Pool Reports of January 23, 2021

In town pool report #1: Symone Sanders gaggle/lunch lid until 12

Good morning,

Reporters at the White House were COVID tested before the 8 am press call time. There are no open press events on the president's schedule today, and the White House has called a lunch lid until 12 pm.

In the 8 am hour after a television hit, Vice President Harris' chief spokeswoman Symone Sanders gaggled with press for about 5 minutes on the driveway. Highlights below, as always, please check against video.

What is the VP's role in the COVID relief talks:

"In advance of the president laying out the plan last week, the vice president picked up the phone and she called mayors of both parties across the country to review the legislative package, so she will surely be actively involved in selling this plan and gathering support. As you know, with the 50-50 Senate it is even more important to this administration, it's important to the president and it's important to the vice president, so unequivocally."

Will she be the president's meeting this afternoon/can she preview it: she said she could not.

"We are four days in -- the president, the vice president are four days in to their administration. And as I just recently spoke about, there are four converging crises, at least, that are affecting our country. And it's going to require bold action. You've heard the vice president speak about American aspiration Wednesday night in her first primetime address, following the president's remarks. And so they are very much so committed to doing everything they can to get relief for the American people that means early morning and that means working on a Saturday."

Blair House: "The vice president and the second gentlemen are currently staying, will take temporary residence at the Blair House. They moved in on Thursday, and are very grateful to the staff there at the Blair House, and they are living there while maintenance repairs are done at the vice president's residence at the Naval Observatory."

On whether the VP's office will add additional staff: "The president and vice president are intentional about ensuring that we are keeping folks safe. So a number of people are working remotely. We are all currently wearing masks as we're standing here talking. We're social distancing. So we want to make sure we're keeping people safe. But rest assured the work in the president's office and the vice president's office is absolutely getting done."

Calls to read out with senators on the stimulus package: she did not.

Harris relationships with GOP senators? Sanders brought up Harris' service on the Intel Community, saying "it is a committee that is rooted in bipartisan work." She said of Harris, "she holds a number of bipartisan relationships."

"Obviously, the president served in the United States Senate for an extremely long time, has a has a wealth of relationships. And I think the president's relationships coupled with the vice president's relationships will prove extremely, extremely valuable as we go about the business ,as they go about the business of truly building bipartisan support for these packages."

Sanders went on to talk about the relief package, saying that providing relief to families is not something the VP and president believe is a "partisan issue."

"Democrats and Republicans have already come together once in recent history in December to pass a stimulus bill, and the president and vice president believe that that was the first step. So they're going to be doing everything that they can to get this relief for American families over the line."

Details on the president's joint address to Congress? She said she did not and referred questions to the White House press office.

What is Harris doing today? "Working."

In-town pool report #2: travel/photo lid

At 4:43 pm, the White House declared a travel/photo lid. No further SAO sightings to share today. Enjoy your Saturday evening, everyone.