It’s Wednesday aka Cinco de Mayo.
For Wednesday May 5th, 2021, President Biden will have received his daily brief. At two this afternoon President Biden will deliver remarks regarding the implementation of the American Rescue Plan.
For May the Fourth be With You, President Biden had tweeted 2 times and retweeted 0 times by the time Tuesday’s Open Thread was posted he added 4 tweets and no retweets giving him a total of 6 tweets and 0 retweets.
3 of his 4 tweets focus on the coronavirus pandemic.
2:33 p.m. D.C., time he shares a live feed to his remarks on the COVID-19 response and the vaccination program.
The stream is 26 minutes and 17 seconds long. President Biden begins his remarks at the 2 minute and 21 second mark. His full remarks can be found @ White House.gov. According to their time stamp he spoke from 2:35 p.m. D.C., time until 2:58 p.m. D.C., time.
2:41 p.m. D.C., time he shares a link to vaccines.gov.
President Biden (6:37): So for those having trouble finding a location or making an appointment, we’re going to make it easier than ever. We have formally launched a simple website where you can find a vaccination location closest to you. That site is: Vaccines.gov. Let me say it again: Vaccines.gov. Go there now, find a location to get the shot, and make an appointment.
2:50 p.m. D.C., time he says “get vaccinated.”
President Biden (15:32): As we turn to this new phase, we’re also setting a new goal. Two months from today — two months from today, families across the country are going to celebrate the Fourth of July. Our goal by July 4th is to have 70 percent of adult Americans with at least one shot and 160 million Americans fully vaccinated. That means giving close to 100 million shots — some first shots, others second shots — over the next 60 days. Of course, Americans can still get shots after July 4th, but no one should wait. And let’s try to hit that 70 percent mark at least with one shot before that day. It’s another huge goal. And as you may remember, we were initially focused on getting enough vaccines for every adult. Well, we did that. We have enough vaccines. Now that we have the vaccine supply, we’re focused on convincing even more Americans to show up and get the vaccine that is available to them. If we succeed in this effort, as we did with the last, then Americans will have taken a serious step towards a return to normal: That’s July 4th. But we’re not there yet. That’s why I’m asking people to continue to follow the CCD guide- — CDC guidelines as we work to get more — more people vaccinated.
6:11 p.m. D.C., time he remarks on the anniversary of the Freedom Rides.
The White House issued the following Proclamation on the 60th Anniversary of the Freedom Rides, 2021.
On May 4, 1961, thirteen Americans set out on Greyhound and Trailways buses from Washington, D.C., to peacefully protest the scourge of segregation. They came from 9 different States and the District of Columbia; they were Black and white, men and women, ranging in age from 18 to 61, sitting side by side in a simple affirmation of shared humanity. They were teachers and students, carpenters and architects, ministers and servicemembers. Frances and Walter Bergman, Albert Bigelow, Ed Blankenheim, Reverend Benjamin Elton Cox, James Farmer, Genevieve Hughes, Jimmy McDonald, James Peck, Joe Perkins, Charles Person, Hank Thomas, and a 21-year-old student at the American Baptist Theological Seminary named John Lewis.
By the time of the first Freedom Rides, Thurgood Marshall and other heroes of the early Civil Rights Movement had already persuaded the Supreme Court to strike down the devastating doctrine of ‘separate but equal,’ which had given legal cover to the horrors of Jim Crow for more than half a century. But for far too many Americans, that promise of equality was slow to arrive. As their buses arrived in each segregated town, the Riders were brutally attacked by vicious, hateful mobs of white supremacists. They were kicked and beaten unconscious, assaulted with bats and batons, and arrested under laws that had already been declared illegal by the Supreme Court — but which festered nevertheless. One of the two buses had its tires slashed and windows smashed before it was firebombed.
The Freedom Riders remained devoted to nonviolence, displaying extraordinary physical courage and unflinching moral conviction. Despite the brutality they faced, they were joined by five other Riders along the route, and then by hundreds more joining similar rides in the months to come. The public attention they brought to a pernicious cancer in our society further inspired millions of Americans across the country, including generations of Americans who have continued the fight for civil rights in the years since. Their message of bravery, hope, and unity in diversity continues to inspire us.
John Lewis was the first to withstand a physical attack, just 6 days into the trip. It was not his first act of courageous leadership and sacrifice, nor his last. Across his lifetime of service in and out of Government, John Lewis was the moral compass of our Nation — though he absorbed the force of human nature’s cruelty, he emanated dignity and grace. On the anniversary of his journey on the Freedom Rides, I am reminded of the message he shared with me before he passed away last summer: that we must stay focused on the work left undone to heal this Nation. It is a call to all Americans to follow the example he set.
My Administration is committed to advancing the values and aspirations of John Lewis and the Freedom Riders. On my first day in office, I signed an Executive Order establishing a comprehensive initiative to address racial equity and redress systemic racism in Federal policies, laws, and programs. I also signed a Memorandum stating that the Federal Government has a responsibility to prevent racism, xenophobia, and intolerance against anyone in the United States — as well as an additional Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation. I have directed Federal agencies to preserve and strengthen the sacred right to vote using their existing legal authority. My Administration also supports further legislation to protect that most fundamental right — to make our democracy more equitable and accessible for all Americans, and to enact a new Voting Rights Act in John Lewis’s name.
Today, we honor the Freedom Riders who took a stand against injustice 60 years ago. And we are inspired by the power and purpose of a dedicated few who helped spark a movement — to make us a better Nation, and to build a more perfect union for all of us.
White House.gov. 05/04/2021.
So far President Biden has tweeted 2 times and retweeted 0 times for Wednesday aka Cinco de Mayo.
8:51 a.m. D.C., time he shares a 40 second video snip from his remarks on Tuesday.
President Biden *(15:36): Two months from today — two months from today, families across the country are going to celebrate the Fourth of July. Our goal by July 4th is to have 70 percent of adult Americans with at least one shot and 160 million Americans fully vaccinated. That means giving close to 100 million shots — some first shots, others second shots — over the next 60 days. Of course, Americans can still get shots after July 4th, but no one should wait. And let’s try to hit that 70 percent mark at least with one shot before that day.
*I used the live feed he shared that’s posted above for the cue mark*
12:03 p.m. D.C., time he shares a link to a Proclamation on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.
The full Proclamation:
Today, thousands of unsolved cases of missing and murdered Native Americans continue to cry out for justice and healing. On Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day, we remember the Indigenous people who we have lost to murder and those who remain missing and commit to working with Tribal Nations to ensure any instance of a missing or murdered person is met with swift and effective action.
Our failure to allocate the necessary resources and muster the necessary commitment to addressing and preventing this ongoing tragedy not only demeans the dignity and humanity of each person who goes missing or is murdered, it sends pain and shockwaves across our Tribal communities. Our treaty and trust responsibilities to Tribal Nations require our best efforts, and our concern for the well-being of these fellow citizens require us to act with urgency. To this end, our Government must strengthen its support and collaboration with Tribal communities.
My Administration is fully committed to working with Tribal Nations to address the disproportionately high number of missing or murdered Indigenous people, as well as increasing coordination to investigate and resolve these cases and ensure accountability. I am further committed to addressing the underlying causes behind those numbers, including — among others — sexual violence, human trafficking, domestic violence, violent crime, systemic racism, economic disparities, and substance use and addiction. Federal partnerships to address the number of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples will be governed by the Nation-to-Nation foundation of our relationship with Tribal governments and respect for Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. The challenges in Tribal communities are best met by solutions that are informed and shaped by Tribal leaders and Tribal governments.
Tribes across the United States have long worked to provide solutions for their communities. In April, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana, and the FBI announced the Nation’s first Tribal Community Response Plan, part of a Department of Justice pilot project to address emergent missing person cases in their community. When someone goes missing, it is often an urgent and time-sensitive situation. The Tribal community response plan lays out a blueprint for how Tribal law enforcement; local, State, and Federal law enforcement; and community members can respond when someone goes missing from a Tribal community — resolving important issues of jurisdictional overlap and gaps in order to respond swiftly and effectively. Other Tribes and Native villages such as the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in Oklahoma, Native Village of Unalakleet in Alaska, and the Bay Mills Indian Community in Michigan, are working with Federal partners on their own community response plans.
My Administration has made a priority of helping to solve the issues surrounding Native Americans who go missing and those who are murdered across the United States — including high rates of Native women and girls, including transgender women and girls. We recognize there is a level of mistrust of the United States Government in many Native communities, stemming from a long history of broken promises, oppression, and trauma. That is why we are pursuing ways to build trust in our Government and the systems designed to provide support to families in need. We must bridge the gap for families in crisis, provide necessary support services, and support opportunities for healing through holistic community-driven approaches.
I am committed to building on the successes of the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by supporting the passage of the VAWA Reauthorization of 2021. Among other protections, this bill reaffirms inherent Tribal authority to prosecute certain non-Indian offenders — extending protections from domestic violence and dating violence to Native American victims of sexual violence, stalking, trafficking, child abuse, elder abuse, and assault against law enforcement or justice personnel when crimes are committed on Tribal territory. Additionally, through the American Rescue Plan we provided an additional $35 million in grants for Tribes to provide temporary housing, assistance, and supportive services to victims of domestic and dating violence, as well as supplemental funding for the StrongHearts Native Helpline, and additional funding for services for sexual assault survivors.
My Administration has also committed to effectively implement the requirements of Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act, legislation focused on combating the issues surrounding missing or murdered Indigenous persons. The Presidential Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives continues to convene the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Health and Human Services, to address the issues from a combined public health–public safety partnership. Furthering the efforts of the task force, the White House Council on Native American Affairs will bring together all relevant Federal agencies to work with Tribal Nations on exploring additional ways to enhance prevention efforts and improve access to safety and justice.
Furthermore, informed by Tribal input, the Department of the Interior recently established the Missing & Murdered Unit (MMU) within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services to provide leadership and direction for cross-departmental and interagency work involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The MMU will help bring the weight of the Federal Government to bear when investigating these cases and marshal law enforcement resources across Federal agencies and throughout Indian country.
Our commitment to addressing these issues and to strengthening these critical partnerships is unwavering. For too long, there has been too much sorrow and worry. United by our mutual investment in healthy, safe communities, we will work together to achieve lasting progress.
White House.gov. 05/04/2021.
The White House daily brief is schedule for 12:30 p.m. D.C., time and will feature special guest Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
President Biden’s remarks on the American Rescue Plan is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. D.C., time.
This is an Open Thread.
