In-Town Pool Reports of March 31, 2021

In-town pool report #1: Good Morning!

Hello all.

I'm your in-town pooler for the day. The White House Covid-19 briefing has been pushed back from 11 AM to 11:15 AM. See below. No other updates to the schedule so far.

If anything changes, I will surely let you know. Hope you all have a great day.
--->

Today at 11:15 AM ET, the White House COVID-19 Response Team and federal public health officials will hold a press briefing to provide updates on the COVID-19 response effort.

Participants will include:

• Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Chief Medical Advisor to the President
• Andy Slavitt, White House Senior Advisor for COVID-19 Response
• Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

To join the briefing at 11:15 AM ET, please register HERE.

In-town pool report #2: Lunch Lid

A lunch lid has been called until 1 pm.

A reminder that POTUS is scheduled to depart the White House for JBA at 1:40 PM.

In-town pool report #3: Weather

Good afternoon,

WH reports "an INITIAL BAD weather call for the lift from the South Lawn to JBA today."

Final weather call will be made at 12:40 PM. I will circle back then.

In-town Pool # 5: CORRECTION on gathering time

White House corrects the gathering time for your pooler to 1:20 PM (not 1:40 PM) at North Palm Doors. Will let you all know when we're rolling.

In-town Pool #6: Motorcade

Motorcade is rolling at 1:58 PM to JBA. It's pouring.

In-town Pool #7: Arrived at JBA

POTUS arrives at JBA. The president exited the motorcade at about 2:25 PM and walked up to AF1 while wearing a tan coat and holding an umbrella.

FYI your pooler plans on sending comments from the AF1 gaggle (it will be streamed into the briefing room). Only reason for delay would be if the motorcade is not back at the WH in time. Will send when able.

Stay dry,

Zolan

In-town Pool#8: Link to Gaggle

The White House passes along this link to listen to deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre's press gaggle aboard Air Force One.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Also, forgot to mention that the drive to JBA was uneventful. We're now in route back to the White House.

In-town Pool#9: Two minute warning

2 minute warning for the AF1 gaggle. Follow along here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Your pooler is still in the motorcade en route to the White House.

In-townPool. #10: Gaggle quick recap (more TK)

Deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke for about 15 minute on Air Force One before someone else appeared to inform her at roughly 3:15 PM that the plane was beginning its descent.

Ms. Jean-Pierre answered questions on the president's infrastructure plan, the border, the Derek Chauvin trial and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's meeting with officials from Japan and the Republic of Korea this Friday in Annapolis, MD.

Ms. Jean Pierre also broke some news: President Biden will "convene his first full cabinet meeting just a day after rolling out his American Jobs Plan, which will be a key topic of discussion."

"The focus of the meeting will be working together to continue implementing and communicating about the American rescue plan and how it continues to deliver for working families, discussing the role Cabinet members will play in advocating for the American Job plan, and ensuring we accelerate our federal COVID-19 response, and that Americans don't let their guards down," Ms. Jean Pierre said.

The cabinet meeting will be held in the East Room to follow social distancing protocols.

Ms. Jean Pierre also previewed Mr. Biden's infrastructure plan. She broke the investment into four parts. "The first is how we move investments in our roads, bridges, rail and other elements of our transportation infrastructure," she said.

Another focus is on broadband, water, powering, housing and buildings. The third is investing in home and community-based care for older Americans and those with disabilities. Fourth is investing in manufacturing.

MORE TK

In-town Pool #11: Gaggle Q&A Part 1

Here are some of the more informative quotes. A reminder that a link is here to check quotes: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Q: On infrastructure...what has to be in there? What is he going to insist even as negotiations begin with the Hill must be included?

Karine Jean-Pierre: "This is a once in generation, right, type of, type of opportunity we have here," she said after saying polls support the investment in infrastructure. "This is about creating jobs. This is about creating millions of jobs for Americans."

"The American Rescue Plan, it was a plan to meet the moment, right? We were in an emergency. Now we're at a different moment," Ms. Jean-Pierre said.

Q: Is he prepared to push without Republican votes?

"This is something that he wants to have bipartisan support. He's willing to have those conversations with Republicans and clearly with his Democratic colleagues and really try to work this through because this is so critically important for the American people."

Q Does he have a timeframe on when he would like to get this passed?

"With this one, you know, it's gonna, it's gonna take some time and we're willing to like go with the process and have those conversations available which we were already having," she said. "We've been having those conversations with Republicans and Democrats. And so we're just going to see how far this goes."

Q Message to Dems who say it doesn't go far enough?

"He put this plan forward and now we're going to have that conversation with Democrats and Republicans and if they have something to propose we'll have those conversations with them as well."

Q How many millions of jobs will this create?

Doesn't have number. Noted second part of the plan will come soon.

In-Town Pool #12: Gaggle Q&A Part 2

Q: McConnel spoke to POTUS yesterday. Can you detail?

Karine Jean-Pierre: declines.

Q: Is he planning to have Republican leadership at the WH to discuss?

Jean-Pierre: "The last couple of weeks he had meetings with both Republicans and Democrats on infrastructure. And so there was outreach that was had. There's outreach that's done by staff as we know. So we're just going to continue that cadence and making sure we're reaching out and having those conversations because this is a critical bill for the president."

Q: Reporters got into one CBP facility. Conditions were bleak. Plan to alleviate overcrowding? By what point should conditions be better?

"A border patrol facility is no place for a child. And we have, we have been working around the clock in coordination with HHS to quickly move unaccompanied children out of these crowded border patrol stations and into the care of HHS so they can be placed with family members."

Jean-Pierre notes that ORR has placed staff inside BP facilities to expedite the process of matching them with sponsors. She says the administration also deployed FEMA to help identify and establish emergency shelters to hold the minors.

"We also developed and deployed a plan for HHS to move, to more quickly place unaccompanied children with family members. We are seeing progress but it's going to take time. But let me be clear we are putting out the message. 'the border is not open. People should not make the dangerous journey and we will continue to expel and families."

Q: Derek Chauvin. Is he watching the trial? Reaching out to family?

Nothing to read out on whether he'll reach out to him.

"It affected him in the way it affected so many Americans last year and he redoubled his commitment to advancing racial justice," she said.

Mentioned American Rescue Plan. "it had equity at the center of it."

When he signed racial equity EO, he said "Those eight minutes and 46 seconds that took George Floyd's life opened the eyes of millions of Americans and millions of people all over the world. It was the kneww on the neck of justice and it wouldn't be forgotten," she said.

"So he's watching just like millions of Americans are and we're keeping eye on them," she said.

Q: Why do infrastructure in parts? Are you less confident in Part 2?

Jean-Pierre: "There's multiple pillars. And one is not more important than the other. This plan, the American Jobs Plan, is critical as I've mentioned before and it's important and is an investment into the country."

"No one is more equal or better than the other. In a couple weeks he will, he will talk about the second part of this one."

In-Town Pool [WASHINGTON] #13: Gaggle Q&A Part 3

Q: NSC meeting with Japan/Korea?

Karine Jean-Pierre: It will take place at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

"National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan will welcome his counterparts from Japan and from the Republic of Korea for a trilateral dialogue at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. This trilateral meeting, which follows the visits of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Japan and the Republic of Korea provides an opportunity for our nations to consult on a wide range of regional issues, and foreign policy priorities, including maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and combating climate change."

"This meeting with Japan, Republic of Korea is the first national secretary advisor level multilateral lateral dialogue of the Biden administration, reflecting the importance we place on broadening and deepening our cooperation on key issues and advancing our shared prosperity across a free and open Indo Pacific."

Q: Is the Korea review done?

"We are in the final stages of our intensive multi stakeholder North Korea policy review. This has been a thorough interagency review of US policy towards North Korea, including evaluation of all available options to address the increasing threat posed by North Korea to its neighbors and the border in the international community. This process has integrated a diverse set of voices from throughout the government and incorporated inputs from, think tanks and outside experts, we have consulted many former government officials involved in North Korea policy, including several from the previous administration. So we look forward to discussing our review with the national security advisors of South Korea and Japan trilateral dialogue in Annapolis."

[Laughs].

Q: Would potus be open for some of this to be deficit spending? Is that something he's open to if Dems want?

"Well he believes this should be paid for, which is why he included this in his plan."

At this point it appears someone warns that the plane is landing.

In-Town Pool #14: Dinner Lid until 6 PM//Corrected Quote

We have a dinner lid until 6 PM.

Please also see the fixed quote below from Karine Jean-Pierre. In bold. Here's a recording of the audio: >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1HFmlw8Zao<

"A border patrol facility is no place for a child. And we have, we have been working around the clock in coordination with HHS to quickly move unaccompanied children out of these crowded border patrol stations and into the care of HHS so they can be placed with family members."

Jean-Pierre notes that ORR has placed staff inside BP facilities to expedite the process of matching them with sponsors. She says the administration also deployed FEMA to help identify and establish emergency shelters to hold the minors.

"We also developed and deployed a plan for HHS to move, to more quickly place unaccompanied children with family members. We are seeing progress but it's going to take time. But let me be clear we are putting out the message. 'the border is not open. People should not make the dangerous journey and we will continue to expel individuals and families."

In-Town Pool #15: Initial Bad Weather

We have been advised that there is an INITIAL Bad weather call. Pooler is told to gather in the press briefing room.

In-Town Pool # 16: Motorcade to JBA

Pool is gathered into vans and we're off to JBA at roughly 6:52 PM. Will circle back. --

In-town Pool #17: Confirmed bad weather call

At 7 PM, White House reports we have a FINAL bad weather call. Pool is en route to JBA.

In-town pool #18: POTUS in motorcade

The presidential motorcade began rolling from JBA at 7:47 PM. Your pooler will report back when we reach the White House.

In town pool #19: LID

Ride to the White House was uneventful. We arrived at 8:13 and a LID is called.

Thanks for joining me for my inaugural pool duty. Hope you all met deadline. Until next time!