Small businesses are the engine of our economy and the heart and soul of our communities. They employ nearly half of all private sector workers and contribute to every industry. Getting them what they need to grow is one of the best investments our country can make. During National Small Business Week, we celebrate the grit and strength of every entrepreneur who has chased a dream and put in the hard work each day to see their business and our Nation thrive.

When I took office, the pandemic was raging, and our economy was reeling. Hundreds of thousands of small businesses had closed forever, and millions more hung on by a thread. Too many families faced the possibility of losing not only their life's work but also their hopes of leaving something behind for their kids. But we turned that around. My Administration reformed the landmark Paycheck Protection Program, which got quick help to thousands of small businesses so they could keep paying their workers. We delivered $450 billion in relief to help 6 million small businesses cover their bills and stay afloat. I signed the American Rescue Plan, which provided additional support to 100,000 restaurants and to 225,000 child care centers, which so many parents rely on to be able to work themselves.

Three years later, America is in the midst of a historic small business boom. Americans have filed a record 17 million new business applications — and every one of them is an act of hope. The share of Black-owned businesses has more than doubled between 2019 and 2022, and Latino business ownership is growing at the fastest pace in at least a decade, generating new jobs and new wealth in local communities. In all, our economy has added 15 million new jobs since I took office. Growth is strong, wages are rising, and inflation is down. We are witnessing a small business boom. Across the country, we are experiencing a great comeback story — and small businesses are playing a key part.

From day one, they have been at the heart of my plan to grow our economy from the middle out and bottom up. That is why — as my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes the biggest investment in our Nation's infrastructure in generations, rebuilding roads, bridges, ports, public transit, and more — we are relying on America's Main Street entrepreneurs to help us rebuild. We set a goal of awarding $37 billion in these investments to small businesses so they can benefit from these projects and create good-paying jobs. We are making sure every home and business in America has access to affordable, high-speed internet by the end of the decade so entrepreneurs everywhere can access more customers and have a fair shot. We passed the CHIPS and Science Act to expand semiconductor manufacturing and ensure industries of the future are Made in America, creating tens of thousands of jobs, strengthening supply chains, and supporting small suppliers and businesses across the country. As our Inflation Reduction Act makes the most significant investment in fighting climate change ever in the world, it is creating new markets for small clean-energy companies. Altogether, my Investing in America Agenda has attracted $688 billion in private-sector investments from companies that are bringing jobs back to America where they belong, helping to rebuild our economy, our supply chains, and our small businesses.

To help small businesses grow, we are also expanding access to capital and to markets by using the power of the Federal Government as both a lender and customer. Mom and pop businesses with only a handful of employees often need small loans of $100,000 or less, but not all banks offer them. That is why the Small Business Administration [SBA] is expanding access to low-cost small-dollar loans and increasing the number of lenders that offer affordable guaranteed loans. The SBA finalized rules that will provide rural and minority-, women-, and veteran-owned small businesses with more affordable loan options by authorizing more non-traditional lenders, like Community Development Financial Institutions, to offer guaranteed loans. Because the Federal Government buys more goods and services than any entity in the world, we set a goal of increasing the share of Federal contracting dollars that must go to small disadvantaged businesses from less than 10 percent before I took office to 15 percent. Last year, we awarded a record-setting $76 billion to these businesses, helping level the playing field and close the racial wealth gap.

Meanwhile, we invested $10 billion in State-level small-business programs, which will catalyze tens of billions in private investments to expand access to capital for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Further, my Administration has invested nearly $70 million in the Women's Business Centers network, which is designed to promote and support women-owned businesses and can now be found in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

Small businesses may only employ a few people instead of thousands, but together they make up 40 percent of our economy and 99.9 percent of all American businesses. They are the glue that helps hold our Nation together. In their dedication to their communities and in their courage, hope, sweat, and drive, small business owners embody the spirit of America and our boundless possibilities. This week, we recommit to making that future real and leaving no one behind.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 28 through May 4, 2024, as National Small Business Week. I call upon all Americans to recognize the contributions of small businesses to the American economy, continue supporting them, and honor the occasion with programs and activities that highlight these important businesses.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

A job is about more than a paycheck — it is about dignity and respect. Our Nation's workers built this country, and we need to have their backs. On the most basic level, that means every worker in this Nation deserves to be safe on the job. Too many still risk their lives or well-being in unsafe work conditions or dangerous roles. On Workers Memorial Day, we honor our fallen and injured workers and recommit to making sure every worker has the peace of mind of knowing that they are protected at work and can return home safe to their families every night.

I am proud to be the most pro-labor President in history, and from day one, my Administration has fought to make workplaces safer and fairer. Our American Rescue Plan invested $200 million into keeping workers safe during the pandemic and guaranteeing that workers had sick leave available if they got COVID-19. We also used the full power of the Defense Production Act to deliver personal protective equipment to workers who needed it. We vaccinated 230 million Americans so they could return to offices, stores, factory floors, and more without worrying about their health.

Strong unions are at the core of all of this work. Every major law that protects workers' safety passed because unions fought for it. That is why, as my Administration makes the biggest investment in our Nation's infrastructure in generations, we are also incentivizing companies to hire union workers, pay prevailing wages, and support pre-apprenticeships and Registered Apprenticeships that help workers learn how to safely do the job. At the same time, my Administration finalized a rule requiring Project Labor Agreements for most large-scale Federal construction projects, helping ensure these projects are completed safely, efficiently, and on time.

I am proud of my work standing up for unions, from being the first sitting President to walk a picket line to nominating union advocates to the National Labor Relations Board, which has helped protect the right to organize. I also signed Executive Orders restoring and expanding collective bargaining rights for the Federal workforce, and I re-established labor-management forums at Federal agencies to ensure Federal workers on the job are heard. I signed the Butch Lewis Act, protecting the pensions that millions of Americans worked their whole lives for. I have expanded coverage through the Affordable Care Act and slashed prescription drug prices, making health care more affordable for millions of working families.

At the same time, the Department of Labor has also made it easier for whistleblowers to report unsafe working conditions, regardless of their immigration status, and are hiring and training hundreds of workplace inspectors to ensure employers are meeting health and safety requirements. Last year, my Administration issued the first-ever heat Hazard Alert to protect millions of farm, construction, and other workers who spend their days outside in increasingly extreme heat. We also finalized a new rule to limit miners' exposure to toxic silica dust — protecting more than 250,000 from its harmful effects. The Department of Labor has also ramped up the enforcement of heat-safety rules, conducting more than 4,000 heat inspections in the past 2 years. They have also completed over 65,000 workplace safety and health inspections since 2022, helping keep workers in high-risk industries safe. Further, my Administration published a rule that allows workers to choose a representative to accompany an Occupational Safety and Health Administration official during a workplace inspection, ensuring workers are being heard. The Department of Labor is working to develop a national standard to protect indoor and outdoor workers from extreme heat that can be hazardous to their health.

We are also fighting for the courageous first responders who routinely run toward danger to protect the rest of us. The Department of Labor proposed a rule that would strengthen safety standards for emergency responder equipment, training, and vehicle operations for the first time in more than 40 years. These new standards would transform many current industry best practices to requirements and could prevent thousands of injuries for more than one million brave first responders across the country. I was also proud to sign the Federal Firefighters Fairness Act, which boosted pay for over 10,000 Federal firefighters to help recruit more to the job, because I know that nothing keeps firefighters safe like more firefighters. We are also committed to protecting firefighters from the harmful effects of toxic "forever chemicals", which are still too often found in firefighting equipment and fire suppression agents. I signed legislation extending the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program to firefighters who are permanently disabled and to families of firefighters who die after experiencing trauma like PTSD — it will not bring their loved ones back, but we owe them.

Today, our Nation is in the midst of a great comeback. Our economy is growing, wages are rising, and inflation is down. We have created a record 15 million jobs. On Workers Memorial Day, we recommit to making sure that every worker in this country is safe on the job. We honor those who lost their lives or have been injured on the job; we stand by their families; and we stand with the labor unions that are fighting to guarantee every worker safety, dignity, and respect.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 28, 2024, as Workers Memorial Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day with appropriate service, community, and education programs and ceremonies in memory of those killed or injured due to unsafe working conditions.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this

twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

South Lawn

3:52 P.M. EDT

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Hello. That's me. [Laughs]

Good afternoon, everyone. Good afternoon, and welcome to the White House. [Applause]

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: [Laughs] 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. [Applause]

END 3:55 P.M. EDT

Roosevelt Room

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 20s — 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

Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology
Syracuse, New York

2:39 P.M. EDT

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

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. [Laughter] 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. [Laughter]

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." [Applause, Laughter]

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 — [applause] — 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 — [applause] — 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'smega-labs[mega-fabs].

In Boise,Ohio[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. [Applause]

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 — [applause] — 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. [Applause]

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, each4,000[40,000] times thinner than a single hair on your head. And I've got some very thin hair on my head. [Laughter]

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 — [laughter] — 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. [Applause] 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. [Applause]

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 40s or so. [Laughter] 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 — [applause] — 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. [Applause] 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 — [applause] — 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. [The President makes the sign of the cross] [Laughter]

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. [Applause, Laughter]

But now — now — [applause] — 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. [Laughter]

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. [Applause]

American manufacturing is back. [Applause] 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. [Applause] 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. [Applause] Congratulations.

Thank you. Thank you. [Applause]

Thank you.

2:55 P.M. EDT

America was founded on the promise of new beginnings. Yet, for people returning home to their communities from jail or prison, obstacles often stand in the way of turning this promise into a reality. Having a criminal record can make it hard to secure a steady job, safe housing, affordable health care, or quality education — all important to building a good life. More than 60 percent of formerly incarcerated individuals are unemployed one year after being released, and formerly incarcerated people are ten times more likely than the general population to be homeless.

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 [SBA] 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 [DOL] 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 [VA) 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 (BOP] 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 [ED) 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 (SAVE] 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 [CMS] 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 [OPM] 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 [21%] 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 [38%] had participated in at least one program.

12:20 P.M. EDT

MS. JEAN-PIERRE: [In progress] …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: [Laughs] 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 Erdo?an 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 Erdo?an. 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 Erdo?an 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

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 —

[Cross-talk]

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

[Cross-talk]

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 6th 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 [Inaudible]

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 —

[Addressing an Air Force One crew member] 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.

[Cross-talk]

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

The Vice President will kick off her multi-state tour with a moderated conversation in Atlanta, GA on April 29 and an event in Detroit, MI during the following week

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 [CDFIs] across the country. In 2022, the Vice President also announced a first-of-its-kind public-private sector initiative — the Economic Opportunity Coalition [EOC] — 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.

Additional dates, cities, and details for media to RSVP will be available soon.

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 [inaudible].

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

We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 200 days. They include our own citizens. The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza, who are protected under international law, is of international concern.

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.

Today, President Biden will announce four new Workforce Hubs to ensure all Americans can access the good jobs created by the President's Investing in America agenda, which includes the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. President Biden will make the announcement during his visit to Syracuse, New York, to highlight a CHIPS and Science Act preliminary agreement with Micron to dramatically expand semiconductor manufacturing in the United States. The Upstate New York region will be one of the four new Workforce Hubs, in addition to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the state of Michigan.

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:

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

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:

Boosting job quality to support recruitment and retention

The President's Investing in America agenda delivers historic public investments to American communities through legislation like the American Rescue Plan, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. These investments are crowding-in private investment into critical industries—to date, private companies have announced $825 billion in investments in growing industries like semiconductors, clean energy, and electric vehicles—and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Creation of high-quality jobs for American workers is central to the President's economic growth agenda. Already, since President Biden took office, the economy has added 15 million jobs while the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level in half of a century, remaining below 4 percent for a record 26 months. But as the President's agenda brings clean energy and manufacturing back to America after decades of offshoring, the Biden-Harris Administration recognizes that this transition won't be fully achieved if we don't build the workforce we need. Expanded commitments to workforce development are necessary to successfully create durable, lasting industries through the Investing in America agenda.

As described in the Administration's Roadmap to Support Good Jobs, the Biden-Harris Administration's workforce strategy has four central priorities. First, it is designed to connect people to good jobs, including through evidence-backed training solutions like registered apprenticeships and other high-quality "earn and learn" pathways, and supportive services like child care that expand opportunity for American workers. Second, it is focused on ensuring that we have a skilled, diverse workforce for our transformational investments, with targeted workforce programs that align with growing sectors like clean energy and manufacturing that President Biden's agenda has focused on. Third it ensures every community can meet its foundational labor needs, with policies designed to support short- and long-term labor supply in critical sectors like health care and transportation that often struggle to recruit and retain talented workers. Fourth, it prioritizes the creation of good-paying jobs with benefits, safety, stability, and worker voice to ensure that American families and businesses thrive.

This blog provides additional detail on the economic context for the President's workforce strategy along with, for each of these priorities, recent actions taken, and recent progress in enacting them.

President Biden took office in the midst of a global pandemic with staggering economic consequences. In January 2021, the unemployment rate was 6.4 percent and the labor force participation rate was 61.3 percent—two percentage points below the rate only a year earlier. However, the workforce problems did not begin with the 2020 pandemic. The United States had seen a multi-decade-long decline in the labor force participation rate for workers between the ages of 25 to 54, falling behind many of its peer countries. In manufacturing communities, the offshoring of domestic manufacturing in the 1990s and early 2000s led to the loss, by 2011, of one million U.S. manufacturing jobs and 2.4 million jobs overall.

President Biden came into office determined to address these challenges. His American Rescue Plan enabled the strongest recovery in decades. And moving forward, external estimates predict that over the next decade, the Administration's Investing in America agenda will create more than a million jobs in industries like construction and manufacturing. In addition to making bold investments in 21^stcentury infrastructure and industries, President Biden has an evidence-backed workforce strategy designed to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to get a good, well-paid job in their community.

The Administration has made investments in evidence-backed training programs that ensure employers and counselors can play an active role in providing workers with the skills they actually need in industries with actual demand for labor. Research shows that demand-driven, sector-focused employment programs can not only increase employment in targeted sectors, but also have positive effects on earnings—especially for underserved workers entering these programs. These initiatives do not require students or workers to know on their own what skills the future job market requires. Instead, programs that produce the largest and most persistent earnings gains make strong connections to employers to determine in-demand jobs and skills. These programs also tend to provide larger investments per participant, upfront screening of participants on basic skills and motivation, and wraparound support services for participants.

Registered Apprenticeship programs have been shown to be particularly effective at increasing workers' earning potential. A study of apprenticeships in 10 states finds that, over their lifetime, individuals who completed their training earned an average of $240,037 more than nonparticipants, with net social benefits of $49,000 over the course of the apprentice's career. Apprenticeships also benefit employers; one study found that, on average, for every $1.00 invested, employers receive $1.44 in direct and indirect benefits in the years during and after training an apprentice.

The Biden-Harris Administration invests holistically in places across the United States, so that workers can get jobs in their communities. Job programs that are targeted towards regions that have been underinvested in can have particularly strong payoffs. One recent study found that the economic benefits of policies that add jobs in a given place [such as government-funded infrastructure projects] are at least 60 percent greater in "distressed" regions than in "booming" ones.

The President's investments to empower and educate workers are already paying off. After Georgia received over $37 billion in private investments for clean energy technology, the city of Augusta has partnered with five major regional employers to develop their workforce and meet this increased demand through an Investing in America Workforce Hub. Terrence Tillman, a recent graduate of a newly expanded apprenticeship program, said "This is going to change my lifestyle. […] Knowing what the job entails and what its purpose is, I feel like I'm helping the country and the community." Augusta is emblematic of how the Investing in America agenda can deliver good paying jobs and prepare the workforce for the future.

The President's workforce strategy prioritizes job quality. An extensive economic literature lays out the benefits of improved job quality for workers, households, and businesses. By improving job quality, employers can more easily attract and retain workers—benefitting their bottom line. At the same time, improved job quality enables workers to bring home the pay and benefits that provide an opportunity to reach the middle class, which in turn supports economic growth.

Paying workers fair wages and providing benefits like paid leave can increase productivity, reduce turnover, and facilitate hiring and retention. Providing childcare lowers turnover while increasing the likelihood that parents can invest in training or additional education and work [especially full-time]. Manufacturing firms that focus on job quality, like increasing pay and providing avenues for workers to have inputs into the firms' practices, are better able to attract skilled workers, experience lower turnover, and generate higher productivity. Similarly, unions are already playing a central role in developing and training the workforce for the President's investments in America.

President Biden has prioritized the creation of high-quality jobs for American workers in two ways—a strong and rapid labor market recovery and a comprehensive workforce strategy that prepares workers for the 21^stcentury economy. As a result, while forecasters predicted that in 2023 the economy would fall into a recession, the US economy grew at a healthy 3.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023, added over 15 million jobs, saw the unemployment rate fall below 4 percent for a record 26 months, and hit a record low gap between the highest and lowest state unemployment rates. Further, employment growth remains solid in specific industries where growth has been catalyzed by the Investing in America agenda—since January 2021, the economy has added 848,000 jobs in construction, 768,000 jobs in manufacturing, and 27,500 jobs in clean energy employment.

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to making the necessary investments to connect Americans to good jobs, prepare them for our transformation investments, ensure every community can meet its foundational labor needs, and boost job quality. Case in point: President Biden's FY25 Budget proposes a new $8 billion Career Training Fund that would provide approximately 750,000 workers with training and wrap-around supports, as well as funds to expand public-private partnerships to offer high-quality training in growing industries. Investments like these lay the foundation for a thriving U.S. economy and strong, shared, and stable economic growth.

Since Day One, President Biden has led and delivered on the most ambitious climate and environmental justice agenda in history, including securing the largest-ever climate investment. The power sector, which is responsible for a quarter of annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, now has more tools than ever – including unprecedented financial support, efficient permitting, and long-term regulatory certainty – to reduce pollution and upgrade the grid to support more factories, electric vehicles, and other growing sources of electricity demand. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing key actions to build on this momentum and deliver clean electricity to more homes and businesses, helping lower energy costs for American families and power the U.S. manufacturing renaissance driven by President Biden's Investing in America agenda, while providing cleaner air and water to communities long overburdened by pollution from fossil fuel power plants.

Today, the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] 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 [DOE] 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 [TFP] 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 [CITAP] 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 [GRIP] 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:

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:

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:

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:

Funding unleashes $125 billion in private investment from Micron to build leading-edge memory semiconductor and create more than 20,000 direct jobs.

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:

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 [PLAs] 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 [AFT], 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 [CWA] 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 [PMT]

under the CHIPS and Science Act:

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.

Today, the White House convened state legislative leaders to discuss state-level actions to address junk fees, building on the Biden-Harris Administration's unprecedented efforts to crack down on junk fees across the economy to lower costs for Americans. National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard, Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau [CFPB] Director Rohit Chopra, Federal Trade Commission [FTC] Chair Lina Khan, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, and state legislators from across the country participated.

President Biden is committed to taking on hidden junk fees that companies sneak onto customer bills, and which the Council of Economic Advisers estimates amount to more than $90 billion every year. These fees occur across industries, from apartment rentals to concert tickets to health insurance. Since the first White House State Convening on Combatting Junk Fees last March, the Administration has taken landmark actions to increase transparency and eliminate these fees, including:

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:

Washington Hilton Hotel
Washington, D.C.

12:40 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Whoa! Holy mackerel. [Applause] Whoa! [Applause] Hello, hello, hello! [Applause]

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! [Applause]

Whoa! What a welcome. I'm going home. [Laughter]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Building Trades. God love you all. [Applause] 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. [Applause] 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. [Applause] And that's a fact.

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

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 shoeshole[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. [Applause] 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. [Laughter]

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. [Applause] I mean it.

And we all grew up — [applause] — 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. [Laughter] 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. [Applause] 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. [Applause]

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. [Applause] It's just — just starting. [Applause]

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

Remember when President Pr- — Trump promised us — [laughs] — I've got to be careful. [Laughter]

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. [Applause] 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. [Laughter] I know how to put them on. I still sometimes cut the yard. The Secret Service doesn't let me do it anymore. [Laughter]

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

By the way, we're making them stronger. [Applause] That will — [applause] — 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. [Applause]

Since — since the 1930s, 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. [Applause] I mean it.

Because, folks — [applause] — 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 — [applause] — meanwhile, Donald Trump still thinks windmills cause cancer. [Laughter] 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. [Laughter] He missed; it all went to his hair. [Laughter]

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

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 [inaudible] — 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. [Applause] 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 — [applause] — 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. [Laughter]

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 — [applause] — during my administration.

By the way, if you ever need — if you're ever in a foxhole, I tell you, you want Marty Walsh — [pronounced in an accent] — with you, man. [Laughter] 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. [Applause] Are you surprised?

AUDIENCE: No!

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

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 — [applause] — 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. [Applause, Laughter] 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? [Applause]

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

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 — [applause] —

No billionaire — [applause] — 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. [Applause] 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 — [applause] — 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. [Applause, Laughter] Only two. [Applause]

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. [Laughter]

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

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. [Applause] So many union workers. [Applause]

You showed up — you showed up around the clock. [Applause] And you got it done. [Applause]

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. [Pronounced in an accent]

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 — [applause] — and American steel.

That's America. That's the union movement. [Applause]

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. [Laughter] I'm not suggesting we hit the president. [Laughter] 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 — [applause] — we rebuilt NATO. [Applause] 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: [Inaudible]

THE PRESIDENT: — more years [inaudible].

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? [Applause]

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. [Applause] 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. [Applause]

Thank you all. I don't want to go. [Applause]

1:05 P.M. EDT

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.

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!

Dear Mr. Speaker: [Dear Madam President:]

In accordance with section 406 of division A, section 510 of division B, and section 405 of division C of the Act making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024 [H.R. 815; the "Act"], I hereby designate as emergency requirements all funding [including the transfer and repurposing of funds] so designated by the Congress in the Act pursuant to section 251[b)(2](A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as outlined in the enclosed list of accounts.

The details of this action are set forth in the enclosed memorandum from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Sincerely,

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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 11th 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

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT: Delegation of Authority Under Section 614[a)(1] of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 [FAA], I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 614[a)(1] of the FAA to determine whether it is important to the security interests of the United States to furnish up to $145 million in assistance to Ukraine without regard to any provision of law within the purview of section 614[a)(1] of the FAA.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 815, which provides supplemental emergency appropriations for fiscal year 2024 to Federal agencies to respond to the situations in Israel and Ukraine, and for assistance to the Indo-Pacific region.

Thank you to Leader Schumer and Leader McConnell, Speaker Johnson and Leader Jeffries, and many others for their leadership.

The President is announcing his intent to nominate seven individuals to federal district courts—all of whom are extraordinarily qualified, experienced, and devoted to the rule of law and our Constitution.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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., magna cum laude, from Cornell Law School in 2005 and her B.A., magna cum laude, from James Madison University in 2000.

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., magna cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law in 2003 and her B.S., magna cum laude, from Northwestern University in 2000.

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.

America is a Nation founded on the promise of second chances. During Second Chance Month, we reaffirm our commitment to rehabilitation and reentry for people returning to their communities post incarceration. We also recommit to building a criminal justice system that lives up to those ideals and ensures that everyone receives equal justice under law. That is why today I am announcing steps I am taking to make this promise a reality.

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.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is using his authority under the Constitution to advance equal justice under law by granting clemency to 16 deserving individuals who were convicted of non-violent drug offenses.

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 [Beverly Canty] – 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 [July 2017].
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 [January 2013].
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 [September 2012].
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 [September 2013].
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 [crack cocaine].
Sentence: 60 months of imprisonment; three years of supervised release [January 2022].
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.

The U.S. freight system is vital to our nation's economy. Trucks, ships, trains, and planes move 55 million tons of goods worth more than $49 billion every day, across a vast network that is essential to how Americans live and work. But while industry has made progress on reducing emissions from this sector, freight movement continues to represent a significant share of local air pollution, increasing the risk of asthma, heart disease, hospitalization, and other adverse health outcomes for the millions of Americans, especially overburdened communities, who live and work near highways, ports, railyards, warehouses, and other freight routes. The transportation sector is also the largest source of climate pollution in the U.S., with trucks and buses comprising nearly a quarter of emissions from the sector. That's why President Biden's Investing in America agenda is supporting solutions that address harmful pollution, and has spurred $165 billion of private sector investments in zero-emission 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 [EPA] 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 [DOT] 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 [DOE] 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.

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:

Newly finalized rules will mandate automatic, cash refunds for cancelled or significantly delayed flights and save consumers over half a billion dollars every year in airline fees

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:

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:

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.

In addition to finalizing the rules to require automatic refunds and protect consumers from surprise fees, DOT is also pursuing rulemakings that would:

Travelers can learn more about their protections when they fly at FlightRights.gov. Consumers may file an airline complaint with the Department here.

Today, we pause to remember the lives lost during the Meds Yeghern—the Armenian genocide—and renew our pledge to never forget.

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.