Pool Reports of December 19, 2022

Out of town pool report #1 / rolling to DANG

Good morning from Wilmington, where the skies are partly cloudy and the temperatures just inched past 30 degrees.

POTUS is returning to Washington this morning where he has a meeting with President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador in the afternoon and a Hanukkah holiday reception in the evening.

Pool van joined the motorcade at 9:33am, exiting from POTUS' neighborhood and we are en route to Delaware Air National Guard Base.

Out of town pool report #2

After a quick ride through the roads of Wilmington, POTUS arrived at DANG at 9:42am.

(The motorcade slowed briefly at one point, and a state trooper motorcycle was tipped over on the ground. It was perhaps the result of an accident but not one caused by impacted by the POTUS motorcade)

POTUS was at a distance, too far for questions. Marine One lifted at 9:50am.

According to the WH, traveling with the President aboard Marine One:

Curtis Ried, Deputy Assistant to the President & National Security Council Chief of Staff & Executive Secretary

He is scheduled to arrive on the South Lawn at the White House at 10:20am and, with that, your out-of-town pooler is handing off to the in-town pooler.

And a quick thanks to co-pooler Zolan Kano-Youngs for good cheer and a second pair of eyes this weekend.

In-town pool report #1 gathering

Happy Monday from the White House, where the weather is sunny and a chilly 34 degrees.

The pool is gathering shortly for President Biden's arrival at the South Lawn.

Reminder below of the remainder of today's public schedule. Please note a press briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is also scheduled for 2:30 p.m.

EST

10:20 AM THE PRESIDENT arrives at the White House
South Lawn
Open Press

1:30 PM THE PRESIDENT hosts a bilateral meeting with President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador
Oval Office
Restricted In-House Pool Spray

7:00 PM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY host a Hanukkah Holiday Reception
Grand Foyer
Pooled for TV and Open to Pre-Credentialed Media

In town pool report #2

The White House informed the pool that the gathering time for President Biden's arrival has been pushed back to 10:35 a.m. It was previously 10:10 a.m.

In town pool report #3 arrival

Marine One was wheels down on the South Lawn at 10:48 a.m.

POTUS emerged from the helicopter at 10:51 a.m. and walked directly into the White House, without stopping for questions. He entered the building a minute later.

In town pool report #4 bilat

POTUS entered the Oval Office for his bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, at 1:43 p.m.

Pooler saw them sitting across from each other by the fireplace accompanied by two translators.

The President said: "Today we're going to keep building on the progress we've made. Together, we've made historic strides. This afternoon we will discuss our economic security and our economic partnership even further than it is now."

He added that the discussions will include investment programs that aid in security and the justice system. Lastly, he thanked Mr. Lasso for condemning Russia and Putin for the war in Ukraine.

Mr. Lasso said: "For us, this is a great opportunity to come here and reaffirm the democratic freedom and human rights values that we share."

Mr. Lasso added, "Without a doubt, yes, we have been allies for decades now. And I am here to reaffirm that theory that we share among us as allies in our fight for democracy, peace and justice — not only in the region but also to support your vision throughout the world."

POTUS did not answer questions from the press after the two leaders spoke. Pool was ushered out at 1:50 p.m.

From the WH:

U.S. Manifest
The President
T.H. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State
T.H. Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security
T.H. Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
T.H. Chris Dodd, Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas
T.H. Samantha Power, Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
T.H. Michael Fitzpatrick, Ambassador of the United States to Ecuador
T.H. Juan Gonzalez, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere, National Security Council
Interpreter: Ms. Irene Bruno

Ecuador Manifest
H.E. Guillermo Lasso, President of the Republic of Ecuador
H.E. Iván Correa, Secretary General for Public Administration
H.E. Juan Carlos Holguín, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility
H.E. Luis Lara, Minister for National Defense
H.E. Julio José Prado, Minister of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries
H.E. Diego Ordóñez, Secretary for State and Public Security
H.E. Gretty Vargas, Secretary for Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities
H.E. Ivonne A-Baki, Ambassador of Ecuador to the United States
Interpreter: Ms. Regina Rico

In town pool report #4 bilat CXN + #5 press briefing

The WH issued a 2 minute warning at 2:32 p.m.

Omitted two words from this quote:

The President said: "Today we're going to keep building on the progress we've made. Together, we've made historic strides on migration. This afternoon we will discuss our economic security and our economic partnership even further than it is now."

Please check against the transcript.

In town pool #6 Holiday Reception

Pool was brought into the Grand Foyer at 6:58 p.m. where POTUS and FLOTUS are hosting a Hanukkah Holiday Reception.

Guests filled the ornately decorated room that featured a menorah next to the podium, which was created by the White House Carpentry Shop. It also represents a new tradition: the first-ever WH menorah added to the WH collection and the first Jewish artifact to be added to the WH archives, according to the WH.

The reception comes one week after the President launched a national strategy to counter rising antisemitism. He convened a first-of-its-kind summit to combat hate-fueled violence earlier this year and secured the largest increase in federal funding ever for the physical security of non-profits, which include synagogues and Jewish Community Centers, according to the WH.

FLOTUS waved to the crowd and began speaking at 7:20 p.m.

"All around you are decorations inspired by you. We, the people. They're the first words of our Constitution and the heart and soul of our nation," Dr. Biden said.

A blessing and menorah lighting was conducted by Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker at 7:29 p.m. The crowd sang during the blessing, filling the room with their voices.

"Despite all the difficulties and all the struggle, we are here today to celebrate because, against all odds, Judaism has endured," Mr. Cytron-Walker said.

POTUS then began his remarks at 7:33 p.m. and invited three children to sit on the stage to his right.

"This year's Hanukkah arrives in the midst of rising and emboldened antisemitism — at home and around the world," he said. "I recognize your fear, your hurt, your worry that this vile and venom is becoming too normal."

He added that he wanted to make clear that As "silence is complicity. We must not remain silent."

The President began meeting people after leaving the stage around 7:45 p.m.

Here is an otter link:

https://otter.ai/u/OlNmeIrzrvKSMU0gzuuTR4lIZ4s

Also from the WH:

Participants in the program include:

1. Bronia Brandman - Holocaust Survivor and retired public-school teacher. The Presidentmet with Ms. Brandman in the Oval Office on January 27th 2022, in commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
2. Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker – former Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, currently the Rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
3. Ambassador Michele Taylor - U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Ambassador Taylor is the daughter and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors.
4. Avigael Heschel-Aronson - the granddaughter of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. This December marks the 50th anniversary of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel's passing.

The Hanukkah reception follows the first-ever High Holiday reception at the White House, which the President and First Lady hosted in September.

In town pool #7 lid

President Biden left the Grand Foyer at 8:02 p.m.

A lid was called at 8:09 p.m.

Foreign pool report #1 - Background

¡Hola a todos!

I will be your foreign pooler for the visit of President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador. The bilat is scheduled for 1.30 pm. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Meetings/calls:

This is the second bilateral between Biden and Lasso since both took office. It is the first bilat that takes place in the White House. They met on the sidelines of the Ninth Summit of the Americas in June in Los Angeles.

Lasso's visit today comes at Biden's invitation. Former senator Chris Dodd, Special Presidential Advisor for the Americas, extended Biden's invitation to Lasso during a trip to Ecuador on December 13th, the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre detailed in a press release on Friday.

Moreover, first Lady Jill Biden traveled to Ecuador, Panamá, and Costa Rica from May 18th – May 23rd, 2022, in advance of the U.S.-hosted Summit of the Americas. During her visit to Quito, the first lady delivered a speech emphasizing the Biden Administration's commitment to Ecuador and the region.

President Biden and President Lasso also talked on the phone on May 17th, 2022, ahead of the Summit of the Americas.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield led the U.S. delegation to Lasso's inauguration on May 24th, 2021. It was the first presidential delegation led at the Cabinet level of the Biden Administration. It was also Thomas-Greenfield's first trip abroad as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Priorities for the bilat:

One of the top priorities for Lasso is securing U.S. assistance to combat transnational crime. Drug-related violence prompted Lasso to declare an emergency in November in three provinces: Guayas, Esmeraldas, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas. Ecuador is located between the world's two largest cocaine producers, Colombia and Peru, and international cartels use Ecuador as a transshipment point to the United States, Europe, and other destinations.

Another topic at the top of the list for Lasso is trade. Lasso is on the verge of closing a free trade agreement with China after ten months of negotiations. The United States does not have a free trade agreement with Ecuador. Last week, Congress passed the United States-Ecuador Partnership Act of 2022 as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY23. Among other things, the bill seeks to expand economic and commercial ties between the U.S. and Ecuador.

Migration will also come up during the bilat. On Friday, John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said that the two presidents would discuss the bilateral and regional efforts to implement the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection, signed by 20 countries at the Summit of the Americas. Lasso has granted temporary status for Venezuelans living in Ecuador.

Another topic will be the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which Lasso has condemned. On Friday, Kirby mentioned that the two presidents would "explore opportunities for collaboration" once Ecuador assumes a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council starting January 1.

Schedule:
Lasso arrived in Washington on Sunday.
Monday

Lasso had a meeting at 9.00 am with members of the Americas Society / Council of the Americas.

After the bilat today with Biden, Lasso will meet at 3 pm with the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro. At 3.30 pm, he will participate in a meeting of the Permanent Council of the OAS and give a speech.

At 5 pm, Lasso has a meeting with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Samantha Power.

Tuesday

9.30 am - Meeting with CIA Director William Burns

11.00 am - Lasso will intervene in a debate organized by the Wilson Center, CSIS, Atlantic Council, and Interamerican Dialogue.

2.00 pm -Meeting with the president of the World Bank, David Malpass.

3.30 pm - Meeting with the president of the Inter American Development Bank, Ilan Goldfajn.

4.30 am - Meeting with the leaders of the Senate Foreing Relations Committee.

Wednesday – He will fly back to Ecuador.

Main members of the Delegation, per the General Secretariat of Communication of the Ecuadorian Presidency:
Ministers:

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility, Juan Carlos Holguín Maldonado.

Minister for Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries, Julio José Prado.

Minister of Defense, General Luis Eduardo Lara Jaramillo.

Secretaries

Secretary of the Public Administration, Iván Correa Calderón.

Secretary of Public Security and the State, Diego Ordóñez Guerrero.

Secretary for the Management and Development of Peoples and Nationalities, Gretty Vargas Sánchez.

Secretary of Communication for the Ecuadorian Presidency, Andrés Seminario Valenzuela.

Bio:
Guillermo Lasso, 67, assumed office on 24 May 2021. Lasso is Ecuador's first center-right president in nearly two decades.
His victory came in a moment of change for Latin America, with the political left resurging during the last two years in Chile (Gabriel Boric), Peru (now ousted Pedro Castillo), Honduras (Xiomara Castro), Colombia (Gustavo Petro), and Brazil (Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva).
At home, Lasso has concentrated his efforts on the pandemic and combating transnational crime. In June, he survived an attempt by opposition lawmakers to oust him in the context of protests led by indigenous groups against some of his economic policies and the increase in fuel and food prices.
Before his election, he worked for more than 50 years in the public and private sectors. He is the founder of Ecuador's Creating Opportunities (CREO) Party, for which he was the presidential candidate during the Ecuadorian presidential elections in 2013 and 2017. From 1994 to 2012, Lasso served as executive president of Banco de Guayaquil. He also served as governor of Ecuador 's Guayas province and minister of the economy.

Foreign pool report #2 - Lasso quotes

Both presidents were sitting next to another. The fireplace was burning.

The president of Ecuador Guillermo Lasso talked in Spanish.

Here are some of his quotes:

"This is a great opportunity to affirm those democratic values of liberty, and respect for human rights that we share with the glorious people of the United States."

"We were the first country in Latin America that condemn the Russian attack on Ukraine. We believe in multilateralism, we believe in the international rule of law, we believe that dialogue is the best formula to resolve differences."

I will send fuller quotes shortly. Please check against transcript

Foreign pool report #3 - Fuller Lasso quotes

Here is everything President Lasso of Ecuador said in the Oval Office. Please let me know if you have any questions

"Thank you very much, President Biden. For me too, it is a pleasure to be here visiting you after our very nice meeting in Los Angeles and the very pleasurable moments that we lived when your spouse Dor Jill Biden visited."

"This is a great opportunity to affirm those democratic values of liberty and respect for human rights that we share with the glorious people of the United States."

"Without a doubt, we have been allies for decades, and what I wish for is to reaffirm this spirit between allies to fight for democracy, peace and justice in our region, and also help the efforts of your government to fight for those values throughout the world."

"We were the first country in Latin America that condemned the Russian attack on Ukraine. We believe in multilateralism, we believe in the international rule of law, we believe that dialogue is the best formula to resolve differences". He said it was "very remarkable" to see a war after a pandemic.

He said there would be more opportunities to talk about other topics when the "friends of the press" leave.

Foreign pool report #4 - Quotes from Lasso at the end of the meeting

The President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, came out to the stakeout location around 3.20 pm, after the meeting with Biden. He spoke for 2 minutes. He only took one question. Reporters tried to ask more questions.

Lasso explained that the meeting with Biden lasted for about an hour. He said it was a "very close, very friendly, and respectful meeting."

He mentioned they talked about migration and the violence related to transnational crime in Ecuador.

I will send fuller quotes shortly.

Foreign pool report #5 – Full quotes from Lasso at the end of the meeting

Here are fuller quotes from the President of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso. He talked in the stakeout location for 2 minutes after the meeting with POTUS. He came out around 3.20 pm

He said that the main topics of the meeting were migration in the region, and violence related to transnational crime in Ecuador. Your pooler asked about trade, but President Lasso left and did not answer.

"We had the opportunity to talk with him (POTUS) about the situation of violence that our country is experiencing due to narcotraffic, organized crime, and the transnational criminal groups. We talked about those topics for an hour with President Biden. It was a very close, very friendly, and respectful meeting."

After a reporter asked about migration, Lasso confirmed that it was discussed during the meeting with POTUS.

"We have talked about migration and migration as a consequence of the economic problems of many countries in Latin America. We have ratified our commitment to continue supporting, as we have done, the migration phenomenon, especially (migrants) from Venezuela in Ecuador."

A reminder that Lasso has given temporary protected status to Venezuelans in Ecuador.

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That was it for today! It was a pleasure to be your foreing pooler. Please let me know if you have any questions!