When Biden Bits was posted for Thursday, President Biden had tweeted 3 times. He added 15 tweets giving him Thursday Tweeting Total of 18 tweets and 0 retweets.
On Thursday morning prior to post time, President Biden offered an update on the Russia invasion of Ukraine. The YouTube is 13 minutes and 4 seconds long. His full remarks can be found here.
President Biden: Today, I’m announcing another $800 million to further augment Ukraine’s ability to fight in the east — in the Donbas region. This package includes heavy artillery weapons — dozens of Howitzers — and 144,000 rounds of ammunition to go with those Howitzers. It also includes more tactical drones.
President Biden: In the past two months, we’ve moved weapons and equipment to Ukraine at record speed.
President Biden: The United States alone has provided 10 anti-armor systems for every one Russian tank that’s in Ukraine — a 10 to 1 ratio.
President Biden: Today, the United States is announcing that we intend to provide an additional $500 million in direct economic assistance to the Ukrainian government. This brings our total economic support for Ukraine to $1 billion in the past two months.
We’ve already welcomed tens of thousands of Ukrainians to the United States. And today, I’m announcing “Uniting for Ukraine,” a new program to enable Ukrainians seeking refuge to come directly from Europe to the United States.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 21, 2022
This new humanitarian parole program will complement the existing legal pathways available to Ukrainians.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 21, 2022
This program will be fast. It will be streamlined. And it will ensure the United States honors our commitment to the Ukrainian people.
President Biden: We’ve already welcomed tens of thousands of Ukrainians to the United States. And today, I’m announcing a program, “Unite for Ukraine” — a new program to enable Ukrainians seeking refuge to come directly from Europe to the United States. This new humanitarian parole program will complement the existing legal pathways available to Ukrainians, including immigrant visas and refugee processing. It will provide an expedient channel for secure, legal migration from Europe to the United States for Ukrainians who have a U.S. sponsor, such as a family or an NGO. This program will be fast. It will be streamlined. And it will ensure the United States honors its commitment to go to the Ukrainian people and need not go through our southern border.
President Biden: Yesterday, the Treasury Department rolled out additional measures to crack down on the entities and individuals attempting to evade our unprecedented sanctions — not just ours, but throughout the West. Today, I’m announcing that the United States will ban Russian-affiliated ships from our ports, as they did in Europe.
President Biden: Our unity at home, our unity with our Allies and partners, and our unity with the Ukrainian people is sending an unmistakable message to Putin: He will never succeed in dominating and occupying all of Ukraine. He will not — that will not happen.
The sustained and coordinated support of the international community — led and facilitated by the United States — is a significant reason why Ukraine has been able to stop Russia from taking over their country.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 21, 2022
Every American taxpayer, every member of our Armed Forces can be proud of the fact that our country’s generosity — and the skill and service of our troops — helped arm Ukraine to repel Russia’s aggression.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 21, 2022
The Battle of Kyiv was a historic victory for the Ukrainians. It was a victory for freedom won by the Ukrainian people with unprecedented assistance by the United States and our Allies and partners.
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 21, 2022
President Biden: It’s — you know, the sustained and coordinated support of the international community, led and facilitated by the United States, has a — is a significant reason why Ukraine is able to stop Russia from taking over their country thus far. Every American taxpayer, every member of our Armed Forces can be proud of the fact that our country’s generosity and the skill and service of our military helped arm and repel Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, to beat back Putin’s savagery that tried to seize Ukraine’s capital and wipe out Ukraine’s government. The Battle of Kyiv was a historic victory for the Ukrainians. It was a victory for freedom, won by the Ukrainian people with unprecedented assistance by the United States and our Allies and our partners.
President Biden: As Russia continues to grind out the military advances and — their military advances and the brutalities against Ukraine, Putin is banking on us losing interest. That’s been my view; you’ve heard me say this from the beginning. He was counting on NATO, the European Union, our allies in Asia cracking, moving away. He’s betting on Western unity will crack. He’s still betting on that. And, once again, we’re going to prove him wrong. We will not lessen our resolve. We’re going to continue to stand with the brave and proud people of Ukraine. We will never fail in our determination to defend freedom and oppose tyranny. It’s as simple as that.
His full statement:
Jill and I believe that our nation has a sacred obligation to America’s veterans and their families. Among other things, this means providing veterans with the tools and resources for economic opportunity, security, and dignity. My Administration’s approach is working: today, the unemployment rate for veterans is 2.4 percent—tied for the lowest rate on record—and down from an average of 6.5 percent in 2020.
Veterans of all backgrounds are finally being cut in on the deal. Unemployment rates for white, Black, Asian, and Hispanic veterans—male and female—fell and were the same or lower than their nonveteran counterparts in 2021. And, the unemployment rate for veterans with a service-connected disability declined to 3.4 percent.
This historic progress is the result of my Administration’s efforts to rebuild America’s economy from the bottom up and the middle out. We are continuing to build on this record with initiatives to bring veterans into critical industries like trucking and ensure they are good-paying, quality jobs. And, we are continuing our work to reduce the costs veterans and working families face.
White House.gov. 04/21/2022.
The YouTube is 28 minutes and 27 seconds. His full remarks can be found here. The tweet above his live feed video was taken from his remarks at the Portland Airport.
President Biden: Last year and during all this time — don’t listen to my Republican friends in Congress — last year, we reduced — my budget reduced the — the deficit by $350 billion. You hear me? (Applause.) We didn’t spend — we didn’t increase the deficit a penny. We reduced it by $350 billion. And the budget that I submitted, (inaudible) getting done — this year, in 2022, we’re on track to reduce the deficit by more than $1.3 trillion — $1.3 trillion — (applause) — the largest one-year reduction in the deficit in American history.
There is only one sentence that is direct remark to tweet; Though — through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re investing $25 billion to upgrade and modernize American airports, out of the money that is — the over a trillion dollars we’re spending on infrastructure.
For Friday, April 22nd, 2022, President Biden has received his daily brief. This afternoon he will offer remarks on Earth Day from Seattle, Washington. A few hours later he will offer remarks on his recent actions to lower costs to families.
I believe his remarks after his Earth Day remarks will feature items contained in a fact-sheet posted yesterday by the White House.
Fact-sheet; White House Announces Additional $385 Million to Lower Home Energy Bills for American Families
Total Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Funding Reaches Record $8.3 Billion for Hard-Pressed American Families in Fiscal Year 2022
Today, the White House is announcing that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will release more than $385 million to states to help families and individuals with their home energy costs – including summer cooling – through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). These funds are in addition to the $4.5 billion that the American Rescue Plan provided to LIHEAP and the first $100 million installment of a five-year, $500 million investment in LIHEAP from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Altogether, this year the Biden-Harris Administration is providing more than $8.3 billion in LIHEAP assistance to reduce heating and cooling costs for low-income Americans – the largest investment in a single year since the program was established in 1981.
The President is traveling today to the Pacific Northwest, which saw record heat last year, where he will highlight actions he has taken to help lower costs for families, including home energy costs. These actions include:
White House.gov. 04/21/2022.
- Record LIHEAP Funding for States: Today, HHS announced the expected final state-by-state allocation of over $8.3 billion in LIHEAP funding outlined below. For example, Oregon, where the President is traveling today, will receive an additional $3.8 million, bringing the total for Oregon – including American Rescue Plan funds – to $92.6 million in LIHEAP funding. Washington, where the President will travel tomorrow, will receive an additional $6.5 million, bringing its total to $151.2 million.
- The American Rescue Plan’s Historic Resources and Relief for Homeowners: The American Rescue Plan provided other critical resources that states and localities can use to address home energy costs. This includes Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) programs, which received an additional $21.5 billion in funding from the American Rescue Plan, can provide help with past-due utility bills or ongoing assistance with energy costs to help distressed renters avoid shut-offs and keep current on expenses. Over $30 billion of ERA funds have been obligated to assist households with rent and utility costs. The Treasury Department is also working with states and tribes to distribute $9.8 billion in funding for the Homeowners Assistance Fund, with a majority of approved plans including utility assistance to homeowners in need. State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds can also be deployed to help deliver energy relief to families. Jurisdictions – such as California; Maryland; Louisville, Kentucky; Mesa, Arizona; Burlington, Vermont; and the Menominee Tribe of Wisconsin – are already helping households eliminate unpaid bills, avoid shut-offs, and reduce their energy bills.
- The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s Historic Investments to Reduce Home Energy Costs: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invested a historic $3.5 billion in the Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program, reducing energy costs for hundreds of thousands of low-income households by increasing their homes’ energy efficiency.
- Saving Families Money with Energy Efficiency Standards: The Biden-Harris Administration is continuing a series of 100 actions, to be completed this year, that together will save families $100 every year with more efficient home appliances and equipment. The Department of Energy recently proposed new standards for appliances like air conditioners to help consumers save on their utility bills, which is critical as communities cope with increasingly common and extreme heat events. The Administration will continue taking action to make homes, offices, schools, appliances, and more energy efficient to cut costs for consumers.
Today’s announcement also builds on the Administration’s previous actions to ensure these historic resources are distributed swiftly and equitably:
White House.gov. 04/21/2022.
- Encouraged States to Plan Early: In November 2021, the White House called on states, localities, and tribes to plan early to distribute American Rescue Plan funds to address home energy costs.
- Secured Commitments from Utilities to Avoid Shut-offs and Expedite Aid: The White House has called on utility companies to prevent devastating utility shut-offs and help expedite the delivery of unprecedented federal aid. In January, the White House announced commitments from fourteen major utility companies across the country as well as a delivered fuel trade association.
- Called for Coordination of Home Energy Relief to Families: In November 2021, the White House called for coordination across programs to maximize the impact of home energy assistance. HHS and Treasury issued guidance and co-hosted webinars on LIHEAP and ERA best practices that attracted 500 administrators from across the country. By December 2021, more than half of these administrators reported that they are coordinating across these programs.
- Provided Best Practices on Coordination with Utility Providers: In January, HHS and Treasury hosted a webinar with over 700 utility assistance program administrators and utility providers from across the country to discuss how programs including LIHEAP and ERA can coordinate with utility providers to increase the efficiency and reach of their programs.
- Conducted Outreach and Celebrated National Energy Assistance Day: To celebrate the inaugural National Energy Assistance Day on February 1, HHS released a radio announcement in English and Spanish and a video to encourage families to apply for LIHEAP. The radio announcement aired over 5,000 times and reached more than 80 million listeners. HHS also encouraged LIHEAP Administrators to participate in National Energy Assistance Day. Agencies across the Administration and the White House disseminated information about assistance programs and coordinated outreach.
- Released Brief on Using Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund for Utility Assistance: The American Rescue Plan provided $1 billion for states, territories and tribes to distribute cash or targeted assistance to needy families. In February, HHS released a brief on how to use these funds for utility needs.
Households in need of help with their energy bills can identify resources in their area at EnergyHelp.us or by calling the National Energy Assistance Referral hotline at 1-866-674-6327.
White House.gov. 04/21/2022.
Included in the fact-sheet is a breakdown the of money to each state.
President Biden has tweeted 2 times so far for Friday…
The video is 2 minutes and 1 second long.
President Biden: On this day 52 years ago, millions of Americans of every age and background rallied together for the first Earth Day. A vision of a healthier, more prosperous America and, quite frankly, world.
President Biden con’t: And over time, they delivered. Cleaner air, cleaner water, proof that a sustainable environment can mean a stronger economy. They’re not in conflict with one another. And today, a new generation of Americans is leading the way against the threat of the climate crisis.
President Biden con’t: And today, a new generation of Americans is leading the way against the threat of the climate crisis. My administration stands with them as we listen to the science and turn crisis into opportunity.
President Biden con’t: Modernizing our infrastructure to make it more resilient to extreme weather. Spurring investment in clean energy that cuts costs for families and businesses, bolsters our energy independence, and creates millions of good paying union jobs.
President Biden con’t: Last year, the United States deployed more solar, wind, battery storage and electric vehicles than any other year in our history. We set ambitious standards to cut pollution from cars, trucks, and industry as well.
President Biden con’t: We’re advancing locally led conservation efforts and protecting our public lands. We’re reasserting American’s leadership in the world once again, including recruiting over 100 countries to reduce methane emissions and announcing the first ever carbon based trade deal. And we’re lifting up communities and workers too often left behind and left out.
President Biden con’t: We know there’s much more to do. And this Earth Day, we have to recommit ourselves to the work that lies ahead. To achieve a more secure and prosperous more sustainable future. One where we strengthen our economy, pass on a healthy planet down to our children and grandchildren and make life better for everybody.
President Biden con’t: So Happy Earth Day. Let’s keep the faith here.
The White House posted the following fact-sheet; President Biden Signs Executive Order to Strengthen America’s Forests, Boost Wildfire Resilience, and Combat Global Deforestation
New actions will protect against wildfire threats, support local economies, and reduce climate pollution
Today, on Earth Day, President Biden will sign an Executive Order to expand his Administration’s historic and bold efforts to tackle the climate crisis, make our nation more resilient to extreme weather, and strengthen local economies. The President will sign the Executive Order in Seattle, Washington—rounding out a trip across the West focused on lowering costs for families and protecting communities from intensifying climate impacts. Wildfires and extreme weather events are growing in frequency and ferocity, engulfing communities in the West and across the country and costing lives, homes, and money. Because President Biden knows the cost of inaction is too great, he is taking bold executive action and reaffirming his calls on Congress to address the climate crisis.
White House.gov. 04/22/2022.
America’s forests are a key climate solution, absorbing carbon dioxide equivalent to more than 10% of U.S. annual greenhouse gas emissions. Federal lands are home to many of the nation’s mature and old-growth forests, which serve as critical carbon sinks, cherished landscapes, and unique habitats. However, these magnificent ecosystems are threatened by the climate impacts that are already here, with intensifying wildfires demanding urgent action to protect our forests and the economies that depend on them. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides historic wildfire resilience funding and calls for prioritizing the restoration of old-growth forests.
Building on this directive and the Administration’s commitment to climate-smart forest stewardship, today’s Executive Order will:
- Safeguard mature and old-growth forests on federal lands, as part of a science-based approach to reduce wildfire risk.
- Strengthen reforestation partnerships across the country to support local economies and ensure we retain forest ecosystems and sustainable supplies of forest products for years to come.
- Combat global deforestation to deliver on key COP26 commitments.
- Enlist nature to address the climate crisis with comprehensive efforts to deploy nature-based solutions that reduce emissions and build resilience.
Across these efforts, the Administration will leverage historic investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the FY 2022 budget, and work in partnership with states, Tribal Nations, communities, industry, NGOs, labor, scientists, and private landowners, to strengthen our forests while creating good-paying jobs.
Today’s Executive Order will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate goals and economic agenda by:
White House.gov. 04/22/2022.
Reducing Wildfire Risk
Under President Biden’s leadership, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Forest Service has developed a 10-year strategy to reduce wildfire risk through science-based fuels and forest health treatments, with a goal of treating an additional 50 million acres across federal and non-federal lands. The Department of the Interior (DOI) has also developed a 5-year plan for monitoring, maintenance, and treatment efforts focused on fire-prone Interior and Tribal lands.
As a critical down payment, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $8 billion to fund forest and land management activities, and the FY 2022 Omnibus provides $5.7 billion for wildland fire management and related risk mitigation and research. USDA and DOI are mobilizing $5 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for hazardous fuels reduction and other mitigation programs, such as a $1 billion Community Wildfire Defense Grant program and $600 million for firefighter pay—providing about 1,500 additional firefighters and supporting the President’s commitment that no federal firefighter will make less than $15 an hour. Already, USDA has announced $131 million this year for wildfire risk reduction treatments in high-risk landscapes in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law directs DOI and USDA to specifically prioritize the restoration of old-growth forests, taking into consideration their contributions to landscape fire adaptation. However, there is currently no inventory that identifies the location and condition of mature and old-growth stands.
White House.gov. 04/22/2022.
To strengthen America’s forests and advance a holistic, science-based approach to wildfire resilience and forest restoration, this Executive Order advances action on:
- Data Collection and Analysis: DOI and USDA will conduct the first-ever inventory of mature and old-growth forests on federal lands. This will be completed and made publicly available in a year and will establish consistent definitions, accounting for regional and ecological variation. The agencies will then analyze threats facing these forests, including from wildfires and other climate impacts.
- Climate-Smart Stewardship: After completing the inventory, DOI and USDA will develop new policies, with robust opportunity for public comment, to institutionalize climate-smart management and conservation strategies that address the threats facing mature and old-growth forests on federal lands.
- Enhanced Coordination: DOI and USDA will partner with other federal agencies, states, Tribal Nations, and any interested private landowners to better coordinate conservation and wildfire risk reduction efforts—leveraging investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other sources.
Going forward, the Administration will work with Congress to secure additional resources, by requesting $6.1 billion for wildfire risk reduction in the President’s FY 2023 Budget and continuing to pursue historic climate resilience investments in additional legislation.
White House.gov. 04/22/2022.
Strengthening Forests for Thriving Local Economies
America’s forests provide millions of jobs and underpin local economies, particularly in rural communities. The Biden-Harris Administration is mobilizing historic resources to help these forests and communities thrive. For example, the Administration’s Building a Better America Rural Infrastructure Tour is highlighting wide-ranging support for healthy forest economies, including: planning assistance to boost outdoor recreation economies; support for Tribes, local governments, and conservation non-profits to establish community forests that create jobs; and grants to expand markets for innovative wood products and wood energy that support sustainable forest management.
Through the FY 2022 Omnibus, the Administration is also investing $162 million in cooperative forestry programs across State, municipal, and privately-owned forest landscapes. Additionally, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law significantly expands reforestation projects on National Forest land—enough to plant an estimated 1.2 billion trees and sequester 75 million metric tons of carbon, all while supporting thousands of jobs.
The Executive Order will build on these efforts by advancing:
White House.gov. 04/22/2022.
- Economic Opportunities in Outdoor Recreation and Sustainable Forest Products: The Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior will work with state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, as well as the private sector, nonprofit organizations, labor unions, and the scientific community, to advance forest-related economic opportunities at the local and regional levels. These community-led opportunities will create and sustain jobs in outdoor recreation and in sustainable wood, paper, and other forest products, while supporting healthy, sustainably managed forests in timber communities.
- Reforestation Partnerships: The Administration will develop agency-specific 2030 targets for reforestation, including the use of partnerships to advance these goals beyond federal lands to enable our future forests to be more resilient to climate change and wildfire, while also supporting healthy forest economies for years to come.
- Expanding Seed and Nursery Capacity:USDA and DOI will address a longstanding seed shortfall by developing a plan, in partnership with states, Tribes, and the private sector, to boost federal cone and seed collection and seedling nursery capacity. These actions will support tree-planting efforts by a range of public and private partners. Expanding seed and nursery capacity is especially important for timberlands in the West that have been devastated by wildfire and need to be re-planted.
Combatting Global Deforestation
President Biden has committed to help deliver on global goals to end natural forest loss by 2030, while restoring at least an additional 200 million hectares of forests and other ecosystems. At the COP26 international climate conference, President Biden announced the “Plan to Conserve Global Forests: Critical Carbon Sinks”—harnessing U.S. diplomatic, policy, and financing tools, in partnership with other countries, Indigenous and local forest communities, the private sector, and civil society, and with a focus on three critical areas of global importance: the Amazon, Congo, and Southeast Asian forests.
To further advance these efforts and achieve the President’s international commitments, this Executive Order directs the Department of State, in coordination with other agencies, to prepare reports to the President on whole-of-government approaches to stopping global deforestation and restoring lands, including:
White House.gov. 04/22/2022.
- Combat Commodity-Driven Deforestation: A major driver of global deforestation is forest clearing to produce agricultural commodities like beef, soy, and palm oil. To combat those practices, the Department of State will lead development of a report on whole-of-government approaches to reduce or eliminate U.S. purchases of agricultural commodities grown on illegally or recently deforested lands, including through public-private partnerships to incentivize sustainable sourcing. These efforts will not only protect forests and human rights abroad, but also provide a level playing field for responsible agricultural producers at home.
- Support Sustainable Forest Management Around the World: The Department of State will coordinate with other agencies to assess the broader use of foreign assistance, trade tools, finance, and international partnerships to combat deforestation and support sustainable forest management around the world, with special attention to the critical role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities and landholders in conserving and restoring forests.
Enlisting Nature in the Fight Against Climate Change
The Biden-Harris Administration has led the way on enhancing nature’s ability to support the health, wellbeing, and economic security of all Americans. President Biden launched the America the Beautiful initiative to support his goal of conserving at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. Interagency Working Groups reporting to the National Climate Task Force are exploring nature-based solutions to address extreme heat, drought, wildfire, flood, and coastal threats. The Administration is also recognizing the value of and elevating Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge across federal scientific and policy processes. The President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides—as part of over $50 billion in historic resilience investments—funding for nature-based solutions, including $2.3 billion for the Forest Service and Interior to advance ecosystem restoration and resilience.
To facilitate use of these and other resources, today the National Climate Task Force’s Coastal Resilience Interagency Working Group, co-led by the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is releasing a Compendium of Federal Nature-Based Solutions for Coastal Communities, States, Tribes, and Territories—streamlining access to more than 100 information resources and 48 federal programs that can support nature-based solutions in coastal areas.
To further amplify the power of nature, including its ability to absorb climate pollution and increase resilience in all communities, today’s Executive Order calls for the following:
White House.gov. 04/22/2022.
- Report on Nature-Based Solutions: As reaffirmed this year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, nature-based solutions will play a key role in achieving net-zero emissions and building resilience to climate impacts. Building on ongoing efforts, the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and Office of Domestic Climate Policy will work with agencies to develop a report to the National Climate Task Force on key opportunities for greater deployment of nature-based solutions—everything from restoring marshes, to planting shade trees, to promoting drought-resistant crops.
- Guidance on Valuing Nature: The Office of Management and Budget will issue valuation guidance to help agencies better account for services provided by ecosystems and the environment (such as pollinators supporting our crops, or forests cleaning our air and water). In support, OSTP and the Department of Commerce will continue leading an interagency initiative to improve and update baseline information on the economic value of our existing natural assets and new nature-based solutions.
- First U.S. National Nature Assessment: The United States lacks comprehensive knowledge of the state of our nation’s lands, waters, and wildlife and the specific benefits that they provide. To create this comprehensive picture, the 13-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program will develop the first-ever assessment of the condition of nature within the United States. The assessment will also allow us to look ahead at how nature might change in the future and identify opportunities for investments in nature to help achieve our climate, health, environmental justice, and economic goals.
The White House also posted a Proclamation on Earth Day, 2022; I will not be posting it in full.
The video clip is 1 minute and 35 seconds long. You know the drill, look above for the reset of Thursday’s tweets to find his remarks from yesterday.
President Biden: Today, I’m announcing another $800 million to further augment Ukraine’s ability to fight in the east — in the Donbas region. This package includes heavy artillery weapons — dozens of Howitzers — and 144,000 rounds of ammunition to go with those Howitzers. It also includes more tactical drones. In the past two months, we’ve moved weapons and equipment to Ukraine at record speed. We’ve sent thousands of anti-armor and anti-[air] missile[s], helicopters, drones, grenade launchers, machine guns, rifles, radar systems. More than 50 million rounds of ammunition had already been sent. The United States alone has provided 10 anti-armor systems for every one Russian tank that’s in Ukraine — a 10 to 1 ratio. We’re sharing and will continue to share significant, timely intelligence with Ukraine to help defend them against Russian aggression. And on top of this, these direct contributions from the United States, we’re facilitating; we’re the outfit facilitating the significant flow of weapons and systems to Ukraine from other Allies and partners around the world, like the S-300 long-range, anti-aircraft systems that Slovakia recently transferred to Ukraine. We are getting them in there. We won’t always be able to advertise everything we — that our partners are doing to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom. But to modernize Teddy Roosevelt’s famous advice: Sometimes we will speak softly and carry a large Javelin. Because we’re sending a lot of those in as well. You know, but we’re not — we’re not sitting on the funding that Congress has provided for Ukraine. We’re sending it directly to the frontlines of freedom, to the fearless and skilled Ukrainian fighters who are standing in the breach.
President Biden’s Earth Day remarks are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. D.C., time (that’s 10:30 a.m. west coast time).
President Biden remarks on lowering cost for families is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. D.C., time. (that’s 12:30 p.m. west coast time).
This is an open thread
And with that done, Blenders, I’m out until May 2nd, 2022–be good for Halodoc…