Pool Reports of August 5, 2021

Good morning. I'm the print pool reporter today. It's looking like a busy day here at the White House. Other than the president's meeting with AANHPI leaders, which is a pool event, everything else that has been announced is open press.

AANHPI meeting is in the State Dining Room. Press pool members have been gathered in the East Room, waiting to proceed. Just got the green light at 12:13 to head over. I'll send the attendees list when it is ready for release.

Per the White House, here is the list of people attending the President and the Vice President's meeting with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander civil rights leaders:

AANHPI Civil Rights Leaders
Seema Agnani, Executive Director, National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development (National CAPACD)
Christine Chen, Executive Director, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)
Quyen Dinh, Executive Director, Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)
Satjeet Kaur, Executive Director, Sikh Coalition
Kiran Kaur Gill, Executive Director, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF)
K?hi? Lewis, President & CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA)
Neil Makhija, Executive Director, Indian American Impact
Gregg Orton, National Director, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)
Tavae Samuelu, Executive Director, Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC)
Chiling Tong, President & CEO, Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce and Entrepreneurship (National ACE)
John Yang, President & Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC); Board Member, AAPI Victory Alliance
Alvina Yeh, Executive Director, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA)
Sung Yeon Choimorrow, Executive Director, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum (NAPAWF)

Biden-Harris Administration Officials
Cedric Richmond, Assistant to the President & Senior Advisor to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement
Susan Rice, Assistant to the President & Domestic Policy Advisor
Neera Tanden, Senior Advisor to the President
Krystal Ka'ai, Executive Director, White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders
Erika Moritsugu, Deputy Assistant to the President & Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Senior Liaison
Rohini Kosoglu, Deputy Assistant to the President & Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President
Emmy Ruiz, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of Political Strategy and Outreach
Danielle Conley, Deputy Counsel to the President
Howard Ou, Associate Director for Public Engagement
Morgan Mills, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Policy Assistant

-- President expresses sadness at passing of AFL-CIO official.

Pool report #5: AANHPI meeting

President done speaking. I'm addition to regret about Richard Trumka he also described conversations with Asian Americans following the deadly hate crime attack in Atlanta. People described feeling unsafe, unwanted and in some cases invisible, he said.

Lunch lid til 1 pm

?Please check the tape to check quotes.

The president's initial remarks were not captured by the main microphones.

The president called Mr. Trumka a "very close" friend and said he was "more than head of AFL-CIO." He said that "at least he was with people who adore him." [Note: Verb tense is unclear.]

Please check tapes.

"The Vice President and I are honored to host leaders representing [may have said "a" or "the"] rich diversity of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities, many of whom I've met before, some of whom I'm meeting for the first time. Welcome, again, to the White House. We have a full agenda to discuss: The pandemic, economy, immigration, voting rights and hate crimes."

Please check tape.

The president noted it was the ninth anniversary of the shooting of ten worshipers at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.
Seven people lost their lives in "a hateful act of bigotry at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin," he said.

"Today, we honor everyone impacted by this tragedy, and we think about all the pain during this pandemic with the rise of hate crimes, harassment, bullying, and other forms of bias against Asian Americans. It seems not to stop," he said.

The president discussed meeting with Asian American leaders after the murders in Atlanta.

"The discussion was very raw, it was powerful, and a common theme was that Asian Americans [were] feeling unsafe unwanted, and some of you indicated feeling invisible sometimes. Our message back to you was, at that moment, we see you, we see you. A few months later we stood here in the White House, and we signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law. It also was a powerful moment, showing that we can come together, Democrat and Republican we can come together as a nation, and truly look out for one another. "

The president also thanked members of the AANHPI communities for their work in combatting covid-19 and boosting vaccination efforts.

?Per the White House:
?
In the audience are approximately 50 guests, including Cabinet Secretaries, Members of Congress, United Auto Workers leadership and members, and environmental and public health stakeholders:

Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Department of Transportation
Administrator Michael Regan, Environmental Protection Agency
Senator Debbie Stabenow (MI)
Senator Gary Peters (MI)
Senator Tom Carper (DE)
Senator Martin Heinrich (NM)
Senator Jeff Merkley (OR)
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)
Senator Alex Padilla (CA)
Senator Ed Markey (MA)
Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL)
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-12)
Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05)
Congresswoman Kathy Castor (FL-14)
Mary Barra, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, General Motors
Jim Farley, President and Chief Executive Officer, Ford
Mark Stewart, Chief Operating Officer, Stellantis North America
Ray Curry, President, United Auto Workers (UAW)
Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff
Gina McCarthy, Assistant to the President and National Climate Advisor
Ali Zaidi, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Climate Advisor

Introducing the President:
Bernard "Bernie" Ricky, President, United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 600

Vehicles on the South Lawn:
Ford F150 Lightning
Chevrolet Bolt EUV
Jeep Wrangler Limited Rubicon 4xE
GMC Hummer EV
Ford E Transit Van

Pool report #13: Attendees at medal legsilation signing

Per the White House, here's who attended.

In the audience for the President and Vice President's remarks, and the President's signing of H.R. 3325, "An Act to award four congressional gold medals to the United States Capitol Police and those who protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021":

Elected Officials
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)
Senator Roy Blunt (MO)
Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Senator Patrick Leahy (VT)
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL)
Representative Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Mayor Muriel Bowser, Washington, DC
Karen Gibson, Sergeant at Arms of the U.S. Senate

U.S. Capitol Police Officers
Chief Tom Manger
Assistant Chief Yogananda Pittman
Captain Neysha Mendoza
Sergeant Lawrence Cook
Sergeant Aquilino Gonell
Officer Harry Dunn
Officer Caroline Edwards
Officer Nicole Roth
Officer Andrew Stockhecker
Officer Nick Scharkopf
Officer Connor Rhodes
Officer Kevin Fournier
Officer Jeffrey Brodeur
Tim Barber, Public Information Officer

DC Metropolitan Police Department Officers
Chief Robert J. Contee III
Commander Robert Glover
Assistant Chief Jeffery Carroll
Officer Michael Fanone
Officer Daniel Hodges

Families of Fallen Officers
Gladys Sicknick, mother of USCP Officer Brian Sicknick
Charles Sicknick, father of USCP Officer Brian Sicknick
Sandra Garza, partner of USCP Officer Brian Sicknick
Serena Liebengood, wife of USCP Officer Howard Liebengood
John Liebengood, brother of USCP Officer Howard Liebengood
Anne Winters, sister of USCP Officer Howard Liebengood
Shannon Terranova, ex-wife of USCP Officer William "Billy" Evans
Logan Evans, son of USCP Officer William "Billy" Evans
Abigail Evans, daughter of USCP Officer William "Billy" Evans
Erin Smith, wife of Metropolitan Police Officer Jeffrey Smith

On stage with the President as he signed H.R. 3325 into law:
The Vice President
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)
Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY)
Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN)
Senator Roy Blunt (MO)
Chief Tom Manger, U.S. Capitol Police
Chief Robert J. Contee III, DC Metropolitan Police Department
Officer Harry Dunn, U.S. Capitol Police
Officer Michael Fanone, DC Metropolitan Police Department
Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, U.S. Capitol Police
Officer Daniel Hodges, DC Metropolitan Police Department

Pool report #14 Photo travel lid

A photo travel lid was called at 5:43 p.m.

Pool report #15: President fielded questions

At the end of today's open-press event on clean cars, the president fielded questions.

Video is available at https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=308319384373406&ref=watch_permalink