President Biden’s public schedule for Monday 03/06/2023…
| 9:30 AM | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing Closed Press |
| 10:00 AM | In-Town Pool Call Time In-Town Pool |
| 11:10 AM | The President departs the White House en route to the 2023 International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference South Grounds In-Town Travel Pool |
| 12:15 PM Remarks | The President headlines the 2023 International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference Open Press |
| 1:10 PM | The President arrives at the White House South Grounds In-Town Travel Pool |
| 1:30 PM Press Briefing | Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre James S. Brady Press Briefing Room |
Remarks are scheduled for 12:15 p.m. D.C., time.
Press briefing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. D.C., time.
President Biden has tweeted…
1 tweet has been posted so far for Monday.
Article is paywalled…
His full statement:
Today’s announcements between the Republic of Korea and Japan mark a groundbreaking new chapter of cooperation and partnership between two of the United States’ closest allies. With two historic foreign ministerial statements, President Yoon and Prime Minister Kishida are taking a critical step to forge a future for the Korean and Japanese people that is safer, more secure, and more prosperous.
White House.gov. 03/05/2023.
The United States will continue to support the leaders of Japan and the Republic of Korea as they take steps to translate this new understanding into enduring progress. When fully realized, their steps will help us to uphold and advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
As we move ahead, I look forward to continuing to strengthen and enhance the trilateral ties between the Republic of Korea, Japan, and the United States. As today’s announcements remind us, our countries are stronger—and the world is safer and more prosperous—when we stand together.
AP News (03/06/2023):
South Korea took a step toward improving ties with its traditional rival Japan on Monday, announcing a plan to compensate Koreans who performed forced labor during Tokyo’s colonial rule that doesn’t require Japanese companies to contribute to the reparations.
[snip]
Ties between Seoul and Tokyo have long been complicated by grievances related to Japan’s brutal rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945, when hundreds of thousands of Koreans were mobilized as forced laborers for Japanese companies, or sex slaves at Tokyo’s military-run brothels during World War II.
Many forced laborers are already dead and survivors are in their 90s. Among the 15 victims involved in 2018 South Korean court rulings that ordered two Japanese companies — Nippon Steel and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries — to compensate them, only three are still alive and they are all in their 90s.
South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin told a televised news conference the victims would be compensated through a local state-run foundation that would be funded by civilian donations. He said South Korea hopes that Japanese companies would also make voluntary contributions to the foundation.
“If we compare it to a glass of water, I think that the glass is more than half full with water. We expect that the glass will be further filled moving forward based on Japan’s sincere response,” Park said.
Later Monday, Yoon called the South Korean step “a determination to move toward future-oriented Korea-Japan ties.” He said both governments must strive to help their relations enter a new era, according to Yoon’s office.
[snip]
The 1965 accord was accompanied by hundreds of millions of dollars in economic aid and loans from Tokyo to Seoul that were used in development projects carried out by major South Korean companies, including POSCO, now a global steel giant. POSCO said Monday that it will actively consider a contribution to the foundation if it receives an official request.
Japan insists all wartime compensation issues were settled under the 1965 treaty, and retaliated for the South Korean court-ordered compensation from the Japanese companies by slapping export controls on chemicals vital to South Korea’s semiconductor industry in 2019.
South Korea, then governed by Yoon’s liberal predecessor Moon Jae-in, accused Japan of weaponizing trade and subsequently threatened to terminate a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo, a major symbol of their three-way security cooperation with Washington.
[snip]
Former forced laborers, their supporters and liberal opposition lawmakers berated the government plan, calling it a diplomatic surrender. About 20-30 activists rallied near Seoul’s Foreign Ministry, blowing horns and shouting slogans, “We condemn (the Yoon government)” and “Withdraw (the announcement).”
Lim Jae-sung, a lawyer for some of the plaintiffs, called the South Korean plan an “absolute win by Japan, which insists it cannot spend 1 yen” on forced laborers. He said lawyers will press ahead with steps aimed at liquidating the Japanese companies’ assets in South Korea to secure the reparations.
The main liberal opposition Democratic Party called on Yoon to immediately stop what it called “a humiliating diplomacy” toward Japan and withdraw its plan.
The opposition to the government’s announcement cast doubts on the prospects to end the disputes. When the Democratic Party led by Moon was in power, it took steps to dissolve a foundation funded by Japan to compensate Korean women forced to work as sex slaves during World War II because it didn’t have the victims’ consent.
Despite the backlash, Yoon has likely decided to press ahead with steps to ease the disputes with Japan to bolster the alliance with the United States because “there is no magic solution that can satisfy everyone,” said Bong Young-shik, an expert at Seoul’s Yonsei Institute for North Korean Studies. He said Yoon likely felt pressure to boost defense against North Korea’s advancing missile threats.
AP News. 03/06/2023.
When the post was posted for Friday, President Biden had tweeted 1 time. He added 7 tweets giving him a Friday Tweeting Total of 8 tweets and 0 retweets.
The YouTube is 22 minutes and 46 seconds long. His full remarks can be found here.
The video snip is 7 seconds long. It’s more GIF than video as it has no sound it just shows President Biden presenting the Medal of Honor.
Sort of from his remarks (03/03/2023)…
President Biden: And, you know, it’s a story that didn’t just begin in the Vietne- — the Vietnamese village 58 years ago. Instead, picture Paris in 1956: the son of a Midwestern foundry worker starting his first year at Southern University in the heart of Louisiana. The college football team quickly noticed that Paris had the grit and the guts they needed on the team. So before long, Paris not only joined the team, but he was named All-American before this. He’s a very slow learner, this guy. (Laughter.) I tell you what. But off the field, Paris saw constant reminders that, to many — to many, he was less than an American and that, in the eyes of the law, he was less than a person. Signs on bars that read “whites only.” Seats on buses where — were off-limits for African Americans. Schools, streets, shops divided by segregation. Paris endured all of this and still chose to join his college ROTC unit, volunteering to serve a country that, in many places, still refused to serve people who looked like him. Right away, it was clear Paris was a born warrior. He became an Army Ranger. Then, he jumped at the chance to join the Green Berets, becoming one of the nation’s first Black Special Forces officers.
President Biden: And look, you’re everything our generation aspired to be. And you are everything our nation is at our best: brave and big hearted, determined and devoted, selfless and steadfast. American. American.
The White House posted the following meeting readout:
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. welcomed Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany to the White House today to reaffirm the strong bilateral relationship between the United States and Germany. At the one-year mark of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, the leaders discussed ongoing efforts to provide security, humanitarian, economic, and political assistance to Ukraine and the importance of maintaining global solidarity with the people of Ukraine. They reiterated their commitment to impose costs on Russia for its aggression for as long as necessary. The leaders also exchanged perspectives on other global issues.
White House.gov. 03/03/2023.
Remarks from Virginia (02/28/2023:
President Biden: Look, make no mistake: If MAGA Re- — if MAGA Republicans try to take away people’s healthcare by gutting Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, I will stop them. (Applause.)
I got nothing for these above tweets; we’ve covered this ground some many times…
President Biden is expected to release his budget plan on Thursday.
President Biden’s public schedule for Saturday 03/04/2023…
| Official Schedule | On Saturday, the President has no public events scheduled Biden Residence, Wilmington, |
| 12:00 PM | Out-of-Town Pool Call Time Biden Residence, Wilmington, |
Saturday’s Tweeting Total =’s 9 tweets and 0 retweets.
The Jobs Report for February will be released on Friday 03/10/2023…
You can view past jobs reports @BLS.gov/archive.
Remarks at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference (03/01/2023)
President Biden: The inflation has fallen seven straight months. Gas prices are down $1.65 since their peak, and we’re going to keep pushing. Our economy is growing at a solid clip. But it’s not an accident. It’s because we’ve all worked together, and we have worked together. We’ve worked tightly together.
The White House Junk Fee’s Prevention Act fact-sheet can be found in full in Wednesday’s Biden Bits; you can also read the full statement from American Airlines announcing their intent to drop their charge for allowing a child to sit by their parent.
The Inflation Reduction Act capped insulin at $35 for seniors on Medicare part D.
Remarks From Virginia (02/28/2023)…
“Robin” is mentioned 5 times in his remarks.
President Biden: Robin, you know, my dad — (applause) —And, by the way, you docs are good, but if there’s any angels in Heaven, they’re all nurses — male and female. You know why? You guys let us — you guys make us — allow us to live. Nurses make you want to live. I’m not joking. You lie there in the ICU, which I’ve done for a long time, and you look at those machines. And you know, if the line goes flat, that it’s over. But you just get tired. You don’t care. When I was at Walter Reed all that time, after a couple of craniotomies, I was lying there. And I had a nurse named Pearl Nelson, military. She’d come in and do things that I don’t think you learn in medical scho- — in nursing school. (Laughter.) She’d whisper in my ear. I didn’t — couldn’t understand her, but she’d whisper, and she’d lean down. She’d actually breathe on me to make sure that I was — there was a connection, a human connection. She even went home and brought back her pillow from her own bed because they didn’t — knew the one I had wasn’t comfortable. But I’m not joking. My son Beau came back from Iraq after being, all that time, within shouting distance of a burn pit. He had stage four glioblastoma. He went as an incredibly healthy guy, came back. And for 18 months, he fought. And the nurses — the docs were incredible. But the nurses would say — toward the end, they’d come in to look at him and they’d say, “No, no. Not — not now, Doc.” And the doctors knew enough to know that it wasn’t the time. The nurse didn’t think it was there. You’re so underestimated. You really are. And in no way is to diminish doctors, but I want to tell you something. Nurses: single most underestimated profession in the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.) And Robin talking about her journey — my dad —If you have a seat, please take it. If you don’t, come on up on stage with me. (Laughter.) You know — and, Robin, thank you for that introduction. Robin, my dad used to say it a little differently. My dad used to say everybody needs a little bit of breathing room. Just a little bit of breathing room. At the end of the month, can you in fact pay your bills and still be certain your family is going to be okay? We lived in a three- — we weren’t poor; we were a typical middle-class family. Four kids. We lived in a three-bedroom split-level home with a grandpop. And my headboard was up against the wall where my dad is on the other side — my dad and mom. One night, I remember my dad — you could hear how restless he was. When I got up the next morning — I was in high school, my senior year — and I said, “What’s the matter, Mom? What’s the matter with Dad?” She said, “His company just dropped health insurance.” Well, you know, a lot of people face that. A lot of people worry about it right now. But he said, “Just a little breathing room. A little bit of certainty. Just a little bit of certainty.” It matters. So, Robin, thank you for the introduction.
President Biden’s public schedule for Sunday 03/05/2023…
| 12:15 PM | The President departs New Castle, Delaware en route to Montgomery, Alabama New Castle National Guard Base Out-of-Town Pool |
| 2:20 PM | The President arrives in Montgomery, Alabama (1:20 PM Local) Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, AL Open Press |
| 2:30 PM | The President departs Montgomery, Alabama en route to Selma, Alabama (1:30 PM Local) Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, AL Open Press |
| 2:50 PM | The President arrives in Selma, Alabama Craig Air Field, Selma, AL Out-of-Town Pool |
| 3:30 PM Remarks | The President delivers remarks on the importance of commemorating Bloody Sunday so that history can’t be erased and highlighting how the continued fight for voting rights is integral to delivering economic justice and civil rights for Black Americans Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL Open Press |
| 5:00 PM | The President participates in the annual Selma Bridge Crossing Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma, AL Out-of-Town Pool |
| 6:20 PM | The President departs Selma, Alabama en route to Montgomery, Alabama (5:20 PM Local) Craig Air Field, Selma, AL Out-of-Town Pool |
| 6:40 PM | The President arrives in Montgomery, Alabama (5:40 PM Local) Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, AL Out-of-Town Pool |
| 6:50 PM | The President departs Montgomery, Alabama en route to Joint Base Andrews Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, AL |
| 8:40 PM | The President arrives at Joint Base Andrews Joint Base Andrews Out-of-Town Pool |
| 9:00 PM | The President arrives at the White House South Lawn Open Press |
Sunday’s Tweeting Total =’s 9 tweets and 0 retweets.
The Oval Office Pool Spray YouTube is 3 minutes and 29 seconds long.
Their full remarks:
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, Chancellor, welcome back to the Oval Office. Welcome back to the White House.
Olaf, we’ve — there’s been a lot changing since the last year you were here. Matter of fact, if I’m not mistaken, you were here in February of 2022, and Russia was amassing its troops — 185,000 troops on the Ukrainian border. And we made it clear that if he moved, we would both respond. And together, we made good on that promise that —
And I want to thank you, Olaf, for your strong and steady leadership. And I mean that sincerely. It’s made a world of difference. And together, we made good on our promise.
You’ve stepped up to provide critical military support. And, you know, I would argue that, beyond your military support, the moral support you gave to the Ukrainians has been profound. It’s been profound.
And you’ve driven historic changes at home and, you know, increasing defense spending and diversifying away from Russian energy sources. I know that’s not been easy. Been very difficult for you.
Together, we worked lockstep to supply critical security assistance to Ukraine. And — from everything from — we’ve done it in lockstep — ammunition, artillery, armored tanks, air defense systems. And we’ve been together throughout this.
You helped Ukraine meet its basic needs, like food, health, heating. And you continue to give them — put — maintain the pressure on Putin. And it is undercutting his ability to fight this war.
And so, as NATO Allies, we’re making the Alliance stronger and more capable. You’ve heard me say before that, when I talked to Putin a couple of months before that, I told him that he was more likely to get the — not the — the NATOization — excuse me — the
Findalization[Finlandization] of Europe, which he was pushing for. More like he got the NATOization of Europe. And he’s had that effect, in terms of what — what’s happened. So, a lot has happened since last year. We got a lot to talk about, and I look forward to our conversation.CHANCELLOR SCHOLZ: Thank you for having me again. And I really appreciate to be back at the White House. And let me just say this is a very, very important year because of the very dangerous threat to peace that comes from Russia invading Ukraine. And it’s really important that we acted together, that we organized our lockstep, and that we made it feasible that we can give the necessary support to Ukraine during all this time.
And, at this time, I think it is very important that we give the message that we will continue to do so as long as it takes and as long as it is necessary, and that we are ready, also, for staying with the Ukrainians as it — as long as it is necessary.
And I really appreciate the very good cooperation between the two of us, our governments, and the United States and Germany and Europe. And the transatlantic partnership is really in very good shape today. And this is very much thanks to your leadership.
So, I’m really happy to be here to talk with you.PRESIDENT BIDEN: We have a lot to talk about. Well, thank you.
White House.gov. 03/03/2023.
You can find Eli Lilly’s full announcement in Wednesday’s Biden Bits and part of their announcement Thursday’s Biden Bits…
Remarks from Virginia (02/28/2023).
President Biden: Now, let me explain the national debt. You all know — we think we all know it. It’s the accumulated debt over 200 years. Every year it’s accumulated, over 200 years. The federal government has never, ever once reneged on that debt. We’ve never questioned our credit. And guess what? Let’s remember the last administration increased the federal debt by 25 percent. The 200-year debt — in four years, they increased it by 25 percent. Two hundred years.
The YouTube is 32 minutes and 14 seconds long. President Biden begins his remarks at the 11 minute and 36 second mark.
His full remarks:
Hello, hello, hello! Please. Oh, you see all those folks out there.
Hey, everybody. How are you? (Applause.) Selma is here!
Well, before I be- — please, have a seat, if you have one. I once said that, “Have a seat if you have one,” and the press said, “They don’t have seats. He didn’t even — he’s so stupid, he didn’t know that.” Those folks might not have them back there, but you all do here.
Folks, look, there’s a lot to say. I’m going to try not to say very much in terms of length of time. But I want to say a few things.
It was mentioned that we should be working for the people of Africa. For years, I was chairman of the African Affairs Subcommittee in the United States Senate, and we have invested — my wife just got back from Zambia and Namibia. She’s there all the time. We just made sure we have billions of dollars committed to build Africa. Angola is going to have the largest solar facility in all of Africa. We’re investing in Africa because Africa is important and because everything happening there will affect us. (Applause.)
So, folks, that’s number one.
Number two, I want to make sure that — you know, I’ve told the Mayor I — I think mayor is being the toughest job in America. But one of the mayors who took some time to come and help me put together my program: Keisha Lance Bottoms. Keisha, would you stand up? (Applause.) From Atlanta.
She’s, understandably, going home because she’s got some kids and it’s about time. She promised she’d stay as long as she did, and she did. But we got another mayor coming too. So, anyway, thank you very much, Keisha.
And, folks, you know, the last time I was here — my daughter is a social worker — Ashley Biden was with me. She couldn’t be with me today — she wanted to — because she’s working on a project for battered women up in — up in Delaware and Philadelphia. So, she sends her best.
On this stage, “the children of God” started a journey. “Walking…not saying a word…beaten, tear-gassed.” On this bridge, blood was given to help “redeem the soul of America.”
Last time I was — he was here, I was with him. John Lewis. They were his words.
Mayor Perkins, Congresswoman Terri Sewell, members of Congress, all of you who are here; Charles Mauldin and all the foot soldiers of Selma; distinguished guests:
We’re — you are — among the final words of our dear friend John Lewis, delivered as he stood on the bridge over troubled waters three years ago. I had the privilege to stand here with him. Words that give meaning to the past and purpose to the future.
I’ve been on this bridge before as Vice President, as a candidate for President; I was even here before — before as a senator — because history matters. And now I’m here as your President.
The truth matters — notwithstanding what the other team is trying to hide. They’re trying to hide the truth.
No matter how hard some people try, we can’t just choose to learn what we want to know and not what we should know.
We should learn everything — the good, the bad, the truth — of who we are as a nation.
And everyone should know the truth of Selma.Six hundred believers put faith into action to march across that bridge named after the Grand Dragon of the KKK. They were on their way to the state capitol in Montgomery to claim their fundamental right to vote laid in the bedrock of our Constitution but stolen by hate harbored in too many hearts.
With unflinching courage, foot soldiers for marched — for justice marched through the valley of the shadow of death, and they feared no evil.
The forces of hate conspired to demise, but they endured. They forced the country to confront the hard truths and to act to keep the promise of America alive.
I was a student up north in the Civil Rights Movement. I remember feeling how guilty I was. I wasn’t here. How could we all be up there and you going through what you went through, looking at those — I can still picture — you can still picture the troopers with their batons and wands and whips.
A promise that declares we’re all created and deserve to be treated equally.
Two weeks later, they marched to Montgomery with Dr. King, an even bigger coalition of people from different races and faiths. Five months later, the Voting Rights Act was signed into law five months later. (Applause.)But as I come here in commemoration — not for show — Selma is a reckoning.
The right to vote — the right to vote and to have your vote counted is the threshold of democracy and liberty.
With it, anything is possible. Without it — without that right, nothing is possible.
And this fundamental right remains under assault.
The conservative Supreme Court has gutted the Voting Rights Act over the years.
Since the 2020 election, a wave of states and dozens — dozens of anti-voting laws fueled by the Big Lie, and the election deniers now elected to office.
The new law here in Alabama, among other things, enacted a new congressional map that discriminated against Black voters by failing to include what should’ve been a new predominately Black district. (Applause.)That case, as you all know better than I, is in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. And my U.S. Department of Justice has joined many of you in arguing that the map violates the Voting Rights Act.
All of this after a deadly insurrection on January the 6th.
We must remain vigilant.
In January, I signed the Electoral Count Reform Act to protect the will of the people and the people transferring the — and the peaceful transfer of power.
But we know that we must get the votes in Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. (Applause.)
I’ve made it clear I will not let a filibuster obstruct the sacred right to vote and the right of any other right that flow from there. (Applause.)
And that’s why we followed the words that you all have, the words of Dr. King. He said, “Give us the ballot, and we will place judges on the bench…who will do justly.”
Led by Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and more Black women appointed to the federal appellate court than every other President in history has done, we’re about to do that. (Applause.)
After Senate Republicans blocked the Geoy- — the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act last year, I did what was in my power. I signed an executive order requiring all the key elements of the bill applied to federal law enforcement I couldn’t make at the states: banning chokeholds, greatly restricting no-knock warrants, establishing a database for police misconduct, advancing effective and accountable community policing that builds public trust. And we’ll keep fighting to pass the reform nationwide.
Folks, well, we passed the most significant gun safety law in 30 years, but I’m not ready to stop, nor is Jim Clyburn or anybody else up there ready to stop.
I led the effort when I was a senator to pass the assault weapons ban. And we banned the assault — we’re going to ban assault weapons again. (Applause.) They matter. When we had the ban, fewer people died. Fewer mass shootings.
And together, we’re saying loud and clearly that, in America, hate and extremism will not prevail — although they are rearing their ugly head with significance now.
Silence — as the saying goes: Silence is complicity. Now, I promise you my administration will not remain silent. I promise you. (Applause.)
The task before us is about justice, but it’s also about jobs, financial stability, the ability to generate generational wealth. It’s about hope, self-worth. It’s about dignity.
And that’s why we’re building an economy — that I’ve been significantly criticized for, but I make no apologies — that grows the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, not from the top down.
We weren’t poor, but we weren’t wealthy. We were a typical middle-class family with a three-bedroom home and four kids and a grandpop living with us. I don’t remember anything trickling down from my — on my dad’s kitchen table with the trickle-down economic problems.
Because when we do that — we build from the middle out and the bottom up — the poor have a ladder up, the middle class does very well, and the wealthy still do well. We all do well.
But we know there’s work to do, especially as you recover from this devastating tornado and the storms that hit in January.
That’s why, working with Terri and the Mayor, I issued a Major Disaster Declaration immediately, committing the federal government to cover 100 percent of the debris removal. (Applause.)
We also are paying for temporary housing and home repairs, supporting local businesses, small businesses, as well as doing in other towns devastated as you have been.
To date, we’ve provided $8 million in recovery, and we’re just getting started the rebuilding effort. And we’re here — we’ll be here as long as it takes.
The first major bill we passed without a single vote from the other team was the American Rescue Plan, when I was sworn in. That has provided $60 million to Selma and Dallas County directly.
One of the things, having been a county official for two years, I learned a long time ago: I didn’t like anything that went through the state legislature. (Laughter.) Oh, I’m not joking. They’re good people, but they all want a piece of it. If it was supposed to come to my county, it better damn well come to my county directly. (Applause.)
So this is going directly to your county, directly to your city, to keep teachers, nurses, police officers, firefighters on the job.
Selma is also benefitting from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which is a multi-, multibillion-dollar commitment to rebuild this country. How can we be the leading economy in the world if we don’t have the best roads, ports, and so on? How can we be that?
Well, guess what? It’s the largest investment in infrastructure since Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System.
Here in Selma, we’re funding major water projects, removing over 800 poisonous lead-pipe service lines that are over 100 years old, because every child should be able to turn on a faucet and drink clean water without fear of getting sick. (Applause.)
And it’s also going to deliver affordable high-speed Internet to every single home in this county and this city. And no parent — so no parent, God forbid another pandemic, is going to have to sit in the McDonald’s parking lot to use their Internet to be able to get no — have their kid’s homework be done.
Look, and in the process, these kinds of investments are going to create good-paying jobs. Most of these jobs don’t require college degrees. They’ll be able to hire here, hire in your community.
And, by the way, the unemployment rate for African Americans under my administration is the second lowest it’s ever been in all of American history, and we’re going to continue to make sure that happens. (Applause.)
And, by the way, I — I’m the only President, I’ve learned, that had permanent offices in the White House for the Divine Nine and the HBCUs. (Applause.) I figured it out, man. I figured it out.
Now, I know that the Vice President thinks that Howard is the best. Delaware State University, where I come from.
But all kidding aside, we’ve contributed billions of dollars to put HBCUs in a position, because they don’t have — (applause) — I mean it seriously, billions of dollars — because they don’t have the kind of trust funds that the major schools have.
So, guess what? It leaves out an awful lot of qualified African Americans at HBCUs from learning how to deal with cybersecurity, learning how to deal with all the stuff in the future. Guess what? Right now — now they have that. And I’m able, as the President of the United States, to award these contracts directly there, because they have — they have the — they have a lab. I’m serious. It’s a big deal.
There’s a lot more we’re doing for Selma and cities like it all across America.
When I passed the Inflation Reduction Act — which, again, the other team didn’t participate at all — which allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices for the first time.
Do you realize, in America, we pay more for prescription drugs than any nation in the world? You hear me? More. And I’ve been fighting this for the last 25 years. But guess what? We finally beat Big Pharma. (Applause.)
So, now — oh, man, I — you have no idea how good I felt about that one. Because what’s happened? What happened is, now Medicare can say, “We are not going to pay you more than $35,” instead of $400, “for that insulin that you need.” And guess what that means? Not only — not only it reduced prices for people who need help, but it reduces the federal budget by $158 billion. (Applause.)
You know, we can walk and chew gum at the same time.
In addition to that, when we reduced the cost of insulin for seniors on Medicare, we got a commitment. Initially, I proposed that we reduce it for anybody needing that insulin.
Well, guess what? The other team voted that down too. But along came — along came the largest maker of insulin in the country. They, as they said, “seen the Lord.” (Laughter.) They saw a light.
And here’s the deal — I’m not kidding: Eli Lilly, one of the biggest drug makers of insulin, they just announced they’re going to cap the cost of all their insulin at $35. (Applause.)
And guess what that means. No other company is going to be able to charge more than that because no one is going to buy it. For everyone else with diabetes, that’s going to help 500,000 folks in Alabama today — (applause) — that are on this. And it’s going to reduce the price from somewhere between 4- and 600 bucks a month to $35 a month.
So let’s finish the job. Lower the price for everyone, including the 200,000 children with Type 1 diabetes across this country.
But there’s more work to do. We’ll protect Social Security and Medicare, and we’ll protect —
Did you — by the way, did you see that State of the Union address?
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Yes!
THE PRESIDENT: I said, “That means all you guys are against cutting Medicare and Social Security?” “Oh, yeah!” Well, in my religion, we go, “Bless me, Father. That’s a wonderful thing.” (Laughter.)
Look, Medicaid is critically important to people that are having trouble making it.
And the Affordable Care Act — we increased the available money by 800 bucks for those folks. We’re going to make sure we protect those two to make sure they get the care they need.
Look, we need to reward work, not just wealth, because no — the idea — you know, we used to have about 670 billionaires in America. Now we have about a thousand. Do you realize they pay a lower tax rate than your police officers or the people driving that ambulance? They pay a lower tax rate than hardworking folks. I think you should be able to make a trillion dollars. Just pay your fair share, Jack. (Applause.) No, I mean it.
And there’s no — and, by the way, we’ll also cut the deficit if we have them begin to pay their fair share.
Look, with Terri’s leadership, let’s make sure working parents in Selma and across the country have a living wage. (Applause.) There should be sick days available, paid family and medical leave. We’re the only country in the nation — in the world that doesn’t have it. Affordable childcare and eldercare, it saves money. Let’s restore the full Child Tax Credit. (Applause.)
And, by the way, that cut — that cut Black child poverty in half and gave tens of millions of parents some breathing room, including almost a million folks in Alabama.
I was telling the Mayor on the way over: My dad was a hardworking guy, a real gentleman, a decent man. He never got a college degree. He never got to go to college. It was the great regret he had. But know what he used to say, for real? I’m sorry I always quote my dad, but he — it’s worth saying. He’d say, “Joey, remember, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your decency. It’s about respect. It’s about being able to look your kid in the eye and say, ‘Honey, it’s going to be okay.’”
It’s so easy to make that happen without any fundamental changes. But they’re not letting us up to now.
With HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge — Marcia, you’re here, aren’t you? There you are. (Applause.) She’s my Secretary of Housing and Urban Affairs. Look, she’s leading the way on housing discrimination and affordable, quality housing.
My message to you is this: We see you. We’re fighting to make sure no one is left behind. This is a time of choosing, and we need everybody engaged.
We know history does not look kindly on those who deny the march across the bridge to redeem the soul of America.
Let me close with this. In many of your faith traditions, Sunday is the Sabbath, a day of rest. But on that Sunday morning, on March 7th, 1965, Amelia Boynton Robinson and 600 of her fellow children of God chose different pews.
On this bridge of her beloved Selma, they were called to the altar of democracy, unsure of their fate but certain that the cause was righteous. So she would go on to say, quote, “You can never know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been.” We know where we have been. (Applause.)
And, my fellow Americans, on this Sunday of our time, we know where we’ve been and we know, more importantly, where we have to go: forward together.
So let’s pray, but let’s not rest.
Let’s keep marching. Let’s keep the faith.
But most of all, let’s remember who we are. We’re the United States of America, and there’s nothing — nothing beyond our capacity when we act together. So, let’s go and finish the job.
God bless you all. And may God bless our troops. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 03/05/2023.
Prior to his remarks on Sunday, the White House posted the following fact-sheet; The Biden-Harris Administration Continues to Promote Access to Voting
Today, President Biden is traveling to Selma, Alabama to commemorate the 58th Anniversary of Bloody Sunday. In 1965, John Lewis and other civil rights leaders led peaceful protestors demanding voting rights in a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, where they were brutally beaten by state troopers. The Nation’s reaction to Bloody Sunday helped produce the long overdue landmark Voting Rights Act, which put in place key protections against racial discrimination in voting and sought to provide equal access to the ballot for every American.
Since their first days in office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have prioritized strengthening our democracy and protecting the sacred right to vote in free, fair, and secure elections. Unconscionably, state legislatures across the country have enacted and continue to introduce laws that make it harder to vote and undermine the will of the people. Congress must restore the protections of the Voting Rights Act and take additional steps to ensure access to the ballot box by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act—it’s the only way we can fully secure the right to vote in every state.
In December 2022, President Biden signed into law the Electoral Count Reform Act, which establishes clear guidelines for our system of certifying and counting electoral votes for President and Vice President, to preserve the will of the people and to protect against the type of attempts to overturn our elections that led to the January 6 insurrection. Congress must apply the same courage and conviction that it took to secure these reforms to passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. President Biden supports eliminating the filibuster to prevent a minority of Senators from blocking action on voting rights—when it comes to protecting majority rule in America, the majority should rule in the United States Senate.
In the meantime, the Biden-Harris Administration remains committed to using every tool at its disposal to protect the right to vote. On March 7, 2021, the anniversary of Bloody Sunday, President Biden signed an executive order directing an all-of-government effort to promote access to voting. As previously outlined, agencies continue leveraging their resources to provide Americans with access to voter registration services and nonpartisan information about elections:
White House.gov. 03/05/2023.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The ability to vote is both a right and a responsibility that comes with U.S. citizenship. The Department of Homeland Security’s USCIS strives to ensure all newly naturalized citizens understand this privilege and have the opportunity to register to vote following their naturalization ceremony. To improve and strengthen these efforts, USCIS will issue updated policy guidance to its 88 field offices to standardize and lift up best practices for voter registration services, including providing a clear roadmap for how to successfully partner with state and local election administration officials and nonpartisan organizations to provide voter registration applications to all new Americans. In Fiscal Year 2022, USCIS administered the Oath of Allegiance for 967,400 new Americans, across more than 20,000 naturalization ceremonies. Voter registration information and additional resources for newly naturalized Americans are available on the USCIS website for New U.S. Citizens.
- Department of Education. By the end of March, the Department of Education will use StudentAid.gov to help connect borrowers to voter registration services by linking to vote.gov. StudentAid.gov is the Department’s primary customer website about postsecondary education. With more than 355 million visits in 2022, StudentAid.gov provides critical information and tools for students, families, and borrowers as they prepare and plan for college, apply for and receive federal student aid, and repay student loans. Building off guidance issued in April 2022, the Department continues to encourage colleges and career schools to make good-faith efforts to register students to vote.
- Department of Agriculture. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) will enhance efforts to promote access to voting by encouraging all USDA agency field offices to make nonpartisan information about voter registration available in customer service locations, which exist across the country in thousands of rural, suburban, and urban communities.
- Indian Health Service. The Indian Health Service (IHS) will promote access to voting in Indian Country by piloting high-quality voter registration services to patients across five IHS facilities by the end 2023.
- General Services Administration. Vote.gov is now accessible in twelve languages, with more translations coming online soon, and GSA will continue working to enhance the website to make it easier for Americans to register to vote and obtain nonpartisan information about voting.
- Department of Treasury. In addition to supporting the third-party Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) partners in offering voter registration services to individuals who seek tax assistance, Treasury is now providing information about voter registration in the instructions for IRS Form 1040 and in direct mail pieces delivered to approximately 900,000 Americans who receive Social Security Benefits, Railroad Pension benefits, and federal retirement benefits.
- Department of the Interior. In 1993, Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act, which authorized states to request that federal agencies provide voter registration services. For nearly 30 years, no federal agency was designated as a voter registration agency. Last year, the Department of the Interior became the first agency to be designated as voter registration agency when two Bureau of Indian Education-operated post-secondary institutions—Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in New Mexico—formed partnerships with state election authorities to provide the opportunity to register to vote. Additionally, because federal public lands are one of the most common touch points between the federal government and the American people, the Department will explore options to expand access to voter registration on public lands across the country.
- Department of Justice. Promoting voting access and education is an important part of preparing individuals who are exiting the criminal justice system for a successful return to society, because encouraging full citizenship helps make them stakeholders in the communities to which they return. The Department has developed a program to educate individuals about their voting rights, specific to each state and territory. The Department is also promoting access to voting for those who remain eligible to vote while in federal custody, including by putting in place procedures to facilitate voter registration and voting.
- Department of Defense. The Federal Voting Assistance Program, which works to ensure Service members and overseas citizens have access to voting, will make the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) for voter registration or ballot request and the Federal Write-in Absentee Ballot (FWAB) available in seven languages. Additionally, in February 2023, the Department began the Effective Absentee Systems for Elections (EASE) grant program to provide state and local election offices with funding to increase the percentage of ballots successfully returned by Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) voters, reduce the failure rates for UOCAVA voters, and establish and maintain a pipeline of ideas, techniques, and best practices of election officials and the services they provide for UOCAVA voters.
- Department of State. Travel.state.gov now reflects up-to-date information on absentee voting and registration for U.S. citizens abroad. This coming year, the Department will promote Vote.gov in the waiting rooms of its 26 public passport agencies.
This is an Open Thread.
