Lady Snark shared the whole Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack with us on 12/16/2022.
President Biden’s public schedule for Tuesday, December 20th 2022:
| 9:50 AM | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing Oval Office Closed Press |
| 11:00 AM | In-Town Pool Call Time In-Town Pool |
There is no press briefing posted at YouTube. So, I think it’s safe to say today’s an easy behind the scenes White House day?
President Biden has tweeted…
It’s 2 tweets so far for Tuesday. I’m holding them over to share down thread.
When the post was posted for Monday, President Biden had tweeted 2 times. He added 5 tweets giving him a Monday Tweeting Total of 7 tweets and 0 retweets.
or this version shared with me by Lady Snark.
I don’t know enough about soccer to talk about soccer, but on Saturday I saw this tweet…
Of course I read it…
Snips:
Magalí Martínez knew something was off: The seemingly invincible soccer star Lionel Messi was scuffling on the soccer pitch. To her, it looked like he was afflicted with a supernatural curse that has roots in different cultures across history, the “evil eye.”
So Martínez, a self-proclaimed witch and part-time babysitter, got to work. She focused intensely on Messi, began repeating a prayer and drizzled a bit of oil into a bowl of water. If the oil remained dispersed, he was safe. If it collected in the middle, he was cursed.
“It came together like a magnet,” she said. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to cure him alone.”
She went to Twitter and called on her fellow witches across Argentina. “Evil-eye healing sisters, Messi is very affected,” she said. “I need your help.”
A thousand people shared her tweet, with many saying they, too, were witches and would work to protect Argentina’s golden boy.
Argentina has not lost since.
[Snip]
“We think of ourselves as agents that, from love, can take care, protect and sow happiness,” said Rocío Cabral Menna, 27, a witch and high-school teacher in Messi’s hometown, Rosario, who burns a bay leaf inscribed with her predicted score in a ceremony before each match. The players are competing on the field, she said, and at home, “the witches are taking care of them.”
The trend caught fire after Argentina’s shocking loss to Saudi Arabia in the opening match, causing Argentines to search for any way to help the team on which this nation of 47 million has pitted its hopes.
After that match, several witches started a WhatsApp group to instruct other witches on how to help the national team. They called it the Argentine Association of Witches, or La Brujineta, a play on “bruja” and “La Scaloneta,” Argentina’s nickname for its national team.
“I thought there were going to be 10 people at most,” said the group’s founder, Antonella Spadafora, 23, a witch who runs a convenience store in a city in northwest Argentina. Within days, more than 300 people had joined the group. Last week, there was so much demand that they started a Twitter account. It has gained 25,000 followers in seven days.
[Snip]
The practice is so mainstream that millions of Argentines likely practice some sort of cábala, a word that derives from kabbalah, a Jewish mystical tradition. Cábalas have been especially pronounced this year after Argentina’s loss in its opening match.
Adrián Coria, Messi’s childhood coach in Rosario and later on the national team, said that he watched the first loss with his family in his living room. Then his wife and daughter sent him to a small cabin in the backyard for the second match. “Alone,” he said. He has since watched the rest of the World Cup there.
Cabral Menna, the witch from Rosario, said she and her mother watched Argentina’s first victory in her mother’s bedroom. “It’s the only part of the house without air conditioning,” she said. “It’s very hot. But we’re not going to move.”
And Sergio Duri, the owner of a restaurant in Rosario with Messi’s signature on the wall, said he now watches the matches in his kitchen with one dachshund, Omar, while his wife watches them in their bedroom with the other dachshund, Dulce. “If this comes out, everybody will know that we’re all completely crazy,” he said. “But these are cábalas, you know?”
The players are also practicing cábalas. Alejandro Gómez, Leandro Paredes and Rodrigo de Paul, three midfielders, have taken to walking around the pitch an hour before kickoff while chewing candy, a tradition they started last year when Argentina won the Copa América, South America’s premier soccer tournament.
New York Times. 12/17/2022.
I hope the article I gifted you is not behind a paywall because it has photos.
Monday the White House posted the following fact-sheet; Biden-Harris Administration Takes More Than 100 Actions in 2022 to Strengthen Energy Efficiency Standards and Save Families Money
Department of Energy Proposes New Lightbulb Efficiency Rule
Today, the White House and the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that the Biden-Harris Administration has surpassed its goal to take 100 actions in 2022 to strengthen energy efficiency standards for a range of appliances and equipment to lower costs for American families. These new standards advanced by the Biden-Harris Administration will help save the average family at least $100 annually through lower energy bills.
Today, DOE proposed a rule to further boost lightbulb efficiency to lock in household savings and climate benefits for years to come. The proposed rule to strengthen lightbulb efficiency standards would deliver cumulative consumer savings of $20 billion and reduce carbon emissions by 131 million metric tons over 30 years.
This is the 110th action to strengthen energy efficiency standards that the Administration has taken in 2022. These 110 actions span a range of household products—everything from air conditioners and furnaces, to clothes washers and dryers, to kitchen appliances and water heaters—as well as commercial and industrial equipment. Once finalized, these standards will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 2.4 billion metric tons, equivalent to the carbon emissions from 10 million homes, 17 million gas cars, or 21 coal-fired power plants over 30 years. The projected consumer savings from these standards would be $570 billion cumulatively, and for an average household this will mean at least $100 in annual savings.
The Biden-Harris Administration has moved quickly to address a vast backlog of outdated energy efficiency standards. DOE took critical steps in 2021 to remedy the rollbacks and procedural roadblocks left by the prior Administration, and throughout 2022 delivered on an ambitious slate of new actions to lower costs, boost American energy security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.
President Biden’s unprecedented actions to strengthen efficiency standards are a key part of his work to save families money and create good-paying jobs. He secured historic investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act for home efficiency upgrades, including weatherization and electric appliance rebates. Last month the Administration announced a range of actions to lower energy costs for families, including $9 billion from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act for states and Tribes to administer home efficiency rebate programs that could support cost-saving upgrades for up to 1.6 million households.
White House.gov. 12/19/2022.
Highlights of 100+ Actions to Strengthen Energy Efficiency Standards
Today, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, and National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi are highlighting successful completion of more than 100 actions in 2022 to strengthen energy efficiency standards and save the average household at least $100 annually.
Key highlights of these wide-ranging actions include:
White House.gov. 12/19/2022.
- Lightbulbs: Today’s proposed rule to strengthen lightbulb efficiency standards would deliver cumulative consumer savings of $20 billion and reduce carbon emissions by 131 million metric tons over 30 years. These benefits are in addition to DOE’s final actions earlier this year to implement a nearer-term phaseout of inefficient incandescent bulbs, which will save consumers nearly $3 billion annually, while reducing carbon emissions by 222 million metric tons over 30 years—the equivalent of what 28 million homes emit in a year.
- Gas Furnaces: DOE proposed new standards for residential gas furnaces—which had not been significantly strengthened in over three decades—to achieve a 95% annual fuel utilization efficiency level, improvements that will save consumers $1.9 billion annually. Over 30 years, the rule would reduce carbon emissions by 373 million metric tons and methane emissions by 5.1 million tons, the equivalent of what 61 million homes emit in a year.
- Room Air Conditioners: American households purchase over seven million room air conditioners each year. DOE issued a proposed rule to boost the efficiency of these units, which would save consumers up to $275 over the life of the product. The proposal would also reduce carbon emissions over 30 years by nearly 50 million metric tons, the equivalent of what more than 6 million homes emit in a year.
- Clothes Dryers: DOE proposed stronger efficiency standards for both electric and gas clothes dryers, which could save the average household $36 on annual utility bills. Over 30 years, the rule would reduce carbon emissions by 116 million metric tons, the equivalent of what 14.6 million homes emit in a year.
Along with stronger standards for common household appliances, DOE has also advanced updated standards for commercial and industrial equipment (including commercial water heating equipment and circulator pumps), and for buildings overall (including manufactured home energy efficiency, federal building energy efficiency, and federal building emissions reduction). In addition to proposed and final standards, DOE’s 110 actions this year also include test procedures and coverage determinations—rulemakings that lay the groundwork for DOE to issue stronger efficiency standards.
DOE will continue to make rapid progress in 2023, with additional actions planned including issuance of 30 proposed and final rules to update standards for a variety of product categories.
White House.gov. 12/19/2022.
Tuesday’s 1st tweet:
Tuesday’s 2nd tweet.
The YouTube feed is 24 minutes and 29 seconds long. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, and President Biden offered remarks.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden:
Happy Hanukkah, and welcome to the White House! It’s wonderful to see so many friends and familiar faces. And we’re excited to celebrate Hanukkah together.
All around you are decorations inspired by you, “We the People.” They’re the first words of our Constitution and the heart and soul of our nation.
We may celebrate different holidays, we may sing different songs or say different prayers, but our shared American values endure season after season: kindness and gratitude, faith that can light our way forward, peace, wisdom, and strength.
Throughout these halls, in the shining silver and shimmering mirrors, you will catch glimpses, I hope, of your own reflection. And I hope you will notice something else as well: a new menorah. (Applause.)
It’s made of historic wood from the beams of this house, rescued when President Truman renovated this building. Its hand-hammered silver cups are meant to magnify the glow of the candles, their beauty reminding us both the mir- — the Hanukkah miracle and the joy it inspired. Each detail was carefully chosen and executed by our Executive Residence Carpenter Shop.
It’s a work, really, of historic importance, but it’s also a work of love. Lawrence and Robbie, thank you for creating this gift to all Americans.
Where are you? Here they are! (Applause.)
Honestly, they created it, and it — if you haven’t seen it, it is so beautiful.
You know, other menorahs have been borrowed before — borrowed — beautiful, significant, and meaningful ones. But the White House has never had its own menorah until now. (Applause.) It is now a cherished piece of this home, your home.
Tonight, when the candles are lit, you will — we will recreate the wonder of the Maccabees and the oil with a blessing that recalls the miracles performed both in the days of old and at this time.
We will begin with one small flame that spreads to each wick it touches.
As the light grows and the menorah’s silver cups create a kaleidoscope of reflections, we hope that you will see yourself in it as well.
The story of America is the story of you, of all of us, drawing strength from those who came before, spreading the fire that burns in our hearts, grateful for the miracles of love and faith and kindness and courage that surround us each and every day.
May the promise of “We the People” light our path forward into Hanukkah and the New Year, and it — may it bring us together, as always. Thank you. (Applause.)
Now, our candle lighters today bring us stories of pain and resilience, faith and justice. Joining us are:
Bronia Brandman, who, at 12 years old, was deported to Auschwitz with her family. And she didn’t speak about her pain for 50 years, until she started volunteering at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Now she shares her story with all who need to hear it, including the President earlier this year.
Next is the U.S. Representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Ambassador Michèle Taylor. A daughter and a granddaughter of Holocas- — Holocaust survivors, she is an advocate for civil rights around the world.
And finally, Avi Heschel, granddaughter of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a leader in the civil rights movement.
Since his passing 50 years ago this month, Rabbi Heschel’s legacy has lived on through his family and all who keep his words in their hearts.
But first, I have the pleasure of introducing Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker. (Applause.) When his congregation was taken hostage, Rabbi Cytron-Walker hos- — Cytron-Walker courageously kept the gunman calm and put himself in harm’s way so that his congregants could escape. We are honored to have him here to share the blessing with us. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 12/19/2022.
Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker:
I want to thank you, Dr. Biden, for your kind words. We are so grateful to you, and we’re so grateful to President Biden for your warmth and your hospitality this evening. It means the world. It really means the world to us.
A lot of people will ask me about that day, and they’ll ask about the trauma, and they’ll talk about it as a tragedy. And I’ll respond back that we all made it out. Thank God it wasn’t a tragedy. It could have been — (applause) — it could have been so much worse. It was terrible and it was terrifying, and we were able to get out alive.
And that is the story of Hanukkah — the story where the Jewish people suffered through oppression and pain and loss and war.
And despite all the difficulties and all the struggle, we are here today to celebrate because, against all odds, Judaism endured, and Judaism has thrived.
So I am celebrating Hanukkah this year with such gratitude. It is so good to be here. (Applause.) It is so good to stand here before you. Last night we said, “Thank you, God, for enabling us to reach this season.” I meant it. I meant it.
And I am so grateful for all the support that we have received. Antisemitism may be on the rise, and thank God that people are standing at our side. We have such — we have had such overwhelming love and support, especially from our President and from Dr. Biden.
THE FIRST LADY: Thank you.
RABBI CYTRON-WALKER: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you.
It is not a contradiction to acknowledge our challenges and still be filled with appreciation. Our history is filled with tenacity and resilience. We have experienced the worst of humanity, haven’t we? And we refuse — we refuse to give in to despair.
In our darkest hours, we bring light. We bring light to our family. We bring light to our community. We bring light to our country. We bring light to our world.
So with gratitude and appreciation, I invite you all to join with me as we offer our Hanukkah blessings.
And at this time, I’d like to invite forward our candle lighters to join me as we light this beautiful, incredible, historic Hanukkah menorah.
(The menorah candles are lit and a blessing is offered.)
Happy Hanukkah. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 12/19/2022.
President Biden:
Hello, everybody. (Applause.) My name is Joe Biden, and I’m Jill’s husband. (Laughter.) And you three guys have been standing there a — want to come up on the stage and sit down here with me?
Why don’t you just have seat? It’s easier. You can sit if you want.
(Three children come and sit on the stage.)
THE PRESIDENT: They’re being great kids, I tell you. (Laughter.)
CHILD: He gets it! (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I don’t know, I —
Well, folks, Happy Hanukkah, everyone. (Applause.) On behalf of Jill, Doug, and Kamala, thank you. And, Rabbi, Bronia, thank you for hanging out with me la- — a couple weeks ago. And Michèle and — and Abigale. To all of you here, including so many friends, thank you being — for being part of this moment.
Just over two months ago, Jill and I her- — hosted the first-ever High Holiday reception at the White House.
It was deeply meaningful. It was something that we’ve alwa- — we’ll remember. And I felt — it felt what — what the Jewish proverb teaches: “What comes from the heart goes to the heart.” And it went to our heart, for real. It’s never happened before in the White House.
Tonight, we’re honored to mark another new tradition we’re establishing tonight. And that is the lighting of what will be the first-ever permanent White House menorah. (Applause.) It will also be the first Jewish artifact in the entire White House collection. (Applause.)
You know, Jill just described it, and I echo her — her gratitude to the incredible White House carpenters who made it. You all didn’t really — really appreciate that. But I tell you what, guys — thank you, thank you, thank you for the love you put into it. (Applause.)
You know, to celebrate Hanukkah, previous administrations borrowed a menorah with special significance of survival, hope, and joy.
This year, we thought it was important to celebrate Hanukkah with another message of significance: permanence. Permanence.
The very promise of America is that we all are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout our entire lives.
While we have never lived up to that promise, we’ve never fully walked away from that promise. It’s been up to each successive generation to dedicate ourselves to delivering on that promise.
*That’s the story of America. It’s also the story of Hanukkah — a story of recapturing, restoring, and rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem, desecrated by the ancient Greeks. A timeless story — a timeless story of miracles; of a small, courageous band of warriors fighting — fighting for their values and their freedom to defeat one of the most historically powerful empires.
The miracle of that small jar of oil, found among the temple wreckage, it should only have lasted one day yet burned brightly for eight days. Eight days. The flame of faith that burns from tragedy to persecution with a spirit of survival and resilience that endures. And it has endured.*
In America, we see it in our contributions of the generations of Jewish Americans enriching every single part and aspect of American life, contribution defined by the values of equality and justice, freedom, charity, service, dignity.
The spirit of survival and resilience also endures in this menorah, built from the foundation — reclaimed and rededicated White House wood, possibly dating as — to the early 1800s, for generations past.
And supposedly — you know, it’s supported by modern, polished silver cups, from today and for generations to come.
But the Talmud teaches us we cannot rely on or expect miracles; we have to earn them. Earn them. We know that task is not easy. No one knows better than this audience.
This year’s Hanukkah arrival — arrives in the midst of rising emboldenment of antisemitism at home and, quite frankly, around the world.
I recognize your fear, your hurt, your worry that this vile and venom is becoming too normal.
As your President, I want to make this clear — as my dad would say, and many of you have said: Silence is complicity. We must not remain silent. (Applause.)
And I made no bones about it from the very beginning: I will not be silent. America will not be silent. (Applause.) I mean it.
Over 20 years ago, here in the White House, my dear friend Elie Wiesel — and he was a friend, became a friend — who passed away six years ago and who we all miss — delivered a speech about, quote, the “Perils of Indifference.” The “Perils of Indifference.”
He said, “Indifference is not a response. Indifference is not a beginning; [Indifference] is an end. And therefore, indifference is always the friend of the enemy…” Always the friend of the enemy.
Today, we must all say clearly and forcefully: Antisemitism and all forms of hate and violence in this country can have no safe harbor in America. Period. (Applause.)
And evil — this is not hyperbole — evil will not win. Hate will not prevail.
Like this White House menorah, our commitment to the safety of the Jewish people and to the vibrancy of Jewish life that’s tightly woven into every fabric of America, it’s permanent. Permanent.
And folks — (applause) — that’s why I appointed Deborah Lipstadt, the Holocaust expert — (applause) — there you are, Deborah — a Holocaust expert, the first Ambassador-level Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism. And you got it in your heart, you got it in your hand, and you got the capacity to do it. God love you. (Applause.)
I’ve launched a new effort to develop a national strategy
to counter the scourge of antisemitism and convene the first-of-its-kind White House summit on combating hate-fueled violence.We helped secure the largest increase in federal funding ever for the physical security of non-profits, including synagogues and Jewish community centers. (Applause.)
And nobody — nobody — for nobody should ever fear going to a religious service and a school or walking down the street wearing a symbol of one’s faith.
Let me close with this. Just as we light one candle after another, another lesson from the Talmud is this: No matter what challenge we face, we’ve never stopped moving forward. Think about it. Never once have we stopped moving forward.
“We must rise in our faith and holiness. Never decline.”
And as we do, let us also hold on the hope, as the Jewish proverb says, ever glimmer of light — every glimmer of light can dispel much darkness. “Even a glimmer of light,” I should say.
That’s why, during this sacred season, I’ve never been more optimistic — and I mean this from the bottom of my heart — I’ve never been more optimistic about America — the future of America.
In all of you, I see glimpses of light — and I mean it — and I know many of you very well, especially the menorah lighters that came up here, representing three generations — three generations:
A Holocaust survivor, to make sure we never forget.
A heroic rabbi who I spoke to that day, who leaves no one behind — left no one behind. That’s an interesting notion when you think about it, but it took a lot of courage.
An ambassador who advocates for human rights.
And the young granddaughter of the great Rabbi Abraham Heschel who marched with Dr. King for the dignity of all people and inspired all of us to get involved in the civil rights movement.
Kid, if my mom — if my dad were here, he’d look at you and, “Kid, you got good blood.” You got good blood. No, your great-grandpop was amazing. An amazing man. He inspired my generation. My generation. That’s how I got involved in public life. Not a joke. Not a joke.
And so, like each distinct candle, we come from different
backgrounds, traditions, and generations, but we’re bonded by the menorah and the enduring belief that, in America, we know and we love the story of a nation that depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us.So this Hanukkah, let’s celebrate the rededication — the rededication of ourselves to the spirit of resilience, unity, and permanence.
Let’s remember who we are. We are the United States of America and there’s nothing beyond our capacity when we decide to do it together. Not a single thing.
Happy Hanukkah, America. (Applause.) And God bless you all. God bless you all. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 12/19/2022.
*I decided to highlight all of his remarks not just those that fit with the tweet*
Prior to the bilateral meeting President Biden and President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador hosted a pool spray from the Oval Office. The YouTube is 7 minutes and 43 seconds long.
Their full remarks:
President Biden:
Mr. President, in America we call this is “bringing the press in out of the cold.”
White House.gov. 12/19/2022.
(Addresses press.) Laugh a little bit. That was pretty good. You guys have to admit that.
Anyway, I’m glad to see you again after a successful summit we had, the Summit of the Americas, in June, and to be able to return — to be able to return a small amount of hospitality your family showed my wife, Jill, when she visited Quito over the spring. She enjoyed it so much I wasn’t sure she was coming home. (Laughs.)
Today we’re going to keep building on the progress we’ve made. Together, we’ve made historic strides on migration. And this afternoon, we’ll discuss how we can deepen our security and our economic partnership even further than it is right now.
That includes our new joint investment programs that address security needs for Ecuador’s prison system, your justice sector, and your maritime security.
And, Mr. President, since we both understand that working families are the backbone of both our economies, I look forward to discussing how we can keep delivering for those families under the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity. In both our countries.
And, finally, I want to thank you for your moral leadership, your condemnation of Putin’s brutal war against the Ukrainian people that continues in ways we haven’t seen for a generation.
You and I are united not only in our values but in our vision of the future, one that’s both free and democratic.
And in the new year, as Ecuador begins its term on the U.N. Security Council, I look forward to continuing to work together to make this vision a reality.
I want to thank you very much for making the effort to be here.
And as they used to say in the legislative body I worked, the United States Senate: The floor is yours.
President Lasso:
(As interpreted.) Thank you very much, Mr. President. For me it is also a pleasure to be here with you after our very nice visit together in Los Angeles and also after that very pleasant visit with you and your wife, Jill, in Quito.
So, for us, this is a great opportunity to come here and to reaffirm the democratic freedom and human rights values that we share with the glorious people of the U.S.
Without a doubt, yes, we have been allies for decades now. And I am here to reaffirm that spirit that we share among us as allies in our fight for democracy, for peace, and for justice, not only in the region but also to support your vision throughout the world.So we were the first country in Latin America to condemn the awful war from Russia into Ukraine. We believe in multilateralism, and we also believe in the rule of law. And we also support dialogue as the means for solving differences and disputes. It is really remarkable to see that after a pandemic we are now facing a war.
White House.gov. 12/19/2022.
So we will have a chance, after we visit with our friends of the press, to share more on the issues we have in common.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, thank you very much, Mr. President. We have a lot to — a lot to talk about. You have been a great friend and a significant supporter, and that goes both ways. And we have to figure out how to expand and strengthen even an already strong relationship.
And I want to thank the press for coming in. We’re going to send you back out in the cold. (Laughter.) The hallway is not much further down, so you’ll get warm.
The White House posted the following meeting readout:
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. met today with President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador at the White House to discuss deepening the economic and security partnership between the United States and Ecuador.
White House.gov. 12/19/2022.
The leaders discussed strengthening regional economic integration through the bilateral Trade and Investment Council Agreement, as well as the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity initiative, by promoting investment, deepening economic cooperation, establishing high standards for labor and the environment, and providing opportunities for working families. As a part of the visit, the President announced a $13.5 million disbursement from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to support microfinance loans through Ecuador, including women-led and owned businesses, as well as the intent to provide $5 million from USAID in support of President Lasso’s initiative to address child malnutrition in Ecuador by improving sanitation and access to clear water in rural areas. In recognition of Ecuador’s commitment to make its public procurement practices more fair, open, and transparent, the United States invited Ecuador to be one of just 16 global partners in the Global Procurement Initiative led by the United States Trade and Development Agency. This initiative will facilitate the development of high-quality, resilient infrastructure through training for Ecuador’s public procurement officials.
The leaders also agreed to deepen security cooperation focused on helping Ecuador combat gang violence by supporting the government’s efforts to strengthen its justice sector, prison system, and maritime security. Additionally, the leaders discussed the importance of regional migration cooperation, including through the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection. Ecuador has set the example by granting Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans fleeing the humanitarian crisis in their country. The United States supported a $530 million loan from the Global Concessional Financing Facility to promote inclusive, resilient, and low-carbon development and to support Ecuador’s efforts to integrate Venezuelan migrants and refugees. The United States also announced $20 million to support Ecuador in reducing carbon emissions, protecting biodiversity, reactivating the economy, and addressing the challenge of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing. During the meeting, the Presidents committed to continuing to work together to address regional migration challenges and climate change.
During the meeting, President Biden and President Lasso also committed to close collaboration as Ecuador prepares to begin a two-year term on the United Nations Security Council. President Biden recognized President Lasso’s principled leadership on global issues, including his condemnation of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine. Finally, the leaders welcomed congressional approval of the bipartisan United States-Ecuador Partnership Act of 2022 to expand the United States’ cooperation with Ecuador on strengthening democratic institutions, promoting inclusive economic growth, and supporting environmental conservation, among other issues.
This is an Open Thread.
