It’s Friday…
President Biden’s public schedule for 02/16/2024:
| 1:10 PM Leaves the White House | The President departs the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews South Lawn Open Press |
| 1:30 PM Leaves Joint Base Andrews | The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Joint Base Andrews Out-of-Town Pool |
| 2:00 PM Press Gaggle | Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Joint Base Andrews Out-of-Town Pool |
| 2:25 PM Arrives in Pittsburgh | The President arrives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh International Airport Open Press |
| 4:20 PMOfficial Schedule | The President receives an operational briefing from officials on the continuing response and recovery efforts East Palestine, Ohio Out-of-Town Pool Spray |
| 4:45 PM Remarks | The President delivers remarks on how the Administration is holding Norfolk Southern accountable for the derailment and is working with state and local officials to support the community as it moves forward East Palestine, Ohio Out-of-Town Pool |
| 7:35 PM Leaves Pittsburgh | The President departs Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania en route to Dover, Delaware Pittsburgh International Airport Out-of-Town Pool |
| 8:45 PM Leaves Dover | The President departs Dover, Delaware en route to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Dover Air Force Base, DE Out-of-Town Pool |
| 9:05 PM Arrives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware | The President arrives in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Gordons Pond State Park, Rehoboth Beach, DE Out-of-Town Pool |
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Gaggle Aboard Air Force One En Route to Pittsburgh, PA @2:00 p.m. D.C., time:
President Biden Delivers Remarks on Supporting Americans in East Palestine, Ohio @4:45 p.m. D.C., time:
Bipartisan Supplemental Agreement Tweets
From Thursday…
Supporting our bipartisan national security bill is standing up to Putin.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 15, 2024
Opposing it is playing into his hands.
Remarks by President Biden on Senate Passage of the Bipartisan Supplemental Agreement; the YouTube is 8 minutes and 27 seconds long.
Supporting this bill is standing up to Putin. Opposing it is playing into Putin’s hands.
White House.gov. 02/13/2024.
Failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 15, 2024
For Republicans in Congress who think they can oppose funding for Ukraine and not be held accountable: History is watching. History is watching. History is watching. Failure to support Ukraine at this critical moment will never be forgotten.
White House.gov. 02/13/2024.
From Friday…
We’ve seen the stories:
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 16, 2024
Ukrainian soldiers out of artillery, units rationing ammunition, families worried that the next strike will plunge them into darkness.
Our bipartisan national security bill would allow Ukraine to keep defending itself against Putin’s vicious onslaught.
We’ve all seen the terrible stories in recent weeks: Ukrainian soldiers out of artillery shells, Ukrainian units rationing rounds of ammunition to defend themselves, Ukrainian families worried that the next Russian strike will permanently plunge them into darkness or worse.
[snip]
And the bill provides urgent funding for Ukraine so it can keep defending itself against Putin’s vicious, vicious onslaught.
White House.gov. 02/13/2024.
From the White House…
02/13/2024:
Republicans Said No To Border Security Tweet
From Thursday…
We’ve worked with a bipartisan group of Senators for months to put forward the toughest and fairest border deal in history.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 15, 2024
Congressional Republicans took one look, killed it, and left town.
For them, it was never about the border. It was about playing politics. pic.twitter.com/8cytEyAwhC
The video clip is 35 seconds long.
President Biden: I had a bipartisan deal to secure the border, including critical funding for Border Patrol and Immigration Enforcement, but the Republicans said, “no”. Now Republicans are skipping town for almost two weeks instead of funding the border security. Less funding for the border means it’s harder for law enforcement to do their job, it’s harder to stop fentanyl coming into the country. Republicans leaving town saying “no” to more funding is playing politics over the safety of the American people. They say the border is their priority, but given their actions, clearly it’s not.
Investing in America Announcements Tweets
From Thursday…
Folks, my Administration is on the road again – meeting with Americans in communities everywhere, including those that have been left out or overlooked. pic.twitter.com/8xgmsVXxxS
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 15, 2024
Today, my Administration is investing $1 billion to modernize airport terminals across 114 airports, spanning 44 states and three territories.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 16, 2024
We can’t have the strongest economy in the world without the best infrastructure in the world.
That’s what this action is all about.
From the White House…
02/14/2024:
To date, over 50,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects have now been announced thanks to Bidenomics and President Biden’s Investing in America agenda
Tomorrow, February 15, the Biden-Harris Administration will kick off its fourth Investing in America tour to highlight how Bidenomics and the President’s Investing in America agenda are growing the economy from the middle out and bottom up—not the top down. The tour will demonstrate how the President is delivering for communities across the country, including those that have been left out or overlooked. Officials across the Administration will highlight how President Biden’s investments are lowering costs for families, creating good-paying jobs, and advancing opportunity for all Americans.
White House.gov. 02/14/2024.
Throughout the Investing in America tour, President Biden, Vice President Harris, First Lady Jill Biden, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff, Cabinet members, and Senior Administration Officials will visit communities across the country where the President is cutting costs for American families, growing our clean energy economy, rebuilding our infrastructure, and creating good-paying jobs along the way. To date, the Administration has now launched over 50,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects and mobilized over $640 billion in private sector clean energy and manufacturing investments.
During the Investing in America tour, Administration officials will also call out Congressional Republicans who voted against the President’s agenda yet continue to claim credit for its transformative impact—including the jobs it’s creating and the economic growth it has spurred in their communities and across the country. While the President is busy delivering for the American people, House Republicans are fighting to give more tax cuts to wealthy and big corporations, raise costs for prescription drugs and utilities, and cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
When the tour kicks off tomorrow, the Administration will announce nearly $1 billion for airport terminal projects that will modernize airports for the 21st century—improving passenger experience, accessibility, and sustainability while creating good-paying jobs. Over the course of the tour, President Biden and Administration leaders will make major announcements made possible by the President’s Investing in America agenda, which includes the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS and Science Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and American Rescue Plan. The tour will also underscore how under President Biden, cities and towns across the country that have historically been left behind are making an economic comeback. A recent report found that economically distressed counties are receiving a disproportionate share of the private sector investment in industries of the future targeted by the President’s agenda, including clean energy and semiconductors and electronics. This complements similar findings by the Treasury Department.
As part of the tour:
- President Biden will travel to highlight how his agenda is lowering costs, driving economic growth, and ensuring that no community gets left behind.
- Vice President Harris and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan will travel to Pennsylvania to highlight the Administration’s continued progress towards delivering clean water for every American, including those in communities that have too often been overlooked. They will also emphasize how ongoing investments in clean water are creating good-paying jobs across the country.
- First Lady Jill Biden will travel to Wisconsin to highlight the importance of career-connected learning programs that prepare high school and community college students for jobs in growing sectors.
- Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and Deputy Secretary of Transportation Polly Trottenberg will travel to Minnesota to highlight the Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in transportation infrastructure to spur economic growth and improve American lives.
- Leading into the tour, Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen will travel to Pennsylvania and Michigan for events to discuss how President Biden’s economic agenda is lowering health care costs, spurring a small business boom, and creating economic opportunity across the country.
- Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland will travel to Virginia, Ohio, and Delaware to highlight how President Biden’s investments are addressing legacy pollution, investing in Indigenous communities, and strengthening climate resilience in habitats and communities.
- Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will travel to California to highlight how President Biden’s investments are making communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. Secretary Vilsack and White House Director of Domestic Policy Neera Tanden will also travel to North Carolina to highlight the President’s progress toward closing the digital divide and investing in rural America. This trip will kick off a new Investing in Rural America Regional Event Series that will continue throughout this year, building on the Administration’s Investing in Rural America Event Series in late 2023.
- Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su will travel to Oregon to showcase how the President’s Investing in America agenda is expanding job opportunities in industries of the future like semiconductor manufacturing.
- Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra will travel to North Carolina, Mississippi, and New Hampshire to highlight the Administration’s efforts to address health care disparities, including how President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act lowers the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and families across America.
- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge will travel to Ohio to underscore the Administration’s commitment to investing in infrastructure improvements and the provision of essential services for residents, as well as advancing equity in housing for communities across the country.
- Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will travel to North Carolina and Hawaii to highlight how the President’s Investing in America agenda is making our nation’s infrastructure safer, more convenient, and more resilient.
- Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm will travel to California and Washington state to highlight the President’s progress toward growing clean energy economy, creating good-paying jobs, and mobilizing billions of dollars of investments from the private sector.
- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough will travel to South Carolina for engagements to highlight President Biden’s work to advance the welfare of our nation’s veterans.
- Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan will travel to Texas and North Carolina to highlight critical investments to reduce climate pollution, advance environmental justice, and deploy clean energy solutions.
- Small Business Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman will travel to Michigan to highlight how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is fueling a historic small business boom, creating good-paying jobs, and expanding opportunity for small business owners in underserved communities.
- White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar will travel to North Carolina to highlight how the President’s investments boost American competitiveness in industries of the future like biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.
- White House Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Steve Benjamin will travel to Pennsylvania to highlight how the President’s historic investments are making our airports safer, more accessible, and more enjoyable for travelers.
- White House Senior Advisor and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs Tom Perez will travel to Arizona to highlight how the President’s investments are growing a clean energy economy, lowering costs for families, and closing the digital divide.
“New” from the White House…
02/15/2024:
- Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby; the YouTube is 1 hour long.
02/16/2024:
- Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the State Visit of President William Ruto and First Lady Rachel Ruto of Kenya; the state visit happens on 05/23/2024.
- Remarks by Vice President Harris at the Munich Security Conference | Munich, Germany; the YouTube is 29 minutes and 22 seconds long.
Added to the President’s schedule…
12:00 PM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on the reported death of Aleksey Navalny
Roosevelt Room.
BREAKING: Alexei Navalny, the imprisoned Russian opposition leader, has died, the country's prison service says. He had been in jail since January 2021. https://t.co/pe9u4yIwdk
— The Associated Press (@AP) February 16, 2024
Alexei Navalny, who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests as President Vladimir Putin’s fiercest foe, died Friday in the Arctic penal colony where he was serving a 19-year sentence, Russia’s prison agency said. He was 47.
The stunning news — less than a month before an election that will give Putin another six years in power — brought renewed criticism and outrage directed at the Kremlin leader who has cracked down on all opposition at home.
AP News. 02/16/2024.
Navalny’s wife is in Munich at the Munich Security Conference…
Yulia Navalny, wife of Alexie Navalny, on reports of his death: “We cannot believe Putin’s government. They are lying constantly. But if this is the truth, I want Putin and all his friends to know they will be punished for what they have done with my country, my family, and my… pic.twitter.com/znQC2sGO74
— Josh Rogin (@joshrogin) February 16, 2024
Vice President Harris also offered remarks regarding the death of Navalny…
.@VP Harris on death of Alexei Navalny: "This is of course terrible news which we are working to confirm…if confirmed this would be a further sign of Putin's brutality. Whatever story they tell let us be clear; Russia is responsible." pic.twitter.com/5DDgyMiPTU
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 16, 2024
President Biden Delivers Remarks on the Reported Death of Aleksey Navalny @noon D.C., time (it’s likely to be a few minutes late):
This is an Open Thread.
