It’s Wednesday…
President Biden’s public schedule for 08/28/2024:
| 10:00 AM Closed Press | The President receives the President’s Daily Brief |
| 10:00 AM Out-of-Town Pool | Out-of-Town Pool Call Time |
It’s Back to School Season, America Tweets
From Tuesday…
My Administration has invested over $1 billion to help schools train and hire more mental health professionals across the country so our kids have the help they need, when they need it.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 27, 2024
It's back to school season, America! pic.twitter.com/x7z3JPAQYu
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 27, 2024
Thanks to my Administration, schools are now eligible to access clean energy tax credits and can participate in building and owning clean energy projects.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 27, 2024
And we've funded 2,700 clean school buses in 280 school districts.
We're protecting the planet our students will inherit. pic.twitter.com/ycavNzmzR3
Every child in America deserves access to a world-class education – no matter where they live.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 28, 2024
We've invested a historic $130 billion in America's schools with a focus on underserved schools, and an additional $2 billion in Title I funding went to schools with the highest need.
Every child in America deserves access to a world-class education – no matter where they live.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 28, 2024
We've invested a historic $130 billion in America's schools with a focus on underserved schools, and an additional $2 billion in Title I funding went to schools with the highest need.
This Ruling is Wrong Tweet
From Tuesday…
A single district court in Texas ruled that my Administration’s work to keep families together has to stop.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 27, 2024
That ruling is wrong.
Families should not be needlessly separated – they should be able to stay together.
My Administration will not stop fighting for them. pic.twitter.com/6T74DYlpoB
From the White House…
Statement from President Joe Biden on the District Court’s Order on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Action to Keep Families Together:
America is not a country that tears families apart.
That is why, in June, my Administration announced new action to keep American families together. These married couples—in which one spouse is a United States citizen and the other has been living in America for 10 years or more—include our neighbors who have been working, raising their families, paying taxes, worshipping with us, and sending their kids to school. They have become our friends, our neighbors, and our co-workers. They’re the parents to our kid’s best friends. They have become invaluable contributors to our communities. They make us a better country. Nothing I did changed the requirements people have to meet to adjust their status under immigration law. All I did was make it possible for these long-time residents to file the paperwork here – together with their families. But without the Keeping Families Together process, spouses of U.S. citizens won’t be able to stay in the U.S. while they obtain the long-term legal status for which they’re already eligible. They’ll be forced to either leave their families in America, or live in the shadows in constant fear of deportation.
Last night, a single district court in Texas ruled that our work to keep families together has to stop. That ruling is wrong. These families should not be needlessly separated. They should be able to stay together, and my Administration will not stop fighting for them.
I am not interested in playing politics with the border or immigration; I am interested in solving problems. Nor am I interested in tearing families apart. That is not who we are as Americans. I will continue to fight to secure our border and fix our broken immigration system.
Statement from President Joe Biden on the District Court’s Order on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Action to Keep Families Together.
From the White House…
06/17/2024:
06/18/2024:
- Remarks by President Biden at an Event Marking the 12th Anniversary of DACA; the YouTube is 21 minutes and 25 seconds long.
FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Actions to Keep Families Together
Since his first day in office, President Biden has called on Congress to secure our border and address our broken immigration system. As Congressional Republicans have continued to put partisan politics ahead of national security – twice voting against the toughest and fairest set of reforms in decades – the President and his Administration have taken actions to secure the border, including:
FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Actions to Keep Families Together
- Implementing executive actions to bar migrants who cross our Southern border unlawfully from receiving asylum when encounters are high;
- Deploying record numbers of law enforcement personnel, infrastructure, and technology to the Southern border;
- Seizing record amounts of fentanyl at our ports of entry;
- Revoking the visas of CEOs and government officials outside the U.S. who profit from migrants coming to the U.S. unlawfully; and
- Expanding efforts to dismantle human smuggling networks and prosecuting individuals who violate immigration laws.
President Biden believes that securing the border is essential. He also believes in expanding lawful pathways and keeping families together, and that immigrants who have been in the United States for decades, paying taxes and contributing to their communities, are part of the social fabric of our country. The Day One immigration reform plan that the President sent to Congress reflects both the need for a secure border and protections for the long-term undocumented. While Congress has failed to act on these reforms, the Biden-Harris Administration has worked to strengthen our lawful immigration system. In addition to vigorously defending the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood arrivals) policy, the Administration has extended Affordable Care Act coverage to DACA recipients and streamlined, expanded, and instituted new reunification programs so that families can stay together while they complete the immigration process.
FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces New Actions to Keep Families Together
Still, there is more that we can do to bring peace of mind and stability to Americans living in mixed-status families as well as young people educated in this country, including Dreamers. That is why today, President Biden announced new actions for people who have been here many years to keep American families together and allow more young people to contribute to our economy.
Keeping American Families Together
- Today, President Biden is announcing that the Department of Homeland Security will take action to ensure that U.S. citizens with noncitizen spouses and children can keep their families together.
- This new process will help certain noncitizen spouses and children apply for lawful permanent residence – status that they are already eligible for – without leaving the country.
- These actions will promote family unity and strengthen our economy, providing a significant benefit to the country and helping U.S. citizens and their noncitizen family members stay together.
- In order to be eligible, noncitizens must – as of June 17, 2024 – have resided in the United States for 10 or more years and be legally married to a U.S. citizen, while satisfying all applicable legal requirements. On average, those who are eligible for this process have resided in the U.S. for 23 years.
- Those who are approved after DHS’s case-by-case assessment of their application will be afforded a three-year period to apply for permanent residency. They will be allowed to remain with their families in the United States and be eligible for work authorization for up to three years. This will apply to all married couples who are eligible.
- This action will protect approximately half a million spouses of U.S. citizens, and approximately 50,000 noncitizen children under the age of 21 whose parent is married to a U.S. citizen.
Easing the Visa Process for U.S. College Graduates, Including Dreamers
- President Obama and then-Vice President Biden established the DACA policy to allow young people who were brought here as children to come out of the shadows and contribute to our country in significant ways. Twelve years later, DACA recipients who started as high school and college students are now building successful careers and establishing families of their own.
- Today’s announcement will allow individuals,
- including DACA recipients and other Dreamers, who have earned a degree at an accredited U.S. institution of higher education in the United States, and who have received an offer of employment from a U.S. employer in a field related to their degree, to more quickly receive work visas.
- Recognizing that it is in our national interest to ensure that individuals who are educated in the U.S. are able to use their skills and education to benefit our country, the Administration is taking action to facilitate the employment visa process for those who have graduated from college and have a high-skilled job offer, including DACA recipients and other Dreamers.
- DHS posted statement; Statement of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas on the Biden-Harris Administration’s Actions to Keep American Families Together
PBS News 08/27/2024: A federal judge in Texas on Monday paused a Biden administration policy that would give spouses of U.S. citizens legal status without having to first leave the country, dealing at least a temporary setback to one of the biggest presidential actions to ease a path to citizenship in years.
They went on to say:
The administrative stay issued by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker comes just days after 16 states, led by Republican attorneys general, challenged the program that could benefit an estimated 500,000 immigrants in the country, plus about 50,000 of their children. The states accused the administration of bypassing Congress for “blatant political purposes.”
One of the states leading the challenge is Texas, which in the lawsuit claimed the state has had to pay tens of millions of dollars annually from health care to law enforcement because of immigrants living in the state without legal status.
[snip]
They must pay a $580 fee to apply and fill out a lengthy application, including an explanation of why they deserve humanitarian parole and a long list of supporting documents proving how long they have been in the country.
If approved, applicants have three years to seek permanent residency. During that period, they can get work authorization.
PBS News. 08/27/2024.
Currently, the stay lasts two weeks but could be extend.
Good Big Pharma Tweet
From Tuesday…
Last month, Senator Sanders and I called on drug manufacturers to lower their prices on popular drugs.
— President Biden (@POTUS) August 28, 2024
Today, I'm pleased to see Eli Lilly offering a version for less than half the price they used to charge – but it remains critical that drug companies lower their prices across… https://t.co/BLoYwD3AGh
Show more =’s Today, I’m pleased to see Eli Lilly offering a version for less than half the price they used to charge – but it remains critical that drug companies lower their prices across the board. @VP and I won’t stop fighting to lower costs for all Americans.
I bypassed the NBC News article and went to investor.Lilly.com to share their statement:
Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) today announced Zepbound® (tirzepatide) 2.5 mg and 5 mg single-dose vials are available for self-pay for patients with an on-label prescription, significantly expanding the supply of Zepbound in response to high demand. The single-dose vials are priced at a 50% or greater discount compared to the list price of all other incretin (GLP-1) medicines for obesity. This new option helps millions of adults with obesity access the medicine they need, including those not eligible for the Zepbound savings card program, those without employer coverage, and those who need to self-pay outside of insurance.
“We are excited to share that the Zepbound single-dose vials are now here, further delivering on our promise to increase supply of Zepbound in the U.S.,” said Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president, and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA. “These new vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but also broaden access for patients seeking a safe and effective treatment option. In a clinical study, the 5 mg maintenance dose helped patients achieve an average of 15% weight loss after 72 weeks of treatment and has been a powerful tool for millions of people with obesity looking to lose weight and keep it off.”
Lilly has created a new self-pay pharmacy component of LillyDirect where patients with a valid, on-label prescription from the health care provider of their choice can purchase the vials. Distributing the vials via this channel ensures patients and providers can trust they are receiving genuine Lilly medicine, building on the company’s efforts to help protect the public from the dangers posed by the proliferation of counterfeit, fake, unsafe or untested knock-offs of Lilly’s medications. Lilly has also taken a vocal stance against the use of obesity medicine for cosmetic weight loss; a multi-step verification process will help ensure the vials are dispensed only to patients who have a valid, on-label electronic prescription from their health care provider. Patients can also purchase ancillary supplies, like syringes and needles, and will have access to important patient-friendly instructional materials on correctly administering the medicine via needle and syringe.
“People living with obesity have long been denied access to the essential treatment and care needed to manage this serious chronic disease,” said James Zervos, chief operating officer, Obesity Action Coalition. “Expanding coverage and affordability of treatments is vital to people living with obesity. We commend Lilly for their leadership in offering an innovative solution that brings us closer to making equitable care a reality. Now, it’s time for policymakers, employers and insurers to work with pharmaceutical companies to ensure no one is left behind in receiving the care they deserve and need.”
A four-week supply of the 2.5 mg Zepbound single-dose vial is $399 ($99.75 per vial), and a four-week supply of the 5 mg dose is $549 ($137.25 per vial) – less than half the list price of other incretin medicines for obesity and in line with the Zepbound savings program for non-covered individuals. The self-pay channel enables a transparent price by removing third-party supply chain entities and allowing patients to access savings directly outside of insurance.
“Despite obesity being recognized as a serious chronic illness with long-term consequences, it’s often misclassified as a lifestyle choice, resulting in many employers and the federal government excluding medications like Zepbound from insurance coverage,” said Jonsson. “Outdated policies and lack of coverage for obesity medications create an urgent need for more innovative solutions. Bringing Zepbound single-dose vials to patients will help more people living with obesity manage this chronic condition. We will also continue to advocate for a system that better aligns with the science.”
In a clinical study, tirzepatide 5 mg, along with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity, achieved an average of 15% weight loss over 72 weeks compared to 3.1% for placebo. Zepbound is the first and only obesity treatment of its kind that activates both GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors. Zepbound tackles an underlying cause of excess weight. It reduces appetite and how much you eat. Zepbound is indicated for adults with obesity, or those who are overweight and also have weight-related medical problems, to lose weight and keep it off. Zepbound should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. It should not be used in children under 18 years of age or with other tirzepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. Zepbound has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis, or with severe gastrointestinal disease, including severe gastroparesis, and it is unknown if patients with a history of pancreatitis are at higher risk for developing pancreatitis on Zepbound.
Zepbound is also available in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, or 15 mg per 0.5 ml doses in a single-dose pen (autoinjector). The recommended maintenance dosages are 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly.
To learn more about the Zepbound single-dose vial, please visit Zepbound.lilly.com.
To learn more about LillyDirect, please visit: LillyDirect.lilly.com.
investor.Lilly.com. 08/27/2024.
I omitted their safety and summary warnings listed under the statement.
From the White House…
08/27/2024:
Statement from President Biden on the Price of Anti-Obesity Medications
Americans pay two to three times more than people in other countries for the exact same prescription drugs. It’s completely unacceptable. Vice President Harris and I have taken action to lower the cost of the medications Americans rely on by allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices for the first time in history – negotiations which will continue on additional drugs next year. We’ve also capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month for those with Medicare, and required drug companies to pay rebates back to Medicare if they raise their prices faster than inflation. But too many people still struggle to afford their medications.
That is why last month Senator Sanders and I called on drug manufacturers to lower their prices on popular drugs to combat obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The prices of these drugs can be up to six times higher in America than in Canada, Denmark, and other similar countries. Today, I am pleased to see one of these manufacturers, Eli Lilly, taking steps to lower their price by offering a direct-to-consumer version of their medication for less than half the price they used to charge. This is a welcome first step for American families struggling to access these drugs. But it is critical that drug companies lower their prices across the board.
The Vice President and I will keep fighting to make sure all Americans can access the medications they need.
Statement from President Biden on the Price of Anti-Obesity Medications
“New” from the White House…
08/28/2024:
08/27/2024:
This is an open thread
