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Today, after many weeks of tireless diplomacy, Israel and Lebanon have accepted a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Lebanon. The announcement today will cease the fighting in Lebanon, and secure Israel from the threat of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations operating from Lebanon. This announcement will create the conditions to restore lasting calm and allow residents in both countries to return safely to their homes on both sides of the Blue Line. The United States and France will work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure this arrangement is fully implemented and enforced, and we remain determined to prevent this conflict from becoming another cycle of violence.  The United States and France also commit to lead and support international efforts for capacity-building of the Lebanese Armed Forces as well as economic development throughout Lebanon to advance stability and prosperity in the region. 

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The post Joint Statement from President Biden of the United States and President Macron of France Announcing a Cessation of Hostilities appeared first on The White House.

Via Teleconference

4:07 P.M. EST

MODERATOR:  Thanks, everyone, for joining this call.  I know you just heard from the President, but we wanted to provide you a little bit more detail and background.

As a reminder, this call is on background, attributable to a senior administration official.

For your awareness, not for your reporting, on the line today we have [senior administration official].  He’ll provide a few thoughts at the top, and then we’ll take your questions.

With that, I’ll turn it over to you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you, Eduardo.  And

good afternoon, everyone.

As you just heard from the President, he received the calls from Prime Minister Netanyahu and spoke earlier with — just before that, with Prime Minister Mikati of Lebanon.

Both have informed him that their governments had accepted

the U.S. proposal, and with French support.  And so that ceasefire is now going to go into effect at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, so Wednesday morning local time in Israel and Beirut.  4:00 a.m. it will go into effect.  At that point, all fire will stop from all parties.

Israeli troops who are in occupying territory in Lebanon will hold their positions.  They will not withdraw.  But a 60-day period will start in which the Lebanese military and security forces will begin their deployment towards the south.  This is a process that cannot happen overnight or in several days, and therefore there is this period to prevent any vacuums from being formed, where as the Lebanese military deploys and reaches the south, the Israeli military will withdraw. 

So this is — when we say 60 days, we don’t mean that at the end of the 60 days the Israeli troops will withdraw, but rather, by the time we reach somewhere in the 50 to 60 days, all Israeli troops will be gone.  So it will be a phased withdrawal

in different sectors where the Israelis are over time. 

So in the first couple of weeks, you’ll already start seeing some of those troops withdraw until we reach the end, again, no later than or no longer than 60 days for this process to happen.

That is the tenets of what’s happening over the next several days.

And different from previous agreements, specifically the 2006 where Hezbollah was supposed to withdraw to north of the Litani, and UNIFIL was supposed to verify it later, in reality, Hezbollah never withdrew, and UNIFIL was never able to perform that task.  Therefore, there is an agreed-upon map that is roughly north of the Litani line, although it deviates some and goes further north than the Litani in certain areas.

The Lebanese military will receive authorization and instruction from the Lebanese government to where they are, again, both authorized and instructed to fulfill their mission and to ensure that both they take position in the south and that Hezbollah is moving north of the line that was agreed on in the LAF deployment plan, and all their heavy weaponry is removed. 

They will also be patrolling the area and ensuring that if there’s any remaining infrastructure or remaining weaponry, that it is removed and that no such infrastructure can be rebuilt, again, in that area.

The United States, together with France, are going to be joining an existing mechanism referred to as the tripartite mechanism.  This is something that was created shortly after the 2006 war to include UNIFIL, the U.N. force in Lebanon, and Israel and Lebanon.  It will now — the agreement states that it will be reformulated and enhanced to include France and to be chaired by the United States. 

What this means is that the United States, both through diplomats and military personnel, are going to be receiving any complaints by either side of any potential violations, if they are there.  They will work with the Lebanese army to make sure that its capacity is building, its training is — the necessary training is provided, and that information can flow on a real-time basis to make sure that any potential violations are deterred.  And this will be done throughout the territory.

As the President said, there will be no U.S. combat troops in the area, but there will be military support for the LAF, as we’ve done in the past.  But in this case, it will be specifically done with the Lebanese army and in conjunction with the French military as well. 

There is another element here, which is something called the MTC, the Military Technical Committee, which has been revived by us a few months ago, and that includes several other countries’ militaries who will be providing additional support, equipment, training, and financial support — and financial resources to the Lebanese army and security services. 

The idea here is that, unlike in 2006 where the international community reached the agreement and then abandoned the scene, here we remain committed to be on the ground day to day, watch what’s happening, and to let everybody know, whether it’s Hezbollah or other organiza- — other terrorist organizations, that the world is watching.

Next, the international community is going to be working on as quickly as possible establishing raising resources to support both the Lebanese army and supporting a reconstruction and economic build-out of Lebanon. 

Again, learning from the mistakes of the past, where Hezbollah was the only organization that was doing any work — did very little, but it was the only one that did some reconstruction in South Lebanon — I think it is in our interest collectively as the international community to support economic growth and to bring to Lebanon back to health. 

Hezbollah is extremely weak at this moment, both militarily and politically, and this is the opportunity for Lebanon to reestablish its sovereignty over its territory, to appoint a president, and to attract investment so it can return to economic normalcy and independence.

Again, the ultimate goal that Israel set out at the beginning of this conflict, when Hezbollah attacked Israel in support of Hamas a few hours after the October 7 attacks, was to return people to their homes in the north as safely and securely as possible and that that security would not be a temporary security guarantee, but a durable ceasefire that they can trust. 

That is where we are today.  And I’ll end with where the President started. 

Israel has had tremendous gains on the battlefield against Hezbollah, taking out most of its senior leadership and taking out a significant portion of its military capabilities. 

But you cannot win long-term security on the battlefield alone.  It requires a political settlement that is leveraged by the military gains.  And that’s where we are now. 

I think, for the people of Lebanon, I’ll repeat what the President said.  Hezbollah didn’t ask the permission of the Lebanese people, nor did it represent them when they decided to join the Hamas attacks, or a few hours after the Hamas attacks.  This is a war that no one in Lebanon — most Lebanese did not want.  So it is important that now they can return to their homes too, with security — both security from foreign invasion, as well as from internal.

So, with that, I can tell you that this has been a long process of negotiation over the last couple mo- — few months and with significant intensity over the last several weeks in order to bring it to a close.  And I’m glad that we were able to achieve what the President — what President Biden had charged us with, which is to try to bring this conflict to an end and to now — not stop, and use this as a stepping stone towards getting a ceasefire deal in Gaza and bringing the hostages home. 

I’ll stop there and take questions. 

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our first question is going to go to the line of Felicia Schwartz.  You should be able to unmute yourself.

Q    Hi.  Thanks so much.  Just wondering if you guys have briefed the Trump team on this effort and if they’ve expressed that they’re committed to it.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks.  Good question.

Obviously, they were not involved in these negotiations, which reached their most intense point before the election.  And just several days before the election, Israel had asked for me to come out to Jerusalem to meet with the Prime Minister, where he told me that he thought there was a window, and I told him that if Israel and Lebanon were serious about it, we can get into an intense period.  And over the next few weeks, that’s what we did.

After the election, when I thought the negotiations had reached a point that I could see the light at the end of the tunnel for the first time, I briefed President-elect Trump’s senior national security team on the tenets of the deal and my expectations that it would likely — that there was a higher likelihood of it coming to fruition. 

I felt that they needed to know what we were negotiating and what the commitments were.  I did another round of that just in the last 24 and 48 hours.  They seem to be supportive and for the obvious reason that I think they agreed that this is good for Israel, as Prime Minister Netanyahu just said, it is good for Lebanon, as their government has said, and it is good for the national security of the United States.  And most importantly, doing it now versus later will save countless lives on both sides.

MODERATOR:  Next up, we’ll go to Humeyra.  You should be able to unmute yourself.

Q    Hi, Eduardo.  Thanks.  Can you hear me?

MODERATOR:  Yes, we can hear you. 

Q    Okay.  Thanks.  Just a couple of things.

I want to ask about this idea that Israel can go in whenever it wants, whenever there’s a violation, or whenever it sees a threat.  Can you just describe the parameters of that?  Who’s going to decide?  Will LAF or UNIFIL get an opportunity to deal with that violation directly, or is Israel going to be the sole party that determines what that violation is?

And you also talked about how you went back and at some point you said that you saw the light at the end of the tunnel.  These negotiations have been going on for such a long time.  Can you tell us what exactly made you feel hopeful about this one?

And super quickly: When is this new push for a Gaza ceasefire will start?  And why is Turkey — is it now a broker in this?  The President mentioned it, and it hasn’t been a broker before.  Thank you so much.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Okay, there’s a lot there.                                       

Look, the mechanism that has been created, or that has been enhanced, I should say, to include the United States and France, the whole point of it is, as violations come, is to make sure that that is the mechanism that works with the LAF and other security forces to address and to prevent it. 

But the President was very clear this is — we’re not making any — there’s no secrets here.  The President said if there is a direct threat to Israel due to not just any violation, but a violation that poses a direct threat to Israel,

then Israel, just like any other country in a similar situation, would have to address it.

But we have built a — we have discussed this issue with the parties for a very long time, and felt that we could put the necessary — if we use the tools that we have in Lebanon to not take — and not take our eye off the ball, that will not be necessary.

So we have to — we are — I’m confident that if there’s any need for Israeli action, it will be — come hopefully no time soon and — or perhaps never, and very rare if it has to happen. 

But if everything — if the parties on all sides implement this agreement as they have committed to do, there should not be a need by either side. 

And I just want to note: What the President said is tied to what it says in the agreement itself, which is that both Lebanon and Israel retain the right of self-defense in accordance with international law.  And I’ll leave it there. 

I think the second part of the question was about what gave me the — was the light at the end of the tunnel.

Look, when you do these kind of negotiations for a long time in different parts of the world, as I have, you sometimes get a sense when is — when things get into the final lane where the parties are not only close, but that the will is there and the desire is there, and the stars are aligned.

And I felt that way in mid-October — mid- to late October, I felt that this was — there was something about a change in attitude in both countries, and that’s why we made the push.  We had to make some changes to what we were discussing at that point.

As you know, there have been a lot of leaks of different things that are not what we’ve agreed to in the end.  But I just — I can’t put a specific point on it, but we got to a point where there’s an alignment in both Lebanon and Israel.  And my motivation was just seeing the level of destruction and I think the realization — and loss of life — and the realization, I think on both sides, that the battlefield is not going to be the final answer, and at some point you have to know when to say this is the moment to leverage or to end the battlefield and to move to the next step, which was the deal. 

As far as Turkey, look, I think what the President meant is that, in fact, we have certain individuals and parties are now spending time in Turkey, and so they were added.  But it was not to suggest that they are a broker or a negotiator, but it’s to say that we will leave no stone unturned in trying to do this.

Look, I think this is a — what happened today has the potential for a game changer.  And here, you know me, I don’t speak in hyperboles on this, but if you can think of one thing that was going to put pressure on Hamas, on people that don’t really care about the lives of their people or, quite frankly, their own lives, it’s very hard to therefore get to a leverage point or a pressure point.

But I think the realization, when they now watch the news and realize that Hezbollah has decided to abandon them and delink the two conflicts, there’s no one coming for their support anymore, I think that’s a powerful change of reality on the ground, and we have to see if they are — if that’s enough to be able to make a change in the posture on the negotiations.

MODERATOR:  Next up, we’ll go to Peter Baker.

Q    Hi.  Can you hear me?  Sorry.  Thanks very much for this.  Appreciate it. 

Can you give us any more sense of where the President thinks he can make progress in the next 55 days on the larger

Saudi normalization deal that he talked about again today?  How realistic is that?  Does it have to be done with cooperation of the Trump team, given that anything that would be approved and require Senate ratification would almost certainly happen after January 20th?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Yeah, thanks, Peter.  Look, as you know, we have — the President has felt strongly that normalization is something that would be the ultimate

change in the Middle East, that could change the entire picture. 

Just a few weeks before the October 7th attacks, we were all in India, where the main part of the G20 was a signing ceremony with the President, led by the President of the United States together with the Crown Prince and the leaders of UAE

and other countries.  That was with the vision of normalization. 

So we’ve done — a lot of the work has been done, but clearly where we are in Gaza is holding us back.

I think that the — from what we have — in the conversations we’ve had over the last several hours, maybe 24 hours, we have come to the conclusion that there is an opportunity — a window of opportunity here, if we can get some changes in Gaza, to be able to reach this normalization now.

I think the political and geopolitical stars of both are aligned, and we’re going to see what we can do over the next 50 whatever days it is.  And to that end, we are clear-eyed that there is a new administration coming in, and anything that we will do on this, they — we won’t do this unless they know what we’re doing. 

And I think, again, this is in the best interest of the Middle East and inherently in the best interest of the United States.  And I have gotten every indication that the new team coming in are supportive of this approach.

MODERATOR:  Next up, we’ll go to Jared Szuba.  You should be able to unmute yourself.

Q    Hi, sir.  Thanks for doing this.  Just to clarify, you mentioned that Israel will retain the right to respond to a direct threat.  Is that part of the deal that the Lebanese government is to sign, or is that a part of the separate letter of guarantees that’s been reported? 

So, I mean, before Israel were to take action, would a violation have to be confirmed by the new tripartite mechanism?

And then secondly, I’m wondering if you could clarify how many U.S. military personnel will be involved in this and where will they be based out of.  Is this going to be based out of the embassy and attached to the (inaudible) mechanism?  Or —

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So the agreement that both parties — the ceasefire that both parties agreed to specifically says that both countries retain the right to self-defense in accordance with international law.  The President elaborated on that.

And in a day, nobody should be breaking the agreement on either side, and both should fulfill it.  And this will become an academic conversation for experts to discuss but not to be executed.

And so, on the other issue of the military: Look, this is more — as you know, in multiple places around the world, we provide technical assistance, capacity building.  If we need folks on the ground, they will be based.  That would be done in, I assume, the embassy.  The President was clear that no troops would be deployed to the south, and we are not going to be engaging in — I don’t expect anybody to engage in any kind of combat operations of any kind.  This is all in security assistance and other kinds of related activities.

MODERATOR:  Next up, we’ll go to Karen DeYoung.

Q    Hi.  Thank you.  I just want to go back once again to this same question, because with all due respect, I don’t feel like you’ve answered it yet. 

Does Israel have the right, when it determines that there’s been a violation, to use military force?  Or does it need to wait for approval from the LAF?

And secondly, on the Saudi deal, you said that you really see the opportunity for progress there.  Members of the Israeli cabinet have said as recently as yesterday and today that there will never be a Palestinian state.  Do you see any give on either the Israeli side or the Saudi side on whether that is likely to happen or that there can be a credible path that Israel agrees to that will allow the Saudis to move ahead?   Thanks.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Karen, I’ll start with your second question, and I’ll say: Over the last many years, I’ve been involved in negotiations in a number of places, and they usually start — or at some point during that period, there are senior leaders who come out with two words: “never” and “always.”  “We will never do this, and we will always insist on that.”  And that doesn’t necessarily hold, because when you have that kind of a position, you don’t reach an agreement.  So I don’t get too excited when I hear those kinds of statements.  I tend to ignore them and only listen to what is being said in the room. 

And as I said before on Lebanon, ceasefire negotiations (inaudible), if we feel that both parties — or, in this case, maybe a number of parties — are serious about it and that there is some deal space here where there’s some compromise that everybody has to make, then I think that we will try to take advantage of that opportunity and reach a historic agreement that is in everybody’s interest.

I’m sorry you feel that I did not answer the question.  I have.  I think you’re trying to take complex, you know, decisions and put them into a single sentence.  But there are going to be a potential for violations on one side or the other.  Before, it would require the Israeli government and the Lebanese, whomever in their system, to contact the U.N.; the U.N. would then have to figure out a way to contact the Israelis or the Lebanese, the other side, maybe file a violation at the U.N. in New York at the end of a quarter or something. 

But here, what we’re committing to is that, one, that’s not a mailbox anymore, but rather we will serve as a live messaging, making sure that whenever there is a view of a violation, specifically a serious violation, it is addressed immediately.  And as I said, if it is not addressed by the responsible parties, then — and it develops into a direct threat, then Israel would have the right to defend itself.

It’s not a simple question to answer, but that is the principal rule that everybody has agreed to or, rather, everybody understands.  And I’ll leave it there.

Next.

MODERATOR:  Next up we’ll go to Andrea Mitchell.

Q    Thank you.  Can you describe how the negotiation proceeded?  How do we know that Hezbollah has signed on to this?  The President said that he spoke to the prime ministers of Israel and Lebanon.  I know, for practical purposes, it does, but can we say this is an agreement between Israel and Hezbollah?

And what options does Hezbollah have — to follow up on Karen — if they feel that Israel is violating it?

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  That’s a fair question.

The commitments made by the Lebanese government apply to Hezbollah.  As you know, Andrea, we don’t negotiate with Hezbollah directly.  We negotiate with the state of Lebanon.  And the government of Lebanon has to take responsibility for what happens in Lebanon.

Now, as I negotiate with the leadership of the government,

we are aware that they are also in communication with both Hezbollah and with Iran.  And the expectations are clear. 

So when this is reached, this ceasefire is reached, it represents all the entities that need to join this understanding

in announcing the ceasefire and holding to it.  And that is not just my understanding, but that is — we have verified that adherence by all parties in Lebanon.

And at the end of the day, the opportunity that presents itself today in Lebanon with this ceasefire is for the government to assert its control across a territory and functions that, frankly, they haven’t done in 50 years.  And so, that is what we are supporting them, and I think what a lot of — most people in Lebanon are most excited about is that this is now an opportunity for the country to reassert its independence after decades of different countries, organizations, and entities occupying it in one form or another.

But fully expect adherence.  I don’t expect any — I would hope that — just as I hope that Hezbollah will not violate this agreement, I also hope Israel doesn’t violate this agreement.  And if they do, I expect the Lebanese army and the Lebanese security forces to work with this mechanism to address it directly with the Israelis on an immediate basis, whether it’s incursions into their territory or anything else that they do that they had agreed not to do.

So, I think we will — we are seeking to have a violation-free implementation.  And if violations do occur, we are expecting that they are addressed effectively, efficiently, and on a timely manner. 

MODERATOR:  We have time for a couple more questions.  Next up, we’ll go to Nadia Charters.

Q    Thank you, Eduardo.  Hi, [senior administration official].  Are you aware of any negotiation, whether it’s directly or indirectly, with Iran to approve this deal or at least to give Hezbollah the green light to go ahead?

Also, the French Special Envoy, Mr. Le Drien, will be visiting Beirut tomorrow.  Do we expect you to be back in the region, or do you think that your mission is over by now?

And finally, there were some reports that Israel might get more lethal weapons in return for agreeing to this deal.  Can you confirm that these reports are true?  Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  So as you know, I do not negotiate with Iran.  And I would say this to the Lebanese people: I don’t think Iran should be making decisions over what happens in the territory of Lebanon.  It should be — it is none of their business.  It is only — it should only be decided by those who represent the people of Lebanon, whether it’s the speaker and the prime minister in the cabinet, in the acting capacity, of course, and inshallah, if a president is selected.

To that end, Mr. Le Drien and I have been in close contact over the last many months, as he has had a mission from President Macron to try to work to see if the political impasse in Lebanon can be resolved and to get a president.  Multiple parties in Lebanon have said that after a ceasefire, they would immediately turn to selecting a president.  I call on them to do that now. 

The United States believes that two years without a president is long enough.  We now have achieved a ceasefire that will go into effect in just a few hours.  And there’s no time like the present to take action and select a president and make that part of a signal to the people that this is the moment of renewal in Lebanon. 

As far as the weapons, there is — there was no — no part of this negotiation involved weapons on either side.

MODERATOR:  Next up, we’ll go to Aurelia.

Q    Hi, and thank you so much for taking my question and for doing this call. 

I was just wondering, can you elaborate on this being a stepping stone for a deal in Gaza?  Because one could also argue that now that hostilities are supposed to cease in Lebanon, the Israeli army could, like, regroup in a way and concentrate on its offensive in Gaza.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  It’s always possible to look at any event as a potential stepping stone for negative.  I see here — I choose to see the opportunity here, and I think it’s the more accurate read.

I can tell you that we have been disappointed in Hamas’s lack of seriousness and approach to negotiations over the last several months.  The President, I thought, was as clear as one can be that they have not been seriously negotiating about a hostage deal. 

This is the moment — if anyone in Hamas thought that

there was a broad support for their cause, I think today

they have learned that that is not the case. 

So, again, I said before, I have a feeling sometimes when I negotiate when we’re there.  I can’t tell you that that’s how I feel at the moment.  I can just say that I think this is an opportunity to test the proposition that we can reach an agreement at this time.  And I think it’s incumbent upon us to do that. 

President Biden has felt, as he has ended the speech, that no matter — that if there is — as long as there’s an opportunity to get to a deal in Gaza that both addresses the terrible state that the Gazan people have had to endure and that brings the hostages, including the Americans, home, that it is incumbent upon us to do everything that we can to achieve that.

MODERATOR:  We’ve got time for one last question.  We’ll go to the line of Amichai Stein.

Q    Hello.  Thank you very much.  Two questions.  The first one that Israeli officials claim that the U.S. threatened with arms embargo in the U.N. Security Council not to veto with regarding Lebanon, so to call for an immediate ceasefire.  That’s my first question.  Was there something like this?

And my second question is: Is the Russian going to have a role in Syria to help prevent Iran from supplying weapons to Hezbollah?  Thank you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks.  So, on the first question, short answer: No.  This topic never came up, not once.  It’s not only that we didn’t threaten it; we — literally, the topic never came up.  So I don’t even know how to answer the question any other way.  It is completely news to me, and none of us have heard of this before your question.

Second, look, there is no doubt that what we all must focus on is to make sure that Iran does not continue to use Syria as a highway of weapons into Lebanon.  There are a number of elements that are related.  This is a ceasefire that has to do with the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, but there’s no doubt that part of that is to make sure that Hezbollah is not rearming and rebuilding their infrastructure. 

Part of the answer to that question is inside Lebanon, and that’s what this deal addresses.  And part of the answer to that question is going to have to be in Syria, and that is a matter for another call and another conversation on another day.

MODERATOR:  Thanks.  That’s all the time we have for today.  If there are any follow-up questions, please feel free to reach out to us.

As a reminder, this call was on background to a senior administration official, and the embargo is now lifted.  Thanks again for joining.

4:44 P.M. EST          

The post Background Press Call on the Ceasefire Deal Between Israel and Lebanon appeared first on The White House.

By Natalie Quillian, White House Deputy Chief of Staff

When President Biden and Vice President Harris came into office, America was in the midst of a deadly pandemic and our economy was reeling. Since then, President Biden and Vice President Harris have overseen one of the most successful administrations in history and will be leaving behind the best economy in the world.

Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’ leadership, 16 million jobs have been created, and we’ve gotten women and people of color back in the labor force at record rates. A record 20 million new business applications have been filed, and inflation is down to near pre-pandemic levels. These outcomes are due in part to our success in passing and implementing legislation that rebuilt our nation’s infrastructure, made the largest investment in climate action in history, lowered prescription drug costs, and spurred a manufacturing renaissance. Together, the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act – the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda – are reshaping our economy. And as of today, that agenda has helped spur over $1 trillion in private sector investment in clean energy and manufacturing since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office.

The level of private sector investment seen under this administration is unprecedented. Business leaders have called the boom in private investment “nothing short of extraordinary,” and have said the United States’ economy is “among the best performing economies” in decades. It is driving a manufacturing renaissance across the country and onshoring new and growing industries such as semiconductors, solar, batteries, and more. It’s also helping rebuild communities and create opportunity in places that were overlooked or left behind by public and private investment for far too long.

As of today, the Department of Commerce has announced over two dozen preliminary or final agreements with semiconductor manufacturing companies to create American-made chips in Phoenix, Arizona; Columbus, Ohio; Taylor, Texas; Syracuse, New York, and more, spurring over $400 billion in private investment that will create at least 125,000 jobs. Over $119 billion in investments in EVs and batteries and $122 billion in clean power have been announced in just the two years since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed. Recent announcements show these investments have continued at a steady pace. For example, in the last month alone, SolarCycle announced it would invest $400 million in Georgia for the largest solar panel recycling facility in the country, MainSpring Energy announced it would match an $87 million grant from the Department of Energy to manufacture power generators in Allegheny County, PA, and Microporous announced a $1.35 billion investment to create 2,000 jobs building battery separators in southern Virginia.

In addition to private investment, the Biden-Harris Administration has been implementing these laws quickly, effectively and equitably since the day the first Investing in America bill was signed. Due to that effort, there are already more than 74,000 infrastructure and clean energy projects underway across the country, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. That includes 11,400 bridge projects, 196,000 miles of roads under repair, and 376,000 lead pipes already replaced, benefitting nearly 1 million people. More than 3.4 million American families have already saved $8.4 billion on home clean energy upgrades, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Three million more households in America have high-speed internet today than when President Biden took office. Millions of seniors are benefitting from the $35 cap on the cost of insulin, and the cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries has already saved 1.5 million seniors nearly $1 billion in the first half of 2024, with Medicare beneficiaries feeling the full benefits starting in January.

To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced awards for 98% of Investing in America funding available for us to spend by the end of fiscal year 2024. Departments and agencies are running through the tape – announcing more awards, finalizing contracts and grant agreements, and accelerating permitting timelines. For example, the Department of Transportation executed more than twice as many grant agreements compared to the prior administration, completed 20 percent more environmental reviews in the transportation sector, and cut the time it takes to complete environmental assessments for transportation projects by one third.

These programs and projects mean real benefits for people across the country. It’s why as we continue to implement the Investing in America agenda, we see these programs grow in popularity even among skeptics, suggesting that the transformation of the U.S. economy is here to stay. For example:

• Nearly 8 in 10 Americans support keeping the Inflation Reduction Act’s $35 per month cap on the cost of insulin for seniors, including 76% of Republicans.

• A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 88% of Americans support the Administration’s work building or repairing our nation’s roads, bridges, rail lines, ports and other infrastructure.

• Outside groups have found that the majority of private sector investments spurred by Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits are going to red districts, and 57 percent of the new clean energy jobs created since the Inflation Reduction Act passed are located in Congressional districts represented by Republicans.

The progress we’ve made, however, represents only a fraction of the full impact of this agenda. As the President said earlier this month, the impacts of this historic agenda “will be felt over the next 10 years.” If future Administrations continue to implement at the pace we have, people across the country will enjoy the benefits of safer water, cleaner air, faster internet, and smoother commutes.  For example, by the end of 2026, the country is on track to have launched repairs on a total of over 356,000 miles of highway and over 20,800 bridges with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. By the end of 2028, communities will replace more than one million toxic lead pipes, bringing clean water to over 2.5 million people and protecting the health and safety of children and families.  And by 2030, 6 million more households and small businesses will have access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet.

Also, major projects we’ve funded will be completed in the coming years. For example, TSMC’s first Arizona factory will fully open in early 2025 and for the first time in decades, an American manufacturing plant will produce leading-edge chips. Service on the Brightline West High Speed Rail System, connecting Las Vegas, Nevada to Rancho Cucamonga, California, is on track to start in 2028, in time for the Los Angeles Olympics. A project to replace Michigan’s outdated I-375 freeway will be completed in the same year.

Over the coming months, the Biden-Harris Administration will continue the critical work of implementing the Investing in America agenda by announcing more awards, finalizing contracts and grant agreements, and making sure these investments are reaching the American people. While the full effects won’t be realized for years to come, it’s clear that the Investing in America agenda – and its impacts on the economy, on communities, and on American families – is here to stay.

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Heather Boushey, Chief Economist, Investing in America Cabinet

The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda is making strategic public investments in American manufacturing, infrastructure, and clean energy to revitalize the nation’s manufacturing leadership, help drive steady and stable economic growth across the country, and address the climate crisis. The President’s approach revives a powerful tradition of public investment which has now positioned the United States to be competitive in key industries of the future. This government-enabled, private-sector-led approach contributed to the economy defying economist expectations and is crowding in private capital to critical sectors. New data released this week show that since President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, announcements of private sector investments in clean energy and manufacturing in the United States have now surpassed $1 trillion (Figure 1).

The landmark pieces of legislation that make up the Investing in America agenda – the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act—were designed together and are being implemented together. They include grant and loan programs, tax credits, and other policies to catalyze private investment in the earliest stages of research and development through commercial-scale manufacturing. These investments will drive innovation and productivity that fosters American economic competitiveness and energy security, while delivering good jobs and benefitting communities across the country. They improve our nation’s infrastructure, so investing in the United States is more attractive to companies worldwide. And, they will help bring down the costs of key technologies, benefiting American workers, businesses, and families.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides billions in foundational investments in infrastructure, such as roads, highways, bridges, drinking water and wastewater systems, with $568 billion announced for over 66,000 projects so far. The CHIPS and Science Act provides $39 billion in grants and other incentives to semiconductor companies to build fabrication plants and produce cutting-edge technology in the United States—of which $34 billion worth of preliminary agreements have been announced. And the Inflation Reduction Act includes tax credits, grants, and loans to spur investment and comprehensive deployment of clean energy, including the manufacturing of battery components and critical minerals right here at home. Core to the Investing in America model is sending clear demand signals, addressing supply-side constraints, and solving coordination problems, all while strengthening and supporting Made in America domestic capacity.

This blog lays out the industrial strategy approach of the Biden-Harris Administration and how that has crowded-in private investment—especially to places that need it the most—leveraging public dollars for much-needed economic growth and the creation of good jobs.

Investment

To see how the Investing in American agenda is crowding in U.S. private sector investment in critical sectors, this blog examines two types of data: firms’ announced plans to invest and how those are being followed up by actual investment. The White House tracks private-sector announcements and their U.S. geographic location on invest.gov. The datapoints show that announced investments now total over $1 trillion. Of this total, $446 billion are for semiconductors and electronics, $91 billion for clean energy manufacturing, $182 billion for electric vehicles and batteries, $54 billion for biomanufacturing, $49 billion for heavy industry, and $188 billion for clean power. Altogether, nearly $800 billion has been announced for manufacturing projects, strengthening domestic production and creating more resilient supply chains. The invest.gov data are similar to other trackers of private announcements and investments, such as the Clean Investment Monitor, which focuses on clean technology investment and reiterates an unprecedented increase in clean energy investment since the Inflation Reduction Act was signed.

Announced investments are an indication of planned future economic activity; we still need to track when dollars actually flow into communities. While firms’ planned expenditures are not tracked in available public data, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) provides an aggregate measure of how much investment is taking place across the economy. Specifically, the BEA tracks private investment in factory construction in the United States—the most relevant indicator available to track how planned investments from invest.gov are showing up in spending.

Under the Biden-Harris Administration, real investment in factory construction has skyrocketed. Since the President and Vice-President took office, it has more than doubled, exceeding forecaster expectations from before and after the Investing in America agenda was passed (Figure 2). As of the third quarter of 2024, investment in manufacturing structures is at an all-time high and has broken record highs for the past nine quarters. The Department of the Treasury found that this investment contributed to almost one-third of real business investment growth in the same period—in stark contrast to the past 50 years, when investment in manufacturing structures contributed nearly zero percentage points to real business investment growth.

Data from other organizations that track actual investments are consistent with this trend. The Clean Investment Monitor tracks investment in clean energy technologies and infrastructure once a project breaks ground by spreading the project’s cost over the life of the reported construction period. Their most recent quarterly report shows between the second half of 2022 and the first half of 2024, actual public and private investment in clean technology and infrastructure totaled $493 billion, a 71 percent increase from the two-year period before the Inflation Reduction Act was signed. Of that, the clean energy manufacturing and transportation technology sector posted the fastest growth. This report concludes that for every $1 of federal investment, between $5 to $6 of private investment is being crowded in.

The rise in investment increased along with record-breaking new American business formation. The near four-year period under the Biden-Harris Administration saw the highest number of applications to start a new manufacturing business since the data began being collected in 2004. Previous Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) analysis suggests that these applications will translate into strong future economy activity as well as quality job creation.

Distribution

Investment is more than numbers in a spreadsheet; it happens in neighborhoods and communities across the country. The Investing in America agenda includes several programs that encourage investment in disadvantaged communities. Early indications are that this is working: a recent Department of the Treasury report shows that clean energy investments are largely taking place in counties where median incomes, graduation rates, and employment rates are below the respective national aggregate rates. For instance, 75 percent of Inflation Reduction Act related private investments are in counties whose median household income are below the national level. CEA found that foreign direct investment in clean energy manufacturing is going to areas disproportionately affected by the “China shock,” places that experienced larger declines in manufacturing employment due to increased import penetration.

Several other reports have shown similar results on investment going to lower-income regions, indicating that more-distressed U.S. communities are early beneficiaries of the Investing in America agenda. Furthermore, many clean energy projects that utilize tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act are expected to seek qualification for the law’s additional prevailing wage and registered apprenticeship tax incentives, meaning they can receive five times the base amount of certain clean energy tax credits and deductions. This will create opportunities for apprentices, union workers, and workers without four-year college degrees.

Employment

New public and private investment and shovels in the ground have directly resulted in a rise in employment. Construction employment is at an all-time high, and since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, the economy has added a total of 947,000 construction jobs. Of this, 581,000 are in nonresidential construction, where monthly employment growth accelerated after the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and grew even more following the signing of the CHIPS and Science Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, bouncing back faster than previous economic expansions. Between January 2021 and when the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was passed, average monthly job growth in nonresidential construction was 7,000; during the year after the Inflation Reduction Act was enacted, the average jumped to 14,800 jobs created per month. Over the past six months, nonresidential construction has added an average of 15,000 jobs per month, above the 12,100 monthly average between 2017 and 2019.

As novel investment leads to new production, analysts expect manufacturing employment to increase by as much as 8 percent. CEA internal analysis indicates that it typically takes about two years from a rise in the construction of new manufacturing structures until there is an uptick in manufacturing employment. Recent data also show that in the third quarter of 2024, real investment in industrial equipment increased three percent compared to a year ago.

Turning to the clean energy sector, the latest yearly U.S. Energy and Employment report shows that under the Biden-Harris Administration, 400,000 clean energy jobs have been created. As investments are taking place across America, clean energy jobs are taking off as well. Matching the pace in 2022, data from 2023 show clean energy employment, excluding traditional energy transmission and distribution, has grown in all 50 states (Figure 3). In 2023, clean energy employment grew at twice the rate of job growth in the overall economy and, for the first time, unionization rates in clean energy jobs surpassed those of traditional energy employment, growing to 12.4 percent.

The latest Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, which includes quarterly data through March 2024, shows that since the President took office, 33,000 power generation and supply jobs have been created. This sector previously had been in a prolonged decline, but in February 2024, the industry employed more people than at any other time in 20 years. Since the Inflation Reduction Act was passed, average weekly wages in this industry have grown 6.1 percent, 1.9 percentage points higher than inflation during the same time period.

Both the number and quality of jobs are important for workers and the overall economy. As the President’s recent Good Jobs Executive Order and White House blog underscore, the Investing in America agenda is deliberate about empowering workers with well-paying jobs, especially union jobs. These good jobs with higher compensation and safety standards in turn reduce turnover and increase productivity, benefitting workers, employers, and the overall economy.

Conclusion

President Biden and Vice President Harris came into office with a plan to restore American leadership at home and abroad, and grow the economy from the middle-out and bottom-up. To realize that bold vision, they put in place the Invest in America agenda, implementing a government-enabled, private-sector led approach that is producing tangible results for communities and businesses in every corner of the United States. With $1 trillion in new private sector investment announcements, the Biden-Harris Administration’s agenda can continue to promote inclusive economic growth in places all across the country for decades to come.

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Aboard Air Force One
En Route Queens, New York

4:26 P.M. EST

MR. BATES:  How are y’all?

Q    Hi.

MR. BATES:  Happy Thanksgiving.

Q    Happy Thanksgiving.

MR. BATES:  I have a few things at the top.

We are on our way to Staten Island, where the president and the first lady will attend a Friendsgiving event at U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York. 

This event is part of the first lady’s Joining Force[s] initiative to support military families and is hosted by the Robert Irvin [Irvine] Foundation. 

While there, the president and first lady will thank service members and their families and help serve a Thanksgiving meal.  This annual tradition is very special to the president and the first lady, and they are grateful for yet another Friendsgiving dinner with some of the men and women who serve and have sacrificed so much for our country. 

Earlier today, the president took part in another time-honored White House tradition, pardoning the national Thanksgiving turkeys in a ceremony on the South Lawn. 

During the 77th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation, the president reflected on the traditions of Thanksgiving and wished American families a safe and healthy holiday. 

And while we’re on that subject, we’re happy to share good news about turkey prices.  According to NBC News, quote, “Thanksgiving dinner is historically affordable this year.”  CNN tells us that, quote, “Cheaper turkeys are helping bring down Thanksgiving dinner costs this year.”  In fact, the price of turkey is down 6 percent, and the average price of the typical Thanksgiving dinner fell 5 percent. 

And as more Americans are getting ready to travel and see family members and loved ones, the price of gas has fallen to its lowest point in more than three years. 

There is more to do.  We will continue fighting to further reduce costs, to grow the middle class, and ensure American families can put food on the table and keep more money in pockets. 

Lastly, since we’ll be touching down in Queens, home of the New York Mets, I’ll note that my wife, Megan Apper, is thrilled that Juan Soto may soon come to New York. 

Aamer, do you want to start us off?

Q    That sounded — I don’t know about the lobbying that was going on there.  (Laughter.)  Little — maybe a little wishful thinking, but it’s interesting. 

MR. BATES:  I don’t have any private conversations to read out.  (Laughter.)

Q    Okay.  Any reaction to Jack Smith moving to dismiss two cases against President-elect Trump?

MR. BATES:  I’d refer you to the Department of Justice, and I would just underline that the president is proud to have restored the independence of the Department of Justice when it comes to critical matters — criminal matters.

Q    If I can just ask you one more on a separate matter.  Since celebrating the annual tradition of the pardons tod- — the turkey pardons today, on a more serious note, where — where is the president on — in just considering, sort of, as many presidents do at the end of the term, pardons and commutations?

MR. BATES:  President Biden has been committed to reforming our criminal justice system, and he has done so through his clemency authority in a manner that provides second chances, that ensures equal justice under the law, and that strengthens public safety.  He will continue to evaluate clemency petitions in a thoughtful and deliberative manner. 

And I want to emphasize that the president has granted 20 individual pardons and 122 commutations, which means he has issued more sentence commutations at this point in his presidency than any of his recent predecessors at the same moment in their terms. 

Q    So, Andrew, I have a follow-up on the commutations.  The president obviously put a moratorium on federal executions, and there’s a concern President-elect Trump will return that.  Is he thinking about commuting some of these (inaudible) sentence?  Like, we’ve talked to one man on death row, Billie Allen, who may be the first prisoner executed if the moratorium returns.  So, is this something he’s considering doing?

MR. BATES:  I don’t have more to share on future plans now, except I will restate that he’s been committed to reforming our justice system.  Using his clemency authority has been an important component of that, and he is proud that he has issued more commutations at this point in his administration than any of his recent predecessors.

Q    And since it is pardon day, is he hearing from people — we’ve heard people worried that President Trump might do retribution.  Is he hearing from people who want some sort of blanket pardon who are concerned about what the president-elect might do?

MR. BATES:  I don’t have more to share about our process. 

Q    Is he still committed to no clemency for his son Hunter?

MR. BATES:  The president has spoken to this.

Q    And his position hasn’t changed?

MR. BATES:  I don’t have anything idea to add to what he’s said already.

Q    Any updates on the president’s plan to attend President-elect Trump’s inauguration?

MR. BATES:  The president promised that he would attend the inauguration of whomever won the election.  He and the first lady are going to honor that promise and attend the inauguration. 

He views that as an important demonstration of commitment to our democratic values and to honoring the will of the people as we continue to provide an orderly and effective transition. 

Q    You’ve mentioned turkey prices and gas prices.  Why don’t you think that translated into better results for Democrats on November 5th?

MR. BATES:  The president, of course, spoke in the Rose Garden about the election, so I’m not going to relitigate that.

But I will — I will mention that there are outlets represented here who have written that the United States economy under President Biden’s leadership is, quote, “the envy of the world.” 

The president and the vice president fought the global shock waves that COVID-19 sent all over the globe better than any nation.  People still felt that disruption, which he’s clear-eyed about and he mentioned in his address to the nation. 

The Associated Press recently wrote about this, that it was a — a, quote, “super year” of elections that has been bad for incumbents.  But like we talked about today, we just saw that we have surpassed $1 trillion in private-sector investment generated by the major economic laws that this president put in place to change the game for the middle class. 

And we should keep in mind that with the smallest Senate majority mathematically possible, he was able to pass laws that are now bringing American manufacturing home at the strongest pace in generations. 

We have created 16 million new jobs.  We’ve kept the unemployment rate under 4 percent for its longest stretch in history.  New manufacturing facilities are being built at a record pace.  We’ve had record small-business creation.  Medicare is now negotiating down the price of drugs for the first time in history.  We passed the biggest climate investments in human history.  And we have more to do.  We’re going to make every single day count.

Q    What — what happens if the Israeli cabinet doesn’t approve the ceasefire deal tomorrow?

MR. BATES:  I am not going to go into detail about our diplomatic conversations, and I’m not going to speculate.  But we do continue to work toward a diplomatic resolution along the blue line that will allow civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes. 

We have made progress toward that goal.  Like Admiral Kirby said earlier today, we will not be going into specifics about the conversations because of how high a priority that objective is.  But as you all have reported, Amos Hochstein and a wide range of administration officials are closely engaged in this, as is the president. 

And Brett McGurk, who regularly travels to the Middle East, will be in Saudi Arabia tomorrow, where he will discuss using the potential of a ceasefire deal in Lebanon as a catalyst for a potential Gaza ceasefire and for a return of hostages and for increased stability in the region. 

Q    Have there been conversations with the Trump transition team on the Lebanon ceasefire?

MR. BATES:  I won’t go into our private conversations with the Trump transition team.  But as we’ve been clear about, we are committed to facilitating an orderly transition, to being a good resource for them.  The president met with the president-elect for roughly two hours.  Chief of Staff Jeff Zients has met with incoming White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles multiple times.  And like Admiral Kirby mentioned earlier today, Jake Sullivan has also met with Representative Waltz. 

Q    How do — how is there any durability to this if there isn’t — if w- — if — do the — do those two sides, again, essentially know that there is buy-in by the people who are coming in the next administration if this goes through?

MR. BATES:  Again, I will not go into private conversations with the transition, but the president is committed to working toward a ceasefire deal in Lebanon.  I’m not going to get into other details about the conversations, but that is something that leaders in this administration take very seriously and are working toward.

Q    How much can be done in terms of the transition if the president-elect hasn’t yet signed the MOUs?

MR. BATES:  As you mentioned, as of now, they have not entered into agreements with the White House or the GSA.  Jeff Zients reached out to the Trump-Vance transition cochairs, Howard Lutnick and Linda McMahon, the day after the election to make clear our intention to lead an orderly transition and to reiterate the role that these agreements play in initiating a range of transition activities. 

We continue to speak with them.  And in our conversations, we are stressing that the White House and administration are ready to provide access to services and information outlined in the White House and GSA memoranda once those have been signed.

Q    How much can be done if they’re not signed?

MR. BATES:  I’m not going to speculate about the process, but we are reiterating to them the importance of these agreements and that they go a long way towards allowing us to provide important resources and information.

Q    Does anybody on the Trump team have security clearance yet to discuss any intelligence matters?

MR. BATES:  DOJ is in conversations with the Trump transition team regarding their MOU.  I would refer you to DOJ for more.

Q    Talking about McGurk in Saudi Arabia.  He’s there now?  And is he meeting with MBS? 

MR. BATES:  He will be traveling there tomorrow.

Q    Tomorrow?

MR. BATES:  I don’t have more details to provide.

Q    What can you tell us about the president’s Thanksgiving plans?

MR. BATES:  Like I mentioned, this is a tradition for them, to the thank those who serve and to recognize the sacrifice that many families — military families face where they’re — they have loved ones overseas who are deployed.  They, of course, are a military family themselves.  They experienced this firsthand when Beau Biden was serving.

And it is special to them to be able to thank the men and women today of the Coast Guard for everything that they do to keep us safe and to protect our freedoms.

Q    And then, on Thanksgiving Day, they’ll be in Nantucket, as usual?

MR. BATES:  Yes, that’s correct.

Q    Can you say which family members are going with them?

MR. BATES:  I don’t know which family members will be there.

Q    There’s a group of House Republicans who wrote Secretaries Raimondo and Yellen today — or excuse me, on Friday, asking them to preserve documents related to the CFIUS review of the purchase of U.S. Steel for any potential oversight matters.  They’re alleging potential political bias in the CFIUS process.  I’m wondering if the White House wants to respond to that and if — whether you can give us an update on when the president will make a decision on that or when he expects the CFIUS file to reach his desk to enable him to make a decision.

MR. BATES:  I don’t have a comment on the process, and we are careful to follow all rules and regulations when it comes to the preservation of records.

Q    Thank you.

Q    The president doesn’t always stay in Washington for Christmas.  Should we expect any special trip around there?

MR. BATES:  I do not have any schedule announcements to make.  We are not quite yet to Thanksgiving, so we’ll turn to Christmas after that.

Q    Thanks.

Q    Thank you.

MR. BATES:  Thank you all.

Q    Thank you.

4:39 P.M. EST 

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Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is proposing a new rule to significantly expand coverage of anti-obesity medications for Americans with Medicare and Medicaid. Tens of millions of Americans struggle with obesity. An estimated 42 percent of the U.S. population has obesity, which is now widely recognized as a chronic disease, with increased risk of all-cause mortality and multiple related comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, some cancers, and more. 
 
Over the past few years, there have been major scientific advancements in the treatment of obesity, with the introduction of new life-saving drugs. These anti-obesity medications can help prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, these drugs reduce deaths and sickness from heart attack and other cardiovascular outcomes by up to 20%. But for too many Americans, these critical treatments are too expensive and therefore out of reach. Without insurance coverage, these drugs can cost someone as much as $1,000 a month.
 
Currently, Medicare and Medicaid cover the use of AOM’s for certain conditions, like diabetes.  Today’s new proposal would expand access to these innovative medications for obesity, which is widely recognized as a disease and help an estimated 3.4 million Americans with Medicare. Medicare coverage would reduce out-of-pocket costs for these prescription drugs by as much as 95 percent for some enrollees. Approximately 4 million adult Medicaid enrollees would also gain new access to these medications. This proposal would allow Americans and their doctors to determine the best path forward so they can lead healthier lives, without worrying about their ability to cover these drugs out-of-pocket, and ultimately reduce health care costs to our nation.
 
Since taking office, the President has built on, strengthened, and protected Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act, by signing laws such as the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act to lower prescription drug costs and health insurance premiums. The President is proud of the fact that the Inflation Reduction Act allows Medicare to negotiate down the price of drugs, a tool that will help Medicare lower the cost of some of the most expensive medications in the program.  That power to negotiate drug prices is critical because Americans pay two to three times more than people in other countries for their prescription drugs.  An analysis from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finds international prices for anti-obesity medications are much lower than U.S. list prices and generally lower than U.S. net prices for these same medications. It’s unacceptable that Americans – especially those without insurance coverage for these drugs — are forced to pay so much more for life-saving medications.  The proposed rule would be implemented at the same time as a comprehensive agenda to lower the costs of drugs, including the drug price negotiation program and increased market competition.  We can lower drug prices and improve health outcomes for Americans.
 
Thanks to the President’s efforts, seniors are already seeing lower prescription drug costs with insulin capped at $35, free vaccines, and out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs capped at $2,000 starting in 2025. Already this year, nearly 1.5 million people with Medicare Part D saved nearly $1 billion in out-of-pocket prescription drugs costs in the first half of 2024 because of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act. Furthermore, HHS has reached agreement with drug manufacturers for the first ten negotiated drugs, with new prices that are reduced between 38 to 79 percent starting in 2026.
 
The President’s new actions are all in addition to an already impressive track record on fighting for the health care of Americans across the nation. The Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health focused on ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases such as obesity. One of the Strategy’s pillars is integrating nutrition and health, which recognizes the opportunities within Medicare and Medicaid to support beneficiaries’ access to nutritious foods, obesity counseling, and other nutrition-related services. Obesity is a multi-faceted disease and we need to work on all levels from prevention to treatment to address this persistent challenge.

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United States Coast Guard Sector New York
Staten Island, New York

6:10 P.M. EST

THE FIRST LADY:  Hi.  Hello.  (Applause.)  Please.  Please.  (Laughs.)

So, thank you, Captain Andrechik.  It’s been the honor of this military mom’s life to serve as your first lady and to meet with military families through my Joining Fam- — Joining Forces initiative. 

You’ve trusted me with your stories and your challenges: PCSing every few years, transferring IEPs across state lines, spouses struggling to keep careers.  I’m proud that in Joe’s administration, we’ve made it easier for spouses to bring their careers with them when they move, and we’re making sure that kids with disabilities have the support they need at their new schools.

As Coasties split their days between waves and land, you find home in the little moments: in bear hugs and be- — big smiles on little faces, in the people whose love warms you even on the coldest days, the bonds built on shore and the ones forged on water.  That’s what Friendsgiving is about: the families you create together.

And, Robert, for year- — for four years now, you and your team have been extraordinary partners, serving this beautiful meal with love.  Joe and I look forward to this celebration every year, and we’re so grateful for everything you’ve done. 

And you know the best thing?  It sounds just like home.  (Laughter and applause.) 

With all my heart, thank you for your service and your sacrifice. 

Now please welcome a Coast Guard spouse and someone who works every day to make this community stronger, Jaime.

MS. BILLERT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)

Oh.  Well, thank you, Dr. Biden.  And thank you for helping host this year’s Friendsgiving for our Sector New York and local unit Coast Guard families.

THE FIRST LADY:  Thank you.

MS. BILLERT:  Good evening, everyone.  

It’s an honor and a pleasure to share this experience with you and give thanks to the service of our members and, importantly, the service of our families.

We all make sacrifices as Coast Guard families.  And while these sacrifices are unique to each of us, they are all made in the best interest of our families for a better quality of life, a better opportunity for resources, accommodations, education, and experiences. 

To the tables tonight and Thursday who are missing someone irreplaceable, the community around you sees your sacrifice and knows it firsthand.  As the president and Dr. Biden have said through their Joining Forces initiative, we may stand and wait, but we do not stand and wait alone.

So, it is an honor to give thanks to the service of our families tonight.

Sector New York and local unit Coast Guard families, it is my privilege to introduce to you our president, Mr. Joe Biden.  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Sector New York.  (Applause.)

And, by the way, kids can scream and cry and holler.  We’re Bidens; we’re used to it.  (Laughter.)  Kids rule in our house.

Well, thank you all very, very much. 

You know, I was thinking — I hadn’t planned on saying this, but I was thinking about this when I was coming up.  I was a pretty good football player in high school in my — I was a — I had it pretty good, and I had an opportunity to go and play in — but my quarterback, who was All-State as well, he came along, and he ended up being a quarterback for the Coast Guard Academy.   In 1912, but anyway.  (Laughter.)  When we — when we graduated.  (Laughter.)  

But, you know, you’re an incredible group.  Coasties are incredible.  I’ve had the opportunity to do the commencement speech at the Academy a number of years, and you’re incredible.  I mea- — really mean it. 

No branch in the military is stationed in more places than all of you.  You’re there for everything.

And, folks, you know, I know you’re hungry, so I won’t speak very long.  I want to — but just thank you, thank you, thank you for all you do and continue to do.

The Coast Guard motto: “Always ready.”  Over last year, those ro- — those words took on a — a sense of truth that they hadn’t had in a long while. 

When Iran sent weapons to the Houthis, you teamed up with the Navy, and you intercepted them. 

When the Baltimore bridge collapsed, which is — I spent a lot of time there — you arrived within minutes to help reopen the port in record time.  People thought it was going to take forever and ever.  You did it in record time.

When Hurricane Helene hit the co- — shore, you rushed to the front lines of search and rescue missions all up and down the coast.  When Hurricane Milton hit less than two weeks later, you stepped up again to help your fellow Americans.

And I also want to note that every day here in New York, you keep this port secure and the people safe, and the world knows it.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And, by the way, simply put, we owe you, and we owe your families.  And with all due respect to those of you wearing uniform, we don’t thank your families enough.  You know, it’s — and your kids, I want to thank them as well.  Not a joke.  I mean this from the bottom my heart.

You know — you know how exci- — people think, “God, you get to be — go stationed around the world; isn’t that wonderful?”  And then you tell — you have — your daughter is a junior in high school about to go to the junior prom.  You say, “I got great news.  We’re leaving.”  (Laughter.)  “You’re going to go to another school.”

I re- — I really mean it.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  We underestimate the impact that they all provide for you to be able to do your job.

And, folks, you know, I often say it: As a nation, we have only one sacred obligation, and that’s to care for those we send into harm’s way and care for them when they come home and make sure their families are taken care of before and after.  I mean that sincerely.

We had a son who was military, who passed and — because of — anyway.  He’s a major in the United States military — in — in the United States Army.  And, you know, it’s — you can see it every day.

So, thank you, thank you, thank you.  And I promise you, every day we’ll keep striving to live up to the obligation we have. 

And I’m anxious to — I may not eat.  I may come around to the table and meet all your kids, because everybody knows I like kids better than people.  (Laughter.)  Anyway.

Thank you, really, from the bottom of my heart.  And the families, thank you, thank you, thank you.  Not a joke.  I mean it from the bottom of my heart.  Thank you for all the sacrifices you make.

So, have a good meal.  And we got a great chef, by the way.  He’s the best in the world.

Well, thank you.  I’ll see you again.  (Applause.)

THE FIRST LADY:  The pastor is going to —

THE PRESIDENT:  The bad news is I’m going to end up feeding you. 

Pastor.

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROACH:  Thank you, sir.

THE PRESIDENT:  Say an extra pray for me, will you?  (Laughs.)

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROACH:  Yes, Mr. President.  I’ll say an extra prayer for you.  (Laughter.) 

(The Friendsgiving dinner continues.)

(The Friendsgiving dinner concludes.)

THE PRESIDENT:  I’ve just been told I’ve been fired.  (Laughter.) 

What they do when they tell us w- — they set a time we’re going — how long we’re going to be somewhere, and then what they do is they close all the roads — the Secret Service does.  And if you want to lose all support for you — the Coast Guard and no one will ever vote for me again, I better get the hell out of here.  (Laughter.)

Well, thank you, thank you, thank you.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your service.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  I really — I really mean it.  Thank you. 

Appreciate it.  (Applause.)

7:10 P.M. EST

The post Remarks by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a Friendsgiving Event | Staten Island, NY appeared first on The White House.

On Monday, November 25, 2024, the President signed into law:

H.R. 599, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3500 West 6th Street, Suite 103 in Los Angeles, California, as the Dosan Ahn Chang Ho Post Office;

Thank you to Representative Gomez and the entire California delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 807, the “Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act,” which requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the invaluable service that working dogs provide to society;

Thank you to Representatives McHenry and McGovern, and Senators Budd, Kelly, Tillis and Duckworth for their leadership.

H.R. 1060, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1663 East Date Place in San Bernardino, California, as the Dr. Margaret B. Hill Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Aguilar and the entire California delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 1098, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 50 East Derry Road in East Derry, New Hampshire, as the Chief Edward B. Garone Post Office;

Thank you to Representatives Pappas and Kuster, and Senators Shaheen and Hassan for their leadership.

H.R. 3608, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 28081 Marguerite Parkway in Mission Viejo, California, as the Major Megan McClung Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Young Kim and the entire California delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 3728, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 25 Dorchester Avenue, Room 1, in Boston, Massachusetts, as the Caroline Chang Post Office;

Thank you to Representative Pressley, Senators Markey and Warren, and the entire Massachusetts delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 4190, the “Restoring Benefits to Defrauded Veterans Act,”
which permits restoration of defrauded benefits after the death of a beneficiary;

Thank you to Representatives Trone and Ciscomani, and Senators Manchin and Tuberville for their leadership.

H.R. 5464, which names the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Guntersville, Alabama, as the Colonel Ola Lee Mize Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic;

Thank you to Representative Aderholt, Senators Tuberville and Britt, and the entire Alabama delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 5476, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1077 River Road, Suite 1, in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, as the Susan C. Barnhart Post Office;

Thank you to Representatives Fitzpatrick and Watson Coleman, Senators Casey and Fetterman, and the entire Pennsylvania delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 5490, the “Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act” or the “BEACH Act,” which amends the Coastal Barrier Resources Act to expand the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System;

Thank you to Representatives Kiggans and Blunt Rochester, and Senator Carper for their leadership.

H.R. 5640, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 12804 Chillicothe Road in Chesterland, Ohio, as the Sgt. Wolfgang Kyle Weninger Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Dave Joyce, Senators Vance and Brown, and the entire Ohio delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 5712, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 220 Fremont Street in Kiel, Wisconsin, as the Trooper Trevor J. Casper Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Grothman and the entire Wisconsin delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 5861, the “Building on Reemployment Improvements to Deliver Good Employment for Workers Act” or the “BRIDGE for Workers Act,” which extends reemployment services and eligibility assessments to all claimants for unemployment benefits;

Thank you to Representatives LaHood and Danny Davis, and Senators Coons, Cassidy, Kaine and Tillis for their leadership.

H.R. 5985, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 517 Seagaze Drive in Oceanside, California, as the Charlesetta Reece Allen Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Levin and the entire California delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 6073, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9925 Bustleton Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the Sergeant Christopher David Fitzgerald Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Boyle and the entire Pennsylvania delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 6249, the “Think Differently About Emergencies Act,” which provides for a review and report on the assistance and resources that the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency provides to individuals with disabilities and the families of such individuals that are impacted by major disasters;

Thank you to Representatives Molinaro, Titus, Carbajal and Norton for their leadership.

H.R. 6324, the “Fiscal Year 2024 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act,” which authorizes major medical facility projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2024;

Thank you to Representatives Bost and Amodei, and Senators Tester and Moran for their leadership.

H.R. 6651, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 603 West 3rd Street in Necedah, Wisconsin, as the Sergeant Kenneth E. Murphy Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Tiffany and the entire Wisconsin delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 7192, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 333 West Broadway in Anaheim, California, as the Dr. William I. ‘Bill’ Kott Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Correa and the entire California delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 7199, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at S74w16860 Janesville Road, in Muskego, Wisconsin, as the Colonel Hans Christian Heg Post Office;

Thank you to Representative Fitzgerald and the entire Wisconsin delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 7333, which names the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in West Palm Beach, Florida, as the Thomas H. Corey VA Medical Center;

Thank you to Representative Mast, Senators Rubio and Rick Scott, and the entire Florida delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 7423, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 Benedette Street in Rayville, Louisiana, as the Luke Letlow Post Office Building;

Thank you to Representative Scalise, Senators Cassidy and Kennedy, and the entire Louisiana delegation for their leadership.

H.R. 7777, the “Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living
Adjustment Act of 2024,” which provides for a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for veterans’ disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation beneficiaries equal to the Social Security COLA;

Thank you to Representatives Luttrell and Pappas, and Senators Tester and Moran for their leadership.

S. 1510, the “GAO Inspector General Parity Act,” which amends provisions relating to the Office of the Inspector General of the Government Accountability Office;

Thank you to Senator Braun and Peters, and Representatives Robert Garcia and McClain for their leadership.

S. 2143, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 320 South 2nd Avenue in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as the Staff Sergeant Robb Lura Rolfing Post Office Building;

Thank you to Senators Rounds and Thune for their leadership.

S. 2274, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 112 Wyoming Street in Shoshoni, Wyoming, as the Dessie A. Bebout Post Office;

Thank you to Senators Barrasso, Lummis and Carper for their leadership.

S. 3126, the “Mark Our Place Act,” which amends title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish or replace a headstone, marker, or medallion for the grave of an eligible Medal of Honor recipient regardless of the recipient’s dates of service in the Armed Forces;

Thank you to Senators Braun, Brown and Tester, and Representative Luttrell for their leadership.

S. 3267, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 410 Dakota Avenue South in Huron, South Dakota, as the First Lieutenant Thomas Michael Martin Post Office Building; and

Thank you to Senators Rounds and Thune for their leadership.

S. 3419, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1765 Camp Hill Bypass in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, as the John Charles Traub Post Office.

Thank you to Senators Fetterman and Casey for their leadership.

###

The post Press Release: Bills Signed: H.R. 599, H.R. 807, H.R. 1060, H.R. 1098, H.R. 3608, H.R. 3728, H.R. 4190, H.R. 5464, H.R. 5476, H.R. 5490, H.R. 5640, H.R. 5712, H.R. 5861, H.R. 5985, H.R. 6073, H.R. 6249, H.R. 6324, H.R. 6651, H.R. 7192, H.R. 7199, H.R. 7333, H.R. 7423, H.R. 7777, S. 1510, S. 2143, S. 2274, S. 3126, S. 3267, S. 3419 appeared first on The White House.

Via Teleconference

12:20 P.M. EDT

MODERATOR:  Hey, everyone.  Thanks for joining.  We do not have anything here at the top, so we’ll go straight into questions. 

Trevor with Reuters, if you want to start us off.

Q    Hey.  Thanks for doing this.  First, do you have any comment about this DHL plane that crashed on the way to Lithuania and if there was any suspicion about Russian involvement?

And then second, just any update on Lebanon ceasefire talks.  There’s some reporting that suggests that that’s towards the end of the process there.

MR. KIRBY:  So, on your first question, Trevor, what I can tell you is that the FAA and NTSB are cooperating in the investigation that the Lithuanians are just now conducting.  This is pretty fresh stuff here; it just happened.  So we’re certainly not going to get ahead of that investigation and where the facts are going to lead them, but we are contributing some expertise on these kinds of things to help them through that.  And I’m sure that the Lithuanian authorities, as appropriate, will keep people informed about what they’re learning.

On your second question, look, I’ve seen the press reporting and the comments by anonymous officials.  I think you can understand that where we’re going to be today is that this remains a top priority for the President, has for some time and certainly is today as we speak, to get this ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah so that the rockets and the missiles stop and so that people can start moving back to their homes and restarting their lives along that Blue Line.  And we are actively involved in trying to bring that about.  But nothing is negotiated until everything is negotiated. 

And as you and I are speaking here this morning, Trevor — I’m sorry, this afternoon — those conversations are ongoing.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next — sorry, some user issue here.  Our next question will go to Zeke with AP.

Q    Thanks, John, for doing this.  Just following up on your answer to Trevor there.  Can you discuss what remaining sticking points there are?  What is still being negotiated, if not everything is yet negotiated?

And then, is there anything in detail about the President’s personal involvement?  We know Amos has been in the region, but what has the President’s involvement been in these talks?  Thank you.

MR. KIRBY:  The President has been monitoring this very, very closely.  He’s been in direct touch with Amos.  Amos is back now. 

I’m not going to get into the details.  You know, there’s still some process things that I think that they’re working through, and it just wouldn’t be wise of me to go into much detail at this particular point. 

Look, I can tell you that the discussions that Amos had were constructive, and we believe that the trajectory of this is going in a very positive direction. 

But, again, nothing is done until everything is done.  Nothing is all negotiated until everything is negotiated.  And, you know, we need to keep at the work to see it through so that we can actually get this ceasefire for which we’ve been working for so long and so hard.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question will go to MJ with CNN.

Q    Hi, John.  A bunch of weeks ago, the U.S. had put out this Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire proposal, which was very publicly rejected by the Prime Minister.  Can you just talk to us about —

MODERATOR:  Sorry, MJ, your audio cut out.  Would you mind starting again?

Q    Yeah.  I said that a bunch of weeks ago, the U.S. had put out this ceasefire proposal, which was publicly rejected by the Prime Minister.  So I wondered if you could talk to us about the timing.  Assuming that this does come together, why now?  What’s different now versus back then, when you all, again, first put this proposal out there? 

And then secondly, Mike Waltz said that he has now met with Jake Sullivan.  Can you give us the top lines?  Who attended this meeting?  What were the issues discussed?  The Congressman also sort of leaned into this idea that the current and the incoming administrations are working hand in glove as one team.  What exactly are you all working on together at this point?  Thanks.

MR. KIRBY:  Yeah, MJ.  So, on the first question, the why now is because we are at a certain point in the discussions where, again, we believe that things are moving in a very positive way.  It’s not — I mean, your question presupposes that, you know, we sort of put an anchor on the calendar and said, “Well, you know, we got to have it by, you know, before Thanksgiving.”  And that’s not the thinking here.

You know, with all these negotiations, including the ones that we’ve been trying to get, you know, with Hamas, it’s try, try again.  Keep putting things on the table.  Keep exploring things.  Keep moving things back and forth as both sides are presenting their requirements to you.  And we are mediating this, and we are where we are today because of a lot of back and forth, a lot of discussions, a lot of work, principally by Amos, of course.  And we believe we’ve reached this point where, you know, we’re close.

But, again, I want to be careful and cautious here in how I characterize it, because until you get everything done, you don’t have a deal.  So that’s kind of where we are. 

You talked about it being rejected earlier, but there’s been back and forth with both sides now for many weeks to get us to this point.

On the Waltz meeting, I can confirm that Jake did meet with Congressman Waltz, but I’m not going to get into the private conversation, and I need to really just leave it there.

On your second question, or your third question, I guess, on transition, the President has been consistent on this that he wants to make sure across the administration, and that certainly includes us here at the National Security Council, that we are doing everything that we can to effect a professional and an orderly transition. 

And we continue to urge the incoming team to take the steps that are necessary to be able to facilitate that on their end as well.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question will go to Barak with Axios.

Q    Hi, John.  Thank you for doing this.  Two quick questions.  First on the follow-up on Jake’s meeting with Waltz.  I was told that one of the issues they discussed is how the current administration and the incoming administration can work together to push for a Gaza hostage deal in the less than two months that are left until January 20th.  Can you confirm that?

And second thing: The U.S. is going to give Israel a letter of assurances, a letter of guarantees, whatever you want to call it, about Israel’s freedom of operation in Lebanon, if it sees any imminent threats after a ceasefire is reached.  Can you say anything about that?

MR. KIRBY:  No and no.  I’m sorry, Barak, but I really can’t be more helpful to you on either one of those ones. 

The only thing I will say is, you know —

Q    (Laughs.)  I tried.

MR. KIRBY:  Yeah, you did.  It was a — it was a good effort. 

(Inaudible) rumors of a letter of guarantees (inaudible) and to protect their people.  And in those efforts, they’ll continue to get support from the United States.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question will go to Danny with AFP.

Q    Hi, Admiral.  Thanks for doing this.  A couple of things.  Firstly, just for the avoidance of any doubt, when you say, you know, we believe we’ve reached this point where we’re close, you mean close to a deal.  Is that right?

MR. KIRBY:  That’s correct. 

Q    Oh, thanks. 

MR. KIRBY:  That’s correct. 

Q    And secondly, there are reports in the region that President Macron of France is involved in this deal and indeed that there are plans for him and President Biden to announce it tomorrow.  Any comment on either of those aspects?

MR. KIRBY:  No, but except to say: I think you all know that the President spoke with President Macron last week, and, of course, they talked about a lot of things, including the war in Gaza and how much they both want to see this conflict end and tensions to be taken down and a ceasefire to be reached, in this case particularly between Israel and Hezbollah.  But beyond that, I won’t comment. 

Q    Thanks.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question will go to Neria with Channel 13 Israel. 

Q    Hi, Kirby.  Thank you so much for —

Hey, Admiral.  Thank you so much for doing this. 

I wanted to ask: U.S. officials approached the Lebanese today and told them that Israel is on board.  Did you get any response from the people in that — from the government in Lebanon, from Hezbollah?

And also, Netanyahu wants to know when he will be able to go back into a war, if he’d like to, if the Israeli government would think that’s necessary.  And I understand this is one of the latest things that are not completed yet.  Can you elaborate more on that, please?

MR. KIRBY:  Hey, I’m not going to be very helpful here.  This kind of gets, you know, to Barak’s question about this rumor of a letter of guarantees. 

Q    Yeah, we didn’t hear your answer there.  You muted your Zoom or something, when Barak asked the question.

MR. KIRBY:  Oh, my answer to Barak was no, and I think he acknowledged that.

But, look, I understand the great interest in this, and I really won’t go beyond what I’ve said before.  We believe we’re close.  The conversations that Amos had were very positive.  And as I said earlier, we believe the trajectory is going in the right direction here to potentially getting this ceasefire done.  But it’s not done.  And the last thing that I’m going to do publicly is speak about the details of it and what components are in there so that I don’t in any way sabotage the efforts to actually complete it. 

This remains an important priority for President Biden.  That’s why we have been working hard to mediate this deal so that people can return to their lives and their homes around the Blue Line, and the rockets and missiles can stop. 

So, again, I do understand where all the questions are coming from.  They’re all fair, they’re all right, they’re all the right questions to ask today, but I’m just not going to be able to get into too much of the details.  Actually, I’m not going to get into any of the details here unless or until we’ve got more to say.

Q    And one last question, if that’s okay, Admiral, about the new administration.  We do hear that Trump’s administration is getting messages from Israeli officials about — saying that most of the hostages are dead, maybe trying to convince them not to try to push to a deal.  Do you know anything about it?  Do you give the new administration any info about the hostages that are still alive?

MR. KIRBY:  I don’t know anything about those conversations.  And as I said earlier to a question about Congressman Waltz’s meeting with Jake, we continue to urge the incoming team to take the steps necessary so that we can help effect an orderly, efficient, complete, and comprehensive transition to them, which includes being able to provide them the kinds of briefings, and the context, and the material that we believe will be important to help inform their decisions as they come into office.  So that’s where we are.

Q    Thank you so much.

MR. KIRBY:  Yes, ma’am.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question will go to Nadia.

Q    Thank you.  Thank you for doing this.  I want to follow up on a few of the questions about Lebanon. 

Number one, John, can you just confirm once and for all that, actually, we do not expect any announcement between the President and Macron, not tomorrow, but maybe in the next few days?  Because now everybody talks about the kind — maybe there is a kind of announcement, maybe not tomorrow or the day after, but soon.

MR. KIRBY:  All I can tell you, Nadia, is what I’ve been saying here for 15, 20 minutes.  You know, we believe we’re close, and there’s been an awful lot of work done.  And when we have something we can announce and we can speak to, well, by goodness, we’ll do that, and we’ll do that as soon as it is practical to do so. 

But I couldn’t sit here and look at the calendar over the next day or two and tell you exactly when that might be.

Q    Okay.  Fair enough.  How close does Mr. Hochstein coordinate with the Trump transitional team on Lebanon, and at what level? 

MR. KIRBY:  I’m not going to get into the private conversations that Mr. Hochstein has been having as he’s been working to try to get this deal.  He’s been very, very focused on primarily discussing what he’s doing — or what he’s trying to do with our Israeli counterparts and, of course, his counterparts on the Lebanon side.  And I’m just going to leave it at that.

Q    Okay.  And just one last question.  I know you said you don’t want to talk about any letters of guarantees, but in general, is this any role that the U.S. playing in this mediation, beyond the facilitating both points of views, whether in execution later on or whether in some kind of guarantee to both sides, not just the Israelis?

MR. KIRBY:  I’m not sure I understand your question.  I mean, as the mediator of this, we’re obviously trying to get a ceasefire over the finish line.

Q    Sure, but let me explain what I meant.  I meant there is lots of reports saying basically that the U.S. will guarantee — will give to Israel the right to monitor Lebanese airspace to make sure that Hezbollah is not going to launch rockets from there, and that will be by U.S. supervision.  While now you’re saying there is no letter, there’s nothing like this.  And vice versa — they were saying that they will make sure that during the 60 days ceasefire, that there’s no violation; the U.S. will guarantee that by monitoring what’s happening and reporting it.

MR. KIRBY:  What I said was I’m not going to confirm reports that there’s some sort of letter out there.  I’m not going to confirm any of the details that have been discussed between the two sides and the United States.  We are not there yet.  And if we’re able to get there, as soon as possible we will lay it all out for everybody.  And you’ll get to see for yourself, you know, what was negotiated. 

But the last thing I’m going to do is get into speculation from press reports about what is or what isn’t in this deal at this particular point.  I’m just not going to do it. 

Q    Okay.  Thank you. 

MR. KIRBY:  Yes, ma’am.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question will go to Marek with Polskie Radio.

Q    Thank you, Sam.  Hi, John.  I have a question on the Russia threats against Poland.  Moscow says that the new U.S. missile defense base that was just recently opened in Redzikowo in Poland is considered a priority target.  So may I ask you for a comment on that?

And my second question is: What’s your assessment on the effectiveness of the use of ATACMS by Ukraine?  In the past, you kind of downplayed potential impact of the ATACMS on the battlefield and warned that allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia could lead to escalation by the Kremlin.  How do you see it now?

MR. KIRBY:  Right now, they are able to use ATACMS to defend themselves, you know, in an immediate-need basis.  And right now, you know, understandably, that’s taking place in and around Kursk, in the Kursk Oblast.  I’d let the Ukrainians speak to their use of ATACMS and their targeting procedures, and what they’re using them for and how well they’re doing.

But nothing has changed about the — well, obviously we did change the guidance and gave them guidance that they could use them, you know, to strike these particular types of targets.

On your — what was your first question again?  I knew I was going to forget.

Q    Just about Russia’s threats against Poland, the new missile defense (inaudible) put on the target list.

MR. KIRBY:  Yeah, we’ve seen those comments, and, obviously, you know, you have to take those kinds of threats seriously, and we do.  As reckless and irresponsible as they are, we obviously take it seriously. 

President Biden has been rock-solid.  We’re going to do everything we have to do to make sure our troops on the European continent are safe and secure.  And just as importantly, you know, we take our Article Five commitments to our NATO Allies incredibly seriously.  It’s rock-solid, and that’s not going to change.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  Our next question will go to Hiba.

Q    Thanks, John.  I want to try again, John, to understand where do things stand now.  From what we’ve learned, there was an Israeli response that was then relayed to the Lebanese.  If Israel hasn’t made any amendment to it, the agreement remains as is.  Now, did you receive anything from the Lebanese?  Where is the agreement now?  On the Lebanon side?  On Israel side? 

Second, my second question: Is it an agreed ceasefire?  And within these 60 days or whatever, the negotiations will continue for a broader deal?

And my third question, please, if I may: Will this ceasefire agreement or deal, or whatever, go to the U.N. Security Council, considering that you will soon preside over it in December?  I mean, will we have a resolution?  Will we have a statement from the U.N. Security Council after this?  Because the Lebanese were opposing that.  Thank you.

MR. KIRBY:  Yeah, Hiba, look, I’m simply not going to talk about where we are in the negotiation process.  As I said several times here on this call, we believe we’re close.  The conversations that Amos had in the region were constructive.  I’d go so far as to say we believe they were productive. 

But nothing is done until it’s all done, and it’s not done right now.  And if we can get there, as soon as possible we’ll be able to talk in more detail with all of you about the contents of this.  But I hope you understand how irresponsible it will be — irresponsible it would be for me in an on-the-record gaggle to lay out for you and confirm every single press report out there about what is in or what is not in this deal.  I’m just not going to do it. 

And I don’t have anything to talk to you today about, you know, if we get a deal, what a broader timeline (inaudible).  All that gets into the parameters of the deal itself.  So, again, I’m just not going to go there.

MODERATOR:  Thank you.  And unfortunately, that’s all the time we have for today.  As always, if we weren’t able to get to your questions, please reach out to our distro, our NSC press distro.  And I think Kirby has a few words here before we fully go.

MR. KIRBY:  Yep, just two things.  One, look, I know you all had lots of very detailed questions, and you’re coming away from the gaggle, I’m sure, unsatisfied, and I understand that.

I just — as I said many times, I hope you understand why.  I’m not trying to obfuscate, certainly not trying to be an obstacle or make things difficult for you.  What I was trying to do is characterize sort of where we think we are but not do anything or say anything that might torpedo our chances. 

And obviously, the most important thing here is that we try to get this ceasefire, because it will mean, literally, that lives will be saved and, hopefully over a period of time, that livelihoods will be restored.  And again, last thing any spokesman wants to do is be in the way of that.  And so, I just want you to understand where I was coming from. 

The last thing is: I don’t know if we’re going to have a chance to talk before Thanksgiving.  If not, I just want to wish everybody a happy holiday.  And if you’re traveling, please do so safely. 

And thanks for all this engagement.  I know it’s been a while since we did a gaggle.  And hopefully after the holiday is over, we can get back on to a more normal schedule. 

But anyway, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you if I don’t get a chance to talk to you before then.  Thanks. 

MODERATOR:  Thanks, everyone.

12:44 P.M. EDT

The post On-the-Record Press Gaggle by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby appeared first on The White House.

The White House

Good afternoon.

This beautiful Fraser fir was grown at Cartner’s Christmas Tree Farm, where the Cartner family has been growing trees for more than 60 years.

Their farm is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, a region that was recently devastated by Hurricane Helene.

The Cartner family lost thousands of trees to the storm. But this one remained standing—and they named it “Tremendous” for the extraordinary hope that it represents.

It’s an honor to be here today with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, as well as members of the North Carolina National Guard—and their families—who are leading the work to rebuild after Hurricane Helene. This tree recognizes your tremendous strength and service.

In just a few days, volunteers from all over the country will pour in to transform this tree—and decorate the entire White House. And out of the whirlwind of glitter and garlands, will come the warmth and comfort of the season. I can’t wait for everyone to share in it.

Happy holidays!

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Today, as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, we recommit ourselves to the urgent work of ending gender-based violence in the United States and around the world. Gender-based violence is a human rights abuse and a public health crisis that impacts one in three women and girls. We also know that whenever and wherever women and girls are under threat, so too are peace, stability, and economic progress.

Working to end violence against women and girls has been the cause of my life.  In the U.S. Senate, I wrote and championed the Violence Against Women Act, working across the aisle and with courageous survivors to strengthen the law four times.  As President, I was proud to sign into law the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act, which expanded access to safety and support for survivors, increased prevention efforts, and established new federal protections against online harassment and abuse. Under my Administration’s leadership, the United States secured the highest-ever funding levels to implement the Violence Against Women Act, and, globally, we have maintained the highest-ever level of investment to address gender-based violence at $250 million per year.

My Administration issued the first-ever U.S. National Plan to End Gender-Based Violence, updated the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally, and worked tirelessly to prevent and address gender-based violence in all its forms, including through the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse and the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse, which has grown to a 15-country membership. We’ve advanced policies within the United States and globally to address online safety; invested in efforts to prevent technology-facilitated gender-based violence—including countering its chilling effects on women’s civic and political participation; and supported survivors of image-based sexual abuse.

We have also taken historic steps to strengthen justice and accountability for conflict-related sexual violence. In 2022, I issued a Presidential Memorandum on Promoting Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence—directing federal agencies to leverage sanctions authorities, assistance restrictions, and other tools to promote accountability for perpetrators of this human rights abuse. Since the release of that memorandum, the United States issued nearly two dozen sanctions, including for the first time several issued solely on the basis of sexual violence. And earlier this year, we announced the Dignity in Documentation Initiative, which supports civil society-led efforts to investigate and document sexual violence in conflict.

Today we reflect on the tremendous progress we’ve made since the first International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women a quarter century ago.  We also recommit ourselves to the work ahead to achieve a world in which all women and girls can live free from fear, free from violence, and free from abuse.

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South Lawn

11:07 A.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, good morning.

AUDIENCE:  Good morning!

THE PRESIDENT:  They tell me there’s 2,500 people here today — (applause) — looking for a pardon.  (Laughter.)

Well, good morning and welcome to a wonderful White House tradition.  We’ve got a lot of folks joining us today.  Members of my cabinet, members of the White House staff and their families.  We’ve got students from 4-H programs and Future Farmers of America.  Where are you?  (Applause.)

And, of course, a special thanks to everyone at the National Turkey Federation.  Leslee Oden, president of the Federation.  Leslee, where are you?  There you are.  (Applause.)  And John Zimmerman, chairman of the Federation, and his family from Northfield, Minnesota.  John.  (Applause.)

I was in Northfield last year with our — last year with my secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, and our great friend, the Minnesota governor, Tim Walz — (applause) — talking about our historic investment in transforming rural America. 

Back in Minnesota, John has been a turkey grower for 35 years.  He’s raised over 4 million turkeys.  (Applause.)  Whoa.  And with the help of his nine-year-old son, Grant, they’ve raised two special guests we’re honoring today: Peach and Blossom.  (Applause.)  Let’s bring Peach up to join us. 

They tell me Peach weighs about 42 pounds. 

What do you say, Peach? 

Peach is making a last-minute plea here.  (Laughter.)

The two turkeys are named after Delaware state flower, the peach blossom.  And by the way, Delaware has a long history of growing peaches.  In fact, the peach pie in our state is one of my favorite.  It’s a state dessert.  And peach blossom flower is — also symbolizes the resilience, which is, quite frankly, fitting for today.  (Laughter.) 

This White House tradition began when turkey was presented to President Truman.  And that president — then President George H.W. Bush began pardoning turkeys. 

In the last four years, I’ve had the honor to continue that tradition by pardoning Peanut Butter and Jelly, Chocolate and Chip, Liberty and Bell.  And today, Peach and Blossom — (applause) — will join the free birds of the United States of America.  (Applause.) 

Born this past July at the Zimmerman family farm, raised by the —

(Peach gobbles.)

Yeah, I hear you.  (Laughter.)  Peach wants to speak a little bit here.  (Laughter.)

Raised by the family with the help of neighboring chil- — neighborhood children, who helped the turkeys get ready for this very moment.

According the experts, Peach weighs 41 pounds and loves to eat hotdish and teter to- — tator tots, and cross-country skis.  (Laughter.)  You know, dreams to see — but his — the real dream he has is to see the Northern Lights, I’m told.  He lives by the mo- — the motto, “Keep calm and gobble on.”  (Laughter.)

Meanwhile, Blossom weighs 40 pounds, loves to eat cheese curds and watch boxing — (laughter); dreams of visit — to visit each one of Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes — (applause); lives by the motto, “No fowl play, just Minnesota nice.”  (Laughter.)

They just finished a two-day road trip from Minnesota to Washington, D.C. 

By the way, do you have chairs?  Sit down.  (Laughter.)  I forgot you had chairs.  (Applause.)  I’m sorry.  (Laughter.)  Started thinking about the arduous trip they made, and you guys are still standing.  (Laughter.)

Well, that trip is 1,100 miles.  (A turkey gobbles.)  It takes 16.5 hours.  Through it all, they stayed calm, and they gobbled on and are still gobbling.  They were s- — (a turkey gobbles) — they — (laughter) — they were — stayed nice, listening to their favorite music, which apparently includes the song “Living on a Prayer.”  (Laughter.)

Well, fellas, your prayer is going to be answered today. 

Based on your temperament and commitment to being productive members of society, I hereby pardon Peach and Blossom.  (Applause.)

They will now head back to Farmamerica, Minnesota’s center for agricultural int- — interpretation, to serve as educational ambassadors of America’s top turkey growing state and inspire the next generation of agricultural students. 

Congratulations. 

Let me close on a more serious note.  This event marks the official start of the holiday season here in Washington.  It’s also my last time to speak here as your president during this season and give thanks and gratitude. 

So, let me say to you: It’s been the honor of my life.  I’m forever grateful. 

Later today, my wife, Jill, and I will travel to Staten Island, New York, for a Friendsgiving with members of the Coast Guard and their families to demonstrate our gratitude for their service and sacrifice, like my son.  (Applause.) 

We also keep in our hearts those who have lost so much, who will have an empty seat at the di- — at the Thanksgiving dinner table tonight — or, excuse me, Thursday night. 

May we use this moment to take time from our busy lives and focus on what matters most: our families — my dad used to have an expression; he’d say, “Family is the beginning, the middle, and the end” — our friends and our neighbors, and the fact that we blessed these — to live in America, the greatest country on Earth.  And that’s not hyperbole.  We are.

No matter what, in America, we never give up.  We keep going.  We keep the faith. 

We just have to remember who we are.  We’re the United States of America.  There is nothing, nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together. 

So, happy Thanksgiving, America.  God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops.

Thank you.  (Applause.) 

11:12 A.M. EST

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I congratulate Yamandú Orsi on his election to serve as Uruguay’s 43rd President.  I also send my congratulations to the people of Uruguay for their unyielding commitment to democracy as they successfully exercised the fundamental right to vote.
 
In the over 150 years of diplomatic relations between Uruguay and the United States, we have built an enduring partnership based on our peoples’ shared values.  Uruguay has been at the vanguard of promoting democracy in the Americas, as well as leading in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity to invest in innovations that create opportunities for the middle class throughout the hemisphere.  As President-elect Orsi prepares to take office in March, I am confident our two countries will continue our work together to build more secure and prosperous futures for our people.

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When I took office, the pandemic was raging and the economy was reeling. From Day One, I was determined to not only deliver economic relief, but to invest in America and grow the economy from the middle out and bottom up, not the top down.

Over the last four years, that’s exactly what we’ve done. We passed legislation to rebuild our infrastructure, build a clean energy economy, and bring manufacturing back to the United States after decades of offshoring. Today I’m proud to announce my Investing in America agenda—the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act—has helped attract over $1 trillion in announced private-sector investments. These investments in industries of the future are ensuring the future is made in America, by American workers. And they’re creating opportunities in communities too often left behind.

Over 1.6 million construction and manufacturing jobs have been created over the last four years, and our investments are making America a leader in clean energy and semiconductor technologies that will protect our economic and national security, while expanding opportunities in red states and blue states.

Today, thanks to my Investing in America agenda, businesses around the world are investing in America—which is good news for American workers and American businesses—and we’re positioned to win the economic competition for the 21st century.

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We condemn in the strongest terms the murder of Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the UAE and our prayers are with his family, the Chabad-Lubavitch community, the broader Jewish community, and all who are mourning his loss. This was a horrific crime against all those who stand for peace, tolerance, and coexistence. It was an assault as well on UAE and its rejection of violent extremism across the board. The United States is working in close coordination with Israeli and UAE authorities, and we have offered all appropriate forms of support. We commend the rapid efforts of UAE authorities who now have suspects in custody. Those who carried out this crime, and anyone supporting them, must be held fully accountable.

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In 2015, the world came together to finalize the Paris Agreement, a historic commitment made by nearly every country in the world to address the climate crisis and protect the planet for future generations. On my very first day in office, I took action to return the United States to that agreement, restore America’s global climate leadership, and recommit to international climate ambition. 

Since then, my Administration has leveraged our Nation’s leadership on climate action at home to accelerate global efforts – including at COPs 26, 27, and 28 – to reduce emissions, lower energy costs, create good-paying jobs, protect ecosystems, and strengthen resilience – all of which has also helped grow our economy.

Today at COP29, thanks in part to the tireless efforts of a robust US delegation, the world reached agreement on another historic outcome. In Baku, the United States challenged countries to make an urgent choice: either consign vulnerable communities to ever more catastrophic climate disasters, or step up and place all of us on a safer path toward a better future. 

Together, countries set an ambitious 2035 international climate finance goal. It will help mobilize the level of finance – from all sources – that developingcountries need to accelerate the transition to clean, sustainable economies, while opening up new markets for American-made electric vehicles, batteries, and other products. 

In the years ahead, we are confident that the United States will continue this work: through our states and cities, our businesses, and our citizens, supported by durable legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest investment in climate and clean energy in history. While some may seek to deny or delay the clean energy revolution that’s underway in America and around the world, nobody can reverse it — nobody. 

I congratulate the Parties and the COP29 Presidency on reaching this outcome. While there is still substantial work ahead of us to achieve our climate goals, today’s outcome puts us one significant step closer. On behalf of the American people and future generations, we must continue to accelerate our work to keep a cleaner, safer, healthier planet within our grasp.  

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Ninety-one years ago, Joseph Stalin and the Soviet regime engineered the Holodomor, a forced and deliberate famine that killed millions of Ukrainians. We remember the men, women, and children who perished during the Holodomor. We also honor the survivors of the Holodomor and their descendants who, despite Stalin’s efforts to repress Ukraine’s national identity, have built a free, independent, and democratic Ukraine. 

Today, as we mark the solemn anniversary of the Holodomor, we also renew our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people in their time of need. For nearly three years, Russia has been waging a brutal war against the Ukrainian people in an attempt to wipe Ukraine off the map. In this effort, Russia has failed. Kyiv stands free, thanks in part to the United States and the more than 50 other countries that are committed to providing Ukraine with the assistance it needs to defend itself.

My message to the Ukrainian people on this day is clear: The United States honors your past and stands with you in the present. On this day, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting Ukraine’s ongoing defense of its freedom, its pursuit of justice, and its path to the Euro-Atlantic future it has chosen for itself.  The courage and strength of the Ukrainian people will prevail.   

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South Lawn

7:26 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Good evening, everyone.  Good evening, good evening, good evening.

If you have a seat, please take it.  But don’t jump in the pool.  (Laughter.)

Jill and I are hosting this dinner tonight for a very simple reason: to say thank you — thank you to so many dear friends. 

We began this journey to redeem the soul of the nation and to find the light in the darkness.  Jill and I never could have gotten to where the White House has become without you.  We never could have gotten as much done as we did without you.  And that’s not hyperbole.  I mean it from the bottom of my heart.

Maybe the most important thing you’ve done is lend your name, your reputation, your character to this effort.  It’s more than just saying, “We’re for that administration.”  You put yourself on the line.

And we never forget.  We’re incredibly grateful.  

One thing I’ve always believed about public service and especially the presidency is the importance of asking ourselves, “Have we left the country in better shape than we found it?”  (Applause.) 

And tonight, I can say with all my heart the answer to that question is a resounding yes, because of you.  (Applause.)  Because of you.

Kamala and I promised we’d have an administration that looks like America, that taps into the full talents of our nation.  I look out at so many of you — our Cabinet members, our White House staff — who poured their heart and soul into their work.  And I want to thank their families for the sacrifices they made to allow that to happen.  (Applause.)

I believe we can be proud we’re leaving America in a better place today than when we came into office four years ago. 

This country was living through the worst pandemic we’d seen in over 100 years.  Our economy was in a tailspin.  We had just witnessed something we thought we’d never, ever see in America: a violent insurrection on January the 6th.  And so much more. 

We’ve come a long way since then.  We’ve passed historic legislation, often with some bipartisan support — laws that are literally going to change America not just now but for decades and decades to come.  (Applause.)

I know I’ve only been around a few days, a few years.  (Laughter.)  I can’t believe how long it’s been.  (Laughter.)  But I fully believe America is better positioned to lead the world today than any point in my 50 years of public service.  (Applause.) 

If you’ll hold a second, as I say to my colleagues around the world when we meet, “If not America leading the world, who leads the world?”  I mean that literally.  Think about that question.  Who would lead the world if we did not step up?

That’s because of you — and I mean this ser- — sincerely — because of the incredible work you’ve done.  You should be so proud of the work you’ve done.  You should never forget all you’ve done for your country. 

And I’m so proud we can say we’ve done all this with a deep belief in the core values of America: that all of us — all of us are created equal, that everyone should be given a fair shot, that hate should have no safe harbor in America.  (Applause.)

We’ve stuck to our principles, set a high standard for character and integrity in public life.  

And I must say, I follow that standard because I had no choice.  I’m Jill Biden’s husband.  (Laughter and applause.)  That’s the title I’m most proud of.  Jill is the rock of our family.  She has been one of the — I think, one of the finest first ladies in history, in my view.  (Applause.) 

And those who you know Jill, you know I’m going to catch hell for saying that.  “Joe, don’t do that in public.  Don’t say that.”  (Laughter.) 

Jilly, I love you, kid.  I love you. 

Let me close with this.  It will surprise none of you that I’m going to quote an Irish poet.  (Laughter.)  William Butler Yeats wrote, “Think where man’s glory most begins and ends and say my glory was I had such friends.”  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

As I look out over such friends, serving as president of the United States has been the honor of my life.  (Applause.)  But while our time in office is coming to an end, our cause endures. 

That’s because of the history of the journey of America.  America, the America of our dreams is calling us to stay engaged, to never give up, to keep going, to keep the faith. 

I know I will, and I know you will. 

We just have to remember who in God’s name we are.  We’re the United States of America.  (Applause.)  And there is nothing, nothing beyond our capacity when we do it together.

God bless you all.  And may God protect our troops. 

Please enjoy the dinner.  Thank you, thank you.  (Applause.)

(The dinner continues.)

THE FIRST LADY:  Wow.  (Laughs.)  This is so spectacular.  (Applause.)  That incredible performance, the fountain, these views of the house and the Washington Monument, and all of you.

It’s hard to believe that we’re in the final moments of this extraordinary journel — journey together.  (Applause.)  Some of you have worked with us over the past four years.  Some of you have been in our lives for decades.

THE PRESIDENT:  Forty years!  (Laughter.)

THE FIRST LADY:  You’ve seen us through our proudest, mountaintop moments and helped us achieve them.  (Applause.)  And you’ve been with [by] our side through the hard times and everything in between.

We’ve reached higher, moved further, became stronger because we did it together.  (Applause.)

It is the honor of our lives to serve as your First Family, and we couldn’t have done it without you.  (Applause.)  Time and time again, you’ve opened up your homes to us and carried us forward with your kindness.

Tonight, Joe and I have opened our home to celebrate you, the friends who grew into family.  (Applause.)

May we cherish the journey we’ve been on together and treasure the bonds that we will always share.

Now, this celebration is only possible because of our social secretary, Carlos Elizondo — (applause) — as well as Bryan Rafanelli, who put this magnificent tent event together.  (Applause.)  Thank you, Bryan.  I think you’re over here somewhere.  Thank you to your and you — you and your teams. Thank you for creating magic.  (Applause.)

And — wow — to the President’s Own Marine Band and all of our military band members — (applause) — yes — thank you.  Your music doesn’t just fill a space; you create something new, a place within us and among us where we feel more alive and more complete.

As a military — (laughs) — as a military mom, you make me proud.  Thank you.  (Applause.)  You make your commander in chief proud as well.  (Applause.)  And we deeply appreciate you and your families for your service.

So, finally, I want to talk about the person who brought all of us together: Joe.  (Laughs.)  (Applause.)

Throughout your life in public service, you’ve put people at the center, so it’s never a surprise to see people gather around you.

Four years ago, you set out to restore the soul of the nation.  That was — (applause) — that was never just a sound bite; it was your drumbeat.

Your wisdom and steady hand lifted our country out of a pandemic, set our economy on solid ground, and fortified our hope for what is possible. 

You led with an unshakable belief in the goodness of the American people and guided us on a new and brighter course. 

All the while, you continued to be a brother, an uncle, a friend, a partner, and a father and grandfather whose devotion can be measured by the calls that you fit in between bilateral meetings and security briefings, just when you check — you want to check in with everyone in our family and say, “I love you.”

What I’ve watched you do for more than 40 years is extraordinary.  What you’ve done over the last four years — (applause) — Joe, what you’ve done over the last four years is breathtaking.  (Applause.) 

Here, Joe.  (The first lady hands the president a glass.)

Oh, here.  (Laughs.)  He has a ginger ale.  (Laughs.)

Please join me in raising a glass to your president, my husband and hero, Joe Biden.  (Applause.)

(A toast is given.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Can I say something?

THE FIRST LADY:   Okay.  Wait a minute.  I have something more to say.  (Laughs.)  Wait, drink.

And now please stay and enjoy more of the beautiful music and the stunning views and head out to the dance floor. 

So —

THE PRESIDENT:  I want to say something.

THE FIRST LADY:  — we’re going to have a dance. 

THE PRESIDENT:  I know.  I want to say —

THE FIRST LADY:  Oh, he wants to say something.  Hold on.

PARTICIPANT:  Thank you, Joe!

THE PRESIDENT:  Folks — (applause).  No.  No, really, thank you.

The thing that I want to say to so many of you who I’ve come to know well is you’ve not only helped me politically and help our family, but when things have really gone bad — when we lost our son, when we lost — the accident and all, you were there.  You’re always there, reaching out in ways that I — you’ve made me promise, some of you, that I wouldn’t say what you’ve done.  But just incredible things you’ve done — incredible things you’ve done for the — our family.

And they’re the things that really matter to me more than anything else.  It’s not just you’re supporters and you’ve helped us win, but you’re there when things really went bad.  Like a lot of families, I was lucky.  I had strong family around me. 

I think of all the people who’ve lost family members in accidents and war and the like that they ha- — they have nobody.  They just walk alone.  But you were always there with me.

And I — I know some of you have been through really tough times yourselves, and you know what it means.  You know what it means. 

And I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. 

There’s a — another Irish poet who once said — (laughter) — that history teaches us not to hope on this side of the grave, but then, once in a lifetime, a longed-for tidal wave of justice rises up and hope and history rhyme. 

You’re making hope and history rhyme.  (Applause.)

9:27 P.M. EST

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On November 27, 2018, by Executive Order 13851, the President declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the situation in Nicaragua.  On October 24, 2022, I issued Executive Order 14088 to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13851.

     The situation in Nicaragua, including the violent response by the Government of Nicaragua to the protests that began on April 18, 2018, and the Ortega-Murillo regime’s continued systematic dismantling and undermining of democratic institutions and the rule of law, its use of indiscriminate violence and repressive tactics against civilians, as well as its corruption leading to the destabilization of Nicaragua’s economy, continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  For this reason, the national emergency declared on November 27, 2018, must continue in effect beyond November 27, 2024.  Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13851 with respect to the situation in Nicaragua.

     This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    November 22, 2024.

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Dear Mr. Speaker:   (Dear Madam President:)

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date.  In accordance with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register for publication the enclosed notice stating that the national emergency with respect to the situation in Nicaragua declared in Executive Order 13851 of November 27, 2018, under which additional steps were taken in Executive Order 14088 of October 24, 2022, is to continue in effect beyond November 27, 2024.

The situation in Nicaragua, including the violent response by the Government of Nicaragua to the protests that began on April 18, 2018, and the Ortega-Murillo regime’s continued systematic dismantling and undermining of democratic institutions and the rule of law, its use of indiscriminate violence and repressive tactics against civilians, as well as its corruption leading to the destabilization of Nicaragua’s economy, continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States.  For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13851 with respect to the situation in Nicaragua.

                              Sincerely,

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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