Pool Reports by Catherine Lucey, The Wall Street Journal
Sent: | Reports: |
February 3, 2021 10:05 |
In Town Pool Report #1- Checking In Good morning from the White House. Your pooler has been COVID tested. President Biden was scheduled to join the House Democratic Caucus meeting by phone at 9:45 AM and will meet with Democratic Senators at the White House at 11:30 AM. There is a COVID briefing at 11 AM and Press Secretary Jen Psaki is scheduled to brief at 1:30 PM. |
February 3, 2021 10:37 |
In Town Pool Report #2 - Coons and Carper Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper of Delaware just spoke to reporters outside at the White House. They said they had just finished an hour long meeting with President Biden. Some quotes below and I've attached a recording: Carper said they spoke about the importance of getting the president's nominees confirmed, as well as Covid response and how to revive the economy. He said "the main thing is getting people vaccinated. The main thing is to put the coronavirus in our rearview mirror." He also said "to the extent we can work with our Republican colleagues, let's do that." Coons said they spoke about the president's conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and challenges in the US-Russia relationship, as well as the US-China relationship. On Covid, he described Biden as "relentlessly focused on delivering the relief that Americans need" and said it would come in "weeks not months." On prospect for compromise, Coons said "we did have a conversation about the direct payments and how those might be modified in a way to ensure they're targeted." But he said Biden is "not going to forget the middle class." |
February 3, 2021 10:41 |
In Town Pool Report #3 - Meeting Participants A White House official offers the following on President Biden's meeting with Democratic senators today: President Biden is meeting this morning with Leader Schumer and Senate Democratic Chairs of the Committees most involved in the drafting of the American Rescue Plan. Below is the list of attendees joining President Biden in the Oval Office – Senator Murray (HELP) and Senator Cardin (Small Business) are overseeing confirmations hearings and are not able to attend. Majority Leader Schumer |
February 3, 2021 11:02 |
In Town Pool Report #4 - Video of Coons and Carper Flagging this C-SPAN video of Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper earlier: https://www.c-span.org/video/?508623-1/delaware-senators-carper-coons-me... |
February 3, 2021 11:28 |
In town Pool Report #5 - Pool Gathering Pool gathered at 11:25 AM. The President was scheduled to meet with Democratic senators at 11:30 AM. |
February 3, 2021 11:53 |
In Town Pool Report #6 - Oval Office Pool entered the oval at 11:43 AM. President Biden was seated in front of a fire, next to the Vice President. Sen. Schumer was nearby and the other senators were seated. The President said "welcome everybody" and said it was "great" to be with old friends and called it their "new home" for a while. His comments were hard to make out. He did not offer any more statements. He did not respond to shouted questions about whether he would compromise on check eligibility. We were escorted out at 11:45. |
February 3, 2021 12:14 |
In Town Pool Report #7 - Additional Oval Quotes and Lunch Lid A more full quote on Democrats and one more comment on Republicans from the President after reviewing the TV feed. On Democrats: "With the grace of God and the goodwill of the neighbors and the crick not rising, it's going to be longer than just four years." On Republican support: "I think we'll get some Republicans." We have a lunch lid until 1 PM |
February 3, 2021 13:14 |
In Town Pool Report #8 Sen. Chuck Schumer came outside at about 1 PM with some of the Democratic senators and spoke briefly to reporters. He said it was an hour and a half long meeting with the president. "We had a long, serious, substantive meeting where we discussed many of the details of the bill that we have to put together over the next few weeks." He did not take questions. |
February 3, 2021 13:42 |
In Town Pool Report #9 - Two Minutes Warning We got a two minute warning for the briefing at 1:42 PM. |
February 3, 2021 |
In Town Pool Report #10 - Briefing Started [APP Note: No additional text was included.] |
February 3, 2021 14:29 |
In Town Pool report #11 - Briefing Ends The press briefing ended at 2:27 PM. |
February 3, 2021 15:27 |
In Town Pool Report #12 - Lid The White House called a travel/photo lid at 3:25 PM. |
Joseph R. Biden, Jr., In-Town Pool Reports of February 3, 2021 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/348871