It’s Monday…
President Biden’s public schedule for 12/09/2024:
| 10:00 AM The White House Closed Press The President receives the President’s Daily Brief |
| 3:05 PM South Grounds In-Town Travel Pool The President departs the White House en route to the Department of the Interior |
| 3:45 PM Department of the Interior In-Town Travel Pool The President delivers remarks at a Tribal Nations Summit |
| 4:20 PM Department of the Interior In-Town Travel Pool The President departs the Department of the Interior en route to the White House |
| 4:25 PM South Grounds In-Town Travel Pool The President arrives at the White House |
| 6:00 PM East Room Closed Press The President and The First Lady host a Holiday Ball for Members of Congress; The Vice President and The Second Gentleman attend |
From the White House…
12/09/2024:
President Biden to Designate Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument; Announce Strategy to Preserve and Revitalize Native Languages
Today President Biden will host the fourth and final White House Tribal Nations Summit of the Biden-Harris Administration, reaffirming the Administration’s historic progress on strengthening the Nation-to-Nation relationships with Tribal Nations and cementing its legacy as one of the most supportive Administrations for Tribes ever.
At the Summit, President Biden will announce a new proclamation establishing the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The new national monument will tell the story of the oppression endured by thousands of Native children and their families at this site and the harmful legacy of the broader Indian boarding school system that the federal government operated or supported across the country for more than 150 years. This action builds on President Biden’s historic Presidential apology and the leadership of Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to establish and lead research and listening sessions with Tribes and Native communities across the country as part of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative.
Respect for Tribal Nations is a cornerstone of the Biden-Harris Administration’s policies for Indian Country – policies that are highlighted at the Summit. In addition to the new national monument designation, the Administration will announce a historic, all-of-government strategy to preserve and revitalize Native languages. The strategy would expand access to immersion language programs in schools, support community-led language education efforts, and promote Native language schools and programs. The Administration will also showcase new initiatives supporting Tribal sovereignty, self-determination, and the federal trust responsibility, while bringing together Tribal leaders and senior administration officials to discuss priorities for Indian Country.
Since taking office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have delivered a record-breaking $45 billion in investments in Indian Country through the Investing in America agenda, transforming infrastructure, expanding healthcare, advancing education, and addressing systemic and historic injustices. Landmark policies and federal action, such as elevating Tribal consultation, investing in developing co-stewardship agreements, elevating the incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge, and implementing government-wide training on Tribal treaty rights and the trust responsibility, have centered Native voices in federal decision-making. From the protection of sacred lands through national monument designations and the conservation of over 45 million acres of lands and waters, to the historic Presidential apology for Federal Indian boarding schools, the Biden-Harris Administration has affirmed its deep respect for Tribes and Native communities.
During the Summit, the Biden-Harris Administration will also release a comprehensive 2024 Progress Report for Tribal Nations, which outlines historic progress the Administration has made over the past year to deliver on the President’s commitment to supporting Indian Country, and to address the top concerns of Tribal communities.
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions and Historic Progress Supporting Tribal Nations and Native Communities Ahead of Fourth Annual White House Tribal Nations Summit. 12/09/2024.
New Administration-wide actions include:
Healing from the Federal Indian Boarding School Era
- Designating the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument. By establishing a new national monument at the site of the former Carlisle Federal Indian Industrial School, President Biden is acknowledging the Federal Indian boarding school era, advancing healing, and commemorating the resilience of Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples. For more than 150 years, the Federal Government removed American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children from their families, Tribes, and homelands – often by force or coercion – and transported them to institutions that aimed to strip them of their languages, religions, and cultures.
From 1879 to when it ceased operations in 1918, the Carlisle School subjected 7,800 children from more than 140 Indian Tribes (including Alaska Native Villages) to its coercive education program. The school served as a model for the Federal Indian boarding school system, which operated throughout the early 19th through mid-20th centuries and comprised over 400 other federally-supported, off-reservation schools across the United States, as well as hundreds of similar institutions operated by religious organizations. At least 973 Native children died in these schools according to available federal records, and the children who survived often endured physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. At Carlisle, school officials forced children to cut their hair, prohibited them from speaking their Native languages, and subjected them to harsh labor.
The new national monument will be located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on 24.5 acres of what is now the U.S. Army’s Carlisle Barracks, one of the nation’s oldest military installations. The monument boundary encompasses the historic buildings and structures that made up the campus of the Carlisle School – including School Road Gateposts that were built by the labor of Native American children and youth at the school. The gateposts still stand today as a marker of the removal and separation of children from their families, Tribes, and homelands. The monument will be cooperatively managed by the National Park Service and the U.S. Army. The National Park Service, in coordination with the Army, will engage Tribal Nations and the Native Hawaiian Community in development of the management plan and ongoing management of the monument, and provide for Tribal consultation with any federally recognized Tribe with historical connections to any part of the Federal Indian boarding school system to help ensure the national monument tells the full story of this site, similar institutions, and the broader federal Indian boarding school era.
With the establishment of the new national monument, the Army will now transfer administrative jurisdiction over the gateposts to the National Park Service, and the agencies will sign a memorandum of understanding to guide their cooperative management of the national monument. The Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument is President Biden’s twelfth use of the Antiquities Act.
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Actions and Historic Progress Supporting Tribal Nations and Native Communities Ahead of Fourth Annual White House Tribal Nations Summit. 12/09/2024.
Promoting Native Languages
- 10-Year Native Language Revitalization Plan. While there were once hundreds of thriving Native languages in the U.S., over three quarters of the remaining 190 languages spoken today are now endangered. Studies indicate fewer than 20 languages will exist by 2050 if no action is taken. The Departments of the Interior, Education, and Health and Human Services and the White House Council on Native American Affairs are publishing a 10-year National Plan on Native Language Revitalization (Plan) that calls for strategic actions to address the United States government’s historic role in the loss of Native languages across the lower 48 states, Alaska, and Hawai’i. The Plan lays out a long-term, all-of-government strategy that works with Tribal Nations, the Native Hawaiian Community, urban Native communities, Native language experts, schools, community organizations, and the philanthropic sector for the protection, preservation, reclamation and revitalization of Native languages. The Plan’s proposals would: 1) expand access to immersion language environments, 2) support community-led revitalization efforts, and 3) develop, grow and sustain Native language support networks. The Plan also recommends ways to address a chronic under-investment in Native language revitalization to date.
Meeting the Federal Trust Responsibility
- OMB Guidance on Unmet Federal Obligations. OMB’s guidance furthers the goals of Executive Order 14112, which seeks to reform Federal funding to be more consistent with Tribal self-determination and sovereignty. The new guidance supports a comprehensive effort to address chronic underfunding of Tribal programs by calculating unmet federal obligations and developing actionable recommendations for closing funding gaps.
Promoting Understanding of Tribal Consultation and Tribal Treaty Rights and Reserved Rights
- Trainings for Federal Employees on Tribal Consultation and Tribal Treaty and Reserved Rights. The Department of the Interior, Office of Personnel Management, and the Office of Management and Budget, in coordination with the White House Council on Native American Affairs, are releasing trainings available to Federal employees on Tribal consultation and Tribal Treaty and Reserved Rights. These trainings reflect years of Tribal leader input and will assist federal employees across the government in understanding their role in supporting Tribal consultation and the federal trust responsibility to Tribes.
Reforming Federal Processes for Tribal Nations
- FEMA Tribal Declarations Interim Guidance. New guidance will streamline the process for Tribal Nations seeking disaster declarations, including reducing minimum damage thresholds, enhancing cost-sharing adjustments, and expanding assistance for Tribal members.
- HHS Tribal Data Access Policy. The new policy establishes clear guidelines and timelines for Tribes and Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TECs) to access critical health data, advancing public health outcomes and addressing data disparities.
Supporting Tribes and Other Communities Considering Voluntary Relocation
- Opportunities for Federal Support of Community-Driven Relocation Report. The Community-Driven Relocation Subcommittee of the National Climate Task Force is releasing the Opportunities for Federal Support of Community-Driven Relocation report, which provides background on voluntary community-driven relocation to avoid climate- and pollution-related hazards, an overview of the current Federal legal and programmatic landscape, and next steps that are available for Federal agencies to support Tribes and other communities contemplating relocation due to severe environmental impact and hazards from climate change. The report recognizes the disproportionate climate-related risks that Tribal communities face and the leadership that Tribal communities have already demonstrated in relocating their communities and partnering with Federal, State, and local governments as well as other partners. An accompanying resource guide will help Tribes and communities identify specific Federal agencies, and programs to support their efforts.
These announcements build upon historic actions by the Biden-Harris Administration to support Tribal Nations and Native communities, which include:
- Historic investments in Tribal Nations, including $32 billion in the American Rescue Plan, the largest direct federal investment to Tribal Nations in history; $13 billion in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law; and over $700 million in the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Signing two Presidential Memoranda directing federal agencies to submit plans of action to implement meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations and establishing uniform standards for Tribal Consultation.
- Historic appointments of Native Americans across the Administration, including Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and over 80 Native Americans in senior Administration roles.
- Re-launching the Tribal Nations Summit and re-establishing the White House Council on Native American Affairs that serves to foster an all-of-government approach to coordinating and developing Tribal policy.
- Signing an Executive Order to improve public safety and criminal justice and address the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) by directing agencies to prioritize addressing this crisis and assessing what more can be accomplished.
- Signing an Executive Order to improve educational outcomes and career opportunities for Native American students by focusing on systemic barriers, increasing access to high-quality education, and fostering economic empowerment.
- Securing the first-ever advance appropriations for the Indian Health Service, which provides long-overdue funding stability and predictability for IHS.
- Signing a Presidential Memorandum to Restore Healthy and Abundant Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River, which supports cultural and spiritual practices, commerce, and economic growth for Tribes.
- Authoring the first-of-its-kind government-wide Indigenous Knowledge guidance that assists federal agencies in recognizing and including Indigenous Knowledge in Federal research, policy, and decision making.
- Restoring protections for the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bear Ears National Monuments in Utah, and designating and expanding the following national monuments that hold significance to Tribal Nations: Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada; Castner Range in Texas; Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon in Arizona; and Berryessa Snow Mountain and San Gabriel Mountains National Monuments in California.
- Increasing Tribal Co-Stewardship of Lands and Waters through historic co-stewardship agreements. During the Biden-Harris Administration, the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce have signed 400 co-stewardship agreements with Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and consortiums.
President Biden Delivers Remarks at a Tribal Nations Summit @3:45 PM D.C., time:
November Jobs Report Tweets
From Friday…
Today’s report shows that the economy created 227,000 jobs in November, as Boeing machinists returned to work with record wage gains, and hurricane recovery further progressed.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 6, 2024
America’s comeback continues.
Since I took office, the economy has created more than 16 million jobs, with jobs created every single month.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 6, 2024
Over the last four years, we’ve had the lowest average unemployment of any administration in 50 years.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 6, 2024
This has been a hard-fought recovery, but we are making progress for working families.
From Saturday…
While there is more to do to lower costs – we’ve taken action to lower prescription drug prices, health insurance premiums, utility bills, and gas prices that will pay dividends for years to come.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 7, 2024
From Sunday…
To bring down housing costs, we have to build, build, build.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2024
And under my Administration, the rate of new housing starts is up 16% compared to the last administration.
The American comeback continues. pic.twitter.com/1SmbhquWsv
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2024
From the White House…
12/06/2024:
Statement from President Joe Biden on the November 2024 Jobs Report
America’s comeback continues. Today’s report shows that the economy created 227,000 jobs in November, as Boeing machinists returned to work with record wage gains and hurricane recovery continued. Unemployment of 4.2% is in the same low range of the past seven months. This has been a hard-fought recovery, but we are making progress for working families.
Since I took office, the economy has created more than 16 million jobs, with jobs created every single month. Unemployment has been the lowest on average of any administration in 50 years. Incomes are up almost $4,000 more than prices. While there is more to do to lower costs, we’ve taken action to lower prescription drug prices, health insurance premiums, utility bills, and gas prices that will pay dividends for years to come.
Statement from President Joe Biden on the November 2024 Jobs Report. 12/06/2024.
BLS.gov
12/06/2024:
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 227,000 in November, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.2 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment trended up in health care, leisure and hospitality, government, and social assistance. Retail trade lost jobs.
[snip]
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for September was revised up by 32,000, from +223,000 to +255,000, and the change for October was revised up by 24,000, from +12,000 to +36,000. With these revisions, employment in September and October combined is 56,000 higher than previously reported. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)
Employment Situation Summary. 12/06/2024.
Pearl Harbor Day Remembrance Tweets
From Friday…
Join me as I deliver remarks honoring American veterans and their families on the eve of the 83rd Anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. https://t.co/0TsI2LI2YW
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 6, 2024
The YouTube is 18 minutes and 8 seconds long; remarks haven’t been posted yet.
From Saturday…
Today, we honor the brave Americans who perished at Pearl Harbor 83 years ago, and the service members who defended democracy and freedom in the days and years that followed.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 7, 2024
In their memory, let us carry forward their mission of forging a better future for humankind. pic.twitter.com/1daVTc4f2h
From the White House…
12/06/2024:
A Proclamation on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2024
On National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, we honor the 2,403 service members and civilians who were killed on that tragic December morning 83 years ago. And we recognize the absolute courage of the service members who, in the wake of this painful and unprovoked attack, stood up to defend democracy and stand up to fascism abroad in World War II.
A Proclamation on National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, 2024. 12/06/2024.
As we reflect on the honors and triumphs of the Greatest Generation, we must remember that they risked all, dared all, and gave all not for a person or a place — but for the idea of America. They recognized that freedom is never guaranteed: Every generation has had to earn and defend it in the battle between autocracy and democracy. This service and sacrifice helped deliver a world grounded in peace and security. And together, these brave women and men proved that no force — not destruction, death, or the darkness of hate — is a match for the flame of liberty that ignites the hearts of free people everywhere.
Today, we must be keepers of their mission and bearers of the flame of freedom they kept burning bright. That begins by honoring our sacred obligation to care for our service members and veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors — especially our World War II veterans whose actions ensured that democracy endured. That is why my Administration began enrolling all World War II veterans, regardless of length of service or financial status, in Veterans Affairs health care services. And we also expanded access to benefits for those who participated in testing and clean-up activities related to World War II weapons programs, helping address radiation related illnesses for veterans and civilians.
During National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, may we remember the brave patriots whose lives were cut short on this day 83 years ago. May we honor all the service members who gave their last full measure of devotion to defend democracy in the years that followed. And may we all recommit to fulfilling the future they fought for — one grounded in freedom, democracy, equality, and opportunity for all.
The Congress, by Public Law 103-308, as amended, has designated December 7 of each year as “National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.” Today, let us commemorate the patriots who perished and who were wounded on December 7, 1941, and continue to fulfill our sacred obligation to care for our service members; our veterans; and their families, caregivers, and survivors.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim December 7, 2024, as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I encourage all Americans to reflect on the courage shown by our brave service members that day and remember their sacrifices. I ask us all to give sincere thanks and appreciation to the survivors of that unthinkable day. I urge all Federal agencies, interested organizations, groups, and individuals to fly the flag of the United States at half-staff on December 7, 2024, in honor of those American patriots who died as a result of their service at Pearl Harbor.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixth day of December, 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-ninth.
Seven years ago The Atlantic posted Original News Footage of the aftermath of the attack:
Angola Visit Tweet
From Saturday…
To fully consider how far the United States and Angola have come in our friendship, we have to remember how we began.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 7, 2024
That's what great nations do. pic.twitter.com/6QnkNOaqpS
The video clip is 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Remarks by President Biden Honoring the Past and Future of the Angolan-U.S. Relationship | Belas, Angola; the YouTube is 19 minutes and 59 seconds long.
We are gathered at a someln — a solemn location. Because to fully consider how far our two countries have come in our friendship, we have to remember how we began.
We hear them in the wind and the waves. Young women, young men born free in the highlands of Angola, only to be captured, bound, and forced on a “death march” along this very coast to this spot by slave traders in the year 1619.
[snip]
Historians believe people of Angola accounted for a significant number of all enslaved people shipped to America. Today, millions of African Americans have roots in Angola.
As I said at the U.S.-African Leaders Summit that held in Washington two years — I held in Washington two years ago, “Our people lie at the heart of the deep and profound connection that forever binds Africa and the United States together. We remember the stolen men and women and children who were brought to our shores in chains, subjected to unimaginable cruelty.”
Here with us today are three Americans who are direct descendants of Anthony and Isabella, those first enslaved Americans — Afri- — Africans in America. Wanda Tucker of
Hamilton[Hampton], Virginia. Wanda, are you there? There you are, Wanda. God love you. (Applause.) Her brother Vincent and Carolita as well. Thank you for being here. We’re going to write history, not erase history.[snip]
Ladies and gentlemen, I am here today to honor that connection between our people and to pay tribute to the generations of Angolans and American families, like the Tuckers, who have served in government for over — I’ve served in government for over 50 years. I know I only look like I’m 40 years old, but I’ve been around hanging in the government for — (laughter) — I hate to admit it — for 50 years.
[snip]
Because we know the challenge that define our age demand African leadership. One out of every four human beings on Earth will live in Africa by the year 2050. And the ingenuity and determination of young Africans in particular, like the young society leaders I just met with here today, will be undeniable forces in that human progress.
Remarks by President Biden Honoring the Past and Future of the Angolan-U.S. Relationship | Belas, Angola; the YouTube is 19 minutes and 59 seconds long. 12/03/2024.
Syria Tweets
From Sunday…
Join me as I deliver remarks on the latest developments in Syria. https://t.co/mun5CjRiSs
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2024
Remarks by President Biden on the Latest Developments in Syria; the YouTube is 9 minutes long.
At long last, the Assad regime has fallen.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2024
The fall of this regime is a fundamental act of justice.
It is a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their country.
It is also a moment of risk and uncertainty.
At long last, the Assad regime has fallen. This regime brutalized and tortured and killed literally hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians.
A fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It’s a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better future for their proud country.
It’s also a moment of risk and uncertainty. As we all turn to the question of what comes next, the United States will work with our partners and the stakeholders in Syria to help them seize an opportunity to manage the risks.
Remarks by President Biden on the Latest Developments in Syria; the YouTube is 9 minutes long. 12/08/2024.
New opportunities are now opening up for the people of Syria and for the entire region.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 9, 2024
Looking ahead, the United States will do the following.
First, we will engage with Syrian groups – including within the process led by the United Nations – to establish the transition away…
Show more =’s First, we will engage with Syrian groups – including within the process led by the United Nations – to establish the transition away from the Assad Regime toward an independent, sovereign Syria. Second, we will help ensure stability in eastern Syria, protecting our personnel against any threats. We will maintain our mission against ISIS. Third, we’ll support Syria’s neighbors – including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Israel – should any threat arise from Syria during this period of transition. Finally, we will remain vigilant.
Our approach has shifted the balance of power in the Middle East. Through this combination of support for our partners, sanctions, and diplomacy and targeted military force when necessary, we now see new opportunities opening up for the people of Syria and for the entire region.
Looking ahead, the United States will do the following: First, we’ll support Syria’s neighbors — including Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Israel — should any threat arise from Syria during this period of transition. I will speak with leaders of the region in the coming days. I had long discussions with all of our people earlier this morning. And I’ll send senior officials from my administration to the region as well.
Second, we will help stability — ensure stability in eastern Syria, protecting any personnel — our personnel against any threats. And it will remain — our mission against ISIS will be maintained, including the security of detention facilities where ISIS fighters are being held as prisoners. We’re clear-eyed about the fact that ISIS will try to take advantage of any vacuum to reestablish its capability and to create a safe haven. We will not let that happen.
In fact, just today, U.S. forces conducted a dozen of precision strikes — air strikes within Syria targeting ISIS camps and ISIS operatives.
Third, we will engage with all Syrian groups, including within the process led by the United Nations, to establish a transition away from the Assad regime toward independent, sovereign — an independent — independent — I want to say it again — sovereign Syria with a new constitution, a new government that serves all Syrians. And this process will be determined by the Syrian people themselves.
And the United States will do whatever we can to support them, including through humanitarian relief, to help restore Syria after more than a decade of war and generations of brutality by the Assad family.
And finally, we will remain vigilant. Make no mistake, some of the rebel groups that took down Assad have their own grim record of terrorism and humanit- — human right abuses. We’ve taken note of statements by the leaders of these rebel groups in recent days. And we’re — they’re saying the right things now, but as they take on greater responsibility, we will assess not just their words, but their actions.
Remarks by President Biden on the Latest Developments in Syria; the YouTube is 9 minutes long. 12/08/2024.
This is the best opportunity in generations for Syrians to forge their own future – free of opposition.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 9, 2024
It’s also an opportunity for a more secure and prosperous Middle East – where our friends are safe and our enemies are contained.
As I’ve said, this is a moment of considerable risk and uncertainty, but I also believe this is the best opportunity in generations for Syrians to forge their own future free of opposition.
It’s also an opportunity, through far from certain — though it’s far from certain, for a more secure and prosperous Middle East, where our friends are safe, where our enemies are contained. And it would be a waste of this historic opportunity if one tyrant were toppled and only a — only to see a new one rise up in its place. So, it’s now incumbent upon all the opposition groups who seek a role in governing Syria to demonstrate their commitment to the rights of all Syrians, the rule of law, and the protection of religious and ethnic minorities.
Remarks by President Biden on the Latest Developments in Syria; the YouTube is 9 minutes long. 12/08/2024.
Kennedy Center Honors Tweet
From Sunday…
Join me as I deliver remarks at the Kennedy Center Honors reception. https://t.co/gD3WK8lYf7
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2024
The YouTube is 14 minutes and 31 seconds long; remarks aren’t posted yet.
Go Team Tweet
From Monday…
Congratulations to @LAGalaxy for winning the MLS Cup for a record sixth time and remaining undefeated at home this season! https://t.co/xbAK1oMPEy
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 9, 2024
This is an open thread
