In-Town Pool Reports of March 4, 2021

In town pool report #1 - Good morning

It's a sunny but somewhat chilly Thursday here at the White House. Today's schedule features a 12:45 p.m. press secretary briefing that will include VA Secretary Denis McDonough and a 2 p.m. infrastructure meeting with POTUS, VP, DOT Secretary and House members. The day should wrap up with a 5 p.m. POTUS call to NASA's Perseverance team to congratulate them on the Mars landing.

In town pool report #2 expected infrastructure meeting attendees

Passing along from White House . . .

This afternoon, the President, the Vice President, and the Secretary of Transportation will meet with a bipartisan group of members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Attendees from the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure :

• Chair Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
• Ranking Member Sam Graves (MO-06), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
• Vice Chair Sharice Davids (KS-03), Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
• Chair Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Highways and Transit Subcommittee
• Ranking Member Rodney Davis (IL-13), Highways and Transit Subcommittee
• Rep. John Garamendi (CA-03)
• Rep. John Katko (NY-24)
• Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01)

In town pool report #3 - lunch lid

We have a lunch lid until 12:35 p.m.

In town pool report #4 - 2 minute warning

Two minute warning for the briefing.

In town pool report #5 - gather

?Pool has gathered for the infrastructure meeting.--

In town pool report #6 - infrastructure meeting - POTUS says he's comfortable limiting direct payments

Pool was led into the Oval Office at 2:18 p.m. POTUS sat in one chair with the VP in a chair to his right, the transportation secretary to his left and members spaced out in front of them.

POTUS spoke briefly saying they were there to talk about "American competitiveness" and "what we're going to do to make sure we once again lead the world across the board on infrastructure."

Pool asked if he had reached out to Republicans on the COVID bill.

"I've been talking to a lot of my Republican friends in the House and the Senate and continue to do that," he said.

Last question from pool was "Are you comfortable with having to limit the direct payments?"

"Yes," POTUS replied.

Pool was ushered out at 2:20 p.m.

Pool report #7 - infrastructure meeting has ended and DeFazio quotes

White House advises the Oval Office meeting with the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ended at 3:25 p.m.

Your pooler ran into the committee chairman Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., walking out of the White House after the meeting and got a few quick quotes for those interested.

DeFazio said the meeting "went very well" and that the president is set on doing infrastructure.

"He wants to move as quickly as possible. He wants it to be very big and he feels that this is the key to the recovery package."

Did you guys make any progress on how to pay for it?

"We talked about it."

You talked about it, but did you get anywhere on it?

"I was encouraged by the discussion. I don't want to go into the specifics, but I raised it specifically."

Any other thoughts about the meeting?

"It's refreshing. Having sat with Donald Trump to discuss infrastructure and the difference between talking to Joe Biden about infrastructure and what goes into it and how we're going to get it done and Donald Trump is like, it's just a whole different world. It's way better."

In town pool report #8 NASA call background

Passing along from White House . . . .

This afternoon, the President will participate in a video call to thank and congratulate the team at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) who were involved in the successful landing of the Perseverance rover on Mars.

Background:
On Thursday, February 18, the President had a congratulatory call with NASA’s Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk. During that call, the President offered to speak with the broader team who worked on the Perseverance mission.

NASA Perseverance Team participants:

• Michael Watkins, Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Swati Mohan, Guidance and Controls Operations Lead, Mars 2020
• Luis Dominguez, Deputy Electrical Lead, Mars 2020
• Matt Smith, Spacecraft Systems Engineer and Researcher, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• Annalise Sundberg, Assembly, Test, & Launch Operations (ATLO) Systems Engineer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Additional participants:

• Approximately 80 JPL employees located in other operations rooms.
• An additional 6,000 JPL employees across the country have been invited to stream the call online.

In town pool report #9 - gather

Pool has gathered for the NASA call.--

In town pool report #10 NASA call starts

Pool entered Roosevelt Room at 5:03. POTUS sitting at a table with feed from NASA on screen in front of him. He's praising their work.

"It's astounding what you did."

Talking to (it seemed) Swati Mohan he says Indian Americans are "taking over the country."

In town pool report #11 - Fuller NASA call quotes and lid

Pool was at the edge of the room so please check quotes against transcript.

POTUS started off the call talking with Michael Watkins, Jet Propulsion Laboratory director.

"I tell you what, you did an incredible job," POTUS said.

POTUS asked if he was supposed to speak first or follow Swati (assuming this is Swati Mohan, guidance and controls operations lead, Mars 2020).

Sounded like Mohan then thanked POTUS for taking the time to talk to them.

"Are you kidding me? What an honor this is. This is an incredible honor. And it's amazing. Indian-of-descent Americans are taking over the country. You, my Vice President, my speech writer . . ."

Over the course of about ten minutes, Biden poured on the kudos and cast the landing as an important bright spot that's come at a rough time for the nation. More quotes:

"What you did, you restored a dose of confidence in the American people. They were beginning to wonder about us. They were beginning to wonder are we still the country we always believed we were. You guys did it."

"It's astounding what you did."

"One of the reasons why we're such an incredible country is we're such a diverse country."

"It's about the American spirit. You brought it back."

"We can land a rover on Mars, we can beat a pandemic and with science, hope and vision, there's not a damn thing we can't do as a country."

Pool was ushered out at 5:14 p.m. and a travel photo lid was declared moments after.