It’s Monday…
President Biden’s public schedule for 07/24/2023:
| 10:00 AM Presidential Daily Brief | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing The White House Closed Press |
| 3:30 PM Press Briefing | Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre James S. Brady Press Briefing Room |
Press Briefing:
Artificial Intelligence Tweets
From Friday…
The YouTube is 6 minutes and 1 second long. His full remarks can be found here.
President Biden:
And I’ve said at the State of the Union that Congress needs to pass bipartisan legislation to impose strict limits on personal data collection, ban targeted advertisements to kids, require companies to put health and safety first.
White House.gov. 07/21/2023.
President Biden:
Let me close with this. We’ll see more technology change in the next 10 years, or even in the next few years, than we’ve seen in the last 50 years. That has been an astounding revelation to me, quite frankly. Artificial intelligence is going to transform the lives of people around the world.
The group here will be critical in shepherding that innovation with responsibility and safety by design to earn the trust of Americans. And, quite frankly, as I met with world leaders, all — all — all our Eur- — all the G7 is focusing on the same thing.
White House.gov. 07/21/2023.
President Biden:
And today, I’m pleased to announce that these seven companies have agreed volun- — to voluntary commitments for responsible innovation. These commitments, which the companies will implement immediately, underscore three fundamental principles: safety, security, and trust.
First, the companies have an obligation to make sure their technology is safe before releasing it to the public. That means testing the capabilities of their systems, assessing their potential risk, and making the results of these assessments public.
Second, companies must prioritize the security of their systems by safeguarding their models against cyber threats and managing the risks to our national security and sharing the best practices and industry standards that are — that are necessary.
Third, the companies have a duty to earn the people’s trust and empower users to make informed decisions — labeling content that has been altered or AI-generated, rooting out bias and discrimination, strengthening privacy protections, and shielding children from harm.
And finally, companies have agreed to find ways for AI to help meet society’s greatest challenges — from cancer to climate change — and invest in education and new jobs to help students and workers prosper from the opportunities, and there are enormous opportunities of AI.
These commitments are real, and they’re concrete. They’re going to help fulfill — the industry fulfill its fundamental obligation to Americans to develop safe, secure, and trustworthy technologies that benefit society and uphold our values and our shared values.
White House.gov. 07/21/2023.
From Saturday…
President Biden:
Realizing the promise of AI by managing the risk is going to require some new laws, regulations, and oversight.
In the weeks ahead, I’m going to continue to take executive action to help America lead the way toward responsible innovation. And we’re going to work with both parties to develop appropriate legislation and regulation. I’m pleased that Leader Schumer and Leader Jeffries and others in the Congress are making this a top bipartisan priority.
White House.gov. 07/21/2023.
From Sunday…
The video clip is 47 seconds long.
Remarks by President Biden on Seizing the Opportunities and Managing the Risks of Artificial Intelligence (06/20/2023)
But in seizing this moment, we need to manage the risks to our society, to our economy, and our national security. My administration is committed — is committed to safeguarding America’s rights and safety, from protecting privacy, to addressing bias and disinformation, to making sure AI systems are safe before they are released.
White House.gov. 06/20/2023.
Remarks by President Biden on Artificial Intelligence (07/21/2023)
And today, I’m pleased to announce that these seven companies have agreed volun- — to voluntary commitments for responsible innovation. These commitments, which the companies will implement immediately, underscore three fundamental principles: safety, security, and trust.
[snip]
In the weeks ahead, I’m going to continue to take executive action to help America lead the way toward responsible innovation. And we’re going to work with both parties to develop appropriate legislation and regulation. I’m pleased that Leader Schumer and Leader Jeffries and others in the Congress are making this a top bipartisan priority.
[snip]
I think these leaders and — I thank these leaders that are in the room with me today — (clears throat) — and their partnership — excuse me — and their commitments that they’re making. This is a serious responsibility, and we have to get it right. And there’s enormous, enormous potential upside as well.
White House.gov. 07/21/2023.
I shared the full fact-sheet; Biden-Harris Administration Secures Voluntary Commitments from Leading Artificial Intelligence Companies to Manage the Risks Posed by AI in Friday’s Biden Bits
Inflation Reduction Act/Bidenomics Tweets
From Friday…
From Saturday…
From Sunday…
Remarks by President Biden on Bidenomics | Philadelphia, PA
President Biden:
Here today, workers from nine different unions will start building a vessel called the Acadia. It’s going to place heavy rocks at the base of the offshore wind projects to stabilize them when they put these down, and it’s going to project — protect it against erosion.
It will be the first vessel of its kind that’s made in America — American owned, American operated. (Applause.) And the rocks will come from American quarries, and it’ll be loaded at American ports.
Steel for a vessel is being made by the United Steelworkers in Indiana.
The engine will be made by the United States Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers in Pittsburgh.
The crew is going to be American marin- — mariners from Seafarers International Union. (Applause.)
The turbines themselves will be as tall as the buildings in Center City, Philadelphia. That’s how big they are. And the blades: 110 yards long. I went to see them being made in Colorado. It was breathtaking.
And I might add, notwithstanding what the other guy said, windmills do not cause cancer. (Laughter.)
White House.gov. 07/20/2023.
From Monday…
American Rescue Plan.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.
Inflation Reduction Act.
CHIPS and Science Act.
Remembrance Tweet
From Friday…
Show More =’s a long time – not only because of his beautiful voice, but also the joy that he brought to everything he did. We send our deepest condolences to his family and fans around the world.
His full statement:
For more than 70 years, Tony Bennett didn’t just sing the classics – he himself was an American classic. Resisting the pull to adjust his style to fit in with the times, his distinct voice gave melody and rhythm about the good life, how the best is yet to come, the way you look tonight, and leaving your heart in San Francisco.
Starting out as a singing waiter in New York City, he became one of America’s most beloved performers, selling tens of millions of records and winning over generations of fans. He always found new audiences and collaborators to enchant – the mark of a truly timeless artist.
Along the way, he lived history. He helped liberate prisoners at a subcamp of Dachau. He joined the 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery. He performed for Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy, and Queen Elizabeth II, and recorded music with everyone from the Count Basie Orchestra to Lady Gaga. Bob Hope gave him his stage name. Frank Sinatra was his mentor. There’s no doubt about it – Tony Bennett’s life was legendary. And his contributions to the arts in America will endure.
Jill and I have been fans of Tony’s music for a long time – not only because of his beautiful voice, but also the joy that he brought to everything he did. We send our deepest condolences to his family and fans around the world.
White House.gov. 07/21/2023.
Military Leadership Nominations Tweets
From Friday…
From the White House…
President Biden Announces Intent to Nominate Key Roles Within the U.S. Military
Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following four individuals for key roles within the U.S. military. Each are highly decorated naval officers with extensive operational experience. They will help ensure that the U.S. Military, and in particular the U.S. Navy, remain the most powerful and capable forces in the world at this critical moment.
White House.gov. 07/21/2023.
Nominee for Chief of Naval Operations: Adm. Lisa Franchetti
Adm. Lisa Franchetti currently serves as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. She is a surface warfare officer with extensive operational and policy experience. She previously served as the Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and as commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet. She has also served as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9, and commander of Carrier Strike Group 15. She received her commission in 1985 through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program at Northwestern University, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Journalism. She also attended the Naval War College and holds a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix. If confirmed, Admiral Franchetti will be the first woman to serve as Chief of Naval Operations and on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Nominee for Vice Chief of Naval Operations: Vice Adm. James Kilby
Vice Adm. James Kilby currently serves as the Deputy Commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command, which trains, equips, certifies, and provides combat-ready Navy forces to Combatant Commands around the world. Prior to that, he served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Requirements and Capabilities, N-9, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. His first flag assignment was standing up Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center and he also served as commander of the Carl Vinson Strike Group. He is a 1986 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy.
Nominee for Commander of Indo-Pacific Command: Adm. Samuel Paparo
Adm. Samuel Paparo has extensive experience serving in the Indo-Pacific region, and currently serves as the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the world’s largest fleet command in a priority region for the United States. He is a U.S naval aviator and has flown more than 6,000 hours, with 1,100 carrier landings. He previously served as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet/Combined Maritime Forces. He graduated from Villanova University and was commissioned in 1987. He earned a Master of Arts in International Studies from Old Dominion University and a Master of Science in Systems Analysis from the Naval Postgraduate School. He is also a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College, Air War College, Naval War College, and the Joint and Combined Warfighting School.
Nominee for Commander of Pacific Fleet: Vice Adm. Stephen “Web” Koehler
Vice Adm. Stephen T. “Web” Koehler currently serves as the Director for Strategy, Plans, and Policy for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A naval aviator, he previously served as the Commander of the U.S. Third Fleet, Director of Fleet Training at U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Deputy Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Director for Operations at U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Koehler is a 1986 graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder where he received a Bachelor of Science in Physics and was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps Program. He holds a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and is a graduate of the Joint Staff College and the Navy Nuclear Power Program.
Good Luck Megan/Team USA Tweet
From Friday…
Judges Tweet
From Saturday…
I can sort of confirm the 140 “Judges” via Google; it’s 139 Judges plus Supreme Court Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The White House on 07/05/2023 posted the following:
ICYMI: “Judicial Confirmation Factory:” President Biden Now Outpacing Presidents Trump, Obama, and George W. Bush on Federal Judicial Confirmations
Carl Huse wrote recently in the New York Times that President Biden and Senate Democrats “have transformed the Senate into a judicial confirmation factory.”
Indeed, President Biden has now seen 136 federal judges confirmed – more judicial confirmations than Presidents Trump, Obama, and George W. Bush up to this point in their presidencies. He’s done it against the backdrop of a closely divided Senate. The President also recently hit 100 district court confirmations.
But it’s not just about the numbers.
Michael Tomasky wrote last week in the New Republic: “More meaningful than the number is the type, as two-thirds of those nominees are women and two-thirds are people of color. Many are from plainly progressive backgrounds in the law. In just the last month or so, these judges are among those confirmed:
White House.gov. 07/05/2023.
- Nusrat Choudhury, the first Muslim American woman (and first Bangladeshi woman) to be named to the federal bench; a civil rights lawyer with the ACLU
- Natasha Merle, an African American woman out of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Dale Ho, an Asian American voting rights attorney
- Casey Pitts, an openly LGBTQ labor lawyer
- Hernán Vera, a Latino former staff attorney at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund”
The success to date is no accident.
Jennifer Bendery wrote over the weekend in HuffPost that “Joe Biden, a former longtime chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, made judicial nominations a top priority before he was even sworn in as president.” And since being sworn in, the President, Leader Schumer, and Chairman Durbin have moved swiftly to confirm a historic number of highly-qualified, civil rights attorneys and public defenders. Just look at the last three weeks:
“Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) lined up and confirmed six of Biden’s most trailblazing judicial nominees to date, some of whom are certainly contenders for future Supreme Court seats. All are civil rights attorneys. All have been priorities for progressive judicial advocacy groups. All are relatively young, meaning they likely have decades ahead of them in their lifetime appointments. And all bring badly needed diversity to the federal bench.”
President Biden promised the American people he would make upholding the rule of law with deeply qualified judicial nominees who represent the diversity of our nation a core priority. Fulfilling that pledge is one of his proudest accomplishments. The Biden-Harris pace of judicial confirmations has surpassed the last three presidencies while shattering all previous records when it comes to making the federal bench look like America.
The President is determined to keep driving forward with more barrier-breaking nominees.
White House.gov. 07/05/2023.
In my search to confirm the number shared by President Biden, I did find this from American Constitution Society (ACSLAW.org):
July 20, 2023
The Senate made limited progress on judicial nominations this week. As of this writing, the Senate confirmed just 1 Article III nominee: Rachel Bloomekatz (6th Cir.) in a 50-48 vote. There are still 17 nominees pending on the Senate floor, waiting for cloture and confirmation votes.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a markup on Thursday where it advanced one judicial nominee to the floor: Judge Julia Munley (M.D. Pa.). Judge Munley is now eligible for cloture and confirmation votes.
As of July 20, there are 90 Article III vacancies, 68 of which are current. There are 27 pending nominees: 17 waiting for floor votes, 3 waiting to be reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and 7 waiting for hearings before the Committee. To date, 140 Article III judges have been confirmed during the Biden-Harris Administration.
In other judiciary news, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday also voted on the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023. The bill has several provisions, including requiring the Court to adopt a code of conduct for Justices, and strengthening recusal and financial disclosure standards for the Justices. The legislation passed through the Committee in an 11-10 vote. It is now eligible to be considered by the full Senate.
ACSLAW.org. 07/20/2023.
Congressional Tweets
From Saturday…
The YouTube is 4 minutes and 58 seconds long.
Full remarks:
Hello, everybody! (Applause.)
Every time I hear “Hail to the Chief,” I turn around and say, “Where is he?” (Laughter.) I’m getting used to it, though.
Folks, thanks for being here. Welcome to your house. And you’re the way — oh, you think I’m kidding? I know who — I know who owns this place. (A pigeon flies in front of the podium.) Thank you — that bird, right there. That — that pigeon. (Laughter.)
Folks, first of all, let me begin by thanking all our families. I think we underestimate sometimes — hey, Tommy. How are you?
I think we underestimate sometimes how much pressure is put on the family — our kids, our grandkids, our spouses, our parents. And I want to thank you. And that’s why this is really not for the members of Congress; this is for all of their families. That’s what this is all about. So, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you. (Applause.)
And, folks, look, I want to — a special welcome to Speaker Emeritus — and she’s — she’s going to be my Speaker her whole life, I think — my whole life. And I want to thank Nancy and her — and —
THE FIRST LADY: Oh, she’s right there.
THE PRESIDENT: Where —
THE FIRST LADY: There.
THE PRESIDENT: There you are, Na- — well, she’s hiding behind that big guy. You know what I mean?
And her grandsons and — (applause).
Leader Schumer and his wife and his — and his daughter-in-law. And, by the way, he has a grandson. Now he — now that we know who — if we want to get anything done, we go to his grandson. He’s only five years old, and we can get it done.
And, folks, also, I want to thank Leader Jeffries. He’s — the reason I like him so much — (applause) — he’s got a — he’s got a backbone like a ramrod and he’s got great integrity.
And Speaker McCarthy, who — I don’t want to hurt his reputation, but I actually like him. (Laughter.) And I’m sorry, I didn’t want to — want to hurt you. But all kidding aside, we’ve been able to work together and I appreciate it very much.
And I don’t know whether Dick Durbin is here. He was supposed to be coming down, as well Whip Clark. I’m not sure she’s here as well. But any rate —
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Right here.
THE PRESIDENT: There you are. Okay. We’re all set then.
Look, folks, you know, Jill and I especially want to thank you and all the families for coming. I hope you have a good time. This is — nothing formal about this.
This is your house. This is the people’s house. This is — this is a night that —
My favorite picture — I was — I — I’ll end with this. My favorite picture that I — we have in this residence as well as home is when our boys were seven and eight years old at one of the — at one of the congressional picnics. And they’re standing way down there, and they’re both looking at the monument and the White House is in the background. It’s my favorite picture of all time.
And I just want to know: I hope you enjoy the night, and I hope you are able to spend some time with one another as well. You don’t get a lot of opportunity to do that.
And it reminds me of the work that we have to do. You know, for all the disagreements we have, we got to remember: At the end of the day, we’re friends. That’s how it’s always been. We got to be friends, good to each other. And I — (applause) — no, I — I mean it. And I think we’re getting there.
So, I want to thank you all very much for coming. I’m not going to say anything more.
You want to say anything, Madam Vice President? (Applause.)
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you, all. Your role of leadership, the sacrifice that the families make really does make a difference in terms of the good work that we do together for the sake of our country.
So, I thank you all for what you do every day.
THE PRESIDENT: God bless America. Let’s get going. (Applause.)
White House.gov. 07/19/2023.
This is an Open Thread.
