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     1.  On April 22, 1985, the United States and Israel entered into the Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Israel (USIFTA), which the Congress approved in section 3 of the United States–Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act of 1985 (the “USIFTA Implementation Act”) (Public Law 99-47, 99 Stat. 82 (19 U.S.C. 2112 note)).  Section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act provides that, whenever the President determines that it is necessary to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, the President may proclaim such withdrawal, suspension, modification, or continuance of any duty, or such continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or such additional duties, as the President determines to be required or appropriate to carry out the USIFTA.  In order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to agricultural trade with Israel, on July 27, 2004, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel concerning certain aspects of trade in agricultural products during the period January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2008 (United States-Israel Agreement Concerning Certain Aspects of Trade in Agricultural Products (the “2004 Agreement”)). 
    2.  In Proclamation 7826 of October 4, 2004, the President determined, pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act and consistent with the 2004 Agreement, that, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, it was necessary to provide duty-free access into the United States through December 31, 2008, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel.  Each year from 2008 through 2023, the United States and Israel entered into agreements to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement was in force for 1-year periods to allow additional time for the two governments to conclude an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement.  To carry out the extension agreements, the President in Proclamations 8334 of December 31, 2008; 8467 of December 23, 2009; 8618 of December 21, 2010; 8770 of December 29, 2011; 8921 of December 20, 2012; 9072 of December 23, 2013; 9223 of December 23, 2014; 9383 of December 21, 2015; 9555 of December 15, 2016; 9687 of December 22, 2017; 9834 of December 21, 2018; 9974 of December 26, 2019; 10128 of December 22, 2020; 10326 of December 23, 2021; 10509 of December 23, 2022; and 10692 of December 29, 2023, modified the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) to provide duty-free access into the United States for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, each time for an additional 1-year period.  On October 31, 2024, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement is in force through December 31, 2025, and to allow for further negotiations on an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement.  Pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act, I have determined that it is necessary, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, to provide duty-free access into the United States through the close of December 31, 2025, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, as provided in Annex I of this proclamation.
    3.  Proclamation 10053 of June 29, 2020, implemented the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada (USMCA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to section 103 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (the “USMCA Implementation Act”) (Public Law 116-113, 134 Stat. 11, 15-17 (19 U.S.C. 4513)), incorporated in the HTS the tariff modifications and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out the USMCA.
    4.  In order to provide generally for the preferential tariff treatment being accorded under the USMCA, to set forth rules for determining whether goods imported into the customs territory of the United States are eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA, to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to certain originating goods of Canada, and to provide certain other treatment to originating goods for purposes of the USMCA, Proclamation 10053 modified the HTS as set forth in Annex I of Publication 5060 of the United States International Trade Commission (the “Commission”), entitled “Modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to Implement the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement” (Publication 5060), including by adding general note 11.  Proclamation 10053 further modified the HTS to reflect the termination of tariff treatment under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), as set forth in Annex III of Publication 5060, including by deleting general note 12. 
    5.  In order to implement the initial stage of duty reduction provided for in the USMCA, to provide for future staged reductions in duties for originating goods provided for in the USMCA, and to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to certain goods provided for in the USMCA, Proclamation 10053 modified the HTS as set forth in Annex II of Publication 5060.  
    6.  A technical error was made in the modifications to U.S. note 3(d) to subchapter II of chapter 98 of the HTS, and certain references to general note 12 were inadvertently not modified.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the USMCA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.  
    7.  Proclamation 7987 of February 28, 2006, implemented the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to section 201 of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the “DR-CAFTA Act”) (Public Law 109-53, 119 Stat. 462, 467 (19 U.S.C. 4001 note)), incorporated in the HTS the tariff modifications and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out certain provisions of the DR-CAFTA.  
    8.  A rule of origin under the DR-CAFTA, found in general note 29 to the HTS, contains a reference to general note 12.  Proclamation 10053 deleted general note 12 but omitted a conforming change to the reference in general note 29.  I have determined that an additional modification to the HTS is necessary or appropriate to reflect this conforming change. 
    9.  Section 602 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat. 1182, 2152-54), made technical corrections to other laws, including replacing certain references to the NAFTA with references to the USMCA in sections 112 and 113(b) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (the “AGOA”) (title I of Public Law 106-200, 114 Stat. 251, 258-265 (19 U.S.C. 3721, 3722(b))), as amended by the Africa Investment Incentive Act of 2006 (title VI of Public Law 109-432, 120 Stat. 2922, 3190-94), and in sections 212(a), 213(b), and 213A(b) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (the “CBERA”) (title II of Public Law 98-67, 97 Stat. 369, 384-85, 388 (19 U.S.C. 2702(a)(1), 2703(b), 2703a(b))), as amended by the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (title II of Public Law 106-200, 114 Stat. 251, 275-288), the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006 (title V of Public Law 109-432, 109 Stat. 2922, 3181-87), and the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2008 (subtitle D of Public Law 110-234, 122 Stat. 923, 1527-47).
    10.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA and the CBERA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.
    11.  Section 104(c) of the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 (the “TPEA”) (Public Law 114–27, 129 Stat. 362, 365 (19 U.S.C. 2466a note)) authorizes the President to proclaim modifications that may be necessary to add the special tariff treatment symbol “D” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS for each article classified under a heading or subheading with the special tariff treatment symbol “A” or “A” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS.  Pursuant to section 104(c) of the TPEA, Proclamation 9466 of June 30, 2016, modified the HTS to add the special tariff treatment symbol “D” in the HTS as set forth in Annex III of that proclamation.     12.  The modifications to the HTS authorized in Proclamation 9466 included certain technical errors.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA, as authorized by section 104(c) of the TPEA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.     13.  Proclamation 6763 of December 23, 1994, implemented, with respect to the United States, the trade agreements resulting from the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, including Schedule XX-United States of America, annexed to the Marrakesh Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (Schedule XX), that were entered into pursuant to sections 1102(a) and (e) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (the “1988 Act”) (Public Law 100-418, 102 Stat. 1107, 1126 (19 U.S.C. 2902(a) and (e))), as amended by Public Law 103-49, 107 Stat. 239, and approved in section 101(a) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (the “URAA”) (Public Law 103-465, 108 Stat. 4809, 4814–15 (19 U.S.C. 3511(a))).      14.  Pursuant to the authority provided in section 111 of the URAA (19 U.S.C. 3521) and sections 1102(a) and (e) of the 1988 Act (19 U.S.C. 2902(a) and (e)), Proclamation 6763 included the staged reductions in rates of duty that the President determined to be necessary or appropriate to carry out the terms of Schedule XX.     15.  Section 1205(a) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1150 (19 U.S.C. 3005(a))) directs the Commission to keep the HTS under continuous review and to periodically recommend to the President such modifications to the HTS as the Commission considers necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes set forth in that subsection.     16.  Pursuant to sections 1205(c) and (d) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1150-51 (19 U.S.C. 3005(c) and (d))), in 2010, 2015, and 2021, the Commission recommended modifications to the HTS to conform the HTS to amendments made to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and the Protocol thereto (the “Convention”).     17.  Section 1206(a) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1151 (19 U.S.C. 3006(a))) authorizes the President to proclaim modifications to the HTS based on the recommendations of the Commission under section 1205 of the 1988 Act if the President determines that the modifications are in conformity with United States obligations under the Convention and do not run counter to the national economic interest of the United States.     18.  Proclamation 8771 of December 29, 2011, Proclamation 9549 of December 1, 2016, and Proclamation 10326 of December 23, 2021, modified the HTS pursuant to section 1206 of the 1988 Act to conform the HTS to the amendments to the Convention.  However, the HTS modifications authorized in Proclamation 8771, Proclamation 9549, and Proclamation 10326 each included certain technical errors.     19.  Proclamation 8771 incorrectly modified the column 2 rate of duty for subheadings 0401.40.25 and 0401.50.25, and the “General” subcolumn rate of duty for column 1 and the column 2 rate of duty for subheading 6505.00.01.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment.     20.  Proclamation 9549 and Proclamation 10326 each created certain new subheadings with the special tariff treatment symbol “A” or “A” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS, but omitted the special tariff treatment symbol “D”.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.
    21.  Proclamation 10326 also included technical errors with respect to other subheadings.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment, including the tariff treatment previously proclaimed in Proclamation 6763.
    22.  In Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018, pursuant to section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (the “Trade Expansion Act”) (Public Law 87-794, 76 Stat. 872, 877 (19 U.S.C. 1862)), the President concurred with the finding of the Secretary of Commerce that steel articles, as defined in clause 1 of Proclamation 9705 (as amended by clause 8 of Proclamation 9711 of March 22, 2018), are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States, and decided to adjust the imports of steel articles by imposing a 25 percent ad valorem tariff on such articles imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico.  Proclamation 9740 of April 30, 2018, and Proclamation 9759 of May 31, 2018, modified the HTS to provide quotas with respect to steel articles imported from certain countries.  Proclamation 10328 of December 27, 2021, Proclamation 10356 of March 31, 2022, Proclamation 10406 of May 31, 2022, and Proclamation 10691 of December 28, 2023, modified the HTS to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to steel articles imported from certain countries. 
    23.  On July 1, 2024, the Commission, in cooperation with the interagency Committee for Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules, implemented certain changes in 10-digit statistical reporting categories of the HTS under section 484(f) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (ch. 497, 46 Stat. 590, 723 (19 U.S.C. 1484(f))), as amended by section 637 of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Public Law 103-182, 107 Stat. 2057, 2202).  I have determined that certain conforming amendments to the HTS are necessary in order to ensure the maintenance of duty rates, quotas, and tariff-rate quotas for steel articles under tariff categories that were modified.
    24.  Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the “Trade Act”) (Public Law 93-618, 88 Stat. 1978, 2073 (19 U.S.C. 2483)), authorizes the President to embody in the HTS the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and of other acts affecting import treatment, and actions taken thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.  
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including but not limited to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act, section 104(c) of the TPEA, section 1206(a) of the 1988 Act, section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, and section 604 of the Trade Act, do proclaim that:  
    (1)  In order to implement tariff commitments under the 2004 Agreement through December 31, 2025, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex I of this proclamation.
    (2)  The modifications and technical rectifications to the HTS made by Annex I of this proclamation shall enter into effect on the applicable dates set forth in Annex I of this proclamation.
    (3)  In order to make the modifications and technical rectifications to the HTS described in paragraphs 3 through 24 of this proclamation, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex II of this proclamation.  These modifications and technical rectifications shall enter into effect on the applicable dates set forth in Annex II of this proclamation.
    (4)  Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                        JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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     By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including chapter 47 of title 10, United States Code (Uniform Code of Military Justice, 10 U.S.C. 801-946a), and in order to prescribe additions and amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, prescribed by Executive Order 12473 of April 13, 1984, as amended, it is hereby ordered as follows:

     Section 1.  Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V of the Manual for Courts-Martial, United States, are amended as described in the Annex attached to and made a part of this order.

     Sec. 2.  With this order, I hereby prescribe regulations for the randomized selection of qualified personnel as members of a court-martial to the maximum extent practicable, pursuant to section 543 of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023, Public Law 117-263 (10 U.S.C. 825(e)(4)).

     Sec. 3.  Except as provided in sections 4 and 5 of this order, these amendments shall take effect on the date of this order, subject to the following:

     (a)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the date of this order that was not punishable when committed or omitted.

     (b)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the date of this order, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if these amendments had not been prescribed.

     Sec. 4.  The amendments to Rule for Courts-Martial (R.C.M.) 908(c)(3), R.C.M. 1205(a), and R.C.M. 1209(a)(1) shall take effect on December 22, 2024, subject to the following:

     (a)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the effective date that was not punishable when committed or omitted.

     (b)  Nothing in these amendments shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the  effective date, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if these amendments had not been prescribed.

     Sec. 5.  The amendment to R.C.M. 503(a)(1) shall take effect on December 23, 2024, subject to the following:

     (a)  Nothing in this amendment shall be construed to make punishable any act committed or omitted prior to the effective date that was not punishable when committed or omitted.

     (b)  Nothing in this amendment shall be construed to invalidate any nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action begun prior to the  effective date, and any such nonjudicial punishment proceeding, restraint, preliminary hearing, referral of charges, trial in which arraignment occurred, or other action may proceed in the same manner and with the same effect as if this amendment had not been prescribed.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    December 20, 2024.

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     By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

     Section 1.  Amendments to Executive Order 12793, as Amended.  Executive Order 12793 of March 20, 1992 (Continuing the Presidential Service Certificate and the Presidential Service Badge), as amended by Executive Order 13286 of February 28, 2003 (Amendment of Executive Orders, and Other Actions, in Connection With the Transfer of Certain Functions to the Secretary of Homeland Security), is further amended by:

     (a)  Amending section 1 to read as follows:

     “Section 1.  Presidential Service Certificate.  The Presidential Service Certificate (Certificate) is hereby continued, the design of which accompanies and is hereby made a part of this order.  The Certificate shall be awarded in the name of the President of the United States to members of the United States Uniformed Services who have been assigned to the White House Office; to military units and support facilities under the administration of the White House Military Office; or to other direct support positions within the Executive Office of the President (EOP).  The Certificate shall be awarded by the Secretary of the military department concerned, or, when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy, by the Secretary of Homeland Security, and, in the case of members of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, by the Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, respectively.  The Certificate shall not be issued to any member who is issued a Vice Presidential Certificate, or similar EOP Certificate, for the same period of service.  Such assignment must be for a period of at least 1 year, subsequent to January 21, 1989.”; and

     (b)  Amending section 2 to read as follows:

     “Sec. 2.  Presidential Service Badge.  The Presidential Service Badge (Badge) is hereby continued, the design of which accompanies and is hereby made a part of this order.  The Badge shall be awarded to those members of the United States Uniformed Services who have been granted the Certificate and shall be awarded in the same manner in which the Certificate has been given.  The Badge shall be worn as a part of the uniform of those individuals under such regulations as their respective Secretaries may severally prescribe.”.

     Sec. 2.  Amendments to Executive Order 11926, as Amended.  Executive Order 11926 of July 19, 1976 (The Vice Presidential Service Badge), as amended by Executive Order 13286 and by Executive Order 13373 of March 10, 2005 (Amendments to Executive Order 11926 Relating to the Vice Presidential Service Badge), is further amended by:

     (a)  Amending section 1 to read as follows:

     “Section 1.  There is established a Vice Presidential Service Badge to be awarded in the name of the Vice President of the United States of America to members of the United States Uniformed Services who have been assigned to duty in the Office of the Vice President for a period of at least 1 year subsequent to December 19, 1974, or who have been assigned to perform duties predominantly for the Vice President for a period of at least 1 year subsequent to January 20, 2001, in the implementation of Public Law 93-346, as amended, or in military units and support facilities to which section 1 of Executive Order 12793 of March 20, 1992, as amended, refers.”;

     (b)  Amending section 2 to read as follows:

     “Sec. 2.  The Vice Presidential Service Badge may be awarded, upon recommendation of the Vice President’s designee (with the concurrence of the Director of the White House Military Office in the case of personnel in military units or support facilities to which section 1 of Executive Order 12793, as amended, refers), by the Secretary of the military department concerned, or, when the Coast Guard is not operating as a service in the Navy, by the Secretary of Homeland Security, to military personnel of their respective services who have been assigned to duty in the Office of the Vice President and, in the case of members of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service so assigned, by the Secretary of Commerce or the Secretary of Health and Human Services, respectively.”;

     (c)  Amending section 4 to read as follows:

     “Sec. 4.  Upon award, the Vice Presidential Service Badge may be worn as a part of the uniform of an individual both during and after their assignment to duty in the Office of the Vice President.”; and

     (d)  Amending section 6 to read as follows:

     “Sec. 6.  Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1 and 2 of this order, any member of the United States Uniformed Services, who has been assigned to duty in the Office of the Vice President, or who has been assigned to perform duties predominantly for the Vice President, in the implementation of Public Law 93-346, as amended, or in military units and support facilities to which section 1 of Executive Order 12793, as amended, refers, is authorized, unless otherwise directed by the Director of the White House Military Office in the case of personnel in military units and support facilities to which section 1 of Executive Order 12793, as amended, refers, to wear the Vice Presidential Service Badge on their uniform commencing on the first day of such duty and thereafter while assigned to such duty.”.

     Sec. 3.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

     (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

     (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    December 20, 2024.

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     1.  On April 22, 1985, the United States and Israel entered into the Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Israel (USIFTA), which the Congress approved in section 3 of the United States–Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act of 1985 (the “USIFTA Implementation Act”) (Public Law 99-47, 99 Stat. 82 (19 U.S.C. 2112 note)).  Section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act provides that, whenever the President determines that it is necessary to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, the President may proclaim such withdrawal, suspension, modification, or continuance of any duty, or such continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or such additional duties, as the President determines to be required or appropriate to carry out the USIFTA.  In order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to agricultural trade with Israel, on July 27, 2004, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel concerning certain aspects of trade in agricultural products during the period January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2008 (United States-Israel Agreement Concerning Certain Aspects of Trade in Agricultural Products (the “2004 Agreement”)). 
    2.  In Proclamation 7826 of October 4, 2004, the President determined, pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act and consistent with the 2004 Agreement, that, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, it was necessary to provide duty-free access into the United States through December 31, 2008, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel.  Each year from 2008 through 2023, the United States and Israel entered into agreements to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement was in force for 1-year periods to allow additional time for the two governments to conclude an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement.  To carry out the extension agreements, the President in Proclamations 8334 of December 31, 2008; 8467 of December 23, 2009; 8618 of December 21, 2010; 8770 of December 29, 2011; 8921 of December 20, 2012; 9072 of December 23, 2013; 9223 of December 23, 2014; 9383 of December 21, 2015; 9555 of December 15, 2016; 9687 of December 22, 2017; 9834 of December 21, 2018; 9974 of December 26, 2019; 10128 of December 22, 2020; 10326 of December 23, 2021; 10509 of December 23, 2022; and 10692 of December 29, 2023, modified the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) to provide duty-free access into the United States for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, each time for an additional 1-year period.  On October 31, 2024, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement is in force through December 31, 2025, and to allow for further negotiations on an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement.  Pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act, I have determined that it is necessary, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, to provide duty-free access into the United States through the close of December 31, 2025, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, as provided in Annex I of this proclamation.
    3.  Proclamation 10053 of June 29, 2020, implemented the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States, and Canada (USMCA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to section 103 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (the “USMCA Implementation Act”) (Public Law 116-113, 134 Stat. 11, 15-17 (19 U.S.C. 4513)), incorporated in the HTS the tariff modifications and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out the USMCA.
    4.  In order to provide generally for the preferential tariff treatment being accorded under the USMCA, to set forth rules for determining whether goods imported into the customs territory of the United States are eligible for preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA, to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to certain originating goods of Canada, and to provide certain other treatment to originating goods for purposes of the USMCA, Proclamation 10053 modified the HTS as set forth in Annex I of Publication 5060 of the United States International Trade Commission (the “Commission”), entitled “Modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to Implement the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement” (Publication 5060), including by adding general note 11.  Proclamation 10053 further modified the HTS to reflect the termination of tariff treatment under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), as set forth in Annex III of Publication 5060, including by deleting general note 12. 
    5.  In order to implement the initial stage of duty reduction provided for in the USMCA, to provide for future staged reductions in duties for originating goods provided for in the USMCA, and to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to certain goods provided for in the USMCA, Proclamation 10053 modified the HTS as set forth in Annex II of Publication 5060.  
    6.  A technical error was made in the modifications to U.S. note 3(d) to subchapter II of chapter 98 of the HTS, and certain references to general note 12 were inadvertently not modified.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the USMCA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.  
    7.  Proclamation 7987 of February 28, 2006, implemented the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to section 201 of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the “DR-CAFTA Act”) (Public Law 109-53, 119 Stat. 462, 467 (19 U.S.C. 4001 note)), incorporated in the HTS the tariff modifications and rules of origin necessary or appropriate to carry out certain provisions of the DR-CAFTA.  
    8.  A rule of origin under the DR-CAFTA, found in general note 29 to the HTS, contains a reference to general note 12.  Proclamation 10053 deleted general note 12 but omitted a conforming change to the reference in general note 29.  I have determined that an additional modification to the HTS is necessary or appropriate to reflect this conforming change. 
    9.  Section 602 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116-260, 134 Stat. 1182, 2152-54), made technical corrections to other laws, including replacing certain references to the NAFTA with references to the USMCA in sections 112 and 113(b) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (the “AGOA”) (title I of Public Law 106-200, 114 Stat. 251, 258-265 (19 U.S.C. 3721, 3722(b))), as amended by the Africa Investment Incentive Act of 2006 (title VI of Public Law 109-432, 120 Stat. 2922, 3190-94), and in sections 212(a), 213(b), and 213A(b) of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (the “CBERA”) (title II of Public Law 98-67, 97 Stat. 369, 384-85, 388 (19 U.S.C. 2702(a)(1), 2703(b), 2703a(b))), as amended by the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (title II of Public Law 106-200, 114 Stat. 251, 275-288), the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006 (title V of Public Law 109-432, 109 Stat. 2922, 3181-87), and the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2008 (subtitle D of Public Law 110-234, 122 Stat. 923, 1527-47).
    10.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA and the CBERA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.
    11.  Section 104(c) of the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 (the “TPEA”) (Public Law 114–27, 129 Stat. 362, 365 (19 U.S.C. 2466a note)) authorizes the President to proclaim modifications that may be necessary to add the special tariff treatment symbol “D” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS for each article classified under a heading or subheading with the special tariff treatment symbol “A” or “A” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS.  Pursuant to section 104(c) of the TPEA, Proclamation 9466 of June 30, 2016, modified the HTS to add the special tariff treatment symbol “D” in the HTS as set forth in Annex III of that proclamation.     12.  The modifications to the HTS authorized in Proclamation 9466 included certain technical errors.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA, as authorized by section 104(c) of the TPEA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.     13.  Proclamation 6763 of December 23, 1994, implemented, with respect to the United States, the trade agreements resulting from the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations, including Schedule XX-United States of America, annexed to the Marrakesh Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (Schedule XX), that were entered into pursuant to sections 1102(a) and (e) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (the “1988 Act”) (Public Law 100-418, 102 Stat. 1107, 1126 (19 U.S.C. 2902(a) and (e))), as amended by Public Law 103-49, 107 Stat. 239, and approved in section 101(a) of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (the “URAA”) (Public Law 103-465, 108 Stat. 4809, 4814–15 (19 U.S.C. 3511(a))).      14.  Pursuant to the authority provided in section 111 of the URAA (19 U.S.C. 3521) and sections 1102(a) and (e) of the 1988 Act (19 U.S.C. 2902(a) and (e)), Proclamation 6763 included the staged reductions in rates of duty that the President determined to be necessary or appropriate to carry out the terms of Schedule XX.     15.  Section 1205(a) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1150 (19 U.S.C. 3005(a))) directs the Commission to keep the HTS under continuous review and to periodically recommend to the President such modifications to the HTS as the Commission considers necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes set forth in that subsection.     16.  Pursuant to sections 1205(c) and (d) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1150-51 (19 U.S.C. 3005(c) and (d))), in 2010, 2015, and 2021, the Commission recommended modifications to the HTS to conform the HTS to amendments made to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and the Protocol thereto (the “Convention”).     17.  Section 1206(a) of the 1988 Act (102 Stat. 1151 (19 U.S.C. 3006(a))) authorizes the President to proclaim modifications to the HTS based on the recommendations of the Commission under section 1205 of the 1988 Act if the President determines that the modifications are in conformity with United States obligations under the Convention and do not run counter to the national economic interest of the United States.     18.  Proclamation 8771 of December 29, 2011, Proclamation 9549 of December 1, 2016, and Proclamation 10326 of December 23, 2021, modified the HTS pursuant to section 1206 of the 1988 Act to conform the HTS to the amendments to the Convention.  However, the HTS modifications authorized in Proclamation 8771, Proclamation 9549, and Proclamation 10326 each included certain technical errors.     19.  Proclamation 8771 incorrectly modified the column 2 rate of duty for subheadings 0401.40.25 and 0401.50.25, and the “General” subcolumn rate of duty for column 1 and the column 2 rate of duty for subheading 6505.00.01.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment.     20.  Proclamation 9549 and Proclamation 10326 each created certain new subheadings with the special tariff treatment symbol “A” or “A” in the “Special” subcolumn of the HTS, but omitted the special tariff treatment symbol “D”.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment under the AGOA, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.
    21.  Proclamation 10326 also included technical errors with respect to other subheadings.  I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to provide for the intended tariff treatment, including the tariff treatment previously proclaimed in Proclamation 6763.
    22.  In Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018, pursuant to section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (the “Trade Expansion Act”) (Public Law 87-794, 76 Stat. 872, 877 (19 U.S.C. 1862)), the President concurred with the finding of the Secretary of Commerce that steel articles, as defined in clause 1 of Proclamation 9705 (as amended by clause 8 of Proclamation 9711 of March 22, 2018), are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States, and decided to adjust the imports of steel articles by imposing a 25 percent ad valorem tariff on such articles imported from all countries except Canada and Mexico.  Proclamation 9740 of April 30, 2018, and Proclamation 9759 of May 31, 2018, modified the HTS to provide quotas with respect to steel articles imported from certain countries.  Proclamation 10328 of December 27, 2021, Proclamation 10356 of March 31, 2022, Proclamation 10406 of May 31, 2022, and Proclamation 10691 of December 28, 2023, modified the HTS to provide tariff-rate quotas with respect to steel articles imported from certain countries. 
    23.  On July 1, 2024, the Commission, in cooperation with the interagency Committee for Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules, implemented certain changes in 10-digit statistical reporting categories of the HTS under section 484(f) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (ch. 497, 46 Stat. 590, 723 (19 U.S.C. 1484(f))), as amended by section 637 of the North American Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Public Law 103-182, 107 Stat. 2057, 2202).  I have determined that certain conforming amendments to the HTS are necessary in order to ensure the maintenance of duty rates, quotas, and tariff-rate quotas for steel articles under tariff categories that were modified.
    24.  Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the “Trade Act”) (Public Law 93-618, 88 Stat. 1978, 2073 (19 U.S.C. 2483)), authorizes the President to embody in the HTS the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and of other acts affecting import treatment, and actions taken thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.  
    NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including but not limited to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act, section 104(c) of the TPEA, section 1206(a) of the 1988 Act, section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, and section 604 of the Trade Act, do proclaim that:  
    (1)  In order to implement tariff commitments under the 2004 Agreement through December 31, 2025, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex I of this proclamation.
    (2)  The modifications and technical rectifications to the HTS made by Annex I of this proclamation shall enter into effect on the applicable dates set forth in Annex I of this proclamation.
    (3)  In order to make the modifications and technical rectifications to the HTS described in paragraphs 3 through 24 of this proclamation, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex II of this proclamation.  These modifications and technical rectifications shall enter into effect on the applicable dates set forth in Annex II of this proclamation.
    (4)  Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twentieth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                        JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:32 P.M. EST

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Good afternoon, everyone. 

Q    Hello.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  A few things at the top.

So, as we announced yesterday, the president will travel to Rome, Italy, in early January to meet separately with His Holiness Pope Francis; president of Italy, Sergio Marttarella [Mattarella]; and prime minister of Italy Meleni — Meloni, pardon me — Giorgia Meloni.

The president will have an audience with the pope to discuss efforts to advance peace around the world.  And during his meetings with the Italian leaders, he will highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year, and discuss important challenges facing the world.

We will provide more information in the days to come.

And next, earlier this week, as you all saw, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation announced a $1 billion financial initiative to support cons- — conservation of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

This is a result of the president’s recent trip to the Amazon and a continuation of the administration’s effort to support innovative ways to address climate change through sustainable growth and development without burdening countries facing financial constraints.

Switching gears just for a second here.  Today, President Biden announced student debt cancelation for another 55,000 public service — public service workers, bringing the total number in- — of individuals who have been approved for student debt relief under his administration to nearly 5 million people.

The pe- — the people approved for debts cancelation today include teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials, and other public service workers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities and who are finally earning the relief they are entitled to under the law.

Under the Biden-Harris administration, more than 1 million public service workers have received debt — student debt relief, more than all other — more than all other administrations combined since the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program was first established by Congress in 2007.

And finally, yesterday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection published their November 2024 data, which shows that since President Biden’s — announced new executive actions to secure the border on June 4th, unlawful border crossing have dropped by more than 60 percent.  That’s the lowest levels in four and a half years.

The Biden-Harris administration has implemented an effective and balanced approach to secure our border and make our immigration system more fair and just.

With that, Colleen, what you got?

Q    Thanks, Karine.  So, I wondered if the president has spoken to any lawmakers personally about the potential for a shutdown.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, let me first say this — and I know you’ve seen our statements coming from — from here this week about this particular issue.  And we’ll just continue to reiterate that Republicans blew up this deal.  They did.  And they need to fix this, period.  They have to.

Republican needs to stop playing politics with a government shutdown.  And they are doing the bidding — they’re doing the bil- — bidding of their billionaire friends — that’s what we’re seeing — at the expense of hardworking Americans.

And just to quote you something that we saw today, and I’m sure you all saw from the poach- — Punchbowl News, which is, and I quote, “This has been an absolute disastrous week for the speaker; the president-elect, Donald Trump; and Republicans on — on Capitol Hill.” 

This is a mess that they created, and they need to fix this.

On your question, the president — I can confirm, just moments ago, the president was able to connect with Leader Schumer and Leader Jeffries.  And — and also, just to add, that the president does indeed get regular updates.  He has been getting red- — regular updates from his team.  His team has been in touch with members — congressional members from both sides of the aisle.  And certainly, he will continue to stay updated.

Q    Has there been any communication between the president or the administration and the incoming administration on this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I think the pres- — I think we have to be really clear here, and that is, this is a mess that Speaker — Speaker Johnson created.  It is his mess to fix.  There was a deal on the table.  They wa- — a bipartisan deal.  A bipartisan deal.  In this day and age, they were able to come up with a bipartisan deal. 

And, you know, that agreement, Speaker Johnson needs to stick to.  He needs to hold his commitment to that agreement.  And so, they have to fix this.  This is their — this is their mess that they created, and they need to fix it.

And let’s not forget, we’re ta- — not just — when we talk about keeping the government opening — open, we’re talking about providing fu- — funds for disasters — disaster recovery efforts, loweri- — to lower costs of prescription drugs.  That’s what we’re talking about. 

And the impact of this would hurt our veterans and would hurt vulnerable Americans across the country.  That’s what we’re talking about.  And Republicans need to do their job, and they need to uphold their side of the deal here.

Go ahead, Selina.

Q    Thanks, Karine.  Why hasn’t President Biden said anything in the public about this?  Don’t the American people deserve to know why millions of federal workers could enter this holiday period without a paycheck?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, Americans need to know that Republicans are getting in the way here and they are the ones who have created this mess.  That’s the reality.  That’s the fact. 

And the president — and let me just take a step back.  We — this is not the first time we’ve been here, and the president has had this approach before.  He understands how Congress works.  He’s been around for some time.  He understand what strategy works here to get this done. 

So, this is not — this is not the first time that we’re — I’m being asked this question about the president and his outreach.  I just mentioned he made two calls.  He was in touch — he was in touch with the leader — the Democratic leaders of both the House and the Senate, Schumer and — and Jeffries.  So — and his team is continuing to have that conversation. 

But this is the mess that was created by Speaker Johnson.  He needs to fix this.  That’s what the American people need to be very clear about — very clear. 

There was a bipartisan agreement, and he’s not holding up his side of the bargain here. 

Q    Right.  We hear that message from you, but why aren’t we hearing that directly from the president?  Why haven’t we seen or heard from President Biden himself?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  This is something — this is a strategy that we have done many times before.  Not the first time.  And this is for Republicans in Congress — in the House, specifically — to fix.  They created this mess. 

There was a bipartisan agreement.  There was.  There was a bipartisan agreement —

Q    So, the president doesn’t feel the need to come in front of cameras to speak directly to the American people?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  There was a bipartisan agreement.  There was a bipartisan agreement. 

And so, what we want to do and what we want to — what the president wants to make sure we do is — he stands to — ready to help get a bipartisan deal through.  That’s what he wants to see. 

And, you know, this is something that Republicans should own here.  What they tried to jam at the eleventh hour doesn’t reflect and — what the deal — what that bipartisan deal that they came up with — obviously, with Democrats.  And, you know, they’re showing — Republicans are showing a disregard for the American public — people.

Q    And, just lastly, some leading Democrats are calling Elon Musk “President Musk” or “Copresident Musk.”  What is the White House’s and President Biden’s reaction to this labeling of Elon Musk and whether or not House Republicans are listening more to this billionaire than the president-elect?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What I can say is congressional Republicans, at the direction — and you all know this; you all reported this — of President Trump and Elon Musk are, you know, trying to pave the way — what they’re doing is trying to pave the way for $5 trillion to nat- — to our national debt.  That’s what this decision does.

I mean, you’re talking about with — cuts for billionaires, slashing Social Security, slashing Medicare, slashing Head Start. 

Congressional Republicans did what they did because of what the president-elect said and what Elon Musk said.  That’s the reality.  You guys all reported this.  That’s why we are where we are today. 

So, this is for Speaker Johnson to fix.  This is the mess that he created.  He needs to fix this.

Again, a bipartisan agreement.  There is a bipartisan

agreement. 

Go ahead.

Q    Thanks, Karine.  Would the president support a four-bill strategy that we’ve seen discussed today, which would separate a clean CR from a Farm Bill extension and disaster aid and a debt limit increase?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m not going to get into hypotheticals.

What I can say is there is a bi- — I’m going to get very repetitive here, because it is true and it needs to be said.  There is a bipartisan agreement.  There’s a deal that was agreed upon, and that’s what they need to move forward with. 

And when I mean “they,” I mean the Republicans in Congress.  They need to move forward with that deal.  That’s what they said w- — the deal that was agreed upon, that’s what they said they would move forward with.  The speaker said that, and he’s not holding up his side of the bargain.  He’s not.  His side of the deal, he is not holding up.

Q    Any response to President-elect Trump’s statements this morning that “This is a Biden problem, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will”?  I imagine you’ll repeat some of what you just said, but in response to that —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Congressional Republicans made their decision because of what the president-elect said — at their direction — the direction of the president-elect and the r- —  direction of Elon Musk. 

There was a bipartisan deal on the table.  They were moving forward.  The speaker agreed to do this — to move forward the bipartisan deal.  And they stopped that because of what the president-elect said and what Elon Musk said.  They wanted to clear a way for their billionaire friends — a tax cut — $5 trillion — $5 trillion to the national debt with tax cuts to billionaires — for billionaires. 

So, that’s the reality.  You all have reported this.  We’ve seen this.  We saw — we saw what was being stated, what was being put out there by the president-elect and Elon Musk.  There’s no hiding from that.  That’s the reality. 

And — and so, you know, we’re talking about — this is not politics here.  We’re talking about American — the American people who need these programs — who need it.

And so, Political [Politico] Playbook said — had to say — what they had to say about this: “Trump picked the fight.”  He picked the fight.  “And it was Trump — well, with — him and Elon Musk — who sank the bipartisan deal.”

That’s what you all are reporting.  You can’t — you can’t twist the facts or change history here. 

Go ahead.

Q    So, based on the White House’s assessment of where things stand right now on Capitol Hill, should Americans be prepared for the government to shut down tonight at midnight?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  There’s still time.  We believe there’s still time for that to not happen; for Republicans to do the right thing, to hold up their part of the deal and move forward with the bipartisan agreement.  There’s still time. 

And our focus is keeping the government open.  That’s what we want to see, and we hope Republicans want to do that — Republicans in Congress want to do that as well.  And there’s still time. 

Q    And we’ve talked a little bit here about how the president really has not been a player at all in these negotiations.  I know you said he spoke with Schumer and Jeffries today.  But what exactly is the strategy behind that?  Is there a sense that perhaps having him involved at this moment would do more harm than good?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I just — I just — I kind of took this question.  I got some formulation of that question moments ago.  The president knows how to deal with Congress.  He’s been around for some time, as you all know.  And this is not the first time that we’ve had this strategy where we have said it is Congress’s — one of their number one jobs is to keep the government open. 

In this particular instance, you saw what Republicans did with Speaker Johnson, obviously, leading us to this mess, to where we are right now.  And they need to fix it, period.  It is their mess to fix.  It is.  There was a deal — a bipartisan deal — there was — just days ago. 

And they created this mess.  Speaker Johnson needs to fix this.  Republicans in Congress needs to fix this.  It is their mess to fix, and they allowed this bipartisan deal to be scuttled by the president-elect. 

Q    And if the government shuts down for an extended period of time, would President Biden commit to remaining here in Washington and not going through with his holiday plans?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t have anything.  I can’t get into hypotheticals.  I don’t have anything to share on this.  We believe, as I just said moments ago, there’s still time to get to a bipar- — to get to a deal here or move forward — I shouldn’t say “get to a deal” — move forward with a bipartisan agreement. 

They can avoid a shutdown.  They can.  They were on their way to doing that, and it was scuttled by the president-elect and Elon Musk.  This is why we’re here today.  That’s why we’re here today. 

Go ahead.  Yep.  Go ahead.

Q    Karine, you said that House Speaker Mike Johnson needs to fix this.  Has President Biden spoken to the House speaker, or does he have any plans to?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’ve answered this in so many ways, and I’m going to answer it now.  We got to be really clear.  Speaker Johnson created this mess, and he needs to fix it.  I don’t have anything else to add beyond that. 

He knows — the speaker knows how to fix this.  They got to a bipartisan deal.  He said he was going to move forward with it.  They stopped it because of the direction that they were given by the president-elect and Elon Musk. 

And right now, we need to focus and we need to continue to focus on the American people.  We’re talking about shutting down the government.  That will impact veterans’ programs, services that Americans truly need. 

They know how to fix this.  Republicans actually know how to fix this.  That’s why they — they were able to get a bipartisan agreement on the table. 

They know, in order to move forward with this, you need a bipartisan agreement, and there was one, and they did not move forward with it because of what they were told by President-elect Trump and also Elon Musk.

Go ahead, Gabe.

Q    Hi, Karine.  I’ll go at the question another way.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    In this moment, is the president leading?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  The president is the president of the United States, and he is leading. 

And to be very clear, as it relates to this, I’ve said this many times before — moments ago — and I’ll say it again.  We have done this strategy before — this is not new — where we have said Congress needs to deal with this.  This is — their number one job is to keep the government open.  And there was an agreement on the — on the table — not just an agreement, a bipartisan agreement. 

Speaker Johnson created this mess.  He needs to fix it, period.  Period.

Q    To be clear, the strategy is he is leading by staying in the background?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  The strategy is the Congress — Republicans, in particular — need to do their jobs and get out of their own way and focus on the American people, not their billionaire friends.  That is what needs to happen, and that’s what the president wants to see. 

Q    Does the president believe that the U.S. debt ceiling should be eliminated?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  You all know where the president stands on this. 

His focus right now is keeping the government open.  That’s what he’s going to focus on. 

Q    The vice president canceled her trip to California.  Can you say why?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  You would have to speak to her office.  I don’t have — I —

Q    And then —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  — I can’t speak to that. 

Q    And then, finally, on Syria, really quickly.  The DOD said yesterday that there are about 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria.  That’s double what the administration has said beforehand.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    Why the discrepancy?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, I would have to refer you to the Department of Defense to speak to troop numbers.  That is their purview.  That is something that we have always been pretty consistent on that they have to speak to. 

I know that they said yesterday that the additional forces are considered temporary, that they are deployed to — to meet shifting mising req- — mission requirements, but I have to leave it to the Department of Defense, to the Pentagon to speak to troops. 

Q    But so — last question, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah. 

Q    And I know you have tried to answer it several times. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  (Laughs.)

Q    But shouldn’t Americans hear from the president of the United States just hours from a shutdown? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What Americans need to know is that you have Republicans in Congress, in the House, who got in a way, who stopped a bipartisan agreement.  They got in the way.  They created this mess. 

And I — and I said this mo- — earlier, when I said — and you all know this; you report this — it is not easy to get to a bipartisan agreement here in this town.  And there was one.

Both sides sat down.  They came to an agreement, which is a good thing for the American people.  We thought we were moving in that direction, and they decided to — Republicans decided to, instead, listen and give — give space to their billionaire friends and not put the American people first.  That’s what is happening.  That’s what we’re seeing. 

Go ahead, Michael.

Q    Thanks, Karine.  Just wondering if you could give us an update on Nippon Steel’s pending purchase of U.S. Steel.  (Coughs.)  Excuse me.  The panel that is reviewing that transaction is expected to issue its recommendation soon.  So, I’m just wondering if you have any update on the timing.  And, also, is the president prepared to accept those recommendations, regardless of what they are, or does he plan to block this transaction?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m not going to get ahead of the president.  I don’t have any announcement to make.  And — and so, I’m just going to leave it there.  Just don’t have anything to share.  Don’t have an announcement to make at this time and certainly not going to get ahead of the president at the podium. 

Q    (Inaudible) even the timing or —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I don’t — you know, CFIUS — that’s a CFIUS review.  They are independent.  We leave it to them to — to make that decision on the timing.  I just don’t have anything to share on this.

Go ahead, Karen.

Q    Could you talk a little bit more about the president’s trip next month to Italy? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    In your statement last night, you said that he had accepted the invitation of the pope to visit next month. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    How did that come about?  Did that just happen on the phone call yesterday? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    Did the president express interest to the Vatican that he wanted to make this trip?  It’s pretty late in a term to be traveling so —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — soon — you know, close to the end like that.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So — so, I don’t have any information for you.  I would have to talk to the team about the timeline. 

Look, the president is looking forward to going back to — to Italy.  As you all know, he’s been there a couple of times in this — in — in his first term — in this term, and so he’s going to — and he’s met, obviously, a couple times in this administration alone with His Holiness Pope Francis, and obviously he’s — he looks forward to that. 

As you know, he is — he is a proud Catholic, and so that is something that he certainly was looking forward to that.  And — and having a conversation about peace around the world.  We know that is an issue that His Holiness cares about. 

I don’t have specifics or — or behind-the-scenes private conversations on how this landed and the timing of this.  What we can share is that it’s happening, the president looks forward to it, and we certainly will have more to share as we get closer, like we normally do when an OCONUS trip —

Q    And should —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  — happens.

Q    — we should we expect domestic travel for the president in January?  Is he going to be out there doing any farewell speeches on policy issues in other parts of the country?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, I would say, stay tuned.  We’ll certainly have more to share about what January will look like for the president.  Don’t have anything to — specifically to announce right now.

Go ahead.

Q    Thank you.  I’m just going to try to ask this a different way.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    The president is still —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  You’re going to get the same answer.  (Laughs.)

Q    — in office.  I — I’m just going to try. 

He’s still in office for —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Feel free.  (Laughs.) 

Q    — a month.  The American people really haven’t heard from him on whether or not the government is going to shut down.  Wouldn’t the message hit differently if the president were out there countering the message that we’re hearing from the president-elect and Elon Musk?  Why isn’t he speaking on this?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Republicans are breaking their word.  They are breaking their word to support a bipartisan agreement.  We would not be in this position if Republicans in the House did not break their word.  That’s where we are. 

And we’re talking about what the agreement — when you look about — when you think about what their agreement would do, it would lower prescription drugs costs and make it harder — make it harder to offshore jobs to China.  We’re talking about veterans who needs some- — this — these services.

And they — instead, what they want to do is they put forth a bill that would pave the way for tax break for billionaires.  That’s what they did.  Instead of going with a bipartisan agreement, they put forth something that would pave the way for their billionaire friends.  That’s not about the American people.  That is just not about the American people.  

And we have been here before when we’re trying to make sure that there’s not a government shutdown.  The president has had the same — kind of the same strategy.  He knows how to work with Congress. 

And so, in this instance, the Republicans blew this deal up.  They did.  They blew it up, and they need to fix it.  This is not for the president to fix.  This is not for us to fix.  This is for Republicans in Congress to fix this — the — the mess that they created. 

Q    But has he expressed any thoughts or feelings on the president-elect and Elon Musk’s —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  You — you —

Q    — inter- —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  You’re —

Q    — talking about this process?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  You’re hearing what I’m saying, right? 

I speak for the president of the United States, so you’re — when I speak for the president of the United States, I’m speaking directly for him.  So, you are hearing where he feels about this, what his thoughts are about this.  And we tr- — believe, and the American people should know this, that Republicans need to fix the mess that they caused. 

The Speaker knows how to get this right.  To get this right is to move forward with a bipartisan agreement — the bipartisan agreement that they had come to not too long ago. 

We thought we were going to move forward with that agreement, and they blew it up.  They blew it up.

Q    Thanks, Karine.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  You’re good?

Go ahead.

Q    Thanks, Karine.  Has agencies, has the government started informing employees who might be furloughed? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    You know, those specific folks, especially heading into the holiday season, are they being informed —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — that they might not get their paycheck? 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, we believe that Co- — there’s still time for Congress to prevent a partial shutdown.  We believe that.  But in the interest of t- — of prudent planning — we want to be prudent here — agencies did start notifying their employees for — of — of their potential furlough today at noon.  And so, on that specific — as it relates to furloughs, I would certainly refer you to OM- — OMB on those specifics. 

Q    And given the high stakes of this shutdown, again during the holiday season —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — affecting people like veterans, police officers —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Exactly.

Q    — et cetera, will the president speak to the American people if there is a shutdown so that they can hear from him directly —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I am not —

Q    — in that moment?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I am not going to get into hypotheticals, because we believe, as I just — the beginning of answering your last questions — that there’s still time to prevent a partial shutdown.  We believe that th- — that Congress — Republicans in Congress could get to a place where they prevent this.

Q    When is the next time that people will hear from the president?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I’m not going to get into hypotheticals.

Q    (Inaudible.)

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  It is very easy — it — I hear your question, but it is very easy to fix this. 

The mess that Republicans created, it is very easy for them to fix this: bipartisan deal agreement.  Move forward.  Keep — keep your word, Republicans in Congress.  Keep your word.  Keep your word. 

Go ahead. 

Q    Thank you, Karine.  I have a question on China.  In the final month of this adm- — administration, we continue to see high-level talks between the U.S. and China, including last week.  Is President Biden making his final effort to strengthen U.S.-China relationship ahead of Trump administration?  And are you concerned those (inaudible) you’ve established with China ma- — might be abandoned next year?  Thank you.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So — and I’m just going to repeat what the president has said, what the national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, have said from this podium ha- — about the relationship — the U.S. relationship with China.  And what the president remains doing is — and is incredibly focused on is managing the most consequential relationship.  You’ve heard both of them say that it is the most consequential relationship.  And it is because of the work of this administration that we are handling — handing off the U.S.-China relationship in a stronger, competitive position. 

Remember, in the beginning of this administration, we would talk about how it is about competition.  That’s how we wanted to kind of see that relationship as well — about competition.  So, that’s what the president and this administration is leaving the incoming relationship.

Under President Biden, we have made America stronger and positioned us to outcompete China through significant investments in the United States, developed closer relationship with our allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, increase our deterrent capabilities, and diminished China’s ability to exploit our most sensitive technologies. 

At the same time, we are carefully managing — and we have carefully managed this relationship through skilled diplomacy to prevent com- — competition from vering — veering into conflict.  Remember, that’s what we want.  We want competition, not conflict. 

So, we’re going to continue to manage this relationship.  I’m not going to get into hypotheticals of what the next administration may or may not do.  But what I can lay out, as I just did, is how the president has focused on this consequential relationship with — with China — the U.S.-China relationship.

Go ahead.

Q    Thank you.  Just following up on Karen’s question on the trip to Italy and what would be the second meeting with the pope.  We all know that for the president, his faith is very important, but this isn’t a trip he’s taking as a private citizen.  This is a —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — a trip he’s taking as head of state. 

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    So, what’s the broader message here?  Why this choice for what might be his final international trip?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, look, we’re going to have more information, as we normally do.  We do background calls, press calls with all of you as we head into an OCONUS.  We’re going to do the same.  Nothing has changed.  And we will lay out the goals, the reasons, what we expect to get out of this trip. 

But I tried to give you a little bit of — of what the president — the logistics of what the — who the president is going to meet and — and the discussions that he’s hoping to have.

And let’s not forget, the prime minister is — she’s — she’s the leader of the G7 right now — right? — and has strong — has shown strong leadership.  So, that’s in- — important, too, to have — for him to — to have that — continue that diplomatic conversations with her as well. 

And so, certainly, we will have more to share as we get closer to — to the travel.

Go ahead.

Q    Thanks, Karine.  There are some Republican lawmakers who are actually advocating for a government shutdown.  One example is Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia.  She says, “Shut it down.”  Can you explain the repercussions of what a partial government shutdown would be for specific groups?  For seniors —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — for veterans, for those that depend on government services, can you explain what —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — this possibility would mean for those individuals?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  And it is sad that I have to explain that.  Really.  They are congressional members.  Their — one of their p- — duties is to keep the government open because, as you just stated, we’re talking about veterans, we’re talking about vulnerable Americans who need services that the federal government provides in order just to make it to the — through the day. 

And it is sad that — you know, what we’re seeing from Republicans is picking their billionaire friends — that’s what they’re doing — not the American people, not our veterans.  And we’re talking about basic services that are needed. 

OMB certainly could dive in and lay out the different programs that will be affect- — that — that will be impacted, that will impact Americans if this indeed happens. 

But, you know, Jon, we can avoid this.  They can avoid this.  This does not have to end this way.  We do not have to end with a government shutdown and — and really put a — a negative impact on American families, a negative impact on — on our veterans. 

This could be avoided.  Republicans in Congress don’t have to go this route.  They don’t.  There was a whole different route that they were going, which would have actually been done in a bipartisan way. 

We believe — this president believes that it is important as we move policies, as we move forward on behalf of the American we- — people, we do it in a bipartisan way.  And they had that deal.

Q    Do you happen to know if there would be a delay of any kind for Social Security recipients from receiving their checks —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — or members of the military from receiving their pay?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  You’re laying out everything that we are concerned about.  Those are the things that we are concerned about.  Yes, those are concerns.

But there’s a way out of this.  There is.  Republicans need to fix this.  They need to fix this mess that they created.  It’s very easy to do.

Q    You do an excellent job advocating on behalf of the president, but do you think the president would do a better job if he was out there making those same ideas —

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    — present to the public in terms of what a shutdown would mean for all of those vulnerable Americans?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What I will say is Republicans need to do their job.  I would not be taking — fielding these questions from you all if Republicans didn’t lead us here.  They did.  They — they created this mess. 

The only reason we’re having this back-and-forth is because Republicans created this mess in Congress — in the House, specifically.  They created this mess, and they can fix it.  They were on their way to fixing this with this bipartisan agreement. 

So, I think the onus is on them to get this right.

Go ahead.

Q    Does the administration have any updates on the whereabouts of Austin Tice compared to last week?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah, I don’t have any updates to share.  Obviously, it is a priority for this president to get Austin home.  That is something that certainly we want to see. 

I will speak to As- — Assistant Secretary Barbara Leaf and Ambassador Roger Carstens’ travel to Damascus, Syria, to engage with Syrian people — with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, and other Syrians, about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them. 

They also met with representatives of the interim authorities to discuss transition pri- — principles shared by the United States and regional partners.

In their meetings — to your question — they stressed the immense importance of finding missing U.S. citizens, including Austin Tice, and bringing them home.  So, that is a — continues to be a priority.

Any specifics about that — that meeting, I would refer you to the State Depart- — Department.  I know at 12:30, the two State — State Department officials held a — a on-the-record press conference.  So, I would refer you to that press conference that they had.  It might still be going, but they certainly were able to talk in more details and take questions about this.  And, again, they — they talk — they touched on — on Austin Tice and this and, more broadly, obviously, bringing U.S. citizens home.

Go ahead.

Q    Does the president have, say, three top priorities for things he still wants to accomplish in the next 31 days he is in office?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, one of the things that I can say is keeping the government open.  Right?  We want to make sure that that happens. 

Congress had a bipartisan agreement.  They should move forward.  Republicans should not get in the way.  Should pi- — should choose the Americ- — American people first, not Republican — Republican or their billionaire friends. 

And so, that is something that we have said many times from here: that that was a priority for this president.

Certainly, we want to continue to implement — excel the implementation of key priorities that the president has had, meaning the bipartisan infrastructure legislation, the CHIPS and Science Act.  We want to make sure that those investments — that continues, and we want to excel on that. 

And we’ve talked about continuing to lower costs as — as it relates to prescription drugs, but lowering costs more broadly, certainly, for the American people. 

And so, that’s our focus.  That’s what we’ve been doing.  And — and we’re going to continue — continue, certainly, to do that.

Q    Can we expect more announcements at — on at least some of those fronts in the next few weeks?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — look, I would say “stay tuned.”  We are trying to truly, truly run through the tape here and get as much done as we can for the American people. 

And we know that the American people wants us to continue to work on behalf — on their behalf, and that’s what the president is going to be focused on.

Q    And then, real briefly, since you mentioned the shutdown — different angle on that question.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Sure.

Q    Potential shutdown, I should say.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    Should the American people be confident that, in the event of a shutdown, there would still be a smooth transition and inauguration process?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  That has been the president’s commitment.  That ha- — and that you’ve heard directly from him.  We want to make sure that there is a responsible — committed to a responsible transition.  And, as you know, his team — he and — he and his team have certainly been working towards that.  The team has been preparing for months to make sure that happens. 

I will say, though, if there is a shutdown — and I don’t want to get too much into hypotheticals, but this is the reality — transition activities will be restricted and — and with limited exceptions, obviously, but — such as prevent imminent threats to the safety of human life or the protection of property.  Those are the things that we would — that — you know, that we would have to be concerned about. 

And so, we’re doing everything to ensure a smooth transition, but the choice to allow a transition to move forward is within the hands of Republicans in Congress. 

You know, we can continue to have this footh transition — smooth transition of power if they stop threatening a shutdown.  And a — and, you know, they have an opportunity — Republicans in Congress have an opportunity to keep the government open so that we can continue — what the president commitment has been for months now is to make sure that there is a smooth transition of power.

AIDE:  Karine, you have time for one more.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay.  

Go ahead.

Q    Just two clarifications.

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.

Q    So, I guess, the first one.  Is this trip to Rome the last foreign trip that the president will take?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  What I can say is the president is going to Italy and is going to go on an OCONUS trip in January.  I — I’m always very careful.  (Laughs.)  Anything could happen.  But what I — what I can say for sure is that the president is certainly going to be going to Italy. 

We announced that.  We’ll have more to share.  I don’t have anything else to share.

Q    And then, secondly, related to the CR.  Given what you said about the president’s views on — on debt limit increases or eliminating the debt limit, does that mean that that would be something that would be vetoed by the president if it reached his desk?

MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I’m not going to get into hypothetical.  I’m just not.

I think what is important here is there is a path forward.  There has been a path forward.  There is a bipartisan agreement that Republicans tanked because of what they were directed to do by Elon Musk and President-elect Trump.  That’s what happened.  That is the reality that we’re in now. 

And this is not the direction that we thought we were going just a couple of days ago. 

And so, Republicans blew up this deal.  They can fix it.  It is their mess to fix, and they have to choose the American people.  They have to do their basic job — is choosing the American people and delivering for them. 

Thanks, everybody.

Q    Thanks, Karine.

1:09 P.M. EST

The post Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared first on The White House.

Today’s report shows that PCE inflation has remained below 2.5% for four months in a row, while yesterday’s report showed GDP grew by 3.1% in the third quarter. Growth has been 3% per year on average since the beginning of 2021, higher than any other presidential term in the 21st century. Prices remain too high for working families, and we will keep fighting to lower costs for families on key items like housing, groceries, and health care.

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The post Statement from National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard on November 2024 PCE and Third Quarter 2024 GDP appeared first on The White House.

Today’s report shows that PCE inflation has remained below 2.5% for four months in a row, while yesterday’s report showed GDP grew by 3.1% in the third quarter. Growth has been 3% per year on average since the beginning of 2021, higher than any other presidential term in the 21st century. Prices remain too high for working families, and we will keep fighting to lower costs for families on key items like housing, groceries, and health care.

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The post Statement from National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard on November 2024 PCE and Third Quarter 2024 GDP appeared first on The White House.

Today, my Administration is announcing student debt cancellation for another 55,000 public service workers, bringing the total number of individuals who have been approved for student debt relief under my Administration to nearly 5 million people through various actions. The public servants approved for debt cancellation today include teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials, and other public service workers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities and who are finally earning the relief they are entitled to under the law.

Over the last four years, we have made significant progress for students and borrowers – including securing the largest increase to the maximum Pell Grant award in over a decade; holding institutions accountable for taking advantage of students; and fixing broken student loan programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income Driven Repayment.

From Day One of my Administration, I promised to make sure that higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. Because of our actions, millions of people across the country now have the breathing room to start businesses, save for retirement, and pursue life plans they had to put on hold because of the burden of student loan debt.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Student Debt Cancellation for Public Service Workers appeared first on The White House.

Today, my Administration is announcing student debt cancellation for another 55,000 public service workers, bringing the total number of individuals who have been approved for student debt relief under my Administration to nearly 5 million people through various actions. The public servants approved for debt cancellation today include teachers, nurses, service members, law enforcement officials, and other public service workers who have dedicated their lives to giving back to their communities and who are finally earning the relief they are entitled to under the law.

Over the last four years, we have made significant progress for students and borrowers – including securing the largest increase to the maximum Pell Grant award in over a decade; holding institutions accountable for taking advantage of students; and fixing broken student loan programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness and Income Driven Repayment.

From Day One of my Administration, I promised to make sure that higher education is a ticket to the middle class, not a barrier to opportunity. Because of our actions, millions of people across the country now have the breathing room to start businesses, save for retirement, and pursue life plans they had to put on hold because of the burden of student loan debt.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Student Debt Cancellation for Public Service Workers appeared first on The White House.

Republicans are doing the bidding of their billionaire benefactors at the expense of hardworking Americans. Republicans are breaking their word to support a bipartisan agreement that would lower prescription drug costs and make it harder to offshore jobs to China—and instead putting forward a bill that paves the way for tax breaks for billionaires while cutting critical programs working families count on, from Social Security to Head Start. President Biden supports the bipartisan agreement to keep the government open, help communities recovering from disasters, and lower costs—not this giveaway for billionaires that Republicans are proposing at the 11th hour.

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The post Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Republicans’ Billionaire Giveaway appeared first on The White House.

Republicans are doing the bidding of their billionaire benefactors at the expense of hardworking Americans. Republicans are breaking their word to support a bipartisan agreement that would lower prescription drug costs and make it harder to offshore jobs to China—and instead putting forward a bill that paves the way for tax breaks for billionaires while cutting critical programs working families count on, from Social Security to Head Start. President Biden supports the bipartisan agreement to keep the government open, help communities recovering from disasters, and lower costs—not this giveaway for billionaires that Republicans are proposing at the 11th hour.

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The post Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Republicans’ Billionaire Giveaway appeared first on The White House.

For decades, the United States has been a leader in combatting infectious diseases. During the 2022 global outbreak of clade II mpox, the Biden-Harris Administration mounted a robust response by making vaccines, tests, and treatment available to those at risk in the United States and abroad. Now, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is experiencing its largest mpox outbreak ever recorded, with more than 50,000 suspect cases in 2024. Multiple neighboring countries have confirmed their first ever mpox cases, and some are also experiencing widespread outbreaks. A handful of travel-related cases have also been recorded in countries outside the Africa region. As we face this outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, the United States is again acting quickly to respond. At the UN General Assembly in September, President Biden announced that the United States is prepared to commit at least $500 million and to donate up to one million doses of mpox vaccines to support African countries in preventing and responding to this outbreak. We are delivering on that commitment, with two-thirds of our global mpox funding pledge fulfilled, and all of our pledged vaccine doses available now for countries that are ready to receive the doses.
 
The United States is also prepared to respond to clade I and clade II mpox cases domestically, with early detection and a robust testing landscape across the country, increased clinician education and community outreach, and widely available mpox vaccines in retail pharmacies and clinics. Travel-associated cases have been detected in Canada, Germany, India, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. In November 2024, the United States also identified one case of clade Ib mpox in a California resident who had recently traveled to an affected country. No further domestic detections have occurred as of December 5, 2024, and the risk to the general public remains low.

Update on the United States’ Support for the Global Mpox Response
 
The Biden-Harris Administration is working closely with countries, as well as regional and global partners, to address the mpox outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa.
 
President Biden’s announcement of United States’ support to the global mpox response aligned with the United States’ longstanding partnership with countries around the world to prepare for health emergencies and to rapidly respond when they occur. To facilitate more effective global and regional collaboration on the mpox response, the United States has worked with partners, including the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and Brazil as G20 President, to transparently compile and share all pledges to support the mpox response, identifying resources that are currently available and remaining financing gaps. This information, captured in the WHO/World Bank Mpox Financial Tracking Mechanism (FTM), will help donors and response countries to more easily identify remaining gaps and sources of financing to fill those gaps. More than 90% of the financing needs for the response have been met.
 
Key Updates on U.S. Support to the Global Mpox Response: 

1. Delivering on Our Commitment to Vaccine Donations: The U.S. government is delivering on our commitment to ensure mpox vaccines get to those most at risk, including by making more than one million vaccine doses available for distribution in countries that are ready to receive them. Vaccine administration is underway using U.S.-donated vaccines. On November 6, WHO and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) allocated the first 305,000 mpox vaccine doses from President Biden’s one million dose commitment to recipient countries via the Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM). With support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and its partners, these doses are being shipped as soon as recipient countries have accepted the offer of vaccines and confirmed their ability to receive, store, and use the vaccine to protect those at risk. The remaining 695,000 vaccine doses are also available for allocation through the AAM, and will be distributed by the United States as soon as impacted countries are ready to receive them. The U.S. Government has already delivered 50,000 mpox vaccines to Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and 10,000 mpox vaccines to Nigeria. Beyond donating vaccine doses, the United States is working with partner governments to get those vaccines to the people who need them most. For example, in DRC, the U.S. government is supporting risk communication and community engagement to raise awareness about mpox vaccination and help reach priority populations, and coordinating with PEPFAR and other programs to leverage existing service delivery channels to reach high-risk populations. 
   
2. Increasing Testing and Treatment Capacity: In addition to financial resources and vaccines, the United States has provided in-kind donations of more than 65,000 individual mpox tests to countries in the region, along with donations of other laboratory supplies and personal protective equipment. For example, in DRC the U.S. Government has trained 80 field epidemiologists working to detect cases, trace and monitor contacts, and increase community awareness of mpox. These epidemiologists are collecting and sending samples to labs for testing, and at the same time, training additional healthcare workers how to do this work. In Burundi, the U.S. government is working with partners to expand mpox treatment capacity at hospitals in the hardest-hit districts, enabling patients to receive the highest-quality clinical care, nutrition, and psychosocial support closer to home.
   
3. Delivering on Our Commitment of Financial Support to Mpox Preparedness and Response: The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are providing more than $57 million to directly support mpox-specific response activities, including disease surveillance, laboratory diagnostic supplies and testing, clinical case management, risk communication and community engagement, infection prevention and control, access to vaccines, and research. This funding is in addition to the more than $487 million in bilateral global health security (GHS) preparedness and response support provided by the United States to mpox-affected countries through USAID and CDC. Ongoing global health security investments protect the health and livelihoods of people living in other countries and prevent health emergencies from threatening the United States. The country-by-country breakdown of U.S. support to mpox preparedness and response is included in the WHO/World Bank Mpox Financial Tracking Mechanism.
   
4. Strengthening Global Health Security: The United States is working with more than 50 countries around the world – including most mpox-affected countries and those at-risk of an mpox outbreak – to build stronger global health security capacities, ensuring countries are better prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies while protecting U.S. national and homeland security. These ongoing partnerships in mpox-affected countries were in place before the current outbreak, and have played a critical role in supporting the response, especially in the early days before mpox-specific response funding became available. Examples of how this U.S. global health security support has been used to prevent, detect, and respond to the mpox outbreak include:

1. In DRC, building on multi-year investments to strengthen laboratory capacity, the United States supported mpox laboratory capacity building and biosafety and biosurveillance training in provincial labs, enabling these labs to safely test for mpox. In addition, the U.S. Government supported the Ministry of Health to develop a national Mpox Risk Communication and Community Engagement Strategy, which was rapidly adapted for the clade I mpox outbreak.

1. When mpox cases were detected in Rwanda, U.S. Government-supported partners deployed epidemiologists to 10 high-risk districts to provide technical guidance to Public Health Emergency Management Committees and to train 17 Rapid Response Teams. The U.S. Government also supported procurement of test kits and provided training for over 12,600 frontline health workers across 20 districts in infection prevention and control, mpox screening, and case management.

1. When the mpox outbreak spread to Burundi, U.S. Government-supported partners immediately deployed a mobile laboratory to provide faster mpox testing. U.S. Government support for building mpox laboratory capacity continues in Burundi with the recent delivery of additional supplies and training and support to decentralize laboratory testing for mpox and improve the speed of laboratory confirmation.

1. The U.S. Government has partnered with countries in the region to help prepare for potential mpox cases before they occur, including training in surveillance, lab capacity, and risk communication activities. Last month, the Ministry of Health in Angola was facing a severe shortage of mpox testing kits. Without these essential supplies, the country would have had limited, if any, visibility into the size of the outbreak. U.S. Government representatives delivered diagnostic kits to assist in testing nearly 500 suspect mpox cases, helping to confirm the first mpox cases in the country. The U.S. Government is supporting Liberia’s mpox preparedness, including technical assistance for surveillance and laboratories as part of broader activities responding to zoonoses in Liberia. The U.S. Government is supporting Mozambique to develop an Mpox Contingency Preparedness and Response Plan, and supporting the Ministry of Health to conduct mpox outbreak simulation exercises for 11 provinces to help prepare for Mozambique’s potential first case.

1. Investing in Research to Advance Mpox Preparedness: U.S. Government research investments to advance mpox preparedness have been ongoing for decades. International researchers, including some from the U.S. Government, have identified three critical areas of research needed to support the mpox response: 1) reduce mpox transmission, 2) optimize mpox treatment to save lives, and 3) accelerate the development of mpox vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. Recent U.S. Government investments in each of these areas include:

1. Reducing Mpox Transmission: Research partnerships between the United States Government and the Government of DRC led to the identification of the newly-emerged clade Ib mpox, which is driving the current regional and global spread of mpox. During the current outbreak, the U.S. Government is investing in research to: improve case detection, understand clade-specific transmission dynamics, identify at-risk populations, characterize mpox disease including length of viral shedding to inform vaccination strategies, as well as determine the most effective public health interventions to stop transmission. Before the current outbreak, U.S. Government investments and technical expertise led to the development of existing investigational antivirals and the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine which, when used broadly in the United States during the height of 2022 mpox outbreak, significantly reduced the spread of mpox and contributed to the drop in new cases reported from hundreds per day in 2022 to single digit figures over the last two years.

1. Optimizing Mpox Treatment to Save Lives: The U.S. Government is conducting research, in partnership with the Government of DRC, to understand how this disease affects adults, children, infants, and pregnant women, as well as the risk factors for severe disease. This knowledge is critical to improving standards of care and developing safe and effective post exposure prophylaxis. A U.S. Government and Government of DRC-supported randomized controlled trial (PALM 007) of TPOXX (an antiviral drug developed and approved to treat smallpox) in adults and children with clade I mpox found no evidence of faster clinical improvement in the TPOXX arm compared to the placebo arm. However, PALM 007 did find that optimized standard of care resulted in reduced mortality for adults and children with clade I mpox. These learnings are being applied to the current outbreak.

1. Accelerating the Development of Mpox Vaccines, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics: Currently, there are no licensed mpox vaccines for children and adolescents, who are disproportionately impacted by the current mpox outbreak in Africa. The U.S. Government study of the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine showed that adolescents in the U.S, ages 11-17 years, have similar immune responses to the vaccine as adults. This led to the accelerated emergency approval of JYNNEOS for adolescents by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and approval through WHO’s pre-qualification process. JYNNEOS has been available in the United States for individuals under 18 years through an Emergency Use Authorization issued by the FDA in August 2022. The U.S. Government is also investing in new mpox diagnostics and mpox therapeutics. For example, CDC is working on a new test to better differentiate mpox clade I from clade II that can be used by both public and commercial laboratories. To improve our current investigational therapeutic options, NIH and ASPR are supporting the development of new orthopoxvirus monoclonal antibody therapeutic products.

Key Updates on Domestic Preparedness for Mpox: The Biden-Harris Administration has led numerous efforts to prevent and prepare for clade I mpox in the United States:

1. Providing ongoing communication and education: In December 2023, the U.S. CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory to U.S. clinicians, public health departments, and partners. CDC has since issued multiple HAN Health Updates to further increase awareness of clade Ib mpox, its distinction from clade II mpox and the less common clade Ia, and to provide updated recommendations to prevent, detect, and treat both clades of mpox. Following the first case of clade I mpox diagnosed in the United States, CDC released an updated HAN advisory on November 18, 2024 and a Dear Clinicians letter on December 5, 2024 to promote the importance of mpox vaccination and increase mpox detection nationwide.

1. Assessing risk through modeling: Throughout the outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, CDC has conducted modeling to assess the level of risk to the U.S. public. The risk to the general U.S. public remains low, and the risk to men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who have sex with MSM is low to moderate (updated November 18, 2024). CDC further modeled the risk of transmission of clade I mpox if introduced into MSM networks in the United States. Simulations of 50 U.S. counties identified that counties with lower population-level immunity had a greater chance of large or prolonged outbreak. CDC is applying these findings to target outreach for vaccination promotion efforts to counties at higher risk.

1. Strengthening surveillance: The United States monitors for the virus that causes mpox in wastewater samples, which can provide an early warning of mpox activity and community spread. In addition, aircraft wastewater samples are collected at select U.S. airports for early detection of mpox in the U.S. State and commercial laboratories have put in place a robust mpox diagnostic testing capacity for both clades, and the United States continues to work with public health partners to further increase domestic surveillance and diagnostic testing capacity.

1. Minimizing risk to travelers: CDC issued an updated Level 2 Travel Health Notice (THN) for travelers to Central and Eastern Africa recommending that travelers practice enhanced precautions and be aware of mpox exposure risks and symptoms. The THN also includes vaccination recommendations for travelers to affected countries who are eligible for vaccination.
   
2. Vaccination and treatment: During the 2022 mpox outbreak, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), distributed more than one million vials of JYNNEOS mpox vaccine across the United States. Now, the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine is commercially available. Individuals interested in vaccination can consult CDC’s guidance and should contact their physician, local retail pharmacy, health department or community health center for mpox vaccine availability in their community. Clinicians should refer to CDC’s clinical considerations for use of vaccine to prevent mpox in both adults and children. The high standard of care in U.S. health care can greatly improve mpox outcomes relative to other parts of the world. Symptomatic individuals are highly encouraged to seek care for further evaluation and treatment if needed.

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For decades, the United States has been a leader in combatting infectious diseases. During the 2022 global outbreak of clade II mpox, the Biden-Harris Administration mounted a robust response by making vaccines, tests, and treatment available to those at risk in the United States and abroad. Now, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is experiencing its largest mpox outbreak ever recorded, with more than 50,000 suspect cases in 2024. Multiple neighboring countries have confirmed their first ever mpox cases, and some are also experiencing widespread outbreaks. A handful of travel-related cases have also been recorded in countries outside the Africa region. As we face this outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, the United States is again acting quickly to respond. At the UN General Assembly in September, President Biden announced that the United States is prepared to commit at least $500 million and to donate up to one million doses of mpox vaccines to support African countries in preventing and responding to this outbreak. We are delivering on that commitment, with two-thirds of our global mpox funding pledge fulfilled, and all of our pledged vaccine doses available now for countries that are ready to receive the doses.
 
The United States is also prepared to respond to clade I and clade II mpox cases domestically, with early detection and a robust testing landscape across the country, increased clinician education and community outreach, and widely available mpox vaccines in retail pharmacies and clinics. Travel-associated cases have been detected in Canada, Germany, India, Sweden, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. In November 2024, the United States also identified one case of clade Ib mpox in a California resident who had recently traveled to an affected country. No further domestic detections have occurred as of December 5, 2024, and the risk to the general public remains low.

Update on the United States’ Support for the Global Mpox Response
 
The Biden-Harris Administration is working closely with countries, as well as regional and global partners, to address the mpox outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa.
 
President Biden’s announcement of United States’ support to the global mpox response aligned with the United States’ longstanding partnership with countries around the world to prepare for health emergencies and to rapidly respond when they occur. To facilitate more effective global and regional collaboration on the mpox response, the United States has worked with partners, including the World Bank, the World Health Organization, and Brazil as G20 President, to transparently compile and share all pledges to support the mpox response, identifying resources that are currently available and remaining financing gaps. This information, captured in the WHO/World Bank Mpox Financial Tracking Mechanism (FTM), will help donors and response countries to more easily identify remaining gaps and sources of financing to fill those gaps. More than 90% of the financing needs for the response have been met.
 
Key Updates on U.S. Support to the Global Mpox Response: 

1. Delivering on Our Commitment to Vaccine Donations: The U.S. government is delivering on our commitment to ensure mpox vaccines get to those most at risk, including by making more than one million vaccine doses available for distribution in countries that are ready to receive them. Vaccine administration is underway using U.S.-donated vaccines. On November 6, WHO and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) allocated the first 305,000 mpox vaccine doses from President Biden’s one million dose commitment to recipient countries via the Access and Allocation Mechanism (AAM). With support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and its partners, these doses are being shipped as soon as recipient countries have accepted the offer of vaccines and confirmed their ability to receive, store, and use the vaccine to protect those at risk. The remaining 695,000 vaccine doses are also available for allocation through the AAM, and will be distributed by the United States as soon as impacted countries are ready to receive them. The U.S. Government has already delivered 50,000 mpox vaccines to Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and 10,000 mpox vaccines to Nigeria. Beyond donating vaccine doses, the United States is working with partner governments to get those vaccines to the people who need them most. For example, in DRC, the U.S. government is supporting risk communication and community engagement to raise awareness about mpox vaccination and help reach priority populations, and coordinating with PEPFAR and other programs to leverage existing service delivery channels to reach high-risk populations. 
   
2. Increasing Testing and Treatment Capacity: In addition to financial resources and vaccines, the United States has provided in-kind donations of more than 65,000 individual mpox tests to countries in the region, along with donations of other laboratory supplies and personal protective equipment. For example, in DRC the U.S. Government has trained 80 field epidemiologists working to detect cases, trace and monitor contacts, and increase community awareness of mpox. These epidemiologists are collecting and sending samples to labs for testing, and at the same time, training additional healthcare workers how to do this work. In Burundi, the U.S. government is working with partners to expand mpox treatment capacity at hospitals in the hardest-hit districts, enabling patients to receive the highest-quality clinical care, nutrition, and psychosocial support closer to home.
   
3. Delivering on Our Commitment of Financial Support to Mpox Preparedness and Response: The United States Government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are providing more than $57 million to directly support mpox-specific response activities, including disease surveillance, laboratory diagnostic supplies and testing, clinical case management, risk communication and community engagement, infection prevention and control, access to vaccines, and research. This funding is in addition to the more than $487 million in bilateral global health security (GHS) preparedness and response support provided by the United States to mpox-affected countries through USAID and CDC. Ongoing global health security investments protect the health and livelihoods of people living in other countries and prevent health emergencies from threatening the United States. The country-by-country breakdown of U.S. support to mpox preparedness and response is included in the WHO/World Bank Mpox Financial Tracking Mechanism.
   
4. Strengthening Global Health Security: The United States is working with more than 50 countries around the world – including most mpox-affected countries and those at-risk of an mpox outbreak – to build stronger global health security capacities, ensuring countries are better prepared to prevent, detect, and respond to health emergencies while protecting U.S. national and homeland security. These ongoing partnerships in mpox-affected countries were in place before the current outbreak, and have played a critical role in supporting the response, especially in the early days before mpox-specific response funding became available. Examples of how this U.S. global health security support has been used to prevent, detect, and respond to the mpox outbreak include:

1. In DRC, building on multi-year investments to strengthen laboratory capacity, the United States supported mpox laboratory capacity building and biosafety and biosurveillance training in provincial labs, enabling these labs to safely test for mpox. In addition, the U.S. Government supported the Ministry of Health to develop a national Mpox Risk Communication and Community Engagement Strategy, which was rapidly adapted for the clade I mpox outbreak.

1. When mpox cases were detected in Rwanda, U.S. Government-supported partners deployed epidemiologists to 10 high-risk districts to provide technical guidance to Public Health Emergency Management Committees and to train 17 Rapid Response Teams. The U.S. Government also supported procurement of test kits and provided training for over 12,600 frontline health workers across 20 districts in infection prevention and control, mpox screening, and case management.

1. When the mpox outbreak spread to Burundi, U.S. Government-supported partners immediately deployed a mobile laboratory to provide faster mpox testing. U.S. Government support for building mpox laboratory capacity continues in Burundi with the recent delivery of additional supplies and training and support to decentralize laboratory testing for mpox and improve the speed of laboratory confirmation.

1. The U.S. Government has partnered with countries in the region to help prepare for potential mpox cases before they occur, including training in surveillance, lab capacity, and risk communication activities. Last month, the Ministry of Health in Angola was facing a severe shortage of mpox testing kits. Without these essential supplies, the country would have had limited, if any, visibility into the size of the outbreak. U.S. Government representatives delivered diagnostic kits to assist in testing nearly 500 suspect mpox cases, helping to confirm the first mpox cases in the country. The U.S. Government is supporting Liberia’s mpox preparedness, including technical assistance for surveillance and laboratories as part of broader activities responding to zoonoses in Liberia. The U.S. Government is supporting Mozambique to develop an Mpox Contingency Preparedness and Response Plan, and supporting the Ministry of Health to conduct mpox outbreak simulation exercises for 11 provinces to help prepare for Mozambique’s potential first case.

1. Investing in Research to Advance Mpox Preparedness: U.S. Government research investments to advance mpox preparedness have been ongoing for decades. International researchers, including some from the U.S. Government, have identified three critical areas of research needed to support the mpox response: 1) reduce mpox transmission, 2) optimize mpox treatment to save lives, and 3) accelerate the development of mpox vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics. Recent U.S. Government investments in each of these areas include:

1. Reducing Mpox Transmission: Research partnerships between the United States Government and the Government of DRC led to the identification of the newly-emerged clade Ib mpox, which is driving the current regional and global spread of mpox. During the current outbreak, the U.S. Government is investing in research to: improve case detection, understand clade-specific transmission dynamics, identify at-risk populations, characterize mpox disease including length of viral shedding to inform vaccination strategies, as well as determine the most effective public health interventions to stop transmission. Before the current outbreak, U.S. Government investments and technical expertise led to the development of existing investigational antivirals and the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine which, when used broadly in the United States during the height of 2022 mpox outbreak, significantly reduced the spread of mpox and contributed to the drop in new cases reported from hundreds per day in 2022 to single digit figures over the last two years.

1. Optimizing Mpox Treatment to Save Lives: The U.S. Government is conducting research, in partnership with the Government of DRC, to understand how this disease affects adults, children, infants, and pregnant women, as well as the risk factors for severe disease. This knowledge is critical to improving standards of care and developing safe and effective post exposure prophylaxis. A U.S. Government and Government of DRC-supported randomized controlled trial (PALM 007) of TPOXX (an antiviral drug developed and approved to treat smallpox) in adults and children with clade I mpox found no evidence of faster clinical improvement in the TPOXX arm compared to the placebo arm. However, PALM 007 did find that optimized standard of care resulted in reduced mortality for adults and children with clade I mpox. These learnings are being applied to the current outbreak.

1. Accelerating the Development of Mpox Vaccines, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics: Currently, there are no licensed mpox vaccines for children and adolescents, who are disproportionately impacted by the current mpox outbreak in Africa. The U.S. Government study of the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine showed that adolescents in the U.S, ages 11-17 years, have similar immune responses to the vaccine as adults. This led to the accelerated emergency approval of JYNNEOS for adolescents by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and approval through WHO’s pre-qualification process. JYNNEOS has been available in the United States for individuals under 18 years through an Emergency Use Authorization issued by the FDA in August 2022. The U.S. Government is also investing in new mpox diagnostics and mpox therapeutics. For example, CDC is working on a new test to better differentiate mpox clade I from clade II that can be used by both public and commercial laboratories. To improve our current investigational therapeutic options, NIH and ASPR are supporting the development of new orthopoxvirus monoclonal antibody therapeutic products.

Key Updates on Domestic Preparedness for Mpox: The Biden-Harris Administration has led numerous efforts to prevent and prepare for clade I mpox in the United States:

1. Providing ongoing communication and education: In December 2023, the U.S. CDC issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) advisory to U.S. clinicians, public health departments, and partners. CDC has since issued multiple HAN Health Updates to further increase awareness of clade Ib mpox, its distinction from clade II mpox and the less common clade Ia, and to provide updated recommendations to prevent, detect, and treat both clades of mpox. Following the first case of clade I mpox diagnosed in the United States, CDC released an updated HAN advisory on November 18, 2024 and a Dear Clinicians letter on December 5, 2024 to promote the importance of mpox vaccination and increase mpox detection nationwide.

1. Assessing risk through modeling: Throughout the outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa, CDC has conducted modeling to assess the level of risk to the U.S. public. The risk to the general U.S. public remains low, and the risk to men who have sex with men (MSM) and people who have sex with MSM is low to moderate (updated November 18, 2024). CDC further modeled the risk of transmission of clade I mpox if introduced into MSM networks in the United States. Simulations of 50 U.S. counties identified that counties with lower population-level immunity had a greater chance of large or prolonged outbreak. CDC is applying these findings to target outreach for vaccination promotion efforts to counties at higher risk.

1. Strengthening surveillance: The United States monitors for the virus that causes mpox in wastewater samples, which can provide an early warning of mpox activity and community spread. In addition, aircraft wastewater samples are collected at select U.S. airports for early detection of mpox in the U.S. State and commercial laboratories have put in place a robust mpox diagnostic testing capacity for both clades, and the United States continues to work with public health partners to further increase domestic surveillance and diagnostic testing capacity.

1. Minimizing risk to travelers: CDC issued an updated Level 2 Travel Health Notice (THN) for travelers to Central and Eastern Africa recommending that travelers practice enhanced precautions and be aware of mpox exposure risks and symptoms. The THN also includes vaccination recommendations for travelers to affected countries who are eligible for vaccination.
   
2. Vaccination and treatment: During the 2022 mpox outbreak, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), distributed more than one million vials of JYNNEOS mpox vaccine across the United States. Now, the JYNNEOS mpox vaccine is commercially available. Individuals interested in vaccination can consult CDC’s guidance and should contact their physician, local retail pharmacy, health department or community health center for mpox vaccine availability in their community. Clinicians should refer to CDC’s clinical considerations for use of vaccine to prevent mpox in both adults and children. The high standard of care in U.S. health care can greatly improve mpox outcomes relative to other parts of the world. Symptomatic individuals are highly encouraged to seek care for further evaluation and treatment if needed.

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Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke with His Holiness Pope Francis to discuss efforts to advance peace around the world during the holiday season. The President thanked the Pope for his continued advocacy to alleviate global suffering, including his work to advance human rights and protect religious freedoms. President Biden also graciously accepted His Holiness Pope Francis’s invitation to visit the Vatican next month.

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Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke with His Holiness Pope Francis to discuss efforts to advance peace around the world during the holiday season. The President thanked the Pope for his continued advocacy to alleviate global suffering, including his work to advance human rights and protect religious freedoms. President Biden also graciously accepted His Holiness Pope Francis’s invitation to visit the Vatican next month.

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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will travel to Rome, Italy from January 9 to 12 to meet separately with His Holiness Pope Francis, President of Italy Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni. On January 10, President Biden will have an audience with the Pope and discuss efforts to advance peace around the world. He will also meet with Italy’s leaders to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year, and discuss important challenges facing the world. 

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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will travel to Rome, Italy from January 9 to 12 to meet separately with His Holiness Pope Francis, President of Italy Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni. On January 10, President Biden will have an audience with the Pope and discuss efforts to advance peace around the world. He will also meet with Italy’s leaders to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Italy relationship, thank Prime Minister Meloni for her strong leadership of the G7 over the past year, and discuss important challenges facing the world. 

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Over the past four years, President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken action to ensure rural Americans do not have to leave their hometowns to find opportunity. One year ago, President Biden visited a family farm in Northfield, Minnesota to kick off the “Investing in Rural America” event series, spurring over 30 visits by Cabinet members and White House Senior Officials to rural communities across the country. The Biden-Harris Administration is investing in rural America to create opportunity for farmers, small business owners, families, and communities.

Investing in Rural American Infrastructure

The President’s Investing in America agenda is investing billions of dollars to revitalize and rebuild rural communities across the country – a generational investment in rural America. This funding also represents the single largest investment in Tribal infrastructure ever.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $65 billion to ensure every American has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet through a historic investment in infrastructure deployment. That includes a $2 billion program at the Department of Commerce to invest in high-speed internet on Tribal lands. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested more than $4 billion in projects that will expand access to high-speed broadband and bring new economic opportunities and a better quality of life for more than 650,000 people across 46 states through its ReConnect Program.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also provides a historic $8.25 billion investment to reduce wildfire risks for communities, better detect wildfires, and institute workforce reforms and landmark pay increases for federal wildland firefighters. Through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program, USDA has awarded $467 million to 259 project proposals across 36 states and 18 tribes, which will assist with planning for and mitigating wildfire risks, and has recently made another $200 million available. USDA is also investing $150 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to help underserved and small acreage forest landowners connect to emerging voluntary climate markets, which can provide economic opportunities for landowners and incentivize improved forest health and management. And through the Inflation Reduction Act and other appropriations, the Forest Service invested nearly $544 million in 63 projects in 2024 to conserve more than half a million acres of private forestlands across the U.S., ensuring that these places will remain working forests while protecting water sources and reducing wildfire risk.

Additionally, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests billions of dollars to make sure rural families can get where they need to go, including through a $4.1 billion investment in Rural Area Formula Grants at the Department of Transportation (DOT). This program will support 1,300 rural transit systems by enabling them to purchase transit vehicles and infrastructure, plan transit more effectively, and fund operations. DOT is also providing $2 billion over 5 years in dedicated funding to projects in rural areas that improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure.

Delivering Clean, Reliable Water to Rural America

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s transformative investment of over $50 billion in our water and wastewater infrastructure is fundamentally changing the quality of life for millions of people in rural America by replacing lead pipes, providing critical access to sanitation, ensuring access to affordable clean drinking water, and tackling drought. That includes a $3.5 billion investment through the Indian Health Service which has launched over 700 projects to build out a safe supply of drinking water, reliable sewage systems, and waste disposal facilities across Indian Country. And the Inflation Reduction Act’s Tribal Clean Drinking Water program made $320 million available to bring safe, clean drinking water to Tribal communities in the West, with an initial $82 million announced to fund 23 projects.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USDA, in collaboration with states and Tribal Nations, are working together on the Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap initiative. This partnership leverages technical assistance resources to help historically underserved communities identify and pursue federal funding opportunities to address their rural wastewater needs. To date, EPA has announced that 38 more communities across 22 states have joined the initiative.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is also cleaning up pollution in rural areas by investing $4.7 billion to plug, remediate, and restore dangerous orphaned oil and gas wells across the country; nearly $11.3 billion to create good-paying jobs, including union jobs, and catalyze economic opportunity by reclaiming abandoned mine lands; and $3.5 billion to 95 previously unfunded Superfund site projects, including the longstanding backlog of projects, to clean up contaminated sites and advance environmental justice.

In addition, the Biden-Harris Administration is leading a whole-of-government effort to make Western communities more resilient to climate change and the ongoing megadrought by harnessing the full resources of the President’s Investing in America agenda. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law together include $15.4 billion to enhance the West’s resilience to drought through water-saving projects and other conservation efforts. In March 2024, the Administration took historic action to protect the stability of the Colorado River Basin including through investments from the Inflation Reduction Act’s $4 billion Colorado River drought mitigation funds, conserving at least 3 million-acre-feet of water by 2026.

Lowering Energy Costs and Strengthening the Grid

Supported by Inflation Reduction Act, the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program is the largest investment in rural America’s electric system since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act in 1936. It invests $9.7 billion to help member-owned rural electric cooperatives provide their communities with clean, reliable, and affordable energy. USDA has announced over $8.3 billion in New ERA funding across 24 states so far, with the rural electric cooperatives building or purchasing nearly 12 gigawatts of clean energy. The Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program will fund new clean energy and energy storage projects to make it more affordable for rural Americans to use clean, reliable energy. In 2024, USDA awarded the 34 projects totaling $917 million. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested more than $2.7 billion through the Rural Energy for America (REAP) program in 9,901 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements helping farms and small businesses lower their energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resilience of their operations. Almost 7,000 of these projects were funded by over $1 billion provided by the Inflation Reduction Act

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests billions of dollars to improve resilience, reliability, safety, and availability of energy in rural America. So far, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced over $457 million for 93 projects to accelerate clean energy deployment in rural and remote areas across the country through the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program. DOE announced up to $475 million in March 2024 for 5 projects to accelerate clean energy deployment on current and former mine land. The selected projects cover a range of clean energy technologies, from solar, microgrids, and pumped storage hydropower to geothermal and battery energy storage systems.

DOE announced nearly $7.6 billion through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program to strengthen grid reliability and resilience across all 50 states, including several major rural grid resilience projects. This funding is spurring private investment, bringing public-private investment to over $22 billion to deliver affordable, clean electricity to all Americans and ensure that communities across the nation have a reliable grid that is prepared for extreme weather worsened by the climate crisis. In addition, EPA awarded $27 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) to create a national financing network for clean energy and climate solutions across the country, including rural communities. Together, the GGRF’s $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund, $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, and $7 billion Solar for All program dedicate approximately two-thirds of the funding to low-income and disadvantaged communities, advancing the President’s Justice40 Initiative.

This year, the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Tribal Electrification Program funded by the Inflation Reduction Act provided $143 million in financial and technical assistance to 34 Tribes to connect homes to transmission and distribution that is powered by clean energy, provide electricity to unelectrified Tribal homes through zero-emissions energy systems, transition electrified Tribal homes to zero-emissions energy systems, and support associated home repairs and retrofitting. The program will also support clean energy workforce development opportunities in Indian Country.

And, by expanding the availability of homegrown biofuels, the Biden-Harris Administration is strengthening our energy independence while bringing good-paying jobs and other economic benefits to rural communities. For example, up to $500 million from the Inflation Reduction Act is being made available through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give Americans additional, cleaner fuel options at the pump. Through this program, USDA has provided $251 million in grants so far.

Many of the programs aimed at delivering clean, reliable water to rural America, lowering energy costs, and strengthening the grid are covered under the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution as part of the most ambitious climate, conservation, and environmental justice agenda in history.

Improving Access to Health Care and Lowering Health Care Costs for Rural Communities

The Biden-Harris Administration is lowering health care costs for rural Americans and supporting access to high quality care in rural America.  Rural seniors are seeing lower drug costs thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. About 281,000 rural Part D Medicare enrollees would have benefitted from the $35 insulin cap if it had been in effect in 2020, and about 481,000 rural enrollees would have benefitted from $0 recommended adult vaccines if it had been in effect in 2021. About 289,000 rural enrollees are projected to save $1,000 or more when the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap goes into effect in 2025. Nearly 3 million rural Americans signed up for 2024 coverage at the Affordable Care Act’s HealthCare.gov Marketplace. Eighty percent of consumers could find health plans for $10 or less a month, with many qualifying for plans with $0 premiums. And thanks to the President’s ARP and IRA, rural HealthCare.gov enrollees are saving an $890 per year on their health insurance premiums, about 28% more than their urban counterparts. In addition, four states have expanded Medicaid since President Biden took office, providing coverage to over one million Americans while reducing the risk of rural hospital closure by half. 

The Biden-Harris Administration has launched the new Rural Emergency Hospital designation to provide a new option to some struggling hospitals, and it is investing in training the next generation of health care providers to serve rural communities. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also extended several grant opportunities to support rural communities, including $28 million to provide direct health services and expand infrastructure and $16 million to provide technical assistance to rural hospitals facing financial distress. Recognizing the critical role nurses play in providing primary care, mental health and maternal health care services, particularly in rural areas, HHS announced more than $100 million in awards to address the increasing demand for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and nurse faculty. Through the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program, HHS has invested over $28 million in awards across 25 states to create new rural residency programs to train more physicians in rural communities, which increases the likelihood of practicing in a rural community. And through a $47 million investment, HHS funded 32 Rural Public Health Workforce Training Networks across 22 states, bolstering health care capacity in rural areas and training more than 2,000 health professionals, including community health workers, EMTs, health IT specialists, certified nurse assistants, and dental assistants, among others.

In addition, CMS has updated policies to support access to important services for Medicare beneficiaries at rural health clinics, including for integration behavioral health care, providing opioid use disorder treatment and chronic pain management services, allowing greater flexibility with telehealth services for mental health, supporting rural providers participating in value-based care models, and enabling enhanced care management services. Further, CMS is announcing this December a new request for applications for the ongoing Rural Community Hospital Demonstration. The goal of the program is to test the feasibility and advisability of cost-based reimbursement for small rural hospitals that are too large to be Critical Access Hospitals. This program was first created by Congress in 2004 but has not opened applications up since 2017.

HHS’ Rural Communities Opioid Response Program is a multi-year initiative that has invested $298 million in 386 awards to reduce the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder, in rural communities at the highest risk for SUD. Through the Rural Emergency Medical Services Training Program, HHS has invested $20.5 million since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration to support the recruitment and training of EMS personnel in rural areas with a focus on addressing SUD and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. 
Supporting Veterans in Rural Communities

One quarter of all veterans in the U.S. (4.4 million) reside in rural communities. Around 48 percent of all rural veterans (2.7 million) are enrolled in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, which is higher than the 41 percent enrollment rate of urban veterans. The Biden-Harris Administration has implemented several initiatives to support veterans living in rural communities, ensuring they have access to affordable, low-cost, high-quality healthcare. The landmark Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act enacted the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years. Since the enactment of the PACT Act in August 2022, VA has completed over 1.8 million PACT Act-related claims with an approval rate of 74.5% and enrolled nearly 740,000 veterans in VA healthcare. VA has been able to expand the types of conditions that are considered service connected making it easier for toxic exposed veterans to get the disability benefits they deserve —a critical step to ensuring all veterans get access to the care they need. PACT Act also expanded who is eligible to enroll in VA health care and required new toxic exposure screenings for all veterans enrolled; to date, VA has completed more than 5.9 million free toxic exposure screenings. VA is delivering these benefits to veterans at the fastest rate in the nation’s history. The Act includes the largest VA outreach campaign in history, ensuring that the rural veterans and their survivors are aware of and can access the benefits can healthcare they are entitled to.

Provider shortage continues to challenge accessibility and affordability of health care, especially in rural communities across the United States. VA Office of Rural Health has continued to support and further developed different initiatives and programs to help reserve this trend. For example, VA continues to fund the Rural Interprofessional Faculty Development Initiative (RIFDI) which adds physician residents in rural VA facilities through the 18-month faculty development program and has demonstrated benefits to both the clinician partaking in the program and the receiving rural VA hospital. VA also expanded its Connected Care program, enabling more telehealth delivery for rural veterans than ever before. In 2023, VA launched the Pilot Program on Graduate Medical Education and Residency (PPGMER) to support more graduate medical education positions to serve in rural and other underserved areas.

Creating New and Better Agricultural Markets to Increase Competition

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, USDA has invested over $1.4 billion to support new or expanded small-sized and medium sized processing facilities and to create a more resilient, diverse and secure U.S. food supply chain. These investments are giving farmers more market options and fairer prices by spurring competition. These investments are also providing consumers with more choices and affordable prices at the grocery store.

Through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, USDA has invested $320 million in 67 fertilizer production facilities to expand access to domestic fertilizer options for American farmers in 32 states and Puerto Rico. These investments will increase U.S. fertilizer production by 9.1 million tons annually and create more than 800 jobs in rural communities.  

The USDA spearheaded several new rules to improve fairness and competition. This included final rules to promote transparency in poultry farming contracts, to prohibit discrimination and ban retaliation against farmers and ranchers in meat markets, and strengthen the product of USA standards. It also proposed a new rule to protect poultry growers from unfair deductions and variations in pay.

The Administration committed to better enforce the laws on the books. USDA stood up an enforcement partnership with 32 state attorneys general. USDA and Department of Justice (DOJ) strengthened their collaboration, and created an anonymous reporting tool for unfair and anticompetitive practices at farmerfairness.gov in early 2022. Since then, DOJ brought suit against Agristats for using algorithms to fix prices and outputs in meat markets; secured a consent decree with major poultry processors Cargill, Sanderson, and Wayne Farms to limit unfair variations in pay for poultry farmers; and blocked a merger of Dole and Fresh Express which would have consolidated vegetable markets. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) successfully challenged the largest grocery merger in US history and brought a case to prevent price discrimination by big brands against independent retailers. The DOJ and FTC also worked to preserve and promote the right of farmers to repair their own tractors, including parts and batteries.

Investing in Climate-Smart Agriculture

Through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative, USDA is investing $3.03 billion in 135 projects that seek to build and expand market opportunities for American commodities produced using climate-smart practices. The Inflation Reduction Act provided a record $19.5 billion for USDA conservation programs to support hundreds of thousands of farmers and ranchers apply practices such as cover cropping, conservation tillage, wetland restoration, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting, and more to millions of acres of land. This has direct climate mitigation benefits and advances a host of other environmental co-benefits, in addition to offering farmers, ranchers and foresters new revenue streams. The climate-smart agriculture investments that USDA has made and continues to make are estimated to support over 180,000 farms and over 225 million acres in the next 5 years.

Strengthening Local and Regional Food Systems

The Biden-Harris Administration is investing in local and regional food systems, which adds value for both agricultural producers and consumers, and spurs economic activity locally — helping communities that have been left behind by the current agricultural models and supporting good-paying jobs throughout the supply chain. USDA created twelve Regional Food Business Centers across the country that are providing coordination, technical assistance and capacity building to help farmers, ranchers and food businesses reach local customers and navigate federal state and local resources. USDA is also investing $300 million through the Organic Transition Initiative to support farmers in transitioning to organic and build and strengthen organic markets so more farmers can participate.

To support Tribal Nations’ food and agriculture supply chain resiliency, USDA invested $48.1 million in meat and poultry processing infrastructure for indigenous animals such as bison, reindeer or salmon. In October 2023, USDA also launched a new, interagency pilot to purchase bison meat from Tribal and local bison operations for Tribal communities through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).

In June, USDA made more than 140 awards to agricultural employers, totaling $50 million, through its new Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program. The program, which is supported by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, aims to stabilize the nation’s food supply and improve working conditions for farmworkers.

Improving Nutrition and Food Access for Rural Communities

President Biden set a bold goal of ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases in the U.S. by 2030—all while reducing disparities. Through the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, USDA has awarded nearly $30 million in grants to small and rural communities to improve the nutritional quality of school meals and help modernize their operations. Each small and/or rural school district will receive up to $150,000 to support them in improving the nutritional quality of their meals and modernizing their operations through innovative staff training programs, kitchen updates and renovations, redesigning food preparation and service spaces, or other school-district led efforts to support school meals and school nutrition professionals.

This year, USDA’s summer nutrition programs reached more kids than ever before. In addition to in-person summer meal sites, summer meal operators in rural communities had the option to provide children with meals via grab-and-go or delivery through the Non-Congregate Summer Meal Service. And, through SUN Bucks (also referred to as Summer EBT), children in low-income families in participating states, territories, and Tribes received $120 per eligible child for the summer in the form of pre-loaded cards that families can use to purchase groceries.

USDA has also expanded online purchasing with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This expansion provides greater convenience and access to healthy food options for tens of millions of Americans, including in remote and rural areas.

Cutting Housing Costs, Boosting Supply, and Expanding Access to Affordable Housing in Rural America

The Biden-Harris Administration has taken aggressive action to boost housing supply and lower housing costs. Housing units under construction hit a 50-year high during this Administration, and housing starts are up 16% compared to the previous Administration. When aligned with other policies to reduce housing costs and expand affordability, such as rental assistance and down payment assistance, closing the supply gap will mean more affordable rents and more attainable homeownership for Americans in every community, including rural communities.

The Biden-Harris Administration oversaw large housing investments in rural America. State and local governments allocated nearly $20 billion in American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, making it the largest one-time housing block grant in U.S. history. These dollars were often combined with programs like USDA’s Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program and Off-Farm Labor Housing program to make these dollars go further and help more households. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA helped 33,436 families by building or renovating 1,065 multifamily housing apartment complexes in rural areas through nearly $1.4 billion in direct loans, guaranteed loans, and grants. Additionally, USDA provided $5.996 billion in rental assistance to help 388,588 very-low- and low-income rural families pay their rent. Since 2021, USDA has invested $7.6 billion to offer rental housing opportunities to rural families, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and farm workers and their families. In single-family housing programs, USDA invested over $48 billion to help more than 278,000 families with modest incomes buy, refinance, or repair their homes through our direct and guaranteed single-family housing loan programs, including 98,000 low- and very low-income borrowers.

In addition, HUD issued a first-of-its-kind Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) competition called Pathways to Removing Obstacles (PRO) Housing to enable communities to identify and remove barriers to housing production and preservation. In its first round, PRO awarded $85 million, including to rural areas that used funding to address matters such as zoning, predevelopment costs, and permitting.

The Biden-Harris Administration also took actions to encourage the construction and preservation of manufactured housing, a critical source of affordable housing, especially for low-income, rural, and Native American households and offers a potentially lower-cost pathway to homeownership. Earlier this year, HUD made available Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) grants, competitive funding that can be used for the replacement of dilapidated homes, assistance for homeowners such as repairs and accessibility modifications, mitigation and resilience upgrades, improvement of infrastructure such as stormwater systems or utilities, housing services including eviction prevention, and planning activities. It marked the first time the federal government has made grant funding available specifically for investments in manufactured housing communities, including resident-owned communities. In addition, USDA made more than $18 million in grants and loans under the Off-Farm Labor Housing program to support home improvements for farmworkers and their families.

While boosting supply is critical to bring prices down over the long-term, the lack of affordable housing is one of the main drivers of homelessness in most jurisdictions. In 2023, HUD announced the award of $486 million in grants and $43 million for stability vouchers to address unsheltered and rural homelessness. These awards allow grantees to fund rural homelessness assistance programs in local communities such as rent or utility assistance, emergency lodging, housing repairs, food and clothing assistance, and costs associated with converting federal properties to house homeless individuals and families. 

Strengthening Access to Higher Education, Career Pathways, and Rural Workforce Development

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to expanding rural students’ access to career pathways and higher education opportunities that lead to good-paying jobs right in their own communities. In December 2023, the Department of Education announced $44.5 million in grants to 22 institutions of higher education to improve rates of postsecondary education enrollment, persistence, and completion among students in rural communities through the Rural Postsecondary & Economic Development Grant Program.

The Department of Education also awarded $31 million through the Career Connected High Schools grant program to help secondary education, postsecondary education, and workforce development systems expand access to career-connected high school programs for more students while unlocking career success. Of the 19 awards, 11 went to rural-focused programs.

In September 2024, the Institute for Education Sciences announced the National Education Research and Development Center for Improving Rural Postsecondary Education. This Center, hosted by MDRC, will receive $10 million over five years to focus on improving access to postsecondary education and completion of postsecondary degrees and credentials for students from rural K12 districts and locales.

In September 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) awarded $49 million to support 35 projects through the Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities (WORC) Initiative. WORC, which is a partnership between DOL, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, and the Northern Border Regional Commission, provides grant funds to enable rural communities to develop local and regional workforce development solutions aligned with existing economic development strategies and community partnerships to promote new, sustainable job opportunities and long-term economic vitality. New for this round, the funding opportunity specifically encouraged applicants who are part of the Rural Partners Network.
 

Supporting Schools in Rural Communities

The Biden-Harris Administration has continued to demonstrate its commitment to rural K12 districts by increasing investments in the Rural Education Achievement Program, the Department of Education’s only formula grant program specifically designated for rural K12 districts. Since Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, the program has seen an increase of nearly $35 million, culminating in $220 million allocated to rural small and/or low-income schools in FY 24.

During the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Education has expanded Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) five-fold, from $25 million in 2020 to $150 million in 2023. In FY 2022 and 2023, 20 awards totaling $67,668,574 per award year went to projects specifically serving rural areas. Community schools collaborate with local non-profits, health providers, private partners, and other agencies to coordinate and deliver services like health care, mental health and nutrition services, afterschool and summer programming, and high-quality early learning programs.

In November of 2023, the Department of Education awarded $182 million in new grant awards under the Education, Innovation, and Research Program (EIR), with $46 million supporting grants in rural areas. These grants support local efforts to develop, implement, and take to scale entrepreneurial and evidence-based projects that have the potential to improve academic achievement for underserved students. EIR has seen an increase of $94 million in new awards between FY 2021 and FY 2023, demonstrating the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to promoting equity in student access to high-quality educational opportunities for rural learners.

Lowering Child Care Costs and Supporting Child Care Providers in Rural America
 
President Biden secured the largest one-time investment this country has ever made in child care through his American Rescue Plan. Those funds helped 225,000 child care providers stay open so that the parents of more than 10 million children could go to work with peace of mind. A third of providers reported they would have closed permanently without these relief funds. More than 8-in-10 licensed child care centers nationwide received ARP assistance and it benefited 30,000 rural child care programs – in most states, 97% of rural counties or more received aid.
 
President Biden has also worked to build the supply of child care in underserved areas, including rural areas. HHS issued a landmark final rule to improve the Child Care & Development Block Grant program, which helps the families of more than 1.3 million children afford child care. As a result of this rule, HHS has required for the first time that all states provide resources to build the supply of care in underserved geographic areas. This fall, the Biden-Harris Administration hosted a first-of-its-kind rural childcare convening, bringing together childcare providers and advocates to discuss opportunities to expand access to early care in rural and Tribal communities.

Partnering with Rural Communities to Create Jobs and Support Rural-led Economic Development

Launched in April 2022, the Rural Partners Network (RPN) is an all-of-government program that partners with rural people to access resources and funding to create local jobs, build infrastructure, and support long-term economic stability on their own terms. RPN staff on the ground are now supporting 36 community networks in 10 states and Puerto Rico. Since its inception, the federal government has invested nearly $8.5 billion in RPN communities to support critical infrastructure, economic development, housing, and other priorities.

In February 2021, President Biden established the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization (Energy Communities IWG) to identify and deliver resources to the coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities that have powered our country for generations. Since then, member agencies have helped drive over $20 billion in federal investment to these communities. The Energy Communities IWG has launched Rapid Response Teams across the country to establish a network of assistance that is focused and sustainable in a community or region.

In addition, the Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities Program is providing planning, technical assistance, and capacity building support to underserved and under-resourced communities, including rural communities.

With funding from the American Rescue Plan, the Department of Commerce launched several place-based programs to connect people to good paying jobs and help underserved communities leverage regional assets, including rural communities. The Build Back Better Regional Challenge awarded 21 regional coalitions a total of $1 billion to transform their regional economies through growing a local industry sector. These awardees span 236 rural counties. The Good Jobs Challenge awarded $500 million to 32 regional workforce training systems across the country. At least 19 of these 32 awardees serve rural areas. The Department of Commerce also awarded $100 million from the Indigenous Communities Program, all of which primarily serve rural communities, and $500 million from the Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, two-thirds of which primarily serve rural communities, to support economic development needs such as enabling infrastructure and workforce development.  

Additionally, authorized by President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act, the Department of Commerce’s Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs program has designated 31 communities across the country as “Tech Hubs” that will bring together private industry, state and local government, higher education, labor unions, nonprofit institutions, and other critical stakeholders to develop and grow innovative industries that stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen national security. Nearly three-quarters of Tech Hubs designees encompass small and rural areas.

Also authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, the Department of Commerce’s $200 million Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (“Recompete”) aims to address persistent economic distress in communities across the country through a series of highly targeted, transformational investments. Seven of the 22 program finalists focus exclusively on rural communities, and their proposed investments include workforce skill training, addressing childcare deserts in rural America, supporting small businesses, and building local capacity.

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The post FACT SHEET: President Biden and Vice President Harris Are Delivering for Rural Communities appeared first on The White House.

Over the past four years, President Biden and Vice President Harris have taken action to ensure rural Americans do not have to leave their hometowns to find opportunity. One year ago, President Biden visited a family farm in Northfield, Minnesota to kick off the “Investing in Rural America” event series, spurring over 30 visits by Cabinet members and White House Senior Officials to rural communities across the country. The Biden-Harris Administration is investing in rural America to create opportunity for farmers, small business owners, families, and communities.

Investing in Rural American Infrastructure

The President’s Investing in America agenda is investing billions of dollars to revitalize and rebuild rural communities across the country – a generational investment in rural America. This funding also represents the single largest investment in Tribal infrastructure ever.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $65 billion to ensure every American has access to affordable, reliable high-speed internet through a historic investment in infrastructure deployment. That includes a $2 billion program at the Department of Commerce to invest in high-speed internet on Tribal lands. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) has invested more than $4 billion in projects that will expand access to high-speed broadband and bring new economic opportunities and a better quality of life for more than 650,000 people across 46 states through its ReConnect Program.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law also provides a historic $8.25 billion investment to reduce wildfire risks for communities, better detect wildfires, and institute workforce reforms and landmark pay increases for federal wildland firefighters. Through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program, USDA has awarded $467 million to 259 project proposals across 36 states and 18 tribes, which will assist with planning for and mitigating wildfire risks, and has recently made another $200 million available. USDA is also investing $150 million from the Inflation Reduction Act to help underserved and small acreage forest landowners connect to emerging voluntary climate markets, which can provide economic opportunities for landowners and incentivize improved forest health and management. And through the Inflation Reduction Act and other appropriations, the Forest Service invested nearly $544 million in 63 projects in 2024 to conserve more than half a million acres of private forestlands across the U.S., ensuring that these places will remain working forests while protecting water sources and reducing wildfire risk.

Additionally, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests billions of dollars to make sure rural families can get where they need to go, including through a $4.1 billion investment in Rural Area Formula Grants at the Department of Transportation (DOT). This program will support 1,300 rural transit systems by enabling them to purchase transit vehicles and infrastructure, plan transit more effectively, and fund operations. DOT is also providing $2 billion over 5 years in dedicated funding to projects in rural areas that improve and expand the surface transportation infrastructure.

Delivering Clean, Reliable Water to Rural America

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s transformative investment of over $50 billion in our water and wastewater infrastructure is fundamentally changing the quality of life for millions of people in rural America by replacing lead pipes, providing critical access to sanitation, ensuring access to affordable clean drinking water, and tackling drought. That includes a $3.5 billion investment through the Indian Health Service which has launched over 700 projects to build out a safe supply of drinking water, reliable sewage systems, and waste disposal facilities across Indian Country. And the Inflation Reduction Act’s Tribal Clean Drinking Water program made $320 million available to bring safe, clean drinking water to Tribal communities in the West, with an initial $82 million announced to fund 23 projects.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and USDA, in collaboration with states and Tribal Nations, are working together on the Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap initiative. This partnership leverages technical assistance resources to help historically underserved communities identify and pursue federal funding opportunities to address their rural wastewater needs. To date, EPA has announced that 38 more communities across 22 states have joined the initiative.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is also cleaning up pollution in rural areas by investing $4.7 billion to plug, remediate, and restore dangerous orphaned oil and gas wells across the country; nearly $11.3 billion to create good-paying jobs, including union jobs, and catalyze economic opportunity by reclaiming abandoned mine lands; and $3.5 billion to 95 previously unfunded Superfund site projects, including the longstanding backlog of projects, to clean up contaminated sites and advance environmental justice.

In addition, the Biden-Harris Administration is leading a whole-of-government effort to make Western communities more resilient to climate change and the ongoing megadrought by harnessing the full resources of the President’s Investing in America agenda. The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law together include $15.4 billion to enhance the West’s resilience to drought through water-saving projects and other conservation efforts. In March 2024, the Administration took historic action to protect the stability of the Colorado River Basin including through investments from the Inflation Reduction Act’s $4 billion Colorado River drought mitigation funds, conserving at least 3 million-acre-feet of water by 2026.

Lowering Energy Costs and Strengthening the Grid

Supported by Inflation Reduction Act, the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program is the largest investment in rural America’s electric system since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act in 1936. It invests $9.7 billion to help member-owned rural electric cooperatives provide their communities with clean, reliable, and affordable energy. USDA has announced over $8.3 billion in New ERA funding across 24 states so far, with the rural electric cooperatives building or purchasing nearly 12 gigawatts of clean energy. The Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program will fund new clean energy and energy storage projects to make it more affordable for rural Americans to use clean, reliable energy. In 2024, USDA awarded the 34 projects totaling $917 million. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA has invested more than $2.7 billion through the Rural Energy for America (REAP) program in 9,901 renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements helping farms and small businesses lower their energy costs, generate new income, and strengthen the resilience of their operations. Almost 7,000 of these projects were funded by over $1 billion provided by the Inflation Reduction Act

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests billions of dollars to improve resilience, reliability, safety, and availability of energy in rural America. So far, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced over $457 million for 93 projects to accelerate clean energy deployment in rural and remote areas across the country through the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas (ERA) Program. DOE announced up to $475 million in March 2024 for 5 projects to accelerate clean energy deployment on current and former mine land. The selected projects cover a range of clean energy technologies, from solar, microgrids, and pumped storage hydropower to geothermal and battery energy storage systems.

DOE announced nearly $7.6 billion through the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program to strengthen grid reliability and resilience across all 50 states, including several major rural grid resilience projects. This funding is spurring private investment, bringing public-private investment to over $22 billion to deliver affordable, clean electricity to all Americans and ensure that communities across the nation have a reliable grid that is prepared for extreme weather worsened by the climate crisis. In addition, EPA awarded $27 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF) to create a national financing network for clean energy and climate solutions across the country, including rural communities. Together, the GGRF’s $14 billion National Clean Investment Fund, $6 billion Clean Communities Investment Accelerator, and $7 billion Solar for All program dedicate approximately two-thirds of the funding to low-income and disadvantaged communities, advancing the President’s Justice40 Initiative.

This year, the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Tribal Electrification Program funded by the Inflation Reduction Act provided $143 million in financial and technical assistance to 34 Tribes to connect homes to transmission and distribution that is powered by clean energy, provide electricity to unelectrified Tribal homes through zero-emissions energy systems, transition electrified Tribal homes to zero-emissions energy systems, and support associated home repairs and retrofitting. The program will also support clean energy workforce development opportunities in Indian Country.

And, by expanding the availability of homegrown biofuels, the Biden-Harris Administration is strengthening our energy independence while bringing good-paying jobs and other economic benefits to rural communities. For example, up to $500 million from the Inflation Reduction Act is being made available through the Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program to increase the availability of domestic biofuels and give Americans additional, cleaner fuel options at the pump. Through this program, USDA has provided $251 million in grants so far.

Many of the programs aimed at delivering clean, reliable water to rural America, lowering energy costs, and strengthening the grid are covered under the President’s Justice40 Initiative, which sets the goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution as part of the most ambitious climate, conservation, and environmental justice agenda in history.

Improving Access to Health Care and Lowering Health Care Costs for Rural Communities

The Biden-Harris Administration is lowering health care costs for rural Americans and supporting access to high quality care in rural America.  Rural seniors are seeing lower drug costs thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. About 281,000 rural Part D Medicare enrollees would have benefitted from the $35 insulin cap if it had been in effect in 2020, and about 481,000 rural enrollees would have benefitted from $0 recommended adult vaccines if it had been in effect in 2021. About 289,000 rural enrollees are projected to save $1,000 or more when the $2,000 out-of-pocket cap goes into effect in 2025. Nearly 3 million rural Americans signed up for 2024 coverage at the Affordable Care Act’s HealthCare.gov Marketplace. Eighty percent of consumers could find health plans for $10 or less a month, with many qualifying for plans with $0 premiums. And thanks to the President’s ARP and IRA, rural HealthCare.gov enrollees are saving an $890 per year on their health insurance premiums, about 28% more than their urban counterparts. In addition, four states have expanded Medicaid since President Biden took office, providing coverage to over one million Americans while reducing the risk of rural hospital closure by half. 

The Biden-Harris Administration has launched the new Rural Emergency Hospital designation to provide a new option to some struggling hospitals, and it is investing in training the next generation of health care providers to serve rural communities. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has also extended several grant opportunities to support rural communities, including $28 million to provide direct health services and expand infrastructure and $16 million to provide technical assistance to rural hospitals facing financial distress. Recognizing the critical role nurses play in providing primary care, mental health and maternal health care services, particularly in rural areas, HHS announced more than $100 million in awards to address the increasing demand for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and nurse faculty. Through the Rural Residency Planning and Development Program, HHS has invested over $28 million in awards across 25 states to create new rural residency programs to train more physicians in rural communities, which increases the likelihood of practicing in a rural community. And through a $47 million investment, HHS funded 32 Rural Public Health Workforce Training Networks across 22 states, bolstering health care capacity in rural areas and training more than 2,000 health professionals, including community health workers, EMTs, health IT specialists, certified nurse assistants, and dental assistants, among others.

In addition, CMS has updated policies to support access to important services for Medicare beneficiaries at rural health clinics, including for integration behavioral health care, providing opioid use disorder treatment and chronic pain management services, allowing greater flexibility with telehealth services for mental health, supporting rural providers participating in value-based care models, and enabling enhanced care management services. Further, CMS is announcing this December a new request for applications for the ongoing Rural Community Hospital Demonstration. The goal of the program is to test the feasibility and advisability of cost-based reimbursement for small rural hospitals that are too large to be Critical Access Hospitals. This program was first created by Congress in 2004 but has not opened applications up since 2017.

HHS’ Rural Communities Opioid Response Program is a multi-year initiative that has invested $298 million in 386 awards to reduce the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder, in rural communities at the highest risk for SUD. Through the Rural Emergency Medical Services Training Program, HHS has invested $20.5 million since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration to support the recruitment and training of EMS personnel in rural areas with a focus on addressing SUD and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders. 
Supporting Veterans in Rural Communities

One quarter of all veterans in the U.S. (4.4 million) reside in rural communities. Around 48 percent of all rural veterans (2.7 million) are enrolled in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, which is higher than the 41 percent enrollment rate of urban veterans. The Biden-Harris Administration has implemented several initiatives to support veterans living in rural communities, ensuring they have access to affordable, low-cost, high-quality healthcare. The landmark Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act enacted the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years. Since the enactment of the PACT Act in August 2022, VA has completed over 1.8 million PACT Act-related claims with an approval rate of 74.5% and enrolled nearly 740,000 veterans in VA healthcare. VA has been able to expand the types of conditions that are considered service connected making it easier for toxic exposed veterans to get the disability benefits they deserve —a critical step to ensuring all veterans get access to the care they need. PACT Act also expanded who is eligible to enroll in VA health care and required new toxic exposure screenings for all veterans enrolled; to date, VA has completed more than 5.9 million free toxic exposure screenings. VA is delivering these benefits to veterans at the fastest rate in the nation’s history. The Act includes the largest VA outreach campaign in history, ensuring that the rural veterans and their survivors are aware of and can access the benefits can healthcare they are entitled to.

Provider shortage continues to challenge accessibility and affordability of health care, especially in rural communities across the United States. VA Office of Rural Health has continued to support and further developed different initiatives and programs to help reserve this trend. For example, VA continues to fund the Rural Interprofessional Faculty Development Initiative (RIFDI) which adds physician residents in rural VA facilities through the 18-month faculty development program and has demonstrated benefits to both the clinician partaking in the program and the receiving rural VA hospital. VA also expanded its Connected Care program, enabling more telehealth delivery for rural veterans than ever before. In 2023, VA launched the Pilot Program on Graduate Medical Education and Residency (PPGMER) to support more graduate medical education positions to serve in rural and other underserved areas.

Creating New and Better Agricultural Markets to Increase Competition

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, USDA has invested over $1.4 billion to support new or expanded small-sized and medium sized processing facilities and to create a more resilient, diverse and secure U.S. food supply chain. These investments are giving farmers more market options and fairer prices by spurring competition. These investments are also providing consumers with more choices and affordable prices at the grocery store.

Through the Fertilizer Production Expansion Program, USDA has invested $320 million in 67 fertilizer production facilities to expand access to domestic fertilizer options for American farmers in 32 states and Puerto Rico. These investments will increase U.S. fertilizer production by 9.1 million tons annually and create more than 800 jobs in rural communities.  

The USDA spearheaded several new rules to improve fairness and competition. This included final rules to promote transparency in poultry farming contracts, to prohibit discrimination and ban retaliation against farmers and ranchers in meat markets, and strengthen the product of USA standards. It also proposed a new rule to protect poultry growers from unfair deductions and variations in pay.

The Administration committed to better enforce the laws on the books. USDA stood up an enforcement partnership with 32 state attorneys general. USDA and Department of Justice (DOJ) strengthened their collaboration, and created an anonymous reporting tool for unfair and anticompetitive practices at farmerfairness.gov in early 2022. Since then, DOJ brought suit against Agristats for using algorithms to fix prices and outputs in meat markets; secured a consent decree with major poultry processors Cargill, Sanderson, and Wayne Farms to limit unfair variations in pay for poultry farmers; and blocked a merger of Dole and Fresh Express which would have consolidated vegetable markets. Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) successfully challenged the largest grocery merger in US history and brought a case to prevent price discrimination by big brands against independent retailers. The DOJ and FTC also worked to preserve and promote the right of farmers to repair their own tractors, including parts and batteries.

Investing in Climate-Smart Agriculture

Through the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative, USDA is investing $3.03 billion in 135 projects that seek to build and expand market opportunities for American commodities produced using climate-smart practices. The Inflation Reduction Act provided a record $19.5 billion for USDA conservation programs to support hundreds of thousands of farmers and ranchers apply practices such as cover cropping, conservation tillage, wetland restoration, prescribed grazing, nutrient management, tree planting, and more to millions of acres of land. This has direct climate mitigation benefits and advances a host of other environmental co-benefits, in addition to offering farmers, ranchers and foresters new revenue streams. The climate-smart agriculture investments that USDA has made and continues to make are estimated to support over 180,000 farms and over 225 million acres in the next 5 years.

Strengthening Local and Regional Food Systems

The Biden-Harris Administration is investing in local and regional food systems, which adds value for both agricultural producers and consumers, and spurs economic activity locally — helping communities that have been left behind by the current agricultural models and supporting good-paying jobs throughout the supply chain. USDA created twelve Regional Food Business Centers across the country that are providing coordination, technical assistance and capacity building to help farmers, ranchers and food businesses reach local customers and navigate federal state and local resources. USDA is also investing $300 million through the Organic Transition Initiative to support farmers in transitioning to organic and build and strengthen organic markets so more farmers can participate.

To support Tribal Nations’ food and agriculture supply chain resiliency, USDA invested $48.1 million in meat and poultry processing infrastructure for indigenous animals such as bison, reindeer or salmon. In October 2023, USDA also launched a new, interagency pilot to purchase bison meat from Tribal and local bison operations for Tribal communities through the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).

In June, USDA made more than 140 awards to agricultural employers, totaling $50 million, through its new Farm Labor Stabilization and Protection Pilot Program. The program, which is supported by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, aims to stabilize the nation’s food supply and improve working conditions for farmworkers.

Improving Nutrition and Food Access for Rural Communities

President Biden set a bold goal of ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases in the U.S. by 2030—all while reducing disparities. Through the Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative, USDA has awarded nearly $30 million in grants to small and rural communities to improve the nutritional quality of school meals and help modernize their operations. Each small and/or rural school district will receive up to $150,000 to support them in improving the nutritional quality of their meals and modernizing their operations through innovative staff training programs, kitchen updates and renovations, redesigning food preparation and service spaces, or other school-district led efforts to support school meals and school nutrition professionals.

This year, USDA’s summer nutrition programs reached more kids than ever before. In addition to in-person summer meal sites, summer meal operators in rural communities had the option to provide children with meals via grab-and-go or delivery through the Non-Congregate Summer Meal Service. And, through SUN Bucks (also referred to as Summer EBT), children in low-income families in participating states, territories, and Tribes received $120 per eligible child for the summer in the form of pre-loaded cards that families can use to purchase groceries.

USDA has also expanded online purchasing with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This expansion provides greater convenience and access to healthy food options for tens of millions of Americans, including in remote and rural areas.

Cutting Housing Costs, Boosting Supply, and Expanding Access to Affordable Housing in Rural America

The Biden-Harris Administration has taken aggressive action to boost housing supply and lower housing costs. Housing units under construction hit a 50-year high during this Administration, and housing starts are up 16% compared to the previous Administration. When aligned with other policies to reduce housing costs and expand affordability, such as rental assistance and down payment assistance, closing the supply gap will mean more affordable rents and more attainable homeownership for Americans in every community, including rural communities.

The Biden-Harris Administration oversaw large housing investments in rural America. State and local governments allocated nearly $20 billion in American Rescue Plan State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, making it the largest one-time housing block grant in U.S. history. These dollars were often combined with programs like USDA’s Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program and Off-Farm Labor Housing program to make these dollars go further and help more households. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA helped 33,436 families by building or renovating 1,065 multifamily housing apartment complexes in rural areas through nearly $1.4 billion in direct loans, guaranteed loans, and grants. Additionally, USDA provided $5.996 billion in rental assistance to help 388,588 very-low- and low-income rural families pay their rent. Since 2021, USDA has invested $7.6 billion to offer rental housing opportunities to rural families, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and farm workers and their families. In single-family housing programs, USDA invested over $48 billion to help more than 278,000 families with modest incomes buy, refinance, or repair their homes through our direct and guaranteed single-family housing loan programs, including 98,000 low- and very low-income borrowers.

In addition, HUD issued a first-of-its-kind Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) competition called Pathways to Removing Obstacles (PRO) Housing to enable communities to identify and remove barriers to housing production and preservation. In its first round, PRO awarded $85 million, including to rural areas that used funding to address matters such as zoning, predevelopment costs, and permitting.

The Biden-Harris Administration also took actions to encourage the construction and preservation of manufactured housing, a critical source of affordable housing, especially for low-income, rural, and Native American households and offers a potentially lower-cost pathway to homeownership. Earlier this year, HUD made available Preservation and Reinvestment Initiative for Community Enhancement (PRICE) grants, competitive funding that can be used for the replacement of dilapidated homes, assistance for homeowners such as repairs and accessibility modifications, mitigation and resilience upgrades, improvement of infrastructure such as stormwater systems or utilities, housing services including eviction prevention, and planning activities. It marked the first time the federal government has made grant funding available specifically for investments in manufactured housing communities, including resident-owned communities. In addition, USDA made more than $18 million in grants and loans under the Off-Farm Labor Housing program to support home improvements for farmworkers and their families.

While boosting supply is critical to bring prices down over the long-term, the lack of affordable housing is one of the main drivers of homelessness in most jurisdictions. In 2023, HUD announced the award of $486 million in grants and $43 million for stability vouchers to address unsheltered and rural homelessness. These awards allow grantees to fund rural homelessness assistance programs in local communities such as rent or utility assistance, emergency lodging, housing repairs, food and clothing assistance, and costs associated with converting federal properties to house homeless individuals and families. 

Strengthening Access to Higher Education, Career Pathways, and Rural Workforce Development

The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to expanding rural students’ access to career pathways and higher education opportunities that lead to good-paying jobs right in their own communities. In December 2023, the Department of Education announced $44.5 million in grants to 22 institutions of higher education to improve rates of postsecondary education enrollment, persistence, and completion among students in rural communities through the Rural Postsecondary & Economic Development Grant Program.

The Department of Education also awarded $31 million through the Career Connected High Schools grant program to help secondary education, postsecondary education, and workforce development systems expand access to career-connected high school programs for more students while unlocking career success. Of the 19 awards, 11 went to rural-focused programs.

In September 2024, the Institute for Education Sciences announced the National Education Research and Development Center for Improving Rural Postsecondary Education. This Center, hosted by MDRC, will receive $10 million over five years to focus on improving access to postsecondary education and completion of postsecondary degrees and credentials for students from rural K12 districts and locales.

In September 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) awarded $49 million to support 35 projects through the Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities (WORC) Initiative. WORC, which is a partnership between DOL, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Delta Regional Authority, and the Northern Border Regional Commission, provides grant funds to enable rural communities to develop local and regional workforce development solutions aligned with existing economic development strategies and community partnerships to promote new, sustainable job opportunities and long-term economic vitality. New for this round, the funding opportunity specifically encouraged applicants who are part of the Rural Partners Network.
 

Supporting Schools in Rural Communities

The Biden-Harris Administration has continued to demonstrate its commitment to rural K12 districts by increasing investments in the Rural Education Achievement Program, the Department of Education’s only formula grant program specifically designated for rural K12 districts. Since Fiscal Year (FY) 2020, the program has seen an increase of nearly $35 million, culminating in $220 million allocated to rural small and/or low-income schools in FY 24.

During the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Education has expanded Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) five-fold, from $25 million in 2020 to $150 million in 2023. In FY 2022 and 2023, 20 awards totaling $67,668,574 per award year went to projects specifically serving rural areas. Community schools collaborate with local non-profits, health providers, private partners, and other agencies to coordinate and deliver services like health care, mental health and nutrition services, afterschool and summer programming, and high-quality early learning programs.

In November of 2023, the Department of Education awarded $182 million in new grant awards under the Education, Innovation, and Research Program (EIR), with $46 million supporting grants in rural areas. These grants support local efforts to develop, implement, and take to scale entrepreneurial and evidence-based projects that have the potential to improve academic achievement for underserved students. EIR has seen an increase of $94 million in new awards between FY 2021 and FY 2023, demonstrating the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to promoting equity in student access to high-quality educational opportunities for rural learners.

Lowering Child Care Costs and Supporting Child Care Providers in Rural America
 
President Biden secured the largest one-time investment this country has ever made in child care through his American Rescue Plan. Those funds helped 225,000 child care providers stay open so that the parents of more than 10 million children could go to work with peace of mind. A third of providers reported they would have closed permanently without these relief funds. More than 8-in-10 licensed child care centers nationwide received ARP assistance and it benefited 30,000 rural child care programs – in most states, 97% of rural counties or more received aid.
 
President Biden has also worked to build the supply of child care in underserved areas, including rural areas. HHS issued a landmark final rule to improve the Child Care & Development Block Grant program, which helps the families of more than 1.3 million children afford child care. As a result of this rule, HHS has required for the first time that all states provide resources to build the supply of care in underserved geographic areas. This fall, the Biden-Harris Administration hosted a first-of-its-kind rural childcare convening, bringing together childcare providers and advocates to discuss opportunities to expand access to early care in rural and Tribal communities.

Partnering with Rural Communities to Create Jobs and Support Rural-led Economic Development

Launched in April 2022, the Rural Partners Network (RPN) is an all-of-government program that partners with rural people to access resources and funding to create local jobs, build infrastructure, and support long-term economic stability on their own terms. RPN staff on the ground are now supporting 36 community networks in 10 states and Puerto Rico. Since its inception, the federal government has invested nearly $8.5 billion in RPN communities to support critical infrastructure, economic development, housing, and other priorities.

In February 2021, President Biden established the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities and Economic Revitalization (Energy Communities IWG) to identify and deliver resources to the coal, oil and gas, and power plant communities that have powered our country for generations. Since then, member agencies have helped drive over $20 billion in federal investment to these communities. The Energy Communities IWG has launched Rapid Response Teams across the country to establish a network of assistance that is focused and sustainable in a community or region.

In addition, the Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities Program is providing planning, technical assistance, and capacity building support to underserved and under-resourced communities, including rural communities.

With funding from the American Rescue Plan, the Department of Commerce launched several place-based programs to connect people to good paying jobs and help underserved communities leverage regional assets, including rural communities. The Build Back Better Regional Challenge awarded 21 regional coalitions a total of $1 billion to transform their regional economies through growing a local industry sector. These awardees span 236 rural counties. The Good Jobs Challenge awarded $500 million to 32 regional workforce training systems across the country. At least 19 of these 32 awardees serve rural areas. The Department of Commerce also awarded $100 million from the Indigenous Communities Program, all of which primarily serve rural communities, and $500 million from the Economic Adjustment Assistance Program, two-thirds of which primarily serve rural communities, to support economic development needs such as enabling infrastructure and workforce development.  

Additionally, authorized by President Biden’s CHIPS and Science Act, the Department of Commerce’s Regional Innovation and Technology Hubs program has designated 31 communities across the country as “Tech Hubs” that will bring together private industry, state and local government, higher education, labor unions, nonprofit institutions, and other critical stakeholders to develop and grow innovative industries that stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen national security. Nearly three-quarters of Tech Hubs designees encompass small and rural areas.

Also authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act, the Department of Commerce’s $200 million Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (“Recompete”) aims to address persistent economic distress in communities across the country through a series of highly targeted, transformational investments. Seven of the 22 program finalists focus exclusively on rural communities, and their proposed investments include workforce skill training, addressing childcare deserts in rural America, supporting small businesses, and building local capacity.

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By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

     Section 1.  All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Tuesday, December 24, 2024, the day before Christmas Day.

     Sec. 2.  The heads of executive departments and agencies may determine that certain offices and installations of their organizations, or parts thereof, must remain open and that certain employees must report for duty on December 24, 2024, for reasons of national security, defense, or other public need.

     Sec. 3.  December 24, 2024, shall be considered as falling within the scope of Executive Order 11582 of February 11, 1971, and of 5 U.S.C. 5546 and 6103(b) and other similar statutes insofar as they relate to the pay and leave of employees of the United States.

     Sec. 4.  The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take such actions as may be necessary to implement this order.

     Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

     (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

     (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.


THE WHITE HOUSE,
    December 18, 2024.

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