President Biden’s public schedule for Friday 03/31/2023:
| 7:05 AM | Out-of-Town Pool Call Time Joint Base Andrews Overhang Out-of-Town Pool |
| 7:20 AM | In-Town Pool Call Time The White House In-Town Pool |
| 8:00 AM | The President and The First Lady depart the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews South Lawn Open Press |
| 8:20 AM | The President and The First Lady depart Joint Base Andrews en route to Jackson, Mississippi Joint Base AndrewsOut-of-Town Pool |
| 9:15 AM Press Gaggle | Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route Jackson, Mississippi Joint Base Andrews Out-of-Town Pool |
| 10:40 AM | The President and The First Lady arrive in Jackson, Mississippi Jackson Air National Guard Base, MS Open Press |
| 11:20 AM | The President and The First Lady arrive in Yazoo City, Mississippi Yazoo County Airport, Yazoo City, MS Open Press |
| 12:25 PM | The President and The First Lady receive an operational briefing by federal, local, and state officials on current response and recovery efforts South Delta Elementary School, Rolling Fork, MS Out-of-Town Pool Spray |
| 1:55 PM | The President and The First Lady meet with community leaders and local residents impacted by the storms and thank first responders Rolling Fork, MS Out-of-Town Pool |
| 2:25 PM Remarks | The President delivers remarks to reaffirm his commitment to supporting the people of Mississippi as they recover and rebuild from the devastating storms; The First Lady attends Rolling Fork, MSOut-of-Town Pool |
| 4:00 PM | The President and The First Lady depart Yazoo City, Mississippi en route to Jackson, Mississippi Yazoo County Airport, Yazoo City, MSOut-of-Town Pool |
| 4:40 PM | The President and The First Lady depart Jackson, Mississippi en route Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jackson Air National Guard Base, MSOut-of-Town Pool |
| 7:00 PM | The President and The First Lady depart Philadelphia, Pennsylvania en route Delaware Air National Guard Base Philadelphia International Airport Open Press |
| 7:10 PM | The President and The First Lady arrive in New Castle, Delaware New Castle National Guard Base |
The press gaggle happened already…
President Biden had 8 new tweets posted after Halodoc published yesterday’s Biden Bits. One of those tweets I’m sharing here and out of order…
His remarks are scheduled for 2:25 p.m. D.C., time.
The other tweets from yesterday…
From the White House fact-sheet; President Biden Announces New Resources to Support Women Small Businesses Owners, Continued Commitment to Supporting America’s Entrepreneurs (03/27/2023)…
During the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) second annual Women’s Business Summit, President Biden will announce new resources to support women small business owners, and he will reaffirm the Biden-Harris Administration’s continued commitment to supporting all of America’s small businesses. The President will announce that SBA will expand the Women Business Centers network, bringing the total to 160 centers across the country that assist women entrepreneurs through training, mentoring, business development, and financing opportunities.
White House.gov. 03/27/2023.
Snip:
- Invested millions to establish the largest network of Women Business Centers (WBC) in history. These centers are specifically designed to assist women, providing training, mentoring, business development, and financing opportunities, recognizing that women still face unique obstacles in the business world. This Administration has invested nearly $70 million in the Women Business Centers network, expanding it for the first time into all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. This includes tripling the number of WBCs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI), and other minority-serving institutions (MSI). President Biden will announce that the SBA will expand the WBC network with an additional 15 locations, bringing the total to 160 centers across the country.
I looked for official Vatican statements; I suck at reading their website. I did find this from Vatican News.VA:
On Friday, the Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said, “As he is scheduled to leave the hospital tomorrow, Pope Francis is expected to be present in St. Peter’s Square for the Eucharistic celebration of Palm Sunday, Passion of the Lord.”
In an earlier statement Friday morning, Mr Bruni updated the press on the Pope’s condition: “Yesterday’s day,” the statement began, “passed well, with a normal clinical course. In the evening Pope Francis had dinner, eating pizza, together with those who are assisting him during these days of his hospital stay: with the Holy Father were the doctors, nurses, assistants, and staff of the Gendarmerie.”
It added that this morning, after having breakfast, he read some newspapers and resumed work.
“His Holiness,” the statement concluded, “is expected to return to the Santa Marta home tomorrow, upon the outcome of the results of the last examinations this morning.”
In a Thursday evening statement, Bruni conveyed that doctors at the Gemelli Hospital in Rome where the Pope was admitted on Wednesday afternoon, said he has been diagnosed with viral bronchitis that requires the administration of an antibiotic therapy administered by infusion.
In that statement, Bruni conveyed information received from the medical staff treating the Pope at the hospital and said that following the results of the planned clinical check-ups, it was found that the Holy Father is affected by a viral bronchitis that requires the administration of antibiotics that “have resulted in a marked improvement in his state of health.”
Vatican News.VA.
03/24/2023; I’m posting this for no real reason other than it’s great to see him in recovery.
03/29/2023…
The next tweets ask Congress to do something…
This one asks federal banking agencies to “consider reinstating safeguards gutted by my predecessor”…
The CNBC Politics news article is based on a fact-sheet posted by the White House on Thursday…
President Biden believes that resilient community and regional banks provide vital services to small businesses, workers, and families around the country. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken decisive action to ensure the stability of the banking system without putting taxpayer dollars at risk. As we have demonstrated, the administration has the tools to act quickly to prevent contagion and is committed to taking strong action if needed. Americans should have confidence that their deposits will be there when they need them.
As the President said when his administration announced actions to stabilize the banking system, he is committed to “continuing our efforts to strengthen oversight and regulation of larger banks so that we are not in this position again.” The Obama-Biden Administration put in place strong requirements – primarily through the Dodd-Frank Act and subsequent regulations and supervision – to reduce the risk of future banking crises. Unfortunately, Trump Administration regulators weakened many important common-sense requirements and supervision for large regional banks like Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, whose recent failure led to contagion.
The President believes that the weakening of common-sense bank safeguards and supervision during the Trump Administration for large regional banks should be reversed in order to strengthen the banking system and protect American jobs and small businesses.
Specifically, the President urges the federal banking agencies, in consultation with the Treasury Department, to consider a set of reforms that will reduce the risk of future banking crises, including:
White House.gov. 03/30/2023.
- Reinstating rules that were rolled back in the previous Administration for banks with assets between $100 and $250 billion, including:
- Liquidity requirements and enhanced liquidity stress testing. Liquidity rules originally created under the Dodd-Frank Act required banks with between $100 and $250 billion in assets to hold sufficient high-quality liquid assets to cover expected net outflows during a stress period. The Trump Administration eliminated these rules for banks below $250 billion in assets. A recent analysis found that, as of the end of 2022, Silicon Valley Bank was well below the liquidity threshold that would have applied had the Trump Administration not exempted the bank from those rules. As we just saw, Silicon Valley Bank’s liquidity stress contributed to its failure and quickly transmitted to other banks. Bank regulators are encouraged to consider reinstating these requirements and using rigorous liquidity stress tests that factor in the risks of faster withdrawals in an always-on online environment.
- Annual supervisory capital stress tests. Federal banking authorities have undertaken comprehensive capital stress tests to evaluate a range of risks that could face banks and to require that banks clearly have enough capital to withstand the potential losses associated with those risks. Under the Trump Administration, regulators reduced the obligation for banks like Silicon Valley Bank to undergo these stress tests from once a year to once every two years. As a result, when Silicon Valley Bank failed, it had never undergone a comprehensive capital stress test even though it had more than $200 billion in assets. Concerns about the bank’s capital levels contributed to a loss of confidence and withdrawal of deposits.
- Comprehensive resolution plans (also known as “living wills”). Trump Administration regulators removed the requirement for bank holding companies in the $100 to $250 billion size range, like Silicon Valley Bank’s parent company, to submit comprehensive resolution plans and asserted that the failure of these banks would not threaten the financial system. But the failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have now demonstrated clearly that failures of banks in this size range can pose systemic risk. As such, banks and bank holding companies of this size should have to submit plans describing how they could be wound down without transmitting stress to the rest of the banking system.
- Strong capital requirements for banks, at an appropriate time after a considerable transition period. Americans should be confident that banks have sufficient capital cushions to absorb potential losses during stress events like the ones experienced by Silicon Valley Bank. At their point of failure, Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank had large unrealized losses on securities exceeding the capital available to absorb these losses. During the Trump Administration, regulators changed the rules to weaken a variety of capital requirements for some regional banks. These rules should be strengthened, to incorporate some of the requirements that already apply to the largest banks. In addition to revising these rules, there is remaining work to fully implement post-financial crisis capital rules.
- Taking steps to once again ensure strong supervision.
- Reduce the transition periods for applying common-sense safeguards to growing banks that are projected to exceed the $100 billion threshold. The Trump Administration not only extended stress-testing cycles but also allowed lengthy transition periods that delayed capital stress tests after banks first reached $100 billion in assets. These changes let Silicon Valley Bank avoid a supervisory capital stress test for three years after clearing that threshold. Regulators should, as appropriate, consider shortening the transition periods for common-sense safeguards like stress testing, and supervisors should consider making sure rapidly growing banks prepare for them even as they approach the asset threshold. In addition, regulators should consider other measures to address risks associated with banks’ rapid growth.
- Strengthen supervisory tools, including stress testing, to make sure banks can withstand high interest rates and other stresses. Rising interest rates are an obvious risk that any bank must manage. Regulators and supervisors are urged to consider using stress tests and other tools to ensure banks with $100 billion or more in assets have enough capital to withstand rising interest rates. They should also use their tools to assess liquidity for accelerated outflows of concentrated depositors and related liquidity shocks.
- Expanding long-term debt requirements to a broader range of banks. Currently, regulators require the largest banks to issue minimum amounts of long-term debt, which, in the event of failure, can serve as a loss-absorbing buffer to better protect depositors. Last year, regulators began the process of updating these rules to, among other things, apply to a larger swath of banks. The regulators are encouraged to move forward expeditiously in proposing new rules.
- Ensuring that the costs of replenishing the Deposit Insurance Fund after these recent bank failures are not borne by community banks. The FDIC relied on the Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF) – a fund made up entirely of fees paid by banks – to help ensure that all depositors at Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank had full access to their deposits. Current law requires the FDIC to levy a special assessment on banks to recover losses to the DIF and gives the FDIC discretion on how to implement the assessment.
Each of these items can be accomplished under existing law, and they build upon regulatory reforms already on this Administration’s agenda, like completion of the executive compensation rule for bank executives authorized under Section 956 of the Dodd-Frank Act. It is important to put in place common-sense safeguards to reverse the Trump Administration’s harmful weakening of bank safeguards and supervision and help ensure that community and regional banks remain resilient and continue supporting small businesses and jobs.
White House.gov. 03/30/2023.
President Biden has tweeted…
He’s posted 3 tweets so far for Friday.
His full statement:
On Transgender Day of Visibility, we celebrate the strength, joy, and absolute courage of some of the bravest people I know. Transgender Americans deserve to be safe and supported in every community – but today, across our country, MAGA extremists are advancing hundreds of hateful and extreme state laws that target transgender kids and their families. No one should have to be brave just to be themselves.
Let me be clear: These attacks are un-American and must end. The bullying, discrimination, and political attacks that trans kids face have exacerbated our national mental health crisis. More than half of transgender youth say they have seriously considered suicide. Loving parents are terrified for their children’s futures. To help, my Administration is providing dedicated emergency mental health resources: If you’re a transgender young person who needs help, you can call 988 to reach the nationwide suicide prevention and crisis hotline. Press “3” to speak with a counselor specifically trained to support LGBTQI+ youth.
My Administration will never quit fighting to end discrimination, to stand against these unjust state laws, and to guarantee everyone the fundamental right and freedom to be who they are. We’ll never stop working to create a world where everyone can live without fear; where parents, teachers, and whole communities come together to support kids, no matter how they identify; and every child is surrounded by compassion and love.
I want every member of the trans community to know that we see you. You’re each made in the image of God, and deserve love, dignity, and respect. You make America stronger, and we’re with you.
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
The White House posted the following fact-sheet; White House Honors Transgender Day of Visibility
Today, in honor of Transgender Day of Visibility, the Biden-Harris Administration is uplifting transgender communities—and especially transgender kids and their families—by celebrating their resilience in the face of hateful anti-transgender laws being advanced across the country. Since President Biden’s first day in office, the Administration has taken historic steps to advance equality, dignity, and safety for transgender Americans, and he is the first President in history to discuss the importance of expanding equality and combating attacks on the rights of transgender Americans in every State of the Union or joint session of Congress address. While transgender Americans have an unwavering champion in the President, conservative politicians have advanced hundreds of anti-transgender laws in states across the country so far this year, putting the fundamental rights and freedoms of trans Americans at risk. As President Biden has said, transgender Americans are some of the bravest people he knows, but nobody should have to be brave to be themselves.
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
Over half of transgender youth say they have seriously considered suicide in the last year because of the discrimination and rejection they face. In the face of these challenges, research shows that, when transgender youth are affirmed and supported, they thrive. Today, to hear directly about the joys, hopes, and challenges that transgender children are experiencing, the White House will host a Roundtable on Affirming Transgender Kids. Transgender kids and their parents shared their experiences living in states that have attacked their rights, discussed how these laws have impacted their mental health, and highlighted how parents are protecting their children.
Today, the Biden Administration is announcing additional steps to support transgender Americans:
- Issuing a landmark report on ways to support and affirm LGBTQI+ youth, especially transgender youth. Today, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is releasing a new report providing the latest scientific research on supporting the mental health of LGBTQI+ youth. With the release of today’s report, SAMHSA is providing new resources to parents, teachers, and mental health providers to help them use evidence-based practices to affirm and support transgender and LGBTQI+ youth and their families. SAMHSA finds that:
- There is conclusive scientific evidence that affirming a transgender or LGBTQI+ child’s identity is vital to protecting their mental health.
- When transgender children have access to affirming environments, at home and at school, that are free from discrimination, rejection, and bullying, they are resilient and can thrive. When transgender children can access gender-affirming care – which includes counseling and mental health supports – their wellbeing improves.
- In spite of the overwhelming scientific evidence that affirming an LGBTQI+ child is in their best interest, LGBTQI+ children – especially transgender children – face a nationwide mental health crisis because of the harassment, rejection, bullying, and discrimination they face. LGBTQI+ youth are at significantly increased risk of suicide when they face rejection and trauma.
- State-level policies that stigmatize transgender children, for example by denying them access to medically necessary health care or banning schools from using LGBTQI+ inclusive curriculum, contribute to worse mental health outcomes for children and put them at increased risk of bullying and attempted suicide.
- There is a clear consensus view among mental health experts that attempts to suppress or change a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity – often referred to as so-called “conversion therapy” – are harmful, not supported by credible evidence, and should never be practiced.
- Issuing guidance on gender identity inclusion for public servants. The Federal government most effectively delivers for the American people when our public servants draw from the diversity of the communities they serve. Today, the Office of Personnel Management released an update to guidance on gender inclusion in the federal workplace to help ensure agencies fully follow existing federal policies and antidiscrimination laws, and to help agencies adopt inclusive practices to foster a welcoming and supportive workplace for applicants and employees of all gender identities across the Federal government.
Today’s announcements build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic work to advance equality for transgender Americans since taking office, including:
Supporting transgender kids and their parents, and responding to state attacks on their rights. As the President has said to transgender kids at each of his State of the Union addresses, he is standing up for transgender kids and their families by:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- Signing a historic Executive Order to advance equality for LGBTQI+ people, especially children and families. President Biden signed a historic Executive Order on Advancing Equality LGBTQI+ Individuals, establishing that it is the Administration’s policy to defend the rights and safety of LGBTQI+ individuals. In the Executive Order, the President directs relevant agencies to: address the dangerous and discredited practice of so-called “conversion therapy”; end disparities that LGBTQI+ children and parents face in the child welfare and foster care system; ensure that federal benefits programs are equitably accessible to LGBTQI+ households; address the overrepresentation of LGBTQI+ youth and households among those experiencing homelessness; and increase federal support for programs that offer family counseling and support to reduce the risk of family rejection of LGBTQI+ youth.
- Intervening legally when states violate the rights of transgender youth and their families. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed multiple statements of interest and amicus briefs supporting litigation against state laws that restrict the rights of transgender youth. For example, DOJ is challenging an Alabama law that denies necessary medical care to transgender youth based solely on who they are. DOJ also filed statements of interest in support of litigation challenging laws in Arkansas and West Virginia that ban transgender children from accessing necessary health care and playing on sports teams, respectively, as unlawful. DOJ also filed amicus briefs supporting the rights of transgender individuals in federal courts of appeals cases involving matters in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, and Indiana. In addition, DOJ reaffirmed that transgender youth in all states have federal constitutional and statutory protections, including in access to gender-affirming health care.
- Expanding mental health resources for transgender youth. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) launched a pilot program to add dedicated services for LGBTQI+ youth to the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, the nationwide suicide prevention and crisis hotline. The pilot helps LGBTQI+ youth, including transgender youth, experiencing a behavioral health crisis to connect with a counselor specifically focused on meeting the needs of LGBTQI+ youth and young adults.
- Clarifying that LGBTQI+ youth are entitled to support and affirmation in the child welfare system. In response to at least one state launching child abuse investigations into the loving families of transgender children, President Biden condemned these investigations as callous government overreach that threatens families. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services released guidance to state child welfare agencies through an Information Memorandum. This memorandum makes clear that states cannot weaponize their child welfare systems against loving families, and should instead use their child welfare systems to advance safety and support for LGBTQI+ youth, which importantly can include access to gender-affirming care. Finally, HHS worked with partners to launch a web portal of resources for child welfare personnel to support families of children who identify as LGBTQI+.
- Supporting transgender students in our nation’s schools. President Biden signed an Executive Order recommitting the Federal Government to fully abide by federal laws that guarantee educational environments free from sex discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Department of Education has affirmed that federal civil rights laws protect all students, including transgender and other LGBTQI+ students, from discrimination, and reaffirmed its commitment to vigorously enforcing those laws. The Department of Justice, Department of Education, and Department of Health and Human Services issued a joint message for transgender students about their rights.
Strengthening civil rights protections. The Biden-Harris Administration has strengthened civil rights protections for transgender Americans by:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- Directing agencies to strengthen LGBTQI+ rights. Within hours of taking office, President Biden signed an Executive Order establishing that it is the official policy of the Biden-Harris Administration to prevent and combat discrimination against LGBTQI+ individuals. As a result of that Executive Order, federal agencies committed to enforcing civil rights protections for LGBTQI+ Americans in federally funded housing, health care, education, employment, credit and lending, nutrition, and criminal justice programs.
- Signing the Respect for Marriage Act. President Biden championed and signed the Respect for Marriage Act into law, requiring that same-sex and interracial marriages be recognized as legal in every state in the nation.
- Fighting for passage of the Equality Act. President Biden continues to call on Congress to pass the Equality Act, legislation which will confirm long overdue explicit federal civil rights protections to LGBTQI+ Americans and their families.
Ensuring transgender Americans can access accurate IDs and vital government services. The Biden-Harris Administration is working to ensure that transgender Americans have equal access to important government services by:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- Offering U.S. passports with a gender-neutral marker. U.S. citizens can now select an “X” as their gender marker on U.S. passports, providing accurate identification for all Americans regardless of their gender identity, and supporting transgender and non-binary Americans who live in states with restrictive ID laws.
- Improving the travel experience for transgender people. The Department of Homeland Security implemented several important reforms to improve safety, privacy, and dignity for transgender travelers in U.S. airports.
- Ensuring transgender Americans can access their retirement savings. The Social Security Administration removed the requirement that transgender people show proof of identity, such as doctor’s notes, in order to update their gender information in their social security record, adopting a policy of self-attestation of gender.
- Helping nonbinary workers who file employment discrimination complaints. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) implemented changes to make it easier for non-binary workers to accurately identify their gender identity when filing a charge of workplace discrimination.
Supporting transgender service members and veterans. President Biden has restored and strengthened protections for transgender service members and veterans by:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- Reversing the discriminatory ban on transgender servicemembers. In his first week in office, President Biden reversed the ban on transgender servicemembers serving openly in the Armed Forces, enabling all qualified Americans to proudly serve their country in uniform.
- Supporting transgender veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched an agency-wide review of its policies and practices to ensure that transgender veterans do not face barriers in VA programs because of their gender identity or expression. The VA intends to remove restrictions that prevent transgender veterans from accessing gender-affirming care.
- Ending restrictions for service members living with HIV. The Department of Defense updated its policy on service members living with HIV, ending the long-time ban on their ability to deploy and commission.
Addressing the crisis of homelessness among transgender Americans. The Biden-Harris Administration is working to ensure that all people, regardless of gender identity, can access safe and affordable housing by:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- Enforcing fair housing protections that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender identity. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) clarified that it would administer and enforce the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, including gender identity and sexual orientation. HUD is actively enforcing the Fair Housing Act. For example, HUD announced that it entered into a Consent Order with a housing owner and property manager to resolve allegations of gender identity discrimination made by a transgender tenant.
- Promoting safe and equal access to housing and shelter for transgender people. HUD’s Equal Access Rule requires equal access to HUD housing programs – including HUD-funded homeless shelters, housing providers and housing subject to HUD-insured mortgages – regardless of a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. HUD has released materials to help people know their rights, and help housing and shelter providers ensure that transgender and gender non-conforming people are able to safely access shelter and housing.
Advancing health equity and expanding access to gender-affirming health care. The Biden-Harris Administration is advancing health equity for transgender Americans by:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- Protecting transgender patients from health care discrimination. The Department of Health and Human Services is working to ensure that section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act—which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex—is interpreted and enforced in a way that protects LGBTQI+ Americans from discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. The Department is working to finalize implementing regulations to codify these protections.
- Bolstering access to gender-affirming care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Colorado’s efforts to enhance access to comprehensive gender-affirming care in the state’s essential health benefit benchmark plan under the Affordable Care Act. The Health Resources and Services Administration released a letter encouraging Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program service providers to provide access to gender-affirming care and treatment services to transgender and gender diverse individuals with HIV.
- Combatting HIV among transgender and gender diverse communities. The White House Office of National AIDS Policy launched a revised National HIV/AIDS Strategy and includes transgender and gender diverse communities as a priority population in the federal government’s strategy to end the HIV epidemic. And the Health Resources and Services Administration released a letter encouraging Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program service providers to provide access to gender affirming care and treatment services to transgender and gender diverse individuals with HIV.
- Partnering with transgender communities to end the mpox outbreak. To end the mpox outbreak, the White House National Mpox Response Team partnered with transgender-led organizations to improve access to services and vaccines for transgender and other gender diverse communities. The Administration also utilized flexibilities in HIV treatment and prevention, sexual health, mental health, and housing programs that increased access to mpox treatment and prevention for transgender people where they seek care and services.
- Ensuring transgender patients can access birth control and other reproductive health care, including cancer screenings and treatment for HIV and other STIs. The Department of Health and Human Services strengthened the Title X family planning program by issuing new rules that requires family planning projects to provide inclusive care to LGBTQI+ persons, and prohibits discrimination against any client based on their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex characteristics, or marital status.
- Providing health resources for transgender youth and their parents. The Department of Health and Human Services has issued new resources to support the health of transgender youth, including by providing a resource guide on gender-affirming care for youth and launching a new website that offers resources for transgender and LGBTQI+ youth, their parents, and providers.
Addressing anti-transgender violence. The Biden-Harris Administration is working to end the crisis of violence against transgender Americans – which disproportionately impacts transgender women and girls of color – by:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- Establishing a White House-led interagency working group on anti-transgender violence. The White House established the first Interagency Working Group on Safety, Opportunity, and Inclusion for Transgender and Gender Diverse Individuals, which released a roadmap highlighting 45 key actions the Biden-Harris Administration is taking to address the root causes of anti-transgender violence, discrimination, and denial of economic opportunity.
- Increasing services for LGBTQI+ survivors of domestic violence. The President championed and signed into law the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which increases services specifically for LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking.
- Department of Justice civil rights enforcement actions. In addition to the Alabama litigation reference above, the Department of Justice announced that it was launching a statewide civil investigation into conditions of confinement of prisoners held in Georgia’s prisons, including an investigation of the prisons’ efforts to protect transgender and intersex prisoners from sexual abuse by other prisoners and staff.
- Ensuring non-discrimination protections in community safety programs. The Department of Justice announced new steps to ensure that prohibitions against sex discrimination contained in key community safety programs, including the Safe Streets Act, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, and the Victims of Crime Act also protect transgender individuals from discrimination based on their gender identity.
- Strengthening protections for transgender individuals who are incarcerated. The Bureau of Prisons revised its manual on serving transgender offenders, improving access to gender-affirming care and access to facility placements that align with an inmate’s gender identity.
- Addressing online harassment and abuse against transgender people. President Biden established a White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse to coordinate a federal response to address the online threats and harms that disproportionately impact women, girls, and LGBTQI+ people – including LGBTQI+ youth.
- Advancing safety and justice for transgender and Two-Spirit Indigenous people. President Biden signed an Executive Order to address the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, including LGBTQI+ and Two-Spirit Native Americans.
- Honoring transgender Americans lost to violence. President Biden established the National Pulse Memorial to honor the lives lost, including transgender Americans, at the Pulse nightclub shooting and to raise awareness about the impact of gun violence on LGBTQI+ communities. The Administration also hosted a first ever vigil at the White House to honor the lives of transgender and gender diverse people lost to anti-trans violence.
Advancing transgender equality at home and around the world. The Biden-Harris Administration has made LGBTQI+ equality a cornerstone of the U.S. government’s foreign policy priorities by:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- Advancing transgender equality in U.S. foreign policy and foreign assistance. President Biden signed a Presidential Memorandum on Advancing the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons Around the World, directing agencies engaged abroad to ensure that United States diplomacy and foreign assistance promote and protect the human rights of LGBTQI+ people.
- Ensuring that the U.S. global response to gender-based violence is trans-inclusive. The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development released the 2022 U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally, directing U.S. foreign policy and assistance to address the factors that increase the risks of gender-based violence and undermine access to services and safety, and to address the unique ways that LGBTQI+ people, and especially transgender people, are at risk of gender-based violence.
- Releasing a USAID Gender Policy that is inclusive of transgender and gender diverse communities. USAID released its 2023 Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy, which provides the vision for USAID’s work to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment around the world. The policy recognizes women and girls in all their diversity and that transgender women, gender diverse individuals, and the entire LGBTQI+ community experience multiple forms of discrimination.
- Supporting trans-led organizations and individuals. USAID launched the Alliance for Global Equality to respond to the economic devastation from COVID-19 and build the capacity of social leaders to engage in democratic processes. Twenty-five percent of all grants issued by the Alliance will go to trans- and intersex-led organizations.
- Hosting the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity for an Official Visit to the United States. The United States hosted the UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity for an official visit to the United States to address discrimination and violence against the LGBTQI+ community.
Supporting transgender public servants. The Biden-Harris Administration is ensuring that transgender Americans are leaders at all levels of our government by:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- Supporting a federal workplace where all employees’ gender identities and expressions are affirmed and respected without fear of discrimination, retribution or disadvantage. In June 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order directing historic new steps to ensure the Federal government is a model employer for all Americans and individuals of all gender identities, including transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary employees.
- Appointing historic transgender leaders. The Biden-Harris Administration includes barrier-breaking transgender leaders, including the two first openly transgender people to ever be confirmed by the U.S. Senate: Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Readiness Shawn Skelly.
Ensuring transgender Americans are counted in federal data. The Biden-Harris Administration is improving the collection of data on gender identity and sexual orientation – while respecting the privacy and safety of transgender Americans – by:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- Releasing a roadmap to improve LGBTQI+ data collection. The Administration released the first-ever Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity, a roadmap that federal agencies will use to ensure they are collecting the data and evidence they need to improve the lives of transgender and other LGBTQI+ Americans.
- Adding gender identity questions to vital surveys. The Administration has increased funding to add sexual orientation and gender identity questions to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, one of our nation’s largest and most important surveys of American households.
Promoting visibility and inclusion for transgender Americans. President Biden became the first U.S. President to issue a proclamation commemorating Transgender Day of Visibility. The White House has consistently uplifted the voices and stories of transgender Americans. The White House Press Secretary hosted a first-of-its-kind national conversation on equality with transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary Americans, and the White House released a toolkit with best practices for advancing inclusion, opportunity, and safety for transgender Americans. In 2022, Ashton Mota, a teenager and advocate for transgender rights, introduced President Biden at the White House’s Pride celebration.
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
The video clip is 36 seconds long.
President Biden: I’m on my Investing in America tour. For too long we didn’t invest in America. We invested in jobs overseas. We did not pay attention to the research and development needed to make America great *cringe*. And that’s what we’re doing now. We’re going to visit 20 different sites across the country. My Cabinet’s out. We’re going to fundamentally change manufacturing in America. We’re growing jobs. We’re having significant progress. And so this was all about investing in America–America has the best workers in the world and there’s not a single thing we can’t do.
Up next in the “Investing in America” tour:
Biden will visit a manufacturer of clean energy technology in Fridley that is helping to build America’s clean energy economy
On Monday, April 3, President Biden will visit Cummins Power Generation Facility in Fridley, Minnesota as part of his Administration’s “Investing in America” tour. In October 2022, just two months after President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, Cummins announced that it will begin manufacturing electrolyzers in the United States for the first time. Electrolyzers help produce clean hydrogen that is essential for reducing emissions and creating good-paying jobs in manufacturing and industrial sectors, and play a critical role in clean energy supply chains that until now have largely been produced overseas.
The visit will highlight how the President’s Investing in America agenda – including historic investments from the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the American Rescue Plan – is building a clean energy economy, rebuilding our infrastructure and bringing back supply chains, unleashing a manufacturing boom, and creating good-paying jobs across the country.Earlier this week, President Biden kicked off the Investing in America tour with a stop at a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Durham, North Carolina, and announced that since the beginning of his Administration, private companies have announced $435 billion in manufacturing investments in the United States. As part of the Investing in America tour, President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, members of the Cabinet, and senior White House officials are visiting over 20 states over the course of three weeks to highlight the impact of the President’s Investing in America agenda.
Next week:
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
- President Biden will travel to Fridley, Minnesota to visit Cummins’ hydrogen electrolyzer production facility that will help power our clean energy future while bringing supply chains back to the United States, and creating good-paying jobs.
- First Lady Jill Biden will launch a four-state swing to highlight career-connected learning programs that are preparing high school and community college students for good-paying jobs that are being created by the Investing in America agenda. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will join the First Lady for part of the tour.
- Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo will travel to Oregon to highlight private sector investments in supply chains, semiconductor manufacturing and other advanced manufacturing industries. She will also meet with students and apprentices learning the skills to fill jobs in innovative industries being created by the President’s Investing in America agenda.
- Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen will travel to Connecticut to highlight provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that are incentivizing companies to invest in clean energy manufacturing across the United States and lowering energy costs.
- Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will travel to New Mexico to highlight how the President’s Investing in America agenda is providing a historic $65 billion to ensure every single American has access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet.
- Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm will travel to Oklahoma to highlight investments that are building a clean energy economy and bringing energy supply chains back to the United States.
- Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will travel to New Mexico to highlight infrastructure projects that are protecting the health and safety of communities and reducing traffic deaths.
- Small Business Administrator Isabella Guzman will visit Atlanta, Georgia and Las Vegas, Nevada to visit small businesses and highlight how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda has spurred more small business growth in his first two years in office than ever before. She will also discuss the many small business opportunities created by signature legislation, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Senior Advisor and Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu will travel to California to participate in a ribbon cutting of a bridge that was rebuilt with funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and highlight record investments in water conservation and drought resilience.
As part of the Investing in America tour, the White House will also host an Energy Communities Summit on Tuesday, April 4th, to highlight how the President’s economic agenda is unleashing a manufacturing and clean energy boom, creating good-paying jobs, and bringing clean energy supply chains back to the United States. The Summit will include Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation John Podesta, and National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi.
White House.gov. 03/31/2023.
The video clip is 23 seconds long.
President Biden: César Chávez has inspired millions, including me. I was proud to place the bust of his likeness in my office so that you walk in my office, you can’t forget what he taught us. Chávez instilled in our nation the principle that “our ambition must be board enough to include the aspirations and needs of others, for their sakes, and for our own.” We have no finer role model than César Chávez.
The White House posted a Proclamation on César Chávez Day, 2023 on Thursday.
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