Pool Reports of September 15, 2022

Pool Report 1/Gathering for Oval

Good morning from the White House, where the pool is gathering to head into the Oval Office.

Here's the schedule update:

Update:

In the morning, the President will greet the negotiators who brokered the railway labor agreement. This meeting in the Oval Office will have an in-house restricted pool spray at the top.

Then, the President will deliver remarks on the railway labor agreement. These remarks in the Rose Garden will be open press.

EDT
10:30 AM In-Town Call Time

10:45 AM THE PRESIDENT greets the negotiators in the Oval Office
Oval Office
Restricted In-House Pool Spray (Gather 10:35 AM– Brady Press Briefing Room)

11:00 AM THE PRESIDENT delivers remarks on the railway labor agreement
Rose Garden
Open Press (Gather 10:50 AM– Palm Room Doors)

Pool Report 2/Oval

President Biden was standing near the Resolute Desk when the pool entered the Oval Office at 11:06. I will share a list of meeting participants when we get it. He was telling his famous "Joey, baby" Amtrak story to a group standing around him.

Biden then addressed reporters to celebrate labor and rail execs reaching a deal to avert a strike.

Biden said, "It feels good... they should be home in bed... 20 straight hours and I want to thank business and labor."

The pool was escorted out of the room at 11:09.

Biden called into Labor Department-led talks around 9 pm last night to say a shutdown of railways was unacceptable, a White House official told the pool on background before we entered the Oval. Labor Secretary Walsh called WH at 2 am today to say there appeared to be a deal, the official said. Biden wasn't on that call. Walsh led 20 hours of negotiations in the final stretch, but Transportation Secretary Buttigieg also worked the phone during talks, the official said.

Biden was scheduled to deliver additional remarks in the Rose Garden around 11, but that event will be a little late.

Pool Report 3/2 minute warning

We have a two minute warning for President Biden's Rose Garden event.

Pool Report 4/Rose Garden

President Biden, joined by Labor Secretary Walsh, entered the Rose Garden at 11:20.

Biden called the railway labor deal "a big win for America" and a "win for tens of thousands of rail workers" and "their dignity." (Please check video for full quotes)

"This is a great deal for both sides," Biden also said.

Biden praised both labor and business leaders for continuing to work through the pandemic and described some details of the pact to avert a strike.

Union and business reps stood near the pool. One labor rep told us the group didn't sleep last night while in talks at the Labor Department and that he was pleasantly surprised to get invited to WH.

Biden finished speaking at 11:24. As he returned to the Oval, he answered a shouted question about grocery prices being up more than 13 percent this year. "Rail's moving and it's not going to go up," Biden replied.

Pool Report 5/Meeting participants

The White House shares the following:

Participating with a greet with the President in the Oval Office:

Negotiators

• Jeremy Ferguson, SMART-TD
• Mike Baldwin, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen
• Dennis Pierce, BLET
• Brendan Branon, National Railway Labor Conference
• Ian Jeffries, Association of American Railroads
• Greg Regan, Transportation Trades Department
• Liz Shuler, President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)

Administration Officials

• Secretary Marty Walsh, Department of Labor
• Deputy Secretary Julie Su, Department of Labor
• Lynn Rhinehart, Senior Advisor to the Secretary, Department of Labor
• Brian Deese, Assistant to the President & Director of the National Economic Council
• Celeste Drake, Deputy Director for Labor, National Economic Council

Pool Report 6/Lunch lid

We have a lunch lid until 1:15.

Pool Report 7/Briefing delay

Karine Jean-Pierre's briefing will now start around 1:45, the White House says.

White House Hispanic Media Director Luisana Pérez Fernández "will be joining the top of today’s press briefing to provide remarks kicking off the start of Hispanic Heritage Month," according to a note to the pool.

It's unclear if President Biden's 3:30 speech in the East Room (3:15 gather time for reporters) also will be delayed.

Pool Report 8/Briefing begins

Karine Jean-Pierre's briefing started at 1:52.

Pool Report 9/Gathered for event

The pool is gathered in a packed East Room for President Biden's "United We Stand Summit" speech scheduled for 3:30.

The event will be streamed on the White House website. https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Pool Report 10/2 minute warning

We have a two minute warning for President Biden's remarks.

Pool Report 11/Remarks over

President Biden entered the East Room at 3:38, joined by Susan Bro, the mother of Heather Heyer, who was killed in 2017 by a white supremacist in Charlottesville, Va.

Bro spoke about hate crimes before turning over the podium to Biden.

The president's remarks began at 3:45 and ended at 4:08.

Biden noted that the event was arranged after the mass murder of 10 black people in May at a grocery store in Buffalo, NY.

"White supremacists will not have the last word," Biden said.

Biden specifically attacked former President Trump's handling of the racial clashes in Charlottesville.

"When the last guy was asked, what do you think? He said he thought there were some fine people on both sides," Biden said.

"Unfortunately such hate fueled violence and threats are not new to America," Biden said. "There's a through line of hate from massacres of indigenous people to the original sin of slavery, the terror of the Klan to anti-immigration violence against the Irish, Italians, Chinese, Mexicans -- so many others laced through our history. And there's a through line of violence against religious groups: antisemitic, anti-Catholic, anti-Mormon, anti-Muslim, anti-Hindu, anti-Sikh. And look folks, that through line of hate never truly goes away."

The crowd gave a standing ovation when Biden said he wanted Congress to "hold social media companies accountable for spreading hate and fueled violence."

"I'm calling on Congress to get rid of special immunity for social media companies and impose much stronger transparency requirements on all of them," Biden said.

"We remain in a battle for the soul of our nation," Biden said, reprising terminology from his controversial recent anti-MAGA speech in Philadelphia.

Biden left the room at 4:13. Reporters were unable to ask any questions.

Pool Report 12/Dinner lid

We have a dinner lid until 7:40.

Pool Report 13/Rolling

The motorcade began rolling toward DC's convention center at 7:57 for the 45th Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Gala.

President Biden's remarks are scheduled to begin at 8:25 and will be streamed on the White House website.

Pool Report 14/Convention center

The motorcade arrived at DC's convention center at 8:05. The pool could see President Biden exit the Beast before we were escorted into the event, where hundreds (perhaps thousands) of guests are eating dinner.

The White House shares the following:

Traveling in the motorcade with the President en route Washington Convention Center:

• Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations
• Julie Rodriguez, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
• Emmy Ruiz, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of Political Strategy & Outreach
• Cara Abercrombie, Deputy Assistant to the President & Coordinator for Defense Policy and Arms Control
• Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations
• Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director
• Nathaly Maurice, Special Assistant to the President & Director of Partnerships
• Sheila Grant, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Presidential Speechwriter
• Alma Acosta, Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs

Pool Report 15/Remarks begin

President Biden began his remarks at 8:29. You can watch the speech live here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

And the White House provided the following information:

Greeting the President on arrival at the Washington Convention Center:

• Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute

Participating in a photoline with the President:

• Representative Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
• Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)
• Representative Albio Sires (NJ-08)
• Marco Davis, President and CEO, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Fellows
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Interns

In attendance for the President’s remarks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute:

• Representative Tony Cardenas (CA-29)
• Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13)
• Representative Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
• Representative Darren Soto (FL-09)
• Representative Norma Torres (CA-35)
• Representative Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
• Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
• Representative Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
• Representative Lou Correa (CA-46)
• Representative Jim Costa (CA-16)
• Representative Veronica Escobar (TX-16)
• Representative Ruben Gallego (AZ-07)
• Representative Chuy Garcia (IL-04)
• Representative Sylvia Garcia (TX-29)
• Representative Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15)
• Representative Jennifer Gonzalez-Colon (PR-At Large)
• Representative Raul Grijalva (AZ-03)
• Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (NY-14)
• Representative Linda Sanchez (CA-38)
• Representative Juan Vargas (CA-51)
• Representative Nydia Velazquez (NY-07)
• Representative Lori Trahan (MA-03)
• Representative Ritchie Torres (NY-15)
• Representative Teresa Leger-Fernandez (NM-03)
• Representative Jahana Hayes (CT-05)
• Representative Carlos Gimenez (FL-26)
• Representative Ilhan Omar (MN-05)
• Representative Robin Kelly (IL-02)
• Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
• Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-20)

Run of Show

Rep. Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
The President

Pool Report 16/Migrants quote

President Biden took the stage at 8:29 and led the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" to Rep. Nanette Barragán. He wrapped at 8:40.

Biden delivered some familiar lines, including asking dinner guests to take a seat if they had one. He then went through a series of policy items, mentioning education, healthcare and Puerto Rico's economic recovery.

He said "climate deniers lost" with passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which "offers Hispanic families thousands of dollars" via energy-efficiency programs.

And then he said this about GOP governors transporting migrants to Democratic areas:

"Republicans are playing politics with human beings, using them as props. What they're doing is simply wrong, it's un-American, it's reckless. And we have a process in place to manage migrants at the border. We're working to make sure it's safe and orderly and humane. Republican officials should not interfere with that process by waging these political stunts. It's long overdue for Senate Republicans to come to the table to provide a pathway to citizenship for Dreams, those on temporary status, farmworkers and essential workers. We need to modernize our laws so businesses get workers they need and families don't have to wait decades to be brought back together. It's time to get it done. That's why we have to win this off-year election."

Pool Report 17/Lid

The motorcade was rolling from DC's convention center at 8:45 and came to a stop at 8:52 on the White House driveway.

President Biden immediately entered the White House residence, though the pool didn't see him.

We have a travel/photo lid.