Pool Reports of February 4, 2022

POTUS Pool Report 1

Good morning,

I will be your slightly soggy pool reporter today. It's a busy and rainy day at the White House.

The president is set to speak at 10:45 am on the January jobs numbers, which exceeded expectations. BLS release is below.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf

Later, he's scheduled to deliver remarks and sign an executive order on project labor agreements at the Ironworkers Local 5 in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Vice President Harris and Labor Secretary Walsh will also speak at the event.

Both events will livestream on https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

POTUS Pool report 2

Gathering at 10:30 for Biden’s jobs remarks by the Palm Room doors.

POTUS Pool Report 3

Biden is running late to his job remarks in the State Dining Room. Will update when he starts speaking. No update from staff on start time.

Pool won't be transcribing remarks as they will stream here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

POTUS Pool Report 4

Staff advises 5 to 10 minutes for Biden's remarks to begin. Will stream here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/live

POTUS Pool report 5

Biden's remarks started at roughly 11:50.

POTUS Pool report 6

"America is back to work," Biden declared after January jobs numbers surpassed expectations. The report showed 467,000 nonfarm jobs were added in January and more than 6.6 million since Biden took office.

The president's remarks also touched on conglomeration in the meat industry and other sectors, which he blamed for high prices. "Capitalism without competition is not capitalism. It's exploitation," Biden said.

The president's speech began at roughly 11:50 am and concluded at 12:05 pm. He did not respond to shouted questions.

Full video of the remarks is available here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIlvJq-CeZE

POTUS Pool Report 7 - Briefing after Biden speech

The briefing will start after Biden's remarks conclude. So roughly now.

POTUS Pool Report 8 - Two min warning

Briefing starting soon.

POTUS Pool Report 9

Briefing ended at about 12:40. We’re departing for the Upper Marlboro event.

POTUS Pool Report 10

Motorcade is pulling out of the White House at roughly 1:04. We’re headed to Upper Marlboro, Maryland, where the president will sign an executive order on project labor agreements.

POTUS Pool report 11

Pool arrived at Iron Workers Local 5 in Upper Marlboro at roughly 1:33.

POTUS Pool Report 12

The Ironworkers Local 5 hall where Biden is set to speak is covered in American flags and signs that say "Made in America." Iron workers are seated near the stage and a few in hard hats are seated above on a structure with their legs dangling.

White House staff sends this info on the union member who will introduce Biden, Harris and Walsh and the elected officials in attendance:

Greeting the President, the Vice President, and the Labor Secretary is Ms. Cranita Jordan, a 4th year apprentice at Ironworkers Local 5.

Participating in a photoline with the President and the Vice President

Senator Ben Cardin (MD)
Senator Chris Van Hollen (MD)
Rep. Anthony Brown (MD-04)
Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks
Charles County Board of Commissioners President Reuben Collins II
Upper Marlboro Mayor Sarah Franklin
Maryland State Senator Joanne Benson (MD-24)
Maryland State Delegate Andrea Fletcher Harrison
Maryland State Delegate Jazz Lewis
Maryland State Delegate Faye Martin Howell

Remarks will stream here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

POTUS Pool Report 13- Upper Marlboro event starting.

The event in Upper Marlboro kicked off at 2:01. Biden, Harris and Walsh entered to applause.

Pool will not transcribe full event as it is streaming here:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

From White House staff, here is the run of show:

• Secretary Walsh delivers remarks and introduces the Vice President
• The Vice President delivers remarks and introduces Cranita Jordan
• Cranita Jordan introduces the President
• The President delivers remarks
• The President signs an executive order on Project Labor Agreements

In attendance for the remarks and executive order signing:

• Labor Secretary Marty Walsh
• Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm
• Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks
• Susan Fox, Senior Vice President, Walt Disney Company
• David Hardy, CEO, Ørsted
• Marco A. Giamberardino, Vice President, Government and Public Affairs, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)
• Mike Johnson, Senior Vice President, Kiewit Corporation
• Vicki Kramer, Business Development and Government Affairs Liaison, Kiewit Corporation
• Ms. Cranita Jordan, 4th Year Apprentice, Ironworkers Local 5
• Randy Gardner, Ironworkers Local 5
• Gary Armstrong, Ironworkers Local 5
• Jonathan Ramirez, Ironworkers Local 5
• Aaron Bast, Ironworkers Local 5

POTUS Pool Report 14

Walsh called the Biden administration the most pro-labor in history as he kicked off the event where Biden will sign an executive order expanding the federal government's use of project labor agreements for construction projects.

"It's always good to be in the house of labor," Harris said to cheers before transitioning to touting jobs numbers released earlier today. Harris said the nation's economic recovery continues to be "the strongest in the world."

POTUS Pool Report 15 - Biden's speech begins

Cranita Jordan, a fourth-year apprentice ironworker, introduced President Biden, who she called "a lifelong friend of workers like me."

Biden begins his remarks by recounting the story of the first union to endorse him and how when he went out to a job site there were workers sitting on an elevated beam like three of workers right now. "You're nuts," Biden jokes.

POTUS Pool Report 16

"You guys really are genuinely the best in the world. That's not hyperbole. That's a fact," Biden told the unionized ironworkers in the audience. He said adopting the project labor agreements for federal constructions will ensure safety, prevent problems and ultimately save U.S. taxpayers money. He said the executive order will "defuse problems before they arise."

Biden then moved onto discussing last week's Pittsburgh bridge collapse. "We can't count on miracles," he said noting that no one was killed in the collapse. "But we can count on the American worker," he added.

POTUS Pool Report 17

Biden has signed the order and the event is concluding at about 2:31.

POTUS Pool Report 18

Motorcade is leaving union hall at roughly 2:38. We’re headed back to the White House.

POTUS Pool Report 19

The motorcade has arrived back at the White House at roughly 3:09.

POTUS pool report 20

White House has called a lunch lid until 4:30.

POTUS Pool Report 21

The White House says there is a bad weather call that will prevent the president from taking Marine One to JBA. Instead, the president will take a motorcade to JBA. We'll be gathering at 5.

POTUS Pool report 22

The motorcade is leaving the White House for JBA at roughly 5:59.

Travel pool report #1 - JBA and departure

Hello from a rainy JBA. I will be your pooler this weekend.

The motorcade arrived at 6:21 pm

POTUS boarded at 6:25 pm

He saluted and waived at the top of the stairs but he did not engage with the pool.

We will be taking off shortly. We are on the small AF1 so I am sending this report before boarding due to the lack of connection.

Travel pool report #2 - Arrival at DANG

AF1 landed at 7 pm

The president exited the plane at 7:05 pm and went straight to his car.

The motorcade is now rolling.

Per the WH, the people traveling with him on the plane:

Traveling with the President on Air Force One:

• Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
• Curtis Ried, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs
• Stephen Goepfert, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President
• Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director

Travel pool report #3 - Residence and lid

After an uneventful ride the motorcade reached the Biden residence at 7:19 PM

We have a lid at 7:20 PM

Have a good night