Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Gaggle Aboard Air Force One En Route to Charlotte, NC @12:15 p.m. D.C., time:
President Biden Delivers Remarks on Investing in America @4:30 p.m. D.C., time:
CHIPS and Science Act Tweet
From Wednesday…
Microchips power the everyday lives of billions of people around the world.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 1, 2024
This investment is about bringing their production – and the jobs that come with it – home. pic.twitter.com/Ocon8KAAPH
The video clip is 40 seconds long.
Remarks by President Biden on the CHIPS and Science Act | Syracuse, NY; the YouTube is 1 hour and 4 minutes long (President Biden’s remarks start at the 48 minute and 1 second mark)
Today, I’m pleased to announce we’re building on that commitment with a landmark preliminary agreement between my administration and Micron, a major chip manufacturer, which is building these fabs here in Upstate New York: $6.1 billion in chips funding paired with $125 billion from Micron to build these facilities here in New York and near Micron headquarters in Idaho.
[snip]
In all, it’s going to create over 70,000 jobs across both states, at least 9,000 of which are construction jobs, 11,000 manufacturing jobs, tens of thousands more up and down the supply chain. And it includes 9,000 permanent Micron manufacturing jobs right here in Clay — not here, but near, in Clay, just a — just a little bit from here — many of them paying — catch this — $100,000 a year. And it doesn’t require a college degree. (Applause.)
[snip]
It isn’t just about investing in America. It’s about investing in the American people as well. (Applause.) And that includes training folks for these high-paying jobs — highly skilled new jobs that we’re creating. To do that, we’re bringing employers, unions, community colleges, high schools together and workforce hubs where folks can learn the skills hands-on.
Student Loan Forgiveness Tweet
From Wednesday…
My Administration is cancelling $6.1 billion in debt for 317,000 borrowers who attended the Art Institutes, an institution that falsified data and cheated borrowers.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 1, 2024
This is the latest – but not the last – step to hold bad actors accountable and get relief to folks who need it.
From the White House…
05/01/2024:
From the Department of Education…
05/01/2024:
The Biden-Harris Administration today announced the approval of more than $6.1 billion in automatic student loan relief to nearly 317,000 borrowers who enrolled at any Art Institute campus on or after Jan. 1, 2004, through Oct. 16, 2017. The U.S. Department of Education (Department) found that The Art Institutes and its parent company, Education Management Corporation (EDMC), made pervasive and substantial misrepresentations to prospective students about postgraduation employment rates, salaries, and career services during that time. In October 2017, EDMC sold its remaining Art Institute campuses, and all existing Art Institute campuses closed under separate ownership in September 2023. Today’s action brings the total amount of student relief approved by the Biden-Harris Administration to almost $160 billion for nearly 4.6 million borrowers.
“For more than a decade, hundreds of thousands of hopeful students borrowed billions to attend The Art Institutes and got little but lies in return. That ends today—thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s work with the attorneys general offices of Iowa, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “We must continue to protect borrowers from predatory institutions—and work toward a higher education system that is affordable to students and taxpayers.”
The Department independently reviewed evidence provided by the attorneys general offices of Iowa, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, which conducted multi-year investigations into, and brought lawsuits against, The Art Institutes and EDMC. The attorneys general of Pennsylvania and Iowa provided materials obtained from investigations into these entities, including internal employment data, admissions training manuals, and the school’s employment advertisements. The Massachusetts attorney general provided information obtained during an investigation into the New England Institute of Art—the Massachusetts Art Institute campus—including internal employment verification forms, other internal records of graduate employment outcomes, advertisements, and statements from former students and employees.
Today’s announcement is another example of the strong partnerships between the Department and state attorneys general and their shared commitment to protecting federal student loan borrowers from predatory schools.
“The Art Institutes preyed on the hopes of students attempting to better their lives through education,” said Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray. “We cannot replace the time stolen from these students, but we can lift the burden of their debt. We remain committed to working with our federal and state partners to protect borrowers.”
Biden-Harris Administration Approves $6.1 Billion Group Student Loan Discharge for 317,000 Borrowers Who Attended The Art Institutes. 05/01/2024.
About the findings
Based on the evidence, the Department found that The Art Institutes engaged in widespread and pervasive substantial misrepresentations that deceived students about the value they would be receiving from their education:
Biden-Harris Administration Approves $6.1 Billion Group Student Loan Discharge for 317,000 Borrowers Who Attended The Art Institutes. 05/01/2024.
- The Art Institutes advertised that more than 80 percent of graduates obtained employment related their fields of study within six months of graduation, but the school’s own records demonstrate that it inflated advertised employment rates. For example, The Art Institutes counted graduates as employed in-field when the school did not know graduates’ job titles, when a graduate’s job title was too vague to indicate that they worked in-field, and when a graduate’s job title was unrelated to their field of study. The school also excluded some graduates with out-of-field jobs from their calculations to inflate their in-field employment rates. When recalculated to account for these issues, The Art Institutes’ average in-field employment rate dropped from 82 percent to no higher than 57 percent, 25 percentage points lower than advertised. The true average in-field employment rate was lower than 57 percent because the school also falsified some internal data to make graduates appear to be working in-field when they were not.
- The advertisements promoting The Art Institutes’ falsified employment rates also displayed inaccurate average salaries that graduates earned from their in-field positions based on the same flawed data as the employment rates. Testimony from former high-raking school officials supported the findings that school personnel made up graduate earnings and annualized the actual or estimated incomes of graduates working in temporary positions. They also included high-earning outliers in its averages and falsified incomes reported for graduates. For example, according to a former employee, one Art Institute campus included professional tennis player Serena Williams’ annual income to “skew the statistics and overinflate potential program salaries.” Another former employee described witnessing a coworker use salary.com to determine that a graduate’s salary was $25,000, when the graduate reported earning only $8,000 a year.
- The Art Institutes also represented to prospective students that it had partnerships with employers and offered ongoing postgraduation career services. However, the evidence showed that The Art Institutes exaggerated its relationships with employers. In fact, the school had a negative reputation, so companies generally did not want to hire its graduates. Former employees and borrowers also described that graduates did not have access to ongoing career services after leaving school. For example, once students graduated, school staff did not return their phone calls.
The Art Institutes communicated these substantial misrepresentations to prospective students through its website and print materials, and school personnel distributed misleading information to prospective students before and during the admissions process. The school’s misconduct harmed borrowers by burdening them with high amounts of debt without the advertised employment opportunities or salaries necessary to pay. Many Art Institute borrowers also dropped out of their programs and defaulted on their loan payments. Even if borrowers did complete their programs, they did not receive the promised career services, which hindered their ability to obtain employment.
Biden-Harris Administration Approves $6.1 Billion Group Student Loan Discharge for 317,000 Borrowers Who Attended The Art Institutes. 05/01/2024.
Next steps
This group discharge will provide relief automatically to borrowers harmed by The Art Institutes’ actions, including borrowers who have not yet applied for borrower defense. The Department will begin notifying eligible borrowers today that they are approved for discharges. Borrowers do not need to take any action. The Department will take immediate steps to pause loans identified for discharge so borrowers do not make further payments. This ensures that they will not face any further financial demands from these loans during the time needed to process their discharges. When their discharges are processed, borrowers will see any remaining loan balances adjusted and credit trade lines deleted. Payments borrowers made to the Department on their related federal student loans will also be refunded.
Borrowers who want to learn more about borrower defense can do so at StudentAid.gov/borrower-defense.
Biden-Harris Administration Approves $6.1 Billion Group Student Loan Discharge for 317,000 Borrowers Who Attended The Art Institutes. 05/01/2024.
Affordable Connectivity Program Tweet
From Wednesday…
May is the final month that folks who rely on the Affordable Connectivity Program for high-speed internet will receive any benefit.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 1, 2024
Republicans in Congress, join your Democratic colleagues in support of extending funding for this program.
Millions of Americans count on it.
From the White House…
05/01/2024:
As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, a key component of Bidenomics, the Biden-Harris Administration has made historic progress towards lowering costs – including internet costs – for American families across the country. The Affordable Connectivity Program, enacted under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as the largest internet affordability program in our nation’s history, has helped 23 million households save on their monthly internet bills. Today, May 1st, begins the final month that Affordable Connectivity Program households will receive any benefit on their internet bills. Without Congressional action to extend funding for the program, millions of Americans will see their internet bills go up or lose internet access at the end of this month. President Biden is once again calling on Republicans in Congress to join their Democratic colleagues in support of extending funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, so tens of millions of Americans can continue to access this essential benefit.
Losing the monthly Affordable Connectivity Program benefit will have drastic, meaningful impacts on American households, according to survey data collected by the Federal Communications Commission. More than three-quarters of surveyed ACP households say losing their ACP benefit would disrupt their service by making them change their plan or drop internet service entirely. More than two thirds of households had inconsistent internet service or no internet service at all prior to ACP, and this number is even higher for surveyed households residing in rural areas. These respondents also reported that ACP has enabled them to schedule or attend healthcare appoints, apply for jobs, complete work, and do schoolwork.
During the month of May, as funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program runs out, millions of households will receive only a partial subsidy on their internet bills and some will receive no discount at all if their provider opts out of the partial benefit.
At this crucial time, the White House is encouraging providers to take steps to keep their consumers connected by offering low-cost or no-cost plans or providing discounts.
On October 25, 2023, President Biden sent Congress a supplemental request for $6 billion to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. Despite that request, Republicans in Congress have failed to act. Without action from Republicans in Congress, this program will sunset at the end of May and tens of millions of Americans may no longer be able to afford high-speed internet service. It is time for Republicans in Congress to step up for families across the country.
See below for the state-by-state breakdown of the number of households that will see a $30 or $75 per month increase on their internet bill if Congressional Republicans fail to extend funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program. This breakdown includes estimates of percentages of households enrolled in ACP in every Congressional District.
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Continues to Call on Congressional Republicans and Internet Service Providers to Keep Americans Connected as the Affordable Connectivity Program Enters Final Month. 05/01/2024.
National Day of Prayer Tweet
From Thursday…
Scripture tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 2, 2024
On this National Day of Prayer, my prayer is that we keep faith that our best days are ahead of us and continue to believe in honesty, decency, dignity, and respect.
A Proclamation on National Day of Prayer, 2024
On this National Day of Prayer, we recognize the power of prayer to strengthen our spirits, draw us together, and create hope for a better tomorrow.
The right to practice our faiths freely and openly is enshrined in the Constitution and remains at the core of our American spirit. For centuries, Americans of every religion and background have come together to lift up one another and our Nation in prayer. Throughout America’s history, faith and prayer have helped fuel some of the greatest moral missions of our time — from the abolition of slavery to the fight for voting rights and the Civil Rights Movement. Many of our Nation’s greatest leaders have been motivated by faith to push all of us toward a more perfect Union and to bend the arc of the moral universe toward justice.
Prayer is also deeply personal: For the First Lady and me, and so many across this Nation, prayer has helped us find solace during tough times and stay grounded in good ones. Prayer has helped the bravest among us — including our Nation’s service members and their caregivers, survivors, and families – summon the courage to make great sacrifices for our democracy. It has guided the hands of medical professionals, who heal our loved ones, and steeled the nerves of our first responders, who put everything on the line to keep the rest of us safe. We will never know the full impact of prayer on our Nation or the world, but we remain confident that it makes a profound difference each and every day.
Scripture tells us to rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, and be constant in prayer. This year, my prayer for our Nation is that we keep faith that our best days are ahead of us and continue to believe in honesty, decency, dignity, and respect. May we see each other not as enemies but as fellow human beings, each made in the image of God and each precious in His sight. May we leave no one behind, give everyone a fair shot, and give hate no safe harbor. May we remember that nothing is beyond our capacity if we act together.
The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has called on the President to issue each year a proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a “National Day of Prayer.”
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 May 2, 2024, as a National Day of Prayer. I call upon the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, in accordance with their own faith and conscience, for our many freedoms and blessings, and I invite all people of faith to join me in asking for God’s continued guidance, mercy, and protection.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
A Proclamation on National Day of Prayer, 2024. 05/01/2024.
first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.
Unscheduled Remarks Tweet
From Thursday…
Tune in as I deliver remarks. https://t.co/zN7LMKaBIf
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 2, 2024
I will post the YouTube of his short remarks tomorrow. The gist of his unscheduled remarks were to address the ongoing protests with violence on college campuses around the country. He told them to knock their shit off, and that they were breaking the law. He also said that they could continue to peacefully protest but those protests won’t change US policy toward Israel.
“New” from the White House…
05/01/2024:
- Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre; the YouTube is 41 minutes and 22 seconds long.
- Remarks by Vice President Harris on the Fight for Reproductive Freedoms; the campaign YouTube is 25 minutes and 20 seconds long.
05/02/2024:
- White House Announces Appointment of New Curator; the Curator’s name is Donna Hayashi Smith
The White House YouTube has two separate feeds for events: Arrivals for the Teachers of the Year State Dinner @5:15 p.m. D.C., time and Teachers of the Year State Dinner @7:00 p.m. D.C., time.
This is an open thread
