It’s Monday…
President Biden’s public schedule for 07/17/2023:
| 0:00 AM Presidential Daily Brief | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing Oval Office Closed Press |
| 3:00 PM Press Briefing | Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre James S. Brady Press Briefing Room |
Finland/NATO Tweets
From Friday…
From Saturday…
The video clip is 1 minute and 27 seconds long.
It’s snip of events that happened while he was in Finland.
Remarks by President Biden and President Sauli Niinistö of the Republic of Finland in Joint Press Conference | Helsinki, Finland–White House YouTube is 24 minutes and 32 seconds long.
President Biden:
And — and I — I want to say I think we’ve had a very productive summit. We discussed, Mr. President, where we stand at an inflection point in history where the decisions we make now are going to determine the course of the history for the next four or five, six decades.
White House.gov. 07/13/2023.
President Biden (0:08):
Well, it’s a delight to be here. It’s good to be back in Finland. This is my second visit. And it’s — you know, I remember a conversation you and I had when you called to come to the White House to talk about being a member —
[snip]
But all kidding aside, you know, you’re — you’ve been a great partner. We’re great allies. And, you know, Finland and the United States — I think we’re stronger together. And I really mean that. You’ve been an incredible asset to NATO and to the world.
[snip]
And I think there’s a — I — it’s a different era in the nature of our relationship and bringing along Sweden as well. It makes a gigantic difference.
White House.gov. 07/13/2023.
White House YouTube without a transcript (yet)…Updated found the transcript: President Biden Participates in the U.S.-Nordic Leaders’ Summit (9:16).
President Biden (0:20):
And we just finished a historic NATO Summit — and I think it was historic — where we welcomed Finland’s accession to NATO and reached an agreement to move forward on Sweden’s membership in NATO. And it was a reminder that the nations around the table are — not only share a common history, but we share common challenges and — I would add, presumptuously — common values.
White House.gov. 07/13/2023.
And, you know, the vision for the world that we all share — and I think it’s a very similar vision — is one that’s more free, more secure, and opportunities made available for all. Because we know that when other countries do well, particularly those countries who are struggling, we all do better. We all do better.
Remarks by President Biden and President Sauli Niinistö of the Republic of Finland in Joint Press Conference | Helsinki, Finland–White House YouTube is 24 minutes and 32 seconds long.
President Sauli Niinistö of the Republic of Finland (0:37):
I also want to thank you for the Vilnius meeting. It was very touching to feel the unity between Allies. And I think it was greatly created by you.
White House.gov. 07/13/2023.
President Biden (0:50):
Mr. President, at this critical moment in history, this inflection point, the world is watching to see: Will we do the hard work that matters to forge a better future? Will we stand together? Will we stand with one another? Will we stay committed to our course?
This week, Finland and the United States and our Allies and partners said a resounding, loud “yes.” Yes, we’ll step up. Yes, we’ll stand together. And, yes, we’ll keep working toward a stronger, safer, and more secure world.
White House.gov. 07/13/2023.
From Sunday…
The video clip is 1 minute and 29 seconds long.
Remarks by President Biden on Supporting Ukraine, Defending Democratic Values, and Taking Action to Address Global Challenges | Vilnius, Lithuania–White House YouTube is 23 minutes and 23 seconds long.
President Biden:
Hello, Lithuania! (Applause.) As my mother would say, “God love ya.” No seats. Holy mackerel. (Laughter.)
It’s good to be back in Vilnius, a nation and a region that knows better than anyone the transformational power of freedom. (Applause.) You know, you showed the world that the strength of a people united cannot be denied.
[snip]
Now, over the last few days, as President of the United States, I had the honor of participating in a historic NATO Summit hosted by Lithuania, where we welcomed NATO’s newest Ally, Finland, and reached agreement to bring Sweden into the Alliance as soon as possible. (Applause.) And President Erdoğan kept his word.
White House.gov. 07/12/2023.
Remarks by President Biden and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Official Greeting | Vilnius, Lithuania (07/11/2023).
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (0:25):
President Biden, dear Joe, welcome to the NATO Summit. And many, many thanks for your strong leadership making this alliance united and even stronger. This summit is already historic because the agreement we made yesterday will make Sweden a full member of NATO. And that will make our alliance even more capable of defending all Allies.
White House.gov. 07/11/2023.
Remarks by President Biden on Supporting Ukraine, Defending Democratic Values, and Taking Action to Address Global Challenges | Vilnius, Lithuania–White House YouTube is 23 minutes and 23 seconds long.
President Biden (0:35):
Today, our Alliance remains a bulwark of global security and stability as it’s been for more than seven decades. NATO is stronger, more energized, and, yes, more united than ever in its history. Indeed, more vital to our shared future.
[snip]
When Putin, and his craven lust for land and power, unleashed his brutal war on Ukraine, he was betting NATO would break apart. He was betting NATO would break. He thought our unity would shatter at the first testing. He thought democratic leaders would be weak. But he thought wrong. (Applause.)
[snip]
How we answer these essential questions is literally going to determine the kind of future our children and grandchildren have. And, again, that’s not an exaggeration; that’s a fact. It’s going to take all of us. All of us.
[snip]
We have witnessed your historic journey. And I’m proud to call Lithuania a friend, partner, and Ally. Ally. Ally. (Applause.) Soon, NATO will be the 32nd freestanding — have free- — 33 — 32 freestanding members — (laughter) — standing together to defend our people and our territory, beyond — beyond all the rest, bound by democratic values to make us strong and by our sacred oath that an attack against — it is a sacred oath — attack against one is an attack against all. Because each member of NATO knows that the strength of our people and the power of our unity cannot be denied. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 07/12/2023.
I shared all the links regarding his trip overseas in Biden’s Bits on Friday. I have now corrected the date error I made and didn’t see on Friday…
“Bidenomics”/Investing in America Tweets
From Friday…
From Saturday…
From Sunday…
The Post and Courier: US Rep. Nancy Mace endorses Charleston bus project. But she voted against its funding (06/28/2023):
It was paywalled for me…
Huff Post: Tommy Tuberville Celebrates Broadband Funding He Voted Against (06/28/2023):
CDC.gov link is a COVID-19 timeline.
YCharts shares a chart as of June 2023…
From Monday…
From the White House 07/14/2023:
The Economics of Investing in America
The President took office determined to move beyond failed trickle-down policies and fundamentally change the economic direction of our country. His plan—Bidenomics—is rooted in the recognition that the best way to grow the economy is from the middle out and the bottom up.
White House.gov. 07/14/2023.
A core tenet of Bidenomics is making smart public investments in America.
This is based on the belief that targeted public investment can attract more private sector investment, rather than crowd it out. This is particularly true in sectors that are central to the long-term economic and national security interests of the United States—from our infrastructure, to semiconductors, to clean energy and climate security.
White House.gov. 07/14/2023.
The President has a unique approach to making smart investments in America.
Today, the National Economic Council and the Investing in America Chief Economist released a brief that outlines the economic case for this approach—both the investments the President is making and his approach to making them in a way that benefits the middle class.
White House.gov. 07/14/2023.
Bidenomics invests in infrastructure, clean energy and electric vehicles, semiconductors, and innovation.
Why? Because:
- Investments in industries are often more productive when made on top of a solid foundation of reliable infrastructure.
- Necessary investments in the semiconductor, clean energy, and electric vehicle supply chains will not be made by the private sector alone.
- Risky or long-term investments in innovation require public investments to fill the gaps that private investors won’t.
Bidenomics chooses to invest in industries from the middle out and the bottom up.
Why? Because:
- This is the most effective approach to deliver long-term economic benefits to American workers, families, and consumers by building pathways to the middle class.
- In order to recruit workers and build lasting, productive industries, employers must offer high-quality jobs—with strong wages and benefits. These jobs offer pathways to the middle class that do not require four years of college.
- Policies that create opportunities in long overlooked communities pay off with greater economic benefits.
- Building resiliency within and across industries can protect our economy from economic shocks that can raise prices for consumers and reduce growth.
- Creating competitive markets in critical industries makes room for new ideas and new businesses that can increase American competitiveness and help the economy grow.
The President’s agenda is already powering a resurgence in American manufacturing.
Construction of manufacturing facilities in the U.S. has grown nearly 100 percent in two years. From increasing private investment in semiconductors, electric vehicles, and clean energy to funding over 35,000 infrastructure projects to building a Made-in-America electric vehicle charging network, Bidenomics is leading to new investments in communities all across America.
White House.gov. 07/14/2023.
To read the full brief, visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Economics-of-Investing-in-America.pdf
Student Debt Relief Tweet
From Friday…
The White House tweets…
Show more =’s advantage of by schools–In total, more than $116 billion in student loan forgiveness has been approved for more than 3.4 million borrowers under the Biden-Harris Administration.
Department of Education tweets:
Their full statement:
The Department of Education (Department) today will begin notifying more than 804,000 borrowers that they have a total of $39 billion in Federal student loans that will be automatically discharged in the coming weeks. In total, the Biden-Harris Administration has approved more than $116.6 billion in student loan forgiveness for more than 3.4 million borrowers.
The forthcoming discharges are a result of fixes implemented by the Biden-Harris Administration to ensure all borrowers have an accurate count of the number of monthly payments that qualify toward forgiveness under income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. These fixes are part of the Department’s commitment to address historical failures in the administration of the Federal student loan program in which qualifying payments made under IDR plans that should have moved borrowers closer to forgiveness were not accounted for. Borrowers are eligible for forgiveness if they have accumulated the equivalent of either 20 or 25 years of qualifying months.
“For far too long, borrowers fell through the cracks of a broken system that failed to keep accurate track of their progress towards forgiveness,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is taking another historic step to right these wrongs and announcing $39 billion in debt relief for another 804,000 borrowers. By fixing past administrative failures, we are ensuring everyone gets the forgiveness they deserve, just as we have done for public servants, students who were cheated by their colleges, and borrowers with permanent disabilities, including veterans. This Administration will not stop fighting to level the playing field in higher education.”
Today’s action is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s implementation of the payment count adjustment announced in April 2022. That action addressed historical inaccuracies in the count of payments that qualify toward forgiveness under IDR plans. Under the Higher Education Act and the Department’s regulations, a borrower is eligible for forgiveness after making 240 or 300 monthly payments—the equivalent of 20 or 25 years on an IDR plan or the standard repayment plan, with the number of required payments varying based upon when a borrower first took out the loans, the type of loans they borrowed, and the IDR payment plan in which the borrower is enrolled. Inaccurate payment counts have resulted in borrowers losing hard-earned progress toward loan forgiveness. This action also addresses concerns about practices by loan servicers that put borrowers into forbearance in violation of Department rules. The Department previously began discharging loans for borrowers who reached forgiveness for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) through these changes.
“At the start of this Administration, millions of borrowers had earned loan forgiveness but never received it. That’s unacceptable,” said Under Secretary James Kvaal. “Today we are holding up the bargain we offered borrowers who have completed decades of repayment.”
Borrowers receiving notifications in the coming days include those with Direct Loans or Federal Family Education Loans held by the Department (including Parent PLUS loans of either type) who have reached the necessary forgiveness threshold as a result of receiving credit toward IDR forgiveness for any of the following periods:
ED.gov. 07/14/2023.
- Any month in which a borrower was in a repayment status, regardless of whether payments were partial or late, the type of loan, or the repayment plan;
- Any period in which a borrower spent 12 or more consecutive months in forbearance;
- Any month in forbearance for borrowers who spent 36 or more cumulative months in forbearance;
- Any month spent in deferment (except for in-school deferment) prior to 2013; and
- Any month spent in economic hardship or military deferments on or after January 1, 2013.
In addition, months described above that occurred prior to a loan consolidation will also be counted toward forgiveness.
The Department will continue to identify and notify borrowers who reach the applicable forgiveness thresholds (240 or 300 qualifying monthly payments, depending on their repayment plan and type of loan) every two months until next year when all borrowers who are not yet eligible for forgiveness will have their payment counts updated. Any month counted for this purpose can also be counted toward PSLF if the borrower documents qualifying employment for that same period.
Eligible borrowers will be informed by the Department starting today that they qualify for forgiveness without further action on their part. Discharges will begin 30 days after emails are sent. Borrowers who wish to opt out of the discharge for any reason should contact their loan servicer during this period. Borrowers will be notified by their servicer after their debt is discharged. Those receiving forgiveness will have repayment on their loans paused until their discharge is processed, while those who opt out of the discharge will return to repayment once payments resume.
Today’s action builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s unparalleled record of student debt relief to date, including:
ED.gov. 07/14/2023.
- $45 billion for 653,800 public servants through improvements to PSLF;
- $10.5 billion for 491,000 borrowers who have a total and permanent disability; and
- $22 billion for nearly 1.3 million borrowers who were cheated by their schools, saw their schools precipitously close, or are covered by related court settlements.
President Biden and the Department have also taken steps to help borrowers access affordable payments going forward. The Department recently issued final regulations creating the most affordable payment plan ever—the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. The SAVE plan will cut payments on undergraduate loans in half compared to other IDR plans, ensure that borrowers never see their balance grow as long as they keep up with their required payments, and protect more of a borrower’s income for basic needs. A single borrower who makes less than $15 an hour will not have to make any payments. Borrowers earning above that amount will save more than $1,000 a year on their payments compared to other IDR plans. Benefits from the SAVE plan will start becoming available this summer.
ED.gov. 07/14/2023.
President Biden’s full statement on the new student debt relief actions:
I have long said that college should be a ticket to the middle class – not a burden that weighs down on families for decades.
My Administration is delivering on that commitment. Starting today, over 800,000 student loan borrowers who have been repaying their loans for 20 years or more will see $39 billion of their loans discharged because of steps my Administration took to fix failures of the past. These borrowers will join the millions of people that my Administration has provided relief to over the past two years – resulting in over $116 billion in loan relief to over 3 million borrowers under my Administration.
But we’re not stopping there. My Administration has worked hard to secure the largest increases to Pell Grants in a decade, fixed broken loan programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and created a new income-driven repayment plan that will cut undergraduate loan payments in half and bring monthly payments to zero for low-income borrowers. And, when the Supreme Court made the wrong decision, I immediately announced a new plan to open an alternative path to relief for as many borrowers as possible, as soon as possible.
Republican lawmakers – who had no problem with the government forgiving millions of dollars of their own business loans – have tried everything they can to stop me from providing relief to hardworking Americans. Some are even objecting to the actions we announced today, which follows through on relief borrowers were promised, but never given, even when they had been making payments for decades. The hypocrisy is stunning, and the disregard for working and middle-class families is outrageous.
As long as I’m in office, I will continue to work to bring the promise of college to every American.
White House.gov. 07/14/2023.
Heat Wave Tweet
From Friday…
Veterans Tweet
From Friday…
The VA.gov link shared by President Biden is a resource site with a FAQ and links to apply for VA benefits.
Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act, 08/10/2022).
Suicide Prevention Tweets
From Sunday…
NPR (10/19/2020): President Trump has signed into law a bipartisan bill to create a three-digit number for mental health emergencies. The Federal Communications Commission had already picked 988 as the number for this hotline and aims to have it up and running by July 2022. The new law paves the way to make that a reality.
CNN (10/17/2020): President Donald Trump on Saturday signed into law a bipartisan bill that will make 9-8-8 the universal telephone number to reach the national suicide prevention hotline starting in 2022.
Business Insider (10/17/2020): President Trump signed a bipartisan bill into law on Saturday that designates 988 as the universal telephone number for the national suicide prevention hotline starting in 2022, the White House announced.
From the White House; FACT SHEET: President Biden to Announce Strategy to Address Our National Mental Health Crisis, As Part of Unity Agenda in his First State of the Union (03/01/2022):
- Launch the “988” crisis response line and strengthen community-based crisis response. This summer, HHS will launch the 988 mental health crisis service hotline, which will create a national network of local crisis centers fortified by national back up centers to answer calls and texts. Through the American Rescue Plan, the Administration has provided $180 million to support local capacity to answer crisis calls, and establish more community-based mobile crisis response and crisis stabilizing facilities to minimize unnecessary emergency department visits. The President’s FY23 budget will build on this investment with an additional nearly $700 million to staff up and shore up local crisis centers while also building out the broader crisis care continuum: someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere for every American in crisis to go.
This is an Open Thread.
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