Pool Reports of May 9, 2022

Travel pool report #1 - Rolling to DANG

Good morning from Wilmington.

Pool van joined the motorcade near the president's residence at 9:09am ET.

We’re rolling to DANG base.

Travel pool report #2 - DANG arrival

Motorcade arrived at the tarmac at DANG Base at 9:18am ET.

We briefly saw Biden board Marine One at 9:19am before we were escorted to our osprey.

Wheels up momentarily.

Travel pool report #3 - Staff with POTUS

Per WH: Traveling with POTUS on Marine One:

• Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
• Cara Abercrombie, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Defense

Handing off to in-town pool.

Pool report 1: Biden lands at 10:07am; gather at 9:55am

Good morning from a sunny DC! POTUS will land on the South lawn at 10:07am after a delayed departure from Delaware, per the WH. Gather for arrival at 9:55am at Palm Room Doors.

Pool report 2: POTUS arrival

Marine One landed at 10:10am. POTUS emerged at 10:13 in a blue suit, white shirt and light blue tie and headed to the Oval Office. He did not respond to a couple of shouted attempts at questions.

Pool report 3: Lunch lid until 1; 11:45 preset

The White House announced a lunch lid until 1pm and said preset for the 1:30pm Rose Garden event with POTUS and the VP will now be at 11:45 (originally 11:30).

Pool report 4: Pool gathers for Rose Garden event

Per White House instructions, the pool is gathering at the Palm Room doors at 1pm ahead of a Rose Garden event scheduled for 1:30pm with POTUS and the VP on "how the Biden-Harris Administration is lowering the cost of high-speed internet for millions of American families and expanding access through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."

For more details, check out a White House Press Office fact sheet sent out earlier with the subject line: "FACT SHEET: President Biden and Vice President Harris Reduce High-Speed Internet Costs for Millions of Americans."

Pool report 5: Biden Rose Garden event beginning momentarily; attendees

The White House says the Rose Garden event with POTUS and the VP on internet access will begin momentarily; attendees are taking their seats. A number of lawmakers are in attendance — pool has spotted 3 House Democrats from Michigan: Debbie Dingell, Dan Kildee and Elissa Slotkin.

Pool report 6: Harris remarks

POTUS, the VP and Alicia Jones — a beneficiary of the internet program — walked out close to 1:40pm.

Wearing a black suit and lilac top, VP Harris kicked off the event. Selected quotes:

"…in the 21st century access to the internet is essential to success"

"we have helped more than 11 and a half million households"

"when we connect people with high speed internet we connect them with opportunity"

Jones spoke about her son's success and story then introduced POTUS at 1:47pm.

Pool report 7: Biden remarks

Pool spotted additional attendees: Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and National Economic Council director Brian Deese; they sat in the front row with lawmakers. The total group was around five dozen, including representatives of industry (internet service providers).

POTUS began his remarks by thanking VP Harris for taking the lead on the admin's internet programs.

Selected quotes:

"High speed internet is not a luxury any longer"

"Expanding access is only part of the challenge— it was about affordability as well"

On the term ACP for the Affordable Connectivity Program: "I am so tired of acronyms — I can't stand it"

"This is a case where big business stepped up… I'm trying to get others to do the same thing on inflation" (laugh line)

POTUS called out AT&T's rep: "thank you, man"

To Comcast: "stand up, man" — "spectrum Verizon thank you thank you thank you"

"You cover about 80% the United States population including about half the rural population"

"We made sure there would be no hidden fees, no tricks, this is straight stuff… and it's going to change peoples lives from rural Appalachia to Brooklyn to the Black belt…"

"This is a great example of wot we can achieve when the federal government and the private sector work together to solve serious problems"

"This also means more jobs, more new small businesses"

He read out the number to call to find out if eligible and said: "if you got that you're way ahead of me" (laugh line)

"My top priority is fighting inflation … today'sannouncement is gonna give families a little more breathing room to pay their bills"

POTUS thanked Republicans, businesses, nonprofits

Closing his folder, he seemed to go off the cuff, saying data showed "mental health problems are becoming a serious problem (he closed book) — I really think that just knowing that you belong and knowing that you get what other people get" could help

"Thank you everybody and stick around and sunbathe" (it's a gorgeous warm spring afternoon here in the District)

Biden walked down to shake the hands of lawmakers to his right then went in within a couple of minutes; the crowd was still mingling when pool headed indoors at 2:18pm.

Pool report 8: Rose Garden attendees via WH

From the White House, guests at this afternoon's event included:

Approximately 175 members of the Biden-Harris Administration, Members of Congress, CEOs of major internet service providers, and beneficiaries of the Affordable Connectivity [Program]

· Senator John Hickenlooper (CO)
· Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
· Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-06)
· Rep. Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
· Rep. Dan Kildee (MI-05)
· Rep. Debbie Dingell (MI-12)
· Rep. Tom O’Halleran (AZ-01)
· Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08)
· Rep. Troy Carter (LA-02)
· Rep. Melanie Stansbury (NM-01)

Pool report 9: Heading to Lend-Lease Act signing in Oval

The pool gathered at 2:46pm to be led to the Oval Office, where Biden is set to sign the Ukraine Lend-Lease program into law.

A reminder on this program: it permits faster shipments of military equipment to Ukraine (with the cost deferred), is based on a WWII-era program to help Europe resist Hitler and was supported by nearly every member of Congress — though 10 House Republicans voted against it. It’s also being signed on the same day Russia commemorated its role in combating Hitler.

Pool report 10: Biden signs Lend-Lease Act

POTUS signed the Lend-Lease Act shortly after 3pm in the Oval Office. He did not take questions from the pool. He was flanked by VP Harris and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) on his right and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) on his left.

Selected quotes:

The U.S. supports Ukrainians "in their fight to defend their country and their democracy against Putin's brutal war"

"Every day Ukrainains fight for their lives... The cost of the fight is not cheap but caving to aggression is even more costly"

POTUS noted that yesterday was VE Day (marking the end of WWII) and today is Europe Day, the anniversary of the effort at European integration that produced the European Union. "It's something that is good for everyone," he said.

POTUS was talking to Slotkin and shaking her hand as pool left. Note that she served in the Obama administration before running for Congress.

Pool report 11: 2-minute warning to press briefing

Expect the briefing imminently, WH says.

Pool report 12: Departure for DNC fundraiser

The pool gathered at 5:15pm to head to a DNC fundraiser in Potomac, MD. Motorcade rolled out at 5:29pm.

Pool report 13: Arrival at fundraiser

After twists, turns and wrecking many commutes, the motorcade arrived at the location of the fundraiser in Potomac, Md, at 5:55pm.

Locals — some on bikes, others in their yards with their puppies — stopped to watch and film us.

Pool waiting outside to enter.

Pool report 14: Fundraiser details, color

Between 40 and 50 attendees are seated in a tent in the lawn of the large Potomac home, which belongs to Rep. David Trone (D-Md).

Pool spotted Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.); other attendees are a mix of mostly white, mostly middle-aged folks in business attire, with a couple wearing masks. No sign right now of POTUS.

Per WH, details of the event:

The President is attending a fundraising reception for the Democratic National Committee Fundraiser at the home of Congressman David Trone (MD-06) and June Trone.

Speaking program is as follows:

• Congressman Anthony Brown (MD-04)
• Senator Ben Cardin (MD)
• Congressman David Trone (MD-06)
• The President

Pool report 15: Brown/Cardin/Trone remarks

Lawmakers scheduled to speak before POTUS began to deliver remarks a couple of minutes after 6:30pm. POTUS was visible through a fence watching partway through Sen. Cardin's remarks.

Details and selected quotes:

Rep. Anthony Brown:

(dark suit, grey shirt and striped dark purple tie)

"We look forward to our continued work to build back better and you make it possible"

"We see more civility at least coming out of the White House"

"We've seen a steady hand" (on global affairs)

"We need the senate and partners in the senate to finish the job"

Sen Ben Cardin:

(blue shirt, maroon tie, loud applause to welcome him)

"I just want to thank you all for supporting the Democratic Party"

Offers greetings from Sen. Chris Van Hollen, noting he is working on his reelection and has his own event tonight

"We need to pick up a couple more seats in the Senate to have a comfortable margin for President Biden's agenda"

"There's only one party that wants to hold those responsible for January 6 accountable and that's the Democratic Party" (applause and a couple of audience members loudly saying Yes)

"Thank you President Biden for providing the international leadership for the global community to be united … to make sure Ukraine gets everything it needs to defend itself"

Notes that the infrastructure hill earmarked 238 million for the Chesapeake Bay program

"America was an embarrassment on the international scene as it related to Covid-19 — now it's a leader"

"We're going to build back fairer"

"We're going to elect a Democrat as governor of Maryland but we need your help"

"President Biden has understood this is a once in a generation opportunity"

"Give President Biden his due: we've created more jobs, we've done it in a fair way"

"We always appreciate your support, we don't take that for granted"

Rep. David Trone:

(loud applause as he walks in; dark suit, light blue shirt, green tie)

Says Anthony Brown "is going to be a fantastic Attorney General for the state of Maryland"
Thanks Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger

"Under President Biden's leadership, we're truly building a better America"

"The president brought a bold vision to Congress.. think about the change. Think about where we were two and a half years ago — it's a whole new world now, a world that has compassion, a world that has civility, a world that has competence"

"We're preparing to beat this one [COVID-19] but also beat the next mutation"

"How about judge Jackson?" (Cheers and loud applause)
"We've seen over the last couple of weeks how important that is to our long term success"
Says 5 of 7 judges who approved Roe v Wade were Republican and the court has lost the ability to be bipartisan

"We have to erase the stigma on mental health," thanks Biden for prioritizing the issue

Biden's priorities are those "we can all get our arms around… and bring back the America we had"

"I think the map is our map.. we can get 52 seats, that could change a lot in the Senate, and of course we need to hold the House"

Notable that only Trone mentioned Roe v. Wade — and only briefly — which many national Democratic groups are now making a major factor in election races nationwide.

A little color: burning braziers on the terrace here and some smoke coming into the tent, making folks' teary.

Pool report 16: POTUS Putin remarks

POTUS:

"I'm confident that Putin believed that he could break up NATO, that he believed he could break the European Union"

Calls Putin "very calculating" and says his worry is that he can't find out a way out of the Ukraine war

Pool report 17: POTUS SCOTUS remarks

"Remember I'm the guy that led the fight to keep Robert Bork off the court because Robert Bork refused to acknowledge there was any constitutional right to privacy… it's not just choice that's at stake here, so much more is stake"

Notes Grisworld v Connecticut

"If the reasoning of the court opinion that was leaked ends up being what the court opinion is… there's a lot at stake"

(Noted not certain that will be final opinion)

"They're coming for the right to vote"

(Noted his role in getting Strom Thurmond to vote for the VRA)

Pool report 18: More POTUS (on Republicans, midterms)

"We gotta start talking more about what these guys are talking about and so folks we need to control the House and Senate and we can do it"

Right now "you got 51 presidents" that could block any Biden legislative proposals

"I think there are at least 4 seats that are up for grabs that we could take in the Senate"

"Tell me anything they are for as a party, there's good Republicans… but today if you look at the leaders of the Republican Party, what is their agenda? It's not a conservative agenda"

"If we win, we have an opportunity to do such great things for this country, on the environment, on matters relating to health care, on matters relating to mental health, on matters relating to criminal justice"

POTUS concluded at 7:15pm. He said he'd answer questions; two male attendees, one in a purple turban, sprung out of their seats with hands raised. WH directed press to move back to motorcade.

Note on crowd size: WH estimates it was about 125. Apologies for the earlier undercount.

Pool report 19: Return to WH

POTUS spent nearly an hour at the event after his remarks before departing at 8:09pm for the WH.

Final local color: colleagues note that it appears to be trash night in this ritzy neighborhood.

Pool report 20: WH arrival

POTUS arrived back to the WH shortly after 8:30pm.

Pool report 21: lid called

The WH called a lid at 8:39pm.

Pool report 22: Additional POTUS voting rights comments

In response to folks' curiosity, some more of Biden's remarks about voting rights at tonight's fundraiser:

"And folks, you know, they're also coming for the, you know, the right to vote. I’ve never seen, I got involved in politics because my state of Delaware which not unlike Maryland has the eight largest black population in America…and the fact is that I’ve never seen such an onslaught. I was chairman of the Judiciary Committee for years in the Senate… and I thought I really had made it when I was able to extend the Voting Rights Act for 24 years and got Strom Thurmond to vote for it."