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NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

     James Bernard Coughlan, of Illinois, to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission for a term expiring December 16, 2030, vice Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, term expired.

     Beth H. Harwell, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2029.  (Reappointment)

     Brian Noland, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2029.  (Reappointment)

     Halie L. Craig, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 16, 2026, vice Randolph J. Stayin, resigned.

     Loida Nicolas Lewis, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation for a term of three years, vice Susan M. McCue, term expired.

WITHDRAWALS SENT TO THE SENATE:

     Loida Nicolas Lewis, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation for a term of three years, vice Alexander Crenshaw, term expired, which was sent to the Senate on November 14, 2024.

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The post Press Release: Nominations and Withdrawals Sent to the Senate appeared first on The White House.

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

     James Bernard Coughlan, of Illinois, to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission for a term expiring December 16, 2030, vice Rhonda K. Schmidtlein, term expired.

     Beth H. Harwell, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2029.  (Reappointment)

     Brian Noland, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2029.  (Reappointment)

     Halie L. Craig, of Pennsylvania, to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 16, 2026, vice Randolph J. Stayin, resigned.

     Loida Nicolas Lewis, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation for a term of three years, vice Susan M. McCue, term expired.

WITHDRAWALS SENT TO THE SENATE:

     Loida Nicolas Lewis, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation for a term of three years, vice Alexander Crenshaw, term expired, which was sent to the Senate on November 14, 2024.

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The post Press Release: Nominations and Withdrawals Sent to the Senate appeared first on The White House.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order creating a Presidential Emergency Board to help resolve an ongoing dispute between New Jersey Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). The appointment of the Board is required under the Railway Labor Act because a party to the dispute has requested an Emergency Board.

The Presidential Emergency Board will provide a structure that allows the two sides to attempt to resolve their disagreements. In the 60 days following its establishment, the Presidential Emergency Board will produce a report to the President that selects the offer that the Board finds to be the most reasonable. The Board’s report is not binding, but the party whose offer is not selected would be prohibited by law from receiving certain benefits if a work stoppage subsequently occurs.

President Biden also announced that he intends to appoint the following members to Presidential Emergency Board No. 252:

• Ira F. Jaffe, Chair, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252
• Sidney Moreland, Member, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252
• Thomas Pontolillo, Member, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252

Ira F. Jaffee, Chair, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252

Ira F. Jaffe has served as a full-time arbitrator and mediator of labor and employment disputes since 1981 and has presided over more than 6,000 cases in a wide variety of industries in the private and public sectors and serves on over 80 permanent arbitration panels. Jaffe has served on six prior PEBs – PEB 236 (2001), PEB 241 (2007), and PEB 242 (2007), and served as Chair on PEB 243 (2011), PEB 244 (2013), and PEB 250 (2022). Jaffe is a member and former Vice-President of the National Academy of Arbitrators (NAA), served as the National President of the Society of Federal Labor Relations Professionals in 1990, and taught several courses as an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University Law School. He is a Charter Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel and has arbitrated and mediated a wide variety of employee benefits disputes. He is also a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Jaffe received a B.S. from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.

Sidney Moreland, Member, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252

Sidney Moreland has been a professional arbitrator for 40 years, during which he has helped resolve hundreds of civil and labor disputes in all industrial sectors and professional sports. Moreland serves on multiple arbitration rosters and panels including the American Arbitration Association, the National Mediation Board, and the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service. He currently serves as Arbitrator for the National Football League and the Players Association, as well as for Southwest Airlines and multiple Unions serving that airline. Moreland has vast experience on transportation issues presiding over 70 Public Law Boards serving every Class 1 railroad in the United States—a form of tribunal established by the National Mediation Board for the arbitration of disputes between unions, airlines, and rail carriers. 

Thomas Pontolillo, Member, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252

Thomas Pontolillo has served as a professional arbitrator since 2022, and has been appointed to the arbitrators’ rosters of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the National Mediation Board. Prior to 2022, Pontolillo served as Assistant to the National President and Director of Research for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a major railroad labor union. He began his career as a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, working as a locomotive fireman and a locomotive engineer for Penn Central railroad, Consolidated Rail Corporation, and New Jersey Transit Rail Operations.

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     A dispute exists between the New Jersey Transit Rail Operations and its Locomotive Engineers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

     The dispute has not heretofore been adjusted under the provisions of the Railway Labor Act, as amended, 45 U.S.C. 151-188 (RLA).

     An emergency board to investigate and report on the dispute was established on July 25, 2024, by Executive Order 14125 of July 24, 2024 (Establishing an Emergency Board to Investigate a Dispute Between New Jersey Transit Rail Operations and Its Locomotive Engineers Represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen).  That emergency board terminated upon submission of its report to the President.  Subsequently, its recommendations were not accepted by the parties.

     A party empowered by the RLA has requested that the President establish a second emergency board pursuant to section 9A of the RLA (45 U.S.C. 159a).

     Section 9A(e) of the RLA provides that the President, upon such request, shall appoint a second emergency board to investigate and report on the dispute.

     NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 9A of the RLA, it is hereby ordered as follows:

     Section 1.  Establishment of a Second Emergency Board (Board).  There is established, effective 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on November 22, 2024, a Board composed of a chair and two other members, all of whom shall be appointed by the President to investigate and report on the dispute.  No member shall be pecuniarily or otherwise interested in any organization of railroad employees or any carrier.  The Board shall perform its functions subject to the availability of funds.

     Sec. 2.  Report.  As provided by section 9A(f) of the RLA, within 30 days after the creation of the Board, the parties to the dispute shall submit to the Board final offers for settlement of the dispute.  As provided by section 9A(g) of the RLA, within 30 days after the submission of final offers for settlement of the dispute, the Board shall submit a report to the President setting forth the Board’s selection of the most reasonable offer.

     Sec. 3.  Maintaining Conditions.  As provided by section 9A(h) of the RLA, from the time the request to establish the Board is made until 60 days after the Board submits its report to the President, the parties to the controversy shall make no change in the conditions out of which the dispute arose except by agreement of the parties.

     Sec. 4.  Records Maintenance.  The records and files of the Board are records of the Office of the President and upon the Board’s termination shall be maintained in the physical custody of the National Mediation Board.

     Sec. 5.  Expiration.  The Board shall terminate upon the submission of the report to the President provided for in section 2 of this order.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    November 21, 2024.

The post Executive Order on Establishing a Second Emergency Board to Investigate a Dispute Between New Jersey Transit Rail Operations and Its Locomotive Engineers Represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen appeared first on The White House.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden signed an Executive Order creating a Presidential Emergency Board to help resolve an ongoing dispute between New Jersey Transit and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET). The appointment of the Board is required under the Railway Labor Act because a party to the dispute has requested an Emergency Board.

The Presidential Emergency Board will provide a structure that allows the two sides to attempt to resolve their disagreements. In the 60 days following its establishment, the Presidential Emergency Board will produce a report to the President that selects the offer that the Board finds to be the most reasonable. The Board’s report is not binding, but the party whose offer is not selected would be prohibited by law from receiving certain benefits if a work stoppage subsequently occurs.

President Biden also announced that he intends to appoint the following members to Presidential Emergency Board No. 252:

• Ira F. Jaffe, Chair, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252
• Sidney Moreland, Member, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252
• Thomas Pontolillo, Member, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252

Ira F. Jaffee, Chair, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252

Ira F. Jaffe has served as a full-time arbitrator and mediator of labor and employment disputes since 1981 and has presided over more than 6,000 cases in a wide variety of industries in the private and public sectors and serves on over 80 permanent arbitration panels. Jaffe has served on six prior PEBs – PEB 236 (2001), PEB 241 (2007), and PEB 242 (2007), and served as Chair on PEB 243 (2011), PEB 244 (2013), and PEB 250 (2022). Jaffe is a member and former Vice-President of the National Academy of Arbitrators (NAA), served as the National President of the Society of Federal Labor Relations Professionals in 1990, and taught several courses as an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University Law School. He is a Charter Fellow in the American College of Employee Benefits Counsel and has arbitrated and mediated a wide variety of employee benefits disputes. He is also a Fellow in the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Jaffe received a B.S. from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.

Sidney Moreland, Member, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252

Sidney Moreland has been a professional arbitrator for 40 years, during which he has helped resolve hundreds of civil and labor disputes in all industrial sectors and professional sports. Moreland serves on multiple arbitration rosters and panels including the American Arbitration Association, the National Mediation Board, and the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service. He currently serves as Arbitrator for the National Football League and the Players Association, as well as for Southwest Airlines and multiple Unions serving that airline. Moreland has vast experience on transportation issues presiding over 70 Public Law Boards serving every Class 1 railroad in the United States—a form of tribunal established by the National Mediation Board for the arbitration of disputes between unions, airlines, and rail carriers. 

Thomas Pontolillo, Member, Presidential Emergency Board No. 252

Thomas Pontolillo has served as a professional arbitrator since 2022, and has been appointed to the arbitrators’ rosters of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and the National Mediation Board. Prior to 2022, Pontolillo served as Assistant to the National President and Director of Research for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, a major railroad labor union. He began his career as a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, working as a locomotive fireman and a locomotive engineer for Penn Central railroad, Consolidated Rail Corporation, and New Jersey Transit Rail Operations.

# # #

The post President Biden Announces a Presidential Emergency Board, Names Members appeared first on The White House.

     A dispute exists between the New Jersey Transit Rail Operations and its Locomotive Engineers represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

     The dispute has not heretofore been adjusted under the provisions of the Railway Labor Act, as amended, 45 U.S.C. 151-188 (RLA).

     An emergency board to investigate and report on the dispute was established on July 25, 2024, by Executive Order 14125 of July 24, 2024 (Establishing an Emergency Board to Investigate a Dispute Between New Jersey Transit Rail Operations and Its Locomotive Engineers Represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen).  That emergency board terminated upon submission of its report to the President.  Subsequently, its recommendations were not accepted by the parties.

     A party empowered by the RLA has requested that the President establish a second emergency board pursuant to section 9A of the RLA (45 U.S.C. 159a).

     Section 9A(e) of the RLA provides that the President, upon such request, shall appoint a second emergency board to investigate and report on the dispute.

     NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including section 9A of the RLA, it is hereby ordered as follows:

     Section 1.  Establishment of a Second Emergency Board (Board).  There is established, effective 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time on November 22, 2024, a Board composed of a chair and two other members, all of whom shall be appointed by the President to investigate and report on the dispute.  No member shall be pecuniarily or otherwise interested in any organization of railroad employees or any carrier.  The Board shall perform its functions subject to the availability of funds.

     Sec. 2.  Report.  As provided by section 9A(f) of the RLA, within 30 days after the creation of the Board, the parties to the dispute shall submit to the Board final offers for settlement of the dispute.  As provided by section 9A(g) of the RLA, within 30 days after the submission of final offers for settlement of the dispute, the Board shall submit a report to the President setting forth the Board’s selection of the most reasonable offer.

     Sec. 3.  Maintaining Conditions.  As provided by section 9A(h) of the RLA, from the time the request to establish the Board is made until 60 days after the Board submits its report to the President, the parties to the controversy shall make no change in the conditions out of which the dispute arose except by agreement of the parties.

     Sec. 4.  Records Maintenance.  The records and files of the Board are records of the Office of the President and upon the Board’s termination shall be maintained in the physical custody of the National Mediation Board.

     Sec. 5.  Expiration.  The Board shall terminate upon the submission of the report to the President provided for in section 2 of this order.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    November 21, 2024.

The post Executive Order on Establishing a Second Emergency Board to Investigate a Dispute Between New Jersey Transit Rail Operations and Its Locomotive Engineers Represented by the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen appeared first on The White House.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individual to serve as a key leader in his administration:

• Jim Coughlan, Nominee to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission

Additionally, President Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve as members of boards and commissions that are required, by statute or longstanding practice, to include bipartisan membership:

• Beth Harwell, Nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Brian Noland, Nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Halie Craig, Nominee to be a Member (Republican) of the United States International Trade Commission

Jim Coughlan, Nominee to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission

Jim Coughlan is currently Senior Vice President and General Counsel at the Export-Import Bank of the United States. He was previously an attorney in private practice where he focused on litigation before the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), most recently as Partner at Holland & Knight LLP. Coughlan has been recognized by Chambers Global and Chambers USA, as well as being chosen as a Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Gen X Leaders in Law honoree. He was formerly a Senior Staff Attorney at the ITC, served as Legal Counsel for Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and was a judicial law clerk for the Judge Marion T. Bennett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Coughlan has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Bradley University, a J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law and an LLM from the University of Illinois, Chicago School of Law. He is from Oak Park, Illinois.

Beth Harwell, Nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Valley Authority

Beth Harwell has served as a member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors since 2021. She represented Tennessee’s 56th District in the state’s House of Representatives for nearly 30 years, including seven years as Speaker of the House, a position to which she was elected with bipartisan support. Previously, Harwell chaired the Tennessee Republican Party and served as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Belmont University. Harwell moved to Nashville, Tennessee to attend David Lipscomb University, and subsequently completed her graduate work at Vanderbilt University. She is married to Sam Harwell, with whom she has three children.

Brian Noland, Nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority

Brian Noland became the ninth president of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in January 2012. During his tenure, ETSU has achieved its highest graduation, retention, and employee satisfaction rates in history and secured record-breaking levels of research funding. Noland has secured resources for and overseen some of the institution’s largest and most transformative capital projects, including the complete renovations of the D.P. Culp Student Center, Brown Hall, and Lamb Hall, as well as the construction of Greene Stadium, the Martin Center for the Arts, Bishop Hall, a new humanities building, and a new integrated health services center.

Sustaining ETSU’s focus on regional stewardship, Noland has partnered with civic and corporate entities to position the university as a national leader in interprofessional health care and rural health. Under his leadership, ETSU has launched several health research and care centers, including the Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute, a first-of-its-kind institute dedicated to promoting the awareness and study of adverse childhood experiences; the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation (CARE) in Women’s Health; the Addiction Science Center; the Center for Rural Health and Research; the ETSU/NORC Rural Health Equity Research Center; the Center for Cardiovascular Risk Research; and the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement. Noland has guided ongoing innovations within ETSU’s academic portfolio and curricula. This includes the launch of the BlueSky Institute, a 27-month computer science program developed hand-in-hand with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee through which students receive training and mentoring onsite at BCBS’s headquarters and earn job offers immediately following graduation. 

Noland has served as a board member for the American Council on Education, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, Ballad Health, Bank of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Halie Craig, Nominee to be a Member (Republican) of the United States International Trade Commission

Halie Craig currently serves as the Policy Director, Tech for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Republican staff, where she oversees all aspects of technology policy for Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX). Prior to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, she held various positions on the staff of former U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA), including serving on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee and leading the senator’s trade policy portfolio during the negotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, various Section 232 investigations, and the imposition of Section 301 duties on imports from China. In addition to her service in the U.S. Senate, Craig spent two years at Meta, where she handled content policy for News Feed, recommendations, and behavioral abuse issues. Craig also previously served as an Associate Fellow with the R Street Institute, where she provided commentary and published research on trade policy issues. Craig earned her B.A. in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania and is a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

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The post President Biden Announces Nominees appeared first on The White House.

WASHINGTON – Today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individual to serve as a key leader in his administration:

• Jim Coughlan, Nominee to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission

Additionally, President Biden announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to serve as members of boards and commissions that are required, by statute or longstanding practice, to include bipartisan membership:

• Beth Harwell, Nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Brian Noland, Nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority
• Halie Craig, Nominee to be a Member (Republican) of the United States International Trade Commission

Jim Coughlan, Nominee to be a Member of the United States International Trade Commission

Jim Coughlan is currently Senior Vice President and General Counsel at the Export-Import Bank of the United States. He was previously an attorney in private practice where he focused on litigation before the United States International Trade Commission (ITC), most recently as Partner at Holland & Knight LLP. Coughlan has been recognized by Chambers Global and Chambers USA, as well as being chosen as a Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Gen X Leaders in Law honoree. He was formerly a Senior Staff Attorney at the ITC, served as Legal Counsel for Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and was a judicial law clerk for the Judge Marion T. Bennett of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Coughlan has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Bradley University, a J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law and an LLM from the University of Illinois, Chicago School of Law. He is from Oak Park, Illinois.

Beth Harwell, Nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Valley Authority

Beth Harwell has served as a member of the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors since 2021. She represented Tennessee’s 56th District in the state’s House of Representatives for nearly 30 years, including seven years as Speaker of the House, a position to which she was elected with bipartisan support. Previously, Harwell chaired the Tennessee Republican Party and served as an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Belmont University. Harwell moved to Nashville, Tennessee to attend David Lipscomb University, and subsequently completed her graduate work at Vanderbilt University. She is married to Sam Harwell, with whom she has three children.

Brian Noland, Nominee to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority

Brian Noland became the ninth president of East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in January 2012. During his tenure, ETSU has achieved its highest graduation, retention, and employee satisfaction rates in history and secured record-breaking levels of research funding. Noland has secured resources for and overseen some of the institution’s largest and most transformative capital projects, including the complete renovations of the D.P. Culp Student Center, Brown Hall, and Lamb Hall, as well as the construction of Greene Stadium, the Martin Center for the Arts, Bishop Hall, a new humanities building, and a new integrated health services center.

Sustaining ETSU’s focus on regional stewardship, Noland has partnered with civic and corporate entities to position the university as a national leader in interprofessional health care and rural health. Under his leadership, ETSU has launched several health research and care centers, including the Ballad Health Strong BRAIN Institute, a first-of-its-kind institute dedicated to promoting the awareness and study of adverse childhood experiences; the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation (CARE) in Women’s Health; the Addiction Science Center; the Center for Rural Health and Research; the ETSU/NORC Rural Health Equity Research Center; the Center for Cardiovascular Risk Research; and the Tennessee Center for Nursing Advancement. Noland has guided ongoing innovations within ETSU’s academic portfolio and curricula. This includes the launch of the BlueSky Institute, a 27-month computer science program developed hand-in-hand with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee through which students receive training and mentoring onsite at BCBS’s headquarters and earn job offers immediately following graduation. 

Noland has served as a board member for the American Council on Education, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, Ballad Health, Bank of Tennessee, and the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Halie Craig, Nominee to be a Member (Republican) of the United States International Trade Commission

Halie Craig currently serves as the Policy Director, Tech for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Republican staff, where she oversees all aspects of technology policy for Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-TX). Prior to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, she held various positions on the staff of former U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA), including serving on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee and leading the senator’s trade policy portfolio during the negotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, various Section 232 investigations, and the imposition of Section 301 duties on imports from China. In addition to her service in the U.S. Senate, Craig spent two years at Meta, where she handled content policy for News Feed, recommendations, and behavioral abuse issues. Craig also previously served as an Associate Fellow with the R Street Institute, where she provided commentary and published research on trade policy issues. Craig earned her B.A. in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania and is a native of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

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In September, President Biden announced a surge in security assistance and additional actions to help Ukraine as it continues to resist Russia’s aggression. And today, the United States is imposing significant new sanctions on over 50 financial institutions to further degrade Russia’s ability to use the international financial system to fund and prosecute its brutal war against the people of Ukraine.  These targets include Gazprombank, Russia’s largest remaining bank not sanctioned by the United States, as well as 50 other persons and entities operating in the Russian financial sector.  

In response to Russian aggression, President Biden has led international efforts alongside the G7 and many of our allies and partners to hold Russia accountable for its aggression. Today’s sanctions will further curtail Russia’s abuse of the international financial system to help finance its war against Ukraine.

The United States remains committed to putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position, and we will continue to take all available steps to do so from surging security assistance to imposing and fully enforcing sanctions and other restrictions on Russia’s war machine.

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The post Statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Further Sanctioning Russia’s Use of the International Financial System appeared first on The White House.

In September, President Biden announced a surge in security assistance and additional actions to help Ukraine as it continues to resist Russia’s aggression. And today, the United States is imposing significant new sanctions on over 50 financial institutions to further degrade Russia’s ability to use the international financial system to fund and prosecute its brutal war against the people of Ukraine.  These targets include Gazprombank, Russia’s largest remaining bank not sanctioned by the United States, as well as 50 other persons and entities operating in the Russian financial sector.  

In response to Russian aggression, President Biden has led international efforts alongside the G7 and many of our allies and partners to hold Russia accountable for its aggression. Today’s sanctions will further curtail Russia’s abuse of the international financial system to help finance its war against Ukraine.

The United States remains committed to putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position, and we will continue to take all available steps to do so from surging security assistance to imposing and fully enforcing sanctions and other restrictions on Russia’s war machine.

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The post Statement from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Further Sanctioning Russia’s Use of the International Financial System appeared first on The White House.

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:        Delegation of Authority Under Section 614(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 614(a)(1) of the FAA to determine whether it is important to the security interests of the United States to furnish up to $35 million in assistance to Ukraine without regard to any provision of law within the purview of section 614(a)(1) of the FAA.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:        Delegation of Authority Under Section 614(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 621 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (FAA), I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 614(a)(1) of the FAA to determine whether it is important to the security interests of the United States to furnish up to $35 million in assistance to Ukraine without regard to any provision of law within the purview of section 614(a)(1) of the FAA.

You are authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

                             JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we mourn the transgender Americans whose lives were taken this year in horrific acts of violence. There should be no place for hate in America – and yet too many transgender Americans, including young people, are cruelly targeted and face harassment simply for being themselves. It’s wrong. My Administration has taken significant action to strengthen the rights and protect the safety of all Americans, including working across the federal government to combat violence against transgender Americans. Every American deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and to live free from discrimination. Today, we recommit ourselves to building a country where everyone is afforded that promise.

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The post Statement by President Joe Biden on Transgender Day of Remembrance appeared first on The White House.

Today, on Transgender Day of Remembrance, we mourn the transgender Americans whose lives were taken this year in horrific acts of violence. There should be no place for hate in America – and yet too many transgender Americans, including young people, are cruelly targeted and face harassment simply for being themselves. It’s wrong. My Administration has taken significant action to strengthen the rights and protect the safety of all Americans, including working across the federal government to combat violence against transgender Americans. Every American deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and to live free from discrimination. Today, we recommit ourselves to building a country where everyone is afforded that promise.

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This generation’s young people are some of the most gifted, educated, and talented our Nation has ever known.  They are the kite strings that keep our national ambitions aloft.  On National Child’s Day, we recommit to building a future worthy of their highest aspirations.

So many of our Nation’s children begin building their futures at our public schools — that is why I am proud that my Administration secured a historic $130 billion in funding for our Nation’s K-12 schools through my American Rescue Plan.  That law put more teachers in classrooms and more counselors, social workers, and other support staff in our schools.  It also invested in high-quality tutoring and made historic expansions in summer and afterschool programs.  My Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is expanding access to high-speed internet so students can access it regardless of their zip code.  And my Administration has worked to advance a pathway to provide free, healthy school meals for all children as a part of our national strategy to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases in America by 2030. 

My Administration has also worked hard to give families some well-deserved breathing room so that they can care for their children without worrying about how they are going to pay the bills.  My American Rescue Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit, which helped reduce child poverty by nearly half across the Nation.  That law also made our Nation’s biggest investment in child care ever, helping hundreds of thousands of child care providers keep their doors open and continue providing care.  I signed the Inflation Reduction Act, saving millions of families $800 per year on their health insurance premiums.  My Administration also raised pay for early childhood educators across the country participating in the Head Start program.  And my Administration modernized the Thrifty Food Plan for the first time in nearly five decades so that millions more families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits can afford nutritious foods. 

Securing the health and safety of children has always been a priority for my Administration.  I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years, working towards a future where no student or child has to live in fear of gun violence.  That law also made the largest investment in youth mental health ever to help schools across the country train and hire new mental health counselors.  At the same time, we made it easier for schools to leverage Medicaid to deliver health care.  And we are working to support LGBTQI+ children and families by protecting their access to health care and preventing harmful practices, including the use of so-called conversion therapy. 

My Administration has also been dedicated to addressing the existential threat of climate change — a critical task to secure our children’s futures.  My Inflation Reduction Act made the most significant investment in climate ever, which includes funding to get communities cleaner air and drinking water, and protect them from the harmful effects of pollution.  My Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is working to replace every lead pipe in America, so that every family can turn on the faucet and drink clean, safe water.  And my Administration has conserved more than 45 million acres of our Nation’s lands and waters in an effort to ensure they can be enjoyed for generations to come.

On National Child’s Day, we recommit to ensuring that every child in America has the opportunity to pursue the limits of their talents and ambitions, and we uplift them as the leaders and doers of the future. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 20, 2024, as National Child’s Day.  I call upon all government officials, educators, volunteers, and all the people of the United States of America to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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This generation’s young people are some of the most gifted, educated, and talented our Nation has ever known.  They are the kite strings that keep our national ambitions aloft.  On National Child’s Day, we recommit to building a future worthy of their highest aspirations.

So many of our Nation’s children begin building their futures at our public schools — that is why I am proud that my Administration secured a historic $130 billion in funding for our Nation’s K-12 schools through my American Rescue Plan.  That law put more teachers in classrooms and more counselors, social workers, and other support staff in our schools.  It also invested in high-quality tutoring and made historic expansions in summer and afterschool programs.  My Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is expanding access to high-speed internet so students can access it regardless of their zip code.  And my Administration has worked to advance a pathway to provide free, healthy school meals for all children as a part of our national strategy to end hunger and reduce diet-related diseases in America by 2030. 

My Administration has also worked hard to give families some well-deserved breathing room so that they can care for their children without worrying about how they are going to pay the bills.  My American Rescue Plan expanded the Child Tax Credit, which helped reduce child poverty by nearly half across the Nation.  That law also made our Nation’s biggest investment in child care ever, helping hundreds of thousands of child care providers keep their doors open and continue providing care.  I signed the Inflation Reduction Act, saving millions of families $800 per year on their health insurance premiums.  My Administration also raised pay for early childhood educators across the country participating in the Head Start program.  And my Administration modernized the Thrifty Food Plan for the first time in nearly five decades so that millions more families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits can afford nutritious foods. 

Securing the health and safety of children has always been a priority for my Administration.  I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years, working towards a future where no student or child has to live in fear of gun violence.  That law also made the largest investment in youth mental health ever to help schools across the country train and hire new mental health counselors.  At the same time, we made it easier for schools to leverage Medicaid to deliver health care.  And we are working to support LGBTQI+ children and families by protecting their access to health care and preventing harmful practices, including the use of so-called conversion therapy. 

My Administration has also been dedicated to addressing the existential threat of climate change — a critical task to secure our children’s futures.  My Inflation Reduction Act made the most significant investment in climate ever, which includes funding to get communities cleaner air and drinking water, and protect them from the harmful effects of pollution.  My Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is working to replace every lead pipe in America, so that every family can turn on the faucet and drink clean, safe water.  And my Administration has conserved more than 45 million acres of our Nation’s lands and waters in an effort to ensure they can be enjoyed for generations to come.

On National Child’s Day, we recommit to ensuring that every child in America has the opportunity to pursue the limits of their talents and ambitions, and we uplift them as the leaders and doers of the future. 

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim November 20, 2024, as National Child’s Day.  I call upon all government officials, educators, volunteers, and all the people of the United States of America to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                              JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

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Our Administrations reaffirm the central and critical role that working people play in achieving a sustainable, democratic, equitable, and peaceful world. Everyone benefits when workers and their trade unions are empowered to fight for better conditions in the workplace, fairness in the economy, and democracy in our societies. Putting workers’ interests at the heart of our economic policies grows the middle class and builds a brighter future in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Last year, the United States and Brazil launched the Partnership for Workers’ Rights to catalyze action at the highest levels to empower and uplift workers’ rights around the world. Today we welcome South Africa as a new partner in this endeavor.

In its first year, the Partnership for Workers’ Rights has helped keep workers safe from life-threatening heat stress, fought to combat forced labor, fostered inclusivity in the workplace, built worker power, endorsed principles for a just green transition, and promoted high-road investment that can deliver on the promise of decent work. As a result of the Partnership, workers and unions gained new training, tools, and resources to advance worker safety, shape policy development, and promote racial equality and justice.  

These successes serve as the basis for ongoing, future efforts designed to tangibly improve the lives of workers around the world. We affirm our commitment to promote equal employment opportunities and better working conditions for women as well as men. Next year we plan to strengthen our efforts to eliminate forced labor and remediate the harms it causes. We will fight for a world of work free from discrimination, harassment, and gender-based violence. And we will continue to strengthen workers’ collective voice in the clean energy transition by promoting social dialogue in clean energy investment, including through community benefit agreements, project labor agreements, sectoral bargaining, and partnerships with unions. We intend to further advance our efforts to educate and empower the next generation of union leaders to carry forward this work in the years to come. 

Labor leaders remain our steadfast partners in this effort. Their perspectives and recommendations will continue to guide our efforts under the Partnership to create durable, shared prosperity for workers, their families, and their communities. We thank Germany, Chile, and Spain for contributing to the Partnership’s work this year, and we call on other countries that share our vision to join us. Together, we will strive towards a future of decent work and labor rights for all.

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Our Administrations reaffirm the central and critical role that working people play in achieving a sustainable, democratic, equitable, and peaceful world. Everyone benefits when workers and their trade unions are empowered to fight for better conditions in the workplace, fairness in the economy, and democracy in our societies. Putting workers’ interests at the heart of our economic policies grows the middle class and builds a brighter future in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. 

Last year, the United States and Brazil launched the Partnership for Workers’ Rights to catalyze action at the highest levels to empower and uplift workers’ rights around the world. Today we welcome South Africa as a new partner in this endeavor.

In its first year, the Partnership for Workers’ Rights has helped keep workers safe from life-threatening heat stress, fought to combat forced labor, fostered inclusivity in the workplace, built worker power, endorsed principles for a just green transition, and promoted high-road investment that can deliver on the promise of decent work. As a result of the Partnership, workers and unions gained new training, tools, and resources to advance worker safety, shape policy development, and promote racial equality and justice.  

These successes serve as the basis for ongoing, future efforts designed to tangibly improve the lives of workers around the world. We affirm our commitment to promote equal employment opportunities and better working conditions for women as well as men. Next year we plan to strengthen our efforts to eliminate forced labor and remediate the harms it causes. We will fight for a world of work free from discrimination, harassment, and gender-based violence. And we will continue to strengthen workers’ collective voice in the clean energy transition by promoting social dialogue in clean energy investment, including through community benefit agreements, project labor agreements, sectoral bargaining, and partnerships with unions. We intend to further advance our efforts to educate and empower the next generation of union leaders to carry forward this work in the years to come. 

Labor leaders remain our steadfast partners in this effort. Their perspectives and recommendations will continue to guide our efforts under the Partnership to create durable, shared prosperity for workers, their families, and their communities. We thank Germany, Chile, and Spain for contributing to the Partnership’s work this year, and we call on other countries that share our vision to join us. Together, we will strive towards a future of decent work and labor rights for all.

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President Joe Biden met today with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil on the margins of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro to discuss the U.S.-Brazil strategic relationship, rooted in our strong support for democracy.  President Biden congratulated President Lula on Brazil’s G20 host year and reaffirmed the United States’ support for President Lula’s efforts to address hunger and poverty and their shared commitment to ensure no one is left behind.  As part of their joint effort to promote decent work, the leaders reviewed progress under the Partnership for Workers’ Rights, including empowering workers to participate in climate policy discussions and help ensure a just energy transition.  President Biden reiterated U.S. commitment to digital inclusion, announcing U.S. development financing to support the expansion of Brazil’s fiber optic network to serve an additional 1 million homes and 4,000 schools by 2027.
 
The two leaders underscored their commitment to democratic institutions and the rule of law, both at home and abroad.  In the Americas, they agreed to continue consulting on the situation in Venezuela and called for the democratic will of the Venezuelan people to be respected and for the end of political repression.  Noting the urgent security situation in Haiti, the two leaders commended Kenya for its leadership role in addressing the security situation in Haiti.  President Biden thanked President Lula for Brazil’s commitment to support the people of Haiti and underscored the need to transition the Multinational Security Support mission to a United Nations peacekeeping operation.  
 
As Brazil assumes the Presidency of COP30, both leaders underscored the need for urgent action to address the climate crisis. 
 
Thanking President Lula for the historic invitation to be the first sitting president to visit the Amazon, President Biden highlighted U.S. support for Brazil’s Amazon Fund and pledged U.S. support to stand up the Tropical Forests Forever Facility.  
 
Building on their commitment to addressing the climate crisis and seizing the opportunity to promote decent work in essential industries, the two leaders announced a new Brazil-U.S. Partnership for the Energy Transition.  The Partnership will accelerate clean energy deployment, expand energy and mineral supply chain development, and decarbonize the manufacturing and industrial sectors.  President Biden expressed his confidence in the durability of this partnership, which builds on longstanding bilateral cooperation, such as the U.S.-Brazil Energy Forum and the Strategic Minerals Dialogue.

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President Joe Biden met today with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil on the margins of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro to discuss the U.S.-Brazil strategic relationship, rooted in our strong support for democracy.  President Biden congratulated President Lula on Brazil’s G20 host year and reaffirmed the United States’ support for President Lula’s efforts to address hunger and poverty and their shared commitment to ensure no one is left behind.  As part of their joint effort to promote decent work, the leaders reviewed progress under the Partnership for Workers’ Rights, including empowering workers to participate in climate policy discussions and help ensure a just energy transition.  President Biden reiterated U.S. commitment to digital inclusion, announcing U.S. development financing to support the expansion of Brazil’s fiber optic network to serve an additional 1 million homes and 4,000 schools by 2027.
 
The two leaders underscored their commitment to democratic institutions and the rule of law, both at home and abroad.  In the Americas, they agreed to continue consulting on the situation in Venezuela and called for the democratic will of the Venezuelan people to be respected and for the end of political repression.  Noting the urgent security situation in Haiti, the two leaders commended Kenya for its leadership role in addressing the security situation in Haiti.  President Biden thanked President Lula for Brazil’s commitment to support the people of Haiti and underscored the need to transition the Multinational Security Support mission to a United Nations peacekeeping operation.  
 
As Brazil assumes the Presidency of COP30, both leaders underscored the need for urgent action to address the climate crisis. 
 
Thanking President Lula for the historic invitation to be the first sitting president to visit the Amazon, President Biden highlighted U.S. support for Brazil’s Amazon Fund and pledged U.S. support to stand up the Tropical Forests Forever Facility.  
 
Building on their commitment to addressing the climate crisis and seizing the opportunity to promote decent work in essential industries, the two leaders announced a new Brazil-U.S. Partnership for the Energy Transition.  The Partnership will accelerate clean energy deployment, expand energy and mineral supply chain development, and decarbonize the manufacturing and industrial sectors.  President Biden expressed his confidence in the durability of this partnership, which builds on longstanding bilateral cooperation, such as the U.S.-Brazil Energy Forum and the Strategic Minerals Dialogue.

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