Pool Reports of April 14, 2022

WH out of town pool #1 - Embargoed background on NC trip

Hello all -

I will be your print pooler for Biden's trip to North Carolina on Thursday.

I'm getting a jump on things by sending out this background on Biden's trip. Please do note the embargo, which is 5AM Thursday.

** EMBARGOED UNTIL 5:00 AM EDT, THURSDAY, APRIL 14**

BACKGROUND MEMORANDUM

TO: Out-of-Town Pool

FROM: White House Press Office

DATE: April 14, 2022

RE: Background on the Bipartisan Innovation Act and HBCUs for President Biden's Visit to Greensboro, North Carolina

The President's Manufacturing Agenda

The economy has created 7.9 million jobs since the President took office, more jobs in the first 14 months of any President's term ever. During the President's first year in office, the economy added 367,000 manufacturing jobs—the most in nearly 30 years. President Biden's first year in office saw historic private investments in manufacturing. For example, auto manufacturers announced more than $100 billion in U.S. investments to build electric vehicles and batteries. That includes an announcement by Toyota last December of a $1.3 billion investment in Greensboro to build an electric battery manufacturing plant.

Greensboro, North Carolina

Greensboro is an example of a regional manufacturing ecosystem that the President's agenda seeks to build across America to create a globally competitive manufacturing industry that also expands the middle class. These ecosystems require the co-location of feedback loops between researchers and industry, public-private partnerships to produce an inclusive and skilled workforce, and a supply chain of small and medium sized manufacturers. The Bipartisan Innovation Act would offer the sustained funding places like Greensboro need to accelerate their ability to convert this potential into job creation and business growth.

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T)

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the nation's largest HBCU, enrolling over 13,000 students across both undergraduate and graduate programs, and helps support economic growth across the Piedmont Triad/Carolina Core region and in the State. According to the University's estimates, they return $16 for every $1 of State appropriations invested in them, have over $1 billion in economic output, and support almost 12,000 jobs across the State. They graduate the highest number of African American engineers of any university nationwide and receiving over $70 million in new State and Federal research grants last year. The Administration provided over $5 billion in additional funding to HBCUs through the American Rescue Plan and other sources last year. It is also working to increase Pell grants to support students attending 2-year and 4-year colleges.

Bipartisan Innovation Act

In the President's remarks, he will highlight provisions of the Bipartisan Innovation Act key to retaining and strengthening our innovation and manufacturing capacity, as well as investing in STEM education and equity.

Research & Development (R&D) and Equitable STEM Education

The Bipartisan Innovation Act creates a new Directorate at the National Science Foundation to focus on critical technologies and technology commercialization, in areas linked to U.S. competitiveness. This includes advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The bill will take steps to improve equity in STEM education and in the distribution of R&D funding. This includes requiring agencies to collect detailed demographic data during the grant review process and on STEM faculty and to eliminate institutional and cultural barriers to the retention, recruitment, and advancement of women and members of other underrepresented groups in STEM.

Manufacturing and Regional Development

The Bipartisan Innovation Act reauthorizes and expands the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Manufacturing USA Innovation Institutes, the country's two nation-wide manufacturing investments networks. It also supports the creation of a new Regional Technology Hub program at the Department of Commerce that will offer 5-year funding to support regional partnerships organized to grow technology-focused critical industries that advance our global competitiveness. This program is ideal for communities like Greensboro, which have an existing research and industrial base and skilled workforce that could be reoriented from declining industries (like textiles) towards growing industries (like clean energy manufacturing).

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

Since taking office, the Biden-Harris Administration has provided $5.8 billion in funding to HBCUs through the Department of Education. This included emergency aid that helped HBCUs and their students mitigate the negative impact of COVID by supporting students' basic needs, campus operations, and avoiding mass faculty and staff lay-offs.The funding also discharged approximately $1.6 billion of capital improvement debt held by HBCUs. This resulted in debt relief for 45 HBCUs. Finally, the Department of Education awarded more than $500 million in grant funding to HBCUs using FY21 appropriations to support academic programs and fiscal stability.

N.C. A&T has received $188 million in funding from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund—including $93 million from the American Rescue Plan, one of the largest single infusions of Federal funds to N.C. A&T in history. They are using the funding to fund scholarships and emergency aid to reduce student's bills. Scholarship programs include need-based aid, scholarships to graduate students, including those who left the University before completing their degrees, and price breaks for students on campus and with meal plans.

out of town pool report #2: Delay

Good morning from your pool which is in vans at White House ready for our trip to Greensboro, NC, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

Looks like we are running late already.

POTUS is due to deliver remarks on 'his administration's efforts to rebuild supply chains and lay a foundation for an economic renewal that's made in America through the Bipartisan Innovation Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law' at 2:15 pm. The remarks will be livestreamed.

As you may realize there has been a last-minute shuffling of personnel and you are stuck with a stand-in. Please behave as you would for your regular pooler. And the numbering of this report picks up from last night's embargoed memo.

Travel pool report #3: Motorcade

Motorcade rolling from West Exec Avenue at 11:44

Pool has not seen POTUS yet.

We are an hour behind schedule.

No word yet on reason for delay.

Travel pool report #4: JBA brief quote

Motorcade arrived JBA at 12:04 and pulled up alongside small Air Force One (tail number 90016)

POTUS answered one question about whether he was ready to send officials to Ukraine.

'we haven't made that decision yet' he said and then boarded

Wheels up shortly

Travel pool report #5 corrected POTUS quote

'we'll be making that decision.now'

Travel pool report #5: Piedmont Triad International Airport NC

AF1 wheels up at 12:19. Wheels down in NC at 13:02

KJP gaggled for about 15 min en route. I hope you heard it better than me.

Flight otherwise uneventful.

Weather here is warm but overcast.

Correct POTUS quote at JBA about sending officials to Ukraine was

'we'll be making that decision now.'

Travel pool report #7: Motorcade

POTUS deplaned at 13:15 in aviators.

He was first greeted by Michael Regan's young son, Matthew, 7, dressed in bowtie, jacket and sneakers. POTUS put his arm around the boy's shoulders as he met the rest of the greeters, details below.

POTUS took off his aviators as he chatted. And was not wearing a mask.

Regan's son Matthew is getting a ride in the Beast.

Motorcade rolling at 13:25.

(This report is #7 after two #5s went)

Greeting the President at Piedmont Triad International Airport:

Michael Regan, Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina

Kathy Manning, U.S. Congresswoman (NC-6)

Nancy Vaughan, Mayor of Greensboro

Melvin "Skip" Alston, Chair, Guilford County Board of Commissioners

Travel pool report #8: Travelers

From White House

Traveling with the President to Greensboro, North Carolina:

Cedric Richmond, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor & Director of the Office of Public Engagement

Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations

Joshua Geltzer, Deputy Assistant to the President & Deputy Homeland Security Advisor

Karine Jean-Pierre, Deputy Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy Press Secretary

Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director

Stephen Goepfert, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President

Meghan Hays, Special Assistant to the President & Director of Message Planning

Ashley Jones, Special Assistant to the President & House Legislative Affairs Liaison

Travel pool report #9: North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University

Motorcade arrived destination at 13:48.

Pool is waiting in the Cyber Defense and AI lab for POTUS to come through on his tour.

It is a computer lab with workstations set up along about a 60ft length. There are two 'Building a Better America' signs at the far end, along with the blue and yellow colours of NCAT university. Some of the computer computer monitors also show 'Building a Better America' signs.

Two big display boards are showing aspects of the center's work.

Pool is holding at far end from where POTUS will enter

Travel pool report #10: tour stop 1

Biden entered lab at 14:06

To hear presentation from to be met by four staff and students.

Prof Roy outlined the purpose of the lab and the funding sources, and described some of the current ransomware attacks and how to defend against them.

Biden was joined by Gov Cooper, Administrator Regan and Rep. Manning.

POTUS listened intently to a discussion of the work - which was just out of Pool earshot.

POTUS said: 'it's a gigantic need. All kidding aside, what you are doing is very important.'

He asked one of the students what program she was on and how long she had left. She said she was a PHD student.

'well what you're doing is going to become.... ' before describing how Obama made cyber security a priority.

Pool ushered out at 14:15

Tour Stop 1: Cybersecurity

The President will receive an overview of the lab and how students "compete" in blue and red teams in a sandbox (an isolated server) to replicate cyberattacks.

Participants:

Professor Kaushik Roy, Associate Professor and Interim Chair of the Department of Computer Science, N.C. A&T

Mansi Bhavsar, N.C. A&T student

David Johnson, N.C. A&T student

From the White House:

Greeting the President at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University:

Dr. Harold L. Martin, Chancellor, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

Davida Martin, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

Hilda Pinnix Ragland, Chair, Board of Trustees, North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

Robin Coger, Dean of the College of Engineering, North Carolina

Travel pool report #11: robotics lab

Tour Stop 2: Robotics

The President will receive a briefing on Spot, a robotic dog that can maneuver through complex environments to conduct remote missions.

Participants:

Professor Sun Yi, Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, N.C. A&T

Professor Ali Karimoddini, Associate Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, N.C. A&T

Sydney Parker, N.C. A&T student

Richard McKee, N.C. A&T student

Ma Mutkadir, N.C. A&T student

POTUS was introduced to a four-legged robot which began moving up and down the floor as POTUS heard about the robotics work at the University.

'i guess the point.. More changes are going to take place in the next 10 years than took place in the past 50 years. Technology's moving so rapidly.

'The assumption is that unless you are at a significantly endowed university with a long pedigree and so on that the students don't have the capacity. I've never believed that.'

'Spot,I tell you what, be nice to me on the way out, said POTUS. 'There's a couple of press people I want you to look at.' As he pointed to the pool.

Pool ushered out at 14:25 after about six minutes as POTUS was saying ' my mother had an expression...'

Travel pool report #12: Motorcade/remarks venue

We motorcaded for 2 min to the alumni events center, arriving at 14:38. This is where remarks wil take place.

There is a supportive crowd outside of maybe 100-200 people. Sample sign: 'Greensboro Dems love Biden'

Room is a fair sized conference hall decked out in flags and A&T logos. The podium is flanked by 'Building a Better America' sign.

Remarks will be live streamed in the usual places. EPA Administrator Michael Regan has begun the introductions. Will try to supply a two min warning but that may or may not happen.

There is an audience of some 200 people in seats. Few masks in evidence.

travel pool report #13: photo line

The President is participating in a photo line at the Alumni-Foundation Event Center with elected officials, N.C. A&T leadership, and local leaders, including:
Michael Regan, EPA Administrator
Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina
Kathy Manning, U.S. Congresswoman (NC-6)
GK Butterfield, U.S. Congressman (NC-1)
Deb Ross, U.S. Congresswoman (NC-2)
Alma Adams, U.S. Congresswoman (NC-12)
Nancy Vaughan, Mayor of Greensboro
Melvin Alston, Guilford County Board Chair
Robert Reives, North Carolina House Minority Leader
Dan Blue, North Carolina Senate Minority Leader
Pricey Harrison, North Carolina State Representative
Gladys Robinson, North Carolina State Senator

travel pool report #14: speaker lineup (use this for your 2min warning)

There won't be a two-min warning. Instead follow the speaker lineup for the student introduction of POTUS. I guess we are now about 40 min behind schedule. POTUS is expected to speak for about 20 min.

In attendance for the President's remarks are approximately 250-300 students, faculty, local elected officials, and business and community leaders.

Speaking program:
EPA Administrator Michael Regan
Governor Roy Cooper
Congresswoman Kathy Manning
Malkam Hawkins, N.C. A&T student
The President (18-20 mins)

travel pool report #15: remarks

POTUS began his remarks at 14:58.

He wrapped at 15:37.

Among the people seated behind Biden, beyond his right shoulder, was a woman in a crown and a sash.

Pool is now holding in vans for motorcade back to airport.

Travel pool report #16: Airport

Motorcade departed 16:28

We pulled up to Air Force One at airport at 16:49.

POTUS boarded briskly as pool arrived at back stairs.

Wheels up imminently

Travel pool report #17: Hagerstown, Maryland

AF1 was wheels up from Greensboro at 17:01 and wheels down Hagerstown at 17:51.

Flight was uneventful.

POTUS deplaned at 17:59, waved briefly as he passed pool with a phone in his hand and climbed into an SUV.

Motorcading for Camp David at 18:01.

Travel pool report #18: Camp David/lid

Pool van pulled off from motorcade before reaching Camp David at 18:35.

And a travel photo lid is called.

That's it from your pool. Thanks to all my copoolers. Have a great night