April 26, 2024

April 26, 2024

On Saturday, April 27, the Vice President and Second Gentleman will attend the annual White House Correspondence Dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel.

On Sunday, April 28, the Vice President will be in Washington, DC and has no public events scheduled.

April 26, 2024

Over 90 students, teachers, advocates, school administrators, facilities and grounds experts, and labor leaders will come together at the White House alongside the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency to discuss deployment of the unprecedented levels of federal funding available for school infrastructure, clean energy, and healthy schools. The White House Summit will highlight stories from schools across America where communities are taking action to create more sustainable buildings and grounds that tackle the climate crisis, improve learning, and protect children's health. The Summit will also underscore the opportunities for good-paying, union jobs--including jobs that don't require a college degree--made available by the Biden-Harris Administration's historic clean energy agenda. Participants will also have the opportunity to join an in-person workshop on the new "direct pay" provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, which are

helping schools to directly access the benefits of clean energy tax credits for the first time ever.

Promoting Efficient and Healthy Schools

Alongside the Summit, the Biden-Harris Administration is releasing the 2024 White House Toolkit for Sustainable and Healthy K-12 Schools . Designed for use by schools, the toolkit provides an overview of school infrastructure funding, programs, and technical assistance made available by the Biden-Harris Administration to support schools, teachers, and students in achieving energy efficiency, resilience to extreme weather, and cleaner air, water, and transportation. These include programs like the Department of Energy's Renew America's Schools Prize, which is providing $500 million to make energy efficiency, clean energy, and clean vehicles accessible for schools across the country--and is open for applications now . It also includes EPA's Clean School Bus Program, which is providing $5 billion through

the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to replace polluting diesel school buses with zero- and low-emissions models. The program has already funded over 5,000 clean school buses, providing cleaner air for communities and protecting children from asthma.

These programs also advance President Biden's Justice40 Initiative , which set a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, clean transit, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution.

Recognizing Climate Leaders in Schools Across America

Today the U.S. Department of Energy is also announcing honorees for its Efficient and Healthy Schools Program. This program recognizes and assists school districts seeking to implement high-impact indoor air quality and efficiency improvements--like Livonia Public Schools in Michigan, which was honored for optimizing their operations to improve building performance. Others, like Broward County Public Schools in Florida, received recognition for implementing efficient and effective HVAC retrofits and other energy-saving measures, while Canajoharie Central School District in New York was honored for developing a comprehensive energy plan. These improvements will reduce energy bills and improve student and teacher health in schools across the country.

To date, 202 school districts in 45 states have joined the program, representing over 5 million students in over 8,400 individual schools--70% of which qualify for Title 1 federal funding on the basis of serving a high percentage of low-income students. The full list of 2024 U.S. Department of Energy Efficient and Healthy Schools Honorees can be found here . Additionally, earlier today U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona announced the 2024 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools , District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees. 41 schools, 10 districts, three postsecondary institutions, and one early learning center from 24 states are being honored for their innovative efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility

costs, improve health and wellness, and offer effective sustainability education. Over the past decade, the award has recognized the work of over 750 schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions across 47 states. Learn more about the 2024 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Honorees here .

Today's Summit and announcements build on the Biden-Harris Administration's actions to build healthier, more sustainable schools:

Direct Pay for Clean Energy. In March, the Treasury Department finalized rules for direct pay of certain tax credits. By authorizing direct pay, the Inflation Reduction Act for the first time makes tax-exempt entities, including schools, eligible to access clean energy tax credits and to fully participate in building and owning new clean energy projects. Schools can leverage these tax credits for clean energy investments such as solar, wind, geothermal, and storage, as well as for purchasing clean school buses and other clean vehicles. For example:

+ Manchester Public Schools anticipates receiving $2.5 million in tax credits from the IRS for installing ground source heat pumps and solar panels at Bowers Elementary School in 2023.

+ Seattle Public Schools anticipates receiving $7.5 million in tax credits from the IRS for installing ground source heat pumps and solar panels at 3 elementary schools in 2023.

+ Williamsfield Schools anticipates receiving $100,000 in tax credits from the IRS for 7 Electric School Buses funded through the EPA Clean School Bus rebates and 11 Electric Vehicle charging stations that were put into service in 2023.

Clean School Buses. In January, EPA preliminarily selected 67 applicants to receive nearly $1 billion in funding under the 2023 Clean School Bus Program Grants Competition. Selected applicants will purchase over 2,700 clean school buses in 280 school districts, serving over 7 million students across 37 states. To date, the EPA Clean School Bus Program has awarded nearly $2 billion and funded approximately 5,000 electric and low-emission school buses nationwide. EPA anticipates announcing the awards for the 2023 Clean School Bus Program Rebates Competition in May 2024.

Replacing Lead Pipes for Clean Drinking Water. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $15 billion toward President Biden's commitment to replace every toxic lead pipe in the country within a decade, protecting children and schools from lead exposure that can cause irreversible harm to cognitive development and hamper children's learning. In February, Vice President Harris traveled to Pittsburgh to announce $5.8 billion for clean water projects nationwide, including lead pipe replacement. Earlier this year, EPA announced $58 million in 2024 grant funding to protect children from lead in drinking water at schools and childcare facilities.

Investing in Disadvantaged Communities and Environmental Justice. EPA is currently accepting applications for $2 billion in Community Change Grants that can be used by schools to reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and other environmental and climate justice activities that benefit disadvantaged communities, such as facility improvements that improve air quality. Dedicated technical assistance is available to eligible applicants for application support, project planning, and more.

Improving Indoor Air Quality. Later this year, EPA will also award $32 million in grant funding to up to 6 organizations that will help K-12 schools in low-income, disadvantaged, and Tribal communities across the country develop and implement comprehensive indoor air quality management plans that address air pollution and improve energy efficiency of school facilities.

Launching the 2024 Renew America's School Prize. In March, DOE's Office of State and Community Energy Programs launched its second round of funding under the 2024 Renew America's Schools Prize , a $180 million investment to support improvements like HVAC upgrades, renewable energy installations, lighting, alternative-fuel vehicle infrastructure, and more in K-12 public schools. In particular, the prize focuses on schools that serve disadvantaged communities. Submissions for the 2024 Renew America's Schools Prize are due by June 13 . This prize builds on the first round of funding, which awarded $178 million in 2023 to over 90 school facilities across the country, impacting approximately 74,000 students and 5,000 teachers.

Supporting America's School Infrastructure. In November, the Department of Education awarded over $40 million in funding to eight Supporting America's School Infrastructure state grantees to conduct school facility needs assessments in high-need school districts, hire new staff, and develop or improve public school infrastructure data systems, among other actions.

April 26, 2024

April 26, 2024

Private Residence

Irvington, New York

7:15 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thanks. Don't leave yet.

Before I begin, I want a promise. When they say, "Joe Biden is in the outer room to see the President," you won't say, "Joe who?"

God love you. You're a good man.

MR. DOUGLAS: Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

MR. DOUGLAS: Thank you. God bless you

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

MR. DOUGLAS: Thank you so much.

THE PRESIDENT: Sit down, folks, please.

Dylan, thank you for that introduction. And -- and your sister, she is -- she could be president too, maybe, if she wants.

And -- and your dad, Michael, I -- Michael and I have something in common: We both married way above our station. Some things are just self-evident, in my opinion.

Catherine couldn't be here, but I'm grateful for her sharing her family tonight. And, by the way, she's in Dublin, holy God, you know. The place -- the only place I'm positive I could win. I could be elected Taoiseach in Dublin.

I went back to Mayo to my -- I -- because we were trying to get the Irish Accords through -- together. And I quote, as my -- no -- no family member has been in Ireland since 1848 or something like that. But I went to speak at a cathedral in Mayo that my great-great grandfather had made the bricks for. He was an -- and in Ireland, everything is about your lineage. They keep, you know, doing your background.

And so, I stood out along the river in Mayo with 32,000 people, pouring rain, and they stood there and listened. I decided I don't know why the hell my family ever moved.

But, anyway, she's in Dublin, and tell her I love her.

Look, and, of course, Michael was a great "American President." He -- -- he was single at the time. I wonder what the hell that would be like.

It was bad enough when I -- when I lost my first wife and my child, and I was a se- -- a new U.S. senator. I saw that I got put on the 10 most eligible bachelors list in America. And I swore, after a year, I've never going to go out with anybody again in my whole life.

It's an unusual situation. I don't know -- I don't know how you movie stars handle it.

You know, look, and it's great that he's one of our Founding Fathers now. I was the Ben Franklin Professor of Presidential History at the University of Pennsylvania for four years, teaching at Penn. And -- and Ben was right. If we can keep it -- that's what it was all about.

I now have a portrait in the Oval Office, when you come and see it, of Ben Franklin to remind everybody that, you know, I knew him really well. He was only a couple of years older than I was, but you know?

But, look, it's a reminder of the incredible history of our nation and the future that's within our reach.

You know -- you know, I also include Rodge and Barbara and all of the co-hosts of this event to thank them for their support. It really makes a big difference. You know, I know you have a lot more important things to do, a lot of things that you can be doing, and stepping up and doing what you're doing for me, it really makes a big difference, including the members of Congress who are here today.

Representative Bowman, thanks for the welcoming me into --into your district. I got a passport to come in.

And, Mondaire Jones, who needs to win in November -- Mondaire, you know -- --

One of my best friends in Congress for -- she's much, much younger than I am, but -- -- Nita Lowey. Nita, I love you.

As we head into the spring, we generally feel a bit of excitement building here, you know, in this campaign. So far, we have 1.5 million people who've contributed to our campaign -- 1.5 million; 550,000 new since 2020, and 97 percent are under $200 -- 97 percent.

We're almost -- we've raised almost a quarter of a billion dollars so far.

And so, look, we've ramped hea- -- 133 campaign headquarters and field offices, and we hired hundreds of staff all across the country before Trump and his MAGA Republican friends even have one single office open. So -- and it's good out there. It feels good out there.

I've been going -- I haven't had a chance to watch the court proceedings -- -- because I've been -- -- because I've been out campaigning in all the states.

And while the -- the press doesn't write about it, the momentum is clearly in our favor. Polls are moving towards us and away from Trump. The last 23 polls, we're ahead in 10 of them, and he's ahead in 8, and we're tied in 5.

And just two days ago, we got the best polls we've ever seen. NPR/Marist poll, which is considered one of the best in the country, we're ahead by five among all voters and six by -- by voters who are likely to vote. That's 50- -- 53 to 47. And it keeps moving. Every single week, things are getting better.

But what's more important is what actually -- people when they actually vote. Just two days ago, the Pennsylvania primary, we beat Trump's turnout by 150,000 more votes voted for me than voted for Trump.

Democrats are strongly behind us, and he's losing a lot of Republicans, still, to Nikki Haley in that primary.

We're also getting major endorsements. Yesterday, I received the endorsement of the North Am- -- North American Building Trades. Over 3,500 people showed up. It's the biggest na- -- in our nation and a strong key to battleground states like Wisconsin and M- -- and Michigan. They have a very strong presence there.

But, look, I know not everyone is feeling the enthusiasm. Just the other day, a defeated-looking guy came up to me and said, "Mr. President, I'm being crushed by debt. I'm completely wiped out." And I had to tell him, "Donald, I'm sorry. I can't help you." "I'm not -- I'm just not in the position to do it."

Trump is in trouble, unrelated to me and related to me, no matter -- and he knows it.

Earlier this week, I was in Florida, where they're about to implement one of the most extensive and extreme abortion bans in the country. There's only one reason and -- and one person responsible: It's Donald Trump.

He's worried voters are going to hold him accountable for overriding -- overturning Roe v. Wade and all the cruelty and chaos that's been created. But he said -- he asked voters to give him credit for it. He claimed that he was the reason why. He appointed those folks.

Look, we -- I have news for Trump: The voters are going to hold him accountable. Mark my words, it's going to move millions of voters of women and men at the polls -- to the polls this year.

And I've said many times, Trump and his MAGA crowd don't have a clue about the power of women. You know, when -- -- no, I really mean it.

You -- you may remember, in the Court's decision, it said, but women -- when they changed it, they said there's no constitutional right -- federal con- -- but it's up to the states. They said, "But women have a vote. Women have a vote. They -- they can do something about it," almost with tongue in cheep -- cheek.

Well, he re- -- we -- we reelected Kamala and me with a Democratic Congress -- if we do that, I promise you, Roe v. Wade will be the law of the land again. I guarantee it.

But, look, folks, chaos is nothing new to Trump. His presidency was chaos. Not a joke. Trump is trying to make the country forget just how dark and unsettling it was when he was President, but we'll never forget.

We'll never forget how -- him lying about COVID, telling the American people to inject bleach into their arms. He injected it into his hair. He got it wrong. He got -- he missed. But -- but all -- but all -- all kidding aside, that's what he said.

And, you know, he did that interview acknowledging that he knew it was a serious [DEL: proposition :DEL] [problem], but he didn't want anybody to know. He said it's going to go away by Thanks- -- remember all that?

Well, guess what? Over -- well over a million people died. They died.

We'll never forget the -- his love letters to Kim Jong Un of North Korea and his admiration for Putin. He talks about how smart Putin is and how if he wants to move into Ukraine or anywhere else, have at it if they're not doing enough for us.

We'll never forget him wanting teargas to be sprayed on peaceful protestors outside the White House, and then holding a Bible upside down. Now he's writing his own Bible, and he's trying -- -- and he's trying to sell it.

Look, and we'll certainly never forget the insurrection of June 6 th -- January 6 th, excuse me -- and those dark days of history. The idea that that wasn't an insurrection, I don't -- I don't understand it.

Off the Oval Office -- and I hope some of you come and visit. Off that Oval Office, there's a small dining room. He sat there for two hours watching on television -- watching the chaos, not doing a damn single thing. Policemen died. People were, in fact, badly hurt. I mean, it's never -- it's just -- it's nothing short of the Revolutionary -- of the -- excuse me, the Civil War -- hasn't been even close. It was one of the worst derelictions of duty of any president in American history.

And we want to go back to that -- any of that?

Look, look how far we've come. Since we've been in office, we've created 15 million brand-new jobs, more jobs in that short of time of any president in American history. More people have health insurance today than ever before in the history of this country, and it's working and it's increasing.

We took on Big Pharma. You know, I -- I can put you in Air Force One when we take off here. And you have a prescription from any drug company in America, and you can bring that with me -- with you. I can fly you to Toronto. I can fly you to London. I can fly you to Berlin, to any country, any capital in the world, and you can get that same prescription for 40 to 60 percent less than you get it here.

Well, we won. We lowered prescription drug costs, like 35 bucks for insulin instead of 400 bucks a month for all those people with diabetes.

We've made historic investments in rebuilding the country with these computer chips. I was just -- I was just -- had an -- did a major event up in Syracuse, where the landmark preliminary agreement between my administration and Micron, a microchip manufacturer. We came up with $6.1 billion in fund- -- funding this CHIPS program. We used to create 40 -- we used to make 40 percent of them. We're now down to zero -- zero number.

We paired that -- Micron -- Micron came along and said, "Okay, if you're going to come up with $6 billion, we're going to come up with $125 billion," to invest in New York state alone to build chip facilities right here in New York. The single-biggest investment ever made in the history of this state. Ever.

We've made the most significant investment on climate ever and the most significant gun safety law in 30 years. And we have much more to do. By the way, now they're trying to take down the -- the gun laws we passed.

We should -- I was part of one of two people who got -- when I was a senator, we -- we outlawed assault weapons. And guess what? They're back. They're back. There's no legitimate reason whatsoever for anybody to be able to own an assault weapon. I taught constitutional law -- -- you have the right to own a gun, but from the very beginning, it was not an absolute right. You weren't allowed to buy a cannon when you were in 1800. You -- no, I'm -- no, I'm serious.

You know, I love these guys who say that "the blood" -- the you know, "the blood of liberty is" -- he goes -- they're full of malarkey.

And, by the way, no one -- no one should own a weapon without a background check. Nobody.

And, folks, when I ran, I made a commitment. I said I want an administration that was going to look like America. I placed more Black women in the circuit courts of appeal than every other single president in the history of the United States.

I put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

I could go on, but the point is it's -- this is all at stake. Trump wants to get rid of everything we've done. He's been very clear about it.

Trump is determined to, quote -- he -- I love this phrase -- he's going to "terminate" the Affordable Care Act. Why? Because it was Obamacare, and now it's on steroids. And guess what? It's saving a lot of lives -- you know, the thousands of thousands, millions of people who have preexisting conditions who wouldn't be able to get insurance otherwise. He can't stand it being associated with Barack.

He's determined to get rid of the climate law. Why? Because he does not believe there's a climate crisis.

I have, since I've been President, flown over -- because of the crises we've had, flown over more forest fires and more flooding that has wiped out places than the entire state of Maryland -- the entire st- -- it would take up the entire state of Maryland.

Look, he's determined -- he's determined to cut taxes for a lot of you. Well, I l- -- I don't -- I don't think you should be paying more taxes, except for one thing: You know, there's a thousand billionaires in America. You know what their average tax rate is? 8.3 percent. Anybody want to trade? Raise your hand.

No, I'm serious. If they just had a 25 percent tax rate -- not even the highest tax rate -- we'd raise $400 billion over the next 10 years; be able to continue to do what I've already done, lower the deficit and not ex- -- not raise it; and be able to have childcare, be able to have eldercare, be able to do things that other countries are doing that make life easier for everybody and grow the economy.

And, by the way, he wants to not only raise -- have another major $2 trillion tax cut, he -- while he wants to cut Social Security and Medicare and do such other -- significant other damage.

But the biggest threat that Trump poses is to our democracy. I really believe that. Some of you may remember when I ran -- because you helped me the first time -- I indicated that -- I spoke -- made a speech at -- at -- when I was in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. And I said our democracy was at stake. And the press said, "What are you talking about democracy for?" Well, guess what? Even then, 60 percent of the people agreed with me. Our democracy literally is at stake.

Above all, what's at risk in 2024 is our freedom -- basic freedoms and democracy.

And, by the way, when you talk about taking away a woman's right to choose, we're well beyond that now. They want to take away the right for contraception, take away the right to marry, take away a whole range of things that Clarence Thomas talked about no longer being guaranteed in the federal Constitution.

Trump not only embraces the violence of January 6 th, he's running on it. I mean, he's running on it. He calls the insurrectionists who are in prison -- he calls them "patriots," and, if reelected, he says he's going to pardon them. He means it.

You know, now Trump says if he loses again, there will be a "bloodbath." My -- let me -- no president -- no president in modern -- in his- -- not in modern -- in history has said those kinds of things.

Folks, we have to say with one voice, as Americans -- as Democrats, as independents -- that there's no place ever in America for political violence. It's just never, never, never, never, never justified. Period.

Look, let me close with this. This election is about a competing vision of America. Trump's vision is one of anger, hate, revenge, retribution. That's what he talks about.

I have a very different view. I have a view of hope and optimism.

I've been doing this a long time. I know I only look like I'm 40, but I'm a little older.

But all kidding aside, I've never been more optimistic about America's prospects than I am today. We have the strongest economy in the world. The rest of the world looks to us.

Imagine had they fin- -- not finally passed the legislation for Israel and for -- and for Ukraine. We are, as Madeleine Albright said, the essential nation. That's a fact.

Who leads the world without us? No, I just -- I mean, I'm being literal. I'm not being figurative.

Look, I see an America defined by democracy, not diminished by it. I see an America where we protect our freedoms, not take them away. I see an America where the economy grows from the middle out and the bottom up, not the top down.

My dad, who was a hardworking guy -- a well-read man who never got to -- he got accepted to Johns Hopkins during the war for his -- as they say in Baltimore -- from Baltimore -- and -- but he never got to go. My dad used to say, "Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about your dignity. It's about respect. It's about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, 'Honey, it's going to be okay,' and have a chance. Just an even chance."

Where working people finally get a fair shot, where healthcare is a right not a privilege -- a future where we save the planet from the climate crisis and our country from gun violence.

These aren't crazy ideas. These are basic ideas that the vast majority of American people agree with.

Folks, this election is about democracy. It's not hyperbole; it's about democracy. Freedom. America. This is why I need you.

I know we can do this together. As I said, I've never been more optimistic. Not a joke. And I've been doing this a long time. I was in the Senate for 36 years, Vice President for 8 years, and President going on 4. I may not be the smartest guy in the room, but I have more experience and wisdom on this stage than most anybody's ever held the office. And I'm telling you, we have to win this race. We have to win this race.

We just have to remember who we are. We're the United States of America. And there's nothing, nothing beyond our capacity -- nothing -- when we do it together.

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

Thank you.

7:33 P.M. EDT

April 26, 2024

April 25, 2024

The Vice President will record a radio interview with Rev. Al Sharpton for Keepin' it Real. She will also record a radio interview with Ryan Cameron for Uncensored.

Later in the day, she will receive briefings and conduct internal meetings with staff. These meetings will be closed press.

# # #

April 25, 2024

A proud son of New Jersey's biggest city, Newark, Don was active in the community since before he could even vote. He worked his way up from a job as a highway toll collector, becoming a city councilman and county freeholder. After losing his trailblazing father, New Jersey's first Black congressman Donald Payne Sr., to cancer in 2012, Don ran reluctantly in a special election to serve out his father's final term. He came to embrace that proud heritage, winning reelection five times.

Don and I worked together throughout his time in Congress, as he fought to expand access to health care, clean drinking water, and cancer screenings; to prevent gun violence, protect voting rights, and promote equal pay for women. He co-sponsored the 2013 law reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act that I first wrote years ago, transforming the way that domestic abuse is treated in America. And he was more recently key to passing our landmark Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, making sure to secure record funding for rail upgrades across the Northeast, including the train tunnel under the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York. They will be a piece of his legacy forever.

Don represented the best of Newark, a community of faith, grit, and hard work; and he believed deeply in its promise. He lived his whole life on the same street, committed to the city that so many in his family served. Throughout his courageous battle with diabetes, he never tired of bringing people together to get things done for others.

Jill and I send our thoughts to Don's family – especially his beloved wife, Beatrice, and their triplets, Donald III, Jack, and Yvonne – and with the people of Newark, who have been blessed to have the wisdom and heart of a Payne representing them in Congress for so long.

April 25, 2024

At 9:00 AM ET, the Second Gentleman will participate in a roundtable on the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to ensure students have access to healthy and nutritious food. The Second Gentleman will highlight the Department of Agriculture's updated school nutrition standards, which will make school meals healthier by reducing sugar and sodium. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will also attend. This roundtable at Lincoln Park Middle School in Lincoln Park, MI will be open to pre-credentialed media.

April 25, 2024

At 12:30 PM, as a part of the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research , the First Lady will deliver remarks at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation's Annual First Ladies Luncheon where she will spotlight how the Biden-Harris administration is fundamentally changing how our nation approaches and funds women's health research. This event is open to pre-credentialed media and registration is closed.

April 25, 2024

3:52 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Hello. That's me.

Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon, and welcome to the White House.

I want to thank Elliot for that introduction. I just love seeing all of our young leaders here today. And on behalf of our President, Joe Biden, and all of us at the White House, a warm, warm welcome to you.

And to all of the young leaders who are here today, part of why I wanted to come out and see you is to thank you for letting your parents and your godparents and your aunts and uncles and big sisters and brothers and your family members -- thank you for letting them work here. You guys, by giving them permission to work here, you are helping children around our country and around the world.

The work that your parents do is about making sure that our children are happy and they're doing well and they have clean air and clean water and that they are safe. And you guys letting your parents do this work is helping so many children that you may never meet.

So, I wanted -- on this day, when you're here with your parents while they're at work, I want to thank you for letting them do what they do. It means a whole lot to our entire country.

And with that, I will also say, when I was your age, I used to go to work with my mom. And it was really kind of neat to see what they do all day. Right? Wasn't it neat? Did you ask them lots of questions?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes, good. Did you get lots of good answers?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Are all of you skipping school today?

AUDIENCE: Yes!

THE VICE PRESIDENT: It's a good day. Okay.

Well, welcome, welcome, welcome, and happy day. And I'm so happy to see all of you.

And to all of the parents, the godparents, the grandparents, the aunts, the uncles, the big sisters, big brothers, thank you all for the work that you do every day. Thank you all very much.

END 3:55 P.M. EDT

# # #

April 25, 2024

Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology

Syracuse, New York

2:39 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello. It's good to be back in Syracuse. I fell in love with this place, but I fell in love with a girl before I did that.

Come -- please, all, have a seat.

Shannon, thanks for that introduction and thank you for your brothers and sisters in the -- in the building trades, what they're doing to help build a future here in Syracuse.

You know, before I start, I want to take a moment to honor

two officers who have already been mentioned -- two fallen heroes who were killed in the line of duty this month: Lieutenant Michael Hoosock and -- County Sheriff Department -- and Syracuse Police Officer Michael Jensen.

We pray for their loved ones, whose hearts have been broken. You know, every time a police officer puts on that shield every morning, their husband or wife, whatever it is, their child worries about will they get that phone call -- will they get that phone call.

I got one of those phone calls in a different circumstance -- find out you've lost part of your soul, lost part of your heart.

For -- the entire Syracuse community is grieving, and we're grieving with you.

You know, to the men and women in law enforcement here and across the country, you represent the best of us. You really do. It's one of the toughest jobs in America -- one of the toughest jobs. And to the families, who I hope to get to meet shortly, I say, "My heart goes out to you." Thank you. And God bless you all.

Folks, I want to thank Governor Hochul for having us here today and for her partnership. And thanks to Chuck Schumer, a relentless advocate for this project we -- we're here to talk about today.

County Executive McMahon, it's good to be back in a place that meant so much to me in my life.

I also want to thank Governor Little of Idaho and -- and Boise Mayor McLean for joining us.

Micron's CEO, Sanjay, thank you for your leadership and investment in America. We tried to entice you a little bit with a couple hundre- - you know, billions of dollars, but you came. It seemed to work.

And to all the union leaders here, including Randi Weingarten, the American Federation of Teachers, thank you for showing the world that we can do big things again in America.

And all -- folks, all over the years I've asked business leaders like Sanjay –- because the other team kept criticizing me for wanting to make these investments, you know, things like the -- the infrastructure bill, which was over a trillion dollars. And we're going to have in- -- we have an Infrastructure Decade coming. The last guy had Infrastructure Week and never showed up.

But -- but, you know, I asked him -- I was told that, you know, "This is a government intervention." I said, "Sure in the hell is."

I ask every business leader I know -- not a joke -- "When the federal government makes a multi-billion-dollar investment in something, does that encourage you or discourage you from getting engaged?" Well, guess what? Every single solitary leader said, overwhelmingly, yes, it encourages them to get engaged. And so, that's why we're here today.

You know, during the pandemic, folks, everyone learned about supply chains. You may remember we had a global shortage of semiconductors -- smaller than the tip of your finger, and now it's even smaller than that -- that would help power everything in our lives from smartphones to cars to dishwashers, satellites.

We invented those chips here in America. We invented them. We made them move. We modernized them. But over time, we stopped -- we used to have 40 percent of this market. And over time, we stopped making them.

So, when the pandemic shut down the chips factories overseas, prices of everything went up at -- here at home. That semiconductor shortage drove one third of the surge in inflation in 2021, caused long wait lines of all kinds of products.

Folks, I determined that I'm never going to let us be vulnerable to wait lines again. Wh- -- if it's essential, we're going to make it here in America.

And together -- -- and, by the way, that's not hyperbole; that's literal. Together with Schumer, Leader and I, we took action to make sure these chips are made in America again, creating tens of thousands -- and I mean tens of thousands -- of good-paying jobs, bringing prices down for everyone.

In 2022, together with Sch- -- Leader Schumer, we wrote the CHIPS and Science Act. We used to invest significant amounts of money in research and development. We stopped doing it, but I was determined we were going to do it again. It's one of the most significant science and technology investments in our history.

And two months later, I came to Syracuse to celebrate Micron's historic plan to build the biggest semiconductor manufacturing site in all of America, one of the biggest in the world.

As was mentioned, it's the size of -- going to be the size of 40 football fields -- 40 -- big enough to fit four Carrier Domes inside and still have space leftover.

Today, I'm pleased to announce we're building on that commitment with a landmark preliminary agreement between my administration and Micron, a major chip manufacturer, which is building these fabs here in Upstate New York: $6.1 billion in chips funding paired with $125 billion from Micron to build these facilities here in New York and near Micron headquarters in Idaho.

And I -- you know, by the way -- -- it's been mentioned before, it's the single-biggest private investment ever in the history of these two states -- Idaho and, you know, New York.

So far from -- not far from here, in Clay, New York, it's going to help build two to four manufacturing facilities planned by Micron's [DEL: mega-labs :DEL] [mega-fabs].

In Boise, [DEL: Ohio :DEL] [Idaho], it's going to help build new high-volume manufacturing fabs as well.

In all, it's going to create over 70,000 jobs across both states, at least 9,000 of which are construction jobs, 11,000 manufacturing jobs, tens of thousands more up and down the supply chain. And it includes 9,000 permanent Micron manufacturing jobs right here in Clay -- not here, but near, in Clay, just a -- just a little bit from here -- many of them paying -- catch this -- $100,000 a year. And it doesn't require a college degree.

These projects are governed by the largest Project Labor Agreement in the state's history. It makes one of the -- and it makes sure that work is done on time with the highest quality and most significant safety standards. And I'm pleased that Micron is planning to sit down with unions to discuss the labor piece.

Look -- -- that's not all. And, by the way, I know I get criticized for being the most pro-union president in American history, but guess what? The middle class built this country, and unions built the middle class.

These new -- brand new facilities are going to produce the most sophisticated, powerful, leading-edge memory chips in the entire world. Each one has -- has trillions -- not billions, not millions -- trillions of tiny features, each [DEL: 4,000 :DEL] [40,000] times thinner than a single hair on your head. And I've got some very thin hair on my head.

They require manufacturing precision down to the size of an atom. They posse- -- they process enormous amounts of information at lightning speed. And they're critical to the emerging technology that will power tomorrow's economy, like artificial intelligence and advanced communications. They'll make everyday things faster, lighter, smaller, and more reliable. And it's about time.

Even though America invented these advanced chips, we don't make any of them today -- zero, zero. All manufacturing of leading-edge chips moved to Asia years ago.

That's why, today, this is such a big deal. And it is a big deal.

We're bringing advanced chips manufacturing back to America after 40 years. And it's going to transform our semiconductor industry, a pillar of a modern economy. And it's going to create an entirely new ecosystem in research, design, manufacturing of advanced chips here in America.

Folks, where is it written -- when I said we were going to have the lo- -- become the manufacturing capital of the world again when I got elected, they looked at me, some of my friends, and said, "You're crazy." Well, where the he- -- where the heck is it written -- -- that American manufacturing can- -- will not be the capital of the world again? It's going to be.

We've already created 8- -- nearly 800,000 new manufacturing jobs since I took office. And, fol- -- we're just getting started. And that's a fact. We're just getting started.

It isn't just about investing in America. It's about investing in the American people as well. And that includes training folks for these high-paying jobs -- highly skilled new jobs that we're creating. To do that, we're bringing employers, unions, community colleges, high schools together and workforce hubs where folks can learn the skills hands-on.

My Jill wi- -- my wife, Jill, cares a lot about this as well. She's teaching at a community college right now. Last year, she announced our first five workforce hubs in -- in the na- -- in the United States in Pittsburgh; Phoenix; Baltimore; Columbus, Ohio; and Augusta, Georgia. Thousands of workers will be trained in these facilities.

And today, I'm pleased to announce four new hub programs. One hub in Detroit and Lansing, Michigan, folks will make electric cars. Another hub in Philadelphia, one in Milwaukee will train workers that'll replace every -- every poisonous lead pipe in America within the decade. And here in Syracuse -- the Syracuse region, a new hub is going to train semiconductor workers for the future.

And I know that Micron is also partnering with the American Federation of Teachers to develop a technology curriculum for high schools in New York state. Think about it, those of you who are as young as me, 40 -- in your 40 s or so. How many schools still have shop in them? How many folks have -- where you learn how to work with your hands?

A significant number of public schools did away with it. So many young people who are qualified and want to and are capable who are going to never know that they had that capacity.

Well, I want to thank Randi and Sanjay for their work and Micron's leadership in workforce development, because it's going to make a big difference.

In all -- -- so far, my Investing in America agenda has attracted more than $825 billion -- $825 billion in private-sector investment, not a penny of which existed before I got elected. I ignited a ma- -- it ignited a manufacturing boom, a clean-energy boom, a semiconductor boom nationwide. And it's clear we have the strongest economy in the world, and that's a fact.

Fifteen million new jobs created in three and half years. Unemployment did -- has -- hasn't been this low for this long for 50 years. Wages are rising. Instead of importing foreign products, we're exporting -- and exporting American jobs, we're exporting American products and creating American jobs -- -- here in America where they belong.

And, folks, my predecessor and his MAGA Republican friends have a very different view. They oppose the CHIPS and Science Act that's powering this growth today.

In fact, your congressman, Brandon Williams, called it "corporate welfare."

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: Bless me, Father.

And Elise Stefanik, a few counties over, called the CHIPS Act -- she said it was, "Washington at its worst," end of quote. I guess they're not going to be here today to celebrate.

But now -- now -- -- conversion is wonderful, isn't it?

Now they've seen the massive surge in investment and jobs that we've mobilized, and they're singing a different tune now. Now they say this is "critical." You got that? Stefanik said this is "critical."

Now they say what we're doing will, quote, "lead to a more prosperous, secure, and innovative America." Well, there's nothing, I said, like conversion. I agree. Welcome, welcome, welcome.

Folks, look, we got to stop this division. I promised to be a president for all of America, whether you voted for me or not. Today's investment helps Americans everywhere, in red states and blue states, and proof that we have -- we leave no one behind.

Of the infrastructure jobs and pr- -- and proposals, we have more of them in red states than in blue states. It's about America.

Let me close with this. The past few years, I've talked to folks all across America, in their communities and at their kitchen tables. They often tell me, back in 2020, they were down. They had lost their business.

How many -- did you know somebody who worked at Carrier or another facility and a whole generation that worked there? And you're sitting there as a parent and -- a mom -- and the kid that comes home, well-educated, says, "I can't live here anymore. There's no job for me. I got to move. I got to move." They lost faith.

Syracuse is a good example. For decades -- decades, it was a manufacturing boomtown full of good-paying jobs and a solid path to the middle class. I know; I lived here. I went to law school here. I married a wonderful woman from Lake Skaneateles who I came -- that's why I came to Syracuse Law School. I felt it.

But over the years, trickle-down economics swept it all away. Under my predecessor, manufacturers left. Factories like BCS Automotive over in Auburn, where her family lived, shut down. Twenty-two thousand local jobs disappeared in the Syracuse region.

That's a story seen in community after community nationwide: hollowed out, robbed of hope. But not on my watch, thanks to investing we're making in America and the partnerships we've formed.

American manufacturing is back. New factories are going up all across the country. And communities like Syracuse are writing a great American comeback story -- that's what it is: a comeback story -- creating new jobs, new businesses, new hope.

Today, folks, when folks see shovels in the ground on these projects, people going back to work, I hope they feel the pride that I feel -- pride in their hometown that's making a comeback, pride in America, pride in knowing we can get big things done when we work together.

That's why I've never been more optimistic about this nation's future. We just have to remember who we are, for God's sake. We're the United States of America. And there is nothing -- nothing, nothing -- beyond our capacity to get done when we work together.

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

This is a big deal day. Congratulations, Syracuse. Congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you.

2:55 P.M. EDT

April 25, 2024

2:56 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, good afternoon, everyone. I -- before the press came in, I -- I thanked the leaders who are at the table who will be sharing their stories with us this afternoon. And I mentioned to them that their stories are indicative of stories around our country of extraordinary people who have demonstrated the importance of us as a society understanding the power of redemption.

And so, we've asked these four extraordinary individuals to share their stories as a way to help people who are not in this room understand how we can do better, in terms of how we are thinking about the criminal justice system and who has been in it.

And so, I'll start by saying that I want to thank Kim for your advocacy and for using your platform in a way that has really lifted up the importance of talking about and being dedicated to second chances. And you are going to speak in a moment, but I really thank you for being here and Mayor Benjamin, of course, for moderating the conversation.

So I'm a big believer in the power of redemption. It's an age-old concept that transcends religions but is fundamentally about an understanding that everybody makes mistakes. And for some, that might rise to the level of being a crime. But is it not the sign of a civil society that we allow people a way to earn their way back and give them the support and the resources they need to do that?

And so, that's why we have convened today to talk about the power of individuals when supported by a community, by society -- the power that they have to do extraordinary things that benefit all kinds of people in terms of where they live and the people they meet, their family members, and others.

So, again, I welcome the four of you for being here. And -- and I'll tell you, I have worked on this issue my entire career, and I know it works. I know that it works to give people second chances.

Back when I was elected DA of San Francisco in -- I was elected in 2003, started in 2004, and I've created one of the first reentry initiatives in the country. In fact, back then, the United States Department of Justice designated my program, Back on Track, as being a model of innovation for law enforcement in the United States.

And I designed it focused on first-time drug sales offenders -- and most of them were in their 20 s -- and getting them into an initiative that was about job training -- the building trades and the unions were very helpful and a great partner around apprenticeship programs; parenting classes; helping folks with housing. All of the things that any person needs to actually be productive.

And we proved that it worked. It was one of the first in the country. We reduced recidivism by 80 percent with that program in San Francisco. Then, when I became Attorney General of California, running the California Department of Justice, I created the first division on recidivism reduction and reentry, highlighting how state attorneys general but state -- states as a whole and law enforcement, in particular, can and should be dedicated to this concept of what we can do around reentry and reduction of recidivism.

For a number of reasons, yes, it is about reduction but also is about public safety. Right? Reduction of recidivism is about reducing crime and doing it in a productive way, which realizes that sometimes we really ought to think more about what's the return on our investment, and we actually get a lot more out of our investment if we invest in the capacity of people instead of reacting after they've done things that might warrant a -- a prosecution.

And then, of course, now, as Vice President, we have continued this work. Our President, Joe Biden, has a longstanding commitment to the issue of reduction, of recidivism. And while we have been here, then, at the White House, we've done a number of things that have been about allowing people second chances through understanding the obstacles that also still exist within society that prevent people from taking advantage of a second chance.

For example, there have been longstanding restrictions on access to opportunities such as small-business loans. So, recently, we announced that we are changing the way that we think about who is eligible for small-business loans and have, for the first time, said that folks with a criminal conviction can qualify for small-business loans.

Understand that we issue about $40 billion in small-business loans every year. The average is about $500,000. So, making this now available -- and these are small business leaders, by the way -- making this available, reducing and eliminating that restriction is going to mean a lot in terms of second chances and the opportunity for people to excel.

We have expanded Pell Grants for people who are currently incarcerated, understanding that there are a lot of folks who are inside who do, while they are there, want to enhance their education so that when they come out, they can get a job that allows them a -- a quality of life and living that can allow them to take care of themselves and their families.

We have now expanded Pell Grants for the people who are currently incarcerated. And we have invested nearly a billion dollars to include cities and local governments and nonprofits in money for job training -- for increased job training and addiction recovery and reentry support.

And I will say this. Many Americans who have served their time still face obstacles to their success. And one way for us to remove some of those other obstacles is by issuing pardons and commutations. And so, that is the subject of our conversation today.

We have issued, as an administration, with President Biden's leadership, more pardons and commutations than any recent administration at this point in their term.

For example, on marijuana, we have pardoned all people for federal convictions for simple marijuana possession. Many of you have heard me say I just don't think people should have to go to jail for smoking weed. And these pardons have been issued as an extension of that approach.

We have also addressed unjust sentencing to the extent that we have issued pardons and commutations to address historic disparities in sentencing.

One of the examples that as well-known was the disparity -- longstanding disparity in sentencing of crack versus powder cocaine. It was 100-to-1 disparity, and we have been dealing with that.

In furtherance of this work, to- -- yesterday, the President issued a new round of pardons. And today, we are, then, here to honor some of the recipients of those pardons.

And -- and I will close my comments, as I turn it over to Kim, by saying that, again, I think we know that we can be smarter with how we seek to, one, achieve public safety but also be smarter in terms of how we invest in the people of our country, especially when we do receive and understand the importance of a concept like redemption.

And so, again, I thank everybody for being here today. And I will now turn it over to Kim Kardashian, who has been a wonderful advocate on this and so many other issues.

END 2:56 P.M. EDT

# # #

April 25, 2024

This event will be to open to pre-credentialed media. For interested media, please RSVP here by Friday, April 26^th at 12:00 PM.

April 25, 2024

These barriers matter to an enormous number of Americans: One in three U.S. adults has been arrested by age 23, and over 70 million Americans have a criminal history record. Forty percent of all children in the United States have at least one parent with a criminal record. Every year, more than 650,000 people are released from State and Federal prisons, many with limited resources to start their new lives. Elected officials of both parties, faith leaders, civil rights advocates, and law enforcement leaders agree that when the basic needs of those returning to communities are met, we do not just empower formerly incarcerated people -- we prevent crime and make our communities safer.

Each April, the Biden-Harris Administration celebrates Second Chance Month, recognizing the important role of individuals, communities, and agencies across the country in supporting the safe and successful reentry of people returning from jails and prisons each year. As the Biden-Harris Administration opens new doors, it also slows the revolving door, reducing the number of people returning to jail or prison once they leave.

The Biden-Harris Administration is announcing two actions this week:

Removing Barriers for Entrepreneurs. The Small Business Administration provided more than $50 billion in loans to small businesses across the country in Fiscal Year 2023. Today, the SBA finalized a rule that will eliminate the bar on accessing SBA funds for people on probation or parole. The rule also eliminates a deterrent to seeking loans by eliminating standard questions about one's criminal background from SBA loan forms. Expanding access to entrepreneurship facilitates successful reentry of formerly incarcerated individuals while also creating economic growth that benefits the whole nation. Under SBA programs, lenders will continue to conduct individualized reviews that address fraud risks and assess the creditworthiness of borrowers.

Remedying Unjust Sentences. Yesterday, President Biden again used his constitutional authority to uphold the values of redemption, rehabilitation, and fairness by issuing 11 pardons and 5 commutations for individuals convicted of non-violent drug offenses who have demonstrated a commitment to rehabilitation. The President has exercised his clemency power more than any recent predecessor at this point in their presidency with 122 commutations and 20 pardons to date. The Biden-Harris Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms that advance equal justice, address racial disparities, strengthen public safety, and enhance the wellbeing of all Americans.

These actions build on extensive actions from Day One through 2024, including:

Connecting Formerly Incarcerated Individuals to Good Jobs: As part of the Administration's Good Jobs Initiative, competitive grant programs providing hundreds of billions of dollars now offer competitive preferences for grantees to provide high-quality jobs for qualified workers who face systemic barriers to employment, including those with criminal history records. By July 2024, the Department of Labor will also award nearly $40 million in grants through its Growth Opportunities Program for paid work experiences, training, mentorship, and other services specifically for incarcerated young people transitioning into the workforce. That effort is in addition to DOL's recent announcement of $52 million for re-entry services for individuals leaving state or local prisons and jails.

Supporting Veterans. To help fulfill the country's sacred obligation to care for America's veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs has strengthened its Homeless and Justice-Involved Veteran Outreach Program, helping to ensure that veterans who are or have been involved in the criminal justice system learn about the services and benefits available to them for successful reentry. VA also changed its policies to require quarterly outreach to veterans incarcerated in federal and state facilities. In fiscal year 2023, VA provided over 2,682 hours of outreach dedicated to veterans who may have been involved with the justice system. By mid-March of fiscal year 2024, the VA already completed over 1,060 hours of outreach dedicated to such veterans.

Expanding Access to Government-Issued Identification. Because people often leave jail or prison without the state-issued identification that is often needed to secure housing and employment, the Bureau of Prisons has successfully developed a new Release ID Card that provides U.S. citizens leaving BOP custody a temporary form of official identification. As of April 2024, 21 states allow U.S. citizens to use their Release ID Card to help obtain state identification.

Addressing a Failed Approach to Marijuana. Sending people to prison for marijuana possession has upended too many lives for conduct that is now legal in many states. Following his October 2022 pardon of prior federal and D.C. offenses of simple possession of marijuana, in December 2023, the President issued a Proclamation that pardoned additional offenses of simple possession and use of marijuana under federal and D.C. law, as well certain violations under the Code of Federal Regulations involving simple marijuana. These full, categorical pardons lift barriers to housing, employment, and educational opportunities for thousands of people.

Making Higher Education More Accessible and Affordable. The Second Chance Pell initiative provides need-based Pell Grants to people in federal and state prisons to obtain high-quality postsecondary education in prison and after release. As a result, in the past financial aid year, more than 17,443 students enrolled in a postsecondary degree or certification program through the initiative. The Department of Education continues to expand its Second Chance Pell Initiative with the Prison Education Program. Last year, 6,036 students obtained a postsecondary degree or certificate through the initiative, and ED predicts that number to grow in the coming years. The Prison Education Program has the potential to reach over 760,000 individuals who are incarcerated and eligible for a Pell

Grant. AmeriCorps has also made it easier for members and volunteers to use the education awards they earn during national service to pay for education and repay their student loans after being incarcerated. Earlier this month, the Department of Education announced a new path for student loan borrowers who are incarcerated to exit default through consolidation, providing them access to improve their credit and better repayment options than ever before. This provides incarcerated borrowers an additional pathway out of default and will provide options for such borrowers to lower their monthly payments and in some cases get loan forgiveness. For example, after consolidating their loans out of default, borrowers can access the newest repayment plan – the Saving on a Valuable Education Plan. The SAVE plan lowers monthly payments to as little as $0 a month based on a borrower's income and family size.

Expanding Access to Health Care. Last year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced a new demonstration opportunity that allows Medicaid coverage for select services, including substance abuse disorder services, for certain incarcerated persons in the period shortly before release from jail or prison. For Medicare, in November 2022, CMS issued a final rule establishing a special enrollment period for formerly incarcerated individuals so they can enroll up to 12 months following their release from a correctional facility, enabling them to avoid potential gaps in coverage or late enrollment penalties. Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services also

announced the availability of $51 million for the first-ever funding opportunity for health centers to implement innovative approaches to support transitions in care for people leaving incarceration. Health centers can provide health services to incarcerated individuals who are expected to be or are scheduled for release within 90 days to help ensure they continue to receive care as they move back to their communities.

Implementing the First Step Act of 2018. The First Step Act of 2018 was the culmination of a bipartisan effort to improve rehabilitation for people in federal custody, facilitate successful reentry, safely reduce the size of the federal prison population, and strengthen public safety and equal justice. Since 2021, BOP has finalized and implemented several changes to maximize the availability of good and earned time credits for eligible people in federal custody, to expedite the calculation and application of those credits, and to give people in custody the ability to track their time credits. Between January 2022 and April 1, 2024, a total of 31,925 individuals have been released from prison under the First Step Act due to credits earned for good behavior.

Reducing the Use of Criminal History in Federal Jobs and National Service. In August 2023, the Office of Personnel Management issued rules that prohibit federal agencies from requesting an applicant's criminal history information in most circumstances before the agency makes a conditional offer of employment; expanded the positions covered by this "ban the box" policy; and established a complaint process and accountability measures for hiring officials who are alleged to violate it. AmeriCorps has limited the use of criminal history checks to their intended purposes so that justice-involved individuals who do not pose a danger to vulnerable populations have an opportunity to give back to their communities through national service.

Addressing Harmful and Unlawful Fines and Fees. Last April, DOJ issued a Dear Colleague Letter for state and local courts and juvenile justice agencies on common court-imposed fines and fees practice. The letter cautions against those practices that may be unlawful, unfairly penalize individuals who are unable to pay, or otherwise have a discriminatory effect. Building on this letter, in November 2023, DOJ released a report that highlights the most common and innovative approaches taking place across the country to reduce reliance on criminal and civil fines and fees. DOJ also launched a new initiative that provides training and assistance to jurisdictions to address common barriers to creating a more equitable justice system by rethinking the use of fines and fees.

Reducing Recidivism Through Prison Programs. Since 2021, the BOP has added 19 new recidivism-reduction programs and expanded existing reentry and treatment programs related to adjustment, recidivism reduction, and psychological symptoms and distress for the BOP population. In March 2021, 26,251 of 124,509 incarcerated persons had participated in at least one such program. In March 2024, partly due to program expansions and partly due to the end of COVID-19 restrictions, 48,160 of 127,367 incarcerated persons had participated in at least one program.

April 25, 2024

AND NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR JOHN KIRBY

Aboard Air Force One

En Route Syracuse, New York

12:20 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: …a delayed start this morning. I apologize. Just going to talk a little bit about the trip and then I'll hand it over to the Admiral, who has some stuff on -- on the Middle East and some other stuff -- some other foreign policy stuff. So, we'll get going.

So, we're on our way to Syracuse, where President Biden will announce -- oh -- oh, it's very loud back there. Okay.

Q Hey, guys --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sorry, guys. Thank you. Appreciate you all.

We're on our way to Syracuse, where President Biden will announce that the Department of Commerce has reached a preliminary agreement with Micron to provide up to $6 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. This investment will support the construction of two fabs in Clay, New York, and one fab in Boise, Idaho, unleashing $50 billion in private investment by 2030.

For these projects, Micron established two project labor agreements at the New York and Idaho sites for construction of new fabrication facilities. These agreements will ensure that projects are completed efficiently and on time, while also supporting high-quality jobs.

Micron has affirmed it respects workers' rights to organize, to share feedback without fear of rep- -- reprisal, and to collectively bargain. Since President Biden took office through March -- through March 2024, companies have announced over $825 billion in private-sector investments, in manufacturing and clean energy, and over 50,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects are underway.

This announcement is part of the President's broader commitment to build an economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down, and invest in all of America.

With that, the Admiral is here.

MR. KIRBY: Hi. I just -- thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No problem.

MR. KIRBY: Just real quickly, on Haiti. We join the international community in commending all Haitian participants in their process to establish a transitional presidential council. We welcome the swearing in of those nine TPC members today. Our ambassador to Haiti was present for the ceremony.

In addition to that, today marks a critical step towards free and fair elections, and, of course, we were able to deliver the first shipment of U.S. government nonlethal equipment to the Haitian National Police to bolster their capabilities. Renewed access to the airport after a month of closure and steps made today toward inclusive governance should give us all hope for the future of Haiti.

As we've said numerous times, the United States remains committed to supporting Haitian-led efforts to restore security and the rule of law to pave the way to democratic governance.

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

Q Any update --

Q Can you --

Q I'm sorry. Go ahead.

Q Thank you. Can you give us just any updates on the flow of aid into Ukraine? I know the President said within hours yesterday. What has been able to get in place?

MR. KIRBY: I'll refer you to the Pentagon for updates. I mean, there is -- there are some things on that list that can get there in very short order, in a matter of days. As you know, we have quite a bit of inventory there in Poland. Other things will take longer to get there, but, really, the Pentagon should speak to timing.

Q John, how can the U.S. ensure that that equipment gets to where it needs to go in Haiti, to the actual National Police, just given the situation in Port-au-Prince and also a history where, at times, U.S. weapons, U.S. equipment does get into the wrong hands?

MR. KIRBY: Yeah, I want to make clear a couple things. This is nonlethal stuff, like body armor and that kind of thing. And we're working with partners on the ground to make sure that it gets to the HNP and that they use it appropriately. We are not present there. We're not going to have an inspection regime there on the ground to do that. But we're comfortable that we can work through the embassy, through the ambassador, and partners on the ground.

Q Admiral, a question on Turkey. In two weeks' time, President Erdoğan is expected at the White House for a visit. Last Saturday, he hosted the Hamas leader. Will that be, you know, subject -- topic of conversation, or would that compromise the visit?

MR. KIRBY: There's nothing on the schedule to speak to in terms of a specific visit by President Erdoğan. So, I don't really have a comment on that.

Q And on him hosting the Hamas leader?

MR. KIRBY: Again, I'll let President Erdoğan speak to the meetings that he's having. We've been very clear about our position on Hamas and who they are and what they represent. I'll leave it at that.

Q U.S. officials, UK officials, Arab leaders are going to Saudi Arabia next week. Any idea -- can you give us some preview of what to expect from that?

MR. KIRBY: No, sorry. I don't have anything on that.

Q On U- -- on Ukraine, John, can you say: Is the U.S. considering sending another Patriot battery to Ukraine?

MR. KIRBY: When we send additional items and we can speak to it, we'll certainly let you know. You all saw what is in this first package. These are critical capabilities for them. But clearly, air defense is going to remain something that's a high priority for -- for the Ukrainians. And as we can contribute to that air defense across a range of different capabilities -- long, medium, and short range -- we'll do

that.

Q And on -- on the meeting in Saudi Arabia, can you say which U.S. officials will be attending that?

MR. KIRBY: I just don't want -- I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'll take the question, though, and go back to the team and see if we have more detail on that.

Q Does the President have any comment today on the arguments before the Supreme Court questioning whether the President should have a --

Q Can we actually --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Wait, wait. Hold on.

Q Can we get -- can we get one more with --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'll get to that in a second.

Q John, a top Han- -- Hamas political official told the AP that the -- the group is willing to agree to a truce of five years or more in exchange for a Palestinian state being established. Do you guys consider that particularly credible starting of a negotiat- -- negotiating point from Hamas?

MR. KIRBY: Absolutely not. There's not going to be a Palestinian state with Hamas in control. It's a terrorist organization.

We support a two-state solution. You've heard the President talk about that a lot. But it's got to be done through direct negotiations between the parties: Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Now, look, it seems like Hamas just keeps wanting to move the goalposts. They could end the war now, and if they really believed in a state for the Palestinian people, they wouldn't have violated the -- the ceasefire that was in effect on the 6 th of October, they'd lay down their arms, they'd let the hostages go.

Q I know you've said that you're in a dialogue with Israeli officials over the reports of mass graves. Have you received any clarity on those reports or --

MR. KIRBY: I have nothing new on that today. I mean, obviously, we are talking to our Israeli counterparts. You heard Ja- -- Jake talk about this yesterday. We'd like to see this investigated. We'd like to get more information about it.

Q

Q He asked it already.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks, Admiral.

Q Thanks, John.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Appreciate it.

Okay. I'll -- your question was about?

Q Does the President have any thoughts on the argument before the Supreme Court today made by the former President that presidents should face immunity from any actions taken in office?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Nothing to say about that.

Q Can I ask about campus protests? Speaker Johnson visited Columbia yesterday, I believe. He also talked about the possibility of bringing National Guard troops. One, is that a conversation he's had with the President? And, more broadly, does the President think that's necessary and something he could potentially support?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, on the National Guards, that is something that is under the governors, right? That is something for the governors to decide. As you know, Governor Hochul visited Columbia University recently. And so, she spoke to that. So, I would just refer you to her comments. That is something for governors to decide, so I -- I don't have anything beyond that.

But I want to be really clear here. The President put out a statement, as you know -- and I mentioned this -- I've mentioned this a couple times this week -- when he talked about Pa- -- Passover, as Jewish Americans were celebrating Passover. And he said that antisemitism basically is wrong and that we should call out -- call that out. And there is no place -- no place for -- for hate or hateful rhetoric or any type of violence, obviously.

And that's -- that is sometime -- something that we continue to condemn. And we've been very consistent about that throughout our term -- throughout his term.

And so, don't have anything else be- -- beyond that. But the National Guard, that is something for Governor Hochul.

Q And then --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And governors, in general, they are -- that is something for them to decide on.

Q Johnson seemed to suggest that he was going to have a conversation with the President about this issue. Has that conversation happened?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don't have a conversation to read out. Yeah.

Q On the U.S. economy. The economy is slowing. The expectation was it was going to be 2.5 percent in the first quarter, and it was 1.6. And we saw your -- the statement from the President talking about how it's been 3 percent over the last year. But was 1.6 about what the White House had projected?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, what we -- and you saw this in the statement, so I'm not -- I'm just going to reiterate just a little bit here what the GDP report showed. We be- -- the economy remains strong. And we've been talking about the steady and stable growth, and that's what we see from that report today.

And as you know, the economy has grown more under President Biden than, at this point, in any presidential term in the last 25 years. And you mentioned the 3 percent growth over the last year. Consumer spending and business investment, the core of GDP growth, are strong.

But, look, we're always going to be very clear: There's more work to do. The President has said this -- at the center of his economic plan is going to be lowering costs for the American people, and we're going to continue to do that. Fighting inflation, we're going to continue to do that.

But we believe we're -- we're going toward that slow and steady growth. And I think that's what the GDP report --

Q So, can you say if the White House projected that 1.6 or --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I -- I --

Q Okay.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You know, that's for the economic experts to -- to speak to. I don't have anything to -- to share about what was our expectations. But what we see from the report is actually what we believe is -- is the economy continuing to remain strong.

Q And it sounds like Kim Kardashian is at the White House today. Did the President speak with her?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, that's a good question. I -- as you can imagine, we're now on this trip. So, I don't have a -- I don't have a readout for you on a conversation with Kim Kardashian.

But, look, this is part of -- this is part of what we announced very recently --

Oh, okay.

-- the pardons yesterday.

Getting a look here.

So, as you know, this afternoon, the Vice President will convene par- -- pardon recipients and criminal justice reform advocate Kim Kardashian for a roundtable discussion to highlight the administration's Second Chance policies during Second Chance Month.

So, the four pardon recipients participating in the discussion are among the 16 individuals who received clemency from the President just yesterday. And to date, the President has commu- -- commuted the sentences of 122 individuals and granted pardons to 20 individuals who committed nonviolent drug offense.

And so, obviously the Vice President is going to speak to this. And so, I will let her remarks kind of lay out the -- the importance of today.

Q Does the White House have a reaction to Meadows, Giuliani, and others being charged in Arizona for the fake election scheme?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No.

Q What about the Weinstein conviction getting overturned?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No comment on that.

Q Can you say what the President is doing tomorrow in New York?

AIR FORCE ONE CREW MEMBER: So sorry. We're landing in four.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Go ahead.

Q Can you say what the President is doing tomorrow in New York?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We'll have more to share later today.

All right. Thanks, everybody.

12:30 P.M. EDT

April 25, 2024

WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris announced today that she will embark on a nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour with a series of events focused on investing in communities, building wealth, and ensuring every American has the freedom to thrive. The Vice President's tour will take her back to several states across the country as she highlights how the Biden-Harris Administration has built economic opportunity and delivered for the American people. The Economic Opportunity Tour will kick off with a moderated conversation in Atlanta, GA on April 29 and an event in Detroit, MI during the following week. Additional dates and locations will be announced soon.

"President Biden and I are committed to creating an economy in which every person has the freedom to thrive. That is why we have taken historic steps to advance economic opportunity by increasing access to capital, investing in small businesses, addressing housing costs, forgiving student loans and medical debt, investing in infrastructure, and championing additional policies that put money in people's pockets and build wealth," said Vice President Harris. "Our economic approach has delivered great progress, and we will continue to invest in you, your family, and your future."

During the Vice President's Economic Opportunity Tour, she will highlight how the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered historic investments that have supported communities and helped people thrive. This includes making unprecedented investments in small businesses and achieving the fastest creation of Black-owned small businesses in more than 30 years, creating a record number of jobs, increasing access to capital for underserved communities, investing in infrastructure, cutting the price of insulin and expanding access to health care, erasing medical debt, forgiving more student loan debt than any administration in history and boosting investments in education, making housing more affordable, lowering child care costs, and increasing the wealth of American families. Vice President Harris will also outline additional steps that she and President Biden are taking to expand this work. She will be joined on the tour by Administration officials, members of Congress, local leaders, and

other special guests.

The Vice President's tour is a continuation of her nonstop travel to communities across the country. She has made more than 35 trips to 16 states since the beginning of 2024. This includes consistent travel to meet with small business owners and entrepreneurs in underserved communities to discuss challenges and opportunities they face. In March, she traveled to Black Wall Street in Durham, NC to announce $32 million in funds to support historically underserved entrepreneurs. She began the year in Las Vegas, NV where she announced an SBA rule that will ensure millions of Americans

who have served time are eligible for SBA loan programs that help individuals start and run small businesses.

The Vice President has long been focused on ensuring that minority, rural, and low-income communities have the capital and resources they need to thrive and support small businesses. Last year, she announced that Treasury's CDFI Fund has awarded over $1.73 billion in grants to 603 Community Development Financial Institutions across the country. In 2022, the Vice President also announced a first-of-its-kind public-private sector initiative -- the Economic Opportunity Coalition -- that is a historic

public-private partnership of more than 20 private sector organizations that will invest tens of billions of dollars to create opportunity and grow wealth in historically underserved communities. The EOC has already surpassed over $1 billion in increased member company deposits into community finance institutions. As a Senator, the Vice President partnered with key Congressional stakeholders to secure a transformative $12 billion investment for CDFIs and MDIs in December 2020. Since that time, she has worked to ensure these programs are as successful as possible.

Media interested in covering Monday's Economic Opportunity Tour kickoff event in Atlanta – the Vice President's third trip to the state this year and her 12^th since being sworn in – should RSVP HERE by 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, April 26.

Media interested in covering the Vice President's arrival at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport should RSVP HERE by 5:00 p.m. ET on Friday, April 26.

Details for media to RSVP to additional stops on the tour will be available soon.

April 25, 2024

South Lawn

11:16 A.M. EDT

Q Mr. President, how was your meeting with Abigail? Can you talk about your meeting with Abigail a little bit?

We're told that you met with Abigail, the little -- the little girl that was held hostage.

THE PRESIDENT: I'm sorry, I can't hear you .

Q Abigail. You met with Abigail the other day.

THE PRESIDENT: Yes.

Q The little -- the little girl. How did that go?

THE PRESIDENT: That went really well. Her dad sent me -- her -- excuse me -- her family sent me a note saying she was riding home and she said, "You know, I love Joe Biden."

Q We're told that she did a lot of playing.

THE PRESIDENT: She did.

Q And had you seen -- can you discuss that a little bit. Was she outside, inside? She was playing a lot?

THE PRESIDENT: Oh, she was. We had her on the swings. She was pla- -- swinging around in the Oval Office. She was really good.

Q Have you seen the video of the hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin with the missing arm? Have you seen that video of that hostage? Any reaction?

THE PRESIDENT: I haven't, but I know about it. I haven't physically seen it.

11:17 A.M. EDT

April 25, 2024

AND NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR JAKE SULLIVAN

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

2:47 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hi, good afternoon, everyone.

Q Good afternoon.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I -- I'm just going to be super, super quick. I'm going to turn things over to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who's here to talk about the national security supplemental that the President, as you all know, signed this morning and -- and our support for Ukraine -- our continued support for Ukraine.

Jake.

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, thank you. So, Karine was very short. I'll be a little bit longer because I have a few things to lay out.

But wanted to start by saying that I'm sorry that we're late for the podium today, but it's -- it's for good reason, which is I've just come from being with the President, where he got the chance to meet with Abigail Edan, the four-year-old American who was held hostage by Hamas in Gaza and was released last November as part of the first hostage deal that the President was able to help broker and negotiate.

But it was also a reminder, in getting to see her, that there are still Americans and others being held hostage by Hamas. And we're working day in, day out to ensure all of them also are able to get safely home to their loved ones.

The main reason I come to the podium today, though, is to follow up on the President's remarks from earlier today and the very important, consequential vote that was taken in the Senate last night and the bill that was signed by the President this morning.

This morning, you heard President Biden speak about the critical importance of the national security supplemental, which came to the President's desk, as we said it would, with overwhelming bipartisan support from the U.S. Congress. I've stood at this podium numerous times and said, you know, the road may be full of twists and turns, I can't predict exactly when it will happen, but I always had confidence it would happen.

And that's because of the deep reservoir of support there is for Ukraine. And that's true of Democrats, it's true of Republicans, it's true of independents. And that's what's shown through in the votes, both in the House and the 79-vote aye vote outcome we saw in the Senate last night.

The passage of this bill sends a powerful message to the rest of the world about the enduring strength of American leadership. And believe me, the world has been and continues to watch closely.

As you all know, getting this legislation through Congress has been a top priority for President Biden since he first submitted his supplemental request more than six months ago. And it gets to a core tenet of his foreign policy philosophy: When our friends and allies are stronger, we, the United States and the American people, are stronger. And when our friends are attacked or threatened, we, the United States, stand up for them. We do our part. We keep our word.

And with that signature this morning, the President kept America's word that we would stand with Ukraine through thick and thin, and that's exactly what we will do.

When Russia began amassing troops on Ukraine's borders, the President rallied the world to respond to Russia's aggression. He built a broad coalition that flowed critical aid to Ukraine as the Ukrainian people defended themselves and then won the battle for Kyiv, the battle for Kharkiv, the battle for Kherson, and regained half the territory that Russia occupied since 2022.

And the bill the President signed today and the significant and immediate military aid package he approved one minute later will send Ukraine the supplies that it needs to make a significant different -- difference as they continue to fight for their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The bill will also help replenish Israel's air defenses, which is even more important following Iran's brazen and unprecedented attack 10 days ago. And it will help ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against the very real threats it faces from Iran as well as Iran's proxy groups.

The supplemental will substantially increase humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, who are suffering so grievously, as we work to build on the progress of the past two weeks in terms of an increase in the amount of lifesaving humanitarian assistance that has been and must continue to flow into Gaza. And the quantities and the type of humanitarian assistance that we have seen increase over the last two weeks, we need to see continued increases and sustained increases as we go forward.

The bill will also enhance and expand humanitarian aid for those who have been impacted by instability, by conflict, by disaster all over the world, including in Haiti, in Sudan, and Somalia.

The bill makes important investments in our defense industrial base that will strengthen our own military. And, of course, it provides timely support to our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific as well.

Getting this bill passed entailed months of advocacy, hands-on work by President Biden himself, by his White House team, by his national security team, and countless briefings, meetings, hearings by departments and agencies across our government for the Congress in both the House and the Senate.

It was a long road to secure this funding. And I have to say, standing here today, it was too long. And the consequences of the delay have been felt in Ukraine. Over the past six months, Ukraine has had to ration ammunition, and that has resulted in the loss of some territory in the east, including the city of Avdiivka.

And while today's announcement is very good news for Ukraine, they are still under severe pressure on the battlefield, and it is certainly possible that Russia could make additional tactical gains in the coming weeks.

Russia has tried to grind out very slow, costly progress on multiple fronts over the past few weeks. They are threatening the town of Chasiv Yar. They are threatening settlements to the west of Avdiivka. And, of course, they're raining hell down on Kharkiv and other cities across Ukraine.

The fact is that it's going to take some time for us to dig out of the hole that was created by six months of delay before Congress passed the supplemental. And that's why the minute the President signed the supplemental, he turned and signed a very substantial drawdown package that includes urgently needed artillery and HIMARS ammunition, more armored vehicles, Javelins, Stingers, and air defense interceptors, among other things. These capabilities are going to start moving immediately to make up for lost time.

At this critical moment, this is a way to show in deed as well as in word that the United States stands with Ukraine.

And despite the challenges that I've just described, I think it is very important for us to underscore that as we look ahead to the rest of 2024, our view is that Ukraine retains key advantages in this fight. Uk- -- Ukraine can and will prevail, and that will be thanks to the bravery of its people but also the support of its friends.

First, the Ukrainian military remains a resilient, brave, and effective fighting force. And even as the Ukrainians waited for U.S. security assistance, they were able to impose significant costs on Russia. Since the start of 2024, we estimate that Ukraine has destroyed more than 700 Russian armored vehicles and roughly 250 Russian tanks.

Russia, meanwhile, has had to continue to throw its soldiers into this fight without proper training and equipment.

Second, our allies, as the President said this morning, have been mobilizing in support of Ukraine alongside us. Just yesterday, the UK announced a significant new package of military aid for Ukraine, alongside major investments that they are making in their defense industrial base, putting their defense budget on a path to reach 2.5 percent of their GDP by the end of the decade. And the United States welcomes these moves from a stalwart ally.

Germany recently announced the donation of another Patriot system to Ukraine.

The Czech government, whose Prime Minister was just here recently, has raised enough money to purchase half a million artillery shells for Ukraine, with hundreds of thousands more beyond that to follow.

And Estonia recently announced its own ambitious effort to secure even more artillery and other forms of ammunition for Ukraine.

And then, third, the United States is building up our capacity to support Ukraine. For example, we're investing in our own domestic production of 155-millimeter artillery rounds. Since the start of this conflict, we've more than doubled our monthly production of 155. By the end of this year, we will have doubled it again. And as a result, we're going to be able to provide, from our own production, steady and significant supplies of artillery to Ukraine.

We are also providing Ukraine with new capabilities. I'm able to confirm, as you've heard from others, that in February the President directed his team to provide Ukraine with a significant number of ATACMS missiles for use inside Ukraine's sovereign territory. That shipment started moving in March as part of the PDA that the President authorized on March 12 th, and those missiles have arrived in Ukraine.

This followed Russia's procurement and use of North Korea's ballistic missiles against Ukraine, as well as Russia's renewed and escalating attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

Until recently, as we've said on many occasions, we were unable to provide these ATACMS because of readiness concerns. But behind the scenes, the administration across the board has worked relentlessly to address those concerns. We now have a significant number of ATACMS coming off the production line and entering U.S. stocks. And as a result, we can move forward with providing ATACMS while also sustaining the readiness of the U.S. armed forces.

The path ahead will not be easy. Russia is going to continue to press its attacks against Ukrainian defenses. But for the reasons that I have laid out, over time, we assess that Ukraine's position in this conflict will improve, and we believe that Ukraine can and will win.

As I have said from this podium before, no one -- no one in this room and no one anywhere else -- should underestimate the Ukrainian people, and no one should underestimate President Biden's resolve and the American people's resolve and a bipartisan majority in -- both in the House and the Senate's resolve to stand with Ukraine.

And with that, I'd be happy to take your questions.

Yeah.

Q Thank you, Jake. How big of an impact will these long-range ATACMS have on the battlefields in Ukraine? And will more long-range ATACMS be sent to Ukraine as part of this $60 billion aid package?

MR. SULLIVAN: So, we've -- as I said in my opening comments, we've already sent some. We will send more now that we have additional both authority and money. I'm not going to get into specific numbers for operational reasons.

I believe they will make a difference. But as I've said before at this podium -- and as you've heard from Secretary Austin, the Chairman, and other senior military officials -- there is no silver bullet in this conflict. One capability is not going to be the ultimate solution. It is an amalgam of capabilities that come together and combine with the bravery and skill of Ukraine's fighters that's going to make the difference in this conflict.

So, we think it's good that we're able to provide them, but I don't expect to stand before you and say one capability has -- has been the silver bullet in this conflict.

Q Are you worried that it could provoke Russia? Because they had said that sending these long-range missiles could be crossing the red line.

MR. SULLIVAN: What we have seen from the Russians is their willingness to accept long-range missiles from other countries, specifically North Korea. They have used those in the battlefield. They have used them to attack Ukrainian civilians as well.

So, from our perspective, now that we've resolved our readiness concerns, being able to step up and provide our own capabilities to Ukraine, as partners of ours have -- the UK, the French, others -- we think it's appropriate to do at this moment. We think it is a good capability in this phase of the conflict for Ukraine, and we will stand behind that four-square.

Yeah.

Q Jake, you know, on Israel. They've made a number of commitments in terms of what they need to do on the ground in order to receive the aid that they're getting from the United States. With the reports that we've seen of mass graves at two medical facilities in Gaza that they destroyed, is it your current view that they are living up to those commitments?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, those reports were deeply disturbing. We have been in touch at multiple levels with the Israeli government. We want answers. We want to understand exactly what happened. You've seen some public commentary from the IDF on that, but we want to know the specifics of what the circumstances of this were. And we want to see this thoroughly and transparently investigated so that the whole world can have a comprehensive answer and we, the United States, can as well.

I can't speak beyond that because, of course, we're in the early days of fully understanding what happened.

We also received a series of commitments from the Israeli government with respect to the facilitation of humanitarian assistance.

President -- .

Q That's all for today, Jake. Time's up.

MR. SULLIVAN: That's what the -- that's "The Gong Show"?

You know, President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu a little more than two weeks ago. And in the time that has unfolded since his conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, we have seen a marked increase in the amount of humanitarian assistance that has gone into Gaza and, importantly, a very significant increase in the amount of assistance that has gone to Northern Gaza, where the U.N. and others had told us the challenges of malnutrition and potential famine were most acute.

So, we think we have made a significant set of steps forward on this, but -- and this is a very important "but" -- it needs to be sustained and it needs to be increased even further.

We've seen moves at Ashdod. We've seen initial moves through crossings in the north. Again, those are good steps, but we need to see that expanded, institutionalized, and ensure that, on a steady basis, the level and intensity and scope of humanitarian assistance meets the need. And we're going to stay focused until we ensure that that is the case.

Yeah.

Q Thanks, Jake. What kind of mechanism does the U.S. have in place to ensure that these long-range ATACMS will only be used within Ukrainian territory and will not be fired into Russian territory?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, we now have an extended period of time where we have tested these commitments from the Ukrainian government, which they have made with respect to other systems as well, including HIMARS, where they have said, "We will only use these on Ukrainian sovereign territory. We won't use them beyond the borders of Ukraine."

They have followed through on that commitment time and time again with respect to the systems that we have provided them, so we have confidence they will follow through on this commitment as well.

Q And then on this new --

MR. SULLIVAN: Yeah.

Q -- hostage video that was just released by Hamas of Hersh Goldberg-Polin. What's your understanding of why Hamas is re- -- releasing this video now? Is it because the U.S. was insisting on some proof of life? Or is this a provocation of some sort?

MR. SULLIVAN: We have insisted on proof of life, we have insisted on the release of all of these hostages from the beginning. And so, there's been no change in our position with respect to proof of life. So, I can't speak to what has caused them to choose to release the video at this time.

All I can say is this is a -- an innocent young man being held hostage by a terrorist organization, and he should be released immediately without condition and without delay.

I have not had the personal opportunity to speak with his parents since this video was released. I'm intending to do that.

I don't want to speak further on this, because of the sensitivity of the issue, other than to say I was just sitting with the President of the United States going through all of the Americans being held hostage and what we can do about them, what their status is. It's something he is personally very focused on, even as he celebrates Abigail's release.

So, this is something we will continue to make a paramount priority for President Biden and for the United States.

Yeah.

Q I know you don't want to detail it much further. But just for clarity, can you assess -- is there any assessment of how recent this video was made, if this was made just days after? He does have, sort of, a date stamp in how long he says he's been held. What is the U.S.'s understanding on that?

And separately, can you pull back the curtain on the visit with Abigail Edan and her family? You were there. How is she -- her spirits, her family? What was the moment like? What were the interactions like? If you could, invite us into that room.

MR. SULLIVAN: The moment that we got the video that showed Hersh, we gave it to the FBI Hostage Fusion Recovery Cell. Those are the experts who have the technical capacity to actually look at that video and discern or at least assess with as much specificity as possible the answers to your questions.

They are in the process of doing that. I'm not going to get ahead of that assessment --

Q Okay.

MR. SULLIVAN: -- to make any judgments about time, you know, recency, et cetera. I will let them make those judgments. And then when we have something we can share publicly, in light of all the sensitivities, we'll share it with you.

You know, President Biden will speak to this himself because this was his meeting, his opportunity to see Abigail, to see her family, to see her siblings. Abigail and her -- her two siblings had their parents killed on October 7 th. So, they're still living with the tragedy and the trauma of that. Abigail, of course, is living with the trauma of being held captive for -- for many weeks.

But this was a -- a moment of joy as well because she was able to be returned safely to her family. And I think, for the President, the most important thing was it was a reminder of the work still to do and how important it is for him personally and for the government to do all that we can to secure a ceasefire and hostage deal so that everybody can come home.

Yeah.

Q Thanks, Jake. This bill also authorized the President to seize Russian-dollar assets. Is that something he's prepared to do unilaterally? Or will he have to consult with allies before making any kind of decision?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, the G7 has said collectively that Russia's assets are going to remain immobilized until they are put to use for recovery in Ukraine. The precise way in which that happens, the mechanism is still being -- is still a matter of consultation with our European partners.

Look, the ideal is that we all move together -- that Europe and the United States, especially since the bulk of the assets are held in Europe, come up with a common way forward for how we ensure that these sovereign assets actually go to work rebuilding and reconstructing Ukraine.

And I will not go further than that today because we are in the middle of intense consultations with our European partners.

I can tell you this is going to be an important subject of conversation at the G7 summit in June. But I will leave it at that for today.

Q Can you provide us with an update on the latest on the Rafah invasion? What's the latest that the Israelis have told the administration? And on timing, do you expect them to hold off as these talks continue?

MR. SULLIVAN: I will say that you hear a lot of different public comments from different Israeli officials, different media reports -- some on the record, some off the record, some on background -- circling dates, stating what's going to happen definitively, changing what's going to happen definitively, so I will be entirely out of the business of commenting, predicting, or representing what exactly Israel will do when it comes to Rafah.

What I can tell you is the U.S. position has been clear on this. I've stated it from this podium. The President has spoken to it. And we've had very detailed discussions with the Israelis as recently as last week by secure video to talk through not just our concerns but our view that there is a different way to go about dealing with the Hamas threat in Rafah and succeeding in ensuring the long-term defense and security of Israel.

We are still in those conversations, and we will still continue to press our perspective. And I will leave it at that for today because that conversation is midstream. It has not been concluded.

Yeah.

Q Thanks, Jake. This bill gives ByteDance 270 days to sell TikTok due to those national security concerns, which could lead to a national ban. In the meantime, is it safe for President Biden's campaign and any other political entity to be on TikTok?

MR. SULLIVAN: So, I'm going to let campaigns decide for themselves what they're going to do.

The terms of the bill are straightforward. TikTok continues to operate as it is right now until such time as either there is divestment or the time that you've referred to elapses. And so, what we're focused on right now in implementing the bill is working through that divestment in a way that is consistent with the intent of the law and consistent with the national security concerns that brought the law into force in the first place.

Yeah.

Q The war will stretch far beyond the $61 billion in aid. So, can the Ukrainians have any confidence that the fight over Congress -- the fight over money in Congress won't repeat itself next year?

And, you know, has Putin planned for these skirmishes in the U.S. Congress as he continues the invasion in Ukraine?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, look, I've said this before -- and maybe it's even an understatement to say it again -- that democracy is messy. There's a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, a lot of twists and turns.

But I think really what this weekend showed is that, at the end of the day, despite substantial effort by a lot of parties, including the Russians, to figure out a way to not have this bill pass, it has passed. And I think the message that that sends is that, at the end of the day, when push comes to shove, the United States is going to be there with the resources necessary for Ukraine.

I believe that today, I believed that one year ago, and I believe that will be true one year from now.

Yeah.

Q Yeah. Thanks, Jake. You referred to the hole that was dug because of the six-month delay in Congress. How deep is that hole? How much was -- did l- -- Ukraine lose on the battlefield as a result of inaction?

And, secondly, how long does the U.S. expect this $61 billion to last before it is completely withdrawn?

MR. SULLIVAN: So, you can --

Q

MR. SULLIVAN: -- you can measure the impact in different ways. With respect to actual territory, we're talking about tactical losses in the east, not some fundamental structural shift in the underlying dynamic of the conflict.

But you can also measure it just in terms of the -- the wear and tear in places on a frontline unit who has to ration ammunition because they're not getting the steady flows. And that's a bit more incalculable.

And the President referred in his remarks earlier today to the reports of Ukrainian troops literally cheering in the trenches, watching on their phones, as the House passed the bill over the weekend. That goes to show you how closely they are following the -- the U.S. Congress, because it means the difference between having them -- the tools they need to put up that fight effectively and not having those tools.

So, our view is that that has caused, obviously, some significant wear and tear on the forces, as well as some tactical losses on the battlefield, and has also created the existing pressure that we see even today with Russian unit -- units pushing forward in places they were not previously pushing forward.

But we also believe, as I laid out -- maybe in too much detail for some of you -- that there are fundamental structural drivers that favor Ukraine here. And part of that is about what the U.S. industrial base can produce. Part of it is about what the Europeans have stepped up to do in really significant ways over the course of the -- the last six months. And we are urging them to keep that going, even as the U.S. has delivered $60 billion. Part of that is about the Ukrainian capacity itself. And then, of course, we are adding new capabilities like the ATACMS.

So, you put all that together and I think the calculus of the Russians or the critics of Ukraine who say, "Time is on Russia's side" -- they've got it wrong. We believe that the structural dynamics of this conflict favor the country defending its own territory. We believe that occupation and invasion saps the will and vitality of a nation over time.

And as long as Ukraine gets the tools that it needs to defend itself, it can do so effectively and it can win. And we have now taken a major step forward in giving it the tools that it needs to defend itself, and we insist that we will continue to do so.

Q And then a second question. In terms of how long it'll last, I mean, how -- until it's completely drawn down. Is there any -- should it last the rest of this year? I mean, how -- how long are we talking here?

MR. SULLIVAN: I do anticipate that with the amount of resources we have right now, we can continue to supply Ukraine with what it needs through 2024.

Q Jake?

MR. SULLIVAN: Yeah.

Q Thanks, Jake. There's been some satellite imagery of tents popping up near Khan Younis and -- and Rafah as well. Do you have an assessment of what these were built for? Is this related to Israel's potential invasion in Rafah imminently?

MR. SULLIVAN: So, I have seen the reports. I don't know, actually, exactly what they refer to. It is certainly the case that U.N. organizations, NGOs, other governments are working to actually build out shelter, sanitation, distribution points for humanitarian assistance in Khan Younis now that major military operations there have abated.

So, sort of setting aside the question of Rafah for the moment, which is a hard question to set aside, there's going to be a significant amount of humanitarian activity in Khan Younis regardless, as there can and should be in Gaza City as well as we get more aid to the north.

So, I can't speak specifically to these reports, how they relate to Israel's future military operations, because I've only seen them kind of written in the newspaper. I haven't yet seen what exactly they're referring to.

But we'll stay in close touch not just with the Israelis, but with the United Nations. In fact, on a daily basis, at senior levels, we're talking to the U.N. as they try to coordinate the humanitarian element of this.

And, frankly, for those people -- innocent civilians -- who are not in Rafah, they too need and deserve shelter, support, food, medicine, and everything else. And, you know, we are insisting that that happen, in addition to ensuring the safety and protection of the people of Rafah.

Q And then really quickly on the in-person talks that were scheduled to happen. I know you guys have been meeting virtually with Israeli counterparts.

MR. SULLIVAN: Yeah.

Q Is there anything planned upcoming for an in-person conversation?

MR. SULLIVAN: So, we had an in-person one planned, and then, as you all may have noticed, there was a series of events related to Israel over the course of the past two weeks that made it difficult, frankly, for anybody to leave their desks. I couldn't leave my desk. My counterparts in Israel couldn't leave their desk because we were hunkered down trying to put together the coalition that helped defend Israel against that unprecedented Iranian attack and then deal with the aftermath of it.

I expect we will get together in person relatively soon, but we don't have a date circled on the calendar right now.

Q Thanks. Thanks so much, Jake. Back to the structural dynamics in Ukraine that you talked about earlier. Ukraine is facing a very severe troop shortage at the moment. Is there anything in this package that will address the fact that Ukraine needs more troops on the frontlines and that they've struggling to -- to get the numbers that they need over the past several months?

MR. SULLIVAN: It's a very good question. Obviously, this package does not include troops. It includes the capabilities that troops will need, but Ukraine itself will have to supply the troops.

Now, as we were working day in, day out to get this bill passed, President Biden was also working with President Zelenskyy to talk through how President Zelenskyy was thinking about the issue of mobilization and getting enough forces forward to the fight.

And actually, as you know, just in the last couple of weeks, Ukraine has passed a new mobilization law. And, also, the new commander-in-chief, General Syrskyi, has put in place -- along with the Defense Minister, Umerov -- a series of protocols to increase the number of forces that are being mobilized each month so that Ukraine has the manpower it needs to go along with the capabilities it is now getting.

And we will start to see the impact of that month by month as they implement the new mobilization law and as they implement the new directives from the Minister of Defense and the -- the new commander of the -- of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Q Jake.

MR. SULLIVAN: Yeah.

Q Jake, the North Korean envoy has recently se- -- sent to Iran. And considering the fact that both ballistic missiles and the Shahed drones have been sent to Ukraine to fight against the Ukrainian forces, can I get your opinion on this?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, the President today made a comment that, you know, I'll just repeat, which is for the six months that we were not actually passing the necessary resources for Ukraine, Putin was looking to his friends. And he was getting those drones from Iran, he was getting those missiles from North Korea, and he was getting support for the Russian defense industrial base from China.

And that is not lost on us. It's something that we are dealing with on all three fronts. And we will continue to do that. And you've heard Secretary Blinken, obviously, who's now in Beijing, speak to our concerns with respect to the PRC and its support for Russia's defense industrial base. And we have been vocal from this podium about both North Korea and Iran, and we'll continue to be.

Yeah.

Q Thank you, Jake. Israeli government officials are saying that the President has backed down on possibly sanctioning the IDF Netzah Yehuda unit -- battalion. Is there any truth to that? Is that still under consideration? And, if not, why not?

MR. SULLIVAN: On this one, I've got to refer you to the State Department, because they run a rigorous, detailed analysis of what's called the Leahy Law, which looks at gross violations of human rights by particular units. It has been taking a look at these questions for multiple countries. And I can't -- it wouldn't be appropriate for me to speak on their behalf. So, the State Department will ultimately have to speak to this.

Q Okay.

MR. SULLIVAN: I would only point out that the nomenclature of "sanction" is not accurate. What we are talking about here is, if the Leahy Law is implemented, it has implications for how we deal with a particular unit. But it's not, in the classic sense, a sanction. It's something well known and applied in multiple jurisdictions around the world.

But this really is something that we take care to separate from politics, to separate from, you know, decisions taken at the White House. It is a State Department analysis with a State Department outcome. And they can speak to what is going to happen at the time that they're ready to speak to it.

Q Having -- having said that, a number of State Department officials, including some recently departed former officials, have told my colleagues that their understanding of the situation is that the President's views on -- on Israel have been a roadblock to applying the Leahy Law as you have just described.

Can you tell us, right here, whether the President would intervene in that State Department process that you alluded to to prevent Leahy Law restrictions being placed on Israel?

MR. SULLIVAN: I -- I think I did just tell you. He will not. The White House will not intervene in that. That is a process run out of the State Department, and you should go there. And my strong guess is that the State Department officials you're referring to have never sat in a meeting with President Biden on Israel and are merely speculating based on whatever their own perspective is.

But I've said it to you, plain and simple: The State Department will make these judgments. They'll make them according to the analysis and the timeline they deem appropriate. And -- and the questions about how that all plays out are best directed to their podium.

Q Way in the back, Jake.

MR. SULLIVAN: Yeah.

Q Thank you. Just on Ukraine. Now that the United States is sending long-range missile systems to Ukraine, do you expect that Germany would follow? Would you welcome such a step from them?

MR. SULLIVAN: I would refer you to Berlin on that.

Yeah.

Q Thank you. You've been talking about a very detailed discussion with the Israeli government about possible invasion in Rafah. Does this administration still consider Prime Minister Netanyahu as a valuable partner?

MR. SULLIVAN: As a what?

Q Valuable partner.

MR. SULLIVAN: I'm not sure I understand what you mean by that.

Q As a partner that you can trust.

MR. SULLIVAN: He's the Prime Minister of Israel. We deal with whoever is sitting in the chair as the Prime Minister of Israel, because ultimately the decisions that are taken are taken under his leadership of his Cabinet.

And so, we will continue in -- to engage with the Prime Minister -- the President will. We'll continue to engage with his team in an effort for them to fully understand our perspective and where we think the right steps forward are and to listen to them as well. And ultimately, the President will make his own decisions about U.S. policy consistent with U.S. interests and values.

Yeah.

Q Thank you very much, Jake. On Iran, North Korea, and Russia. It was reported that North Koreans' economic delegations will be dispatched to Iran to discuss nuclear missile cooperation with Iran. As you know, that -- Iran used North Korea-made missiles in an airstrike against Israel. What impact do you predict that military cooperation between Iran, North Korea, and Russia will have on the Middle East situation and Korean Peninsula?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, episodically, over the course of many years and many administrations, we've seen various linkages in -- and defense cooperation between North Korea and Iran. That's come and gone, ebbed and flowed.

What is new, what is different over the course of the last two years has really been the cooperation between Iran and Russia with this massive provision of drones and North Korea and Russia with a massive provision of many different capabilities, including artillery, but also including ballistic missiles that go quite a long range, pack a punch, and are being used to terrorize cities across Ukraine.

And we believe that this is a matter of grave concern to the security of Europe, way beyond the borders of Ukraine.

And to your question, we're also concerned about what may happen in the other direction: What is Russia going to provide to North Korea or Iran that will destabilize the Indo-Pacific or destabilize the Middle East? That's something that we're watching very closely.

Yeah.

Q Thanks, Jake. Tomorrow is the funeral service for the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers who were killed. Why is the President not going?

MR. SULLIVAN: Well, the President will have a letter from him read at the service. And you will see the Second Gentleman there. The President, of course, has had a longstanding plan to go up to Micron, the facility up in Syracuse. He will continue with that. But he has spoken directly with Chaef [sic] Jose Andre- -- Chef Jose Andres about this tragic event.

And, of course, in the immediate aftermath of it, he picked up the phone and called Bibi Netanyahu. And what we have seen since then, as I was speaking about before with respect to the provision and facilitation of humanitarian assistance, has been a significant difference. But the administration will be well represented at that event.

Yeah.

Q Thank you. Two questions. One on Iran. Part of the deal that was signed by the President today had a collection of sanctions on Iran, on the Islamic Republic -- namely, human rights, drones, their dealings with China, the oil export. What is the administration trying to achieve with this set of sanctions that has not already achieved in the past three years?

And my second question is about this National Security Memorandum 20, which is an independent task which they called the suspen- -- for the suspension of the U.S. arms transfer to Israel because they are accusing Israel Defense Forces of a "systematic pattern of war crime." What does the administration say about this?

MR. SULLIVAN: So, on National Security Memorandum 20, which the President signed some weeks ago, we have a report that will be sent up to the Congress in early May. That report will analyze the elements of National Security Memorandum 20. And obviously, then, we will present the findings of that to all of you as well. And I'm not going to get ahead of that report. I think we should let them work through rigorously the analysis, which will be done on an interagency basis by the U.S. government.

And your first question was about Iran sanctions. Look, I think the moment we're in right now that's quite different from where we were just a few weeks ago is you've actually had the G7 come out together and say that we need to impose additional economic measures, additional sanctions, additional pressure on Iran for this brazen and unprecedented attack against Israel with more than 300 missiles and drones fired at Israeli territory.

The EU has moved, the UK has moved, the United States has moved, and we will continue to move. And extra authorities from Congress can help add to the -- the types of forms of pressure that we can place and the type of isolation we can generate with respect to Iran, which is acting in ways that are fundamentally irresponsible and destabilizing the peace and stability in the Middle East.

I'll take one more question. Yeah.

Q I wanted to follow up on -- I know you had to not go to Riyadh, to Saudi Arabia. I hope you're feeling better, by the way.

MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you.

Q But has that been rescheduled, first?

And secondly, can you give us an update on, sort of, what movement there has been on these normalization talks between Saudi Arabia and Israel?

MR. SULLIVAN: I do expect to get to Saudi Arabia in the next few weeks. We haven't literally scheduled it because things have been a bit in flux. But we will get it back on the calendar in the near term. I'll let you know when I plan to get out there.

Thank you for your concern. I do feel quite a bit better. But as any of you who've cracked a rib know, it -- it takes a long time. So, call me at 80 percent right now. Meanwhile, I'm physically deteriorating in all other ways, but -- -- that's a matter for another time.

And then, in terms of where we are on normalization talks, I really want to have the opportunity to sit with the senior Saudi leadership, get their perspective in person. I'd be happy to report back to you after that. It's something that we want to continue to work on.

Although every week or so, I read a new story about how there's a renewed initiative, a different initiative, a new -- you know, this is steady, consistent diplomacy aiming at an endpoint that we've been quite clear about. But there haven't been any kind of dramatic developments over the course of the past few weeks. It's something we continue to work at. We'll talk with the Saudis. We'll see where we are. And obviously, we have to talk with the Israelis as well, because they would be a part of the larger outcome here if we could generate it.

And with that, I'll turn it over to Karine. Thanks, everyone.

Q Thanks, Jake.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thank you.

All right. Thanks, everybody. Thanks, Jake.

I do have a -- something at the top for all of you, and then we can get into Q&A.

Over the last -- the lo- -- the last two days, our administration took several new steps to protect workers and consumers.

The FTC banned non-compete agreements, which currently keep 30 million workers, nearly one in five, from changing jobs. This rule will increase wages by at least $400 billion over the next 10 years.

The Labor Department raised the salary threshold for overtime, extending overtime protections to millions of workers. As the President put it: If you work extra hours, you deserve extra pay.

The Lad- -- Labor Department is also protecting retirement security by requiring financial advisors to act in the saver's best interest, not their own. This will save millions of Americans thousands of dollars for their retirement accounts.

The Transportation Department is helping consumers get what they are owed by requiring airlines to provide passengers with cash refunds when flights are canceled or significantly changed, checked bags are significantly delayed, or services like Wi-Fi are not provided.

The Transportation Department is -- is also cracking down on surprise junk fees by requiring airlines to tell consumers upfront what they are being charged for checked bags, carrying on bags, and changing or canceling a reservation.

These are just the latest parts of -- parts of President Biden's agenda to protect workers and lower costs. The President is building an economy that lifts up working Americans and middle-class families.

With that, Colleen.

Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q So, the backlash is growing at Morehouse College over the President's upcoming address, and it sort of mirrors all these other college protests over Gaza. I'm wondering how the President is going to manage increasing student concerns as the violence wears on.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, we know it's a incredibly painful time for many communities. You hear us say that often. You have heard us mention the President meeting with different community -- community leaders and community members, obviously, from the -- for -- from the different -- the different communities, obviously, the different groups, to be more s[DEL: pecise :DEL] [precise], whether it's Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, Palestinian Americans, to have those difficult conversation, to have those honest conversations.

And you've heard the White House -- you've heard us talk about the White House staff, officials having regular, ongoing meetings with these different groups.

Look, as it relates to commencements, they're about the graduates, right? They're about their families. They're about their loved ones. It's about celebrating accomplishments. And the President is certainly looking forward to doing that. He's going to do that at Morehouse. He's going to do that at West Point -- West Point, where those are graduates where he's going to be thanking them for their service and defending -- obviously, for defending our -- our nation.

So, the President is going to look -- is looking forward to being part of that. He has always -- it's not the first time, obviously, that he's given commencement speeches.

I understand this is a different moment in time that we're in. But he always takes this moment as a special time to deliver a message -- an encouraging message, a message that's hopefully uplifting to the graduates and their families. And we're going to continue to have these conversations that I've been -- that I've just mentioned with the different communities about what's happening right now.

We get it. It's painful. We get that. We understand that.

Q Is there a concern that he would be, I don't know, disinvited from Morehouse or anything? Is he planning to go?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I'm certainly goi- -- not going to speculate or go into hypotheticals. The President is certainly looking forward to these commencements -- these two upcoming commencements -- Morehouse and the United States Military Academy next month. And he is -- he has done these many times before, understanding the important, critical -- not critical but important moment and how special that moment is for the graduates and their families. And he is going to do his best to meet that moment as it relates to what's going on, the pain that communities are feeling.

We're going to continue to have those conversations and be sensitive to that, understanding what people are going through.

Q On the Supreme Court.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q It -- the Court appears pretty skeptical that federal law trumps state law in Idaho over the abortion ban there. I just wondered, you know, that -- EMTALA was a -- a major --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- part of the administration's efforts to sort of protect women or give additional healthcare to women. So, if that is on the chopping block, what else can the administration do?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm going to be careful, because it's ongoing. So -- parts of this, especially because it's an ongoing litigation --

Q Yeah.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: -- have to refer you to the Department of Justice.

More broadly, the administration is going to continue, certainly, to defend women's ability to ac- -- to access emergency care that they need, they should -- they should have under federal law. And so, that is a commitment that this administration is going to continue to ensure.

And -- and, so -- look, we're -- we're going to stay focused on that. We're going to let the -- the litigation process continue. So, just not going to get beyond that.

But, more broadly, we believe that women should not be denied the ne- -- the access of healthcare that they need.

We've been very clear in the Biden-Harris administration about how important it is that women get that emergency care. We're talking about lives. We're talking about women's lives here and being able to make those all-important decisions on their healthcare.

We've been consistent about that. We're going to continue that fight. And so, we remain focused on ensuring that we prevail in the courts, and that's our commitment to women.

Go ahead.

Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q The House Speaker is heading to Columbia today. He's calling on the president of Columbia to resign. Does the President share that view? And what does he think of the way that the administration at Columbia has been handling this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, going to be really mindful. Columbia is a private institution. We're not -- we -- I mean, we've been very consistent here about not commenting on personnel matters. That's something for Columbia University -- obviously, the board to speak to and the president -- right? -- to make that decision. So, I'm not going to comment on that. That is obviously the Speaker's privilege to -- to speak for himself and what he sees.

So, look, I would say, more broadly -- and I said this moments ago -- this is a deeply painful, painful moment for many communities, and we understand that. But the President believes that free speech, debate, and nondiscrimination on college campuses are important. They're important American values. And that -- and so, he'll always be very clear -- we will always be very clear about here -- about that here.

But, you know, protests must be peaceful. You know, students must be safe. When we see violent rhetoric, we have to call that out. When we see physical intimidation or grotesque antisemitic remarks, we have to speak that out. And you saw that from the President's statement when he -- this President's statement on Passover. He talked about that. He talked about action -- taking action and making sure that we're calling that out.

So, we're going to continue to do that forcefully, condemn antisemitism from this administration. We're going to contem- -- continue to do that. We're implementing, as you know, the -- the first-ever National Strategic Effort to Counter Antisemitism because there should be no place in this country in -- when it relates to that type of hate.

We saw what happened in 2017, Charlottesville. That was one of the reasons that this President decided to run in 2020. He ran in 2020 because of what he saw in Charlottesville and what was happening in the streets of Charlottesville -- -ville, the vile, just hateful rhetoric that we're seeing there.

So, I think Columbia is going to have to speak to their personnel issues. And what we will speak to is, more broadly, what we expect and what we want to see and how painful it is for many communities here.

Q And then on TikTok. Now that the President has signed the bill, does the White House have a preference as to whether TikTok gets sold and remains operational in the U.S.? Or are you indifferent about whether it gets banned or sold?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, first of all, we've been very clear, members of Congress have been very clear, we do not want to see a ban. This is not about a ban. This is about divestment, selling -- right? -- being sold. This is about our national con- -- security. This is not concerns about Americans using TikTok. This is about PRC ownership, right? This is about the control of TikTok.

And so, want to be super, super clear. And so, that's what members of Congress moved forward with. That's what we supported. So, we wanted to see a divestment. We want it to be -- to see it being sold. And we do not -- we do not seek a ban. That is not what this bill is about -- or this now law is about, canceling it.

Q Thanks, Karine. You say it's not about a ban. But the reality is -- is that finding a buyer for TikTok will be incredibly difficult, and the Chinese government also could intervene and block a sale. So, if it came to it, would the administration, then, support a ban, as the legislation is written?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, here's -- here's -- I think I want to be -- as it relates to China, they should allow it. Right? They should allow it to be sold. That's what I'll say there.

As it relates to the bill -- the law now -- there's time. We got to see how this plays out. We believe that it is possible. There are already American investors who are -- who are willing and are interested in buying TikTok. So, the interest is there. It's not like there isn't any.

And so, we're going to see. There's time -- there's time -- there's certainly time on the books to see how this plays out. We do not -- this -- this is not a ban. Again, this is about divestment. And that's what we want to see.

Q Which American investors are interested?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, you all have reported on it. There's reports out -- out there that there's a number of interested buyers -- a number of them. You guys have reported on that. I don't have a list to share.

So, we're going to let that process play out. But it's been reported by all of you.

Q And just what's the President's personal reaction to what he's seeing playing out on these college campuses? What would he -- be his message to those who are peacefully -- peacefully protesting, you know, those who feel targeted on --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I --

Q -- you know, all sides of the community?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I hear your question. I think the President has been very clear. He's put out -- he put out a statement. In his Passover statement, he talked about the -- it is -- we can't be silent here. Silent is complicit. And we can't allow that.

We sh- -- we believe in First Amendment rights, right? We believe in people being able to express themselves in a peaceful manner. But when we're talking about hateful rhetoric, when we're talking about violence, we have to call that out. We have to call that.

And we've been consistent here throughout this administration. The President has been consistent about it, obviously, since 2017, but even before that, when he saw what happened in Charlottesville. We have to call out hateful, violent rhetoric.

But, you know, we want to make sure that people have the opportunity to peacefully protest -- peacefully protest.

Go ahead.

Q Karine, on that subject, President Biden once talked about the Vietnam War protests of his youth. And he said the reason why he didn't participate was because, quote, "I wore sport coats… I am who I am. I'm not big on flak jackets and tie-dye shirts. And, you know, that's not me."

Is that still his view about the protest movements? Or does he see them as -- as useful in shaping policy or shaping a discourse?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, obviously, the President, when he was talking about that, he was talking about the Vietnam War. That was a moment in time -- a specific -- you know, when he was younger and how he felt about that situation.

And as President, you know, as Commander-in-Chief, where he sits right now, behind that Resolute Desk, and what he understands, it's important to speak out. And he understands that, as a leader in this country, that when we see this type of antisemitic hate, this type of antisemitic vile -- vile, we have to be very clear. We have to show moral clarity. We have to call that out.

And I said this at the beginning: Students should feel safe, communities should feel safe, and we -- you know, we can't -- we can't stay silent. Obviously, it is a deeply painful moment. He sees that. He understands that. And he will always support and believes in free speech and debate and nondiscrimination on college campuses, as I said moments ago.

And so -- but we have to be able to do this and protest in a peaceful way. I don't think that takes away from the comments that you just made, that -- that you just gave back to me that the Pros- -- President made. I don't think that -- that that's any different -- right? -- than what the President is saying right now. Right?

You have to be able to -- be able to peacefully protest, but you got to call out hate. You got to call out hate.

Q And then on TikTok. Is there any expectation that China could retaliate against U.S. techni- -- tech companies that are operating there?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, I can't speak for -- for the Chi- -- the Chinese government. I can't. I mean, that's a hypothetical. I can't speak to that.

I can only speak to the importance of this -- this law moving forward -- this bill moving forward -- obviously, the President signed it to- -- signed today, so it's now law -- and the importance of making sure that we move forward with that divestment of TikTok.

We're talking about national security. We're talking about making sure we're protecting Americans' privacy, and that's what this is about. And we are not talking about Americans using TikTok. That's not what we're -- we're looking at here.

We want to make sure that there's a divestment, that, you know, TikTok should not be owned -- or Americans should not be -- should not be having to worry about using a platform that is owned by -- you know, by a country that's trying to harm us. That's the national security concern here.

Q And will this law survive a constitutional challenge?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I'm not going to speak to that. I mean, I think that's something that, obviously, DOJ will -- will deal with. I can't speak to -- to challenges. But obviously, it's -- it's law now. So, we're going to move forward with it.

Go ahead.

Q Thank you. We are seeing some of these on-campus protests really heighten tensions and escalation across the country, not just at Columbia but public universities -- UT Austin, USC in California. Is there any concern about how law enforcement is handling these protesters?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, I can't speak to what's going on on the ground. I know what UT -- what happened is just happening now, happening today. So, I have no idea on how -- how that's being -- how that's being dealt on the ground.

But, look, we've been very clear. We want to see this be peaceful. We understand it's deeply concerning. It is important that -- that communities feel safe and important that students feel safe. That's what we want to see. It should not be violent. It should not be hateful rhetoric here.

And so, that's what we're going to keep saying, keep calling on. And -- and we'll let the universities handle that process on how they're -- how they're dealing on the ground.

Q Thank you. And if I may shift back to Ukraine for just a moment.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q President Zelenskyy said he and President Biden discussed this Global Peace Summit coming up this June in Switzerland on their call this week. What is the White House view at this point on what that summit could achieve? And would the President consider attending?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, nothing to share with you on the President's schedule. Obviously, it's an important conversation that Ukraine should be part of. We have always been very clear about that. I don't have anything to share beyond -- beyond that. I think, you know, this is something that Pres- -- the President of -- the President of Ukraine -- obviously, President Zelenskyy needs to lead on and -- and speak to. I just don't have anything else to share.

Obviously, we have shown our commitment to the great people of Ukraine as it relates to defending themselves against Russia's aggression. We've been pretty consistent about that. And we believe that we need to do everything that we can to make sure that they have what they need to fight for their democracy, to fight for their freedom. And we believe that they will prevail.

I'm just not going to get ahead of -- of a potential summit and what that might look like.

Go ahead, Tolu.

Q Thanks, Karine. Two questions. First, the President expressed some regret about the border security bill not being a part of the supplemental. But he also said that he will address that another time, another place. Do you have any update on whether the President is --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And I also think, like, Mitch McConnell made a statement about it as well. So, I would certainly point you to what he said about the border security bill. And I think that's important -- right? -- because we need -- this is a bipartisan effort, and we need both sides.

Look, the President has been very clear. We need that bipartisan border security n- -- bill -- or the negotiation that came together on that, and we have to move forward with it. It came out of the Senate. It w- -- it got bipartisan support.

We heard from the former President, who said, "Don't move forward." He told Republicans to reject it. They did. And that's unfortunate. That's unfortunate.

Because it would have been the toughest, it would have been the fairest if it was -- if the President had an opportunity to sign that into law -- you know, law that we had seen in some time. And it would have addressed a lot of the concerns that Republicans have that we're seeing -- the challenges that we're seeing at the border.

So, I mean, he had an opportunity. You all -- you all listened to the President, right? So, he had an opportunity this morning, so he was going to take that opportunity to say how we need to continue to move forward with the border -- border -- border security negotiation -- or the plan that came out of the negotiation. So, he wants to see that.

It's -- it's a concern that majority of Americans have. And so, we want to see that move forward. And I think Mitch McConnell spoke for himself on that.

MR. MICHEL: Karine --

Q Should we --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I know.

Q -- interpret him saying he's going to come back to it as a sign that he's going to do some executive action in the coming weeks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, well, look, we've always been very clear. No executive action is actually going to do what that border -- border security plan would have done. Right? We believe that was a -- in order to move forward to deal with the challenges at the border, in order to actually deal with what we've been seeing with immigration -- a broken immigration system that has been -- that we've seen for decades -- that's the way to move forward.

Obviously, we're always going to look at our options. But we believe there's still an opportunity here. There's still an opportunity here. And I think -- I think Leader McConnell was -- was pretty clear about that, too, today. And --

Q Then --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, go ahead. I have to --

Q A really quick one on -- on taxes. The President earlier today said the 2017 tax bill that was passed under President Trump -- if he is reelected -- if President Biden is reelected, it would be dead and gone forever.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q That bill obviously included tax cuts for the wealthy, but it also included tax cuts across the board to the tax rates at various levels of income.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q Is the President saying that he would get rid of the entire tax bill and not allow those tax cuts to continue?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think -- I think what the President was trying to say -- he was trying to make very clear that that was -- the 2017 tax bill was something that was for, you know, billionaires and corporations. And that's not what he's for. Right? He wants to -- he wants to make sure that the working class gets their fair share. He wants to make sure that the billionaires and corporations pay -- right? -- what they -- what they owe.

And so, he's talking about an economy -- what type of economy that he wants to build. You hear us say it all the time. He says it all the time: an economy from that -- that's built from the bottom up, middle out, that doesn't leave out working people, that doesn't leave out the middle class, that builds into the middle class. And I think that's what he was trying to speak to more broadly and how billionaires and corporations have to pay their fair share. He's always been very clear about that.

And 2017 tax bill does not do that. It does the opposite of that. And that's what we've seen from Republicans continuing -- like, when they put out their budget recently, that's what they're doing. They want to give them a break.

And what the President wants to do is give the middle class a break. He wants to give working people a break. And you -- you've seen that from his legis- -- from legislation that's been passed and trying to -- and trying to make sure that we do not leave communities behind, communities have been behind -- left behind for decades now.

Go ahead, Peter. I have to go into the Oval Office.

Q Understood. I'll a- -- I'll ask two quick ones, one that developed in --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q -- the last hour, which is: On the third attempt in the last three weeks, Arizona state House lawmakers just passed a bill that would repeal the near-total ban on abortion in Arizona. The White House's view on that? It now, of course, moves to the state senate.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. So, look, we've -- you've heard us talk about the 1864 law and how it just sets us back -- 1864. We're in 2024. And there's a law that -- that they wanted to move forward with that obviously would hurt women, would hurt -- hurt our reproductive rights and hurt -- hurt our -- obviously, women to make a decision about their healthcare.

And so, if this is -- I have not seen that report. But if this is the case --

Q It is the case.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: -- that it has been repealed in one of the chambers, that's a good thing. Right? We're moving forward in the right direction. We're moving forward to where we are today in 2024, where we should be protecting our freedom, protecting a woman's right to make a very personal decision about her body.

Q And then, last one, quickly. I know you've got to go.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.

Q But the President didn't mention the words TikTok -- or maybe that's one word, TikTok, with no space between the two -- in his comments earlier today. So, if you had an elevator --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That's so precise.

Q If you had an elevator pitch, there was 170 million Americans who use TikTok right now, what is the simple statement to those Americans right now who are saying, "The President of the United States just proposed -- or signed legislation that could ban a platform that I rely on, in some cases, for my livelihood"?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think I would just say what I've been repeating here from this podium for the past few minutes here, which is: This is not a ban. This is about divestment. This is about our national security. We are not saying that Americans -- we do not want Americans to use TikTok. That is not what we're saying. We want to make sure that Americans are protected -- are protected. And that is what this is about.

And so, we believe this law will get us there. We believe that we will be able to divest -- that TikTok will be able to divest. We believe that there is interest in -- in folks who want to buy TikTok, and we want to get there. We want to get there.

This is -- the President wants to protect Americans. He w- -- he wants to protect Americans' privacy. He wants to protect Americans from coun- -- a country, in this -- in this instance, that wants to potentially do us harm. And that's what he believes is important.

We're not saying we do not want TikTok to exist. We're not saying that we do not want Americans to use TikTok. We want to make sure that it's done in a way that we protect our national security and that we protect Americans.

Q Thank you.

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

Q Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I've got to go to the Oval.

Thanks, everybody. Have a good -- have a good week. I guess I'll see you in New York.

Q Karine, if there are any pictures of the President with Edan, if you would share those before the newscast --

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'll -- I'll check.

Q -- tonight, we'd be grateful.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'll check in.

Q Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'll check in. Thanks. Thank you.

3:49 P.M. EDT

April 25, 2024

the bottom up, so the middle class has a fair shot and no one is left behind.

April 25, 2024

We emphasize that the deal on the table to release the hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, that would facilitate a surge of additional necessary humanitarian assistance to be delivered throughout Gaza, and lead to the credible end of hostilities. Gazans would be able to return to their homes and their lands with preparations beforehand to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions.

We strongly support the ongoing mediation efforts in order to bring our people home. We reiterate our call on Hamas to release the hostages, and let us end this crisis so that collectively we can focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region.

April 25, 2024

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is announcing a suite of standards to cut greenhouse gas emissions as well as toxic air pollution, water pollution, and land contamination from fossil fuel power plants. EPA's greenhouse gas emission standards will avoid 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon pollution through 2047, equivalent to the annual emissions of 328 million gas cars, and together with the other standards will provide hundreds of billions of dollars in climate, environmental justice, and public health benefits, including fewer premature deaths, asthma cases, and lost work and school days. The standards announced today will ensure that power companies use modern, cost-effective technologies to reduce pollution and protect the health and wellbeing of communities, including communities historically overburdened by pollution.

The Department of Energy is announcing up to $331 million through President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for a new transmission line that will be built with union labor – the latest awards from the Administration's $30 billion investment in strengthening America's electric grid infrastructure. A capacity contract from the Transmission Facilitation Program will support a new 285-mile transmission line from Idaho to Nevada, bringing more than 2,000 Megawatts of needed transmission capacity to the region. The Southwest Intertie Project-North is expected to provide hundreds of jobs to workers with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

Alongside this critical investment, DOE is releasing a final rule to make federal permitting of new transmission lines more efficient, ensuring meaningful engagement with Tribes, local communities, and other stakeholders. The rule establishes the Coordinated Interagency Transmission Authorization and Permits program, which aims to improve coordination across agencies, create efficiencies, and establish a standard two-year timeline for federal transmission authorizations and permits. The CITAP program gives transmission developers a new option for a more efficient review process, a major step to provide increased confidence for the sector to invest in new transmission lines.

DOE is also issuing a final rule to create an even faster track for completing environmental reviews of upgrades to existing transmission lines, which will increase reliability and lower energy costs. The rule creates a categorical exclusion, the simplest form of review under the National Environmental Policy Act, for projects that use existing transmission rights of way, such as reconductoring projects, as well as for solar and energy storage projects on already disturbed lands.

Additionally, today, the Administration is launching an effort to mobilize public and private sector leaders to expand the capacity of the existing U.S. transmission network, setting an ambition to upgrade 100,000 miles of transmission lines over the next five years. The Administration has made funding available through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership program to support upgrades to existing transmission lines, and DOE's categorical exclusion issued today will speed up the process to upgrade existing lines. The power sector can achieve this ambition primarily by deploying modern grid technologies like high-performance conductors and dynamic line ratings that enable existing transmission lines to carry more power. As a complement to building new lines, deploying solutions like these offer fast and cost-effective ways to unlock hundreds of gigawatts of additional clean energy, increase system reliability and resilience, reduce grid congestion, and cut energy costs.

These efforts all work in tandem – historic investments from President Biden's Investing in America agenda that are making America a magnet for clean energy investment; continued permitting progress to get projects up and running; and smart standards to provide rules of the road for power companies, enabling them to seize the unprecedented opportunities to deliver clean electricity across the country. These steps – which are part of a broader slate of Earth Week announcements – build on President Biden's actions since Day One to tackle the climate crisis and advance environmental justice.

Upgrading the Electric Grid for Reliability and Resilience

President Biden's Investing in America agenda is delivering the largest investment in grid infrastructure in history--more than $30 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These investments will help deliver reliable, affordable electricity to families and businesses, prepare for worsening natural disasters that strain the grid, and unlock the economic and environmental benefits of clean energy. To help expand the transmission system at the pace necessary to confront the climate crisis, today's actions and additional recent steps will help streamline permitting and overcome financial hurdles:

Completing a New Transmission Line: Today the Department of the Interior is celebrating the completion of the Ten West Link transmission line from Arizona to California. The line began transmitting electricity today and will increase reliability and unlock more than 3,200 megawatts of capacity from solar projects. DOI approved the construction of this project in 2022.

Continuing to Invest in Grid Upgrades: Last week applications closed for up to $2.7 billion in DOE grant funding under the second round of the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships program for projects to upgrade and modernize the transmission and distribution system to increase reliability and resilience. This builds upon $3.46 billion in projects selected for grid upgrades in October 2023, which are funded by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Charting the Future of the Grid to Meet Emerging Challenges: Last week DOE released the 2024 Future of Resource Adequacy Report to lay out solutions to meet increasing electricity demand while cutting emissions and maintaining affordability. DOE also released the Innovative Grid Deployment Liftoff Report to chart pathways to deployment of modern, commercially available transmission and distribution technologies that could support 20 to 100 gigawatts of peak demand.

Revitalizing U.S. Manufacturing and Securing Clean Energy Supply Chains

Thanks to incentives from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the clean energy future will be made in America. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, private companies have invested almost $80 billion in clean energy manufacturing. Strengthening U.S. clean energy supply chains not only benefits American workers but also makes it easier to deploy clean energy even faster to cut emissions. Recent actions continue the progress to build and secure domestic supply chains and ensure that the U.S. will lead the world in clean energy manufacturing:

Expanding U.S. Clean Energy Manufacturing and Creating Good-Paying Jobs: The Treasury Department and DOE recently announced $4 billion in Inflation Reduction Act tax credit allocations for over 100 manufacturing projects across 35 states under the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit . This includes projects to manufacture transformers and grid components, electric vehicle components and chargers, and transmission cables, produce clean steel, and process critical minerals and materials. These allocations include $1.5 billion for projects in historic energy communities that have experienced closure of coal mines and power plants.

Securing the U.S. Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain: Last week, DOE announced several milestones on the path to establish a domestic fuel supply chain for nuclear energy and reduce our reliance on imports. DOE recently closed the requests for proposal to purchase high-assay low-enriched uranium needed for advanced nuclear reactors, which is part of a $700 million program secured through the Inflation Reduction Act. Moreover, an enrichment plant produced the first 100 kilograms of civilian HALEU ever in the United States with future plans to expand to 900 kilograms. U.S. capabilities will increase further thanks to an additional $2.7 billion made available from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in the Fiscal Year 2024 Energy and Water Development, which, when paired with $2.2 billion from France and the United Kingdom meets and exceeds a

commitment made last fall at COP28 to pool funds to develop a safe and secure global supply chain.

Deploying Clean Energy to Meet America's Power Needs

The President's Investing in America agenda has unleashed unprecedented investment in deployment of clean energy technologies, attracting hundreds of billions of dollars in private sector investment and creating over 270,000 new clean energy jobs. The Administration is taking additional steps to accelerate buildout of clean energy and remove roadblocks to deployment to ensure that new clean energy resources can come online fast to meet growing demand. Recent actions include:

Accelerating Offshore Wind Deployment: Yesterday DOI announced plans for the next five years of offshore wind leasing, as well as a final rule to modernize offshore wind regulations. Over the next 20 years, the final rule is expected to result in cost savings of roughly $1.9 billion to the offshore renewable energy industry, savings that can be passed onto consumers or used to invest in additional job-creating clean energy projects. Additionally, DOE released the Offshore Wind Liftoff Report , charting a path to success for the next wave of projects through continued innovation and cost reductions, along with DOE's latest steps to support

offshore wind manufacturing and transmission development. Through these actions, the Biden-Harris Administration continues to support state leadership and use every tool available to responsibly grow an American offshore wind industry that will create thousands of good-paying jobs, including federal investments and approvals under President Biden's leadership of 10 gigawatts of commercial-scale offshore wind projects, with the first two already providing power to the grid, as well as over 1 million acres newly leased to provide offshore wind opportunities for years ahead.

Promoting Development of Renewable Energy on Public Lands: This month DOI issued a final rule to reduce fees for solar and wind projects on public lands by 80 percent and announced that DOI has now permitted more than 25 gigawatts of clean energy projects on public lands, surpassing a major milestone ahead of 2025.

Speeding Up Process to Connect New Power Plants to the Grid: Last week DOE released the Transmission Interconnection Roadmap, a first-of-its-kind report laying out solutions to accelerate the process to connect clean energy projects to the grid and reduce wait times for new solar, wind, and battery projects. The Roadmap complements $10 million that DOE recently made available for analytical tools and other approaches to accelerate the interconnection process. Additionally, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is moving forward to implement a series of major transmission reforms, including a final rule to streamline the interconnection process.

Taking Advantage of Extensive Geothermal Energy Resources: Last week DOI adopted categorical exclusions to expedite the review and approval of geothermal energy exploration on public lands. In addition, DOE recently released a new Pathways to Commercial Liftoff report on geothermal power, which showed how U.S. geothermal energy production could grow by a factor of 20 to 90 Gigawatts by 2050.

Improving the State and Local Renewable Energy Siting Process: Last week DOE opened a funding opportunity for state-based collaboratives to build capacity to improve renewable energy planning and siting processes. This funding, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act, will accelerate the siting process to bring renewable energy online faster while improving outcomes for host communities, local governments, and disadvantaged communities.

Ensuring All Communities Benefit from Clean Energy

From Day One, President Biden has prioritized ensuring that all communities benefit from clean energy deployment, including the energy communities and workers that have powered our nation for generations and the low-income households that are burdened with high energy bills. The Administration has followed through on these commitments--not just talking about coal and power plant communities but investing in them. The President's Investing in America agenda is creating good-paying and union jobs in energy communities, bringing solar energy to low-income households to reduce energy bills, supporting community engagement and improved outcomes for state and local permitting, and increasing grid reliability and resilience through distributed energy solutions. The President's Justice40 Initiative sets a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal in climate, clean energy, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that have been marginalized by underinvestment and

overburdened by pollution. Recent actions continue this progress:

Reducing Energy Bills for Low-Income Households: This week the EPA announced $7 billion to deploy solar energy for low-income communities through the Solar for All program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. The 60 selections will provide funding to support 60 states, territories, Tribal governments, municipalities, and nonprofits to enable low-income and disadvantaged communities to benefit from solar, cutting annual electricity bills by more than $350 million for low-income households, creating an estimated 200,000 jobs, and increasing grid reliability.

Deploying Clean Energy in Energy Communities: DOE recently announced up to $475 million for five projects in Arizona, Kentucky, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia to accelerate clean energy deployment on current and former mine lands. The projects, supported by President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will deploy geothermal, pumped-storage hydropower, solar, and battery storage and will spur new economic opportunities in communities that have helped power the nation for generations.

Building Opportunities for Coal and Power Plant Communities to Continue Powering America: DOE recently released an information guide and technical study for communities and stakeholders who are considering replacing their coal plants with nuclear. Coal-to-nuclear transition can significantly reduce the cost of nuclear plant construction, while creating new high-paying jobs, increasing community income and revenue, and improving public health. DOE's study found that, with adequate planning and training support, most workers at an existing coal plant should be able to transition to work at a replacement nuclear plant.

Building a National Network to Finance Local Clean Energy Projects: This month the EPA announced $20 billion in grant awards under two competitions from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund to create a national network to fund tens of thousands of climate and clean energy projects across America, especially in communities historically left behind and overburdened by pollution. One selectee, the Green Bank for Rural America, will help bring clean energy to rural America and energy communities, with a particular focus on Appalachia, helping ensure that the communities that have powered the nation for a century do not get left behind in the energy transition.

Funding Microgrids for Tribal Communities: DOE recently announced a $72.8 million conditional commitment to fund a solar-plus-storage microgrid on the Tribal lands of the Viejas Band of the Kumeyaay Indians. This will reduce the cost of energy, power local commercial business, create 250 construction jobs prioritizing Tribal, minority and veteran-owned contractors, and enhance the Tribal energy sovereignty.

Advancing Environmental Justice: Through the Justice40 Initiative, 518 programs across 19 federal agencies are being reimagined and transformed to ensure the benefits reach the communities that need them most. Federal agencies are making this happen with the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool , which is used to identify communities that benefit from the Justice40 Initiative.

April 25, 2024

Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris Administration, private companies have announced over $825 billion in manufacturing and clean energy investments, on top of $478 billion already announced by the Administration for clean energy and infrastructure projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. These investments are projected to create hundreds of thousands of good jobs--many of which do not require a college degree. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that all workers--including women, people of color, veterans, and those that have been historically left behind–have equitable access to those job opportunities and the training and skills needed to fill them.

Today's announcement also builds on the inaugural five Investing in America Workforce Hubs in Columbus, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Augusta, and Phoenix that First Lady Jill Biden announced last May. Over the last year, the inaugural Hubs have generated dozens of significant commitments to create pipelines to good jobs, including an initiative to train 10,000 skilled construction workers in Columbus, Ohio, the first-ever registered apprenticeship program in semiconductor manufacturing at TSMC in Phoenix, and project labor agreements on $9 billion worth of infrastructure projects across Maryland. In each of the four new Hubs, the Administration will expand the successful models developed in the first round of Workforce Hubs and will continue to collaborate with

state and local elected officials and community leaders to drive effective place-based workforce development efforts that are essential to the President's vision of building an economy from the bottom up and the middle out.

The next four Investing in America Workforce Hubs are:

Upstate New York: Upstate New York has emerged as a growing hub for semiconductor manufacturing, with record-breaking investments throughout the region. To date, companies have announced hundreds of billions of dollars in private-sector investments to regain American leadership in chips manufacturing since President Biden signed his CHIPS and Science Act. And today, President Biden is announcing a $6.1 billion preliminary agreement of terms with Micron to invest in semiconductor manufacturing in New York and Idaho, which will create over 70,000 jobs. The Department of Commerce, with support from the Departments of Education and Labor, will stand up a Workforce Hub to help meet the training needs of this nascent industry and related investments in the region by fostering collaborations with partners such as labor unions, employers, and education and training providers.

Michigan: The state of Michigan has long been the engine of the American auto industry -- and the good-paying union jobs that built the American middle class. As the country accelerates into an electric vehicle future, President Biden is committed to ensuring that the workers, unions, and businesses that have historically powered the auto industry lead the next generation of clean vehicles. President Biden strongly believes that auto companies transitioning to new technology should retool, reboot, and rehire in the same factories and in the same communities with comparable wages. Building on significant efforts underway – including President Biden's $15.5 billion investment in the retooling of existing auto plants and rehiring of existing workers for the EV transition – the Department of Energy and Department of Labor will partner with the State of Michigan to

launch an Electric Vehicle Workforce Hub.

Milwaukee: Last December, the City of Milwaukee announced that--thanks to funding from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and in response to proposed rulemaking from the Environmental Protection Agency -- the City would reduce its timeline for replacing 100% of its lead pipes from 60 years to the 10 years outlined in the proposed rule. This announcement aligns with President Biden's broader goal to remove all lead pipes across the nation within a decade. The EPA, with support from the Department of Transportation , will stand up a Workforce Hub to ensure the city has the skilled workers needed to accomplish this ambitious lead pipes replacement project and invest in clean water infrastructure in Milwaukee.

Philadelphia: The City of Philadelphia has received billions of dollars in funding for public infrastructure--including clean water infrastructure and improved roadway safety. DOT and EPA will co-lead this Hub to ensure the city has strong workforce pipelines for all residents to access good jobs replacing lead pipes and investing in construction and infrastructure.

These new Workforce Hubs will align with the Roadmap to Support Good Jobs , the Biden-Harris Administration's comprehensive approach to ensure that every American--whether they go to college or not--has equitable access to high-quality training, education, and services that provide a path to a good career without leaving their community. A new analysis released today from the Council of Economic Advisors outlines the economics behind the Administration's workforce strategy and underscores how it has led to record-breaking job growth.

Progress to Date

The Investing in America Workforce Hubs build on the Biden-Harris Administration's existing whole-of-government effort to advance high-quality workforce development, including:

Building new pipelines to connect Americans to good jobs

The Administration has invested more than $440 million since the President took office to expand Registered Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, supporting the education and training needs of more than 1 million apprentices.

President Biden signed a Registered Apprenticeship Executive Order to bolster apprenticeships in the federal workforce.

The Department of Education launched the first-ever Career-Connected High School grants program, supporting 19 districts and states reimagining the high school experience to better connect to career pathways.

The Department of Labor has provided $200 million in Strengthening Community College grants since 2021, supporting quality workforce programs around the country.

The Department of Labor released the High Road Training Program Map to spotlight high-quality training programs and show where they are located relative to projects mobilized by the Investing in America agenda.

In January, the White House announced new commitments to its Advanced Manufacturing Sprint, including 150 new advanced manufacturing-related Registered Apprenticeship programs and occupations have been created or are newly under development, and more than 4,700 new apprentices hired in advanced manufacturing occupations.

Making place-based workforce investments so every community can meet its foundational labor needs

In addition to the nine Investing in America Workforce Hubs that are training residents for growing industries like clean energy and manufacturing, the Biden-Harris Administration has:

Announced the designation of 31 communities across the country as Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs .

Announced the 22 finalists of the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program. Recompete will invest $200 million in economic and workforce development projects that connect workers to good jobs in geographically diverse and persistently distressed communities across the country.

Stood up the National Semiconductor Training Center, which will deploy $5 billion in semiconductor-related research, development, and workforce needs to deliver on the CHIPS and Science Act.

Invested tens of billions of dollars from the American Rescue Plan in workforce development strategies. Through the State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, which provided funding to every single local government across the country, more than 2,000 state and local governments have invested over $13 billion in workforce development and worker supports projects.

Funded 32 coalitions across the country through the American Rescue Plan's $500 million Good Jobs Challenge. As of December 2023, over 11,000 participants have entered training programs as a direct result of the program and thousands of workers have secured good, quality jobs in high-demand industries like construction, manufacturing, clean tech, forestry, and healthcare.

Boosting job quality to support recruitment and retention

For the first time in nearly 40 years, the Department of Labor updated its Davis-Bacon regulations to modernize and strengthen prevailing wage rates for workers on federally funded construction projects, which will raise wages for 1 million construction workers over time.

The National Labor Relations Board issued a decision announcing a new framework for union representation proceedings--where if an employer commits any unfair labor practices during a representation election, the Board will order the employer to recognize and bargain with the union, rather than re-running the election.

The Department of Energy is requiring grant applicants to submit Community Benefits Plans to access Investing in America funding.

Nearly all of the significant construction programs contained in President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act require or strongly incentivize the use of Davis-Bacon prevailing wages.

The Inflation Reduction Act offers incentives that increase the value of clean energy tax credits by five times if employers pay prevailing wages and employ registered apprentices.

The Department of Commerce required major CHIPS and Science Act awardees provide high-quality child care to their employees.

The American Rescue Plan provided $24 billion to help child care providers keep their doors open – including over $2 billion for higher pay, hiring or retention bonuses, or other expanded benefits for care workers. Recent analysis shows that this funding led to an increase in the labor force participation rate of mothers with young children of about 3 percentage points relative to similar groups.

April 25, 2024

Today, President Biden will travel to Syracuse, New York, to announce that the Department of Commerce has reached a preliminary agreement with Micron to provide up to~$6.14 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. This investment will support the construction of two fabs in Clay, New York, and one fab in Boise, Idaho, unleashing $50 billion in private investment by 2030 as the first step towards Micron's investment of up to $125 billion across both states over the next two decades to build a leading-edge memory manufacturing ecosystem. Micron's total investment will be the largest private investment in New York and Idaho's history, and will create over 70,000 jobs, including 20,000 direct construction and manufacturing jobs and tens of thousands of indirect jobs. During his visit, President Biden will discuss how his Investing in America agenda is building our economy from the middle out and bottom up, mobilizing an economic comeback in communities like Syracuse, and

strengthening U.S. national security.

Semiconductors were invented in America and power everything from cell phones to electric vehicles, refrigerators, satellites, defense systems, and more. But today, the United States produces only about 10 percent of the world's chips and none of the most advanced ones. Thanks to President Biden's CHIPS and Science Act, that is changing. Companies have announced over $825 billion in investments in manufacturing and clean energy in the United States since the President took office, including in semiconductors. Semiconductor jobs and manufacturing are making a comeback.

Back in 2022 and shortly after President Biden's CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law, President Biden and Leader Schumer joined Micron in New York to recognize the company's intention to invest in the Syracuse community. Today's announcement is a major step in realizing the aspiration laid out on that day – that the United States will once again be a leader in global chip manufacturing. Leading-edge memory chips are critical for advanced technology, including artificial intelligence and advanced computing and communications.

Micron's projects will create a robust leading-edge memory chip ecosystem and bring back leading-edge memory manufacturing to the United States for the first time in over 20 years:

Clay, New York: Funding will support the construction of the first two fabs of a planned four fab "megafab" focused on leading-edge DRAM chip production. Each fab will have 600,000 square feet of cleanrooms, totaling 2.4 million square feet of cleanroom space across the four facilities--the largest amount of cleanroom space ever announced in the United States and the size of nearly 40 football fields.

Boise, Idaho: Funding will support the development of a high-volume manufacturing fab, with approximately 600,000 square feet of cleanroom space focused on the production of leading-edge DRAM chips. The fab would be co-located with the company's existing, leading-edge R&D facility to improve efficiency across its R&D and manufacturing operations, reducing lags in technology transfer and cutting time-to-market for leading-edge memory products.

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

Workforce Funding: President Biden promised to be the most pro-worker, pro-union President in American history, and his Administration has committed to ensuring that workers have the free and fair choice to join a union and equitable training pathways to good jobs. Today's announcement includes at least $40 million in dedicated CHIPS funding for training and workforce development to ensure local communities have access to the jobs of the future. The focus of this funding will be further determined in the coming months based on the Department of Commerce's labor and workforce priorities , in partnership with the Department of Labor.

Workforce Hubs: In addition, as part of the Administration's effort to connect workers with good-paying jobs created by the President's Investing in America agenda, today President Biden will announce four additional Investing in America Workforce Hubs – including one in Upstate New York, which will focus on semiconductor manufacturing – along with Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Michigan. These hubs complement five existing Workforce Hubs, including those in Phoenix, Arizona, and Columbus, Ohio that have already catalyzed new semiconductor training programs. These hubs will leverage and develop partnerships between companies, educational institutions, and labor unions to meet our nation's workforce needs.

Project Labor Agreements: For these projects, Micron established two Project Labor Agreements at both the New York and Idaho sites for construction of new fabrication facilities. Both PLAs are the largest in each state's history. These PLAs ensure that projects are completed efficiently and on time, while also supporting high quality jobs.

Registered Apprenticeships: To prepare for the thousands of jobs that will need to be filled, Micron is also leveraging Registered Apprenticeship programs to assist and propel underrepresented individuals to "earn-and-learn" and provide a pathway to well-paying careers. In New York, Micron has a partnership with the Manufacturers Association of Central New York. In Idaho, Micron established its first-ever Registered Apprenticeship Program in the state in partnership with the Idaho Manufacturing Alliance and College of Western Idaho. Micron is also joining DOL's Advanced Manufacturing Sector Table of leading labor, industry, and workforce organizations committed to equitably building and growing the next generation of the manufacturing workforce here in the United States. The AFL-CIO Working for America Institute will support DOL's Sector Table by working with Micron, the American Federation of Teachers , and other employer and labor organizations to develop, scale, and adopt a

universal pathway curriculum for advanced manufacturing, including semiconductor manufacturing, to provide workers an onramp to good manufacturing jobs and create a pipeline of job-ready workers for employers across the country. Finally, Micron is also engaging with the AFT, its New York affiliates, the State of New York, and teachers to develop a training framework based on foundational and technical skills found throughout the semiconductor industry to engage and train students.

Good Jobs Principles: Micron has established itself as a leader on workforce issues, including by living up to the Department of Commerce's and Labor's Good Jobs Principles , which includes offering living wage starting salaries, opportunities for promotion--including for individuals from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds--a comprehensive benefits package, and an organizational culture that encourages feedback from all members to help Micron retain talent and strengthen its workforce over time.

Child Care: Micron has committed to providing affordable, accessible, high-quality child care for its workers across its facilities, and is building new child care facilities in both Idaho and New York, as well as partnering with local child care providers to provide subsidized care.

Right to Organize: Micron has affirmed it respects workers' rights to organize, to share feedback without fear of reprisal, and to collectively bargain. The Administration strongly supports these rights, and expects Micron to neither hold mandatory captive audience meetings nor hire anti-union consultants. Micron and the Communications Workers of America plan to meet to discuss labor peace. The Administration also plans to convene industrial unions and CHIPS companies to discuss workforce issues.

Sustainability: Micron is committed to delivering on its existing sustainability framework for the design and operations of its new facility, which includes planning to use 100% renewable electricity at the facilities and mitigating greenhouse gases. These efforts support Micron's global target to achieve net-zero emissions from operations and purchased energy by 2050.

Rebuilding America's Communities

Today's announcement is part of the President's commitment to revitalize communities that for too long have been overlooked by federal investment. This investment is symbolic of how innovation, national security, and economic competitiveness can bring back communities that were once powerhouses. Syracuse was a manufacturing hub during World War II, when General Electric began building engines, vacuum tubes, and radar systems for the military. After powering the country to victory in World War II, families in Syracuse were left behind by decades of failed trickle-down policies. Factory closures led to jobs flowing overseas, increased rates of poverty, and a decline in income.

President Biden came to office with a different agenda – to leave no community behind and build the economy from the middle out and bottom up. Today's announcement is coupled with ongoing, targeted investments in the Syracuse region. For example, the Department of Commerce designated upstate New York as a Tech Hub; the President's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing $180 million in the I-81 viaduct project to reconnect communities in Syracuse divided by transportation infrastructure; the Department of Energy and National Grid are investing a combined $140 million in upstate New York's electric system; and the Environmental Protection Agency awarded $23 million in funding to clean up industrial waste. These

investments set the stage for a new chapter in Syracuse's economic history.

Now, the Syracuse region is making a comeback. After 22,000 jobs disappeared from the Syracuse region under the prior Administration, President Biden has added 25,000 jobs in Syracuse and over 1 million jobs statewide in New York. And workers are taking home more – real per capita personal income is up nearly 5%. Micron's new investment is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs across suppliers and supporting industries – on top of the approximately 20,000 manufacturing and construction jobs it will directly employ - fostering a more resilient semiconductor supply chain in the U.S.

Building on Historic Progress Under the CHIPS and Science Act

Today's announcement is the seventh preliminary memorandum of terms under the CHIPS and Science Act:

In April 2024, the Administration announced $6.4 billion for Samsung to build leading-edge logic, R&D, and advanced packaging fabs in Taylor, TX, and to expand a current-generation and mature-node facility in Austin, TX.

In April 2024, the Administration announced $6.6 billion for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to support the development of three greenfield leading-edge fabs in Phoenix, AZ.

In March 2024, the Administration announced $8.5 billion for Intel to support investments across four states, to construct new leading-edge logic fabs, modernize advanced packaging facilities, and invest in R&D.

In February 2024, the Administration announced $1.5 billion for GlobalFoundries to support the development and expansion of facilities in Malta, NY, and Burlington, VT.

In January 2024, the Administration announced $162 million for Microchip Technology Inc. to increase its production of microcontroller units and other specialty semiconductors, and to support the modernization and expansion of fabrication facilities in Colorado Springs, CO, and Gresham, OR.

In December 2023, the Administration announced $35 million for BAE Systems Electronic Systems to support the modernization of the company's Microelectronics Center in Nashua, NH. This facility will produce chips that are essential to our national security, including for use in F-35 fighter jets.

President Biden's Investing in America agenda – including the CHIPS and Science Act – is spurring a manufacturing and clean energy boom. Since President Biden took office through the end of March 2024, companies have announced over $825 billion in private sector investments in manufacturing and clean energy, and over 50,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects are underway. This announcement is part of the President's broader commitment to build an economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down, and invest in all of America.

April 25, 2024

Malaria is one of the world's deadliest diseases. In 1951, the United States eliminated malaria in our country. And with strong bipartisan support in Congress, we've led the fight to eliminate this disease worldwide--saving nearly 12 million lives and preventing more than two billion infections since 2000.

But despite this progress, nearly half the global population remains vulnerable to malaria--living in constant fear that they will lose their lives because of a mosquito bite. And last year, after two decades of no domestically-acquired cases of malaria, ten cases were reported in the United States. While the individuals were successfully treated, and the spread was halted, it was a solemn reminder of the urgent need to continue preventing and treating the disease globally.

That is exactly what my Administration is doing. We've expanded the U.S. President's Malaria Initiative, and are now partnering with 30 countries to bring life-saving tools and treatments to people in need. We also hosted the seventh replenishment for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, raising a historically high level of funding from global donors. And, the United States has been a driving force behind deployment of the first-ever malaria vaccine. When combined with other prevention tools--such as mosquito nets and preventive medicines--these vaccines have the potential to save millions of children's lives around the world.

To all those living in fear of malaria: the United States sees you. We stand with you. And together, we can--and will--end this disease.

April 24, 2024

in reduced and eliminated overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees as a result of the CFPB's work. Since the CFPB heightened its supervisory attention on overdraft and NSF fees in 2022, financial institutions have agreed to refund over $240 million to consumers

The FTC proposed a rule that would prohibit companies from charging hidden and misleading fees and require that they display the full-price up front, and finalized a rule to ban hidden junk fees and bait-and-switch fees in car buying.

Today, the Department of Transportation finalized rules that would require airlines to clearly disclose baggage fees, change fees, and cancellation fees up front, and require airlines to refund for flight cancellations or significant delays.

The Federal Communication Commission finalized a rule requiring that cable and satellite TV providers provide consumers with the "all-in" price for video programming services. In the same month, the agency proposed a rule that would ban bulk billing arrangements by internet, cable, and satellite service providers. In addition, the FCC has proposed rules to ban early termination fees for cable and TV satellite provides, and as of this month, large internet providers are required to display labels at the point of sale for internet services that show the prices, fees, speeds, and other critical information under a new FCC rulemaking, so that consumers know what they are paying for up front.

Last month, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury finalized rules to combat "junk health insurance" plans that deceive Americans into believing they have comprehensive coverage while leaving them on the hook for thousands of dollars in medical bills. Under the new rules, health insurance companies now have to provide consumers with a clear disclaimer explaining the limits of the services they cover and how much they cover.

Actions taken by the Administration will save Americans over $20 billion per year on junk fees , according to the Council of Economic Advisers. While the President is committed to using every tool at his disposal to combat unfair and deceptive pricing, he also believes that state-level actions are an essential part of this mission. This legislative year, at least 12 states introduced legislation to curb junk fees and during the convening state leaders shared steps they are taking to address junk fees in their home states. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont has introduced sweeping price transparency legislation this session and called on the General Assembly to bring it to a vote last month. Legislators in Arizona, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, and Illinois have

introduced far-reaching legislation to combat hidden and misleading fees, and many discussed progress in advancing legislation and the strong support from constituents to tackle these issues. These bills combat junk fees across multiple industries, protecting consumers in every corner of the economy. White House officials thanked the state leaders for their work and ongoing partnership on behalf of American families.

The White House State Legislative Convening on Combatting Junk Fees can be viewed here .

The following state elected officials delivered remarks as part of the convening:

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont

New York Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris|

Minnesota Representative Emma Greenman

Illinois Representative Bob Morgan

Arizona Representative Analise Ortiz

Pennsylvania Representative Nick Pisciottano

April 24, 2024

At 2:30 PM ET, the Vice President will host a roundtable conversation as part of Second Chance Month. This event will have a pool spray at the top that will be livestreamed at WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

At 3:30 PM ET, the Vice President will deliver remarks at the White House Take Your Child to Work Day event. These remarks on the South Lawn will be open to pre-credentialed media and livestreamed at WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

# # #

April 24, 2024

At 11:00 AM ET, the Second Gentleman will attend an interfaith Celebration of Life memorial service to remember the seven World Central Kitchen aid workers killed in Gaza. This event at the Washington National Cathedral will be livestreamed.

At 8:00 PM ET, the Second Gentleman will attend the 2024 NFL Draft. This event at Campus Martius Park in Detroit, MI will be livestreamed and open to pre-credentialed media.

April 24, 2024

On Friday, April 26, 2024, as a part of the White House Initiative on Women's Health Research , First Lady Jill Biden is scheduled to travel to Grand Rapids, Michigan.

At 11:30 AM, the First Lady will arrive at Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This arrival will be open press. For interested media, please RSVP here by Thursday, April 25^th at 3:00 PM ET.

At 12:30 PM, the First Lady will deliver remarks at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation's Annual First Ladies Luncheon where she will spotlight how the Biden-Harris administration is fundamentally changing how our nation approaches and funds women's health research. The event is open to pre-credentialed media. For interested media, please contact Ahunt@38 foundation.org .

April 24, 2024

Thank you to Representatives Salazar, Larsen, Peltola and Joyce, and Senators Cardin and Boozman, for their leadership.

April 24, 2024

April 24, 2024

NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE

Washington Hilton Hotel

Washington, D.C.

12:40 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Whoa! Holy mackerel. Whoa! Hello, hello, hello!

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you, thank you.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Please have a seat. Whoa!

Whoa! What a welcome. I'm going home.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Building Trades. God love you all. No, I really mean it.

And Shawn, thank you for your friendship, your partnership. And it's been an incredible honor -- and I mean this from the bottom of my heart -- an incredible honor to be endorsed by the Building Trades. I mean it. You're the best.

Not a joke. It's not a joke. You're the best in the world. That's not a joke. You're the best in the world. You know, you had my back in 2020. And because of you, I'm standing here as President of the United States of America -- because of you. And that's a fact.

Because you, in 2024, we're going to make Donald Trump a loser again. Are you ready? Are you ready?

I'm so damn proud to be with you. And I really mean it: I'm proud to be with you. All my -- my relatives, my grandpop and everybody else up in -- were -- they're all gone now, but in Scranton, they -- my -- I had an uncle who used to say, "Joey, you're belt buckle to shoe [DEL: shole :DEL] [sole] union."

Well, let me tell you something. I'm proud to be the most union pres- -- pro-union president in American history. And it's because of you. You're proof what have -- I've always known. Not a joke.

I've always known that Wall Street didn't build America. The middle class built America, and unions built the middle class. That's a fact. That's a fact.

Folks, being with you today reminds me of where I grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware. I was up in Scranton last week.

It's great to have the mayor of Scranton, by the way, Paige Cognetti. Where are you, Paige? She's here today. I don't -- it's a big crowd out there, but you'll -- if you see her, you'll know her.

Look, in Scranton, I learned a basic value set that all of you learned as well, no matter where you're from. I learned that money doesn't determine your worth. I learned that all anyone wants is just a fair shot -- a fair shot of making it. Don't block the road for me. Give me an even shot.

My dad, I swear to God, used to have an expression. He'd come home from -- after he closed -- he'd come for dinner and then go back and close his -- the shop. My dad would say, "Joey a job" -- and I mean it sincerely -- "a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about your dignity. It's about respect. It's about being able to look your child in the eye and say, 'Honey, it's going to be okay' and mean it."

That's what we're all about: dignity of all workers -- the dignity of workers. I mean it.

And we all grew up -- -- we all grew up with folks who sort of looked down on us because of what our dads did. They weren't in business. They weren't executives. They weren't something special. But they are special.

You know, but people like Donald Trump learned a different lesson. He learned the best way to get rich is inherit it. He learned that paying taxes is something working people did, not him. He learned that telling people "you're fired" was something to laugh about.

Not in my household. Not in my neighborhood. I mean it sincerely. No joke. Especially being fired because you had no protection.

Folks, I guess that's how you look at the world from Mar-a-Lago, where Trump and his rich friends embrace the same failed trickle-down policies that have failed working-class families and union families for over 40 years.

But if you grew up where we grew up, nobody handed you anything. Being told you were fired wasn't entertainment. It was devastating. It was a nightmare.

And, folks, we all know people like Trump who look down on us, don't we? We all know somebody we grew up with like that.

Well, folks, where I come from, it matters. When I look at the economy, I don't see it through the eyes of Mar-a-Lago, I see it through the eyes of -- through the eyes of Scranton and working people like all of you and my family.

You know, we know the best way to grow an economy is from the bottom up and the middle out, not the top down. My dad used to say not a whole hell of a lot trickled down on his kitchen table in that top-down policy.

When we do that, when we work from the bottom up and the middle out, the poor have a ladder up and the middle class does well.

And, by the way, the wealthy still do very well if they just start paying their damn taxes.

So, it's either Scranton values or Mar-a-Lago values. These are competing visions of the economy at the heart of this election -- competing visions of what we look at and see as Amer- -- as America.

Folks, one of the reasons I ran for President was to rebuild the backbone of the middle class, and we have. We're following my blue-collar blueprint to rebuild America. And guess what? It's working.

You're building that America. You're -- in this room -- are building that America.

For example, thanks to my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, more than 51,000 new manufacturing projects have been announced so far, and we're just beginning. It's just beginning. It's just -- just starting.

Roads, bridges, ports, airports, clean water systems, available high-speed Internet all across America and built by the Building Trades.

Remember when President Pr- -- Trump promised us -- -- I've got to be careful.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Say it! Say it!

THE PRESIDENT: He promised us "Infrastructure Week." Well, I tell you what, it took four years; he never built a damn thing. Nothing. I'm serious. Are you surprised?

I'm sure -- I'm making sure the projects, like project labor agreements, so highly skilled workers have a voice on the job.

But even before Trump was president, Trump preferred non-union workers in his real estate projects. And I don't want to get into the stories. But anyway. Even he -- even in that he didn't keep his word. He just asked contractors, vendors, and small businesses. And -- and if you read the press, if any of it's true, he never paid them -- a whole hell a lot of them. The guy has never worked a day in a working man's boots.

By the way, he gave me a pair of boots as a gift, by the way. I know how to put them on. I still sometimes cut the yard. The Secret Service doesn't let me do it anymore.

Folks, I'm making Davis-Bacon requirements stronger to guarantee prevailing wage.

By the way, we're making them stronger. That will -- -- that alone will increase wages for more than a million construction workers.

Trump's MAGA allies are trying to take it away now. But it's not going to happen on my watch.

Since -- since the 1930 s, the law has said when the federal government spends taxpayers' dollars on a project, it can only buy American products to do it and use American workers to get it done. That's "Buy America." Donald Trump failed to uphold that. But not anymore. My administration uses American products and American workers. That's why it's going. I mean it.

Because, folks -- -- it's -- it's not a joke. It's not a campaign line. The God's truth is you're the best workers in the world. That's a fact. You're the best workers in the world.

When I went out to South Korea to get them to beg- -- start to build back those computer chips here in America, I said, "Why are you wil-" -- and they decided to do it, invest- -- investing billions of dollars. I said, "Why are you doing it?" He said, "Two things: You have the best workers in the world, and you have the safest place in the world to do it."

Well, folks, when I think climate, I think jobs. I think union jobs -- good-paying jobs that don't require a college degree.

You've attracted nearly $700 billion in private-sector investment in advanced manufacturing, in semiconductors, clean energy, and so much more here in America, creating tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, Building Trades jobs. In fact, construction of new factories has more than doubled in our administration.

Meanwhile -- -- meanwhile, Donald Trump still thinks windmills cause cancer. That's what he said.

And, by the way, remember when he was trying to deal with COVID? He said just inject a little bleach in your veins. He missed; it all went to his hair.

Look, I shouldn't have said that. I probably shouldn't have said that. You guys are a bad influence on me.

Trump and his MAGA allies want to repeal the most significant investments in climate ever -- the work that -- that you risked your lives doing lots of it. You know, it -- and he wants to risk all those jobs. Are you surprised? I'm not.

A lot of you don't know that if you want to be a pipe fitter -- a lot of people don't know -- if you want to be a pipe fitter or an electrician or any of the other trades here, it takes four or five years of hard work as an apprentice.

Most people think you can walk up -- you guys should talk more about this. They think you can walk up and you just say, "I want to be an electrician," and you get a license. It's four or five years. It's like going back to college. It's going -- like getting a college degree.

And that's the reason -- the reason you're the best is because you're the best trained in the world. You get it; I get it. But Donald Trump has no clue.

He undermined union apprenticeships by lowering standards and lowering pay. He ended -- I ended his anti-work policy to save the building trades apprenticeships program because they're the gold standard of the world. They are. They actually are.

And, look -- and earlier this week -- earlier this week, I teamed up together to recruit young people into the building trades. It's -- my American Climate Corps will now pa- -- pave a pathway to your apprenticeship program, because it matters. It matters.

Through my American Rescue Plan, there's -- not a single Republican voted for, I might add -- I also enacted the Butch Lewis Act -- -- the most pro-labor law in 50 years, because of you -- because of you. That one act -- that one act has already protected hard-earned pensions of over 1 million workers and retirees and counting.

We made that happen. While Trump promised it, he never even lifted a finger to try to get it. Are you surprised?

AUDIENCE: No!

THE PRESIDENT: I -- hell no, I'm not, either.

Trump put union busters on the Nabor La- -- the National Labor Relations Board throughout his administration. I've appointed people in my administration that actually care about American workers, like former bui- -- the building trades leader, Marty Walsh, who was a great Labor Secretary -- -- during my administration.

By the way, if you ever need -- if you're ever in a foxhole, I tell you, you want Marty Walsh -- -- with you, man. Oh, you think I'm kidding. He's the real deal.

You know, I've walked proudly on union picket lines, while at the same time, Trump bashed unions from non-union shops. Are you surprised?

AUDIENCE: No!

THE PRESIDENT: Look, I want to sign the PRO Act into law.

Trump said he'd veto it. Trump said he'd veto it. Beyond that, he supports a National Right to Work law, for God's sake.

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: No, I -- think about it. What is the single biggest killer that could happen? A National Right to Work law.

Look, he might as well say he doesn't support any unions.

Are we going to let him -- that happen, pal? We're not going to let that happen.

AUDIENCE: No!

THE PRESIDENT: Let me ask you: Does anyone here think the tax system is fair? Raise your hand.

Well, Trump is proud of his $2 trillion tax cut in his administration that overwhelmingly benefited the very wealthy and the biggest corporations while exploding the federal debt. Trump added more to the national debt than any president in a single term in all of American history -- to the national debt.

I cut the national debt so far -- -- and still got all those other things did by doing simple things like, you know -- remember those 40 Fortune 500 company -- or those -- those Fortune 500 companies, 40 of them -- I think, no, it was 50 -- who didn't pay a single penny in taxes and made 40 billion dol- -- 4 billion -- $40 billion?

Well, guess what? I did a terrible thing. I made them pay 15 percent. And we cut the deficit by $70 billion.

Look, now Trump is saying if he gets elected, he wants to give another -- by the way, that tax credit of his expires next year. Okay?

Well, let me tell you something: It's going to stay expired and dead forever if I'm reelected. But anyway.

He wants another -- he wants to give another massive tax cut for the wealthy. And he also says he wants to cut your Medicare and Social Security, and you're going to let him -- that happen?

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: No, he -- by --

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: By the way, these -- these guys mean this stuff. They mean it. And the Republican caucus went ahead and said they want to do that too.

Look, folks, I remember there used to be two parties -- real parties, you know. But this ain't your father's Republican Party. This is a different breed of cat.

Look, I got a better idea. I'm going to protect Social Security and Medicare by making the very wealthy begin to pay their fair share of the -- --

No billionaire -- -- look -- look, guys -- no billionaire -- and there's a thousand of them in America -- a thousand billionaires -- no billionaire should pay less in taxes than a teacher, a nurse, a construction worker, a police officer.

Guess what? You know what their average -- average tax rate for a billionaire in America is? 8.3 percent. That's what they pay.

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: I'm serious. I'm serious.

Look, if we just charge them 24 percent in their tax, which isn't the highest tax rate, we'd generate fi- -- fifty- -- $500 billion over the next 10 years, allow us to significantly cut the deficit, allow us to move all -- have daycare. Allo- -- allow us to do so many things to make the country stronger.

I want to point out one thing. It's a little off point, but I wanted you to remember it. I asked the Treasury Department, because I was getting all this compliment and, from some, criticism about being so pro-union -- I said, "What happens to wages generally when unions have to get paid a decent salary?" Everybody's salaries goes up. Everybody. You grow the economy. You grow the economy. You grow the economy.

Look, the bottom line is we're doing what's always worked best in this country: investing in all of America and all Americans.

Our plan is working. So far, we've created over 15 million new jobs, including 848,000 construction jobs for a record 8.2 million across the construction industry.

Folks -- -- and, by the way, did you know there are only two presidents in American history who left office with fewer American jobs than they entered it: Herbert Hoover and, yes, Donald "Herbert Hoover" Trump. Only two.

Look, folks -- folks, we're moving again. We're moving again as a country. We're beginning to gain momentum. We have the best economy in the world, but we got a lot more to do. But we're moving again because you guys and women. I mean -- I'm not being solicitous. That's why we're moving. We're building again. And we're just getting started.

Let me close with this. As I travel the country, I see the amazing things you're doing -- I mean it, all over the country, in red states and blue states.

And this past June, I was in Philadelphia, Sean's hometown. And I married a Philly girl. You don't screw around with Philly people.

If I didn't vote for every Phi- -- root for every Philly team out there, I'd be sleeping alone. You all think I'm kidding.

Look, remember when that tanker truck crashed and closed the key stretch of I-95 in Philly? It was expected, like in the last administration, it would take months and months for anything to happen.

Well, 150,000 vehicles travel that overpass every single day. So, what did we do? We contacted all of you. We organized. You organized. We rebuilt that. You rebuilt that in less than two weeks, record time. How? Because you're the building trades -- laborers, operating engineers, cement finishers, plumbers, pipe fitters, steelworkers. So many union workers.

You showed up -- you showed up around the clock. And you got it done.

By the way, that's America.

By the way, unions are more popular today than they've ever been in a long, long time, not because of Joe Biden supporting them -- because of you. You always step up. You step into the breach. You get things done.

That's the union movement. That's what it's about.

In Baltimore, we're moving heaven and earth -- or as my dad, from Baltimore, would say, Baltimore ¬-- Baltimore.

We're moving heaven and earth to rebuild the F- -- the Francis Scott Key Bridge after its tragic collapse, and we're doing it with you -- with union labor and American steel -- -- and American steel.

That's America. That's the union movement.

Look, folks, I mean you're doing -- you ought to see -- I mean, I've been to the site. It's incredible. I've been over that bridge a lot. I mean, I commuted every day for 36 years as a U.S. senator, when my wife and daughter were killed and I used to commute back and forth to be with my boys. And I've over that -- that area in Baltimore Harbor. You -- it's incredible what you're doing.

And, folks, the choice is clear. Donald Trump's vision of America is one of revenge and retribution. A defeated former president who sees the world from Mar-a-Lago and bows down to billionaires, who looks down on American union workers. It's not just he's not supporting; he looks down on us.

I -- no, I'm not joking. Think about it. Think about the guys you grew up with who you'd like to get into the corner and just give them a straight left. I'm not suggesting we hit the president. But we all know those guys growing up. We all know guys like that growing up.

My vision of America is one of hope and opportunity -- the view from Scranton and working-class Americans like you.

Here's the future I see, and I mean this from the bottom of my heart. I've never been more optimistic about America's chances, not because I'm President, because of the state of the moment. The world needs us.

Look at we -- I just signed -- we just signed the bill to give support to Ukraine. We -- -- we rebuilt NATO. We increased it.

Like it or not, we're the leading country in the world. The rest of the world looks to us.

I see an America where we defend democracy, not diminish it. I see an America where we protect freedoms, not take them away. I see an economy that grows from the middle out and the bottom up, where the wealthy pay their fair share so we can have childcare, paid leave, and so much more, and still reduce the federal deficit and increase economic growth.

Folks, imagine what we can do next. Four --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:

THE PRESIDENT: -- more years .

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Are you ready?

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Are you ready to move forward?

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you. We're all ready. We're ready to move forward not back.

Are we ready to choose unity over division, dignity over hate, truth over lies?

Are you ready to choose freedom over democ- -- for democracy?

We can do this. I give you my word as a Biden, I've never been more optimistic about our future in my entire career.

We just have to remember who we are. And I mean this. Think about it. We are the United States of America, and there's nothing beyond our capacity -- nothing, nothing, nothing -- when we do it together. We got to do it together.

God bless you all. God bless you all. And may God protect our troops. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you all. I don't want to go.

1:05 P.M. EDT

April 24, 2024

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at the "The Power of Research" Symposium

Washington, D.C.

Thank you, Maria.

You give me hope too.

It's what you do.

In Alzheimer's, you've given others hope during some of their darkest times – even as you were going though yours – shining your light so others can find their way forward.

And you're giving so many women hope.

Just look at this incredible center at the Cleveland Clinic, and all the women and families whose lives will be changed because of you.

In this moment, I can't help but think of your mother – who changed so many lives of her own. You carry forward her legacy – fighting for the health of our nation and the planet, always looking for the best way to make the biggest difference for the most people. And with each mark you make on the world, you gift us with a little of her light and her love too.

I know all of us are so thankful. And I think she would be so proud.

Her tenacity is a part of you. Because when you set your mind to something – you don't back down.

I've seen it myself – it's why I'm here today.

Yes, it all started with that meeting Maria talked about.

I'd met you as second lady, when you were First Lady of California. But we had never sat down like that – never talked about what was on our hearts.

You laid out a problem that was so simple – but so often ignored: that women's health is understudied and research is underfunded. And too many of our medications, treatments, and medical school textbooks are based on men.

This has created gaps in our understanding of conditions that mostly affect women, only affect women, or affect women and men differently, leaving women seeking health care in a medical world largely designed for men.

It was one of those moments that happen in life, where you learn something and you can never see the world the same way again.

Suddenly, the problem almost felt obvious – because we all know it.

If you ask any woman in America about her healthcare, she probably has a story to tell. You know her.

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

She's the woman going through menopause, who visits her doctor and leaves with more questions than answers, even though half the country will go through menopause at some point in their lives.

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

As I've traveled to research centers and conferences and universities, I've shared this with the people I meet. And I see the nods each time – as women, and men, have the same realization I had with Maria.

But it's not enough to just talk about it. President Biden and I knew we had to work to change this.

That's why Joe has pushed forward all those pieces that may not have seemed possible before: The first White House Initiative on Women's Health Research, requesting $12 billion from Congress in his State of the Union, signing an Executive Order to make sure that when the government funds research, that work includes women from the beginning. And ensuring that when we make discoveries, those ideas get to the women and families waiting for answers.

And, as part of the initiative, ARPA-H – the agency Joe created to pursue breakthrough health research at lighting speed – launched a "sprint" for women's health. That means this year, the agency will invest millions to push forward innovations that could be life-changing for women.

All of you have been a part of work like this on Alzheimer's and other diseases. You've poured in resources. You've pushed science forward. You've changed how we talk about this disease. You've seen the power of conversations like the one Maria and I had – how they ripple outwards, reshaping our world.

All of you can create those ripples too – can take what you've learned here and share it, can find ways to shift the world.

Because, if this is the difference one year can make, imagine where we will be this time next year – or the year after…or in 10 years!

There is so much more for us to discover – lives that could be transformed, or even saved. Families that could find the answers they need. Patients who no longer have to struggle with pain or confusion – who could get a second chance at life, not only women, but men too. Because these discoveries could give us insight into all of us.

That's the power of research: to investigate and innovate, to help and heal, to build a better health care system – one that places women and their lived experiences at its center.

Thank you for being a part of this work.

Together, we will write new stories about women's health care. Ones where women leave doctors' offices with more answers than questions. Where no woman or girl has to hear that, "it's all in your head," or, "it's just stress" ever again. Where women don't just survive, they lead long, healthy, and happy lives.

Thank you.

April 24, 2024

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride

The South Lawn

Thank you, Sharona.

It takes incredible courage to not only heal, but to also share your journey so that others can heal too. It's that same bravery you called on when you chose to put on the uniform and protect others.

Thank you and your daughter for your service.

Every time the President's Own play, you fill the hearts of all who hear you with pride – and today is no different. Let's give the Marine Band another round of applause for that incredible rendition of our National Anthem.

Warriors never ride alone.

That's the promise of the Wounded Warrior Project – and, as you can see today: it's true.

Because this isn't a race. It's a ride.

It's not about how fast you can go or leaving people in your dust. It's about riding as one.

And there's a magic when you come together. In every look, laugh, encouraging word, or maybe a smile, you pull each other through the pedals, the miles, the days.

Recovery isn't a race either. You don't succeed by going faster. Some days you may even feel like you aren't moving at all. There are challenges that never seem to go away. But warriors find a way forward, together. Because healing is not a straight line. It's a journey that continues – and at some point, maybe today – you look back and realize just how far you've come.

And it's not just you.

Beside the riders here, there are families.

You – military spouses and kids – may not have worn a uniform, but you serve our country too. Missions may end – wars may come to a close – but the sacrifices that your families make endure.

The Bidens are a military family.

My father was a Navy Signalman in World War II. And our son, Major Beau Biden, served for a year in Iraq as part of the Delaware Army National Guard.

So, as a military mom, and as your First Lady, I want to let you know how much all of you mean to me and to your Commander-in-Chief, President Biden.

The United States doesn't demand military service of our citizens – you step forward: everyday heroes who sacrifice your own safety, willingly and proudly, so that others can be free.

You represent the best of this country. And you and your families deserve nothing less than our unconditional respect and support.

That's what Joining Forces – my White House initiative to support military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors – is all about.

And so many of you have been with us from the beginning – have become old friends. It's great to see you again. Thank you for your ideas, your hard work, and your collaboration. It's what has allowed us to make so much incredible progress over the last three years:

An historic Executive Order that expands veterans' access to high-quality, home-based care, which Joe signed last year. He got the PACT Act done, which means more benefits and health care for veterans harmed by toxins. His Administration is investing a record amount in free mental health services for veterans. He's removing barriers to employment for military spouses, and pushing the private sector to hire veterans and military spouses. And he's working to end veteran homelessness and prevent veteran suicide.

My husband often says that we have many obligations as a nation, but only one sacred obligation: to support you and your families when we send you into harm's way, and when you return.

As President – and as a military dad – he never loses sight of that conviction.

That's why he's working tirelessly to make sure you and your families have what you need to thrive.

Today, and every day, we ride with you – your President, your nation, and all of us here.

With all my heart, thank you for your service and sacrifice.

May God bless our military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors.

Now, it's time to begin your ride!

April 24, 2024

State Dining Room

10:57 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. It's a good day for America, it's a good day for Europe, and it's a good day for world peace, for real. This is consequential.

I just signed into law the national security package that was passed by the House of Representatives this weekend and by the Senate yesterday.

It's going to make America safer. It's going to make the world safer. And it continues America's leadership in the world, and everyone knows it.

It gives vital support to America's partners and they -- so they can defend themselves against threats to their sovereignty and to the lives and freedom of their citizens. And it's an investment in our own security, because when our allies are stronger -- and I want to make this point again and again -- when our allies are stronger, we are stronger.

I'm grateful for all -- grateful to all those in Congress -- Democrats, Republicans, independents -- who voted for this bill.

It's a path -- to my desk, it was a difficult path. It should have been easier, and it should have gotten there sooner. But in the end, we did what America always does: We rose to the moment, we came together, and we got it done.

Now we need to move fast, and we are.

Over two years, Russia has been responsible for a brutal campaign against Ukraine. They've killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians, bombed hospitals -- deliberately picked them out -- bombed hospitals, kindergartens, grain silos; tried to plunge Ukraine into a cold and dark winter by striking their power grid.

Ukrainians have fought -- the Ukrainians have fought back, defending their country and their families with extraordinary courage. Many of you have been there with me many times. It's amazing what they do. I mean, it's amazing.

Against such a larger military, Ukraine has regained over half the territory that Russia took from them in this invasion. And they won important victories against Russia's navy. But make no mistake about: They're a fighting force with the will and the skill to win -- the will and the skill to win.

For months, while MAGA Republicans were blocking aid, Ukraine has been running out of artillery shells and ammunition.

Meanwhile, Putin's friends keep giving him -- are keeping him well supplied. Iran sent him drones. North Korea has sent him ballistic missiles and artillery shells. China is providing components and know-how to boost Russia's defense production.

With all this support, Russia has ramped up its airstrikes against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure, rained down munitions on U- -- brave Ukrainians defending their homeland. And now Americans are going to send Ukraine the supplies they need to keep them in the fight.

This weekend, there are reports -- and this is -- I find this amazing. There are reports of cheers breaking out of the trenches in eastern Ukraine -- probably came from one of your folks -- a reporter or someone. I'm not sure where it came from. But that they're cheering as they watch the House vote in support for Ukraine.

It's not like they don't understand what we've done. Not like they don't understand how critical this is for them.

I'm making sure the shipments start right away.

In the next few hours -- literally, the few hours -- we're going to begin sending in equipment to Ukraine for air defense; munitions for artillery, for rocket systems; and armored vehicles.

You know, this package is literally an investment, not only in Ur- -- Ukraine's security but in Europe's security, in our own security.

We're sending Ukraine equipment from our own stockpiles, and then we'll replenish those stockpiles with new products made by American companies here in America: Patriot missiles made in Arizona, Javelins made in Alabama, artillery shells made in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

In other words, we're helping Ukraine while at the same time investing in our own industrial base, strengthening our own national security, and supporting jobs in nearly 40 states all across America.

You know, the United States is not acting alone, to state the obvious. Our allies in Europe and around the world, who for -- constantly been asking me, "Are we going to step up? We're not going to walk away, are we? How many" -- and some of you have been in these international meetings with me. They're very concerned. Had we failed to step up, Lord only knows what would happen to the cohesion of NATO.

We're also sendi- -- they're also sending significant help to Ukraine. We're all standing together against this brutal dictator.

As I've argued for months, this is directly -- directly in the United States' national security interest. If Putin trium- -- triumphs in Ukraine, the next move of Russian forces could very well be a direct attack on a NATO Ally. And you all know full well that invoking Article Five of the North Atlantic Treaty would be the first thing that comes to mind, which declares an attack on one is an attack on all.

If Putin attacks a NATO Ally, like he's attacking Ukraine today, we'd have no choice but to come to their aid, just like our NATO Allies came to our la- -- our aid after the September 11 th attacks here.

That's why we're supporting and surging support now to Ukraine: to stop Putin from drawing the United States into a war in Europe and in the future.

You know, it seems to me we should take a little bit of a step back and realize what a critical moment this was for the United States and for NATO. This is a historical moment.

In the last two years, we've helped unify, strengthen, and expand NATO. Imagine if instead we had failed -- we had failed to step up now and support Ukraine. All those gains would have begun to unravel, the cohesion of NATO would have been weakened, and our national security would have been undermined, without any question.

You know, Putin started this war believing he could easily break the will of the people of Ukraine. When that failed, he changed his strategy a little bit, thinking he could break the -- break the will of NATO, break the will of the United States, break our will. Well, he's failed again.

America stands with our friends. We stand up against dictators. We bow to no one -- to no one, certainly not Vladimir Putin.

Look, this bill also includes vital support for Israel. Just 10 days ago, we saw Iran launch over 100 missiles and drones at Israel. And because of them and other allies across the countr- -- world, including from the region, none -- no serious damage occurred. An unprecedented attack that followed years of Iran supporting Hezbollah, Hamas, and proxies of their own -- their own attack on Israel. They -- they fund these guys.

My commitment to Israel, I want to make clear again, is ironclad. The security of Israel is critical. I will always make sure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Iran and terrorists it supports.

And with this aid, the United States can help replenish Israel's air defense and provide other critical defense so Iran can never carry out the destruction it intended with its attack 10 days ago.

But at the same time, this bill significantly -- significantly increases humanitarian assistance we're sending to the innocent people of Gaza, who are suffering badly. They're suffering the consequences of this war that Hamas started. And we've been working intently for months to get as much aid to Gaza as possible.

This bill includes $1 billion for additional humanitarian aid in Gaza. We're going to immediately secure that aid and surge it -- surge it, including food, medical supplies, clean water. And Israel must make sure all this aid reaches the Palestinians in Gaza without delay.

And everything we do is guided by the ultimate goal of bringing these hostages home, securing a ceasefire, and setting the conditions for an enduring peace.

You know, there's more that this bill does, in- -- as you all know, the press here, including providing for support to strengthen even further our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as humanitarian aid to places including Haiti, Sudan, and Somalia.

But there's one thing this bill does not do: border security.

You know, just this year, I proposed and negotiated and agreed to the strongest border security bill this country has ever, ever, ever seen. It was bipartisan. It should have been included in this bill, and I'm determined to get it done for the American people. But I'll come back to that in another mom- -- another time.

This is a reminder of what America can do when we s- -- when we come together, despite our differences.

I want to thank everyone in Congress who made it possible, especially the bipartisan leadership: Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson; Leader Jeffries; Leaders Schumer and McConnell. They don't always agree, but when it matters most, they stepped up and did the right thing. And I mean this sincerely, history will remember this time. History will remember this moment.

For all the talk about how dysfunctional things are in Washington, when you look over the past three years, we see that time and again on the critical issues we've actually come together. It hadn't always been easy, but when it's come time to decide to rebuild America, we did it with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is just underway.

When it came time to invest in our semiconductor industry and technica- -- technologic- -- technologies of the future, we did it with the CHIPS and Science Act.

And when it came time to stand with Ukraine and Israel and help the people of Gaza, we did that as well.

At the end of the day, most of us -- whether we're Democrats, Republicans, or independents -- believe that America must stand up for what is right.

We don't walk away from our allies; we stand with them. We don't let tyrants win; we oppose them. We don't merely watch global events unfold; we shape them.

That's what it means to be the ins- -- the indispensable nation. That's what it means to be the world's superpower and the world's leading democracy.

Some of our MAGA Republican friends reject that vision, but this vote makes it clear: There is a bipartisan consensus for that kind of American leadership. That's exactly what we'll continue to deliver.

I thank you all very much. And now I'm going off to make a speech at a hotel that I am late for. And I'll have plenty of time to answer questions on this and other matters.

Thank you.

11:08 A.M. EDT

April 24, 2024

Thank you to Leader Schumer and Leader McConnell, Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries, and many others for their leadership.

April 24, 2024

Hillsborough Community College

Tampa, Florida

3:04 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Florida! Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Well, God love you. Well, thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Kaitlyn, thank you for that introduction. And more importantly --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you, Joe.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you for that introduction and for your courage, if you're back there -- your courage for the -- and to share your story. That's not an easy thing to do.

You know, Kaitlyn represents millions of women who are enduring unbearable pain and cruelty because of Donald Trump.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: Sadly, it's pain and cruelty that millions of women in Florida now face. You know, but as I said -- as she just said, it's not inevitable. It's not inevitable. We can stop it. When you vote, we can stop it.

And thanks to Representative Kathy Castor. Kathy, where are you? There she is. Stand up, Kathy. Kathy is doing an incredible job in Congress, and I -- and is a great, great friend. Thanks for riding over with me from the airport.

You know, the worst sentence in the English language these days is, "The President is at the airport." It means you got to show up, you know? But anyway, thank you.

And I want to thank Debbie, our next U.S. senator. Deb, stand up. As one -- as one senior senator, years ago when I was a freshman running for reelection in the United State Senate, said to me -- he said, "I'll campaign for you or against you, whatever will help the most."

It's really important you win. This is a critical, critical race.

Debbie is running against Rick Scott --

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: -- who wants to sunset Social Security.

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: I think that voters are going to sunset Rick Scott.

It's important, man.

And thanks to all of you here today. It's good to be at a community college. As a matter of fact, my wife has been campaigning all over the country with me between classes. My wife still is a full-time professor at -- -- at Northern Virginia Community College.

You lost your phone. Get that man his phone. He's going to be in trouble. Or that woman her phone.

She's teaching this very day, Jill is. Community college, as she often says, is one of the best-kept secrets in America. No, I really mean it.

You know, if I have my way in the next four years, I'm going to make community college free.

And it'll grow the economy. It won't cost the taxpayers.

Look, next week, one of the nation's most extreme anti-abortion laws will take affect here in Florida. It's criminalizing reproductive healthcare for -- before women even know whether they're pregnant.

I mean, this is bizarre. I can put -- you can put a doctor in prison if he takes care of a patient, as you just heard some version of from Louisiana.

You know, this extreme Florida law is going to impact 4 million -- 4 million women in the state of Florida. Florida is one of the Twenty-one states in America -- where America -- you can't get access you need for care. This adds up to one in three women throughout the United States of America have this limitation.

For 50 years, the court ruled that there was a fundamental constitutional right to privacy, but two years ago that was taken away.

Let's be real clear. There's one person responsible for this nightmare, and he's acknowledged and he brags about it: Donald Trump.

AUDIENCE: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: In fact, Trump has bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade, which meant there's no federal right, no decision can be made -- all those decisions are made at a state level. A lot of people don't even know that. They don't focus on it. It's a -- every state can make a decision.

Well, you know, now Trump says the law is, quote, "working the way it's supposed to."

Trump goes on to say individual state laws are working -- his words -- "brilliantly." "Brilliantly."

It's a six-week ban in Florida. It's really brilliant, isn't it? Even before women know they're pregnant. Is that brilliant?

AUDIENCE: No!

THE PRESIDENT: Look, just take a look at Arizona. That goes all the way back to 1864, before Arizona was even a state and before women had the right to vote -- concluding that that's the law of the land in Arizona. And today, MAGA Republicans refuse to re- -- repeal that ban in -- in Arizona.

Trump is literally taking us back 160 years. He says it's up to the states and this is all about states' rights. But he's wrong. The Supreme Court was wrong.

This should be a constitutional right in the federal Constitution, a federal right.

And it shouldn't matter where in America you live. It's about -- this isn't about states' rights. It's about women's rights. No, I really -- I mean this. I --

Look -- folks, look, now he's worried the voters will hold him accountable for saying he's responsible for getting Roe v. Wade overturned. Donald Trump is worried voters are going to hold him accountable for the cruelty and chaos he created.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We will!

THE PRESIDENT: Folks, the bad news for Trump is that we are going to hold him accountable. We -- we are. He should be held accountable.

He should be accountable for states enacting extreme laws that put IVF treatments at risk for women desperately trying to have families.

Voters are going to hold Trump accountable for women being turned away from emergency rooms, like my introducer was; forced to travel hundreds of miles to get basic healthcare; forced to go to court to plead for help to protect herself and her ability to have children in the future.

Folks, voters are going to hold Trump accountable.

When -- -- when women are told by extreme politicians and judges to wait, get sicker and sicker to the point where your life is determined to be in danger.

Pregnant women in America are risk -- at risk, particularly Black women in America.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes.

THE PRESIDENT: No, that's the statistic. Data shows they're already too likely to die from complications at birth.

I believe voters are going to hold Trump accountable when family members and doctors are threatened with prosecution for trying to help them. Not only that, I believe voters are going to hold Trump accountable and his MAGA extremist friends to prevent all women in America from getting safe and effective medication, like mifepristone. Approved by the FDA 20 years ago, they're trying to outlaw that now.

For 50 years, the court had recognized that women in America had a fundamental, constitutional right, and then Trump took it away by the -- with the deal he made.

Now, in America today, in 2024, women have fewer rights than their mothers and their grandmothers had because of Donald Trump.

Look, I don't think we're going to let them get away with it. Do you?

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: No!

THE PRESIDENT: And, folks, in a sense, I don't know why he's -- we're surprised by Trump. How many times does he have to prove we -- [he] can't be trusted?

Trump bragged how proud he was to get rid of Roe v. Wade over it -- he took credit for it. He said there has to be "punishment" for women exercising their reproductive freedom.

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Booo --

THE PRESIDENT: His words, not mine.

He described the Dobbs decision as a "miracle." Maybe it's coming from that Bible he's trying to sell. Whoa. I almost wanted to buy one just to see what the hell is in it.

Folks, it was no miracle. It was a political deal to get rid of Roe v. -- a deal. A political deal he made with the Evangelical base of the Republican Party to look past his moral char- -- if they looked past his moral and character flaws in exchange for his commitment to appoint justices of the Supreme Court who would overturn Roe. Don't think he's making the deal right now with MAGA extremists to ban nationwide abortion in every single state, because he's making it.

In fact, the MAGA majority in the House of Representatives has introduced three separate bans -- three separate bans to choi- -- to ban choice nationwide -- in every single state, based on the state -- each state.

These bills -- they're overwhelming -- have overwhelming support of Republicans in Congress. But know this: As long as I have the power of the presidency, it's never going to happen.

I mean it. Congress ever -- if Congress ever passes a ban, I will veto that ban.

Elect a Democratic Congress. Kamala and I will make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again.

Let's be clear. The overturning of Roe v. Wade also puts at risk broader rights of privacy for everyone. If you think I'm exaggerating, here's what Justice Thomas wrote in his curr- -- concurring opinion in Roe v. Wade. He wrote that the future cases of the Court should reconsider -- reconsider all substantive due process precedents, from Griswold -- Griswold legalized the use of contraception -- O- -- and Obergefell -- legalized same-sex marriage.

Justice Thomas means it, and so does Donald Trump.

Again, here's what that means: the right to make the best decisions for your health, the right to use birth control, the right to marry the person you love. All that is at risk now because there it is no longer viewed by some of our good friends in the Court as a constitutional guaranteed right.

Are we going to let that happened?

AUDIENCE: Nooo --

AUDIENCE MEMBER: No way, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: I like it, man. Will you come with me?

Folks, the extreme laws passed that's overturning Re- -- Roe v. Wade have no place in the United States of America.

But what does have a place in America is your voice.

And this decision overturning Roe v. Wade and saying states should make the decisions of the court practically dared women -- practically dared women to be heard.

Here's what they wrote in that decision, "Women are not without electoral or political power." No kidding. No kidding. I mean, almost challenging you.

I said at the time, I don't think the court of the MAGA Republicans have a clue about the power of women in America. I re- -- I mean it. I mean it. But they're beginning to find out.

Since the Dobbs decision, which states said should make these decisions -- the Court said that the state should make the decision -- states all over this country, from Ohio, Kansas, Michigan, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Virginia -- women and men in every background voted to record numbers to protect -- in record numbers to protect reproductive freedom.

This November, you can add Florida to that list. You can.

Are you ready to do that? You got to show up and vote.

Are you ready to protect freedom?

It was Donald Trump who ripped away the rights of freedom of women in America. It will be all of us who restore those rights for women in America.

And when you do that, we'll teach Donald Trump and the extreme MAGA Republicans a valuable lesson: Don't mess with the women of America.

And when you do that, we'll teach Donald Trump and the extreme MAGA Republicans a valuable lesson: Don't mess with the women of America. And I mean it.

Folks, let's get this done. Go to JoeBiden.com, sign up, get involved. I know you all in this room are involved. Talk to your family and friends. Organize your community. Register voters. Get them out to vote the old-fashioned way. Pick them up on Election Day. Call. "Do you need a ride to the polls?"

And let's remember who we are. We're the United States of America. And there is nothing -- nothing beyond our capacity if we work together.

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

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you.

We're going to get this done.

AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT: Love you.

AUDIENCE: Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!

THE PRESIDENT: Let's get it done.

3:18 P.M. EDT

April 24, 2024

These choices also continue to fulfill the President's promise to ensure that the nation's courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country--both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds.

This will be President Biden's forty-eighth round of nominees for federal judicial positions, bringing the number of announced federal judicial nominees to 236.

United States District Court Announcements

1. Judge Michelle Williams Court: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Central District of California

Judge Michelle Williams Court has been a judge on the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County since 2012, and supervising judge in the Court's civil division since 2023. Previously, Judge Court worked as an attorney and later vice president and general counsel at Bet Tzedek Legal Services from 2002 to 2011. Before that, Judge Court worked as a senior associate at Milberg, Weiss, Bershad, Hynes & Lerach from 2000 to 2002; as a fellow and civil rights specialist at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1999 to 2000; as a litigation associate at Litt & Marquez from 1995 to 1999; as a project attorney at the ACLU of Southern California from 1994 to 1995; and as an associate at Gilbert Kelly Crowley & Jennett from 1993 to 1994. Judge Court received her J.D. from Loyola Law School in 1993 and her B.A. from Pomona College in 1988.

2. Judge Anne Hwang: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Central District of California

Judge Anne Hwang has been a judge on the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County since 2019. Prior to taking the bench, Judge Hwang served as a Deputy Federal Public Defender in the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California from 2006 to 2018, becoming Chief Deputy Federal Public Defender in 2018. Before that, Judge Hwang worked as a litigation associate at Irell & Manella LLP from 2002 to 2006. She received her J.D. from the University of Southern California Law School in 2002 and her B.A. from Cornell University in 1997.

3. Danna Jackson: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Montana

Danna Jackson has been Tribal Attorney for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Pablo, Montana, since 2023. She previously served at the U.S. Department of the Interior as Senior Counselor to the Director of the Bureau of Land Management and then Senior Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science from 2021 to 2023. Before that, Ms. Jackson served as Chief Legal Counsel at the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation in Helena, Montana, from 2016 to 2021 and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Tribal Liaison in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Montana from 2010 to 2016. Ms. Jackson also worked as a counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP from 2005 to 2010, after serving as a legislative assistant in the United States Senate from 2002 to 2005 and a staff attorney at the National Indian Gaming Commission from 2000 to 2002. She received her J.D. and her B.A. from the University of Montana in 1996 and 1993, respectively.

4. Judge Sarah Netburn: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York

Judge Sarah Netburn has been a United States Magistrate Judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York since 2012 and has been the Court's Chief United States Magistrate Judge since 2024. From 2010 to 2012, Judge Netburn served as the Southern District of New York's Chief Counsel to the Office of Pro Se Litigation. Prior to her judicial service, Judge Netburn worked from 2002 to 2010 at Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP where she rose from associate to partner. She served as a law clerk for Judge Harry Pregerson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 2001 to 2002. Judge Netburn received her J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law in 2001 and her B.A. from Brown University in 1994.

5. Stacey D. Neumann: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of Maine

Stacey D. Neumann has worked in private practice at Murray, Plumb & Murray in Portland, Maine since 2013, and has been a partner at the firm since 2017. From 2009 to 2013, Ms. Neumann served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and then an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maine. Before that, she was a staff attorney at the Vermont Office of the Defender General in Chittenden County from 2007 to 2009. Ms. Neumann served as a law clerk for Judge Peter W. Hall on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2006 to 2007 and for Judge John A. Dooley on the Vermont Supreme Court from 2005 to 2006. She received her J.D. from Cornell Law School in 2005 and her B.A. from James Madison University in 2000.

6. April Perry: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

April Perry has been Senior Counsel of Global Investigations and Fraud and Abuse Prevention at GE HealthCare since 2022. She was previously the General Counsel at Ubiety Technologies from 2019 to 2022. From 2017 to 2019, Ms. Perry served as the Chief Deputy State's Attorney and Chief Ethics Officer for the Cook County State's Attorney's Office. She also worked as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois from 2004 to 2016. Ms. Perry served as a law clerk for Judge Joel M. Flaum on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit from 2003 to 2004. She received her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 2003 and her B.S. from Northwestern University in 2000.

7. Judge Cynthia Valenzuela Dixon: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Central District of California

Judge Cynthia Valenzuela has been a judge on the California State Bar Court in Los Angeles since her appointment by the California Supreme Court in 2016. Previously, Judge Valenzuela worked as the Criminal Justice Act Supervising Attorney for the Central District of California in Los Angeles from 2011 to 2016 and as the head of national litigation at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund in Los Angeles from 2006 to 2011. Before that, Judge Valenzuela served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California from 2000 to 2006; as a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. from 1998 to 2000; and as a Special Assistant at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights in Los Angeles from 1995 to 1998. She received her J.D. from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law in 1995 and her B.A. from the University of Arizona in 1991.

April 24, 2024

To build on his climate, clean energy, and environmental justice agenda, and to celebrate Earth Day 2024, President Biden announced a historic $7 billion in awards through the Solar for All program, a key component of the Inflation Reduction Act. The funding will deliver solar to over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities, save benefitting families an average of $400 per year on their utility bills, and avoid 30 million metric tons of carbon pollution over the next 25 years.

The President also announced new actions, including the launch of ClimateCorps.gov, to further mobilize the American Climate Corps – putting more than 20,000 young Americans to work fighting the impacts of climate change today while gaining the skills they need to join the growing clean energy and climate-resilience workforce of tomorrow.

See below for a sampling of the coverage:

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Biden, in Prince William, touts solar investment on Earth Day

[Michael Martz, 4/22/24]

President Joe Biden on Monday celebrated the 54 th anniversary of Earth Day with a return trip to Prince William County, announcing a $7 billion investment to help low- and middle-income families buy solar panels for their homes. The investment includes more than $156 million in grants for Virginia.

Don't sell Biden short, says Amanda Whiteman, an Arlington County resident whom the White House invited to the Earth Day event with her two children and another friend. The three children co-founded the GreenPromise Club four years ago to express their concern about climate change.

"We actually understand he's done quite a lot for climate change," Whiteman said. Her 13-year-old daughter, Charlie, said she wrote to the president to urge him to "make climate change his number one priority." Biden responded with a letter assuring her that he's doing everything he can.

Reno Gazette Journal: Nevada solar program awarded $156 million grant by Biden administration

[Jason Hildago, 4/22/24]

The Nevada Clean Energy Fund announced on Monday that it won a $156 million grant for its Nevada Solar for All project. The funding is part of a multi-billion-dollar nationwide program to push adoption of solar energy, especially in vulnerable or at-risk communities.

"Today we're delivering on President Biden's promise that no community is left behind by investing $7 billion in solar energy projects for over 900,000 households in low-income and disadvantaged communities," said Michael S. Regan, administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency in a statement.

The NCEF called the large grant "historic funding" that will make solar energy accessible to communities that need it the most. "These programs will break down chronic financial and market barriers that prevent Nevada's low-income communities from accessing solar energy and reducing their energy burdens," said CEO Kirsten Stasio of NCEF. The Nevada Solar for All project was created through the Inflation Reduction Act that was passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Keystone Newsroom: Biden marks Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in solar grants

[Isebel Soisson, 4/22/24]

The Biden administration on Monday announced the recipients of its Solar For All Program, a $7 billion climate program that aims to lower energy costs and reduce pollution in low-income communities by installing solar power systems on homes nationwide.

In Pennsylvania, $156 million will go towards expanding access to solar energy for low-income Pennsylvanians. The Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority will deploy and enable deployment of residential-serving solar and storage, as well as any equipment needed to upgrade existing electrical systems.

WHYY : Pa., N.J. to receive millions for solar energy projects that will benefit residents with low income

[Sophia Schmidt, 4/22/24]

Households with low income in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware will get more access to solar power in the coming years.

That's the promise of the Biden administration's Solar for All grants, announced Monday to mark Earth Day.

"Not just solar for some folks," said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi in a press briefing Friday. "Really making sure that we're opening up a market where everybody, no matter their ZIP code or their economic background, can tap into the savings opportunity that clean energy represents."

The Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority will receive more than $156 million to put toward residential-serving solar, energy storage and infrastructure upgrades to enable solar. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities estimates its Solar for All grant will serve tens of thousands of low-income households.

Savannah Business Journal: Capital Good Fund Receives $156 M Grant from the Biden Administration as part of Solar for All Program

[Staff, 4/23/24]

On Earth Day, nonprofit CDFI Capital Good Fund has announced it is one of 60 recipients nationwide sharing a $7 B grant funded by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, his Administration's signature climate legislation.

Capital Good Fund will receive $156 million as the lead applicant for the Georgia BRIGHT Communities initiative, which consists of their coalition cities of Atlanta, Savannah, and Decatur, as well as nonprofits, community leaders, other local governments, and small businesses statewide.

"This funding will allow us and our partners to dramatically expand the impact of our existing Georgia BRIGHT program and bring the benefits of solar to approximately 20,000 households over five years while creating good-paying jobs, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving local air quality," said Andy Posner, Founder and CEO of Capital Good Fund. "We are grateful to the Biden administration for their commitment to environmental justice and recognition that tackling the climate crisis is an opportunity to reshape our nation for the better."

The Solar for All grant will significantly scale up the BRIGHT initiative while also broadening it to include workforce development, community solar projects, enabling repairs , and more.

Houston Chronicle: Harris County wins part of $7 billion federal solar fund

[James Osborne, Clare Hao, 4/22/24]

Harris County will receive part of a $7 billion federal grant toward installing solar panels and battery systems in low-income and disadvantaged communities across Texas, part of President Joe Biden's plan to expand access to solar energy nationwide.

"Today we're delivering on President Biden's promise that no community is left behind," Administrator Michael Regan of the Environmental Protection Agency said.

"This is emblematic of the swing for the fences, big bold climate action the president has championed from day one," Ali Zaidi, the president's national climate adviser, said in an interview with reporters. "Anyone, no matter their economic background, can tap into the savings of clean energy."

Maine Public Radio: Maine awarded $62 million clean energy grant under federal Solar for All program

[Carol Bousquet, 4/22/24]

The Maine Governor's Energy Office is one of 60 recipients of the Biden administration's Solar for All grants.

"Not just solar for some folks, but making sure we are opening up markets for people no matter what their ZIP code or financial ability so they can tap into the savings opportunity that clean energy represents," White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi says.

Maine's energy office will also use some of the funding to expand workforce development opportunities, support siting and permitting and overcome interconnection challenges.

New Jersey Spotlight News: Big solar boost for low-income communities

[Tom Johnson, 4/23/24]

New Jersey will receive $156 million in federal grants to help bring clean solar energy to thousands of households in low-income and disadvantaged communities across the state, many of which are saddled with unhealthy air pollution.

Biden administration officials said the grants will lower energy costs for families, help tackle climate change and create well-paying jobs in communities that largely have been left out of the transition to cleaner energy.

Georgia Public Radio

Host: Solar panel adoption is about to get a big boost here in Georgia. An Earth Day announcement from the White House is bringing Georgia $156 million to give the effort a little forward momentum. The grant to the nonprofit Capital Good Fund is part of the National Solar of All program aimed at disadvantaged communities. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says Georgia has, quote, "the bones of a clean energy-based economy."

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm: Manufacturing the means to a clean energy future -- solar as well -- and then making sure that those clean energy products are either on our roofs or part of the cars that we drive. Georgia is really leading, and we want to continue to march arm-in-arm with Georgia.

Host: The grant includes three cities Atlanta, Savannah, and Decatur.

WDET

Host: the state of Michigan World Steve more than 150 million dollars in grant money from the federal Government as part of the White House's Solar for All program. It provides funding for residents to install solar panels at their homes with a goal of lowering their electricity bills. U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, says it could benefit around 10,000 people in the state.

U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm: It's going to people who are lower income so folks who really do have a biggest energy burden – because they live in a household that is 80% of the area's median income.

Host: Granholm says the money will be made available in Michigan through the State's Department of Great Lakes and Energy.

April 24, 2024

I am using my clemency power to pardon 11 individuals and commute the sentences of 5 individuals who were convicted of non-violent drug offenses. Many of these individuals received disproportionately longer sentences than they would have under current law, policy, and practice. The pardon recipients have demonstrated their commitment to improving their lives and positively transforming their communities. The commutation recipients have shown that they are deserving of forgiveness and the chance at building a brighter future for themselves beyond prison walls.

Like my other clemency actions, these pardons and commutations reflect my overarching commitment to addressing racial disparities and improving public safety. While today's announcement marks important and continued progress, my Administration will continue to review clemency petitions and deliver reforms in a manner that advances equal justice, supports rehabilitation and reentry, and provides meaningful second chances.

April 24, 2024

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is pardoning the following eleven individuals:

Jason Hernandez – McKinney, Texas

Jason Hernandez is a 47-year-old man who was convicted of several non-violent drug offenses for conduct that began while he was still a juvenile. Had Mr. Hernandez been sentenced under current law and sentencing practices today, he would have received a significantly shorter sentence. Since his conviction, Mr. Hernandez has accepted responsibility and demonstrated exemplary rehabilitation while incarcerated. President Obama commuted Mr. Hernandez's sentence in 2013, and he was granted early termination of his supervised release in 2021 in recognition of his "exceptional" post-release conduct. He now runs a nonprofit that transformed the store in front of which he used to sell drugs into a market that provides good quality and affordable food. The mayor of his hometown, other city officials, colleagues, and community members uniformly attest to the change in Mr. Hernandez's character since his conviction, the significant contributions he's made to his community, and his humble, giving

nature.

Beverly Holcy – Palatka, Florida

Beverly Holcy is a 59-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense committed at the age of 27. Had Ms. Holcy been sentenced under current law and sentencing practices today, she would have received a significantly lower sentence. Ms. Holcy successfully served her sentence and completed her probation obligations. Since her release, she has been fully employed, volunteers at her church, and assists in various community activities. Coworkers, friends, and neighbors describe her as honest, trustworthy, dependable, reliable, hardworking, and compassionate.

Jeffrey Alan Lewis – Douglasville, Georgia

Jeffrey Alan Lewis is a 58-year-old man who pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense at the age of 40. Had Mr. Lewis been sentenced under current law and sentencing practices today, he would have received a significantly shorter sentence. Mr. Lewis served his sentence and completed the obligations associated with his supervised release. Since his release, he has been consistently employed, contributes to the community through charitable works and active community engagement, and he has built a reputation as "a family man."

Bobby Darrell Lowery– Jackson, Mississippi

Bobby Darrell Lowery is a 50-year-old man who was convicted of a non-violent drug offense at the age of 25. He served his sentence and successfully completed the terms of his probation. Since his release, Mr. Lowery has maintained steady employment and actively volunteers at his church and at various community-based organizations. Friends and colleagues praise his work ethic, dedication to his family, and strong moral character.

Jesse Mosley – Ponchatoula, Louisiana

Jesse Mosley is a 42-year-old man who pleaded guilty to non-violent drug offenses at the age of 19. Had Mr. Mosley been sentenced under current law and sentencing practices today, he would have received a significantly lower sentence. He served his sentence and completed his supervised release. Since his release, Mr. Mosley started a business, manages rental properties, and works as a realtor. He is described as generous and deeply committed to his family, his employees, and his community. Mr. Mosley regularly donates to school and local police department fundraising events, provides groceries and other necessities to those in need, and supports new businesses.

Katrina Polk – Washington, D.C.

Dr. Katrina Polk is a 54-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense at the age of 18. She successfully served her sentence and completed the terms of her supervised release. Since her release, Dr. Polk has furthered her education, including earning a PhD in public policy and administration. She has also engaged in extensive community service, locally and nationally, and is a respected advocate for the elderly. Colleagues, supervisors, friends, and community members uniformly praise her character and work ethic and consider her a role model, noting her demonstrated commitment to serving others.

Glenn Ray Royal – San Antonio, Texas

Glenn Ray Royal is a 49-year-old man who pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense committed at the age of 20. Had Mr. Mosley been sentenced under current law and sentencing practices today, he would have received a shorter sentence. He served his sentence and completed the terms of his supervised release. Since his release, he has earned two degrees and has steadily worked in the information technology field. He also serves as a mentor and coach for college students, assisting them with developing business plans, marketing plans, and websites. Friends and others attest to his trustworthiness and his dedication to his family and colleagues.

Alexis Sutton – New Haven, Connecticut

Alexis Sutton is a 33-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense. Ms. Sutton received early termination of her probationary sentence. Since then, she has taken classes in hopes of earning her nursing degree and ultimately becoming a registered nurse. She is an active participant in her church. Colleagues, friends, and neighbors describe her as resilient, reliable, caring, hard-working, and a role model, and they note her devotion to her family and her studies.

Ricky Donnell Tyler – Columbia, South Carolina

Ricky Donnell Tyler is a 54-year-old man who was convicted of non-violent drug offenses. He was 26 years old at the time of sentencing. He served his sentence and completed the terms of his supervised release. Since his release, he has earned a Class A driver's license and has worked as a truck driver. In 2015, Mr. Tyler started his own business. He is dedicated to his family and mentors young people so that they might learn from his mistakes. His family and friends uniformly attest to his dedication to his work, family, and youth in his community.

Stacy Lynn Wilder – Albany, New York

Stacy Lynn Wilder is a 49-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense. Had Ms. Wilder been sentenced under current law and sentencing practices today, she would have received a significantly lower sentence. She served her sentence and completed the terms of her supervised release. Since her release, she has worked as a payroll examiner and in related roles in state government, earning promotions and positive feedback from her supervisors. She contributes money and goods to organizations that support the unhoused, animals, and veterans. Community members and neighbors describe her as trustworthy, hard-working, good-hearted, and someone who is always willing to help others.

Pilar Alejandra Yelicie-Rodriguez – Fairfax, Virginia

Pilar Alejandra Yelicie-Rodriguez is a 48-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to a non-violent drug offense. She completed her sentence and the terms of her probation. Since her release, she has maintained steady work and has dedicated her time to her family and volunteered at her church. People describe her as reliable, loyal, and trustworthy, and uniformly commend her on being a devoted mother.

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is commuting the sentences of the following five individuals:

Daequon Charles Davis – Johnson City, Tennessee

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine.

Sentence: 262 months of imprisonment; 10 years of supervised release .

Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 120 months, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Jophaney Hyppolite – Miami, Florida

Offense: Conspiracy to manufacture and to possess with intent to distribute more than 280 grams cocaine base; distribution and aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine base.

Sentence: Life imprisonment; 10 years of supervised release .

Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 360 months, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Xavier Martez Parnell – Clarksville, Tennessee

Offense: Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including 500 grams or more of cocaine and 280 grams or more of cocaine base.

Sentence: 300 months of imprisonment; 10 years of supervised release .

Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 210 months, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Leshay Nicole Rhoton – Bristol, Tennessee

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine base and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.

Sentence: 240 months of imprisonment; 10 years of supervised release .

Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to a term of 150 months, leaving intact and in effect the 10-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

Margaret Ann Vandyke – Ellenville, New York

Offense: Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance .

Sentence: 60 months of imprisonment; three years of supervised release .

Commutation Grant: Sentence commuted to expire on August 22, 2024, leaving intact and in effect the 3-year term of supervised release with all its conditions and all other components of the sentence.

April 24, 2024

vehicle technologies.

Building on this momentum, the Biden-Harris Administration is today announcing a first-ever national goal to transition to a zero-emissions freight sector for truck, rail, aviation and marine, along with a commitment to develop a national zero-emissions freight strategy. This whole-of-government strategy includes new federal investments announced today, continued engagement with stakeholders on zero-emissions freight infrastructure, and forthcoming action plans on each of the freight segments. The strategy will prioritize actions to address air pollution hot spots and tackle the climate crisis, mobilizing a broad range of government resources, and reflect public participation and meaningful community engagement, furthering the President's commitment to environmental justice for all. This new commitment to zero-emissions freight aligns with and supports President Biden's existing goals for a carbon pollution-free energy sector by 2035 and for achieving net-zero emissions from the

transportation sector by 2050.It also aligns with the Administration's commitment to work with other countries to identify pathways and implementation actions that enable zero-emissions medium- and heavy-duty vehicles to reach 30 percent of new sales in 2030 and 100 percent of new sales by 2040.

Investing in Zero-Emissions Freight Sector

The Administration is also unveiling several key steps under the strategy, including major new funding programs, a new initiative to track and accelerate deployment of charging and refueling infrastructure, and a new program to standardize heavy-duty vehicle charging depots:

As part of this commitment, the Environmental Protection Agency is announcing today a nearly $1 billion funding opportunity for cities, states and Tribes through President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act to replace Class 6 and Class 7 heavy duty vehicles – which include school buses, trash trucks, and delivery trucks – with zero-emissions vehicles. The funding will support infrastructure to charge, fuel and maintain heavy-duty zero emission vehicles along with workforce development and training to get this work done. Under the requirements of the Inflation Reduction Act, at least $400 million of the program's funding will serve communities dealing with significant air pollution. Projects supported through this program will reduce air and noise pollution, improve public health, and create good-paying clean energy jobs.

The Department of Transportation is announcing the first tranche of its $400 million Reduction of Truck Emissions at Port Facilities Grant Program to improve air quality and reduce pollution for truck drivers, port workers and families that live in communities surrounding ports. The Department of Energy is also announcing a $72 million investment to establish a "SuperTruck: Charged" program that will demonstrate how vehicle-grid integration enables depots and truck stops to provide affordable, reliable charging while increasing grid resiliency.

Convening Stakeholders to Accelerate the Transition to Zero-Emissions Freight

The Administration is today bringing together stakeholders from commercial truck fleets, ports, vehicle manufacturers, state and local governments, utilities, infrastructure providers, climate and environmental justice organizations for a convening at the White House focused on supercharging the buildout of the infrastructure necessary to make a zero-emissions freight ecosystem a reality in the United States. Today's convening on zero-emissions freight infrastructure is designed to launch a series of engagements aimed at tackling emissions from the movement of goods across the nation and recognizes the great progress made already by leaders in freight decarbonization. The roundtable will mobilize action towards successfully implementing the National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy , with special attention paid to infrastructure targets from 2024 to 2027, and will provide Administration officials with insight into the

opportunities and challenges facing communities looking to set actionable goals, integrate new planning methodologies, and protect people's health.

Building on the Administration's Freight Policies

Today's announcements build on the Administration's ongoing work across federal agencies to tackle emissions from America's freight system.

Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization: In January 2023, DOE, EPA, DOT, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development jointly released the U.S. National Blueprint for Transportation Decarbonization . Building on this work, the Biden-Haris Administration is coordinating with each of these agencies to draft a series of decarbonization strategies for each segment of the freight system.

Zero-Emissions Freight Corridor Strategy: Last month, the Joint Office, in collaboration with DOE, DOT, and EPA, released the National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy , a vision for the development of charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure along high-volume freight highways and hubs by 2040. To complement this multi-phase strategy, DOT designated National Electric Vehicle Freight Corridors along the National Highway Freight Network and other key roadways.

Heavy Duty Vehicle Regulations: In December 2022, EPA finalized standards to reduce emissions that form smog and soot from Model Year 2027 and later heavy-duty engines and in March 2024, the agency finalized new greenhouse gas emission standards from heavy-duty vehicles for Model Years 2027-2032. The standards will avoid 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions and provide $13 billion in annualized net benefits to society related to public health, the climate, and savings for truck owners and operators. The final standards will also reduce dangerous air pollution, especially for the 72 million people in the United States who live near truck freight routes, bear the burden of higher levels of pollution, and are more likely to be people of color or come from low-income households.

Advancing Environmental Justice for All

Throughout the process of building a strategy to implement this new goal to transition to a zero-emissions freight ecosystem, the Biden-Harris Administration will provide opportunities for meaningful engagement from relevant stakeholders, including communities with environmental justice concerns, Tribal Nations, state and local governments, manufacturers of heavy-duty vehicles and equipment, fleets and freight operators, and climate and environmental justice organizations. Such engagement will ensure the federal government's actions to reduce emissions are better targeted, more effective, and reflect the priorities of community groups that have frontline experience with air pollution from the freight sector.

Disparities in ambient air quality have widened over the last decade even as air pollution levels have fallen, and the burden of persistent levels of elevated air pollution remains more heavily borne by communities of color and low-income families. While 120 million Americans live in places with unhealthy air quality, a higher percentage of the exposed population are people of color, who experience nearly eight times higher rates of pediatric asthma and 1.3 times higher risk of dying prematurely from exposure to pollutants. High levels of air pollution are often found in neighborhoods ringed by factories or next to highways, despite most sources meeting emission standards.

President Biden and Vice President Harris believe that every person has a right to breathe clean air and live in a healthy community – now and into the future. That is why, during his first week in office, President Biden signed Executive Order 14008, launching the most ambitious environmental justice agenda in our Nation's history. To continue delivering on that vision, last year President Biden signed Executive Order 14096 focused on ensuring environmental justice for all people, further embedding environmental justice into the work of federal agencies to achieve real, measurable progress that communities can count on.

As the Biden-Harris Administration leads an all-of-government approach to cut pollution from heavy-duty vehicles, it will build on ongoing work and structure to further advance environmental justice, including:

Commitment to Identifying and Investing in Disadvantaged Communities: Established in his first week in office, the President's Justice40 Initiative set a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, clean transit, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. To date, 518 programs across 19 federal agencies , including 74 Inflation Reduction Act-funded programs, are being reimagined and transformed to meet the Justice40 goal and ensure the benefits reach the communities that need them most, including cleaner air and accessible public transit. Federal agencies are making this happen with the

Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool , which is used to identify disadvantaged communities that benefit from the Justice40 Initiative.

Environmental Justice Across the Federal Government: Agencies across the Biden-Harris Administration, including DOT, DOE, and EPA, are pursuing a suite of actions that advance environmental justice, including through grants, strategic planning, and collaborative partnerships, and by strengthening public health protections under the Clean Air Act to reduce air pollution from mobile and stationary sources .

April 24, 2024

The campaign of cruelty began on April 24, 1915, when Ottoman authorities arrested Armenian intellectuals and community leaders in Constantinople. In the days, months, and years that followed, one and a half million Armenians were deported, massacred, or marched to their deaths--leaving families forever broken, and generations forever changed.

As we mourn this tragedy, we also honor the resilience of the Armenian people. After enduring one of the darkest chapters in human history, survivors began forging a better future for our world. With courage and commitment, they rebuilt their lives. They preserved their culture. They strengthened the fabric of nations around the world--including our own. And they told their stories to ensure that the mass atrocities that began on this day 109 years ago are never again repeated.

This remains our solemn vow. Today--and every day--the United States will continue to stand up for human rights and speak out against intolerance. We will continue to meet hate and horror with hope and healing. And, we will continue to stand with all those who seek a future where everyone can live with dignity, security, and respect.

April 24, 2024

WASHINGTON – Building on a historic record of expanding consumer protections and standing up for airline passengers, the Biden-Harris Administration announced final rules that require airlines to provide automatic cash refunds to passengers when owed and protect consumers from costly surprise airline fees. These rules will significantly expand consumer protections in air travel, provide passengers an easier pathway to refunds when owed, and save consumers over half a billion dollars every year in hidden and surprise junk fees.

The rules are part of the Biden-Harris Administration's work to lower costs for consumers and take on corporate rip-offs. President Biden signed an Executive Order on Promoting Competition in 2021 that encouraged DOT to take steps to promote fairer, more transparent, and competitive markets.

Requiring Automatic Cash Airline Refunds

The first rule requires airlines to promptly provide passengers with automatic cash refunds when owed because their flights are cancelled or significantly changed, their checked bags are significantly delayed, or the ancillary services, like Wi-Fi, they purchased are not provided.

Without this rule, consumers have to navigate a patchwork of cumbersome processes to request and receive a refund -- searching through airline websites to figure out how to make the request, filling out extra "digital paperwork," or at times waiting for hours on the phone. Passengers would also receive a travel credit or voucher by default from many airlines instead of getting their money back, so they could not use their refund to rebook on another airline when their flight was changed or cancelled without navigating a cumbersome request process.

DOT's rule makes it simple and straightforward for passengers to receive the money they are owed. The final rule requires refunds to be:

Automatic: Airlines must automatically issue refunds without passengers having to explicitly request them or jump through hoops.

Prompt: Airlines and ticket agents must promptly issue refunds within seven business days of refunds becoming due for credit card purchases and 20 calendar days for other payment methods.

Cash or original form of payment: Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in cash or whatever original payment method the individual used to make the purchase, such as credit card or airline miles. Airlines may not substitute vouchers, travel credits, or other forms of compensation unless the passenger affirmatively chooses to accept alternative compensation.

Full amount: Airlines and ticket agents must provide full refunds of the ticket purchase price, minus the value of any portion of transportation already used. The refunds must include all government-imposed taxes and fees and airline-imposed fees.

Protecting Against Surprise Airline Junk Fees

Secondly, DOT is requiring airlines and ticket agents to tell consumers upfront what fees they charge for checked bags, a carry-on bag, for changing a reservation, or cancelling a reservation. This ensures that consumers can avoid surprise fees when they purchase tickets from airlines or ticket agents, including both brick-and-mortar travel agencies or online travel agencies.

The rule will help consumers avoid unneeded or unexpected charges that can increase quickly and add significant cost to what may, at first, look like a cheap ticket. Extra fees, like checked baggage and change fees, have been a growing source of revenue for airlines, while also becoming more complex and confusing for passengers over time. In total, thanks to the final rule, consumers are expected to save over half a billion dollars every year that they are currently overpaying in airline fees.

DOT's rule ensures that consumers have the information they need to better understand the true costs of air travel. Under the final rule, airlines are required to:

Disclose baggage, change, and cancellation fees upfront: Each fee must be disclosed the first time that fare and schedule information is provided on the airline's online platform -- and cannot be displayed through a hyperlink.

Explain fee policies before ticket purchase: For each type of baggage, airlines and ticket agents must spell out the weight and dimension limitations that they impose. They must also describe any prohibitions or restrictions on changing or cancelling a flight, along with policies related to differences in fare when switching to a more or less expensive flight.

Share fee information with third parties: An airline must provide useable, current, and accurate information regarding its baggage, change, and cancellation fees and policies to any company that is required to disclose them to consumers and receives fare, schedule, and availability information from that airline.

Inform consumers that seats are guaranteed: When offering an advance seat assignment for a fee, airlines and ticket agents must let consumers know that purchasing a seat is not necessary to travel, so consumers can avoid paying unwanted seat selection fees.

Provide both standard and passenger-specific fee information: Consumers can choose to view passenger-specific fee information based on their participation in the airline's rewards program, their military status, or the credit card that they use -- or they can decide to stay anonymous and get the standard fee information.

End discount bait-and-switch tactics: The final rule puts an end to the bait-and-switch tactics some airlines use to disguise the true cost of discounted flights. It prohibits airlines from advertising a promotional discount off a low base fare that does not include all mandatory carrier-imposed fees.

DOT's Historic Record of Consumer Protection Under the Biden-Harris Administration

Both of these actions were suggested for consideration by the DOT in the Executive Order on Promoting Competition and build on historic steps the Biden-Harris Administration has already taken to expand consumer protections, promote competition, and protect air travelers. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, DOT has advanced the largest expansion of airline passenger rights, issued the biggest fines against airlines for failing consumers, and returned more money to passengers in refunds and reimbursements than ever before in the Department's history.

DOT launched the flightrights.gov dashboard, and now all 10 major U.S. airlines guarantee free rebooking and meals, and nine guarantee hotel accommodations when an airline issue causes a significant delay or cancellation. These are new commitments the airlines added to their customer service plans that DOT can legally ensure they adhere to and are displayed on flightrights.gov.

Since President Biden took office, DOT has helped return more than $3 billion in refunds and reimbursements owed to airline passengers – including over $600 million to passengers affected by the Southwest Airlines holiday meltdown in 2022.

DOT has issued over $164 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations. Between 1996 and 2020, DOT collectively issued less than $71 million in penalties against airlines for consumer protection violations.

DOT recently launched a new partnership with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general to fast-track the review of consumer complaints, hold airlines accountable, and protect the rights of the traveling public.

In 2023, the flight cancellation rate in the U.S. was a record low at under 1.2% -- the lowest rate of flight cancellations in over 10 years despite a record amount of air travel

DOT is undertaking its first ever industry-wide review of airline privacy practices and its first review of airline loyalty programs

In addition to finalizing the rules to require automatic refunds and protect consumers from surprise fees, DOT is also pursuing rulemakings that would:

Propose to ban family seating junk fees and guarantee that parents can sit with their children for no extra charge when they fly. Before President Biden and Secretary Buttigieg pressed airlines last year, no airline committed to guaranteeing fee-free family seating. Now, four airlines guarantee fee-free family seating, as the Department is working on its family seating junk fee ban proposal.

Propose to make passenger compensation and amenities mandatory so that travelers are taken care of when airlines cause flight delays or cancellations.

Expand the rights for passengers who use wheelchairs and ensure that they can travel safely and with dignity . The comment period on this proposed rule closes on May 13, 2024.

Travelers can learn more about their protections when they fly at FlightRights.gov

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Consumers may file an airline complaint with the Department here

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