Pool Reports of August 29, 2023

WH pool report 1 — brunch lid until 1230

Good morning all, and take your time, enjoy your breakfast crepes. The WH press office has announced a brunch lid until 1230.

WH pool report 2 -- Neera Tanden to appear at briefing

The press office informs pool that domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden will join press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre at the briefing, which is scheduled for 1300.

WH pool report 3 -- additional appearance at briefing

The WH press office has further announced that FEMA director Deanne Criswell is also appearing at the daily briefing, in addition to the guest detailed in WH pool report 2.

WH pool report 4 -- briefing 2-min warning

Was announced over the PA at 1301.

WH pool report 5 -- daily briefing begins

WH press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and domestic policy adviser Neera Tanden entered the room at 1303.

FEMA director Deanna Criswell is expected to join shortly.

WH pool report 6 -- FEMA director has arrived

FEMA director Deanna Criswell entered the briefing room at 1312.

Karine Jean-Pierre had said she was in the Oval Office with President Biden at the start of the briefing.

WH pool report 7 -- briefing ends, gathering for president's drug price event

Karine Jean-Pierre ended the briefing at 1357.

Pool and others are now gathering for the president's drug price remarks in the East Room.

Also, a previous report misspelled the name of the FEMA director. It is Deanne Criswell.

WH pool report 8 — holding in East Room - 2 min warning

Two minute warning was announced at 1415

Pool has been led into the East Room, where invited guests for the president's remarks have already been seated.

The stage is set up at the S side of the room, the lectern flanked by TV screens with the message "LOWERING COSTS FOR AMERICAN FAMILIES" and an image of a prescription bottle, its pills spilling out.

There are 11 rows of chairs, with 18 per row in the first half, and 10 in the second, with the TV riser set in the middle, directly in front of the lectern.

The president will apparently be reading his remarks from a single screen positioned just below the head on camera.

The speech is being carried live on the WH web site, and perhaps other places.

WH pool report 9 — Biden enters

The president entered the East Room at 1418.

The remarks are being carried live on the WH web site.

Per the WH press office:

In attendance for the President's remarks at an event on lowering health care costs:

The Vice President
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Administrator Bill Nelson, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Commissioner Robert M. Califf, Food and Drug Administration
Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Dr. Meena Seshamani, Director of the Center for Medicare at Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Health care advocates, health care beneficiaries, and administration staff

Speaking Program
The Vice President
Steven Hadfield, Inflation Reduction Act beneficiary
The President

WH pool report 10 — Biden remarks end

The president finished his remarks at 1442 after 18 minutes at the lectern.

"This was a long time coming."

"Boy, we've been fighting Big Pharma for a long time."

"I will never stop fighting for you on this issue."

Biden credited the Inflation Reduction Act for the enacting the changes in pricing his administration announced today for 10 drugs and chided "MAGA" Republicans for opposing it.

"We passed the Inflation Reduction Act with no help from the other team."

He said reducing prices on these first 10 medications will help 9 million Americans.

"We're going to keep standing up to Big Pharma and we're not going to back down."

Biden then began boasting of the improvements in the economy since he took office, with more jobs now than before the pandemic.

"Inflation is now down two-thirds."

"Bidenomics is just another way of saying 'restoring the American dream.'"

"As I've said a thousand times, there is no quit in America."

Biden, after stepping down from the podium, greeted guests in the first rows.

Biden was introduced by a North Carolina beneficiary of his prescription drug policy changes. He said he needed medicines that cost $16,000 a month to survive.

WH pool report 11 -- philadelphia trip resked to next week

The president's trip to Philadelphia, which had been set for Thursday, has been rescheduled for next week, Sept. 6.

Per the WH press office:

President Biden's travel to the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania has been rescheduled for Wednesday, September 6. Additional details to follow.

WH pool report 12 — holding on Oval spray

Pool is waiting to be led into the Oval Office for the meeting with the Costa Rican president.

WH pool report 13 — Biden says he spoke to DeSantis

The president said he spoke to Gov. DeSantis and assured him that he Florida would get all the help it needs.

Quotes coming ASAP.

WH pool report 14 -- quotes on hurricane

Responding to a question at the end of the photo spray about the hurricane approaching Florida, Biden said:

"I spoke to the governor last night, we're providing everything he could possibly need. We're in constant contact."

"We're worried about the surge, the ocean surge. We don't know exactly – hour to hour, we're watching this. But I told the governor, and the mayor, of the region that's likely to be hit first, that we're there as long as it takes, and we'll make sure they have everything they need."

Color from meeting coming.

WH pool report 15 -- color from pool spray

Pool was led into the Oval Office at 1601. President Biden and Costa Rica president

Rodrigo Chaves were seated in front of the fireplace, beneath the portrait of Franklin Roosevelt.

Biden thanked Chaves and Costa Rica for being allies and for all their "leadership with migration challenges" among other issues, including fighting organized crime.

President Chaves said it was an honor to be in the White House and that he agreed with Biden that "prosperity should be shared widely" and that both countries had challenges. He thanked Biden for letting Costa Rica be part of the "CHIPS Act arrangement."

The president then took a single question about the hurricane.

He ignored a question about how his campaign was going as pool was led out at 1605.

WH pool report 16 -- lid

The WH press office announced a lid for the night at 1728.

Have a good evening. Enjoy your leftover crepes.

Foreign Pool Report #1 - Background Ahead of Meeting with President Rodrigo Chaves of Costa Rica

¡Hola a todos!

I will be your foreign pooler for the bilateral meeting between US President Joe Biden and President Rodrigo Chaves Robles of Costa Rica. The meeting is scheduled for 3:45 PM. Chaves will make a stop at the stakeout after the meeting.

Meetings:
Today marks the first bilateral meeting between Biden and Chaves. It has been nearly 17 years since a Costa Rican President has met with an American President in the Oval Office. The most recent meeting of this kind took place on December 6, 2006, involving then-President George W. Bush (2001-2009) and Óscar Arias Sánchez, who held office from 1986 to 1990 and once again from 2006 to 2010.

While Biden and Chaves had not previously held a bilateral meeting, they co-hosted the second Summit for Democracy on March 29-30, 2023, alongside leaders from the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Zambia.

Schedule:
Chaves traveled to the United States on Monday following a meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro in San José.

Today, at 11:00 AM, he participated in an event at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), titled "Democracy Dividends: A Fireside Chat with Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves." At 12:30 PM, he is scheduled to take part in an event at the Costa Rican embassy in Washington DC for the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. National Cancer Institute. Following his meeting with Biden at 3:45 PM, Chaves will meet with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, alongside other senior figures from various institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Tomorrow, Wednesday, Chaves is scheduled to participate in a discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) alongside U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard R. Verma and other U.S. officials. Subsequently, he will engage with U.S. companies before departing for Costa Rica later in the afternoon.

Priorities for the Bilat:
At the top the agenda is migration. In June, Costa Rica and the United States agreed to open potential legal pathways to the United States for some of the Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants among the 240,000 asylum seekers already awaiting asylum in the Central American nation. Specifically, the two countries embarked on an initial six-month trial phase of the "Movilidad Segura" Offices—a program also launched by the United States in Colombia and Guatemala. This initiative aims to evaluate the eligibility of refugees and migrants for potential resettlement in the United States, Spain, or Canada. As per Costa Rican sources, Chaves intends to review the program's advancement with Biden and explore additional avenues for collaborative efforts in managing regional migration challenges. Worth noting: Costa Rica plays a pivotal role in migration dynamics—it has emerged as the primary sanctuary for Nicaraguans fleeing their homeland and simultaneously serves as a transit corridor for those who have traversed the Darien jungle while en route to the United States.

Another substantial topic on the agenda will be cybersecurity. The Biden Administration has introduced several initiatives aimed at bolstering Costa Rica's cybersecurity, including a $25 million package announced by the U.S. Department of State in March, pending congressional approval. In 2022, Costa Rica faced a series of ransomware attacks that impacted critical sectors such as the finance ministry, healthcare system, Social Security program, and transportation agency—resulting in delayed paychecks for government personnel and tax filings. The initial wave of attacks was claimed by the alleged Russian-based ransomware group Conti, while a subsequent series of attacks was attributed to a Russian gang known as Hive. Responding to these challenges, in May 2022, Chaves, who had just taken office, declared a state of emergency and sought assistance from the United States.

Security, in broad terms, is also an important component of the bilateral relationship, particularly in addressing transnational crime and narcotics trafficking. In February 2023, the United States donated $13.7 million worth of security equipment, including two unmanned aerial systems with three long-endurance Puma drones each, aimed at disrupting drug trafficking. According to Costa Rican authorities, the influence of Mexican drug gangs and increased cocaine production in Colombia have driven murders to unprecedented levels. In 2022, Costa Rica reported a record-breaking 656 murders, and the situation has further deteriorated in 2023, with a 42% increase in the murder tally during the first half of the year compared to the previous year, according to official data.

On the commercial front, according to Costa Rican sources, Chaves will discuss with Biden the opportunities to enhance economic ties and will underscore his interest in joining the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement (USMCA). The Costa Rican president first expressed this desire in a message sent to the White House last December. Since taking office, Chaves has been actively working to broaden the country's trade horizons and is making progress in plans to become a member of the Pacific Alliance. The White House has indicated that the two leaders will also address collaboration under the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity framework—an economic initiative for Latin America introduced by Biden during the 2022 Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles. The United States is Costa Rica's primary trade partner, making up 38% of imports and 42% of exports, according to the State Department.

Delegation Accompanying Chaves Robles at the White House, as per the Costa Rican Presidency.

• Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Arnoldo André Tinoco.
• Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United States, Catalina Crespo Sancho.
• Minister of Public Security, Mario Zamora Cordero.
• Minister of Science and Technology, Paula Bogantes Zamora.
• Minister of Foreign Trade, Manuel Tovar.
• Chief Of Staff Presidency, Gabriel Aguilar Vargas.
• Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Costa Rica to the United States, Linyi Baidal Sequeira.
• Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of Costa Rica to the United States, Mariana Rosales Aymerich.

Bio:
Chaves, aged 62, took office as the President of Costa Rica on May 8th, 2022, initiating his tenure for the period 2022-2026 following his victory in the February elections as the candidate of the newly established Social Democratic Progress Party (PPSD). Portraying himself as an anti-establishment technocrat throughout his campaign, he pledged to challenge the political elite that had maintained authority in the nation for the preceding four decades.

Prior to this role, he served as the finance minister under his predecessor, President Carlos Alvarado, from October 2019 to May 2020. Chaves held diverse positions across the globe during his almost three-decade tenure at the World Bank, until his departure following an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment, which he has repeatedly refuted.

Foreign Pool Report #2 - Costa Rican President arriving at the WH

The Costa Rican president is arriving at the White House. Your pooler couldn't see the arrival because we are already gathering for the Oval.

This marks an "official working visit," permitting the display of both Costa Rican and United States flags, alongside flags from various branches of the US Armed Forces and the 50 states.

Foreign Pool Report #3- Some quotes from bilat

When the pool entered, POTUS and President Rodrigo Chaves of Costa Rica were seated next to each other.

Chaves spoke in English, expressing his alignment with Biden's vision of economic "prosperity" and reiterating his commitment to the alliance with the United States.

"I can affirm to you, Mr President, that Costa Rica has been and shall remain one of the strongest alliances in the world regarding your economic and security interests, that are ours", Chaves said.

Following Chaves' remarks, both leaders shook hands.

POTUS answered to a shouted question.

Please check the quotes against the transcript. I will send fuller quotes momentarily.

Foreign Pool Report #4- Full quotes of Costa Rican president

Here is everything that President Chaves of Costa Rica said in the Oval Office. Please check against the transcript. Chaves will be stopping at the stakeout location after the bilat.

"Thank you very much president Biedn. For the people of Costa Rica, it is a great honor to be discussing with the leader of the United States of America.

I agree fully with your vision, the vision of the people of this great country, where prosperity should be shared widely, generated and shared widely, and that we have challenges to the generation of that prosperity and the quality of life of our people, including security.

And the work that the United States is making to make the supply chains safe, to keep your economic prosperity going uninterrupted by other outside events, I think is something that Costa Rica is proud to be part of. Thank you for making us part of the CHIPS Act arrangements.

I can affirm to you, Mr President, that Costa Rica has been and shall remain one of the strongest alliances in the world regarding your economic and security interests, that are our own. So it's a great pleasure to be here, sir. Thank you"

Foreign Pool Report #5- Stakeout 2 minute warning

Costa Rican officials say that president Chaves will come to the stakeout in about 2 minutes.

Foreign pool report #6- stakeout quotes

Chaves spoke in English and Spanish. If somebody needs the audio, please let me know.

In English, he said that he had a "very productive meeting" with Biden, and they talked about the "the importance of the US and Costa Rica to continue working together" in managing migration flows, security and the "shared vision of prosperity".

In Spanish, he said that the meeting lasted for one hour and 15 minutes.

I will send more quotes shortly. He answered some questions.

Foreign pool report #7- More quotes from the Costa Rican President, stakeout

Below are the responses to some of the questions answered by the President of Costa Rica at the stakeout location.

Migration: Chaves said the talked with Biden about the importance of understanding the nature of the phenomenon and managing the inherent structural challenges. He acknowledged that "it will take time" to resolve this matter.

Regarding the potential closure of Panama's border with Colombia to halt migrant passage through the Darien Gap, and whether Costa Rica would consider similar actions: He refrained from a direct response. Instead, Chaves highlighted the need for Latin Americans to grasp that individuals have "legitimate" reasons to leave their homes, emphasizing that the objective should be managing the migrant flow.

Addressing the situation concerning Daniel Ortega and the persecution of Catholics in Nicaragua: Chaves affirmed that Costa Rica stands as a nation of freedoms, emphasizing the significance of religious freedom.

Concerning the Guatemalan electoral registry's recent decision to suspend President-elect Bernardo Arévalo de Leon's Movimiento Semilla (Seed Movement) party: Chaves acknowledged learning about this news upon his arrival in the United States last night. He said he will "look into in consultation with his foreign minister. "We care about democracy", he added.

Responding to a question about China, which you pool could not entirely heard.- He refrained from providing a direct answer. However, he emphasized that people should recognize that the relationships between the US and Costa Rica are not isolated but are influenced by broader global connections.