Vice Presidential Pool Reports of January 16, 2023

VP pool report #1

Good afternoon. I’ll be your print pooler for the Vice President’s appearance at George Washington University this MLK day.

Pool is gathered at GW awaiting the VP.

Sending along the following:

On Background From a White House Official

The Vice President is visiting George Washington University to participate in their MLK Day of Service and Leadership. While at GW the Vice President will meet with volunteers and help put together academic kits for Jumpstart students.

The Vice President is joined by Department of Education Secretary Cardona, Michael Smith, CEO of AmeriCorps, and about 80 GW students, staff and volunteers.

VP pool report #2: VP remarks

Pool entered the hall at GW at around 1.30pm.

The staff and students were seated at roughly 14 circular tables in the hall.

The VP, seated next to Secretary Cardona, chatted to six students seated at her table at the front of the university hall.

The students at the VP's table were wearing grey t-shirts with "Jumpstart" written on the back, a program that partners with college students to serve in preschool classrooms in underserved communities.

The students appeared to be deeply engaged in conversation with the VP and Secretary Cardona, occasionally posing questions.

The hall paused for a group photo before the VP got to her feet to deliver remarks around 1.42pm.

Dressed in a dark brown suit jacket and light brown pants, she opened by saying: "Happy King Day everybody".

She said: "I'm here with Secretary Cardona… and we wanted to come here to thank you all and to highlight the work that you all have been doing."

She said: "Our table, we've been having a very extensive conversation about why each of you has decided to use your role as leaders to invest in the future of our country, through our children."

The VP said MLK Day was about "capturing the spirit of who he was and what he wanted", and a day "of service" to "work toward the ideals upon which our nation was founded, that we still have yet to achieve but we get closer each day when we believe in what is possible".

She said: "So in the spirit of Dr. King Day, I say thank you to all of you. I know when I look at the students here our future is bright. So keep doing what you're doing, our nation and our world are counting on your leadership."

The pool was ushered out of the hall at the close of the VP's remarks, around 1.47pm.

VP stayed to chat with students before leaving shortly after 2pm.

That's all from me today.