Pool Reports of January 5, 2025

In-town pool report #2 - gathering for bill signing

Pool and pre-credentialed press are in the East Room for the Social Security Fairness Act signing ceremony.

In-town pool report #3 - remarks

The ceremony started at 4:26 p.m.

The president walked in with Bette Marafino, the president of the Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans, who introduced him.

The president thanked Senator Susan Collins, who received a standing ovation, for supporting the legislation. He also thanked Senator Chuck Schumer, who was not present.

He said 2.5 million Americans will receive a lump sum payment to make up for benefits not received in 2024.

I said repeatedly if anyone tried to cut these programs I'd stop it.

In-town pool report #4 - signing/participants

The president signed the bill. The White House shared the follow list of attendees present:

Speaking Program

Bette Marafino, President of the Connecticut Chapter of the Alliance for Retired Americans
The President
Stage Participants
Acting Secretary Julie Su, Department of Labor
Secretary Xavier Becerra, Department of Health and Human Services
Senator Susan Collins (ME)
Former Senator Sherrod Brown (OH)
Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07)
Richard Fiesta, Executive Director, Alliance for Retired
Americans
Robert Roach, President, Alliance for Retired Americans
Carolyn Colvin, Acting Commissioner of the Social Security Administration
Dr. Kilolo Kijakazi, Deputy Commissioner for Retirement and Disability Policy of the Social Security Administration
Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Becky Pringle, President, National Educators Association (NEA)
Liz Shuler, President, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
Lee Saunders, President, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
April Verrett, President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Patrick Yoes, National President, Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
Jimmy Pasco, Executive Director, National Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
Everett Kelley, President, AFGE
Bette Marafino, President, Connecticut Chapter of the Alliance for Retired Americans
Attendees
Senator Ron Wyden (OR)
Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Senator Ed Markey (MA)
Senator Bill Cassidy (LA)
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (NV)
Senator Tina Smith (MN)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Rep. Richard Neal (MA-01)
Rep. John Larson (CT-01)
Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03)
Rep. John Garamendi (CA-08)
Rep. Mark Takano (CA-41)
Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33)
Rep. Clay Higgins (LA-03)
Rep. Lou Correa (CA-46)
Rep. Lance Gooden (TX-05)
Rep. Troy Carter (LA-02)
Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13)
Rep. Julia Letlow (LA-05)
Rep. Mike Carey (OH-15)
Rep. Greg Landsman (OH-01)

In-town pool report #5 - brief gaggle

President Biden stayed after the ceremony for about 40 minutes taking pictures and conversing with guests. Before leaving he came over to speak to the press for about five minutes about the trip to New Orleans tomorrow and immigration.

On New Orleans:

There's nothing you can really say to somebody who has had such a tragic loss, and my message is going to be personal.
Immigration:

When I became president the numbers came way down, number one. Number two, we had a circumstance where I pushed very hard to bipartisan agreement to put more people on the border& and he's on the phone saying don't do it, don't do it, making me look bad.

Will share full audio momentarily.

In-town pool report #5b - other highlights

Filling in a few more quotes, regarding the Jan. 6 anniversary tomorrow:

I think it should not be rewritten, I don't think it should be forgotten, but I don't think we should- if you notice, I've reached out to make sure the smooth transition, we've got to get back to basic, normal transfer of power. I don't think we should pretend it didn't happen.

On the transition:

There's no problem with us, I think there's a problem internally with them& we've made ourselves available& On Trump/democracy:

I think what he did was a genuine threat to democracy, and I'm hopeful that we're beyond it.

In-town pool report #6 - reception

Pool is assembled in the state dining room for the president's remarks before a reception for new Democratic members of Congress.

In-town pool report #7 - remarks

The president stepped in at 7:02 p.m. and offered a warm welcome and some fond reflections on his early days in Congress. He told some stories about Senator Mike Mansfield and others taking him under their wing.

My advice to you is embrace the institution you serve. I really mean it, improve it - don't tear it down.

He talked again about the Jan. 6 anniversary, democracy being literally put to the test and the challenge of protecting it, drawing a lot of nods around the room.

He reflected on the world entering a truly new era, distinct from the post-Cold War period, and the importance of alliances and partners. He also spoke about knowing President Putin of Russia over 40+ years and the evolution he'd observed in Putin personally and Russia's posture toward the US.

He started wrapping up by lamenting the decline in civility in Congress, which he said was becoming especially evident while he was vice president, with the gigantic loss of bipartisan lunches and other gestures.

The single greatest loss we've had is that we don't know each other anymore, he said.

In-town pool report #8 - attendees

The White House shared the following list of participants:

Attendees

Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Senator Gary Peters (MI)
Senator Elissa Slotkin (MI)
Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33)
Rep. Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03)
Rep. Wesley Bell (MI-01)
Rep. Janelle Bynum (OR-05)
Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA-31)
Rep. Herb Conaway (NJ-03)
Rep. Maxine Dexter (OR-03)
Rep. Sarah Elfreth (MD-03)
Rep. Cleo Fields (LA-06)
Rep. Laura Friedman (CA-30)
Rep. Laura Gillen (NY-04)
Rep. Maggie Goodlander (NH-02)
Rep. Adam Gray (CA-13)
Rep. Pablo Jose Hernandez Rivera (PR)
Rep. Julie Johnson (TX-32)
Rep. Sam Liccardo (CA-16)
Rep. Sarah McBride (DE)
Rep. April McClain-Delaney (MD-06)
Rep. Kristen McDonald (MI-35)
Rep. Dave Min (CA-37)
Rep. Kelly Morrison (MN-03)
Rep. Nellie Pou (NJ-09)
Rep. Emily Randall (WA-06)
Rep. Josh Riley (NY-19)
Rep. Luz Rivas (CA-29)
Rep. Lateefah Simon (CA-12)
Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10)
Rep. Derek Tran (CA-45)
Rep. Sylvester Turner (TX-18)
Rep. Eugene Vindman (VA-07)
Rep. George Whitesides (CA-27)

In-town pool report #9 - lid

We have a lid for the day. Best wishes to all impacted by snow tomorrow.