When Biden Bits was posted for Thursday, President Biden had not tweeted. He ended up with a Thursday Tweeting Total of 8 tweets and 0 retweets.
During the press gaggle aboard Air Force One Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said:
Good morning. As you all know, in Greensboro to- — we’re headed to Greensboro today. The President will visit the Harold L. Martin Sr. Engineering Research & Innovation Complex at North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University to talk about the Bipartisan Innovation Act and his economic plan. N.C. A&T is the largest HBCU in the country, with the highest number of African American graduates in engineering of any university nationwide.
The Biden-Harris administration provided over $5 billion in funding to HBCUs through the American Rescue Plan and other sources last year. And we are working to increase Pell Grants to support students attending two-year and four-year colleges.
After the Martin Complex, the President will deliver remarks highlighting provisions of the Bipartisan Innovation Act, key to retaining and strengthening our innovation and manufacturing capacity, as well as investing in STEM education and equity.
Greensboro is an example of a regional manufacturer — manufacturing ecosystem that the President’s agenda seeks to build across America. The Bipartisan Innovation Act would offer the sustained funding places like Greensboro need to create a globally competitive manufacturing industry that expands the middle class.
In Greensboro, the President will be joined by the EPA Administrator Michael Regan; members of his Board of Advisors on HBCUs; and several elected officials, including Governor Roy Cooper, Congresswoman Kathy Manning, Mayor of Greensboro Nancy Vaughan, and Chair of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Als- — Al- — Alston.
White House.gov. 04/14/2022.
With the above tweet he could have meant a dozen of things he’s said or done in the first 4 months of 2022 plus any point last year starting with summer 2021…
So instead of posting random unconnected past statements and remarks…
The YouTube is 39 minutes and 24 seconds long. This is normally were I’d posted his full remarks, but apparently, the White House took Easter Weekend off early and they just haven’t posted them yet.
President Biden: (10:30) From day one, every action I’ve taken to rebuild our economy has been guided by one principle: Make it in America. That means using products, parts, and materials built right here in the United States of America.
President Biden: (38:21) If we can keep coming together and invest in the backbone of America, the middle class, our great universities, hardworking families, STEM education, the clean technologies of tomorrow there’s simply no limit–I mean it–no limit to what we can achieve.
President Biden: (38:52) Let’s keep building a better America.
The fact-sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Releases Agency Equity Action Plans to Advance Equity and Racial Justice Across the Federal Government:
On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. That historic Executive Order directed the whole of the federal government to advance an ambitious equity and racial justice agenda. Today, more than 90 federal agencies, including all Cabinet-level agencies, are releasing the first-ever Equity Action Plans that lay out more than 300 concrete strategies and commitments to address the systemic barriers in our nation’s policies and programs that hold too many underserved communities back from prosperity, dignity, and equality.
Advancing equity is not a one-year project—it is a generational commitment. These plans are an important step forward, reflecting the Biden-Harris Administration’s work to make the promise of America real for every American, including by implementing the first-ever national strategy on gender equity and equality; working to ensure the federal government is a model for diversity equity, inclusion and accessibility; working to deliver environmental justice through the Justice40 Initiative; and working to prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
For more details on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to advance equity and justice for underserved communities, visit www.whitehouse.gov/equity.Delivering Greater Equity for the American People
White House.gov. 04/14/2022.
Across the federal government, agencies are taking ambitious action to expand federal investment and support in communities that have been locked out of opportunity for too long, including communities of color, Tribal communities, rural communities, LGBTQI+ communities, people with disabilities, women and girls, and communities impacted by persistent poverty. New agency commitments include:
- The Department of Labor is strengthening the enforcement of our nation’s wage and hour protections to support underserved workers who are the most vulnerable to wage theft and violations, especially women of color, and is in the process of launching a new initiative to address barriers that workers of color face in equitably accessing Unemployment Insurance benefits.
- The Department of Housing and Urban Development is working to eliminate the racial gap in homeownership, address the disproportionate rates of homelessness among underserved communities, and reduce bias in home appraisals through the interagency Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity.
- The Environmental Protection Agency is developing a comprehensive framework for evaluating the cumulative impacts of pollution on underserved, low-income communities. EPA will also reinvigorate civil rights enforcement to ensure that environmental justice is at the heart of the agency’s mission.
- The Department of Transportation is increasing investments in underserved communities by launching a national technical assistance center to provide targeted support with planning, project development, grant applications, and project delivery for communities that face barriers to accessing transportation resources.
- The Department of Justice is improving language access to its programs so that Americans with limited English proficiency can better report crimes, access services, understand their rights, and otherwise have full and equal access to the Department’s programs and resources.
- The Department of the Interior is providing technical assistance to Tribes to help them navigate grant application processes, and partnering with Tribal Colleges and Universities to build capacity for Tribes to apply for funding.
- The Department of Commerce is investing nearly $50 billion in broadband infrastructure deployment, affordability, and digital inclusion efforts to help close the digital divide, particularly for rural and Tribal communities.
- The Department of Health and Human Services is increasing outreach to communities of color to encourage enrollment in free and low-cost health care, and is addressing the maternal mortality crisis that disproportionately impacts Black and Native families, including by working with states to extend postpartum coverage in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
- The Department of Homeland Security is working to ensure that underserved communities are treated fairly in airport screenings by improving systems and enhancing training for officers. DHS is also engaging with and improving underserved communities’ access to grant programs that help counter domestic violent extremism to better address the terrorism-related threat to our country posed by white supremacists and other domestic terrorists.
- The Department of Defense is advancing the safe and equitable use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to mitigate algorithmic bias by investing in agency-wide responsible AI development and investing in the development of a more diverse AI workforce, including through partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs).
- The State Department is increasing engagement with partners from underserved racial and ethnic communities, applying new equity analyses, and improving demographic data collection and analysis to better embed equity and gender equality into U.S. foreign policies.
- The Department of Veterans Affairs is advancing health equity by further addressing the social and economic determinants of health for underserved veterans, including veterans of color, women veterans, and LGBTQI+ veterans. The Department is also launching a Data for Equity strategy, a veteran-centered model that will synchronize data on health care, disability benefits, and other services to identify and address gaps.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expanding equitable access to nutrition assistance programs and strengthening gender equity by implementing a national awareness campaign and expanding the implementation of online ordering in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) nutrition program.
- The Department of Education is advancing college access and college completion by investing in HBCUs, TCCUs, MSIs, community colleges, and other under-resourced public institutions, and supporting schools to raise college completion rates for underserved students.
- The Department of Energy is ensuring equitable access to weatherization assistance programs so that low-income households have increased access to energy security.
- The Small Business Administration is investing in improved technology to increase access to capital for businesses in underserved communities and minority-owned businesses by streamlining program applications and integrating data.
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is releasing Earth science data in more accessible formats, and providing free, multi-lingual training on how to use NASA data to help mitigate environmental challenges in underserved communities. NASA will also conduct an analysis to identify and address barriers to awards of its grants to HBCUs and MSIs.
- The Social Security Administration is identifying inequalities and addressing systemic administrative barriers to participation in key safety net programs, such as disability benefits, and ensuring equitable service delivery for unrepresented individuals navigating the disability application appeals process, and increase gender equity in its services.
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is closing the flood insurance gap to increase the financial resilience of flood-prone, low-income households. FEMA is also promoting equitable outcomes for disaster survivors by increasing eligibility for and access to assistance programs for underserved and vulnerable applicants.
Embedding Equity in the Everyday Business of Government
In addition to prioritizing greater equity in the services the federal government provides the American people, Agency Equity Action Plans also contain innovative new strategies to embed equity, racial justice, and gender equality in day-to-day governing. These approaches include:
White House.gov. 04/14/2022.
- Building accountability for equity through data collection and reporting. Better demographic data is key to advancing equity, offering insight into whether government programs, benefits, and services are reaching all communities. Recognizing this, President Biden established a first-of-its-kind Equitable Data Working Group to facilitate appropriate expanded collection and use of demographic data toward advancing equity. Cross-agency practices are being developed to address specific barriers to generating and using equitable data efficiently and appropriately, including how best to share and acquire disaggregated data and how to increase community access to data while protecting individual privacy and promoting public trust in the data. More information on the Working Group’s efforts, including initial recommendations, will be released in the coming weeks.
- Reducing administrative burdens and simplifying government services. Under newly-released guidance from the Office of Management and Budget, agencies are reducing the complexity of forms and enrollment procedures to address the often-hidden barriers to access for governmental services, ensuring that information is written clearly, and expanding from in-person interview requirements to telephone or virtual options.
- Reimagining federal service design and delivery through life experiences. The Biden-Harris Administration is building a new approach to delivering government services based on how people actually live their lives rather than an approach based on bureaucracy. This new approach requires agencies to work within and across government, to better serve Americans during significant events or transitions that often require interaction with multiple federal agencies and levels of government, like surviving a disaster.
- Engaging with stakeholders and communities who have been historically excluded. To ensure government policies are informed by the broadest cross-section of Americans, agencies are engaging trusted intermediaries and tailoring outreach to make meaningful and authentic participation possible for a wider range of Americans.
- Narrowing wealth gaps through federal contracting and procurement. As the largest buyer in the world, the federal government will address racial and gender wealth gaps by leveraging the power of federal procurement to drive greater investment in minority-owned and women-owned small businesses.
- Delivering equity through grantmaking. Persistent barriers make it difficult for under-resourced and underserved communities to be aware of, compete for, and effectively deploy federal grants for everything from infrastructure to medical research. Agencies are addressing these barriers by helping underserved communities learn about and navigate federal funding opportunities, expanding capacity-building efforts, and embedding a focus on equity into decision-making about how to award federal grants.
- Advancing equity through American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Implementation. The President has made equity a priority in the implementation of two of the most ambitious legislative packages in generations, with the goal of ensuring an inclusive response and recovery from the pandemic and in rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure.
Hindustan Times explained on April 14th, 2022 that the Jain community; observe peace, harmony and to spread the teachings of Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, Mahavir Jayanti marks the birth anniversary of the founder of Jainism or Mahavir Janma Kalyanak and is one of the most auspicious festivals for the Jain community. Jainism lays focuses on world peace and harmony such that no or minimal harm is brought to living creatures.
The BBC says that Vaisakhi is; a spring festival which happens on the 13 or 14 April every year. It is a day to celebrate 1699 – the year when Sikhism was born as a collective faith. In 2022 Vaisakhi takes place on Thursday 14 April…
They go on to explain the history of the festival.
While the White House is on vacation; there is no public schedule released for today. President Biden’s Twitter account is alive and active.
President Biden has tweeted….
He’s tweeted 3 times so far for Friday.
His full statement:
Tonight, Jewish communities in the United States, Israel, and around the world will celebrate Passover, a holiday whose ancient story has inspired humanity for millennia.
For many, this will mark the first time in three years that families and friends will be able to gather around the Seder table – a testament to the life-saving miracle of modern medicine and the progress we’ve made to address an unforgiving pandemic.
Together again, we will commemorate the Exodus of the enslaved Israelites from Egypt. And we will retell a timeless story about that most human quest for freedom. Redemption. Faith. Hope. And, ultimately, deliverance. A story that has brought solace and a sense of promise to Jewish communities throughout their history as they endured acts of persecution, pogroms, and even genocide. And one that inspired and empowered oppressed peoples everywhere who, even in their deepest despair, sensed that their own liberation was not beyond reach.
This Passover, we hold in our hearts the people of Ukraine and those around the world whose heroic stand against tyranny inspires us all. The enduring spirit of this holiday continues to teach us that with faith, the driest desert can be crossed, the mightiest sea can be split, and hope never stops marching towards the promised land.
To all those celebrating this Festival of Freedom, Jill and I wish you and your loved ones a Happy Passover. Chag Sameach!
White House.gov. 04/15/2022.
The White House on Thursday posted a readout of Vice President Harris’s call with President Herzog of Israel:
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke today with President Isaac Herzog of Israel. She extended Passover greetings to him and the people of Israel and expressed condolences on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration and the American people over Israeli deaths from recent terrorist attacks in Israel. The Vice President condemned these terrorist attacks in the strongest terms and underscored that U.S. support for Israel’s security and self-defense is unwavering. The Vice President expressed support for continued efforts to reduce tensions. The Vice President reiterated that the bond between the United States and Israel is unshakeable and that we will continue to stay in close touch on these and other issues affecting Israel’s security and the stability of the region.
White House.gov. 04/14/2022.
The White House hosted a virtual Passover Celebration. The YouTube is 51 minutes and 46 seconds long. The President and First Lady offer remarks at the 7 minute and 5 second mark.
Not everyone in the White House took today off; they posted the theme and activities for the 2022 Easter Egg Roll event:
The President and First Lady to Host the White House Easter “EGGucation” Roll on Monday, April 18, 2022
The White House announced today the full program of activities for the 2022 White House Easter Egg Roll, a tradition dating back to 1878. A teacher for more than 30 years, First Lady Jill Biden created this year’s event theme, “EGGucation!,” with the South Lawn to be transformed into a school community, full of fun educational activities for children to enjoy.
White House.gov. 04/15/2022.
In addition to the time-honored traditions of rolling and hunting eggs, this year’s White House Easter “EGGucation” Roll will also feature a School House Activity Area, Reading Nook, Talent Show, Field Trip to the Farm, Picture Day, a Physical “EGGucation” Zone, a Cafetorium and more.
In total, approximately 30,000 people will take part in this year’s Easter “EGGucation” Roll, including thousands of military families, and the crew members and families from the U.S.S. DELAWARE, the U.S. Naval Submarine, for which the First Lady is the sponsor. Tickets for the general public were distributed to guests from all across the country through an online public lottery.
This year’s event will be broken into five sessions, beginning at 7:30 AM ET and end at 6:30 PM ET. Follow along with the White House Easter “EGGucation” Roll festivities with #EasterEggRoll and #EGGucation, and the official @White House, @POTUS, @FLOTUS social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Additional information about this year’s “EGGucational” Activities and Programming:
- EGG ROLL
The tradition that started it all! Children will use wooden spoons to roll colorful eggs in a race across the South Lawn. - EGG HUNT
Children will run to find hidden eggs and collect special prizes. - SCHOOL HOUSE
The School House area of the South Lawn will be full of fun educational activities for all to enjoy! - TALENT SHOW
The Talent Show stage on the South Lawn will feature some of today’s most “egg-citing” kids’ acts and performances. - CAFETORIUM
Children and their families will learn how to make some tasty treats and then sample seasonal snacks! - FIELD TRIP
It’s time to head to the farm for a school field trip! Children will learn from farmers about how they help feed our families. - READING NOOK
Families will come together for some special story time with children’s books authors, teachers, and some special guests! - PICTURE DAY
Families will remember this day always with a fun photo! Snap a family picture with the White House in the background or capture a moment with your favorite costumed character. - PHYSICAL EGGucation (PE)
Children of all ages will hop, bounce, kick, run, and throw their way through the South Lawn’s “egg-citing” obstacle course and favorite school yard activities.
This year, the White House Easter “EGGucation” Roll will feature educational activities, school yard fun, and special performances on the South Lawn, which are supported by (in alphabetical order):
- 2021 National Teacher of the Year, Juliana Urtubey
- 4 Imprint
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- American Egg Board
- Baker, chef, author, Christina Tosi, Milk Bar
- Baltimore Ravens
- Beat Refinery DJ School
- Chef Stephen Durfee, Culinary Institute of America
- Children’s Book Author and host of The Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon
- Children’s Book Author and singer, Ciara
- Children’s Book Author, Jeff Kinney
- Children’s Book Author, singer, and actress, Kristin Chenoweth
- Children’s Book Author Rocco Smirne (age 6) and his mother, Arioth Smirne
- Cooper Middle School Concert Band from McLean, Virginia
- DC United
- DJ Diamond Kuts
- DJ Mel
- DJs and twin sisters, Amira & Kayla
- Duke Ellington High School for the Performing Arts student and singer, Alyssa Richardson
- Eastern High School Marching Band from Washington, DC
- Indiana Fever
- Lawrence Hall of Science: University of California, Berkeley
- Little Miss Murals chalkboard artist, Stacy Lazzara
- Montgomery County Fire and Rescue
- National Children’s Museum
- Operation Gratitude
- PBS KIDS
- PBS KIDS Series Creator (Alma’s Way), Children’s Book Author and former Sesame Street character, Sonia Manzano
- PBS KIDS Series Creator (Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum) and Children’s Book Author, Brad Meltzer
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Professor of Art History and children’s book illustrator for the White House Historical Association, Dr. John Hutton
- Sesame Street Live
- Signature Brands, LLC / PAAS Registered Trademark Easter Egg Color Kits
- Singer, songwriter, and actress Sofia Carson
- Sweetgreen
- The Coca-Cola Company / DASANI Water
- The National Basketball Association
- The National Football League
- “The President’s Own” United States Marine Corps Band
- The United States Navy Band Sea Chanters (singing the National Anthem)
- The United States Air Force Band
- The United States Army Band
- The United States Navy Band
- The Secretary of the Department of Education, Miguel Cardona
- The White House Historical Association
- The Women’s National Basketball Association
- Virginia Egg Council
- Washington Commanders
- Washington DC radio personality Tommy McFly, emcee
- Washington Spirit
The following costumed characters (in alphabetical order) will stroll the White House grounds, including:
- Disney Characters Miguel: from Coco and Doc McStuffins
- Dr. Seuss Characters: Cat in the Hat, and Thing 1 and Thing 2
- Miffy Bunny
- Milkshake the Cow, from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Paramount Pictures Characters: Sonic the Hedgehog and Gabby from Gabby’s Dollhouse
- Patriotic Mouse, DJ Bunny, and DJ Mouse
- PBS KIDS Characters: Alma from Alma’s Way, Donkey from Donkey Hodie, Daniel Tiger from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Molly from Molly of Denali, Xavier Riddle of Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, Dog from WordWorld, and Elinor from Elinor Wonders Why
- Peanuts Characters: Snoopy and Charlie Brown
- Peeps Characters
- Poe, the mascot of the Baltimore Ravens
- Sesame Street Characters: Rosita and Cookie Monster
- Swoop, the mascot of the Philadelphia Eagles
- The Nationals’ Racing Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Taft, and Coolidge
- Universal Pictures Characters: The Minions
- Warner Brothers Characters: Ace and Kypto from DC League of Super Pets
His full statement:
Americans are getting back to work in every corner of the country in record numbers. Right now, 17 states are at or tied with the lowest unemployment rate they’ve ever had – and 20 states have jobless rates below 3%. Over the last year, the unemployment rate dropped in every state and many states have reached historic lows. These aren’t just numbers on a page: these are millions of Americans back at work and able to support themselves and their families with good-paying jobs and enjoy the dignity a job provides.
This wasn’t an accident: this was the direct result of my economic plan to grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out. There’s still more work to do to build on this recovery and bring down costs for working families – and my Administration is working on that every day – but we can’t lose sight of how far, and how quickly, we’ve come.
White House.gov. 04/15/2022.
Friday morning President Biden announced his intent to nominate Michael Barr to serve as; Vice Chair for Supervision of the Federal Reserve:
Today, I am announcing my intent to nominate Michael Barr as the next Vice Chair for Supervision of the Federal Reserve. Michael brings the expertise and experience necessary for this important position at a critical time for our economy and families across the country.
Since I took office, the economy has created nearly 8 million jobs, and millions of families have the dignity a paycheck can provide and a little bit more breathing room. I know that rising prices and inflation are straining families’ budgets. While I’m doing everything in my power to lower prices for families, the Federal Reserve plays a critical role in fighting inflation and Barr will make a strong Vice Chair Supervision, joining my other nominees for the Federal Reserve that the Senate is considering.Barr has spent his career protecting consumers, and during his time at Treasury, played a critical role in creating both the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the position for which I am nominating him. He was instrumental in the passage of Dodd-Frank, to ensure a future financial crisis would not create devastating economic hardship for working families. Barr has strong support from across the political spectrum – and has been confirmed by the Senate on a bipartisan basis. And, he understands that this job is not a partisan one, but one that plays a critical role in regulating our nation’s financial institutions to ensure Americans are treated fairly and to protect the stability of our economy.
I will work with Senate Banking Committee Chair Sherrod Brown to move Barr’s nomination forward quickly, and urge the Senate to swiftly confirm the four eminently qualified nominees for the Board of Governors—Jerome Powell, Lael Brainard, Philip Jefferson, and Lisa Cook— currently awaiting a vote.
Michael Barr
Michael S. Barr is currently the Joan and Sanford Weill Dean of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, the Frank Murphy Collegiate Professor of Public Policy, the Roy F. and Jean Humphrey Proffitt Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School, and the founder and faculty director of the University of Michigan’s Center on Finance, Law & Policy. At the Law School, Barr taught Financial Regulation and International Finance, and co-founded the International Transactions Clinic and the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project.Barr served in the Obama Administration as the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s assistant secretary for financial institutions, and was a key architect of the Dodd-Frank Act. He also served the National Economic Council in the White House. In the Clinton Administration, Barr served as Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin’s special assistant, as deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury, as special adviser to President Clinton, and as a special adviser and counselor on the policy planning staff at the U.S. Department of State.
Barr served as a law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter during October Term 1993, and previously to the Hon. Pierre N. Leval, then of the Southern District of New York. He received his JD from Yale Law School, his MPhil in international relations as a Rhodes Scholar from Magdalen College, Oxford University, and his BA, summa cum laude, with honors in history, from Yale University.
White House.gov. 04/15/2022.
From my googling searching I’m almost certain he isn’t related to the former AG Low Barr. 🙂
There is still no public schedule from the White House.
Happy Friday, everyone.
This is an Open Thread.
