Vice Presidential Pool Reports of October 12, 2021

VP Pool Report #1: Gathering

Good morning from the White House. I'll be your pooler for the VP's event. She'll be speaking at the National Congress of American Indians' 79th Annual Convention.

Your pooler has been COVID tested and is gathering ahead of the remarks. Passing along some background from the White House:

ON BACKGROUND –

Today the Vice President is speaking at the National Congress of American Indians' 78th Annual Convention, where she will speak to the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment to honoring tribal sovereignty and investing in Indian Country, including through the President's Budget, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, the Build Back Better Agenda, and the American Rescue Plan. The Vice President will also announce that the Administration will be renegotiating the Department of Interior 477 MOU with full participation of Tribes with 477 plans.

Background on 477 Program

• The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring Tribes have a voice and are part of the decision-making process when it comes to consulting with the Administration on issues related to Tribal sovereignty.
• Public Law 102-477 is unique among federal legislation allowing federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native entities to combine formula-funded federal grants that are employment and training-related into a single plan with a single budget and a single reporting system.
• In 2017, the law was amended to require that all 12 participating federal agencies enter into an interdepartmental memorandum of understanding to implement the amended Act. The twelve participating federal agencies are Agriculture, Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, Transportation, Veterans Affairs and the Interior.
• On December 20, 2018, Tribal leaders were notified that the twelve federal agencies had executed the memorandum. However, Tribes were not involved in the negotiation process and learned of the memorandum of understanding after it had been signed. Prior to the announcement, there was no Tribal consultation or input.
• Reopening the memorandum of understanding will rightfully allow Tribal consultation as required by Executive Order 13175.
• Examples of the impact of 477 Plans for Tribes:
  • Citizen Potawatomi Nation has used their 477 Plan to provide economic development, including an economic loan pool to set up small businesses to employ other Tribal members.
  • Bristol Bay Native Association used their 477 Plan to provide multiple services to a Tribal member on welfare assistance who wanted to be childcare provider. The Tribal member was provided childcare training to provide services in home and business management skills, leading to the Tribal member's successful self-employment.
  • Osage Nation used their 477 Plan to support a Tribal member in training and equipment costs to complete required Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training to be a certified law enforcement officer; he now works at the Osage Nation and as a part-time city officer. Continued support from the 477 Program allowed him to become cross-deputized in city, Tribal, state and federal jurisdictions.

Background on VP's Work to Support Indian Country

Working with President Biden, the Vice President has helped lead the Administration's effort to support Indian Country and work with Native American and Alaska Native communities.

• Voting Rights:
  • In March 2021, President Biden issued an Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting that included establishing an Interagency Steering Group on Native American Voting Rights (Steering Group). The Steering Group will be issuing a report on best practices for voting rights of Native Americans, and has held a series of convenings looking at voting rights issues in Tribal and Native communities.
  • In June 2021, President Biden asked the Vice President to lead the Administration's work on voting rights. Since then the Vice President has met with voting rights stakeholders across the country, including Native American and Alaska Native leaders. The Vice President convened a meeting in July 2021 at the White House with leaders, including NCAI Executive Committee member Shelly Fyant (Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes), to discuss the history, and the challenges and opportunities for voting rights access.
  • In September 2021, the Vice President submitted a video recording as part of the Protect the Sacred's inaugural Native Youth Summit. Protect the Sacred began as an emergency response to the COVID-19 crisis within the Navajo Nation. They have expanded their work to include protecting voting rights, among other issues key to Indian Country.
• Broadband:
  • In her role helping lead efforts to bring high speed internet to all, the Vice President has made particular effort to highlight the need for affordable broadband access across Indian Country. Chairperson Aaron Payment participated in a roundtable on high speed internet with the Vice President to speak to the need and importance of broadband access for his Tribe.

Prior to the Administration, the Vice President was a committed partner to Tribal and Native communities.

• As Senator, the Vice President fought for COVID-19 relief funding for Tribes and the Indian Health Service. As a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, she worked to ensure Tribal citizens were accurately counted in the 2020 census. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she worked to protect the right to vote for Indigenous peoples.
• As California Attorney General, the Vice President worked to protect Indigenous women and children. She was the first attorney general to provide a tribal police department full access to a state-run criminal history database. She also established the Bureau of Children's Justice and launched an investigation into a local government for violating Native children's rights by failing to comply with the Indian Child Welfare Act, and created the first ICWA Compliance Task Force.

VP Pool Report #2: Holding in South Court Auditorium

Pool is in South Court Auditorium as of 11:22, where there is virtually no signal. Apologies if pool reports are delayed due to service.

There's a podium set up at the center of the stage with a glass of water, and the background reads "National Congress of American Indians 78th Annual Convention."

Event still on schedule as far as your pooler knows. The remarks are virtual and available at WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

VP Pool Report #3: Remarks

VP took the stage at 11:41am, masked and with a quick wave. She began speaking at 11:42am after taking her mask off.

Reminder, the event is live-streamed. Below are some highlights:

"That is not the whole story. That has never been the whole story. Those explorers ushered in wave of devastation for tribal nations," VP said regarding the voyage to America. She called it a "shameful past."

VP discussed Native American voters being "systematically denied" access to voting and called for voting rights.

VP noted Native Americans are more likely to be unemployed and live in poverty. She called it "persistent inequity" and "persistent injustice."

"We right now have a chance to change things, to improve things, to be better ... because I believe that we are in the beginning of a new era."

VP noted the efforts being made in passing the infrastructure bill and highlighted the "important opportunity to strengthen Indian country" that it presents. She noted the "millions in good union jobs" it would create.

She talked about the bill addressing climate change and said it will have a "significant impact on Indian country."

It would be the largest investment in Indian country in our history, VP says.

She also announced the administration is reopening our memorandum of agreement on the 477 program, which the VP described as giving tribes the power to make decisions on delivering and integrating federal services.

VP ended her remarks with a short story and called on viewers to protect the future "for generations to come." Her remarks ended at 11:49am and she began walking away. She stopped quickly when another virtual speaker thanked her and then officially left the stage at 11:50am.

As usual, check livestream for full quotes.

Pool was escorted out of the auditorium and back to cell phone service at 11:53am. That's all from me for today — please ping me with any questions.

VP pool report #1

Hi everyone,
I'll be your pooler for the VP's second event of the day.
The VP will meet with Yair Lapid, Israel's alternate Prime minister & Foreign Minister.
The meeting is scheduled for 3:45pm in the ceremonial office.

WH passes this along:

US delegation
VPOTUS
1. Nancy McEldowney, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President
2. Mike Fuchs, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff to the Vice President
3. Phil Gordon, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President
4. Yael Lempert, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs
5. Julie Sawyer, Director for Israel and Palestinian Affairs, National Security Council
6. Chris Backemeyer, Special Advisor to the Vice President for Near Eastern Affairs

Visiting Delegation
His Excellency Yair Lapid, Alternate Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel
1. Mr. Alon Ushpiz, Director General
2. Ms. Gil Haushner, Chief of Staff to the Foreign Minister
3. Mr. Yair Zivan, Senior Advisor, Director of Policy
4. Brigadier General (Ret.) Michael Herzog, Senior Advisor to the Foreign Minister
5. Mr. David Yitshak Roet, Deputy Director General and Head of North America Division
6. Mr. Benjamin Krasna, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Israel

VP Pool report #2

Pool was brought into the room when the delegation was already seated around the table with the VP and Yair Lapid sitting across from each other surrounded by their respective delegations.
The VP started speaking at 3:48pm
She said this meeting was another occasion to "reaffirm the strength & endurance of the relationship between the US & Israel."
She said they would talk about ways to strengthen the US' commitment to "ensure the security of the people of Israel."

She added they would also discuss other issues including:
-"Shared prosperity for the people of our countries"
-"peace & security & prosperity for palestinians as well as Israelis"
-"regional challenges we face & our shared concern as it relates to Iran, to our support for the Abraham Accords, and Israel's relationship with its neighbors."

FM Lapid started speaking 3:50pm
"Dialogue between us is always based on facts"
He spoke about the importance of "Strengthening the bi-partisan relations with the next generation"
he said "this generation is not only preoccupied with war and conflict" but also other crises, including "questions of identity"
"In order to build this friendship for the next 100 years we need to explore those issues"

Pool spray wrapped up at 3:52pm and we were ushered out of the room.

That's all from me. Enjoy the rest of your day!