Statements and Releases

The last time I visited Ottawa, I said that the United States chooses to link our future with Canada because we know that we’ll find no better ally, no closer partner, and no steadier friend. The same can be said of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

When I became President, he was the first foreign leader I spoke with. I spoke to him yesterday and expressed my appreciation for his partnership over the years.  Together, we’ve tackled some of the toughest issues our nations faced in decades, from the COVID-19 pandemic, to climate change, to the scourge of fentanyl. We’ve stood together with the people of Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression to defend our nations’ most sacred value: freedom. And we have made generational investments to strengthen our supply chains and rebuild our economies from the bottom up and middle out—establishing North America as the most economically competitive region in the world. 

Over the last decade, Prime Minister Trudeau has led with commitment, optimism, and strategic vision. The U.S.-Canada alliance is stronger because of him. The American and Canadian people are safer because of him. And the world is better off because of him.

I am proud to call him my friend. And I will be forever grateful for his partnership and leadership. 

###

The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada appeared first on The White House.

President Biden has now conserved more lands and waters than any President in history and has created the largest corridor of protected lands in the lower 48 states, the Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor

Surrounded by canyon walls in the Eastern Coachella Valley, today President Biden will sign proclamations creating the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, which together will protect 848,000 acres of lands in California of scientific, cultural, ecological, and historical importance. These two new national monuments add to President Biden and Vice President Harris’s record-setting environmental legacy, including of having conserved more lands and waters, deployed more clean energy, and made more progress in cutting climate pollution and advancing environmental justice than any previous administration.

Since taking office, President Biden has swiftly advanced the most ambitious conservation agenda in U.S. history, setting and pursuing a bold goal to conserve at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 through the America the Beautiful initiative. President Biden became the first sitting U.S. President to visit the Amazon Rainforest, where he signed a proclamation designating International Conservation Day and announced that the U.S. has surpassed his goal of providing $11 billion per year in international climate financing. With today’s designations and yesterday’s actions to protect the East and West coasts and the Northern Bering Sea from offshore oil and natural gas drilling, President Biden has now protected 674 million acres of U.S. lands and waters.

In addition to setting the high-water mark for most lands and waters conserved in a presidential administration, establishing the Chuckwalla National Monument in southern California is President Biden’s capstone action to create the largest corridor of protected lands in the continental United States, covering nearly 18 million acres stretching approximately 600 miles. This new Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor protects wildlife habitat and a wide range of natural and cultural resources along the Colorado River, across the Colorado Plateau, and into the deserts of California. It is a vitally important cultural and spiritual landscape that has been inhabited and traveled by Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples since time immemorial.

The Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor stretches from Bears Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in southwestern Utah, to which President Biden restored protections in 2021; through Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona and Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada, both established by President Biden in 2023; and reaches the deserts and mountains of southern California that are being protected with today’s designation of the Chuckwalla National Monument.  

Both the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, which is located in northern California’s mountainous interior, will protect clean water for communities, honor areas of cultural significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples, and enhance access to nature. Today’s announcements follow years of work by Tribal Nations, Indigenous peoples, community leaders, conservation organizations, renewable energy companies, utilities, local businesses, state and local officials, and members of Congress who have worked to ensure that future generations can experience, learn from, and enjoy these irreplaceable resources.

President Biden’s legacy also includes signing into law the largest climate and clean energy investments ever made by any country, including record support for climate-resilient communities and disaster mitigation. These investments, together with hundreds of executive actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration, have put the U.S. in a strong position to cut climate pollution over 50% by 2030 and over 60% by 2035 compared to 2005 levels. Communities are feeling the benefits of these investments and actions, which have created more than 330,000 new clean energy jobs, saved 3.4 million American families $8.4 billion on home clean energy upgrades, and tackled toxic pollution in communities previously left behind.

Establishing Chuckwalla National Monument

The Chuckwalla National Monument will protect and preserve more than 624,000 acres of lands in southern California that hold extraordinarily diverse ecological, cultural, and historical value. By designating this new national monument, President Biden is enhancing outdoor access for nearby communities, preserving critical habitat for imperiled and rare species, and ensuring the ancestral homelands and sacred cultural legacies of the region’s Tribal Nations endure for generations to come – all while demonstrating that clean energy and conservation can go hand in hand. The monument will be managed by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management.

The new monument will protect the ancestral homelands and cultural landscapes of the Cahuilla, Chemehuevi, Mojave, Quechan, and Serrano Nations, and other Indigenous peoples. The monument boundary includes five distinct areas that together encompass sacred sites, ancient trails, historic properties, cultural areas, religious sites, petroglyphs, geoglyphs, and pictographs, honoring and safeguarding the cultural and spiritual value inherent with these lands. Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples in the region lived, used, and traveled through the areas protected by the monument, including the southern edge of a travel route that stretched north and east through what are now the Avi Kwa Ame and Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monuments.

Located just south of Joshua Tree National Park, the Chuckwalla National Monument will be at the confluence of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, showcasing an awe-inspiring landscape of mountain ranges, meandering canyons and washes, dramatic rock formations, palm oases, and desert-wash woodlands. Its natural wonders include the Painted Canyon of Mecca Hills, where visitors can wind through towering rock walls and marvel at the landscape’s dramatic geologic history, and Alligator Rock, a ridge that has served as a milestone for travelers for millennia. The region is also home to more than 50 rare species of plants and animals, including the desert bighorn sheep, Agassiz’s desert tortoise, and the iconic Chuckwalla lizard, from which the monument gets its name. The new monument will enhance the connectivity of wildlife habitat and safeguard clean water for more than 40 million people by protecting the Colorado River region, while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities for historically underserved communities in the Coachella Valley.

Today’s monument designation is the latest way that the Biden-Harris Administration is showing how conservation and clean energy can go hand in hand. The monument upholds the balance of natural and cultural resource protection and renewable energy development that a wide range of stakeholders forged for the region through the Department of the Interior’s 2016 Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP). The new national monument will allow the construction and expansion of electric transmission and distribution within the monument to transport clean energy to western cities. Additionally, the designation is consistent with the continued development of renewable energy projects sited in the DRECP’s Development Focus Areas, many of which are near or adjacent to the monument.   

Establishing Sáttítla Highlands National Monument

The Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in northern California will encompass over 224,000 acres of exceptionally varied habitat, including parts of the Modoc, Shasta-Trinity, and Klamath National Forests. The Sáttítla Highlands include the ancestral homelands of and are sacred to the Pit River Tribe and Modoc Peoples. Many other Tribes and Indigenous peoples in the region, including the Karuk, Klamath, Shasta, Siletz, Wintu, and Yana, hold deep connections to this area. This designation honors the sacred cultural value of these lands, while protecting the area’s rich ecological, scientific, and historical significance. The monument will be managed by the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service.

At the new monument’s core sits the Medicine Lake Volcano, a massive dormant volcano covering an expanse roughly 10 times that of Mount St. Helens in Washington. The region’s dramatic volcanic history has fostered an equally dramatic landscape, dotted with cinder cones, volcanic craters, spatter cones, and hundreds of cave-like lava tubes – including Giant Crater, the longest known lava tube system in the world, which originates within Sáttítla. These unique geologic features shaped a landscape in contrast between stark unvegetated lava fields interspersed with islands of relict forest communities, and lush, verdant forests that offer exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities. The volcanic geology and other features – in particular the obsidian deposits that were shaped into blades and other tools – are central to the spiritual beliefs and cultural practices of its Indigenous peoples. 

This otherworldly and spectacular landscape is home to many rare, vulnerable, and culturally important flora and fauna, such as the northern spotted owl, the Cascades frog, the long-toed salamander, and the sugarstick, a parasitic plant associated with the roots of old-growth conifers. Much of the rain that falls on the area filters through the porous volcanic rock recharging underground aquifers that are essential for protecting and storing clean water for Northern California communities. The protection of the Sáttítla Highlands conserves a diverse array of natural and scientific resources, ensuring that the cultural, historical, and scientific values of this area, shaped by its volcano, endure for the benefit of all Americans.

Both national monuments only reserve federal lands, not State or private lands. The proclamations establishing the monuments will not affect valid existing rights and will allow a range of other activities, including hazardous fuels reduction in the forests of the Sáttítla Highlands and military training in both national monuments.

Biden-Harris Administration Conservation Accomplishments

Today’s announcements are a capstone to four years of historic conservation progress. Highlights from the Biden-Harris Administration’s conservation accomplishments include:

• Launching the America the Beautiful initiative, a call-to-action to conserve, restore, protect, and connect at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030 for the benefit of all people through locally led, community-designed, and partnership-driven conservation and restoration work. In addition to driving the historic conservation of 674 million acres of lands and waters, the America the Beautiful initiative has fostered a vast, long-lasting network of partners working toward this national goal. Today, the Administration issued the fourth America the Beautiful annual report, detailing the conservation accomplishments across federal agencies in 2024. To support projects that conserve, restore, protect, and connect wildlife habitats and ecosystems while improving community resilience and access to nature, the Administration also launched the America the Beautiful Challenge, a public-private grant program that has awarded more than $352 million in grants to date. Additionally, the Administration launched Conservation.gov, which is home to the American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas, an innovative tool that offers users the ability to access a wide range of scientific information on biodiversity, climate change impacts, and equity.
• Launching the America the Beautiful Freshwater Challenge, which established national goals to protect, restore, and reconnect 8 million acres of wetlands and 100,000 miles of rivers and streams by 2030. More than 235 States, Tribes, interstate organizations, cities, small businesses, private sector partners, nonprofits, and local communities have signed on to the Challenge by committing to advance their own policies and strategies for conserving and restoring America’s freshwater systems.

• Securing historic protections in Alaska, including 13.3 million acres in the western Arctic and 28 million acres across the state, which are vital to the subsistence economy of Alaska Native people and rural communities and contain important fish and wildlife habitat. These protections followed President Biden’s action to withdraw approximately 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea, ensuring the entire U.S. Arctic Ocean is off limits to new oil and gas leasing, as well as restoring protections for the Tongass National Forest to safeguard nearly 10 million acres of roadless areas in southeastern Alaska. Further,  the Biden-Harris Administration rejected the proposed Ambler Road project, which would have traversed 211 miles of significant wildlife habitat and pristine waters that are vital for the subsistence activities of Tribal communities along the iconic Brooks Range in north central Alaska.
• Protecting 15 national monuments, including the establishment of ten new national monuments, the expansion of two existing national monuments, and the restoration of three more. President Biden’s protection of national monuments through his authorities under the Antiquities Act have safeguarded a total of nearly 9 million acres of federal lands and waters. These new national monuments conserve the special, unique lands, histories, and sacred sites that represent our nation. Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument in Arizona and Avi Kwa Ame National Monument in Nevada honor the sacred, culturally important lands for Indigenous communities who have stewarded the landscape for millennia. Camp Hale – Continental Divide National Monument in Colorado and the Castner Range National Monument in Texas expand contiguous wildlife habitat, increase outdoor access, and honor our nation’s veterans. The Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Illinois and Mississippi, the Springfield 1908 Race Riot National Monument in Illinois, the Frances Perkins National Monument in Maine, and the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National Monument in Pennsylvania help ensure our national park sites tell a more complete story of our nation. Expanding the San Gabriel Mountains and Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monuments in California adds unparalleled value to these already beloved places and enhances outdoor access to nearby underserved and disadvantaged communities. In 2021, President Biden also restored the Bears Ears National Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.
• Establishing three National Marine Sanctuaries and a new national estuarine research reserve. This includes the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the central California coast, which holds deep cultural and historical significance to the region’s Indigenous Peoples and will be managed with the active involvement of Tribes and Indigenous communities, inclusive of Indigenous Knowledge, values, and traditions. The Lake Ontario and Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuaries celebrate our nation’s maritime heritage, and the Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve protects part of Long Island Sound and the Thames and Connecticut Rivers.  

• Protecting American’s ocean and coasts from offshore oil and natural gas drilling, including more than 625 million acres across the entire U.S. Atlantic coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico off Florida’s coast; the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California; additional portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska; and the entire U.S. Arctic Ocean. 

• Advancing Tribal co-stewardship of federal lands through a joint secretarial order between the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce, resulting in a historic 400 co-stewardship and co-management agreements between Tribal Nations and federal land management agencies. These agreements strengthen the role of Tribal communities on their ancestral homelands, allowing for improved stewardship of public lands, waters, and wildlife. The Biden-Harris Administration also released a first-of-its kind guidance to federal agencies on the inclusion and recognition of Indigenous Knowledge in federal research, policy, and decision-making.
  
  
• Protecting the health and resilience of forests by issuing an Executive Order on Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities, and Local Economies and completing the first-ever inventory of mature and old-growth forests, which will help foster forest conservation and enhance forest resilience to climate change.

• Restoring wild salmon, steelhead, and other native fish in the Columbia River Basin in partnership with Pacific Northwest Tribes and States. Implemented through a historic agreement, this work will also facilitate the development of Tribally sponsored clean energy production and provide stability for communities that depend on the Columbia River System. The Administration committed more than $1 billion to the effort, which will, among other things, be used to restore freshwater habitat. The Administration also restored salmon to the Klamath River Basin for the first time in over 100 years.

• Protecting the nation’s special places from damage from oil and gas drilling and hard rock mining, including Bristol Bay in Alaska; the Boundary Waters in Minnesota; Chaco Canyon and Placitas Area in New Mexico; the Pactola Reservoir in the Black Hills of South Dakota; and the Thompson Divide in Colorado. The Administration also initiated public processes to protect the Pecos Watershed in New Mexico and the Ruby Mountains in Nevada. By protecting these lands from the risks posed by drilling and mining, the Biden-Harris Administration is keeping these iconic landscapes intact for future generations to explore, learn from, and cherish.

• Creating six new national wildlife refuges, including the Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area in southwest Florida, the Wyoming Toad Conservation Area in Wyoming, the Paint Rock River National Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee, the Lost Trail Conservation Area in Montana, and the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland. The Administration has also announced the expansion of several existing national wildlife refuges, which will allow for the voluntary conservation of up to 1.13 million acres of important wildlife habitat.   

• Advancing nature-based solutions to combat climate change, including byreleasing the Nature-Based Solutions Roadmap and accompanying Resource Guide. The Administration also began the first-ever National Nature Assessment and Natural Capital Accounting and invested over $1 billion in Urban and Community Forestry Program grants to plant and maintain trees, combat extreme heat and climate change, and improve access to nature in cities, towns, and suburbs where people live, work, and play. These efforts will allow us to better understand and recognize the full value of nature, allowing for more effective conservation efforts.

• Issuing a new Public Lands Rule to guide the balanced management of America’s public lands. In developing these critical reforms, the Department of the Interior recognized conservation as an essential component of its management of our country’s public lands, which will result in increased protection of clean water and wildlife habitat; the restoration of degraded lands and waters; and a more informed decision-making process, based on science, data, and Indigenous Knowledge. In parallel, the Biden-Harris Administration approved 45 renewable energy projects on public lands, exceeded the goal to permit 25 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2025, and issued a final Renewable Energy Rule that will incentivize developers to continue responsibly developing solar and wind projects on public lands – efforts that all simultaneously advance conservation and clean energy goals. 

• Launching the American Climate Corps, a groundbreaking workforce training and service initiative that has put thousands of young people to work in good-paying jobs in clean energy, conservation, and resilience. Across the country, American Climate Corps members are working on projects to tackle the climate crisis, including restoring coastal ecosystems, strengthening urban and rural agriculture, investing in clean energy and energy efficiency, improving disaster and wildfire preparedness, and more. The American Climate Corps is giving a diverse new generation of young people the tools to fight the impacts of climate change today and the skills to join the clean energy and climate-resilience workforce of tomorrow.

• Financing the largest debt-for-nature deal in U.S. history through a transaction supported by the U.S. International Development Financing Corporation (DFC) that will generate $460 million to conserve terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems in the Ecuadorian Amazon, while resulting in more than $800 million in debt relief for Ecuador. This is the fifth major debt-for-nature swap – an arrangement that allows sovereigns to repurchase debt at a discount in exchange for policy and investment commitments to conservation – executed during the Biden-Harris Administration. These transactions have been catalyzed by more than $3.5 billion in political risk insurance and have supported debt sustainability and nature in Belize, Ecuador (Amazon and Galápagos), Gabon, and El Salvador. President Biden helped pioneer the concept for these transactions during his time in the Senate – and since then, they have protected nearly 70 million acres of forests and sacred marine ecosystems worldwide, such as the Galápagos Marine Reserve and the Belize Barrier Reef.

###

The post FACT SHEET: President Biden Establishes Chuckwalla and Sáttítla Highlands National Monuments in California appeared first on The White House.

Today’s final rule will remove $49 billion in unpaid medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million Americans. In addition, the Vice President is announcing that States and Localities have already Eliminated Over $1 Billion in Medical Debt Thanks to Biden-Harris Administration Support 

Today, Vice President Harris announced a final rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to remove medical debt from consumer credit reports. This rule will reduce the burden of medical debt and ensure that patients are not denied access to credit for home mortgages, car loans, or small business loans due to unpaid medical bills.
 
Further, Vice President Harris announced that states and localities have leveraged American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to support the elimination of over $1 billion in medical debt for more than 700,000 Americans. These actions build on the Vice President’s call to action for states to reduce the burden of medical debt, including by directly purchasing the debt from providers and third parties. Overall, jurisdictions are on track to eliminate roughly $15 billion in medical debt for up to nearly 6 million Americans.
 
“No one should be denied economic opportunity because they got sick or experienced a medical emergency. That is why President Biden and I cancelled over $1 billion in medical debt – part of our overall plan to forgive $7 billion by 2026 – with support from our American Rescue Plan, legislation that I advanced with my tie-breaking vote in the Senate. We also reduced the burden of medical debt by increasing pathways to forgiveness and cracking down on predatory debt collection tactics,” said Vice President Harris. “Today, we are building on this meaningful work by announcing an unprecedented final rule that will make it so medical debt is no longer included in your credit score. This will be lifechanging for millions of families, making it easier for them to be approved for a car loan, a home loan, or a small-business loan. As someone who has spent my entire career fighting to protect consumers and lower medical bills, I know that our historic rule will help more Americans save money, build wealth, and thrive.”
 
More than 100 million Americans struggle with medical debt. Medical debt is the largest source of debt in collections, making up a larger proportion of debt tradelines than credit cards, utilities, and auto loans. However, medical debt is not like other forms of debt because it is often the result of unavoidable medical complications and medical bills often contain significant errors, such as inflated or duplicative charges and fees for services never received or already paid. Reducing the burden of medical debt has been a key priority in President Biden and Vice President Harris’s effort to lower cost for American families.
 
Removing Medical Debt from Consumer Credit Reports
 
The CFPB is finalizing a rule that will remove medical debt from the credit reports of more than 15 million Americans, raising their credit scores by an estimated average of 20 points and leading to the approval of approximately 22,000 additional mortgages every year. Under the CFPB rule, there will be zero Americans with medical debt listed on their credit reports, down from 46 million in 2020. CFPB’s research indicates that medical bills are poor predictors of an individual’s ability to repay a loan and that medical bills are often confusing and erroneous. In March 2022, the CFPB released a report estimating that medical bills made up $88 billion of reported debts on credit reports. After the March 2022 report, the three largest credit reporting agencies announced that they would no longer include paid medical debts, unpaid medical debts less than a year old, and medical debt under $500 from credit reporting. Despite these voluntary changes, 15 million Americans still have $49 billion in outstanding medical bills in collections appearing in the credit reporting system. Today’s action will remove these outstanding $49 billion in unpaid medical bills from the credit reports of the remaining 15 million impacted Americans.
 
Vice President Harris’s Call to Action, Leveraging Federal Funds to Eliminate Medical Debt
 
In June 2024, Vice President Harris called on states, local governments, and health care providers to take action to reduce the burden of medical debt. States and localities have responded to this call by directly relieving debt and launching innovative programs to improve their health systems. Thanks to the President Biden and Vice President Harris’s American Rescue Plan, states, counties, and cities have already eliminated more than an estimated $1 billion in medical debt for over 750,000 Americans, including:

• Cook County, Illinois has eliminated over $382 million in medical debt for over 210,000 residents.
• New Jersey has eliminated $220 million in medical debt for over 120,00 residents.
• Cleveland, Ohio has eliminated nearly $137 million in medical debt for over 130,000 residents.
• Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio partnered to eliminate over $87 million in medical debt for over 140,000 residents.
• New Orleans, Louisiana has eliminated nearly $70 million in medical debt for 75,000 residents.
• St. Paul, Minnesota has eliminated $40 million in medical debt for over 30,000 residents.
• Washington, DC has eliminated $42 million in medical debt for over 60,000 residents.
• Connecticut has eliminated $30 million in medical debt for 23,000 residents.
• Wayne County, Michigan has eliminated $27 million in medical debt for more than 46,000 residents.
• Oakland County, Michigan has eliminated $9 million in medical debt for more than 14,000 residents.

These and other jurisdictions are on track to eliminate an estimated up to $7 billion in medical debt for nearly 3 million Americans by the end of 2026 thanks to ARP-supported efforts.

In addition to directly relieving debt, states and localities have responded to Vice President Harris’s call by launching innovative programs to improve their health systems. For instance, North Carolina recently announced that all of the state’s 99 eligible hospitals have committed to participate in medical debt relief program that will eliminate up to $4 billion in existing medical debt for nearly 2 million low-and middle-income North Carolinians.  The program also ensures that hospitals have policies in place to reduce the chance individuals will end up in debt in the first place. North Carolina’s program utilizes a novel approach, where hospital systems become eligible for enhanced Medicaid reimbursements under the State Directed Payments Healthcare Access and Stabilization Program by implementing policies that:

• Relieve all medical debt deemed uncollectible dating back to Jan. 1, 2014, for any individuals not enrolled in Medicaid with incomes at or below at least 350% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or for whom total debt exceeds 5% of annual income.  
• Relieve all unpaid medical debt dating back to Jan. 1, 2014, for individuals who are enrolled in Medicaid.  
• Sets a charity care floor in the state that provides discounts on medical bills of between 50-100% for patients with incomes at or below 300% FPL, with the amount of the discount varying based on the patient’s income.
• Automatically enroll people into financial assistance, known as charity care, by implementing a policy for presumptively determining individuals eligible for financial assistance through a streamlined screening and income validation approach. 
• Not sell any medical debt for consumers with incomes at or below 300% FPL to debt collectors. 
• Not report a patient’s debt covered by these policies to a credit reporting agency.

Preventing the Accumulation of Medical Debt Through Increased Oversight

Today’s announcements build on efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration to reduce the burden of medical debt, including:

• The Internal Revenue Service announced new steps to ensure that non-profit hospitals provide free and reduced-price care for patients that need it, as is required by law. This includes issuing new guidance in the coming months to clarify the obligations of tax-exempt hospitals  to offer and publicize financial assistance policies and committing to prioritizing enforcement actions against tax-exempt hospitals that violate these responsibilities.
• The CFPB issued an Advisory Opinion and Consumer Advisory clarifying the responsibilities of debt collectors to confirm that debts are accurate, valid, and substantiated before engaging in collection actions and explaining to consumers what actions they can take when they suspect that they have been improperly billed or if they have had improper or illegal collection actions taken against them.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented a streamlined process to make it easier and faster for lower-income veterans to get their VA medical debt forgiven, already providing relief to over 10,000 veterans and saved them more than $10 million in copay debt.
• The Department of Defense has proposed a rule aimed at providing financial relief for civilians receiving medical care at military medical treatment facilities (MTFs).  If finalized as proposed, this rule would implement fee reductions through a sliding scale discount program as well as catastrophic cap waivers.  Through these measures, the DoD aims to significantly reduce the financial burden on patients while maintaining high-quality care.
• The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) validated and approved the use of VantageScore 4.0, along with FICO 10T, for the underwriting of mortgages by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, marking the first time that a credit score that excludes medical debt has been approved for mortgage underwriting of Enterprise loans.
• The Small Business Administration (SBA) is taking steps to reduce the role of medical debt in the underwriting of loans for its flagship 7(a) guaranteed loan program, including revising its lender Standard Operating Procedures and Lender Match tool to discourage consideration of medical debt.
• The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued memorandum M-22-17 to direct agencies to reduce the impact of medical debt in the underwriting of Federal credit programs, helping to spur the actions by VA, FHFA, and SBA listed above.
• The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of the Treasury issued a joint request for information seeking comment on the prevalence, nature, and impact of medical payment products.
• CMS and CFPB issued guidance clarifying protections against inappropriate patient billing and costs for the approximately 8 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program. 
• The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury have prioritized implementing surprise billing protections, preventing 1 million surprise medical bills every single month.
• As a part of the Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden capped the cost of insulin at $35 for a month’s supply of each covered insulin and capped out-of-pocket prescription drug costs at $2,000 in 2025 for seniors and others with Medicare. Thanks to the $3500 cap, nearly 1.5 million Medicare enrollees saved nearly $1 billion on prescription drugs in just the first half of 2024. Since taking these actions, President Biden has called on Congress to expand the cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs to cover all Americans.
• President Biden has called on states to close the Medicaid coverage gap and create new pathways to health coverage by expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
• Secretary Becerra directed HHS to evaluate how providers’ billing practices impact access and affordability of care and the accrual of medical debt. HHS, CFPB, and the Treasury Department requested information and data on medical bill collection practices, lawsuits against patients, financial assistance, financial product offerings, and 3rd party contracting or debt buying practices. HHS, for the first time, considered weighing this information in their funding decisions.
• The CFPB and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a joint letter affirming that nursing homes that participate in Medicare and Medicaid are prohibited from forcing a resident’s family or friends to assume responsibility for the cost of care as a condition of admission or continued stay in the facility.
• HHS is collecting evidence and data to inform future actions by adding new questions on medical debt to Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, two of the most important sources of data on health care in the United States.
• HHS released a set of frequently asked questions clarifying that hospitals have the ability to provide relief to uninsured and underinsured patients who cannot afford their hospital bills and to Medicare beneficiaries who cannot afford their Medicare cost.
• The Biden-Harris Administration issued a final rule that protects consumers from junk health insurance and makes sure Americans aren’t scammed into low-quality coverage that leaves consumers on the hook for thousands of dollars in medical bills.
• CMS is soliciting comment on how hospital-based personnel who help consumers enroll in Marketplace coverage could connect consumers to hospital financial assistance programs designed to reduce medical debt.
• The White House convened state and local leaders to discuss initiatives to further lower health care costs and reduce the burden of medical debt, including addressing medical payment products, unfair debt collection practices, surprise billing and facility fees, and charity care.

# # #

The post FACT SHEET: Vice President Harris Announces Final Rule Removing Medical Debt from All Credit Reports appeared first on The White House.

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. welcomed President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia of Venezuela to the White House to discuss shared efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela.  President Biden emphasized that the world was inspired by the millions of Venezuelans who courageously voted for democratic change in Venezuela’s deeply flawed July 28 presidential election, as demonstrated through the collection of voting tally sheets that indicated that Gonzalez Urrutia received the most votes by an insurmountable margin.  Both leaders agreed there is nothing more essential to the success of democracy than respecting the will of the people, as expressed through a transparent and accountable electoral process, and that Gonzalez Urrutia’s campaign victory should be honored through a peaceful transfer back to democratic rule.  Both leaders also expressed deep concern regarding Nicolas Maduro and his representatives’ unacceptable and indiscriminate use of repression against peaceful protestors, democracy activists, and civil society.  President Biden noted he would be following the planned January 9 protests in Venezuela closely and emphasized Venezuelans should be allowed to express their political opinions peacefully without fear of reprisal from the military and police.  President Biden reiterated his support for Venezuela’s democratic aspirations and underscored the U.S. commitment to continue to hold Maduro and his representatives accountable for their anti-democratic and repressive actions, including by working closely with democratic allies in the hemisphere and around the world.

###

The post Readout of President Biden’s Meeting with President-Elect Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia of Venezuela appeared first on The White House.

Since the horrific attack conducted by a homegrown violent extremist inspired by ISIS took place in New Orleans on January 1, President Biden has directed his team to provide every possible resource to support the state and local response, as well as the victims and their families. The President and members of the Administration have been in contact with the Governor of Louisiana, the Mayor of New Orleans, and other state and local officials to ensure they have the resources and support they need in the wake of this attack.

Today, the President is committing additional federal resources to help the city of New Orleans prepare for upcoming major events including Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl.

• The Mardi Gras parades and certain related events occurring in New Orleans from February 21 to March 4 have been upgraded to a Special Event Assessment Rating of 1 (SEAR 1). Super Bowl LIX is also a SEAR 1 event. The Biden-Harris Administration has determined that these significant events require extensive federal interagency support, and will use every tool available to fill local capability shortfalls to assure safe and secure events.
• The federal government provides a federal coordination team and specialized assistance for all SEAR 1 events. Federal assistance could include explosive detection canine teams, cyber risk assessments, venue screening and field intelligence teams, and air security and tactical operations support in addition to the support already provided by state and local governments. More information on SEAR events is available here.

Since January 1, under the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership, the federal government has driven actions to investigate the attack and provide resources to the victims, their families, and the New Orleans community.

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense are coordinating on all aspects of the investigation.
• The FBI is operating a command post in its New Orleans office that includes federal personnel as well as state and local authorities.
• The FBI has deployed additional special agents, analysts, and bomb technicians to assist in the investigation and liaise with local authorities. 
• The FBI’s Victim Services Division has engaged the FBI Language Services Section (LSS) to provide interpretation services in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Vietnamese, as needed.
• On January 3, theU.S. Small Business Administration announced that small businesses and private nonprofit organizations in Louisiana may now apply for federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by this attack.
• On January 5, the FBI opened a Family Assistance Center at St. Martin De Porres Catholic Church in New Orleans where Victims Services Officers are providing assistance to survivors, the family members of those deceased, and other members of the community impacted by the tragedy. This assistance includes lodging assistance, creditor/financial assistance, crisis intervention, and the provision of on-site mental health services, and other programs to support healing and recovery.

###

The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Additional Actions in Response to the Horrific Attack in New Orleans appeared first on The White House.

Today, U.S. National Security Advisor (APNSA) Jake Sullivan met with Indian National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi as the United States and India continue to forge a strategic technology partnership that benefits both of our countries and our partners around the world.  APNSA Sullivan and NSA Doval launched the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in 2022 at the direction of President Biden and Prime Minister Modi.  In the intervening years, our two nations have taken significant steps forward together to integrate our technology and defense supply chains in recognition that, now more than ever, we need to work with our partners to build a trusted and resilient innovation base.

During their capstone meeting, APNSA Sullivan and NSA Doval underscored the vital importance of our efforts to jointly produce and develop strategic technologies that will allow us to deliver secure, reliable, and cost-competitive technology solutions for the world. As the United States and India deepen collaboration across key sectors – from space to semiconductors, biotechnology, cybersecurity, advanced telecommunications, and clean energy – we have seen the promise of our partnership deliver results.  Our partnership has also anchored multilateral work with like-minded nations from across the Indo-Pacific and Europe, including the Bio-5 Biopharmaceutical Supply Chain Consortium, the U.S.-India-ROK Technology Trilateral, and ongoing cooperation with Australia and Japan through the Quad.

Finally, APNSA Sullivan and NSA Doval reaffirmed our shared resolve to adapt and strengthen our technology protection toolkits and discussed efforts to address national security concerns associated with overcapacity in key technology sectors.  At the same time, they commended the progress we have made to address long-standing barriers to bilateral strategic trade, technology, and industrial cooperation.

The two national security leaders expressed their confidence that the bridges we have built across our governments, industry, and academia will endure and reflected on the significant achievements we have driven across every dimension of the technological enterprise – from the seabed to the stars, and beyond.  This includes:

Launching a New Era in Space Technology Cooperation

• Announcing the first-ever joint effort between American and Indian astronauts at the International Space Station with the launch of Axiom-4 scheduled to take place this spring, which will mark a significant milestone in the U.S.-India human spaceflight partnership and space exploration; 
• Reducing barriers to collaboration around commercial space technology following the U.S. government’s recent conclusion of updates to Missile Technology Control Regime export policy, which will open the door to additional technology licensing and co-development opportunities in support of the U.S.-India space partnership;
• Working toward the launch of a new bilateral space accelerator to promote commercial space cooperation, including around lunar exploration, human spaceflight, geospatial data and services, and the co-development of technology;
• Celebrating the conclusion of a Strategic Framework for Human Spaceflight Cooperation to deepen interoperability in space and working toward the imminent completion of additional agreements to commence advanced training for ISRO astronauts and ground personnel at the NASA Johnson Space Center and for joint experiments at the International Space Station;
• Preparing for the launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, a jointly developed satellite that will map the entirety of the Earth’s surface twice every 12 days as the United States and India work together to combat climate change and other global challenges, this spring;
• Deciding to hold the first bilateral experts’ exchange on space situational awareness and space traffic coordination in the first half of this year.  This exchange builds upon the two nations’ shared commitment to pursue opportunities for deeper collaboration to ensure safe and sustainable space operations;
• Exploring additional avenues for cooperation in space exploration technologies, including docking and interoperability demonstration missions, as well as India’s participation in the United States Traffic Coordination System for Space program. 
  

Deepening Defense Innovation and Industrial Cooperation

• Welcoming the advancement of discussions between Ultra Maritime and Bharat Dynamics Limited to enhance undersea domain awareness through a first-of-its-kind partnership on co-production of U.S. sonobuoys in support of the U.S. and Indian defense industrial bases;
• Welcoming India’s acquisition of the MQ-9B platforms, the possible co-production of land warfare systems, and progress on other co-production initiatives outlined in the U.S.-India Roadmap for Defense Industrial Cooperation;
• Celebrating the third edition of the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit which took place at Stanford University in September 2024, and highlighting the continued progress under INDUS-X, including the Gurukul Educational Sessions and the launch of a third joint challenge on space situational awareness in low earth orbit;
• Welcoming the completion of an upgraded Memorandum of Understanding between the Defense Innovation Unit and the Defense Innovation Organization to expand cooperation on defense innovation and deepen collaboration between the U.S. and Indian startup ecosystems;
• Deepening cooperation between the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit and India’s Innovations for Defense Excellence to accelerate the joint adoption of cutting-edge commercial technologies for military solutions and capability enhancement of both countries’ defense ecosystems;
• Noting continued progress in the discussions between GE Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the co-production of GE F414-INS6 engines to power India’s future fighter fleet;
• Expanding defense industrial partnerships, such as the launch of an AI Multi-Doman Situational Awareness product jointly developed by General Atomics and 114ai to support joint all domain command and control.
  

Building a Clean Energy and a Critical Minerals Partnership for the 21st Century

• Advancing discussions to unlock new commercial partnerships around the deployment of small modular reactor technology in India;
• Reflecting the progress the United States and India have made—and will continue to make—as strategic partners and countries with a shared commitment to peaceful nuclear cooperation, NSA Sullivan announced US efforts to finalize necessary steps to delist Indian nuclear entities, which will promote civil nuclear cooperation and resilient clean energy supply chains;
• Commending the signing of a bilateral Critical Minerals Memorandum of Understanding between the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Mines, and driving additional areas of cooperation in critical mineral supply chains such as for graphite, gallium, and germanium;
• Advancing collaboration between U.S. and Indian organizations and companies for carrying out research studies for beneficiation and co-development of processing technologies for critical minerals, including lithium, titanium, gallium, and vanadium;
• Building a collaborative program between the Geological Survey of India and the U.S. Geological Survey on exploration, characterization and evaluation of rare earth elements and critical mineral deposits.
  

Promoting Strategic Semiconductor Supply Chain Partnerships

• Advancing a strategic semiconductor partnership between the U.S. Space Force and 3rdiTech to establish a compound semiconductor fabrication plant in India to manufacture infrared, gallium nitride, and silicon carbide semiconductors that will be used in national security-relevant platforms; this includes favorably reviewing a technical assistance agreement and export licenses to promote technology transfers;
• Building on the U.S.-India Semiconductor Supply Chain and Innovation Partnership MOU and promoting secure, resilient, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains through continued collaboration between the U.S. Department of Commerce and the India Semiconductor Mission, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology including facilitating investments in semiconductor manufacturing and strengthening R&D collaboration around state-of-the-art semiconductor and packaging technologies.
  

Building New Collaboration around AI, Advanced Computing, and Quantum

• Developing a government-to-government framework for promoting reciprocal investments in AI technology and aligning protections around the diffusion of AI technology;
• Strengthening cooperation around the national security applications of AI, following the U.S. government’s recent issuance of a National Security Memorandum on AI last fall, and promoting safe, secure, and trustworthy development of AI;
• Noting the importance of sustained engagement for cooperation on Quantum Information Science and Technology (QIST) as agreed to in the second meeting of the U.S.-India Quantum Coordination Mechanism held last August, during which both countries committed to achieving concrete outcomes;
• Initiating new cooperation in quantum science and technology, including through a workshop on post-quantum cryptography and quantum hardware held at the University of California, Los Angeles in September 2023 and facilitating visits of Indian technical experts from academia and the private sector to visit U.S. national laboratories and quantum institutions.
  

Bridging our People, Talent, and Innovation Bases

• Celebrating progress toward opening U.S. Consulate Bengaluru in early 2025 and continuing work to establish new Indian Consulates in Boston and Los Angeles;
• Advancing a “Bio-X” initiative that would promote biotechnology cooperation by leveraging the synergies between domestic programs and enhancing the competitiveness of the biotechnology industries in both countries;
• Celebrating steps that expand of the ability of top AI scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs from India to come to the United States, including rulemaking that modernized the U.S. H-1B application process, recent clarifications of the rules for O-1 visas and other visa categories, and other efforts that have streamlined visa processing;
• Noting the recently launched U.S.-India Advanced Materials R&D Forum, which convened its inaugural meeting in November 2024, to expand collaboration between U.S. and Indian universities, national laboratories, and private sector researchers.
  

###

The post FACT SHEET: The United States and India Committed to Strengthening Strategic Technology Partnership appeared first on The White House.

National Security Advisor of India Shri Ajit Doval met with U.S. National Security Advisor Mr. Jake Sullivan in New Delhi on 6 January, 2025.  NSA Sullivan was accompanied by a delegation of senior U.S. government officials. 

The two NSAs have engaged regularly in a high-level dialogue through extensive discussions on a broad bilateral, regional and global agenda.  Following the launch of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) by Prime Minister Modi and President Joseph Biden on the side lines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo on 24 May 2022, the two NSAs have driven concrete initiatives between the two countries across a range of areas including Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing, Semiconductors, Telecommunications, Defence and Space. 

The current visit gave them the opportunity to review ongoing progress in their high-level dialogue, including in diverse fields such as Defence, Cyber and Maritime Security.  

US NSA Jake Sullivan briefed the Indian side on the updates brought out by the Biden administration to U.S. missile export control policies under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) that will boost US commercial space cooperation with India. Reflecting the progress the United States and India have made—and will continue to make—as strategic partners and countries with a shared commitment to peaceful nuclear cooperation, NSA Sullivan announced US efforts to finalize necessary steps to delist Indian nuclear entities, which will promote civil nuclear cooperation and resilient clean energy supply chains.

###

The post Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval of India appeared first on The White House.

President Biden has now conserved over 670 million acres of America’s lands and waters, more than any other president in history

Today President Biden will take action to protect the entire U.S. East coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific off the coasts of Washington, Oregon, and California, and additional portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska from future oil and natural gas leasing. In protecting more than 625 million acres of the U.S. ocean from offshore drilling, President Biden has determined that the environmental and economic risks and harms that would result from drilling in these areas outweigh their limited fossil fuel resource potential. With these withdrawals, President Biden is protecting coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and local economies – including fishing, recreation, and tourism – from oil spills and other impacts of offshore drilling.

Nearly forty percent of Americans live in coastal counties that rely on a healthy ocean to thrive. With today’s action, President Biden is ensuring that these regions can remain healthy and safe from the risk of oil spills resulting from development that would do little, if anything, to meet the nation’s energy needs.

Nearly 400 municipalities and over 2,300 elected local, state, Tribal, and federal officials across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts have formally opposed the expansion of offshore drilling in these areas in view of its severe environmental, health, and economic threats. Nearly every Governor along the East and West Coasts – Republicans and Democrats alike – has expressed concerns about expanded oil and gas drilling off their coastlines. In Alaska, the new Northern Bering Sea protections are consistent with a long-standing request from more than 70 coastal Tribes based on the need to help sustain a vital and threatened ocean area, and the natural resources it contains that Indigenous communities have stewarded and relied on for subsistence since time immemorial.

Following this action, President Biden will have conserved more lands and waters than any other U.S. president in history.

Protecting the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Eastern Gulf of Mexico and Northern Bering Sea from Offshore Drilling

Using his authority under Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, President Biden is issuing two Presidential Memoranda to protect all U.S. Outer Continental Shelf areas off the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and additional portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska from future oil and natural gas leasing. The withdrawals have no expiration date, and prohibit all future oil and natural gas leasing in the areas withdrawn. President Biden first used this authority in January of 2021 when he restored protections for part of the Northern Bering Sea, and again in March 2023 to withdraw 2.8 million acres of the Beaufort Sea from future oil and gas leasing, which completed protections for the entire U.S. Arctic Ocean.

Today’s action will safeguard three distinct ocean and coastal regions:

• The entire eastern U.S. Atlantic coast and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. President Biden is protecting approximately 334 million acres of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) from Canada to the southern tip of Florida, and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. There are currently no active oil and natural gas leases in Federal waters off the eastern Atlantic coast. The southern section of this withdrawal matches a previous Congressional withdrawal enacted by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, and a subsequent time-limited 12(a) withdrawal issued by the previous administration that would have expired in 2032 without today’s protections. Today’s withdrawal builds on those prior withdrawals and helps safeguard the multi-billion-dollar fishing and tourism economies in these states.  
  
  
• The Pacific Coast along California, Oregon, and Washington. This withdrawal protects nearly 250 million acres of Federal waters off the West Coast of the mainland U.S. that are prime habitat for seals, sea lions, whales, fish, and countless seabirds. The State of California has had a moratorium on issuing new leases in its state waters since 1969, and the last Federal lease sale in the area being withdrawn was offshore of Southern California in 1984. The Governors of these states have called for full protection of their coasts for decades.

• The remaining portion of the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area in Alaska. This withdrawal will protect 44 million acres of the Northern Bering Sea in far northwest Alaska that is home to fish, sea birds, and other wildlife and where there are no existing oil and gas leases. The Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area was established in 2016 and includes one of the largest marine mammal migrations in the world – beluga and bowhead whales, walruses, and seals travel the funnel of the Bering Strait each year to feed and breed in the Arctic. This is an area where oil and gas development would pose severe dangers to coastal communities, and where the health of these waters is critically important to food security and to the culture of more than 70 coastal Tribes, including the Yup’ik, Cup’ik, and Inupiaq people who have relied on these resources for millennia. The Alaskan Congressional delegation has opposed previous proposals to allow oil and gas leasing and drilling in the area.

Building on a Historic Ocean Conservation and Climate Legacy

Today’s actions build upon the Biden-Harris Administration’s ambitious climate agenda and unprecedented commitment to protect America’s natural wonders now and for future generations. The withdrawals advance two important Biden-Harris Administration priorities: honoring and protecting areas of significance to Tribal Nations and Indigenous peoples as well as States and other stakeholders; and helping to ensure our oceans and coasts are resilient to the threats of climate change and nature loss. 

The Biden-Harris Administration’s climate and conservation record includes creating three new national marine sanctuaries and a new national estuarine research reserve, including the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Central California; advancing designations for four additional sanctuaries; safeguarding Bristol Bay salmon fisheries; approving more than 19 gigawatts of offshore wind projects, enough to power more than 6 million homes; investing $2.6 billion in coastal communities; and releasing the first-ever U. S. Ocean Climate Action Plan.

With today’s withdrawals, President Biden has now conserved more than 670 million acres of U.S. lands, waters, and ocean – more than any president in history. This includes establishing or expanding ten national monuments and restoring protections for three more; creating six new national wildlife refuges; protecting the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, the nation’s most visited wilderness area; and withdrawing Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, Pactola Reservoir in South Dakota, and Thompson Divide in Colorado from further mineral, oil, and gas leasing.  

These actions are helping advance the President’s America the Beautiful initiative, which is supporting locally led conservation efforts with a goal to protect, conserve, and restore at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

###

The post FACT SHEET: President Biden Protects Atlantic and Pacific Coasts from Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling appeared first on The White House.

I am taking action to protect the East and West coasts, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea from oil and natural gas drilling and the harm it can cause. My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks. As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.

From California to Florida, Republican and Democratic Governors, Members of Congress, and coastal communities alike have worked and called for greater protection of our ocean and coastlines from harms that offshore oil and natural gas drilling can bring. In Alaska, dozens of Tribes have fought to protect the Northern Bering Sea, a vital ocean ecosystem that supports their traditional ways of life. Vice President Harris and I have listened. In balancing the many uses and benefits of America’s ocean, it is clear to me that the relatively minimal fossil fuel potential in the areas I am withdrawing do not justify the environmental, public health, and economic risks that would come from new leasing and drilling.

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill, a man-made catastrophe that took the lives of eleven people and spilled millions of barrels of oil into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, is a solemn reminder of the costs and risks of offshore drilling to the health and resilience of our coasts and fisheries and underscores the importance of the legal protections I am putting in place today. It is also one of the reasons why on my watch we have strengthened offshore safety standards for workers and communities on the front lines of existing operations nationwide, and rapidly accelerated the development of safer and cleaner energy sources, including the approval of eleven offshore wind projects.

From Day One, I have delivered on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in our country’s history. And over the last four years, I have conserved more than 670 million acres of America’s lands and waters, more than any other president in history. Our country’s remarkable conservation and restoration progress has been locally led by Tribes, farmers and ranchers, fishermen, small businesses, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts across the country. Together, our “America the Beautiful” initiative put the United States on track to meet my ambitious goal to conserve at least 30 percent of our Nation’s lands and waters by 2030. 

We do not need to choose between protecting the environment and growing our economy, or between keeping our ocean healthy, our coastlines resilient, and the food they produce secure and keeping energy prices low. Those are false choices. Protecting America’s coasts and ocean is the right thing to do, and will help communities and the economy to flourish for generations to come.

###

The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Protecting America’s Ocean and Coasts from Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling appeared first on The White House.

Yesterday, I was proud to sign into law the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act, authorizing the placement of a monument honoring the women’s suffrage movement on the National Mall. In addition to commemorating the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the Women’s Suffrage National Monument will recognize the generations of women who fought to ensure an equal voice for women in our democracy and honor the leaders who fought for the enfranchisement of all women long after the 19th Amendment was ratified. Vice President Harris and I are committed to defending equal rights for all Americans, to strengthening the federal government’s recognition of women’s contributions to our nation’s history, and to inspiring the next generation to create a more equal future for all.

###

The post Statement from President Joe Biden on the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Biden named nineteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.

President Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else. These nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made extraordinary contributions to their country and the world.

The awards will be presented at the White House on January 4, 2025. The following individuals will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom:

José Andrés 

José Andrés is a renowned Spanish-American culinary innovator who popularized tapas in the United States. His World Central Kitchen provides large-scale relief to communities affected by natural disasters and conflict around the world.

Bono

Bono is the frontman for legendary rock band U2 and a pioneering activist against AIDS and poverty. He brought together politicians from opposing parties to create the United States PEPFAR AIDS program, and is co-founder of campaigning organizations ONE and (RED).

Ashton Baldwin Carter (posthumous)

Ash Carter served as the 25th Secretary of Defense and devoted his career to making the nation safer for all. Throughout his career, he served under 11 Secretaries of Defense in both Democratic and Republican administrations.

Hillary Rodham Clinton

Secretary Clinton made history many times over decades in public service, including as the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate. After serving as Secretary of State, she became the first woman nominated for president by a major United States political party.

Michael J. Fox

Michael J. Fox is an actor who has won five Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and a Grammy Award. He is a world-renowned advocate for Parkinson’s disease research and development.

Tim Gill

Tim Gill is a visionary entrepreneur whose work has advanced LGBTQI rights and equality. After transforming the publishing industry through groundbreaking software, he leveraged his success to secure key victories in the fight for marriage equality and anti-discrimination protections.

Jane Goodall

Dr. Jane Goodall is a world-renowned ethologist and conservationist whose research transformed our understanding of primates and human evolution. She is a passionate advocate for empowering individuals and communities to protect and preserve the natural world.

Fannie Lou Hamer (posthumous)

Mrs. Fannie Lou Hamer transformed the struggle for racial justice in America. As a founder of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, she challenged the exclusion of Black voices in the political system and laid the groundwork for the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Earvin “Magic” Johnson is a legendary retired basketball player who led the Los Angeles Lakers to five championships. Off the court, he is a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist who supports underserved communities through his Magic Johnson Foundation.

Robert Francis Kennedy (posthumous)

Robert Francis Kennedy is remembered as an Attorney General who fiercely combatted racial segregation, and as a United States Senator who sought to address poverty and inequality in the country. His legacy continues to inspire those committed to justice, equality, and public service.

Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren is a fashion designer who redefined the fashion industry with a lifestyle brand that embodies timeless elegance and American tradition. He has influenced culture, business, and philanthropy, notably in the fight against cancer and the preservation of the Star-Spangled Banner.

Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is the most decorated player in the history of professional soccer. He supports healthcare and education programs for children around the world through the Leo Messi Foundation and serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

William Sanford Nye

Bill Nye has inspired and influenced generations of American students as “Bill Nye the Science Guy.” His dedication to science education continues through his work as CEO of the Planetary Society and as a vocal advocate for space exploration and environmental stewardship.

George W. Romney (posthumous)

George Romney was a businessman who served as the chairman and president of American Motors Corporation. A public servant, he later served as both the 43rd Governor of Michigan and the 3rd Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

David M. Rubenstein

David Rubenstein is co-founder and co-chairman of The Carlyle Group, where he built one of the most successful global investment firms. He is renowned for his philanthropy and generous support for the restoration of historic landmarks and the country’s cultural institutions.

George Soros

George Soros is an investor, philanthropist, and founder of the Open Society Foundations. Through his network of foundations, partners and projects in more than 120 countries, Soros has focused on global initiatives that strengthen democracy, human rights, education, and social justice.

George Stevens, Jr. 

George Stevens, Jr. is an award-winning writer, director, author, and playwright. His career has been dedicated to preserving and celebrating the best of American film and the performing arts, including by founding the American Film Institute and creating the Kennedy Center Honors.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington is an actor, director, and producer who has won two Academy Awards, a Tony Award, two Golden Globes, and the 2016 Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He has also served as National Spokesman for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America for over 25 years.

Anna Wintour

Anna Wintour is a renowned fashion icon who has led Vogue as editor-in-chief since 1988. A champion for philanthropic causes, she is also the leading architect behind the annual Met Gala fundraiser and chief content officer of Condé Nast.

###

The post President Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom appeared first on The White House.

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to New Delhi, India on January 5-6 for a capstone meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval that will span a range of issues across the breadth of the U.S.-India partnership – from space, defense, and strategic technology cooperation to shared security priorities in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.  During his visit, Mr. Sullivan will meet with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and other Indian leaders. He will also visit the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, where he will meet with young Indian entrepreneurs and give a speech outlining the significant steps the United States and India have taken together to strengthen our innovation alliance under the U.S.-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET).

###

The post Statement by NSC Spokesperson Sean Savett on National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to Travel to New Delhi, India appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Biden announced the latest recipients of the National Medal of Science and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation—our nation’s highest honors for exemplary achievement and leadership in science and technology.
 
For 65 years, the President of the United States has bestowed the National Medal of Science on those deserving of special recognition for their outstanding contributions to science in service to the United States. This medal was established by Congress in 1959 and is administered by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
 
Since it was first awarded in 1985, the National Medal of Technology and Innovation has recognized American innovators whose vision, intellect, creativity, and determination have strengthened America’s economy and improved our quality of life. The medal was established by Congress in 1980 and is administered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

President Biden often says that America can be defined in a single word: possibilities. Those who earn these awards embody the promise of America by pushing the boundaries of what is possible. These trailblazers have harnessed the power of science and technology to tackle challenging problems and deliver innovative solutions for Americans and for communities around the world.

These medalists have made discoveries that are helping us meet the climate crisis, treat crippling disease, create lifesaving vaccines, pioneer the way we communicate, and significantly improve our understanding of the universe and our place within it. Their accomplishments advance American leadership in science, technology, and innovation, and their work inspires the next generation of American leaders.

The new recipients are listed below.

Recipients of the National Medal of Science

• Richard B. Alley
• Larry Martin Bartels
• Bonnie L. Bassler
• Angela Marie Belcher
• Helen M. Blau
• Emery Neal Brown
• John O. Dabiri
• Ingrid Daubechies
• Cynthia Dwork
• R. Lawrence Edwards
• Wendy L. Freedman
• Keivan G. Stassun
• G. David Tilman
• Teresa Kaye Woodruff

Recipients of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation

• Martin Cooper
• Jennifer A. Doudna
• Eric R. Fossum
• Paula T. Hammond
• Kristina M. Johnson
• Victor B. Lawrence
• David R. Walt
• Paul G. Yock
• Feng Zhang

National Medal of Technology and Innovation Organization Recipients

• Moderna, Inc.

• Pfizer Inc.

###

The post President Biden Honors Nation’s Leading Scientists, Technologists, and Innovators appeared first on The White House.

On January 3, 2025, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will award the Medal of Honor to seven U.S. Army Soldiers:  Private Bruno R. Orig (posthumous), Private First Class Wataru Nakamura (posthumous), Corporal Fred B. McGee (posthumous), Private First Class Charles R. Johnson (posthumous), retired General Richard E. Cavazos (posthumous), Captain Hugh R. Nelson, Jr. (posthumous), and Specialist Fourth Class Kenneth J. David.    

Private Bruno R. Orig will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with Company G, 23d Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division in the vicinity of Chipyong-ni, Korea, on February 15, 1951.  While returning from a wire laying mission, Private Orig observed a number of his comrades who had been wounded in a fierce enemy attack that was still in progress. With complete disregard for his own safety, he went to the aid of these men and remained in an exposed position in order to administer first aid.  With the assistance of several comrades from the company command post, he began removing the wounded to a place of safety.  While returning from one of these trips, he noticed that all except one man of a machine-gun crew had been wounded. Without hesitation, he volunteered to man the weapon. Remaining in this position, he placed such effective fire on the enemy that a withdrawing friendly platoon was able to move back without a single casualty.  Private Orig continued to inflict heavy casualties on the enemy until their company positions were overrun. Later that day, when the lost ground was recaptured, Private Orig was found dead beside his weapon, and the area in front of his gun was littered with enemy dead. 

Private First Class Wataru Nakamura will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with Company I, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division in the vicinity of P’ungch’on-ni, Korea on May 18, 1951.  At daybreak on May 18, 1951, Private First Class Nakamura volunteered to check and repair a communications line between his platoon and the command post. As he made his way along the line in the early morning half-light, he was brought under fire by an enemy force that had surrounded friendly positions and was threatening to break the company defense lines. Immediately, without regard for his own safety and without waiting for help, he rushed the enemy with fixed bayonet engaged.  Singlehandedly, he attacked and destroyed a hostile machine-gun nest and drove the enemy from several of the bunkers they had captured.  When his ammunition was depleted, he withdrew under intense enemy fire.  Then he met an ammunition party ascending the hill. Quickly briefing the officer in charge, Private Nakamura rearmed himself and, covered by the fire of the officer in charge and two comrades, returned to the attack.  In a fierce charge, he killed three of the enemy in one bunker and killed and seriously wounded another in the last enemy-held bunker.  Continuing to press the attack, he was killed by an enemy grenade. 

Corporal Fred B. McGee will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for acts of gallantry and intrepidity near Tang-Wan-Ni, Korea, on June 16, 1952, in an assault on enemy fortified positions.  As gunner on a light machine gun in a weapons squad, Corporal McGee delivered a heavy volume of supporting fire from an exposed position despite intense enemy machine-gun and mortar fire directly on his location. Though forced to move his gun several times, he continued to support the assault and give covering fire to the assault elements of his platoon.  When his squad leader was wounded, he assumed command and moved the squad even farther forward to a more exposed position in order to deliver neutralizing fire on an enemy machine gun that was sweeping another assault platoon with deadly flanking fire.  When Corporal McGee’s machine gunner was mortally wounded, he took over the gun. On order, he directed his squad to withdraw and voluntarily remained behind to help evacuate the wounded and dead.      Though he was wounded in the face, he heroically exposed himself by standing straight up in intense enemy machine-gun and mortar fire and attempting to evacuate the body of the company runner.   Forced to abandon the body of the company runner, he aided in moving a wounded man to the rear to safety through a huge volume of enemy mortar and artillery fire.

Private First Class Charles R. Johnson will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for acts of gallantry and intrepidity beyond the call of duty while serving as a Browning Automatic Rifleman with Company B, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, Republic of Korea, June 11-12, 1953.  During the night of June 11, Chinese forces attacked Private First Class Johnson’s unit during a massive nighttime assault. During the ensuing battle, overwhelming numbers of Chinese troops assaulted the trenches and bunkers that were defended by Private First Class Johnson and his squad.  Wounded from a direct artillery hit on his bunker and subsequently from a hand grenade thrown inside the bunker, Private First Class Johnson, without regard for his own injuries, administered first aid to those more seriously injured.  Understanding the seriousness of the situation and under direct fire from the enemy, Private First Class Johnson personally dragged a wounded soldier to the safety of a secure bunker, stopping intermittently to aid injured soldiers and kill several enemy members in hand-to-hand combat.  Recognizing their untenable situation and disregarding his personal safety, Private First Class Johnson exited the bunker, placing himself between the enemy and his injured comrades to hold off the enemy as best as he could.  Private First Class Johnson’s brave and selfless efforts were credited with saving the lives of as many as 10 soldiers.   Private First Class Johnson was killed in action in the early morning of June 12, 1953.

Then-First Lieutenant Richard E. Cavazos will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as the Company Commander, Company E, 2d Battalion, 65th Infantry Regiment, 3d Infantry Division, on June 14 and 15, 1953, in the vicinity of Sagimak, Korea.  On the night of June 14, 1953, Lieutenant Cavazos led his men in a raid on the entrenched enemy, upon whom heavy casualties were inflicted.  When a heavy barrage was laid on the position by the enemy, Lieutenant Cavazos withdrew the company and regrouped his men.  Lieutenant Cavazos twice more led the company through the heavy barrage in assaults on the enemy position, each time destroying vital enemy equipment and personnel.  When the United Nations element was ordered to withdraw, Lieutenant Cavazos remained alone on the enemy outpost to search the area for missing men. Exposed to heavy hostile fire, Lieutenant Cavazos located five battle casualties.  He evacuated them, one at a time, to a point on the reverse slope of the hill from which they could be removed to safety.  Lieutenant Cavazos then made four more trips between the United Nations position and the enemy-held hill, searching for casualties and evacuating scattered groups of men who had become confused. Not until he was assured that the hill was cleared did he get treatment for the wounds sustained during the action.  Lieutenant Cavazos went on to serve for over thirty years, attaining the rank of four-star General.  He retired from military service in 1984 and died on October 29, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas, at age 88.  On May 9, 2023, Fort Hood was renamed Fort Cavazos in honor of General Cavazos.   

Captain Hugh R. Nelson, Jr. will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a member of the 114th Aviation Company (Airmobile Light) on June 5, 1966, near Moc Hoa, Republic of Vietnam.  Captain Nelson was acting as Aircraft Commander of an armed Huey helicopter when it was struck by hostile gun fire, crash landed in the middle of many enemy positions, and had all weapons destroyed in the crash. Captain Nelson exited the aircraft to aid his three wounded comrades: two Specialists and a pilot. He ignored his own injuries, debarked the aircraft, and started to evacuate his fellow soldiers.

Proceeding to the left side of the aircraft, he removed a dazed Specialist who had been pinned in the cargo compartment. After placing the Specialist on the ground and observing that the injured pilot had managed to get out of the aircraft, he climbed into the severely damaged helicopter to assist the other Specialist who was still trapped in the aircraft.  Although the enemy began a heavy volume of automatic and small arms fire at a range of approximately 30 feet from the aircraft, he continued his brave efforts until he freed the second trapped Specialist.  He then forced the second Specialist to the ground while using his own body as a human shield to cover his comrade. Captain Nelson was killed by the gun fire, while the Specialist survived. He saved the life of his fellow soldier at the sacrifice of his own.  Captain Nelson’s selfless sacrifice allowed his wounded comrade to use a smoke grenade to signal supporting aircraft in the area, which responded immediately and successfully evacuated the three wounded crew members and Captain Nelson’s remains.    

Then-Private First Class Kenneth J. David will receive the Medal of Honor for acts of gallantry and intrepidity while serving as a radio-telephone operator during contact with an enemy force near Fire Support Base Maureen, Thua Thien Province, Republic of Vietnam, on May 7, 1970.  Private First Class David’s company came under an intense attack from a large hostile force, which resulted in numerous friendly casualties.  He immediately took up a position to engage the enemy in such a way to draw fire away from his comrades.  Without regard for his own life, he moved to a position in front of the perimeter and just to the south. Surrounded on three sides by the larger enemy force, he engaged them with his rifle and hand grenades.  When the enemy attempted to concentrate their fire on the wounded, Private First Class David jumped from his position and yelled to draw the fire back to himself. During this time, he was wounded by an incoming satchel charge.  His comrades came to his aid, but he assured them he was able to continue the fight. He continued to draw the enemy fire away from the friendly Medevac helicopters that were trying to land. It was not until the last helicopter was landing that he retreated from his position in front of the perimeter and continued laying down fire until finally being evacuated himself.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE MEDAL OF HONOR:

The Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the armed forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own lives above and beyond the call of duty while:

• engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;

• engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or

• serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

The meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life.  There must be incontestable proof of the performance of the meritorious conduct, and each recommendation for the award must be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit.

###

The post President Biden to Award Medal of Honor appeared first on The White House.

President Biden and Vice President Harris have been instrumental in remedying historical injustices and advancing equality for LGBTQI+ Americans. Today, the White House is recognizing the Biden-Harris Administration’s historic track record as the most pro-equality Administration in American history:

• Enshrining the right to marriage in Federal law. The Respect for Marriage Act enshrined into law the right to Federal recognition of marriage for same-sex and interracial couples, repealing the Defense of Marriage Act. This legislation strengthened civil rights protections and ensured that the promise of equality is promised to all families. The right to marriage confers vital legal protections, dignity, and full participation in our society.
• Protecting LGBTQI+ service members and veterans. In October 2024, the Department of Defense (DOD) announced that it concluded its proactive review of discharge records for former Service members who had received a less than honorable discharge due to their sexual orientation under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. As a result of DOD’s new actions, 96% of individuals who were administratively separated on the basis of their sexual orientation and who served for long enough to receive a merit-based characterization of service now have an honorable discharge. In addition, this past spring,the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) expanded access to care and benefits for some former Service members who received a less than honorable discharge based on homosexual conduct. Furthermore, in June 2024, President Biden issued a categorical pardon for certain former Service members convicted of crimes based on their sexual orientation. And in his first week in office, the President rescinded the discriminatory ban on transgender Service members.
• Supporting community safety and security. In June 2023, the President established the LGBTQI+ Community Safety Partnership. The partnership is a collaboration between the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security, which work hand-in-hand with LGBTQI+ community organizations to provide critical safety resources to ensure these organizations can remain safe spaces for the community. Ahead of Pride Month 2024, the partnership released a new guide of key security resources for the LGBTQI+ community and provided briefings on these resources throughout June.
• Advancing a federal blood donation policy based on science, not stigma. The Food and Drug Administration announced a new policy for assessing blood donor eligibility using a set of individual risk-based questions to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HIV. The new policy ends identity-based restrictions on blood donation by gay and bisexual men.
• Signing historic Executive Orders. Starting on Day One of his Administration, President Biden signed several historic Executive Orders to prevent and combat discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation and advance equality for LGBTQI+ individuals. These Executive Orders formed the basis for dozens of executive actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken to advance civil rights and improve the lives of LGBTQI+ Americans.
• Implementing a new National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The White House Office of National AIDS Policy launched a revised National HIV/AIDS Strategy that sets bold new national targets to end the HIV epidemic and includes transgender people as a priority population for the first time. In September, the White House Office of National AIDS Policy convened the ¡Adelante! Summit to accelerate the nation’s HIV response in Latino communities. Latino gay men now represent the highest number of new HIV cases in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Appointing historic LGBTQI+ leaders. The Biden-Harris Administration includes barrier-breaking LGBTQI+ leaders, including the first openly LGBTQI+ Cabinet Secretary, White House Press Secretary, and White House Communications Director, the two first openly transgender people to ever be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and the first out lesbian to achieve the rank of Ambassador.
• Protecting against discrimination in health care, education, grantmaking, and foster care. The Biden-Harris Administration has finalized several rules to offer protections to LGBTQI+ people against discrimination in health care, education, and other areas.  The HHS Office for Civil Rights published a final rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act that guarantees critical protections to LGBTQI+ people against discrimination in health care. The rule protects individuals from discrimination regardless of the type of care they are seeking. Pursuant to decisions by courts, some of the rule’s provisions are stayed or enjoined. Still, the Administration has appealed those decisions and continues to defend the rule. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released a final rule under Title IX, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs receiving federal funding and strengthens civil rights protections for all, including for LGBTQI+ students and staff. Pursuant to federal court orders, the final rule is enjoined in 26 states and certain schools. Notwithstanding those injunctions, the final rule is in effect in most schools in 24 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The HHS Office for Civil Rights published a final rule affirming non-discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation in HHS-funded programs. This protects against discrimination in programs such as Head Start, Family Violence Prevention and Services Act grant programs, and the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Services Block Grant, consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County.

• Strengthening mental health resources and protections for LGBTQI+ youth. To address the disproportionate mental health challenges facing LGBTQI+ youth, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration added dedicated crisis counseling services for LGBTQI+ youth and young adults to 988, the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In addition, HHS released a final rule that strengthens protections for LGBTQI+ youth in foster care, who are some of the most vulnerable children in the country, which is expected to protect tens of thousands of LGBTQI+ children in foster care each year.
• New clinical guidelines to prevent STIs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidance for a post-exposure prophylaxis strategy that significantly reduces the risk of bacterial sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs), particularly among gay and bisexual men and transgender women, marking a critical step forward in STI prevention efforts and strengthening the nation’s sexual health response.
• Addressing book bans. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights appointed a Coordinator to advance public understanding of the civil rights and other impacts of book restrictions. The Coordinator leads community-based trainings on the civil rights laws enforced by the Office for Civil Rights. In a blog post, the Coordinator discussed how book bans, which disproportionately target works written by or about members of the LGBTQI+ community and people of color, may create a hostile school environment and implicate federal civil rights laws.
• Historic engagements with the LGBTQI+ community. In September, President Biden became the first sitting President to sit down with an LGBTQI+ newspaper, The Washington Blade.

• Promoting human rights for LGBTQI+ people globally. The Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons is driving rapid response to proposed anti-LGBTQI+ legislation around the world. With the encouragement of the United States, a growing number of nations have decriminalized same-sex conduct, and together, we are working to hold accountable perpetrators of discrimination and abuse. For example, as directed by President Biden, departments and agencies took steps to encourage the repeal of Uganda’s anti-homosexuality act.

###

The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Accomplishments for LGBTQI+ Americans appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Biden will announce eight recipients of the Medal of Valor.

Pursuant to the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001, which President Biden co-sponsored when serving as a Senator, the President may award, and present in the name of Congress, a Medal of Valor to a public safety officer for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty. It is the nation’s highest award for valor by a public safety officer.

The nominees were recommended by the Attorney General and the Medal of Valor Review Board, whose members are appointed to four-year terms by the President, the Senate majority and minority leaders, the Speaker of the House, and the House minority leader. The medal recipients have exhibited exceptional courage—disregarding their own personal safety—in attempting to save or protect human life. 

The President previously awarded Medals of Valor in 2023 for the 2021-2022 class of nine recipients and in 2022 for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 classes of 15 recipients during ceremonies held at the White House. The President also presented the medals as Vice President in 2010, 2013, and 2015.

The awards will be presented at the White House on January 3, 2024. The following individuals will be awarded the Medal of Valor:

Sergeant Jeffrey Mathes, Officer Rex Engelbert, and Detectives Michael Collazo, Ryan Cagle, and Zachary Plese

On March 27, 2023, Sergeant Jeffrey Mathes, Officer Rex Engelbert, and Detectives Michael Collazo, Ryan Cagle, and Zachary Plese of the Nashville, Tennessee, Police Department ran towards gunfire to take down an active shooter at The Covenant School, a Nashville elementary school. The heavily-armed shooter had already killed six people, including three nine-year-old students. The officers rushed to the scene, and as they arrived, the shooter opened fire on them. Still, the officers entered the school, cleared classroom after classroom, and ran towards the sounds of gunfire where they encountered the shooter. They took down the shooter. Later that day, the President addressed the nation and commended the police for their swift response and bravery.

Sergeant Tu Tran

On February 22, 2023, Sergeant Tu Tran of the Police Department of Lincoln, Nebraska put his life in danger to courageously save a woman drowning in a frigid pond. Sergeant Tran jumped into the deep water and swam over 30 feet to the middle of the pond where the woman’s vehicle was submerging. He opened the rear door and pulled the woman out before the vehicle fully submerged. Sergeant Tran brought the woman to safety on shore, where she was treated by medics and survived. Sergeant Tran attended the 2024 State of the Union address as a guest of Nebraska Senators Pete Ricketts (R) and Deb Fischer (R).

Lieutenant John Vanderstar

On October 23, 2022, Lieutenant John Vanderstar of the Fire Department of the City of New York rushed into a burning apartment and through flames to rescue a mother and her child, saving both. Upon entering the apartment, without hesitation and without water to hold back the fire, he pushed to the back bedroom, where he found a suffocating mother with a child laying on top of her. He dragged them to the window for fresh air. Once other firefighters arrived with a hose to push back the fire, Lieutenant Vanderstar raced out of the apartment with the child, handing her to paramedics. The mother and child both survived.

Firefighter Brendan Gaffney

On February 5, 2023, firefighter Brendan Gaffney of the Fire Department of the City of New York rushed through an apartment building fire twice to save two unconscious victims. In the apartment, Gaffney moved through the raging fire into a bedroom using a removed door as a shield, where he found a pregnant woman and a child, both unconscious. He first shielded the child with his own body to get him to safety. Gaffney then ran through the fire again and rescued the woman. He performed CPR on the woman while waiting for paramedics. The woman and child both survived.

###

The post President Biden Announces Recipients of the Medal of Valor appeared first on The White House.

As I have said many times, steel production—and the steel workers who produce it—are the backbone of our nation.  A strong domestically owned and operated steel industry represents an essential national security priority and is critical for resilient supply chains.  That is because steel powers our country: our infrastructure, our auto industry, and our defense industrial base. Without domestic steel production and domestic steel workers, our nation is less strong and less secure.

For too long, U.S. steel companies have faced unfair trade practices as foreign companies have dumped steel on global markets at artificially low prices, leading to job losses and factory closures in America. I have taken decisive action to level the playing field for American steelworkers and steel producers by tripling tariffs on steel imports from China.  With record investments in manufacturing, more than 100 new steel and iron mills have opened since I took office, and U.S. companies are producing the cleanest steel in the world. Today, the domestic steel industry is the strongest it has been in years.

We need major U.S. companies representing the major share of US steelmaking capacity to keep leading the fight on behalf of America’s national interests. As a committee of national security and trade experts across the executive branch determined, this acquisition would place one of America’s largest steel producers under foreign control and create risk for our national security and our critical supply chains.

So, that is why I am taking action to block this deal. It is my solemn responsibility as President to ensure that, now and long into the future, America has a strong domestically owned and operated steel industry that can continue to power our national sources of strength at home and abroad; and it is a fulfillment of that responsibility to block foreign ownership of this vital American company. U.S. Steel will remain a proud American company – one that’s American-owned, American-operated, by American union steelworkers – the best in the world.  

Today’s action reflects my unflinching commitment to utilize all authorities available to me as President to defend U.S. national security, including by ensuring that American companies continue to play a central role in sectors that are critical for our national security. As I have made clear since day one: I will never hesitate to act to protect the security of this nation and its infrastructure as well as the resilience of its supply chains.

###

The post Statement from President Joe Biden appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Biden is taking action to recognize the cultural heritage of the Indigenous Peoples and communities of the Pacific Islands by renaming the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument as the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, and becoming the first President to formally honor the Hui Panalāʻau, Native Hawaiians sent to secure United States territorial claim to the islands in the run up to World War II. This action builds on President Biden’s historic record of delivering for Indigenous communities across the country.

In March 2023, the President issued a Presidential Memorandum directing the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce to collaborate with Indigenous cultural leaders to inform renaming of the existing Pacific Remote Islands National Monument to honor the area’s heritage, ancestral pathways, and stopping points for Pacific Island voyagers, and to inform posthumous recognition for the Hui Panalāʻau.

Today’s action supports President Biden’s commitment to telling a fuller story of our Nation’s history and builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to advance opportunity, including for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Communities.

Renaming of the Marine National Monument

The Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument encompasses approximately 490,000 square miles of open ocean, coral reef, and island habitats in the Pacific Ocean and includes seven National Wildlife Refuges associated with Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, and Wake Atoll. The national monument is home to one of the largest collections of tropical islands, coral reef, seamounts, and deep sea protected areas on the planet, and provides large migration and foraging ranges for sea turtles, marine mammals, whales, sharks, and manta rays.

At President Biden’s direction, the Udall Foundation, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), led an 18-month collaborative renaming process to engage Indigenous Peoples and other Pacific Island communities on developing a recommendation for a new name for the Marine National Monument. This included participating in the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, where the Administration convened sessions with the Pacific Island delegations, cultural practitioners, voyagers, language experts, and the broader Pacific Island community to seek comment and input on a new name.

The renaming of the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument reaffirms the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to recognize and acknowledge the tradition of voyaging and other cultural and ancestral connections to the monument area and the historic and scientific objects it contains as core to Pacific Island communities’ heritage. The name also honors the many people, cultures, languages, and resources that have existed in the region for thousands of years and will continue to thrive in the future.

President George W. Bush first established this marine national monument in 2009, and President Barack Obama designated a marine national monument expansion area in 2014. Today’s action applies the new name to the existing monument, without altering its boundaries or any applicable requirements.

Recognition for the Hui Panalāʻau

From 1935 to 1942, the United States government sent 135 mainly Native Hawaiian men – known collectively as the Hui Panalāʻau – to live for six weeks to several months at a time on the uninhabited Pacific equatorial islands of Howland, Baker, Jarvis, Enderbury, and Canton to claim the islands for the United States. Today, President Biden issued a Presidential Message officially recognizing for the first time their contributions to the United States.

Beginning in 1935, the United States government recruited young Hawaiian students and recent graduates of the Kamehameha School for Boys to serve a colonization mission to the uninhabited islands. Although military interests justified occupation of the islands, the Hui Panalāʻau members were not informed of the true nature of the project. The men recorded weather conditions, cultivated plants, maintained a daily log, recorded the types of fish that they caught, observed bird life, and collected specimens for the Bishop Museum on O’ahu, and also endured personal sacrifice and hardship living on the islands. Several Hui Panalāʻau members died on the islands, including in an attack by the Empire of Japan the day after the Japanese military attacked Pearl Harbor.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration acknowledges the accomplishments and sacrifices of the members of the Hui Panalā‘au, and extends to them and their families the deep appreciation of the people of the United States. The United States also extends condolences to the families of Carl Kahalewai, Joseph Keliihananui, and Richard Whaley for the loss of their loved ones in the service of the United States. The previously unsung contributions and sacrifices of these young men and their loved ones must be recognized as a part of the history of our Nation and of their beloved home, Hawai‘i.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) conducted a thorough review of records relevant to the Equatorial Pacific colonization program and was able to verify a participant roster that reflects, to the very best of their ability, a list of 135 individuals involved in this United States Government project. NARA corroborated this list with individual employment records. The records are from the Office of the Territories: Central Classified Files Relating to the Equatorial Islands, and this series consists of 15 containers which are fully digitized and available in the National Archives Catalog.

Today, the United States honors their memory for their service and sacrifices for our Nation:

Ahia, Charles; Ahia, Henry; Akaka, Lewellyn; Akana, Albert; Akana, Bernard; Akana, George; Akana, Theodore; Anahu, William; Anakalea, Joseph; Au, Charles; Aune, Edward; Awana, Theodore; Beatty, Rupert; Bederman, Thos. W.; Bell, Kenneth; Blake, Hartwell; Boyd, Andrew; Braun, Charles; Braun, Clarence; Bruhn, James Ferdinand; Burke, Eugene; Burke, Walter; Bush, Harry; Calley, Chas. D., Jr.; Carroll, James; Chang, Herbert; Ching, Archie; Ching, Lawrence; Cockett, Frank; Cockett, Herbert; Collins, Austin; Cowden, Lawrence; Coyle, James W.; Duff, Leonard; Dyen, Samuel; Faufata, Folina; Feigenbaum, Ralph; Fialkowaski, Henry; Graf, Wyman; Haili, Jacob; Hall, Bernard H.; Harbottle, Isaac; Harris, Arthur; Hartwell, David Kawila; Henderson, Waldron; Hooper, Herbert; Hutchinson, William; Jacobson, Victor; Jensen, Hans P.; Jensen, Karl Emil; Kaahea, Henry; Kahalewai, Carl; Kahalewai, Samuel; Kahanu, George; Kahapea, Alexander; Kahapea, William; Kaina, Wm.; Kalama, David H.; Kalama, Samuel; Kalama, Solomon; Kamakaiwi, James C., Jr.; Kaninau, Charles; Kauahikaua, Archie; Kaulu, Albert Kelii; Keliihananui, Jos. K.; Kepoo, Joseph; Kilbey, John Gibson; Kim, Bak Sung; Kim, Harold; Kim, Joseph; Kim, Victor; King, Kenneth Lum; Kinney, James; Knell, Henry Crockett; Lawler, Vernon; Lee, Francis; Lee, Frederick; Lee, Henry Kong; Leong, Ah Kin; Lieson, Robert W.; Lum, Harold Chin; Lum, Kam; Lum, Paul Yat; Lum, Yau Fai; MacKellar, Ian; Mahikoa, Henry; Makua, Blue; Markham, Wm. S.; Mattson, Elvin K.; McCorriston, Edward M.; Medeiros, Henry; Newton, Edmond; Ohumukini, Henry; Opiopio, Killarney; Paoa, Melvin; Paquette, Maurice; Pea, Aki Kini Levi; Pea, Wm. Kane; Pease, James K.; Phillips, Manley Woodrow; Phillips, Paul Gordon; Piianai, Abraham; Pires, Manuel; Rahe, Bernard; Renken, Ernest Kalane; Riley, James Jos.; Roberts, John; Roberts, Oliver K.; Robinson, Alexander; Ruddle, Francis; Smith, Henry M.; Sproat, Manuel; Stein, Charles; Stillman, Francis; Stillman, Geo. C.L.; Suares, Louis; Summers, Carl; Surber, George; Tavares, William; Theiss, Harry; Toomey, Daniel; Toomey, John Kauwe; Toomey, William; Victor, Gabriel; Waiwaiole, Luther; West, George; Whaley, Richard; Wilhelm, Frederick; Williamson, Elmer; Wilson, Ralph; Wong, Alexander; Wood, Joshua; Yomes, William; Young, Edward; and Zagara, Dominic P.

###

The post FACT SHEET: President Biden Recognizes Fuller Story of Pacific Islands Heritage appeared first on The White House.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Biden named twenty recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal.

The Presidential Citizens Medal is awarded to citizens of the United States of America who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens. President Biden believes these Americans are bonded by their common decency and commitment to serving others. The country is better because of their dedication and sacrifice.

The awards will be presented at the White House on January 2, 2025. The following individuals will be awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal:

Mary L. Bonauto

Attorney and activist Mary Bonauto first fought to legalize same-sex marriage in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Maine before arguing before the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges, which established marriage equality as the law of the land. Her efforts made millions of families whole and forged a more perfect Union.

Bill Bradley

Raised in small-town Missouri, Bill Bradley showed a dedication to basketball that would define his courage, discipline, and selflessness. A two-time NBA Champion and Hall-of-Fame New York Knick, he served three terms as a United States Senator from New Jersey and was a candidate for president, advancing tax reform, water rights, civil rights, and more, while still today seeking to deepen our common humanity with humility and heart.

Frank K. Butler, Jr.

As a pioneering innovator, Navy Seal, and leader in dive medicine, Dr. Frank Butler introduced Tactical Combat Casualty Care to the medical world that set new standards for tourniquet use not only for injuries in war, but injuries across daily civilian life. He has transformed battlefield trauma care for the United States military and saved countless lives.

Elizabeth L. Cheney

Throughout two decades in public service, including as a Congresswoman for Wyoming and Vice Chair of the Committee on the January 6 attack, Liz Cheney has raised her voice—and reached across the aisle—to defend our Nation and the ideals we stand for: Freedom. Dignity. And decency. Her integrity and intrepidness remind us all what is possible if we work together.

Christopher J. Dodd

Chris Dodd has served our Nation with distinction for more than 50 years as a United States Congressman, Senator, respected lawyer, and diplomat. From advancing childcare, to reforming our financial markets, to fostering partnerships across the Western Hemisphere—he has stood watch over America as a beacon to the world.

Diane Carlson Evans

After serving as an Army nurse during the Vietnam War, Diane Carlson Evans founded the Vietnam Women’s Memorial Foundation to ensure female service members received the recognition they deserve—one of our Nation’s most sacred obligations. Her duty and devotion embody the very best of who we are as Americans.

Joseph L. Galloway (posthumous)

From Vietnam to the Persian Gulf, Joe Galloway spent decades sharing first-hand accounts of horror, humanity, and heroism in battle. Known as the soldier’s reporter and the soldier’s friend, he embedded with American troops, rescued wounded soldiers under fire, and became the only civilian awarded a Bronze Star for combat valor by the United States Army as one of the most respected war correspondents of his era.

Nancy Landon Kassebaum

The first woman to represent Kansas, Nancy Kassebaum was a force in the United States Senate. From supporting a woman’s right to choose to reforming health care, she stood up for what she believed in even if it meant standing alone, and she reached across the aisle to do what she believed was right.

Ted Kaufman

For decades, including as a United States Senator from Delaware, Ted Kaufman has served the Nation with honesty and integrity. A master of the Senate who championed everyday Americans and public servants, he’s been at the forefront of consequential debates about the courts, the financial system, and more.

Carolyn McCarthy

As a nurse, Carolyn McCarthy had an instinct to heal and serve. When her husband and son were shot on a local commuter train, she became an advocate so persuasive that she was recruited to run for Congress. She served 18 years, championing gun safety measures including improved background checks, as a citizen legislator devoted to protecting our Nation’s welfare.

Louis Lorenzo Redding (posthumous)

A groundbreaking civil rights advocate, Louis was the first Black attorney admitted to the bar in Delaware, where he argued against segregation in the seminal cases of Bulah v. Gebhart and Belton v. Gebhart—laying the legal framework for Brown v. Board of Education. A towering figure and a generous mentor, he opened doors of equity and opportunity for all Americans.

Bobby Sager

A Boston native, Bobby Sager travels the world as a photographer and philanthropist grounded in family and empathy, wielding his camera and influence to connect with people in war-torn countries, capture their hope and humanity, and inspire others to take action and see a fuller portrait of the planet we all share.

Collins J. Seitz (posthumous)

As a state judge in Delaware, Judge Seitz became the first judge in America to integrate a white public school, dismantling the doctrine of “separate but equal” with exacting detail and reverence for the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of our Constitution. His brave ruling tore down walls of separation to help us see each other as fellow Americans.

Eleanor Smeal

From leading massive protests and galvanizing women’s votes in the 1970s to steering progress for equal pay and helping the Violence Against Women Act become law, Ellie Smeal forced the Nation to not only include women in political discourse but to value them as power brokers and equals. Her strategic vision over more than 40 years embodies the American pursuit to create a fairer, more just world.

Bennie G. Thompson

Born and raised in a segregated Mississippi, as a college student inspired by the Civil Rights movement, Bennie Thompson volunteered on campaigns and registered southern Black voters. That call to serve eventually led him to Congress, where he chaired the House January 6th Committee—at the forefront of defending the rule of law with unwavering integrity and a steadfast commitment to truth.

Mitsuye Endo Tsutsumi (posthumous)

In a shameful chapter in our Nation’s history, Mitsuye Endo was incarcerated alongside more than 120,000 Japanese Americans. Undaunted, she challenged the injustice and reached the Supreme Court. Her resolve allowed thousands of Japanese Americans to return home and rebuild their lives, reminding us that we are a Nation that stands for freedom for all.

Thomas J. Vallely

A United States Marine during the Vietnam War, Thomas Vallely has never given up on peace. Over the course of five decades, he has brought Vietnam and the United States together—establishing Fulbright University Vietnam, fostering greater economic and cultural exchange, and overcoming the perils of the past to seize the promise of the future. His service remains a symbol of American leadership in the world.

Frances M. Visco

As president of the National Breast Cancer Coalition, Fran Visco has fought tirelessly and fearlessly to increase Federal funding for breast cancer research, early detection education, and access to women’s healthcare. As a breast cancer survivor, she turned pain into purpose, changed the landscape of breast cancer advocacy, and has become a powerful symbol of hope for the Nation.

Paula S. Wallace

A lifelong educator and trailblazer of the arts, Paula Wallace dreamt of a school that would transform how we think about professional education. By establishing the esteemed Savannah College of Art and Design and serving as its president, she has guided thousands of students into creative industries.

Evan Wolfson

By leading the marriage equality movement, Evan Wolfson helped millions of people in all 50 states win the fundamental right to love, marry, and be themselves. For 32 years, starting with a visionary law school thesis, Evan Wolfson worked with singular focus and untiring optimism to change not just the law, but society—pioneering a political playbook for change and sharing its lessons, even now, with countless causes worldwide.

###

The post President Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Citizens Medal appeared first on The White House.

I have been continually briefed since early this morning by federal law enforcement leadership and my homeland security team, including Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, and the Mayor of New Orleans regarding the horrific incident that occurred there overnight. The FBI is taking the lead in the investigation and is investigating this incident as an act of terrorism. I am grateful for the brave and swift response of local law enforcement in preventing even greater death and injury. I have directed my team to ensure every resource is available as federal, state, and local law enforcement work assiduously to get to the bottom of what happened as quickly as possible and to ensure that there is no remaining threat of any kind. 

I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share. In the meantime, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday. There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.

###

The post Statement from President Joe Biden appeared first on The White House.