Biden Bits: “There Are No Red States or Blue States”…

October 3, 2024 12:09 pm EDT Tiff Biden Tweets (Open Thread) Comments Off on Biden Bits: “There Are No Red States or Blue States”…
Biden Tweets Logo. Image by Lenny Ghoul.

It’s Thursday…

President Biden’s public schedule for 10/03/2024:

8:00 AM
Closed Press
The President receives the President’s Daily Brief
8:20 AM
Out-of-Town Pool
Out-of-Town Pool Call Time
8:30 AM
In-Town Pool
In-Town Pool Call Time
9:10 AM
South Lawn Open Press
The President departs the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews
9:20 AM
Joint Base Andrews Out-of-Town Pool
The President arrives to Joint Base Andrews
9:30 AM
Joint Base Andrews Out-of-Town Pool
The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route to Tallahassee, Florida
11:15 AM
Open Press
The President arrives to Tallahassee, Florida
11:25 AM
Out-of-Town Pool
The President departs Tallahassee, Florida and participates in an aerial tour of affected areas en route to Perry, Florida
12:05 PM
Out-of-Town Pool
The President arrives to Perry, Florida
12:50 PM
Out-of-Town Pool
The President receives an operational briefing
2:45 PM
Out-of-Town Pool
The President departs Perry, Florida en route to Valdosta, Georgia
3:30 PM
Open Press
The President arrives to Valdosta, Georgia
4:05 PM
Out-of-Town Pool
The President tours areas impacted by Hurricane Helene
4:15 PM
Pre-Credentialed Media
The President delivers remarks
5:20 PM
Out-of-Town Pool
The President departs Valdosta, Georgia en route to Joint Base Andrews
6:55 PM
Joint Base Andrews Out-of-Town Pool
The President arrives to Joint Base Andrews
7:05 PM
Joint Base Andrews Out-of-Town Pool
The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route to the White House
7:25 PM
South Grounds 
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Tallahassee, Florida
The President arrives to the White House

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Gaggle Aboard Air Force One En Route to Tallahassee, FL @10:30 AM D.C., time (replay):

President Biden Delivers Remarks @4:15 PM D.C., time:


The Tweets I skipped over Tweets

From Tuesday…

From the White House…

10/01/2024:

Statement from President Joe Biden on the Negotiations Between USMX and the International Longshoremen’s Association

Collective bargaining is the best way for workers to get the pay and benefits they deserve. I have urged USMX, which represents a group of foreign-owned carriers, to come to the table and present a fair offer to the workers of the International Longshoremen’s Association that ensures they are paid appropriately in line with their invaluable contributions. Ocean carriers have made record profits since the pandemic and in some cases profits grew in excess of 800 percent compared to their profits prior to the pandemic. Executive compensation has grown in line with those profits and profits have been returned to shareholders at record rates. It’s only fair that workers, who put themselves at risk during the pandemic to keep ports open, see a meaningful increase in their wages as well.

As our nation climbs out of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, dockworkers will play an essential role in getting communities the resources they need. Now is not the time for ocean carriers to refuse to negotiate a fair wage for these essential workers while raking in record profits. My Administration will be monitoring for any price gouging activity that benefits foreign ocean carriers, including those on the USMX board.

It is time for USMX to negotiate a fair contract with the longshoremen that reflects the substantial contribution they’ve been making to our economic comeback.

Statement from President Joe Biden on the Negotiations Between USMX and the International Longshoremen’s Association. 10/01/2024.

There is no statement that I can find posted at the White House.

On a personal note, friends of ours lost their daughter that day. Bailey Schweitzer was 20 years old.

ABC News on 10/01/2022 posted “Portraits of the Las Vegas massacre victims”.

Congrats Tweet

From Wednesday…

Readout of President Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. called Ishiba Shigeru today to congratulate him on his election by the Diet to become Prime Minister of Japan. The President underscored that the U.S.-Japan Alliance has served as the cornerstone of regional peace and prosperity for over seven decades and rose to new heights under former Prime Minister Kishida. The President said he looked forward to working closely with Prime Minister Ishiba to continue deepening the U.S.-Japan global partnership across the full range of security, economic, technology, and diplomatic issues.

The two leaders noted that the American and Japanese people share deeply rooted values and principles, including a commitment to uphold a global order that is free, open, secure, and prosperous. The President and Prime Minister reaffirmed their resolve to continue strengthening defense cooperation and to maintain peace and stability across the region. They also underscored their commitment to enhance regional cooperation through a latticework of likeminded partners, including cooperation with Australia and India through the Quad and through trilateral partnerships with the Republic of Korea and the Philippines. 

Readout of President Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Ishiba of Japan. 10/01/2024.

Hurricane Helene Tweets

From Wednesday…

Show more =’s We’ve deployed 67 Starlink satellites so that folks in places like Canton can call for help and reach their loved ones. FEMA teams are knocking on doors and visiting shelters to register people for financial assistance. This is direct assistance that is hitting bank accounts as soon as today. And FEMA will continue to send helicopters and trucks to deliver hundreds of thousands of meals and liters of water to communities every day.

From the White House…

10/02/2024:

FACT SHEET: UPDATE: Biden-⁠Harris Continues Life-Saving Response Efforts in Response to Hurricane Helene

Today, President Biden is announcing 1,000 active-duty troops will be immediately deployed to assist with response and recovery efforts

President Biden and Vice President Harris continue to mobilize an intensive Federal response to the impacts of Hurricane Helene. The Administration is prioritizing life-saving and life-sustaining response efforts in impacted communities, as well as ensuring people displaced from the storm have prompt access to Federal resources that will enable them to both purchase essential items and begin their road to recovery and rebuilding.

As part of this coordinated response, today, President Biden is announcing he has directed the Department of Defense to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support the delivery of food, water, and other critical commodities to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The announcement is effective immediately, and these forces will be available for deployment starting today. This action will provide additional manpower and logistics capabilities, enabling FEMA and other interagency partners to reach the hardest hit areas as quickly as possible.

This comes as the President is traveling to North Carolina and South Carolina. He will take an aerial tour of areas impacted by Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, receive operational briefings, and meet with first responders and local officials. He will also engage with first responders and officials in South Carolina. The President will also visit Florida and Georgia in the coming days. The Vice President will travel to Georgia today. She will receive operational briefings, meet with residents impacted by the storm, and provide updates to local officials on actions that are being taken to support emergency response and recovery efforts in Georgia. She will also travel to North Carolina in the coming days.

Yesterday, President Biden received a briefing from his Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall and leaders across his Administration, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan, Department of Defense Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, Department of Commerce Deputy Secretary Don Graves, Department of Energy Deputy Secretary David Turk, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer LTG William H. (Butch) Graham Jr., Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Dilawar Syed, Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Robert Bonnie, and Department of Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Dawn O’Connell.

Additional updates on the Administration’s response efforts include:

Mobilizing Defense Department Resources to Support Prompt and Effective Hurricane Response

Today, the President is announcing he has directed the Department of Defense to deploy up to 1,000 active-duty soldiers to support response efforts. These soldiers are part of an Infantry Battalion Task Force, based out of Fort Liberty, North Carolina, which includes a Forward Support Company with the necessary support structure (fuel, water, mechanics, etc.) to conduct operations.

These soldiers are in addition to the support the Department of Defense is already providing to FEMA for the response to Hurricane Helene including:

FACT SHEET: UPDATE: Biden-⁠Harris Continues Life-Saving Response Efforts in Response to Hurricane Helene. 10/02/2024.
  • US Army and US Navy helicopters, soldiers, and sailors to provide critical capability to move personnel and supplies in areas where access via roads is not available or viable.
  • US Air Force aircraft, helicopters, and airmen to provide search-and-rescue capabilities.
  • US Army soldiers and high wheeled vehicles to move personnel and supplies over roads and terrain damaged or impassable to normal vehicles.
  • The Army Corps of Engineers is supporting with response efforts with Temporary Power Teams and subject matter experts to support for debris removal, water and wastewater management, and bridge inspections. 

At the President’s direction, the Department of Defense has activated 22 helicopters to aid in search and rescue operations and provided dozens of high-water vehicles. The National Guard, in its state capacity, is also aiding these efforts. 700 National Guard from North Carolina are supporting debris removal, air lifts, and search and rescue. They are accompanied by National Guard from eight additional states under Emergency Mutual Assistance Compacts, with helicopters and rescue vehicles to further assist with road clearance, commodities, transport, and search and rescue.

Although not operating under Department of Defense authority, over 6,000 National Guard personnel from 12 states are spearheading the response effort across the impacted region in support of their Governors, providing critical life-saving and life-sustaining support to the victims of this unprecedented natural disaster.

Supporting On-The-Ground Response and Emergency Efforts

More than 4,800 personnel from across the Federal workforce are deployed and supporting state-led response efforts across the region. FEMA and other agencies have more than 1,200 personnel in North Carolina, with more resources and staff arriving daily.

Search and rescue efforts by state, local, and Federal partners are ongoing, and nearly 600 additional personnel are arriving in the region in the coming days, increasing the total number of Urban Search and Rescue personnel to over 1,250.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra declared Public Health Emergencies for South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. These declarations give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ health care providers and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. HHS has established a National Disaster Medical System medical treatment site at the Mission Hospital campus in Asheville and Blue Ridge Regional Hospital in Spruce Pines, North Carolina. HHS Health and Medical Task Force Teams are supporting state medical needs shelters in Hickory and Mills Springs, North Carolina. An HHS Incident Management Team is working closely with state officials to identify health care needs including in rural communities and areas which may be cut off from transportation systems. HHS has also deployed two Disaster Mortuary Assistance Team (DMORT) to assist state mortuary services in mortuary care of victim identification. HHS has made 9 DMORT teams available nationwide. Additionally, 200 Federal ambulances have been provided to North Carolina.

In total, FEMA has shipped over 8.5 million meals, more than 7 million liters of water, 150 generators and over 220,000 tarps to aid response efforts for this historic storm.

Restoring Power and Communications to Impacted Communities

Power outage numbers are improving as restoration teams from across the nation gain access to communities and debris is removed, although much more work remains to bring power back to badly impacted areas across the region. As of this morning, approximately 1.6 million customers are still without power, which is a reduction of more than 65% from the region-wide peak of 4.6 million on September 27.

In addition to intensive efforts to restore power, crews are working around the clock to restore cell service and communications to impacted communities. FEMA, the FCC, and private telecommunications providers are working together to help restore temporary communications as quickly as possible by establishing temporary cell sites and allowing for roaming where possible, where a resident can connect to any network available, even if they aren’t subscribed to that network.

FEMA has provided 50 Starlink satellite systems to help with responder communications and 65 satellite phones have been shipped to assist with communications.

Restoring Road Access

The Department of Transportation activated its 24-hour toll-free Routing Assistance Hotline to provide routing assistance for first responders conducting relief missions. The Hotline supports the movement of Federal, state, local, Tribal, and Territorial response personnel and contractors, equipment, and goods by providing recommended safe routes using a variety of data sources. To reach the Hotline, responders can call 511 from their mobile phones or 833–99-ROADS (833-997-6237).  The Department of Transportation also announced that with the President’s approval of Emergency Disaster Declarations it has initiated a 14-day period of emergency regulatory relief from Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations, including maximum driving time for property- and passenger-carrying vehicles from the date of declaration. This allows truck drivers to get essential supplies to affected areas. 

Extending Housing Aid to Impacted Families

Following President Biden’s approval of a Major Disaster declaration in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) began implementing supplemental assistance, which includes a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures of FHA-insured mortgages and mortgages guaranteed under the Section 184 Indian Home Loan Guarantee program, as well as an automatic 90-day extension for Home Equity Conversion Mortgages.

Anyone whose home has been destroyed or severely damaged is also eligible to apply for HUD mortgage insurance. HUD is also enabling homeowners to finance rehabilitation and repairs for damaged homes.

To support households and communities through disaster recovery, HUD will provide Housing Counseling assistance and offer waivers and additional flexibilities to Public Housing Agencies, Tribes, and recipients of designated federal funding to allow communities to use existing resources to aid in response and recovery efforts. Additionally, HUD offered a suite of waivers and alternative requirements to allow impacted communities to use existing community development and homelessness assistance funds to aid in response and recovery efforts.  

Approving Additional Emergency Assistance

President Biden has now also approved Major Disaster Declarations for Georgia and Virginia, allowing individuals in 41 counties in Georgia and 6 in Virginia to apply for FEMA assistance. Administration officials are in touch with Georgia emergency management officials, and based on their ongoing assessments of impacts on the ground, FEMA is in the process of approving federal assistance for additional counties. This is in addition to approving Major Disaster declarations for Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina earlier in the weekend.

To date, more than $10 million in Individual Assistance has been provided to survivors who have been affected by Hurricane Helene, and we expect that number to increase over the coming days. In North Carolina, through the expedited Serious Needs Assistance program, FEMA has paid out more than $1 million to over 1,400 households in less than 24 hours.

FEMA assistance in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia can include a one-time $750 payment to help with essential items like food, water, baby formula and other emergency supplies. After registering for disaster assistance, individuals may also qualify to receive disaster-related financial assistance to repair storm-related damage to homes and replace personal property, as well as assistance to find a temporary place to stay. Homeowners and renters with damage to their home or personal property from previous disasters, whether they received FEMA funds or not, are still eligible to apply for and receive assistance for Hurricane Helene.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are deployed to Florida and North Carolina to help survivors register for disaster assistance, visiting shelters and going door to door to help people get Federal assistance where they need it as quickly as feasible.

FACT SHEET: UPDATE: Biden-⁠Harris Continues Life-Saving Response Efforts in Response to Hurricane Helene. 10/02/2024.

Remarks by President Biden Before an Operational Briefing on the Impacts of Hurricane Helene | Raleigh, NC; the YouTube is 15 minutes and 28 seconds long.

You know, we’re in a situation where earlier this morning I met with state and local police in Greenville, South Carolina.  Then I took an aerial tour of western North Carolina to survey the damage.  And I came here in Raleigh to receive a briefing from all of you and — who have been working nonstop to provide the support that you need and the survivors need. 

You know, it goes — my heart goes out to everyone who has experienced the unthinkable loss.  But we’re here for you. 

Remarks by President Biden Before an Operational Briefing on the Impacts of Hurricane Helene | Raleigh, NC; the YouTube is 15 minutes and 28 seconds long. 10/02/2024.

From the White House…

09/26/2024:

09/27/2024:

09/28/2024:

09/29/2024:

10/01/2024:

10/02/2024:

From Thursday…

G7 Tweet

From Wednesday…

Readout of President Biden’s call with the G7

Today, President Biden joined a call with the G7 to discuss Iran’s unacceptable attack against Israel and to coordinate on a response to this attack, including new sanctions. President Biden and the G7 unequivocally condemned Iran’s attack against Israel. President Biden expressed the United States’ full solidarity and support to Israel and its people, and reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.

Readout of President Biden’s call with the G7. 10/02/2024.

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About Tiff 3038 Articles
Member of the Free Press who is politically homeless and a political junkie.