Pool Reports of January 13, 2022

In town print pool report #1 - Biden to announce more tests during 10:30 am remarks

Greetings from a crisp, sunny winter morning at the White House. I'm the print pooler for today.

President Biden is scheduled to give remarks on COVID-19 at 10:30 am.

A White House official relays this: "Today, as a part of the President's remarks and briefing, he will announce that in addition to the 500 million tests that we are in the process of acquiring, he is directing his team to procure 500 million more tests to meet future demand."

Biden is slated to go to Capitol Hill to meet with the Senate Democratic Caucus at 1 pm to discuss legislation on voting rights and election integrity.

A press briefing with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is scheduled for 3 pm. I'll be in the print pool seat today. (Reporters are spaced out in the briefing room to allow for social distance during the Omicron variant surge.) Feel free to send questions.

Brian

P.S. I took the White House's rapid antigen test before entering and am wearing an N95 mask.

In town pool report #2 - Biden COVID-19 remarks

Biden walked onto the South Court Auditorium stage at 10:40 am. He spoke for about 12 min. He sat at one of four desks arranged facing a wall-sized video screen. On the screen were members of the military from Arizona, New York and Michigan. Seated at desks with Biden: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell, Jeff Zients, Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response.

Here's CSPAN video of the remarks: https://www.c-span.org/video/?517241-1/president-biden-announces-procure...

Some quotes:

"Right now both vaccinated and unvaccinated people are testing positive. But what happens after that could not be more different. The vaccinated people who test positive overwhelmingly had either no symptoms at all or they had mild symptoms. If they're unvaccinated, if they test positive, they are 17 times more likely to get hospitalized. As a result they are crowding our hospitals leaving little room for anyone else who might have a heart attack or an injury in an automobile accident or any injury at all."

"If you are vaccinated, join the nearly 80 million Americans who have gotten the booster shot with the strongest protection possible. Vaccines are safe and free and widely available. So do it today."

"Vaccinations are obviously the most important thing we are doing but they are not the only important thing."

"Please wear a mask. I think it's part of your patriotic duty. It's not that comfortable. It's a pain in the neck."

"We want to triple our stockpile of the most protective specialized N95 masks since coming into office. This is going to make sure that there will be an ample supply for health care workers and first responders. We also helped make sure that high quality masks are widely available, in ample supply at affordable prices sold online and in stores. But I know that for some Americans masks are not affordable or easy to get. So next week we will announce how we are making high quality masks available for American people for free."

"In addition to the 500 million - half a billion - tests that in the process of being acquired to ship to you at home for free, today, I am directing my team to procure an additional 500 million more tests to distribute for free. That will mean a billion tests in total to meet future demand."

Biden announced he will send six additional military teams, 120 military medical personnel, to help the medical response in states including Michigan, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island.

Biden did not reply to a number of shouted questions. As press walked out, NBC's Kelly O'Donnell asked Biden, "Maybe a press conference soon Mr President. We would look forward to that?"

Biden replied, "Me too."

The meeting on COVID-19 response began as reporters were ushered out of the room.

In Person

• Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin
• FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell
• Jeff Zients, Coordinator of the COVID-19 Response

Virtual

• Major Katherine Kasch (Air Force, Arizona)
• Lieutenant Commander Diana Tran-Yu (Navy, New York)
• Lieutenant Colonel Suzanne Cobleigh (Army, Michigan)

In town pool report #3 - moving to Capitol Hill

President Biden walked out if the Oval Office and got into the black presidential limo on the South Portico driveway at 1:01 pm.

We are rolling. The motorcade is driving to Capitol Hill where Biden is scheduled to meet with Democrats on voting rights and election integrity.

First Lady Jill Biden walked out of the East Wing and on to the South Lawn the motorcade rolled away.

In town pool report #4 - arrival at Capitol Hill

President Biden's motorcade arrived at Russell Senate Office Building at 1:07 pm.

The ride took about 5 minutes.

Biden walked into an entrance on the west side of Russell. The entrance was lined with tan painted plywood. Biden walked into a Kennedy Caucus Room on the third floor of the building by the rotunda. Applause could be heard from outside the room as he walked in. Pool is holding at the rotunda.

In town pool report #5 - staff with Biden in motorcade to Hill

Passing this along from the White House--

Staff heading over to the Capitol with the President:

Steve Ricchetti, Assistant to the President & Counselor to the President

Annie Tomasini, Assistant to the President & Director of Oval Office Operations

Louisa Terrell, Assistant to the President & Director of the Office of Legislative Affairs

Reema Dodin, Deputy Assistant to the President & Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs & Senate Liaison

Sasha Baker, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Strategic Planning for the National Security Council

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

Travis Dredd, Special Assistant to the President & Trip Director

Andrew Bates, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Press Secretary

In town pool report #6 - return to White House - Biden quotes

President Biden walked out if the caucus room at 12:35 pm.

He spoke to reporters for about a minute.

Quotes:

"I hope we can get this done. But I'm not certain."

"Every other civil rights movement that came along, if we missed the first time, we come back and try it a second time. We missed this time."

"State and legislative bodies continue to change the law not as as to who can vote, who gets to count the vote. Count the vote. It's about electoral subversion."

(Durbin walked out earlier at 2:09 pm.

Menendez walked out at 2:23 pm. )

Back at White House at 2:36 pm.

In town pool report #7 - Biden full quote after caucus meeting - time fix

(I put an incorrect time in the last pool report. Biden walked out of the caucus room at 2:24 pm.)

Here's a longer quote from his brief remarks:

"State and legislative bodies continue to change the law not as to who can vote, who gets to count the vote. Count the vote. Count the vote. Count the vote. It's about electoral subversion. Not just whether or not people get to vote. Who counts the vote. That's what it's about. That's what makes this so different from anything else we've ever done. I don't know that we'll get it done but I know one thing. As long as I have a breath in me, as long as I'm in the White House, as long as I'm engaged at all I'm going to be fighting to change the way these legislatures have moving."

(When Biden said the word count the third time he said "count the vote" the sound echoed through the rotunda.)

Here's the CSPAN video footage: https://www.c-span.org/video/?517237-1/president-biden-speaks-meeting-se...

As Biden walked out of the Russell building, he stopped and briefly spoke to a Capitol Police officer standing at the door to an elevator. He then entered his limo waiting outside.

In town pool report #9 - Manchin and Sinema to join Biden at White House tonight

White House press office provides this:

The President will host Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema at the White House this evening to discuss voting rights.

In town pool report #10 - Biden meeting with Manchin and Sinema ended

According to the White House press office, Biden's meeting with Manchin and Sinema at the White House lasted a bit over an hour.

From the White House press office (sent at 6:47 pm):

The President's meeting with Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema started at 5:30 PM and just ended.

In town pool report #11 - background quote on Manchin / Sinema meeting with Biden

From a White House official:

The President hosted Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema at the White House tonight for a candid and respectful exchange of views about voting rights.