Pool Reports of November 29, 2021

pool report #1 - CEO meeting background

Good Monday morning! Your pooler has been tested and call time is 11am. The briefing is scheduled for 1pm.

Passing along from the White House:

Today the President will convene a hybrid (in-person and virtual) roundtable with CEOs and leaders of major retailers, consumer products firms, and grocers. In attendance for the roundtable with the President:

Biden-Harris Administration Participants

• Brian Deese, Assistant to the President & Director of the National Economic Council
• Cedric Richmond, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor & Director of the Office of Public Engagement

Private Sector Participants

In person:
o Corie Barry, CEO, Best Buy
o Meg Ham, President, Food Lion
o KS Choi, CEO, Samsung
o David Rawlinson, CEO, Qurate Retail Group
o Carlos Castro, CEO, Todos Supermarket
o Josh Silverman, CEO, Etsy
o Ynon Kreiz, CEO, Mattel
o Rodney McMullen, CEO, Kroger

Virtual:
o Doug McMillon, CEO, Walmart
o Karen Lynch, CEO, CVS Health

Also on today's schedule:

EST

10:00 AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive the President's Daily Brief
Oval Office
Closed Press

10:45 AM THE PRESIDENT and THE VICE PRESIDENT receive a briefing from members of the White House COVID-19 Response Team on the latest developments related to the Omicron variant
Oval Office
Closed Press

11:00 AM In-Town Pool Call Time

11:45 AM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks to provide an update on the Omicron variant
Roosevelt Room
In-House Pool (Gather 11:30 AM – Brady Press Briefing Room)

2:00 PM THE PRESIDENT meets with the CEOs of companies in a variety of sectors to discuss the holiday shopping season and his Administration's work to move goods to shelves
EOP Library
In-House Pool Spray at the Top (Gather 1:40 PM – Stakeout Location)

3:45 PM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on his Administration's work to strengthen the nation's supply chains, lower everyday costs for families, and ensure that shelves are well-stocked this holiday season
South Court Auditorium
In-House Pool and Pre-Credentialed Media (Gather 3:30 PM – Stakeout Location) [RSVP here by 12:00 PM EST]

Briefing Schedule

1:00 PM Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki

pool report #2 - Omicron remarks background/ gathering

???Pool is gathering for the president's remarks on the Omicron variant.

Remarks were scheduled for 11:45am and we don't have an update on timing.

Remarks will be in the Roosevelt Room and streamed in the usual spot: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Passing along from the White House—

In attendance for the President's remarks providing an update on the Omicron variant:

Vice President Harris
Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the President

pool report #3 - 2 min warning

?2 minute warning for the president's remarks on the Omicron variant.

pool report #4 - Omicron remarks

Remarks ended at 12:10pm and then the president took 6 questions.

The remarks were live streamed but here are some excerpts:

"You have to get your vaccine, you have to get the shot, you have to get the booster"

Said the Omicron variant is not a cause for panic, but a cause for concern. ?

"We're going to fight and beat this new variant as well," he said, comparing it to the Delta variant.

"A fully vaccinated, boosted person is the most protected against COVID."

"As additional protection, please wear your masks indoors in public settings around other people."

In the event updated vaccinations or boosters are needed "we will accelerate their development and deployment with every available tool"

"We do not yet believe that additional measures will be needed"

He said his team is working with Pfizer, Moderna and J&J for contingency plans if needed.

"All of this is confusing to a lot of people… if you are vaccinated but still worried about the new variant, get your booster. If you aren't vaccinated, get that shot. Go get that first shot."

The president said on Thursday, he will put forward a detailed strategy to fight COVID this winter. He said it won't include lockdowns but instead vaccinations and testing.

"We can't let up until the world is vaccinated."

"We're throwing everything we can at this virus, tracking it from every angle"

He was asked about if other countries will be reluctant to report Omicron cases and if the US is doing anything to screen international travelers, which Fauci answered.

He was also asked about his comments that masks should be worn indoors, if lockdowns are off the table, if the White House is considering testing for domestic flights, and travel restrictions.

pool report #5 - 2 min warning to briefing

2 minute warning for the briefing.

pool report #6 - briefing begins

The briefing has started.

pool report #7 - gathering

Briefing ended at 1:55pm. The pool is now gathering for a spray of the president's meeting with CEOs.

The meeting was scheduled for 2pm in the EOP Library. It is a hybrid (in-person and virtual) roundtable with CEOs and leaders of major retailers, consumer products firms, and grocers.

pool report #8 - meeting with CEOs

At the president's meeting with CEOs, 8 CEOs sat at the table with Biden as well as Brian Deese, Director of the National Economic Council, andCedric Richmond, Senior Advisor.

POTUS delivered remarks and then Meg Ham (President of Food Lion) and Doug McMillon (CEO of Walmart) spoke.

POTUS filled the CEOs in on the Omicron variant and reiterated that Americans should get vaccinated and get the booster shot.

POTUS: "I remember and I think we all do, last year, families celebrating the holidays apart from one another or on video for fear of spreading a deadly virus. And this year, thanks to scientists, researchers, and doctors who developed the COVID-19 vaccines and the nurses and other frontline workers who saw to it that it was administered, many of them your employees in your stores, we're able to have a very different Thanksgiving... than last Thanksgiving. Reunited with friends and families and I think maybe most important, with a little more hope. A little more hope."

POTUS: "Consumer spending has recovered to where it was headed before the pandemic. Early estimates are that Black Friday sales were up nearly a third since last year and in store sales were up by even more than that."

POTUS: "We're hearing similar reports from Small Business Saturday, I don't have those numbers yet. And I'm sure some people watching us online are also doing a little Cyber Monday shopping right now and that's why I brought everyone together today."

He said he wants to hear from CEOs about what they're seeing this holiday season, how well prepared they are to overcome supply chain challenges, what challenges small businesses are facing, and how the federal government can continue partnering with them to get goods moving.

Biden asked Ham how much work Food Lion does with local farmers and asked her if there's any one product that was harder to get than others. She said there wasn't one particular one.

Putting the list of participants again here:

Biden-Harris Administration Participants

• Brian Deese, Assistant to the President & Director of the National Economic Council
• Cedric Richmond, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor & Director of the Office of Public Engagement

Private Sector Participants

In person:
o Corie Barry, CEO, Best Buy
o Meg Ham, President, Food Lion
o KS Choi, CEO, Samsung
o David Rawlinson, CEO, Qurate Retail Group
o Carlos Castro, CEO, Todos Supermarket
o Josh Silverman, CEO, Etsy
o Ynon Kreiz, CEO, Mattel
o Rodney McMullen, CEO, Kroger

Virtual:
o Doug McMillon, CEO, Walmart
o Karen Lynch, CEO, CVS Health

pool report #9 - supply chain remarks cancelled

Forwarding the updated guidance from the White House. Remarks on supply chains were scheduled for 3:45pm.

UPDATED:

The President will no longer deliver remarks following his meeting with CEOs. These remarks will be delivered on Wednesday, December 1.

pool report #10 - background from WH on cancellation

On background from a WH official:

The President held a pool spray with reporters at the top of the CEO event and wanted to ensure ample time spent with the business leaders who traveled to the White House today. The President will deliver additional remarks on Wednesday on the economy, supply chains and lowering costs for the American people.

pool report #11 - lid

Travel/photo lid called at 4:01pm.

Have a nice evening!

pool report #12 - passing along memo

Passing along from the White House--

** EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 AM EST, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30 **

BACKGROUND MEMORANDUM

TO: Out-of-Town Travel Pool

FROM: White House Press Office

DATE: November 29, 2021

RE: Background on BIL for the President’s Visit to Minnesota

Impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) on Minnesota

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will make a generational investment in Minnesota’s infrastructure and resilience.

Roads and Bridges:

· In Minnesota, there are 661 bridges and over 4,986 miles of highway in poor condition.

· Based on formula funding alone, Minnesota will receive$4.5 billion for federal-aid highways and $302 million for bridges.

Public Transportation:

· Minnesota residents who take public transportation spend an extra 50% of their time commuting. 11% of transit vehicles in the state are past useful life.

· Based on formula funding alone, Minnesota will receive$818 million to improve public transportation options.

Electric Vehicles (EVs):

· The U.S. market share of plug-in electric vehicle (EV) sales is only one-third the size of the Chinese EV market.

· Minnesota will expect to receive$68 million in formula funding alone over five years to support the expansion of an EV charging network in the state.

High-Speed Internet:

· 19% of Minnesota households do not have a home broadband connection.

· Minnesota will receive a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide access to high speed internet for every resident.

Water:

· Currently, up to 10 million American households and 400,000 schools and child care centers lack safe drinking water.

· Minnesota would expect to receive $680 million to improve water infrastructure in the state.

Resilience:

· From 2010 to 2020, Minnesota experienced 11 extreme weather events, costing the state up to $10 billion in damages.

· The law includes a $50 billion national investment in resilience to strengthen our infrastructure for the impacts of climate change.

Dakota County Technical College

Dakota County Technical College serves 2,900 credit students and 10,000 non-credit students through a partnership with nearby Inver Hills Community College. The mission of the college is to provide education for employment, and it offers hands-on learning through more than 50 academic programs across multiple disciplines. The campus also hosts technical education for high school students through programs including construction trades and heavy-duty truck technology.

The majority of jobs supported by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will not need a four-year college degree and the programs provided by community and technical colleges like Dakota County Technical College will provide the training and skill development needed to help workers access the jobs created by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Some of the infrastructure-related programs and specialties offered at the college include civil engineering, construction management, electrical construction and maintenance, electrical lineworker, and welding technology, all of which will be needed to implement the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. For example, electrical lineworkers will be needed to lay transmission lines across the country and upgrade our electrical grid to accommodate renewable power sources and be resilient to climate change and cyber threats.

Also, Dakota County Technical College hosts a number of transportation-related programs. Through a partnership with General Motors, the college trains highly skilled service technicians for GM dealers and AC Delco Professional Service Centers. The college also hosts the Minnesota State Commercial Driving Skills Center to recruit and train commercial truck drivers to meet current and anticipated industry demands for Commercial Drivers License (CDL) certifications. The college has a 2.8-mile Decision Driving Range for training CDL drivers, which is the only facility of its kind in the region, serving over 250 agencies, including law enforcement, fire, municipal road, and paramedic departments.

BIL and Build Back Better Agenda (BBB) Workforce Development

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, paired with the historic $24 billion investments in workforce development in the President’s Build Back Better Agenda, will prepare millions of workers for high-quality jobs in growing sectors and will help rebuild and transform the workforce. The vital workforce development investments in BBB puts community colleges, like Dakota County Technical College, at the center of America’s efforts to prepare the workforce of the future by building the capacity of community colleges to train millions of Americans for the high-growth jobs of the future. Some of these critical investments include:

· Community College Training Partnerships ($5 billion): Provides community colleges with resources to develop and expand high-quality workforce training programs through innovative partnerships between community colleges, local and regional employers, public workforce system entities, unions, and community-based organizations. A portion of these funds will be dedicated to community colleges in underserved communities, to create high-quality training pipelines for all Americans.

· The Sectoral Employment through Career Training for Occupational Readiness (SECTOR) Program ($5 billion): A comprehensive approach to workforce development that leverages public/private partnerships between industry, educational institutions, and worker groups to provide high-quality, training and needed wraparound services. It will create an ecosystem of industry partnerships, with community colleges as a central partner, that directly inform these large-scale training efforts and a stable forum for hiring skilled workers into growing, high demand sectors such as clean energy, manufacturing, education and caregiving. SECTOR will also prioritize training and comprehensive supports for dislocated workers transitioning to new careers and other underserved communities.

· BBB also includes foundational investments in the existing public workforce system and programs supporting underserved communities, such as Registered Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships, and adult education and literacy.