Vice Presidential Pool Reports of June 9, 2022

VP travel pool report #1 - Checking in

Good morning from the Los Angeles Convention Cenin Los Angeles. I'm your print pooler for the vice president today.

The VP will meet with leaders of Caribbean nations to launch a new partnership to address the climate crisis. At 2pm PDT she and the president will attend the opening plenary session at the summit.

Per the VP's office, she'll take a family photo with the following before the meeting:

Family photo participants:

• - Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne
• - Bahamas Prime Minister Phillip Davis
• - Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley
• - Belize Prime Minister Juan Briceño
• - Dominica Minister of Foreign Affairs Kenneth Darroux
• - Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader
• - Grenada Minister of Health Nickolas Steele
• - Guyana President Dr. Irfaan Ali
• - Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry
• - Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness
• - Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador Thelma Browne
• - Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip Pierre
• - Suriname Prime Minister Chan Santokhi
• - Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley
• - CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett

Please reach out with any questions.

VP travel pool report #2 - correction / running late

Correction from #1: we're in the LA Convention Center, not Microsoft Theater. Apologies.

We're running behind schedule. Family photo was scheduled for 11:25 am but we're still waiting.

Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader briefly passed through and stopped to pose for photos on the red carpet at about 11:55pm.

Per the WH (which includes list from first pool report):

The President and Vice President are meeting with Caribbean leaders today at the LA Convention Center. The meeting will include the heads of delegation from 14 Caribbean nations and the Secretary General of CARICOM.

Meeting and family photo participants are below:

• - Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne
• - Bahamas Prime Minister Phillip Davis
• - Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley
• - Belize Prime Minister Juan Briceño
• - Dominica Minister of Foreign Affairs Kenneth Darroux
• - Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader
• - Grenada Minister of Health Nickolas Steele
• - Guyana President Dr. Irfaan Ali
• - Haiti Prime Minister Ariel Henry
• - Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness
• - Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador Thelma Browne
• - Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip Pierre
• - Suriname Prime Minister Chan Santokhi
• - Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley
• - CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett

VP travel pool report #3 - Family photo

Several other leaders posed on the red carpet -including the Vice President of Colombia and Haitian PM Henry.

The VP entered the hall at 12:16 pm along with other participants and joked with some of those posing in the photo before taking center stage (please see last report for full list).

Asked by reporter Kyle Mazza how the summit is going, Harris said "very well." She said she was honored to be there with leaders of these nations and continue work that benefits all these nations and the U.S.

Pool was ushered out of the red carpet area and holding for next event.

VP travel pool report #4 - CARICOM meeting

Delegations from the 14 Caribbean nations entered the "multilateral room" at 12:30pm. Pool waited outside as they filed in.

Pool entered at 12:40 pm. The VP was already seated at the center of the room at a U-shaped table and began welcoming Caribbean leaders.

She said US partnership with CARICOM is "key to our shared prosperity and security."

"Today, our main focus will be the climate crisis, which of course is an existential crisis for our entire planet," she said. The Caribbean " is on the frontlines of this crisis."

She announced the launch of her initiative, calling it the "United States government's primary mechanism for addressing energy security as a climate crisis in this region."

"Through this partnership, we will support energy, infrastructure, and climate resilience at every stage of development, from beginning to end."

She said the US will provide technical assistance, bring in investors and improve access to development financing to "make these projects a reality."

CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett gave a few remarks, noting that the pandemic has "had a disproportionate impact on the already overwhelmed socioeconomic fabric of the Caribbean."

Barnett said they see "energy security is a critical matter" as they transition energy systems to more modern and reliable supplies.

Pool was escorted out at 12:48pm.

VP travel pool report #5 - Plenary session

Pool is seated at the back of the room behind the delegations. A podium at the center of the room is flanked by flags from the various countries in attendance and set against a backdrop featuring the Summit of the Americas logo.

The VP entered at 2:36pm PT and sat down at a desk to the right of the stage. POTUS entered at 2:37pm PT and took the stage to deliver remarks.

The event is being livestreamed here.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

VP travel pool report #7 - Chaves bilat

Attributed to a WH Official:

At the Los Angeles Convention Center, on the margins of the Summit of the Americas, the Vice President met with President Rodrigo Chaves of Costa Rica.