President Biden’s Public Schedule for Wednesday, October 12th 2022:
| 7:55 AM | Out-of-Town Pool Call Time Joint Base Andrews Overhang Out-of-Town Pool |
| 8:30 AM | The President receives the President’s Daily Briefing Oval Office Closed Press |
| 8:35 AM | In-Town Pool Call Time The White House In-Town Pool |
| 9:15 AM | The President departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews South Lawn Open Press |
| 9:35 AM | The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route Vail, Colorado Joint Base Andrews Out-of-Town Pool |
| 9:35 AM | Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route Vail, Colorado Joint Base AndrewsOut-of-Town Pool |
| 1:15 PM | The President arrives in Vail, Colorado (11:15 AM Local) Eagle County Airport, Vail, CO Open Press |
| 2:40 PM | The President arrives at Camp Hale, Vail, Colorado (12:40 PM Local) Camp Hale, Vail, CO Open Press |
| 3:30 PM | The President delivers remarks on protecting and conserving America’s iconic outdoor spaces (1:30 PM Local) Camp Hale, Vail, CO Open Press |
| 5:35 PM | The President departs Vail, Colorado en route Los Angeles, California (3:35 PM Local) Eagle County Airport, Vail, CO Out-of-Town Pool |
| 7:30 PM | The President arrives in Los Angeles, California (4:30 PM Local) Los Angeles International AIrport Open Press |
| 7:40 PM | The President departs Los Angeles, California en route Santa Monica, California (4:40 PM Local) Los Angeles International AIrport Out-of-Town Pool |
| 7:50 PM | The President arrives in Santa Monica, California (4:50 PM Local) Santa Monica Municipal Airport |
White House posted the following fact-sheet; President Biden Designates Camp Hale – Continental Divide National Monument
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to protect, conserve, and restore our country’s iconic outdoor spaces and historical sites for the benefit of future generations, today President Biden signed a proclamation establishing the Camp Hale – Continental Divide National Monument. This action will honor our nation’s veterans, Indigenous people, and their legacy by protecting this Colorado landscape, while supporting jobs and America’s outdoor recreation economy.
White House.gov. 10/12/2022.
In addition, the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and the Interior (DOI) announced a proposed withdrawal to protect the Thompson Divide in western Colorado, one of the state’s most cherished landscapes.
Last year, President Biden used his authority under the Antiquities Act to restore protections for three national monuments that the previous administration attempted to reduce or eliminate. The designation of Camp Hale – Continental Divide represents President Biden’s first use of the Antiquities Act to create a new national monument.
The rugged landscape of Camp Hale – Continental Divide serves as a testament to a pivotal moment in America’s military history, as these peaks and valleys forged the elite soldiers of the famed 10th Mountain Division — the Army’s first and only mountain infantry division — that helped liberate Europe in World War II. The area lies within the ancestral homelands of the Ute Tribes, along the Continental Divide in north-central Colorado, and is treasured for its historical and spiritual significance, stunning geological features, abundant recreation opportunities, and rare wildlife and plants. The area’s mountains and valleys also shaped our modern outdoor recreation economy, which today supports millions of American jobs.
By protecting this iconic area and proposing a mineral withdrawal for the Thompson Divide, the President is building on a series of steps the Administration has taken to protect some of America’s most cherished lands and waters. The Administration has moved to restore protections for roadless areas of the Tongass National Forest, and initiated the process to protect Bristol Bay in Alaska and the world-class salmon fishery it supports. The Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, the Everglades, the Columbia River Basin, the Boundary Waters, Chaco Canyon and dozens of other special places are also back on America’s conservation agenda. Today’s announcement also includes Inflation Reduction Act funding to mitigate the impacts of drought in the Colorado River Basin.
Camp Hale — Continental Divide National Monument
This monument preserves and protects the mountains and valleys where the US Army’s 10th Mountain Division prepared for their brave service that ultimately brought WWII to a close. The 10th Mountain Division played a pivotal role in the European theatre of the war by weakening Axis forces from their position in the Italian Alps, thanks to their specialized training acquired at and around Camp Hale. Scaling a 1,500-foot cliff during a night attack, they were able to push back elite units of the Axis forces. Their skills, grit and endurance were instrumental in protecting democracy and fighting the spread of fascism. The 10th Mountain Division was the first and only division of the US military trained to fight in rugged, mountain terrain. At Camp Hale, and in the surrounding mountains including those of the Tenmile Range, soldiers learned winter survival techniques and to snowshoe, to climb, and most famously, to ski. After the war, many of these soldiers would return to the area, lending their training and expertise to a burgeoning ski industry. More than 60 ski areas in the United States, including many of Colorado’s world-famous ski areas, owe their origin and development to these veterans. Today, the outdoor industry, inspired and built by these heroes, generates $374 billion in economic activity and supports tens of thousands of jobs across the country.
The area has also been a home and place of significance since time immemorial for Indigenous peoples like the Ute Tribes, providing food, shelter, and medicine. The Ute Tribes were forced by the U.S. government to relinquish this area and much of their ancestral homeland in the mid-1800s. The area remains culturally important to the Ute people, who return to this area of their homelands to pray, hold ceremonies, honor their ancestors, hunt, fish, and harvest plants. The ecological diversity and abundant wildlife remain an important part of the value of this area, which features ecosystems, habitats, and important migration corridors for threatened and endangered species. This area also includes Ute burial sites that are thousands of years old, including associated funerary objects, and other areas of cultural and spiritual significance.
Camp Hale and the Tenmile range currently serves as the backdrop for some of Colorado’s iconic ski resorts and contains well-trafficked hiking and biking trails, including a trail to one of the state’s most frequently summited 14,000-foot peaks, Quandary Peak. The monument is on existing public lands within the White River National Forest, where the ecological diversity, abundant wildlife, stunning landscapes, and a plethora of recreation opportunities make the area the nation’s most visited national forests.
The Forest Service will manage the 53,804-acre national monument and develop a management plan to protect cultural resources and the objects of historic and scientific interest identified in the proclamation. The monument will be protected for future generations while continuing to support a wide range of recreation opportunities, recognizing the ongoing use of the area for outdoor recreation, including skiing, hiking, camping, and snowmobiling. The management plan will also help guide the development of education and interpretative resources, to share the area’s full story, from the history of Indigenous peoples, to the heroic training and service of the 10th Mountain Division, while maintaining space for the area’s growing recreation economy.
The establishment of this monument is subject to valid existing rights, including valid existing water and mineral rights. The monument will not affect any permits held by the area’s world-class ski resorts and will not restrict activities outside of the monument’s boundaries. The proclamation allows for continued remediation of contaminated lands and for continued avalanche and snow safety management, wildfire response and prevention, and ecological restoration. Laws, regulations, and policies followed by the Forest Service in issuing and administering grazing permits on all lands under its jurisdiction will continue to apply.
White House.gov. 10/12/2022.
Thompson Divide
Today, DOI and USDA are also announcing steps to conserve the Thompson Divide area in western Colorado, one of the state’s most cherished landscapes. In response to broad concerns about protecting Thompson Divide’s important wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, grazing lands and clean air and water, the administration is proposing a 20-year withdrawal of the Thompson Divide area from disposition under the public land laws, mining laws, and mineral and geothermal leasing laws, subject to valid existing rights.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service have jointly submitted the withdrawal petition and application to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Secretary Haaland’s acceptance of the petition and publication of a notice in the Federal Register will initiate a two-year segregation that will prohibit new mining claims and the issuance of new Federal mineral leases on approximately 225,000 acres in the Thompson Divide area. During this time, the BLM and Forest Service will seek public comment, and conduct a science-based environmental analysis of the impacts of a 20-year withdrawal.
The Thompson Divide area has not been available to oil and gas leasing for several years, and there is no current or planned oil exploration or production in the area. Pre-existing natural gas leases in the area would be unaffected by this proposed mineral withdrawal. These pre-existing and unaffected natural gas-related leases in the Thompson Divide area constitute less than 1% of the more than 3,000 active Federal leases in the State of Colorado.
White House.gov. 10/12/2022.
Addressing Historic Drought In The Colorado River Basin
The Inflation Reduction Act makes critical investments in water infrastructure to improve system efficiency and conserve water in regions experiencing historic drought driven by climate change. Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is opening up a portion of the $4 billion in IRA funding to mitigate drought through the Interior Department’s newly created Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program. This will provide immediate resources to communities, Tribes, and irrigators in Arizona, California and Nevada. The Inflation Reduction Act will also fund major investments in conservation and long term system efficiency, including at least $500 million in the Upper Colorado River Basin.
White House.gov. 10/12/2022.
Background on Antiquities Act Designations
President Theodore Roosevelt first used the Antiquities Act in 1906 to designate Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming. Since then, 18 presidents of both parties, including recent Presidents Trump, Obama, G.W. Bush and Clinton have used this authority to protect unique natural and historic features in America, including the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and Colorado’s Canyons of the Ancients.
White House.gov. 10/12/2022.
Audio Only Press Gaggle will have already happened by post time, hasn’t happened yet…
President Biden’s remarks @3:30 p.m. D.C., time.
When the posted was posted for Tuesday, President Biden had tweeted 2 times. He added 6 tweets giving him a Tuesday Tweeting Total of 8 tweets and 0 retweets.
On Tuesday Honda and LG Energy Solutions announced a joint venture:
- New joint venture company to produce battery modules in Fayette County, Ohio
- EV batteries produced at JV plant to be provided to Honda plants for EV production
Honda and LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today announced that their new joint venture (JV) battery plant will be located in Fayette County, Ohio, about 40 miles southwest of Columbus, where the two companies will commit to investing $3.5 billion and creating 2,200 jobs, pending final government approvals. The companies’ overall investment related to the JV is projected to reach $4.4 billion.
The joint venture between Honda and LGES will be formally established in 2022, pending regulatory approvals. The two companies plan to begin construction in early 2023, in order to complete the new production facility by the end of 2024. The plant aims to have approximately 40GWh of annual production capacity as it starts mass production of pouch-type lithium-ion batteries by the end of 2025.
Honda already has announced plans to begin production* and sales of Honda EVs in North America in 2026, based on its new Honda e:Architecture. The EV batteries produced at the new JV plant will be provided to Honda auto plants to produce EVs to be sold in North America.
[Snip]
In April 2022, Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced that it was exploring the possibility of creating a joint venture company for battery production in North America, and that the battery plant would be established near a dedicated EV production line to be created in North America. The joint venture with LGES represents the fulfillment of this strategy.
[Snip]
This latest JV announcement with Honda reflects the recently announced LG Energy Solution’s mid- to long-term strategy to focus on North America, the fastest growing EV market. LGES plans to further expand its production capacity in the region, as well as reinforce its local supply chain for key critical minerals.
As part of its goal to achieve carbon neutrality for all products and corporate activities by 2050, Honda announced a vision to make battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles represent 100% of its vehicle sales by 2040.
Hondanews.com. 10/11/2022.
President Biden issued the following statement:
Health care should be a right, not a privilege. But for many Americans caught in the so-called “family glitch,” the peace of mind that health insurance brings has remained out of reach. Because of this glitch, employer-based health insurance has been considered “affordable” if the coverage is affordable for the employee even if it is not for their family members—making those family members ineligible for Affordable Care Act subsidies even though they need them to afford quality coverage.
White House.gov. 10/11/2022.
In April, I announced that we were proposing to fix this regulatory flaw. Now, the Treasury Department is finalizing that fix so that the law works the way Congress intended and the cost of coverage comes down for families all over the country. Starting next month, Americans can sign up to take advantage of this change. About 1 million Americans will either gain coverage or see their insurance become more affordable as a result of the new rule. This marks the most significant administrative action to implement the Affordable Care Act since the law was first put into place. It builds on our progress so far, which has brought the rate of uninsured Americans to a record-low eight percent. My Administration will continue working every day to lower costs and expand quality, affordable health coverage to all Americans, and I urge everyone to take advantage by visiting HealthCare.gov starting November 1st and signing up for a plan that works best for them.
The HealthCare.gov., link in the quote takes you to the enrollment page.
HHS.gov released the following statement on Tuesday:
Today, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra issued the following statement on the Biden-Harris Administration’s final rule to strengthen implementation of the Affordable Care Act by fixing the “family glitch,” a step that will help about 1 million Americans either gain coverage or see their coverage become more affordable.
“Protecting and strengthening implementation of the Affordable Care Act is key to increasing access to quality, affordable health care. Today’s action resolves a flaw in prior ACA regulations to bring more affordable coverage to about one million Americans. Our goal is simple: leave no one behind and give everyone the peace of mind that comes with health insurance.
“Under President Biden’s leadership, our nation’s uninsured rate is at an all-time low and Affordable Care Act enrollment is at an all-time high. This is not by accident. We are meeting people where they are to tell them about their health care options through unprecedented outreach efforts. And through landmark legislation like the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, we have offered the lowest ACA premiums rates in history. Our work to expand coverage and lower health care costs for American families never stops.
“Whether you’re part of a family previously affected by this glitch, or an individual buying insurance on the marketplace, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring you have the access to health care you deserve.”
HHS.gov. 10/11/2022.
The tweet the President is quoting was posted on April 5th 2022; my birthday, I was at Disneyland. But lucky us, Halodoc posted all the White House’s bells and whistles regarding the “family glitch” fix.
The YouTube is 14 minutes and 15 seconds long. His full remarks can be found here.
The “American Rescue Plan” is mentioned 2 times in his remarks.
President Biden: You know, we invested $350 billion in the American Rescue Plan to help states and local — states and cities keep first responders on the job, including firefighters on the job when — during COVID-19. And between the American Rescue Plan and my 2023 budget request, we’ve increased federal firefighting grants by $320 million, which includes money to fund 1,200 more local firefighters in the field, hundreds more emergency response vehicles, and thousands — thousands of sets of turnout gear. A pioneer in research on issues from — including like cancer prevention.
His full statement:
Today, I am pleased to announce a historic breakthrough in the Middle East. After months of mediation by the United States, the Governments of Israel and Lebanon have agreed to formally end their maritime boundary dispute and establish a permanent maritime boundary between them. I have just spoken with the Prime Minister of Israel, Yair Lapid, and the President of Lebanon, Michel Aoun, who confirmed the readiness of both governments to move forward with this agreement. I want to also thank President Emmanuel Macron of France and his government for their support in these negotiations.
White House.gov. 10/11/2022.
Energy—particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean—should serve as the tool for cooperation, stability, security, and prosperity, not for conflict. The agreement announced by both governments today will provide for the development of energy fields for the benefit of both countries, setting the stage for a more stable and prosperous region, and harnessing vital new energy resources for the world. It is now critical that all parties uphold their commitments and work towards implementation.
This agreement also protects Israel’s security and economic interests critical to promoting its regional integration. It provides Lebanon the space to begin its own exploitation of energy resources. And it promotes the interests of the United States and the American people in a more stable, prosperous, and integrated Middle East region, with reduced risks of new conflicts.
I want to thank our diplomats and everyone across the U.S. government, past and present, who have worked tirelessly on this bipartisan issue throughout the years. Persistent U.S. diplomacy, paired with the openness of Israeli and Lebanese leaders to negotiate, consult, and ultimately choose what was in the best interests of their people, led to this breakthrough.
I congratulate everyone involved.
The White House posted the readout of the call between President Aoun of Lebanon:
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. spoke today with President Michel Aoun of Lebanon to congratulate him on this historic breakthrough agreement to establish a permanent maritime boundary between Lebanon and Israel. President Biden expressed appreciation to President Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Najib Mikati for the consultative and open spirit demonstrated throughout the negotiations. He highlighted the tireless work of Deputy Speaker of Parliament Elias Bou Saab in liaising with the U.S. team to conclude this deal. Furthermore, President Biden conveyed that the United States remains committed to the Lebanese people and to supporting stability and sovereignty within Lebanon. He also conveyed his hope that today’s announcement will mark a new chapter for the Lebanese people. He noted the United States remains ready to facilitate resolution of issues that may arise under the agreement, if called upon by the parties. President Biden also reaffirmed his hope that presidential elections happen on time in a manner consistent with the Lebanese constitution.
White House.gov. 10/11/2022.
The White House posted the readout of the call between the Prime Minster Lapid of Israel:
President Joseph R. Biden Jr. spoke today with Prime Minister Yair Lapid of Israel to congratulate him on a historic breakthrough agreement to establish a permanent maritime boundary between Israel and Lebanon. The President commended the Prime Minister’s persistent and principled diplomacy and praised his team for the consultative spirit demonstrated throughout months of talks mediated by the United States. The President underscored his unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security and discussed how the agreement announced today not only preserves and further enhances Israel’s security and economic interests, but also creates new opportunities for Israel’s regional integration and national prosperity. He stressed that the United States remains ready to facilitate resolution of issues that may arise under the agreement, if called upon by the parties.
White House.gov. 10/11/2022.
The White House posted the following background press call:
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL 1:
Thank you. This is senior official number one. I’m going do a very quick topper, and then I have to head out to something else. And I’ll leave you with senior official number two, who was involved in these negotiations for many months and, frankly, for many years, if you go back to the Obama-Biden administration.
White House.gov. 10/11/2022.
I just want to briefly point out President Biden’s policy for the Middle East region — a more stable, prosperous, integrated region — and how that kind of manifests itself.
It manifests itself through broad energy deals connecting Iraq’s electricity grid to Jordan to the GCC.
It manifests itself through using persistent diplomacy to do our best to try to wind down and end conflicts — including the war in Yemen and even just persistent disputes, such as a Red Sea island dispute which we resolved over the course of the President’s visit, Israeli (inaudible) of Saudi airspace.
And this very important — what we think is a truly historic breakthrough — really the first agreement of its time between Israel and Lebanon mediated by the United States — two countries that are technically in a state of war.
So I want to turn it over to [senior administration official] but just emphasize at the top: This is something that Vice President Biden identified a decade ago as a real opportunity. And the diplomacy began back then, it continued through now three administrations, and it led to the historic breakthrough today thanks to who I’ll now turn it over to, senior official number two.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL 2:
Thank you, [senior administration official]. Today, after really months of U.S. mediation, specifically the new phase of these negotiations that started in late 2021 into early 2022, the government of Israel and government of Lebanon have agreed to formally end their maritime boundary dispute and establish a permanent maritime boundary between them.
White House.gov. 10/11/2022.
This is a long-running dispute of multiple decades. And negotiations that started mediation on this issue started over 10 years ago with no conclusion and, in 2020, took a turn where both parties essentially stopped negotiating.
At that point in the fall of 2021 and early 2022, we restarted the negotiations under seeking for a different — seeking a paradigm shift that would allow for a breakthrough.
That breakthrough happened over the last few weeks. And over a very intensive last several days and very long nights, the governments of Israel and Lebanon agreed — individually and separately agreed with the United States — to end this dispute.
Earlier today, just a short while ago, President Biden spoke with Prime Minister of Israel Yair Lapid and the President of Lebanon, Michel Aoun, and confirmed the United States’ congratulations — extended the United States’ congratulations on reaching this milestone and the U.S. commitment and President Biden’s administration’s commitment to continue supporting both countries as we move forward into implementation.
Both leaders confirmed their readiness to move forward after this breakthrough and to begin discussing implementation.
So, today’s — I’ll just add and I’ll open it up to questions: The importance of this is that both parties get what is really critically important for them.
Lebanon has been suffering through a significant economic crisis that is — covers all sectors of the economy. But without addressing the energy crisis and the electricity crisis within it, it is impossible to see any hope for economic recovery.
Most Lebanese people have less than two hours of electricity per day. It is impossible to run hospitals, critical infrastructure, and homes and heat and water and food without the access to electricity.
This agreement will provide Lebanon with a fresh potential for foreign direct investment — investment specifically in the energy sector; begin their exploration for hydrocarbon resources in the Mediterranean as the only country in the Mediterranean that has not done so yet; and will, over time, improve the energy conditions in the country and perhaps have an immediate response to the electricity crisis long before these fields are discovered and developed.
Most importantly, this gives the country and the people of Lebanon hope — something that is desperately needed.
So, we are grateful for the leadership of President Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Mikati for this remarkable breakthrough.
On the Israeli side, Israel already had significant gas resources, hydrocarbon resources in the Mediterranean. It has been very successful in developing them. This will provide Israel with a kind of security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean necessary to continue to rely on those waters for the lion’s share of the electricity in the country and for the ability to export and be part of the solution for the global and European energy crisis.
Israel has been — has achi- — maintained all the security mechanisms and infrastructure that they need in order to make sure that the — that their shoreline and their country is protected. Israel will also ensure that they have — through separate agreements, will be able to be compensated for any share of hydrocarbons that is on their side of the — of the newly formed boundary.
Let me be clear: We do not know if there are hydrocarbons in this area. We don’t know — if there are, we don’t know how large they are or where they are. So any — any headlines on valuation of gain or loss are — are premature at best.
This has not been an easy negotiation, but the agreement is historic. And I — we expect that there may be other difficult moments as we implement this agreement moving forward. The United States continues and will continue to offer its help in facilitating any discussions in the future that — where diplomatic efforts are useful.
From Tuesday’s remarks:
President Biden: Look, on behalf of my own family and every American, I just want to close by saying again: Thank you, thank you, thank you. Fires will always be a fact of human life. And when the worst happens, when those alarms go off, when everything and everybody you love is in danger, there’s no better sight in the world than that firefighter who’s ready to go to work. So, thank you for being who you are. Thank you for all the heroes you represent. You are — you are on the alert and on call in communities all across this country right now as I speak.
President Biden has tweeted…
He’s tweeted 1 time so far for Tuesday.
This is an Open Thread.
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