Pool Reports of March 1, 2022

Print pool report #1: Call time

Greetings from the White House.

There are no changes to the public schedule issued overnight. Your pooler will keep you posted if that changes and will be standing by for an 8:10pm call time.

Print pool report #2: Lunch lid

Called at 12:16 until 19:30.

Print pool report #3: Zelensky call

From a White House official:

President Biden held a call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine today and they spoke for just over 30 minutes.

Print pool report #4: The pool awakens

Good evening from the White House where the pool is reassembling after the lunch lid ended. Gather time is in about 40 min.

No further updates. You will have seen the excerpts and other bits and pieces coming out from White House.

Print pool report #5: Gathering

Pool is in vans at the back of an unusually long motorcade that has formed up beside the south lawn. Unlikely to be able to spot colour of POTUS's tie from here.

Just waiting to get on our way now for the Capitol.

Print pool report #6: Motorcade

Rolling from the south lawn at 20:32

Pooler could not see POTUS join motorcade

Ukrainian ambassador Oksana Markarova was spotted in the motorcade by an eagle-eyed pooler.

Print pool report #7: Motorcade arrives

At east side of Capitol at 20:38.

We passed a 'F*** Biden' flag just as we left WH gates. And then followed Penssylvania, which had Ukrainian flags besides DC and US flags - rather like a state visit, before swinging off left on to Constitution.

From the White House:

Staff accompanying the President, the First Lady, and the Second Gentleman to the Capitol:

Mike Donilon, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
Steve Ricchetti, Assistant to the President & Counselor to the President
Liz Sherwood-Randall, Assistant to the President & Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor
Louisa Terrell, Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs
Anthony Bernal, Assistant to the President & Advisor to the First Lady
Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
Vinay Reddy, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of Speechwriting
Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations
Stephen Goepfert, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President
Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director
Meghan Hays, Special Assistant to the President & Director of Message Planning
Zayn Siddique, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the Deputy Chief of Staff

The First Lady's viewing box guests are also traveling in the motorcade to the Capitol:

Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States
Joseph "JoJo" Burgess (Washington, Pennsylvania), New Employee Organization Trainer, United Steelworkers Local 1557
Joshua Davis (Midlothian, Virginia), 7th Grade, Swift Creek Middle School, Diabetes Advocate, and Shannon O'Leary Davis, Joshua's Mother
Refynd Duro (Galloway, Ohio), Progressive Care Unit Nurse, The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
Patrick "Pat" Gelsinger (Santa Clara, California), Chief Executive Officer, Intel
Frances Haugen (Iowa City, Iowa), Former Facebook Lead Product Manager on Civic Misinformation
Melissa Isaac (Mt. Pleasant, Michigan), Gizhwaasod ("Protector of the Young") at the Michigan Department of Education's Indigenous Education Initiative and Founder of Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (SCIT)'s Project AWARE Program
Danielle Robinson (Columbus, Ohio), Surviving Spouse of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson
Kezia Rodriguez (North Bergen, New Jersey), Student-Parent at Bergen Community College

Print pool report #8: designated survivor

Gina Raimondo, Secretary of commerce

A white house official confirms

Print pool report #9: holding

Your pool is holding in front of a TV in the Hall of Columns. We will be ready to pick up POTUS once the State of the Union has concluded. We won't have eyes on him now until then (if then).

Print pool report #10: FLOTUS sunflower - POTUS photo line

from White House

In a sign of support for the Ukrainian people, the FLOTUS has an embroidered appliqué of a sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine, sewn to the sleeve of her dress near her wrist.

Before his address, the President participated in a photo line with the Escort Committee:

Representative Steny Hoyer (MD-05), Majority Leader
Representative Jim Clyburn (SC-06), Majority Whip
Representative Katherine Clark (MA-05), Assistant Speaker
Representative Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08), Democratic Caucus Chair
Representative Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair
Representative Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-AL)
Representative Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), Republican Leader
Representative Steve Scalise (LA-01), Minority Whip
Representative Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Republican Conference Chair
Representative Mike Johnson (LA-04), Republican Conference Vice Chair
Representative Gary Palmer (AL-06), Republican Policy Committee Chair
Representative Tom Cole (OK-04)
Representative Victoria Spartz (IN-05)
Senator Chuck Schumer (NY), Majority Leader
Senator Pat Leahy (VT), President Pro Tempore
Senator Dick Durbin (IL), Majority Whip
Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI), Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Chair
Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), Steering Committee Chair
Senator Tammy Baldwin (WI)
Senator Mitch McConnell (KY), Minority Leader
Senator John Thune (SD), Republican Whip
Senator John Barrasso (WY), Republican Conference Chair
Senator Joni Ernst (IA), Republican Conference Vice Chair
Senator Roy Blunt (MO), Policy Committee Chair
Senator Chuck Grassley (IA), Judiciary Committee Ranking Member

Print pool report #11: Photo line

Pool is holding in vans while we wait for POTUS who is currently in a photo line with guests of FLOTUS

From White House:

The President and the First Lady are participating in a photo line with the First Lady's viewing box guests:

Oksana Markarova, Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States
Joseph "JoJo" Burgess (Washington, Pennsylvania), New Employee Organization Trainer, United Steelworkers Local 1557
Joshua Davis (Midlothian, Virginia), 7th Grade, Swift Creek Middle School, Diabetes Advocate, and Shannon O'Leary Davis, Joshua's Mother
Refynd Duro (Galloway, Ohio), Progressive Care Unit Nurse, The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
Patrick "Pat" Gelsinger (Santa Clara, California), Chief Executive Officer, Intel
Frances Haugen (Iowa City, Iowa), Former Facebook Lead Product Manager on Civic Misinformation
Melissa Isaac (Mt. Pleasant, Michigan), Gizhwaasod ("Protector of the Young") at the Michigan Department of Education's Indigenous Education Initiative and Founder of Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (SCIT)'s Project AWARE Program
Danielle Robinson (Columbus, Ohio), Surviving Spouse of Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson
Kezia Rodriguez (North Bergen, New Jersey), Student-Parent at Bergen Community College

Print pool report #12: Motorcade

Rolling from Capitol at 22:47. Pool did not see POTUS board the Beast.

Print pool report #13: White House

Motorcade pulled up beside the south lawn at 22:53. Pool did not see POTUS disembark.

Journey was fast but otherwise uneventful, past onlookers in places who held their phones in the air in the modern manner.

Print pool report #14: lid

travel/photo lid call at 22:56

Thanks everyone. The state of the pool is knackered

Print pool report #15: POTUS trip to Wisconsin, background embargoed

Attached and below is a background memo ahead of the President's trip to Superior, embargoed until Wednesday at 5:00 AM.

BACKGROUND MEMORANDUM

TO: Out-of-Town Travel Pool

FROM: White House Press Office

DATE: March 2, 2021

RE: Background on BIL for the President's Visit to Superior, Wisconsin

The Blatnik Bridge

The Blatnik Bridge is a bridge that connects Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin across the St. Louis Bay. This bridge is a critical link for the community and local economy with more than 33,000 vehicles travelling across the bridge each day.

Built in 1961, this bridge has deteriorated and is nearing the end of its usable life. Due to the bridge's condition, load restrictions have been instituted, setting the maximum weight of vehicles passing the bridge at 40 tons and prohibiting the passage of large trucks and other heavy-weight vehicles from travelling across the bridge.

The Blatnik Bridge represents a critical first- and last-mile connection to the Port of Duluth-Superior. The Duluth-Superior Port is North America's largest fresh-water, transportation hub for moving domestic and international freight. The port facilities trade across a wide range of industries, including agriculture, forestry, mining and manufacturing, construction, and power generation.

The Blatnik Bridge also represents a critical piece of infrastructure in the event of an emergency, as the bridge is the major route of egress between these two communities. The bridge played an important role in 2018 when there was a major explosion at refinery in Superior which caused widespread evacuations to the Duluth area.

If the Blatnik Bridge's main trusses (structural beams) are not replaced in the next 10 to 15 years, there will need to be more load restrictions, increased inspections, maintenance, and lane closures. Without intervention, this would eventually lead to the reduction to a single lane in each direction, followed by a full bridge closure, and finally bridge demolition. This outcome would have a profound impact on the local economy and the thousands of residents in the Duluth-Superior region who depend on this bridge on a daily basis.

Wisconsin has 979 bridges in poor condition and Minnesota has 661 bridges in poor condition.

Over the next five years, based on formula funding alone, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide Minnesota an estimated $4.8 billion and Wisconsin an estimated $5.4 billion for roads and bridges.

Wisconsin and Minnesota plan to dedicate some of their formula funds to replace the Blatnik Bridge. They also plan to apply for competitive grant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help fund this project.

Bridge Investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will deliver for Wisconsinites and Minnesotans by rebuilding roads and bridges and creating good-paying union jobs.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes a total of $40 billion in funding for bridge investments. This includes the $27.5 billion in bridge formula funding for states to repair, repair, and rehabilitate bridges. The President announced the first year of funding under this Bridge Formula Program in January. The law also includes a $12.5 billion for a competitive grant program, called the Bridge Investment Program, which is focused on replacing the most economically significant bridges in the country.

Regionally or nationally significant bridges could also be eligible for funding under additional Department of Transportation grant programs focused on major projects, including the "INFRA" program and "MEGA" program.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Duluth-Superior Region

The Duluth-Superior region is already benefiting from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's investments. In addition to the large sums of formula funding that has already been announced for Wisconsin and Minnesota, there are a number of other projects in the Duluth-Superior region that will be funded by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law:

• St. Louis River & Great Lakes Restoration Initiative: Earlier this month, the President and EPA Administrator Regan announced $1 billion of investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to accelerate cleanup and restoration of the Great Lakes. One of the largest beneficiaries of this funding is expected to be the St. Louis River Area of Concern which encompasses the Duluth-Superior region. The project will help to drain 3,634 square miles of watershed, thereby helping to improve water quality, protect coastal habitats, and support shipping and trade.

• Port of Superior & Port Infrastructure Development Program: In December, the Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded $8.4 million in funding to the Port of Superior through the Port Infrastructure Development Program. This funding will help to make critical infrastructure improvements to the port, which is a major cargo hub in the Midwest. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided an additional $2.25 billion to the Port Infrastructure Development Program. DOT recently opened the next round of applications for $450 million of funding through this program.

• Army Corps Projects: In January, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced $14 billion in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other funding to upgrade ports and waterways and improve climate resilience with over 500 projects across 52 states. Several of these projects will benefit the Duluth-Superior region, including a $12 million investment for the Duluth Harbor basin to reconstruct a dock wall and a $479 million investment to rebuild the Soo Locks which connect Lakes Superior and Huron and enable the passage of the nearly 7,000 vessels which pass through the locks annually.