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Lima Convention Center
Lima, Peru

2:44 P.M. PET

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister, welcome.  It’s good to be with all of you again.  This is a great group.

Fifteen months ago, we held the first-ever leader-level summit of our three countries at Camp David, back in the United States, and it inaugurated a whole new era of cooperation between our — among our three countries.  And it was part of a much larger effort these past four years to bring together America’s Pacific allies.

And I’m proud — I’m proud of how far we’ve come since that historic meeting, promoting development in Southeast Asia and in the Pacific Islands, linking arms to secure the technologies of the future, and countering North Korea’s dangerous and destabilizing cooperation with Russia.  Whether — whatever the issue, we’re taking it on together, and I think it’s — it makes a big difference for peace and security.

We’ve now reached a moment of significant political change, and I congratulate the prime minister for — on his taking office.  And this is likely to be my last trilateral meeting with this important group, but I’m proud to have helped be one of the parts of building this — this partnership, and I think it’s built to last.  That’s my ho- — hope and expectation.

I truly believe cooperation of our countries will be the foundation to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific for many years to come if we stay together.  And I believe that.

So, I look forward to our discussion.

And, Mr. President, I now turn it over to you.

PRESIDENT YOON:  (As interpreted.)  Last year, at Camp David, we agreed to organize trilateral summit every year, and I am pleased that we are delivering on the agreement today with President Biden and with new Prime Minister Ishiba.

Today’s meeting demonstrates the three countries’ strong commitment to developing our trilateral cooperation continuously.  In the midst of complex global crises, cooperation between the ROK, the U.S., and Japan not only coincides with the national interest of all three countries but is also essential for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

As we can see from the recent deployment of DPRK troops to Russia, the challenging security environment within and outside the region once again reminds us the importance of our trilateral cooperation.

Since the Camp David Leaders’ Summit last year led by President Biden, our trilateral cooperation has become and is becoming stronger every day.  I want to extend my gratitude for President Biden’s leadership.

We now have regular trilateral high-level consultations, including the one between the heads of states.  And we also now have consultative bodies in various areas in place.  We are accumulating our experiences of a trilateral cooperation fast, which is leading to tangible results.

The trilateral cooperation now goes beyond the security as it has developed into comprehensive and institutional cooperation that encompasses economy; advanced technologies, such as AI and quantum technology; as well as exchange between future generations.

The trilateral secretariat that will be launched as a result of today’s meeting will be a strong foundation that will lead to even greater cooperation among our three nations. 

I look forward a constructive discussion on the close coordination and cooperation with the two leaders today.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Mr. Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER ISHIBA:  (As interpreted.)  It is a great pleasure for me to be given this opportunity to participate in this meeting.  While our countries are surrounded by an increasingly challenging security environment, the Japan-U.S. alliance, the U.S.-ROK alliance, and our strategic partnerships are essential in securing peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific.

In order to effectively respond to international challenges of intensifying complexity, our trilateral partnership has become more important than ever.  And against such backdrop, it’s encouraging to see our trilateral cooperation expanding in diverse areas on the global scene since the Camp David summit last year.

And especially noteworthy is the trilateral security cooperation, which has been elevated to new heights — as symbolized by the joint exercise, Freedom Edge, executed most recently — founded on the trust Prime Minister Kishida built with President Biden and President Yoon, and capitalizing the trilateral coordinating secretariat to be announced today. 

I look forward to furthering our partnership in response against North Korea and in many other areas.

Thank you.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you, gentlemen. 

2:50 P.M. PET

The post Remarks by President Biden, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru of Japan, and President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea in Trilateral Meeting | Lima, Peru appeared first on The White House.

Lima Convention Center
Lima, Peru

2:44 P.M. PET

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister, welcome.  It’s good to be with all of you again.  This is a great group.

Fifteen months ago, we held the first-ever leader-level summit of our three countries at Camp David, back in the United States, and it inaugurated a whole new era of cooperation between our — among our three countries.  And it was part of a much larger effort these past four years to bring together America’s Pacific allies.

And I’m proud — I’m proud of how far we’ve come since that historic meeting, promoting development in Southeast Asia and in the Pacific Islands, linking arms to secure the technologies of the future, and countering North Korea’s dangerous and destabilizing cooperation with Russia.  Whether — whatever the issue, we’re taking it on together, and I think it’s — it makes a big difference for peace and security.

We’ve now reached a moment of significant political change, and I congratulate the prime minister for — on his taking office.  And this is likely to be my last trilateral meeting with this important group, but I’m proud to have helped be one of the parts of building this — this partnership, and I think it’s built to last.  That’s my ho- — hope and expectation.

I truly believe cooperation of our countries will be the foundation to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific for many years to come if we stay together.  And I believe that.

So, I look forward to our discussion.

And, Mr. President, I now turn it over to you.

PRESIDENT YOON:  (As interpreted.)  Last year, at Camp David, we agreed to organize trilateral summit every year, and I am pleased that we are delivering on the agreement today with President Biden and with new Prime Minister Ishiba.

Today’s meeting demonstrates the three countries’ strong commitment to developing our trilateral cooperation continuously.  In the midst of complex global crises, cooperation between the ROK, the U.S., and Japan not only coincides with the national interest of all three countries but is also essential for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

As we can see from the recent deployment of DPRK troops to Russia, the challenging security environment within and outside the region once again reminds us the importance of our trilateral cooperation.

Since the Camp David Leaders’ Summit last year led by President Biden, our trilateral cooperation has become and is becoming stronger every day.  I want to extend my gratitude for President Biden’s leadership.

We now have regular trilateral high-level consultations, including the one between the heads of states.  And we also now have consultative bodies in various areas in place.  We are accumulating our experiences of a trilateral cooperation fast, which is leading to tangible results.

The trilateral cooperation now goes beyond the security as it has developed into comprehensive and institutional cooperation that encompasses economy; advanced technologies, such as AI and quantum technology; as well as exchange between future generations.

The trilateral secretariat that will be launched as a result of today’s meeting will be a strong foundation that will lead to even greater cooperation among our three nations. 

I look forward a constructive discussion on the close coordination and cooperation with the two leaders today.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Mr. Prime Minister.

PRIME MINISTER ISHIBA:  (As interpreted.)  It is a great pleasure for me to be given this opportunity to participate in this meeting.  While our countries are surrounded by an increasingly challenging security environment, the Japan-U.S. alliance, the U.S.-ROK alliance, and our strategic partnerships are essential in securing peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific.

In order to effectively respond to international challenges of intensifying complexity, our trilateral partnership has become more important than ever.  And against such backdrop, it’s encouraging to see our trilateral cooperation expanding in diverse areas on the global scene since the Camp David summit last year.

And especially noteworthy is the trilateral security cooperation, which has been elevated to new heights — as symbolized by the joint exercise, Freedom Edge, executed most recently — founded on the trust Prime Minister Kishida built with President Biden and President Yoon, and capitalizing the trilateral coordinating secretariat to be announced today. 

I look forward to furthering our partnership in response against North Korea and in many other areas.

Thank you.

PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Thank you, gentlemen. 

2:50 P.M. PET

The post Remarks by President Biden, Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru of Japan, and President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea in Trilateral Meeting | Lima, Peru appeared first on The White House.

Newark, Delaware

Tashauna, it’s so clear that you have a spark for learning and a love for the Delaware Tech community. You prove what I’ve always said, nurses are always my best students! Thank you for sharing your story with us today.

To Dan Ehmann, Dr. Mark Brainard, and the Board of Trustees, thank you all for being champions of Del Tech, and for this incredible honor.

I tell my students that you never know where life will take you. Today is my own reminder of that.

Even though Joe and I have been to many dedication ceremonies, I never imagined that anything would be named after me.

And on such a special day for me, I’m grateful to be surrounded by so many good friends.

Like Mary Doody, my Delaware Tech partner and a true friend for life—thank you for enriching me, encouraging me, and for working to drive this day forward. You made every day coming to work fun.

Senator Coons—Chris—you and Annie have been exceptional friends to Joe and me. And as our soon-to-be Senior Senator—we are all grateful for your service.

Governor, and now Mayor-elect, Carney and First Spouse Quillen Carney—John and Tracey: thank you for your years of leadership and your friendship.

I’m also grateful to all of the other elected officials here with us today. 

To my Del Tech colleagues and so many friends, thank you for honoring me today.

Delaware has loved our family throughout our lives and we love you back. Delaware is family.

A little more than 30 years ago, I was teaching over at Brandywine High School when I heard from my friend Sally Farmer, who had just left the high school and began working here. She said, “Jill, you’ve got to come by Delaware Tech. You would love it.”

Then another Brandywine High School teacher, Ron Klopfer, called and encouraged me to consider Del Tech.

So, one day I came for a visit.  All at once I felt a sense of purpose—right away, it was home. I knew I wanted to teach here. Ron and Sally kept an eye out for an opening, and eventually, I accepted a job here.

And I remember thinking: no more cafeteria duty!

There’s a saying that “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” I became a teacher to help light those fires in my students, and watch them grow bigger and brighter over time.

My Del Tech students came from all walks of life: recent high school graduates, immigrants, veterans, and mothers coming back to school, looking to start new chapters as nurses and engineers and teachers.

But no matter their background, one thing they all shared is how much they wanted to be here.

I saw it in the student who brought her daughter to class, because her child care plans had fallen through. The student who showed up five minutes late to 8 AM English Comp, because he had to race from the night shift at his second job.

They pushed through every obstacle, and kept their fire for learning burning bright.

And the thing I love about community colleges is that they’re flexible. They meet students right where they are, and help them get where they want to go.

That’s driven, in part, by devoted professors, like those here at Del Tech. When my colleagues and I stay late to give feedback or rework lesson plans, it’s for the sole reason that we care about every student who walks through our door.

It’s also driven by support services that are woven into every part of a student’s journey, like the ones found at this Student Success Center. This is a central place where you can meet a mentor, sit down with an advisor to map out a graduation timeline, and find the scholarships that can help pay for your next steps.

Community colleges offer a clear, affordable path to jobs that pay well, no matter a student’s background. And while there are many ways to find solid footing in the middle class, a lot of them run through community colleges.

That’s why they have been so important to Joe and me. Just this week, we hosted a White House Summit with community college leaders like Dr. Brainard. Because we want more students across the country to have the kinds of opportunities that Del Tech provides.

As all of you know, throughout my time in the White House, I’ve continued to teach at a community college. There was no precedent for this. No First Lady had ever maintained an independent career outside of the White House.

But I couldn’t give it up. I am first, foremost, and forever a teacher—and community colleges will always have my heart.

In so many ways, that started here. So I am honored to remain a part of this community through the Student Success Center.

At the end of the day, what inspires me most is my students. And it is my hope that the center bearing my name can inspire them—making them feel welcomed, embraced, and hopeful for their future, wherever it may lead.

Thank you.

###

The post Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Dedication Ceremony at Delaware Technical Community College appeared first on The White House.

Newark, Delaware

Tashauna, it’s so clear that you have a spark for learning and a love for the Delaware Tech community. You prove what I’ve always said, nurses are always my best students! Thank you for sharing your story with us today.

To Dan Ehmann, Dr. Mark Brainard, and the Board of Trustees, thank you all for being champions of Del Tech, and for this incredible honor.

I tell my students that you never know where life will take you. Today is my own reminder of that.

Even though Joe and I have been to many dedication ceremonies, I never imagined that anything would be named after me.

And on such a special day for me, I’m grateful to be surrounded by so many good friends.

Like Mary Doody, my Delaware Tech partner and a true friend for life—thank you for enriching me, encouraging me, and for working to drive this day forward. You made every day coming to work fun.

Senator Coons—Chris—you and Annie have been exceptional friends to Joe and me. And as our soon-to-be Senior Senator—we are all grateful for your service.

Governor, and now Mayor-elect, Carney and First Spouse Quillen Carney—John and Tracey: thank you for your years of leadership and your friendship.

I’m also grateful to all of the other elected officials here with us today. 

To my Del Tech colleagues and so many friends, thank you for honoring me today.

Delaware has loved our family throughout our lives and we love you back. Delaware is family.

A little more than 30 years ago, I was teaching over at Brandywine High School when I heard from my friend Sally Farmer, who had just left the high school and began working here. She said, “Jill, you’ve got to come by Delaware Tech. You would love it.”

Then another Brandywine High School teacher, Ron Klopfer, called and encouraged me to consider Del Tech.

So, one day I came for a visit.  All at once I felt a sense of purpose—right away, it was home. I knew I wanted to teach here. Ron and Sally kept an eye out for an opening, and eventually, I accepted a job here.

And I remember thinking: no more cafeteria duty!

There’s a saying that “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” I became a teacher to help light those fires in my students, and watch them grow bigger and brighter over time.

My Del Tech students came from all walks of life: recent high school graduates, immigrants, veterans, and mothers coming back to school, looking to start new chapters as nurses and engineers and teachers.

But no matter their background, one thing they all shared is how much they wanted to be here.

I saw it in the student who brought her daughter to class, because her child care plans had fallen through. The student who showed up five minutes late to 8 AM English Comp, because he had to race from the night shift at his second job.

They pushed through every obstacle, and kept their fire for learning burning bright.

And the thing I love about community colleges is that they’re flexible. They meet students right where they are, and help them get where they want to go.

That’s driven, in part, by devoted professors, like those here at Del Tech. When my colleagues and I stay late to give feedback or rework lesson plans, it’s for the sole reason that we care about every student who walks through our door.

It’s also driven by support services that are woven into every part of a student’s journey, like the ones found at this Student Success Center. This is a central place where you can meet a mentor, sit down with an advisor to map out a graduation timeline, and find the scholarships that can help pay for your next steps.

Community colleges offer a clear, affordable path to jobs that pay well, no matter a student’s background. And while there are many ways to find solid footing in the middle class, a lot of them run through community colleges.

That’s why they have been so important to Joe and me. Just this week, we hosted a White House Summit with community college leaders like Dr. Brainard. Because we want more students across the country to have the kinds of opportunities that Del Tech provides.

As all of you know, throughout my time in the White House, I’ve continued to teach at a community college. There was no precedent for this. No First Lady had ever maintained an independent career outside of the White House.

But I couldn’t give it up. I am first, foremost, and forever a teacher—and community colleges will always have my heart.

In so many ways, that started here. So I am honored to remain a part of this community through the Student Success Center.

At the end of the day, what inspires me most is my students. And it is my hope that the center bearing my name can inspire them—making them feel welcomed, embraced, and hopeful for their future, wherever it may lead.

Thank you.

###

The post Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Dedication Ceremony at Delaware Technical Community College appeared first on The White House.

We, the leaders of Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United States, convened in the spirit of Camp David to commemorate the remarkable progress our three countries have made since our Trilateral Leaders’ Summit in 2023. Japan, the ROK, and the United States stand united in our dedication to promote human rights, democracy, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. We remain determined to align our collective efforts to ensure the continued success of our peoples, the region, and the world. We remain steadfast in our support for a free and open rules-based international order. The actions that we take together will continue to bolster regional and global peace and security well into the future.

***

During the past 15 months, we have constructed a trilateral partnership that is built to last. Today, we announce the establishment of the Trilateral Secretariat responsible for coordinating and implementing our shared commitments. This new secretariat will seek to ensure that the work we do together further aligns our objectives and actions to make the Indo-Pacific a thriving, connected, resilient, stable, and secure region.

We applaud our expanding trilateral security cooperation, including the successful first two iterations of the trilateral multi-domain exercise Freedom Edge and the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation on the Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework to institutionalize trilateral cooperation among our defense authorities. Our trilateral defense engagements are expanding to annual Chiefs of Defense and ministerial meetings that build upon existing senior-level policy consultations, information sharing, trilateral exercises, and defense exchanges. Japan, the ROK, and the United States are promoting trilateral interoperability by sharing data in real time about ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and by working to strengthen our ballistic missile defense capabilities. We are enhancing junior officer exchanges to further build interoperability and people-to-people ties among our defense forces. President Biden reiterates that the U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan are ironclad and reaffirms the U.S. commitment to strengthen extended deterrence cooperation through the ROK-U.S. and Japan-U.S. alliances. These actions underscore our three countries’ shared commitment to consult on regional challenges, provocations, and threats affecting our collective interests and security.

We strongly condemn violations of multiple United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions by the DPRK and Russia, especially in light of the DPRK’s decision to deploy troops to Russia for combat against Ukraine. Japan, the ROK, and the United States strongly condemn the decisions by the leaders of the DPRK and Russia to dangerously expand Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including munitions and ballistic missile transfers, is particularly egregious given Russia’s status as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council. We remain resolute as ever in supporting Ukraine as it exercises its inherent right to self-defense as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter.

We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, consistent with UNSC resolutions. We commit to respond firmly to violations and evasions of DPRK-related UNSC resolutions as well as any attempt to undermine the global non-proliferation regime. Japan, the ROK, and the United States are committed to the work of the new Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team responsible for conducting comprehensive and effective sanctions monitoring and reporting efforts regarding UNSC sanctions on the DPRK. We express grave concern over the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation methods, including its use of arms transfers, malicious cyber activities, and the dispatch of workers abroad, to fund its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. We are committed to expanding trilateral efforts to counter the DPRK’s malicious cyber program and illicit revenue generation, including by collaborating to build capacity across the Indo-Pacific region to better protect against illicit DPRK activities. Our three countries continue to call for adherence to shared international norms and responsible behavior in the cyber domain to protect public critical infrastructure placed at risk by disruptive or destabilizing cyber activities. Prime Minister Ishiba and President Biden acknowledge their support for President Yoon’s vision of a free, peaceful, and prosperous Korean Peninsula and reiterate their support for a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace. With a clear recognition of the inextricable link between DPRK human rights issues and international peace and security, we promote the advancement of human rights in the DPRK and call for the immediate resolution of the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war.

We reaffirm the importance of maintaining peace and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region. We reaffirm our unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity and for the ASEAN-led regional architecture. We are committed to working closely with ASEAN to support robust implementation and mainstreaming of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We express concerns about illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and we take this opportunity to announce a new Trilateral Maritime Security and Law Enforcement Cooperation Framework that will strengthen our cooperation on shared regional challenges and protect rules-based approaches to the maritime domain.

We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific, and we recognize the importance of opposing unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea. We steadfastly oppose the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels and coercive activities in the South China Sea. We express support for the global maritime order, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, based on international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. We recognize that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. There is no change in our basic positions on Taiwan, and we call for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.

Japan, the ROK, and the United States are committed to deepening our trilateral economic partnership, including through continuing our close coordination on economic security. Japan and the United States look forward to the ROK’s hosting of APEC in 2025 and welcome the ROK’s chairmanship of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP). Japan and the United States are committed to closely coordinating with the ROK to accelerate MSP projects. We recognize the MSP as a crucial institutional forum to develop a more diverse and sustainable critical minerals supply chain. We welcome the progress made by the Resilient and Inclusive Supply-chain Enhancement (RISE) partnership. We commend the Trilateral Economic Security Dialogue for deepening trilateral engagements on economic security issues, and we welcome regularized, active consultation among our countries to exchange early warning information on supply chain disruptions. We applaud the successful first trilateral meeting between our finance ministries and look forward to the next convening. We commit to continue cooperating to promote sustainable economic growth and financial stability, as well as orderly and well-functioning financial markets. We commend the successful launch of the first trilateral Commerce and Industry Ministerial Meeting and look forward to the next convening. We reaffirm our longstanding commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment, including through the upcoming 2024 Trilateral Women’s Economic Empowerment Conference in Washington. We applaud women leaders in STEM who are working to address barriers to entry and advancement. In addition, we are committed to enhancing cooperation within the Crisis Response Network established under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework Supply Chain Agreement—with the ROK as the Chair and Japan as the Vice Chair—to ensure members maintain access to vital supplies during emergencies.

We concur on the need for trilateral collaboration on technology security, standards, and trusted ecosystems, and we commit to develop a trilateral framework to further advance our next generation critical and emerging technology cooperation. We hail the successful launch of the Trilateral Technology Leaders Training Program, which has served to train and connect policymakers focusing on semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, digital economy, biotechnology, cybersecurity, energy, and space. In addition, Japan, the ROK, and the United States are working to accelerate the development of a trusted AI ecosystem across our three countries. We are strengthening commercial collaboration around AI chips in addition to enhancing protections for critical technology and strengthening engagement on AI safety. We are working to build resilient supply chains for active pharmaceutical ingredients through the “Bio-5” coalition. As founding members of the Quantum Development Group, we look forward to further strengthening cooperation on supply chains and trusted investment in our quantum ecosystems. We are proud of the launch of a new quantum workforce program by IBM, in partnership with Japanese, Korean, and U.S. universities, which aims to train 40,000 students over the next decade. We also welcome trilateral cooperation among our national research institutes, and we stress the significance of the successful launch of the Disruptive Technology Protection Network, which is essential for combatting illicit technology transfer.

Japan, the ROK, and the United States also are expanding our cooperation on development and humanitarian assistance across the globe, including through a senior-level biennial policy dialogue. Together, Japan, the ROK, and the United States have expanded trilateral development assistance to the Philippines and Ukraine. We commit to further advance collaboration in critical sectors across the Philippines, including ports modernization, energy infrastructure, agribusiness, and large-scale transportation projects. We support trilateral digital infrastructure and telecommunications initiatives in Southeast Asia, including through the expansion of digital infrastructure using Open RAN approaches across the region.

People-to-people ties between Japan, the ROK, and the United States are rapidly expanding, and we are discussing ways to maintain and build upon this momentum. We applaud the successful first Trilateral Global Leadership Youth Summit this year and look forward to the 2025 Youth Summit in Japan as the next iteration of what we hope will become an annual convening of youth delegates focused on tackling our shared security, economic, and environmental challenges. Furthermore, we support the newly launched Young Trilateral Leaders program, which aims to foster dialogue between our countries and concrete action by young people on global challenges.

***

Our cooperation has soared to new heights in every corner of our governments, and we have created a brighter, safer, and more prosperous future for our people. We are proud of the partnership we have built and believe that the Japan-ROK-U.S. relationship will be a ballast of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific for years to come.

###

The post Joint Statement of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States appeared first on The White House.

We, the leaders of Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), and the United States, convened in the spirit of Camp David to commemorate the remarkable progress our three countries have made since our Trilateral Leaders’ Summit in 2023. Japan, the ROK, and the United States stand united in our dedication to promote human rights, democracy, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. We remain determined to align our collective efforts to ensure the continued success of our peoples, the region, and the world. We remain steadfast in our support for a free and open rules-based international order. The actions that we take together will continue to bolster regional and global peace and security well into the future.

***

During the past 15 months, we have constructed a trilateral partnership that is built to last. Today, we announce the establishment of the Trilateral Secretariat responsible for coordinating and implementing our shared commitments. This new secretariat will seek to ensure that the work we do together further aligns our objectives and actions to make the Indo-Pacific a thriving, connected, resilient, stable, and secure region.

We applaud our expanding trilateral security cooperation, including the successful first two iterations of the trilateral multi-domain exercise Freedom Edge and the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation on the Trilateral Security Cooperation Framework to institutionalize trilateral cooperation among our defense authorities. Our trilateral defense engagements are expanding to annual Chiefs of Defense and ministerial meetings that build upon existing senior-level policy consultations, information sharing, trilateral exercises, and defense exchanges. Japan, the ROK, and the United States are promoting trilateral interoperability by sharing data in real time about ballistic missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and by working to strengthen our ballistic missile defense capabilities. We are enhancing junior officer exchanges to further build interoperability and people-to-people ties among our defense forces. President Biden reiterates that the U.S. commitments to the defense of the ROK and Japan are ironclad and reaffirms the U.S. commitment to strengthen extended deterrence cooperation through the ROK-U.S. and Japan-U.S. alliances. These actions underscore our three countries’ shared commitment to consult on regional challenges, provocations, and threats affecting our collective interests and security.

We strongly condemn violations of multiple United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions by the DPRK and Russia, especially in light of the DPRK’s decision to deploy troops to Russia for combat against Ukraine. Japan, the ROK, and the United States strongly condemn the decisions by the leaders of the DPRK and Russia to dangerously expand Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Deepening military cooperation between the DPRK and Russia, including munitions and ballistic missile transfers, is particularly egregious given Russia’s status as a Permanent Member of the UN Security Council. We remain resolute as ever in supporting Ukraine as it exercises its inherent right to self-defense as enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter.

We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, consistent with UNSC resolutions. We commit to respond firmly to violations and evasions of DPRK-related UNSC resolutions as well as any attempt to undermine the global non-proliferation regime. Japan, the ROK, and the United States are committed to the work of the new Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team responsible for conducting comprehensive and effective sanctions monitoring and reporting efforts regarding UNSC sanctions on the DPRK. We express grave concern over the DPRK’s illicit revenue generation methods, including its use of arms transfers, malicious cyber activities, and the dispatch of workers abroad, to fund its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. We are committed to expanding trilateral efforts to counter the DPRK’s malicious cyber program and illicit revenue generation, including by collaborating to build capacity across the Indo-Pacific region to better protect against illicit DPRK activities. Our three countries continue to call for adherence to shared international norms and responsible behavior in the cyber domain to protect public critical infrastructure placed at risk by disruptive or destabilizing cyber activities. Prime Minister Ishiba and President Biden acknowledge their support for President Yoon’s vision of a free, peaceful, and prosperous Korean Peninsula and reiterate their support for a unified Korean Peninsula that is free and at peace. With a clear recognition of the inextricable link between DPRK human rights issues and international peace and security, we promote the advancement of human rights in the DPRK and call for the immediate resolution of the issues of abductees, detainees, and unrepatriated prisoners of war.

We reaffirm the importance of maintaining peace and stability throughout the Indo-Pacific region. We reaffirm our unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity and for the ASEAN-led regional architecture. We are committed to working closely with ASEAN to support robust implementation and mainstreaming of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. We express concerns about illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and we take this opportunity to announce a new Trilateral Maritime Security and Law Enforcement Cooperation Framework that will strengthen our cooperation on shared regional challenges and protect rules-based approaches to the maritime domain.

We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the waters of the Indo-Pacific, and we recognize the importance of opposing unlawful maritime claims in the South China Sea. We steadfastly oppose the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels and coercive activities in the South China Sea. We express support for the global maritime order, including the freedoms of navigation and overflight, based on international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. We recognize that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. There is no change in our basic positions on Taiwan, and we call for the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues.

Japan, the ROK, and the United States are committed to deepening our trilateral economic partnership, including through continuing our close coordination on economic security. Japan and the United States look forward to the ROK’s hosting of APEC in 2025 and welcome the ROK’s chairmanship of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP). Japan and the United States are committed to closely coordinating with the ROK to accelerate MSP projects. We recognize the MSP as a crucial institutional forum to develop a more diverse and sustainable critical minerals supply chain. We welcome the progress made by the Resilient and Inclusive Supply-chain Enhancement (RISE) partnership. We commend the Trilateral Economic Security Dialogue for deepening trilateral engagements on economic security issues, and we welcome regularized, active consultation among our countries to exchange early warning information on supply chain disruptions. We applaud the successful first trilateral meeting between our finance ministries and look forward to the next convening. We commit to continue cooperating to promote sustainable economic growth and financial stability, as well as orderly and well-functioning financial markets. We commend the successful launch of the first trilateral Commerce and Industry Ministerial Meeting and look forward to the next convening. We reaffirm our longstanding commitment to advancing women’s economic empowerment, including through the upcoming 2024 Trilateral Women’s Economic Empowerment Conference in Washington. We applaud women leaders in STEM who are working to address barriers to entry and advancement. In addition, we are committed to enhancing cooperation within the Crisis Response Network established under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework Supply Chain Agreement—with the ROK as the Chair and Japan as the Vice Chair—to ensure members maintain access to vital supplies during emergencies.

We concur on the need for trilateral collaboration on technology security, standards, and trusted ecosystems, and we commit to develop a trilateral framework to further advance our next generation critical and emerging technology cooperation. We hail the successful launch of the Trilateral Technology Leaders Training Program, which has served to train and connect policymakers focusing on semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum technology, digital economy, biotechnology, cybersecurity, energy, and space. In addition, Japan, the ROK, and the United States are working to accelerate the development of a trusted AI ecosystem across our three countries. We are strengthening commercial collaboration around AI chips in addition to enhancing protections for critical technology and strengthening engagement on AI safety. We are working to build resilient supply chains for active pharmaceutical ingredients through the “Bio-5” coalition. As founding members of the Quantum Development Group, we look forward to further strengthening cooperation on supply chains and trusted investment in our quantum ecosystems. We are proud of the launch of a new quantum workforce program by IBM, in partnership with Japanese, Korean, and U.S. universities, which aims to train 40,000 students over the next decade. We also welcome trilateral cooperation among our national research institutes, and we stress the significance of the successful launch of the Disruptive Technology Protection Network, which is essential for combatting illicit technology transfer.

Japan, the ROK, and the United States also are expanding our cooperation on development and humanitarian assistance across the globe, including through a senior-level biennial policy dialogue. Together, Japan, the ROK, and the United States have expanded trilateral development assistance to the Philippines and Ukraine. We commit to further advance collaboration in critical sectors across the Philippines, including ports modernization, energy infrastructure, agribusiness, and large-scale transportation projects. We support trilateral digital infrastructure and telecommunications initiatives in Southeast Asia, including through the expansion of digital infrastructure using Open RAN approaches across the region.

People-to-people ties between Japan, the ROK, and the United States are rapidly expanding, and we are discussing ways to maintain and build upon this momentum. We applaud the successful first Trilateral Global Leadership Youth Summit this year and look forward to the 2025 Youth Summit in Japan as the next iteration of what we hope will become an annual convening of youth delegates focused on tackling our shared security, economic, and environmental challenges. Furthermore, we support the newly launched Young Trilateral Leaders program, which aims to foster dialogue between our countries and concrete action by young people on global challenges.

***

Our cooperation has soared to new heights in every corner of our governments, and we have created a brighter, safer, and more prosperous future for our people. We are proud of the partnership we have built and believe that the Japan-ROK-U.S. relationship will be a ballast of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific for years to come.

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE

SUBJECT:       Delegation of Authorities Under Sections 507(d)

               and 508(a) of the Ukraine Security Supplemental

               Appropriations Act, 2024

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authorities under sections 507(d) and 508(a) of the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 (Division B of Public Law 118-50).

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 Authorities Under Sections 507(d)

               and 508(a) of the Ukraine Security Supplemental

               Appropriations Act, 2024

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authorities under sections 507(d) and 508(a) of the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 (Division B of Public Law 118-50).

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

                               JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

The post Memorandum on the Delegation of Authorities Under Sections 507(d) and 508(a) of the Ukraine Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024 appeared first on The White House.

Today, ahead President Biden’s meeting with President Boluarte of Peru on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the United States commemorates our indispensable partnership with Peru.  The United States and Peru will celebrate 200 years of diplomatic relations in 2026, which will mark two centuries of strong ties in the areas of diplomacy, trade, sustainable development, security, democracy and human rights, counter-narcotics, and protecting the environment.  This year, the United States and Peru marked 15 years of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.  Since 2001, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested over $1.8 billion to promote economic, social, and political development and to support Peru as it manages the migration flows impacting the region.  Peru is a founding partner of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (Americas Partnership or APEP) initiative, endorsed the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, and recently agreed to increase cooperation with the United States on space and critical minerals.

Recent examples of our strong collaboration in key areas include:

Bolstering Security and Strengthening the Rule of Law.  The United States and Peru maintain a long-standing security and defense partnership focused on strengthening counternarcotics operations, combatting transnational organized crime, improving disaster response, building peacekeeping capacity, and bolstering regional security.

• During APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, the U.S. government announced a $65 million counternarcotics assistance package that includes the planned transfer of nine Black Hawk helicopters to Peru over the next five years.  This assistance, along with the decision by the United States and Peru to restart cooperation under the non-lethal aerial interception agreement for the first time in 10 years, will support Peru’s efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and transnational organized crime. 

• Since Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, the United States, through the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, has provided more than $350 million in assistance to Peruvian law enforcement institutions to combat narcotics trafficking, disrupt transnational criminal organizations, and promote the rule of law.

• The United States is reinforcing security at the Port of Chancay through technical assistance and provision three cargo and vehicle inspection scanners totaling more than $8.5 million.  These state-of-the-art scanners will ensure that cargo moving through the port does not pose a safety threat to Peru.

• The United States Southern Command provides extensive training and capacity building on cyber defense strategies to Peru.  The United States and Peru co-led Resolute Sentinel military exercises in 2023 and 2024 to enhance interoperability among security forces in the region.  The United States has invested $750,000 in the construction of training areas, barracks, and buildings to support emergency response in Peru.

• This year, the United States and Peru relaunched the Defense Bilateral Working Group to be followed by the Political-Military Dialogue in 2025.  The United States and Peru also established a Bilateral Security Working Group to develop and address security issues facing Peru and the region.

• The U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit SOUTH (NAMRU-SOUTH) is a U.S. Navy command that conducts research on infectious diseases in South and Central America.  It is collocated on Peruvian naval bases in Callao and Iquitos, Peru, and is comprised of 15 U.S. active-duty military, five Department of Defense civilians, and nearly 180 Peruvian staff.

• The U.S. Coast Guard completed four successful partnership engagements with Peru during 2024 aimed at minimizing risks of inadequate illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU-F) and port regulation and oversight, the lack of which leads to corruption, coercion, and other illicit activities.

Promoting Mutual Economic Prosperity, Development, and Good Governance

• The United States is Peru’s number one partner in job creation, generating over 1.1 million jobs in Peru in 2023 through bilateral trade totaling more than $20.5 billion in 2023, according to Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.  U.S. direct investment in Peru in 2023 was more than $6.6 billion.

• Through Peru’s active participation in the Americas Partnership, we are driving inclusive, sustainable growth and strengthening critical supply chains via increased trade and investment.

• More than 500,000 U.S. citizens visit Peru annually, providing the largest single group of visitors that sustains Peru’s world-class tourism sector.  Peru has the largest Summer Work and Travel program of any country with 8,000 young Peruvians providing important annual staffing for U.S. ski resorts, theme parks, and small businesses.

• The State Department and USAID provided more than $580 million for Peru to advance critical development and humanitarian priorities since FY 2021 in support of efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and procurement transparency, combat environmental crime, protect natural resources, support farmers in cultivating alternative crops to coca, and enhance health security.  This support includes $335 million in humanitarian assistance to support integration for migrants and meet their immediate humanitarian needs inside Peru.

• USAID mobilized more than $5 million in private investments to expand internet access for more than 100 rural Peruvian Amazon communities. The initiative has trained over 15,000 people in digital skills and provided financial education to more than 20,000 individuals.

• USAID has supported the boom in the cacao, chocolate, and coffee industries in Peru over the course of the past 15 years. As a result, Peru is the second largest producer of organic cacao in the world and is among the top 10 producers of conventional cacao.

A Space Partnership.  The United States and Peru are advancing space cooperation into civil and defense sectors.  A significant milestone in this partnership is Peru’s decision to join the Artemis Accords this year, committing to shared principles for responsible and sustainable space exploration.

• During APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Peru’s Space Agency, the National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development (CONIDA), will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance space cooperation.  The MOU will include safety training, a joint feasibility study for a potential sounding rockets campaign, and technical assistance for CONIDA on sounding rocket launches, which are small, low-cost flight opportunities to suborbital space used to strengthen space science research and investigation.  Additionally, the U.S. and Peruvian governments will issue a Joint Communique on Space Exploration.

• In February 2024, USAID invested $2.1 million and partnered with NASA and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) to launch the second phase of SERVIR Amazonia.  This three-year program uses cutting-edge NASA satellite data and geospatial technology to help Peru and others in the region address Amazon conservation, enhance climate risk strategies, and build resilience to extreme weather.

• The Department of Defense will deliver a telescope to Peru in 2025 to detect space debris, building on the Space Situational Awareness agreement that Peru signed with the United States Space Command in April 2023.

Safe, Secure, and Sustainable Infrastructure.  The United States’ public and private sectors play a significant role in strengthening Peru’s infrastructure through investments and capacity—building in critical sectors such as transportation, water and sanitation, energy, and agriculture.  This year Peru became the first country in Latin America to join the Blue Dot Network for quality infrastructure.

• Rail:  California commuter rail line Caltrain will donate 90 passenger cars and 19 locomotives to the city of Lima for its commuter metro rail project.  This transaction, facilitated by the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, will provide efficient public transit, save the city of Lima millions of dollars, and generate up to $500 million in U.S. exports of rail, track material, signaling systems, and protection equipment for crossings.

• Seaports:  In October, Peru’s National Port Authority approved the master plan for the Port of Matarani, an expansion proposal that includes new U.S. private sector investments of more than $500 million to enable continued growth in Peru’s southern region as Latin America’s main port for copper and a key port for agricultural exports.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing thePeruvian Navy technical expertise through a $180 million foreign military sales case for construction at the Peruvian naval port at Callao, which may lead to a $1 billion effort beginning in 2025 to construct the new port for the Peruvian Navy.

• Sister Ports:  On November 1, the U.S. port of Hueneme in California and the Peruvian port of Paita established a “sister port” relationship under the new U.S. Sister Ports Program, managed by the Department of State’s Office of Transportation Policy.  The ports will exchange best practices in safety and security, smart port technology, sustainability, green shipping corridors, public-private collaboration, and port business and marketing.

• Clean Water:  The Transaction Advisory Fund (TAF)—a joint program of the U.S. State Department and USAID—is working with the Regional Government of Cajamarca and the U.S. private sector to support implementation studies for the Huatalpampa reservoir project in Cajamarca to close the region’s sizeable water infrastructure gap.  Furthermore, in FY 2023, USAID mobilized $30 million in new investments for water security through 15 projects in Peru, including improving natural water sources, wetlands, and watersheds.

• Management and Reform:  USAID, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, has invested more than $2.4 million to improve Peru’s national public procurement system, build the capacity of procurement staff, and engage the private sector in regulatory reform to tackle corruption and improve infrastructure.  USAID helped Peru achieve full compliance with the international Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative agreement this year.

• Investment:  The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has a total of $45 million in active financial operations supporting businesses in Peru.  The DFC is working with financial intermediaries to support lending for small- and medium-scale agricultural producers, producer associations, and small merchants in the Peruvian Amazon.

Building People-to-People Connections.  The connections between the United States and Peruvian people embody the breadth and depth of our partnership.

• The Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has supported 36 local projects with $4.1 million in 16 regions of Peru.  Through the bilateral Cultural Patrimony Agreement, 2,000 cultural pieces have been repatriated to Peru over the past three decades.

• The Fulbright Commission in Peru will celebrate its 70th anniversary in May 2026 with support for over 3,200 scholarships to date.  Over 14,000 Peruvians form part of a global alumni network of U.S. government-funded educational and professional exchange programs.

• Embassy Lima processed a record 200,000+ visa applications in FY2024.  In 2023, over 330,000 Peruvians traveled to the United States. 

• A network of eight American Spaces—educational centers sponsored by the U.S. Department—with 30 branches throughout Peru supports the learning of English and U.S. culture for 85,000 students per month.

• The U.S. Regional English Language Office has trained over 1,750 Peruvian teachers and provides English language instruction to an average of 60 students per year.  In 2025, the Access Scholarship program will reach 220 new students ages 13-18 with a grant of $250,000 dedicated to English language instruction.

###

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Today, ahead President Biden’s meeting with President Boluarte of Peru on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, the United States commemorates our indispensable partnership with Peru.  The United States and Peru will celebrate 200 years of diplomatic relations in 2026, which will mark two centuries of strong ties in the areas of diplomacy, trade, sustainable development, security, democracy and human rights, counter-narcotics, and protecting the environment.  This year, the United States and Peru marked 15 years of the United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement.  Since 2001, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has invested over $1.8 billion to promote economic, social, and political development and to support Peru as it manages the migration flows impacting the region.  Peru is a founding partner of the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity (Americas Partnership or APEP) initiative, endorsed the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, and recently agreed to increase cooperation with the United States on space and critical minerals.

Recent examples of our strong collaboration in key areas include:

Bolstering Security and Strengthening the Rule of Law.  The United States and Peru maintain a long-standing security and defense partnership focused on strengthening counternarcotics operations, combatting transnational organized crime, improving disaster response, building peacekeeping capacity, and bolstering regional security.

• During APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, the U.S. government announced a $65 million counternarcotics assistance package that includes the planned transfer of nine Black Hawk helicopters to Peru over the next five years.  This assistance, along with the decision by the United States and Peru to restart cooperation under the non-lethal aerial interception agreement for the first time in 10 years, will support Peru’s efforts to combat narcotics trafficking and transnational organized crime. 

• Since Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, the United States, through the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, has provided more than $350 million in assistance to Peruvian law enforcement institutions to combat narcotics trafficking, disrupt transnational criminal organizations, and promote the rule of law.

• The United States is reinforcing security at the Port of Chancay through technical assistance and provision three cargo and vehicle inspection scanners totaling more than $8.5 million.  These state-of-the-art scanners will ensure that cargo moving through the port does not pose a safety threat to Peru.

• The United States Southern Command provides extensive training and capacity building on cyber defense strategies to Peru.  The United States and Peru co-led Resolute Sentinel military exercises in 2023 and 2024 to enhance interoperability among security forces in the region.  The United States has invested $750,000 in the construction of training areas, barracks, and buildings to support emergency response in Peru.

• This year, the United States and Peru relaunched the Defense Bilateral Working Group to be followed by the Political-Military Dialogue in 2025.  The United States and Peru also established a Bilateral Security Working Group to develop and address security issues facing Peru and the region.

• The U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit SOUTH (NAMRU-SOUTH) is a U.S. Navy command that conducts research on infectious diseases in South and Central America.  It is collocated on Peruvian naval bases in Callao and Iquitos, Peru, and is comprised of 15 U.S. active-duty military, five Department of Defense civilians, and nearly 180 Peruvian staff.

• The U.S. Coast Guard completed four successful partnership engagements with Peru during 2024 aimed at minimizing risks of inadequate illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU-F) and port regulation and oversight, the lack of which leads to corruption, coercion, and other illicit activities.

Promoting Mutual Economic Prosperity, Development, and Good Governance

• The United States is Peru’s number one partner in job creation, generating over 1.1 million jobs in Peru in 2023 through bilateral trade totaling more than $20.5 billion in 2023, according to Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism.  U.S. direct investment in Peru in 2023 was more than $6.6 billion.

• Through Peru’s active participation in the Americas Partnership, we are driving inclusive, sustainable growth and strengthening critical supply chains via increased trade and investment.

• More than 500,000 U.S. citizens visit Peru annually, providing the largest single group of visitors that sustains Peru’s world-class tourism sector.  Peru has the largest Summer Work and Travel program of any country with 8,000 young Peruvians providing important annual staffing for U.S. ski resorts, theme parks, and small businesses.

• The State Department and USAID provided more than $580 million for Peru to advance critical development and humanitarian priorities since FY 2021 in support of efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and procurement transparency, combat environmental crime, protect natural resources, support farmers in cultivating alternative crops to coca, and enhance health security.  This support includes $335 million in humanitarian assistance to support integration for migrants and meet their immediate humanitarian needs inside Peru.

• USAID mobilized more than $5 million in private investments to expand internet access for more than 100 rural Peruvian Amazon communities. The initiative has trained over 15,000 people in digital skills and provided financial education to more than 20,000 individuals.

• USAID has supported the boom in the cacao, chocolate, and coffee industries in Peru over the course of the past 15 years. As a result, Peru is the second largest producer of organic cacao in the world and is among the top 10 producers of conventional cacao.

A Space Partnership.  The United States and Peru are advancing space cooperation into civil and defense sectors.  A significant milestone in this partnership is Peru’s decision to join the Artemis Accords this year, committing to shared principles for responsible and sustainable space exploration.

• During APEC Economic Leaders’ Week, the United States’ National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Peru’s Space Agency, the National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development (CONIDA), will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance space cooperation.  The MOU will include safety training, a joint feasibility study for a potential sounding rockets campaign, and technical assistance for CONIDA on sounding rocket launches, which are small, low-cost flight opportunities to suborbital space used to strengthen space science research and investigation.  Additionally, the U.S. and Peruvian governments will issue a Joint Communique on Space Exploration.

• In February 2024, USAID invested $2.1 million and partnered with NASA and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) to launch the second phase of SERVIR Amazonia.  This three-year program uses cutting-edge NASA satellite data and geospatial technology to help Peru and others in the region address Amazon conservation, enhance climate risk strategies, and build resilience to extreme weather.

• The Department of Defense will deliver a telescope to Peru in 2025 to detect space debris, building on the Space Situational Awareness agreement that Peru signed with the United States Space Command in April 2023.

Safe, Secure, and Sustainable Infrastructure.  The United States’ public and private sectors play a significant role in strengthening Peru’s infrastructure through investments and capacity—building in critical sectors such as transportation, water and sanitation, energy, and agriculture.  This year Peru became the first country in Latin America to join the Blue Dot Network for quality infrastructure.

• Rail:  California commuter rail line Caltrain will donate 90 passenger cars and 19 locomotives to the city of Lima for its commuter metro rail project.  This transaction, facilitated by the U.S. Departments of State and Commerce, will provide efficient public transit, save the city of Lima millions of dollars, and generate up to $500 million in U.S. exports of rail, track material, signaling systems, and protection equipment for crossings.

• Seaports:  In October, Peru’s National Port Authority approved the master plan for the Port of Matarani, an expansion proposal that includes new U.S. private sector investments of more than $500 million to enable continued growth in Peru’s southern region as Latin America’s main port for copper and a key port for agricultural exports.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing thePeruvian Navy technical expertise through a $180 million foreign military sales case for construction at the Peruvian naval port at Callao, which may lead to a $1 billion effort beginning in 2025 to construct the new port for the Peruvian Navy.

• Sister Ports:  On November 1, the U.S. port of Hueneme in California and the Peruvian port of Paita established a “sister port” relationship under the new U.S. Sister Ports Program, managed by the Department of State’s Office of Transportation Policy.  The ports will exchange best practices in safety and security, smart port technology, sustainability, green shipping corridors, public-private collaboration, and port business and marketing.

• Clean Water:  The Transaction Advisory Fund (TAF)—a joint program of the U.S. State Department and USAID—is working with the Regional Government of Cajamarca and the U.S. private sector to support implementation studies for the Huatalpampa reservoir project in Cajamarca to close the region’s sizeable water infrastructure gap.  Furthermore, in FY 2023, USAID mobilized $30 million in new investments for water security through 15 projects in Peru, including improving natural water sources, wetlands, and watersheds.

• Management and Reform:  USAID, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, has invested more than $2.4 million to improve Peru’s national public procurement system, build the capacity of procurement staff, and engage the private sector in regulatory reform to tackle corruption and improve infrastructure.  USAID helped Peru achieve full compliance with the international Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative agreement this year.

• Investment:  The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) has a total of $45 million in active financial operations supporting businesses in Peru.  The DFC is working with financial intermediaries to support lending for small- and medium-scale agricultural producers, producer associations, and small merchants in the Peruvian Amazon.

Building People-to-People Connections.  The connections between the United States and Peruvian people embody the breadth and depth of our partnership.

• The Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation has supported 36 local projects with $4.1 million in 16 regions of Peru.  Through the bilateral Cultural Patrimony Agreement, 2,000 cultural pieces have been repatriated to Peru over the past three decades.

• The Fulbright Commission in Peru will celebrate its 70th anniversary in May 2026 with support for over 3,200 scholarships to date.  Over 14,000 Peruvians form part of a global alumni network of U.S. government-funded educational and professional exchange programs.

• Embassy Lima processed a record 200,000+ visa applications in FY2024.  In 2023, over 330,000 Peruvians traveled to the United States. 

• A network of eight American Spaces—educational centers sponsored by the U.S. Department—with 30 branches throughout Peru supports the learning of English and U.S. culture for 85,000 students per month.

• The U.S. Regional English Language Office has trained over 1,750 Peruvian teachers and provides English language instruction to an average of 60 students per year.  In 2025, the Access Scholarship program will reach 220 new students ages 13-18 with a grant of $250,000 dedicated to English language instruction.

###

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Two years ago, shortly after I signed the CHIPS & Science Act, I visited Arizona to announce a commitment by TSMC to invest in America, create American jobs, and shore up American supply chains. On that day, I spoke about how the United States invented semiconductors and used to manufacture nearly 40% of the world’s chips, but now makes closer to 10% of them and none of the most advanced chips. I came to office determined to change that, and we have since delivered on that promise, catalyzing nearly $450 billion in private investment in semiconductors, creating over 125,000 new construction and manufacturing jobs, and reshoring critical technologies to bolster our national and economic security.

Today’s final agreement with TSMC – the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductors – will spur $65 billion dollars of private investment to build three state-of-the-art facilities in Arizona and create tens of thousands of jobs by the end of the decade. This is the largest foreign direct investment in a greenfield project in the history of the United States. The first of TSMC’s three facilities is on track to fully open early next year, which means that for the first time in decades an America manufacturing plant will be producing the leading-edge chips used in our most advanced technologies – from our smartphones, to autonomous vehicles, to the data centers powering artificial intelligence. 

Today’s announcement is among the most critical milestones yet in the implementation of the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Act, and demonstrates how we are ensuring that the progress made to date will continue to unfold in the coming years, benefitting communities all across the country.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Final CHIPS Award for TSMC appeared first on The White House.

To have the best economy in the world, you have to have the best infrastructure in the world. That’s why three years ago, I was proud to sign the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – the largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure in a generation. And when the bill passed, we showed that we can get big things done when we work together.

In just the three years since I signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, my Administration has launched over 66,000 projects across the country, repairing 196,000 miles of roads and 11,400 bridges, replacing 367,000 lead pipes, and expanding and modernizing ports and airports. And today, we’re investing an additional $1.5 billion in funding for rail investments along the Northeast Corridor – the most heavily trafficked rail corridor in the United States, supporting 800,000 trips per day – five times more passengers than all flights between Washington and New York.

We’re doing all this with American workers and products that are made in America. These investments are creating jobs, benefitting our communities, and ushering in an infrastructure decade that is planting the seeds for a better and more prosperous future.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Anniversary appeared first on The White House.

Over $695 billion in funding and over 74,000 projects announced thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda

For far too long, this country’s infrastructure was under resourced and neglected, leading to crumbling roads and bridges, aging water systems, an unreliable electric grid, and inadequate high-speed internet access. Three years ago today, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – a once-in-a-generation investment in America’s infrastructure to reverse this trend, strengthen communities, and transform the U.S. economy. Since then, the Biden-Harris Administration has been breaking ground and cutting ribbons on projects in every state to rebuild roads and bridges, strengthening our supply chains, ensuring safe routes to schools, providing clean drinking water for communities, expanding high-speed internet access for all, and much more.

To date, the Administration has announced over $568 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, including over 66,000 projects and awards in all 50 states, D.C., the territories, and Tribal Nations. That’s part of the 74,000 total clean energy and infrastructure projects funded so far under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, which also includes historic investments in clean air water, climate action, and semiconductor manufacturing.

President Biden and Vice President Harris are delivering an Infrastructure Decade, unlocking access to economic opportunity, creating good-paying jobs, boosting domestic manufacturing, and growing America’s economy from the middle up and bottom out in every community across the country. His Investing in America agenda has improved the lives of millions of Americans and is planting the seeds for a better and more prosperous future for decades to come, including connecting everyone in America to reliable, affordable high-speed Internet service, replacing every lead pipe in the country and much more by the end of the decade.

HISTORIC PROGRESS BY THE NUMBERS

Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Administration has already:

• Announced $568 billion for over 66,000 projects across the country;
• Started improvements on over 196,000 miles of roads and launched over 11,400 bridge repair projects, increasing safety and reconnecting communities across the country;
• Replaced 367,000 lead pipes, benefitting nearly 1 million people, with funding continuing to be deployed for more replacements;

• Provided funding to deploy over 4,600 American-made transit buses, more than doubling their number on America’s roadways, and funded approximately over 8,900 clean school buses;
• Delivered funding for over 580 port and waterway projects to strengthen supply chains, speed up the movement of goods, lower costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
• Deployed investments in over 400 airport terminal projects to modernize and expand terminals—over 200 of which are under construction or complete;
• Financed over 2,400 drinking water and wastewater projects across the country, including projects through the Indian Health Service that will deliver clean water to 100,000 Tribal households;
• Launched over 6,000 projects to help communities build resilience to threats such as the impacts of climate change and cyber-attacks;
• Provided funding to over 400 states, tribes, and territories and launched over 100 projects to improve the resilience and reliability of America’s electric grid and deliver cheaper and cleaner electricity—representing the largest single investment in electric transmission and distribution infrastructure in the history of the United States;
• Funded nearly 2,400 projects for water recycling, storage, conservation, desalination, and other purposes to improve drought resilience across the West;
• Removed hazardous fuel material from 18 million acres of land through the Infrastructure Law and other sources to protect communities from wildfires;
• Plugged over 9,600 orphaned oil and gas wells to address legacy pollution;
• Awarded funding to 95 previously unfunded Superfund projects, clearing a longstanding backlog of projects to clean up contaminated sites and advance environmental justice;
• Provided funding to 180 programs that advance President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal clean energy, climate, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities;
• Created 940,000 construction jobs and construction employment is at a record high—higher than the previous peak before the Great Recession.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS ACROSS KEY SECTORS

The Biden-Harris Administration has made notable progress implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law across key sectors:

• Roads and Bridges: Safe, modern transportation systems connect people to opportunity and critical destinations, bringing goods to market, bringing communities together, and enabling economic growth. That’s why President Biden secured the largest investment in transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and major projects, since President Eisenhower’s investment in the Interstate Highway System. Since President Biden took office, improvements have started on over 196,000 miles of roads and over 11,400 bridge repair projects are underway – making our roadways safer and reconnecting communities across the country. This includes some of the most economically significant bridges in the country, like the Blatnik Bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota or the I-55 America’s River Crossing between Tennessee and Arkansas. The Infrastructure Law is also funding thousands of smaller bridge projects, many of which are already complete, like the Second Avenue Bridge in Detroit and the Montgomery Avenue Bridge in Philadelphia.

• Rail: When President Biden took office, he laid out his vision to bring world-class passenger rail to the United States. That’s why the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $66 billion in rail, the largest investment in passenger rail since the inception of Amtrak and an unprecedented investment in rail safety. Projects are underway across the country to modernize the Northeast Corridor – the most heavily trafficked rail corridor in the United States – to build new high-speed rail service, improve the efficiency of freight rail service, and eliminate dangerous rail crossings. An additional $1.5 billion will be announced today from the Department of Transportation for rail investments to provide faster, safer, and more reliable service for travelers and commuters. For example, the Brightline West High Speed Rail project broke ground earlier this year, using $3 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to connect Las Vegas and Southern California with 200-mile-per-hour zero emission train service and creating more than 35,000 jobs.

• Airports: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $25 billion to modernize and upgrade airports and air traffic facilities nationwide, improving passenger experience through expanding capacity, increasing accessibility, and reducing delays. The Biden-Harris Administration has delivered funding for over 400 airport terminal projects to modernize and expand terminals – over 200 of which are under construction or complete­. This includes projects like the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Terminal Modernization project, where a new concourse was built with five new gates and upgraded waiting area was completed this year, and the San Diego International Airport Project, where construction is underway to build a new terminal with the addition of 30 gates, a five-story parking plaza, and roadway improvements. The Administration has also completed over 1,600 projects to upgrade and replace air traffic control towers to ensure the safe operation of the Nation’s airspace.

• Ports and Waterways: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $17 billion to upgrade our nation’s ports and waterways. The Department of Transportation and Army Corps of Engineers have together funded over 580 port and waterway projects to strengthen supply chain reliability, speed up the movement of goods, reduce costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Major projects are already under construction, including at Montgomery Locks and Dam in Pennsylvania and Soo Locks in Michigan, which received a combined $1.65 billion to modernize and expand aging locks on key rivers that are lynchpins of national supply chains, keeping critical goods flowing and lowering costs for families. The Army Corps of Engineers has also invested $142 million to make the Port of Norfolk, Virginia, the deepest port on the East Coast, allowing enhanced navigation for larger commercial vessels. And today, the Department of Transportation is announcing nearly $580 million to increase capacity and efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports.

• Transit and School Buses: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes the largest investment in public transit ever, at nearly $90 billion – including billions to electrify or upgrade our bus, transit rail, and ferry fleets. Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has deployed over 4,600 American-made transit buses and over 8,900 clean school buses in over 1,300 communities across the country, prioritizing disadvantaged communities. Through the Capital Investment Grant program, the Administration is funding long-awaited capital projects – like the Mill Plains BRT in Vancouver, Washington, that provides fast, reliable transit service, and which opened earlier this year; and the Phoenix Northwest Light Rail Extension, which is now complete and is expected to transport nearly 2 million Phoenix residents to new stations and employ transit-oriented development to develop new housing and retail along this route.

• Clean Water: President Biden believes that every American should be able to turn on the tap and drink safe, clean water. To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced over $40.3 billion to provide clean water across the country and improve water infrastructure, as part of the largest investment in clean water in U.S. history. This includes $9 billion announced so far toward President Biden’s commitment to replace every lead pipe within a decade. Under this Administration, 367,000 lead pipes have already been replaced, benefiting nearly 1 million people and protecting communities across the country from the irreversible health effects of lead exposure. To further accelerate lead pipe replacement, last month President Biden announced a new rule requiring water systems nationwide to replace lead service lines within 10 years. Altogether, funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has financed 2,400 drinking water and wastewater projects across the country. For example, the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System has now completed the construction of 300 miles of water pipeline to deliver reliable clean water to 350,000 people in rural Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota. In addition, the Biden-Harris Administration through the Department of Interior has funded 575 projects for water recycling, storage, conservation, desalination, and other purposes to improve drought resilience across the West. One project under construction is the B.F. Sisk Dam in California’s Central Valley, which has received over $210 million to fortify and expand the dam’s reservoir by 130,000 acre-feet, making it the largest addition of surface water storage currently underway in the country.

• High-Speed Internet: Since President Biden took office, 2.4 million American homes and small businesses have been connected to high-speed internet for the first time, and construction has begun in 21 states on high-speed internet projects that will improve network resilience and connect rural and Tribal communities. For example, homes and small businesses in Eureka, Montana, are now being connected to fiber-based high-speed internet through a $12 million USDA project. The Biden-Administration has also provided funding to more than 281 Tribal governments to connect over 65,000 Tribal households with high-speed internet. In addition, Infrastructure Law funding has helped launch construction on middle mile networks that are building or upgrading over 3,200 miles of middle mile high-speed internet infrastructure across 15 states and territories. One example is the HERO Project in North Carolina, an $11 million project to construct over 200 miles of fiber through central and southeastern North Carolina, including around Fort Liberty, Pope Air Force Base, and Camp Lejeune, benefitting both civilian and military populations. The Administration also implemented new rules to expose internet junk fees, enabling 300 million Americans to shop for home and mobile internet plans that best meet their needs and budget.

• Modernizing the Grid and Deploying Clean Energy: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes more than $62 billion in funding at the Department of Energy to advance our clean energy future by investing in clean energy demonstration and deployment projects, manufacturing technologies domestically, increasing U.S. competitiveness, making our power grid stronger and more resilient to extreme weather, and all while creating high-quality, good-paying union jobs and lowering costs for Americans across the nation. Since President Biden took office, the federal government has provided funding to over 400 states, Tribes, and territories and launched over 100 projects to improve the resilience and reliability of America’s electric grid and deliver cheaper and cleaner electricity—representing the largest single investment in electric transmission and distribution infrastructure in the history of the United States. For example, the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue Transmission Study Process and Portfolio (JTIQ) project is coordinating the comprehensive planning, design, and construction of five transmission projects across seven Midwest states. Projects are also strengthening the grid locally and helping communities like Estes Park, CO to power through future severe weather events by installing an innovative battery storage project.

• Resilience: Across the country, Americans are experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change. The Biden-Harris Administration has deployed $27.4 billion in funding towards an “all hazards” approach to protecting our infrastructure and communities from physical, climate, and cybersecurity-related threats. To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has launched over 6,000 projects to help communities proactively build resilience to these threats before disasters strike. That includes protecting communities from wildfires by removing hazardous fuels from nearly 18 million acres of land through the Infrastructure Law and other sources, as well as funding projects to elevate or relocate over 3,500 homes and buildings outside of the reach of floodwaters, and creating a record wildland firefighting workforce of 16,700 with boosted pay.

• Legacy Pollution: The Biden-Harris Administration is cleaning up the air, land, and water in communities that have been burdened by legacy pollution for far too long. Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has helped plug over 9,600 orphaned oil and gas wells that pollute communities with methane leaks. To date, the Administration has allocated funding to 95 previously unfunded Superfund site projects, including the longstanding backlog of projects, to clean up contaminated sites and advance environmental justice, leading to completed cleanups at 10 Superfund sites and 24 brownfield sites. For example, after decades of community advocacy, the Environmental Protection Agency has completed the cleanup of the Clearview Landfill Superfund project in Philadelphia’s Eastwick neighborhood, which will prevent toxins from leaching into the nearby Darby Creek.

DELIVERING PROJECTS QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY

To deliver on the promise of this historic legislation and deliver impact to communities and workers as soon as possible, the Biden-Harris Administration has:

• Accelerated Federal Permitting: President Biden has been clear that the government can and must deliver more projects, more quickly. Through his Investing in America Agenda, he is delivering on that promise by accelerating project reviews while protecting communities and our environment. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic steps to accelerate and improve the federal permitting process so that Americans across the country can benefit from the promise of the Investing in America agenda – including lowering energy costs for families and creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying and union jobs. The Administration has taken a three-prong approach. First, investing $1 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act funds to hire experts and invest in new technologies to expedite reviews. Second, passing the first reforms to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the first time in 50 years and finalizing the Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule to accelerate the federal environmental review process. And third, using executive authorities, wherever possible, to improve permitting and environmental review processes. Thanks to these actions, the Biden-Harris administration has cut six months off the median time it takes for agencies to complete the most extensive form of environment review, cut the average time it takes to complete a Department of Transportation environmental assessment by more than one-third, and expanded use of the fastest form of environmental review – categorical exclusions. Since the start of the Administration, over 15 federal agencies have developed, expanded, or adopted 125 categorical exclusions for projects with insignificant environmental impact in key sectors such as electric vehicle charging, broadband, semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, and transmission.

• Expanded Technical Assistance: In the past, too many communities have lacked the resources to access and deploy transformative Federal funding opportunities. The Biden-Harris Administration has made it a priority to help state, local, Tribal and territorial governments and other nongovernmental partners effectively navigate the historic funding provided through the Investing in America agenda. New technical assistance and capacity building programs like the Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities, Environmental Protection Administration’s Get the Lead Out Initiative, and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Partners Network provide training, hands-on support, and expert assistance to communities across the country. The Administration has identified over 100 technical assistance programs to help would-be applicants with their planning and delivery needs—and has worked with philanthropy and civil society stakeholders to ensure that historically-underserved communities have the tools they need to take advantage of this historic opportunity.

Invested in Workforce: The Investing in America agenda is projected to create hundreds of thousands of good-paying and union jobs for years to come that provide critical benefits and supportive services – many of which do not require a four-year college degree. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that all workers—including women, people of color, veterans, and those that have been historically left behind–have equitable access to those job opportunities and the training and skills needed to fill them. The Administration has launched nine Investing in America Workforce Hubs in Augusta, Baltimore, Columbus, Michigan, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Upstate New York to build partnerships that train and connect Americans to these jobs in key sectors such as transportation, clean energy and manufacturing. In addition, the Administration has made unprecedented federal investments in these sectors. Since the President took office over $80 billion from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan have been committed to strengthen and expand the American workforce. These investments have bolstered Registered Apprenticeships resulting in the hiring of more than 1 million apprentices and deployed hundreds of millions of dollars to support for community college workforce training programs.

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The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Transforms Nation’s Infrastructure, Celebrates Historic Progress in Rebuilding America for the Three-Year Anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law appeared first on The White House.

Two years ago, shortly after I signed the CHIPS & Science Act, I visited Arizona to announce a commitment by TSMC to invest in America, create American jobs, and shore up American supply chains. On that day, I spoke about how the United States invented semiconductors and used to manufacture nearly 40% of the world’s chips, but now makes closer to 10% of them and none of the most advanced chips. I came to office determined to change that, and we have since delivered on that promise, catalyzing nearly $450 billion in private investment in semiconductors, creating over 125,000 new construction and manufacturing jobs, and reshoring critical technologies to bolster our national and economic security.

Today’s final agreement with TSMC – the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced semiconductors – will spur $65 billion dollars of private investment to build three state-of-the-art facilities in Arizona and create tens of thousands of jobs by the end of the decade. This is the largest foreign direct investment in a greenfield project in the history of the United States. The first of TSMC’s three facilities is on track to fully open early next year, which means that for the first time in decades an America manufacturing plant will be producing the leading-edge chips used in our most advanced technologies – from our smartphones, to autonomous vehicles, to the data centers powering artificial intelligence. 

Today’s announcement is among the most critical milestones yet in the implementation of the bipartisan CHIPS & Science Act, and demonstrates how we are ensuring that the progress made to date will continue to unfold in the coming years, benefitting communities all across the country.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Final CHIPS Award for TSMC appeared first on The White House.

To have the best economy in the world, you have to have the best infrastructure in the world. That’s why three years ago, I was proud to sign the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – the largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure in a generation. And when the bill passed, we showed that we can get big things done when we work together.

In just the three years since I signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, my Administration has launched over 66,000 projects across the country, repairing 196,000 miles of roads and 11,400 bridges, replacing 367,000 lead pipes, and expanding and modernizing ports and airports. And today, we’re investing an additional $1.5 billion in funding for rail investments along the Northeast Corridor – the most heavily trafficked rail corridor in the United States, supporting 800,000 trips per day – five times more passengers than all flights between Washington and New York.

We’re doing all this with American workers and products that are made in America. These investments are creating jobs, benefitting our communities, and ushering in an infrastructure decade that is planting the seeds for a better and more prosperous future.

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The post Statement from President Joe Biden on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Anniversary appeared first on The White House.

Over $695 billion in funding and over 74,000 projects announced thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda

For far too long, this country’s infrastructure was under resourced and neglected, leading to crumbling roads and bridges, aging water systems, an unreliable electric grid, and inadequate high-speed internet access. Three years ago today, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – a once-in-a-generation investment in America’s infrastructure to reverse this trend, strengthen communities, and transform the U.S. economy. Since then, the Biden-Harris Administration has been breaking ground and cutting ribbons on projects in every state to rebuild roads and bridges, strengthening our supply chains, ensuring safe routes to schools, providing clean drinking water for communities, expanding high-speed internet access for all, and much more.

To date, the Administration has announced over $568 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, including over 66,000 projects and awards in all 50 states, D.C., the territories, and Tribal Nations. That’s part of the 74,000 total clean energy and infrastructure projects funded so far under the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, which also includes historic investments in clean air water, climate action, and semiconductor manufacturing.

President Biden and Vice President Harris are delivering an Infrastructure Decade, unlocking access to economic opportunity, creating good-paying jobs, boosting domestic manufacturing, and growing America’s economy from the middle up and bottom out in every community across the country. His Investing in America agenda has improved the lives of millions of Americans and is planting the seeds for a better and more prosperous future for decades to come, including connecting everyone in America to reliable, affordable high-speed Internet service, replacing every lead pipe in the country and much more by the end of the decade.

HISTORIC PROGRESS BY THE NUMBERS

Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Administration has already:

• Announced $568 billion for over 66,000 projects across the country;
• Started improvements on over 196,000 miles of roads and launched over 11,400 bridge repair projects, increasing safety and reconnecting communities across the country;
• Replaced 367,000 lead pipes, benefitting nearly 1 million people, with funding continuing to be deployed for more replacements;

• Provided funding to deploy over 4,600 American-made transit buses, more than doubling their number on America’s roadways, and funded approximately over 8,900 clean school buses;
• Delivered funding for over 580 port and waterway projects to strengthen supply chains, speed up the movement of goods, lower costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions;
• Deployed investments in over 400 airport terminal projects to modernize and expand terminals—over 200 of which are under construction or complete;
• Financed over 2,400 drinking water and wastewater projects across the country, including projects through the Indian Health Service that will deliver clean water to 100,000 Tribal households;
• Launched over 6,000 projects to help communities build resilience to threats such as the impacts of climate change and cyber-attacks;
• Provided funding to over 400 states, tribes, and territories and launched over 100 projects to improve the resilience and reliability of America’s electric grid and deliver cheaper and cleaner electricity—representing the largest single investment in electric transmission and distribution infrastructure in the history of the United States;
• Funded nearly 2,400 projects for water recycling, storage, conservation, desalination, and other purposes to improve drought resilience across the West;
• Removed hazardous fuel material from 18 million acres of land through the Infrastructure Law and other sources to protect communities from wildfires;
• Plugged over 9,600 orphaned oil and gas wells to address legacy pollution;
• Awarded funding to 95 previously unfunded Superfund projects, clearing a longstanding backlog of projects to clean up contaminated sites and advance environmental justice;
• Provided funding to 180 programs that advance President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set a goal that 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal clean energy, climate, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities;
• Created 940,000 construction jobs and construction employment is at a record high—higher than the previous peak before the Great Recession.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS ACROSS KEY SECTORS

The Biden-Harris Administration has made notable progress implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law across key sectors:

• Roads and Bridges: Safe, modern transportation systems connect people to opportunity and critical destinations, bringing goods to market, bringing communities together, and enabling economic growth. That’s why President Biden secured the largest investment in transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and major projects, since President Eisenhower’s investment in the Interstate Highway System. Since President Biden took office, improvements have started on over 196,000 miles of roads and over 11,400 bridge repair projects are underway – making our roadways safer and reconnecting communities across the country. This includes some of the most economically significant bridges in the country, like the Blatnik Bridge between Wisconsin and Minnesota or the I-55 America’s River Crossing between Tennessee and Arkansas. The Infrastructure Law is also funding thousands of smaller bridge projects, many of which are already complete, like the Second Avenue Bridge in Detroit and the Montgomery Avenue Bridge in Philadelphia.

• Rail: When President Biden took office, he laid out his vision to bring world-class passenger rail to the United States. That’s why the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $66 billion in rail, the largest investment in passenger rail since the inception of Amtrak and an unprecedented investment in rail safety. Projects are underway across the country to modernize the Northeast Corridor – the most heavily trafficked rail corridor in the United States – to build new high-speed rail service, improve the efficiency of freight rail service, and eliminate dangerous rail crossings. An additional $1.5 billion will be announced today from the Department of Transportation for rail investments to provide faster, safer, and more reliable service for travelers and commuters. For example, the Brightline West High Speed Rail project broke ground earlier this year, using $3 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to connect Las Vegas and Southern California with 200-mile-per-hour zero emission train service and creating more than 35,000 jobs.

• Airports: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $25 billion to modernize and upgrade airports and air traffic facilities nationwide, improving passenger experience through expanding capacity, increasing accessibility, and reducing delays. The Biden-Harris Administration has delivered funding for over 400 airport terminal projects to modernize and expand terminals – over 200 of which are under construction or complete­. This includes projects like the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Terminal Modernization project, where a new concourse was built with five new gates and upgraded waiting area was completed this year, and the San Diego International Airport Project, where construction is underway to build a new terminal with the addition of 30 gates, a five-story parking plaza, and roadway improvements. The Administration has also completed over 1,600 projects to upgrade and replace air traffic control towers to ensure the safe operation of the Nation’s airspace.

• Ports and Waterways: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests $17 billion to upgrade our nation’s ports and waterways. The Department of Transportation and Army Corps of Engineers have together funded over 580 port and waterway projects to strengthen supply chain reliability, speed up the movement of goods, reduce costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Major projects are already under construction, including at Montgomery Locks and Dam in Pennsylvania and Soo Locks in Michigan, which received a combined $1.65 billion to modernize and expand aging locks on key rivers that are lynchpins of national supply chains, keeping critical goods flowing and lowering costs for families. The Army Corps of Engineers has also invested $142 million to make the Port of Norfolk, Virginia, the deepest port on the East Coast, allowing enhanced navigation for larger commercial vessels. And today, the Department of Transportation is announcing nearly $580 million to increase capacity and efficiency at coastal seaports, Great Lakes ports, and inland river ports.

• Transit and School Buses: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes the largest investment in public transit ever, at nearly $90 billion – including billions to electrify or upgrade our bus, transit rail, and ferry fleets. Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has deployed over 4,600 American-made transit buses and over 8,900 clean school buses in over 1,300 communities across the country, prioritizing disadvantaged communities. Through the Capital Investment Grant program, the Administration is funding long-awaited capital projects – like the Mill Plains BRT in Vancouver, Washington, that provides fast, reliable transit service, and which opened earlier this year; and the Phoenix Northwest Light Rail Extension, which is now complete and is expected to transport nearly 2 million Phoenix residents to new stations and employ transit-oriented development to develop new housing and retail along this route.

• Clean Water: President Biden believes that every American should be able to turn on the tap and drink safe, clean water. To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has announced over $40.3 billion to provide clean water across the country and improve water infrastructure, as part of the largest investment in clean water in U.S. history. This includes $9 billion announced so far toward President Biden’s commitment to replace every lead pipe within a decade. Under this Administration, 367,000 lead pipes have already been replaced, benefiting nearly 1 million people and protecting communities across the country from the irreversible health effects of lead exposure. To further accelerate lead pipe replacement, last month President Biden announced a new rule requiring water systems nationwide to replace lead service lines within 10 years. Altogether, funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has financed 2,400 drinking water and wastewater projects across the country. For example, the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System has now completed the construction of 300 miles of water pipeline to deliver reliable clean water to 350,000 people in rural Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota. In addition, the Biden-Harris Administration through the Department of Interior has funded 575 projects for water recycling, storage, conservation, desalination, and other purposes to improve drought resilience across the West. One project under construction is the B.F. Sisk Dam in California’s Central Valley, which has received over $210 million to fortify and expand the dam’s reservoir by 130,000 acre-feet, making it the largest addition of surface water storage currently underway in the country.

• High-Speed Internet: Since President Biden took office, 2.4 million American homes and small businesses have been connected to high-speed internet for the first time, and construction has begun in 21 states on high-speed internet projects that will improve network resilience and connect rural and Tribal communities. For example, homes and small businesses in Eureka, Montana, are now being connected to fiber-based high-speed internet through a $12 million USDA project. The Biden-Administration has also provided funding to more than 281 Tribal governments to connect over 65,000 Tribal households with high-speed internet. In addition, Infrastructure Law funding has helped launch construction on middle mile networks that are building or upgrading over 3,200 miles of middle mile high-speed internet infrastructure across 15 states and territories. One example is the HERO Project in North Carolina, an $11 million project to construct over 200 miles of fiber through central and southeastern North Carolina, including around Fort Liberty, Pope Air Force Base, and Camp Lejeune, benefitting both civilian and military populations. The Administration also implemented new rules to expose internet junk fees, enabling 300 million Americans to shop for home and mobile internet plans that best meet their needs and budget.

• Modernizing the Grid and Deploying Clean Energy: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes more than $62 billion in funding at the Department of Energy to advance our clean energy future by investing in clean energy demonstration and deployment projects, manufacturing technologies domestically, increasing U.S. competitiveness, making our power grid stronger and more resilient to extreme weather, and all while creating high-quality, good-paying union jobs and lowering costs for Americans across the nation. Since President Biden took office, the federal government has provided funding to over 400 states, Tribes, and territories and launched over 100 projects to improve the resilience and reliability of America’s electric grid and deliver cheaper and cleaner electricity—representing the largest single investment in electric transmission and distribution infrastructure in the history of the United States. For example, the Joint Targeted Interconnection Queue Transmission Study Process and Portfolio (JTIQ) project is coordinating the comprehensive planning, design, and construction of five transmission projects across seven Midwest states. Projects are also strengthening the grid locally and helping communities like Estes Park, CO to power through future severe weather events by installing an innovative battery storage project.

• Resilience: Across the country, Americans are experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change. The Biden-Harris Administration has deployed $27.4 billion in funding towards an “all hazards” approach to protecting our infrastructure and communities from physical, climate, and cybersecurity-related threats. To date, the Biden-Harris Administration has launched over 6,000 projects to help communities proactively build resilience to these threats before disasters strike. That includes protecting communities from wildfires by removing hazardous fuels from nearly 18 million acres of land through the Infrastructure Law and other sources, as well as funding projects to elevate or relocate over 3,500 homes and buildings outside of the reach of floodwaters, and creating a record wildland firefighting workforce of 16,700 with boosted pay.

• Legacy Pollution: The Biden-Harris Administration is cleaning up the air, land, and water in communities that have been burdened by legacy pollution for far too long. Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has helped plug over 9,600 orphaned oil and gas wells that pollute communities with methane leaks. To date, the Administration has allocated funding to 95 previously unfunded Superfund site projects, including the longstanding backlog of projects, to clean up contaminated sites and advance environmental justice, leading to completed cleanups at 10 Superfund sites and 24 brownfield sites. For example, after decades of community advocacy, the Environmental Protection Agency has completed the cleanup of the Clearview Landfill Superfund project in Philadelphia’s Eastwick neighborhood, which will prevent toxins from leaching into the nearby Darby Creek.

DELIVERING PROJECTS QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY

To deliver on the promise of this historic legislation and deliver impact to communities and workers as soon as possible, the Biden-Harris Administration has:

• Accelerated Federal Permitting: President Biden has been clear that the government can and must deliver more projects, more quickly. Through his Investing in America Agenda, he is delivering on that promise by accelerating project reviews while protecting communities and our environment. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic steps to accelerate and improve the federal permitting process so that Americans across the country can benefit from the promise of the Investing in America agenda – including lowering energy costs for families and creating hundreds of thousands of good-paying and union jobs. The Administration has taken a three-prong approach. First, investing $1 billion through the Inflation Reduction Act funds to hire experts and invest in new technologies to expedite reviews. Second, passing the first reforms to modernize the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the first time in 50 years and finalizing the Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule to accelerate the federal environmental review process. And third, using executive authorities, wherever possible, to improve permitting and environmental review processes. Thanks to these actions, the Biden-Harris administration has cut six months off the median time it takes for agencies to complete the most extensive form of environment review, cut the average time it takes to complete a Department of Transportation environmental assessment by more than one-third, and expanded use of the fastest form of environmental review – categorical exclusions. Since the start of the Administration, over 15 federal agencies have developed, expanded, or adopted 125 categorical exclusions for projects with insignificant environmental impact in key sectors such as electric vehicle charging, broadband, semiconductor manufacturing, clean energy, and transmission.

• Expanded Technical Assistance: In the past, too many communities have lacked the resources to access and deploy transformative Federal funding opportunities. The Biden-Harris Administration has made it a priority to help state, local, Tribal and territorial governments and other nongovernmental partners effectively navigate the historic funding provided through the Investing in America agenda. New technical assistance and capacity building programs like the Department of Transportation’s Thriving Communities, Environmental Protection Administration’s Get the Lead Out Initiative, and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Partners Network provide training, hands-on support, and expert assistance to communities across the country. The Administration has identified over 100 technical assistance programs to help would-be applicants with their planning and delivery needs—and has worked with philanthropy and civil society stakeholders to ensure that historically-underserved communities have the tools they need to take advantage of this historic opportunity.

Invested in Workforce: The Investing in America agenda is projected to create hundreds of thousands of good-paying and union jobs for years to come that provide critical benefits and supportive services – many of which do not require a four-year college degree. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that all workers—including women, people of color, veterans, and those that have been historically left behind–have equitable access to those job opportunities and the training and skills needed to fill them. The Administration has launched nine Investing in America Workforce Hubs in Augusta, Baltimore, Columbus, Michigan, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, and Upstate New York to build partnerships that train and connect Americans to these jobs in key sectors such as transportation, clean energy and manufacturing. In addition, the Administration has made unprecedented federal investments in these sectors. Since the President took office over $80 billion from President Biden’s American Rescue Plan have been committed to strengthen and expand the American workforce. These investments have bolstered Registered Apprenticeships resulting in the hiring of more than 1 million apprentices and deployed hundreds of millions of dollars to support for community college workforce training programs.

###

The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Transforms Nation’s Infrastructure, Celebrates Historic Progress in Rebuilding America for the Three-Year Anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law appeared first on The White House.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists for the Crow Tribe of Montana and ordered federal aid to supplement the Tribal Nation’s efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm and straight-line winds on August 6, 2024. 

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals on the Crow Tribe of Montana.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Crow Tribe of Montana.

Mr. James R. Stephenson 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.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. 

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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Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists for the Crow Tribe of Montana and ordered federal aid to supplement the Tribal Nation’s efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm and straight-line winds on August 6, 2024. 

The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals on the Crow Tribe of Montana.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures for the Crow Tribe of Montana.

Mr. James R. Stephenson 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.

Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service. 

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 Disaster Declaration for the Crow Tribe of Montana appeared first on The White House.

       On America Recycles Day, we recognize the important role recycling plays in helping secure a more sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come.  We show our gratitude for all the people who work hard to make sure we limit our waste and responsibly steward our national resources.  And we recommit to building a Nation where we address the existential risk of climate change and where everyone can enjoy the benefits of a greener world.
     Producing and processing the materials we use every day cause more than a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the threat of climate change.  The health and well-being of too many people suffer due to the damaging effects of pollution and the toxins released when waste is landfilled, dumped, or incinerated.  That is why it is so important to reduce waste and recycle.  When we reduce waste, we conserve the energy and natural resources needed to make these materials.  And when we recycle, we give these materials another life — reducing the need for more production.  But recycling is still too difficult.  Too many Americans are unsure of where and which materials can be recycled.  And when materials do end up in recycling, municipalities struggle to find markets for them.  
     To make recycling easier and more efficient, my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made the largest investment in recycling in nearly three decades.  It has launched hundreds of new projects that are helping to support manufacturing, improve waste management, advance environmental justice, and educate people about recycling.  My Administration also released the first comprehensive, Government-wide strategy to limit the harms of plastic pollution at production, processing, use, and disposal, and we announced a goal to end the use of single-use plastics in the Federal Government by 2035.  We also crafted the first-ever National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics to coordinate agencies in recycling organic materials like food waste while cutting costs for families.  At the same time, we have been pursuing the initiatives outlined in our National Recycling Strategy to improve our recycling and waste management systems, working to find ways to better collect recyclable products, reach markets for these materials, and develop new technologies that will protect public health and the environment.  All this contributes to my Administration’s ambitious work to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 — to that end, my Inflation Reduction Act made the largest investment in climate action in history.
     We have made important progress toward building an economy that values recycling, but there is still more to do.  Each of us can play a role in protecting our natural environment and addressing the existential risk of climate change by recycling — remember to dispose of waste in the proper bins whenever possible, reuse containers, compost food, and use products made with recycled materials.  I call on manufacturers and corporations to ensure their products and materials are reusable and recyclable when possible and limit the use of non-recyclable packaging.  On America Recycles Day, may we recommit to building a better, healthier future through recycling.
     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 15, 2024, as America Recycles Day.  I call upon the people of the United States of America to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities, and I encourage all Americans to continue their environmental efforts by recycling throughout the year.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth 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.

The post A Proclamation on America Recycles Day, 2024 appeared first on The White House.

       On America Recycles Day, we recognize the important role recycling plays in helping secure a more sustainable and prosperous future for generations to come.  We show our gratitude for all the people who work hard to make sure we limit our waste and responsibly steward our national resources.  And we recommit to building a Nation where we address the existential risk of climate change and where everyone can enjoy the benefits of a greener world.
     Producing and processing the materials we use every day cause more than a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to the threat of climate change.  The health and well-being of too many people suffer due to the damaging effects of pollution and the toxins released when waste is landfilled, dumped, or incinerated.  That is why it is so important to reduce waste and recycle.  When we reduce waste, we conserve the energy and natural resources needed to make these materials.  And when we recycle, we give these materials another life — reducing the need for more production.  But recycling is still too difficult.  Too many Americans are unsure of where and which materials can be recycled.  And when materials do end up in recycling, municipalities struggle to find markets for them.  
     To make recycling easier and more efficient, my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law made the largest investment in recycling in nearly three decades.  It has launched hundreds of new projects that are helping to support manufacturing, improve waste management, advance environmental justice, and educate people about recycling.  My Administration also released the first comprehensive, Government-wide strategy to limit the harms of plastic pollution at production, processing, use, and disposal, and we announced a goal to end the use of single-use plastics in the Federal Government by 2035.  We also crafted the first-ever National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics to coordinate agencies in recycling organic materials like food waste while cutting costs for families.  At the same time, we have been pursuing the initiatives outlined in our National Recycling Strategy to improve our recycling and waste management systems, working to find ways to better collect recyclable products, reach markets for these materials, and develop new technologies that will protect public health and the environment.  All this contributes to my Administration’s ambitious work to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 — to that end, my Inflation Reduction Act made the largest investment in climate action in history.
     We have made important progress toward building an economy that values recycling, but there is still more to do.  Each of us can play a role in protecting our natural environment and addressing the existential risk of climate change by recycling — remember to dispose of waste in the proper bins whenever possible, reuse containers, compost food, and use products made with recycled materials.  I call on manufacturers and corporations to ensure their products and materials are reusable and recyclable when possible and limit the use of non-recyclable packaging.  On America Recycles Day, may we recommit to building a better, healthier future through recycling.
     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 15, 2024, as America Recycles Day.  I call upon the people of the United States of America to observe this day with appropriate programs and activities, and I encourage all Americans to continue their environmental efforts by recycling throughout the year.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth 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.

The post A Proclamation on America Recycles Day, 2024 appeared first on The White House.