Vice Presidential Pool Reports of July 3, 2021

Las Vegas VP pool #1 - Arrival

AF2 was wheels down at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas at about 11:17 a.m. local time. More to come.

Blake Apgar, Las Vegas Review-Journal

The VP's office also passes along the following:

ON BACKGROUND

Today the Vice President is visiting Las Vegas, Nevada as part the Biden-Harris Administration's nationwide "America's Back Together" tour to celebrate our country's progress. The President, First Lady, Second Gentleman, and members of the Cabinet are also traveling across the country over the holiday weekend to celebrate.

While in Las Vegas, the Vice President will be visiting the Carpenters International Training Center, a member-owned, world-class facility was designed and constructed to develop and improve the skills of its members. She will be given a tour of the facility and deliver remarks.

Her focus while at the Carpenters International Training Center will be focused on recovery from the pandemic, labor, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework.

Background on Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework

• The President and Vice President strongly support the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework.
• It would be the largest long-term investment in our infrastructure in nearly a century.
• The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework:
  • Makes the biggest investment in rail since the creation of Amtrak, and the largest investment in transit ever,
  • Makes investments in our clean energy future,
  • Replaces every lead water pipe in our schools and homes, and
  • Connects every American to high speed internet.

Background on Labor

• The Biden-Harris Administration believes that every worker has the right to organize and collectively bargain and protecting that right is the work of the federal government. When there are more union members, there is less income inequality.
• Vice President Harris serves as Chair of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment. The Task Force's mission is to mobilize the federal government's policies, practices, and programs to provide workers in the private sector, state and local governments, and the federal sector with a greater opportunity to organize and collectively bargain with their employers. The Task Force consists of more than 20 Cabinet members and agency directors or administrators.

Las Vegas VP pool #2: deplaning and departure from airport

The VP deplaned just after 11:20 a.m. She was greeted by Sen. Jacky Rosen, Rep. Susie Lee and Rep. Steven Horsford. After deplaning, she hugged Rosen, then shook hands with Lee and Horsford. The conversation could not be heard by the pool due to the sound of the jet engine. The VP immediately entered an SUV. Motorcade began to depart the tarmac at 11:25 a.m. local time. Now en route to the Carpenters International Training Center in Las Vegas, where the VP will take a tour and deliver remarks.

The VP's remarks will be streamed at WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

Las Vegas VP pool update #3: motorcade down Las Vegas Boulevard and arrival at facility

The motorcade passed the "Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas" sign at 11:28 a.m. local time, going south on Las Vegas Boulevard. Some tourists who were visiting the sign pointed their phones toward the motorcade as it passed. The VP arrived at the carpenters training facility at 11:32 a.m.

Pool is waiting for the VP to meet tour participants as of 11:40 a.m.

Las Vegas VP pool update #4: facility tour

The VP entered the training facility floor with Sen. Jacky Rosen, Rep. Steven Horsford, Rep. Susie Lee and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto at 11:44 a.m. local time. Her tour guide was Royce Peters, Executive Director of International Training Fund.

She made three stops on her tour, meeting with two people at each site. She began her third stop at 11:56 a.m. The exchanges were difficult to hear for pool over shop noise.

"This is so impressive," she told one union member during her third stop along the tour.

As the pool entered the large lobby of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters union hall, a crowd could be heard cheering from the room where the VP will soon deliver her remarks.

The VP's remarks will begin at 12:45 p.m. local time and will be streamed at WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

Las Vegas VP pool update #5: opening remarks

Rep. Steven Horsford, Rep. Susie Lee, Sen. Jacky Rosen and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto have delivered brief remarks to a crowd at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters union hall. Many participants in the crowd are wearing royal blue Carpenters Local 1977 t-shirts. Several people in the crowd are wearing masks, but most are not. The event is at capacity for seats, with dozens of people also standing.

The following is from the VP's office:

Participants at (first) tour stop:

- Royce Peters, Executive Director of International Training Fund (Tour Guide)
- Alfonso Bastidos, Technical Coordinator at Carpenters International Training Center
- Jovan Johnson, Member of United Brotherhood of Carpenters
- Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto
- Sen. Jacky Rosen
- Rep. Susie Lee
- Rep. Steven Horsford

Stop 2 participants:
-Victor Espinoza, Scaffold Carpenter/Steward
-Amber McCoy, Member of United Brotherhood of Carpenters

Stop 3:
-Melissa Feoranz, Member of United Brotherhood of Carpenters
-Chad McDonald, Technical Coordinator at Carpenters International Training Center

Speakers who took the stage prior to the VP:

• Frank Hawk, Vice President and COO at the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters
• Nick Lalpuis, Department of Labor Employment and Training Administrator
• Rep. Steven Horsford
• Rep. Susie Lee
• Sen. Jacky Rosen
• Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto
• United Brotherhood of Carpenters member Amber McCoy

The VP's remarks will be streamed at WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

Las Vegas VP pool update #6: The VP takes the stage

The VP took the stage about 10 minutes early, at about 12:34 p.m. "It's good to be in the house of labor," she said at the beginning of her remarks.

The VP's remarks are streaming on WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

Las Vegas VP pool update #7: Highlights of remarks

While on stage, the VP spoke about resilience, including job creation and increasing wages. People standing near the press riser held up their phones as she spoke.

The VP said the Biden-Harris administration is backing the bipartisan infrastructure framework to rebuild the nation's infrastructure. She said the administration is "determined" to be the most pro-union administration in the nation's history, and that jobs created by the framework would be "good union jobs."

She also spoke on the importance of getting vaccinated, and that Nevada must improve in this area.

The VP exited the stage at 12:50 p.m. local time.

Las Vegas VP pool update #8: vaccination site/motorcade

The pool exited the facility to the press bus at 1:20 p.m. local time. At 1:26 p.m., the VP exited an SUV to visit a pop-up vaccination site near the union hall. The VP was masked, as were the Secret Service agents around here. When she exited the vehicle, she bumped elbows with a site worker and met with volunteers. She told the volunteers their work was important. "It really matters," the VP said. She re-entered the SUV at 1:30 p.m.

On the way back to the airport, tourists at the "Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas" sign watched the motorcade pass. One tourist could be seen waving. The motorcade arrived at the airport at 1:40 p.m.

Las Vegas VP pool update #9: boarding AF2

The VP left the SUV at 1:43 p.m. local time and posed for a photo with her staff. She then turned to the pool and wished everyone a happy Fourth of July before boarding AF2. The VP did not take questions from the press today.

Las Vegas VP pool update #10: AF2 wheels up

AF2 was wheels up at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas at 2:02 p.m. local time. The VP is traveling to Los Angeles, where she does not have any public events scheduled for Sunday or Monday.