President Biden’s public schedule for 06/19/2023:
| 6:30 AM | Supplemental Pool Call Time Joint Base Andrews Overhang |
| 8:15 AM | Out-of-Town Pool Call Time Out-of-Town Pool |
| 8:30 AM | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing Closed Press |
| 9:50 AM Leaves Delaware | The President departs Rehoboth Beach, Delaware en route to Dover, Delaware Out-of-Town Pool |
| 10:20 AM Leaves Delaware | The President departs Dover, Delaware en route to Santa Clara County, California |
| 12:30 PM Press Gaggle | Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Gaggle Aboard Air Force One |
| 3:25 PM Arrives Santa Clara County, CA | The President arrives in Santa Clara County, California Open Press |
| 4:15 PM Remarks | The President delivers remarks on his administration’s historic action to combat the climate crisis, create good-paying clean energy jobs, and protect our environment for future generations |
| 6:30 PM Campaign Event | The President participates in a campaign reception |
| 9:15 PM Campaign Event | The President participates in a campaign reception Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Santa Clara County, California |
Audio Only Press Gaggle:
President Biden’s remarks:
National Safer Communities Summit Tweets
From Friday…
The YouTube is 35 minutes and 1 second long. President Biden begins his remarks at the 5 minute and 43 second mark. His full remarks can be found here.
From Saturday…
From Sunday…
The video clip is 32 seconds long.
President Biden:
And we need states to act as well. Not every — not every state has a governor as competent as Governor Lamont, and I mean that. But they can do a lot more. Look what the Gov has done here in this state. (Applause.)
Less than two weeks ago here in Connecticut, Governor Lamont signed a bipartisan legislation with more than a dozen measures to improve gun safety, from providing open carry and strengthening — from prohibiting open carry and strengthening the ban on assault weapons and ghost guns.
Illinois, Washington State passed assault weapons bans this year — (applause) — bringing the total to 10 states and the District of Columbia.
Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, Vermont passed legislation establishing or strengthening the red flag laws. Now, 21 states plus the District of Columbia have red flag laws in effect.
Since 2021, seven states have passed an increase in accountability for gun — for the gun industry.
White House.gov. 06/16/2023.
Justice Department Tweet
From Friday…
Show More =’s public safety. I have a simple message for Congress: send the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to my desk, and I will sign it.
From the Department of Justice:
Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department announced today that the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and the City of Minneapolis (City) engage in a pattern or practice of conduct in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal law. The Department also announced that the city and MPD have agreed in principle to resolve the Department’s findings through a court enforceable consent decree with an independent monitor, rather than through contested litigation.
Specifically, the Justice Department finds that the MPD:
Justice.gov. 06/16/2023.
- Uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and unreasonable use of tasers;
- Unlawfully discriminates against Black people and Native American people in its enforcement activities, including the use of force following stops;
- Violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech; and
- Along with the city, discriminates against people with behavioral health disabilities when responding to calls for assistance.
The Department identified and concluded that persistent deficiencies in policy, training, supervision, and accountability contribute to the unlawful conduct.
“George Floyd’s death had an irrevocable impact on his family, on the Minneapolis community, on our country, and on the world,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The patterns and practices of conduct the Justice Department observed during our investigation are deeply disturbing. They erode the community’s trust in law enforcement. And they made what happened to George Floyd possible. Today, we have completed our investigation, but this is only the first step. We will continue to work with the city and the MPD toward ensuring that MPD officers have the support and resources they need to do their jobs effectively and lawfully as we work together toward meaningful and durable reform.”
“I know this community is still hurting and that today’s announcement may also open up old wounds,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “The Justice Department is committed to working with Minneapolis on a path forward, to constitutional policing, and stronger police-community trust. Together we can build a Minneapolis that protects the rights, safety, and dignity of all.”
“Every American deserves policing that is fair, equitable, and non-discriminatory,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The protests that unfolded across Minneapolis, and the country, underscore the urgency behind our efforts to ensure that police departments respect constitutional rights, while garnering public trust. We will stand by the people of Minneapolis as we work to institute reforms that are lasting and enduring.”
“These findings present a sobering picture of a flawed system – but today we turn towards change through justice,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ann Bildtsen for the District of Minnesota. “This thorough investigation is the foundation to make fair and lawful policing a reality for our entire community.”
The city and MPD cooperated fully with the Justice Department’s investigation. The Department provided a comprehensive written report of its investigative findings to the city and MPD. The report acknowledges the changes already made by the city and MPD, and it identifies additional remedial measures that the Department believes are necessary to fully address its findings.
The Department opened this investigation on April 21, 2021. The investigation was conducted by career attorneys and staff in the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section and the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. The team conducted numerous onsite tours of MPD facilities; interviewed MPD officers, supervisors, and command staff; spoke with city officials and employees; accompanied behavioral crisis responders and officers on ride-alongs; reviewed thousands of documents; and watched thousands of hours of body-worn camera footage. Department attorneys and staff also met with community members, advocates, service providers, and other stakeholders in the Minneapolis area.
The Department conducted this investigation pursuant to 34 U.S.C. § 12601 (Section 12601), which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law, the Safe Streets Act of 1968, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The findings announced today are the result of the Department’s civil pattern or practice investigation and are separate from the Department’s criminal cases against former MPD officers for federal crimes related to the death of George Floyd.
The Department will reach out to members of the Minneapolis community for input on remedies to address the Department’s findings. Individuals may also submit recommendations by email at Community.Minneapolis@usdoj.gov or by phone at 1-866-432-0268.
This is one of eight investigations into law enforcement agencies opened during this Administration by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department under Section 12601. The Department has ongoing investigations into the Phoenix Police Department; the Mount Vernon Police Department; the Louisiana State Police; the New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Division; the Worcester Police Department; and the Oklahoma City Police Department. The Department has issued Section 12601 findings reports in the past year regarding the Louisville Metro Police Department, as well as the Orange County District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Department.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota is available at www.justice.gov/usao-mn.
Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found here: www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download.
The Justice Department will hold a virtual presentation on the findings at 5:00 p.m. CT. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the findings. Please join the meeting here.
Justice.gov. 06/16/2023.
President Biden’s full statement:
This afternoon, I was briefed by my team on the Department of Justice’s independent findings of unconstitutional practices of the Minneapolis Police Department. The findings are disturbing and underscore the urgent need for Congress to pass common sense reforms that increase public trust, combat racial discrimination and thereby strengthen public safety.
White House.gov. 06/16/2023.
Since I took office, the Department of Justice has also taken independent and aggressive action to ensure accountability for systemic misconduct and by police departments at the local level. The vast majority of Americans want the same thing: trust, safety, accountability. Any police officer will tell you that public trust is the foundation of public safety. At the same time, we must also ensure law enforcement have the funding, resources, training, and personnel they need for safe, effective, and accountable community policing in line with the standards of my Policing Executive Order.
One year ago, I stood alongside the family of George Floyd, civil rights leaders, and law enforcement to sign a historic Executive Order to advance effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices that will limit racial profiling, build public trust and strengthen public safety. It’s a positive step forward, but we know there is still more work to be done – especially in communities of color, where the bonds of trust are frayed or broken. I have a simple message for Congress: send the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to my desk, and I will sign it. I will continue to do everything in my power to fight for police accountability in Congress, and I remain willing to work with Republicans and Democrats alike on genuine solutions.
Juneteenth Tweet
From Saturday…
The video snip is 1 minute and 24 seconds long. Remarks are taken from the White House Juneteenth Concert that was held on 06/13/2023.
Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Juneteenth Concert
Good evening, everyone. Good evening. (Applause.) Happy Juneteenth! (Applause.)
[snip]
Good evening, everyone. So tonight, with joy, we gather with friends and generations of family members. We gather here at the White House, steps from where the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, to celebrate America’s newest national holiday. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 06/13/2023.
Cliff “Method Man” Smith (:30): During Black Music Month, the concert is a fitting way to recognize Juneteenth and express this part of our shared American history. For it is through music that African-Americans found community and sought solace. Music has the power to uplift us, to enrich our minds, and nourish the soul.
Remarks by President Biden at a Juneteenth Concert
So Juneteenth, as a federal holiday, is meant to breathe new life into the very essence of America — (applause) — to make sure all Americans feel the power of this day and the progress we can make as a country; to choose love over hate, unity over disunion, and progress over retreat. Choosing to remember history, not erase it; to read books, not ban them — (applause) — no matter how hard some people try.
[snip]
So, Happy Juneteenth! Bless you all. May God protect our troops. Thank you very much. Let’s get the job done! (Applause.) Let’s get the job done!
White House.gov. 06/13/2023.
From Monday…
The White House posted the following Proclamation:
One of my proudest actions as President has been signing the bipartisan law establishing Juneteenth as the first new Federal holiday since the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday nearly four decades ago. On this Juneteenth Day of Observance, we commemorate America’s dedication to the cause of freedom.
On June 19, 1865 — months after the Civil War ended and more than 2 years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing enslaved people — Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to free 250,000 people still held in bondage. The arrival of Major General Gordon Granger and his troops signaled that the Federal Government would not relent until the last enslaved people in America were free.On Juneteenth, we commemorate that day and honor the tireless work of abolitionists who made it their mission to deliver the promise of America for all Americans. We honor the generations of activists who have advanced the need for our Nation to recognize Juneteenth as a way to reconcile our past as we build a new American future together — advocates like former State Representative Al Edwards, who authored the bill that made Texas the first state to designate Juneteenth a holiday, and Ms. Opal Lee, known as the grandmother of Juneteenth, who joined me at the bill signing that finally made it a Federal holiday.
Importantly, making Juneteenth a Federal holiday was only one part of my Administration’s efforts to advance racial equity and ensure that America lives up to its highest ideals. With the expansion of the Child Tax Credit under the American Rescue Plan, we cut Black child poverty by half. From historic laws in my Investing in America agenda — in infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and clean energy, and lower prescription drug costs — to historic investments in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, our Nation is in the midst of rebuilding an economy from the middle out and the bottom up, instead of the top down. As a result, Black unemployment has been at a historic low and we are increasing access to affordable homeownership for Black Americans and combating bias in the home appraisal process. We are building a Federal bench that looks like America, with more Black women confirmed as circuit court judges than every other Presidency combined. I have taken action on marijuana reform by pardoning prior District of Columbia and Federal simple marijuana possession offenses and directed a review of marijuana scheduling. With the support of families, civil rights leaders, and law enforcement, I signed a historic Executive Order on police reform at the Federal level. And we passed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years. My Administration’s student debt relief plan that would provide $10,000 in relief for eligible borrowers and $20,000 in relief for borrowers who received Pell Grants is a critical step forward — among Black undergraduate borrowers, 70 percent received a Pell Grant. And in this Administration, we make it clear that history matters. Black history and Black stories will not be erased, denied, or banned from our Nation’s conscience no matter how hard people may try.
But we know there is more to do. As we observe Juneteenth, we remind ourselves of the sacred proposition rooted in Scripture and enshrined in our Declaration of Independence: that we are all created equal in the image of God and each of us deserves to be treated equally throughout our lives. That is the promise of America that every generation is charged to keep alive. While the opposition may seem fierce and the fire of conflict may be intense, the story of Juneteenth reveals that freedom, justice, and equality will always prevail.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2023, as Juneteenth Day of Observance. I call upon the people of the United States to acknowledge and condemn the history of slavery in our Nation and recognize how the impact of America’s original sin remains. I call on every American to celebrate Juneteenth and recommit to working together to eradicate systemic racism and inequity in our society wherever they find it.
White House.gov. 06/16/2023.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.
Economic Tweets
From Saturday…
American Rescue Plan.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
Inflation Reduction Act.
CHIPS and Science Act.
I-95 Tweets
From Saturday…
The YouTube is 17 minutes and 49 seconds long. His full remarks can be found here.
Show More =’s Philadelphia: we’re going to stay with you until the rebuilding is complete.
PA Governor Josh Shapiro Tweets
06/11/2023:
06/12/2023:
06/16/2023:
06/17/2023:
DACA Anniversary Tweet
From Saturday…
He isn’t wrong.
Father’s Day Tweets
From Sunday…
This is an Open Thread.
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