Pool Reports of April 15, 2021

pool report #1/slight delay on briefing

The briefing will now be at 12:45.

It's a glorious spring afternoon in DC. A Marine is stationed outside the West Wing.

pool report #2/2 minute warning for briefing

Note also the updated guidance that added this:

4:30 PM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on Russia
East Room

Your POTUS pool may also end up pooling these VP remarks, though they'll be livestreamed.

At 3:30PM EDT, the Vice President will deliver remarks on the implementation of the American Rescue Plan’s historic investment in child care. This event in South Court Auditorium will be covered by the in-town pool and livestreamed on WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

pool report #3/briefing ended, pool gathering

POTUS meeting at 2 p.m.

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Executive Committee in the Oval Office. This meeting will have a pool spray at the top.

Pool report #4/Oval participants

Pool still awaiting Oval spray

This afternoon, the President and the Vice President will meet with key members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC).

CAPAC Participants

• Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Chair
• Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), First Vice Chair
• Congressman Mark Takano (CA-41), Second Vice Chair
• Congressman Kaiali'i "Kai" Kahele (HI-02), Freshman Representative
• Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-06), Senior CAPAC Member
• Senator Mazie Hirono (HI)
• Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL)

White House participants:

• Steve Ricchetti, Counselor to the President
• Louisa Terrell, Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs
• Susan Rice, Domestic Policy Advisor

Pool report #5/quick Oval spray with

POTUS comments in Oval. Quick spray.

VP seated to Biden's right. Members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) on sofa and chairs.

Biden started with some good economic news:

"Auto sales are up 50%. Things are moving."

"We need to stand with the AAPI community."

POTUS said he and VP are "heartened" by the overwhelming vote for the hate crime bill in the Senate. Lawmakers applauded and POTUS joked to Sen. Hirono: "We took a vote here in the administration. you're going to handle the jobs bill." She gave a small bow.

He declined shouted questions about Putin and Russia. Said he will be talking about that shortly.

"Aloha," said Sen. Hirono as wranglers aimed pool towards the exit.

pool report #5a/a bit more Oval spray

To the shouted questions about Russia and Putin, Biden said: "Folks, I'm going to be speaking to Russia, and my conversation with President Putin, shortly after the meeting is over."

Highlights of the rest of the 3 minute spray:
Biden started with good economic news, reading from notes.
"There's some good news today, and that is that retail sales just last month have surged by 9.8%. American families received that $1400 check and auto sales are up 50% Things are moving. These checks are providing a heck of a lot of immediate relief for families, and in turn leading to support for our economic recovery. Today's news comes on top of the recent news that we created 900,000 jobs in the month of March. First two months of my administration we've created more jobs than in the first two months of any administration in American history."

He credited the lawmakers for getting the package fast.

"I want to thank the members who supported the American Rescue Plan. And we still have a long way to go. We're 8 million jobs down from what it was, more than before the pandemic began. But America's coming back."

He talked about the "Asian American… and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders community. I think most people don't realize just how diverse it is, how many different dialects and languages and the like are spoken, which is part of what we have to deal with…. We need to stand the AAPI community as a whole of government response with what we have to get done." Noted that he signed an order related to racial equity soon after taking office. "That's still the plan. That's my objective. And Kamala and I are heartened by the Senate's overwhelming bipartisan effort yesterday" in approving the hate crimes bill.

"That's a big deal…. I thought it was gonna pass but my Lord. I gotta tell you, we took a vote here in the administration, you're going to handle the jobs bill," Biden said to Hirono,

pool report #6/East Room awaiting POTUS remarks on Russia

The pool is in the East Room.

A lectern with the presidential seal is facing a monitor and small bank of video and still cameras. The writing press is behind the cameras in a roped off area with well spaced chairs.

The remarks are scheduled for 4:30 but we haven't gotten the 2-minute warning yet. It will be on whitehouse.gov/live, so I won't be providing quotes.

pool report #6a/ Russia speech now expected to start at 5

Per Meghan Hays the speech will start closer to 5. We'll still get a 2 minute warning.

pool report #6b/ 2 minute warning for Russia remarks

[APP Note: No additional text was included in this report.]

pool report #7/Russia remarks begin

President Biden entered the East Room at 4:56, walked to the presidential lectern, removed his mask and began speaking about his conversation on Tuesday with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and the sanctions and expulsions ordered in response to assorted bad acts.

Live coverage on whitehouse.gov/live etc

pool report #8/Biden remarks on Russia over

President Biden ended his prepared remarks after about 6 minutes, about 5:02 p.m. He took two shouted questions that may not have come across well enough on TV or online.

q1 Did Putin give you any indication in the call that he would change his behavior?

Biden reiterated that he has told Putin several times that "I would respond in kind" if Russia continued to meddle in US elections, threatened Ukraine etc.

"I hope that we can work out a modus vivendi."

q2 Why didn't you go with sanctions on Nordstream 2?

Biden: Noted that's an issue that affects US allies in Europe. "I've been opposed to Nordstream 2 for a long time... but that still is an issue that is in play."

POTUS left the East Room at 5:04. Pool holding for a bit.

Pool report #9/lid

Travel/photo lid declared.