Pool Reports of July 13, 2021

In-town pool report #1 - no schedule changes

Good morning from the White House, where it is very hot.

I'll be your in-town pool reporter today. It's my first-ever time doing pool duty so email me with any questions.

The White House says there are no schedule changes so far. The big event on POTUS schedule is his speech on voting rights in Philadelphia, set for 2:50 pm EST.

In-Town Pool Report #2 -- Olivia Rodrigo coming to White House tomorrow

The White House wanted to pass along that singer Olivia Rodrigo will be at the White House tomorrow. Here are the details.

From a WH official:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRRV4TOLw4R/

• Tomorrow, Olivia Rodrigo will come to the White House to meet with the President and Dr. Fauci and record videos about the importance of young people getting vaccinated, including answering important questions young people have about getting vaccinated.
• The Biden-Harris Administration is making a continued push to get more young people vaccinated, including working with schools, pediatricians, summer camps, and leveraging social media and celebrity influencers. Our work to reach young people where they are with information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, includes the President'sparticipation in the YouTube Town Hall with Dr. Fauci which drove millions of views to young people around vaccination efforts. Dr. Fauci has also participated in several Tik Tok QAs with young influencers. The Vice President hosted a meeting with dozens of social media influencers about the vaccines. The White House has worked with gaming platforms to elevate the importance of vaccinations.
• To build on this success, we are bringing multi-platinum recording artist Olivia Rodrigo to campus, one of the most popular singer/songwriters today, especially with young people.
• The videos will be featured on Olivia's channels (28M+ followers across all channels) and the White House social pages.

In-Town Pool Report #3 — Marine One Departure

Marine One Departed the White House South Lawn at 1:10.

POTUS didn't take questions but smiled and waved as he walked towards Marine One.

Handing off to out-of-town pooler. I'll rejoin you when POTUS returns this evening.

In-Town Pool Report #4 — traveling with POTUS

Per White House, traveling with POTUS to Philadelphia are:

• Mike Donilon, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
• Jen O'Malley Dillon, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
• Dana Remus, Assistant to the President & White House Counsel
• Cedric Richmond, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor & Director of the Office of Public Engagement
• Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations

Now handing off to out-of-town pooler. See you all later this evening.

In-Town Pool Report #5 -- AF1 Gaggle starting

The Air Force One press gaggle has started. It is available on White House Live and it is being piped in the briefing room.

In-Town Pool Report #6 — Marine One landed

Marine One landed on the South Lawn at 5:27.

POTUS didn't take any questions as he walked back into the White House.

In-Town Pool Report #7 -- Lid called

The White House has called a lid at 5:35. Have a great night everyone!

It was a pleasure being your pooler today. It was a fun first time as pooler.

Out-of-town pool report #1: Background memo

?Greetings from JBA?. I'll be your print pooler for the president's trip to Philadelphia.

The White House sends along this background memo ahead of the president's remarks.

BACKGROUND MEMORANDUM

TO: Out-of-Town Travel Pool

FROM: White House Press Office

DATE: July 13, 2021

RE: Background for the President's Visit to Pennsylvania

Worrisome Action on Voting in the States

• Despite forward progress in some states (e.g., VA, NV, NY, and KY), and successful defense against regression in others (e.g., gubernatorial vetoes in WI and PA), an alarming number of states (e.g., GA, FL, IA, MT, KS, AR) are erecting new barriers to voting, with additional serious barriers threatened elsewhere.
• A special session in Texas began on July 8, and Republicans introduced a bill that would place stringent new limits on options available for voting and would allow partisan poll watchers to undermine the nonpartisan administration of elections. On July 12, Democratic legislators attempted to block the bill by depriving the state legislature of a quorum for the second time.
• State-sanctioned actions like the sham "audit" in Arizona—where the legislature gave conspiracy theorists access to 2020 election ballots without consistent rules or supervision—have further eroded faith in the electoral process.
  
  • On July 7, a Pennsylvania state senator asked for records that may spark a copycat "audit" in Pennsylvania.

Supreme Court Action

• Recent U.S. Supreme Court cases have greatly weakened existing federal tools to combat regressive voting laws. In 2013, the Supreme Court gutted a provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) that, in jurisdictions with the most troubled histories, stopped discriminatory voting changes before they could take effect.
• On July 1, the Brnovich decision sharply narrowed Section 2 of the VRA, a provision that allows courts to stop voting laws with a discriminatory effect. The Court's decision increased both the burden on plaintiffs in such lawsuits and deference to states defending discriminatory laws.
• In the last few years, the Court has also limited the capacity to prove intentional racial discrimination, and has effectively shut federal courthouse doors to claims of undue partisanship. In light of this, it is now very difficult for private advocates—and even harder for the Department of Justice (DOJ)—to address current anti-voter legislation with existing tools. It is important to note, however, that federal legislation could restore the Voting Rights Act to its intended reach.

Federal Legislation

• President Biden strongly supports restoring the VRA through the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA), filed in the prior Congress as H.R. 4. Hearings to develop a record to withstand court scrutiny are underway.
• The President also strongly supports the For the People Act (H.R.1), which would:
  
  • Set some basic national standards for voting in federal elections, including early voting, voting by mail, and modernized voter registration;
  • Restrict partisan gerrymandering, as states draw new district maps; and
  • Reform campaign finance and basic ethical rules for federal officials.

President Biden's Actions on Voting Rights

• In March, President Biden signed an all-of-government Executive Order directing agencies to determine how they might better distribute voting information and increase opportunities to participate in the electoral process, including voters with distinct needs (e.g., people with disabilities, tribal communities, servicemembers, and individuals involved with the federal justice system). The White House is running an interagency process to ensure full implementation.
• To highlight the Administration's efforts, the President named Vice President Kamala Harris to lead a fight for voting rights in the public arena; appointed pathbreaking leaders with voting rights experience at DOJ, including Vanita Gupta and Kristen Clarke; and requested a 16% increase in funding for the Civil Rights Division in the Budget.
• These commitments are paying off: DOJ has made protecting voting rights one of its top priorities. On June 25, DOJ filed a VRA lawsuit against Georgia's new voting law. DOJ also directed all federal prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to prioritize prosecuting violent threats against election workers, and launched a cross-component task force to centralize reporting. DOJ's Civil Rights Division has doubled the size of its voting rights enforcement staff, with new hires currently coming on board. Additionally, DOJ will publish guidance explaining the civil and criminal statutes that apply to post-election audits and early voting and voting by mail. DOJ will also publish guidance on redistricting, in order to deter violations.

Out-of-town pool report #2: JBA departure

???Marine One touched down at JBA at 1:18 pm.

POTUS immediately boarded AF1. He waved to the pool but did not stop to take questions.

We are rolling shortly for Philadelphia.

Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle during the flight. The gaggle will be live streamed.

From the White House:

Traveling with the President to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:
Mike Donilon, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
Anita Dunn, Senior Advisor to the President
Jen O'Malley Dillon, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Dana Remus, Assistant to the President & White House Counsel
Cedric Richmond, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor & Director of the Office of Public Engagement
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
Karine Jean-Pierre, Deputy Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy Press Secretary
Vinay Reddy, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of Speechwriting
Meghan Hays, Special Assistant to the President & Director of Message Planning
Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director
Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations
Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber & Emerging Technology

Upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, the President will be greeted by:
Col. Matthew E. Jones, Commander, 89th Airlift Wing

Out-of-town pool report #3: Philadelphia arrival

AF1 touched down in Philadelphia at 1:54 pm. We are waiting for POTUS to deplane.

Karine Jean-Pierre gaggled during the flight.

Some highlights:

VP Harris will meet with Texas Democrats this week. No date or other details.

Unclear if Biden will meet with the Texas Dems. But he considers the Texas legislation an attack on democracy and believes if passed it would make it harder to vote.

On whether Texas Dems did the right thing by leaving the state: "He applauds their courage."

Out-of-town pool report #4: Leaving the airport

POTUS walked down the steps of the plane at 2:04 pm. He shook hands with the greeters and talked with them briefly. (Names are below). The pool could not hear the conversation.

We are rolling at 2:08 pm toward the National Constitution Center.?

From the White House:

Upon arrival at Philadelphia International Airport, the President will be greeted by:
Governor Tom Wolf
Mayor Jim Kenney, City of Philadelphia
Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-02)
Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03)
Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05)
Former Congressman Bob Brady, Chairman, Philadelphia Democratic Party

Out-of-town pool report #5: Arrival

Motorcade arrived at the National Constitution Center at 2:22 p.m. after an uneventful ride through Philadelphia. Bystanders stood along the sidewalk and took cell phone photos as the motorcade passed.

Pool did not see POTUS enter the building.

We are awaiting the start of POTUS' remarks, which will be live streamed. Your pooler will provide color from the event.

Out-of-town pool report #6: Event begins

POTUS took the stage at 2:45 p.m. to a standing ovation and loud cheers from the crowd. He is now speaking.

The stage is set up in what appears to be the atrium of the National Constitution Center. Roughly 200 guests are on hand for the remarks. Most are seated on the floor in front of and to the side of the stage. Other guests are standing on a stairwell leading to a mezzanine area.

Spotted in the crowd: the Rev. Al Sharpton, Rep. Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, Cedric Richmond and the president's sister, Valerie Biden Owens.

Out-of-town pool report 6(a): Crowd update

The White House sends along these details about the event. Note the crowd estimate is 300, not 200 as mentioned in previous pool report.

There are approximately 300 audience members at the President's remarks on the critical need to protect every citizen's right to vote and to have their vote counted, and on the urgent need for Congress to act. The audience is made up of local elected officials, national and local civil rights leaders, voting rights advocates, labor leaders and other. Notable attendees include:

• Governor Tom Wolf
• Attorney General Josh Shapiro
• Mayor of Philadelphia Jim Kenney
• Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL)
• Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-02)
• Congressman Dwight Evans (PA-03)
• Congresswoman Madeleine Dean (PA-04)
• Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05)
• Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Veronica Degraffenreid
• Pennsylvania Senator Vincent J. Hughes, Appropriations Committee Democratic Chairman
• Pennsylvania House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton
• Pennsylvania Representative Malcolm Kenyatta
• Commissioner Omar Sabir, City Commission of Philadelphia
• Commissioner Al Schmidt, City Commission of Philadelphia
• Reverend Al Sharpton

Out-of-town pool report #7: Event ends

POTUS wrapped up his remarks at 3:11 pm and is now shaking hands and chatting with members of the crowd. Pool cannot hear the conversation.

Out-of-town pool report #8: Filibuster

?POTUS worked the rope line for roughly 38 minutes after his remarks and was escorted out of the room at 3:53 p.m.

In response to reporters' shouted questions about the filibuster, he said, "I'm not filibustering now."

Motorcade is awaiting departure for the airport.

Out-of-town pool report #9: Motorcade departs

Motorcade is rolling toward the airport at 4:06 pm.

Out-of-town pool report #10: Back at the airport

Motorcade arrived back at the airport at 4:19 pm.

POTUS immediately boarded the plane.

We are wheels up shortly for JBA.

Out-of-town pool report #11: JBA arrival

AF1 was wheels down at JBA at 4:59 pm.

?Karine Jean-Pierre and Cedric Richmond came back to the press cab during the return flight. Richmond spoke off the record for several minutes.

We are waiting to deplane.

From the White House:

Upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, the President will be greeted by:
Col. Matthew E. Jones, Commander, 89th Airlift Wing

Out-of-town pool report #12: Marine One liftoff

POTUS walked down the steps of the plane at 5:10 pm and headed to Marine One. The chopper was wheels up at 5:16 pm.

Handing off to the in-town pool.

Special thanks to co-pooler Matt Viser of The Washington Post for his help in preparing these reports.

Have a good evening, everybody.