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FACT SHEET: President Joseph R. Biden and President Prabowo Subianto Commemorate 75 Years of Diplomatic Relations
Today, President Biden welcomed President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia to the White House. The two leaders commemorated 75 years of diplomatic relations built on shared values of democracy, pluralism, and a common commitment to the rules-based international order. As the world’s second- and third-largest democracies, the United States and Indonesia share a commitment to addressing evolving challenges and capitalizing on emerging opportunities based on mutual benefit and respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Over the last 75 years, our countries have continued to deepen our partnership, most recently elevating the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2023.
Since 2002, the United States has provided over $6.8 billion in development, economic, health, and security assistance to support Indonesian development efforts, which includes more than $2.2 billion to jointly advance education and health outcomes and over $1.4 billion to promote economic growth, democratic governance, and human rights, including support to civil society. To continue expanding this cooperation, President Biden and President Subianto announced new initiatives to deliver a better future for our citizens and a free, open, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific.
PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT ECONOMIC GROWTH
The United States and Indonesia have long been partners in advancing prosperity for our citizens and those across the Indo-Pacific, including through the G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. The United States will continue to partner with Indonesia on activities to promote sustainable urban development, including the deployment of innovative smart city solutions, quality infrastructure, and international best practices to improve the quality of life for city residents in Indonesia. Ongoing technical assistance, pilot projects, and training programs supported by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the U.S. Department of Commerce are designed to mobilize capital, deploy innovative and secure technologies, and foster new public-private partnerships to advance Indonesia’s sustainable development goals. As part of the two leaders’ commitment to implement our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, President Biden has announced the following programs to promote sustainable economic prosperity.
- Trade and Investment Framework Agreement: The United States and Indonesia are committed to future engagement and cooperation on trade, including agricultural trade, and will explore holding a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement meeting in 2025. The United States looks forward to expanding our robust relationship in agricultural trade that accounted for $7 billion in two-way annual trade in 2023.
- Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF): The United States, Indonesia, and 12 other IPEF partners have broken new ground with this framework that will deliver economic benefits and serve as a regional platform for long-term economic cooperation. The IPEF partners have negotiated three economic cooperation agreements aimed at promoting competitive supply chains, accelerating the transition to cleaner economies, and creating a more predictable playing field for workers and businesses.
- Millennium Challenge Corp (MCC) Indonesia Infrastructure and Finance Compact: The U.S. MCC and the Government of Indonesia launched the $649 million Indonesia Infrastructure and Finance Compact—a five-year grant focused on improving the quantity and quality of infrastructure investments and increasing access to finance for small and medium enterprises, especially those owned by women.
- Promoting Labor Rights: The U.S. Department of State and DOL have provided more than $2 million for programs in Indonesia to foster labor rights and workplace democracy, as well as ensuring occupational health for workers in high-risk industries.
- Digital Infrastructure Smart City Pilot Project: USTDA partnered with Autodesk, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco, ESRI, Honeywell, IBM, and Motorola to launch a $7.6 million project. This project will implement innovative smart city technologies to enhance urban management, streamline emergency response, and support sustainable infrastructure.
The Biden-Harris Administration has reiterated its commitment to partnering with Indonesia on tackling the climate crisis and ensuring the United States and Indonesia are at the forefront of harnessing the clean energy transition, as well as reducing deforestation. As co-leads with Japan of the International Partners Group (IPG), the United States has been working with Indonesia to help implement its goals in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). We are helping to catalyze $21.6 billion in public ($11.6 billion) and private ($10 billion) sector financing. To date, we have 32 ongoing technical assistance programs funded by the countries in the IPG that total $202.7 million with an additional $831.42 million approved in seven loan and equity investments.
- Supporting Clean Energy Transition Planning: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting a JETP Captive Coal study for site-specific decarbonization of the steel, cement, paper, and aluminum industries, which could lead to $2 billion in investment for clean energy deployments. Furthermore, USAID has assisted Indonesia to accelerate its net zero emission target in the power sector and define policy reforms to achieve its JETP goals.
- Mobilized Finance for Clean Energy: USAID and the U.S. Development Finance Corporation assisted one geothermal and two small hydropower plants obtain $239.5 million in private investment to support Indonesia’s commitment to reach net zero emissions in the energy sector by 2060 or earlier.
- Just Energy Workforce Transition: The United States is partnering with Indonesia to develop a jobs data collection methodology to address Indonesian workforce clean energy transition.
- Mobilizing Renewable Energy Mini Grids: USTDA, in a public-private partnership with the DOE’s national labs under the Net Zero World Initiative, is supporting mobilization of $6 to $10 million at five sites and will mobilize up to $2 billion in investments to convert 500 MW of diesel to renewable energy hybrid mini grids.
- Exploring Clean Energy Alternatives for Industrial Growth: The United States and Indonesia are partnering on a “Battery2EV” supply chain roadmap that identifies clean energy alternatives to captive coal-powered industrial growth.
- Expanding Access to Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation: USAID is expanding Indonesian access to climate-resilient water and sanitation in 38 cities and districts. Technical assistance integrates upstream water resource management with downstream urban service delivery.
- Signed Marine Conservation Debt-For-Nature Swap Agreement: In 2024, Indonesia and the United States signed the largest bilateral debt-for-nature swap agreement as part of the Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act. The roughly $34 million agreement provides funding to conserve coral reefs across much of Central and Eastern Indonesia.
- Emergency Management Memorandum of Understanding: The United States and Indonesia disaster response agencies signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding that will serve as a framework for future cooperation in disaster preparedness.
The United States is investing in Indonesia’s healthy workforce. Access to quality health services in Indonesia, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable people, remains a challenge. Through USAID, the United States has invested more than $1.1 billion to help Indonesia strengthen its health systems—including $58.9 million last year. These investments include the following:
- Bolstering Health Security: The United States supports Indonesia’s effort to prevent and respond to infectious and zoonotic disease outbreaks. USAID helped expand Indonesia’s early warning alert and response system in the animal and human health sectors for emerging infectious diseases from two to 38 provinces.
- Tuberculosis Detection: In over 250 hospitals, USAID-supported screening efforts reached more than four million people, resulting in the identification and treatment of 40,000 TB patients. Additionally, USAID supported the establishment of 12 drug-resistant tuberculosis clinics, delivering life-saving treatments to 321 patients.
- Expanding Use of National Electronic Health Platform: USAID helped connect more than 23,500 healthcare facilities in 38 provinces to a national electronic health information platform, improving data access and enhancing health services for patients.
INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE
President Biden and President Subianto celebrated the health and strength of our people-to-people ties. Over the past year, around 100 Indonesian leaders have traveled to the United States to participate in U.S. Department of State professional exchanges on journalism, economic development, financial systems, civil aviation, and cybersecurity, among other topics. This year, we celebrated 10 years of academic exchange through the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). In 2024 alone the United States hosted 165 young leaders from Indonesia through YSEALI and other youth exchange programs. Building on this decades-long partnership and recognizing this new era of cooperation under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, President Biden announced the following new programs to further strengthen these ties:
- Cultural Heritage Preservation: A $275,000 grant will assist several Indonesian museums to develop and digitize a cataloging system enhancing their emergency preparedness capacity. Another $299,800 grant assists with documenting and preserving Indonesian local languages through community engagement and open-source digital platforms.
- Interfaith Dialogue: The United States and Indonesia engaged in interfaith dialogues, including the Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy Conference to strengthen tolerance, promote inclusivity, and encourage interfaith collaboration.
- Increased Access to Higher Education: In 2023, USAID trained over 700 staff members and over 6,000 students from more than 55 Indonesian universities in soft skills development, applied STEM learning. USAID improved access for Indonesian students to U.S. education through a new Indonesia government-funded scholarship program that sent, worth a value of approximately $9.56 million.
- Educational Exchange: Indonesia and the United States plan to expand the Fulbright program to welcome American Fulbright scholars and English Teaching Assistants into educational institutions run by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The EducationUSA Fall Fair showcased 92 registered U.S. universities and expanded its capacity to provide free information about U.S. higher education to Indonesian students by 25 percent in 2024
- Improving Digital Literacy: USAID’s Saring Daring U-Challenge activity, in partnership with Meta and Love Frankie, has improved the ability of 288 university students to create and disseminate content on digital literacy issues, and increased engagement among 120,000 students and enhanced digital literacy awareness among an additional 240,000 students. USAID is also partnering with AWS to train 50,000 university students in market-driven cloud computing skills.
- Partnering on Resilient Semiconductor: Purdue University has formed a strategic partnership with Indonesia’s National Semiconductor Ecosystem Development Task Force to enhance Indonesia’s supply chain resilience in critical and emerging semiconductor technologies, leveraging Purdue University’s expertise as a leading research university.
- Promoting Democratic Governance and Human Rights: The Biden-Harris Administration has invested over $50 million through Department of State and USAID in initiatives that strengthen democratic governance, promote respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights, and bolster the role of civil society in Indonesia. The United States and Indonesia have also reaffirmed their steadfast support for the Open Government Partnership as a way to enhance transparency, accountability and public participation, deliver for the public, and advance anti-corruption priorities.
DEEPENING REGIONAL AND GLOBAL COOPERATION
The United States and Indonesia are united by a shared commitment to ASEAN centrality and the common principles articulated in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific (AOIP) and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy. In 2022, Presidents Biden and Jokowi upgraded ASEAN-U.S. relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in recognition of the breadth and depth of U.S. cooperation with ASEAN across a wide range of important issues in ASEAN’s political-security, economic, and socio-cultural community pillars. In 2023, Indonesia as ASEAN chair spearheaded the ASEAN-U.S. Statement on Cooperation on the AOIP to affirm the fundamental principles shared between the AOIP and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy and enhance ASEAN-U.S. coordinated action across the AOIP’s four areas of cooperation. The Biden-Harris Administration advanced our collective security through:
- Expansion of Super Garuda Shield: Super Garuda Shield has expanded from being the cornerstone for the U.S.-Indonesia military relationship to include troops from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, and this year included a cyber exercise for the first time. It involves more than 4,000 service members from 23 nations observing — or training side-by-side — in one of the largest multinational exercises in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Expanding Military-to-Military Relationship: The United States and Indonesian militaries conduct over 200 different types of military engagement each year. Additionally, the International Military Education and Training program with Indonesia represents the largest U.S. training education program in the USINDOPACOM area.
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The post FACT SHEET: President Joseph R. Biden and President Prabowo Subianto Commemorate 75 Years of Diplomatic Relations appeared first on The White House.
FACT SHEET: President Joseph R. Biden and President Prabowo Subianto Commemorate 75 Years of Diplomatic Relations
Today, President Biden welcomed President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia to the White House. The two leaders commemorated 75 years of diplomatic relations built on shared values of democracy, pluralism, and a common commitment to the rules-based international order. As the world’s second- and third-largest democracies, the United States and Indonesia share a commitment to addressing evolving challenges and capitalizing on emerging opportunities based on mutual benefit and respect for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Over the last 75 years, our countries have continued to deepen our partnership, most recently elevating the relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2023.
Since 2002, the United States has provided over $6.8 billion in development, economic, health, and security assistance to support Indonesian development efforts, which includes more than $2.2 billion to jointly advance education and health outcomes and over $1.4 billion to promote economic growth, democratic governance, and human rights, including support to civil society. To continue expanding this cooperation, President Biden and President Subianto announced new initiatives to deliver a better future for our citizens and a free, open, prosperous, secure, and resilient Indo-Pacific.
PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT ECONOMIC GROWTH
The United States and Indonesia have long been partners in advancing prosperity for our citizens and those across the Indo-Pacific, including through the G20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity. The United States will continue to partner with Indonesia on activities to promote sustainable urban development, including the deployment of innovative smart city solutions, quality infrastructure, and international best practices to improve the quality of life for city residents in Indonesia. Ongoing technical assistance, pilot projects, and training programs supported by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and the U.S. Department of Commerce are designed to mobilize capital, deploy innovative and secure technologies, and foster new public-private partnerships to advance Indonesia’s sustainable development goals. As part of the two leaders’ commitment to implement our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, President Biden has announced the following programs to promote sustainable economic prosperity.
- Trade and Investment Framework Agreement: The United States and Indonesia are committed to future engagement and cooperation on trade, including agricultural trade, and will explore holding a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement meeting in 2025. The United States looks forward to expanding our robust relationship in agricultural trade that accounted for $7 billion in two-way annual trade in 2023.
- Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF): The United States, Indonesia, and 12 other IPEF partners have broken new ground with this framework that will deliver economic benefits and serve as a regional platform for long-term economic cooperation. The IPEF partners have negotiated three economic cooperation agreements aimed at promoting competitive supply chains, accelerating the transition to cleaner economies, and creating a more predictable playing field for workers and businesses.
- Millennium Challenge Corp (MCC) Indonesia Infrastructure and Finance Compact: The U.S. MCC and the Government of Indonesia launched the $649 million Indonesia Infrastructure and Finance Compact—a five-year grant focused on improving the quantity and quality of infrastructure investments and increasing access to finance for small and medium enterprises, especially those owned by women.
- Promoting Labor Rights: The U.S. Department of State and DOL have provided more than $2 million for programs in Indonesia to foster labor rights and workplace democracy, as well as ensuring occupational health for workers in high-risk industries.
- Digital Infrastructure Smart City Pilot Project: USTDA partnered with Autodesk, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Cisco, ESRI, Honeywell, IBM, and Motorola to launch a $7.6 million project. This project will implement innovative smart city technologies to enhance urban management, streamline emergency response, and support sustainable infrastructure.
The Biden-Harris Administration has reiterated its commitment to partnering with Indonesia on tackling the climate crisis and ensuring the United States and Indonesia are at the forefront of harnessing the clean energy transition, as well as reducing deforestation. As co-leads with Japan of the International Partners Group (IPG), the United States has been working with Indonesia to help implement its goals in the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). We are helping to catalyze $21.6 billion in public ($11.6 billion) and private ($10 billion) sector financing. To date, we have 32 ongoing technical assistance programs funded by the countries in the IPG that total $202.7 million with an additional $831.42 million approved in seven loan and equity investments.
- Supporting Clean Energy Transition Planning: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting a JETP Captive Coal study for site-specific decarbonization of the steel, cement, paper, and aluminum industries, which could lead to $2 billion in investment for clean energy deployments. Furthermore, USAID has assisted Indonesia to accelerate its net zero emission target in the power sector and define policy reforms to achieve its JETP goals.
- Mobilized Finance for Clean Energy: USAID and the U.S. Development Finance Corporation assisted one geothermal and two small hydropower plants obtain $239.5 million in private investment to support Indonesia’s commitment to reach net zero emissions in the energy sector by 2060 or earlier.
- Just Energy Workforce Transition: The United States is partnering with Indonesia to develop a jobs data collection methodology to address Indonesian workforce clean energy transition.
- Mobilizing Renewable Energy Mini Grids: USTDA, in a public-private partnership with the DOE’s national labs under the Net Zero World Initiative, is supporting mobilization of $6 to $10 million at five sites and will mobilize up to $2 billion in investments to convert 500 MW of diesel to renewable energy hybrid mini grids.
- Exploring Clean Energy Alternatives for Industrial Growth: The United States and Indonesia are partnering on a “Battery2EV” supply chain roadmap that identifies clean energy alternatives to captive coal-powered industrial growth.
- Expanding Access to Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation: USAID is expanding Indonesian access to climate-resilient water and sanitation in 38 cities and districts. Technical assistance integrates upstream water resource management with downstream urban service delivery.
- Signed Marine Conservation Debt-For-Nature Swap Agreement: In 2024, Indonesia and the United States signed the largest bilateral debt-for-nature swap agreement as part of the Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act. The roughly $34 million agreement provides funding to conserve coral reefs across much of Central and Eastern Indonesia.
- Emergency Management Memorandum of Understanding: The United States and Indonesia disaster response agencies signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding that will serve as a framework for future cooperation in disaster preparedness.
The United States is investing in Indonesia’s healthy workforce. Access to quality health services in Indonesia, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable people, remains a challenge. Through USAID, the United States has invested more than $1.1 billion to help Indonesia strengthen its health systems—including $58.9 million last year. These investments include the following:
- Bolstering Health Security: The United States supports Indonesia’s effort to prevent and respond to infectious and zoonotic disease outbreaks. USAID helped expand Indonesia’s early warning alert and response system in the animal and human health sectors for emerging infectious diseases from two to 38 provinces.
- Tuberculosis Detection: In over 250 hospitals, USAID-supported screening efforts reached more than four million people, resulting in the identification and treatment of 40,000 TB patients. Additionally, USAID supported the establishment of 12 drug-resistant tuberculosis clinics, delivering life-saving treatments to 321 patients.
- Expanding Use of National Electronic Health Platform: USAID helped connect more than 23,500 healthcare facilities in 38 provinces to a national electronic health information platform, improving data access and enhancing health services for patients.
INVESTING IN OUR PEOPLE
President Biden and President Subianto celebrated the health and strength of our people-to-people ties. Over the past year, around 100 Indonesian leaders have traveled to the United States to participate in U.S. Department of State professional exchanges on journalism, economic development, financial systems, civil aviation, and cybersecurity, among other topics. This year, we celebrated 10 years of academic exchange through the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI). In 2024 alone the United States hosted 165 young leaders from Indonesia through YSEALI and other youth exchange programs. Building on this decades-long partnership and recognizing this new era of cooperation under our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, President Biden announced the following new programs to further strengthen these ties:
- Cultural Heritage Preservation: A $275,000 grant will assist several Indonesian museums to develop and digitize a cataloging system enhancing their emergency preparedness capacity. Another $299,800 grant assists with documenting and preserving Indonesian local languages through community engagement and open-source digital platforms.
- Interfaith Dialogue: The United States and Indonesia engaged in interfaith dialogues, including the Cross-Cultural Religious Literacy Conference to strengthen tolerance, promote inclusivity, and encourage interfaith collaboration.
- Increased Access to Higher Education: In 2023, USAID trained over 700 staff members and over 6,000 students from more than 55 Indonesian universities in soft skills development, applied STEM learning. USAID improved access for Indonesian students to U.S. education through a new Indonesia government-funded scholarship program that sent, worth a value of approximately $9.56 million.
- Educational Exchange: Indonesia and the United States plan to expand the Fulbright program to welcome American Fulbright scholars and English Teaching Assistants into educational institutions run by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The EducationUSA Fall Fair showcased 92 registered U.S. universities and expanded its capacity to provide free information about U.S. higher education to Indonesian students by 25 percent in 2024
- Improving Digital Literacy: USAID’s Saring Daring U-Challenge activity, in partnership with Meta and Love Frankie, has improved the ability of 288 university students to create and disseminate content on digital literacy issues, and increased engagement among 120,000 students and enhanced digital literacy awareness among an additional 240,000 students. USAID is also partnering with AWS to train 50,000 university students in market-driven cloud computing skills.
- Partnering on Resilient Semiconductor: Purdue University has formed a strategic partnership with Indonesia’s National Semiconductor Ecosystem Development Task Force to enhance Indonesia’s supply chain resilience in critical and emerging semiconductor technologies, leveraging Purdue University’s expertise as a leading research university.
- Promoting Democratic Governance and Human Rights: The Biden-Harris Administration has invested over $50 million through Department of State and USAID in initiatives that strengthen democratic governance, promote respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights, and bolster the role of civil society in Indonesia. The United States and Indonesia have also reaffirmed their steadfast support for the Open Government Partnership as a way to enhance transparency, accountability and public participation, deliver for the public, and advance anti-corruption priorities.
DEEPENING REGIONAL AND GLOBAL COOPERATION
The United States and Indonesia are united by a shared commitment to ASEAN centrality and the common principles articulated in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific (AOIP) and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy. In 2022, Presidents Biden and Jokowi upgraded ASEAN-U.S. relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in recognition of the breadth and depth of U.S. cooperation with ASEAN across a wide range of important issues in ASEAN’s political-security, economic, and socio-cultural community pillars. In 2023, Indonesia as ASEAN chair spearheaded the ASEAN-U.S. Statement on Cooperation on the AOIP to affirm the fundamental principles shared between the AOIP and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy and enhance ASEAN-U.S. coordinated action across the AOIP’s four areas of cooperation. The Biden-Harris Administration advanced our collective security through:
- Expansion of Super Garuda Shield: Super Garuda Shield has expanded from being the cornerstone for the U.S.-Indonesia military relationship to include troops from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, and this year included a cyber exercise for the first time. It involves more than 4,000 service members from 23 nations observing — or training side-by-side — in one of the largest multinational exercises in the Indo-Pacific region.
- Expanding Military-to-Military Relationship: The United States and Indonesian militaries conduct over 200 different types of military engagement each year. Additionally, the International Military Education and Training program with Indonesia represents the largest U.S. training education program in the USINDOPACOM area.
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The post FACT SHEET: President Joseph R. Biden and President Prabowo Subianto Commemorate 75 Years of Diplomatic Relations appeared first on The White House.
Joint Statement from the Leaders of the United States and the Republic of Indonesia: Commemorating 75 Years of Diplomatic Relations
Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is honored to welcome Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to Washington, D.C. As we commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations, we reflect on our shared experiences, from which we have emerged as the world’s second- and third-largest democracies.
As part of this growing relationship, one year ago, Indonesia and the United States elevated bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and institutionalized efforts to expand cooperation amidst global and emerging challenges.
As we deepen our diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation, we pay tribute to our predecessors for their wisdom, courage, and vision. Building on this shared history, the two leaders reaffirmed our commitment to democracy, pluralism, human rights, and a stable and open international system. The leaders committed to continue advancing our vision for an open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific regional architecture, with ASEAN at the center, that upholds international law. Building on their CSP, the leaders pledged to work to ensure a strong, resilient, and prosperous Indonesia and underlined their countries’ shared commitment to promote peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.
Fostering a Long-Term Partnership
The leaders applauded the progress in our partnership, reflecting deepening ties and a mutual desire to foster greater understanding between the United States and Indonesia. To sustain and further elevate this momentum, both leaders underscored their commitment to regularly convene the Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue between Indonesia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Secretary of State. Both leaders committed to deepen relations further by introducing new cooperation in areas such as climate, energy, human and labor rights, foreign policy, and national security policy. The two leaders also welcomed the revival of the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Indonesia Caucus by U.S. Representatives Strickland and Miller, and look forward to sustained legislative cooperation to enhance dialogue and mutual understanding on U.S.-Indonesia relations.
Looking to the future, the two countries will build on the CSP to increase dialogue on domestic, regional, and global security issues as we learn from each other’s experiences, ensuring that our shared history and democratic values remain central to our efforts. Both countries are committed to continuing the annual consular and management dialogue to ensure each can shape better policy and adequately manage consular and diplomatic facilities to support this elevated relationship, in accordance with international conventions, bilateral agreements, and the respective laws of both countries.
Encouraging Sustainable, Inclusive, and Resilient Economic Growth
The United States government stands ready to assist the Indonesian government as it strives to improve food security through sustainable agriculture. To advance these efforts, the leaders highlighted their commitment to promote research collaboration at the nexus of artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable farming practices, including through the 2nd Indonesia – U.S. Digital Technology Dialogue on Agriculture. The two sides also committed to strengthen Indonesia’s food resilience through promotion of sustainable management practices for fisheries and aquaculture, and enhancing the effectiveness of Indonesia’s marine protected areas management, in line with respective national laws.
The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of innovation-driven, inclusive and sustainable economic growth to deliver better livelihoods for the American and Indonesian peoples. Both sides affirmed their membership to the Open Government Partnership to enhance transparency, accountability and public participation and advance anti-corruption priorities. Both sides are committed to deepening engagement and cooperation on economic policy based on business best practices, labor rights, and human rights and fair trade, including through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in all pillars and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. We recognize the importance of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) in fostering trade, supporting industry and promoting sustainable development for both countries. As part of this effort, we will explore holding a strategic economic dialogue and a U.S.-Indonesia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) meeting.
President Biden expressed his support for Indonesia’s efforts towards an expedited accession bid to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which provides a pathway to faster and higher quality economic growth through stronger and more accountable policy. As the process gets under way, the United States looks forward to working with the Indonesian government to ensure it is successful in aligning with OECD standards and best practices, including by supporting Indonesia as it undertakes all necessary economic, governance, trade, and labor reforms. The two leaders also expressed their commitment to a rules-based international trading system and recognized the importance of multilateral institutions and norms which promote free and fair trade. Both leaders pledged to advance dialogue and consultations in settling WTO disputes.
President Subianto and President Biden acknowledged the essential role of diverse and resilient critical mineral supply chains to bolster the manufacturing sector and economic growth in both nations, as well as support the global clean energy transition. They affirmed their commitment to develop a critical minerals supply chain in both countries through a mutually beneficial partnership that promotes principles of sustainable development, including strong environmental and labor standards. To achieve this, they pledged to expedite ongoing discussions on critical minerals.
Reaffirming that the climate crisis poses an existential threat, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This includes submitting 2035 nationally determined contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement that are aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius and in the spirit of responding positively to the first Global Stocktake. We are committed to more ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories that are aligned with achieving our respective net-zero targets.
They further resolve to expand collaboration on clean and renewable energy generation and to accelerate their clean energy transitions. Indonesia and the United States are continuing to closely and concretely collaborate, including with other partners, on the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) by implementing the Comprehensive Investment and Policy Plan. JETP, in parallel with domestic policy reform, will continue to mobilize investments in Indonesia’s domestic renewable energy production to reduce emissions, strengthen and expand the grid, advance energy security, create jobs, and grow the clean energy economy in Indonesia.
President Biden and President Subianto discussed carbon capture and storage (CCS) and methane abatement as key opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Both leaders expressed their commitment to supporting methane reduction capacity building. The two leaders seek to develop affordable and cost-effective CCS solutions and deploy methane abatement strategies that contribute to Indonesia’s net-zero targets and global climate goals. President Biden congratulated Indonesia on its recent success in reducing emissions from deforestation and offered continued U.S. support for Indonesia to reach its forestry and land sector net sink target by 2030.
As one way to mobilize private finance for emissions reductions from forests and other sectors, President Biden expressed his support for Indonesia’s efforts to develop a high-integrity carbon market and offered U.S. support for accessing international demand for carbon credits. The leaders pledged to deepen bilateral discussions under the U.S.-Indonesia Climate Change Working Group and through technical cooperation.
Promoting Innovation through Digital and Technology Cooperation
Both Indonesia and the United States concurred that AI and other digital technologies should be optimized to enable sustainable development and bridge the digital divide. President Biden and President Subianto underscored the pressing need to enhance capacity building to ensure equitable access to secure and resilient AI and related digital innovations. The leaders also welcomed the opportunity to expand radio access network (Open RAN) projects in Indonesia, acknowledging the importance of improving Indonesia’s cellular network performance, creating a secure, resilient, and fostering a competitive ecosystem for advanced technology, and providing broader connectivity.
The two leaders acknowledged the need to continuously explore initiatives to secure cyberspace and welcomed the intention to elevate their cooperation, particularly through the exchange of best practices, capacity building, and research cooperation in the near future. This enhanced collaboration should be rooted in their shared desire to promote a peaceful, secure, and resilient cyberspace that serves as an enabler of economic progress and betterment of living standards for all. The leaders also celebrated the U.S. State Department’s partnership with the Government of Indonesia through the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund under the CHIPS Act of 2022.
The leaders expressed their intention to enhance Indonesia’s human resource capacity in the semiconductor industry, as well as human resources development, through collaborations with American universities and optimizing U.S. government support through the ITSI Fund. The United States is committed to support Indonesia in developing its small modular reactor (SMR) technology, including by expediting ongoing feasibility studies and exploring potential collaboration to build Indonesian expertise through nuclear assessor research certification programs.
Investing in People, Education, and Health
We also use this opportunity to commemorate the 20th anniversary of a massive tsunami that devastated coastal communities across the Indian Ocean region, including Aceh Province in Indonesia. In response, the United States mobilized over $400 million in emergency aid to support Indonesia’s response, assisting over 580,000 people. President Biden and President Subianto recognize the resourcefulness and perseverance of the tsunami’s survivors and applaud the bravery of humanitarian responders. We have built on this experience, and expanded our cooperation to include a Memorandum of Understanding between our disaster management agencies. Our leaders reaffirmed our commitment to boost disaster risk reduction and to work together on humanitarian aid and disaster relief to other vulnerable locations.
Building on our strong people-to-people ties, President Biden and President Subianto underscored their plan to deepen cooperation in education, research, and development. The leaders announced the opening of a new American Corner in Makassar in 2025. The two leaders also welcomed further cooperation to promote science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) fields, language education, and entrepreneurship collaboration, with a focus on women, youth, and persons with disabilities. As part of these efforts, both leaders emphasized the importance of expanding vocational and skills training, technical education and certification with a focus on technology, manufacturing, health, hospitality, construction, and creative industries.
Both countries are also committed to furthering health cooperation to advance clinical research, public health goals, and health systems to address emerging and chronic health conditions, as well as infectious diseases, including tuberculosis. The two leaders also welcomed a future signing of an elevated Memorandum of Understanding on health between Indonesia and the United States. This effort underscores both nation’s unwavering commitment to collaborate to realize Indonesia’s health transformation goals. President Biden also expressed support for Indonesia’s national program to provide nutritious and healthy meals for school children and expecting mothers.
Both leaders emphasized the significance of recognizing and honoring their respective cultural heritage, which serve as invaluable bridges in fostering stronger people-to-people connections. President Subianto further commended the United States for its support of Indonesia’s safeguarding of its cultural heritage from the growing threat of illicit trafficking, including the continued repatriation of Indonesian artifacts held within the United States. The leaders also applauded the new U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation project to assist Indonesian museums to build new documentation systems and enhance emergency preparedness.
Deepening United States – Indonesia Defense and Security Cooperation
President Biden and President Subianto committed to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional security and stability, and emphasizing the significance of the Defense Cooperation Arrangement concluded in 2023. Both leaders pledged to cooperate on strengthening maritime security capabilities and to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, as well as fishing associated with transnational organized crime. The two leaders also welcome continued cooperation on defense and military modernization in a manner consistent with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
President Biden praised Indonesia for successfully hosting the 2024 Super Garuda Shield exercise and the potential expansion of the multilateral exercise which recently engaged eight other partner nations, twelve observer countries, and over 6,000 personnel, aimed at enhancing collective security capabilities to better prepare for the challenges of an increasingly complex global landscape.
The two leaders reaffirmed their intention to hold the 2nd U.S.-Indonesia Senior Officials’ Foreign Policy and Defense Dialogue, the 21st U.S.-Indonesia Security Dialogue (IUSSD), and the U.S. and Indonesia Bilateral Defense Discussion (USIBDD), before the end of the first quarter of 2025. In the field of maritime cooperation, both leaders welcomed the establishment of the U.S.-funded BAKAMLA ‘Anambas’ Maritime Training Center in Batam this year. Our leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to holding a maritime dialogue and intended to explore new areas of discussion, including cooperation on a sustainable maritime economy and advancing marine science and technology. The leaders also pledged to explore the establishment of a defense alumni network to strengthen defense cooperation ties.
The two leaders condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and committed to work together to prevent and counter terrorism. The leaders applauded our longstanding, successful cooperation to counter terrorism and welcomed the renewal of the U.S.-Indonesia Memorandum of Understanding on counterterrorism until 2027 as part of this effort.
Deepening Regional and Global Cooperation
Both leaders acknowledged the importance of enhancing global peace, security, and stability to further the progress in their CSP. President Subianto welcomed sustained U.S. support for ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and acknowledged the value of regional and sub-regional mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions working with ASEAN on specific areas of common interests. Both leaders committed to work together to uphold an open, inclusive, rules-based, and ASEAN-centered regional architecture that upholds international law.
Both leaders underscored their unwavering support for upholding freedom of navigation and overflight as well as respect for sovereign rights and jurisdiction of coastal states over their exclusive economic zones in accordance with international law of the sea, as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The United States and Indonesia also recognized the importance of the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and expressed support for ASEAN efforts to develop an effective, and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea that adheres to international law, in particular UNCLOS, and respect the rights and interests of third parties. The leaders note the ruling of the 2016 arbitral tribunal, constituted pursuant to UNCLOS.
President Biden expressed support for ASEAN’s efforts to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. Our leaders reiterated full support for ASEAN’s central role and the implementation of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, and expressed appreciation for the work of the ASEAN and UN Special Envoys on Myanmar. The two leaders denounced and called for the immediate cessation of the continued acts of violence against civilians. They urged all parties to exercise utmost restraint, ensure the protection of civilians, and create a conducive environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. President Biden and President Subianto also called on the Myanmar regime to create the conditions for national dialogue that re-establishes Myanmar’s path to inclusive democracy.
The United States and Indonesia reaffirm support for the establishment of a durable peace on, and the complete denuclearization of, the Korean Peninsula. The leaders urged all parties to fully implement their international obligations and commitments, including halting actions that violate UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) that threaten peace and stability in the region. Both leaders called on the concerned parties to comply fully with all relevant UNSCRs and to engage in peaceful dialogue.
President Biden and President Subianto reiterated the urgent call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza through the release of hostages, an exchange of prisoners, the free flow of humanitarian assistance, and an end to the conflict. The two leaders expressed grave concern over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, and condemned all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. The leaders underscored that the future recovery and reconstruction of Gaza will rely on sustained engagement from the international community. Both leaders remain committed to a viable and independent Palestinian state and Israel’s security concerns as part of a two-state solution that enable both Israelis and Palestinians to live in a just, lasting and secure peace. Any unilateral actions that undermine the prospect of a two-state solution, including expansion of Israeli settlements and violent extremism on all sides, must end. The leaders underscore the need to prevent the conflict from escalating and spreading further into the region. The two leaders reaffirmed that it is imperative to reach a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon.
Building off of our successful cooperation on Indonesia’s airdrop of humanitarian aid to Gaza in April, President Biden and President Subianto also committed to expand cooperation on addressing the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. The leaders pledged to work together to facilitate the medical evacuation of Palestinian children in order to receive critical care, and committed to support humanitarian and early recovery activities on the ground in Gaza. President Biden conveyed his appreciation for Indonesia’s role in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission and joined Indonesia in calling for all to respect the inviolability of UN premises, as well as calling for the protection of and to avoid military activity that might risk harming UNIFIL personnel.
The leaders discussed the war against Ukraine and reaffirmed our respect for sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity, and the UN Charter. Both leaders underlined the importance of serious engagement in a genuine dialogue for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. They also called for the facilitation of rapid and safe access to humanitarian assistance for those in need in Ukraine, and for the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and persons in vulnerable situations.
President Biden welcomed Indonesia’s leadership in the G20 on issues of concern to the developing world, including on evolving the multilateral development banks and strengthening the global health architecture. The two leaders pledged to cooperate on providing a pathway to growth for developing countries by unlocking space for countries with mounting debt burdens to invest in their futures.
Both countries also stressed the importance of continuing the discussions towards the UN Security Council reform. A transparent, democratic, efficient, effective and inclusive UN Security Council is crucial in efforts to maintain international peace and security.
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Joint Statement from the Leaders of the United States and the Republic of Indonesia: Commemorating 75 Years of Diplomatic Relations
Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. is honored to welcome Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto to Washington, D.C. As we commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations, we reflect on our shared experiences, from which we have emerged as the world’s second- and third-largest democracies.
As part of this growing relationship, one year ago, Indonesia and the United States elevated bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and institutionalized efforts to expand cooperation amidst global and emerging challenges.
As we deepen our diplomatic, economic, and security cooperation, we pay tribute to our predecessors for their wisdom, courage, and vision. Building on this shared history, the two leaders reaffirmed our commitment to democracy, pluralism, human rights, and a stable and open international system. The leaders committed to continue advancing our vision for an open, transparent, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific regional architecture, with ASEAN at the center, that upholds international law. Building on their CSP, the leaders pledged to work to ensure a strong, resilient, and prosperous Indonesia and underlined their countries’ shared commitment to promote peace and stability in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.
Fostering a Long-Term Partnership
The leaders applauded the progress in our partnership, reflecting deepening ties and a mutual desire to foster greater understanding between the United States and Indonesia. To sustain and further elevate this momentum, both leaders underscored their commitment to regularly convene the Comprehensive Strategic Dialogue between Indonesia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Secretary of State. Both leaders committed to deepen relations further by introducing new cooperation in areas such as climate, energy, human and labor rights, foreign policy, and national security policy. The two leaders also welcomed the revival of the bipartisan Congressional Friends of Indonesia Caucus by U.S. Representatives Strickland and Miller, and look forward to sustained legislative cooperation to enhance dialogue and mutual understanding on U.S.-Indonesia relations.
Looking to the future, the two countries will build on the CSP to increase dialogue on domestic, regional, and global security issues as we learn from each other’s experiences, ensuring that our shared history and democratic values remain central to our efforts. Both countries are committed to continuing the annual consular and management dialogue to ensure each can shape better policy and adequately manage consular and diplomatic facilities to support this elevated relationship, in accordance with international conventions, bilateral agreements, and the respective laws of both countries.
Encouraging Sustainable, Inclusive, and Resilient Economic Growth
The United States government stands ready to assist the Indonesian government as it strives to improve food security through sustainable agriculture. To advance these efforts, the leaders highlighted their commitment to promote research collaboration at the nexus of artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable farming practices, including through the 2nd Indonesia – U.S. Digital Technology Dialogue on Agriculture. The two sides also committed to strengthen Indonesia’s food resilience through promotion of sustainable management practices for fisheries and aquaculture, and enhancing the effectiveness of Indonesia’s marine protected areas management, in line with respective national laws.
The two leaders reaffirmed the importance of innovation-driven, inclusive and sustainable economic growth to deliver better livelihoods for the American and Indonesian peoples. Both sides affirmed their membership to the Open Government Partnership to enhance transparency, accountability and public participation and advance anti-corruption priorities. Both sides are committed to deepening engagement and cooperation on economic policy based on business best practices, labor rights, and human rights and fair trade, including through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) in all pillars and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. We recognize the importance of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) in fostering trade, supporting industry and promoting sustainable development for both countries. As part of this effort, we will explore holding a strategic economic dialogue and a U.S.-Indonesia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) meeting.
President Biden expressed his support for Indonesia’s efforts towards an expedited accession bid to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which provides a pathway to faster and higher quality economic growth through stronger and more accountable policy. As the process gets under way, the United States looks forward to working with the Indonesian government to ensure it is successful in aligning with OECD standards and best practices, including by supporting Indonesia as it undertakes all necessary economic, governance, trade, and labor reforms. The two leaders also expressed their commitment to a rules-based international trading system and recognized the importance of multilateral institutions and norms which promote free and fair trade. Both leaders pledged to advance dialogue and consultations in settling WTO disputes.
President Subianto and President Biden acknowledged the essential role of diverse and resilient critical mineral supply chains to bolster the manufacturing sector and economic growth in both nations, as well as support the global clean energy transition. They affirmed their commitment to develop a critical minerals supply chain in both countries through a mutually beneficial partnership that promotes principles of sustainable development, including strong environmental and labor standards. To achieve this, they pledged to expedite ongoing discussions on critical minerals.
Reaffirming that the climate crisis poses an existential threat, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This includes submitting 2035 nationally determined contributions (NDC) under the Paris Agreement that are aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius and in the spirit of responding positively to the first Global Stocktake. We are committed to more ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories that are aligned with achieving our respective net-zero targets.
They further resolve to expand collaboration on clean and renewable energy generation and to accelerate their clean energy transitions. Indonesia and the United States are continuing to closely and concretely collaborate, including with other partners, on the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) by implementing the Comprehensive Investment and Policy Plan. JETP, in parallel with domestic policy reform, will continue to mobilize investments in Indonesia’s domestic renewable energy production to reduce emissions, strengthen and expand the grid, advance energy security, create jobs, and grow the clean energy economy in Indonesia.
President Biden and President Subianto discussed carbon capture and storage (CCS) and methane abatement as key opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Both leaders expressed their commitment to supporting methane reduction capacity building. The two leaders seek to develop affordable and cost-effective CCS solutions and deploy methane abatement strategies that contribute to Indonesia’s net-zero targets and global climate goals. President Biden congratulated Indonesia on its recent success in reducing emissions from deforestation and offered continued U.S. support for Indonesia to reach its forestry and land sector net sink target by 2030.
As one way to mobilize private finance for emissions reductions from forests and other sectors, President Biden expressed his support for Indonesia’s efforts to develop a high-integrity carbon market and offered U.S. support for accessing international demand for carbon credits. The leaders pledged to deepen bilateral discussions under the U.S.-Indonesia Climate Change Working Group and through technical cooperation.
Promoting Innovation through Digital and Technology Cooperation
Both Indonesia and the United States concurred that AI and other digital technologies should be optimized to enable sustainable development and bridge the digital divide. President Biden and President Subianto underscored the pressing need to enhance capacity building to ensure equitable access to secure and resilient AI and related digital innovations. The leaders also welcomed the opportunity to expand radio access network (Open RAN) projects in Indonesia, acknowledging the importance of improving Indonesia’s cellular network performance, creating a secure, resilient, and fostering a competitive ecosystem for advanced technology, and providing broader connectivity.
The two leaders acknowledged the need to continuously explore initiatives to secure cyberspace and welcomed the intention to elevate their cooperation, particularly through the exchange of best practices, capacity building, and research cooperation in the near future. This enhanced collaboration should be rooted in their shared desire to promote a peaceful, secure, and resilient cyberspace that serves as an enabler of economic progress and betterment of living standards for all. The leaders also celebrated the U.S. State Department’s partnership with the Government of Indonesia through the International Technology Security and Innovation (ITSI) Fund under the CHIPS Act of 2022.
The leaders expressed their intention to enhance Indonesia’s human resource capacity in the semiconductor industry, as well as human resources development, through collaborations with American universities and optimizing U.S. government support through the ITSI Fund. The United States is committed to support Indonesia in developing its small modular reactor (SMR) technology, including by expediting ongoing feasibility studies and exploring potential collaboration to build Indonesian expertise through nuclear assessor research certification programs.
Investing in People, Education, and Health
We also use this opportunity to commemorate the 20th anniversary of a massive tsunami that devastated coastal communities across the Indian Ocean region, including Aceh Province in Indonesia. In response, the United States mobilized over $400 million in emergency aid to support Indonesia’s response, assisting over 580,000 people. President Biden and President Subianto recognize the resourcefulness and perseverance of the tsunami’s survivors and applaud the bravery of humanitarian responders. We have built on this experience, and expanded our cooperation to include a Memorandum of Understanding between our disaster management agencies. Our leaders reaffirmed our commitment to boost disaster risk reduction and to work together on humanitarian aid and disaster relief to other vulnerable locations.
Building on our strong people-to-people ties, President Biden and President Subianto underscored their plan to deepen cooperation in education, research, and development. The leaders announced the opening of a new American Corner in Makassar in 2025. The two leaders also welcomed further cooperation to promote science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) fields, language education, and entrepreneurship collaboration, with a focus on women, youth, and persons with disabilities. As part of these efforts, both leaders emphasized the importance of expanding vocational and skills training, technical education and certification with a focus on technology, manufacturing, health, hospitality, construction, and creative industries.
Both countries are also committed to furthering health cooperation to advance clinical research, public health goals, and health systems to address emerging and chronic health conditions, as well as infectious diseases, including tuberculosis. The two leaders also welcomed a future signing of an elevated Memorandum of Understanding on health between Indonesia and the United States. This effort underscores both nation’s unwavering commitment to collaborate to realize Indonesia’s health transformation goals. President Biden also expressed support for Indonesia’s national program to provide nutritious and healthy meals for school children and expecting mothers.
Both leaders emphasized the significance of recognizing and honoring their respective cultural heritage, which serve as invaluable bridges in fostering stronger people-to-people connections. President Subianto further commended the United States for its support of Indonesia’s safeguarding of its cultural heritage from the growing threat of illicit trafficking, including the continued repatriation of Indonesian artifacts held within the United States. The leaders also applauded the new U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation project to assist Indonesian museums to build new documentation systems and enhance emergency preparedness.
Deepening United States – Indonesia Defense and Security Cooperation
President Biden and President Subianto committed to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation, reaffirming their shared commitment to regional security and stability, and emphasizing the significance of the Defense Cooperation Arrangement concluded in 2023. Both leaders pledged to cooperate on strengthening maritime security capabilities and to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, as well as fishing associated with transnational organized crime. The two leaders also welcome continued cooperation on defense and military modernization in a manner consistent with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.
President Biden praised Indonesia for successfully hosting the 2024 Super Garuda Shield exercise and the potential expansion of the multilateral exercise which recently engaged eight other partner nations, twelve observer countries, and over 6,000 personnel, aimed at enhancing collective security capabilities to better prepare for the challenges of an increasingly complex global landscape.
The two leaders reaffirmed their intention to hold the 2nd U.S.-Indonesia Senior Officials’ Foreign Policy and Defense Dialogue, the 21st U.S.-Indonesia Security Dialogue (IUSSD), and the U.S. and Indonesia Bilateral Defense Discussion (USIBDD), before the end of the first quarter of 2025. In the field of maritime cooperation, both leaders welcomed the establishment of the U.S.-funded BAKAMLA ‘Anambas’ Maritime Training Center in Batam this year. Our leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to holding a maritime dialogue and intended to explore new areas of discussion, including cooperation on a sustainable maritime economy and advancing marine science and technology. The leaders also pledged to explore the establishment of a defense alumni network to strengthen defense cooperation ties.
The two leaders condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and committed to work together to prevent and counter terrorism. The leaders applauded our longstanding, successful cooperation to counter terrorism and welcomed the renewal of the U.S.-Indonesia Memorandum of Understanding on counterterrorism until 2027 as part of this effort.
Deepening Regional and Global Cooperation
Both leaders acknowledged the importance of enhancing global peace, security, and stability to further the progress in their CSP. President Subianto welcomed sustained U.S. support for ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and acknowledged the value of regional and sub-regional mechanisms in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions working with ASEAN on specific areas of common interests. Both leaders committed to work together to uphold an open, inclusive, rules-based, and ASEAN-centered regional architecture that upholds international law.
Both leaders underscored their unwavering support for upholding freedom of navigation and overflight as well as respect for sovereign rights and jurisdiction of coastal states over their exclusive economic zones in accordance with international law of the sea, as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The United States and Indonesia also recognized the importance of the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and expressed support for ASEAN efforts to develop an effective, and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea that adheres to international law, in particular UNCLOS, and respect the rights and interests of third parties. The leaders note the ruling of the 2016 arbitral tribunal, constituted pursuant to UNCLOS.
President Biden expressed support for ASEAN’s efforts to resolve the crisis in Myanmar. Our leaders reiterated full support for ASEAN’s central role and the implementation of the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus, and expressed appreciation for the work of the ASEAN and UN Special Envoys on Myanmar. The two leaders denounced and called for the immediate cessation of the continued acts of violence against civilians. They urged all parties to exercise utmost restraint, ensure the protection of civilians, and create a conducive environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. President Biden and President Subianto also called on the Myanmar regime to create the conditions for national dialogue that re-establishes Myanmar’s path to inclusive democracy.
The United States and Indonesia reaffirm support for the establishment of a durable peace on, and the complete denuclearization of, the Korean Peninsula. The leaders urged all parties to fully implement their international obligations and commitments, including halting actions that violate UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) that threaten peace and stability in the region. Both leaders called on the concerned parties to comply fully with all relevant UNSCRs and to engage in peaceful dialogue.
President Biden and President Subianto reiterated the urgent call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza through the release of hostages, an exchange of prisoners, the free flow of humanitarian assistance, and an end to the conflict. The two leaders expressed grave concern over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, and condemned all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure. The leaders underscored that the future recovery and reconstruction of Gaza will rely on sustained engagement from the international community. Both leaders remain committed to a viable and independent Palestinian state and Israel’s security concerns as part of a two-state solution that enable both Israelis and Palestinians to live in a just, lasting and secure peace. Any unilateral actions that undermine the prospect of a two-state solution, including expansion of Israeli settlements and violent extremism on all sides, must end. The leaders underscore the need to prevent the conflict from escalating and spreading further into the region. The two leaders reaffirmed that it is imperative to reach a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon.
Building off of our successful cooperation on Indonesia’s airdrop of humanitarian aid to Gaza in April, President Biden and President Subianto also committed to expand cooperation on addressing the dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. The leaders pledged to work together to facilitate the medical evacuation of Palestinian children in order to receive critical care, and committed to support humanitarian and early recovery activities on the ground in Gaza. President Biden conveyed his appreciation for Indonesia’s role in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) peacekeeping mission and joined Indonesia in calling for all to respect the inviolability of UN premises, as well as calling for the protection of and to avoid military activity that might risk harming UNIFIL personnel.
The leaders discussed the war against Ukraine and reaffirmed our respect for sovereignty, political independence, territorial integrity, and the UN Charter. Both leaders underlined the importance of serious engagement in a genuine dialogue for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. They also called for the facilitation of rapid and safe access to humanitarian assistance for those in need in Ukraine, and for the protection of civilians, humanitarian personnel, and persons in vulnerable situations.
President Biden welcomed Indonesia’s leadership in the G20 on issues of concern to the developing world, including on evolving the multilateral development banks and strengthening the global health architecture. The two leaders pledged to cooperate on providing a pathway to growth for developing countries by unlocking space for countries with mounting debt burdens to invest in their futures.
Both countries also stressed the importance of continuing the discussions towards the UN Security Council reform. A transparent, democratic, efficient, effective and inclusive UN Security Council is crucial in efforts to maintain international peace and security.
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FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Leverages Historic U.S. Climate Leadership at Home and Abroad to Urge Countries to Accelerate Global Climate Action at the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29)
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Leverages Historic U.S. Climate Leadership at Home and Abroad to Urge Countries to Accelerate Global Climate Action at the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29)
Since Day One, President Biden has treated climate change as not only one of the greatest challenges of our time, but also as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unleash a new era of economic growth, good-paying union jobs, historic investment, and energy security. The United States heads into the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan with a four-year record of spearheading the most significant climate action in history at home and leading efforts to tackle the climate crisis abroad. At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration will highlight global economic opportunities afforded by accelerating climate action in this decisive decade and will announce new initiatives to galvanize global efforts to keep a resilient, 1.5°C future within reach.
At home, actions like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – the largest ever investment by any country in clean energy and climate action – and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) have unleashed an unprecedented wave of investment and ignited a clean manufacturing boom. These actions have stimulated over $450 billion in announced private investment in clean energy manufacturing and deployment since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration and created over 330,000 clean energy jobs in just over two years, with an additional 1.5 million jobs projected to be created over the next decade. Hard-hit communities are reaping the biggest economic benefits – since the IRA passed, 75% of private clean energy investments have occurred in counties with lower than median household incomes, and clean energy investment in energy communities has doubled. This government-enabled, private-sector led approach, complemented by increased action from state and local governments, has set the United States on a path to achieve our 1.5°C-aligned emissions target under the Paris Agreement. And historic investments in climate and disaster resilience are making communities across the country safer and stronger in the face of extreme weather events, which we know are getting more frequent and more dangerous because of climate change.
The investments the United States is making at home are catalyzing progress abroad, lowering the cost of clean energy for everyone and saving hundreds of billions of dollars globally. The IRA is projected to produce more than $5 trillion in global economic benefits from reduced climate pollution between now and 2050. Over the next seven years, according to analysis from the Department of Energy (DOE), twice as much U.S. wind, solar, and battery deployment is expected than would have been without the IRA. This progress complements U.S. efforts to rally other countries to accelerate the clean energy transition and enhance their climate ambition.
At COP29, the U.S. delegation will promote U.S. efforts to seize the economic opportunities of the clean energy transition, address the risks climate change poses to our national security, and accelerate climate action in this decisive decade. Key announcements include:
- Powering Forward with Ambitious Domestic Climate Action – by announcing the finalization of a new rule to reduce economically wasteful methane emissions; establishing new, bold targets for expanding U.S. nuclear energy capacity and releasing a framework to achieve them; and highlighting new actions to unlock potential for a new source of clean baseload power: enhanced geothermal.
- Accelerating Global Climate Action to Keep the 1.5°C Goal Within Reach – by driving progress on reducing methane and other high-impact non-carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (“super pollutants”) at a COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs alongside China and Azerbaijan and announcing new efforts to implement the over $1 billion in grant funding unveiled at COP28 as part of the Methane Finance Sprint; by announcing new members of the Carbon Management Challenge that President Biden launched in 2023; and by announcing new investments and initiatives to help partners transition away from unabated coal, deploy renewables, and reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors.
- Mobilizing Finance at Scale – including by scaling up U.S. international climate finance for developing countries from $1.5 billion in FY21 to $9.5 billion in FY23, a more than sixfold increase that was enabled by record-high levels of investment across the USG, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM). This increase puts the United States on track to meet President Biden’s pledge to work with Congress to scale up our support to over $11 billion per year by 2024. The United States is also announcing a new $1 billion guarantee for the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP), which will unlock over $4.5 billion in investment, and supporting the launch of the Climate Investment Funds Capital Markets Mechanism, which is projected to raise $5 billion or more over 10 years.
- Bolstering Global Climate Resilience – by scaling up U.S. support for vulnerable developing countries to over $3 billion in FY23 to implement the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), achieving President Biden’s pledge to do so by 2024 one year early; by expanding access to cutting-edge climate information, data, and early-warning systems in over 80 countries; and by marshalling over $3 billion in additional resources since 2022 from 40 U.S. and global companies and partners in response to the PREPARE Private Sector Call to Action.
- Advancing Women’s and Girls’ Leadership in Tackling the Climate Crisis – by announcing new investments to support the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative, a public-private partnership launched by Vice President Harris in 2023 through which the United States has galvanized over $2 billion in commitments by governments, private sector companies, foundations, and civil society to bolster women’s economic participation in sectors such as clean energy, fisheries, recycling, forest management, and environmental conservation.
POWERING FORWARD WITH AMBITIOUS DOMESTIC CLIMATE ACTION
- Reducing Wasteful Methane Emissions – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, following the directive from Congress in the IRA to collect a Waste Emissions Charge to better ensure valuable natural gas reaches the market rather than polluting the air. Today’s final rule delivers on this directive and incentivizes companies to take near-term action to conserve valuable energy resources and reduce methane emissions – a potent GHG that is responsible for approximately one-third of the global warming we are now experiencing. EPA estimates that this rule alone will result in cumulative emissions reductions of 34 million metric tons CO2-equivalent by 2035, with cumulative climate benefits of up to $2 billion. Today’s final rule is just one of more than 100 actions that U.S. Federal agencies have taken in 2024 alone to sharply reduce methane emissions under the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, helping to deliver on the Global Methane Pledge. U.S. actions this year have included plugging leaks and regulating emissions in the oil and gas sector, remediating pollution from abandoned coal mines, curbing food waste and emissions from agriculture practices, investing in cleaner industrial processes and buildings, and building a new, integrated system of satellite, aerial, and on-the-ground detections to stop major methane emissions events.
- Establishing Bold Targets for Expanding Domestic Nuclear Energy and Announcing a Framework for Action to Achieve Them – acknowledging the crucial role that nuclear power will play to support energy security and clean economic growth, the United States is establishing a national goal to build 200 GW of new nuclear power generation capacity by 2050, as our Nation’s contribution to the global “Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy” from 2020 levels endorsed by 25 countries at COP28. The United States is also establishing nearer-term targets to jumpstart the expansion of nuclear energy deployment with 35 GW of new domestic nuclear energy capacity built or under construction by 2035 and ramping-up to a sustained pace of producing 15 GW per year by 2040. These targets are part of “Safely and Responsibly Expanding U.S. Nuclear Energy to Tackle the Climate Crisis and Invest in America: Deployment Targets and a Framework for Action” that establishes a set of guiding principles for successfully scaling up nuclear energy in the United States in a manner that advances core values and commitments—including ensuring public health and safety protecting the environment, ensuring energy affordability, meaningfully engaging with communities and delivering local community benefits, honoring Tribal sovereignty, advancing environmental justice, and promoting national security. The Framework also and identifies more than 30 key actions the U.S. government can take, along with the U.S. nuclear energy industry, power customers, and civil society, to meet this moment. To help inform implementation of this Framework, the Administration is launching Tribal consultation and will issue a Request for Information to ensure that governmental, public and community engagement inform implementation of this Framework.
- Doubling the Number of Scalable Clean Baseload Power Sources by Rapidly Commercializing Geothermal Energy – The Administration’s recent actions are enabling enhanced geothermal to become a key source of clean baseload power and heat in the United States. Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved in record time the development of the world’s largest next-generation geothermal project, which has the potential to generate up to 2 GW, proposed a new environmental review tool to facilitate confirmation of geothermal resources on federal lands, and hosted the largest lease sale of federal lands for geothermal electricity projects in more than 15 years. This year, the Department of Energy (DOE) also made the first federal investment of $60 million under BIL to support novel demonstration projects for next-generation geothermal technologies. As a result of these efforts, within one year of the first 3.5 MW enhanced geothermal project’s delivery of power in November 2023, over 600 MW of power purchase agreements have been signed for geothermal power using this pioneering technology—presenting new pathways to leverage oil and gas industry expertise and workforces to support a robust, resilient, and secure energy grid with good jobs.
- Leading by Example by Reducing U.S. Government Emissions – by announcing a new suite of actions to reduce the U.S. government’s indirect (“Scope 3”) emissions and engage other governments and suppliers. This includes launching a new target to reduce the Federal Government’s Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 – the equivalent of 40 million metric tons of CO2 annually – and releasing the first comprehensive measurement of the federal Scope 3 footprint. The United States is also launching the Government Scope 3 Alliance, a coalition of national and state governments whose members commit to set Scope 3 targets for government operations and report annually on progress.
- Releasing a National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy – Today, the White House is releasing a new national strategy to advance research on the benefits, risks, and tradeoffs associated with marine carbon dioxide removal, a set of innovative technologies that could help address the climate crisis in concert with substantial cuts to carbon emissions. Marine CO2 removal uses ocean processes to increase the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide the ocean removes from the atmosphere, but it requires additional research to determine if it is a safe and effective climate tool. The strategy, which responds to a key objective of the Ocean Climate Action Plan, provides recommendations to guide accountable research, ensure community engagement, and clarify the regulatory process for scientific researchers.
ACCELERATING GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION
President Biden has rallied world leaders to accelerate action in key areas that the latest science has identified as critical to keeping the goal of limiting average warming to 1.5°C within reach. At COP29, the United States announced progress in each of these key areas, including:
- Reducing Methane and Other Non-CO2 GHG Super Pollutants:
- Hosting a COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs – The Summit, co-hosted with China and Azerbaijan, showcased new actions to cut emissions of these climate super-pollutants that account for over half of warming, including national commitments to cover all GHGs in national climate targets, new policy and regulatory actions, and new scientific progress. As the two largest emitters in the world, responsible for roughly 10% and 30% of global GHG emissions, respectively, the United States and China have helped catalyze global attention on non-CO2 GHGs. These efforts include the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), which more than 155 countries have now endorsed and are taking steps to meet the goal to cut global methane emissions by 30% by 2030. At COP29, with announcements from new countries, there are now nearly 100 methane action plans completed or underway, including China’s national action plan on methane and the United States’s Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan update. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which serves as GMP Secretariat, is funding implementation projects in 65 countries.
- Mobilizing billions to tackle super pollutants – At the COP29 Non-CO2 Summit, partners announced implementation steps for over $1 billion in grant funding previously announced at COP28 as part of the Methane Finance Sprint. This grant funding is already mobilizing billions more in methane-related project investment by the World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and regional multilateral development banks, among others.
- Leveraging new action and science to cut nitrous oxide (N2O) and Tropospheric Ozone – The United States and partners announced new global action and science on cutting super pollutants like N2O and tropospheric ozone, which account for roughly one-fifth of today’s warming, with significant impacts on public health and agricultural productivity. New steps include the release of aGlobal N2O Assessment, the United Nations Environment Program’s new commitment to advance science on reducing climate impacts of tropospheric ozone, and private sector steps to tackle N2O and tropospheric ozone precursors.
- Leading Global Efforts to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Deployment:
- Implementing and expanding the effort to triple nuclear energy –by co-leading a coalition of countries working to advance the global goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity from 2020 levels by 2050, including by setting an example that shows how the United States will do its part, by establishing 2050 and nearer-term domestic nuclear energy deployment targets and outlining a Framework for Action. Thirty countries from four continents now endorse the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy, after an additional five countries joined the effort at COP29. Endorsers also highlighted recent stakeholder support for the effort, including from 14 major global financial institutions that announced support for the tripling goal during New York Climate Week in September 2024.
- Supporting Ukraine’s leadership in safe and secure nuclear energy –by announcing $30 million in funding from the U.S. Department of State for cooperation with Ukraine under the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Technology (FIRST) program to develop: (1) a Clean Fuels from SMRs Pilot Plant, which will demonstrate the production of clean hydrogen and ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizers, in Ukraine using simulated SMR technology; (2) Project Phoenix, to facilitate the conversion of Ukraine’s coal plants to SMRs by developing a comprehensive strategy, conducting feasibility studies, and providing advisory services; and (3) the Clean Steel from SMR Roadmap, which will help rebuild, modernize, and decarbonize Ukraine’s steel industry using clean electricity, process heat, and hydrogen from SMRs for steel manufacturing.
- U.S. – Romania Partnership to Create Over 1.5 GW of Clean Energy –Sargent & Lundy (U.S.), AtkinsRealis (Canada), and Ansaldo (Italy) reached a new milestone in the Cernavoda nuclear power plant project, and finalized a contract for an international consortium to complete two new reactors at Romania’s Cernavoda site, which, once completed, will generate over 1.5 GW of clean power for the region. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Romania Ministry of Energy facilitated the agreement and catalyzed the project by signing an intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and Romania.
- Decarbonizing the Energy Sector by Scaling Technologies Critical to Achieving the 1.5°C Goal:
- Advancing the goal to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency –including by co-leading the effort to establish international goals at COP29 to increase energy storage and expand and modernize grids, two key ingredients needed to scale up renewable energy in line with keeping the 1.5°Cgoal within reach. Endorsers of the Energy Storage and Grids Pledge will set global goals to achieve 1500 GW of energy storage and 25 million km of built or refurbished grids by 2030, with an additional 65 million km by 2040. The United States also provided over $4.5 billion in support for international clean energy projects in FY23, which will significantly advance efforts to triple renewable energy and double efficiency by 2030.
- Zero Emissions and Resilient Buildings Accelerator (ZERB Accelerator) – which brings together a cohort of leading cities, states, and regions committed to ambitious climate mitigation and resilience goals in the buildings sector, including the collective reduction of annual emissions by at least 50 million metric tons below 2020 levels, by 2030. Incubated by the Subnational Climate Action Leaders’ Exchange (SCALE) partnership, the initiative will strengthen multilevel collaboration between these subnational jurisdictions and their national governments and will mobilize a broad coalition of organizations offering support in the areas of policy and technical assistance, financing, and measuring, reporting, and verification capacity to move the building sector to zero emissions and resiliency.
- Advancing the Carbon Management Challenge – Since President Biden announced the Carbon Management Challenge (CMC) last year at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, 22 countries and the European Commission have joined the initiative. This includes 5 new members since COP28: Bahrain, Kenya, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Senegal. In the past year, the CMC established a Secretariat to advance carbon management at the billion-ton scale by delivering outcomes on (1) developing country finance; (2) project deployment and tracking; and (3) strategic communications and engagement.
- Launching the U.S-India Low Carbon Comfort Cooling Collective – a new initiative aimed at harnessing the power of the public and private sectors to mobilize large-scale private investment towards a 50% reduction in cooling-related emissions in India by 2030. At COP29, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $1 million to support this new partnership. In the face of intensifying extreme heat, the activity aims to reduce carbon emissions from cooling, decrease stress on electricity networks, and lower the cost of efficient cooling and alternative cooling solutions.
- Mobilizing Investment for Early Retirement of Indonesia Coal-fired Power Plant –USAID is assisting a consortium in Indonesia, led by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, to establish an approximately $255 million equity investment in the first coal power, early phase-out transaction under the Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership. USAID will support an agreement between Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund and public infrastructure company, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur, and private investors to finalize the early retirement of the 660 MW Cirebon coal-fired power plant.
- Accelerating clean energy deployment and decarbonization in the power and industrial sectors – through the Power Sector Program and Energy and Mineral Governance Program, the Department of State is committing $10.6 million to strengthen grid infrastructure to improve reliability and resiliency, deploy clean energy technologies to decarbonize the power and industrial sectors,expand cross border power trade, and create opportunities for private sector investment. The Energy and Mineral Governance Program is committing a further $5 million to expand technical support to enable emissions reductions in the oil and gas sector through methane abatement and decarbonization technologies, in support of the Global Methane Pledge.
- Advancing the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) –At COP29, AIM for Climate will announce $2.9 billion in new investments, innovation sprints, and partners. Launched by President Biden at COP26, AIM for Climate is a 5-year initiative co-led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In just 4 years, AIM for Climate partners have mobilized $29.2 billion in increased investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, over a 2020 baseline, including over $4.3 billion by the United States. On the margins of COP29, the United States and the UAE will host the 3rd AIM for Climate Ministerial, a strategic opportunity to highlight the institutional legacy of AIM for Climate, including the recent AIM for Climate Report.
MOBILIZING FINANCE AT SCALE
From Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed to boosting international climate finance. This includes scaling-up our own bilateral finance, fully leveraging multilateral financial institutions, and mobilizing private investment. These efforts are also in direct support of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. As a result of these efforts over the last three years, the United States significantly scaled up our climate finance – from $1.5 billion in FY21 to over $9.5 billion in FY23, a more than sixfold increase. These actions build on domestic efforts to catalyze investments in game-changing climate mitigation and climate resilience innovations. At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new efforts to mobilize investment at the speed and scale the climate crisis requires, including:
- Announcing a $1 billion guarantee for ADB’s Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP) – a $2.5 billion climate finance platform for Asia and the Pacific, making the United States the Facility’s largest donor. The U.S. guarantee will enable $4.5 billion in new lending from ADB, which will start this month.
- Supporting the Launch of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Capital Markets Mechanism –an innovative new mechanism that will allow the CIF to raise funds directly in the capital markets, where it estimates it could raise $5 billion or more over 10 years.
- Achieving Record-Levels of Climate Investments through DFC and EXIM –with DFC reaching$3.71 billion in FY24 and mobilizing significant private investment to support over 1 GW of new clean energy capacity, improving U.S. partners’ energy security and access. In line with its congressional mandate, EXIM has more than doubled its investments in clean energy and other environmentally beneficial exports – from $1.1 billion in FY23 to a record $1.6 billion in FY24. These new investments, which represent over one-fourth of EXIM’s transactions this year, supported $1.7 billion in clean energy and other environmentally beneficial exports, EXIM’s highest-ever levels.
- Pioneering Innovative Approaches to Mobilize Private Investment –working with Congress, USAID is investing $41.1 million to drive private finance into hard-to-reach geographies and sectors. This includes a $7.25 million investment through the Enterprises for Development, Growth, and Empowerment (EDGE) Fund to incentivize private investment in impact funds and mobilize investment in natural climate solutions which includes $2.75 million in grants to enable two new investment fund managers under the PREPARE Adaptation Finance Window that aim to catalyze additional public partners to co-invest. USAID will also commit $27.7 million for the Colombia Invest for Climate activity, which aims to transform markets and financial systems and direct public and private funds into climate-smart businesses. Finally, USAID is committing $6.1 million to the Partnerships for Green Investment initiative announced at COP28 last year to mobilize at least $200 million to achieve 50 million tons of emissions reductions, climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and benefit sharing across Southeast Asia.
- Supporting the Development of the Cambodia Climate Financing Facility (CCFF) –USAID provided technical assistance to support the development of the CCFF, a $100 million green bank that will fill a critical funding gap for climate projects in Cambodia. Once operationalized, the facility will provide concessions to local banks and businesses to stimulate investment in climate adaptation and mitigation projects, assisting Cambodia in meeting its Nationally Determined Contribution.
- Investing in Clean Energy and Critical Minerals Value Chains in Africa –as part of collaboration with Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway, the United States, working with Congress, will make an initial commitment of $10 million over two years into the Investment Mobilization Collaboration Alliance’s third funding window through Power Africa, supporting clean energy and critical mineral investments in Africa. This investment will improve critical minerals value chains and increase access to and use of energy to advance industrialization. In joining this impactful, innovative international partnership, Power Africa will leverage partner funds and support proposals to advance clean energy across the continent.
BOLSTERING GLOBAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE
The Administration is announcing new efforts to accelerate the implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), which aims to help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change this decade. Through these efforts, the United States has provided over $3 billion in adaptation finance in FY23, achieving President Biden’s pledge to work with Congress to increase U.S. international public adaptation finance to $3 billion by FY24 to help implement PREPARE one year early. This includes the following additional efforts across PREPARE:
- Scaling-Up DFC’s Adaptation Investments to Record-High Levels –DFC invested $1.3 billion in adaptation in FY24, including projects that will strengthen food and water security and sustainable practices to adapt to and increase resilience to the threat of climate change.
- The $458 million Zambia Farm-to-Market Compact –MCC’s $458 million Zambia Farm-to-Market Compact, signed in October 2024, aims to improve Zambia’s agriculture and agro-processing sectors. The compact will focus on rural road infrastructure, increasing access to finance for irrigation, electricity, storage and processing facilities, and supporting agricultural policy reform initiatives. The Improving Roads Activity will improve road conditions, quality, access, and climate resilience for selected segments within the identified agricultural corridors through the design, construction, expansion, rehabilitation, upgrades, and strengthening in key agricultural corridors It also focuses on integrated planning, climate-resilient road infrastructure, building a local green/climate finance market, and improving agricultural productivity through better management of soils, irrigation, and watersheds.
- Expanding Access to Cutting-Edge Climate Information and Early Warnings through PREPARE –The United States has invested billions to develop world-leading weather and climate-related information and service capabilities – from launching leading-edge satellites, amassing relevant observational data from a global network of sensors, and developing advanced modelling technology. The United States is using these capabilities to support vulnerable developing countries to better understand, anticipate, and prepare for climate impacts. At COP29 the United States is announcing several new efforts, including working with Congress to announce a new the SERVIR Central America Hub that will launch in December and will bolster the resilience of over 50 million people to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts and environmental degradation. NOAA is announcing $4.7 million to bolster multi-hazard early warning capabilities in Pacific Islands, including through capacity building, data sharing, and expansion of sea-level rise monitoring stations to help with coastal inundation. The United States is also launching the Global Sea Level Explorer– anew earth.gov platform that will provide foundational information about global sea level and flooding to help inform decision-making, resource management, and emergency operations for each coastal country across the globe.
- Climate Smart and Disaster Ready –as part of its Climate Smart and Disaster Ready initiative, USAID announced $11.8 million in new awards to strengthen localized climate adaptation for communities at the greatest risk of climate-related disasters in current and foreseeable humanitarian contexts, bringing the total investment under this initiative to date to $16.2 million. Under this program, USAID has funded five multi-year initiatives in West Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands, including the previously announced $4.4 million to support young people in the Pacific Islands to advance disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation efforts in their own communities.
- Climate Finance for Agriculture in Africa –USAID will invest $9.3 million to accelerate climate finance for climate-resilient and low emissions development investments in agriculture and food systems across Africa, working with Congress. In Zambia, USAID is supporting the country’s first climate-focused investment fund, aiming to mobilize $70 million for climate adaptation in critical sectors, including agriculture. In Ghana, USAID created a $2.6 million co-investment program to incentivize private sector investment in climate adaptation and mitigation in agriculture, complementing cooperation with the government on national carbon market development. Finally, through the Africa Trade and Investment activity, USAID is supporting a pan-Africa Fund to finance African microfinance institutions and agricultural entities, aiming to leverage an additional $5 million in commercial investments for climate-smart agriculture, with a total investment leverage ratio of 6:1.
- Expanding Technical Support for SIDS through the Local2030 Islands Network – the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of State will invest nearly $500K to expand technical support to the Local2030 Islands Network for peer-to-peer learning, engagement and training to bolster the use of adaptive solutions and scientific data and planning. This announcement builds on a prior investment of approximately $12 million into the Local2030 Islands Network, a global island-led network committed to net zero emissions and strengthening island resilience to climate change, with an emphasis on advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
- $144 million in new partnership agreements in Mozambique –MCC’s $144 million in new partnership agreements in Mozambique with local non-governmental partners Biofund and ProAzul for MCC’s Coastal Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project will leverage nature-based low carbon infrastructure to restore coastal ecosystems and their functions.
- Bolstering the Resilience of Critical Infrastructure: Enhancing Grid Resilience in Africa – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a feasibility study grant to Côte d’Ivoire Energies to help develop a smart grid control system that will increase stability of the national grid and reduce potential blackouts in the face of extreme weather events or climate disruptions. USTDA is also supporting a grid resilience and efficiency event series, which will connect officials from public and private entities in sub-Saharan Africa’s power sector to the latest U.S. technologies services, and equipment for improved electricity transmission and distribution systems.
ADVANCING WOMEN AND GIRLS’ LEADERSHIP IN CLIMATE ACTION
Recognizing that no economy can get ahead if half of its population is left behind, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to preparing women for leadership roles in the industries of the future, including through efforts that advance the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative—an over $2 billion public-private partnership that aims to close gender gaps in access to training, jobs, leadership roles, and finance in green and blue sectors. At COP29, the Administration announced:
- Advancing Women’s Leadership in the Clean Energy Economy –At COP29, USAID is announcing $10.8 million to champion women as decision-makers, stakeholders, educators, and experts in responding to the climate crisis. USAID is investing in programs that support women’s equitable access to land; integrate gender-based violence prevention in fisheries conservation; and promote women’s participation and economic empowerment in green industries and clean energy sectors.
- Accelerating Women’s Leadership in Climate Action – One year after the release of the U.S. Strategy to Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Women, the State Department is releasing a progress report outlining initiatives and programs worth $10.7 million to empower women and girls as climate leaders while addressing the disproportionate impacts they face from the climate crisis. These initiatives include efforts to train and connect women leading the clean energy transition, building climate-smart agricultural systems, and promoting Indigenous management of natural resources.
- Women In Agriculture Gain Economic Security (WAGES) –This program supports women in agricultural cooperatives across Tunisia to address the impacts of climate change, increase profitability, and improve food security. The project focuses on optimizing natural resource use and enhancing the business operations of women-led cooperatives. The $2.1 million project tackles women’s limited access to training and resources by forming partnerships with regional stakeholders and adapting approaches to address the needs of local women leaders.
- Supporting Women Environmental Defenders –The Department of State is expanding support for women environmental defenders through the EMPOWER and WE-Defend programs, enabling their safe and meaningful participation in environmental governance and policy making. The EMPOWER program, now totaling $1.7 million, supports defenders globally, while WE-Defend, with a total investment of $1.2 million, focuses on empowering Filipina environmental defenders in decision-making processes related to environmental policies.
- Advancing Women in Clean Energy and Minerals (AWCEM) Program – The Department of State announced $1.25 million to increase women’s leadership in the clean energy and critical mineral mining sectors in Latin America, empowering women to become leaders and agents for change to support decarbonization and the clean energy transition.
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FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Leverages Historic U.S. Climate Leadership at Home and Abroad to Urge Countries to Accelerate Global Climate Action at the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29)
FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Leverages Historic U.S. Climate Leadership at Home and Abroad to Urge Countries to Accelerate Global Climate Action at the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29)
Since Day One, President Biden has treated climate change as not only one of the greatest challenges of our time, but also as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unleash a new era of economic growth, good-paying union jobs, historic investment, and energy security. The United States heads into the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan with a four-year record of spearheading the most significant climate action in history at home and leading efforts to tackle the climate crisis abroad. At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration will highlight global economic opportunities afforded by accelerating climate action in this decisive decade and will announce new initiatives to galvanize global efforts to keep a resilient, 1.5°C future within reach.
At home, actions like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) – the largest ever investment by any country in clean energy and climate action – and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) have unleashed an unprecedented wave of investment and ignited a clean manufacturing boom. These actions have stimulated over $450 billion in announced private investment in clean energy manufacturing and deployment since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration and created over 330,000 clean energy jobs in just over two years, with an additional 1.5 million jobs projected to be created over the next decade. Hard-hit communities are reaping the biggest economic benefits – since the IRA passed, 75% of private clean energy investments have occurred in counties with lower than median household incomes, and clean energy investment in energy communities has doubled. This government-enabled, private-sector led approach, complemented by increased action from state and local governments, has set the United States on a path to achieve our 1.5°C-aligned emissions target under the Paris Agreement. And historic investments in climate and disaster resilience are making communities across the country safer and stronger in the face of extreme weather events, which we know are getting more frequent and more dangerous because of climate change.
The investments the United States is making at home are catalyzing progress abroad, lowering the cost of clean energy for everyone and saving hundreds of billions of dollars globally. The IRA is projected to produce more than $5 trillion in global economic benefits from reduced climate pollution between now and 2050. Over the next seven years, according to analysis from the Department of Energy (DOE), twice as much U.S. wind, solar, and battery deployment is expected than would have been without the IRA. This progress complements U.S. efforts to rally other countries to accelerate the clean energy transition and enhance their climate ambition.
At COP29, the U.S. delegation will promote U.S. efforts to seize the economic opportunities of the clean energy transition, address the risks climate change poses to our national security, and accelerate climate action in this decisive decade. Key announcements include:
- Powering Forward with Ambitious Domestic Climate Action – by announcing the finalization of a new rule to reduce economically wasteful methane emissions; establishing new, bold targets for expanding U.S. nuclear energy capacity and releasing a framework to achieve them; and highlighting new actions to unlock potential for a new source of clean baseload power: enhanced geothermal.
- Accelerating Global Climate Action to Keep the 1.5°C Goal Within Reach – by driving progress on reducing methane and other high-impact non-carbon dioxide (CO2) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (“super pollutants”) at a COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs alongside China and Azerbaijan and announcing new efforts to implement the over $1 billion in grant funding unveiled at COP28 as part of the Methane Finance Sprint; by announcing new members of the Carbon Management Challenge that President Biden launched in 2023; and by announcing new investments and initiatives to help partners transition away from unabated coal, deploy renewables, and reduce emissions in hard-to-abate sectors.
- Mobilizing Finance at Scale – including by scaling up U.S. international climate finance for developing countries from $1.5 billion in FY21 to $9.5 billion in FY23, a more than sixfold increase that was enabled by record-high levels of investment across the USG, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM). This increase puts the United States on track to meet President Biden’s pledge to work with Congress to scale up our support to over $11 billion per year by 2024. The United States is also announcing a new $1 billion guarantee for the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP), which will unlock over $4.5 billion in investment, and supporting the launch of the Climate Investment Funds Capital Markets Mechanism, which is projected to raise $5 billion or more over 10 years.
- Bolstering Global Climate Resilience – by scaling up U.S. support for vulnerable developing countries to over $3 billion in FY23 to implement the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), achieving President Biden’s pledge to do so by 2024 one year early; by expanding access to cutting-edge climate information, data, and early-warning systems in over 80 countries; and by marshalling over $3 billion in additional resources since 2022 from 40 U.S. and global companies and partners in response to the PREPARE Private Sector Call to Action.
- Advancing Women’s and Girls’ Leadership in Tackling the Climate Crisis – by announcing new investments to support the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative, a public-private partnership launched by Vice President Harris in 2023 through which the United States has galvanized over $2 billion in commitments by governments, private sector companies, foundations, and civil society to bolster women’s economic participation in sectors such as clean energy, fisheries, recycling, forest management, and environmental conservation.
POWERING FORWARD WITH AMBITIOUS DOMESTIC CLIMATE ACTION
- Reducing Wasteful Methane Emissions – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, following the directive from Congress in the IRA to collect a Waste Emissions Charge to better ensure valuable natural gas reaches the market rather than polluting the air. Today’s final rule delivers on this directive and incentivizes companies to take near-term action to conserve valuable energy resources and reduce methane emissions – a potent GHG that is responsible for approximately one-third of the global warming we are now experiencing. EPA estimates that this rule alone will result in cumulative emissions reductions of 34 million metric tons CO2-equivalent by 2035, with cumulative climate benefits of up to $2 billion. Today’s final rule is just one of more than 100 actions that U.S. Federal agencies have taken in 2024 alone to sharply reduce methane emissions under the U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, helping to deliver on the Global Methane Pledge. U.S. actions this year have included plugging leaks and regulating emissions in the oil and gas sector, remediating pollution from abandoned coal mines, curbing food waste and emissions from agriculture practices, investing in cleaner industrial processes and buildings, and building a new, integrated system of satellite, aerial, and on-the-ground detections to stop major methane emissions events.
- Establishing Bold Targets for Expanding Domestic Nuclear Energy and Announcing a Framework for Action to Achieve Them – acknowledging the crucial role that nuclear power will play to support energy security and clean economic growth, the United States is establishing a national goal to build 200 GW of new nuclear power generation capacity by 2050, as our Nation’s contribution to the global “Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy” from 2020 levels endorsed by 25 countries at COP28. The United States is also establishing nearer-term targets to jumpstart the expansion of nuclear energy deployment with 35 GW of new domestic nuclear energy capacity built or under construction by 2035 and ramping-up to a sustained pace of producing 15 GW per year by 2040. These targets are part of “Safely and Responsibly Expanding U.S. Nuclear Energy to Tackle the Climate Crisis and Invest in America: Deployment Targets and a Framework for Action” that establishes a set of guiding principles for successfully scaling up nuclear energy in the United States in a manner that advances core values and commitments—including ensuring public health and safety protecting the environment, ensuring energy affordability, meaningfully engaging with communities and delivering local community benefits, honoring Tribal sovereignty, advancing environmental justice, and promoting national security. The Framework also and identifies more than 30 key actions the U.S. government can take, along with the U.S. nuclear energy industry, power customers, and civil society, to meet this moment. To help inform implementation of this Framework, the Administration is launching Tribal consultation and will issue a Request for Information to ensure that governmental, public and community engagement inform implementation of this Framework.
- Doubling the Number of Scalable Clean Baseload Power Sources by Rapidly Commercializing Geothermal Energy – The Administration’s recent actions are enabling enhanced geothermal to become a key source of clean baseload power and heat in the United States. Last month, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management approved in record time the development of the world’s largest next-generation geothermal project, which has the potential to generate up to 2 GW, proposed a new environmental review tool to facilitate confirmation of geothermal resources on federal lands, and hosted the largest lease sale of federal lands for geothermal electricity projects in more than 15 years. This year, the Department of Energy (DOE) also made the first federal investment of $60 million under BIL to support novel demonstration projects for next-generation geothermal technologies. As a result of these efforts, within one year of the first 3.5 MW enhanced geothermal project’s delivery of power in November 2023, over 600 MW of power purchase agreements have been signed for geothermal power using this pioneering technology—presenting new pathways to leverage oil and gas industry expertise and workforces to support a robust, resilient, and secure energy grid with good jobs.
- Leading by Example by Reducing U.S. Government Emissions – by announcing a new suite of actions to reduce the U.S. government’s indirect (“Scope 3”) emissions and engage other governments and suppliers. This includes launching a new target to reduce the Federal Government’s Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 – the equivalent of 40 million metric tons of CO2 annually – and releasing the first comprehensive measurement of the federal Scope 3 footprint. The United States is also launching the Government Scope 3 Alliance, a coalition of national and state governments whose members commit to set Scope 3 targets for government operations and report annually on progress.
- Releasing a National Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal Research Strategy – Today, the White House is releasing a new national strategy to advance research on the benefits, risks, and tradeoffs associated with marine carbon dioxide removal, a set of innovative technologies that could help address the climate crisis in concert with substantial cuts to carbon emissions. Marine CO2 removal uses ocean processes to increase the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide the ocean removes from the atmosphere, but it requires additional research to determine if it is a safe and effective climate tool. The strategy, which responds to a key objective of the Ocean Climate Action Plan, provides recommendations to guide accountable research, ensure community engagement, and clarify the regulatory process for scientific researchers.
ACCELERATING GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION
President Biden has rallied world leaders to accelerate action in key areas that the latest science has identified as critical to keeping the goal of limiting average warming to 1.5°C within reach. At COP29, the United States announced progress in each of these key areas, including:
- Reducing Methane and Other Non-CO2 GHG Super Pollutants:
- Hosting a COP29 Summit on Methane and Non-CO2 GHGs – The Summit, co-hosted with China and Azerbaijan, showcased new actions to cut emissions of these climate super-pollutants that account for over half of warming, including national commitments to cover all GHGs in national climate targets, new policy and regulatory actions, and new scientific progress. As the two largest emitters in the world, responsible for roughly 10% and 30% of global GHG emissions, respectively, the United States and China have helped catalyze global attention on non-CO2 GHGs. These efforts include the Global Methane Pledge (GMP), which more than 155 countries have now endorsed and are taking steps to meet the goal to cut global methane emissions by 30% by 2030. At COP29, with announcements from new countries, there are now nearly 100 methane action plans completed or underway, including China’s national action plan on methane and the United States’s Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan update. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition, which serves as GMP Secretariat, is funding implementation projects in 65 countries.
- Mobilizing billions to tackle super pollutants – At the COP29 Non-CO2 Summit, partners announced implementation steps for over $1 billion in grant funding previously announced at COP28 as part of the Methane Finance Sprint. This grant funding is already mobilizing billions more in methane-related project investment by the World Bank, International Fund for Agricultural Development, and regional multilateral development banks, among others.
- Leveraging new action and science to cut nitrous oxide (N2O) and Tropospheric Ozone – The United States and partners announced new global action and science on cutting super pollutants like N2O and tropospheric ozone, which account for roughly one-fifth of today’s warming, with significant impacts on public health and agricultural productivity. New steps include the release of aGlobal N2O Assessment, the United Nations Environment Program’s new commitment to advance science on reducing climate impacts of tropospheric ozone, and private sector steps to tackle N2O and tropospheric ozone precursors.
- Leading Global Efforts to Accelerate Nuclear Energy Deployment:
- Implementing and expanding the effort to triple nuclear energy –by co-leading a coalition of countries working to advance the global goal of tripling nuclear energy capacity from 2020 levels by 2050, including by setting an example that shows how the United States will do its part, by establishing 2050 and nearer-term domestic nuclear energy deployment targets and outlining a Framework for Action. Thirty countries from four continents now endorse the Declaration to Triple Nuclear Energy, after an additional five countries joined the effort at COP29. Endorsers also highlighted recent stakeholder support for the effort, including from 14 major global financial institutions that announced support for the tripling goal during New York Climate Week in September 2024.
- Supporting Ukraine’s leadership in safe and secure nuclear energy –by announcing $30 million in funding from the U.S. Department of State for cooperation with Ukraine under the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Technology (FIRST) program to develop: (1) a Clean Fuels from SMRs Pilot Plant, which will demonstrate the production of clean hydrogen and ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizers, in Ukraine using simulated SMR technology; (2) Project Phoenix, to facilitate the conversion of Ukraine’s coal plants to SMRs by developing a comprehensive strategy, conducting feasibility studies, and providing advisory services; and (3) the Clean Steel from SMR Roadmap, which will help rebuild, modernize, and decarbonize Ukraine’s steel industry using clean electricity, process heat, and hydrogen from SMRs for steel manufacturing.
- U.S. – Romania Partnership to Create Over 1.5 GW of Clean Energy –Sargent & Lundy (U.S.), AtkinsRealis (Canada), and Ansaldo (Italy) reached a new milestone in the Cernavoda nuclear power plant project, and finalized a contract for an international consortium to complete two new reactors at Romania’s Cernavoda site, which, once completed, will generate over 1.5 GW of clean power for the region. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Romania Ministry of Energy facilitated the agreement and catalyzed the project by signing an intergovernmental agreement between the U.S. and Romania.
- Decarbonizing the Energy Sector by Scaling Technologies Critical to Achieving the 1.5°C Goal:
- Advancing the goal to triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency –including by co-leading the effort to establish international goals at COP29 to increase energy storage and expand and modernize grids, two key ingredients needed to scale up renewable energy in line with keeping the 1.5°Cgoal within reach. Endorsers of the Energy Storage and Grids Pledge will set global goals to achieve 1500 GW of energy storage and 25 million km of built or refurbished grids by 2030, with an additional 65 million km by 2040. The United States also provided over $4.5 billion in support for international clean energy projects in FY23, which will significantly advance efforts to triple renewable energy and double efficiency by 2030.
- Zero Emissions and Resilient Buildings Accelerator (ZERB Accelerator) – which brings together a cohort of leading cities, states, and regions committed to ambitious climate mitigation and resilience goals in the buildings sector, including the collective reduction of annual emissions by at least 50 million metric tons below 2020 levels, by 2030. Incubated by the Subnational Climate Action Leaders’ Exchange (SCALE) partnership, the initiative will strengthen multilevel collaboration between these subnational jurisdictions and their national governments and will mobilize a broad coalition of organizations offering support in the areas of policy and technical assistance, financing, and measuring, reporting, and verification capacity to move the building sector to zero emissions and resiliency.
- Advancing the Carbon Management Challenge – Since President Biden announced the Carbon Management Challenge (CMC) last year at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, 22 countries and the European Commission have joined the initiative. This includes 5 new members since COP28: Bahrain, Kenya, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Senegal. In the past year, the CMC established a Secretariat to advance carbon management at the billion-ton scale by delivering outcomes on (1) developing country finance; (2) project deployment and tracking; and (3) strategic communications and engagement.
- Launching the U.S-India Low Carbon Comfort Cooling Collective – a new initiative aimed at harnessing the power of the public and private sectors to mobilize large-scale private investment towards a 50% reduction in cooling-related emissions in India by 2030. At COP29, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced $1 million to support this new partnership. In the face of intensifying extreme heat, the activity aims to reduce carbon emissions from cooling, decrease stress on electricity networks, and lower the cost of efficient cooling and alternative cooling solutions.
- Mobilizing Investment for Early Retirement of Indonesia Coal-fired Power Plant –USAID is assisting a consortium in Indonesia, led by the country’s sovereign wealth fund, to establish an approximately $255 million equity investment in the first coal power, early phase-out transaction under the Indonesia Just Energy Transition Partnership. USAID will support an agreement between Indonesia’s sovereign wealth fund and public infrastructure company, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur, and private investors to finalize the early retirement of the 660 MW Cirebon coal-fired power plant.
- Accelerating clean energy deployment and decarbonization in the power and industrial sectors – through the Power Sector Program and Energy and Mineral Governance Program, the Department of State is committing $10.6 million to strengthen grid infrastructure to improve reliability and resiliency, deploy clean energy technologies to decarbonize the power and industrial sectors,expand cross border power trade, and create opportunities for private sector investment. The Energy and Mineral Governance Program is committing a further $5 million to expand technical support to enable emissions reductions in the oil and gas sector through methane abatement and decarbonization technologies, in support of the Global Methane Pledge.
- Advancing the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) –At COP29, AIM for Climate will announce $2.9 billion in new investments, innovation sprints, and partners. Launched by President Biden at COP26, AIM for Climate is a 5-year initiative co-led by the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In just 4 years, AIM for Climate partners have mobilized $29.2 billion in increased investment in climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation, over a 2020 baseline, including over $4.3 billion by the United States. On the margins of COP29, the United States and the UAE will host the 3rd AIM for Climate Ministerial, a strategic opportunity to highlight the institutional legacy of AIM for Climate, including the recent AIM for Climate Report.
MOBILIZING FINANCE AT SCALE
From Day One, the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed to boosting international climate finance. This includes scaling-up our own bilateral finance, fully leveraging multilateral financial institutions, and mobilizing private investment. These efforts are also in direct support of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment. As a result of these efforts over the last three years, the United States significantly scaled up our climate finance – from $1.5 billion in FY21 to over $9.5 billion in FY23, a more than sixfold increase. These actions build on domestic efforts to catalyze investments in game-changing climate mitigation and climate resilience innovations. At COP29, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing new efforts to mobilize investment at the speed and scale the climate crisis requires, including:
- Announcing a $1 billion guarantee for ADB’s Innovative Finance Facility for Climate in Asia and the Pacific (IF-CAP) – a $2.5 billion climate finance platform for Asia and the Pacific, making the United States the Facility’s largest donor. The U.S. guarantee will enable $4.5 billion in new lending from ADB, which will start this month.
- Supporting the Launch of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) Capital Markets Mechanism –an innovative new mechanism that will allow the CIF to raise funds directly in the capital markets, where it estimates it could raise $5 billion or more over 10 years.
- Achieving Record-Levels of Climate Investments through DFC and EXIM –with DFC reaching$3.71 billion in FY24 and mobilizing significant private investment to support over 1 GW of new clean energy capacity, improving U.S. partners’ energy security and access. In line with its congressional mandate, EXIM has more than doubled its investments in clean energy and other environmentally beneficial exports – from $1.1 billion in FY23 to a record $1.6 billion in FY24. These new investments, which represent over one-fourth of EXIM’s transactions this year, supported $1.7 billion in clean energy and other environmentally beneficial exports, EXIM’s highest-ever levels.
- Pioneering Innovative Approaches to Mobilize Private Investment –working with Congress, USAID is investing $41.1 million to drive private finance into hard-to-reach geographies and sectors. This includes a $7.25 million investment through the Enterprises for Development, Growth, and Empowerment (EDGE) Fund to incentivize private investment in impact funds and mobilize investment in natural climate solutions which includes $2.75 million in grants to enable two new investment fund managers under the PREPARE Adaptation Finance Window that aim to catalyze additional public partners to co-invest. USAID will also commit $27.7 million for the Colombia Invest for Climate activity, which aims to transform markets and financial systems and direct public and private funds into climate-smart businesses. Finally, USAID is committing $6.1 million to the Partnerships for Green Investment initiative announced at COP28 last year to mobilize at least $200 million to achieve 50 million tons of emissions reductions, climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and benefit sharing across Southeast Asia.
- Supporting the Development of the Cambodia Climate Financing Facility (CCFF) –USAID provided technical assistance to support the development of the CCFF, a $100 million green bank that will fill a critical funding gap for climate projects in Cambodia. Once operationalized, the facility will provide concessions to local banks and businesses to stimulate investment in climate adaptation and mitigation projects, assisting Cambodia in meeting its Nationally Determined Contribution.
- Investing in Clean Energy and Critical Minerals Value Chains in Africa –as part of collaboration with Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway, the United States, working with Congress, will make an initial commitment of $10 million over two years into the Investment Mobilization Collaboration Alliance’s third funding window through Power Africa, supporting clean energy and critical mineral investments in Africa. This investment will improve critical minerals value chains and increase access to and use of energy to advance industrialization. In joining this impactful, innovative international partnership, Power Africa will leverage partner funds and support proposals to advance clean energy across the continent.
BOLSTERING GLOBAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE
The Administration is announcing new efforts to accelerate the implementation of the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), which aims to help more than half a billion people in developing countries adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change this decade. Through these efforts, the United States has provided over $3 billion in adaptation finance in FY23, achieving President Biden’s pledge to work with Congress to increase U.S. international public adaptation finance to $3 billion by FY24 to help implement PREPARE one year early. This includes the following additional efforts across PREPARE:
- Scaling-Up DFC’s Adaptation Investments to Record-High Levels –DFC invested $1.3 billion in adaptation in FY24, including projects that will strengthen food and water security and sustainable practices to adapt to and increase resilience to the threat of climate change.
- The $458 million Zambia Farm-to-Market Compact –MCC’s $458 million Zambia Farm-to-Market Compact, signed in October 2024, aims to improve Zambia’s agriculture and agro-processing sectors. The compact will focus on rural road infrastructure, increasing access to finance for irrigation, electricity, storage and processing facilities, and supporting agricultural policy reform initiatives. The Improving Roads Activity will improve road conditions, quality, access, and climate resilience for selected segments within the identified agricultural corridors through the design, construction, expansion, rehabilitation, upgrades, and strengthening in key agricultural corridors It also focuses on integrated planning, climate-resilient road infrastructure, building a local green/climate finance market, and improving agricultural productivity through better management of soils, irrigation, and watersheds.
- Expanding Access to Cutting-Edge Climate Information and Early Warnings through PREPARE –The United States has invested billions to develop world-leading weather and climate-related information and service capabilities – from launching leading-edge satellites, amassing relevant observational data from a global network of sensors, and developing advanced modelling technology. The United States is using these capabilities to support vulnerable developing countries to better understand, anticipate, and prepare for climate impacts. At COP29 the United States is announcing several new efforts, including working with Congress to announce a new the SERVIR Central America Hub that will launch in December and will bolster the resilience of over 50 million people to reduce vulnerability to climate impacts and environmental degradation. NOAA is announcing $4.7 million to bolster multi-hazard early warning capabilities in Pacific Islands, including through capacity building, data sharing, and expansion of sea-level rise monitoring stations to help with coastal inundation. The United States is also launching the Global Sea Level Explorer– anew earth.gov platform that will provide foundational information about global sea level and flooding to help inform decision-making, resource management, and emergency operations for each coastal country across the globe.
- Climate Smart and Disaster Ready –as part of its Climate Smart and Disaster Ready initiative, USAID announced $11.8 million in new awards to strengthen localized climate adaptation for communities at the greatest risk of climate-related disasters in current and foreseeable humanitarian contexts, bringing the total investment under this initiative to date to $16.2 million. Under this program, USAID has funded five multi-year initiatives in West Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands, including the previously announced $4.4 million to support young people in the Pacific Islands to advance disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation efforts in their own communities.
- Climate Finance for Agriculture in Africa –USAID will invest $9.3 million to accelerate climate finance for climate-resilient and low emissions development investments in agriculture and food systems across Africa, working with Congress. In Zambia, USAID is supporting the country’s first climate-focused investment fund, aiming to mobilize $70 million for climate adaptation in critical sectors, including agriculture. In Ghana, USAID created a $2.6 million co-investment program to incentivize private sector investment in climate adaptation and mitigation in agriculture, complementing cooperation with the government on national carbon market development. Finally, through the Africa Trade and Investment activity, USAID is supporting a pan-Africa Fund to finance African microfinance institutions and agricultural entities, aiming to leverage an additional $5 million in commercial investments for climate-smart agriculture, with a total investment leverage ratio of 6:1.
- Expanding Technical Support for SIDS through the Local2030 Islands Network – the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Department of State will invest nearly $500K to expand technical support to the Local2030 Islands Network for peer-to-peer learning, engagement and training to bolster the use of adaptive solutions and scientific data and planning. This announcement builds on a prior investment of approximately $12 million into the Local2030 Islands Network, a global island-led network committed to net zero emissions and strengthening island resilience to climate change, with an emphasis on advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
- $144 million in new partnership agreements in Mozambique –MCC’s $144 million in new partnership agreements in Mozambique with local non-governmental partners Biofund and ProAzul for MCC’s Coastal Livelihoods and Climate Resilience Project will leverage nature-based low carbon infrastructure to restore coastal ecosystems and their functions.
- Bolstering the Resilience of Critical Infrastructure: Enhancing Grid Resilience in Africa – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a feasibility study grant to Côte d’Ivoire Energies to help develop a smart grid control system that will increase stability of the national grid and reduce potential blackouts in the face of extreme weather events or climate disruptions. USTDA is also supporting a grid resilience and efficiency event series, which will connect officials from public and private entities in sub-Saharan Africa’s power sector to the latest U.S. technologies services, and equipment for improved electricity transmission and distribution systems.
ADVANCING WOMEN AND GIRLS’ LEADERSHIP IN CLIMATE ACTION
Recognizing that no economy can get ahead if half of its population is left behind, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to preparing women for leadership roles in the industries of the future, including through efforts that advance the Women in the Sustainable Economy (WISE) Initiative—an over $2 billion public-private partnership that aims to close gender gaps in access to training, jobs, leadership roles, and finance in green and blue sectors. At COP29, the Administration announced:
- Advancing Women’s Leadership in the Clean Energy Economy –At COP29, USAID is announcing $10.8 million to champion women as decision-makers, stakeholders, educators, and experts in responding to the climate crisis. USAID is investing in programs that support women’s equitable access to land; integrate gender-based violence prevention in fisheries conservation; and promote women’s participation and economic empowerment in green industries and clean energy sectors.
- Accelerating Women’s Leadership in Climate Action – One year after the release of the U.S. Strategy to Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Women, the State Department is releasing a progress report outlining initiatives and programs worth $10.7 million to empower women and girls as climate leaders while addressing the disproportionate impacts they face from the climate crisis. These initiatives include efforts to train and connect women leading the clean energy transition, building climate-smart agricultural systems, and promoting Indigenous management of natural resources.
- Women In Agriculture Gain Economic Security (WAGES) –This program supports women in agricultural cooperatives across Tunisia to address the impacts of climate change, increase profitability, and improve food security. The project focuses on optimizing natural resource use and enhancing the business operations of women-led cooperatives. The $2.1 million project tackles women’s limited access to training and resources by forming partnerships with regional stakeholders and adapting approaches to address the needs of local women leaders.
- Supporting Women Environmental Defenders –The Department of State is expanding support for women environmental defenders through the EMPOWER and WE-Defend programs, enabling their safe and meaningful participation in environmental governance and policy making. The EMPOWER program, now totaling $1.7 million, supports defenders globally, while WE-Defend, with a total investment of $1.2 million, focuses on empowering Filipina environmental defenders in decision-making processes related to environmental policies.
- Advancing Women in Clean Energy and Minerals (AWCEM) Program – The Department of State announced $1.25 million to increase women’s leadership in the clean energy and critical mineral mining sectors in Latin America, empowering women to become leaders and agents for change to support decarbonization and the clean energy transition.
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The post FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Leverages Historic U.S. Climate Leadership at Home and Abroad to Urge Countries to Accelerate Global Climate Action at the 29th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29) appeared first on The White House.
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Reception Celebrating Culinary Arts in Diplomacy
The East Room
Thank you, Clare. You and everyone at the Foundation are continuing James Beard’s legacy—bringing incredible food to more people and celebrating the chefs who make it.
Ethan—you’ve been an incredible leader, not just in these last few years at the State Department, but over your three decades of service. As anyone who’s met you knows—and as we all just saw—you light up every room you walk into and you bring us joy. Joe and I are so grateful for your friendship.
And I know we have so many other friends here—people like Robert Irvine who has brought comfort to so many military families.
Welcome to the White House!
Food is love.
It’s my sisters and me bursting into our grandmom’s house in South Jersey every Sunday as pots of sauce simmered on her stove. It’s my mother always putting fresh flowers on the table, even if we were just eating frozen fish sticks. It’s my Italian American family teaching me to never waste an opportunity to invite more people to the table.
When we share a meal—that love fills the air around us and opens our hearts to friendships old and new. That’s true in the United States—and it’s true around the world. It’s the gift chefs, like the ones here today, give us.
Just a few weeks ago, I saw that gift unfold while working with José Andrés, Katie Button, and other chefs in Asheville, North Carolina. They cooked for thousands trying to rebuild after the hurricane that swept through their community. We stirred giant pots and handed out meals, and I watched as the food gave people hope.
Even amid devastation, they had a reason to feel a little less alone, to know their community was there for them—because they had a meal—made with love.
That connection is what diplomacy is about as well. It’s not only government-to-government relationships. It’s people to people. Heart to heart.
I’ve seen that these last four years at the White House. With every State Dinner, with every reception, with the James Beard curated chefs who helped us bring first spouses together during the UN General Assembly. In those moments, food helps us tell the stories of our countries—in all their flavors and notes.
I’m so happy to welcome back our incredible former White House Executive Chef, Cris Comerford. You have helped so many first families weave together diplomacy and food. Joe and I are so grateful that we got to be a part of your time here.
Cris once said about cooking, “In America, we play Jazz.”
That’s what our American Culinary Corps does in their kitchens. You show the world who we are as Americans, in all our precious differences and infinite similarities. You innovate and improvise. You discover new rhythms and perfect your own special techniques, bringing together the cultures and communities that make this country great.
In some ways, that’s what the Diplomatic Corps does too. You bring to our shores pieces of your homes—your favorite traditions, the history and hope of your nations – and, of course, the foods that hold the memories of generations past.
As you work across borders and oceans, those pieces join to make something new—something that can only happen when we understand each other, opening up the possibilities of the world. And in those moments of wonder, we find the common ground on which our future can be built.
It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as First Lady and do that work alongside you.
As Joe and I begin our final months here, I know we will see so many of you again as we continue to build our tomorrows together.
With all of my heart, and on behalf of my husband, thank you for helping us reach toward the safe and peaceful world we all dream of. And let us keep coming together, side by side at our shared table, with understanding and open hearts, savoring every moment and all the love they hold.
Thank you.
###
The post Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Reception Celebrating Culinary Arts in Diplomacy appeared first on The White House.
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Reception Celebrating Culinary Arts in Diplomacy
The East Room
Thank you, Clare. You and everyone at the Foundation are continuing James Beard’s legacy—bringing incredible food to more people and celebrating the chefs who make it.
Ethan—you’ve been an incredible leader, not just in these last few years at the State Department, but over your three decades of service. As anyone who’s met you knows—and as we all just saw—you light up every room you walk into and you bring us joy. Joe and I are so grateful for your friendship.
And I know we have so many other friends here—people like Robert Irvine who has brought comfort to so many military families.
Welcome to the White House!
Food is love.
It’s my sisters and me bursting into our grandmom’s house in South Jersey every Sunday as pots of sauce simmered on her stove. It’s my mother always putting fresh flowers on the table, even if we were just eating frozen fish sticks. It’s my Italian American family teaching me to never waste an opportunity to invite more people to the table.
When we share a meal—that love fills the air around us and opens our hearts to friendships old and new. That’s true in the United States—and it’s true around the world. It’s the gift chefs, like the ones here today, give us.
Just a few weeks ago, I saw that gift unfold while working with José Andrés, Katie Button, and other chefs in Asheville, North Carolina. They cooked for thousands trying to rebuild after the hurricane that swept through their community. We stirred giant pots and handed out meals, and I watched as the food gave people hope.
Even amid devastation, they had a reason to feel a little less alone, to know their community was there for them—because they had a meal—made with love.
That connection is what diplomacy is about as well. It’s not only government-to-government relationships. It’s people to people. Heart to heart.
I’ve seen that these last four years at the White House. With every State Dinner, with every reception, with the James Beard curated chefs who helped us bring first spouses together during the UN General Assembly. In those moments, food helps us tell the stories of our countries—in all their flavors and notes.
I’m so happy to welcome back our incredible former White House Executive Chef, Cris Comerford. You have helped so many first families weave together diplomacy and food. Joe and I are so grateful that we got to be a part of your time here.
Cris once said about cooking, “In America, we play Jazz.”
That’s what our American Culinary Corps does in their kitchens. You show the world who we are as Americans, in all our precious differences and infinite similarities. You innovate and improvise. You discover new rhythms and perfect your own special techniques, bringing together the cultures and communities that make this country great.
In some ways, that’s what the Diplomatic Corps does too. You bring to our shores pieces of your homes—your favorite traditions, the history and hope of your nations – and, of course, the foods that hold the memories of generations past.
As you work across borders and oceans, those pieces join to make something new—something that can only happen when we understand each other, opening up the possibilities of the world. And in those moments of wonder, we find the common ground on which our future can be built.
It’s been the honor of my lifetime to serve as First Lady and do that work alongside you.
As Joe and I begin our final months here, I know we will see so many of you again as we continue to build our tomorrows together.
With all of my heart, and on behalf of my husband, thank you for helping us reach toward the safe and peaceful world we all dream of. And let us keep coming together, side by side at our shared table, with understanding and open hearts, savoring every moment and all the love they hold.
Thank you.
###
The post Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Reception Celebrating Culinary Arts in Diplomacy appeared first on The White House.
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
3:17 P.M. EST
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everyone.
Q Good afternoon.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.
So, this afternoon, President Biden welcomed the president of Indonesia to the White House. The two leaders commemorated 7- — 75 years of diplomatic relations and discussed global challenges, including Gaza and the South China Sea.
As the world’s second- and third-largest democracies, the United States and Indonesia share a commitment to addressing evolving challenges and capitalizing on emerging opportunities.
The leaders also discussed sustainable approaches to food security, clean energy, democracy and pluralism, regional peace and stability, and people-to-people ties, as well as advancing our cooperation in humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
And earlier today, President Biden also welcomed President Herzog of Israel to the Oval Office. You heard from the president himself: His commitment to Israel’s security is ironclad, and our two countries share a deep friendship.
We will have a readout later today on their meeting.
And with that, Will, you want to kick us off?
Q Terrific. Thank you. Yeah. I have two questions. Will President Biden meet with President Xi during APEC or the G20?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don’t have anything to share with you at this time. We certainly will have more to share on the details of his visit in — to Peru and also Brazil. As you all know, we’re leaving on Thursday. We’ll have more to share. And as we normally do, we will have a press — press calls for all of you to get some details on — on the trip — on the — one of his final OCONUS trips, as you all know.
But I don’t have anything to share on — on a phone call with President Xi or a meeting with President Xi.
Q Okay. On another topic, why does President Biden feel compelled to — to invite President-elect Trump to the White House and continue a tradition that —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — wasn’t followed four years ago? Is it possible that the politics in this country have sort of evolved past the norms?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, I — that’s an easy question to answer, honestly, when it comes to why President Biden is doing this: because he believes in the norms, he believes in our institution, he believes in the peaceful transfer of power.
You s- — you heard him speak to this directly just last week when he was in the Rose Garden two days after the American people made the — their decision on this election. And it is important to him.
It is important not just because it’s important to him, but it’s important to the American people. He said the American people deserve this. They deserve a peaceful transfer of power. They deserve a smooth trans- — transition. And that’s what you’re going to see.
He reached out to President-elect Trump and asked for a meeting for — for them to meet in the Oval Office. You’re going to see that tomorrow. That is what is the norm. That is what is supposed to happen. And, also, that’s what the American people deserve.
Go ahead, Karen.
Q Thanks, Karine. Thirty days ago, the administration put a timeline on Israel to get more aid into Gaza. Yesterday, Secretary Blinken met with Israel’s minister of strategic affairs to talk about the steps that Israel has taken to improve the situation inside Gaza.
But today, there are multiple international aid agencies that say that Israel has failed to address the concerns and that the situation is even more dire than a month ago. Does the administration think that Israel has taken enough steps, or do you agree with these aid organizations and their assessments?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. Let me just take a look back at the last 30 days. Israel has taken steps to address the measures laid out in the — in that letter from the two secretaries — Secretaries Bli- — Blinken and — and, also, Austin — and we are in a discussion with the Israelis about both the important steps Israel has taken as a result of the United States’ intervention, as well as additional steps that needed — need to be taken.
So, those conversations continue. Those discussions continue. And we — the United States is indeed the largest provider of humanitarian assistant [assistance] to the Palestinian people.
And so, we wa- – – we are going to continue to do everything that we can to surge humanitarian assis- — assistance in Gaza. We understand how important it is. And to your — in your question, we understand how dire that is.
So, ultimately, the long-term solution here to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza is bringing an end to this war. And so, we’re going to try and work very hard to continuing — to achieving, certainly, that goal.
And so, that is certainly continuing to be a priority for us as we talk about what’s happening in the region.
Q Is the administration, is the president satisfied with those steps, though, that Israel has taken over these past 30 days?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I —
Q Is it enough?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I did say that they have taken steps, and those discussions continue, because we need more. We certainly need more aid to — to be surged into — into Gaza.
So, there’s more work to be done. But we have seen, certainly, some improvement. And, again, we are going to do everything that we can — the United States. We are, indeed, the largest provider of humanitarian aid, humanitarian assistance into Gaza to relieve the pain of the Palestinian people and what we’re seeing. And you’re right, it is dire, but those discussions continue. And we’re going to be laser focused on that.
Q And if I could just do one more on the meeting tomorrow. Can you just tell us: What are the top issues that the president is bringing to the agenda tomorrow, how long you anticipate the meeting lasting? Is he having senior staff there? Like, what — what’s this going to look like tomorrow?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, President-elect Trump is coming to the White House because the president invited him as part of this transfer — peaceful transfer of power. There’s going to be a pool spray at the top in the Oval Office before the meeting commences. And so, you all and some of your colleagues will certainly have an opportunity to hear from — or to — to see that, to — to see the two of them sitting down together.
I don’t have anything beyond that. I don’t have an agenda to share. It’s a — you know, we try to keep these — certainly, these types of priv- — conversations private. And just don’t have anything beyond that to share.
This is part of the process. When we talk about peaceful transfer of power, this is what you’re seeing. It’s kind of the beginning of that — when you see the current president and the president who’s coming in sitting down in the Oval Office and having a discussion.
Don’t have any details to share at this time.
Go ahead.
Q Thanks, Karine. Can you confirm whether or not Mrs. Trump has accepted Dr. Biden’s invitation to come to the White House as well?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Don’t have any updates — or we don’t have any scheduling updates to give. I would certainly reach out to the Trump transition team to get more clarity on that — on that question.
I just don’t have anything to share at this time.
Q Okay. And can you say whether President Biden is pleased with how the transition is going so far?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, what the president is committed to doing is making sure that this transition is effective, efficient. And he’s doing that because it is the norm, yes, but also the right thing to do for the American people. That’s what they deserve.
We’re going to have a meeting tomorrow — they’re going to have a meeting tomorrow. And certainly, that will continue. As you know, Chief of Staff Jeff Zients has been pretty — pretty open and available to the Trump transition team and will continue to do so.
We want this to go well. We want this to — to be — to be a process that gets the job done, if you will. And so, look, it’s — it’s certainly — we’re going to do everything that we can. The president trusts his team to get that done and — and do it the best way possible. And that is our commitment.
Q And then —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That’s what I can speak to.
Q — just lastly, are there areas that this White House or — or President Biden’s administration are trying to shore up or protect from a Trump administration perhaps trying to push back or — or pull back on some of the legislative and other executive order and other gains that — that the president is proud of?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, no, I — I appreciate the question. Certainly don’t have any policy announcements or anything like that to speak to.
What I can say more broadly, if you — if you will, is say that, look, more — more broadly, the president’s legislation is helping all Americans across the country. And what we would say is that we saw what happened when Republicans in Congress tried to repeal, for example, the ACA, Affordable Care Act. They tried to do it more than 50 times. It was something that they were so laser-focused on.
And meanwhile, the ACA — the Affordable Care Act — was incredibly popular — became more and more popular. And under this administration, we expanded the Affordable Care Act so that more — millions more Americans could get that benefit, get that care that they so much — so very much needed.
And so — and we can’t forget that if you think about beating Big Pharma, if you think about lowering costs, if you think about CHIPS and Science Act, those policies are overwhelmingly popular.
And so, I think if they were to try to do that — Republicans in Congress would try to do that in the next Congress, the country would speak out. They would make themselves ver- — speak out really loud and clear about taking away legislation, obviously, that are now laws that are helping the American people.
Whether it’s creating good-paying jobs; whether it is attacking climate change in a way that is going to be effective — the most progressive climate change legislation that the president was able to get done; making sure that Medicare is able to negotiate to lower costs — all these things matter to the American people — are incredibly popular.
And they’ve tried to — to repeal that and go after that. I think the American people have something to say about it.
Go ahead, M.J.
Q Thanks, Karine. Just one more on tomorrow.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
Q Do you know if President Biden has a message that he would like to convey either to the former president or the American people, just given the —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — unique setting we’re talking about?
And just in terms of the choreography tomorrow —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — do you know if the former president will go to the sticks?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q Will he be free to roam?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.) So, I would leave it to — (laughs) — “free to roam.” I would leave it, certainly, to Trump’s transition on whatever engagement that he’ll have with all of you. I — I — you know, that’s up to — certainly up to — up to him.
And — and I do appreciate the question, because he has a very clear message to the American people. And not to sound like a broken record, but this is indeed true. He wants to show the American people that the system works — right? — to st- –to trust on the institution; to trust that the norms are — do matter here; to trust that he is showing, by leadership, what a transition — a peaceful transition looks like — an efficient — hopefully an efficient, effective transition looks like, a smooth transition looks like. And that is the message.
When you all — when — when you all come in, when the pool comes in tomorrow and does a pool spray, that’s what they’re going to see, right? They’re going to see these two — one president-elect and the current president sitting down and doing what is the norm.
And that — if you know Joe Biden — right? — if you know Joe Biden from following him in the Senate and — and as vice president, certainly the last almost four years, he cares about that. He cares about our democracy. And that’s the message that he hopes resonates with the American people tomorrow.
Q And separately, the families of the American hostages are in town.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q Should they, at this point, have any reason to hope that their loved ones will be released before the president’s term is up?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, the president is committed to continuing to do the work to get families home, to get all of the — I’m sorry, “families” — the hostages home, including American hostages, obviously — all of the hostages. And that is his commitment to the families.
As — as you just stated, the families are here. They met with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan this afternoon. They’ve had regular engagement and meetings with Jake Sullivan but also many other members of the team here. And, you know, we’re going to continue to work — do the work to get the deal done.
And, if anything, there’s more to — there’s more of an imperative to get that done, right? We want to make sure that we get them — get their fam- — their — get their loved ones home. And so, that is our commitment. It doesn’t change at all. If — we are continuing to be eager to get that done and working around the clock, as we have for this past more than a year now — more than 400 days.
And so, it doesn’t stop our commitment. It doesn’t stop us from trying to get that done.
Q And y- — you said he’s committed to doing the work and, you know —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Continuing to do the work, yeah.
Q — and the White House is working around the clock.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q What does “doing the work” right now look like? What is “working around the clock”?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Trying to find ways that we can get to a deal, right? As you know, Qatar is very much involved. Egypt is very much involved. They’re doing their part of the negotiations. And we want to pursue — and we believe there’s a number of ways, a numbers of init- — initiatives to secure that hostage deal, to release those hostages. And we’re going to work through it. We’re going to do that work.
And that’s what we can say is our commitment and will continue — has been our commitment and continue to do so.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Francesca.
Q Thanks, Karine. I know you don’t want to get too far ahead of the conversation, but I did want to point to something that Jake Sullivan said over the weekend.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q He said that President Biden would “have the opportunity over the next 70 days to make the case to Congress and the incoming administration that the United States should not walk away from Ukraine.” So, is foreign policy going to be on the agenda for tomorrow? Ukraine, specifically? Israel’s war with Hamas?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to get into the details of what’s going to be discussed tomorrow. That’s not something I’m going to get into here. But, look, you heard from the national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, our commitment to Ukraine. I mean, that is something that we have showed for almost — what? — three years since the — Russia’s aggression into Ukraine.
And you saw the president’s leadership — global leadership on this, when you think about making NATO stronger, when you think about the partners and the alliances that he’s been able to bring together. More than 50 countries have gotten behind Ukraine. And continuing — we talked about this on September 29th when we w- — talked about surging aid into a — security assistance aid into — for Ukraine so that they are able to beat back Russia’s aggression.
So, you’ve seen our commitment. We’ve been very clear. We don’t even need to say that privately because we’ve been very public about that.
And getting to — just went back and forth about making sure that we get a hostage deal and — so that we can get hostages home — all hostages home who have been held by Hamas.
And let’s not forget Lebanon. We want to make sure that we get to a deal there too. And we’re negotiating there — that negotia- — those negotiations continue.
And so, our commitment has been very clear. And our global leadership, this president’s global leadership has also been very — very prominent, if you will, on the global stage.
Q And does the White House have any concerns about the number of foreign leaders who have been in conversation with the incoming president, even as President Biden heads to the G20 in the next few days, as well as Lima?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, here’s the thing, he’s the president-elect. Every president-elect receives calls from world leaders, takes calls from world leaders, has calls from world leaders. It is not unusual.
I don’t have a comment beyond that. Any specifics or details, that’s something for the Trump — Trump transition
to speak to.
Go ahead, Will.
Q Just briefly, a follow-up. Is the president — is he receptive of what the Israelis are doing to push humanitarian aid, or is he happy with what they’re doing now?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I mean, there’s no — I don’t have a different answer for you to what I was asked by Karen. We are having those discussions. We’ve seen some improvement over the last 30 days. We want to see more, because there are dire — there is a dire situation happening in Gaza. Also, the U.S. has been leading in getting humanitarian aid.
And so, those discussions continue. We want to see more, and we’re going to continue to have those discussions.
Q And just briefly, on Haiti. With the situation there, do you have any statement or reaction to what’s going on there with the violence and those being — being targeted (inaudible)?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. So, look, we’re certainly — as it relates to the commercial flight very recently, the gun — the gun shots that were reported — so, we’re certainly concerned about the increase of violence in Haiti.
And as it relates to commercial flights and what occurred there, the airport, Toussaint Louverture Airport, is — operations are temporary close until November 18th. And so, certainly, the airlines could speak more to that.
But we are definitely certainly concerned by the increase of violence. And we’ll continue to work with — as you know, there’s a — a new prime minister that was named and recognized by the — the TPC, the Trans- — Transitional Presidential Council. And so — and so, we’re going to continue to — to work with them and — and, hopefully, we can get to a better place.
Q Thank you.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Peter.
Q Thank you, Karine. Did President Biden invite Vice President Harris to this meeting with Donald Trump tomorrow?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: This is a meeting with the — with the president and the president-elect. This is the norm — that the incoming president and the current president sit down in the Oval Office and have a discussion. And that’s how — that’s what you’re going to see tomorrow — is the norm — what we — what we normally would see when we are talking about a peaceful transition of power.
Q President Biden says that he’s not going to pardon his son Hunter. Is he going to ask Donald Trump to do that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything else to share about that. I’m not going to get — go down a rabbit hole on this.
Q Okay.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’ve been very clear, the president has been very clear when we’ve been asked this question.
Q And we know that at some point during the last Trump transition, then-President Obama warned Trump that the biggest threat to the U.S. at the time was North Korea. Is President Biden going to run through what he sees the biggest threats to the country are with Donald Trump?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I am not going to get into a specific agenda of what they’re going to discuss. And this is very much, too, the question that I got from M.J.: What does the president want to — what’s the message he wants to send tomorrow? And it is to the American people — the importance — the importance of keeping the norms, the importance of having a transition that is going to be efficient. This is what the American people deserve, and that’s the message.
And I think when, you know, you all come into the Oval Office tomorrow, you do the pool spray, you capture that moment, that is an important message to send to the American people. That’s what the president cares about.
I’m not going to get into details about any conversation or agenda.
Q And we know that today, a week after the election, President Biden and Vice President Harris had a private lunch. How awkward was that?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t even understand. Why would it — why would it be awkward?
Q Because the president got squeezed out —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Why would it be awk- — why would you —
Q — for her and then she kept him at arm’s length and then she lost, and now she’s back.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: But why would — why would you characterize it as awkward? They have regular lunches. They meet and talk regularly. Why would you call it awkward?
Q So, there’s no weirdness about the way that things have unfolded since July 21st?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Did you see them — did you see them together yesterday as well, when they honored our veterans and were together during the day, making sure that we didn’t forget the brave men and women that fought for this country? Did you see them together yesterday? Did you see the — the show of force together?
This is — look, I’m not even going to take the premise of this — the question. What I will say is the president and the vice president had lunch today. They’ve had lunch many times. They have — they communicate with each other regularly. They had an opportunity to discuss the last 70 days or so of this administration, how important it is to get things done for the American people, and that’s their focus. That is genuinely their focus.
Go ahead, Patsy.
Q Thank you, Karine. On his spray with President
Prabowo, the president said that he would discuss the issue of South China Sea —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific. Was he specifically referring to a deal that Indonesia signed a few days ago in Beijing that could be read as a de facto validation of China’s nine-dash line that marks its extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea? And how concerned is the administration about this?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, we continue to encourage Indonesia to work with their legal experts to make sure any agreement they make with the PRC is in a- — is in according with international law, especially the U.N. Convention on the Law of — of the Sea.
I don’t have anything beyond that. I read out at the top, more broadly, what — what they were hoping to accomplish, what they were going to talk about.
You just mentioned Indo-Pacific and China Sea. As it relates to this particular deal that was signed with Indonesia and Beijing, we are just going to continue to encourage that — that they focu- — that they really work with their legal experts.
Q So, is that a statement that the administration believes that Indonesia is not complying, that the agreement —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have anything beyond that. I don’t have any beyond that.
Q Okay. And then — and I know that you said on your topper that there will be more briefing before the president leaves for APEC and G20.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. We’ll have our usual, like we normally do —
Q Right.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — ahead of an OCONUS trip. We’ll have a — a press — a press call so you all will have more details on what those few days will look like abroad.
Q But just — just broadly, Karine, what would be his message, obviously, to leaders concerned about U.S. positions on various global issues?
And is — is he expecting that his conversation with President-elect Trump tomorrow to inform him on how he would speak to world leaders about these various issues?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, I’m not going to get into details. I understand the — the curiosity and the kind of excitement on what’s going to happen tomorrow.
I don’t want to get ahead of the fact that tomorrow is also part of the process that the president wants to send out to the American people having a peaceful transition of power.
Not going to get into details or even an agenda of what they’re going to speak to.
As it relates to the president and the global stage, that’s what you’re going to see when he is in Peru and Braz- — and Brazil: the president again on that global stage.
He’s going to continue to talk about and focus on the progress we’ve made in the last three years — three years plus — on an array of important issues that matter to the people who will be there, to all the world leaders who will be there, whether that’s continuing to strengthen our alliances and partnerships, standing with Ukraine and standing up against Putin, and also, as you — as we were talking about, a range of issues when it relates to the Indo- — from Indo-Pacific to also the Middle East.
That’s what the president is going to focus on. And — and I’m going to let the two leaders, the president and the president-elect, have their private conversation. Not going to get ahead of them. They deserve that.
But certainly, we are — we are indeed sending a message to the American people. That’s what they deserve. They deserve this process, and that’s what you’re going to see tomorrow.
Q And just briefly on Francesca’s question, just to hone in.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q I know that you say that the president-elect can have these conversations with these world leaders who call and congratulate him.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: It’s — it’s not unusual.
Q But —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, it’s not unusual.
Q But does the president have specific views on the president-elect potentially conducting foreign policy on these calls?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to get into hypotheticals — I’m — I’m just not — on what’s happening or being said on these calls. I’m just not.
It is not unusual for a president-elect to have conversations with world leaders. That’s what’s happening. I’m just not going to get hypotheticals.
Go ahead, Gabe.
Q Thanks, Karine. You mentioned a little bit ago that several countries were still working together to secure a ceasefire deal, and you mentioned Qatar and Egypt.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q Didn’t Qatar pull out of mediation — its mediation role over the weekend?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. And I will — I appreciate that. I will let Qatar speak to their own — their own decision. I’m not going to — to certainly speak to that, and I’m not going to get into any other private conversation.
What I said is that — what I’m trying to convey is that we’re going to continue to pursue, certainly, a number of initiatives to get the hostages home to their families. That is an ongoing work in progress, if you will. And that’s going to be our focus.
Q But doesn’t that change that — Qatar pulling out of that mediation role, doesn’t that signify that these hostage talks are very far off?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: And so, look, Qatar is going to have to speak to whatever decision that they’re made — they made. I’m not going to speak to that. I’m not going to get into private conversation.
What I’m trying to say is we’re going to continue to pursue a number of initiatives, continue those conversations on how to make sure we secure the release of hostages. That is ongoing. That is certainly ongoing.
And so, not going to — you know, we’re very careful. We don’t negotiate from here. Not going to negotiate from the podium. But certainly, the work is ongoing.
Q And back to the humanitarian aid in Gaza that you discussed earlier. That was a U.S. deadline that was a month ago.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q You said that Israel has taken some steps, but among those steps are the U.S. had asked for 350 humanitarian aid trucks a day. We’re nowhere near that point. Is the U.S. essentially giving Israel a pass when it comes to humanitarian aid?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, absolutely not. I mean, we’re — that’s why the cont- — the conversations continue and the discussions continue.
We have seen — we have seen Israel take some steps to address the measures of — of getting the measures laid out that were in the letter. We have seen that.
Q But is that acceptable?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We want to see more. That — that’s what we want to see. That’s why those discussions continue. The — just because we hit the 30-day mark doesn’t mean that we go home and don’t finish what we are trying to do here, which is getting and surging more aid to the Pale- — Palestinian people. We understand how important it is. We understand how dire the situation is, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.
And at the same time — and you’ve heard us say this — the best way to deal with this, the best way to — to alleviate the suffering that we’re seeing of the Palestinian people in Gaza is to get to a deal here, and we’re going to continue to be laser focused on that.
Q And finally, has J.D. Vance been issued an invitation to the White House either tomorrow or in the future?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would have to refer you to the vice president’s office, I think. We don’t have anything for you at this time, but the vice president’s office can speak to that.
Go ahead.
AIDE: Karine, we have time for one more.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.
Q Thank you. You said shortly after the election that one of the priorities for the president legislatively was going to be about judges and judicial nominations.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q Can you talk about how you’re preparing for Congress to return and then these next couple weeks as you try and make your final imprint on the courts?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. So, I will say that’s something that we’ve been doing throughout the almost four years is push — is making sure that these qualified judges get through.
And so, there’s — there’s really nothing new to the process. It’s just a continued focus that we want to make sure — in the next 70 days or less now, that we want to make sure that happens.
And it’s important to the American people. And this is not a partisan issue. This is bipartisan. And we have seen this with — in other — this type of period of time, in other transition period, if you will, where — where the sitting president has been able to get some judicial judges go through, and that’s what we want to see Congress. We want to see Republicans and Democrats come together, as they have, to get these key judges through.
Let’s not forget, we’re talking about what’s right for the American people. We don’t want to see, you know, backlogs, if you will, when it comes to getting criminal cases through. This is the norm. This is part of what we’ve seen in the past when we’re talking about a transition period.
So, we’re continuing to do that work. There’s nothing new. We just are — we want to make sure that work continues.
Q Do you have a — a point when you expect to make your final nominations?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I don’t have anything specific for you. I’m sure that we can talk to the Office of Leg Affairs on anything more specific on a timeline. But this is one of our priorities that we want to make sure that we get done for the American people.
Go ahead, Brian.
Q Thank you.
Q Thanks a lot. President Trump has promised to launch the largest deportation in American history when he — he becomes president. Are there steps that President Biden is taking in the next 70 days to try to protect certain populations in the United States from deportation? Does he want to extend parole or take other steps that would protect people from that deportation program?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, don’t have any — any new policies to — to announce at this time. And I want to be careful. Like, I don’t want to get into hypotheticals on what the next administration is going to do or not do. That’s not something that I’m going to try to address from here. It is not something that we will be addressing from here.
What I can speak to is what the president has done over the past almost four years in dealing with a broken system — a broken immigration system that has been broken for decades now and trying to work with Congress on doing that.
And as you know, there was a — a bipartisan deal that came about from the Senate that Republicans and Democrat — obviously, bipartisan, as I just stated — worked on. And, you know, we, of course, would love to see that go through. We would love to see that happen.
The president was ready to go, and they — Republicans were told not to move forward because it would help Joe Biden, which is really unfortunate, because it would have dealt with this broken system that we have. It would have dealt with the challenges that the Border Patrol agents were facing at the border.
That is something that would be great to get done. But I — beyond that, I don’t have anything to share — beyond that.
Go ahead, Skylar.
Q Thanks, Karine.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m going to start wrapping this up.
Q Thanks, Karine. President-elect Trump — there’s reports that Elon Musk is having a lot of sway in terms of his decisions, in terms of who President-elect Trump is, you know, having come into his administration, sitting in on meetings with — with foreign leaders.
And Elon Musk has said — you know, there’s reports that he wants to sort of reshape, maybe, the government. Is President Biden concerned at all over Elon Musk’s influence —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — over President-elect Trump and potentially what that could look like for the country?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That is — that is for the president-elect to ma- — to decide on. I’m not — I’m not going to comment on personnel decision or personnel choices that the transition announces or is being reported or what’s happening in that world. It is not for us to speak to.
The president is going to focus on the next 70 days and what’s at hand, focus on the American people, focus on making sure that we have a process — a transition process that’s orderly. And that’s what we are — want to make sure that we keep our promise — right? — that democratic — those demo- — honoring our democratic principles.
What the president-elect does and speaks — who he speaks to and how he wants to think and envision his administration, that’s up to him.
Q And just one more. Kind of quickly shifting gears here.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q But President Biden — you know, is it still the plan to travel to Africa at the top of December?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q Is that still on the agenda?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That’s still on the agenda. As I mentioned, I think from here at the podium, behind the lectern, when we had to pull that trip down and reschedule it, obviously, because of what was happening here domestically with a historic hurricane, we had said that the president would go the — the first week of December. That still is the case. The president is very much looking forward to visiting the continent, visiting Angola.
When we have more to share, we certainly will share that. We have an OCONUS coming up, so we got to do this — one OCONUS at a time, if you will. And we certainly will have more to share.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Karine. Could you talk about what are the key goals this administration would like to achieve in terms of the U.S.-China relations, as you have invested significantly into this relationship? So, what do you like to achieve before you’re handing over to the next administration?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, I appreciate the question. If you indulge me a little bit, because I think this is important — so, the president, as you know, has prioritized investments in — in sources of U.S. strength at home, strengthening our alliances abroad, and taking commonsense measures to protect U.S. technology and also national security.
So, when he came into the office nearly four years ago, this president made it clear that the U.S. was going to advance and protect our interests here at home and also, obviously, abroad. And the framework of this administration’s China policy — which is “invest, align, compete” — has remained constant for over those almost four years.
And so — but at the same time, the president has also been very honest and has emphasized the importance of responsibil- — responsibly managing the U.S.-China relationship.
So, that’s also include opening lines of — of communications, cooperations in areas of — of shared interest, hence the important bilat — right? — that he had with the Indonesian leader.
And so, he’s going to continue to advance the U.S. interests when it comes to engagement with the PRC, just as he’s done for the last four years. So, that continues over the next several — several weeks, couple of months.
And so, I would say: Stay tuned. See — see how it goes.
Q Does the president feel urgency or importance to meet President Xi in person before his term is over?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I don’t have any- — anything to share about a meeting or a phone call. I — I just laid out the importance of the U.S.-China relationship. What we’ve been able to do the last four years, that’s certainly going to continue. And — and if we have more to share on a possible meeting or, certainly, a phone call, we would certainly do that — share with that — with all of you.
Q So, quickly, why the phone call hasn’t happened since Jake Sullivan previewed it two months ago?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, you know, things like this take some time. I just don’t have anything to share with all of you. But I think we’ve — we’ve been — we’ve been pretty — you’ve seen that relationship and how that’s developed, how the president approached the U.S.-China relationship.
And that invest, that align, that compete — the three things that I mentioned to you — is certainly going to continue. You’ve seen that the last four years. And if we have more to share, we certainly will do that.
Thanks, everybody. I’ll see you tomorrow.
3:53 P.M. EST
The post Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre appeared first on The White House.
Remarks by President Biden and President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia Before Bilateral Meeting
Oval Office
2:45 P.M. EST
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, Mr. President, welcome to the White House.
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Thank you very much, sir.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Good to have you here. And we’re making —
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: We’re marking an important anniversary: 75 years of diplomatic relationship with Indonesia and the United States — 75 years. I’m proud that the partnership between our countries is stronger than it’s ever been.
And today, we’re going to discuss how we continue to strengthen that partnership, first, in my view, by advancing free and open Indo-Pacific with ASEAN at its center. As two of the largest democracies in the world, it seems to me that our nations have a special responsibility in this vision.
Second, fighting the climate crisis. Indonesia is a critical player in the clean energy transition.
And third, by building a secure and resilient supply chain.
And finally, by deepening our comprehensive strategic partnership that includes deepening our security cooperation.
We’ll discuss, also, global challenges, including in Gaza and the South China Sea.
So, Mr. President, I’m looking forward to our discussion, and welcome. I’m delighted to have you here, and the floor is yours.
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Thank you. Thank you, President Biden. Thank you for receiving me.
I also would like to thank you: You — you phoned me yourself upon my election and —
PRESIDENT BIDEN: A great victory.
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Yes. Thank you very much.
And then, finally, I could make it and you received me today.
United States, for us, is a very great friend. United States supported us in our struggle for independence and helped us many times in our time of need.
Therefore, I will work very hard to strengthen Indonesia and United States’ relationship. And I would like to work towards this end, that we have a strong cooperation.
Once again, President Biden, thank you very much for receiving me.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, thank you. I look forward to our discussion.
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Thank you, sir.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thank you.
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Thank you, sir.
2:48 P.M. EST
The post Remarks by President Biden and President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia Before Bilateral Meeting appeared first on The White House.
Remarks by President Biden and President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia Before Bilateral Meeting
Oval Office
2:45 P.M. EST
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, Mr. President, welcome to the White House.
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Thank you very much, sir.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Good to have you here. And we’re making —
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: We’re marking an important anniversary: 75 years of diplomatic relationship with Indonesia and the United States — 75 years. I’m proud that the partnership between our countries is stronger than it’s ever been.
And today, we’re going to discuss how we continue to strengthen that partnership, first, in my view, by advancing free and open Indo-Pacific with ASEAN at its center. As two of the largest democracies in the world, it seems to me that our nations have a special responsibility in this vision.
Second, fighting the climate crisis. Indonesia is a critical player in the clean energy transition.
And third, by building a secure and resilient supply chain.
And finally, by deepening our comprehensive strategic partnership that includes deepening our security cooperation.
We’ll discuss, also, global challenges, including in Gaza and the South China Sea.
So, Mr. President, I’m looking forward to our discussion, and welcome. I’m delighted to have you here, and the floor is yours.
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Thank you. Thank you, President Biden. Thank you for receiving me.
I also would like to thank you: You — you phoned me yourself upon my election and —
PRESIDENT BIDEN: A great victory.
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Yes. Thank you very much.
And then, finally, I could make it and you received me today.
United States, for us, is a very great friend. United States supported us in our struggle for independence and helped us many times in our time of need.
Therefore, I will work very hard to strengthen Indonesia and United States’ relationship. And I would like to work towards this end, that we have a strong cooperation.
Once again, President Biden, thank you very much for receiving me.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, thank you. I look forward to our discussion.
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Thank you, sir.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thank you.
PRESIDENT SUBIANTO: Thank you, sir.
2:48 P.M. EST
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Remarks by President Biden and President Isaac Herzog of the State of Israel Before a Meeting
Oval Office
11:55 A.M. EST
Q President Biden, do you think we can get a hostage deal by the end of your term?
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Do you think you can keep from getting hit in the head by a — a camera behind you?
All right. Well, thank you all.
Well, Mr. President, welcome back to the Oval Office and the White House. You’ve been a friend for a long time, a personal friend. And you know my commitment to Israel is ironclad and we share a deep friendship.
I want to thank you again for being here, and the floor is yours.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: Thank you, Mr. President. It’s always a great honor to be here in the Oval Office and be — to be with a friend such as you, Mr. President.
I will start, of course, with the sad news of the day. In the last two hours, two Israelis were mor- — murdered by rocket attacks from Lebanon in the t- — northern town of Nahariya, a beautiful seashore town in the northern part of Israel. Early in the day, a kindergarten teacher of a kindergarten of special needs — childrens with special needs — rescued, bravely and wisely, the toddlers in the kindergarten from a drone attack. A drone exploded in the kindergarten.
This is what we’re going through from Lebanon, Mr. President, and you know it all too well. We are fighting hard. We’re defending our people, our brave soldiers and pilots. And I know that you’re working very hard to make sure that this war will end and that will — there will be, first and foremost, security for the people of Israel as well as for the people of Lebanon.
And in Gaza, we have 101 hostages. Over 400 days, I know, Mr. President, that you know you — you are day-in, day-out, actively seeking their surf- — safe return home as they are going through hell in the dungeons of Gaza.
Clearly, you’re thinking and working about the day after as well, which perhaps should be a trajectory of hope to the people of the region and the ability to have our neighbors, as well as us, live in security and peace.
But first and foremost, we have to get the hostages back home.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: I agree.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: And it all starts in Tehran. It all starts in the empire of evil, where in Tehran, with its proxies, they are doing whatever they can to re- — derail stability and security and peace, calling for the annihilation of the State of Israel and seeking nuclear weapons.
And, Mr. President, this has to be a major objective all throughout your term and the next term of the next president because we have to make sure that they cannot fulfill their evil intentions.
They’re also a major engine of antisemitism, Mr. President. And I know how much you put a focus on fighting and combating anti- — antisemitism.
But most importantly, I’m here on behalf of the people of Israel and the nation of Israel and the State of Israel to say to you, Mr. President, thank you very much. As we say in Hebrew, toda raba.
You have been an incredible friend of Israel and the Jewish people for decades, and we will never forget, ever in history, how you stood up with us in our darkest hour, which became our finest hour — how you came to Israel a few days after the barbaric attack of October 7th, how you helped us and supported us with words and deeds.
And I want to express my — our heartfelt thanks to you, Mr. President, which is a great legacy that you stood up with the Jewish people and the State of Israel, as al- — you always did.
So, I brought you a little gift —
PRESIDENT BIDEN: It’s a magnificent gift.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: — which is an archeological artifact from the foot of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which has the word “Joseph” — Yosef. And as you know, in the Bible, it is — says that Joseph will strengthen Israel. And clearly, Mr. President, you’ve done it.
Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, I hope my father heard that. He’d be — my father was what we call a righteous Christian. He couldn’t understand why we didn’t move more rapidly back in World War II (inaudible). Any rate. I —
PRESIDENT HERZOG: I think that was a great legacy with — of your father.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, it was. And I remember how I got in trouble — we were friends even back then — when I said — years ago, as a senator, I said, “You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist.” I’m a Zionist.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: And I know you are.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: And it’s really —
PRESIDENT HERZOG: You’re clearly a Zionist, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, God love you.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thanks for being here, pal.
12:00 P.M. EST
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Remarks by President Biden and President Isaac Herzog of the State of Israel Before a Meeting
Oval Office
11:55 A.M. EST
Q President Biden, do you think we can get a hostage deal by the end of your term?
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Do you think you can keep from getting hit in the head by a — a camera behind you?
All right. Well, thank you all.
Well, Mr. President, welcome back to the Oval Office and the White House. You’ve been a friend for a long time, a personal friend. And you know my commitment to Israel is ironclad and we share a deep friendship.
I want to thank you again for being here, and the floor is yours.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: Thank you, Mr. President. It’s always a great honor to be here in the Oval Office and be — to be with a friend such as you, Mr. President.
I will start, of course, with the sad news of the day. In the last two hours, two Israelis were mor- — murdered by rocket attacks from Lebanon in the t- — northern town of Nahariya, a beautiful seashore town in the northern part of Israel. Early in the day, a kindergarten teacher of a kindergarten of special needs — childrens with special needs — rescued, bravely and wisely, the toddlers in the kindergarten from a drone attack. A drone exploded in the kindergarten.
This is what we’re going through from Lebanon, Mr. President, and you know it all too well. We are fighting hard. We’re defending our people, our brave soldiers and pilots. And I know that you’re working very hard to make sure that this war will end and that will — there will be, first and foremost, security for the people of Israel as well as for the people of Lebanon.
And in Gaza, we have 101 hostages. Over 400 days, I know, Mr. President, that you know you — you are day-in, day-out, actively seeking their surf- — safe return home as they are going through hell in the dungeons of Gaza.
Clearly, you’re thinking and working about the day after as well, which perhaps should be a trajectory of hope to the people of the region and the ability to have our neighbors, as well as us, live in security and peace.
But first and foremost, we have to get the hostages back home.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: I agree.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: And it all starts in Tehran. It all starts in the empire of evil, where in Tehran, with its proxies, they are doing whatever they can to re- — derail stability and security and peace, calling for the annihilation of the State of Israel and seeking nuclear weapons.
And, Mr. President, this has to be a major objective all throughout your term and the next term of the next president because we have to make sure that they cannot fulfill their evil intentions.
They’re also a major engine of antisemitism, Mr. President. And I know how much you put a focus on fighting and combating anti- — antisemitism.
But most importantly, I’m here on behalf of the people of Israel and the nation of Israel and the State of Israel to say to you, Mr. President, thank you very much. As we say in Hebrew, toda raba.
You have been an incredible friend of Israel and the Jewish people for decades, and we will never forget, ever in history, how you stood up with us in our darkest hour, which became our finest hour — how you came to Israel a few days after the barbaric attack of October 7th, how you helped us and supported us with words and deeds.
And I want to express my — our heartfelt thanks to you, Mr. President, which is a great legacy that you stood up with the Jewish people and the State of Israel, as al- — you always did.
So, I brought you a little gift —
PRESIDENT BIDEN: It’s a magnificent gift.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: — which is an archeological artifact from the foot of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, which has the word “Joseph” — Yosef. And as you know, in the Bible, it is — says that Joseph will strengthen Israel. And clearly, Mr. President, you’ve done it.
Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, I hope my father heard that. He’d be — my father was what we call a righteous Christian. He couldn’t understand why we didn’t move more rapidly back in World War II (inaudible). Any rate. I —
PRESIDENT HERZOG: I think that was a great legacy with — of your father.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, it was. And I remember how I got in trouble — we were friends even back then — when I said — years ago, as a senator, I said, “You don’t have to be a Jew to be a Zionist.” I’m a Zionist.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: And I know you are.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: And it’s really —
PRESIDENT HERZOG: You’re clearly a Zionist, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, God love you.
PRESIDENT HERZOG: Thank you very much.
PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thanks for being here, pal.
12:00 P.M. EST
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Remarks by President Biden at the Guardian of Defenders Memorial | Claymont, DE
Grubb/Worth Mansion
Claymont, Delaware
2:38 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. I’m not sure the Sisters at St. Joseph ever even thought you’d all be standing next to my grade school for me, but thank you. (Laughter.)
Please have a seat. Please.
Father John, Father Van, thank you for your service in the military, in addition to our church.
It’s really special for my sister and I and so many of — to be back — come back here to Holy Rosary. You know, so many years ago, we attended that school when we moved from Scranton. We moved from Scranton to Claymont. It used to be called Brookview Apartments. And we came — (laughs) — that’s where we lived. And we — we — I remember the first day.
You know, I’m deeply humbled by — by this plaque in Beau’s honor. And one of the things that — it means the world to us. You know, I think of Beau every day, especially today.
We’ve come full circle. In 1953, 180 years ago, I started third grade here. (Laughter.) I remember pulling — I re- — I remember distinctly pulling up to this — to Holy Rosary — the — the big church was not there yet; we had church in the basement of the school — and pulling up into the — into the parking lot, looking over at this wall around this beautiful estate and wondering, “Who lives there?”
I was unaware that, the year before, the diocese had purchased it and — and gave it to — or, excuse me, had got — had been given it and been given to — and Holy Rosary Parish purchased it.
And, you know, it was — used to be called the Grubb/Worth Mansion — a mansion like many that used to overlook the Delaware River, like Archmere and moving the way up. The — the — before the industrialization began in southeastern Pennsylvania, there were these beautiful mansions along the Delaware. You looked down to the Delaware. My high school was Archmere and — it’s “arch by the sea.” You could see all the way down from Archmere, from the back patio.
And I remember looking at that’s w- — before the church was built — at this mansion, and thinking to myself, “I wonder who lives there.” Little did I know, the Sisters of Saint Joseph were living there. (Laughs.)
But, you know, it’s — I remember that — and here I am today behind this wall where two parish priests served as military chaplains and are using this mansion as a memorial to those who fought and died in Afghanistan and Iraq.
I’ve been in and out of Afghanistan and Iraq over 30 times, and it’s a godforsaken area.
Today, I’m thinking of the moment that I pinned my — I came home one weekend — I came home most weekends — and Beau said to me, “Dad, what are you doing Friday?” And I said, “What do you have in mind, pal?” He said, “I want you to pin my bars on me.”
I said, “Pin your bars on you? You’re attorney general of the state of Delaware. What do you — what do you mean, ‘pin your bars on you’?”
He said, “Dad” — he stood ramrond — ramrod straight when I agreed to do it, to pin the bars on him. And — and he — he was so damn proud — proud to be joining the military, the National Guard. And our entire family felt that pride and how grateful were to General Vavala, who’s here today, for sort of shepherding us through this area.
And thinking of that year he was deployed to Iraq — the year he was, a year later — like so many of you, we remember how hard it was. The empty seat at the dinner table at Christmas time; missed holidays; Hallie and the kids not seeing him; prayers, hope, and worry repeated every morning and every night.
I remember my wife used to say — stand by — she would leave before I would in the morning, and she’d stand by the — by the sink, and she’d — as she was heading down to teach at Del Tech, and she’d say a prayer — mumble a prayer, the same prayer — prayers of hope and worry repeated every morning and every night.
Just as we ask everything of our veterans, we ask everything of our veterans’ families. The poet John Milton wrote, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” And so many of you with children who are in the military or husbands or wives, you’ve stood and waited. You’ve stood and waited. You’ve gone through the same concern that you would if they — it just — it’s different.
As I said, they — you all — they also serve who only stand and wait.
Folks, you know, it’s — and a like — it was like yesterday. I was thinking — and Beau told me when he — when he signed up, he said, “Dad” — I said, “Why did you do it?” He said, “Dad, it’s my duty.” “It’s my duty.” “It’s my duty.”
Duty. That was the code my son lived by: duty.
The creed of millions of veterans have followed that crode [code]. Each one bound by the sacred oath to support and defend not a place, not a person, not a president, but an idea, an idea unlike any other hu- — in human history.
We’re the only country in the world founded on an idea. Every other country is based on geography or religion or politics, but we’re an idea — the idea of the United States of America, that we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, endowed by their creator with certain — that’s why we were founded. That’s who we are. That’s who we were. That’s who we remain.
And — but because of our veterans, because of many of you, we’ve never walked away from it, even though there’s been temptations to walk away from that democratic notion.
Folks, Beau would be very honored — very honored by this plaque. Beau — what he’d also say, though, “Dad, it’s not about me.” And those of you knew Beau like Fred Sears and others knew Beau, that’s what he’d say. “This is not about me, Dad. It’s not about me. It’s about our servicemen. It’s about all veterans. It’s about all families.”
I’ve said many times before, including this morning when I spoke at Arlington Cemetery, as the presidents do, that we have many obligations as a nation — many obligations. We only have one truly sacred obligation, and that is to care for those and prepare those we send into harm’s way, and care for them and their families when they come home and when they don’t come home.
On this Veterans Day and every day, let’s remember — remind ourselves of that sacred obligation.
On behalf of the Biden family, thank you for honoring our son Beau’s memory, for honoring all of our veterans and their families.
And I asked Father permission to come back up when the family — our family is scattered all over the country — want to get them all together and bring them all up privately to see this as well.
And Father, both priests — you know, out of their own money, they built — they bought this. They — they — I’m going to see to it, Father, that we raise the money you spent so you — we reimburse you for this. It’s a — (applause).
And God bless America. And may God protect our troops who are still in harm’s way.
Thank you. (Applause.)
(The president participates in a commemoration of a bronze plaque dedicated to the memory of Beau Biden.)
FATHER VAN ALSTYNE: Let us pray.
We thank you, O God, for this inspirational day where we have given tribute to our veterans who have served our country selflessly and with integrity. Send us forth with your blessings, and may we never forget our veterans who contributed to the greatness of our nation.
Amen.
THE PRESIDENT: May I say something? The reason they’re getting me out of here quickly: Because of the nature of things today, Philadelphia Pike is closed as long as I’m here. (Laughter.) And — no, I’m serious. You think I’m kidding.
So, if I don’t get the hell out of here, you’re all locked in here, and anybody who’s with me is going to lose votes, so — (laughter).
Thank you, thank you, thank you. God love you all. I really mean it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. (Applause.)
2:46 P.M. EST
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Remarks by President Biden at the National Veterans Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheater | Arlington, VA
Arlington National Cemetery
11:52 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s a great honor to be standing here again.
Over 160 years ago, during what would become his final days in office, President Abraham Lincoln addressed this nation, and he said, “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle.”
My fellow Americans, the first lady, Vice President Harris, and the second gentleman; Secretary Blinken, Austin, McDonough, Mayorkas; Chairman Brown; and, most importantly, our veterans, service members, and their families, I’ve said many times before — I got in trouble for saying it when I was a young senator — I said we have many obligations, but only one truly sacred obligation — sacred: to prepare those we send into harm’s way and to care for them and their families when they return home and when they don’t. It’s an obligation not based on party or politics but on a promise that unites us all.
Today, as we strive on to finish the work of our moment to bind the nation’s wounds once again, we commit and recommit to this sacred vow.
This is the last time I will stand here at Arlington as commander-in-chief. It’s been the greatest honor of my life to lead you, to serve you, to care for you, to defend you just as you have defended us generation after generation after generation. You are the greatest fighting force — and this is not hyperbole — the finest fighting force in the history of the world.
I will never forget standing at Valley Forge, where our nation’s first soldiers laid down their lives to deliver a nation where everyone is entitled to inalienable rights: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.
And I’ll never forget walking the hills of Gettysburg, where thousands more shed their blood to make those words real.
I’ll never forget at Belleau Woods– visiting there to pay tribute to the heroes who stepped on that beach or standing on the cliffs of Normandy 80 years after D-Day to honor the service members and veterans who literally saved the world with absolute heroism. Just standing there, you wonder how in God’s name did they have the courage to do what they did.
I’ll never forget visiting bases in Korea where America’s sons and daughters answers a call to defend a people they had never met or paying my respects in Hanoi where so many of our troops defended democracy, including my friend — and once worked for me — John — the senator John McCain.
I’ll never forget my trips to Afghanistan and Iraq, where tour after tour young men and women served and sacrificed to keep our nation safe.
Four presidents faced a decision after we’d gotten bin Laden whether to end our longest war in history in Afghanistan. I was determined not to leave it to the fifth.
Every day, I still carry a card with me — my schedule — every single day for the last 10 years. On the back of my schedule, it says, “U.S. daily troops in Afghanistan — U.S. troops died in Afghanistan as of today: 2,465. Troops wounded in Afghanistan: 20,769. U.S. troops, Iraq — died in Iraq: 4,620. Wounded in Iraq: 32,766.”
Ladies and gentlemen, this is my duty as president but also as a parent. Like many of you, our son, Beau Biden, deployed to Iraq for a year with the Delaware National Guard.
I still remember the day he asked me to pin his bars on him — he stood ramrod straight — and how proud Jill and I and our entire family felt.
But like so many of you, we also remember how hard it was when he was deployed: empty seats at the dinner table, missed holidays and birthdays, prayers of hope and worry repeated every morning and every night.
Just as we ask everything of our veterans, we ask everything of their families.
The English poet John Milton wrote, and I quote, “They also serve who only stand and wait,” as so many of you have.
So, for all the military families, to all those with a loved one still missing or unaccounted for, to all Americans grieving the loss of a loved one who wore the uniform, Jill and I want you to know we see you, we thank you, and we will never stop working to meet our sacred obligation to you and your families.
Jill and I, Doug and Kamala, our entire administration are proud of our work over the past four years.
Together, we’ve passed more than 30 bipartisan laws to support our veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors.
We’ve brought veteran homelessness down to a record low.
We’ve delivered more benefits to more veterans than any — ever before in VA history.
We’ve invested re- — record resources to reduce the scourge of veteran vi- — su- — suicide.
And we took action to protect veterans from scams, because no veteran should be defrauded by those defended — they defended.
All these actions are vital, but I am particularly proud of finally passing the PACT Act. (Applause.) This is the most significant law in our history — our nation’s history to help millions of veterans who were exposed to toxins like Agent Orange and burn pits during their military service. Pits the size of football fields that incinerated the wastes of war: tires, chemicals, batteries, jet fuel, and so much more. Pits that left too many veterans with headaches, numbness, dizziness, as- — asthma, and cancer.
The PACT Act has already helped over 1 million veterans and their families get the benefits they deserve. They deserve those benefits. (Applause.)
Today, I’m proud to announce that the VA will expand the number of cancers covered under the PACT Act and to all the veterans — (applause) — who served at K-2 Air Base in Ur- — Uzbekistan constantly surrounded by toxins.
We want to honor you. We want to have your back just like we did in Agent Orange, just like we’re working on a rule to make sure you don’t have to prove your illness as a consequence of your service, which is often too hard to do. (Applause.)
God willing, we will make sure that any rare condition you’ve developed is covered. And we’re committed to getting this rule in place by the end of my term.
Folks, this matters. Too many of our nation’s veterans have served only to return home to suffer from permanent effects of poisonous chemicals. Too many have died.
Like our son, Beau, and Ser- — like Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson for whom the PACT Act was named.
A couple years ago, after I signed the PACT Act, I handed the pen to his daughter Brailey [Brielle].
She and her mom are with us today. I don’t know where you are, but God love you. There they are. Stand up, ladies. (Applause.)
I give you my word I mean this: I’ll never forget, after I handed the signing pen — that beautiful young lady who had lost her whole world — she held the pen in her hand and she looks at me and she said, “Thank you. Thank you for my daddy.”
God love you, honey. (Applause.) God love you.
But I don’t think she was just thanking me. She was thanking all of you here, all of us, everyone who fought hard and came together to keep our promise to our veterans to keep the faith.
My fellow Americans, we stand here today. We think about all that our veterans have given to our nation, serving and sacrificing in uniform just as they serve and sacrifice here at home as educators, firefighters, law enforcement officers, construction workers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, doctors, nurses, elected leaders, and so much more.
And just as routinely — they routinely put aside differences to work together, this is the moment — this is the moment to come together as a nation to keep faith in each other.
The world is depending on each of you and all of us — all of you to keep honoring the women and the men and the families who have borne the battle, to keep protecting everything they’ve fought for, to keep striving to heal our nation’s wounds, to keep perfecting our union.
We’re the only nation in the world built on an idea. Every other nation is based on things like geography, ethnicity, religion. But we’re the only nation — the only in the world — built on an idea, and that idea is we are all created equal and deserve to — created equal throughout lives. We haven’t lived up to it every time, but we’ve never walked away from it even when it’s hard — especially when it’s hard.
And today standing together to honor those Americans who have dared all, risked all, and given all to our nation, we must say clearly: We never will give up.
God bless our veterans and their families. And may God protect our troops today and always.
God love you. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
12:04 P.M. EST
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Remarks by President Biden at the National Veterans Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheater | Arlington, VA
Arlington National Cemetery
11:52 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s a great honor to be standing here again.
Over 160 years ago, during what would become his final days in office, President Abraham Lincoln addressed this nation, and he said, “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle.”
My fellow Americans, the first lady, Vice President Harris, and the second gentleman; Secretary Blinken, Austin, McDonough, Mayorkas; Chairman Brown; and, most importantly, our veterans, service members, and their families, I’ve said many times before — I got in trouble for saying it when I was a young senator — I said we have many obligations, but only one truly sacred obligation — sacred: to prepare those we send into harm’s way and to care for them and their families when they return home and when they don’t. It’s an obligation not based on party or politics but on a promise that unites us all.
Today, as we strive on to finish the work of our moment to bind the nation’s wounds once again, we commit and recommit to this sacred vow.
This is the last time I will stand here at Arlington as commander-in-chief. It’s been the greatest honor of my life to lead you, to serve you, to care for you, to defend you just as you have defended us generation after generation after generation. You are the greatest fighting force — and this is not hyperbole — the finest fighting force in the history of the world.
I will never forget standing at Valley Forge, where our nation’s first soldiers laid down their lives to deliver a nation where everyone is entitled to inalienable rights: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.
And I’ll never forget walking the hills of Gettysburg, where thousands more shed their blood to make those words real.
I’ll never forget at Belleau Woods– visiting there to pay tribute to the heroes who stepped on that beach or standing on the cliffs of Normandy 80 years after D-Day to honor the service members and veterans who literally saved the world with absolute heroism. Just standing there, you wonder how in God’s name did they have the courage to do what they did.
I’ll never forget visiting bases in Korea where America’s sons and daughters answers a call to defend a people they had never met or paying my respects in Hanoi where so many of our troops defended democracy, including my friend — and once worked for me — John — the senator John McCain.
I’ll never forget my trips to Afghanistan and Iraq, where tour after tour young men and women served and sacrificed to keep our nation safe.
Four presidents faced a decision after we’d gotten bin Laden whether to end our longest war in history in Afghanistan. I was determined not to leave it to the fifth.
Every day, I still carry a card with me — my schedule — every single day for the last 10 years. On the back of my schedule, it says, “U.S. daily troops in Afghanistan — U.S. troops died in Afghanistan as of today: 2,465. Troops wounded in Afghanistan: 20,769. U.S. troops, Iraq — died in Iraq: 4,620. Wounded in Iraq: 32,766.”
Ladies and gentlemen, this is my duty as president but also as a parent. Like many of you, our son, Beau Biden, deployed to Iraq for a year with the Delaware National Guard.
I still remember the day he asked me to pin his bars on him — he stood ramrod straight — and how proud Jill and I and our entire family felt.
But like so many of you, we also remember how hard it was when he was deployed: empty seats at the dinner table, missed holidays and birthdays, prayers of hope and worry repeated every morning and every night.
Just as we ask everything of our veterans, we ask everything of their families.
The English poet John Milton wrote, and I quote, “They also serve who only stand and wait,” as so many of you have.
So, for all the military families, to all those with a loved one still missing or unaccounted for, to all Americans grieving the loss of a loved one who wore the uniform, Jill and I want you to know we see you, we thank you, and we will never stop working to meet our sacred obligation to you and your families.
Jill and I, Doug and Kamala, our entire administration are proud of our work over the past four years.
Together, we’ve passed more than 30 bipartisan laws to support our veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors.
We’ve brought veteran homelessness down to a record low.
We’ve delivered more benefits to more veterans than any — ever before in VA history.
We’ve invested re- — record resources to reduce the scourge of veteran vi- — su- — suicide.
And we took action to protect veterans from scams, because no veteran should be defrauded by those defended — they defended.
All these actions are vital, but I am particularly proud of finally passing the PACT Act. (Applause.) This is the most significant law in our history — our nation’s history to help millions of veterans who were exposed to toxins like Agent Orange and burn pits during their military service. Pits the size of football fields that incinerated the wastes of war: tires, chemicals, batteries, jet fuel, and so much more. Pits that left too many veterans with headaches, numbness, dizziness, as- — asthma, and cancer.
The PACT Act has already helped over 1 million veterans and their families get the benefits they deserve. They deserve those benefits. (Applause.)
Today, I’m proud to announce that the VA will expand the number of cancers covered under the PACT Act and to all the veterans — (applause) — who served at K-2 Air Base in Ur- — Uzbekistan constantly surrounded by toxins.
We want to honor you. We want to have your back just like we did in Agent Orange, just like we’re working on a rule to make sure you don’t have to prove your illness as a consequence of your service, which is often too hard to do. (Applause.)
God willing, we will make sure that any rare condition you’ve developed is covered. And we’re committed to getting this rule in place by the end of my term.
Folks, this matters. Too many of our nation’s veterans have served only to return home to suffer from permanent effects of poisonous chemicals. Too many have died.
Like our son, Beau, and Ser- — like Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson for whom the PACT Act was named.
A couple years ago, after I signed the PACT Act, I handed the pen to his daughter Brailey [Brielle].
She and her mom are with us today. I don’t know where you are, but God love you. There they are. Stand up, ladies. (Applause.)
I give you my word I mean this: I’ll never forget, after I handed the signing pen — that beautiful young lady who had lost her whole world — she held the pen in her hand and she looks at me and she said, “Thank you. Thank you for my daddy.”
God love you, honey. (Applause.) God love you.
But I don’t think she was just thanking me. She was thanking all of you here, all of us, everyone who fought hard and came together to keep our promise to our veterans to keep the faith.
My fellow Americans, we stand here today. We think about all that our veterans have given to our nation, serving and sacrificing in uniform just as they serve and sacrifice here at home as educators, firefighters, law enforcement officers, construction workers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, doctors, nurses, elected leaders, and so much more.
And just as routinely — they routinely put aside differences to work together, this is the moment — this is the moment to come together as a nation to keep faith in each other.
The world is depending on each of you and all of us — all of you to keep honoring the women and the men and the families who have borne the battle, to keep protecting everything they’ve fought for, to keep striving to heal our nation’s wounds, to keep perfecting our union.
We’re the only nation in the world built on an idea. Every other nation is based on things like geography, ethnicity, religion. But we’re the only nation — the only in the world — built on an idea, and that idea is we are all created equal and deserve to — created equal throughout lives. We haven’t lived up to it every time, but we’ve never walked away from it even when it’s hard — especially when it’s hard.
And today standing together to honor those Americans who have dared all, risked all, and given all to our nation, we must say clearly: We never will give up.
God bless our veterans and their families. And may God protect our troops today and always.
God love you. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
12:04 P.M. EST
The post Remarks by President Biden at the National Veterans Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheater | Arlington, VA appeared first on The White House.
Remarks as Delivered by John Podesta Press Conference at the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan
Good afternoon everyone, and for those who might have wandered into the wrong room, I’m John Podesta.
I’m going to speak for a few minutes and then I’m going to take some questions from the press. But I want to start by recognizing our wonderful Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby who is sitting up here in the front row.
We have a big team. Jane Nishida is here from EPA, we have my colleagues from SPEC. And I want to also acknowledge the hard work and the professionalism of the Azerbaijan COP team led by Minister Babayev as COP29 comes to order.
So, I want to address tonight a topic that is on everyone’s mind –the U.S. election.
For those of us dedicated to climate action, last week’s outcome in the United States is obviously bitterly disappointing, particularly because of the unprecedented resources and ambition President Biden and Vice President Harris brought to the climate fight.
Starting with our bold 2030 NDC to cut emissions by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels.
By rejoining Paris.
By making the largest investment in climate and clean energy in history through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The President’s commitment to quadruple international climate funds from the United States to $11 billion per year.
It’s clear that the next Administration will try to take a U turn and reverse much of this progress.
Of course, I am keenly aware of the disappointment that the United States has at times caused the parties of the climate regime, who have lived through a pattern of strong, engaged, effective U.S. leadership, followed by sudden disengagement after a U.S. presidential election.
And I know that this disappointment is more difficult to tolerate as the dangers we face grow ever more catastrophic.
But that is the reality. In January, we will inaugurate a President whose relationship to climate change is captured by the words “hoax” and “fossil fuels”.
He has vowed to dismantle our environmental safeguards— and once again withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement.
This is what he has said, and we should believe him.
The United States is a democracy. And in a democracy, the will of the people prevailed.
Our administration is working with the incoming Administration to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power.
But what I want to tell you today is that while the United States federal government under Donald Trump may put climate action on the back burner, the work to contain climate change is going to continue in the United States with commitment and passion and belief.
As President Biden said in the Rose Garden last week, setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable.
This is not the end of our fight for a cleaner, safer planet.
Facts are still facts. Science is still science.
This fight is bigger than one election, one political cycle, in one country. This fight is bigger still.
Because we are all living through a year defined by the climate crisis, in every country of the world.
July 22nd was the hottest day in recorded history. The consequences of living on a rapidly warming planet are all around us—and not just in collapsing coral reefs and melting ice sheets.
It’s had devastating impacts on people’s lives. This fall, Hurricanes Helene and Milton slammed into the southeastern United States, killing hundreds and cutting off power and water in communities for weeks.
The worst drought in decades in southern Africa is putting 20 million children at risk of malnutrition and even starvation.
Wildfires and drought are ravaging the Amazon and the Pantanal, destroying Indigenous communities and burning up an area the size of Switzerland.
Catastrophic floods in Spain just two weeks ago poured a year’s worth of rain in a single day.
In Asia, in September, supercharged Typhoon Yagi killed hundreds and caused $16 billion in damages from the Philippines to Myanmar.
None of this is a hoax. It is real. It’s a matter of life and death.
Fortunately, many in our country and around the world are working to prepare the world for this new reality and to mitigate the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
From Day One, President Biden and Vice President Harris built a climate team to work with partners around the world to build strong, sustainable, equitable economies.
We sought to open up finance for developing economies to accelerate their own clean energy transitions.
We saw a gap between clean energy supply and anticipated demand – and sought to close it.
And our global partners know that addressing the climate crisis also bolsters their own national security and global security… while creating jobs… new industries… and new opportunities.
The United States has been the world’s partner in these efforts for four years. That remains our mission.
For example, the Inflation Reduction Act is unleashing a clean energy boom in America that’s boosting innovation and lowering costs for clean energy technology by as much as 25%.
That helps speed deployment of clean energy not just in the U.S., but across the globe, slashing emissions everywhere.
As a result, the Rhodium Group found that for every ton of carbon pollution cut…reduced in America because of the IRA, it will drive reductions of up to 2.9 tons outside the United States.
The historic investments under President Biden and Vice President Harris have crucially been government enabled but private-sector led.
In total, just since the President took office, companies have announced more than $450 billion in new clean energy investments.
Here at COP29 and moving forward, the private sector must continue to lead – to make new and bigger investments in clean energy technologies, to continue to innovate and build a net zero economy.
And we will also continue to need subnational actors in the U.S. and globally to lead the way.
In the wake of COP22 in Marrakesh and President Trump’s decision in 2017 to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, the “We Are Still In” movement was born in the United States.
It’s now grown into the most expansive coalition ever assembled in support of U.S. climate action, with more than 5,000 states, businesses, local governments, tribal nations, universities, and more.
At this year’s COP, we expect to see representation from many of these leaders, as well as several states and cities and a bipartisan group from the U.S. Congress.
Because support for clean energy has become bipartisan in the United States. You might not know that by reading the newspapers, but it has.
57 percent of the new clean energy jobs created since the Inflation Reduction Act passed are located in Congressional districts represented by Republicans.
Those jobs come from over 350 new clean energy projects totaling $286 billion in investment.
Many Republicans—especially governors—know all this activity is a good thing for their districts, states, and for their economy.
Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina, Governor Kevin Stitt in Oklahoma, for example, have welcomed clean energy investments in their states for many years. From the EV supply chain…to the solar supply chain.
And earlier this year, 18 House Republicans wrote a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson urging him not to repeal the IRA’s energy tax credits.
The letter says, “a full repeal would create a worst-case scenario where we would have spent billions of taxpayer dollars and received next to nothing in return.”
It’s precisely because the IRA has staying power that I am confident that the United States will continue to reduce emissions – benefitting our own country and benefitting the world.
The economics of the clean energy transition have simply taken over.
New power generation is going to be clean.
The desire to build out next generation nuclear is still there.
Farmers and ranchers are reducing emissions and raising their incomes through more efficient and biologic fertilizers, biodigesters, and feed additives.
The hyperscalers are still committed to powering the future with clean energy, including safe, reliable nuclear energy.
The auto companies are still investing in electrification and hybridization.
All those trends are not going to be reversed.
Are we facing new headwinds? Absolutely.
But will we revert back to the energy system of the 1950s? No way.
And, we have only one administration at a time.
Until late January, President Biden and Vice President Harris will still be in the White House.
So we are here at COP29 to continue to work together with our global partners and other Parties.
The COP is a critical opportunity to cement our progress and keep 1.5 degrees alive…
To accelerate progress on reducing all greenhouse gases…
And, perhaps most notably, to strengthen global cooperation on adaptation and climate finance. We are here to work, and we are committed to a successful outcome at COP 29.
We can and will make real progress on the backs of our climate committed states and cities, our innovators, our companies and our citizens, especially young people, who understand more than most that climate change poses an existential threat that we cannot afford to ignore.
Failure or apathy is simply not an option.
Today is a day across much of the world that we remember those who were willing to pay the ultimate price to build a more peaceful world.
In the United States, it’s Veterans Day. A day to honor all those who answered our country’s highest call to service. To whom we owe not just our eternal gratitude, but truly our freedom.
We owe it to them and all people who care about the future of our planet to make the most of the next two weeks to make sure we have a successful outcome.
The post Remarks as Delivered by John Podesta Press Conference at the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan appeared first on The White House.
Remarks as Delivered by John Podesta Press Conference at the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan
Good afternoon everyone, and for those who might have wandered into the wrong room, I’m John Podesta.
I’m going to speak for a few minutes and then I’m going to take some questions from the press. But I want to start by recognizing our wonderful Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby who is sitting up here in the front row.
We have a big team. Jane Nishida is here from EPA, we have my colleagues from SPEC. And I want to also acknowledge the hard work and the professionalism of the Azerbaijan COP team led by Minister Babayev as COP29 comes to order.
So, I want to address tonight a topic that is on everyone’s mind –the U.S. election.
For those of us dedicated to climate action, last week’s outcome in the United States is obviously bitterly disappointing, particularly because of the unprecedented resources and ambition President Biden and Vice President Harris brought to the climate fight.
Starting with our bold 2030 NDC to cut emissions by 50 to 52 percent below 2005 levels.
By rejoining Paris.
By making the largest investment in climate and clean energy in history through the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The President’s commitment to quadruple international climate funds from the United States to $11 billion per year.
It’s clear that the next Administration will try to take a U turn and reverse much of this progress.
Of course, I am keenly aware of the disappointment that the United States has at times caused the parties of the climate regime, who have lived through a pattern of strong, engaged, effective U.S. leadership, followed by sudden disengagement after a U.S. presidential election.
And I know that this disappointment is more difficult to tolerate as the dangers we face grow ever more catastrophic.
But that is the reality. In January, we will inaugurate a President whose relationship to climate change is captured by the words “hoax” and “fossil fuels”.
He has vowed to dismantle our environmental safeguards— and once again withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement.
This is what he has said, and we should believe him.
The United States is a democracy. And in a democracy, the will of the people prevailed.
Our administration is working with the incoming Administration to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power.
But what I want to tell you today is that while the United States federal government under Donald Trump may put climate action on the back burner, the work to contain climate change is going to continue in the United States with commitment and passion and belief.
As President Biden said in the Rose Garden last week, setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable.
This is not the end of our fight for a cleaner, safer planet.
Facts are still facts. Science is still science.
This fight is bigger than one election, one political cycle, in one country. This fight is bigger still.
Because we are all living through a year defined by the climate crisis, in every country of the world.
July 22nd was the hottest day in recorded history. The consequences of living on a rapidly warming planet are all around us—and not just in collapsing coral reefs and melting ice sheets.
It’s had devastating impacts on people’s lives. This fall, Hurricanes Helene and Milton slammed into the southeastern United States, killing hundreds and cutting off power and water in communities for weeks.
The worst drought in decades in southern Africa is putting 20 million children at risk of malnutrition and even starvation.
Wildfires and drought are ravaging the Amazon and the Pantanal, destroying Indigenous communities and burning up an area the size of Switzerland.
Catastrophic floods in Spain just two weeks ago poured a year’s worth of rain in a single day.
In Asia, in September, supercharged Typhoon Yagi killed hundreds and caused $16 billion in damages from the Philippines to Myanmar.
None of this is a hoax. It is real. It’s a matter of life and death.
Fortunately, many in our country and around the world are working to prepare the world for this new reality and to mitigate the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
From Day One, President Biden and Vice President Harris built a climate team to work with partners around the world to build strong, sustainable, equitable economies.
We sought to open up finance for developing economies to accelerate their own clean energy transitions.
We saw a gap between clean energy supply and anticipated demand – and sought to close it.
And our global partners know that addressing the climate crisis also bolsters their own national security and global security… while creating jobs… new industries… and new opportunities.
The United States has been the world’s partner in these efforts for four years. That remains our mission.
For example, the Inflation Reduction Act is unleashing a clean energy boom in America that’s boosting innovation and lowering costs for clean energy technology by as much as 25%.
That helps speed deployment of clean energy not just in the U.S., but across the globe, slashing emissions everywhere.
As a result, the Rhodium Group found that for every ton of carbon pollution cut…reduced in America because of the IRA, it will drive reductions of up to 2.9 tons outside the United States.
The historic investments under President Biden and Vice President Harris have crucially been government enabled but private-sector led.
In total, just since the President took office, companies have announced more than $450 billion in new clean energy investments.
Here at COP29 and moving forward, the private sector must continue to lead – to make new and bigger investments in clean energy technologies, to continue to innovate and build a net zero economy.
And we will also continue to need subnational actors in the U.S. and globally to lead the way.
In the wake of COP22 in Marrakesh and President Trump’s decision in 2017 to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, the “We Are Still In” movement was born in the United States.
It’s now grown into the most expansive coalition ever assembled in support of U.S. climate action, with more than 5,000 states, businesses, local governments, tribal nations, universities, and more.
At this year’s COP, we expect to see representation from many of these leaders, as well as several states and cities and a bipartisan group from the U.S. Congress.
Because support for clean energy has become bipartisan in the United States. You might not know that by reading the newspapers, but it has.
57 percent of the new clean energy jobs created since the Inflation Reduction Act passed are located in Congressional districts represented by Republicans.
Those jobs come from over 350 new clean energy projects totaling $286 billion in investment.
Many Republicans—especially governors—know all this activity is a good thing for their districts, states, and for their economy.
Governor Henry McMaster of South Carolina, Governor Kevin Stitt in Oklahoma, for example, have welcomed clean energy investments in their states for many years. From the EV supply chain…to the solar supply chain.
And earlier this year, 18 House Republicans wrote a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson urging him not to repeal the IRA’s energy tax credits.
The letter says, “a full repeal would create a worst-case scenario where we would have spent billions of taxpayer dollars and received next to nothing in return.”
It’s precisely because the IRA has staying power that I am confident that the United States will continue to reduce emissions – benefitting our own country and benefitting the world.
The economics of the clean energy transition have simply taken over.
New power generation is going to be clean.
The desire to build out next generation nuclear is still there.
Farmers and ranchers are reducing emissions and raising their incomes through more efficient and biologic fertilizers, biodigesters, and feed additives.
The hyperscalers are still committed to powering the future with clean energy, including safe, reliable nuclear energy.
The auto companies are still investing in electrification and hybridization.
All those trends are not going to be reversed.
Are we facing new headwinds? Absolutely.
But will we revert back to the energy system of the 1950s? No way.
And, we have only one administration at a time.
Until late January, President Biden and Vice President Harris will still be in the White House.
So we are here at COP29 to continue to work together with our global partners and other Parties.
The COP is a critical opportunity to cement our progress and keep 1.5 degrees alive…
To accelerate progress on reducing all greenhouse gases…
And, perhaps most notably, to strengthen global cooperation on adaptation and climate finance. We are here to work, and we are committed to a successful outcome at COP 29.
We can and will make real progress on the backs of our climate committed states and cities, our innovators, our companies and our citizens, especially young people, who understand more than most that climate change poses an existential threat that we cannot afford to ignore.
Failure or apathy is simply not an option.
Today is a day across much of the world that we remember those who were willing to pay the ultimate price to build a more peaceful world.
In the United States, it’s Veterans Day. A day to honor all those who answered our country’s highest call to service. To whom we owe not just our eternal gratitude, but truly our freedom.
We owe it to them and all people who care about the future of our planet to make the most of the next two weeks to make sure we have a successful outcome.
The post Remarks as Delivered by John Podesta Press Conference at the 29th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan appeared first on The White House.
FACT SHEET: To Mark Veterans Day, Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Historic Care, Benefits & New Actions to Support Veterans and Their Families
Administration announces record-low number of veterans experiencing homelessness nationwide, expands eligibility for disability benefits and sets record for care and benefits delivered to veterans through President Biden’s Unity Agenda
President Biden believes we have a sacred obligation to care our nation’s veterans and their families. Simply put, we owe them a debt we can never fully repay. Supporting those who wear the uniform is a commitment that unites all Americans and it’s why the President has made supporting our veterans a core pillar in his Unity Agenda for the nation. Since taking office, President Biden has signed into law over 34 bipartisan bills that address some of the most important issues facing veterans today, including the PACT Act, which is most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years. The Biden Harris Administration and Congress have worked together to expand access to health care, address veteran homelessness, improve access to child and long-term care, and support education and workforce opportunity for veterans and their families.
To mark this Veterans Day, President Biden will announce that his Administration has delivered more benefits and health care, more quickly, to more veterans than ever before. In 2024 alone, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) delivered $187 billion in earned benefits to 6.7 million veterans and survivors, and processed a record 2.51 million disability claims. VA delivered more than 131 million health care appointments, over 6 million dental procedures, and provided services and assistance to more than 88,095 family caregivers. Veterans’ trust in VA also reached an all-time high in 2024.
The Administration is building on this historic progress and announcing new actions to address toxic exposures for veterans, including by expanding the types of cancers considered presumptive for VA disability benefits. Today, new data were also released showing that veteran homelessness has reached its lowest point on record, marking a 7.5% reduction in veteran homelessness in the last year alone and 55.6% percent reduction since 2010. Additionally, the Department of Education is announcing $9 million in funding to support student veterans.
Expanding benefits for toxic exposed veterans. For far too long it has taken too much time for the government to acknowledge and address the harms associated with military related toxic exposures. In part due to the PACT Act, VA now has the ability to act more swiftly and in the interest of veterans. Last week, VA announced it would proceed with an accelerated review to support rulemaking that would create a presumption for Gulf War deployed veterans, including those who deployed to Karshi-Khanabad (K2) in Uzbekistan, a location described as a “toxic soup of exposures,” and are diagnosed with rare conditions that could be related to the many contaminants of concerns found at K2. Rulemaking would commence this year. VA also announced it will be moving forward with rulemaking to add four cancers, including bladder cancer, ureter cancer, multiple myeloma, and leukemias, to the list of conditions presumed to be related to burn pit exposure for all veterans deployed to the Southwest Asia area of operations, including for K2 veterans.
Ending veteran homelessness. Thanks to the efforts of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and VA, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness has reached a record low since measurement began in 2009. This reflects a 7.5% reduction in veterans experiencing homelessness since 2023, an 11.7% decrease since 2020, and a 55.6% reduction since 2010. In 2024 alone, VA has permanently housed nearly 48,000 veterans and awarded over $800 million in grants to help veterans experiencing homelessness. VA also expanded access to legal assistance for homeless veterans and helped more than 158,000 veterans and their families retain their homes or otherwise avoid foreclosure. Additionally, so far in 2024, nearly 90,000 veterans were under lease with vouchers through the HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) – the most veterans served at any point in the program’s history. President Biden has also called on Congress to triple the number of veterans who receive housing vouchers – a critical tool to help prevent veteran homelessness in the first place.
Supporting student veterans. It has been 80 years since the enactment of the Montgomery GI Bill. This law and the post-9/11 GI bill, allow veterans and eligible family members to receive educational benefits to help them obtain higher education and job training. Today, to support students returning to college, the Department of Education announced $9 million in awards to 13 grantees across 10 states under the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) program which funds model programs to support veteran student success in postsecondary education by coordinating comprehensive and targeted services to address the academic, financial, physical and mental health, and social needs of veteran students. Funds are being used for a variety of activities, including to enhance data systems to identify and track services and impact, including program completion, hire dedicated veteran success coaches, mentors, and coordinators, increase outreach, communication, and continuity of services, and provide professional development to faculty and staff on supporting veteran students.
These new announcements build on Administration-wide actions to support veterans and their families, including:
Lowering health care costs and expanding health care eligibility for veterans. President Biden believes access to health care is a right not a privilege. Today, millions of veterans are eligible for VA health care, thanks to the efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration. Since passage of the PACT Act, over 796,000 veterans have newly enrolled in VA health care. And, beginning last March, VA made all veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving our country—at home or abroad—eligible for VA health care without any need to first apply for VA benefits. This includes all veterans who served in the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other combat zone after 9/11. In addition to expanding care, veterans trust in VA reached 80.4% this year, an all-time record and an increase of 25% since 2016. Survey data also found that veteran trust in VA outpatient care increased to 91.8%, an all-time high. And, today, VA announced it plans to eliminate copayments for all telehealth care visits, building upon its September announcement which made tele-emergency care available nationwide, making it easier for veteran to receive timely access to virtual care when needed. These actions make it faster and easier for millions of veterans to access quality health care that they’ve earned and deserve.
Providing benefits to address toxic exposures. The bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act represents the most significant expansion in benefits and services for veterans in over thirty years. At President Biden’s direction, VA expedited health care and benefits eligibility under the PACT Act by several years, ensuring that they did not need to wait any longer for the care and benefits they deserved. VA has also conducted the largest outreach campaign in the history of the department, driving all-time record benefits applications and a sharp increase in health care enrollments. Since enactment, VA has received over 2 million PACT Act related claims and has granted toxic exposure benefits to more than 1.1 million veterans and over 11,000 survivors. Additionally, nearly 360,000 veterans eligible under the PACT Act have newly enrolled in VA health care and more than 5.82 million veterans have been screened for toxic exposure. More than 60,000 Veterans have enrolled in VA health care thanks to the expediting of the PACT Act, and more than 350,000 Veterans have granted PACT claims due to the elimination of the phase in approach.
Understanding the harms of toxic exposures. VA has ongoing efforts to research and understand the health conditions that veterans experience so that VA can provide them with all of the benefits and care they deserve. Last month, VA announced a new scientific assessment to determine if there is a relationship between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure during military service and kidney cancer among veterans. This review helps advance the President’s Unity Agenda and Biden Cancer Moonshot goals to understand and address environmental and toxic exposures and end cancer as we know it.
Reducing veteran suicide. Since releasing a comprehensive public health strategy for reducing military and veteran suicide, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to improve suicide prevention efforts. As of October 2024, VA has provided no-cost life-saving care to more than 82,000 veterans at risk of suicide since the program began. VA awarded over $150 million in grants for community-based organizations to deliver or coordinate suicide prevention programs and services for veterans and their family members. In September, VA announced more than $4.3 million in cooperative agreements to states and territories to help fund and provide technical assistance to better inform veteran suicide prevention suicide. Because economic and financial uncertainty can increase the risk of suicide, VA launched the National Veterans Financial Resource Center earlier this year to provide veterans and their families with a one-stop website to locate tools and resources to improve financial wellbeing.
Improving access to child and long-term care options. Last year, President Biden signed an historic Executive Order calling for more than 50 administrative actions that would improve access to and quality of child care and long-term care for Americans, including for our nation’s heroes. Thanks to these actions, each VA medical center offers veterans and their families with self-directed care options through the Veteran Directed Care (VDC) program. More than 700 Veterans are now receiving VDC services through the new programs.
Protecting veterans and their families from predatory actors and scams. In 2023, veterans, military personnel, and their families reported $477 million in losses to fraud. Last November, the President announced the new Veteran Scam and Fraud Evasion (VSAFE) Task Force to better protect veterans and their families against these scams. In 2024, VSAFE released several resources to cut down on any confusion, and get veterans, Service members, and their family members routed to the best support as effectively and efficiently as possible. A centralized website, VSAFE.gov, is a fraud prevention, response, and reporting information hub. Information from across federal agencies can be accessed in one place, making it easy for veterans, Service members, and their families to find out more about different kinds of fraud, to get assistance, and to report. A single shared call line, 833-38V-SAFE, will connect veterans, Service members, and their families with the best agency to handle their report and get help.
Improving Equity. Women are the fastest growing group of veterans who use VA services and the Administration is committed to addressing and providing resources for their specialized health care needs. In October 2023, to improve health outcomes for mothers and their newborn children, VA expanded access to its maternity care coordination from 8 weeks to 12 months post-partum. In total, VA is now serving more women than ever before, with nearly 750,000 receiving disability compensation benefits from VA in 2024. To ensure that all LGBTQ+ veterans can access the benefits they have earned, the Department of Defense announced it would proactively review and consider discharge upgrades for veterans who were discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and VA expanded access to care and benefits for those with other than honorable discharges. Additionally, VA released its 2024 Agency Equity Action Plan to help ensure that VA delivers on its promise to provide world-class care and benefits to all veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors ― regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or geographic location.
Advancing economic security for military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. Since Day One of the Biden-Harris Administration, First Lady Jill Biden, through her Joining Forces initiative, has worked to eliminate barriers to employment and increase economic opportunity for military-connected families. In June 2023, the President, alongside the First Lady, signed an Executive Order that included nearly 20 new actions to enhance career stability, expand employment resources, and improve transition assistance support for military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. In February 2024, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a government-wide plan to tackle employment barriers and expand opportunities for military-connected spouses, caregivers, and survivors. And, in April 2024, the Administration announced a permanent memorandum of agreement between the Department of Defense and State Department to strengthen the Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas (DETO) program for military spouses who work for the federal government. These actions represent the Biden-Harris Administration’s holistic commitment to ensuring that the Federal government is a leader among employers, modeling approaches to recruit, hire, and retain military spouse talent.
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FACT SHEET: To Mark Veterans Day, Biden-Harris Administration Highlights Historic Care, Benefits & New Actions to Support Veterans and Their Families
Administration announces record-low number of veterans experiencing homelessness nationwide, expands eligibility for disability benefits and sets record for care and benefits delivered to veterans through President Biden’s Unity Agenda
President Biden believes we have a sacred obligation to care our nation’s veterans and their families. Simply put, we owe them a debt we can never fully repay. Supporting those who wear the uniform is a commitment that unites all Americans and it’s why the President has made supporting our veterans a core pillar in his Unity Agenda for the nation. Since taking office, President Biden has signed into law over 34 bipartisan bills that address some of the most important issues facing veterans today, including the PACT Act, which is most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years. The Biden Harris Administration and Congress have worked together to expand access to health care, address veteran homelessness, improve access to child and long-term care, and support education and workforce opportunity for veterans and their families.
To mark this Veterans Day, President Biden will announce that his Administration has delivered more benefits and health care, more quickly, to more veterans than ever before. In 2024 alone, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) delivered $187 billion in earned benefits to 6.7 million veterans and survivors, and processed a record 2.51 million disability claims. VA delivered more than 131 million health care appointments, over 6 million dental procedures, and provided services and assistance to more than 88,095 family caregivers. Veterans’ trust in VA also reached an all-time high in 2024.
The Administration is building on this historic progress and announcing new actions to address toxic exposures for veterans, including by expanding the types of cancers considered presumptive for VA disability benefits. Today, new data were also released showing that veteran homelessness has reached its lowest point on record, marking a 7.5% reduction in veteran homelessness in the last year alone and 55.6% percent reduction since 2010. Additionally, the Department of Education is announcing $9 million in funding to support student veterans.
Expanding benefits for toxic exposed veterans. For far too long it has taken too much time for the government to acknowledge and address the harms associated with military related toxic exposures. In part due to the PACT Act, VA now has the ability to act more swiftly and in the interest of veterans. Last week, VA announced it would proceed with an accelerated review to support rulemaking that would create a presumption for Gulf War deployed veterans, including those who deployed to Karshi-Khanabad (K2) in Uzbekistan, a location described as a “toxic soup of exposures,” and are diagnosed with rare conditions that could be related to the many contaminants of concerns found at K2. Rulemaking would commence this year. VA also announced it will be moving forward with rulemaking to add four cancers, including bladder cancer, ureter cancer, multiple myeloma, and leukemias, to the list of conditions presumed to be related to burn pit exposure for all veterans deployed to the Southwest Asia area of operations, including for K2 veterans.
Ending veteran homelessness. Thanks to the efforts of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and VA, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness has reached a record low since measurement began in 2009. This reflects a 7.5% reduction in veterans experiencing homelessness since 2023, an 11.7% decrease since 2020, and a 55.6% reduction since 2010. In 2024 alone, VA has permanently housed nearly 48,000 veterans and awarded over $800 million in grants to help veterans experiencing homelessness. VA also expanded access to legal assistance for homeless veterans and helped more than 158,000 veterans and their families retain their homes or otherwise avoid foreclosure. Additionally, so far in 2024, nearly 90,000 veterans were under lease with vouchers through the HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) – the most veterans served at any point in the program’s history. President Biden has also called on Congress to triple the number of veterans who receive housing vouchers – a critical tool to help prevent veteran homelessness in the first place.
Supporting student veterans. It has been 80 years since the enactment of the Montgomery GI Bill. This law and the post-9/11 GI bill, allow veterans and eligible family members to receive educational benefits to help them obtain higher education and job training. Today, to support students returning to college, the Department of Education announced $9 million in awards to 13 grantees across 10 states under the Centers of Excellence for Veteran Student Success (CEVSS) program which funds model programs to support veteran student success in postsecondary education by coordinating comprehensive and targeted services to address the academic, financial, physical and mental health, and social needs of veteran students. Funds are being used for a variety of activities, including to enhance data systems to identify and track services and impact, including program completion, hire dedicated veteran success coaches, mentors, and coordinators, increase outreach, communication, and continuity of services, and provide professional development to faculty and staff on supporting veteran students.
These new announcements build on Administration-wide actions to support veterans and their families, including:
Lowering health care costs and expanding health care eligibility for veterans. President Biden believes access to health care is a right not a privilege. Today, millions of veterans are eligible for VA health care, thanks to the efforts of the Biden-Harris Administration. Since passage of the PACT Act, over 796,000 veterans have newly enrolled in VA health care. And, beginning last March, VA made all veterans who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving our country—at home or abroad—eligible for VA health care without any need to first apply for VA benefits. This includes all veterans who served in the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan, or any other combat zone after 9/11. In addition to expanding care, veterans trust in VA reached 80.4% this year, an all-time record and an increase of 25% since 2016. Survey data also found that veteran trust in VA outpatient care increased to 91.8%, an all-time high. And, today, VA announced it plans to eliminate copayments for all telehealth care visits, building upon its September announcement which made tele-emergency care available nationwide, making it easier for veteran to receive timely access to virtual care when needed. These actions make it faster and easier for millions of veterans to access quality health care that they’ve earned and deserve.
Providing benefits to address toxic exposures. The bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act represents the most significant expansion in benefits and services for veterans in over thirty years. At President Biden’s direction, VA expedited health care and benefits eligibility under the PACT Act by several years, ensuring that they did not need to wait any longer for the care and benefits they deserved. VA has also conducted the largest outreach campaign in the history of the department, driving all-time record benefits applications and a sharp increase in health care enrollments. Since enactment, VA has received over 2 million PACT Act related claims and has granted toxic exposure benefits to more than 1.1 million veterans and over 11,000 survivors. Additionally, nearly 360,000 veterans eligible under the PACT Act have newly enrolled in VA health care and more than 5.82 million veterans have been screened for toxic exposure. More than 60,000 Veterans have enrolled in VA health care thanks to the expediting of the PACT Act, and more than 350,000 Veterans have granted PACT claims due to the elimination of the phase in approach.
Understanding the harms of toxic exposures. VA has ongoing efforts to research and understand the health conditions that veterans experience so that VA can provide them with all of the benefits and care they deserve. Last month, VA announced a new scientific assessment to determine if there is a relationship between per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure during military service and kidney cancer among veterans. This review helps advance the President’s Unity Agenda and Biden Cancer Moonshot goals to understand and address environmental and toxic exposures and end cancer as we know it.
Reducing veteran suicide. Since releasing a comprehensive public health strategy for reducing military and veteran suicide, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to improve suicide prevention efforts. As of October 2024, VA has provided no-cost life-saving care to more than 82,000 veterans at risk of suicide since the program began. VA awarded over $150 million in grants for community-based organizations to deliver or coordinate suicide prevention programs and services for veterans and their family members. In September, VA announced more than $4.3 million in cooperative agreements to states and territories to help fund and provide technical assistance to better inform veteran suicide prevention suicide. Because economic and financial uncertainty can increase the risk of suicide, VA launched the National Veterans Financial Resource Center earlier this year to provide veterans and their families with a one-stop website to locate tools and resources to improve financial wellbeing.
Improving access to child and long-term care options. Last year, President Biden signed an historic Executive Order calling for more than 50 administrative actions that would improve access to and quality of child care and long-term care for Americans, including for our nation’s heroes. Thanks to these actions, each VA medical center offers veterans and their families with self-directed care options through the Veteran Directed Care (VDC) program. More than 700 Veterans are now receiving VDC services through the new programs.
Protecting veterans and their families from predatory actors and scams. In 2023, veterans, military personnel, and their families reported $477 million in losses to fraud. Last November, the President announced the new Veteran Scam and Fraud Evasion (VSAFE) Task Force to better protect veterans and their families against these scams. In 2024, VSAFE released several resources to cut down on any confusion, and get veterans, Service members, and their family members routed to the best support as effectively and efficiently as possible. A centralized website, VSAFE.gov, is a fraud prevention, response, and reporting information hub. Information from across federal agencies can be accessed in one place, making it easy for veterans, Service members, and their families to find out more about different kinds of fraud, to get assistance, and to report. A single shared call line, 833-38V-SAFE, will connect veterans, Service members, and their families with the best agency to handle their report and get help.
Improving Equity. Women are the fastest growing group of veterans who use VA services and the Administration is committed to addressing and providing resources for their specialized health care needs. In October 2023, to improve health outcomes for mothers and their newborn children, VA expanded access to its maternity care coordination from 8 weeks to 12 months post-partum. In total, VA is now serving more women than ever before, with nearly 750,000 receiving disability compensation benefits from VA in 2024. To ensure that all LGBTQ+ veterans can access the benefits they have earned, the Department of Defense announced it would proactively review and consider discharge upgrades for veterans who were discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and VA expanded access to care and benefits for those with other than honorable discharges. Additionally, VA released its 2024 Agency Equity Action Plan to help ensure that VA delivers on its promise to provide world-class care and benefits to all veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors ― regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or geographic location.
Advancing economic security for military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. Since Day One of the Biden-Harris Administration, First Lady Jill Biden, through her Joining Forces initiative, has worked to eliminate barriers to employment and increase economic opportunity for military-connected families. In June 2023, the President, alongside the First Lady, signed an Executive Order that included nearly 20 new actions to enhance career stability, expand employment resources, and improve transition assistance support for military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. In February 2024, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) published a government-wide plan to tackle employment barriers and expand opportunities for military-connected spouses, caregivers, and survivors. And, in April 2024, the Administration announced a permanent memorandum of agreement between the Department of Defense and State Department to strengthen the Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas (DETO) program for military spouses who work for the federal government. These actions represent the Biden-Harris Administration’s holistic commitment to ensuring that the Federal government is a leader among employers, modeling approaches to recruit, hire, and retain military spouse talent.
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- Executive Order on Taking Additional Steps with Respect to the Situation in Syria
- Message to the Congress with Regards to Taking Additional Steps with Respect to the Situation in Syria
- Remarks by President Biden Establishing the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in California
- Remarks by President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the Administration’s Work to Strengthen America and Lead the World
- White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: Final Report to the President
- Readout of White House Presidential Transition Exercise
- Readout of President Joe Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel
- Notice to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Widespread Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan and the Potential for Deepening Economic Collapse in Afghanistan.
- Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Widespread Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan and the Potential for Deepening Economic Collapse in Afghanistan
- Memorandum on the Eligibility of the Republic of Cyprus to Receive Defense Articles and Defense Services Under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act
Blog
Disclosures
Legislation
- Press Release: Bills Signed: H.R. 4984
- Press Release: Bills Signed: H.R. 670, H.R. 1318, H.R. 2997, H.R. 3391, H.R. 5103, H.R. 5443, H.R. 5887, H.R. 6062, H.R. 6395, H.R. 6492, H.R. 6852, H.R. 7158, H.R. 7180, H.R. 7365, H.R. 7385, H.R. 7417, H.R. 7507, H.R. 7508…
- Press Release: Bills Signed: H.R. 1555, H.R. 1823, H.R. 3354, H.R. 4136, H.R. 4955, H.R. 5867, H.R. 6116, H.R. 6162, H.R. 6188, H.R. 6244, H.R. 6633, H.R. 6750
- Press Release: Bill Signed: S. 141
- Press Release: Bill Signed: H.R. 5009
- Press Release: Bill Signed: H.R. 10545
- Press Release: Bill Signed: S. 50, S. 310, S. 1478, S. 2781, S. 3475, S. 3613
- Press Release: Bills Signed: H.R. 1432, H.R. 3821, H.R. 5863, S. 91, S. 4243
- Press Release: Bills Signed: H.R. 2950, H.R. 5302, H.R. 5536, H.R. 5799, H.R. 7218, H.R. 7438, H.R. 7764, H.R. 8932
- Press Release: Bills Signed: H.R. 599, H.R. 807, H.R. 1060, H.R. 1098, H.R. 3608, H.R. 3728, H.R. 4190, H.R. 5464, H.R. 5476, H.R. 5490, H.R. 5640, H.R. 5712, H.R. 5861, H.R. 5985, H.R. 6073, H.R. 6249, H.R. 6324, H.R. 6651, H.R. 7192, H.R. 7199, H.R....
Presidential Actions
- Executive Order on Taking Additional Steps with Respect to the Situation in Syria
- Message to the Congress with Regards to Taking Additional Steps with Respect to the Situation in Syria
- Notice to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Widespread Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan and the Potential for Deepening Economic Collapse in Afghanistan.
- Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Widespread Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan and the Potential for Deepening Economic Collapse in Afghanistan
- Memorandum on the Eligibility of the Republic of Cyprus to Receive Defense Articles and Defense Services Under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act
- Memorandum on the Extending and Expanding Eligibility for Deferred Enforced Departure for Certain Hong Kong Residents
- Proclamation on the Establishment of the Chuckwalla National Monument
- Message to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in the West Bank
- Press Release: Notice to the Congress on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to the Situation in the West Bank
- Message to the Senate on the Treaty between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters
Press Briefings
- Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
- Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell
- Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Kenner, LA
- On-the-Record Press Gaggle by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby
- Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
- On-the-Record Press Gaggle by White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby
- Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
- Press Call by Senior Administration Officials on the U.S. Nationally Determined Contribution
- Background Press Call on the Ongoing Response to Reported Drone Sightings
- Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby
Speeches and Remarks
- Remarks by President Biden Establishing the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument in California
- Remarks by President Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the Administration’s Work to Strengthen America and Lead the World
- Remarks by President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Senior White House and Administration Officials During Briefing on the Full Federal Response to the Wildfires Across Los Angeles
- Remarks by President Biden on Jobs Report and the State of the Economy
- Remarks by President Biden and Vice President Harris Before Briefing on the Full Federal Response to the Wildfires Across Los Angeles
- Remarks by President Biden at a Memorial Service for Former President Jimmy Carter
- Remarks by President Biden During Briefing on the Palisades Wildfire | Santa Monica, CA
- Remarks by Vice President Harris at the Lying in State Ceremony for Former President Jimmy Carter
- Remarks by President Biden at Signing of the Social Security Fairness Act
- Remarks of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan A New Frontier for the U.S.-India Partnership
Statements and Releases
- White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders: Final Report to the President
- Readout of White House Presidential Transition Exercise
- Readout of President Joe Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel
- Remarks by Vice President Harris at the National Action Network’s Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Legislative Breakfast
- Statement from Vice President Kamala Harris
- Readout of Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger’s Meeting on Protecting Undersea Cables
- Statement from President Joe Biden
- Statement from President Joe Biden on Protecting 91,500 UNITE HERE Pensions
- A Proclamation on Religious Freedom Day, 2025
- FACT SHEET: Marking Historic Progress, the Biden Cancer Moonshot Convenes Mission Report and Announces New Government and Private Sector Actions to Accelerate Progress Against Cancer