s a sign of weakness to have compassion, when we know the true quality and character of a real leader is one who has a level of concern and care and curiosity for the suffering of other people and then does something about lifting them up and alleviating that suffering.

So, right now, your leadership is so important.  This California legislature and you each individually make such a difference.  And I know you, and I know what I’m saying.

I’ve been traveling our country.  I mean, just in the last two and a half weeks, I’ve been to Georgia and North Carolina, South Carolina twice, Wisconsin — what did I leave out? — New York, Nevada, came home to Sacramento.  (Applause.) 

You guys will make a difference.  And so, here’s what I am here to ask of you.  I’m here to ask you to do what you know how to do and do so well and to just remind you that it’s really important and it makes a difference.  And it’s going to make a difference for our state.  And, by extension, it’s going to make a difference for our nation.

And so, what does that work look like?  Well, one, you know, one of the challenges that we’re going to have in this reelect is not that we don’t have a lot of good material, because we do; we just need to let folks know who brung it to them. 

It is shocking — maybe not for this group — to know that you go to some states, and people who voted against what we’ve accomplished are now taking credit for it.  (Laughter.)  But we know how this stuff works. 

Okay.  That’s fine.  (Laughter.)  Let’s just — right?  We know how this works.

So, let’s get out there and use the skills that we have — of communication, of organizing, of touching people, of understanding who they are, of seeing them, of listening to them — to remind people that we’re all in this together.  In the midst of an environment that is trying to distract and divide our nation, let’s do what we do to build community and coalition around all of these issues.

And so, I’m here to ask that of you.  I’ve asked Buffy to follow up and kind of be a liaison, along with whoever else wants to raise their hand, to do that work, to work with us around what we can do to spread the message not only in our home state but as we have done, historically, in Nevada, in Arizona, and wherever else. 

I know we’ve got folks here who have relations in Wisconsin.  Where are you?  Right?  Exactly.  (Laughs.)  Right?

But let’s — let’s hustle and get that wo- —

I — I — you know, I’ll tell you on a personal level: So, Doug and I — I was working right up until Christmas Eve, so we stayed in D.C. in — and then — because I knew I could not get back to L.A., which is where I now live, in time to get a tree and some poinsettias.  (Laughs.)  Like, I just knew it wasn’t going to happen, right?  And I would have just been sad.

So, we stayed in D.C. for Christmas and came back to L.A. on the 26th.  And we slept.  (Laughter.)  I mean, you guys know what that’s like.  We slept.  Like, Doug looked at me — he’s like, “Honey, we’re defrosting.”  (Laughter.) 

And I — I cooked, which is my happy place, and the kids and family, friends came over.  But did all that knowing that starting the first of this year, we got to be on the road full time and hustle.  And every day is going to matter.

So, again, I thank you all for everything that you are, everything that you represent.  It is so good to be home and be with so many longstanding friends and colleagues. 

And I’ll end where I started, by saying thank you. 

          END

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at the California State Legislature Democratic Caucus Reception | Sacramento, CA appeared first on The White House.

Stanford Mansion
Sacramento, California 

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Hi, everyone.  (Applause.)

Thank you.  Thank you. 

Okay.  Let’s get to the business at hand.  (Laughter.)  Enough of that. 

(Referring to a handheld microphone.)  Is this working?  Okay.

It’s good to be home.  It’s really good to be home. 

Mr. Speaker, Madam Senate pro Tem, I want to thank you.  I was talking with Robert Garcia, the Congressman, and Congresswoman Doris Matsui, and we’ve been working together in D.C., and we just love our home state and thought, “Well, let’s try and figure out a way to get to Sacramento,” so I could hang out with you all for minute.  (Applause.)  And that’s why we’re here.  And that’s why we’re here. 

And I just want to start by thanking all of you. 

And — and, McGuire, where are you?  I know you’re coming in as Sen- — where is he?  Where is — he’s back there in the ba- — okay.  Not your time yet to be in the front of the room, right?  (Laughter.)  Congratulations to you as well.

And, of course, to our Governor, who is in South Carolina right now on behalf of our administration.  So, let’s applaud his work and his leadership.  (Applause.)

So, I just wanted to — to visit with everyone, to come back home.  And, you know, I know the press is here, but the rumor mill among those of us who have worked in Sacramento is this building is haunted.  (Laughter.)  And I’m sure some of us have had haunting experiences in this building.

But it is certainly good to be back home and to be in a place that really is a heartbeat of so much that happens in our beautiful state but has happened around the country historically and today.  And so, first and foremost, I want to thank you all for your leadership.

And, as many of you know, I have served in local government as DA, served in the state government and here in Sacramento as AG and then Senate, and now as Vice President.  And I know the work that you all do.  And I know how committed you are.  And I have had the pleasure and the joy and the good fortune of working with most of you to see how you do what you do.  And it’s extraordinary.

We have a state with a population of over 40 million people, and we take great pride in what we know we can have in terms of impact — for each of you, for your constituents directly, but by extension, the impact you have on our state, and, therefore, on the rest of the country.  And you take that work very seriously.

And, you know, I, maybe with a bit of bravado, will repeat what I think we all say: So goes California, goes the nation.  So, I start by saying thank you.

And I wanted to come and visit with you to also highlight that this is going to be an extraordinary year of extraordinary consequence.  And I know you know that.  We are looking at an election that is coming up that is, without any question, existential in terms of where we go as a country and, by extension, where we go as a world.

So, as Vice President, I will tell you, I have now met with over 150 world leaders: presidents, prime ministers, chancellors, and kings.  In fact, hosted a number of them at my new temporary public housing in Washington, D.C.  (Laughter.)  But I have met with many of them now many times and have formed relationships with them.

So, the last international trips that I took were actually to Dubai to represent our country at COP28 — and, of course, California has had a profound impact on the discussions that have happened at COP over the years — and then I was also in the United Kingdom, in London, to represent our perspective on what should be the future of the safety of AI for the world.  And, of course, California has and continues to have an outsized impact on what that will mean.

But all of that being said, being there, then, to a one, the leaders of nations around the world — and, in particular, our allies — came up to me, and the first point they made is, “I hope you guys are going to be okay.” 

And when they ask that question, it is absolutely for them out of self-interest.  Because understand, when we walk in those rooms around the world representing the United States of America, we walk in those rooms, historically, chin up, shoulders back, with the self-appointed and earned authority to talk about the significance of democracies, rule of law.

But the thing — I say to a room of role models — about being a role model is people watch what you do to see if it lines up with what you say.  And best believe that then the outcome of this November will have a profound impact on whether we will either remain in a position to walk around and in those rooms with allies and adversaries alike, talking about the strength that democracies give to its people and talk about it by example, or not.

The impact of this upcoming election is, without any question, global in its reach.  And then let us talk about what it means for your constituents, for our neighbors, for our family members, and for our friends.

You know, New Hampshire this week made it pretty clear where this is going to go.  Okay?  The process is still unfolding.  But I would offer that in the midst of so much that is weighted and — and complex about what is happening in our world and, therefore, not binary — November of ’24: binary.

I’d ask us to just put up a split screen.  On the one side, you’ve got a former President who openly applauds dictators and has pretty explicitly suggested that that’s the role that he intends to take on if reelected, who openly has talked about an intention to weaponize the Department of Justice to exact consequence to those who he has determined are his political enemies. 

Split screen.  On the other side, you have, in Joe Biden and what we have accomplished as an administration, competence, compassion, skill, and performance.  Because of the support and, in so many ways, the role modeling of people in this room, our administration has been able to accomplish transformative work.

On the issue of climate, California has always been a leader.  It has been leadership coming right out of this town — Sacramento.  And because of the way that we know we should think about the future, our administration has been able to now, by my calculation, invest over $1 trillion in the next 10 years on addressing the climate crisis — (applause) — around resilience, adaptation, and a clean energy economy.  Competence.

You know, they talked for years — in administrations of — of, you know, both parties — about what we need to do around America’s infrastructure, which, by many calculations, is 150 years old.  We got it done. 

California is going to get $33 billion out of that infrastructure bill — (applause) — to upgrade our roads and bridges and sidewalks.  Talk to any parent, a mom or a dad, trying to push a stroller on those broken sidewalks.  Of great consequence, the work that we have achieved. 

An investment in the CHIPS and Science Act, which is an investment in R&D, a lot of the work that started right here in our state — (applause) — so that we will be competitive and a leader globally on the trajection, on the future of this work. 

As many of you know, my mother, in her last years, ran a lab at UC Berkeley.  She was a breast cancer specialist.  We take great pride out of UC and — and the community colleges for the work that we’ve done in California — (applause) — in terms of our investment in semiconductor and science and — and advancement. 

Think about the work that we have done that has been about saying we got to have compassion and understand, for too long, our seniors have been having to make a choice of whether they could fill their refrigerator or fill a doctor’s prescription.  And we finally got it so that Medicare can finally negotiate drug prices for our seniors and cap that cost at $2,000 a year.  (Applause.)

Cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month — African Americans, 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes; Latinos, 70 percent more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. 

So, let’s just pull up the split screen to see.  It’s really quite binary in terms of what we’re looking at and what’s at stake. 

And so, I’m here to talk with the leaders who are here to, most of all, just ask you to always do and continue to do what you do so well.  Because I know you, and I know how you do what you do. 

And so, it is about, in the midst of an environment that is, frankly, I think, a bit perverse in terms of what it is suggesting leaders look like — you know, this environment that suggests you measure a leader based on who they beat down, instead of what we know is the real measure of the strength of a leader, based on who you lift up; this environment that suggests it’s a sign of weakness to have compassion, when we know the true quality and character of a real leader is one who has a level of concern and care and curiosity for the suffering of other people and then does something about lifting them up and alleviating that suffering.

So, right now, your leadership is so important.  This California legislature and you each individually make such a difference.  And I know you, and I know what I’m saying.

I’ve been traveling our country.  I mean, just in the last two and a half weeks, I’ve been to Georgia and North Carolina, South Carolina twice, Wisconsin — what did I leave out? — New York, Nevada, came home to Sacramento.  (Applause.) 

You guys will make a difference.  And so, here’s what I am here to ask of you.  I’m here to ask you to do what you know how to do and do so well and to just remind you that it’s really important and it makes a difference.  And it’s going to make a difference for our state.  And, by extension, it’s going to make a difference for our nation.

And so, what does that work look like?  Well, one, you know, one of the challenges that we’re going to have in this reelect is not that we don’t have a lot of good material, because we do; we just need to let folks know who brung it to them. 

It is shocking — maybe not for this group — to know that you go to some states, and people who voted against what we’ve accomplished are now taking credit for it.  (Laughter.)  But we know how this stuff works. 

Okay.  That’s fine.  (Laughter.)  Let’s just — right?  We know how this works.

So, let’s get out there and use the skills that we have — of communication, of organizing, of touching people, of understanding who they are, of seeing them, of listening to them — to remind people that we’re all in this together.  In the midst of an environment that is trying to distract and divide our nation, let’s do what we do to build community and coalition around all of these issues.

And so, I’m here to ask that of you.  I’ve asked Buffy to follow up and kind of be a liaison, along with whoever else wants to raise their hand, to do that work, to work with us around what we can do to spread the message not only in our home state but as we have done, historically, in Nevada, in Arizona, and wherever else. 

I know we’ve got folks here who have relations in Wisconsin.  Where are you?  Right?  Exactly.  (Laughs.)  Right?

But let’s — let’s hustle and get that wo- —

I — I — you know, I’ll tell you on a personal level: So, Doug and I — I was working right up until Christmas Eve, so we stayed in D.C. in — and then — because I knew I could not get back to L.A., which is where I now live, in time to get a tree and some poinsettias.  (Laughs.)  Like, I just knew it wasn’t going to happen, right?  And I would have just been sad.

So, we stayed in D.C. for Christmas and came back to L.A. on the 26th.  And we slept.  (Laughter.)  I mean, you guys know what that’s like.  We slept.  Like, Doug looked at me — he’s like, “Honey, we’re defrosting.”  (Laughter.) 

And I — I cooked, which is my happy place, and the kids and family, friends came over.  But did all that knowing that starting the first of this year, we got to be on the road full time and hustle.  And every day is going to matter.

So, again, I thank you all for everything that you are, everything that you represent.  It is so good to be home and be with so many longstanding friends and colleagues. 

And I’ll end where I started, by saying thank you. 

          END

The post Remarks by Vice President Harris at the California State Legislature Democratic Caucus Reception | Sacramento, CA appeared first on The White House.

Indian Treaty Room
Eisenhower Executive Office Building

3:41 P.M. EST
     

THE FIRST LADY:  Thank you.  Thank you, Greg.  

And, Stef, you’ve built an amazing team for the first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention.  (Applause.)  I know that working on this issue is not easy, but this team’s commitment never wavers, and we all are so grateful for everything that you do.

 Ava Olsen, from Townville, South Carolina, is 13.  But her friend Jacob will always be six.  

Ava will try out different clothing trends and learn how to drive.  She’ll have crushes and graduate from high school.  But Jacob, now forever dressed in his favorite Batman costume, will always be six.  

Ava is a survivor.  After years of debilitating PTSD, unable to leave her home, you know, for fear of reliving those moments on the playground when she ran for her life, she then returned to school.  But the heaviness of that small coffin will always weigh on her heart, because Jacob will always be six.

Ethan Song of Guilford, Connecticut, will always be 15.  

Alejandro Guerrero Jr. of Grand Rapids, Michigan, will always be 14.

I know that we have some of their friends and family with us today. 

The number of children we’ve lost to gun violence, to shooting is unfathomable.  But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. 

They don’t tell us of the parents who steel themselves as they put their child on the school bus every morning, the students who watch the door instead of the whiteboard, the educators who go over their emergency plans in their heads before the first bell. 

Like many of all of you, I know that feeling.  I teach at a community college not far from here.  I was there this morning.  And at the start of each semester, I explain to my students what they should do if the worst happens. 

 But we can help prevent that violence.  You can help prevent that violence.  

The parents in your schools trust you.  They look to you to steer their children toward the bright futures ahead of them.  You can show parents that they can be part of preventing the next shooting, the next suicide, the next accident.

A secured gun could have saved Jacob and Ale- — Alejandro and Ethan.  It could mean they would be starting high school or college or their first job.

They could have grown up beside their friends, like it — like it really should have been. 

I know we ask a lot of our educators.  And I know that these shootings affect you too.  So, I want to thank you for all that you’ve already done, for coming here to be willing to push a little harder and to do this one more thing. 

This issue matters to the President.  It weighs on his heart every day.  And he’s not going to stop fighting until we’ve solved it.

How can we accept a world where the leading cause of death for our children is gun violence?  Where active shooter drills are part of growing up in America?  Where our children hear loud noises and duck for cover?

Enough is enough — enough pain, enough death.  No more funerals. 

I don’t want to have to put my hand on another cross with an eight-year-old’s name. 

We must change this.  We must protect our kids from gun violence. 

Thank you for all that you do. 

And now, please help me welcome someone who is fighting for our students and our educators every single day, my favorite, Secretary Miguel Cardona.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.) 

                             END                3:47 P.M. EST

###

The post Remarks by First Lady Jill Biden at a Gun Violence Prevention Event appeared first on The White House.

Indian Treaty Room
Eisenhower Executive Office Building

3:41 P.M. EST
     

THE FIRST LADY:  Thank you.  Thank you, Greg.  

And, Stef, you’ve built an amazing team for the first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention.  (Applause.)  I know that working on this issue is not easy, but this team’s commitment never wavers, and we all are so grateful for everything that you do.

 Ava Olsen, from Townville, South Carolina, is 13.  But her friend Jacob will always be six.  

Ava will try out different clothing trends and learn how to drive.  She’ll have crushes and graduate from high school.  But Jacob, now forever dressed in his favorite Batman costume, will always be six.  

Ava is a survivor.  After years of debilitating PTSD, unable to leave her home, you know, for fear of reliving those moments on the playground when she ran for her life, she then returned to school.  But the heaviness of that small coffin will always weigh on her heart, because Jacob will always be six.

Ethan Song of Guilford, Connecticut, will always be 15.  

Alejandro Guerrero Jr. of Grand Rapids, Michigan, will always be 14.

I know that we have some of their friends and family with us today. 

The number of children we’ve lost to gun violence, to shooting is unfathomable.  But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. 

They don’t tell us of the parents who steel themselves as they put their child on the school bus every morning, the students who watch the door instead of the whiteboard, the educators who go over their emergency plans in their heads before the first bell. 

Like many of all of you, I know that feeling.  I teach at a community college not far from here.  I was there this morning.  And at the start of each semester, I explain to my students what they should do if the worst happens. 

 But we can help prevent that violence.  You can help prevent that violence.  

The parents in your schools trust you.  They look to you to steer their children toward the bright futures ahead of them.  You can show parents that they can be part of preventing the next shooting, the next suicide, the next accident.

A secured gun could have saved Jacob and Ale- — Alejandro and Ethan.  It could mean they would be starting high school or college or their first job.

They could have grown up beside their friends, like it — like it really should have been. 

I know we ask a lot of our educators.  And I know that these shootings affect you too.  So, I want to thank you for all that you’ve already done, for coming here to be willing to push a little harder and to do this one more thing. 

This issue matters to the President.  It weighs on his heart every day.  And he’s not going to stop fighting until we’ve solved it.

How can we accept a world where the leading cause of death for our children is gun violence?  Where active shooter drills are part of growing up in America?  Where our children hear loud noises and duck for cover?

Enough is enough — enough pain, enough death.  No more funerals. 

I don’t want to have to put my hand on another cross with an eight-year-old’s name. 

We must change this.  We must protect our kids from gun violence. 

Thank you for all that you do. 

And now, please help me welcome someone who is fighting for our students and our educators every single day, my favorite, Secretary Miguel Cardona.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.) 

                             END                3:47 P.M. EST

###

The post Remarks by First Lady Jill Biden at a Gun Violence Prevention Event appeared first on The White House.

On January 26-27, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will meet with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bangkok, Thailand. This meeting continues the commitment by both sides at the November 2023 Woodside Summit between President Biden and President Xi to maintain strategic communication and responsibly manage the relationship.

###

The post Statement from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with Director Wang Yi appeared first on The White House.

On January 26-27, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will meet with Chinese Communist Party Politburo Member, Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bangkok, Thailand. This meeting continues the commitment by both sides at the November 2023 Woodside Summit between President Biden and President Xi to maintain strategic communication and responsibly manage the relationship.

###

The post Statement from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with Director Wang Yi appeared first on The White House.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is traveling to Bangkok, Thailand from January 25-27. There, he will meet with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Srettha Thavisin and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara. In these meetings, Mr. Sullivan will reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Thailand treaty alliance and partnership and discuss opportunities to strengthen cooperation across a range of bilateral and global issues. 

###

The post Statement from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Travel to Thailand appeared first on The White House.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is traveling to Bangkok, Thailand from January 25-27. There, he will meet with the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand Srettha Thavisin and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-nukara. In these meetings, Mr. Sullivan will reaffirm the importance of the U.S.-Thailand treaty alliance and partnership and discuss opportunities to strengthen cooperation across a range of bilateral and global issues. 

###

The post Statement from NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Travel to Thailand appeared first on The White House.

Earth Rider Brewery
Superior, Wisconsin

1:05 P.M. CST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, hello, hello.  (Applause.)  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  If you have a seat, take it.  (Laughs.)

Hello, Wisconsin.  (Applause.)  And from across the Bay, hello, Minnesota.  (Applause.)  Tim, thank you for the introduction.

I got to m- — I got to meet his twins and his wife.  And no wonder he’s here.  I tell you what, they’re going to keep him here.

Look, I’m honored to be with the two best governors in America — in the United States of America today — (applause) — the governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers — Tony, stand up — and, also, the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz.  (Applause.)

And thanks to the outstanding senators: Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin — (applause) — Tammy (inaudible) — and Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith from the state of Minnesota.  (Applause.)  If I have all three of them on my side, I don’t worry about anything.  (Laughter and applause.) 

And two great mayors: Mayor Paine of Superior, Wisconsin — (applause) — and Mayor Reinert of Duluth, Minnesota.  (Applause.)  Stand up, guys.  (Applause.)

Folks, I’m here today to talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention: the progress we’re making to invest in America — in American workers, in American products — to invest in America.  That’s what we’re doing: bringing work, opportunity, and hope to people and communities all across this country.

Just last week, we saw the biggest jump in 30 years in how positive consumers are feeling about the economy.  Things are finally beginning to sink in.

We passed a lot of really good legislation.  We knew it was going to take time for it to begin to take hold.  But it’s taking hold now and turning the economy around.

We also just learned that America fi- — filed 16 million new business applications since I’ve become President.  That’s a record.  (Applause.) 

And the reason I mention it — when someone files for a new business, it’s a — it’s a — it’s an example of hope, something they believe in.  They believe that they can get something done and of consequence.  You know, and Tim’s business right here is that act of hope, as well — started a while ago.

And just today, we learned the economy of the United States grew by 3.1 percent last year.  I don’t wa- — (applause) — I don’t want to bore you all with detail, but, you know, the experts, from the time I got elected, were insisting that a recession was just around the corner.  Every month, there was going to be a recession.

Well, you know, we’ve got really strong growth.  Listening to this — here is this mo- — this morning’s headlines, from the Wall Street Journal and other papers.  Quote, “U.S. [Growth] Shatters Expectations.”  Second headline: “The U.S. Economy Boomed in 2023.”  Third: “U.S. Economy Grew at a Sh- — a Shocking Pace.”  (Laughs.)  I love that “shocking pace” piece.  (Laughter.)  But my favorite is from the Wall Street Journal.  Quote, “What Recession?  Growth Ended [Up] Accelerating in 2023.”  (Applause.)

Folks, look — and, by the way, the economic growth was stronger than we had during the Trump administration.

Our — my predecessor recently said he was actually hoping for the economy to crash.  His quote.  Hoping for the economy to crash.  And can you believe it?  Well — well, he said he’s hoping — because he hope it happens soon, while I’m still president.  That’s what he’s hoping for.

Well, thanks to the American people, America now has the strongest growth and the lowest inflation rate of any major economy in the world.  (Applause.)  It’s because of you.

We obviously have more work to do, but we’re making real progress, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up and not the top down.

I was raised in a household where there were — we had three-bedroom — it was a nice home — three-bedroom split-level home in a new development of 40 homes in suburbia with four — four kids and a grandpop living with us.  And — but trickle-down economics didn’t trickle down much on my ga- — dad’s kitchen table.

Because when we — when we — when we work from the middle out and the bottom up, the poor have a shot, the middle class does really well, and the — and the wealthy still do well.  But everybody gets a shot.  We all do well.

You know, as the Secretary of the Treasury, Jan- — Janet Yellen, just said today, and I quote, “The story of the middle class is not separate from the st- — state of the economy.  It’s at the heart of it.”  She went on to say, “I mean workers across industries and occupations — from firefighters to nurses to factory workers.”

That’s the middle class.  At least that’s where I come from.  And that’s what it’s all about.

So, I’m here to announce more progress that shows that we can get big things done in America if we start believing in ourselves again, if we start investing in America again.

Folks, look, our infrastructure used to be the best in the world — the be- — rated the best in the world.  But over a period of time, we stopped investing in America.  We stopped it.  We stopped investing in ourselves, and we slipped.  We’re now ranked the 13th best infrastructure in the world.  The United States of America, number 13 in the world.

How in God’s name can we have the strongest economy in the world when we don’t have the strongest and best infrastructure in the world?  It’s not possible.

So, we’re determined to turn that around.  We — we’re determined to turn that around in a big way.  And that’s exactly — (applause) — and that’s actually what we’re doing.

Two years ago, I came to Wisconsin — it was almost this very spot — to talk about the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I signed with the support of your elected officials — the most sweeping investment to rebuild America in American history.

We’ve already invested $6.1 billion in Wisconsin so far, $5.7 billion — (applause) — $5.7 billion in Minnesota.  (Applause.) 

Two years later, I came back to the Blatnik Bridge.  I was here two years ago.

Well, last time I was here, I came with Tammy, and we’re now back this time because we know — we knew this bridge needed a — had — needed a lot of work.  Tammy didn’t let — let me forget that, either.  (Laughter.) 

You know, that bridge opened in 1961, and it connects Minnesota to Wisconsin — you know better than anyone in the world — and over the [St.] Louis Bay.

It’s a vital link in our nation’s economy.  Every year, 950,000 trucks use the bridge to carry 3.4 billion tons of goods all the way across America and into Canada.  Folks, every day 33,000 ve- — vehicles cross that bridge.

The flow of people is so critical to small businesses that rely on it to get customers, employers [employees], goods to the businesses — it’s critical — and local businesses like this brewery at the base of the bridge.

Think what Tim just told us.  Tim’s family has been here for four generations.  His great-grandparents moved here from Scandinavia to build a bakery just four blocks from here.

And as Tim just said, the bridge is critical to his business, his workers, his customers, to the entire local economy.  And it’s like that in other parts of the country as well.

This bridge is also critical to the largest port on the Great Lakes, serving critical industries like forestry, agriculture, clean energy, supporting so many communities.  I mean, it really is consequential.

But you also know this bridge is in badly corroded condition.  It’s unsafe for trucks to carry oversize, overweight loads, causing drivers lengthy detours, increasing costs and delays.

It’s outdated in design.  Tight curves have led to higher-than-average car accident rates, traffic congestion.

For decades, people talked about replacing this bridge, but it never got done, until today.  (Applause.)  Until today.  I mean it.

And I’m proud to announce $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to build this new bridge, a new bridge that will increase capacity for large trucks and oversized loads; a new bridge with a modern design, wider shoulders, smother on — smoother on and off ramps; a new bridge with a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists.  (Applause.)

And I — and I want to credit your governors — and I mean this sincerely — and your state legislatures for coming up with the matching money to invest in this bridge.  Otherwise, it wouldn’t have gotten done with — with your own funding.

This investment is going to make a huge difference: less traffic, fewer car accidents, faster commutes to your jobs and schools, quicker response times from firetrucks and first responders when every minute counts.

Goods are going to get shipped quicker, and commerce will flow more freely, instead of having to detour for up to 10 miles.

Here’s what else it means.  It means that 10,000 new construction jobs — union jobs — (applause) — are going to be created.

We’re investing in America, in jobs for American workers, built with American products.

And that’s going to — with the help of your congressional delegation, especially Senator Tammy Baldwin, we’re making sure that that iron, that steel, that construction material to build this bridge is made in America.  (Applause.)
And this funding is part of a larger $5 billion investment led by the Department of Transportation for 37 major projects across America, including bridges, highways, ports, airports.  To date, 40,000 infrastructure problems have been — projects have been announced all across America.  And with the support of these great governors and congressional delegation, we’re doing other big things.

For example, we’re making sure every American, including all of you here, have access to affordable high-speed Internet.  (Applause.)  I want to thank Amy for her leadership in this issue.  She has been relentless.  (Applause.)

High-speed Internet is essential to today’s economy.  It’s as essential as electricity was when Franklin Roosevelt was president.  Not a joke. 

That’s why, nearly a century ago, Franklin Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act.  I know this sounds like it doesn’t make — doesn’t matter, but it matters a great deal.  He signed it to bring electricity to nearly every home and farm in America because it became essential — an essential part of the economic growth of the country, an essential way to access the modern life.  And so is high-speed Internet today.

In Wisconsin and Minnesota, we’re investing $2.5 billion — $2.5 billion in high-speed Internet.  And we’re going to save — (applause) — and we’re going to save more than 600,000 families in these two states up to $30 a month on their Internet bills.  The household that I came from, that matters.  Those $30 extra at the end of the month — bills all add up when you’re living on a fixed salary.

We’re also investing $1.1 billion in your state to provide clean water and replace poisonous lead pipes.  (Applause.)  Every lead pipe is going to be taken out so you can turn on your faucet and drink clean water without getting sick. 

You know, a recent study shows that reducing lead exposure for children has the same effect on a student’s test scores as reducing the size of a class they’re in from 22 to 15 — one tenth the cost, it is.  It matters.  It affects the ability of the brain to function.

That’s why we’re going to eliminate every single lead pipe in America.  And I promise you that.  We got the money to do it now.  (Applause.)

And that’s on top of another billion dollars to clean up the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water to 20 million people — (applause) — 20 million people.  And, by the way, it used to make the beer brewed here — (laughs) — it is used to make the brewed beer here in this refine- — oh, Earth Rider, thanks for the Great Lakes.  I wondered why (inaudible) — (laughter).

What we’re doing in Wisconsin and Minnesota is just one piece of a much bigger story.  Look, 14 million new jobs since I became president — (applause); 169 [thousand] new jobs in Wisconsin, 200,000 in Minnesota; nearly 800,000 new manufacturing jobs nationwide — good-paying jobs. 

And [un]employment has been the lowest — been below 4 percent for the longest stretch in 50 years.  (Applause.)  And it’s even lower in Wisconsin and Minnesota, where it stands at 3.3 and 2.9 percent, respectively. 

That’s our economic plan: invest in America, invest in American products, build in America.  That’s what we call Bidenomics. 

My professor — well, I won’t get into my professor.  (Laughter.) 

But, look, my predecessor, though, he chose a different course: trickle-down economics, cut taxes for the very wealthy and big corporations, increasing the deficit significantly.  That’s exactly what happened.  That’s exactly what happened. 

And the fact is — well, I won’t get into it, but — I don’t want to get going.  (Laughter.) 

He stripped good-paying jobs and shipped them overseas.  Why?  Cheaper labor.  Rather than pay you a fair wage, ship it overseas, lower wage costs, and then import the product, denying Americans jobs.  He shrank public investment in infrastructure and education.  And then the process — in the process, he hollowed out communities, closing factories, leaving too many Americans behind.

Look, I grew up in the neighborhoods that many — many of you did, in regions where they had that factory that — maybe it only employed 600 people or 800 people, but it was the heartbeat of the community. 

And all of a sudden, one day, corporation owners decided it was cheaper to send that factory overseas because the labor was cheaper.  So, it sent the — closed the factory, sent it overseas, imported the product from overseas, paid more money for it, and they didn’t have to pay as much in labor.  That’s what happened.  That’s how we began to hollow out American labor.  For real.  Not a joke. 

You know, any rate —

He talked about infrastructure.  Every week, when — for four years, he was going to increase the infr- — “We’re at ‘Infrastructure Week.’”  Well — (laughs) — we have Infrastruc- — Infrastructure Year.  (Laughter.)  He didn’t get — on my watch, instead of Infrastructure Week, America is having an Infrastructure Decade.  (Applause.)

Look, we’re rebuilding factories, and jobs are coming back to America.

For example, you know, when we — you know that little computer chip that everybody needs for everything from your watch to your automobile?  Well, guess what?  We used to make — we invented them.  We s- — made them more sophisticated.  We used to have 40 percent of the market.  And all of a sudden, it was — we have nothing.  You know that — and so, guess what?  I got on a plane and went to South Korea. 

My staff went, “What the hell are you doing?”  I talked to the — the prime — the leader of South Korea.  I said, “You have a thing called ‘Samsung.’  You make a lot of these computer chips.  Come to America.” 

Well, not only did they, but a total of $50 billion — (applause) — is coming to America, building factories in America — in America.

There’s a place just outside of Columbus, Ohio.  They call it a “Field of Dreams.”  They’re building two of these — these fa- — these “fabs,” they call — factories.  They’re like gigantic football fields.  And guess what?  They hire a whole hell of a lot of people, not only building the facility but working there. 

You know what the average salary is?  One hundred and ten thousand bucks a year, and you don’t need a college degree to have the job.  (Applause.)  

The Midwest is coming back.  And these senators right in front of you here, they delivered it.  Amy delivered it.  Tammy delivered it.  Tina delivered it.  I mean it sincerely.  (Applause.)  And you, the American people, supported it. 

Now, I worked with some Republicans to get the bipartisan law done.  And it got done.  But I’m sorry to say, the vast majority voted against it.  But you know what?  That’s okay, because we’re building projects everywhere, no matter whether they voted for it or not. 

I promised to be a president for all Americans, whether you voted for me or didn’t vote for me.  (Applause.)

Folks, but we have more — we have more work to do.  For example, does anyone think that the tax code in America is fair?  Raise your hand if you think the tax code is fair. 

In 2020, 55 of the Fortune 500 company corporations paid zero in taxes — zero in taxes.  You may heard me harp on this for a while.  Federal taxes on $40 billion in profit, they paid zero cents. 

But not anymore.  What I was able to do is provo- — provide for funding all of these programs by signing a — getting passed the tax of just 15 percent.  You pay more than that.  But just getting up to 15 percent — 15 percent tax on these 50 corporations making $40 billion.  And guess what?  As a consequence, we could pay for so many of these investments we’re making all across America without the deficit going up.  And we still brought the deficit down by $7 billion. 

Look, we have to do more. 

One of the other things that I want to mention — you know, I — I’ve been — I’m going to say this politely.  For my entire career, I have been going after the pharmaceutical corporations.  Pharmaceutical corporations in America are the best in the world.  They make the best product.  But whatever prescription you may be taking now, if I take that prescription for you — we’re going to fly to Toronto, Canada; London, England; any — Brazil; anywhere in the world — I will get that prescription by the same company filled for anywhere from one third to one half the cost. 

We get charged more than any other country in the world.  Not a joke.  And you pay for it not only in your prescription, but you pay for it because Medicare pays for a great deal of this.  So, I’ve been pushing to let Medicare negotiate and save (inaudible).  (Applause.)

Well, with the help of your Senate and congress- — congressional delegation, I finally won. 

And guess what?  Any of you — I’m not asking you to raise your hand — but you know anybody who has a — has a problem with diabetes, needs insulin?  Well, it used to be the average cost of that insulin shot a ye- — on a monthly basis was closer to $400.  Now they cannot charge more than $35.  (Applause.)

And, by the way, they’re still making 350 percent profit.  It costs 10 bucks to make it — 10 bucks to make it.  And the guy who invented it didn’t even want a patent on it because he thought it should be available to everyone.

I could take you down the list. 

And beginning in 2025, guess what else happens?  Anybody you know have parents or grandparents who are taking a cancer drug?  They may be paying anywhere from 6- to 13,000 bucks a month for the — for that drug.  They can’t do it.

And guess what?  No one is going to have — no senior is going to have to pay, no matter how many drugs have to take, more than $2,000 bucks a month, period — period, period, period.  (Applause.)

And they’re still going to make money.  They’re still going to make money.

And, folks, I was told that that’s an awful thing to do, man.  It’s a terrible thing to do.  Guess what?  Not only is it saving the individual money, it means you, as taxpayers, are paying billions of dollars less per month because you don’t have to spend that money on Medicaid.  You don’t have to spend that money on Medicaid because it’s a fair price.

We get thou- — look, we — you know, we now have — we used to — before the recession, before the — the pandemic, we had about 700 billionaires in America.  There are 1,000 billionaires now.  You know what their average tax rate is?  Eight percent.

Raise your hand if you want to trade your tax rate now for 8 percent.  (Laughter.)  No, I’m not joking.  I — I’m being deadly earnest.  You know, it sou- — it sounds like I’m making this up: 8 percent, what they pay. 

That’s why I proposed the billionaire minimum tax of 25 percent.  That’s not even the top rate.  (Applause.) 

If billionaires and big corporations paid even close to their fair share, we could strengthen Social Security and Medicare, bring down the cost of childcare, eldercare.  Working-class and middle-class people would all be better off.  And it wouldn’t cost a penny because they’re making — $40 billion would be coming in.

And — and it’s not — I mean, it’s just — it’s just basic fairness.  You know, it’s the right thing to do, and we can get this done.  And I’ll be damned, in the last year of this administration, I’m going to get it done.  (Applause.) 

Let me close with this.  I’m going on too long.  I apol- — I get a little tied up here.  (Laughter.)

This bridge is important, but the story we’re writing is much bigger than that.

When you see the shovels in the ground and cranes in the sky and people hard at work on these projects, I hope you feel re- — a renewed sense pride — pride in your community, pride in what we can do, pride in America, pride in knowing we can get big things done still together in America.

We’re the only county in the world that’s come out of every crisis we’ve gotten into stronger than we went in.  Not a joke.  The only country in the world.  For God’s sake, this is the United States of America — United States of America.

And the real heroes in this whole story, the American people, are starting to speak up.  American workers, American people doing the work to bring communities back to their country in ways that are — that it was before — in the future.

That’s what America does.  That’s why I’ve been never more optimistic about the future.  We just have to remember who in God’s name we are.  We’re the United States of America, and there is nothing — nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. 

Let’s start working together, for God’s sake.

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

1:28 P.M. CST

The post Remarks by President Biden on Investing in America and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law | Superior, WI appeared first on The White House.

Earth Rider Brewery
Superior, Wisconsin

1:05 P.M. CST

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, hello, hello.  (Applause.)  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)  If you have a seat, take it.  (Laughs.)

Hello, Wisconsin.  (Applause.)  And from across the Bay, hello, Minnesota.  (Applause.)  Tim, thank you for the introduction.

I got to m- — I got to meet his twins and his wife.  And no wonder he’s here.  I tell you what, they’re going to keep him here.

Look, I’m honored to be with the two best governors in America — in the United States of America today — (applause) — the governor of Wisconsin, Tony Evers — Tony, stand up — and, also, the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz.  (Applause.)

And thanks to the outstanding senators: Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin — (applause) — Tammy (inaudible) — and Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith from the state of Minnesota.  (Applause.)  If I have all three of them on my side, I don’t worry about anything.  (Laughter and applause.) 

And two great mayors: Mayor Paine of Superior, Wisconsin — (applause) — and Mayor Reinert of Duluth, Minnesota.  (Applause.)  Stand up, guys.  (Applause.)

Folks, I’m here today to talk about something that doesn’t get enough attention: the progress we’re making to invest in America — in American workers, in American products — to invest in America.  That’s what we’re doing: bringing work, opportunity, and hope to people and communities all across this country.

Just last week, we saw the biggest jump in 30 years in how positive consumers are feeling about the economy.  Things are finally beginning to sink in.

We passed a lot of really good legislation.  We knew it was going to take time for it to begin to take hold.  But it’s taking hold now and turning the economy around.

We also just learned that America fi- — filed 16 million new business applications since I’ve become President.  That’s a record.  (Applause.) 

And the reason I mention it — when someone files for a new business, it’s a — it’s a — it’s an example of hope, something they believe in.  They believe that they can get something done and of consequence.  You know, and Tim’s business right here is that act of hope, as well — started a while ago.

And just today, we learned the economy of the United States grew by 3.1 percent last year.  I don’t wa- — (applause) — I don’t want to bore you all with detail, but, you know, the experts, from the time I got elected, were insisting that a recession was just around the corner.  Every month, there was going to be a recession.

Well, you know, we’ve got really strong growth.  Listening to this — here is this mo- — this morning’s headlines, from the Wall Street Journal and other papers.  Quote, “U.S. [Growth] Shatters Expectations.”  Second headline: “The U.S. Economy Boomed in 2023.”  Third: “U.S. Economy Grew at a Sh- — a Shocking Pace.”  (Laughs.)  I love that “shocking pace” piece.  (Laughter.)  But my favorite is from the Wall Street Journal.  Quote, “What Recession?  Growth Ended [Up] Accelerating in 2023.”  (Applause.)

Folks, look — and, by the way, the economic growth was stronger than we had during the Trump administration.

Our — my predecessor recently said he was actually hoping for the economy to crash.  His quote.  Hoping for the economy to crash.  And can you believe it?  Well — well, he said he’s hoping — because he hope it happens soon, while I’m still president.  That’s what he’s hoping for.

Well, thanks to the American people, America now has the strongest growth and the lowest inflation rate of any major economy in the world.  (Applause.)  It’s because of you.

We obviously have more work to do, but we’re making real progress, building an economy from the middle out and the bottom up and not the top down.

I was raised in a household where there were — we had three-bedroom — it was a nice home — three-bedroom split-level home in a new development of 40 homes in suburbia with four — four kids and a grandpop living with us.  And — but trickle-down economics didn’t trickle down much on my ga- — dad’s kitchen table.

Because when we — when we — when we work from the middle out and the bottom up, the poor have a shot, the middle class does really well, and the — and the wealthy still do well.  But everybody gets a shot.  We all do well.

You know, as the Secretary of the Treasury, Jan- — Janet Yellen, just said today, and I quote, “The story of the middle class is not separate from the st- — state of the economy.  It’s at the heart of it.”  She went on to say, “I mean workers across industries and occupations — from firefighters to nurses to factory workers.”

That’s the middle class.  At least that’s where I come from.  And that’s what it’s all about.

So, I’m here to announce more progress that shows that we can get big things done in America if we start believing in ourselves again, if we start investing in America again.

Folks, look, our infrastructure used to be the best in the world — the be- — rated the best in the world.  But over a period of time, we stopped investing in America.  We stopped it.  We stopped investing in ourselves, and we slipped.  We’re now ranked the 13th best infrastructure in the world.  The United States of America, number 13 in the world.

How in God’s name can we have the strongest economy in the world when we don’t have the strongest and best infrastructure in the world?  It’s not possible.

So, we’re determined to turn that around.  We — we’re determined to turn that around in a big way.  And that’s exactly — (applause) — and that’s actually what we’re doing.

Two years ago, I came to Wisconsin — it was almost this very spot — to talk about the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I signed with the support of your elected officials — the most sweeping investment to rebuild America in American history.

We’ve already invested $6.1 billion in Wisconsin so far, $5.7 billion — (applause) — $5.7 billion in Minnesota.  (Applause.) 

Two years later, I came back to the Blatnik Bridge.  I was here two years ago.

Well, last time I was here, I came with Tammy, and we’re now back this time because we know — we knew this bridge needed a — had — needed a lot of work.  Tammy didn’t let — let me forget that, either.  (Laughter.) 

You know, that bridge opened in 1961, and it connects Minnesota to Wisconsin — you know better than anyone in the world — and over the [St.] Louis Bay.

It’s a vital link in our nation’s economy.  Every year, 950,000 trucks use the bridge to carry 3.4 billion tons of goods all the way across America and into Canada.  Folks, every day 33,000 ve- — vehicles cross that bridge.

The flow of people is so critical to small businesses that rely on it to get customers, employers [employees], goods to the businesses — it’s critical — and local businesses like this brewery at the base of the bridge.

Think what Tim just told us.  Tim’s family has been here for four generations.  His great-grandparents moved here from Scandinavia to build a bakery just four blocks from here.

And as Tim just said, the bridge is critical to his business, his workers, his customers, to the entire local economy.  And it’s like that in other parts of the country as well.

This bridge is also critical to the largest port on the Great Lakes, serving critical industries like forestry, agriculture, clean energy, supporting so many communities.  I mean, it really is consequential.

But you also know this bridge is in badly corroded condition.  It’s unsafe for trucks to carry oversize, overweight loads, causing drivers lengthy detours, increasing costs and delays.

It’s outdated in design.  Tight curves have led to higher-than-average car accident rates, traffic congestion.

For decades, people talked about replacing this bridge, but it never got done, until today.  (Applause.)  Until today.  I mean it.

And I’m proud to announce $1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to build this new bridge, a new bridge that will increase capacity for large trucks and oversized loads; a new bridge with a modern design, wider shoulders, smother on — smoother on and off ramps; a new bridge with a shared path for pedestrians and cyclists.  (Applause.)

And I — and I want to credit your governors — and I mean this sincerely — and your state legislatures for coming up with the matching money to invest in this bridge.  Otherwise, it wouldn’t have gotten done with — with your own funding.

This investment is going to make a huge difference: less traffic, fewer car accidents, faster commutes to your jobs and schools, quicker response times from firetrucks and first responders when every minute counts.

Goods are going to get shipped quicker, and commerce will flow more freely, instead of having to detour for up to 10 miles.

Here’s what else it means.  It means that 10,000 new construction jobs — union jobs — (applause) — are going to be created.

We’re investing in America, in jobs for American workers, built with American products.

And that’s going to — with the help of your congressional delegation, especially Senator Tammy Baldwin, we’re making sure that that iron, that steel, that construction material to build this bridge is made in America.  (Applause.)
And this funding is part of a larger $5 billion investment led by the Department of Transportation for 37 major projects across America, including bridges, highways, ports, airports.  To date, 40,000 infrastructure problems have been — projects have been announced all across America.  And with the support of these great governors and congressional delegation, we’re doing other big things.

For example, we’re making sure every American, including all of you here, have access to affordable high-speed Internet.  (Applause.)  I want to thank Amy for her leadership in this issue.  She has been relentless.  (Applause.)

High-speed Internet is essential to today’s economy.  It’s as essential as electricity was when Franklin Roosevelt was president.  Not a joke. 

That’s why, nearly a century ago, Franklin Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act.  I know this sounds like it doesn’t make — doesn’t matter, but it matters a great deal.  He signed it to bring electricity to nearly every home and farm in America because it became essential — an essential part of the economic growth of the country, an essential way to access the modern life.  And so is high-speed Internet today.

In Wisconsin and Minnesota, we’re investing $2.5 billion — $2.5 billion in high-speed Internet.  And we’re going to save — (applause) — and we’re going to save more than 600,000 families in these two states up to $30 a month on their Internet bills.  The household that I came from, that matters.  Those $30 extra at the end of the month — bills all add up when you’re living on a fixed salary.

We’re also investing $1.1 billion in your state to provide clean water and replace poisonous lead pipes.  (Applause.)  Every lead pipe is going to be taken out so you can turn on your faucet and drink clean water without getting sick. 

You know, a recent study shows that reducing lead exposure for children has the same effect on a student’s test scores as reducing the size of a class they’re in from 22 to 15 — one tenth the cost, it is.  It matters.  It affects the ability of the brain to function.

That’s why we’re going to eliminate every single lead pipe in America.  And I promise you that.  We got the money to do it now.  (Applause.)

And that’s on top of another billion dollars to clean up the Great Lakes, which provide drinking water to 20 million people — (applause) — 20 million people.  And, by the way, it used to make the beer brewed here — (laughs) — it is used to make the brewed beer here in this refine- — oh, Earth Rider, thanks for the Great Lakes.  I wondered why (inaudible) — (laughter).

What we’re doing in Wisconsin and Minnesota is just one piece of a much bigger story.  Look, 14 million new jobs since I became president — (applause); 169 [thousand] new jobs in Wisconsin, 200,000 in Minnesota; nearly 800,000 new manufacturing jobs nationwide — good-paying jobs. 

And [un]employment has been the lowest — been below 4 percent for the longest stretch in 50 years.  (Applause.)  And it’s even lower in Wisconsin and Minnesota, where it stands at 3.3 and 2.9 percent, respectively. 

That’s our economic plan: invest in America, invest in American products, build in America.  That’s what we call Bidenomics. 

My professor — well, I won’t get into my professor.  (Laughter.) 

But, look, my predecessor, though, he chose a different course: trickle-down economics, cut taxes for the very wealthy and big corporations, increasing the deficit significantly.  That’s exactly what happened.  That’s exactly what happened. 

And the fact is — well, I won’t get into it, but — I don’t want to get going.  (Laughter.) 

He stripped good-paying jobs and shipped them overseas.  Why?  Cheaper labor.  Rather than pay you a fair wage, ship it overseas, lower wage costs, and then import the product, denying Americans jobs.  He shrank public investment in infrastructure and education.  And then the process — in the process, he hollowed out communities, closing factories, leaving too many Americans behind.

Look, I grew up in the neighborhoods that many — many of you did, in regions where they had that factory that — maybe it only employed 600 people or 800 people, but it was the heartbeat of the community. 

And all of a sudden, one day, corporation owners decided it was cheaper to send that factory overseas because the labor was cheaper.  So, it sent the — closed the factory, sent it overseas, imported the product from overseas, paid more money for it, and they didn’t have to pay as much in labor.  That’s what happened.  That’s how we began to hollow out American labor.  For real.  Not a joke. 

You know, any rate —

He talked about infrastructure.  Every week, when — for four years, he was going to increase the infr- — “We’re at ‘Infrastructure Week.’”  Well — (laughs) — we have Infrastruc- — Infrastructure Year.  (Laughter.)  He didn’t get — on my watch, instead of Infrastructure Week, America is having an Infrastructure Decade.  (Applause.)

Look, we’re rebuilding factories, and jobs are coming back to America.

For example, you know, when we — you know that little computer chip that everybody needs for everything from your watch to your automobile?  Well, guess what?  We used to make — we invented them.  We s- — made them more sophisticated.  We used to have 40 percent of the market.  And all of a sudden, it was — we have nothing.  You know that — and so, guess what?  I got on a plane and went to South Korea. 

My staff went, “What the hell are you doing?”  I talked to the — the prime — the leader of South Korea.  I said, “You have a thing called ‘Samsung.’  You make a lot of these computer chips.  Come to America.” 

Well, not only did they, but a total of $50 billion — (applause) — is coming to America, building factories in America — in America.

There’s a place just outside of Columbus, Ohio.  They call it a “Field of Dreams.”  They’re building two of these — these fa- — these “fabs,” they call — factories.  They’re like gigantic football fields.  And guess what?  They hire a whole hell of a lot of people, not only building the facility but working there. 

You know what the average salary is?  One hundred and ten thousand bucks a year, and you don’t need a college degree to have the job.  (Applause.)  

The Midwest is coming back.  And these senators right in front of you here, they delivered it.  Amy delivered it.  Tammy delivered it.  Tina delivered it.  I mean it sincerely.  (Applause.)  And you, the American people, supported it. 

Now, I worked with some Republicans to get the bipartisan law done.  And it got done.  But I’m sorry to say, the vast majority voted against it.  But you know what?  That’s okay, because we’re building projects everywhere, no matter whether they voted for it or not. 

I promised to be a president for all Americans, whether you voted for me or didn’t vote for me.  (Applause.)

Folks, but we have more — we have more work to do.  For example, does anyone think that the tax code in America is fair?  Raise your hand if you think the tax code is fair. 

In 2020, 55 of the Fortune 500 company corporations paid zero in taxes — zero in taxes.  You may heard me harp on this for a while.  Federal taxes on $40 billion in profit, they paid zero cents. 

But not anymore.  What I was able to do is provo- — provide for funding all of these programs by signing a — getting passed the tax of just 15 percent.  You pay more than that.  But just getting up to 15 percent — 15 percent tax on these 50 corporations making $40 billion.  And guess what?  As a consequence, we could pay for so many of these investments we’re making all across America without the deficit going up.  And we still brought the deficit down by $7 billion. 

Look, we have to do more. 

One of the other things that I want to mention — you know, I — I’ve been — I’m going to say this politely.  For my entire career, I have been going after the pharmaceutical corporations.  Pharmaceutical corporations in America are the best in the world.  They make the best product.  But whatever prescription you may be taking now, if I take that prescription for you — we’re going to fly to Toronto, Canada; London, England; any — Brazil; anywhere in the world — I will get that prescription by the same company filled for anywhere from one third to one half the cost. 

We get charged more than any other country in the world.  Not a joke.  And you pay for it not only in your prescription, but you pay for it because Medicare pays for a great deal of this.  So, I’ve been pushing to let Medicare negotiate and save (inaudible).  (Applause.)

Well, with the help of your Senate and congress- — congressional delegation, I finally won. 

And guess what?  Any of you — I’m not asking you to raise your hand — but you know anybody who has a — has a problem with diabetes, needs insulin?  Well, it used to be the average cost of that insulin shot a ye- — on a monthly basis was closer to $400.  Now they cannot charge more than $35.  (Applause.)

And, by the way, they’re still making 350 percent profit.  It costs 10 bucks to make it — 10 bucks to make it.  And the guy who invented it didn’t even want a patent on it because he thought it should be available to everyone.

I could take you down the list. 

And beginning in 2025, guess what else happens?  Anybody you know have parents or grandparents who are taking a cancer drug?  They may be paying anywhere from 6- to 13,000 bucks a month for the — for that drug.  They can’t do it.

And guess what?  No one is going to have — no senior is going to have to pay, no matter how many drugs have to take, more than $2,000 bucks a month, period — period, period, period.  (Applause.)

And they’re still going to make money.  They’re still going to make money.

And, folks, I was told that that’s an awful thing to do, man.  It’s a terrible thing to do.  Guess what?  Not only is it saving the individual money, it means you, as taxpayers, are paying billions of dollars less per month because you don’t have to spend that money on Medicaid.  You don’t have to spend that money on Medicaid because it’s a fair price.

We get thou- — look, we — you know, we now have — we used to — before the recession, before the — the pandemic, we had about 700 billionaires in America.  There are 1,000 billionaires now.  You know what their average tax rate is?  Eight percent.

Raise your hand if you want to trade your tax rate now for 8 percent.  (Laughter.)  No, I’m not joking.  I — I’m being deadly earnest.  You know, it sou- — it sounds like I’m making this up: 8 percent, what they pay. 

That’s why I proposed the billionaire minimum tax of 25 percent.  That’s not even the top rate.  (Applause.) 

If billionaires and big corporations paid even close to their fair share, we could strengthen Social Security and Medicare, bring down the cost of childcare, eldercare.  Working-class and middle-class people would all be better off.  And it wouldn’t cost a penny because they’re making — $40 billion would be coming in.

And — and it’s not — I mean, it’s just — it’s just basic fairness.  You know, it’s the right thing to do, and we can get this done.  And I’ll be damned, in the last year of this administration, I’m going to get it done.  (Applause.) 

Let me close with this.  I’m going on too long.  I apol- — I get a little tied up here.  (Laughter.)

This bridge is important, but the story we’re writing is much bigger than that.

When you see the shovels in the ground and cranes in the sky and people hard at work on these projects, I hope you feel re- — a renewed sense pride — pride in your community, pride in what we can do, pride in America, pride in knowing we can get big things done still together in America.

We’re the only county in the world that’s come out of every crisis we’ve gotten into stronger than we went in.  Not a joke.  The only country in the world.  For God’s sake, this is the United States of America — United States of America.

And the real heroes in this whole story, the American people, are starting to speak up.  American workers, American people doing the work to bring communities back to their country in ways that are — that it was before — in the future.

That’s what America does.  That’s why I’ve been never more optimistic about the future.  We just have to remember who in God’s name we are.  We’re the United States of America, and there is nothing — nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. 

Let’s start working together, for God’s sake.

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

1:28 P.M. CST

The post Remarks by President Biden on Investing in America and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law | Superior, WI appeared first on The White House.

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

     Patrick John Fuchs, of Wisconsin, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board for a term expiring January 14, 2029.   (Reappointment)

     Tracey Ann Jacobson, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iraq.

     Almo J. Carter, of the District of Columbia, to be a Commissioner of the United States Parole Commission for a term of six years, vice J. Patricia Wilson Smoot, term expired.

     Liliana Ayalde, of Florida, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring June 26, 2026, vice Juan Carlos Iturregui, term expired.

     Marcela Escobari, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2026, vice Adolfo A. Franco, term expired.

     Julio Guity-Guevara, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring October 6, 2028, vice Eduardo Arriola, term expired.

     Maria Fabiana Jorge, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2028, vice Hector E. Morales, term expired.

     Brian A. Nichols, of Rhode Island, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2024, vice J. Kelly Ryan, term expired.

     Samuel E. Lathem, of Delaware, to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors for a term of five years, vice Albert DiClemente, term expired.

     John W. Leslie, Jr., of Connecticut, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation for a term expiring September 22, 2025.  (Reappointment)

     Monde Muyangwa, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation for a term expiring September 22, 2027, vice Linda I. Etim, term expired.

     Patrice J. Robinson, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2028, vice William B. Kilbride, term expired.

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NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

     Patrick John Fuchs, of Wisconsin, to be a Member of the Surface Transportation Board for a term expiring January 14, 2029.   (Reappointment)

     Tracey Ann Jacobson, of Virginia, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Iraq.

     Almo J. Carter, of the District of Columbia, to be a Commissioner of the United States Parole Commission for a term of six years, vice J. Patricia Wilson Smoot, term expired.

     Liliana Ayalde, of Florida, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring June 26, 2026, vice Juan Carlos Iturregui, term expired.

     Marcela Escobari, of Massachusetts, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2026, vice Adolfo A. Franco, term expired.

     Julio Guity-Guevara, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring October 6, 2028, vice Eduardo Arriola, term expired.

     Maria Fabiana Jorge, of the District of Columbia, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2028, vice Hector E. Morales, term expired.

     Brian A. Nichols, of Rhode Island, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Inter-American Foundation for a term expiring September 20, 2024, vice J. Kelly Ryan, term expired.

     Samuel E. Lathem, of Delaware, to be a Director of the Amtrak Board of Directors for a term of five years, vice Albert DiClemente, term expired.

     John W. Leslie, Jr., of Connecticut, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation for a term expiring September 22, 2025.  (Reappointment)

     Monde Muyangwa, of Maryland, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the African Development Foundation for a term expiring September 22, 2027, vice Linda I. Etim, term expired.

     Patrice J. Robinson, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2028, vice William B. Kilbride, term expired.

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