It’s Friday.
Thanksgiving is in 6 days…
For Friday, November 19th, 2021, President Biden will pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey. This evening President Biden will travel to Delaware. Daniel Dale says that President Biden has gone to Walter Reed this morning for his annual physical.
Annual physical news:
NEW: Biden will “transfer power to the Vice President for the brief period of time when he is under anesthesia” for a colonoscopy this morning, the White House says
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) November 19, 2021
VP Harris will work from her office in the West Wing while assuming acting presidential powers, WH says
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) November 19, 2021
This follows the same procedure George W. Bush used when he received colonoscopies in 2002 and 2007
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) November 19, 2021
Google search says from varying sources that a colonoscopy takes anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. The Mayo Clinic says it takes about an hour to recover from the sedative.
Stolen–found in Beth’s Post It Note from yesterday…
Also from *ABC News:
The responsibility of deciding which farm will supply the birds each year falls to the chairman of the National Turkey Federation — a process that Phil Seager, this year’s chair, began in July, when he asked turkey grower Andrea Welp if she would accept the challenge.
“That turkey needs to kind of learn to sit, stay, and in a perfect world, kind of strut a little bit and look good for the cameras,” Segar said.[snip]
“We do some extra prep to the room to make sure it’s comfortable for them, putting down shavings and making sure their food and water is accessible,” Beth Breeding, the spokesperson for the National Turkey Federation, told ABC News.
“We do our best to make sure that we leave the room cleaner than we even found it. We clean up afterwards and then we also work with the hotel to make sure the room is cleaned,” she added.
ABC News. 11/19/2021.
*There is a auto play non-related video that plays about 5 minutes-ish or so after the article is loaded.*
President Biden has not tweeted so far for Friday…
When Biden Bits was published for Thursday, President Biden tweeted 4 times. He added 5 tweets giving him a Thursday Tweeting Total of 9 tweets and 0 retweets.
Prior to the North American Summit, President Biden met with PM Justin Trudeau and the President of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador, separately.
The pool spray YouTube with PM Trudeau and President Biden was 4 minutes and 17 seconds long. Their full remarks can be found here.
The readout of the meeting:
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met yesterday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada to review implementation of the Roadmap for a Renewed U.S.-Canada Partnership launched in February 2021 to revitalize their strategic partnership. Their wide-ranging discussion included joint efforts to combat COVID-19; build back better; accelerate climate action; advance diversity and inclusion; bolster security and defense; and build global alliances. They also agreed to work jointly to address the unprecedented migration challenges facing the Western Hemisphere in 2021, and underscored the importance of continued robust cooperation under the U.S.-Canada Action Plan on Opioids as the United States surpasses 100,000 drug overdose deaths.
Following the UN Climate Conference (COP26), they reiterated their pledge to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, to enhance 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets, and they affirmed the Global Methane Pledge. The United States and Canada plan to expand clean electricity, grow zero-emissions vehicles and charging infrastructure, and accelerate carbon sequestration. They will work to reduce oil and gas sector emissions and end new direct public support for unabated fossil fuels internationally by the end of 2022. They affirmed their commitment to nature conservation, recognizing the importance of Indigenous-led conservation efforts, and committed to unlock financing for Small Island Developing States, especially in the Caribbean. They also pledged to support the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy.
Both underscored their commitment to supply chain security and resilience by announcing the creation of a U.S.-Canada Supply Chain Working Group, which builds on the Joint Action Plan on Critical Minerals. Recognizing the extraordinary movement of migrants within the Western Hemisphere, they committed to working with other partners in the Americas on this hemispheric challenge in pursuit of a bold new regional compact on migration and protection. They committed to promoting innovation on sensitive and emerging technologies (including artificial intelligence and quantum computing), and shaping global digital policies and governance. They announced their intent to negotiate a bilateral Science, Technology, and Innovation Agreement in 2022.
Looking forward to the Summit for Democracy, the President and Prime Minister affirmed their commitment to promote democracy, human rights, and media freedom around the world. They also underscored the importance of an inclusive approach to promoting gender equality because empowering women and girls is a direct path to eradicating poverty and building a more peaceful, more inclusive, and more prosperous world.
The President and Prime Minister discussed our extensive cooperation on security, and committed to strengthen cooperation between the Five Eyes countries. They committed to establishing a Strategic Dialogue on the Indo-Pacific to promote regional security, the rule of law, good governance; to align our approaches on China and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK); as well as affirming their strategic dialogue on Arctic cooperation. Both leaders also committed to continue close collaboration on Haiti, including to strengthen the Haitian National Police’s capacity and support inclusive political dialogue. They also pledged safe passage for foreign nationals and Afghans, resettlement and humanitarian assistance, and counter-terrorism cooperation.
Recalling the shared values and history that bind us together, the Prime Minister and President confirmed a shared commitment to strengthen the Canada-U.S. partnership for our collective security and prosperity. The President expressed that he looked forward to visiting Canada in the near future.
White House.gov. 11/19/2021.
The pool spray YouTube with President of Mexico Andrés Manuel López Obrador and President Biden is 18 minutes and 2 seconds long. Their full remarks can be found here.
The readout of the meeting:
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met yesterday with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico to reaffirm our strong ties with Mexico across a wide range of priorities, including economic cooperation, global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate crisis, migration and development, and security. The Presidents discussed progress since the September relaunch of the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue (HLED), affirming that the forum will allow both countries to accelerate priorities. Both Presidents also noted that agencies in both the United States and Mexico have begun concrete projects together that will improve international communications networks, strengthen bilateral supply chains, and promote economic development in southern Mexico and Central America. They discussed urgent actions needed to end the COVID-19 pandemic and meet multilateral targets, and to strengthen regional and global health security efforts. They also recognized the importance of educational and cultural understanding between the people of both nations and pledged to strengthen these ties.
They discussed their visions to tackle the climate crisis and the energy future of North America. Both noted their commitment to work closely together to accelerate North American deployment of renewable energy, including catalyzing finance and technology in service of renewable energy. Both Presidents also discussed how to partner on global health security and position their countries to manufacture vaccines and medical supplies here in North America.
In view of the complex and unprecedented regional challenges of migration, President Biden and President López Obrador announced a joint investment that that will allow Mexico and the United States to address together the root causes of migration in Central America and sustainably increase incomes for small farmers and reduce deforestation in southern Mexico. The programs will benefit 540,000 people. Both leaders also noted the importance of investigating and prosecuting human traffickers. The leaders also committed to work jointly to engage with other partners in the Americas on this regional challenge through pursuit of a bold new regional compact on migration and protection.
Building on the October announcement of the U.S.-Mexico Bicentennial Framework for Security, Public Health, and Safe Communities, both countries pledged to create working groups on arms trafficking and related transborder crime and border security, and to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding for joint cooperation on mental health, substance use disorder, and addictions. This Bicentennial Framework will help address issues like the opioid crisis as the United States surpasses 100,000 drug overdose deaths, underscoring the sense of urgency to continue collaboration with Mexico to reduce the supply of illicit drugs. The Presidents discussed global priorities, particularly in view of Mexico’s presidency of the UN Security Council this month.
As a symbol of our mutual respect, the United States also returned to Mexico two vases originating from the Tarahumara people of northern Mexico, which were recovered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. President Biden and President López Obrador reiterated their commitment to a strong U.S.-Mexico partnership.
White House.gov. 11/19/2021.
The North American Leaders’ Summit YouTube is 12 minutes and 20 seconds long. Their full remarks can be found here.
The White House published the following fact-sheet on; key deliverables for the 2021 North American Leaders’ Summit:
Today President Biden met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada and President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico for the North American Leaders’ Summit. They reiterated our strong ties and integration, and willingness to chart a new path for our partnership at a time when we face incredibly complex global challenges. The Leaders pledged to take concrete actions in support of our joint goals, to include: ending the COVID-19 Pandemic and advancing Global Health; fostering competitiveness and creating the conditions for equitable growth, and coordinating a regional response to migration.
White House.gov. 11/19/2021.
Ending the COVID-19 Pandemic and Advancing Global Health
The Leaders affirmed their vision of a world safe and secure from global health threats posed by infectious diseases by:
- Mexico and Canada committing to pay forward vaccine loans from the United States as vaccine donations to Latin America and the Caribbean to increase vaccination coverage.
- Ensuring that we are ready to face the next pandemic and other health threats by pledging to re-envision and update our North American Plan for Animal and Pandemic Influenza (NAPAPI).
- Reiterating our pledge to shore up our medical supply chains by exploring ways we can make the components of vaccines and other public health supplies here in North America.
- Working together to increase commitments to COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) Facility and improve vaccine distribution in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as globally, invest in our health workforce, and combat counterfeit medicines and medical supplies.
- Supporting the Global Health Security Agenda, including improving capacity and leadership to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.
- Addressing the overdose epidemic and its related harms, by pledging to continue the North American Drug Dialogue (NADD) with updated and strategic objectives that encompass a comprehensive approach in addressing the global illegal drug environment and its serious consequences.
Fostering Competitiveness and Creating the Conditions for Equitable Growth
To build back together as North America, and for our economies to enhance our competitiveness and propel our future growth, the Leaders affirmed the need for the right conditions for businesses and workers to thrive, and are committed to:
- Strengthening North American supply chains by creating a trilateral supply chain coordination mechanism, with a goal to define essential industries to minimize future disruptions, recognizing that North America needs resilient, sustainable, diverse, and secure supply chains to ensure our economic prosperity and security.
- Strengthening Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) linkages by connecting SME centers across North America and to promote women’s entrepreneurship through expert exchanges focused on economic recovery. They also committed to promoting innovation by supporting creators and reducing counterfeit and pirated goods in trade.
- Promoting good regulatory practices to achieve long-term and durable growth that delivers greater transparency, inclusivity, and accountability.
- Supporting strong labor rights protection and underscored their trilateral commitment to implement the prohibition on the import of goods produced with forced labor under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
- Holding a Trilateral Cyber Experts Meeting to address 21st century cyber issues, and plan to counter ransomware via the multilateral Counter Ransomware Initiative, because an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable Internet and strong critical infrastructure will also propel growth.
- Exploring opportunities with the private sector and universities to ensure our people are equipped with education and training for a 21st century workforce.
Recognizing the incredible challenges posed by the climate crisis to the world, the Leaders pledged to take concrete actions such as:
- Creating a North American Strategy on Methane and Black Carbon to reduce methane emissions from all sectors, especially oil and gas. We will also focus on reducing black carbon from diesel vehicles and engines, flaring, wood-burning appliances, and shipping.
- Joining diplomatic efforts to encourage others in the Americas to put forward ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) enhancements in 2022 and to hold a trilateral dialogue on NDC ambition and implementation.
- Collaborating to accelerate renewable energy deployment across North America, including technical assistance, best practices exchange, and efforts to catalyze finance and technology.
- Accelerating the transition to sustainable transportation, including more rapid deployment of electric vehicles, efforts toward net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from aviation by 2050, and cleaner fuels in the rail, aviation, and marine transportation sectors.
- Committing to conservation and enhancing natural carbon sinks, to also include support for climate-smart agriculture and forestry. The three countries will work toward ending deforestation and a commitment to conserve 30 percent of North American land and waters by 2030.
- Preserving the knowledge and practices of indigenous and local communities via the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation.
- Planning to convene leading North American states and cities as key contributors to national and global climate efforts to accelerate climate action.
In order to realize our full potential, the Leaders affirmed their support to press for full and meaningful participation in our democracies and economies for all by:
- Reaffirming their shared commitment to advancing equity and racial justice, and pledging to participate in ongoing trilateral engagement to develop a North American Partnership for Racial Equity and Inclusion.
- Committing to convene a meeting of Indigenous women leaders as part of the Trilateral Working Group on Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls, which seeks to increase access to justice and services with a human rights and culturally responsive approach.
- Protecting LGBTQI+ human rights by pledging trilateral commitment to the Global Equality Fund to support frontline activists, and support and increase membership from the Americas in the United Nations LGBTQI Core Group and the Equal Rights Coalition, which coordinates diplomacy in support of human rights.
Coordinating on Migration, Development, and a Secure North America
President Biden, President López Obrador, and Prime Minister Trudeau recognized the complex factors that have driven an increase in irregular migration through the hemisphere, and recognized that they require a coordinated regional response with respect for law, rooted in solidarity with migrants and among States, prioritizing orderly, safe, and regular migration. The Leaders pledged to:
- Develop a regional compact on migration and protection for the Americas.
- Promote pathways to labor mobility, by committing to promote temporary seasonal worker visas, increasing industry education about the programs and their regulations, and expanding centralized migration resource centers in Central America. They also committed to announce additional programs and funding to create jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Dedicate additional assistance to address the root causes of irregular migration and forced displacement, and consider a trilateral development partnership between Mexico’s AMEXCID, Global Affairs Canada, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
- Strengthen asylum systems and refugee resettlement programs to provide international protection for those fleeing persecution, with each country expected to make new commitments to take in more refugees.
- Improve capacity to identify human trafficking and other crimes and create a trilateral migrant smuggling and human trafficking task force.
- Commit to promoting voluntary returns along the migratory route, in accordance with applicable international and national legal obligations.
To support our joint goals to combat transnational crime and terrorism, and to strengthen our defense collaboration, the Leaders pledged to:
- Take a consistent approach to collect, store, use, retain, and share Passenger Name Records per the standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
- Restart the Trilateral Working Group on Trafficking in Persons, to combat labor and sex trafficking in the region.
- Affirm our North American Defense Ministerial (NADM) commitments such as regional defense, security cooperation, disaster relief, and humanitarian assistance.
The Leaders also committed to trilateral stakeholder outreach as an integral feedback loop with the private sector, civil society, and others, as well as to promoting North American culture via arts programming and engagement that celebrates freedom of expression and creativity.
We are just gonna plow through the last 3 tweets cause I made an executive decision…
From the summary posted by the CBO:
CBO estimates that enacting this legislation would result in a net increase in the deficit totaling $367 billion over the 2022-2031 period, not counting any additional revenue that may be generated by additional funding for tax enforcement.
This estimate is based on language in two documents, which are available from the House Committee on Rules:
Rules Committee Print 117-18, Text of H.R. 5376, Build Back Better Act
Rules Committee Print 117-18, Yarmuth Amendment 112
CBO.gov. 11/18/2021.
At the link there is a “view document” spread sheet; in order to view the document it needs downloaded first.
In other, but related news, that I will probably be repeating either just before post time today or for sure on Monday…
The White House released the following statement:
Today, the United States House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act to take another giant step forward in carrying out my economic plan to create jobs, reduce costs, make our country more competitive, and give working people and the middle class a fighting chance.
The Build Back Better Act is fiscally responsible. It reduces the deficit over the long-term. It’s fully paid for by making sure that the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations begin to pay their fair share in federal taxes. It keeps my commitment that no one earning less than $400,000 a year will pay a penny more in federal taxes.
Leading economists and independent experts on Wall Street have confirmed that it will not add to inflationary pressures. Instead, it will boost the capacity of our economy and reduce costs for millions of families.
White House.gov. 11/19/2021.
Here are some key parts of the Build Back Better Act:
- It lowers your costs to save you money on things like prescription drugs and health care and housing.
- It gets Americans back to work by providing child care and care for seniors so workers can get back on the job knowing their loved ones have the care they need.
- It cuts taxes for working families and the middle class – including extending the Child Tax Credit that is already helping the families of more than 61 million children and getting us closer to cutting child poverty in half this year.
- It provides universal pre-Kindergarten for every 3-and 4-year old in America and makes education beyond high school more affordable – with historic investments in Pell Grants and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions and other Minority Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities.
- Together with the bipartisan infrastructure law, it makes the most significant investment in our fight against the climate crisis ever by creating jobs that build a clean energy future for our children and grandchildren.
Above all, it puts us on the path to build our economy back better than before by rebuilding the backbone of America: working people and the middle class.
I thank Speaker Pelosi and the House leadership and every House member who worked so hard and voted to pass this bill.
For the second time in just two weeks, the House of Representatives has moved on critical and consequential pieces of my legislative agenda.
Now, the Build Back Better Act goes to the United States Senate, where I look forward to it passing as soon as possible so I can sign it into law.
White House.gov. 11/19/2021.
The daily press briefing is scheduled for noon D.C., time.
Peanut Butter and probably Jelly get pardoned at around 3:15 p.m. D.C., time…
This is an Open Thread.
