Pool Reports of March 18, 2022

In town pool report #1 - Xi video call started at 9:03 AM

From the White House press office:

President Biden's secure video call with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China convened at 9:03 AM EDT.

In town pool report #2 - Xi video call concluded at 10:53 AM

From the White House press office:

President Biden's secure video call with President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China concluded at 10:53 AM EDT.

In town pool report #3 - Pool gathering at 1:10 pm for health event

The White House has called for pool and pre-credentialed media to meet at the stakeout at 1:10 pm for a pool spray at the top of Biden's health research event.

The event is scheduled to start at 1:30 pm at the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across Executive Drive from the West Wing.

Here is White House description of the event: the President will meet with researchers and patients to discuss ARPA-H, a new cutting-edge health research agency that will accelerate progress on curing cancer and other diseases, medical innovation, and addressing disparities in health outcomes

In town pool report #4 - background info on Oval bill signings today

The White House passes along the information below about three bills Biden will sign in the Oval Office today. These signings are not on the public schedule and your pooler has not seen plans for press access to the signings at this point. They appear to be closed press.

On background from a White House Official:

Today in the Oval Office, President Biden will sign three bipartisan bills into law:

• H.R. 2497 – Amache National Historic Site Act, which will help preserve, protect, and interpret a site where civilians of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated during World War II at the Granada War Relocation Center
• H.R. 189 - John Lewis NIMHD Research Endowment Revitalization Act of 2021, which helps expand awards from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) for critical research into minority health disparities
• H.R. 1667 - Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act, which aims to reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals

The following individuals will join the President in the Oval Office for the bill signings:

Amache National Historic Site Act

• Senator John Hickenlooper (CO)
• Representative Judy Chu (CA-27)
• Representative Mark Takano (CA-41)
• Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory
• National Park Service Director Charles F. "Chuck" Sams III
• Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President and Asian American and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison
• Theresa Pierno, President and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association

John Lewis NIMHD Research Endowment Revitalization Act of 2021

• Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra
• Representative Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
• Representative Nanette Barragan (CA-44)
• Representative Nikema Williams (GA-05)
• Lawrence A. Tabak, Acting NIH Director
• Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable. Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act

• Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra
• Senator Tim Kaine (VA)
• Representative Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
• Representative Judy Chu (CA-27)
• Representative Susan Wild (PA-07)
• Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08)
• Dr. Rahul Gupta, Office of National Drug Control Policy Director
• Dara Kass, Regional Director, Region 2: NY, NJ, PR, US VI
• Rosemary Breen, Mother of Dr. Lorna Breen
• Jennifer Breen Feist, Sister of Dr. Lorna Breen, Co-founder of Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes
• Corey Feist, Brother in Law of Dr. Lorna Breen, Co-founder of Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes
• Charlotte Feist

In town pool report #5 - Biden remarks at health research event

Biden largely stuck to his brief prepared remarks and didn't answer questions.

Biden walked on stage in the South Court Auditorium at about 1:40 pm. Five desks were arranged facing the screen.

Biden walked over and shook hands with four people at the other desks and sat at one of them.

Biden spoke to the screen and participants for about three minutes on the creation of ARPA-H, a new health research agency designed to advance research into cures for cancer and other diseases and address demographic disparites in health care treatment outcomes. (The motto of the agency, according to the screens is "precent, treat, cure.")

Biden: "This week I signed into law a bipartisan government funding bill that demonstrated again to the American people that Democrats and Republicans and Independents can come together to do some big things. This bill includes something I've believed in for a long, long time - ARPA-H."

After Biden finished speaking, reporters shouted questions about his virtual meeting with Xi and the war in Ukraine. He did not answer. As the last reporters filed out, your pooler saw Biden look up at the other people on stage with him and say "any questions about ARPA-H?"

On the video screen as Biden came out were:

Dr. Stefanie Tompkins, director of DARPA

and

Brandon Prestwood, hand proprioception and touch interfaces patient

From the White House press office ---

In attendance for the President's meeting on Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H):

In-person participants:

• Dr. Alondra Nelson, Acting Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
• Dr. Francis Collins, Science Advisor to the President
• Dr. Dustin Tyler, HAPTIX (Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces) Researcher, Case Western University
• Dr. Lisa Cooper, Member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), Professor of Equity in Health and Health Care, Johns Hopkins University

Virtual Participants:

• Dr. Stefanie Tompkins, Director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
• Brandon Prestwood, HAPTIX (Hand Proprioception and Touch Interfaces) Patient

In town pool report #6 - White House photo of Biden video meeting with Xi

The White House provided a photo of President Biden's video meeting with China's President Xi Jinping today.

I've attached the photo to this email and this tweet.

In town pool report #8 - departure, no remarks

Biden walked out of the Oval Office at 5:05 pm, putting on his aviators.

He did not stop to answer questions from reporters. A few shouted questions: "How was the call with Xi?" "Is Xi trustworthy?"

Biden briefly broke into a jog on the South Lawn as he went over to the east side of the portico to greet a group of people outside to watch the Marine One departure.

He shook hands and took photos with those gathered there for a few minutes. At one point, Biden brought four people under the rope line and then walked them over to see the inside of Marine One.

Marine One lifted off at 5:16 pm. He is scheduled to spend the weekend in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

In town pool report #9 - info on Marine One travelers and family Biden invited to see inside Marine One

Passing this along from the White House press office ---

The family that joined the President briefly on Marine One was the family of Dr. Lorna Breen. They attended the bill signing of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act earlier today.

Traveling with the President on Marine One to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware:

• Cedric Richmond, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor & Director of the Office of Public Engagement
• Marc Gustafson, Senior Director for the White House Situation Room
• Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations

Out of Town Pool #1: Rohobeth Arrival

Happy Friday evening from Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where the president will be spending the weekend. It's a chillier-than-advertised 57 degrees.

Marine One landed here at Gordons Pond State Park at 6:09 p.m. President Biden stepped off the helicopter at 6:11 p.m. and the motorcade got rolling at 6:13 p.m.

Out of Town Pool #2: Lid

And a travel/photo lid was called 6:16 p.m.