Pool Reports of October 25, 2021

Travel pool report 1

?POTUS arrived at DANG and stopped for questions. He said his conversations with Sen. Manchin "went well" and he hopes to have a deal before he leaves for Europe.

He boarded AF1 at 9:39 am. We will depart shortly for New Jersey in the small plane that flew in from JBA.

Travel pool report 2

"That's my hope," POTUS said about a possible vote this week. --

Travel pool report 3

Air Force One landed in Newark at roughly 10:30 am.

POTUS will take Marine One to the first of a series of events with NJ Gov. Phil Murphy at East End Elementary School.

Travel pool report 4

POTUS descended the staircase at 10:40. He gave a salute and boarded Marine One.

Pool en route to Plainfield.

Travel pool report 5

Marine One landed on an athletic field on Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield at 11 am.

POTUS was greeted by NJ Gov. Phil Murphy, NJ First Lady Tammy Murphy, Reps. Malinowski, Pallone and Payne.

A crowded in a nearby parking lot cheered loudly as the president stepped off the helicopter.

Travel pool report 6

Gaggle details:

Karine Jean-Pierre gaggled on Air Force One for roughly 10 minutes— coinciding with the landing in Newark. She fielded questions on the president's negotiations with Sen. Manchin, the president's upcoming trip to Europe and the U.S response to a military takeover in Sudan. She said the US is deeply alarmed by the reports. "We reject the actions by the military and call for the immediate release of the prime minister," she said.

Travel Pool Report 7

POTUS has arrived at a pre-k classroom at East Elementary. "Do you like school?" Biden asked a small girl.

"Who wants to be an artist?" He asks children at another table. One child responds that he'd like to be a firefighter. "Well, I'll be darned," POTUS says.

Struggling with connectivity issues. Will send more details ASAP.

Travel pool report 8 - additional details

Greetings from the second classroom where hotspot is working better.

Before POTUS departed classroom of Gina Giovannucci (the first classroom), he introduced the kids to Gov. Murphy. "He runs the state," POTUS. And then he introduced them to Mrs. Murphy. "She runs him." POTUS joked.

Details below provided by White House on the visit and POTUS' traveling companions.

Pool was transported from Newark to Plainfield by Osprey. The motrorcade passed by a small group of protesters on the way to the elementary school, One man had a sign saying "Biden is destorying our country," while another man shouted on a bulhorn, "You're a loser!"

POTUS arrived at Allison Hessemer's classroom where a little boy gave POTUS a drawing as a gift.

Traveling with the President to New Jersey:

· Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff
· Joshua Geltzer, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor
· Karine Jean-Pierre, Deputy Assistant to the President & Principal Deputy Press Secretary
· Julie Rodriguez, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
· Christopher Slevin, Deputy Assistant to the President & Deputy Director for the Office of Legislative Affairs
· Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President and Trip Director
· Stephen Goepfert, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President
· Jeff Nussbaum, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Presidential Speechwriter
· Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations

Upon arrival in Plainfield, the President will be greeted by:

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy
Rep. Tom Malinowski (NJ-07)
Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (NJ-10)

Reportable upon arrival at East End:

Participating in a tour of East End Elementary School with the President:

• Dr. Michelle Aquino, Superintendent, North Plainfield School District (tour guide)
• Michelle Onofri, Supervisor, Early Childhood & District Programming
• New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
• New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy
• Rep. Tom Malinowski (NJ-07)
• Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
• Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (NJ-10)
• Gina Giovannucci, Pre-K Teacher, East End School
• Katiane Drummond, Pre- K Teacher, East End School
• Allison Hessemer, Pre-K Teacher, East End School

Tour Stop 1, Classroom 19:

East End School Pre-K teacher Gina Giovannucci gives the President an overview of the class and how the activities students participate in build literacy and math skills through the use of manipulatives and exploration.

Tour Stop 3, Classroom 23:

East End School Pre-K teacher Allison Hessemer gives the President an overview of the class and how the activities build math skills, social emotional skills, fine motor skills, and spatial awareness.

Impact of the Build Back Better Agenda (BBB) on New Jersey

The Build Back Better Agenda will make life better for millions of working families in New Jersey.

Universal Pre-K:

· Only 35% of 3- and 4-year-olds in New Jersey are enrolled in publicly-funded pre-school.
· BBB will offer all 3- and 4-year-olds in New Jersey access to free, high-quality pre-school in the setting of their parents' choice.

Child Care:

· The typical two-parent family would need to spend $15,000 on center-based child care for just one young child every year.
· The lack of affordable child care contributes to the 22% gender gap in workforce participation between mothers and fathers in New Jersey.
· BBB cuts child care costs by more than half for most low-and middle-income New Jersey residents and improves quality of child care.

Tax Cut for Families with Children and Childless Workers:

· 1 in 7 children under the age of 18 in New Jersey are considered poor.
· BBB's Child Tax Credit extension will benefit 1.6 million children in New Jersey and is estimated to reduce child poverty by 36% in the state.
· Before the Rescue Plan, low-income childless workers were taxed into poverty.
· BBB's expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit for childless workers will benefit more than 388,000 workers in New Jersey.

Higher Education:

· The average cost of a 2-year degree in New Jersey was $5,200 per year in 2019-2020.
· BBB will reduce the cost of college, expanding the maximum Pell Grant, supporting the more than 156,000 students in New Jersey who relied on Pell for their education in 2019-2020.

Housing:

· 580,000 New Jersey residents spend more than 30% of their income on rent.
· BBB will bolster affordable and resilient housing, supporting the construction or rehabilitation of more than one million homes.

East End Elementary School/North Plainfield School District:

North Plainfield School District currently provides access to free preschool for all of its four-year-olds. President Biden's Build Back Better Agenda would enable the district to expand its program to three-year-olds, and make high-quality child care accessible and affordable for middle-class families. Like the President has proposed in his Build Back Better Agenda, the district provides preschool in a range of settings, including two elementary schools and two community-based programs.

North Plainfield School District serves 180 preschool students. The district transitioned from half-day to full-day preschool five years ago. Each preschool classroom has a maximum of 15 students, and is staffed by a certified teacher and an assistant. All students receive a nutritionally balanced breakfast and lunch.

East End Elementary School, which the President is visiting today, is a Title I school and provides preschool for roughly 70 four year-olds, including specialized support for students with disabilities and English learners. It also provides additional preschool programming for a small group of three year-old students with disabilities.

Impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal (BID) on New Jersey

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will make a generational investment in New Jersey's infrastructure and resilience.

Public Transportation:

· New Jersey residents who take public transportation spend an extra 83% of their time commuting. 25% of transit vehicles in the state are past useful life.
· Based on formula funding alone, New Jersey will receive $4.1 billion over five years to improve public transportation options.

Roads and Bridges:

· In New Jersey, there are 502 bridges and over 3,995 miles of highway in poor condition.
· Based on formula funding alone, New Jersey will receive $6.8 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $1.1 billion for bridge replacement and repairs over five years.

High-Speed Internet:

· 31% of New Jersey households do not have an internet subscription.
· New Jersey will receive a minimum allocation of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state, including providing access to the more than 115,000 people in New Jersey who currently lack it.

Water:

· Currently, up to 10 million American households and 400,000 schools and child care centers lack safe drinking water across the country.
· New Jersey would expect to receive $1 billion over five years to improve water infrastructure.

Resilience:

· From 2010 to 2020, New Jersey experienced 23 extreme weather events.
· New Jersey was hit particularly hard by the remnants of Hurricane Ida on September 1st which brought historic rain and flooding to the state.
· The bill includes a $50 billion national investment in resilience to strengthen our infrastructure for the impacts of climate change.

Portal North Bridge:

The future Portal North Bridge will be a critical link on the Northeast Corridor connecting Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. It will replace the existing Portal Bridge, which opened in 1910 and is the busiest rail bridge in the Western Hemisphere. This bridge is part of a group of projects known as the Gateway Program that will improve transit and Amtrak Northeast Corridor service in the tri-state region.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal would provide significant rail and transit funding that could be used to advance elements of the Gateway Program, improving service and repairing infrastructure throughout the Northeast Corridor. While funding has already been secured for the Portal North bridge, other portions of the program, such as the Hudson River Tunnels, are anticipated to benefit from the Infrastructure Deal.

The Infrastructure Deal includes $30 billion for the Northeast Corridor, including $6 billion in grants to Amtrak for routine maintenance and upgrades, and $24 billion in partnership grants for major infrastructure projects like the Hudson Tunnel, Susquehanna River Bridge, or Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel. The bill also includes an additional $8 billion for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grants program to support projects like Portal North that expand capacity or bring new service to transit routes around the country.

Travel pool report 9

POTUS continues to circulate the classroom. "Can I stay," he asks?

Ms. Hessemer tells the students "the president has a job to do" and has to go. A little boy tells the president maybe he can come back some time. "OK," Biden tell him.

Biden picks up a little girl with braids before saying his goodbyes to the pre-k students.

Travel pool report 10

Motorcade is departing East End Elementary. Biden did not respond to a reporter's question about universal pre-k.

We will load back into the ospreys and POTUS will get back on Marine One to return to Newark. Biden's next event will be at the NJ Transit Meadowlands Maintenance Complex.

As motorcade pases, protesters are still going strong. A man was chanting something on a bullhorn, but it was unitelligble from the press van.

For those that need a link to Karine's gaggle from earlier:

https://youtu.be/C3iq2BQbVtk

Travel pool report 11

Motorcade through Plainfield passed both people waving and cheering and more protesters, including a group with a "Let's Go Brandon" banner in reference to the right wing meme. Ospreys are in the air back fo Newark. Pool did not see POTUS go into Marine One before press boarded our helicopter.

Travel pool report 12

?POTUS exited Marine One in Newark at 12:36 and went directly into the motorcade to head his next event at the NJ Transit Meadowlands Maintenance Complex.

Travel pool report 13

Pool is awaiting the arrival of the president at the NJ Transit Meadowlands Maintenance Complex in Kearny, New Jersey.

The president will speak in front of a backdrop that includes three train engines. Two are the standard silver NJ Transit cars, while the one in the center is a beautiful blue engine. Signs bearing Biden's slogan "Build Back Better" and American flags are placed throughout the facility.

The president's remarks will stream on https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/ The speech is scheduled for 1:45 pm, but staff advises it'll likely start a little later.

Biden will be joined by Gov. Phil Murphy, who stands for re-election on Nov. 2, and other New Jersey Democrats.

Travel pool report 14

White House staff has given us the two-minute warning for the event in Kearny to begin.

From the White House, here is the line-up of speakers:

• New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
• Rep. Bill Pascrell (NJ-09)
• Joseph Williams, member of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division (SMART-TD) Local #800
• The President

Several U.S. House members are in attendance in addition to Pascrell. Will share a full list once I have it.

Travel pool report 15

The event kicks off with Gov. Phil Murphy who welcomes the lawmakers and labor leaders in attendance. Murphy says the last time Biden was in New Jersey was to tour damage from Hurricane Ida. Says again 18 counties in New Jersey are under a flash flood warning.

Travel Pool Report 16

Murphy's speech is focused on the Portal North Bridge. He notes that Biden is the 46th president and the bridge was opened under Taft, the 27th president. He says the bridge has served its purpose and it's time for a modern and safe upgrade.

Taking a page from Biden's book, Murphy invokes an Irish writer and borrows a quote from Oscar Wilde that a cynic is a "man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."

Pascrell takes the stage second and says modernizing the Portal North Bridge will ease millions of lives. "New Jersey's waited a long time for this thing," he says.

Additional details from the White House on attendees:

Before remarks, the President participated in a photo line with elected officials and local leaders, including:
Rep. Bill Pascrell (NJ-09)
Rep. Tom Malinowski (NJ-07)
Rep. Donald Payne Jr. (NJ-10)
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05)
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)
Kearny Mayor Alberto Santos
New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin

The audience for the President's remarks are approximately 50 elected officials and labor leaders, including those who participated in the photo line.

Here are the details on the Portal North Bridge from the White House

Portal North Bridge:

The future Portal North Bridge will be a critical link on the Northeast Corridor connecting Washington, DC, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. It will replace the existing Portal Bridge, which opened in 1910 and is the busiest rail bridge in the Western Hemisphere. This bridge is part of a group of projects known as the Gateway Program that will improve transit and Amtrak Northeast Corridor service in the tri-state region.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal would provide significant rail and transit funding that could be used to advance elements of the Gateway Program, improving service and repairing infrastructure throughout the Northeast Corridor. While funding has already been secured for the Portal North bridge, other portions of the program, such as the Hudson River Tunnels, are anticipated to benefit from the Infrastructure Deal.

The Infrastructure Deal includes $30 billion for the Northeast Corridor, including $6 billion in grants to Amtrak for routine maintenance and upgrades, and $24 billion in partnership grants for major infrastructure projects like the Hudson Tunnel, Susquehanna River Bridge, or Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel. The bill also includes an additional $8 billion for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Capital Investment Grants program to support projects like Portal North that expand capacity or bring new service to transit routes around the country.

Travel pool report 16 - Biden speech starts
[APP Note: This is likely Report #17.]

Biden takes the stage in Kearny to applause and cheers at roughly 1:56 pm and begins his speech.

The president was introduced by Joseph Williams, a member of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division (SMART-TD) Local #800. Williams described himself as a "fourth generation railroader."

Williams said the infrastructure bill will create new railroad jobs and create better public transit access for residents. He thanked Biden and hailed him as "the transportation president."

Biden's remarks are live-streaming here, so pool will not be transcribing them.

Travel pool report 18

Biden's speech concluded at roughly 2:15 and received a standing ovation.

The speech covered a wide range of programs included in both the infrastructure and reconciliation bills, including of course rail travel. "I'm a train guy," Biden said as he stood before the backdrop of trains.

In addition to the lawmakers and labor leaders in the audience, a flock of New Jersey pigeons also watched Biden's speech from the rafters and flew overhead at one point.

Apologies if the double-up of reports labeled as "16," caused confusion. This is the 18th report and the previous one should have been labeled as 17.

Travel pool report 19

The president shook a few hands, but did not linger long after the speech in Kearny.

Press and staff have piled back into the motorcade vehicles en route back to Newark, where Air Force One will depart.

Travel report 20

POTUS boarded Air Force One at 2:40 for the return flight to JBA. That's it for Jersey.

Travel pool report 21 - final

?Air Force One landed at JBA at 3:26 pm. POTUS boarded Marine One at 3:34 PM to return to the White House.

He did not stop for questions before changing aircraft. Marine One took off roughly five minutes later.

Handing off to In-Town pool.

Travel pool report 22 - actual final

Spoke to soon. White House sends over these details about the officials greeting POTUS at the base and those joining him on Marine One:

Upon arrival at Joint Base Andrews, the President was greeted by Colonel Matthew Jones, Commander, 89th Airlift Wing.

Traveling with the President on Marine One to the White House:

Bruce Reed, Assistant to the President & Deputy Chief of Staff

Josh Geltzer, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor

Julie Rodriguez, Deputy Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

Ashley Williams, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations

Stephen Goepfert, Special Assistant to the President & Personal Aide to the President

Supplemental pool report #1 — Motorcade rolling

Good morning from Wilmington.

The pool joined the motorcade leaving President Biden's residence at 9:28 a.m.

We're en route to Delaware Air National Guard Base, where your pooler expects to hand things off to the out-of-town pool.

WH in-town pool report #1/ Checking in

Greetings from the White House on a sunny October day.

POTUS is expected to return from New Jersey and arrive on the south lawn at 4.05pm, according to the daily guidance. Then there are no public events scheduled.

WH in-town pool report #2/ Pool gathers

Pool has gathered at the Palm Room doors ahead of POTUS's arrival.

WH in-town pool report #3/ POTUS arrives

Marine One touched down on the south lawn at 3.48pm.

WH in-town pool report #4/ No comments from POTUS

Wearing a blue suit and blue patterned tie, POTUS disembarked Marine One at 3.50pm and walked alone across the south lawn. He did not approach reporters or answer shouted questions. He went inside the Oval Office at 3.51pm.

WH in-town pool report #5/ Sudan

From Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre:

This morning, the President was briefed on the situation in Sudan.

WH in-town pool report #6/ Meeting with Patriarch Bartholomew

From the White House:

In attendance for the President's meeting with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew:

U.S. Manifest
The President
T.H. Steven Ricchetti, Assistant to the President and Counselor to the President
T.H. Dr. Amanda Sloat, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Europe, NSC
T.H. John McCarthy, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the Counselor to the President
Mr. Kevin Boyd, Director for Europe and Eurasia, NSC

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Manifest
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon
His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America
The Rev. Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate Alexander Karloutsos, Vicar General of GOARCH

The meeting began at 5:42 PM.

WH in-town pool report #7/ Remarks by Patriarch Bartholomew

POTUS's meeting with His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the official delegation of the Orthodox Christian Church has ended.

Patriarch Bartholomew spoke at the stakeout location and expressed "abundant satisfaction" with the meeting. Remarks included:

"Our president here is a man of faith and man of vision and we know that he will offer to this wonderful country and to the world the best leadership and direction within his considerable power.

"And finally I would like to announce to you that, together with His Holiness the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury, the head of the Anglican Communion and the Muslim and Jewish religious leaders, we shall make an appeal to the whole world to facilitate the vaccination of everybody, especially poor people and rich, wealthy countries who have the poorest ones, so that everybody may be safe.

"The president accepted our common initiative with great satisfaction. Thank you and I wish you a nice evening."

WH in-town pool report #8/ Lid called

A travel/ photo lid was called at 6.59pm.