Pool Reports of March 3, 2022

pool report #1/The briefing will begin at 1:15pm

Briefing now at 1:15

pool report #2/heading toward Cabinet meeting

Pool has gathered.

Pool report #3/Biden on Ukraine

Pool entered Cabinet room at 2:10.

POTUS "We continue to impose very severe economic sanctions on Putin and all those folks around him..."

Banning travel to US by more than 50 oligarchs and their associates and sanctions on one of Russia's wealthiest oligarchs.

More tk

Pool report #4/Biden takes no questions

President Biden spoke for a few minutes. The pool was shooed out by wranglers at 2:15.

Many questions were shouted about Ukraine and Russia. The president said nothing.

In remarks he was reading from a folder in front of him he said the goal of "the severe economic sanctions on Putin and all of the folks around him" is "choking off access to technology as well as cutting off access to global financial institutions. It's had a profound impact already. The goal is to maximize the impact on Putin and Russia and minimize the harm and loss to our allies and friends around the world. Our interest is in maintaining the strongest unified economic impact campaign on Putin and all of his people. ... In the State of the Union address, I announced that the Department of Justice is going after the crimes of Russian oligarchs and lining their pockets with the Russian people's money while Ukrainian people are hiding in the subway."

"...Today I'm announcing that we're adding dozens of names to the list including one of Russia's wealthiest billionaires and I'm banning travel to America by more than 50 Russian oligarchs, their families and their close associates. And we're going to continue to support the Ukrainian people with direct assistance."

pool report #5/Cabinet meeting attendance list

From the press office...

Participating in the President's Cabinet meeting:

• Vice President Kamala Harris
• Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
• Attorney General Merrick Garland
• Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland
• Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack
• Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo
• Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh
• Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra
• Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge
• Secretary of Transportation Peter Buttigieg
• Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm
• Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona
• Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough
• Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas
• Environmental Protection Administrator Michael Regan
• Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Shalanda Young
• Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines
• U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield
• Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers Cecilia Rouse
• Administrator of the Small Business Administration Isabel Guzman
• Ron Klain, Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff

Staff

• Cristobal Alex, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Cabinet Secretary
• Kate Bedingfield, Assistant to the President & Director of Communications
• Brian Deese, Assistant to the President & Director of the National Economic Council
• Mike Donilon, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President
• Tina Flournoy, Assistant to the President & Chief of Staff to the Vice President
• Jen Klein, Deputy Assistant to the President & Co-Chair & Executive Director of the White House Gender Policy Council
• Mitch Landrieu, Senior Advisor & Infrastructure Act Implementation Coordinator
• Jen Psaki, Assistant to the President & Press Secretary
• Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
• Dana Remus, Assistant to the President & White House Counsel
• Steve Ricchetti, Assistant to the President & Counselor to the President
• Susan Rice, Assistant to the President & Domestic Policy Advisor
• Cedric Richmond, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor & Director of the Office of Public Engagement
• Julie Rodriguez, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
• Evan Ryan, Deputy Assistant to the President & Cabinet Secretary
• Gene Sperling, White House American Rescue Plan Coordinator & Senior Advisor to the President
• Jake Sullivan, Assistant to the President & National Security Advisor
• Neera Tanden, Staff Secretary and Senior Advisor to the President
• Louisa Terrell, Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs

pool report 4a/corrected Biden remarks on Ukraine

Terrible acoustics

This is much better transcript of the key points:

..."the severe economic sanctions on Putin and all of those folks around him, choking off access to technology as well as cutting off access to the global financial system. It's had a profound impact already. The goal was to maximize the impact on Putin and Russia and minimize the harm on us and our allies and friends around the world. Our interest is in maintaining the strongest unified economic impact campaign on Putin in all history and I think we're well on the way to doing that....

"In the State of the Union address, I announced that the Department of Justice is going after the crimes of Russian oligarchs… who line their pockets with Russian peoples' money while Ukraine and the people are hiding in the subway from Russian missiles that are being fired indiscriminately….

"Today I'm announcing that we're adding dozens of names to the list including one of Russia's wealthiest billionaires and I'm banning travel to America by more than 50 Russian oligarchs, their families and their close associates. And we're going to continue to support Ukrainian people with direct assistance."

pool report #6/gathering for bill signing

5:00 PM THE PRESIDENT signs into law H.R. 4445, the "Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021"; THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT deliver remarks; the Attorney General and the Secretary of Labor attend

Pool report #7/attendees for HR4445 bill signing

The East Room event is about to start. This will be livestreamed by the White House.

In attendance for the President’s signing of  H.R. 4445, the Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021:

• The Vice President
• Gretchen Carlson, journalist, author, and female empowerment advocate
• Attorney General Merrick Garland
• Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh
• Members of Congress, advocates, and survivors of sexual assault and harassment

Run of show:

• The Vice President/li>
• Gretchen Carlson
• The President

Pool report #9/bill signing event about to begin

East Room event is about to start.

Attendees were given black lapel pins that say "End Forced Arbitration."

Livestream

Pool report #10/event begins

Note: There was no report #8. You didn't miss anything.

President Biden, the VP and Gretchen Carlson entered the East Room at 5:41pm for a bill signing of H.R. 4445, the "Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021."

We are 41 minutes behind schedule.

VP has begun speaking.

Forced arbitration

Pool report #11/law signed ending forced arbitration

VP, flanked by POTUS and Gretchen Carlson, emphasized that the legislation invalidates existing mandatory arbitration agreements that have shielded corporations and deprived victims of sexual abuse

Carlson: "I can't think of a better way to kick off Women's History Month and by signing a bill that will make the workplace safer for millions."

"I'm here on behalf of the millions of American workers who up until today have been voices silenced for simply having the courage to come forward to say something bad happened at work. And in return, they got shunted into the secret chamber arbitration."

Biden began at 5:49.

"You went from speaking to millions to speaking to millions," he said to Carlson.

He asked four "courageous survivors" in the front row to stand. The lawmakers, Hill and White House staff and others applauded them.

He name checked a bunch of VIPs including "Pamela" Jayapal (referring to Rep. Pramila Jayapal.

"Some survivors will want their day in court and that should be their choice and nobody else's."

POTUS said he doesn't believe any worker should be bound by forced arbitration clauses in any circumstances, not just sexual assault and harassment, and supports legislation to make it so. "They should all be banned."

Both he and Carlson argued that this law also helps employers making it harder for abusers to stay on the job, which makes for a safer workplace.

At 5:58 he sat down and signed. "Now a law," he declared.

Event over. Guests mingling to the tune of "God Bless America."

Pool report #12/East Room color and lid

A lid was called at 6:24 p.m.

Per the White House, the four survivors in attendance the President recognized in his remarks:
Andowah Newton
Eliza Dushku
Lora Henry
Tatiana Spottiswoode

Sen. Lindsay Graham was among the first to depart the East Room after the president signed the law ending mandatory arbitration for victims of sexual assault and harassment.

Photographers saw Biden pull him over to the desk for the signing and caught some banter, like Biden saying get over here and joking that Graham would be hurt politically if seen with him, and Graham responding he wasn't worried. Those are not direct quotes but maybe they're audible on the event feed.

Biden stayed until 6:13 schmoozing and taking selfies. At one point Biden took a selfie--as in, phone in his right hand to take it--with actress Eliza Dushku in bright orange jacket and someone else pool couldn't quite see through the scrum.

Light jazz in the background, including one tune that sounded an awful lot like The Bear Went Over the Mountain.

At 6:11 Biden was chatting with Jayapal. VP was also still there.
AG Garland was still at the door to the Cross Hall as pool departed.

A string version of West Side Story "One Hand, One Heart" was playing as Biden left the East Room.