We have reached May the 1st…
President Biden’s public schedule for Monday (05/01/2023):
| 9:00 AM | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing Closed Press |
| 10:30 AM | In-Town Pool Call Time In-Town Pool |
| 12:00 PM Remarks | The President and The Vice President deliver remarks during National Small Business Week; THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR Rose Garden Open Press |
| 2:30 PM | The President AND The First Lady welcome His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. President of the Republic of the Philippines and Mrs. Louise Araneta-Marcos to the White House South Portico Open Press |
| 2:45 PM Pool Spray | The President holds a bilateral meeting with His Excellency Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. President of the Republic of the Philippines Oval Office In-House Pool Spray |
| 3:00 PM Press Briefing | Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre James S. Brady Press Briefing Room |
| 5:30 PM Remarks | The President hosts a reception celebrating Eid-al-Fitr; The Vice President and The Second Gentleman attend East Room Pre-Credentialed Media and Pooled for TV |
This morning the White House posted the following fact-sheet; President Biden Delivers Update on His Strategy to Build on America’s Small Business Boom, while Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans Threaten to Harm Small Businesses and Eliminate Jobs
New Report Card and Analysis Released On How the Biden-Harris Administration Has Ushered in Record New Business Formation
Today, in honor of National Small Business Week, President Biden is hosting small business award winners from all 50 states at the White House to celebrate their contributions to the dynamism and strength of the U.S. economy, and releasing a report card that highlights the small business boom taking hold as a result of the President’s small business agenda.
White House.gov. 05/01/2023.
From distributing billions in pandemic assistance, to expanding access to capital and leveraging billions in federal dollars from the Investing in America agenda, this new report card lays out how the Biden-Harris Administration has taken action to support small businesses. Additionally, the Council of Economic Advisers is releasing a new analysis that identifies the potential benefits to small businesses from the hundreds of billions being invested through the President’s Investing in America agenda.
Americans filed nearly 10.5 million applications to start new businesses in 2021 and 2022, the two highest years on record for new business formation. Since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, small businesses have created 3.1 million jobs, a near historic level. At the same time, the Biden-Harris Administration has increased enforcement against tax evasion by big corporations, and instituted a corporate minimum tax so that small businesses can fairly compete against big corporations with complex tax schemes that reduce their tax burden well below what small businesses pay.
Last week, as part of a reckless attempt to extract concessions as a condition for the United States simply paying the bills it has already incurred, House Republicans passed a bill that would put this small business boom at risk. According to Moody’s Analytics, the bill would lead to 780,000 fewer jobs by the end of 2024 and would meaningfully increase the risk of recession.
Biden-Harris Investments and Reforms to Support Small Businesses
President Biden will host National Small Business Week award winners from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico at the White House and announce the following:
- A new Small Business Report Card demonstrating across-the-board progress. Released in April 2022, the Biden-Harris Small Business Strategy laid out 35 initiatives designed to maintain the nation’s historic momentum in fostering new business creation. The report card shows significant progress on all 35 initiatives, including delivering billions of dollars in loans and support services.
- New Small Business Administration (SBA) guidance strengthening more than 100 nonprofit, mission-driven lenders. The Community Advantage Pilot Program allows nonprofit lenders, with a proven track record of higher rates of lending to Black, Hispanic, women, and veteran-owned businesses, to make SBA-backed loans. A permanent license will provide these lenders with long-term certainty.
- Applications will open in June 2023 for non-bank lenders applying for Small Business Lending Company (SBLC) licenses. Last month, SBA finalized a rule that will allow the agency to issue new SBLC licenses for the first time in 40 years. This change will expand competition in small business lending and address capital gaps by expanding loans to minority and rural small businesses.
House Republican Proposal Would Harm Small Businesses, Eliminate Jobs
White House.gov. 05/01/2023.
Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans are holding the economy hostage by refusing to avoid default without slashing billions in funding for vital programs that support small businesses. Their bill would:
- Slash almost $2 billion from a vital small business initiative, reducing needed capital for up to 10,000 small businesses and support for 100,000 jobs. The Republican proposal would claw back up to $1.8 billion from Treasury’s State Small Business Credit Initiative, particularly harming small business loans and equity investments for tribal and other underserved entrepreneurs.
- Force cuts to the Small Business Administration (SBA) and other federal supports for small business by 22 percent. This proposal would:
- Exacerbate Access to Capital Gaps. The Republican cuts would slow loan approvals, impede new lender registration, reduce lender oversight, and impede technology updates and customer service for small business applicants, forcing small businesses to seek more expensive non-SBA capital options.
- Eliminate free business counseling for 295,000 small businesses owners.
- Delay certification and training to 15,000 or more small business contractors. Republican cuts would slow training and the review of certification applications, denying services to 15,000 or more businesses annually.
- Let more pandemic fraudsters escape prosecution. The plan undermines the SBA Office of Inspector General’s ability to fight fraud, prosecute criminals, and recoup stolen relief funds by rescinding all balances for COVID oversight.
- Abandon Businesses Recovering from Natural Disasters. SBA would have to reduce its disaster staff by nearly 50 positions, hurting SBA’s ability to respond quickly when a disaster strikes to ensure access to capital for disaster survivors.
- Rescind up to $575 million in support for small businesses provided by Community Development Financial Institutions and Minority Depository Institutions through the Emergency Capital Investment Program. These funds were designed to help these institutions provide support to small businesses in underserved communities.
- Slash support for small businesses that export goods and services. The House Republican proposal would reduce support to more than 43,000 small businesses served by the International Trade Administration, including supporting-first time exporters, resolving unfair trade practices, and trade disputes. Small businesses would also have less access to State Trade Expansion Program funding provided by SBA to state and territory governments to support small business export development.
- Reduce support for thousands of rural businesses. The Republican proposal would cut funding for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Business Programs, resulting in more than 2,000 rural businesses—nearly all small businesses—losing access to this assistance.
President Biden and Vice President Harris will offer remarks @ noon D.C., time:
This morning the White House posted the following; Background Press Call on the Upcoming Visit of President Marcos of the Philippines
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL 1:
Thanks, [moderator]. Very much appreciate the introduction. Our colleague [senior administration official] is actually our [redacted] and helps run our entire Asia and Oceania project, so we’re thrilled to have him onboard with us today on the call.
I’ll just give you just a couple of quick things for the laydown for this visit and the larger context, and then [senior administration official] will talk through the deliverables.
I think it is clear that we’re in a deeply consequential period in terms of our Indo-Pacific engagement with allies and partners. And for those of you who are focused, obviously, we’ve seen a historic visit by Prime Minister Kishida during which Japan upped its defense commitments, its determination to work within the context of the U.S.-Japan bilateral relationship. A series of engagements at the Cabinet level and other levels at DOD between the United States and Philippines. And that will be culminating over the course of the next week with the visit and the hosting by President Biden of President Marcos of the Philippines.
And then last week, obviously, a very important visit on the part of Prime Minister — President Yoon of South Korea who came to the United States to announce substantial efforts to bolster extended deterrence and to announce substantial investments of Korean companies in the United States, totaling over $100 billion since Prime Minister — since President Biden has come to office.
So — and then, obviously, next month, we will be — the President and his team will be heading to Japan for the G7 bilateral engagements with Prime Minister Kishida. And also, the President will engage in a trilateral meeting with Japan, South Korea, and the United States before proceeding on to Australia for a meeting of the Quad and a bilateral engagement with Australia.
So it’s an extraordinarily important period for our interaction with our allies and partners in the region, both in the bilateral context but also seeking many-lateral and other engagements, informal and other kinds of engagements, with partners working together.
I think the context of the visit of President Marcos is extremely important. I think as you all know, we have a long, important history with the Philippines. The Philippines were a critical partner of the United States during the Vietnam War and after. But in the ‘90s and early part of this century, I think it would be fair to say that less focus on the bilateral relationship, particularly on the security side.
But recent events have caused much greater focus in both capitals on taking the necessary step to up our game, to improve engagement on the security side between the United States and the Philippines.
The Philippines is also engaging actively with Japan and other countries in the Indo-Pacific, given their changing circumstances.
And what we’ve seen recently is a series of continuing provocative acts on the part of China testing and probing into the Philippines’ waters, in areas of deep concern to the Philippines. And they’re looking for reassurance and a strong desire to maintain peace and stability in this complex period.
The Chinese have taken some steps that have been really concerning to the Philippine leadership. Just earlier in the week, the Chinese ambassador to Manila gave a speech about changing circumstances in the Indo-Pacific and appeared to talk about the safety and security of the nearly 200,000 Filipinos living in Thailand — excuse me, in Taiwan. I think many in the Philippines saw that as a veiled threat.
I think President Marcos came to power with a clear intention to focus on urgent commercial and business matters. He’s also very focused on climate change.
He had a long association with China. I think it’s fair to say that some of these steps that China have taken have concerned him, probably even surprised him. He is not seeking to position himself in some sort of in-between role between China and the United States. He has a, I think, strong desire to work closely with both countries, but finds himself in a situation that the steps that China is taking are deeply concerning.
In that context, we have seen substantial steps with respect to bilateral engagements, restarting in the 2+2 mechanisms a number of engagements, which are basically strengthening and developing the alliance protocols between our two countries in ways that are quite important.
I think the visit this coming week is meant in many respects to diversify what we think are very important initial security engagements of the last several months. And you will see the President here not only focusing on security commitments and other things that the United States is prepared to do with the Philippines, but we will launch a number of initiatives on the commercial side. USAID will — some programs, in terms of our work there in country, will be announced. Education initiatives, people-to-people. A number of things which are designed to demonstrate the depth of engagement and commitment between our two countries.
So we view this as extremely significant. It’s really the first kind of meeting at this level and intensity between the United States and the Philippines in decades. And we take it very seriously.
And he will — President Marcos and his team will be arriving this afternoon and have a series of meetings in Washington that will play out over the course of the next week.
Let me turn now to [senior administration official] to walk through, if I can, some of the specifics associated with President Marcos’s visit here to the United States.
White House.gov. 05/01/2023.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL 2:
Thank you. So, look, it’s hard to follow [senior administration official]’s very thorough laydown. I will just add a couple of things.
The first is that the relationship between the presidents has been building since last year. President Biden was the first foreign leader to call President Marcos and congratulate him after the election. The administration sent a presidential delegation to the inauguration that was headed by the Second Gentleman, Doug Emhoff, with a representative group of us — U.S. officials and representatives of the Philippine American community.
The Secretary of State went to Manila in early August of last year.
The presidents met, as [senior administration official], said on the margins of the U.N. General Assembly and had a really extensive bilateral meeting.
In September, Vice President Harris went to Manila and then to Palawan in November, and they had very good meetings. And I think the visit to Palawan was the first time a president or vice president had gone to that island, which is on the South China Sea.
Secretary of Defense Austin went to Manila at the very end of January/beginning of February for extremely productive meetings.
We also have had — the first 2+2 meeting in many years was held in Washington, in April, between the Secretaries of State and Defense with their Philippine counterparts.
And now we have President Marcos arriving for, as [senior administration official] said, a series of meetings we consider to be extremely consequential.
I think this all happens against the backdrop of an improving relationship. In many ways it reflects the (inaudible) relationship, including some fairly significant announcements and decisions that have been taken in the last six months, but really trying to restore some of the more traditional linkages between our governments, between our peoples, and on the commercial side between us and the Philippines.
So what I’d say is, you know, one thing that is also very important to remember is the critically important role of the large Philippine American community in the United States as a force for the strengthening of the relationship. And we very much appreciate their contributions to the United States and their great influence here.
I think what we see is that the alliance is — has made great strides, but it’s also trying to broaden out, trying to focus on issues of development, economics, environment, people-to-people ties, and also prioritizing our shared democratic values and respect for human rights.
This is obviously a tremendously important relationship for the U.S. that’s broad and deep, and we want to try and strengthen that.
It’s worth highlighting that in recent months we’ve added four new sites under our Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, announced an additional $100 million in foreign military financing for the Philippines, and expanded intelligence sharing.
We’re also expanding our military training and exercises, and we just concluded the largest-ever version or iteration of our flagship bilateral military exercise, Balikatan.
I think as all of you are aware, we’re standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the South China Sea where our alliance has never been stronger. We’re united in our support for international law, including freedom of navigation and the sovereign rights of states within their EEZs, and the 2016 arbitral tribunal judgment, which is legally binding on both parties.
Of course, the President is going to use this visit and our meeting — the meeting with President Marcos — to reaffirm the fact that our security to the Philippines — our security commitment to the Philippines remains ironclad and that an armed attack on Philippine Armed Forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, would invoke U.S. mutual defense commitments.
The Philippines is also an increasingly important partner to us on many of our most important regional and global priorities. They’re a leader within ASEAN, and I think that we’re seeing the Marcos administration trying to step up Philippine engagement in ASEAN, which we think is very positive and reflects the ASEAN centrality in regional architecture, but also the potential to do much more using ASEAN as a platform.
And we’re working closely together towards the negotiation of a successful Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. And we really appreciate the Philippines’ strong commitment to being a serious partner and pushing forward in the negotiations.
And we also appreciate that the Philippines has cast many votes in the U.N. General Assembly that support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
So we think that this is really a sign of one of our oldest and most important alliances having (inaudible) that reflects the challenges of today.
So, on Monday, we’re looking forward to rolling out a number of important deliverables. And this will build on recent progress — in many ways, progress that goes back through a longer period, for 20 years, in which the U.S. has provided nearly $5.8 billion in bilateral support to the Philippines across programs advancing good governance, strengthening civil society, promoting economic development, bolstering security, and building resilience to climate and health security challenges.
In terms of specific outcomes for this — for the meetings, we’re looking forward to announcing a new set of bilateral defense guidelines that will deepen our alliance cooperation and interoperability across operational domains, including land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.
We’re also looking to celebrate the identification of the additional sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, known as EDCA, and that this will strengthen Philippine security and support Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization goals. It will also drive U.S. investment in local communities across the Philippines and will increase our shared ability to rapidly deliver humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.
I will also be announcing a series of steps to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization, including transferring of three C-130 aircraft subject to consultation with Congress. Also, we’ve transferred a number of Cyclone-class coastal patrol vessels that are on their way to the Philippines now. And we did that earlier this month.
And I think that, you know, our view is these transfers will support the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization program by significantly enhancing its maritime and tactical capacity. We’re looking to also transfer some additional patrol vessels, and stay tuned for that.
On economic ties, we’ll be announcing a presidential trade and investment mission to the Philippines on his behalf. This will be the first mission of its kind to enhance U.S. companies’ investments in the Philippines’ innovation economy, its clean energy transition and critical mineral sector, and the food security of its people.
We’ll be announcing that we’re bringing the Indo-Pacific Business Forum to the Philippines. And the U.S. and the Philippines will co-host the sixth annual Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Manila subject to congressional (inaudible).
This is the U.S.’s marquee annual commercial event in the region, and we think it’s very appropriate it will be in the Philippines next.
We’ll also be announcing support for an Open RAN — which is Open Radio Access Network — interoperability lab. This will advance a 5G rollout in the Philippines, strengthen the innovation economy, and provide digital upskilling opportunities to Philippine workers. And we’ll be announcing this, and it will provide — there’ll be a bricks-and-mortar lab in Manila that will provide hands-on training to current and aspiring 5G professionals, and also an opportunity for vendors and operators deploying Open RAN networks to teach and educate local engineers into how to design, build, and operate these networks.
We’ll also be announcing a program by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency to launch new sustainable infrastructure activities in the Philippines that will leverage over $3 billion in public and private financing to strengthen the Philippines’ critical mineral supply chains, advance smart-grid technologies and clean energy solutions, promote 5G deployment, strengthen airport security and maritime safety, and support healthcare infrastructure.
You know, one of the things that makes the Philippines-U.S. relationship unique is the people-to people ties, and we’ll be making some announcements there.
And I think that the key things are: We’re just going to highlight that we’re on track to continue putting significant amounts of money to support over 2,000 exchange participants between the Philippines and the United States over the next decade. We’ll be expanding the Fulbright Program, the International Visitor Leadership Program, the Philippines Youth Leadership Program, and the Young Southeast Asian Leadership Initiative, YSEALI, and the Humphrey program.
And I think it’s — again, we’re highlighting the U.S. people-to-people exchanges with the Philippines are some of our biggest in the world.
Obviously, there are other very important areas of the relationship, and these include human rights, health, energy, environment, and resilience. We’ll have a series of announcements in those areas. One will be the announcement of a U.S.-Philippines labor working group that will work to have discussion on labor issues pursuant to the U.S.-Philippine Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.
We’ll also announce a partnership on critical minerals in which USAID will announce support for the production of — process minerals and expand downstream mineral industries in the Philippines. This will be linked to electric vehicle components and ICT equipment.
We’ll also be announcing a series of support by USAID in partnering with the Philippines Department of Energy to conduct the second round of green energy auctions that will bid out a combined 11.6 gigawatts of solar, onshore wind, biomass, and waste-to-energy capacity that will be installed from 2024 to 2026. And then also programs that will protect critical water infrastructure.
So we think these are quite significant. They reflect our recognition and, I think, the recognition of the government of the Republic of the Philippines that the relationship needs to be broadened out, we need to strengthen our cooperation in economic and people-to-people ties; that it’s important to make progress on human rights and rule of law; that, ultimately, one of our great strengths is our status as democracies and that we both need to take steps to strengthen that.
So I think we’re very excited about this. And happy to answer
White House.gov. 05/01/2023.
The White House doesn’t typically post a pool spray until after the pool spray has concluded.
The White House press briefing is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. D.C., time:
The White House reception celebrating Eid-al-Fitr is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. D.C., time:
And with all today’s business out the way we will dive right into the tweets…
Take Your Child to Work Day Tweets
From Friday…
The video snip is 57 seconds long. It was sniped together from remarks President Biden gave on Take Your Child to Work Day…
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I want to thank my Secret Service agents who walked me out here. And I want to thank you all, all you kids, for bringing your parents to work. (Laughter.)
[snip]
And so — I don’t know. Which one of you guys is going to be President of the United States? You got any presidents here? All right, man. That’s good.
[snip]
THE PRESIDENT: All right. Well, I’ll be darned. Do you guys have any questions for me? Any of you guys — kids have a que- — yes.
[snip]
CHILD: What’s your favorite color?
THE PRESIDENT: My favorite color is blue.[snip]
CHILD: What is your favorite rose in the Rose Garden?
THE PRESIDENT: My favorite rose is the white rose. And the reason that’s my favorite rose is that that’s the rose I always give my wife: the white rose.[snip]
CHILD: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
THE PRESIDENT: Now she’s talking my language. What’s my favorite ice cream flavor? (Laughter.) I may be among the dullest presidents of the world because I’m known for two things: my Ray-Ban sunglasses and chocolate-chip ice cream. That’s my favorite.[snip]
CHILD: My question is: What makes you hopeful for the next generation of America?
White House.gov. 04/27/2023.
THE PRESIDENT: You.
He said: What makes me hopeful for the next generation of Americans?
The generation of Americans from you guys to the people all the way to their late 20s is the most open, the least prejudiced, the best educated, and the most giving generation in American history. For real. Not a joke.
And that’s why I’m so hopeful. Because in — in America, we can do anything — anything at all — if we do it together. For real. There’s not a single thing we can’t do.
And what gives me the most hope is all of you guys. For real. And that’s the God’s truth.
The Economy Tweets
From Friday…
From Saturday…
Remarks by President Biden at North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Legislative Conference (04/25/2023).
The video clip is 44 seconds long…
AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
AUDIENCE: Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe! Let’s go, Joe!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. I think I’ll — I think I’ll stop right there. (Laughter.)
[snip]
I ran for President to rebuild the backbone of America, the middle class; to grow the economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down. Because when the middle class does well, the poor have a ladder up and the wealthy still do very well. You don’t have to worry about them. We all do well.
[snip]
And I’ve said many times: Wall Street didn’t build America. The middle class built America, and unions built the middle class! (Applause.) They did. That’s the God’s truth.
White House.gov. 04/25/2023.
From Sunday…
His budget can be found here.
American Rescue Plan.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
Inflation Reduction Act.
CHIPS and Science Act.
The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy Tweets
From Friday…
IDK why it was posted 2 times. The YouTube is 13 minutes and 51 seconds long. His full remarks can be found here.
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner Tweets
From Saturday…
The YouTube is 21 minutes and 40 seconds long. His full remarks can be found here.
The video clip is 16 seconds long.
President Biden:
I’m going to turn this over to Roy. Roy, the podium is yours.
I’m going to be fine with your jokes, but I’m not sure about Dark Brandon. (The President puts on sunglasses.) (Laughter and applause.)
White House.gov. 04/30/2023. Remarks given on 04/29/2023
From Sunday…
The video clip is 44 seconds long.
President Biden:
As a nation, we’ll never give up on hope. Things can get better. Things can turn. Things can change.
Tonight, unlike last year, Brittney Griner is here with her wife Cherelle. (Applause.)
Brittney — where you are, kid? Stand up. Come on. (Applause.) I love this woman. Love you, Brittney.
This time last year, we were praying for you, Brittney, hoping you knew how hard all of us were fighting for your release.
It’s great to have you home. (Applause.) And, boy, I can hardly wait to see you back on the court, kid. Remember your promise. I get to bring my granddaughter, my All-State girl, to see you. Right? (Laughter.)
White House.gov. 04/30/2023. Remarks given on 04/29/2023.
Aaron Rupar has a whole thread; I’m gonna share a few…
the camera pans to Peter Doocy amid Roy Wood Jr's roast Fox News pic.twitter.com/MU7ykUUbnV
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 30, 2023
The Rest of the Tweets
From Friday…
The video clip is 2 minutes and 17 seconds long. I will not be transcribing the video.
From Saturday…
Remarks by President Biden and President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea at Arrival Ceremony.
The video clip is 1 minute and 42 seconds long.
I’m just gonna post their full remarks…
President Biden:
Good morning, good morning, good morning. (Applause.) What a beautiful day to invite great friends back to the White House. And welcome to the White House.
Today — today, we celebrate the ironclad alliance, the shared vision of our future, and the deep friendship that unites the Republic of Korea and the United States.
President Yoon, Mrs. Kim, you were kind enough to host me in Seoul last year just 10 days after your inauguration.
And Jill and I, we’re honored to be able to return some of your hospitality with your second state visit to this administration.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the alliance between our two nations. It’s an unbreakable bond, forged in bravery and the sacrifice of our people, sanctified by the blood of American and Korean troops who fought and defended liberty. And I’m proud we are joined today by veterans of the Korean War.
Those veterans are the reason we can stand here today –(applause) — two vibrant and innovative democracies. We stand as strong, proud, and free because of them.
And it’s so meaningful, Mr. President, to visit the Korean War Veterans Memorial with you last night, to lay a wreath of remembrance, to fulfill a sacred obligation.
On September 1, 1950, Corporal Luther Story performed acts of bravery above and beyond all measure defending his brothers-in-arms on the Pusan Perimeter in the Korean — in the Korean War.
The last anyone saw of the Corporal, he was wounded, fighting off a hostile assault to protect his company’s withdrawal.
In 1951, his heroism was recognized with the Medal of Honor, but Corporal Story’s body was never accounted for, until now.
The Republic of Korea and the United States worked together to identify Corporal Story’s remains among those buried as a Korean War Unknow- — as a Korean War Unknown in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.
Today, we can return him to his family and to his rest, with all the honors he deserves, because we never forget our heroes. (Applause.)Mr. President, over the past seven decades, our alliance has grown stronger and more capable, and the cooperation between our people, our commitment to one another has grown deeper across every aspect of our partnership.
Today, our economies are on the vanguard of technological development; our nations are powerhouses of innovation; and our people, united still by our democratic values, are taking on the challenges of the world, and we’re taking them on together.
We’re standing strong against Russia’s brutal aggression against Ukraine, advancing an Indo-Pacific region that is free and open, building secure and resilient supply chains and pioneering the clean energy economy, investing together to ensure our future will be grounded in the values that we share, which have always — always — made us strong.
Mr. President, ours is a future filled with unimaginable opportunity and endless possibility. Nothing — nothing — is beyond our ability to reach when our nations and our people stand united. We have proven that time and again over the last 70 years.
As our troops say, who still proudly serve together in the ROK to this day: We go together.May the — we continue that refrain of the Republic of Korea and the United States for all the days ahead: We go together.
God bless our nations. And God protect our troops.
Thank you. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 04/26/2023.
President Yoon (as interpreted):
Mr. President, Dr. Biden, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.
Last evening, my wife and I visited the Korean War Memorial on the National Mall with President Biden and Dr. Biden.
There, I saw the epitaph that reads, “Our nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.”
Why did they sacrifice their lives for this faraway country and for the people they never met? That was for one noble cause: to defend freedom.
The ROK-U.S. alliance was forged in blood as a result of our fight for freedom. The ROK-U.S. alliance is not a transactional relationship; it does not operate for the sake of mere interest. The ROK-U.S. alliance is an alliance of values, standing together to safeguard the universal value of freedom. (Applause.)
Thus, the ROK-U.S. alliance is a just alliance; it is a global alliance for the freedom, peace, and prosperity around the world. The ROK-U.S. alliance is an alliance in action moving toward the future.
Ladies and gentlemen, I came here to look back to the 70-year-long history of our alliance and, with President Biden, to design the vision for our shared future.
I came here to celebrate and congratulate on the 70th anniversary of the alliance with pride, with joy, and with the American people. (Applause.)
President, Dr. Biden, I once again thank you for your kind invitation for my state visit. And I also thank the American people for your warm welcome and hospitality.
Thank you. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 04/26/2023.
From Sunday…
From Monday…
This is an Open Thread.
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