Vice Presidential Pool Reports of May 13, 2022

VP Pool 1 — departure for State Department

Good morning.

The VP pool left the White House at 11:10 by motorcade for the short trip to the State Department. pool could see her leaving West Wing at 11:09 with a couple of staffers.

She will address a lunch and a second meeting as part of ASEAN. Both events will have a spray at the beginning that will be live-streamed. Your pooler will supplement as needed.

VP Pool 2 — arrival

The motorcade arrived at State at 11:14. We did not see VP enter the building. The lunch will be held in the Ben Franklin room. Wi-wi and cell not available here so you may not get subsequent reports for some time. Please watch WH livestream for speech.

The room had a round table with placards from member countries.

Vice commandant of coast guard — admiral Linda Fagan will be on one side of VP and deputy secretary wendy Sherman will be on the other.

We are outside on a patio now with temporary cell.

VP Pool 3 — remarks

The newsiest thing in VP's seven-minute remarks was an announcement that the US would invest $60 million in regional maritime initiatives led by the Coast Guard. That includes the deployment of a new cutter to be used as a "training platform" as well as technical experts to assist the region.

She said the US has already donated 115 million vaccines to ASEAN countries.

"As long as Covid is present in any one country, it affects us all," she said.
She welcomed ASEAN and called the group a priority. She said the discussion would focus on maritime security and global heath and mentioned her trip to Asia last year. She said an afternoon meeting will focus on clean energy and infrastructure. She talked about the region's importance to the US economy and referenced supply chain issues.

Pool came into the Franklin room as VP was sitting down at 11:44 am. Leaders from ASEAN countries were already seated, with water glasses, iced tea and small braided rolls in front of them. Flags from all the countries were behind VP, who was at the center rear. Behind the round table of leaders, there were tables of advisors.

Correction from earlier report: Fagan of the coast guard sat beside Sherman, two seats from VP, who was between Sherman and Phil Gordon, her national security advisor.

The room has lots of glass chandeliers, round columns and fancy curtains that match a floral carpet.

On background from a White House Official:

The Vice President will attend the Leaders Luncheon for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
Location: Benjamin Franklin state Dining Room

Attendees:
- Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States
- Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Vice Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard
- Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman, U.S. Department of State
- Phil Gordon, National Security Advisor to the Vice President
- Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia
- President Joko Widodo, Indonesia
- Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei
- Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Vietnam
- Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, Laos
- Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Philippines
- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Thailand
- Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Malaysia
- Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

Meeting on Climate With Cabinet Members and Leaders at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit

Location: Loy Henderson International Conference Room

Attendees:
- Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States
- John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
- Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Department of Transportation
- Secretary Jennifer Granholm, U.S. Department of Energy
- Administrator Samantha Power, U.S. Agency for International Development
- Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman, U.S. Department of State
- Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia
- President Joko Widodo, Indonesia
- Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei
- Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Singapore
- Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Vietnam
- Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, Laos
- Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Philippines
- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Thailand
- Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Malaysia

VP Pool 4 -- Plenary session remarks with lunch menu bonus

The VP spoke for about four minutes on climate -- from 1:33 through 1:37 -- before press was ushered out. She made no news and those interested had access to livestream.

"This is a matter of urgent priority for all of us," she said.

She said the discussion would focus on climate and clean energy. She mentioned how Southeast Asia sees the impacts through typhoons, droughts and floods and that her home state of California along with New Mexico experience wildfires while hurricanes touch the U.S. in general.

"The good news is we also have solutions at hand," Harris said, adding that "we must raise our collective ambition" to shift toward clean energy.

She spoke of leveraging money for clean energy and "climate smart infrastructure" and create new transportation partnerships. She noted that she leads the Space Council and that the discussion would include efforts to share satellite data that can better help ASEAN respond to climate problems.

VP was seated in the Loy W. Henderson room, which has high ceilings with gridded lights and walls with wide wood panels. Behind her was a large blue US-ASEAN banner and flags from the member countries. She was flanked by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Philip Gordon, her national security advisor. Across the rectangular table were John Kerry, the climate envoy, and Samantha Power of US AID. On the long sides of the table sat the leaders of the member nations, with name cards.

Finally, here is the menu from the lunch event held earlier today:

Spring Lettuce Salad
Grilled Branzino Filet & Risotto with Peas
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Vegetarian Option:
Grilled Spiced Cauliflower
Orange Pekoe Black Iced Tea

VP Pool 5 — return

The VP's motorcade left State at 2:53 and arrived at the White House at 2:57.

That's all from me. Enjoy your day.