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This week marks 12 long, terrible years since American Austin Tice was abducted in Syria. We have repeatedly pressed the government of Syria to work with us so that we can, at last, bring Austin home. Today, I once again call for his immediate release.

The freedom of the press is essential, and journalists like Austin play a critical role informing the public and holding those in power accountable. We stand in solidarity with Austin, his family, and all Americans wrongfully detained and held hostage abroad. I will continue to do everything possible to advocate for and pursue his release and support his loved ones until he is safely returned home.

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As of today, entrepreneurs across the country have filed 19 million new business applications since Vice President Harris and I took office. That’s 19 million acts of hope and confidence in our economy. A record number of those businesses are being opened by Black, Latino, and women entrepreneurs—and it’s no accident. Our Administration supported small businesses when hundreds of thousands were at risk of closing during the pandemic and continues to invest in underserved businesses—more than doubling the number of loans to Black-, Latino-, and women-owned small businesses. While we fight to support entrepreneurs and build up the middle class, Congressional Republicans are threatening small businesses with cuts to the Small Business Administration and by putting big corporations first to cut their taxes and protect their loopholes.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on a Record 19 Million New Business Applications appeared first on The White House.

As of today, entrepreneurs across the country have filed 19 million new business applications since Vice President Harris and I took office. That’s 19 million acts of hope and confidence in our economy. A record number of those businesses are being opened by Black, Latino, and women entrepreneurs—and it’s no accident. Our Administration supported small businesses when hundreds of thousands were at risk of closing during the pandemic and continues to invest in underserved businesses—more than doubling the number of loans to Black-, Latino-, and women-owned small businesses. While we fight to support entrepreneurs and build up the middle class, Congressional Republicans are threatening small businesses with cuts to the Small Business Administration and by putting big corporations first to cut their taxes and protect their loopholes.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on a Record 19 Million New Business Applications appeared first on The White House.

Today’s report shows that we continue to make progress fighting inflation and lowering costs for American households. Inflation has fallen below 3% and core inflation has fallen to the lowest level since April 2021. We have more work to do to lower costs for hardworking Americans, but we are making real progress, with wages rising faster than prices for 17 months in a row.

Prices are still too high. Large corporations are sitting on record profits and not doing enough to lower prices. That’s why we are taking on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug prices. We’re cutting red tape to build more homes while taking on corporate landlords that unfairly increase rent. And we’re taking on price gouging and junk fees to lower everyday costs from groceries to air travel. Congressional Republicans would raise prices for middle class families while cutting taxes for billionaires and big corporations. While they try to take us back, we will fight for the future.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on the July Consumer Price Index appeared first on The White House.

Today’s report shows that we continue to make progress fighting inflation and lowering costs for American households. Inflation has fallen below 3% and core inflation has fallen to the lowest level since April 2021. We have more work to do to lower costs for hardworking Americans, but we are making real progress, with wages rising faster than prices for 17 months in a row.

Prices are still too high. Large corporations are sitting on record profits and not doing enough to lower prices. That’s why we are taking on Big Pharma to lower prescription drug prices. We’re cutting red tape to build more homes while taking on corporate landlords that unfairly increase rent. And we’re taking on price gouging and junk fees to lower everyday costs from groceries to air travel. Congressional Republicans would raise prices for middle class families while cutting taxes for billionaires and big corporations. While they try to take us back, we will fight for the future.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on the July Consumer Price Index appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Ernesto beginning on August 13, 2024, and continuing. 

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 78 municipalities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

Mr. Robert Little III of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

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

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The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Puerto Rico Emergency Declaration appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Ernesto beginning on August 13, 2024, and continuing. 

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 78 municipalities in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

Mr. Robert Little III of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

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

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The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Puerto Rico Emergency Declaration appeared first on The White House.

Louis Armstrong International Airport
Kenner, Louisiana

2:09 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  I just promoted the general to a two-star major general. 

Q    Congratulations.

THE PRESIDENT:  She’s — she’s lucky to — she — she has a congressman she’s got to take care of all the time.  (Laughter.)  But this is it.  Th- — that’s why we were up- — upstairs.  I was pinning it on.  So, I just want to let you know what we were doing.

Q    Mr. President, how important is it to make this announcement that will aid the cancer fight?

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s critically important.  I started this back in the administration with President — at — at the time, when I was vice president. 

And we found out that — I traveled to every major cancer research facility in the world.  And we found out that there — a lot more we could do if they shared more data and information.  It wasn’t being shared.  That was the Cancer Moonshot.

And then, when I got elected when I ran for president, I decided to set up a cancer facility patterned on DARPA, which is the Defense Intelligence Agency position that is separate and apart from everything else.  They’re the ones that came up with everything from — anyway, they — all of the major breakthroughs.

So, that’s what we’re doing with DARPA.  And we’re going to continue.  We’ve — a billion five the last three years, and we’re going to continue it. 

But we — I’ll let you get out of the sun. 

Q    Mr. President, are you very concerned about the situation in the Middle East?

THE PRESIDENT:  Of course I’m concerned about it.  We —

Q    Speaking to Benjamin Netanyahu, there have been reports that you told him to stop bullshitting.  Like, what exactly are you doing to put pressure on him to get to the table? 

THE PRESIDENT:  If I told you what pressure I was putting on, it wouldn’t be very much pressure, would it?

Anyway, so —

Q    Mr. President, what do you have to say about what’s happening in Russia and Ukraine?  Have you spoken with anyone in the Ukrainian government? 

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ve spoken with my staff on a regular basis probably every four or five hours for the last six or eight days.  And it’s — it’s creating a real dilemma for Putin.  And we’ve been in direct contact — constant contact with — with the Ukrainians. 

That’s all I’m going to say about it while it’s active.  Okay?

Q    On the Middle East.  Do you think you can still get to a ceasefire deal, or is that starting to be a distinct pos- — a distant possibility?

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s getting hard.  We’ll see what Ukrai- — we’ll see what Iran does, and we’ll see what happens if there’s any attack.  But I’m not giving up.

Q    Are those two things tied together?  Is — do you have the understanding that Iran could cease or stop doing a — an action if a ceasefire deal was possible?

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s my expectation, but we’ll see. 

Thank you.

2:12 P.M. CDT

The post Remarks by President Biden After Air Force One Arrival | Kenner, LA appeared first on The White House.

Aboard Air Force One
En Route New Orleans, Louisiana

1:58 P.M. EDT

AIDE: I just want to make sure everyone knows it’s Karine’s birthday, so make sure you wish her happy birthday.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.) Aw.

Q Happy birthday!

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh! Who told you guys? What! (Laughter.)

All right. Thank you. Thanks, everybody. All right. Here we go.

So, as you guys know, we’re on our way to New Orleans, where President Biden and the first lady will participate in a tour and deliver remarks on how the President’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health — ARPA-H — program is fast-tracking progress in how we prevent, treat, and detect cancer.

The president worked with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to establish ARPA-H to drive breakthroughs in cancer and other diseases. In the first two years, ARPA-H has invested more than $400 million.

During the event, the president and the first lady will announce up to $150 million in ARPA-H funding that will go to some of our nation’s cutting-edge cancer research institutions, including Tulane University.

The president and the first lady’s leadership on the Cancer Moonshot has delivered significant results to achieve the ambitious, achievable goals they set to reduce the cancer death rate by at least half in the U.S. by 2047, which would save more than 4 million lives and to improve the experience of Americans touched by cancer.

They’re very proud of this initiative, it is a deeply personal one, and it’s one they will remain focused on advancing.

With that, I will turn it over to Dr. Renee We- — Wegrzyn — Wegrzyn —

DR. WEGRZYN: Wegrzyn.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — oh, thank goodness — director of ARPA-H. Thank you so much for (inaudible), Doc. Go ahead.

DR. WEGRZYN: Thank you. Happy to be here. Thanks, Karine.

Surgical procedures are often the first treatment option for some 2 million Americans diagnosed with cancer every year, but a lack of precision in those surgeries can lead to repeat surgeries, harder recoveries, cancer recurrence, and higher health care costs.

Our hope is to advance cancer surgery so that we remove cancer the first time and every time. This is why President Biden established ARPA-H two years ago to drive these types of innovation and fast-track that progress.

Today, ARPA-H is announcing up to $150 million to develop novel technologies to remove cancerous tumors with higher accuracy. Tulane is one of the teams selected by our Precision Surgical Interventions — or PSI — program.

The innovations sought are in two technical areas. The first, which President Biden and the first lady will firsthand see at Tulane, is focused on visualizing the surface of tumors, both excised and still in the body, at cellular resolution and identifying any cancer cells left. If there are, the surgeon will remove more tissue prior to closing up the patient.

Funded teams will develop different microscopy techniques to do this work, and the images will be read and classified automatically using AI and machine learning and assisted capabilities without a pathologist in the OR.

In addition to Tulane, other funded teams include Rice University, the University of Washington, the University of California at San Francisco, the University of Illinois Champai- — Urbana-Champaign, and Johns Hopkins University.

The second focus area is on making critical anatomy more visible to surgeons, reducing unintentional injuries to structures like nerves, blood vessels, or lymph ducts. Funded teams include Johns Hopkins, Dartmouth College, and Cision Vision.

PSI is just one of ARPA-H’s programs driving progress in President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden’s Cancer Moonshot. In ARPA-H’s short two-year history, we’ve already invested over $400 million in cancer-focused efforts.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. With that, Will, do you want to kick us off?

Q Perfect. Thanks. Happy birthday again.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks. I appreciate it.

Q I’ve got two — two questions. On —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Do you have any questions for the doc first?

Q I do not.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Who has questions for the doc? And then, we’ll let her go. If any — no questions?

Q I guess I just have one about just the prospect of sort of ending cancer. And, you know, it’s something that President Biden has worked on for a long time and has been very concerned about.

I mean, how realistic is it that we’re going to see significant drops and changes in cancer rates and deaths?

DR. WEGRZYN: You want to me to take this one?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, you take this one. Yeah.

DR. WEGRZYN: So, I’ll — I’ll start off. So, I think that is part of the — the vision of ARPA-H is to go after some of those really bold breakthrough technologies. The $400 million we’re investing — right? — just from cancer surgery, like you’ll hear about today, all the way to tuning your immune system and to even screening and making sure we catch cancers earlier with our new Poseidon program.

And so, I do think it’s that — that accumulation of those multiple ex- — experiments, really — those projects to attack those different angles of cancer over time will start to really minimize those risks.

Q I mean, it’s called a “moonshot.”

DR. WEGRZYN: Right.

Q Is it sort of pie in the sky?

DR. WEGRZYN: Yeah, right. Absolutely.

Q Is it like — you know, is it — how — how realistic is it?

DR. WEGRZYN: Well, I think that’s what ARPAs do really well is we — we look at those moonshots and we break down those challenges into those bite-sized projects and programs that really allow us to deliverable — deliver measurable progress forward.

And so, I do think it is achievable and we have to make these investments in order to close that gap. It’s the only way to do it.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Inaudible.)

Q (Inaudible) continue after the president is no — no longer the president? Like, are — you know, do you expect the same level of investment and focus on this issue?

DR. WEGRZYN: So, an ARPA-H investment is agnostic to the disease or technology. We look for those areas where our investment will have that asymmetrical advancement to the state-of-the-art.

And so, in the case of the PSI program, you’re here on the week that we’re kicking it off. And so, that project will take place over the course of four or five years. And those teams — excuse me — will have milestones that we’ll be monitoring over time.

So, this will absolutely extend well into the future and we’ll be launching new projects as new programs and program managers are added to the agency.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. All right. Thanks, doc. Appreciate it.

DR. WEGRZYN: Thank you very much.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much.

Q Just to be clear, the 150 is part of the 400?

DR. WEGRZYN: Yes. Correct.

Q Is it the first money being dispersed?

DR. WEGRZYN: No, it’s not. So, the current effort that I had the pleasure of traveling with Dr. Biden last year at Emory University was the — the initial first investments in Cancer Moonshot.

And so, around the corner, we’re making these awards for PSI. But in a few months, we’ll be making awards on our Poseidon program that we just — that we just launched last week, which is a cancer screening program to really push into — have low-cost solutions so that everybody will have that equal access to that cancer screening.

Q Would you say that’s in a few months — the —

DR. WEGRZYN: It launched last week, and that’s that call for proposals, call for solicitation. We’re looking for those teams of solvers that — that will be making those awards. And those awards will come several months after we’ve received those proposals and do those reviews.

Q Will that happen before the electi- — before the election?

DR. WEGRZYN: No, it — no, it will not. So, the Proposers’ Day happens September 4th. This is where you hear the vision of the program managers. Proposals will be due about a month after that. And then, the program manager needs several months to review those — those applications. So, it’ll be winter next year.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, and it’s al- — it’s also not about politics, right? This is something that the — that is incredibly personal to the president and the first lady. This is, you know — this is a new approach, a new agency to find breakthroughs in dealing with something that affects millions of Americans — and not just millions of Americans but, obviously, their families as well — Americans that are going through — going to have to deal with cancer but also their families.

So, this is — as you know, this is — and I said at the top — this is very personal to them. This is not about politics. This is really, truly about saving lives.

DR. WEGRZYN: Excellent.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right.

DR. WEGRZYN: Yep. Great.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, Doc.

Will.

Q Terrific. Okay. So, two things. So, on the Ukraine incursion into Russia. Did the U.S. have a heads-up at all that that was coming beforehand? Is the U.S. playing any kind of leadership role or helping to guide that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

Q And —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Absolutely not.

Q — is there any prohibition against the use of U.S. weapons as part of it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I will say: No, we had nothing to do with this. This is something for the Ukrainians to speak to their military operations. Our policy — right? — has not changed on this.

What we are going continue to do, as we have been for the past two y- — two — more than two-plus years, is to continue to, you know, provide Ukraine with the assistance that they need to stop the aggression or to beat back the aggression of Russia.

Obviously, they are — they are attacking — Russia is attacking their sovereignty, their freedom. And Ukrainian people have been incredibly brave in what they’ve been able to do.

But we have no involvement. We’ll continue to have conversations with the Ukrainians about their approach. But it is really for them to speak to. I don’t have anything else to add.

Q Might this escalate the war, you think?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I just — I’m not going to speculate from here. I’m not going to speculate.

Remember, this is Russia’s war. This is their invasion. This is their aggression into a — a sovereign country. And the Ukrainians have been incredibly brave in beating back that aggression.

Q Okay. I got a — one more topic. On the hack. When was the FBI informed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So —

Q And —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q And — and the other part of that is: Is there any indication that any other political entity has been infected, like Senate race campaigns or, I don’t know, super PACs, something like that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, with that, the investigation, what’s being looked into, that’s for — something for the Department of Justice and the FBI to speak to. I can’t speak to that from here.

As we have said many times, it’s — more broadly — right? — the Biden-Harris administration surely condemns any foreign government or entity who attempt to interfere in our el- — electoral process or seek to undermine confidence in our democratic institutions.

So, we take any reports of this type of activity incredibly seriously. But as far as detail, specifics, that’s something for the Department of Justice —

Q Can you say when the FBI was notified, at least?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Say that one more time.

Q When was the FBI notified that this occurred?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, that — I mean, that really is something for DOJ and the FBI to speak to. I can’t speak to that from here.

Q Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Thank you.

Q — just on — a follow-up on the question on Kursk. You said that, you know, we had nothing to do with it.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q But were you given a heads-up —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. No.

Q No — no advance notice?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

Q Has the president spoken to anyone, you know, in the Ukrainian government? Is he — is he going to talk to —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I don’t —

Q — Volodymyr Zelenskyy?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — have anything — I don’t have anything to share on — I don’t have anything to share on any conversations.

As you know, there was a conversation that he’s had with allies and partners yesterday. One of the topic was our continued support for Ukraine. I just don’t have anything to share beyond that.

As it relates to their military operations, that’s something Ukraine should speak to. And so, I’ll just leave it at that.

Q Okay. And then on the Middle East. The — you know, the hope had been that there would be a ceasefire deal reached long before now. There — you know, do you see any opportunity to proceed if Hamas is refusing to come back to the table?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, obviously, we’re aware of the comments. What we expect is that we fully expect to — to move forward, as they should. As you know, August 15th is when folks are going to come back to the table. All negotiators should return to that table and bring this deal to conclusion.

It is time for Hamas to release the hostages, which include American citizens, and bring relief to the people of Gaza under the deal that is now on the table. And that’s what the president ha- — and his team has been working on around the clock, and that’s what we want to — want to see.

Q How exasperated is the president with Benjamin Netanyahu? There was, you know — I mean, he’s been pushing him, been giving him the backing to say, “We’ll support you. We defend y- — support your right to defend yourself.” But there have been continued attacks. You’ve been asked about that. You know, is there some level of frustration that’s rising?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, our — our c- — our commitment to Israel to be able to defend itself is ironclad. That will stand. That will be — that will continue.

As you know — you’ve heard me say, and you’ve heard my NSC colleagues say it — the president and the prime minister have had decades-long relationship. It is a honest relationship. Because of that long-term relationship, they’re — the president is able to be very direct with the prime minister.

And — so, you know, I will say that nothing has changed.

Look, we want to continue to do everything that we can to get a ceasefire. That’s how we believe the de-escalation will happen in the region. That’s how we believe to get hostages home, to get more — to more — more of the humanitarian aid in, and to end this war.

That’s what this president wants to see. So, diploma- — we want to see that done in a diplomatic way.

And I do h- — I want to share that, as I’ve said, we’ve worked diplomatically and militarily to deter any further escalation by Iran and its proxy terrorist — terrorist groups against Israel and to support border de-escalation in the region.

As part of those effort, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has directed Coordinator for the Middle East Brett McGurk and Senior Advisor Amas — Amos Hochstein — Hochstein to travel to the region. Brett will travel to Cairo and then onwards to Doha. Als- — Amos will travel to Beirut.

And so — and as — as it relates to the State Department, I know there’s been conversation about the secretary of state and also Director Burns. I would refer you to their respective agencies.

But, again, this — what we believe the best way to move forward is to — to do this in a diplomatic way. That’s what you’ve seen the president do, certainly, the last couple of weeks. Now you see his team is going to be on the ground in the region to continue that dip- — those diplomatic efforts. And we’re going to continue to work on that hostage deal, that ceasefire deal. We believe it is the best way to move forward when we talk about de-escalating the tension in the Middle East.

Q Last night, President Trump, in conversation with Elon Musk, suggested that a second country had an Iron Done — Dome system. President — former President Trump’s suggestion of the Iron Dome, is that accurate? And is there any concern that he potentially revealed classified information or —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look — so, there’s a lot to unpack with that conversation last night. That is more — I think it’s something that the campaign can speak to since
Donald Trump is certainly a — a presidential candidate. So, I’m just not going to — I’m not going to g- — dive into — dive into that at this time.

Q Okay. And then, next, the president had previously said that he, you know, had planned to visit Africa after winning reelection. Now that he is no longer running, is there — is he still, I guess, planning to make that trip to Africa? Do you have any plans —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So —

Q — or guidance you can share there?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Once we have anything to share on travel, whether domestically or foreign — foreign travel, we certainly will share that with you. Obviously, the next five months are incredibly important to the — to the president on delivering for the American people, whether it is domestic issues or foreign policy, national security issues.

Everything that the president does, obviously, is focused on the American people. Don’t have anything to share with you on travel. But as soon as we lock anything in and we’re ready to announce it, obviously, you all will — will know.

Q Just as a follow-up about the Elon Musk X conversation. Did the president tune in to that at all? And was there any more broad response to — I mean, there was a lot of criticism to the president’s record, for example, on the border.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, you know, I certainly didn’t watch it. I didn’t speak to the president about it. It’s not our focus. I mean, really — it really isn’t.

Our focus right now is today. We’re going to be in New Orleans. We’re going to talk about an — an incredibly important issue to both the president and the first lady and the vice president — our administration, more broadly — which is Cancer Moonshot, this important min- — announcement — $150 million announcement that you’ll see the president speak to. Not going to get ahead of he and the — and the first lady.

And so, this is important. This is truly an important day. That’s our focus.

As it relates to the border, you’ve heard me talk about how the president worked for a couple of months to get that really all-important bipartisan border deal to get — to make sure there are more Border Patrol agents, to make sure that we’re dealing with the challenges at the border.

And Republicans who came forward, sat at the table with us, and negotiated, they walked away from it. They voted twice against their own deal because the former president told them not to move forward with it because it would be good politics for Joe Biden and bad politics for him.

And so, that is where we are. Instead of being with the American people — majority of American people, Republicans didn’t — that voted against the interests of Americans.

And so, we want to move forward. As it relates to the border, we want to move forward and really deliver a real way — path forward to dealing with the immigration — a broken immigration system that’s been broken for decades. That’s what the president wants to see. That’s what the vice president wants to see.

And those are the facts. Like, those are the facts. And that’s the only thing that I can speak to.

Q Okay. And the second follow-up about the border. Numbers have been down for the last five or six months quite substantially compared to the end of last year. Is the — is the expectation that that will continue over the coming months or if it will — will the numbers start to trickle up again?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean — I mean, look, so, we believe the best way to move forward is legislation. We believe the best way to do that is to do it in a bipartisan way. That’s why the president worked for a couple of months to get that done.

And we had something on the table that would have been the toughest, the taire- — the fairest border legislation — border deal legislation — immigration legislation that we had seen in some time.

Republicans walked away from their own negotiating process. And they also walked away from the American people.

So, the president took action. Right? And he put forth some processes, and we have seen a drop at — at the border, which is good, which is something that, obviously, we wanted to see.

I can’t speak to — right? — there’s an influx — you hear talk about, like, every month that they’re — depending on the season, it — influx, what’s happening at the border. So, don’t — I can’t — I can’t predict what it’s going to look like.

What I can say is this president, this vice president, and this administration is going to do everything that we can to deal with the challenges that we’re seeing at the border. And right now, we’re doing it on our own — right? — because Republicans in Congress don’t — they don’t want it.

Q On that point, the president had previously suggested maybe returning to legislation — immigration legislation. Is — is that being seen and done in earnest at all? Or are you —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, we want to see that. Again, that bipartisan border legislation that was going to — that was the deal that was going to come out of the Senate — or that came out of the Senate — would have been the toughest and the fairest. We want to see that moving forward.

We’re not getting in the way of that. We’re ready. We’re ready to move forward. Republicans in Congress are getting in the way of that. So, they got to get out of their own way in order to deal with an issue that matters, again, to a majority of Americans.

We are ready. We are ready anytime to move forward with that — with that negotiation that was put forth in the Senate. They’re — but we can’t do it by oursel- —

Q Karine, there —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — by ourselves, right? It’s a bipartisan way to — path to move forward.

Go ahead.

Q There was a — a lot of sort of pushback yesterday to the Time is Money initiative where, you know, the Chamber of Commerce and others say it’s going to add unnecessary layers of bureaucracy and regulation. What do you say to that?

And is the president planning further actions? We’ve seen the junk fees. We’ve seen —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — greedflation initiatives.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Are we expecting more in coming months?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, this administration is going to continue to stand up for consumers and hold corporate — corporations accountable when they take actions that harm people, period. At the same time, we’ll continue to work with companies from a variety of industries to lower costs and create good-paying jobs.

If your business — this is for example — if your business needs to trap and trick customers into keeping services they no longer need, then there is something wrong with your business model. There just is.

With stronger rules of the road in place, companies can compete on the basis of price and quality of service and stop engaging in a race of — to the bottom by hitting consumers with supir- — surprise fees; hidden contact — hidden contract terms; or unnecessary hurdles that waste their time and money.

That’s what our Time as — is Money initiative is all about. And that’s what you’ve seen. Whether it’s junk fees — right? — we are going to do everything that we can. This is part of that lowering costs that we talked about and also just getting rid of cost that is unnecessary.

On Thursday, you’re going to hear from both the president and the vice president. We’re going to make an announcement on what — the next steps that we’re doing to lower costs. I’m not going to get ahead of them. Obviously, we’ll share a little bit more as we get closer to Thursday.

But that has always been our focus — right? — lowering costs for Americans, protecting — having their backs — having workers’ backs as they’re being taken advantage of by corporations. And that’s not okay. That’s not okay for this president or this vice president.

Q So, the pre- — that Thursday event that you’re talking about is the culmination of the negotiations on prescription drug prices?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to get ahead of the announcement, but it will be a lower cost announcement. And I think this is about the American people. This is about the right thing to do, how to protect consumers, how to protect American families, and so — and how to continue to lower costs for them.

And that’s what you’re going to hear from — from both the president and vice president.

Q Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Yeah.

Q Yesterday, John Kirby told reporters that a impact — Iran’s attack on Israel could impact this ceasefire negotiation deal coming to the table. Is the administration still confident in this ability to move forward?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We are very much going to do everything that we can to move forward. Right? We believe negotiators should come to the table. We believe getting to a ceasefire deal is the best way to de-escalate the tensions that we’re seeing.

But not only that ceasefire — stopping the war — the president wants to end the war. He wants to see hostages, including American hostages, come home. He wants to make sure the people of Gaza get in — get more humanitarian aid. I mean, this is — we believe the best way to move forward is having these diplomatic talks.

We’re going to see the continuation of the conversation for the ceasefire deal happening in Doha on August 15th, which is just in two days, on — on Thursday.

And so, we encourage everyone — we want to see everybody come back to the table. And that is — we believe getting that ceasefire deal — the president believes this — is the best way to go here. And so, we’re going to continue to work around the clock to get that done.

Q Can I ask you a quick one? Piggybacking off of that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q You know, Israel expanded some of its demands for a ceasefire past what the U.S. had originally. Does the U.S. agree with the — with those expansions?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to negotiate in public. I’m just not. I’m going to let folks who are the experts on this sit around the negotiating table and talk this through. I’m just not going to — I’m not going to negotiate in public.

All right?

Q Just one other thing on student loans.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q We’re waiting to see if the Supreme Court might step in to the challenges on the SAVE Plan that have been pending for a while. Does the president have a message to the 8 million Americans that have enrolled up to this point and could be in jeopardy of losing that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, this president has been acting since day one — obviously, I’m not going to talk to leti- — litigation. He’s acting since day one to make sure that he gives American families a little bit of breathing room. And — and one of those ways is dealing with student loans.

And you’ve seen him act — even when Republicans have gotten in the way, you’ve seen him act and take action with that.

You have 168 — he has been able to cancel more than $168 billion in debt for nearly 5 million. So, he’s taken action. He’s going to continue to do that. The SAVE Plan obviously is — is one — is one way of doing that — continuing on that.

And so, that’s his message. His message to millions of Americans across the country is that he has their backs and he’s going to continue to take action. I’m not going to speak to the SAVE Plan, as it’s in the litigation.

Q Kar- — Karine, how is the president feeling with the DNC right around the corner now? I mean, what’s kind of his — his energy, his mood, his vibe? How’s he —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, yeah, you’ll see a little bit of his vibe later — (laughter) — later today.

So, look, it’s — it’s a political event, so going to be mindful on not talking about too much going into that — to — to details. But what I will say is that, as you heard the president underline in his CBS interview, he is proud that we have built the strongest record of any modern administration, and we’re fighting hard to deliver more results for middle-class families.

President Biden and Vice President Harris inherited a country that was paralyzed because of COVID. It was a once-in-a-century pandemic. And what they were able to do by passing the American Rescue Plan — that only Democrats voted on — very early in the first four months into his administration was get shots in arms, money in pockets, open up schools, open up businesses. And so, that is something that this president is very much proud of; this vice president is very much proud of.

We acted and turned out — turned all of — of that around, obviously: ending the pandemic, delivering the strongest job and economic growth in the world, and the lowest violent cri- — and the lowest violent crime rate in nearly 50 years.

And so, now we’re — we’re fighting to give tax relief to middle-class families, have the wealth[y] pay their fair share, to restore the protections of Roe, and pass tough bipartisan border security deal.

And on the other side — MAGA economics — what they want to do is give tax cuts to billionaires and corporations. They want to gu- — gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. I mean, that’s what they want to put forward, and what that’s going to do is hurt working families.

And so, what this president and this vice president is going to do is continue to fight for working families. And so, that’s what I can speak to. That’s what you can expect the president to continue to speak to and the vice president, certainly not just next week but beyond next week.

Q Former President Trump a couple days ago suggested, I think for the second time, that it would make sense to cut taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors on Medicare. What is the position on that —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, we’ve been very clear.

Q — (inaudible)?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, got to be mindful because he’s a candidate. But the president has always said he’s going to protect Social Security, he’s going to protect Medicare, he’s going to prote- — protect Medicaid. We’ve — we’ve heard him —

Q But this one — this isn’t about cutting So- — Social Security. It’s about cutting, you know, or reducing the taxes or eliminating the taxes that people are — have to pay on their Social Security payments, benefits.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, yeah, I hear you. And so, look, I’m going to be really mindful. I’m not speaking to that directly because it’s a — it’s a campaign issue, so the campaign can speak to that.

We’ve always said that we’re going to protect — protect Americans, especially as it deals with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. That has always been our commitment.

Republicans have always said the opposite — always said the opposite. We saw that during the State of the Union, not just this past one but the one before. But they’ve been pretty consistent on how they see moving forward with Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, which is gutting it, cutting it, and making it more harmful to Americans.

So, we’re going to f- — we’re going to protect them. We’re going to protect those really important programs that matter to millions of Americans across the country. And so, that’s what I can speak to. I’m just not going to speak to — to specific policies at this moment.

All right?

Q So, the president, he’s obviously d- — in New — New Orleans for the Moonshot event today, and then he’s thinking about the DNC next week. Is he starting to think about his post-presidency? Is there — is there anything you can share about what he —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, you’re going to hear directly from the president in the next — you know, next week and the next couple of weeks. I think his CBS interview and also his Oval address that he gave right after he decided to step aside gave you a little bit of insight of his thinking process of how proud he was to have — to be doing this job.

And so, I’m going to not get ahead of him. He’ll lay that out for all of you. But this is a president that has taken his presidency very seriously. And you see that with the unprecedented, you know, actions that he’s taken — historic presidency that he’s had. And so, you’ll hear fr- — more from him, so I don’t want to get ahead of this president.

All right. Thanks, everybody.

Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: My ears —

Q Happy birthday.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much. My ears are popping.

Q Happy birthday.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much.

2:27 P.M. EDT

The post Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health Director Dr. Renee Wegrzyn En Route New Orleans, LA appeared first on The White House.

Aboard Air Force One
En Route New Orleans, Louisiana

1:58 P.M. EDT

AIDE: I just want to make sure everyone knows it’s Karine’s birthday, so make sure you wish her happy birthday.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.) Aw.

Q Happy birthday!

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh! Who told you guys? What! (Laughter.)

All right. Thank you. Thanks, everybody. All right. Here we go.

So, as you guys know, we’re on our way to New Orleans, where President Biden and the first lady will participate in a tour and deliver remarks on how the President’s Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health — ARPA-H — program is fast-tracking progress in how we prevent, treat, and detect cancer.

The president worked with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to establish ARPA-H to drive breakthroughs in cancer and other diseases. In the first two years, ARPA-H has invested more than $400 million.

During the event, the president and the first lady will announce up to $150 million in ARPA-H funding that will go to some of our nation’s cutting-edge cancer research institutions, including Tulane University.

The president and the first lady’s leadership on the Cancer Moonshot has delivered significant results to achieve the ambitious, achievable goals they set to reduce the cancer death rate by at least half in the U.S. by 2047, which would save more than 4 million lives and to improve the experience of Americans touched by cancer.

They’re very proud of this initiative, it is a deeply personal one, and it’s one they will remain focused on advancing.

With that, I will turn it over to Dr. Renee We- — Wegrzyn — Wegrzyn —

DR. WEGRZYN: Wegrzyn.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — oh, thank goodness — director of ARPA-H. Thank you so much for (inaudible), Doc. Go ahead.

DR. WEGRZYN: Thank you. Happy to be here. Thanks, Karine.

Surgical procedures are often the first treatment option for some 2 million Americans diagnosed with cancer every year, but a lack of precision in those surgeries can lead to repeat surgeries, harder recoveries, cancer recurrence, and higher health care costs.

Our hope is to advance cancer surgery so that we remove cancer the first time and every time. This is why President Biden established ARPA-H two years ago to drive these types of innovation and fast-track that progress.

Today, ARPA-H is announcing up to $150 million to develop novel technologies to remove cancerous tumors with higher accuracy. Tulane is one of the teams selected by our Precision Surgical Interventions — or PSI — program.

The innovations sought are in two technical areas. The first, which President Biden and the first lady will firsthand see at Tulane, is focused on visualizing the surface of tumors, both excised and still in the body, at cellular resolution and identifying any cancer cells left. If there are, the surgeon will remove more tissue prior to closing up the patient.

Funded teams will develop different microscopy techniques to do this work, and the images will be read and classified automatically using AI and machine learning and assisted capabilities without a pathologist in the OR.

In addition to Tulane, other funded teams include Rice University, the University of Washington, the University of California at San Francisco, the University of Illinois Champai- — Urbana-Champaign, and Johns Hopkins University.

The second focus area is on making critical anatomy more visible to surgeons, reducing unintentional injuries to structures like nerves, blood vessels, or lymph ducts. Funded teams include Johns Hopkins, Dartmouth College, and Cision Vision.

PSI is just one of ARPA-H’s programs driving progress in President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden’s Cancer Moonshot. In ARPA-H’s short two-year history, we’ve already invested over $400 million in cancer-focused efforts.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. With that, Will, do you want to kick us off?

Q Perfect. Thanks. Happy birthday again.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks. I appreciate it.

Q I’ve got two — two questions. On —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Do you have any questions for the doc first?

Q I do not.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Who has questions for the doc? And then, we’ll let her go. If any — no questions?

Q I guess I just have one about just the prospect of sort of ending cancer. And, you know, it’s something that President Biden has worked on for a long time and has been very concerned about.

I mean, how realistic is it that we’re going to see significant drops and changes in cancer rates and deaths?

DR. WEGRZYN: You want to me to take this one?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, you take this one. Yeah.

DR. WEGRZYN: So, I’ll — I’ll start off. So, I think that is part of the — the vision of ARPA-H is to go after some of those really bold breakthrough technologies. The $400 million we’re investing — right? — just from cancer surgery, like you’ll hear about today, all the way to tuning your immune system and to even screening and making sure we catch cancers earlier with our new Poseidon program.

And so, I do think it’s that — that accumulation of those multiple ex- — experiments, really — those projects to attack those different angles of cancer over time will start to really minimize those risks.

Q I mean, it’s called a “moonshot.”

DR. WEGRZYN: Right.

Q Is it sort of pie in the sky?

DR. WEGRZYN: Yeah, right. Absolutely.

Q Is it like — you know, is it — how — how realistic is it?

DR. WEGRZYN: Well, I think that’s what ARPAs do really well is we — we look at those moonshots and we break down those challenges into those bite-sized projects and programs that really allow us to deliverable — deliver measurable progress forward.

And so, I do think it is achievable and we have to make these investments in order to close that gap. It’s the only way to do it.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Inaudible.)

Q (Inaudible) continue after the president is no — no longer the president? Like, are — you know, do you expect the same level of investment and focus on this issue?

DR. WEGRZYN: So, an ARPA-H investment is agnostic to the disease or technology. We look for those areas where our investment will have that asymmetrical advancement to the state-of-the-art.

And so, in the case of the PSI program, you’re here on the week that we’re kicking it off. And so, that project will take place over the course of four or five years. And those teams — excuse me — will have milestones that we’ll be monitoring over time.

So, this will absolutely extend well into the future and we’ll be launching new projects as new programs and program managers are added to the agency.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. All right. Thanks, doc. Appreciate it.

DR. WEGRZYN: Thank you very much.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much.

Q Just to be clear, the 150 is part of the 400?

DR. WEGRZYN: Yes. Correct.

Q Is it the first money being dispersed?

DR. WEGRZYN: No, it’s not. So, the current effort that I had the pleasure of traveling with Dr. Biden last year at Emory University was the — the initial first investments in Cancer Moonshot.

And so, around the corner, we’re making these awards for PSI. But in a few months, we’ll be making awards on our Poseidon program that we just — that we just launched last week, which is a cancer screening program to really push into — have low-cost solutions so that everybody will have that equal access to that cancer screening.

Q Would you say that’s in a few months — the —

DR. WEGRZYN: It launched last week, and that’s that call for proposals, call for solicitation. We’re looking for those teams of solvers that — that will be making those awards. And those awards will come several months after we’ve received those proposals and do those reviews.

Q Will that happen before the electi- — before the election?

DR. WEGRZYN: No, it — no, it will not. So, the Proposers’ Day happens September 4th. This is where you hear the vision of the program managers. Proposals will be due about a month after that. And then, the program manager needs several months to review those — those applications. So, it’ll be winter next year.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, and it’s al- — it’s also not about politics, right? This is something that the — that is incredibly personal to the president and the first lady. This is, you know — this is a new approach, a new agency to find breakthroughs in dealing with something that affects millions of Americans — and not just millions of Americans but, obviously, their families as well — Americans that are going through — going to have to deal with cancer but also their families.

So, this is — as you know, this is — and I said at the top — this is very personal to them. This is not about politics. This is really, truly about saving lives.

DR. WEGRZYN: Excellent.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right.

DR. WEGRZYN: Yep. Great.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, Doc.

Will.

Q Terrific. Okay. So, two things. So, on the Ukraine incursion into Russia. Did the U.S. have a heads-up at all that that was coming beforehand? Is the U.S. playing any kind of leadership role or helping to guide that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

Q And —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Absolutely not.

Q — is there any prohibition against the use of U.S. weapons as part of it?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I will say: No, we had nothing to do with this. This is something for the Ukrainians to speak to their military operations. Our policy — right? — has not changed on this.

What we are going continue to do, as we have been for the past two y- — two — more than two-plus years, is to continue to, you know, provide Ukraine with the assistance that they need to stop the aggression or to beat back the aggression of Russia.

Obviously, they are — they are attacking — Russia is attacking their sovereignty, their freedom. And Ukrainian people have been incredibly brave in what they’ve been able to do.

But we have no involvement. We’ll continue to have conversations with the Ukrainians about their approach. But it is really for them to speak to. I don’t have anything else to add.

Q Might this escalate the war, you think?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I just — I’m not going to speculate from here. I’m not going to speculate.

Remember, this is Russia’s war. This is their invasion. This is their aggression into a — a sovereign country. And the Ukrainians have been incredibly brave in beating back that aggression.

Q Okay. I got a — one more topic. On the hack. When was the FBI informed?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So —

Q And —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q And — and the other part of that is: Is there any indication that any other political entity has been infected, like Senate race campaigns or, I don’t know, super PACs, something like that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, with that, the investigation, what’s being looked into, that’s for — something for the Department of Justice and the FBI to speak to. I can’t speak to that from here.

As we have said many times, it’s — more broadly — right? — the Biden-Harris administration surely condemns any foreign government or entity who attempt to interfere in our el- — electoral process or seek to undermine confidence in our democratic institutions.

So, we take any reports of this type of activity incredibly seriously. But as far as detail, specifics, that’s something for the Department of Justice —

Q Can you say when the FBI was notified, at least?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Say that one more time.

Q When was the FBI notified that this occurred?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, that — I mean, that really is something for DOJ and the FBI to speak to. I can’t speak to that from here.

Q Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Thank you.

Q — just on — a follow-up on the question on Kursk. You said that, you know, we had nothing to do with it.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q But were you given a heads-up —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No. No.

Q No — no advance notice?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

Q Has the president spoken to anyone, you know, in the Ukrainian government? Is he — is he going to talk to —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I don’t —

Q — Volodymyr Zelenskyy?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — have anything — I don’t have anything to share on — I don’t have anything to share on any conversations.

As you know, there was a conversation that he’s had with allies and partners yesterday. One of the topic was our continued support for Ukraine. I just don’t have anything to share beyond that.

As it relates to their military operations, that’s something Ukraine should speak to. And so, I’ll just leave it at that.

Q Okay. And then on the Middle East. The — you know, the hope had been that there would be a ceasefire deal reached long before now. There — you know, do you see any opportunity to proceed if Hamas is refusing to come back to the table?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, obviously, we’re aware of the comments. What we expect is that we fully expect to — to move forward, as they should. As you know, August 15th is when folks are going to come back to the table. All negotiators should return to that table and bring this deal to conclusion.

It is time for Hamas to release the hostages, which include American citizens, and bring relief to the people of Gaza under the deal that is now on the table. And that’s what the president ha- — and his team has been working on around the clock, and that’s what we want to — want to see.

Q How exasperated is the president with Benjamin Netanyahu? There was, you know — I mean, he’s been pushing him, been giving him the backing to say, “We’ll support you. We defend y- — support your right to defend yourself.” But there have been continued attacks. You’ve been asked about that. You know, is there some level of frustration that’s rising?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, our — our c- — our commitment to Israel to be able to defend itself is ironclad. That will stand. That will be — that will continue.

As you know — you’ve heard me say, and you’ve heard my NSC colleagues say it — the president and the prime minister have had decades-long relationship. It is a honest relationship. Because of that long-term relationship, they’re — the president is able to be very direct with the prime minister.

And — so, you know, I will say that nothing has changed.

Look, we want to continue to do everything that we can to get a ceasefire. That’s how we believe the de-escalation will happen in the region. That’s how we believe to get hostages home, to get more — to more — more of the humanitarian aid in, and to end this war.

That’s what this president wants to see. So, diploma- — we want to see that done in a diplomatic way.

And I do h- — I want to share that, as I’ve said, we’ve worked diplomatically and militarily to deter any further escalation by Iran and its proxy terrorist — terrorist groups against Israel and to support border de-escalation in the region.

As part of those effort, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has directed Coordinator for the Middle East Brett McGurk and Senior Advisor Amas — Amos Hochstein — Hochstein to travel to the region. Brett will travel to Cairo and then onwards to Doha. Als- — Amos will travel to Beirut.

And so — and as — as it relates to the State Department, I know there’s been conversation about the secretary of state and also Director Burns. I would refer you to their respective agencies.

But, again, this — what we believe the best way to move forward is to — to do this in a diplomatic way. That’s what you’ve seen the president do, certainly, the last couple of weeks. Now you see his team is going to be on the ground in the region to continue that dip- — those diplomatic efforts. And we’re going to continue to work on that hostage deal, that ceasefire deal. We believe it is the best way to move forward when we talk about de-escalating the tension in the Middle East.

Q Last night, President Trump, in conversation with Elon Musk, suggested that a second country had an Iron Done — Dome system. President — former President Trump’s suggestion of the Iron Dome, is that accurate? And is there any concern that he potentially revealed classified information or —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look — so, there’s a lot to unpack with that conversation last night. That is more — I think it’s something that the campaign can speak to since
Donald Trump is certainly a — a presidential candidate. So, I’m just not going to — I’m not going to g- — dive into — dive into that at this time.

Q Okay. And then, next, the president had previously said that he, you know, had planned to visit Africa after winning reelection. Now that he is no longer running, is there — is he still, I guess, planning to make that trip to Africa? Do you have any plans —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So —

Q — or guidance you can share there?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Once we have anything to share on travel, whether domestically or foreign — foreign travel, we certainly will share that with you. Obviously, the next five months are incredibly important to the — to the president on delivering for the American people, whether it is domestic issues or foreign policy, national security issues.

Everything that the president does, obviously, is focused on the American people. Don’t have anything to share with you on travel. But as soon as we lock anything in and we’re ready to announce it, obviously, you all will — will know.

Q Just as a follow-up about the Elon Musk X conversation. Did the president tune in to that at all? And was there any more broad response to — I mean, there was a lot of criticism to the president’s record, for example, on the border.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, you know, I certainly didn’t watch it. I didn’t speak to the president about it. It’s not our focus. I mean, really — it really isn’t.

Our focus right now is today. We’re going to be in New Orleans. We’re going to talk about an — an incredibly important issue to both the president and the first lady and the vice president — our administration, more broadly — which is Cancer Moonshot, this important min- — announcement — $150 million announcement that you’ll see the president speak to. Not going to get ahead of he and the — and the first lady.

And so, this is important. This is truly an important day. That’s our focus.

As it relates to the border, you’ve heard me talk about how the president worked for a couple of months to get that really all-important bipartisan border deal to get — to make sure there are more Border Patrol agents, to make sure that we’re dealing with the challenges at the border.

And Republicans who came forward, sat at the table with us, and negotiated, they walked away from it. They voted twice against their own deal because the former president told them not to move forward with it because it would be good politics for Joe Biden and bad politics for him.

And so, that is where we are. Instead of being with the American people — majority of American people, Republicans didn’t — that voted against the interests of Americans.

And so, we want to move forward. As it relates to the border, we want to move forward and really deliver a real way — path forward to dealing with the immigration — a broken immigration system that’s been broken for decades. That’s what the president wants to see. That’s what the vice president wants to see.

And those are the facts. Like, those are the facts. And that’s the only thing that I can speak to.

Q Okay. And the second follow-up about the border. Numbers have been down for the last five or six months quite substantially compared to the end of last year. Is the — is the expectation that that will continue over the coming months or if it will — will the numbers start to trickle up again?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean — I mean, look, so, we believe the best way to move forward is legislation. We believe the best way to do that is to do it in a bipartisan way. That’s why the president worked for a couple of months to get that done.

And we had something on the table that would have been the toughest, the taire- — the fairest border legislation — border deal legislation — immigration legislation that we had seen in some time.

Republicans walked away from their own negotiating process. And they also walked away from the American people.

So, the president took action. Right? And he put forth some processes, and we have seen a drop at — at the border, which is good, which is something that, obviously, we wanted to see.

I can’t speak to — right? — there’s an influx — you hear talk about, like, every month that they’re — depending on the season, it — influx, what’s happening at the border. So, don’t — I can’t — I can’t predict what it’s going to look like.

What I can say is this president, this vice president, and this administration is going to do everything that we can to deal with the challenges that we’re seeing at the border. And right now, we’re doing it on our own — right? — because Republicans in Congress don’t — they don’t want it.

Q On that point, the president had previously suggested maybe returning to legislation — immigration legislation. Is — is that being seen and done in earnest at all? Or are you —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, we want to see that. Again, that bipartisan border legislation that was going to — that was the deal that was going to come out of the Senate — or that came out of the Senate — would have been the toughest and the fairest. We want to see that moving forward.

We’re not getting in the way of that. We’re ready. We’re ready to move forward. Republicans in Congress are getting in the way of that. So, they got to get out of their own way in order to deal with an issue that matters, again, to a majority of Americans.

We are ready. We are ready anytime to move forward with that — with that negotiation that was put forth in the Senate. They’re — but we can’t do it by oursel- —

Q Karine, there —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — by ourselves, right? It’s a bipartisan way to — path to move forward.

Go ahead.

Q There was a — a lot of sort of pushback yesterday to the Time is Money initiative where, you know, the Chamber of Commerce and others say it’s going to add unnecessary layers of bureaucracy and regulation. What do you say to that?

And is the president planning further actions? We’ve seen the junk fees. We’ve seen —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q — greedflation initiatives.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Are we expecting more in coming months?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, this administration is going to continue to stand up for consumers and hold corporate — corporations accountable when they take actions that harm people, period. At the same time, we’ll continue to work with companies from a variety of industries to lower costs and create good-paying jobs.

If your business — this is for example — if your business needs to trap and trick customers into keeping services they no longer need, then there is something wrong with your business model. There just is.

With stronger rules of the road in place, companies can compete on the basis of price and quality of service and stop engaging in a race of — to the bottom by hitting consumers with supir- — surprise fees; hidden contact — hidden contract terms; or unnecessary hurdles that waste their time and money.

That’s what our Time as — is Money initiative is all about. And that’s what you’ve seen. Whether it’s junk fees — right? — we are going to do everything that we can. This is part of that lowering costs that we talked about and also just getting rid of cost that is unnecessary.

On Thursday, you’re going to hear from both the president and the vice president. We’re going to make an announcement on what — the next steps that we’re doing to lower costs. I’m not going to get ahead of them. Obviously, we’ll share a little bit more as we get closer to Thursday.

But that has always been our focus — right? — lowering costs for Americans, protecting — having their backs — having workers’ backs as they’re being taken advantage of by corporations. And that’s not okay. That’s not okay for this president or this vice president.

Q So, the pre- — that Thursday event that you’re talking about is the culmination of the negotiations on prescription drug prices?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to get ahead of the announcement, but it will be a lower cost announcement. And I think this is about the American people. This is about the right thing to do, how to protect consumers, how to protect American families, and so — and how to continue to lower costs for them.

And that’s what you’re going to hear from — from both the president and vice president.

Q Karine —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. Yeah.

Q Yesterday, John Kirby told reporters that a impact — Iran’s attack on Israel could impact this ceasefire negotiation deal coming to the table. Is the administration still confident in this ability to move forward?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We are very much going to do everything that we can to move forward. Right? We believe negotiators should come to the table. We believe getting to a ceasefire deal is the best way to de-escalate the tensions that we’re seeing.

But not only that ceasefire — stopping the war — the president wants to end the war. He wants to see hostages, including American hostages, come home. He wants to make sure the people of Gaza get in — get more humanitarian aid. I mean, this is — we believe the best way to move forward is having these diplomatic talks.

We’re going to see the continuation of the conversation for the ceasefire deal happening in Doha on August 15th, which is just in two days, on — on Thursday.

And so, we encourage everyone — we want to see everybody come back to the table. And that is — we believe getting that ceasefire deal — the president believes this — is the best way to go here. And so, we’re going to continue to work around the clock to get that done.

Q Can I ask you a quick one? Piggybacking off of that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q You know, Israel expanded some of its demands for a ceasefire past what the U.S. had originally. Does the U.S. agree with the — with those expansions?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to negotiate in public. I’m just not. I’m going to let folks who are the experts on this sit around the negotiating table and talk this through. I’m just not going to — I’m not going to negotiate in public.

All right?

Q Just one other thing on student loans.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q We’re waiting to see if the Supreme Court might step in to the challenges on the SAVE Plan that have been pending for a while. Does the president have a message to the 8 million Americans that have enrolled up to this point and could be in jeopardy of losing that?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, this president has been acting since day one — obviously, I’m not going to talk to leti- — litigation. He’s acting since day one to make sure that he gives American families a little bit of breathing room. And — and one of those ways is dealing with student loans.

And you’ve seen him act — even when Republicans have gotten in the way, you’ve seen him act and take action with that.

You have 168 — he has been able to cancel more than $168 billion in debt for nearly 5 million. So, he’s taken action. He’s going to continue to do that. The SAVE Plan obviously is — is one — is one way of doing that — continuing on that.

And so, that’s his message. His message to millions of Americans across the country is that he has their backs and he’s going to continue to take action. I’m not going to speak to the SAVE Plan, as it’s in the litigation.

Q Kar- — Karine, how is the president feeling with the DNC right around the corner now? I mean, what’s kind of his — his energy, his mood, his vibe? How’s he —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, yeah, you’ll see a little bit of his vibe later — (laughter) — later today.

So, look, it’s — it’s a political event, so going to be mindful on not talking about too much going into that — to — to details. But what I will say is that, as you heard the president underline in his CBS interview, he is proud that we have built the strongest record of any modern administration, and we’re fighting hard to deliver more results for middle-class families.

President Biden and Vice President Harris inherited a country that was paralyzed because of COVID. It was a once-in-a-century pandemic. And what they were able to do by passing the American Rescue Plan — that only Democrats voted on — very early in the first four months into his administration was get shots in arms, money in pockets, open up schools, open up businesses. And so, that is something that this president is very much proud of; this vice president is very much proud of.

We acted and turned out — turned all of — of that around, obviously: ending the pandemic, delivering the strongest job and economic growth in the world, and the lowest violent cri- — and the lowest violent crime rate in nearly 50 years.

And so, now we’re — we’re fighting to give tax relief to middle-class families, have the wealth[y] pay their fair share, to restore the protections of Roe, and pass tough bipartisan border security deal.

And on the other side — MAGA economics — what they want to do is give tax cuts to billionaires and corporations. They want to gu- — gut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. I mean, that’s what they want to put forward, and what that’s going to do is hurt working families.

And so, what this president and this vice president is going to do is continue to fight for working families. And so, that’s what I can speak to. That’s what you can expect the president to continue to speak to and the vice president, certainly not just next week but beyond next week.

Q Former President Trump a couple days ago suggested, I think for the second time, that it would make sense to cut taxes on Social Security benefits for seniors on Medicare. What is the position on that —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, we’ve been very clear.

Q — (inaudible)?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, got to be mindful because he’s a candidate. But the president has always said he’s going to protect Social Security, he’s going to protect Medicare, he’s going to prote- — protect Medicaid. We’ve — we’ve heard him —

Q But this one — this isn’t about cutting So- — Social Security. It’s about cutting, you know, or reducing the taxes or eliminating the taxes that people are — have to pay on their Social Security payments, benefits.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, yeah, I hear you. And so, look, I’m going to be really mindful. I’m not speaking to that directly because it’s a — it’s a campaign issue, so the campaign can speak to that.

We’ve always said that we’re going to protect — protect Americans, especially as it deals with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid. That has always been our commitment.

Republicans have always said the opposite — always said the opposite. We saw that during the State of the Union, not just this past one but the one before. But they’ve been pretty consistent on how they see moving forward with Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, which is gutting it, cutting it, and making it more harmful to Americans.

So, we’re going to f- — we’re going to protect them. We’re going to protect those really important programs that matter to millions of Americans across the country. And so, that’s what I can speak to. I’m just not going to speak to — to specific policies at this moment.

All right?

Q So, the president, he’s obviously d- — in New — New Orleans for the Moonshot event today, and then he’s thinking about the DNC next week. Is he starting to think about his post-presidency? Is there — is there anything you can share about what he —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, you’re going to hear directly from the president in the next — you know, next week and the next couple of weeks. I think his CBS interview and also his Oval address that he gave right after he decided to step aside gave you a little bit of insight of his thinking process of how proud he was to have — to be doing this job.

And so, I’m going to not get ahead of him. He’ll lay that out for all of you. But this is a president that has taken his presidency very seriously. And you see that with the unprecedented, you know, actions that he’s taken — historic presidency that he’s had. And so, you’ll hear fr- — more from him, so I don’t want to get ahead of this president.

All right. Thanks, everybody.

Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: My ears —

Q Happy birthday.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much. My ears are popping.

Q Happy birthday.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you so much.

2:27 P.M. EDT

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Louis Armstrong International Airport
Kenner, Louisiana

2:09 P.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT:  I just promoted the general to a two-star major general. 

Q    Congratulations.

THE PRESIDENT:  She’s — she’s lucky to — she — she has a congressman she’s got to take care of all the time.  (Laughter.)  But this is it.  Th- — that’s why we were up- — upstairs.  I was pinning it on.  So, I just want to let you know what we were doing.

Q    Mr. President, how important is it to make this announcement that will aid the cancer fight?

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s critically important.  I started this back in the administration with President — at — at the time, when I was vice president. 

And we found out that — I traveled to every major cancer research facility in the world.  And we found out that there — a lot more we could do if they shared more data and information.  It wasn’t being shared.  That was the Cancer Moonshot.

And then, when I got elected when I ran for president, I decided to set up a cancer facility patterned on DARPA, which is the Defense Intelligence Agency position that is separate and apart from everything else.  They’re the ones that came up with everything from — anyway, they — all of the major breakthroughs.

So, that’s what we’re doing with DARPA.  And we’re going to continue.  We’ve — a billion five the last three years, and we’re going to continue it. 

But we — I’ll let you get out of the sun. 

Q    Mr. President, are you very concerned about the situation in the Middle East?

THE PRESIDENT:  Of course I’m concerned about it.  We —

Q    Speaking to Benjamin Netanyahu, there have been reports that you told him to stop bullshitting.  Like, what exactly are you doing to put pressure on him to get to the table? 

THE PRESIDENT:  If I told you what pressure I was putting on, it wouldn’t be very much pressure, would it?

Anyway, so —

Q    Mr. President, what do you have to say about what’s happening in Russia and Ukraine?  Have you spoken with anyone in the Ukrainian government? 

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ve spoken with my staff on a regular basis probably every four or five hours for the last six or eight days.  And it’s — it’s creating a real dilemma for Putin.  And we’ve been in direct contact — constant contact with — with the Ukrainians. 

That’s all I’m going to say about it while it’s active.  Okay?

Q    On the Middle East.  Do you think you can still get to a ceasefire deal, or is that starting to be a distinct pos- — a distant possibility?

THE PRESIDENT:  It’s getting hard.  We’ll see what Ukrai- — we’ll see what Iran does, and we’ll see what happens if there’s any attack.  But I’m not giving up.

Q    Are those two things tied together?  Is — do you have the understanding that Iran could cease or stop doing a — an action if a ceasefire deal was possible?

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s my expectation, but we’ll see. 

Thank you.

2:12 P.M. CDT

The post Remarks by President Biden After Air Force One Arrival | Kenner, LA appeared first on The White House.

Tulane University
New Orleans, Louisiana

3:38 P.M. CDT

THE FIRST LADY:  Please — please sit.  (Applause.)

President Fitts, thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful campus today.  And I heard it was freshman orientation on top of all of this.  (Laughter.) 

So, Joe and I are so familiar with that first day here in New Orleans, where the heat sort of just hits you in the face.  (Laughter.)  But that’s okay. 

And I want to thank the press for being here because without your being here, people — you give people hope, because they’re going to hear about the amazing things that they’re doing here at Tulane.  And that will give people at home, people that read the newspapers online — that will give them hope.  So, thank you for being here.

You know, it’s great to be back in New Orleans where scientists and researchers are at the forefront in this fight against cancer.

And whenever I meet with cancer researchers and scientists, one thing always stands out.  It’s their relentless optimism.  They hear words like “never” and think, “Maybe not yet, but one day soon.”

As president, Joe has invested in that resolve because that what’s — that’s what turns into the miracle that patients and their families are praying for.

Of all the things that cancer steals from us — strength, mobility, comfort — time is the cruelest.  For every night spent in the hospital, there’s a lost chance to learn maybe the key ingredient in a secret family recipe.  For every repeat operation to cut out more cancerous tissue, there’s a missed moment to show our kids how to bait a fishing hook on a hot summer day by the lake.

Patients and their families don’t have time to spare.

Joe created ARPA-H, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, to invest in the most innovative research — research that the government wasn’t funding before, and it was too risky for the private sector, but could be life-changing and lifesaving. 

And ARPA-H doesn’t just fund those projects.  It puts them on this fast track to reach patients, answering hopeful prayers and delivering more of that precious gift of time. 

Cancer touches us all.  When Joe and I lost our son to brain cancer, we decided to turn our pain into purpose.  We wanted to help families like ours so that they won’t have to experience this terrible loss.

And as president, Joe has brought his own relentless optimism to the Biden Cancer Moonshot to end cancer as we know it.

It’s ambitious, but it’s also within our reach — maybe not yet, but one day soon — very soon — because of the people in this room, including Dr. Quincy Brown.

Dr. Quincy Brown has taken the question, “What if surgeries were performed flawlessly the first time,” and he’s answering it with cutting-edge solutions that reclaim time and reignite hope for patients and their families.

So, I give you Dr. Brown.  (Applause.)

DR. BROWN:  Thank you all. 

Mr. President, Dr Biden, distinguished guests, colleagues, friends, and family, on behalf of our research team, I would like to personally extend my sincerest gratitude for your presence here today.  It is one of the greatest honors of my life to be asked to stand before you.

Today, we are embarking on a new project as part of the ARPA-H Precision Surgical Interventions program, along with other several amazing teams from around the country.  Together, we will be tirelessly working to transform cancer surgery as we know it for every American.

Many of us know, either personally or through a friend or family member, the fear and anxiety that precedes a cancer surgery, wondering will the surgeon be able to remove all of the tumor.  It’s a hard job, one which is made harder by the fact that there are no good technologies that can help them to determine during the surgery whether it’s been successful but, rather, days later, when it is too late to change the surgery.  This often means that patients have to come back for another surgery or harmful procedure and extends the chance and the worry that their cancer will come back.

Cancer is hard enough.  We should at least be able to give surgeons and patients the peace of mind and positive health benefits of a successful surgery every time. 

That is the goal our team is working toward and the one that has motivated much of my career efforts for the past 18 years.

Mr. President, eight years ago, just across town at the convention center, I was in the audience at the annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting when you gave an inspiring speech soon after the announcement of your Cancer Moonshot.  So, I’m a lifelong space geek, and so I love the idea of a moonshot for cancer. 

In that speech, you talked to medical doctors, scientists, and engineers involved in the fight against cancer.  You talked about the need to realign the incentives for how we approach this fight, about how we should be working together, not against one another. 

That’s why your creation of ARPA-H is so significant.  The model of ARPA-H is to give researchers an impossible task and to make them imagine the possible by putting together teams from academia, industry, regulatory science, human-centered design, and government and then giving them the resources to succeed in areas where progress has stalled.

I was born in a small farming community in North Louisiana — Columbia, Louisiana.  I am so impressed that the mission of ARPA-H is to develop lifesaving technologies that can work in rural or community settings and baking that into the process for every American.  Not only in this program do we have to develop amazing new technology; we have to deploy it in two rural hospitals at the end of the project, at the end of five years, so we can’t build a million-dollar device.

This hits me close to home, and it inspires our team to keep the pedal to the metal. 

Mr. President, Dr. Biden, I want to thank you both for doing what you said you would do, for your commitment for fighting against cancer, and for making this amazing program possible so that every American can hopefully not have to worry about whether their cancer was successfully removed.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

Now it is my — it is my great honor to introduce to you the president of the United States of America, Mr. Joseph R. Biden.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Please.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Please.  Thank you very much.

Thank you, Dr. Brown, for th- — your generous introduction and for your incredible cancer research you’re doing. 

And thank you, Congressman Carter, who couldn’t be here today because his wife is getting promoted to major general in the United States Army.  I pinned on those two stars in Air Force One, but she’s a — now going to another major event.  You know, the fact is that they’re an incredible family, as all of you are. 

It’s great to be with so many of my old friends: Cedric Richmond, who has been my buddy for a long — when he — when Cedric tells you something, he does it, he knows how to do it, and he’s a loyal friend.  And I appreciate it, Cedric.  Only thing I like better than Cedric — (applause) — only like better than Cedric is he has a son named Cedric.  You should see this kid.  (Laughter.)  He’s going to be president.

Mitch Landrieu, another key member of my team, and former Senator Mary Landrieu.  Mary, God love you.  (Applause.)  Great to see you. 

And John Breaux, a former colleague of mine and a guy who — whenever he said he’d do it, he got it done.  (Applause.)  Where’s John? 

Along with former Governor John Bel Edwards.  (Applause.) 

And members of my White House team: Director Office of Management and Budget Sh- — you know, Shalanda Young is a Louisiana girl, and she runs the show in my White Hou- — (applause).  She — she controls all the money.  She’s secured the funding for everything we’re doing. 

And I have the Director of Science and Technology, Arati.  Where are you, Arati?  There you are.  There’s — (applause) — she’s smart as hell. 

As well as Renee, who leads the ARPH-A and transformative work we’re doing here and going to talk about today. 

And Danielle, who leads our Can- — Danielle, where are you?  Danielle leads our Cancer Moonshot — (applause) — who was with me when I launched the Moonshot when I was vice president of the United States.  I made the case to president — at that time, my — I was vice president — President Obama.  And I convinced him to give me the authority to set up this Cancer Moonshot, which he did completely, and I had the run of the administration to do whatever I needed to do. 

But I want to also thank President Fitts for welcoming us back.  I knew him when he was up at Penn as an — on the other side of the — the ledger: the law.  He was the dean of the law school. 

It’s an honor to be back at Tulane without having to pay tuition, by the way.  (Laughter and applause.)  You all think I’m kidding.  (Laughter.)  Every time a kid or a grandchild — a child or grandchild graduates, it’s a pay raise, man.  (Laughter.)  Our daughter, Ashley, graduated from Tulane here in 2003 and had a great experience, and now she’s working with — in Philadelphia as a social worker, working with abused women. 

Folks, it’s fair to say one of the most devastating words anyone can hear — and this is not hyperbole — is “cancer.”  You walk into a doc’s office with your child and/or yourself, and you get a diagnosis of cancer. 

How many of you’ve heard that when you walked in the —

It’s frightening.  It’s frightening. 

But I’m convinced and I’ve been convinced — my neurosurgeon when I had a couple cranial aneurysms they had to take care of — nine-hour operations — he said to me — trying to explain whether aneurysms are congenital or environmental.  And I said, “I don’t care.  Just get it done.”  (Laughter.)  And he looked at me; he said, “You know what your problem is, Se-“ — I was a senator.  He said, “You’re a congenital optimist.”  (Laughter.) 

And I am.  I’m a congenital optimist about what America can do. 

In 2016, President Obama gave me the authority to start this Cancer Moonshot.  To that end, I traveled the country and the world going to every major cancer research center in the world from Australia to Ireland, visiting the world’s top cancer institutes.  In fact, Jill and I came to New Orleans for a cancer roundtable with your nurses, social workers, and caregivers and researchers. 

And what amazed me when I visited a foreign country and spoke to heads of state about coming, they al- — always — they didn’t just talk about it, John.  Afterwards said, “What did you learn?”  They want to know about cancer — everybody does.  They’d ask me whether this Moonshot would work. 

So, one of the biggest things I found out is that there wasn’t a fair — there wasn’t a lot of information sharing going on.  As we traveled all through the world, I’d find that in one area, they’d show me they had this research.  I said, “But have you shared it?”  “No, no, no, no.”  They were not sharing the information, even though funding from the federal government would give it — required sharing, but it wasn’t happening. 

Too many docs walked by that mirror and looked in and saw a Nobel Prize about to be won.  I’m not kidding.  It really angered me.

Scientists weren’t sharing their results with other scientists.  And that’s one of the first things we tried to do, is breakdown the silos so the information was available to everybody.  

When we were out of office, I knew there was a lot to do, bu- — so we stay engaged.  So, I decided to ru- — when I decided to run for president in 2020, I was determined to set up something called ARPA-H, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. 

The idea is — as the — the elected officials here know, it’s not new.  It’s — there’s an outfit called DARPA, Defense Department’s Advanced Research Project Agency, that drove breakthroughs in everything from the internet to GPS and so much more because that’s all it focused on — all it focused on.

I wanted something that did nothing but focus on cancer.  ARPA-H does for biomedicine what DARPA does for technology: driving breakthroughs to prevent, detect, and treat diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes and so much more. 

When Jill and I reignited the Cancer Moonshot in our administration, we were determined to launch this new outfit called ARPA-H.  And that’s what we did. 

Imagine using mRNA vaccines to kill cancer cells.  Imagine tackling exactly how a tumor changes over time so doctors can adapt treatments and stay ahead of the cancer as it changes.  Imagine applying artificial intelligence to identify existing drugs that can target scientific mutations in rare cancers.  Imagine clinical trials that bring innovation to all communities; a nationwide data system that allows us to learn from the experience of more patients and more docs around the world and here in the United States, and it breaks down the research silos.  This is not a thing we want to s- — we want to keep information.  We want to share it.

All of these are being pushed through by ARPA-H, which has so far committed more than $400 million to ending cancer as we know it. 

And a year ago, ARPA-H set its sights on a big idea: calling on researchers and innovators to pioneer new techniques and technologies to make cancer removal more precise, accurate, and successful.  Imagine a cancer surgery that removes all of the tumor the first time without harming healthy cells. 

Compare that to today.  As all of you know, cancer surgery is an incredibly challenging procedure.  It takes the best surgeons in the world.  And it takes its toll on families.  As Jill and I sai- — as Jill said, it steals time; it steals away hope.

Our family knows the feeling, as many of you do.  The surgery happens; then you have to wait a week or more to see if the tumor was removed fully.  That anxiety of waiting and the unknown is just excruciating. 

But today, we’re a step closer to relieving that burden on patients and families.  Today, we’re announcing $150 million ARPA-H funding for some of the nation’s cutting-edge cancer research institutions.  That includes right here at Tulane University.  (Applause.)

We just met with one of your research teams, and we saw 3D views of tumors.  It’s incredible.  It’s a roadmap doctors can follow during surgery unlike anything they’ve seen before. 

And right now, surgeons determine how to remove cancerous cells and protect vital organs, nerves, and blood vessels without a clear view of them.  A lot of it’s a little bit of really educated guesswork.  They’re not positive.

The funding we announced today will help — will get these tools into the operating room to visualize tumors right away instead of having to wait for days and weeks and maybe reopen the patient to go back in.  It’s a promising step to reduce the need for follow-up surgeries and improve treatments.  Outcomes are better all ac- — will be better all across the board. 

And we’re moving quickly, because we know all families touched by cancers are in a race against time.  

It’s all part of our goal of our Cancer Moonshot: to end cancer as we know it and even cure some cancers.  We’re mobilizing a whole-of-country effort to cut American cancer deaths in half by 2020- — in twe- — within 25 years and boost support for patients and their families.  I’m confidence — in our capacity to do that.  I know we can. 

But it’s not just personal; it’s about what’s possible.  This is on top of the administration investing more than $25 billion.  I’ve been able to get money — $25 billion — for the National Cancer Institute.  (Applause.)  That’s an increase of more than $4 billion in just four years.  That investment is supporting everything from next-generation cancer science innovations to cutting-edge research in cancer disparities and new efforts on childhood cancers. 

We’re also focused on helping fence-line communities facing disproportionate cancer rates — in some areas — (applause) — in some areas, facing 15 percent to 20 percent higher rates, like Cancer Alley here in Louisiana or, equally as dangerous, Route 9 in the United — in the state of Delaware.  We had the highest cancer resear- — cancer rate in any state in the nation until 2010.

There’s so much we’re doing.  It matters.  It matters a lot.  What matters most is not giving up hope.

Let me close with this.  You’ve heard me say it over and over.  America can be defined by one word.  I spent a lot of time with Xi Jinping, and I was — they — they tape everything we say.  I spent over 80 hours with him alone over 17,000 miles in China.  I mean, we were in Tibet — near Tibet, and he asked me can I define America for him.  And this is a true story.  I said, “Yes, in one word: possibilities.” 

We believe anything is possible in America.  Anything we set our mind to is possible.  We are the land of possibilities.  That’s who we are.  And that’s what you’re doing here at Tulane. 

There’s still more to do, but we know we can do it.  We just have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  The — I — I mean this from the bottom of my heart.  We’re the United States, and there’s nothing — nothing we — beyond our capacity when we work together. 

So, it’s all about working together and sharing data, sharing information.  I’m going to be moving on from here to other places as well to make more of these announcements, but we’re on the verge.  We’re in the beginning to fundamentally change how we deal with this dreaded disease. 

And before I leave, I want to say when I — my daughter was here — our daughter was here for a — for four years at Tulane.  She loved it.  And I want to tell you, there was a — another mayor named Landrieu — not the son — at the time.  And Mom is with him.  Mom, I love you.  (Laughter.)  She’s a — (applause) — Mrs. Landrieu is one of the finest women I’ve ever known in my life.  I love you, Mom.  Keep me in your prayers.  Thank you.

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

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

 3:58 P.M. CDT

The post Remarks by President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and Dr. Quincy Brown on how ARPA-H is Fast-Tracking Progress in Preventing, Treating, and Detect Cancer appeared first on The White House.

Tulane University
New Orleans, Louisiana

3:38 P.M. CDT

THE FIRST LADY:  Please — please sit.  (Applause.)

President Fitts, thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful campus today.  And I heard it was freshman orientation on top of all of this.  (Laughter.) 

So, Joe and I are so familiar with that first day here in New Orleans, where the heat sort of just hits you in the face.  (Laughter.)  But that’s okay. 

And I want to thank the press for being here because without your being here, people — you give people hope, because they’re going to hear about the amazing things that they’re doing here at Tulane.  And that will give people at home, people that read the newspapers online — that will give them hope.  So, thank you for being here.

You know, it’s great to be back in New Orleans where scientists and researchers are at the forefront in this fight against cancer.

And whenever I meet with cancer researchers and scientists, one thing always stands out.  It’s their relentless optimism.  They hear words like “never” and think, “Maybe not yet, but one day soon.”

As president, Joe has invested in that resolve because that what’s — that’s what turns into the miracle that patients and their families are praying for.

Of all the things that cancer steals from us — strength, mobility, comfort — time is the cruelest.  For every night spent in the hospital, there’s a lost chance to learn maybe the key ingredient in a secret family recipe.  For every repeat operation to cut out more cancerous tissue, there’s a missed moment to show our kids how to bait a fishing hook on a hot summer day by the lake.

Patients and their families don’t have time to spare.

Joe created ARPA-H, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, to invest in the most innovative research — research that the government wasn’t funding before, and it was too risky for the private sector, but could be life-changing and lifesaving. 

And ARPA-H doesn’t just fund those projects.  It puts them on this fast track to reach patients, answering hopeful prayers and delivering more of that precious gift of time. 

Cancer touches us all.  When Joe and I lost our son to brain cancer, we decided to turn our pain into purpose.  We wanted to help families like ours so that they won’t have to experience this terrible loss.

And as president, Joe has brought his own relentless optimism to the Biden Cancer Moonshot to end cancer as we know it.

It’s ambitious, but it’s also within our reach — maybe not yet, but one day soon — very soon — because of the people in this room, including Dr. Quincy Brown.

Dr. Quincy Brown has taken the question, “What if surgeries were performed flawlessly the first time,” and he’s answering it with cutting-edge solutions that reclaim time and reignite hope for patients and their families.

So, I give you Dr. Brown.  (Applause.)

DR. BROWN:  Thank you all. 

Mr. President, Dr Biden, distinguished guests, colleagues, friends, and family, on behalf of our research team, I would like to personally extend my sincerest gratitude for your presence here today.  It is one of the greatest honors of my life to be asked to stand before you.

Today, we are embarking on a new project as part of the ARPA-H Precision Surgical Interventions program, along with other several amazing teams from around the country.  Together, we will be tirelessly working to transform cancer surgery as we know it for every American.

Many of us know, either personally or through a friend or family member, the fear and anxiety that precedes a cancer surgery, wondering will the surgeon be able to remove all of the tumor.  It’s a hard job, one which is made harder by the fact that there are no good technologies that can help them to determine during the surgery whether it’s been successful but, rather, days later, when it is too late to change the surgery.  This often means that patients have to come back for another surgery or harmful procedure and extends the chance and the worry that their cancer will come back.

Cancer is hard enough.  We should at least be able to give surgeons and patients the peace of mind and positive health benefits of a successful surgery every time. 

That is the goal our team is working toward and the one that has motivated much of my career efforts for the past 18 years.

Mr. President, eight years ago, just across town at the convention center, I was in the audience at the annual American Association for Cancer Research meeting when you gave an inspiring speech soon after the announcement of your Cancer Moonshot.  So, I’m a lifelong space geek, and so I love the idea of a moonshot for cancer. 

In that speech, you talked to medical doctors, scientists, and engineers involved in the fight against cancer.  You talked about the need to realign the incentives for how we approach this fight, about how we should be working together, not against one another. 

That’s why your creation of ARPA-H is so significant.  The model of ARPA-H is to give researchers an impossible task and to make them imagine the possible by putting together teams from academia, industry, regulatory science, human-centered design, and government and then giving them the resources to succeed in areas where progress has stalled.

I was born in a small farming community in North Louisiana — Columbia, Louisiana.  I am so impressed that the mission of ARPA-H is to develop lifesaving technologies that can work in rural or community settings and baking that into the process for every American.  Not only in this program do we have to develop amazing new technology; we have to deploy it in two rural hospitals at the end of the project, at the end of five years, so we can’t build a million-dollar device.

This hits me close to home, and it inspires our team to keep the pedal to the metal. 

Mr. President, Dr. Biden, I want to thank you both for doing what you said you would do, for your commitment for fighting against cancer, and for making this amazing program possible so that every American can hopefully not have to worry about whether their cancer was successfully removed.  Thank you.  (Applause.)

Now it is my — it is my great honor to introduce to you the president of the United States of America, Mr. Joseph R. Biden.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Please.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Please.  Thank you very much.

Thank you, Dr. Brown, for th- — your generous introduction and for your incredible cancer research you’re doing. 

And thank you, Congressman Carter, who couldn’t be here today because his wife is getting promoted to major general in the United States Army.  I pinned on those two stars in Air Force One, but she’s a — now going to another major event.  You know, the fact is that they’re an incredible family, as all of you are. 

It’s great to be with so many of my old friends: Cedric Richmond, who has been my buddy for a long — when he — when Cedric tells you something, he does it, he knows how to do it, and he’s a loyal friend.  And I appreciate it, Cedric.  Only thing I like better than Cedric — (applause) — only like better than Cedric is he has a son named Cedric.  You should see this kid.  (Laughter.)  He’s going to be president.

Mitch Landrieu, another key member of my team, and former Senator Mary Landrieu.  Mary, God love you.  (Applause.)  Great to see you. 

And John Breaux, a former colleague of mine and a guy who — whenever he said he’d do it, he got it done.  (Applause.)  Where’s John? 

Along with former Governor John Bel Edwards.  (Applause.) 

And members of my White House team: Director Office of Management and Budget Sh- — you know, Shalanda Young is a Louisiana girl, and she runs the show in my White Hou- — (applause).  She — she controls all the money.  She’s secured the funding for everything we’re doing. 

And I have the Director of Science and Technology, Arati.  Where are you, Arati?  There you are.  There’s — (applause) — she’s smart as hell. 

As well as Renee, who leads the ARPH-A and transformative work we’re doing here and going to talk about today. 

And Danielle, who leads our Can- — Danielle, where are you?  Danielle leads our Cancer Moonshot — (applause) — who was with me when I launched the Moonshot when I was vice president of the United States.  I made the case to president — at that time, my — I was vice president — President Obama.  And I convinced him to give me the authority to set up this Cancer Moonshot, which he did completely, and I had the run of the administration to do whatever I needed to do. 

But I want to also thank President Fitts for welcoming us back.  I knew him when he was up at Penn as an — on the other side of the — the ledger: the law.  He was the dean of the law school. 

It’s an honor to be back at Tulane without having to pay tuition, by the way.  (Laughter and applause.)  You all think I’m kidding.  (Laughter.)  Every time a kid or a grandchild — a child or grandchild graduates, it’s a pay raise, man.  (Laughter.)  Our daughter, Ashley, graduated from Tulane here in 2003 and had a great experience, and now she’s working with — in Philadelphia as a social worker, working with abused women. 

Folks, it’s fair to say one of the most devastating words anyone can hear — and this is not hyperbole — is “cancer.”  You walk into a doc’s office with your child and/or yourself, and you get a diagnosis of cancer. 

How many of you’ve heard that when you walked in the —

It’s frightening.  It’s frightening. 

But I’m convinced and I’ve been convinced — my neurosurgeon when I had a couple cranial aneurysms they had to take care of — nine-hour operations — he said to me — trying to explain whether aneurysms are congenital or environmental.  And I said, “I don’t care.  Just get it done.”  (Laughter.)  And he looked at me; he said, “You know what your problem is, Se-“ — I was a senator.  He said, “You’re a congenital optimist.”  (Laughter.) 

And I am.  I’m a congenital optimist about what America can do. 

In 2016, President Obama gave me the authority to start this Cancer Moonshot.  To that end, I traveled the country and the world going to every major cancer research center in the world from Australia to Ireland, visiting the world’s top cancer institutes.  In fact, Jill and I came to New Orleans for a cancer roundtable with your nurses, social workers, and caregivers and researchers. 

And what amazed me when I visited a foreign country and spoke to heads of state about coming, they al- — always — they didn’t just talk about it, John.  Afterwards said, “What did you learn?”  They want to know about cancer — everybody does.  They’d ask me whether this Moonshot would work. 

So, one of the biggest things I found out is that there wasn’t a fair — there wasn’t a lot of information sharing going on.  As we traveled all through the world, I’d find that in one area, they’d show me they had this research.  I said, “But have you shared it?”  “No, no, no, no.”  They were not sharing the information, even though funding from the federal government would give it — required sharing, but it wasn’t happening. 

Too many docs walked by that mirror and looked in and saw a Nobel Prize about to be won.  I’m not kidding.  It really angered me.

Scientists weren’t sharing their results with other scientists.  And that’s one of the first things we tried to do, is breakdown the silos so the information was available to everybody.  

When we were out of office, I knew there was a lot to do, bu- — so we stay engaged.  So, I decided to ru- — when I decided to run for president in 2020, I was determined to set up something called ARPA-H, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. 

The idea is — as the — the elected officials here know, it’s not new.  It’s — there’s an outfit called DARPA, Defense Department’s Advanced Research Project Agency, that drove breakthroughs in everything from the internet to GPS and so much more because that’s all it focused on — all it focused on.

I wanted something that did nothing but focus on cancer.  ARPA-H does for biomedicine what DARPA does for technology: driving breakthroughs to prevent, detect, and treat diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes and so much more. 

When Jill and I reignited the Cancer Moonshot in our administration, we were determined to launch this new outfit called ARPA-H.  And that’s what we did. 

Imagine using mRNA vaccines to kill cancer cells.  Imagine tackling exactly how a tumor changes over time so doctors can adapt treatments and stay ahead of the cancer as it changes.  Imagine applying artificial intelligence to identify existing drugs that can target scientific mutations in rare cancers.  Imagine clinical trials that bring innovation to all communities; a nationwide data system that allows us to learn from the experience of more patients and more docs around the world and here in the United States, and it breaks down the research silos.  This is not a thing we want to s- — we want to keep information.  We want to share it.

All of these are being pushed through by ARPA-H, which has so far committed more than $400 million to ending cancer as we know it. 

And a year ago, ARPA-H set its sights on a big idea: calling on researchers and innovators to pioneer new techniques and technologies to make cancer removal more precise, accurate, and successful.  Imagine a cancer surgery that removes all of the tumor the first time without harming healthy cells. 

Compare that to today.  As all of you know, cancer surgery is an incredibly challenging procedure.  It takes the best surgeons in the world.  And it takes its toll on families.  As Jill and I sai- — as Jill said, it steals time; it steals away hope.

Our family knows the feeling, as many of you do.  The surgery happens; then you have to wait a week or more to see if the tumor was removed fully.  That anxiety of waiting and the unknown is just excruciating. 

But today, we’re a step closer to relieving that burden on patients and families.  Today, we’re announcing $150 million ARPA-H funding for some of the nation’s cutting-edge cancer research institutions.  That includes right here at Tulane University.  (Applause.)

We just met with one of your research teams, and we saw 3D views of tumors.  It’s incredible.  It’s a roadmap doctors can follow during surgery unlike anything they’ve seen before. 

And right now, surgeons determine how to remove cancerous cells and protect vital organs, nerves, and blood vessels without a clear view of them.  A lot of it’s a little bit of really educated guesswork.  They’re not positive.

The funding we announced today will help — will get these tools into the operating room to visualize tumors right away instead of having to wait for days and weeks and maybe reopen the patient to go back in.  It’s a promising step to reduce the need for follow-up surgeries and improve treatments.  Outcomes are better all ac- — will be better all across the board. 

And we’re moving quickly, because we know all families touched by cancers are in a race against time.  

It’s all part of our goal of our Cancer Moonshot: to end cancer as we know it and even cure some cancers.  We’re mobilizing a whole-of-country effort to cut American cancer deaths in half by 2020- — in twe- — within 25 years and boost support for patients and their families.  I’m confidence — in our capacity to do that.  I know we can. 

But it’s not just personal; it’s about what’s possible.  This is on top of the administration investing more than $25 billion.  I’ve been able to get money — $25 billion — for the National Cancer Institute.  (Applause.)  That’s an increase of more than $4 billion in just four years.  That investment is supporting everything from next-generation cancer science innovations to cutting-edge research in cancer disparities and new efforts on childhood cancers. 

We’re also focused on helping fence-line communities facing disproportionate cancer rates — in some areas — (applause) — in some areas, facing 15 percent to 20 percent higher rates, like Cancer Alley here in Louisiana or, equally as dangerous, Route 9 in the United — in the state of Delaware.  We had the highest cancer resear- — cancer rate in any state in the nation until 2010.

There’s so much we’re doing.  It matters.  It matters a lot.  What matters most is not giving up hope.

Let me close with this.  You’ve heard me say it over and over.  America can be defined by one word.  I spent a lot of time with Xi Jinping, and I was — they — they tape everything we say.  I spent over 80 hours with him alone over 17,000 miles in China.  I mean, we were in Tibet — near Tibet, and he asked me can I define America for him.  And this is a true story.  I said, “Yes, in one word: possibilities.” 

We believe anything is possible in America.  Anything we set our mind to is possible.  We are the land of possibilities.  That’s who we are.  And that’s what you’re doing here at Tulane. 

There’s still more to do, but we know we can do it.  We just have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  The — I — I mean this from the bottom of my heart.  We’re the United States, and there’s nothing — nothing we — beyond our capacity when we work together. 

So, it’s all about working together and sharing data, sharing information.  I’m going to be moving on from here to other places as well to make more of these announcements, but we’re on the verge.  We’re in the beginning to fundamentally change how we deal with this dreaded disease. 

And before I leave, I want to say when I — my daughter was here — our daughter was here for a — for four years at Tulane.  She loved it.  And I want to tell you, there was a — another mayor named Landrieu — not the son — at the time.  And Mom is with him.  Mom, I love you.  (Laughter.)  She’s a — (applause) — Mrs. Landrieu is one of the finest women I’ve ever known in my life.  I love you, Mom.  Keep me in your prayers.  Thank you.

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

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

 3:58 P.M. CDT

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On August 17, 2001, the President issued Executive Order 13222 pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).  In that order, the President declared a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States related to the expiration of the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended (50 U.S.C. 4601 et seq.).  Because the implementation of certain sanctions authorities, including sections 11A, 11B, and 11C of such Export Administration Act of 1979, consistent with section 1766(b) of Public Law 115-232, the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4801 note), is to be carried out under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the national emergency declared on August 17, 2001, must continue in effect beyond August 17, 2024.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13222, as amended by Executive Order 13637 of March 8, 2013.

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

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    August 13, 2024.

The post Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Export Control Regulations appeared first on The White House.

On August 17, 2001, the President issued Executive Order 13222 pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).  In that order, the President declared a national emergency with respect to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States related to the expiration of the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended (50 U.S.C. 4601 et seq.).  Because the implementation of certain sanctions authorities, including sections 11A, 11B, and 11C of such Export Administration Act of 1979, consistent with section 1766(b) of Public Law 115-232, the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (50 U.S.C. 4801 note), is to be carried out under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the national emergency declared on August 17, 2001, must continue in effect beyond August 17, 2024.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13222, as amended by Executive Order 13637 of March 8, 2013.

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

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    August 13, 2024.

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Today, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) held a White House Faith Leaders Convening on Climate, Clean Energy, and Environmental Justice. The event gathered faith leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations from across the country for the first time to discuss opportunities to benefit from and further engage their communities on President Biden’s climate, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda, including through the use of Direct Pay – a novel provision provided through the Inflation Reduction Act that enables tax-exempt entities, including houses of worship, to benefit from federal clean energy tax incentives.

The event recognized faith leaders for their unique ability to connect their communities with the information, resources, and support needed to create a more equitable and just clean energy future. This convening highlighted how meaningful community engagement with faith leaders and organizations can advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to build the nation’s clean energy economy. This includes through Direct Pay and programs covered under the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

Biden-Harris Administration officials participating included the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta, Assistant to the President and White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Melissa Rogers, Senior Advisor for States and Implementation Ryan Whalen, and Senior Advisor for Inflation Reduction Act Implementation at the U.S. Department of the Treasury Ronnie Newman. Groundswell CEO Michelle Moore, Interfaith Power and Light Southern California Director Bekah Estrada, RE-volv Executive Director Andreas Karelas, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Senior Warden Maggie Chappen, Community Church Atlanta Reverend Kevin W. Earley, and others representatives from houses of worship across the country also shared success stories and best practices for leveraging Direct Pay and other federal investments.

The Biden-Harris Administration will continue prioritizing partnership with faith leaders and houses of worship to amplify outreach to communities as we advance the work to lower energy costs for families, increase climate resilience, advance environmental justice, and build a clean energy future.

###

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Today, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) held a White House Faith Leaders Convening on Climate, Clean Energy, and Environmental Justice. The event gathered faith leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations from across the country for the first time to discuss opportunities to benefit from and further engage their communities on President Biden’s climate, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda, including through the use of Direct Pay – a novel provision provided through the Inflation Reduction Act that enables tax-exempt entities, including houses of worship, to benefit from federal clean energy tax incentives.

The event recognized faith leaders for their unique ability to connect their communities with the information, resources, and support needed to create a more equitable and just clean energy future. This convening highlighted how meaningful community engagement with faith leaders and organizations can advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to build the nation’s clean energy economy. This includes through Direct Pay and programs covered under the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

Biden-Harris Administration officials participating included the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Brenda Mallory, Senior Advisor to the President for International Climate Policy John Podesta, Assistant to the President and White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi, Director of the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Melissa Rogers, Senior Advisor for States and Implementation Ryan Whalen, and Senior Advisor for Inflation Reduction Act Implementation at the U.S. Department of the Treasury Ronnie Newman. Groundswell CEO Michelle Moore, Interfaith Power and Light Southern California Director Bekah Estrada, RE-volv Executive Director Andreas Karelas, St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Senior Warden Maggie Chappen, Community Church Atlanta Reverend Kevin W. Earley, and others representatives from houses of worship across the country also shared success stories and best practices for leveraging Direct Pay and other federal investments.

The Biden-Harris Administration will continue prioritizing partnership with faith leaders and houses of worship to amplify outreach to communities as we advance the work to lower energy costs for families, increase climate resilience, advance environmental justice, and build a clean energy future.

###

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Dear Mr. Speaker:   (Dear Madam President:)

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date.  In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice, stating that the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13222 of August 17, 2001, in light of the expiration of the Export Administration Act of 1979, is to continue in effect for 1 year beyond August 17, 2024.

                             Sincerely,

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on the Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Export Control Regulations appeared first on The White House.

12:22 P.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, if Trump wins, will you attend his inauguration, sir, for the peaceful transfer of power?  If Trump wins — thank you, sir, for coming over.  If Trump wins, will you attend his inauguration?

THE PRESIDENT:  I have good manners, not like him.

Q    And also, sir, you call him a “genuine danger to American security,” but you’ve asked for the political rhetoric to be tamped down, to be cooled down.  Is that cooling down the rhetoric?

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s just a statement.  That’s a factual statement.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    What do you think of — what do you think of Ukraine’s operation into the Kursk region?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’d rather not comment on that publicly.

Q    President Biden, how much more progressive is Vice President Harris than you as a candidate in the general?

THE PRESIDENT:  The issues we’ve worked on together have made great progress economically.  No one called what we did on infrastructure “progressive.”  It’s a good policy.  So that’s what (inaudible).

12:23 P.M. EDT

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12:22 P.M. EDT

Q    Mr. President, if Trump wins, will you attend his inauguration, sir, for the peaceful transfer of power?  If Trump wins — thank you, sir, for coming over.  If Trump wins, will you attend his inauguration?

THE PRESIDENT:  I have good manners, not like him.

Q    And also, sir, you call him a “genuine danger to American security,” but you’ve asked for the political rhetoric to be tamped down, to be cooled down.  Is that cooling down the rhetoric?

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s just a statement.  That’s a factual statement.

(Cross-talk.)

Q    What do you think of — what do you think of Ukraine’s operation into the Kursk region?

THE PRESIDENT:  I’d rather not comment on that publicly.

Q    President Biden, how much more progressive is Vice President Harris than you as a candidate in the general?

THE PRESIDENT:  The issues we’ve worked on together have made great progress economically.  No one called what we did on infrastructure “progressive.”  It’s a good policy.  So that’s what (inaudible).

12:23 P.M. EDT

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