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Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and ordered federal aid to supplement the Tribal Nation’s efforts in the areas affected by wildfires from July 17 to August 21, 2024.

Federal funding is available to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the wildfires.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Ms. Yolanda J. Jackson of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the Tribal Nation and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

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The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and ordered federal aid to supplement the Tribal Nation’s efforts in the areas affected by wildfires from July 17 to August 21, 2024.

Federal funding is available to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the wildfires.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Ms. Yolanda J. Jackson of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas. 

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the Tribal Nation and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

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The post President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Major Disaster Declaration for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation appeared first on The White House.

Rose Garden

3:38 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon.

Today, I have some good news to report from the Middle East.  I just spoke with the prime minister of Israel and Lebanon, and I’m pleased to announce that their governments have accepted the United States’ proposal to end the devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. 

And I want to thank President Macron of France for his partnership in reaching this moment. 

For nearly 14 months, a deadly conflict raged across the border that separates Israel and Lebanon — a conflict that began the day after the October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel.  Hours later, at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations backed by Iran attacked Israel in support of Hamas.  

Let’s be clear: Israel did not launch this war.  The Lebanese people did not seek that war either, nor did the United States. 

Over the past year, including in the days immediately ta- — following October the 7th, I directed the U.S. military to flow assets and capabilities into the region, including aircraft carriers, fighter squadrons, and sophisticated air defense battery to defend Israel and deter our common enemy at critical moments.  

Since the war with Hezbollah began, over 70,000 Israelis have been forced to live in refugee — li- — live as refugees in their own country, helplessly watching their homes, their businesses, their communities as they were bombarded and destroyed.  And over 300,000 Lebanese people have also been forced to live as refugees in their own country in a war imposed on them by Hezbollah. 

All told, this has been the deadliest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in decades.  

How many of Hezbollah’s senior leaders are dead, including its longtime leader Nasrallah?  And Israel has — and Israel has destroyed Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon as well, including miles of sophisticated tunnels, which were prepared for an October 7th-style terrorist attack in northern Israel.  

But lasting security for the people of Israel and Lebanon cannot be achieved only on the battlefield.  And that’s why I’ve directed my team to work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon to forge a ceasefire to bring the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah to a close.

Under the deal reached today, effective at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow local time, the fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end — will end.  This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities. 

What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed — will — I emphasize — will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again. 

Over the next 60 days, the Lebanese Army and the State Security Forces will deploy and take control of their own territory once again.  Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon will not be allowed to be rebuilt. 

And over the next 60 days, Israel will gradually withdraw its remaining forces and civilians — civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin to rebuild their homes, their schools, their farms, their businesses, and their very lives. 

We’re determined this conflict will not be just another cycle of violence.  And so, the United States, with the full support of France and our other allies, has pledged to work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure that these arra- — this — this arrangement is fully implemented — the agreement totally implemented. 

You know, there will be no U.S. troops deployed in southern Lebanon.  This is consistent with my commitment to the American people to not put U.S. troops in combat in this conflict. 

Instead, we, along with France and others, will provide the necessary assistance to make sure this deal is implemented fully and effectively.  

Let us — let me be clear: If Hezbollah or anyone else breaks the deal and poses a direct threat to Israel, then Israel retains the right to self-defense consistent with international law, just like any country when facing a terrorist group pledged to that country’s destruction. 

At the same time, this deal supports Lebanon’s sovereignty.  And so, it heralds a new start for Lebanon — a country that I’ve seen most of over the years, a country with rich history and culture.  If fully implemented, this deal can put Lebanon on a path toward a future that’s worthy of its significant past.

And just as the Lebanese people deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of Gaza.  They too deserve an end to the fighting and displacement. 

The people of Gaza have been through hell.  Their word — their world is absolutely shattered.  Far too many civilians in Gaza have suffered far too much.  And Hamas has refused, for months and months, to negotiate a good-faith ceasefire and a hostage deal.  

And so, now Hamas has a choice to make.  Their only way out is to release the hostages, including American citizens which they hold, and, in the process, bring an end to the fighting, which would make possible a surge of humanitarian li- — relief.  

Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and the end to the war without Hamas in power — that it becomes possible.  

As for the broader Middle East region, today’s announcement brings us closer to realizing the affirmative agenda that I’ve been pushing forward during my entire presidency: a vision for the future of the Middle East where it’s at peace and prosperous and integrated across borders; a future where Palestinians have a state of their own, one that fulfills its people’s legitimate aspirations and one that cannot threaten Israel or harbor terrorist groups with backing from Iran; a future where Israelis and Palestinians enjoy equal measures of security, prosperity, and — yes — dignity. 

To that end, the United States remains prepared to conclude a set of historic deals with Saudi Arabia to include a security pact and economic assurances together with a credible pathway for establishing a Palestinian state and the full — the full normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel — a desire they both have. 

I believe this agenda remains possible.  And in my remaining time in office, I will work tirelessly to advance this vision of — for an integrated, secure, and prosperous region, all of which — all of which strengthens America’s national security.  

Getting all this done will require making some hard choices. 

Israel has been told on the — has been bold on the battlefield.  Iran and its proxies have paid a very heavy price. 

Now Israel must be bold in turning tactical gains against Iran and its proxies into a coherent strategy that secure Israel’s long-term — its long-term safety and advances a broader peace and prosperity in the region.  

Today’s announcement is a critical step in advancing that vision.  And so, I applaud the courageous decision by the leaders of Lebanon and Israel to end the violence. 

It reminds us that peace is possible.  Say that again: Peace is possible.  As long as that is the case, I will not for a single moment stop working to achieve it.

God bless you all.  And sorry to keep you waiting so long.  May God protect our troops.

Thank you.

Q    Mr. President, will you get a ceasefire in Gaza before leaving office? 

THE PRESIDENT:  You ask me how I get a ceasefire in — I think so.  I’m hoping.  I’m praying.

Q    How is this push any different from the previous ones?

THE PRESIDENT:  If you don’t see that, you shouldn’t be reporting.  It’s a lot different.

3:46 P.M. EST

The post Remarks by President Biden Announcing Cessation of Hostilities Between Israel and Hezbollah appeared first on The White House.

Rose Garden

3:38 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT:  Good afternoon.

Today, I have some good news to report from the Middle East.  I just spoke with the prime minister of Israel and Lebanon, and I’m pleased to announce that their governments have accepted the United States’ proposal to end the devastating conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. 

And I want to thank President Macron of France for his partnership in reaching this moment. 

For nearly 14 months, a deadly conflict raged across the border that separates Israel and Lebanon — a conflict that began the day after the October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel.  Hours later, at 2:00 a.m. in the morning, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations backed by Iran attacked Israel in support of Hamas.  

Let’s be clear: Israel did not launch this war.  The Lebanese people did not seek that war either, nor did the United States. 

Over the past year, including in the days immediately ta- — following October the 7th, I directed the U.S. military to flow assets and capabilities into the region, including aircraft carriers, fighter squadrons, and sophisticated air defense battery to defend Israel and deter our common enemy at critical moments.  

Since the war with Hezbollah began, over 70,000 Israelis have been forced to live in refugee — li- — live as refugees in their own country, helplessly watching their homes, their businesses, their communities as they were bombarded and destroyed.  And over 300,000 Lebanese people have also been forced to live as refugees in their own country in a war imposed on them by Hezbollah. 

All told, this has been the deadliest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in decades.  

How many of Hezbollah’s senior leaders are dead, including its longtime leader Nasrallah?  And Israel has — and Israel has destroyed Hezbollah’s terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon as well, including miles of sophisticated tunnels, which were prepared for an October 7th-style terrorist attack in northern Israel.  

But lasting security for the people of Israel and Lebanon cannot be achieved only on the battlefield.  And that’s why I’ve directed my team to work with the governments of Israel and Lebanon to forge a ceasefire to bring the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah to a close.

Under the deal reached today, effective at 4:00 a.m. tomorrow local time, the fighting across the Lebanese-Israeli border will end — will end.  This is designed to be a permanent cessation of hostilities. 

What is left of Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations will not be allowed — will — I emphasize — will not be allowed to threaten the security of Israel again. 

Over the next 60 days, the Lebanese Army and the State Security Forces will deploy and take control of their own territory once again.  Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure in southern Lebanon will not be allowed to be rebuilt. 

And over the next 60 days, Israel will gradually withdraw its remaining forces and civilians — civilians on both sides will soon be able to safely return to their communities and begin to rebuild their homes, their schools, their farms, their businesses, and their very lives. 

We’re determined this conflict will not be just another cycle of violence.  And so, the United States, with the full support of France and our other allies, has pledged to work with Israel and Lebanon to ensure that these arra- — this — this arrangement is fully implemented — the agreement totally implemented. 

You know, there will be no U.S. troops deployed in southern Lebanon.  This is consistent with my commitment to the American people to not put U.S. troops in combat in this conflict. 

Instead, we, along with France and others, will provide the necessary assistance to make sure this deal is implemented fully and effectively.  

Let us — let me be clear: If Hezbollah or anyone else breaks the deal and poses a direct threat to Israel, then Israel retains the right to self-defense consistent with international law, just like any country when facing a terrorist group pledged to that country’s destruction. 

At the same time, this deal supports Lebanon’s sovereignty.  And so, it heralds a new start for Lebanon — a country that I’ve seen most of over the years, a country with rich history and culture.  If fully implemented, this deal can put Lebanon on a path toward a future that’s worthy of its significant past.

And just as the Lebanese people deserve a future of security and prosperity, so do the people of Gaza.  They too deserve an end to the fighting and displacement. 

The people of Gaza have been through hell.  Their word — their world is absolutely shattered.  Far too many civilians in Gaza have suffered far too much.  And Hamas has refused, for months and months, to negotiate a good-faith ceasefire and a hostage deal.  

And so, now Hamas has a choice to make.  Their only way out is to release the hostages, including American citizens which they hold, and, in the process, bring an end to the fighting, which would make possible a surge of humanitarian li- — relief.  

Over the coming days, the United States will make another push with Turkey, Egypt, Qatar, Israel, and others to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with the hostages released and the end to the war without Hamas in power — that it becomes possible.  

As for the broader Middle East region, today’s announcement brings us closer to realizing the affirmative agenda that I’ve been pushing forward during my entire presidency: a vision for the future of the Middle East where it’s at peace and prosperous and integrated across borders; a future where Palestinians have a state of their own, one that fulfills its people’s legitimate aspirations and one that cannot threaten Israel or harbor terrorist groups with backing from Iran; a future where Israelis and Palestinians enjoy equal measures of security, prosperity, and — yes — dignity. 

To that end, the United States remains prepared to conclude a set of historic deals with Saudi Arabia to include a security pact and economic assurances together with a credible pathway for establishing a Palestinian state and the full — the full normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel — a desire they both have. 

I believe this agenda remains possible.  And in my remaining time in office, I will work tirelessly to advance this vision of — for an integrated, secure, and prosperous region, all of which — all of which strengthens America’s national security.  

Getting all this done will require making some hard choices. 

Israel has been told on the — has been bold on the battlefield.  Iran and its proxies have paid a very heavy price. 

Now Israel must be bold in turning tactical gains against Iran and its proxies into a coherent strategy that secure Israel’s long-term — its long-term safety and advances a broader peace and prosperity in the region.  

Today’s announcement is a critical step in advancing that vision.  And so, I applaud the courageous decision by the leaders of Lebanon and Israel to end the violence. 

It reminds us that peace is possible.  Say that again: Peace is possible.  As long as that is the case, I will not for a single moment stop working to achieve it.

God bless you all.  And sorry to keep you waiting so long.  May God protect our troops.

Thank you.

Q    Mr. President, will you get a ceasefire in Gaza before leaving office? 

THE PRESIDENT:  You ask me how I get a ceasefire in — I think so.  I’m hoping.  I’m praying.

Q    How is this push any different from the previous ones?

THE PRESIDENT:  If you don’t see that, you shouldn’t be reporting.  It’s a lot different.

3:46 P.M. EST

The post Remarks by President Biden Announcing Cessation of Hostilities Between Israel and Hezbollah appeared first on The White House.

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

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

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

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

Via Teleconference

4:07 P.M. EST

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

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

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

With that, I’ll turn it over to you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you, Eduardo.  And

good afternoon, everyone.

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

Both have informed him that their governments had accepted

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

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

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

in different sectors where the Israelis are over time. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’ll stop there and take questions. 

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

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

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks.  Good question.

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

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

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

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

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

MODERATOR:  Yes, we can hear you. 

Q    Okay.  Thanks.  Just a couple of things.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next.

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

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

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

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  That’s a fair question.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is the moment — if anyone in Hamas thought that

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

they have learned that that is not the case. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4:44 P.M. EST          

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

Via Teleconference

4:07 P.M. EST

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

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

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

With that, I’ll turn it over to you.

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thank you, Eduardo.  And

good afternoon, everyone.

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

Both have informed him that their governments had accepted

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

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

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

in different sectors where the Israelis are over time. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I’ll stop there and take questions. 

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

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

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  Thanks.  Good question.

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

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

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

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

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

MODERATOR:  Yes, we can hear you. 

Q    Okay.  Thanks.  Just a couple of things.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next.

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

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

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

SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL:  That’s a fair question.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is the moment — if anyone in Hamas thought that

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

they have learned that that is not the case. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4:44 P.M. EST          

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

By Natalie Quillian, White House Deputy Chief of Staff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

###

The post President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda’s Growing Durability and Popularity appeared first on The White House.

By Natalie Quillian, White House Deputy Chief of Staff

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

###

The post President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda’s Growing Durability and Popularity appeared first on The White House.

Heather Boushey, Chief Economist, Investing in America Cabinet

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

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

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

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

Investment

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

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

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

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

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

Distribution

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

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

Employment

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

The post The Biden-Harris Administration Has Catalyzed $1 Trillion in New U.S. Private Sector Clean Energy, Semiconductor, and Other Advanced Manufacturing Investment appeared first on The White House.

Heather Boushey, Chief Economist, Investing in America Cabinet

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

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

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

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

Investment

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

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

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

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

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

Distribution

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

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

Employment

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

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

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

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

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

Conclusion

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

The post The Biden-Harris Administration Has Catalyzed $1 Trillion in New U.S. Private Sector Clean Energy, Semiconductor, and Other Advanced Manufacturing Investment appeared first on The White House.

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Queens, New York

4:26 P.M. EST

MR. BATES:  How are y’all?

Q    Hi.

MR. BATES:  Happy Thanksgiving.

Q    Happy Thanksgiving.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aamer, do you want to start us off?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MR. BATES:  The president has spoken to this.

Q    And his position hasn’t changed?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MR. BATES:  He will be traveling there tomorrow.

Q    Tomorrow?

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

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

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

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

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

MR. BATES:  Yes, that’s correct.

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

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

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

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

Q    Thank you.

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

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

Q    Thanks.

Q    Thank you.

MR. BATES:  Thank you all.

Q    Thank you.

4:39 P.M. EST 

The post Press Gaggle by Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates En Route Queens, NY appeared first on The White House.

Aboard Air Force One
En Route Queens, New York

4:26 P.M. EST

MR. BATES:  How are y’all?

Q    Hi.

MR. BATES:  Happy Thanksgiving.

Q    Happy Thanksgiving.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Aamer, do you want to start us off?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MR. BATES:  The president has spoken to this.

Q    And his position hasn’t changed?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MR. BATES:  He will be traveling there tomorrow.

Q    Tomorrow?

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

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

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

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

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

MR. BATES:  Yes, that’s correct.

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

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

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

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

Q    Thank you.

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

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

Q    Thanks.

Q    Thank you.

MR. BATES:  Thank you all.

Q    Thank you.

4:39 P.M. EST 

The post Press Gaggle by Senior Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates En Route Queens, NY appeared first on The White House.

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

###

The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Takes Latest Step to Lower Prescription Drug Costs by Proposing Expanded Coverage of Anti-Obesity Medications for Americans with Medicare and Medicaid appeared first on The White House.

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

###

The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Takes Latest Step to Lower Prescription Drug Costs by Proposing Expanded Coverage of Anti-Obesity Medications for Americans with Medicare and Medicaid appeared first on The White House.

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

6:10 P.M. EST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MS. BILLERT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)

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

THE FIRST LADY:  Thank you.

MS. BILLERT:  Good evening, everyone.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, thank you all very, very much. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE FIRST LADY:  The pastor is going to —

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

Pastor.

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROACH:  Thank you, sir.

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

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

(The Friendsgiving dinner continues.)

(The Friendsgiving dinner concludes.)

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

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

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

Appreciate it.  (Applause.)

7:10 P.M. EST

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

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

6:10 P.M. EST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MS. BILLERT:  Thank you.  (Applause.)

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

THE FIRST LADY:  Thank you.

MS. BILLERT:  Good evening, everyone.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Well, thank you all very, very much. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE FIRST LADY:  The pastor is going to —

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

Pastor.

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROACH:  Thank you, sir.

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

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

(The Friendsgiving dinner continues.)

(The Friendsgiving dinner concludes.)

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

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

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

Appreciate it.  (Applause.)

7:10 P.M. EST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you to Senators Rounds and Thune for their leadership.

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you to Senators Rounds and Thune for their leadership.

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

Thank you to Senators Fetterman and Casey for their leadership.

###

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you to Senators Rounds and Thune for their leadership.

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you to Senators Rounds and Thune for their leadership.

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

Thank you to Senators Fetterman and Casey for their leadership.

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