President Biden’s Public Schedule for Friday, October 14th 2022:
| 3:15 PM | Out-of-Town Pool Call Time Out-of-Town Pool |
| 4:10 PM | The President departs Los Angeles, California en route Santa Monica Airport Landing Zone Out-of-Town Pool |
| 4:30 PM | The President departs Santa Monica Airport Landing Zone Out-of-Town Pool |
| 5:00 PM | The President arrives in Orange County, California Out-of-Town Pool |
| 6:10 PM | The President delivers remarks on lowering costs for American families Open Press |
| 7:20 PM | The President departs Orange County, California Out-of-Town Pool |
| 9:30 PM | The President arrives in Portland, Oregon Open Press |
| 10:10 PM | The President participates in a grassroots volunteer event with the Oregon Democrats Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route Portland, Oregon |
The White House Posted the following fact-sheet; President Biden Takes Action to Lower Health Care and Prescription Drug Costs for Americans
To mark the start of Medicare Open Enrollment season, President Biden will travel to Irvine, California, on October 14th and Portland, Oregon, on October 15th to highlight how seniors can take advantage of the Inflation Reduction Act’s cost-saving provisions as they shop for new health insurance plans. The President will also sign an Executive Order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to explore additional actions it can take to lower prescription drug costs to build on his Administration’s work lowering costs for working and middle-class families.
Americans are squeezed by the cost of living – that’s been true for years and is a key reason the President ran. Health care costs in particular are driving inflation. Too many Americans face challenges paying for prescription drugs. On average, Americans pay two to three times as much as people in other countries for prescription drugs, and one in four Americans who take prescription drugs struggle to afford their medications. Nearly three in ten American adults who take prescription drugs say that they have skipped doses, cut pills in half, or not filled prescriptions due to cost.
The Inflation Reduction Act – which President Biden and Congressional Democrats delivered – tackles that problem and locks in on average $800 per year lower health care premiums for 13 million Americans, lowers seniors’ prescription drug prices, and caps their out of pocket expenses for prescription drugs at $2,000 per year. The Inflation Reduction Act protects Medicare beneficiaries from catastrophic drug costs by phasing in a cap for out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy, establishing a $35 monthly cap per prescription of insulin, requiring companies who raise prices faster than inflation to pay Medicare a rebate, and allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for high-cost prescription drugs for the first time ever. Republicans in Congress, meanwhile, have said their top priority is to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, ending these cost-saving provisions and raising prices for tens of millions of Americans.
To further lower health care costs, earlier this week, the Treasury Department took action to fix the so-called “family glitch” rule that was making it harder for families to afford health care coverage for their spouse or child. About 1 million Americans will either gain coverage or see their insurance become more affordable as a result of the new rule.
White House.gov. 10/14/2022.
Lowering Medicare Costs This Open Enrollment Season
Starting this January, seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries will begin to see the benefits of these cost-saving measures. Because of the Inflation Reduction Act:
- A month’s supply of insulin will be capped at $35 starting on January 1, 2023.
- Medicare beneficiaries will pay $0 out of pocket for recommended adult vaccines covered by their Part D plan, including the shingles vaccine – which costs seniors up to $200.
- Prescription drug companies that try to raise their prices faster than inflation will be required to pay Medicare a rebate.
Earlier this year, HHS released a report showing that the price of 1,200 prescription drugs rose faster than inflation in just the last year. For example, one manufacturer of a drug used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, used by millions of Medicare beneficiaries, increased the drug’s price by nearly 540 percent in 2022. Another drug used to treat autoimmune conditions increased by $1000 just this year.
During Medicare Open Enrollment – running from October 15 to December 7 – seniors and other beneficiaries will be able to choose drug coverage that reflects these new cost-savings, putting money back into their pockets.
Medicare beneficiaries should visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE to review their options for the coming year, and make sure their health and prescription drug coverage is right for them.
White House.gov. 10/14/2022.
Using HHS’ Innovation Center to Further Bring Down Costs
As the Biden-Harris Administration works to implement the Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden will sign an Executive Order today directing the Department of Health and Human Services to consider additional actions to further drive down prescription drug costs. That includes leveraging the “Innovation Center” at HHS, created by the Affordable Care Act, which has authority to test new ways of paying for Medicare services that improve the quality of care while lowering costs.
Under the Executive Order, HHS will have 90 days to submit a formal report outlining any plans to use the Innovation Center’s authorities to lower drug costs and promote access to innovative drug therapies for Medicare beneficiaries. This action would build on the Inflation Reduction Act’s landmark drug pricing reforms and help provide additional breathing room for American families.
White House.gov. 10/14/2022.
The White House posted the Executive Order: on Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for Americans
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
White House.gov. 10/14/2022.
Section 1. Policy. Too many Americans face challenges paying for prescription drugs. On average, Americans pay two to three times as much as people in other countries for prescription drugs, and one in four Americans who take prescription drugs struggle to afford their medications. Nearly 3 in 10 American adults who take prescription drugs say that they have skipped doses, cut pills in half, or not filled prescriptions due to cost.
On July 9, 2021, I signed Executive Order 14036 (Promoting Competition in the American Economy), which directed various actions in pursuit of my Administration’s policy to improve competition, increase wages, and reduce prices for prescription drugs, among other goods and services. In response to Executive Order 14036, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) submitted a report to the White House Competition Council calling for bold legislative and administrative actions to lower drug prices.
On August 16, 2022, I signed Public Law 117-169, commonly referred to as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA), which will lower the cost of prescription drugs and save millions of Americans hundreds or thousands of dollars per year. The IRA will protect Medicare beneficiaries from catastrophic drug costs by phasing in a cap for out-of-pocket costs at the pharmacy and establishing a $35 monthly cap per prescription for insulin covered by a Medicare prescription drug plan and insulin delivered through traditional pumps. Starting this January, Medicare beneficiaries with prescription drug coverage will pay $0 out of pocket for recommended adult vaccines (including the shingles vaccine). The IRA will also require certain companies to pay Medicare rebates if they increase the prices of drugs used by Medicare beneficiaries faster than the rate of inflation. In addition, the Secretary of HHS (Secretary) will be able to negotiate prices for selected high-cost prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries for the first time ever. Following the passage of the IRA, HHS has taken critical steps to swiftly implement these historic provisions in order to deliver results and lower health care costs for the American people.
As my Administration works to implement the IRA, it is critical that we take additional actions to complement the IRA and further drive down prescription drug costs. Within HHS, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (“Innovation Center”) tests health care payment and delivery models to improve health care quality and make the delivery of health care more efficient. In June 2022, the Innovation Center announced a new model to improve cancer care and lower health care costs for cancer patients, including prescription drug costs. The Innovation Center provides my Administration and the American people with a useful set of tools to help lower health care costs and improve quality of care, and its work can advance the continued policy of my Administration to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
Sec. 2. HHS Actions. In furtherance of the policy set forth in section 1 of this order, the Secretary shall, consistent with the criteria set out in 42 U.S.C. 1315a(b)(2), consider whether to select for testing by the Innovation Center new health care payment and delivery models that would lower drug costs and promote access to innovative drug therapies for beneficiaries enrolled in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, including models that may lead to lower cost-sharing for commonly used drugs and support value-based payment that promotes high-quality care. The Secretary shall, not later than 90 days after the date of this order, submit a report to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy enumerating and describing any models that the Secretary has selected. The report shall also include the Secretary’s plan and timeline to test any such models. Following the submission of the report, the Secretary shall take appropriate actions to test any health care payment and delivery models discussed in the report.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
The President’s remarks and the Press Gaggle live feeds will (probably) be posted in the Note for Friday.
When the post was posted for Thursday, President Biden tweeted 1 time. He added 12 tweets giving him a Thursday Tweeting Total of 13 tweets and 0 retweets.
Thursday the BLS released the Consumer Price Index Summary; the last release prior to the mid-term elections:
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) rose 0.4 percent in September on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising 0.1 percent in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all items index increased 8.2 percent before seasonal adjustment.
BLS.gov. 10/14/2022
President Biden’s full statement:
Americans are squeezed by the cost of living: that’s been true for years, and they didn’t need today’s report to tell them that. It’s a key reason I ran for President. Working to give middle class families some breathing room in dealing with their costs is critical.
Today’s report shows some progress in the fight against higher prices, even as we have more work to do. Inflation over the last three months has averaged 2%, at an annualized rate. That’s down from 11% in the prior quarter.
But even with this progress, prices are still too high. Fighting the global inflation that is affecting countries around the world and working families here at home is my top priority.
Because of my economic plan, the United States is in a stronger position than any major economy to take on this challenge. And my policies—that Democrats delivered—directly tackles price pressures we saw in today’s report, like health care. The Inflation Reduction Act locks in lower health care premiums for 13 million people, lowers seniors’ prescription drug prices, and caps their out of pocket expenses for prescription drugs at the pharmacy at $2,000 per year. The Inflation Reduction Act will also lower families’ energy costs in the months ahead.
Republicans in Congress’ number one priority is repealing the Inflation Reduction Act. That’s the exact wrong thing to do in this moment. If Republicans take control of Congress, everyday costs will go up – not down.
White House.gov. 10/13/2022.
The White House posted the following readout:
The President met today with his economic team to receive a briefing on the global economy and financial markets. Despite global economic challenges associated with elevated inflation throughout the world, they reported that the United States remains in a strong position to bring down inflation and maintain a resilient job market. Moreover, President Biden’s economic plan continues to position the U.S. economy for stronger growth and investment in the United States. The President directed the team to stay in close contact with key market actors, partners, and allies, and to update him as conditions evolve.
White House.gov. 10/13/2022.
The YouTube is 27 minutes and 19 seconds long. President Biden begins his remarks at the 4 minute and 55 second mark. His full remarks can be found here.
President Biden: Now, to today’s event. For too long, we’ve talked about building the best economy in the world. We’ve talked about asserting America’s leadership, with the best and safest roads, railroads, ports, airports, et cetera. Now we’re finally getting it done.
President Biden: And today, I’m announcing that Social Security benefits are going to go up by an average of $140 a month, even as Medicare premiums go down. (Applause.) So, folks, seniors are going to get ahead of inflation next year. For the first time in 10 years, their Social Security checks will go up while their Medicare premiums go down.
Military Times wrote on Thursday; Veterans and retirees will see an 8.7% cost-of-living increase in their Social Security benefits starting in December, the largest increase in 42 years, federal officials announced on Thursday.
The full statement:
Approximately 70 million Americans will see a 8.7% increase in their Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments in 2023. On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $140 per month starting in January.
Federal benefit rates increase when the cost-of-living rises, as measured by the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-W). The CPI-W rises when inflation increases, leading to a higher cost-of-living. This change means prices for goods and services, on average, are higher. The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) helps to offset these costs.
We will mail COLA notices throughout the month of December to retirement, survivors, and disability beneficiaries, SSI recipients, and representative payees. But if you want to know your new benefit amount sooner, you can securely obtain your Social Security COLA notice online using the Message Center in your personal my Social Security account. You can access this information in early December, prior to receiving the mailed notice. Benefit amounts will not be available before December. Since you will receive the COLA notice online or in the mail, you don’t need to contact us to get your new benefit amount.
If you prefer to access your COLA notice online and not receive the mailed notice, you can log in to your personal my Social Security account to opt out by changing your Preferences in the Message Center. You can update your preferences to opt out of the mailed COLA notice, and any other notices that are available online. Did you know you can receive a text or email alert when there is a new message waiting for you? That way, you always know when we have something important for you – like your COLA notice. If you don’t have an account yet, you must create one by November 15, 2022 to receive the 2023 COLA notice online.
“Medicare premiums are going down and Social Security benefits are going up in 2023, which will give seniors more peace of mind and breathing room. This year’s substantial Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is the first time in over a decade that Medicare premiums are not rising and shows that we can provide more support to older Americans who count on the benefits they have earned,” Acting Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi said.
January 2023 marks when other changes will happen based on the increase in the national average wage index. For example, the maximum amount of earnings subject to Social Security payroll tax in 2023 will be higher. The retirement earnings test exempt amount will also change in 2023.
Be among the first to know! Sign up for or log in to your personal my Social Security account today. Choose email or text under “Message Center Preferences” to receive courtesy notifications.
You can find more information about the 2023 COLA here.
Blog.SSA.gov. 10/13/2022.
President Biden: And, folks, it includes the largest investment in public transit in the history of America. There’s no better example of what’s happening than right here in Los Angeles. Nearly 10 million people live in L.A. County — I don’t have to tell you that — more than any county in the United States. And every year, people take more than 22 million rides on your subways, your light rail, and your buses. It’s how so many folks get to work, school, and how tourists and locals explore this world-class city.
President Biden: And we’re going to provide clean water across California, replacing lead pipes, worn-out service lines, replenishing Big Bear and other critical water sources, and expanding water recycling as we deal with this historic drought. And it’s real. They’re just a few examples of the more than 350 projects across California, with more to come.
While in LA, President Biden stopped off at Tacos 1986 to grab lunch.
I really want to transcribe this, but it all kind of happens quick with cross talk, so instead of transcribing it for you. Please roll tape…
Summary of events: President Biden goes to pay for his order the employee rings up the order and says that President Biden gets a 50 percent public service discount. POTUS gives Tacos 1986 sixty-dollars even though his total was $16.45 and tells Tacos 1986 to pay for the next persons order that comes in. Asked what he order he says a chicken quesadilla.
Tacos 1986:
The full Instagram posts…
For those unaware; CA and specifically Los Angeles, tacos rule there. Even my neck of the woods 2 hours north believe tacos are their own food group. For every Starbucks within a mile of my house (there’s like 5 or 6) I can find a place similar to Tacos 1986. I’m not even joking.
These are the kinds of campaign tweets I heart.
The video is 26 seconds long.
President Biden: I just signed a proclamation on the Antiquities Act, making sure that Camp Hale will be preserved forever as a national monument. It matters for a number of reasons. First of all, just preserving this magnificent land. It matters. This is one of the greatest assets we have. One of the things that we have to make clear is this was still–this was sacred land for American Indians here. I think that people out here have worked so hard to preserve this land.
President Biden has tweeted…
He has tweeted 3 times so far for Friday.
From Thursday’s remarks:
President Biden: And Speaker Pelosi says, “They vote no and then they take the dough.” (Laughter.) Can’t make this stuff up. I got to say, I’m surprised to see there are so many socialists in the Republican Caucus. (Laughter.) Well, even if they voted against it, I said, I promised during my campaign I’d be President for all of America, every American. Whether you voted for me or not, I’m not leaving anyone behind. (Applause.) And we’re building a better America together for everyone, even in the districts of the congressmen who voted against it.
The video campaign snip is 50 seconds long. The President words are taken from remarks he gave on Friday, October 7th 2022; Jobs Report Friday…
President Biden: It’s not just — this morning, I saw — there’s a report. You guys can, as they say — as my grandkids say, “Google it.” But the report that came out on CNN, it says, “Republicans called Biden infrastructure program *‘Socialism.’ And then they asked for the money.” And it goes through all the Republicans who — the most conservative Republicans who call it socialism and how they’re asking for it. A guy named Paul Gosar, he’s written three separate letters to the administration asking for projects in his district. He says it enhanced the quality of life, it eased congestion, boosts the economy. He voted against it; says it’s all socialism.
President Biden: Kentucky Representative Andy Barr: The biggest “socialist agenda.” Three different projects he wants, citing the importance of the safety and growth of his district. Rand Paul. *I can go down the list. Look it up.
President Biden: “Socialism.” I didn’t know there were that many socialist Republicans. Think about it. I’m — I’m serious. Let’s get serious about taking care of ordinary people — regular people like I grew up. Folks, look, you can’t make this stuff up. You got to say — and I got to say, I was surprised to see so many socialists in the Republican caucus.
*the caption text uses changed “socialism” to “socialist”, and the word “I” to “and”.*
I looked it up…
Snips from the above article:
AZ Rep. and Racist Asshole Paul Gosar; Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar, a leading Biden critic who explained his vote against what he called a “phony” infrastructure bill by issuing a statement that “this bill only serves to advance the America Last’s socialist agenda, while completely lacking fiscal responsibility,” wrote three separate letters between March and July advocating for projects in his district. They’d enhance quality of life, Gosar wrote. They’d ease congestion and boost the economy. They’d alleviate bottlenecks and improve rural living conditions.
Asshole’s spokesman said: the congressman was “not obligated to vote for a bill of which he supports 80% of the funding if 20% is horrifically absurd,” but that “once appropriated and authorized, Congressman Gosar is free, and quite willing, to fight for the funding authorized to benefit good projects.”
Rep. Andy Barr:
Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr called the bill a “big government socialist agenda.” He later wrote three letters of his own on behalf of three different projects, also citing their importance for safety and job growth. Barr’s spokesperson said that the congressman couldn’t vote for the full bill because of its overall cost and money he called “giveaways to the green energy industry,” and that all the grants he supported were for traditional transportation funding programs. Those programs, though, would not have been funded if the infrastructure bill hadn’t passed.
CNN. 10/07/2022.
Poodle wannabe Senator Rand Paul; Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said he voted against the bill because it typified “wasteful spending,” which would deepen the national debt. Paul wrote 10 different letters petitioning for more of that money coming into Kentucky, including for a community development organization working to expand a riverwalk, improve three stretches of roads, to strengthen a dam, support the revitalization of an old Internal Revenue Service facility in Covington, improve streets in Lexington and modernizing a bridge between northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio which he argued would “promote continued economic development, ease congestion, improve air quality, and support job growth throughout the region” for what would be “profound national and regional significance.”
His defense is similar to the others defense, I can vote no and then beg for money!
“Opposition to a spending bill does not always mean opposition to the goal of that spending; opposition to a spending bill can mean opposition to spending that adds to the deficit and is not offset with spending cuts elsewhere,” argued a Paul spokesperson.
CNN. 10/07/2022.
Rah rah…
