Pool Reports of March 11, 2021

Pool report #1: Good morning

Good morning from the White House - I'll be your print pooler today. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

No updates as of yet to the schedule that was released last night:

EST

10:00 AM In-Town Pool Call Time

11:30 AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the President’s Daily Brief

Oval Office
Closed Press

3:15 PM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the Weekly Economic Briefing

Oval Office
Closed Press

8:02 PM THE PRESIDENT addresses the nation on the anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdown

East Room
In-House Pool Coverage (Final Gather 7:40 PM – North Doors of the Palm Room)

Briefing Schedule

12:30 PM Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki

Pool report #2: Background on speech

You may have already seen this, but passing along on background from a White House official re: the president's speech tonight:

Today, on the one-year anniversary of the shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Biden will deliver his first primetime address. We expect the speech to run under 20 minutes. Below are a few of the focuses:

• The President will talk about the sacrifices made by the American people, the more than 500,000 lives lost, and the millions of people whose lives have been changed by the pandemic.
• He will speak about how this has been the greatest operational challenge the country has faced and the work his team has done to rapidly increase the number of vaccinations, vaccinators, and vaccination sites up and running.
• And the President will lay out the next steps he will take to get the pandemic under control, level with the American people about what is still required to defeat the virus, and provide a hopeful vision of what is possible if we all come together.

Pool report #3: Briefing moved up to noon

The press office just advised that the briefing with Jen Psaki will now be at noon.

Pool report #4: Briefing delayed

The press office has advised that the briefing is delayed and is not starting at noon. Awaiting an update on the new start time.

Pool report #5: POTUS to sign relief package today at 1:30

If you didn't see the latest White House guidance, the president now plans to sign the coronavirus relief package today at 1:30 instead of Friday afternoon:

UPDATED:

In the afternoon, the President will sign the American Rescue Plan in the Oval Office. The Vice President will also attend. This event will be pooled press.

EST

1:30 PM THE PRESIDENT signs the American Rescue Plan; THE VICE PRESIDENT also attends
Oval Office
Restricted In-House Pool Coverage (Final Gather 1:20 PM – Brady Press Briefing Room)

Briefing Schedule

2:00 PM Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki

Pool report #6: Lunch lid

A lunch lid has been called until 1:10 pm.

Pool report #7: Jen Psaki tweet on schedule change

Jen Psaki explained the schedule change on the bill signing in a tweet a little while ago. Signing event still planned at the White House on Friday.

https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1370068083986026503

Pool Report #8: Holding

As of 1:44 pm, pool is holding in the briefing room ahead of the signing, which the White House is streaming live here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

We should be on the move soon.

Pool report #9: Still holding

As of 2:01 pm, pool is still holding in the briefing room.?

Pool report #10: On the move

[APP Note: No additional text was included.]

Pool report #11: In Oval

As of 2:04 pm, pool is in the Oval Office awaiting POTUS.

Pool report #12: POTUS signs Bill

President Biden signed the bill at 2:09 pm. He was joined by Vice President Harris.

Partial quotes: Clear that an "overwhelming percentage" of the American people support the legislation

Says it is "about rebuilding the backbone of this country"?

Pool report #13: 2-minute warning to press briefing

Two-minute warning was announced at 2:16 pm.

Pool report #14: Briefing underway as of 2:19 pm

[APP Note: No additional text was included.]

Pool report #15: Briefing concluded at 3:20 pm

[APP Note: No additional text was included.]

Pool report #16: Dinner lid

We have a dinner lid until 5:50 pm.

Pool report #17: Attendees at tomorrow's Rose Garden event

The press office passed along this list of the members of Congress who will be attending the Rose Garden event tomorrow afternoon, which will feature remarks from POTUS and VPOTUS on the American Rescue Plan:

Leadership

• Speaker Nancy Pelosi
• Majority Leader Chuck Schumer
• Majority Leader Steny Hoyer
• Majority Whip Jim Clyburn
• Chairwoman Patty Murray
• Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow
• Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar
• President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy

Chairs of Relevant Committees

• Senator Bernie Sanders, Budget Committee Chair
• Senator Gary Peters, Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee Chair
• Senator Ben Cardin, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee Chair
• Senator Sherrod Brown, Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chair
• Congressman John Yarmuth, Budget Committee Chair
• Congressman Bobby Scott, Education and Labor Committee Chair
• Congressman Frank Pallone, Energy and Commerce Committee Chair
• Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Financial Services Committee Chair
• Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Oversight and Reform Committee Chair
• Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, Small Business Committee Chair
• Congressman Mark Takano, Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair
• Congressman Richard Neal, Ways and Means Committee Chair
• Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Appropriations Committee Chair
• Congressman Gregory Meeks, Foreign Affairs Committee Chair

Pool report #18: In East Room awaiting POTUS

Pool was escorted to the East Room at approximately 7:48 pm ahead of the president's address, which is being streamed at http://www.whitehouse.gov/live (among the many other ways the public will be able to tune in).

Pool report #19: POTUS talking

POTUS entered at approximately 8:01 pm and is now speaking.

Pool report #20: POTUS speech finished

POTUS finished speaking and exited at 8:25 pm after an address that lasted approximately 23 minutes. First Lady Jill Biden was among those who listened to the speech from the back of the room.

Pool report #21: Travel/photo lid

A travel/photo lid was called at 8:31 pm. Have a great evening!