Vice Presidential Pool Reports of May 5, 2021

VPOTUS travel pool #1 — check-in

Good morning from rainy JBA. The pool is awaiting a 10 am flight to Providence, where VP Harris has a pair of small business events. Rain is also forecast there. The events are not expected to be live-streamed so I’ll try to send notable quotes quickly.

VPOTUS travel #2 — departure

VP Harris arrived at a rainy JBA by motorcade at 9:52 am. She walked out of the limo, nodded as she greeted an officer and then chuckled while speaking with a greeting family of 5 people and spoke for a few minutes under the wing. She and husband Doug Emhoff laughed with the family and she appeared to tell a story while gesturing with her hands.
After 3 or 4 minutes, they posed for photos and then talked more.

At 9:59, Harris walked toward the stairs and kissed Emhoff through her mask before she walked up to the plane.

Emhoff is in a gray suit and Harris is in a blue suit. Both have black masks

(Emhoff is not traveling with us. He is going to Allentown to meet with small business owners.)

Lt Col Michael Carey, today’s Air Force 2 pilot, greeted Harris under the wing (instead of walkway because of the rain). He was with his family — a woman, an older man and two girls — who were not identified.

Several Rhode Island political leaders are expected at today’s events but were not flying with us, according to VP office.

Staffers include Sabrina Singh, Michael Fuchs, deputy chief of staff, Vince Evans, Deanne Millison.

Wheels up shortly.

VPOTUS #3 — landing and event background

Air Force 2 touched down at 11:01 am after a somewhat turbulent flight. We had a brief off record visit/greeting from Sabrina Singh.

VP Harris was greeted by Several people including Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Sec. Gina Raimondo, Rep. David Cicilline, Gov. Daniel McKee, Sen Jack Reed, rep jim Langevin.

Harris walked down at 11:12 and elbow bumped McKee and spoke with him and Raimondo and worked her way down the line in similar fashion.

harris waved to pool at 11:17 before waking yo her limo. We are now headed to an off record stop before the day's events.

From VP's office:

For background today on the Vice President's visit to Rhode Island, see below:

TODAY

• Today's focus of the "Getting Back on Track Tour" is supporting America's Small Business.
• The Vice President is traveling to Rhode Island to meet with small business owners and discuss the Administration's ongoing work to support America's small businesses.
• The Vice President will participate in multiple events with a diverse group of entrepreneurs and small business owners.
  
  • First, she will participate in a "social impact speed pitch" where Rhode Island entrepreneurs - who have a social impact focus - will do 2-minute "pitches" about their businesses and take questions from the Vice President, Secretary Raimondo, and other elected officials including Senators Reed and Whitehouse.
  • Second, the Vice President and Secretary Raimondo will participate in a roundtable with women-led small business owners to discuss the work the Biden-Harris Administration is doing to support women small business owners – especially during the pandemic, women in the workforce who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic (ie. the "national emergency" the VP has been leading on addressing), and investments moving forward to support innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation.
• During the conversations with small business owners, the Vice President will also discuss her focus alongside Sec. Raimondo and the Jobs Cabinet to lead the effort ensuring every American has access to affordable, high-speed internet – which is critical for small businesses. The President announced the Vice President's leadership on this issue during his joint address to Congress last week.
• The Vice President will be joined by Secretary Raimondo (the former Governor of RI) throughout the day, and during different stops we'll have elected officials joining including Senators Whitehouse and Reed, Congressman Cicilline and Congressman Langevin, and Governor Daniel McKee.

BIDEN-HARRIS COMMITMENT TO SMALL BUSINESSES

• For the President and the Vice President, ensuring small businesses – especially the smallest of the small - get the help and support they need remains a top priority as we navigate this pandemic and emerge from it.
  
  • The Vice President's first event – on day two of the Administration - was with small business owners and NEC Director Deese.
  • The Vice President's first, official in-person event was at a local small business (Fibre Space)
  • Less than three weeks into office – the Vice President did an event on small business with Sec. Yellen and Black Chambers of Commerce.
  • Since taking office, the Vice President has visited in-person with several small business owners including in Denver, Oakland, Alexandria, and in New Hampshire. She'll meet with several more today.

  Policies to support small businesses include:

• American Rescue Plan: the Vice President advocated to ensure we help small businesses in a big way through the American Rescue Plan, including prioritizing women and minority businesses. The final bill that the President signed included over $60B in funding to support small businesses, including $28.6B in restaurant grants (available starting this week).
• Supporting Community Lenders: building on her work in the Senate to pass $12b for Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), the Vice President has worked closely with Secretary Yellen and staff to ensure successful implementation of these funds and associated programs – so that small businesses in underserved communities have access to capital. The Vice President continues to engage directly with CDFI owners who are on the ground to hear their perspective on ways to implement the $12 billion and to serve those individuals and communities most in need.
• PPP: Vice President Harris has worked with President Biden to ensure low/moderate income small businesses get the support they need, which builds on her Senate work on PPP. The President signed the PPP Extension Act of 2021 in March.
• American Jobs Plan + American Families Plan: the AJP invests $31 billion in programs that provide access to capital and R&D dollars for small businesses, including through community-based incubators and innovation hubs. The AJP also created conditions for small businesses to thrive through investing in better roads and bridges to transport gods, better transportation systems for customers and employees, and affordable and accessible broadband to expand the reach of businesses everywhere. The American Families plan will lower the cost of childcare for working parents—a gamechanger for so many women who own small businesses.

VPOTUS travel pool #4 — book store

The motorcade arrived at our unannounced stop at Books on the Square at 11:38 am. Local residents ran down the street by the CVS to see the action as we came in.

The store is in Wayland Square, a charming area of brick and other old buildings. The book store has pinkish carpet, hand written signs and some children's toys.

"This is my neighborhood store…the best place ever" Raimondo told Harris as she walked in. McKee walked with her a few seconds before they separated to different shelves. Harris and Raimondo talked privately near the beet sellers and gardening and cooking shelves by the front.

Harris pointed toward the top of the cooling shelf before McKee rejoined them.

Harris excitedly yelled to Raimondo's son "Tommy!" Before pool was ushered out.

VPOTUS travel pool #5 — books purchased

Harris walked out of the book store at 1156 with four books, holding each up, she said she had been wanting to read them "and I'm going to find time to do it"

Simply Julia
Nickel Boys
The Topeka school
The Dutch House

VPOTUS travel pool #6 -- 'Shark Tank'-style event

After the book store, VP Harris went to a downtown loft that houses the "Social Enterprise Greenhouse," a small business incubator with a social mission. The event features four entrepreneurs who came to pitch ideas in two minutes and take questions from Harris and other VIPs like the show "Shark Tank."

The entrepreneurs sat on stools with no backs in a room with wood floors, brick and plaster walls, big windows and exposed lighting and metal ducts on the ceiling.

Harris and the four other ‘judge's sat in high chairs across the way with backs, holding hand-held microphones. Between them were two large screens, one with a logo and the other a 2-minute timer. The US and Rhode Island flags were behind them. (Rep. Langevin, the sixth ‘judge' sat in his wheelchair).

Harris came in at 1 p.m. to jazz music in the background. After a brief intro, she spoke about the importance of small businesses. "When I think of our small business leaders, I think not only of business leaders but civic leaders, community leaders. It is you who are involved and engaged in the community, a reflection of the best of the community."

"It is you who mentor people in the community. It is you who support the local softball team. and it is you who really are an integral part of the fabric of the strength of communities, and the cultural communities."

Gina Raimondo welcomed Harris "she gets business, she gets small business and she's passionate about being here." She said the jobs package "meets the moment," what she said was a crisis for women and minority owned business.

They were followed by remarks from the other politicians (listed below). Event is ongoing will send more…

SOCIAL IMPACT SPEED PITCH

Location: Co-Working Space, Social Enterprise Greenhouse

Participants:
- VPOTUS
- Secretary Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce
- Senator John "Jack" Reed (D-RI)
- Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
- Congressman David Cicilline (D-RI-01)
- Congressman James "Jim" Langevin (D-RI-02)
- Kelly Ramirez, CEO of Social Enterprise Greenhouse
- Eugenio Fernandez, Founder of Asthenis
- Sandra Enos, Founder of Giving Beyond the Box
- Sterling Clinton, Founder of Incred-A-bowl Food Company - Philip Trevvett, Founder of Urban Greens

VPOTUS travel pool #7 -- more 'shark tank'

The 2-minute pitches began just after 1:15. Each person spoke for two minutes next to a timer with pictures and PowerPoint-style info about their community-oriented businesses.

Here are some highlights involving Harris.

1. Philip Trevvett, Founder of Urban Greens, started by talking about his co-op that thrived and helped feed the community during COVID "creating real community wealth on a national scale.

Harris said "you are bringing back fond memories for me" because her mother shopped at a co-op. She asked about how an investment in public transportation would help his mission of getting fresh and healthy food to underserved people.

Trevvett said better public transportation would be helpful in getting people access without dipping further into their paychecks.

2. Eugenio Fernandez, Founder of Asthenis, a public health organization with a pharmacy. He said he is the son of Cuban refugees who came during the Mariel Boatlift in 1980. His organization has vaccinated 20,000 people so far. He was wearing maroon scrubs and a white jacket.

Harris said "congratulations" and asked the biggest challenges for serving people and gaining trust and overcoming barriers.

He said people want information but doctors' offices are too busy to give easy "accessibility to information."

3. Sterling Clinton, Founder of Incred-A-bowl Food Company, a food truck she started with her husband. They own two trucks that serve "healthy and delicious multicultural" bowls. She said they lost 320 events for 2020 during the pandemic but "were determined to make it work." They "were able to push through" and want to open a restaurant by the end of the year. They want to expand even further around the county and employ people "deemed unemployable."

Harris congratulated her "the model of what you are doing is profound…the so-called hard to employ" and asked the balance between "hard skills" and "soft skills" in the training and how others can do similar work.

Clinton said the important thing is to find what talent people have and "let's focus on what you do have" rather than look for deficiencies. "more companies need to focus on the strengths rather than their weaknesses."

Raimando talked about the administration's focus on job training and apprenticeships in the jobs plan, including for people who are formerly incarcerated or had substance issues and otherwise need a second chance.

4. Sandra Enos, Founder of Giving Beyond the Box. She is a retired sociology professor and started her business in 2019 after turning 70. They make gift boxes "full of products that do good in the world" by partnering with small and minority owned business with social purpose. "we really see our boxes as bridges."

She was interrupted by the timing buzzer and everyone laughed.

Harris asked her about affordability and access to highspeed internet. She talked about the impact that the pandemic had on highlighting that problem and asked her how highspeed internet helped her survive and thrive in pandemic.

"Without it we would have been dead in the water," Enos said "absolutely essential."

The event wrapped up at about 1:46 with remarks from Raimando "I am totally inspired," she said, promising the administration is committed to rebuilding, especially small businesses. "come back to Rhode Island any time," she told Harris, who said she would.

"Keep doing what you're doing because you all really are models of the best of what we're doing as a country," Harris said.

They then began taking photos with everyone. Pool was ushered out.

VPOTUS travel pool #8 — departure

Motorcade left the Social Enterprise Greenhouse at 1:51.

We are now headed for the roundtable focusing on women's small businesses at the Providence Innovation Center.

It's a short trip.

VPOTUS travel pool #9 — roundtable

The motorcade ride only took a minute and we are at the innovation center awaiting Harris. Five women (listed below) are sitting at tables arranged in a semicircle in an airy room with gray carpet and exposed lighting. There are 11 American flags and one vice presidential flag. There are a handful of people in audience chairs and seats set aside for Harris and Raimondo.

On the other side there is a wall-sized white board with the state symbol, a drawing of the state house and other parts of the Providence skyline.

From the VP's office:

Background on next event:

The Vice President and Secretary Raimondo will participate in a roundtable with women-led small business owners to discuss the work the Biden-Harris Administration is doing to support women small business owners – especially during the pandemic, women in the workforce who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic (ie. the "national emergency" the VP has been leading on addressing), and investments moving forward to support innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation.

Location: District Hall, Providence Innovation Center

Participants:
- VPOTUS
- Secretary Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce
- Jennifer Cavallaro, Owner of Beehive Café
- Minnie Luong, Owner of Chi Kitchen Foods
- Christine Paige, Owner of Bliss Medical Hair Replacement
Center
- Suzanne Wernevi, Owner Luna & Stella Jewelry - Cheryl Zimmerman, Owner of FarSounder

VPOTUS travel pool #10 -- Roundtable

Harris and Raimondo walked in at 2:30 and Raimando began talking. She said the scene was "giving me tingles" because she was the state's first woman governor and Harris is the first woman VP and it was a women's business roundtable in her home state. Then she talked about the "exodus of women from the workforce really is an emergency." She then talked about the infrastructure package and its money for childcare the importance of having Harris in the room when decisions are made.

Harris talked about "as we begin the see our way out of the depths of this pandemic" and the importance of having Raimondo at Commerce. She talked about almost 2 million women leaving the workforce during the pandemic, in large part because they are disproportionately caregivers to children and elderly family members. "Focusing on small businesses has been very purposeful and intentional when we think about recovering but also growing our economy."

"As we attempt to get through the worst of the pandemic get folks back on their feet it is also our intention to address the longstanding failures" including the obstacles faced by women and women-owned small businesses.

Raimondo led the discussion, asking them how they survived the pandemic and what they learned. Harris took notes in a binder and occasionally nodded and asked weighed in.

Christine Paige, owner of Bliss Medical Hair Replacement, said it helped her take more time to plan the future and that her two sons helped convince her everything would be OK when she initially felt hopeless. Cheryl Zimmerman of FarSounder said her businesses selling sonar equipment was hit hard by the pause of cruises and now global supply chain issues are a problem. She said the PPP loans helped. Costs have gone up but they are enthusiastic going forward.

Raimondo asked about access to capital and whether it's a barrier. Minnie Luong, of Chi Kitchen Foods, said she started in an incubator and needed space after 6 months. Her daughter, now 7, was then 18 months. She put daycare on credit card and cashed out her 401k. Sales have gone up during the pandemic because of more eating at home. The thing that helped her survive is going to work but every day, because of childcare, she has a big question mark.

Harris said the American Jobs Plan has been popularly thought of as an infrastructure plan but in Washington DC there is debate over whether childcare is infrastructure. She asked the panel to explain to the people of Washington DC why childcare is infrastructure.

"For too long childcare has been viewed as a women's issue" but the pandemic made it clear that it's a societal issue and she would not have employees or a business without it, said Suzanne Wernevi of Luna and Stella Jewelry. Other women spoke about the struggles they had juggling work with sick children and other obstacles.

Harris said it's a "false choice" to force women to choose between jobs and children.

The event is almost over – will send more if warranted…

VPOTUS travel pool #11 — Harris on McConnell

Harris is taking questions now. Here's her answer on McConnell's declaration that he will buck the admin's agenda:

"The President and I've been very clear, including his remarks in the chamber during the joint session of Congress that we will continue to attempt to work on the most pressing issues facing the American people in a bipartisan manner, which is why we've been holding meetings in the Oval Office with bipartisan members so the United States Congress we intend to continue that we are sincere and serious about what the potential to actually get something done together."

She said she will go to Guatemala and Mexico June 7-8.

More to come..

VPOTUS travel pool #12 -- Q and A

Harris took a few questions at the end of the roundtable and then left at about 3:30. Here is the Q and A, with two small corrections on the previously sent quote:

Q: Madam Vice President. Majority Leader McConnell today said that 100% of his focus would be on stopping the administration's agenda, how does that impact your desire as administration to still try to work with Republicans and does it increase the potential of ending the Senate filibuster and just abandoning the attempts to work with Republicans.

A: The President and I've been very clear, including his remarks in the chamber during the joint session of Congress that we will continue to attempt to work on the most pressing issues facing the American people in a bipartisan manner, which is why we've been holding meetings in the Oval Office with bipartisan members OF the United States Congress. We intend to continue that we are sincere and serious about what the potential to actually get something done together. We believe it's possible, and we're not going to give up on that until it becomes evident, THAT it's not possible.

Q; What role do you intend to play just with outreach on Capitol Hill, you know as your administration tries to move this forward. I know a lot of the economic aides are having meetings, you Commerce Secretary rimando having meetings but what what role do you plan to play as a former senator?

A: As Vice President of the United States, I will continue to play the role I've been playing, which is meeting with senators meeting on the House side, meeting with our policy groups meeting with folks who are on the ground, actually, those folks who will be directly impacted … and also share with them what we have done already, that will assist them such as we talked about the restaurant revitalization funds and the PPP, and for that nature, so continuing to do that work.

Q: You said yesterday in his speech, quote, we must respond to the situation in El Salvador, and the government of the government they're stripping away at the independence of that country's judiciary, you're obviously working a lot on root causes of immigration and Central American Mexico, what kind of specific response are you hoping for…and can you tell us any more about your plans to go to that region?

A: On the topic of El Salvador, we are still assessing our options, but there is no question that, when I look at the challenges that that come from the Northern Triangle, we have to take El Salvador into account. But as it relates to what's happened in terms of their court, we are still assessing from what we’re going….

Currently, the plan is for me to travel to Mexico and Guatemala on June, 7, and 8th. And I'm very much looking forward to that trip. As you know it will come after a variety of work that we've been doing thus far, which is included now my second direct conversation with the President of Guatemala, I'm going to be talking to the the president of Mexico again this week, the second conversation I have with him.

I have convened members of our cabinet including this secretary (Raimondo), who has agreed to convene a virtual trade mission to the region. We have the secretary of agriculture, who has stepped up to do work as it relates to the challenges that that region faces because of extreme climate conditions, which have resulted in a number of tragedies including drought. And also We've convened America's -- some of America's best foundations -- to renew their interest in that area and also increase their involvement in the area.

And I have been talking with CEOs about a component that I believe could be very beneficial in terms of our initiatives around private investment in that region. But again, the speech that I gave, y'all know that I also am taking into account the challenges that have long existed, and continue to exist around corruption in the region and the challenges that that creates in terms of a return on the investment ….If this issue of addressing the challenges of the Northern Triangle were easy, it would have solved a long time agoThe work we are doing will not evidence itself overnight. It's gonna require a consistent and long term strategy.

Q: What’s your reaction to the Facebook decision?

A: I heard about their decision. I want to understand a little bit better how they’re thinking about this.

VPOTUS travel pool #13 — headed to airport.

The motorcade left at 4:03 pm and we are now headed toward the Providence airport. Pool did not see Harris enter her car. Pool held for about 20 minutes prior to leaving while Harris did some local interviews.

VPOTUS travel pool #14 — airport arrival and hold

Pool arrived at the Providence airport at 4:21 pm. We arrived separately from the Vice President and are holding for about 20 minutes before takeoff.

VPOTUS travel pool #15 — departure

VP Harris walked out of the vp limo at 4:48, saluted the two Air Force airmen, and then walked up the stairs of Air force 2 alone without taking questions. We are wheels up the Andrews shortly.

VPOTUS travel pool #16 — arrival at JBA

Air Force 2 was wheels down at 6:13 p.m. after a bumpy but uneventful flight. No visits from staffers.

VP Harris walked out of the plane at 6:25 and down the stairs. She gave a salute before walking to Marine 2.

Good night all.