In-House Pool Reports of March 3, 2021

In-house pool report #1 - Good morning

It's sunny but chilly at the White House this morning. Events today include Jen Psaki's 12:30 pm briefing, a 1:45 pm bipartisan Oval Office meeting on cancer and a 5 pm "virtual event with the House Democratic Caucus" in the South Court auditorium. Press people who reported to the White House for coronavirus tests this morning were asked to fill out a form that asked questions about possible coronavirus symptoms, which added to the time it took to enter the premises.

In-house pool report #2 – remote COVID-19 Response Team briefing starts at 11

You can watch the virtual briefing featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Rochelle Walensky and Andy Slavitt here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

In-house pool report #3 - Lunch lid until 12:15 pm

A lunch lid has been called until 12:15 pm

In-house pool report #4: Participants in White House meeting on cancer

The White House press office says this information is reportable, on background:

This afternoon, the President and Vice President will meet with members of Congress to begin working together in a bipartisan way to end cancer as we know it. Many of the legislators joining the President and the Vice President in the Oval Office were pivotal in passing the 21st Century Cures Act during the Obama-Biden Administration.

Attendees:

• Senator Patty Murray (WA)
• Senator Dick Durbin (IL)
• Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD)
• Senator Roy Blunt (MO)
• Senator Mike Crapo (ID)
• Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-01)
• Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (CA-18)
• Congressman Fred Upton (MI-06)
• Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02)

In-house pool report #5a - 2 minute warning until briefing starts

2 minute warning until the briefing begins

In-house pool report 5b - Briefing has started

Briefing began at 12:38 pm.

In house pool report #5c - briefing is over

Briefing ended at 1:30 pm

In house pool report #6 - pool gathering for cancer meeting

The pool is getting ready to head to the Oval Office

In-house pool report #7 - Meeting with Congress members in the Oval office, also comments on rocket attack and states that relaxed COVID restrictions

President Biden was seated in the Oval office, in an armchair. Vice President Harris was beside him. Several members of Congress were seated on couches and armchairs nearby. All were socially distanced.

Biden said the group, many of whom helped to produce the CARES act, would help the nation make strides fighting cancer, Alzheimer's and other diseases. "Cancer is personal," he said, describing "the C word" as the most frightening word in the English language.

Biden also answered questions about the recent rocket attack. He said we are identifying those responsible and thanked God nobody was killed by the rocket.

He also criticized states like Texas that have relaxed COVID-related restrictions, saying it was a "big mistake." "Masks make a difference," he said, describing their actions as "neanderthal thinking." He also said it's critical to follow the science.

More detailed quotes to come.

In-house pool report #8 - More detailed quotes from President Biden during the Oval Office press spray

On cancer:

"We can make significant strides fighting cancer and Alzheimer's and other diseases if we take a slightly different approach and what I want to talk with them about today is how we go about taking advantage of the work they've done to get us where we are today because I think we're on the cusp of some real breakthroughs across the board on cancer. That's what we're going to talk about, and probably to all of you, like all of us, cancer's personal for almost everybody. Probably the one word that is the most frightening word in the English language to people, when they hear that C word, cancer, it is just devastating."

He said 70% of the audiences he addresses, "whether or not it is 4000 people or 400 people," say they've suffered from cancer or have lost people to cancer when he asks them. He said "there's so much hope."

"That's what I want to talk about with these folks, about what we do from a legislative and substantive point of view to make the kind of inroads I think we can make. That's what we're talking about today... I'm optimistic we're going to get something done."

Answering a question about the rocket attack:

"We're following that through right now. Thank God, no one was killed by the rocket. One individual, a contractor, died of a heart attack. But we're identifying who's responsible and will make judgments from that point."

Answering a question about states like Texas that have relaxed coronavirus restrictions:

"I think it's a big mistake." He said masks make a difference. While the nation is making progress with vaccines, he said "the last thing we need is neanderthal thinking that in the meantime, everything's fine, take off your mask and forget it. It still matters. I carry a card, I put it on my desk... As of yesterday, we had lost 511,874 Americans. We're going to lose thousands more.... We'll not have everybody vaccinated until sometime in the summer. We have the vaccine to do it. Getting a shot in someone's arm and getting the second shot, you're going to take time. And it's critical, critical, critical, critical that they follow the science. Wash your hands, hot water. Do it frequently, wear a mask and stay socially distanced. And I know you all know that I wish the heck some of our elected officials knew it."

In-house pool report #9- another lunch lid

We have another lunch lid until 4:15 pm.

In-house pool report #10 - The President's meeting about cancer is over

Passing this along from the White House press office:
The President's meeting with the Members of Congress officially wrapped at 2:48pm. They met for over an hour.

In-house pool report #11 - Press is gathering to go to President Biden's virtual event with the House Democratic Caucus

Background on the President's virtual event with the House Democratic Caucus:

This afternoon, the President will virtually join the House Democratic Caucus during their annual retreat, also known as the "Issues Conference." The theme of this year's conference is "Build Back Better for the People." The President will deliver the final keynote address and participate in a brief question and answer period. Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi are also scheduled to deliver remarks.

In-town pool report #12 - Biden prepares to address the 2021 Issues conference

The president is seated at a table, facing a large screen where House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is introducing him. He is alone on the auditorium stage, with American flags and some backdrops that say "House Democrats: 2021 Issues Conference." He is supposed to speak for 10 minutes.

In town pool report #13 - Biden begins speaking

Biden began addressing the conference at around 5:21. He is mostly is touting the American Rescue Plan. He said that since he was on the campaign trail, issues he discussed like jobs, the economy, health care and climate change all became more urgent, particularly in light of the pandemic. He said Democrats in the House have shown great leadership, particularly in contrast to "what we just had."

"Speak up and speak out about the American Rescue Plan," he urged them.

In-house pool report #14 - Press leaves the auditorium as Biden starts answering questions

Biden's remarks ended at 5:29 pm. Rep. Jeffries began asking questions and the pool was ushered out of the auditorium. We didn't get to hear the questions. More detailed Biden quotes to come.

In house pool report #15: More details from House Democratic Caucus event in with Biden

The first person to speak during the virtual gathering was Rep. Angie Craig of Minnesota. She introduced House Speaker Pelosi. Then Pelosi introduced Biden, describing how much her grandchildren love him, with an anecdote about how the children were playing around some sliding doors, ordering them to "Open Biden," rather than saying "Open Sesame."

As president, she said Biden "is taking us to new heights of inclusion in the success of America." She pledged to "deliver progress" with Biden in the White House and Democratic majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate.

After praising Pelosi and thanking a few other people who put the conference together, Biden thanked the entire leadership team and "all your committee chairs for taking an important step in the American Rescue Plan last week."

He said the American people are "depending on us," and "a diverse caucus isn't a divided caucus."

He noted it was almost a year ago that Rep. Clyburn of South Carolina endorsed his presidential bid which "meant so much to me and my campaign." At the time when that state's presidential primary occurred, Biden said America had recorded fewer than 100 COVID cases. He said Breonna Taylor and George Floyd were still alive. California had yet to suffer what would become the worst fire season in recorded history and there had been no violent insurrection on Capitol Hill.

"I could go on," he said. "A lot's changed. My point is this: In the year that has passed, all the challenges I spoke about that night, jobs, the economy, affordable, accessible, health care and the need to root out institutional racism, the need for unity and healing have all become urgent. Urgent, urgent, urgent. Especially in light of the pandemic that has taken the lives of ove,r as of yesterday, 518,720, I believe it was, Americans."

"More than 400,000 businesses, mostly small business, many minority businesses have been shuttered."

He said millions of jobs have been lost, many of them essential workers.

"My message today is really simple. You, this caucus, have shown the American people the difference between Democratic leadership and what we just had."

He applauded them for working on bills to reform voting and policing, which he strongly supports, and said he knows they're also working on immigration, health care, foreign policy and climate crisis efforts.

"And as you work on all of these, I urge you to continue to speak up and speak out about the American Rescue Plan. Here's why. You know, confidence in the American.. government has been plummeting since the late sixties to what it is now. Many remember that in 2009, we expended a lot of political capital, Nancy and I and others, in the Recovery Act. It was, it was an act that had less than two tenths of one percent of waste or fraud in it, according to the experts. And the economists told us we literally saved America from a depression."

Biden said he and Obama didn't adequately explain how much good it did.

"Barack was so modest he didn't want to take a victory lap…We paid a price for it, ironically, that humility. And this is the case where every single piece of the bill you've passed addresses a genuine and desperate need for the American people."

He said it is good policy, good politics and is broadly popular, with 60 percent support from Republicans. He said the American people also support the work they've done on vaccines, with enough to inoculate every adult in America by the end of May. He said these were "a first step forward" in restoring people's faith in the capacity of government to have their backs.

"We know how much we have to do, but it all starts, it all starts here, starts by bringing this home," he said. "I know you're all making some small compromises and I want to thank you, thank you for the work you've done."

"People are going to remember how we showed up … how we listened to them … and how we took action," said Biden.

In house pool report #16: Lid has been called

At 5:53 pm, the White House press office said there's a travel/photo lid.