Vice Presidential Pool Reports of June 2, 2023

VPOTUS Supplemental Pool Report #1 — checking in

Good afternoon, all.

I will serve as your pooler for today's visit from Vice President Harris and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to John R. Lewis High School in Springfield, Va. The event will be live-streamed at whitehouse.gov/live, and the Vice President's remarks are scheduled to begin at approximately 3:50 p.m. ET

Pool loaded into the vans at approximately 2:40 p.m. ET for the commute from the White House to our destination.

Please see the following background from the Vice President's office:

On Background from a White House Official
On Friday, to mark Gun Violence Awareness Day, Vice President Harris will travel to Springfield, VA to deliver remarks and highlight the Administration's actions to reduce gun violence. In her remarks, the Vice President will underscore the fear and trauma students, teachers and parents experience as a result of gun violence, make clear the broad support for common sense gun safety reforms, and call on young people to continue leading efforts to end gun violence and save lives. The Vice President's remarks come as the nation is impacted by an increase in gun violence, with more than 200 mass shootings and more than 14,000 causalities from gun violence so far this year (source).

The Vice President will be joined by Secretary Cardona and deliver remarks at John Lewis High School, which has faced shooting threats in recent months.

Excerpts from the Vice President's Remarks as Prepared

• "Today and every day in the United States of America: Parents should not have to pray after dropping their child off at school that they will be safe in class. They should not fear the worst every time they get a text or call from their child's school. Teachers should not have to start each new year instructing a child on how to barricade the classroom door. Kindergarten students should not have to practice lockdown drills and rehearse how to turn off the lights and hide quietly in a closet."
• "Weapons of war have no place on the streets of a civil society. Background checks and red flag laws are common sense because it is reasonable to want to know before someone buys a gun whether they have been found by a court to be a danger to themselves or to others. And by the way, most gun owners agree. Even the majority of NRA members support background checks for all gun purchases. Most people understand: It's a false choice to suggest we have to choose between either upholding the 2nd Amendment or passing reasonable gun safety laws."
• "To the young leaders here at John Lewis High School: John Lewis fought his whole life for civil rights. For all people. And I believe the right to be safe is a civil right. John Lewis was only 23 when he spoke during the March on Washington and he was 76 when he led a sit-in on the floor of the House of the Representatives to demand action to end gun violence. It is never too early or too late to join this fight."

The Vice President's Engagements on Gun Violence

• In April, Vice President Harris traveled to Nashville, TN to meet with the three state legislators who faced expulsion votes following demonstrations for action to prevent gun violence. The demonstrations were driven by a shooting at a private school that left six dead, including three children. The Vice President also delivered remarks at Fisk University. (Transcript)
• In January, Vice President Harris traveled to Monterey Park, CA and met with the families of the victims of a shooting at a Lunar New Year celebration that left 11 dead and others injured. The Vice President delivered brief remarks to press. (Transcript)
• In July 2022, Vice President Harris traveled to Highland Park, IL and visited the site of the July 4th shooting. There, Vice President Harris met with local officials and delivered remarks. (Transcript)
• In May 2022, Vice President Harris traveled to Buffalo, NY to attended the funeral of Ruth Winfield, one of the 10 people killed in the Tops grocery store mass shooting. She and the Second Gentleman also met with the families of other victims and delivered remarks. (Video of remarks at 1:55:25)
• In March 2021, the President and Vice President traveled to Atlanta, GA to meet with Asian American elected officials and community leaders following a series of shootings that resulted in the killing of six Asian American women. They also delivered remarks at Emory University on rising anti-Asian hate and gun violence. (Transcript)

Biden-Harris Administration Actions on Gun Violence

• In June 2022, President Biden signed 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; developing policies designed to ensure the prompt entry of ballistics data recovered in criminal investigations into the national database; and encouraging the Federal Trade Commission to issue a report analyzing how gun manufacturers market firearms to minors and use military imagery.
• 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, repeal the liability shield for gun manufacturers, and pass universal background checks.

The Vice President Record on Gun Violence

• As District Attorney, Vice President Harris implemented new policies to streamline and strengthen how the DA's office prosecutes gun crimes and created an inter-governmental task force to combat gun crimes.
• As Attorney General of California, Vice President Harris worked with the CA Bureau of Firearms to conduct several seizures of weapons from prohibited owners throughout her tenure and convened law enforcement officers across the state to reduce gun violence through existing laws and programs.
• As Senator, Vice President Harris co-sponsored several pieces of gun safety legislation, including an assault weapons ban.

VPOTUS Supplemental Pool Report #2 — arrival

Motorcade arrived at Lewis High School at approximately 3:25 p.m. ET., following a roughly 20-minute drive from the White House grounds. Your pooler was unable to see the Vice President's entry into the building.

Secretary Cardona arrived separately, according to the Vice President's office.

VPOTUS Supplemental Pool Report #3 — getting started/today's participants

As today's events get underway, your pooler is forwarding a list of today's speakers and program participants provided by the Vice President's office:

Pre- Program Participants:

- Secretary Miguel Cardona, U.S. Department of Education
- Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, Virginia Senate (D-VA-35)
- Angela Ferrell-Zabala, Executive Dir., Moms Demand Action
- Erin Headson, Special Education Teacher, John R. Lewis High School

Program:

- Jada Hughes, Senior Student, John R. Lewis High School (VP Introducer)
- The Vice President

The Lewis High School gymnasium is packed with attendees wearing bright orange T-shirts affiliated with the Wear Orange campaign.

VPOTUS Supplemental Pool Report #4 — VP begins speaking

Vice President Harris took the stage at approximately 4:11 p.m. ET. As a reminder, her remarks are being live-streamed at whitehouse.gov/live.

VPOTUS Supplemental Pool Report #5 — remarks end/departure

The Vice President concluded her remarks at 4:29 pm ET.

Pool was quickly escorted out of the building following her speech, and was unable to see her rope line interactions with the crowd. The Vice President was seen waving from inside her SUV as the motorcade departed campus grounds at approximately 4:40 p.m. ET.

Pool is now is now en route to Washington.

VPOTUS Supplemental Pool Report #6 — final/comment clarification

Pool returned to the White House at 5:01 p.m., shortly after splitting from the Vice President's motorcade as she proceeded to her residence.

Final crowd count from today's event in Springfield was 1,184 — per the Vice President's office.

Importantly, the Vice President's office sends along this clarification on Harris' remarks today:

On Background from a White House Official:

When referencing the likelihood of Black Americans to be victims of gun violence, the Vice President meant victims of gun homicides. Black Americans are ten times more likely to be victims of gun homicides and Latino Americans twice as likely.