Second Gentleman Pool Reports of December 6, 2023

SGOTUS pool report #1 - Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable

Good afternoon. Pool is gathered in the Indian Treaty Room room for the Second Gentleman's remarks at the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable, scheduled for 2pm.

The White House team passes along the following background info ahead of the Roundtable:

Background note for the 2023 Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable

On background from a White House official: The Second Gentleman will deliver remarks at the 2023 Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable. Attorney General Merrick Garland and White House Counsel Ed Siskel will also deliver remarks. In his remarks, the Second Gentleman will highlight the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to expand access to justice by simplifying federal forms and expanding legal support.

In 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration restored the Department of Justice's access-to-justice function and reinvigorated the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable (LAIR). LAIR coordinates among 28 federal agencies to advance access to justice for individuals and families, regardless of wealth and status.

Remarks Program:
· Ed Siskel, White House Counsel
· Douglas Emhoff, Second Gentleman of the United States
· Rachel Rossi, Director of the Office for Access to Justice
· Merrick Garland, Attorney General of the United States
· Ed Siskel, White House Counsel
· Vanita Gupta, Associate Attorney General

SGOTUS pool report #2 - roundtable remarks

AG Garland and other program speakers entered at 2:07. The Second Gentleman entered at 2:08. He was wearing a navy suit and grey tie.

SGOTUS' remarks began at 2:09, he spoke at a podium. SGOTUS thanked the roundtable attendees— he noted the event was much bigger than it was last year. Your pooler estimated roughly 125 attendees.

He recalled his 30 years of work in the legal field saying, "One of the reasons I became a lawyer is because I hate bullies. It bothered me, this concept of injustice and I wanted to fight for justice. I could think of no other way to do it than this noble profession of being a lawyer. "

He said early in this administration "you could see the impacts of Covid" and the effects for Americans who were not able to access certain legal services. "Having lawyers was an issue of life and death in some circumstances," he added.

The Second Gentleman said one of the first things he, the Vice President and President Biden talked about upon entering office was reinvigorating the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable (LAIR).

He highlighted steps the Biden-Harris administration has taken to simplify legal processes and expand access to legal services for Americans.

"Today's new report shows how we are expanding access and improving Americans everyday experiences with client services," he said and told attendees that their work was "changing lives and in some cases saving lives."

Remarks ended at 2:19. SGOTUS took his seat next to AG Merrick Garland at the head of the round table.

The AG began speaking at 2:21. He noted LAIR's responsibility to increase meaningful access to justice for individuals and families and commended the group for its work to simplify legal processes.

AG finished speaking at 2:28.

Your pool was escorted out at 2:36.

Please check the tape for fuller quotes. Both SGOTUS and AG spoke softly and were hard to hear at times.

SGOTUS pool report #3 - Gun violence vigil

Your pool is setting up ahead of SGOTUS' remarks at the 11th Annual National Vigil for all victims of gun violence at St. Mark's Episcopal Church.

The vigil is being held in the main Nave of the church, with soaring ceilings and stained glass windows. Attendees of all ages are filing in as a slide show is playing on two video screens with photos of victims of gun violence.
Many in the audience are wearing t-shirts representing various anti-gun violence organizations.

The vigil will begin at 7pm ET, we are expecting the Second Gentleman to give remarks around 8.

The entire vigil will be live streamed at >https://www.stmarks.net/7th-annual-national-vigil-for-all-victims-of-gun...

On background from a White House official: Today, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff will attend and deliver remarks at the Newtown Action Alliance Foundation's 11th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence.

The Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic action to curb gun violence including dozens of executive actions and working with Congress to pass the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the most significant bipartisan gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years.

In September, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff joined President Biden and Vice President Harris as they announced the creation [whitehouse.gov] of the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The Vice President oversees the work of this unprecedented office as it implements and expands on the Biden-Harris Administration's critical work to reduce gun violence, keep communities safe, and save lives across America.

As Second Gentleman, Mr. Emhoff has traveled twice to the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, and has met with survivors from Uvalde and Highland Park at the White House.

Additional background about the Biden-Harris Administration's actions to reduce gun violence:
• In June 2022, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which enhances background checks for people under 21 by requiring an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, invests in mental health services, increases grant funding for implementation of state red flag laws (i.e., extreme risk protection orders), and protects domestic violence victims by closing the "boyfriend loophole."

• In March 2023, the President signed an Executive Order which improved regulation of gun dealers, including clarifying the definition of who is engaged in the business of dealing in firearms in order to increase compliance with the federal background check requirement for firearm sales; promoting extreme risk protection orders; and developing policies designed to ensure the prompt entry of ballistics data recovered in criminal investigations into the national database.

• The President has also signed more than two dozen executive actions to provide crucial funding and other authorities to help keep guns out of dangerous hands.

• The President and Vice President have repeatedly called on Congress to reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban, pass red flag laws, repeal the liability shield for gun manufacturers, and pass universal background checks.

SGOTUS pool report #4 - vigil remarks

The Second Gentleman entered the main hall around 7:55 just before Gabby Giffords stepped up to the podium to deliver remarks.

The room was packed, with several people standing in the wings as well. Your pooler noticed some audience members holding photos of loved ones, and a few wiping tears away as loved ones of victims of gun violence shared their testimony.

SGOTUS sat in the front row in the audience as Giffords, Faith Mata - whose 10-year-old sister was killed in the Robb Elementary School shooting, and ATF Director Steven Dettelbach gave remarks.

Dettelbach announced that this spring, ATF would host the first ever summit devoted to victims and survivors of gun violence. After finishing his remarks, he shook the Second Gentleman's hand and took a seat next to him.

SGOTUS took the podium at 8:26. He was introduced by Emma Ehrens, a survivor of the Sandy Hook shooting.

SGOTUS began his remarks by thanking Ehrens for her emotional testimony and said he would surely talk to the Vice President about her story.

"Unfortunately just today, UNLV, lives were lost. We don't know the entire story yet. lives were shattered."

"Thoughts and prayers are not enough, we need action."

He noted how the VP has described prosecuting cases where a person was murdered with a gun. "She's seen the effects of these weapons and she would say 'Lock these members of Congress in a room with those autopsy photos and then let them vote their conscience.'"

"It's not like we're looking for solutions, we have solutions," he said, calling for a ban on assault weapons and the passage of more red flag laws.

SGOTUS finished speaking at 8:35 and took his seat in the audience again.

Your pooler exited at 9:04. SGOTUS was still seated in the audience as countless other survivors and family members continued to line up at a microphone share their stories. The line snaked all the way to the back of the room and continued to grow.

Other notable speakers at the vigil included Rep. Maxwell Frost, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Sen. Chris Murphy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Please refer to the live stream and to taped remarks for fuller comments.

Goodnight!