Pool Reports of June 21, 2022

In-town pool report #1

Good afternoon --

Checking in ahead of today's call time of 1 p.m., which coincides with the scheduled start of the press briefing.

You will note from the daily guidance that the pool is scheduled to gather at 1:40 p.m., to travel to one of the DC Health COVID centers, so we could be looking at a truncated briefing.

And, per the White House: Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will be joined by John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications today at the press briefing.

In-town pool report #2 - briefing

Two minute warning for the briefing as of 1:05 p.m.

In-town pool report #3

The press briefing ended at 1:40 p.m. and the pool gathered for the trip to one of the COVID Centers operated by DC Health.

I will send along more details of the venue and the attendees when I have them.

The pool is now at the motorcade.

In-town pool report #4 - rolling

The motorcade departed the White House grounds at 2:12 p.m.

Background from the White House:

District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bower and DC Health have been strong partners in providing access to preventative and treatment measures for COVID-19 for all DC residents, including many vaccine clinics for children and adolescents. Their work has resulted in high levels of immunity among DC residents: about 95% of the vaccine-eligible population in DC have received at least one dose; about 76% are fully vaccinated; and of the fully vaccinated, about 41% have received a booster dose. Progress has also been noteworthy among children and adolescents. Among those aged 5-11, about 61% have received one dose, and about 41% are fully vaccinated, well-above national averages. Among those aged 12-17, about 95% have received at least one dose, and about 80% are fully vaccinated, making DC one of the leaders in the nation in vaccinating children.

Since January 2022, the District of Columbia has been operating walk-up "COVID Centers" in all eight wards of the District, offering all DC residents vaccinations, boosters, KN-95 masks, and take-home rapid antigen tests and PCR tests all free of charge. These COVID Centers are driving equity and accessibility in COVID-19 protections for DC residents, located in convenient, neighborhood-based locations and with evening and weekend hours for DC residents to make use of their free services.

Traveling with the President and the First Lady to the DC Health COVID-19 Center:

Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Anthony Bernal, Assistant to the President & Advisor to the First Lady
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
Karine Jean-Pierre, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary
Dr. Ashish Jha, Coordinator for COVID-19 Response
Marc Gustafson, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for the White House Situation Room
Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director
Meghan Hays, Special Assistant to the President & Director of Message Planning
Michael LaRosa, Special Assistant to the President and Press Secretary for the First Lady
Christian Tom, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Digital Strategy
Stephen Goepfert, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President
Jordan Montoya, Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady

In-town pool report #5 - arrival

At 2:22 p.m., the motorcade arrived at the COVID Center at the Church of the Holy Communion on Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE.

The pool is in a basement auditorium with a number of children and families. Some of the children are playing with yellow and red Duplos blocks while we wait

We are now holding for the president, but we anticipate a quick movement.

In-town pool report #6

The president entered the room at 2:30 p.m.

From the White House -

Greeting the President and the First Lady upon arrival at the DC Health COVID-19 Center:

Muriel Bowser, Mayor of District of Columbia
Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Director, DC Department of Health (DC Health)
Arsema Desta, Site Lead, Anacostia/Congress Heights COVID Center

Participating in the visit of the DC Health COVID-19 Center with the President and the First Lady:

Muriel Bowser, Mayor of District of Columbia
Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Director, DC Department of Health (DC Health)
Arsema Desta, Site Lead, Anacostia/Congress Heights COVID Center
DC COVID Center staff, including clinicians, nurses, a site, lead nurse manager, security, and cleaning crew
Families with children under 5 years old

In-town pool report #7 - event ongoing

The President and first lady, both wearing masks, have been greeting the children and families along with Mayor Bowser and other officials.

"Hey doc, she says she wants to be a doctor" POTUS said while carrying one of the young children.

The video cameras were invited across a rope line and should have better audio.

In-town pool report #8

The pool exited the church auditorium at 2:48 p.m., ahead of the president.

POTUS continued to greet the children throughout the visit, who had come to the site to get their COVID vaccinations.

While he spoke briefly to recognize the beginning of the COVID vaccinations for young children, he did not deliver formal remarks. Much of what POTUS said was barely audible given the commotion of a group of small children who appear to have just received vaccines.

We expect remarks to happen at the next event, once we are back at the White House. Motorcade is rolling from SE DC at 3:02 p.m.

In-town pool report #9 - back at the White House

The motorcade is back at the White House as of 3:13 p.m.

In-town pool report #10

The pool gathered at 3:36 p.m. for the president's remarks on the COVID vaccination efforts, entering the room at 3:38 p.m.

We are now waiting for the president. Remarks are scheduled for 3:45 p.m. and will stream at Whitehouse.gov/live. Will try to send a 2-minute warning.

In-town pool report #11 -two minutes

Two minute warning as of 3:51 p.m.

In-town pool report #12

POTUS entered the Roosevelt Room at 3:54 p.m., joined by a nurse from DC Health and Dr. Jha.

"This is a very historic milestone, a monumental step forward," Biden said.

"Elected officials shouldn't get in the way and make it more difficult," for parents to help get children vaccinated, the president said, calling it no time for politics to get in the way.

Biden started taking questions at 3:59 p.m., starting with a question on oil and then a question on a gas tax holiday.

In-town pool report #13 - question topics

President Biden took questions on topics including Chevron, the Senate gun proposal, gas taxes, COVID funding and foreign policy.

In-town pool report #14 - lid

The White House called a lid at 4:22 p.m. Will have one more report with some quotes from the Q&A with reporters.

Also passing along from the White House, earlier:

Joining the President in the Roosevelt Room for his Remarks on COVID-19 Vaccines for Children Under Five:

Dr. Ashish Jha
Arsema Desta, Site Lead, Anacostia/Congress Heights COVID Center

In-town pool report #15 - Q&A quotes

Here are some rough quotes of the highlights from the president's Q&A after the COVID remarks. They were on the livestream. Check against the tape and the transcript, please. And enjoy your evening.

POTUS was asked first about comments by the CEO of Chevron who had said the administration had vilified the oil and gas industry:

"He's mildly sensitive. I didn't know they'd get their feelings hurt that quickly," said Biden. "Look, we need more refining capacity. This idea that they don't have oil to drill and to bring up is simply not true."

"We ought to able to work something out whereby they're able to increase refining capacity and still not give up on transitioning to renewable energy. They're both within realm of possibility."

The president was asked about the potential effects of a gas tax holiday on infrastructure projects:

"It's not like before, look, it will have some impact, but it's not going to be the impacting major road construction and major repairs."

"I'm in the process, I'll have a decision before the week is out," he said of the possible gas tax proposal.

Regarding a possible conversation with the Chinese President in relation to any China tariff decision.

"I plan on having a conversation with President Xi. We haven't set a time yet."

On guns, he would not get ahead of any announcements from the Senate.

On COVID funding needs, the president said there was sufficient funding for getting children vaccinated for this year.

"We'll get through at least this year. We do need more money. But we don't just need more money for vaccines for children eventually. We need more money to plan for the second pandemic. There's going to be another pandemic."

"We need to plan ahead, and that's not something the last outfit did very well."

Biden said he was not "afraid" of the alliance supporting Ukraine against Russia fracturing.

But, he said, "I do think there at some point this is going to be a bit of a waiting game, what the Russians can sustain and what Europe is going to be prepared to sustain."