tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84626192620169496592024-03-14T05:00:50.709-07:00Politics. On Point.Covering Washington politics. From Our vantage point. One point at a time.Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.comBlogger1026125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-8735633020050621952023-10-10T09:06:00.005-07:002023-10-10T09:07:40.604-07:00(OTR): The White House on Hamas Terrorist Attack<p> Tip: long read.</p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_2571600843287691209mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_2571600843287691209mcnTextContent" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong><br />October 10, 2023<div style="text-align: center;"><p style="line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><br />VIRTUAL ON-THE-RECORD GAGGLE<br />BY NSC COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS JOHN KIRBY<br />ON HAMAS TERRORIST ATTACKS IN ISRAEL<br /> <br />Via Teleconference</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_2571600843287691209mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_2571600843287691209mcnTextContent" style="color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><div style="text-align: center;"><p style="line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">5:54 P.M. EDT<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Good evening, everybody. As you know, the White House has been closely following the situation in Israel, and the President has been actively engaged, regularly receiving updates on the latest developments from the national security team. In fact, this morning, he met with members of the senior team -- including the Secretary of State; National Security Advisor; the Principal Deputy National Security Advisor; the Homeland Security Advisor, Liz Sherwood-Randall; and, of course, the White House Chief of Staff, Jeff Zients -- all to receive the latest update from -- from the morning. <br /> <br />He has also spoken twice with Prime Minister Netanyahu this -- over the weekend, certainly to express our deep sympathy for all those missing, wounded, and killed and to pledge his full support for Israel at this incriti- -- critical and dangerous moment.<br /> <br />He has also spoken with many of our allies and partners -- including the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom -- just this afternoon to help coordinate our efforts.<br /> <br />In response to Hamas’s horrific terrorist attacks, President Biden directed his team to do everything we can to ensure that the government of Israel has what it needs. At his direction, our military began shipping military aid to Israel and the Secretary of Defense has adjusted our force posture in the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts.<br /> <br />Our teams at the White House and across the U.S. government have been in close contact with our Israeli partners and are working with our regional partners to warn anyone who might seek to take advantage in this situation against taking hostile action.<br /> <br />We will have more assistance to announce over the coming days to ensure that no enemies of Israel believe that they can or should try to seek advantage from the current situation.<br /> <br />Hundreds of innocent civilians were murdered, including at least 11 American citizens, and there are other American citizens who remain unaccounted for. <br /> <br />The U.S. government is doing everything we can to determine the whereabouts of these U.S. citizens. The President has directed his team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis, including sharing intelligence and deploying experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Israeli counterparts on hostage recovery efforts.<br /> <br />Let me say once again that the United States unequivocally condemns these horrific terrorist attacks in Israel, which have taken the lives of Israeli and American citizens, as well as citizens from many countries around the world.<br /> <br />And as the President has said, our hearts go out to every single family impacted and affected by the horrible, reprehensible events of the past few days. To quote from his statement from this afternoon, “The pain [that] these families have endured, the enormity of their loss, and the agony of those [that are] still [waiting for] information is unfathomable.”<br /> <br />Terrorism is never justified, and what we have seen Hamas do is appalling and horrific. We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Israeli people in this moment of crisis for them.<br /> <br />And in keeping with that commitment, you will also see that they will light the White House up tonight in blue and white in honor of Israeli colors and the Israeli flag. That will -- that will take place right after sundown. <br /> <br />So, with that, I’m happy to take some questions.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. Our first question will go to Yuna with Israel Channel 12. Yuna, you should be able to unmute yourself.<br /> <br />Q Yes. Can you hear me now? <br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: We sure can.<br /> <br />Q Okay, thank you, John. Thank you, all the team. Thank you for doing this. I have a few questions. First, would the United States in any scenario join this war if we see more fronts from Iran or Hezbollah? Does the United States sees Iran as responsible for this war?<br /> <br />And also a question about the military aid. What is the scope? How fast will it be delivered? And what is the message the United States wants to send with the deployment of the aircraft carrier and the other ships that are arriving to the region?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Can I ask you to repeat the first question? It broke up. It was something about us joining, but I didn't get the rest of it. <br /> <br />Q Yeah. Is there any scenario of the U.S. joining the war if we see more fronts from Iran or Hezbollah?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Okay. So, on your first question, I mean, there's no intention to put U.S. boots on the ground. <br /> <br />That said, as evidenced -- and this kind of gets to your third question -- as evidenced by the changes in our force posture in the region, including the movement of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group into the Eastern Med, President Biden will always make sure that we are protecting and defending our national security interests wherever those interests are, including particularly in that part of the world. And I think I'll leave it at that. <br /> <br />And then, your other question was about the aid. I can tell you that the first tranche of additional security assistance -- and I say “additional” because, you know, we have a longstanding defense relationship with Israel whereby there are routine security assistance being delivered and worked on together with them. But in the wake of these terrorist attacks -- the first tranche in the wake of these terrorist attacks are -- is already on the way. And I had a chance to speak with my colleagues at the Defense Department just before getting on with you to confirm that, but it's on the way. <br /> <br />I don't believe it's actually made it to Israel yet, but it is -- it is -- it's making its way there. And we will -- obviously, we fully expect that there will be additional requests for security assistance from Israel as they continue to expend munitions in this fight. And we will stay in lockstep with them, making sure that we're filling their needs as best -- as best we can and as fast as we can. <br /> <br />Q Thank you.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Great. Thank you. Our next -- sorry, we're having a little bit of a tech issue. My computer froze. <br /> <br />Our next question will go to Aamer with the AP.<br /> <br />Q Hey. Thank you, John. Thank you, Sam. Just wanted to ask you -- because, you know, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry’s statement soon after the attacks did not condemn Hamas, instead noting it had repeatedly warned that Israel's occupation and the deprivation of Palestinian people of their legitimate rights was the cause of this. <br /> <br />One, was the administration disappointed in the response? And more generally, does this current environment halt or, at the very minimum, set back hopes for an Israel-Saudi normalization deal? Thank you.<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I'll let the Saudis speak to their statement; I can only speak to ours. <br /> <br />And it's been pretty clear and unequivocal what we think about these terrorist attacks and what we think about our responsibilities and our commitment to the Israeli people.<br /> <br />On normalization, Aamer -- we still believe that normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is not only good for the people of those two nations, but for the American people and for everybody else in the region. And we have every intention to continue to encourage a process where normalization can occur. <br /> <br />I couldn't speculate now as to what impact the events of the last 36 hours is going to have on -- on those efforts. But nothing has changed about our -- our continued desire to pursue that kind of an outcome. <br /> <br />And in any event, Aamer, we're -- even before the attacks of the weekend, we were, you know, months away from -- you know, from getting close to some sort of agreed-to negotiation here. So, we intend to keep -- keep at that work. <br /> <br />Now, obviously, the focus right now, in these hours, is much more in line with supporting Israel's ability to defend itself. That's where our energies are being applied most stringently, and certainly that's where they should appropriately be applied. But nothing has changed about our desire to see that normalization occur.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. Our next question will go to Barak with Axios. Barak, you should be able to --<br /> <br />Q Yeah.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSSA: There you go.<br /> <br />Q Thank you so much for doing this. And, John, I just wanted to say I watched your interview tonight on CNN, and, you know, thank you for the things you said. You’re a real mensch. I just wanted to say that. <br /> <br />And second thing, to follow up on what Yuna asked before: Is the White House considering or discussing asking Congress to give some kind of -- to approve some kind of war powers in order for the U.S. to be able to use force if Hezbollah will join the war, especially in things like using air -- air power in Lebanon or using U.S. assets for missile interception and things like that?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Barak, and I meant to say this when -- when Yuna asked her question, but I got distracted. I am not going to ask you for any detail, but I do hope that your family and your loved ones and your friends are safe and that you had a chance to stay in communication with them. <br /> <br />On your question, I know of no such assets being considered at this time. You know, we, obviously, as I said earlier, will -- the President will do what he has to do to look after our national security interests there and elsewhere. That -- that's not going to change. But I know of no specific efforts to seek additional authorities or anything from Congress in the -- in any kind of a hypothetical situation.<br /> <br />On Hezbollah, you know, we certainly have seen the attacks from Lebanon into northern Israel. We’ve certainly seen the IDF respond to those attacks. There's been conflicting messages coming out of Hezbollah about the degree to which they will or plan to get involved. <br /> <br />One of the reasons why the President ordered that carrier strike group into Eastern Med is to send a clear, unequivocal message to any actor or nation-state that thinks that is a -- that this is a chance to try to take advantage of the position that Israel finds itself in, and we want that message to be let -- heard loud and clear. We always will do what we need to do to protect our people, our troops, our national security interests. <br /> <br />And, again, I just know of no efforts to -- to go to Congress with any kind of additional authorities.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. Our next question will go to Steve Holland with Reuters.<br /> <br />Q Thank you. Do you have any more clarity on how many American hostages that Hamas is holding?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Steve, we -- we can't confirm that they are in fact holding hostages. We are working literally by the hour to try to get more information about these unaccounted-for Americans. The truth is, we don't have a solid idea of how many total are unaccounted for. Well, you know, we got an idea and -- but we don't know where they are, so I can't say definitively that we know that Americans are being held hostage. <br /> <br />That said, we have to accept the grim possibility that some are. And I don't want to say we're assuming it, but we have to accept that grim possibility. <br /> <br />So, we're going to keep at this. We're going to stay in touch with Israeli officials as closely as we can to get as much information as we can about -- about all the Americans in Israel, particularly those that that we know are unaccounted for, because they -- the family members can't reach them. <br /> <br />Q And just to follow up on Aamer’s question about normalization, has this conflict basically forced you to hit the pause button on these negotiations?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I wouldn't go so far as to say that. I would -- I would tell you though, look, it's only been -- what? -- a couple of days. And so, our focus and the focus of the folks here at the NSC -- Brett McGurk and his team -- are rightly and appropriately on this: on supporting Israel, trying to ground truth on our Americans, supporting the families that’ve got the worst possible news yesterday and today. But I think it's too soon to say that, you know, we've hit the brakes on this. <br /> <br />It’s just -- it, understandably, isn't the main area of focus right now. But I wouldn't go so far as to say, you know, we've given up on it or we don't have any interest in pursuing it. <br /> <br />It just -- again, given the circumstances, is not -- not on the front burner, but -- but certainly we're not -- we're not -- we're not discarding it. <br /> <br />Q Thank you.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. Our next question will go to Gabby with Jewish Insider.<br /> <br />Q Hey, thank you so much for doing this. I have a couple of questions. First, the White House has said that there's no direct evidence at this point linking Iran to this attack. Can you share what you do know about a possible Iran connection with Hamas here?<br /> <br />And second, Secretary Blinken tweeted yesterday calling for a ceasefire, but he deleted the tweet since then. So is the administration's position here to call for a ceasefire? And what's your perspective on that language? Thank you so much.<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: So, on Iran, let me start by saying that no question that there's a degree of complicity here, but Iran has been supporting Hamas for many, many years -- tools, training, capabilities -- certainly rhetorically but in more much more tangible ways than that. So, absolutely, there's a degree of complicity here writ large. <br /> <br />That said, we haven't -- and we're -- and we are looking through the information streams. We haven't seen hard, tangible evidence that Iran was directly involved in participating in or resourcing and planning these sets of complex attacks that Hamas pulled off over the weekend. <br /> <br />Again, we're going to keep looking at it. Our Israeli counterparts are also actively looking, and even they have publicly said they don't see the -- quote, unquote -- smoking gun. So we'll just keep -- we’ll just keep at it. We'll keep -- we'll keep trying to learn more. But obviously, nobody is walking away from the fact that Iran has long supported Hamas.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. Our next question will go to Mary with ABC.<br /> <br />Q Hi, Admiral. Thank you for doing this. You mentioned the President's phone calls with Netanyahu, and I'm sure you've seen the Axios reporting that Netanyahu told the President that Israel doesn't have a choice; they have to go into Gaza. Is that reporting wrong? Is it your understanding that Israel is readying a ground offensive? And is that something that the U.S. would support or dissuade?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I won't speak to the -- in more detail to the private conversations that the President had with Prime Minister Netanyahu. I certainly will not put words in his mouth or verify anything that Prime Minister Netanyahu might have said or not said. That would be inappropriate for me to do that. <br /> <br />It is clear that given the size and the scale and the scope of the violence that have been visited on the Israeli people by Hamas that the Israeli Defense Forces are responding aggressively. You don't -- you can look at the imagery and see that -- that they're being very, very aggressive in how they respond. And I think it's just more appropriate that we let them speak to their military operations, present and future tense. <br /> <br />I wouldn't even -- even if this was an American operation, we wouldn't talk about future military operations one way or the other. So, I -- I don't want to start by doing that today.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. Our next question will go to Tamara with NPR. Tam, you should be able to unmute yourself.<br /> <br />Q Oh, sorry. I think I am unmuted now. John, just regarding Ukraine funding, do you have any sense of whether the situation in Israel will put stress on White House efforts to secure aid for Ukraine? Is it possible it could help speed that along?<br /> <br />And also, what does this situation mean for President Biden's announced major address on Ukraine?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I don't think we have a sense about whether or not there'll be any kind of an impact base- -- based on what's happening in Israel. I can just tell you that we believe both are -- are important. <br /> <br />Support to Ukraine needs to continue. They are also at a critical moment in their counteroffensive with -- you know, with weeks of good weather left to try to make more progress. So, it's a critical need. We're going to continue to make that case on Capitol Hill. <br /> <br />We continue to appreciate the bipartisan support by the majority of members of the House and Senate for -- for supporting Ukraine, and we’ll continue to make that case. We continue to want our supplemental request approved so that there's no lapse at all -- not even a day -- in support to Ukraine.<br /> <br />Israel -- obviously, we have a longstanding defense relationship with them. We have existing authorities and existing appropriations to continue to support Israel if we need. And I’m -- it’s an “if,” but if we need to go back to Capitol Hill for additional funding support for Israel, we will absolutely do that. We have kept members of Congress informed over the last couple of days about what's going on, what we're learning, what we're seeing, what we're doing. That will continue. <br /> <br />And, again, if part of that conversation needs to be a request for additional funding, well, by goodness, we’ll have that conversation and we'll go to them. <br /> <br />And if that was to be the case, certainly it would just validate the fact that both are important. And we a large enough, big enough, economically viable and vibrant enough country to be able to support both.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. Our next question will go to Vivia- -- Vivian with the Wall Street Journal.<br /> <br />Q Thanks, Sam. Hey, John. So, I want to actually follow up on Mary's question with regard to Gaza. You're -- you said you don't want to comment on Israeli military plans for a potential ground offensive, but I was wondering if you could comment about whether or not there has been any warning at any levels of the U.S. government against the targeting of civilians in Gaza. <br /> <br />Obviously, you know, we saw tragically that Israeli civilians are -- were victimized by this. Also, we're hearing about the civilian death toll in Gaza rising, and so that would obviously be even more so if there was a ground invasion because there's very -- there's nowhere for them to go. <br /> <br />So, is there -- has there been any discussion with the Israelis to do whatever they can to avoid that and not make civilians part of the collateral, kind of, retaliation against the tragic -- the tragic attacks that happened this weekend? Thanks.<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Look, I would just say, as we've said before, Israel has the right to defend itself, and you're seeing them -- you're seeing them do that. And in some ways, they're doing it aggressively. And given the size and scale and the scope of the violence, you know, we -- we understand where that's coming from.<br /> <br />I would -- I would also say that we and Israel, as democracies, we have a lot of shared values and a lot of shared interests. And certainly, one of those shared values and shared interest is respect for life -- the kind of respect that Hamas is clearly not showing at all. And (inaudible) --<br /> <br />Q But the -- but the residents in Gaza -- a lot of them are not even sympathetic toward Hamas, so that's kind of what I'm trying to get at is -- is --<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: No, that’s -- but that’s -- but that’s ---<br /> <br />Q -- any effort to try to distinguish and say, you know, there are people who should be spared who have nothing to do with this.<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Well, nobody wants to see an innocent civilian killed or wounded or hurt in any way. I mean, that -- that -- the whole -- the whole premise of our statements to date have been, you know, that -- you know, again, terrorism and this kind of violence has no place. And so, nobody wants to see anybody -- an innocent civilian or a family -- wrecked by violence. Of course not. <br /> <br />But, again, you know, we have -- we share values with Israel when it comes to law of war and respect for life. And, again, I just -- I can't -- I won't speak to whatever Israeli Defense Forces are planning to do in their operations, but -- but I think I'll just leave it there.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. Our next question will go to Kevin with CNN.<br /> <br />Q Thanks. Thanks, John. I know you can't say what the number of potential hostages are, but I'm wondering if you could describe in more detail how you're trying to determine whether and how many hostages there are. Are you in communication with the Israelis? Are you asking families to come to you? Are you monitoring -- are you looking for videos? What is the effort look like to try and make the determination of how many Americans are being held hostage?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: It's a little bit of -- it's sort of all of the above, to be honest with you. <br /> <br />I mean, clearly, we are in direct communication with Israeli officials to learn what they know, understanding that it's a very dynamic time for them and they don't even have perfect knowledge of every Israeli citizen and where every Israeli citizen is. So, we understand that they're under a great strain. But yes, we're in direct communication with them at various levels to try to get as much information as they might have that can help us. <br /> <br />And yes, we have been hearing from many family members. I wouldn't go so far to say that we're, you know, cold calling families the -- because, you know, we wouldn't have the -- wouldn't have the information to be able to do that. You know, American citizens don't need to tell us where they are, where they're traveling, where they're living. <br /> <br />But -- but we are certainly hearing from -- actively hearing from many families of Americans in Israel asking if we've heard anything, do we know anything, sharing with us what they can about what they know of their loved one or when they last heard from them.<br /> <br />So, we are getting input directly from families, and that's certainly very helpful in terms of giving us a sense of the -- of the scope of the problem set. <br /> <br />I'm leery right now to get into any more detail than that, other than to say that we know there is a number of unaccounted--for Americans, and we're trying very, very hard on an individual basis to try to track them down and to -- and to try to figure out where they are.<br /> <br />Q And could you characterize how many families you've heard from at this point?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I think I'll leave the -- I’ll leave that to the State Department to clarify. I don't know that that's appropriate coming from me, but we certainly have heard from -- from a number of -- of families, and I think that's about as much detail as I can go into tonight.<br /> <br />Q Okay, thanks.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. Our next question will go to Alexander with Yahoo News.<br /> <br />Q Hey, thanks, Sam. Thank you, Admiral, for doing this. A few questions -- three if it’s okay. <br /> <br />One, do you have a sense of whether Hamas was using the tunnels under the Sinai to smuggle in, you know, the drones, the Qassam rockets or the components of the rockets, and other equipment they needed? And if so, then, you know, where -- where did it come from? Did it come from Iran?<br /> <br />Second, you know, do you have any -- well, I guess -- I guess I'll put it this way: If Hezbollah opens a front in the north and then, you know, Lebanon is pulled in and then Syria, potentially -- I mean, are we looking at potentially a much larger conflict than what we have today? And, sort of, how do we avoid that?<br /> <br />And my third question is: Does the U.S. know where Mohammed Deif is and the other -- sort of, the ranking leaders of Hamas? And if so, has that intelligence been shared with Israel?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I think you can understand I wouldn't get into the details of intelligence sharing with Israel. We -- we have a strong intel-sharing relationship. We are obviously improving and sharpening that here in the wake of these attacks, and I can't go into more detail on that. <br /> <br />I don't -- I won't get into the specific intelligence about Hamas’s preparations in planning and resourcing for this. I would just say what I said before: We have not seen any specific, tangible piece of evidence or fact that points directly to Iranian participation in these sets of attacks.<br /> <br />Q Right. So, Admiral, does that mean the Wall Street Journal report was incorrect?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: That means that we cannot corroborate the reporting in the Wall Street Journal. We are obviously looking at this. Our Israeli counterparts are looking at it, and they too have said publicly that they cannot point to specific Iranian involvement in these sets of attacks over the weekend.<br /> <br />So, again, you know, we'll just keep at it. We'll just have to keep at the work. <br /> <br />And then on the other question about Hezbollah: Nobody wants to see the -- this conflict broaden or deepen or grow or escalate. I can't speak for what Hezbollah may or may not do. They've already launched rockets in there. They have said confusing things about their intentions. On one hand, saying that, you know, obviously they support what Hamas has done. On the other hand, saying they have no interest in getting involved unless Gaza is invaded by -- by the IDF. <br /> <br />I can't -- I can't hypothesize about where this might go, but clearly, we don't -- we don't want to see it escalate. <br /> <br />And look, one of the reasons why the President directed the Defense Department to move additional military forces in and around and near the region is to send a strong message of deterrence that no other actor, no other nation-state, no other group ought to be looking at this as a chance to take advantage. <br /> <br />Q Thank you.<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Yes, sir.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. Our next question will go to James Rosen.<br /> <br />Q Can you all hear me?<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: We sure can.<br /> <br />Q Thank you, Sam. And thank you, Admiral. Two questions, if you would. First, is President Biden committed to supporting Israel in its campaign against Hamas for as long as it takes?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Well, you want to do the second one or you just want to take it one by one?<br /> <br />Q One by one, if you would. <br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: He -- I think he's been very clear that we will -- our -- our relationship with -- with Israel is rock solid, ironclad, unshakable. That's not going to change. And that's not -- that's not just hyperbole or empty rhetoric, James; I mean, that is a longstanding position of the United States across multiple administrations -- Democratic and Republican. <br /> <br />And Joe Biden has been a strong supporter of Israel for his entire life in public service, and that will not change certainly for as long as he's president of the United States.<br /> <br />Q Just to follow up on question one -- hopefully without sacrificing my ability to pose a second question: I didn't ask you if the support is “unwavering, rock solid.” I asked specifically, is President Biden committed to supporting Israel in its campaign against Hamas “for as long as it takes.” And you understand that I'm using that phrasing because it is the very phrasing that the President has used with President Zelenskyy and Ukraine. Does Prime Minister Netanyahu receive that same assurance?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I think Prime Minister Netanyahu knows very well, based on the conversations he's had with the President in just the last day or so, how strongly President Biden and the United States and this administration stands with Israel.<br /> <br />Q Question two. After Prime Minister Netanyahu took office last December, President Biden shunned him. He withheld from the Prime Minister the traditional invitation to the White House and only consented nine months later to a brief session at a Manhattan hotel on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Knowing everything we know today, wasn't this rejection of closer coordination with the Israeli head of state a major mistake by President Biden?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I would take issue with the premise of your question, James. There was no shunning. There was no disrespect. The President had a -- has had a long relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu. He certainly had a chance to speak with him after he formed his government. We have been clear and very consistent in our support for the democratic institutions and the shared values that we both cherish -- both the Israeli people and the United States.<br /> <br />The President will -- will always speak honestly and candidly with foreign leaders, particularly with those countries with whom we're -- we’re so close and have such a great relationship like -- like Israel.<br /> <br />So, again, grateful that he had the chance to speak with Prime Minister Netanyahu twice <s>yesterday</s> [this weekend], and I fully expect that you will see additional conversations between those two leaders in the coming days. <br /><br />Q Thank you.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. We have time for one more question, which will go to Anita with VOA.<br /> <br />Q Thank you so much for doing this, John. Just quickly on the carrier strike group -- if you can just share some details for us about what role it will play. Is it going to help Israel with the siege or blockade of Gaza? Is it authorized to use offensive force against enemy targets? And then I have a question about hostages.<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I won’t talk about ROE. The strike force is a very capable military -- naval military power. And it's being dispatched for really two purposes: A strong signal of reassurance to the American people who live in the region, to our allies and partners in the region that the United States won’t -- does not want to see anybody else try to take advantage; and then deterrence -- deterrence of anybody who might think that way. <br /> <br />But there's a lot of capabilities in that strike force, and -- and I -- and we believe that the folks in the region -- they understand -- they understand what those capabilities are. And I won't get beyond that. <br /> <br />As I said earlier, there was no intention to put U.S. troops -- U.S. boots on the ground in Israel. <br /> <br />What's your second question?<br /> <br />Q My second question is about the hostages -- if the U.S. is thinking about any action to find and rescue the hostages in Gaza, if the U.S. is willing to talk to Hamas or has talked to Hamas. <br /> <br />And then separately, has the President spoken to any of the affected American families? And can you share any details of those conversations?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I don't have any calls with the families to read out. I know the State Department has reached out to at least the first nine that we were able to confirm. I don't know if they've spoken to the families of the additional two that we learned today had been killed. But they did reach the families of the first nine that we knew of. <br /> <br />Oh, shoot, you had another one. What was the --<br /> <br />Q Yeah, I was just wondering if the U.S. is contemplating any action to find and rescue the hostages?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Oh -- oh, yeah. Yeah. <br /> <br />Q And if you’re willing to talk to Hamas to get them back?<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: Well, so, first of all, we can’t confirm that Americans are being held hostage. <br /> <br />I mean, I've seen the reporting. I'm aware of the comments by some Israeli officials. We aren't -- we don't -- we cannot confirm that Americans are being held hostage. <br /> <br />We have to accept the possibility and the likelihood that -- that some may be -- I mean, we're not -- you know, we're not dismissing that, but we can't confirm that. So, your question is getting a little bit further ahead of information that we have. <br /> <br />And even if we did have specific information that we could confirm that Americans are being held hostage, as you well know, we are very, very careful about talking publicly about our efforts to try to recover those Americans. We just don't typically talk about that in a -- in any way that might jeopardize their safety and our ability to get them home with their families. <br /> <br />But, again, it's just a question we're not really prepared to offer tangible answers to because we just don't have the information to back it up.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Thank you. <br /> <br />And I think Kirby has one final thought before we let you all go.<br /> <br />MR. KIRBY: I mean, this really comes off of Anita’s question. And I -- and I’m glad -- I was glad she asked it, and it was obviously an appropriate one to ask even though we don't have information to back it up. <br /> <br />And that is that there's an awful lot of families -- Israeli, American, and from other countries -- that are hurting right now. Some of them have got the most devastating news that a family can get. Others are just torn apart with the uncertainty of not knowing where their loved one is or how their loved one is. <br /> <br />And I just think it's important that all of us keep that in mind. And as we, as an administration, work with Israel, as we work through these problem sets, I just want to make it clear that, first and foremost, we're going to keep those families in mind. <br /> <br />These are all human beings. They all have stories. They all come from somewhere. They all love someone. They -- they're no different than you and me and the families that we have. And that will be front and center in the policy decisions that are laying before us in the days ahead -- the very difficult decisions that are laying before us in the days ahead. And I just think it's important that we don't lose the -- we just don't lose the human component of all this. <br /> <br />But anyway, thanks again for chiming in. I know it's late and I was late starting, and I apologize for that. <br /> <br />But I'm glad we were -- had this opportunity, and I'm sure we'll have additional opportunities in the -- in the days ahead in this week. <br /> <br />Thank you.<br /> <br />MS. REPOSA: Great. Thanks everyone. <br /> <br />And as always, if we weren't able to get to you, please reach out to our distro and I'll try to get back to as soon as possible. <br /> <br />Thanks.<br /> <br />6:31 P.M. EDT</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-27042311597276725542023-10-10T08:57:00.006-07:002023-10-10T09:00:43.613-07:00Your White House Intern Chance Is Here!<p> Info on how to become a White House intern.</p><p><strong style="color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></strong></p><p><strong style="color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</strong></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">October 10, 2023<br /> </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong>Biden-</strong><strong>Harris Administration Announces the Application Period for Summer Session of the White House Internship Program</strong></p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">President Biden and Vice President Harris are announcing today that the application period for the Summer 2024 session of the White House Internship Program will open on Monday, October 16th. The session will begin in June 2024.<br /><br />The White House Internship Program is a public service leadership and development program that provides emerging leaders with an opportunity to gain valuable skills while supporting the work of the White House and furthering the priorities of the Biden-Harris Administration. This program provides paid internships across the Executive Office of the President. Interns participating in the White House Internship Program will support the White House Office and the Office of the Vice President.<br /><br />Program participants must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years or older before the first day of the Program, and meet at least one of the three following criteria:</p><ol><li style="text-align: left;">Currently enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate degree program at a college, community college, or university (two- to four-year institution)<br /> </li><li style="text-align: left;">Graduated from an accredited undergraduate or graduate program at a college, community college, or university (two- to four-year institution) no more than two years prior to the first day of the Program<br /> </li><li style="text-align: left;">A veteran of the United States Armed Forces who possesses a high school diploma or its equivalent and has served on active duty, for any length of time, no more than two years prior to the first day of the Program</li></ol><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;">The application period for the Summer 2024 session will open on Monday, October 16th and will close on Friday, November 10th. Interested candidates can find the Program’s online application at <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D2d822ba60e%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1697029263072000&usg=AOvVaw0lK2zFuVD-DSQrXzb1CK6D" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=2d822ba60e&e=c9ce1cfb8e" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">WH.gov/intern</a>. The website also features additional information about the Program, including a “Frequently Asked Questions” section.<br /><br />Prospective candidates with questions about the Program, as well as college/university administrators, faculty, campus leadership, and others interested in more information to share with their communities can reach out to the White House Internship Program team at <a href="mailto:internship@who.eop.gov" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">internship@who.eop.gov</a>.</p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">###</div>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-26389979825888606952023-04-17T17:26:00.001-07:002023-04-17T18:06:16.266-07:00President Biden's EV Agenda<p> <strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Electric Vehicles</strong></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">President Biden’s <b>Investing in America Agenda</b> is Unleashing a Manufacturing and Clean Energy Boom and Accelerating the Production of Affordable Electric Vehicles</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"> </span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">As part of President Biden’s goal of having 50 percent of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030, the White House is announcing <b>the first set of public and private commitments to support America's historic transition to electric vehicles (EV) under the EV Acceleration Challenge.</b> </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">These commitments are part of President Biden's <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D8c8282ff7d%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1681808407337000&usg=AOvVaw0aBIQ3vUwkDYQVyO3Ymi5K" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=8c8282ff7d&e=c9ce1cfb8e" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Investing in America</a> agenda to spur domestic manufacturing, strengthen supply chains, boost U.S. competitiveness and create good-paying jobs. Because of President Biden’s leadership and historic investments, electric vehicle sales have tripled and the number of publicly available charging ports has grown by over 40 percent since he took office. There are now more than <b>three million EVs </b>on the road and over 135,000 public EV chargers across the country. <br /> <br />President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act adds and expands <b>tax credits </b>for purchases of new and used EVs—helping bring the benefits of clean energy to communities across the nation. The law also provides incentives to <b>electrify heavy-duty vehicles like clean school buses, and includes support for the installation of residential, commercial, and municipal EV charging infrastructure.</b> These incentives complement investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal initiatives that are spurring the domestic manufacturing of EVs and batteries and the development of a national EV charging network that provides access to low income and disadvantaged communities. <br /> <br />These incentives <b>will lower the cost of EVs and EV charging infrastructure; increase consumer demand and competition; promote equity and inclusion</b>; and accelerate the growth of the EV market. They are creating good-paying manufacturing jobs in America building EVs, bringing supply chains home, and unleashing unprecedented private sector investments—with more than $100 billion already announced for battery manufacturing alone. The White House announced the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D6e693a7a9a%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1681808407337000&usg=AOvVaw17dK7gCy1A1pkoP_UnWZCo" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=6e693a7a9a&e=c9ce1cfb8e" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">EV Acceleration Challenge</a> to bring a clean, safe, affordable, and reliable transportation future to Americans even faster.<br /> <br />Today companies and nonprofits including <b>Blink Charging</b>, the <b>National Automobile Dealers Association, Pacific Gas & Electric, Uber, ZipCar</b> and others, are announcing new commitments to expand EV fleets, increase consumer education, and grow the availability of EV charging. <br /><br /><strong>ACCELERATING THE EV TRANSITION </strong><br /> <br />The Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda has spurred public and private sector commitments to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles. State and local governments are also leveraging federal funds to expand electrification of their vehicle fleets. These announcements build on the EV charging network expansion and manufacturing announcements <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dec911811be%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1681808407337000&usg=AOvVaw2a9mz-m12K8mJHZyrvmeWx" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=ec911811be&e=c9ce1cfb8e" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">highlighted by the White House in February</a>, which will add more than 100,000 public chargers across the country. </div>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-11011155040703935102022-12-25T07:11:00.003-08:002022-12-25T07:11:37.822-08:00Recap: U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit: Strengthening Partnerships to Meet Shared Priorities<p> <strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>The Biden-Harris Administration </u></strong><strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>plans to invest at least $55 billion in <span class="il">Africa</span> over the next three years, working closely with Congress</u></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZ7l4Rgc20xM4-Q7yfZ1-lJJRWZUuJQN_rAdhHQ6fuUuXEfenaHKIXUuqSzGRMrKkrULaQ5uuKapQtEXTv2wjxCMCOrZxjc3mCoYp1bVlU11-lJjy5S6dPqfPWWBNbEAOH4nIFudZFUVtYtW9iQu7qkw1eJ4g_vsvxzMJ9DTT0xeOvhCwBLCD1oRNdw/s976/Screenshot%20(777).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="976" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZ7l4Rgc20xM4-Q7yfZ1-lJJRWZUuJQN_rAdhHQ6fuUuXEfenaHKIXUuqSzGRMrKkrULaQ5uuKapQtEXTv2wjxCMCOrZxjc3mCoYp1bVlU11-lJjy5S6dPqfPWWBNbEAOH4nIFudZFUVtYtW9iQu7qkw1eJ4g_vsvxzMJ9DTT0xeOvhCwBLCD1oRNdw/w640-h290/Screenshot%20(777).png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">President Biden meets with African leaders at Africa-US Leaders' Summit in Washington, D.C.</span></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">The administration is dedicated to following through on these commitments and are establishing a new</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">Special Presidential Representative for U.S.-<span class="il">Africa</span> Leaders Summit Implementation </strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">to coordinate these efforts. President Biden announced his intent to name for this role Ambassador Johnnie Carson, former Assistant Secretary of State for</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">African</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">Affairs and Ambassador to Kenya, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. </span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17.5px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><b>New investments and policy initiatives</b> highlighted at the Summit included:<br /><br /><strong><u>People-to-People Ties</u></strong></p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D8482258f8c%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827176000&usg=AOvVaw3FUf0VezeNbmVvVhaInvBB" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=8482258f8c&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank"><strong>Establishment of a New Diaspora Council</strong>:</a> The President issued an <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D9cb78aff80%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827176000&usg=AOvVaw1kq_6Asb5odp9rrwbOdihU" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=9cb78aff80&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">executive order</a> (EO) directing the Secretary of State to establish the President’s Advisory Council on <span class="il">African</span> Diaspora Engagement in the United States (PAC-ADE). The PAC-ADE will deepen the dialogue between U.S. officials and the <span class="il">African</span> Diaspora in the United States, as described in the U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan <span class="il">Africa</span>. The EO encourages efforts to advance equity and opportunity for the <span class="il">African</span> Diaspora in the United States and strengthen cultural, social, political, and economic ties between <span class="il">African</span> communities, the global <span class="il">African</span> Diaspora, and the United States.<br /> </li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><strong>Young <span class="il">African</span> Leaders Initiative (YALI) Expansion: </strong>Vice President Harris announced that the Administration plans to work with Congress to <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dc59befb2cb%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827176000&usg=AOvVaw20419dAhvbjf5rT6-TvjE2" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=c59befb2cb&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">provide over $100 million toward YALI</a> over multiple years to support innovative, diverse young <span class="il">African</span> women and men to excel in a 21<sup>st</sup> century economy and catalyze transformational change in their communities, countries, and continent. The YALI expansion seeks to harness the support of the private sector, the Diaspora, and bilateral partners to facilitate networking, expand digital literacy, accelerate gender equality and women’s leadership, advance transparent governance, foster a vibrant civil society, and increase economic opportunities.</li></ul><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>Global Governance and Diplomatic Engagement</u></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><strong>Support for G20 Membership</strong>: The United States will support and work to realize greater and long overdue <span class="il">African</span> representation in international institutions, including supporting the <span class="il">African</span> Union to join the G20 as a permanent member. Home to over a billion people, <span class="il">Africa</span> must have a more prominent voice in global conversations. This builds upon President Biden’s September announcement of support for permanent seats in the United Nations Security Council for countries in <span class="il">Africa</span>, Latin America, and the Caribbean.<br /> </li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><strong>Travel to <span class="il">Africa</span>: </strong>President Biden announced that he, Vice President Harris, the First Lady, the Second Gentleman, and several members of the Cabinet intend to travel to <span class="il">Africa</span> in 2023, demonstrating our commitment to <span class="il">African</span> countries and citizens.</li></ul><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>Trade, Investment, and Inclusive Economic Growth</u></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><strong>Supporting <span class="il">African</span> Resilience and Recovery</strong>: President Biden highlighted that his Administration is committed to working closely with Congress to lend up to $21 billion through the International Monetary Fund for low and middle-income countries, which will support <span class="il">African</span> resilience and recovery efforts. The Biden-Harris Administration is also calling for all bilateral and relevant private creditors to provide meaningful debt relief so countries can regain their footing after years of extreme stress.<br /> </li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><strong>Memorandum of Understanding between the</strong> <strong>United States Government and the <span class="il">African</span> Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat: </strong>The United States Government and the AfCFTA Secretariat <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D68df094644%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827176000&usg=AOvVaw06jr2ZDaWyMRi6cFGw7h1J" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=68df094644&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">signed a Memorandum of Understanding</a> to expand engagement to promote equitable, sustainable, and inclusive trade; boost competitiveness; and attract investment to the continent. Once fully implemented, the Agreement Establishing the <span class="il">African</span> Continental Free Trade Area will create a combined continent-wide market of 1.3 billion people and $3.4 trillion, which would be the fifth-largest economy in the world.</li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><strong>The First Regional Multi-Sectoral </strong><strong>Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) </strong><strong>Compacts: </strong><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D6d72a29f22%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827176000&usg=AOvVaw1l6n3uqepH8Bgd2jcOEu_7" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=6d72a29f22&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">MCC announced its first regional compacts</a>, totaling $504 million, with the Governments of Benin and Niger, with additional contributions of $15 million from Benin and Niger. The compacts support regional economic integration, trade, and cross-border collaboration. Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, MCC has also signed agreements with the Governments of The Gambia, Lesotho, and Malawi totaling $675 million. The agency is currently working in 14 <span class="il">African</span> countries with more than $3.0 billion in active compact and threshold programs and approximately $2.5 billion in the pipeline. On Tuesday, MCC announced that The Gambia and Togo are eligible to develop their first compacts, Senegal is eligible to develop a concurrent regional compact, and Mauritania is eligible for a threshold program.<br /> </li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><strong>U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)</strong>: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dbae02729d8%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827176000&usg=AOvVaw3cA8jnPuJiigQDJstlKTJ_" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=bae02729d8&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">DFC announced $369 million in new investments</a> across <span class="il">Africa</span> in food security, renewable energy infrastructure, and health projects, including a $100 million transaction with Mirova SunFunder for the Mirova Gigaton Fund to support clean energy across <span class="il">Africa</span>. DFC has more than $11 billion in commitments across <span class="il">Africa</span>.</li></ul><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>Technology and Innovation</u></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><strong>The </strong><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D79a8b9c55c%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw26Msc6GOAq5QLcVMHcQeie" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=79a8b9c55c&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank"><strong>Initiative on Digital Transformation with <span class="il">Africa</span></strong></a><strong> (DTA)</strong>: At the U.S.-<span class="il">Africa</span> Business Forum, President Biden launched the DTA, a new initiative to expand digital access and literacy across the continent. Working with Congress, this new initiative intends to invest over $350 million and facilitate over $450 million in financing for <span class="il">Africa</span>, in line with the <span class="il">African</span> Union’s Digital Transformation Strategy.<br /> </li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D41e9ecc847%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw0NC8IWlcxtM_oVLTYcnzLE" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=41e9ecc847&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank"><strong>First <span class="il">African</span> Countries to Sign the Artemis Accords</strong></a><strong>: </strong>On December 13, Nigeria and Rwanda became the first <span class="il">African</span> countries to sign the Artemis Accords, which facilitate collaboration and establish principles grounded in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty for safe, sustainable, and responsible exploration and use of outer space.</li></ul><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>Health </u></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D905e78ecd2%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw0-kEiQ9Ul0jij1qBH8C34O" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=905e78ecd2&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank"><strong>Investing in the Health Workforce to Build More Resilient Health Systems</strong></a><strong>: </strong>As part of the <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Da02e2f5994%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw0kf-vOc5174B-ydzVphzdw" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=a02e2f5994&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Global Health Worker Initiative</a>, the Administration plans to work with Congress to invest $1.33 billion annually from 2022 to 2024 in health workforce in the <span class="il">Africa</span> region, for a total of at least $4 billion by Fiscal Year 2025, to help our <span class="il">African</span> partners close the gap in health workers, including clinicians, community health and care workers, and public health professionals. <br /> </li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D4d5788cbfc%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw35eBBNauJoxhw5v8crpI2D" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=4d5788cbfc&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank"><strong>Partnering to Build Stronger Health Systems and Strengthen Global Health Security</strong></a><strong>:</strong> Since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, the United States has invested and committed to provide $782 million in global health security programs to work with partner countries in <span class="il">Africa</span> to close major gaps outlined in their national action plans for health security and to build resilient health systems in critical technical areas. The United States announced $215 million in new funding to address the COVID-19 pandemic in <span class="il">Africa</span>. <br /> </li><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D549fcebf68%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw23ccV_elg5JsqbEcyWfg5f" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=549fcebf68&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank"><strong>Partnership to Accelerate Regional Manufacturing</strong></a><strong>:</strong> The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the President’s Malaria Initiative, and DFC also announced plans to accelerate regional manufacturing capacity for vaccines, tests, and therapeutics, including PEPFAR’s plans to procure 15 million HIV tests produced by <span class="il">African</span> manufacturers by 2025 and to shift at least 2 million patients on HIV treatments to use <span class="il">African</span>-made products by 2030.</li></ul><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>Food Security</u></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Df87033e91d%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw3nZ21Eds7-9j8RrI5YohXe" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=f87033e91d&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank"><strong>Strengthening Food Security Partnerships and Responding to the Need for Emergency Food Security Assistance</strong></a>: The U.S. Government and the <span class="il">African</span> Union announced a strategic partnership and <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3De4a15da230%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw3BEzUXUJWGqHL-txYcelRJ" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=e4a15da230&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">joint statement</a> focused on transformational investments for resilient food systems and diversified supply chain markets. In addition, President Biden announced $2 billion of new emergency humanitarian assistance for <span class="il">Africa</span>, building on over $11 billion in recent announcements of food security assistance.</li></ul><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>Climate Change</u></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D696b5a7080%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw0mv3a37tTiG8S9iB616_Gy" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=696b5a7080&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank"><strong>Support for Climate Adaptation and Resilience</strong></a>: At COP27 in Egypt, President Biden announced U.S. plans to work with Congress to provide over $150 million in new funding to address climate adaptation in <span class="il">Africa</span> under the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE), supporting early warning systems, adaptation finance, climate risk insurance, and climate-resilient food systems. This investment will also galvanize global public and private investment in <span class="il">African</span> clean energy infrastructure. This year, MCC’s compacts in Benin and Niger, Lesotho, and Malawi included over $150 million in new climate adaptation funding.</li></ul><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>Democracy and Governance</u></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dc5a22168cd%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw0q4MRKXlfPdeQCUHModJLd" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=c5a22168cd&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank"><strong><span class="il">African</span> Democratic and Political Transitions (ADAPT)</strong></a>: President Biden announced the new ADAPT initiative, which reaffirms the U.S. commitment to engage with complex political transitions in <span class="il">Africa</span> and demonstrate U.S. Government support to governments and civil society at critical moments. Working with Congress, over three years, the Administration will invest $75 million for this initiative to counter democratic backsliding in partnership with regional bodies, governments, and civil society in support of durable political transitions.</li></ul><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><u>Peace and Security</u></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><ul style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D14d34bc3ad%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1672066827177000&usg=AOvVaw2r0l0Z0ij27J9dtMvbNIG0" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=14d34bc3ad&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank"><strong>21<sup>st</sup> Century Partnership for <span class="il">African</span> Security (21PAS)</strong></a>: President Biden announced that his Administration is working with Congress to provide $100 million for a new partnership to incentivize and bolster <span class="il">African</span> efforts to implement and sustain security sector capacity and reforms. This three-year pilot program is designed to allow the United States and <span class="il">African</span> partners, including civil society, to sync, share, and support solutions to security challenges. </li></ul>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-47407771826554868592022-12-25T06:51:00.005-08:002022-12-25T07:43:11.576-08:00Biden's Christmas address also includes tribute to sports legend. <p>President Biden, in his 2022 Christmas address to the country, admonished Americans to 'look out for one another', and be 'kind' to one another.</p><p>Here a few excerpts from his address.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTJqvqu_RaKLeJ1zSxSi_3ZlnNAxYhq8p5cZ_Ye6HxKjARNEZti_rtFvBqO-jiCrXGe7xhE16zKcR_umb-YMi58Jh4dVpKJo1IR2zIcXj-WBYmplLSE8q78Tfdxd6JA9ukzM1Wo9WcvYx-k2aR0q3g3pb0mPYR5EV4RxyQ5bNL_OGWJQVK_YYqoelRw/s878/Screenshot%20(773).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="878" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTJqvqu_RaKLeJ1zSxSi_3ZlnNAxYhq8p5cZ_Ye6HxKjARNEZti_rtFvBqO-jiCrXGe7xhE16zKcR_umb-YMi58Jh4dVpKJo1IR2zIcXj-WBYmplLSE8q78Tfdxd6JA9ukzM1Wo9WcvYx-k2aR0q3g3pb0mPYR5EV4RxyQ5bNL_OGWJQVK_YYqoelRw/w640-h550/Screenshot%20(773).png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;">"That’s why sometimes the smallest act of kindness can mean so much. A simple smile. A hug. An unexpected phone call. A quiet cup of coffee. Simple acts of kindness that can lift a spirit, provide compo- -- comfort, and perhaps maybe even save a life.</span></i><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;"> </span></i></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;">So, this Christmas, let’s spread a little kindness.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;">This Christmas, let’s be that -- that helping hand, that strong shoulder, that friendly voice when no one else seems to care for those who are struggling, in trouble, in need. It just might be the best gift you can ever give."</span></i></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;">"The Christmas story is at the heart of the Christmas -- Christian faith. But the message of hope, love, peace, and joy, they’re also universal.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;"> </span></i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;"><i>It speaks to all of us, whether we’re Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, or any other faith, or no faith at all. It speaks to all of us as human beings who are here on this Earth to care for one another, to look out for one another, to love one another."</i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;"><i>"This Christmas, let’s be that -- that helping hand, that strong shoulder, that friendly voice when no one else seems to care for those who are struggling, in trouble, in need. It just might be the best gift you can ever give."</i></span></p><p>The president also took time out to remember the legendary Pittsburgh Steeler, Franco Harris, this holiday season and reflected on how Christmas brought them together.</p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">"Say the name Franco Harris and most everyone talks about the catch, the Super Bowls, and the glory he brought to the game of football. But in the fifty years we bonded as friends, I always talked about his character and compassion.</span></i></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwCl7tw1OGnDy3euJHhvDtFKkN3R3mWnOLstLNK0ps24v3U1KDuXfFSu_0910LjWNktlJnS28CylkqmFSFXesNsTOF9xKXLaCj9E-N14hPSRLTcA6lGtcceoZ-9KodHgvinLpZbSNuiw63veT9LlkReZ-5v3mfTAeKeUDMqeTHmXiSKgsohXsB0PebQ/s1062/Screenshot%20(781).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="1062" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHwCl7tw1OGnDy3euJHhvDtFKkN3R3mWnOLstLNK0ps24v3U1KDuXfFSu_0910LjWNktlJnS28CylkqmFSFXesNsTOF9xKXLaCj9E-N14hPSRLTcA6lGtcceoZ-9KodHgvinLpZbSNuiw63veT9LlkReZ-5v3mfTAeKeUDMqeTHmXiSKgsohXsB0PebQ/w640-h320/Screenshot%20(781).png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">Fifty years ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers had just finished a dominant regular season with their first division title. They celebrated Christmas just days after beating the Oakland Raiders on one of the most famous plays in NFL history – the last-second Immaculate Reception by their rookie running back, Franco Harris. While the Steelers would barely lose the conference championship game to the undefeated Miami Dolphins, Franco went on to a Hall of Fame career that led the Steelers to four Super Bowl titles in six years as the dominant team of the 1970’s.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">But that’s not why the Pittsburgh Steelers – and Franco – are close to my heart.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">It was this week fifty years ago when my first wife and infant daughter were killed and my two young sons were badly injured in a car accident while they were out getting a Christmas tree. I had just been elected to the U.S. Senate and I was in Washington when I got the call and rushed home to Delaware.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">I rarely left my boys’ bedside until they got better. But one day I did to go shopping for them. When I returned, they were smiling for the first time since the accident. Art Rooney, the generous and honorable owner of the Steelers, had flown out with a couple of players, including Franco, and the tough as nails Rocky Bleier. Busy with their own lives, they took the time to be with my boys, sign footballs, and then left with no publicity. A small act of kindness that meant the world to us.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">Sports have a powerful way of bringing people together. As families gather for Christmas this weekend, there will be countless Pittsburgh Steeler and Penn State fans sharing stories of Franco with their children and grandchildren who will discover his greatness on the field. But I know there will also be countless families like mine that will remember him for all that he did to lift our spirits when we needed it – in the most quiet, personal, and American of ways. We don’t have to ask. We show up. We reach out. We share a compassion that is a source of our enduring strength as a nation.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">The last few times I saw Franco were in September and November of 2020 on the campaign trail in Latrobe and Pittsburgh. This week of all weeks, my family remembers him and keeps him close to our hearts.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">May God bless, Franco Harris – a dear friend, a good man, and a great American.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">May God bless the love of his life Dana, their family, and all of Steeler Nation."</span></i><p></p><p>The Bidens visited the Children's National Hospital earlier in the week and enjoyed their traditional Italian dinner and mass at the White House on Christmas Eve.</p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-44760948576909983932022-12-25T05:41:00.003-08:002022-12-25T07:21:50.282-08:00 Burkina Faso needs trade, and opportunity, too.<p style="text-align: left;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe9hFyOAxBRjCWfBwUT3SI76p73cTg46er23-vWDC2Kchhk_b4hsAZ-lioZY9kMPs0W8EVVYrfOaxFD3wdJn3C6dxjprYyyc8q0cepIPAFMESb-F5awfuY3NwMUwzeZquWHJUsZWg-u6fK7wO03yJIdpSdxw6JHUattT5zpflxCfpYmqKlMl5iDvQ6Q/s731/Screenshot%20(779).png" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="611" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxe9hFyOAxBRjCWfBwUT3SI76p73cTg46er23-vWDC2Kchhk_b4hsAZ-lioZY9kMPs0W8EVVYrfOaxFD3wdJn3C6dxjprYyyc8q0cepIPAFMESb-F5awfuY3NwMUwzeZquWHJUsZWg-u6fK7wO03yJIdpSdxw6JHUattT5zpflxCfpYmqKlMl5iDvQ6Q/w534-h640/Screenshot%20(779).png" width="534" /></a></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-4113554362209605228templateContainer" style="background-color: #fafafa; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; max-width: 600px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td id="m_-4113554362209605228templateHeader" style="background: none 50% 50% / contain no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-4113554362209605228mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_-4113554362209605228mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; text-align: center; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><div style="color: #0064bc; font-family: "open sans", "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold;">December 23, 2022<br /> </div><div><br />TO TAKE CERTAIN ACTIONS UNDER THE AFRICAN GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY ACT AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES<br /> <br />- - - - - - -<br /> <br />BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA<br /> <br />A PROCLAMATION<br /> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td id="m_-4113554362209605228templateBody" style="background: none 50% 50% / cover no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom: 2px none rgb(234, 234, 234); border-top: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-top: 20px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-4113554362209605228mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_-4113554362209605228mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, "lucida sans typewriter", "lucida typewriter", monospace;"> 1. In Proclamation 7853 of December 10, 2004, the President designated Burkina Faso as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the "Trade Act"), as added by section 111(a) of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (the "AGOA") (title I of Public Law 106-200, 114 Stat. 251, 257-58 (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(1))).<br /><br /> 2. Section 506A(a)(3) of the Trade Act (19 U.S.C. 2466a(a)(3)) provides that the President shall terminate the designation of a country as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A if the President determines that the country is not making continual progress in meeting the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of the Trade Act.<br /><br /> 3. Pursuant to section 506A(a)(3) of the Trade Act, I have determined that Burkina Faso does not meet the requirements described in section 506A(a)(1) of that Act. Accordingly, I have decided to terminate the designation of Burkina Faso as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the Trade Act, effective January 1, 2023.<br /><br /> 4. On April 22, 1985, the United States and Israel entered into the Agreement on the Establishment of a Free Trade Area between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Israel (USIFTA), which the Congress approved in section 3 of the United States–Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act of 1985 (the "USIFTA Implementation Act") (Public Law 99-47, 99 Stat. 82 (19 U.S.C. 2112 note)). Section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act provides that, whenever the President determines that it is necessary to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, the President may proclaim such withdrawal, suspension, modification, or continuance of any duty, or such continuance of existing duty-free or excise treatment, or such additional duties, as the President determines to be required or appropriate to carry out the USIFTA. In order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to agricultural trade with Israel, on July 27, 2004, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel concerning certain aspects of trade in agricultural products during the period January 1, 2004, through December 31, 2008 (United States-Israel Agreement Concerning Certain Aspects of Trade in Agricultural Products (the "2004 Agreement")). <br /><br /> 5. In Proclamation 7826 of October 4, 2004, the President determined, pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act and consistent with the 2004 Agreement, that, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, it was necessary to provide duty-free access into the United States through December 31, 2008, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel. Each year from 2008 through 2021, the United States and Israel entered into agreements to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement was in force for 1-year periods to allow additional time for the two governments to conclude an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement. To carry out the extension agreements, the President in Proclamations 8334 of December 31, 2008; 8467 of December 23, 2009; 8618 of December 21, 2010; 8770 of December 29, 2011; 8921 of December 20, 2012; 9072 of December 23, 2013; 9223 of December 23, 2014; 9383 of December 21, 2015; 9555 of December 15, 2016; 9687 of December 22, 2017; 9834 of December 21, 2018; 9974 of December 26, 2019; 10128 of December 22, 2020; and 10326 of December 23, 2021, modified the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS) to provide duty-free access into the United States for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, each time for an additional 1-year period. On December 8, 2022, the United States entered into an agreement with Israel to extend the period that the 2004 Agreement is in force through December 31, 2023, and to allow for further negotiations on an agreement to replace the 2004 Agreement. Pursuant to section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act, I have determined that it is necessary, in order to maintain the general level of reciprocal and mutually advantageous concessions with respect to Israel provided for by the USIFTA, to provide duty-free access into the United States through the close of December 31, 2023, for specified quantities of certain agricultural products of Israel, as provided in Annex I of this proclamation.<br /><br /> 6. Proclamation 7971 of December 22, 2005, implemented the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (USMFTA) with respect to the United States and, pursuant to section 201 of the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (the "USMFTA Act") (19 U.S.C. 3805 note), made the staged reductions in rates of duty that the President determined to be necessary or appropriate to carry out or apply articles 2.3, 2.5, 2.6, 4.1, 4.3.9, 4.3.10, 4.3.11, 4.3.13, 4.3.14, and 4.3.15, and the schedule of duty reductions with respect to Morocco set forth in Annex IV of the USMFTA.<br /><br /> 7. Section 1205(a) of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 (the "1988 Act") (19 U.S.C. 3005(a)) directs the United States International Trade Commission (the "Commission") to keep the HTS under continuous review and periodically to recommend to the President such modifications to the HTS as the Commission considers necessary or appropriate to accomplish the purposes set forth in that subsection. Pursuant to sections 1205(c) and (d) of the 1988 Act (19 U.S.C. 3005(c) and (d)), in 2016 and 2021 the Commission recommended modifications to the HTS to conform the HTS to amendments made to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System and the Protocol thereto (the "Convention").<br /><br /> 8. Section 1206(a) of the 1988 Act (19 U.S.C. 3006(a)) authorizes the President to proclaim modifications to the HTS based on the recommendations of the Commission under section 1205 of the 1988 Act if the President determines that the modifications are in conformity with United States obligations under the Convention and do not run counter to the national economic interest of the United States.<br /><br /> 9. Proclamation 9549 of December 1, 2016, and Proclamation 10326 of December 23, 2021, modified the HTS pursuant to section 1206 of the 1988 Act to conform the HTS to the amendments to the Convention. However, the HTS modifications authorized in Proclamation 9549 and Proclamation 10326 included certain technical errors.<br /><br /> 10. I have determined that additional modifications to the HTS are necessary or appropriate to carry out the staged reductions in rates of duty previously proclaimed in Proclamation 7971, including certain technical or conforming changes within the tariff schedule.<br /><br /> 11. Section 604 of the Trade Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), authorizes the President to embody in the HTS the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and of other acts affecting import treatment, and actions taken thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><pre style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, "lucida sans typewriter", "lucida typewriter", monospace;"> NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including but not limited to section 111(a) of the AGOA, sections 506A(a)(1) and 506A(a)(3) of the Trade Act, section 4(b) of the USIFTA Implementation Act, and section 604 of the Trade Act, as amended, do proclaim that:
(1) The designation of Burkina Faso as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country for purposes of section 506A of the Trade Act is terminated, effective January 1, 2023.
(2) In order to reflect in the HTS that beginning January 1, 2023, Burkina Faso shall no longer be designated as a beneficiary sub-Saharan African country, general note 16(a) to the HTS is modified by deleting "Burkina Faso" from the list of beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries. Note 7(a) to subchapter II and note 1 to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS are each modified by deleting "Burkina Faso," from the list of beneficiary countries. Further, note 2(d) to subchapter XIX of chapter 98 of the HTS is modified by deleting "Burkina Faso;" from the list of lesser developed beneficiary sub-Saharan African countries.
(3) The modifications to the HTS set forth in paragraphs (1) through (2) of this proclamation shall be effective with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after January 1, 2023.
(4) In order to implement tariff commitments under the 2004 Agreement through December 31, 2023, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex I of this proclamation.
(5) The modifications and technical rectifications to the HTS made by Annex I of this proclamation shall enter into effect on the applicable dates set forth in Annex I of this proclamation.
(6) In order to make the modifications and technical rectifications to the HTS described in clauses 6 through 11 of this proclamation, the HTS is modified as set forth in Annex II of this proclamation. These modifications and technical rectifications shall enter into effect on the applicable dates set forth in Annex II of this proclamation.
(7) Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
</span>
<span style="font-family: "courier new", courier, "lucida sans typewriter", "lucida typewriter", monospace;">IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-third day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-seventh.</span></pre></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-18974717718874329882022-12-25T05:28:00.005-08:002022-12-25T08:08:05.055-08:00Biden Administration Announces Pay Adjustments for 'Certain' Rates of Pay<p> </p><p></p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-6123000451292165167templateContainer" style="background-color: #fafafa; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; max-width: 600px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td id="m_-6123000451292165167templateHeader" style="background: none 50% 50% / contain no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-6123000451292165167mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_-6123000451292165167mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; text-align: center; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><div style="color: #0064bc; font-family: "open sans", "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold;">December 23, 2022<br /> </div><div>EXECUTIVE ORDER<br /> <br />- - - - - - -<br /> <br />ADJUSTMENTS OF CERTAIN RATES OF PAY</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td id="m_-6123000451292165167templateBody" style="background: none 50% 50% / cover no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom: 2px none rgb(234, 234, 234); border-top: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-top: 20px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_-6123000451292165167mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_-6123000451292165167mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"></p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"> By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:<br /><br /> <u>Section</u> <u>1</u>. <u>Statutory Pay Systems</u>. The rates of basic pay or salaries of the statutory pay systems (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 5302(1)), as adjusted under 5 U.S.C. 5303, are set forth on the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof:<br /> (a) The General Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5332(a)) at Schedule 1;<br /> (b) The Foreign Service Schedule (22 U.S.C. 3963) at Schedule 2; and<br /> (c) The schedules for the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs (38 U.S.C. 7306, 7401, 7404; section 301(a) of Public Law 102–40) at Schedule 3.</p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjc6hM6O_VzN8SrN2XOwIZEi91E4NL1VaXX3DTpG5C07l8k26tvBrRm8TwBZxqzDUn8Wbtj67N25KnA3VlXWsC7gnXc6JdPqRNALMlcAqpnkDajPDyinceie7KnQWIMJaNoSacGOIwgVjovX_9pOdW0RaOT2L0s9pYdnVHqPPnDhZC6JmiM8iRtd5bw/s1063/Screenshot%20(783).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="994" data-original-width="1063" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjc6hM6O_VzN8SrN2XOwIZEi91E4NL1VaXX3DTpG5C07l8k26tvBrRm8TwBZxqzDUn8Wbtj67N25KnA3VlXWsC7gnXc6JdPqRNALMlcAqpnkDajPDyinceie7KnQWIMJaNoSacGOIwgVjovX_9pOdW0RaOT2L0s9pYdnVHqPPnDhZC6JmiM8iRtd5bw/w320-h299/Screenshot%20(783).png" width="320" /></a><br /><br /> <u>Sec</u>. <u>2</u>. <u><b>Senior Executive Service</b></u>. The ranges of rates of basic pay for senior executives in the Senior Executive Service, as established pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 5382, are set forth on Schedule 4 attached hereto and made a part hereof.<br /><br /> <u>Sec</u>. <u>3</u>. <u>Certain Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Salaries</u>. The rates of basic pay or salaries for the following offices and positions are set forth on the schedules attached hereto and made a part hereof:<br /> (a) The Executive Schedule (5 U.S.C. 5311–5318) at Schedule 5;<br /> (b) The Vice President (3 U.S.C. 104) and the Congress (2 U.S.C. 4501) at Schedule 6; and<br /> (c) Justices and judges (28 U.S.C. 5, 44(d), 135, 252, and 461(a)) at Schedule 7.<br /><br /> <u>Sec</u>. <u>4</u>. <u><b>Uniformed Services</b></u>. The rates of monthly basic pay (37 U.S.C. 203(a)) for members of the uniformed services, as adjusted under 37 U.S.C. 1009, and the rate of monthly cadet or midshipman pay (37 U.S.C. 203(c)) are set forth on Schedule 8 attached hereto and made a part hereof.<br /><br /> <u>Sec</u>. <u>5</u>. <u>Locality-Based Comparability Payments</u>.<br /> (a) Pursuant to section 5304 of title 5, United States Code, and my authority to implement an alternative level of comparability payments under section 5304a of title 5, United States Code, locality-based comparability payments shall be paid in accordance with Schedule 9 attached hereto and made a part hereof.<br /> (b) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall take such actions as may be necessary to implement these payments and to publish appropriate notice of such payments in the <em>Federal Register</em>.<br /><br /> <u>Sec</u>. <u>6</u>. <u><b>Administrative Law Judges</b></u>. Pursuant to section 5372 of title 5, United States Code, the rates of basic pay for administrative law judges are set forth on Schedule 10 attached hereto and made a part hereof.<br /><br /> <u>Sec</u>. <u>7</u>. <u>Effective Dates</u>. Schedule 8 is effective January 1, 2023. The other schedules contained herein are effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2023.<br /><br /> <u>Sec</u>. <u>8</u>. <u>Prior Order Superseded</u>. Executive Order 14061 of December 22, 2021, is superseded as of the effective dates specified in section 7 of this order.</p><p style="line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right;"> JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">**Image/graphic added by Politics. OnPoint.</span></div>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-69961686721340999392022-11-20T12:28:00.000-08:002022-11-20T12:28:17.558-08:00WH pledges $20M to Japan-US Environmental Efforts<p> <strong style="color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Remarks by Vice President Harris During Roundtable Discussion With Environmental and Clean Energy Leaders</strong></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><em> <br />Chief of Mission Residence<br />Bangkok, Thailand</em><br /> </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Ambassador Godec. And thank you for your leadership and service to our nation and the partnership and the relationship we have with Thailand, for being here on the ground doing so much important work. Thank you.<br /><br />And to the leaders who have joined us for this discussion, I thank you, and it is good to see you. I'm looking forward to a robust discussion about so many very important and critical issues.<br /><br />The climate crisis is at the intersection of so many priorities. When we think about the impact of the climate crisis, it affects our goals that are societal goals of supporting public health, sustainable livelihoods, and economic growth, in addition to just protecting this precious planet of ours.<br /><br />In particular, we know that the climate crisis presents a real threat to the communities who depend on the Mekong River in Thailand, in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and Burma.<br /><br />There are droughts, floods, and extreme heat. And this is in addition to the impacts of upstream development. So these will be some of the topics we will discuss today so that I can hear from the leaders here on the ground about what you are seeing in terms of the detail of it and the impact of it and what we can do together to address some of these issues.<br /><br />To fully understand the impacts of this crisis and to develop enduring solutions, we all need to make sure, as leaders, that all the voices are at the table, because we cannot fully and completely address these issues if we, as elected leaders, are not in touch with people who are on the ground to inform our decisions and to help make the decisions in a way that will impact real people on a daily basis.<br /><br />So we must all work together -- civil society, the private sector, and governments. And that is why we are here, and that's why I've asked these leaders to come to this table, to convene you so we can have this discussion.<br /><br />And so, here we have convened activists who are focused on protecting the environment, including the Mekong River and all the livelihoods that the Mekong River supports. There are business leaders at this table who are building a clean energy future. And to all of you, I thank you again.<br /><br />Bold climate action is not only necessary to protect -- protect the people of our planet and our natural resources, but it is also a powerful driver of economic growth, something that we've been talking about, actually, over the last couple of days, in the context of the APEC’s convenings.<br /><br />So, today I am pleased to announce an increase in support from the United States for the Mekong River and region as it seizes the economic opportunity that is associated with clean energy.<br /><br />In particular, I'm proud to announce that the United States plans to provide up to $20 million in funding to the Japan-U.S.-Mekong Power Partnership -- $20 million that is intended to direct resources to address some of these most critical needs. </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">This partnership with Japan aims to accelerate the clean energy transition and strengthen energy security in the Mekong region.<br /><br />In addition, we are taking action to protect the environment around the Mekong. For example, supporting the Mekong-Mississippi Sister Rivers partnership, which shares tools and best practices on water resources management.<br /><br />In conclusion, I would say that these are just some of the many ways that we can and will partner.<br /><br />I believe that in order for us as a collective whole, as a society as a whole, in order for us to accurately and appropriately and responsibly address this climate crisis, we must join together. We must respect the tools, the expertise, and the skills that each brings to this conversation and to the work we will do as a collective. But we cannot do it, any one of us, alone. And that is why I've asked you to come, in furtherance of that approach, which I know we all share.<br /><br />The United States is committed to working to support the economic development of the Mekong region. And we will continue to invest our resources in a clean energy future, both here and around the globe.<br /><br />And so, again, I thank you all for your leadership. I look forward to our conversation.<br /><br /></div>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-12947774103472593962022-11-20T12:19:00.008-08:002022-11-20T12:28:55.515-08:00White House Remarks on Colorado Springs LGBTQI+ Attack <p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">While no motive in this attack is yet clear, we know that the LGBTQI+ community has been subjected to horrific hate violence in recent years. Gun violence continues to have a devastating and particular impact on LGBTQI+ communities across our nation and threats of violence are increasing. We saw it six years ago in Orlando, when our nation suffered the deadliest attack affecting the LGBTQI+ community in American history. We continue to see it in the epidemic of violence and murder against transgender women – especially transgender women of color. And tragically, we saw it last night in this devastating attack by a gunman wielding a long rifle at an LGBTQI+ nightclub in Colorado Springs.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25.68px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">Places that are supposed to be safe spaces of acceptance and celebration should never be turned into places of terror and violence. Yet it happens far too often. We must drive out the inequities that contribute to violence against LGBTQI+ people. We cannot and must not tolerate hate.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25.68px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">Today, yet another community in America has been torn apart by gun violence. More families left with an empty chair at the table and hole in their lives that cannot be filled. When will we decide we’ve had enough? We must address the public health epidemic of gun violence in all of its forms. Earlier this year, I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly three decades, in addition to taking other historic actions. But we must do more. We need to enact an assault weapons ban to get weapons of war off America’s streets. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25.68px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">Today, Jill and I are praying for the families of the five people killed in Colorado Springs last night, and for those injured in this senseless attack.</p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-36551465215713281422022-07-28T11:21:00.004-07:002022-07-28T11:28:54.795-07:00Are we in a recession, or not? You decide.<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> The president took to the podium to address the notion that there are those who think America is in a recession.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The following are pool reporter notes from Biden's remarks:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGS9dyRPt0uHLhEEPPzH6btYdVhTfOH_3PaPjB2ocNDAdvoZSWY9-QJcI_0FjiIjBVr2TeDXzVcGo775LY6dBNzWrq4DSwp0djBOHFP1YODzdFrg1Iwz64C77z2IysLlST2eQQwY2AIoJxQdmP8KJU8gUyTCnbOR05jPnTPPDPNHgMTnbVggeQHfzHSA/s969/Screenshot%20(730).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="969" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGS9dyRPt0uHLhEEPPzH6btYdVhTfOH_3PaPjB2ocNDAdvoZSWY9-QJcI_0FjiIjBVr2TeDXzVcGo775LY6dBNzWrq4DSwp0djBOHFP1YODzdFrg1Iwz64C77z2IysLlST2eQQwY2AIoJxQdmP8KJU8gUyTCnbOR05jPnTPPDPNHgMTnbVggeQHfzHSA/w640-h174/Screenshot%20(730).png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: helvetica;"><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p>"Simply put, the bill will lower health care costs for millions of Americans and will be ... the most important investment" in clean energy</span><p></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"This bill will fight inflation." </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>See also:</b> <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/27/statement-from-president-biden-on-inflation-reduction-act-of-2022/" target="_blank">Inflation reduction</a></span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"This investment in environmental justice is real." </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Let me be clear: this bill would be the most significant legislation in history to tackle the climate crisis." </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"This legislation will bring down the deficit. Bring down the deficit." </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"With this legislation, we're facing up to some of our biggest problems as a nation." </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"This bill is far from perfect. It's a compromise. But it's often how progress is made." </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Pass it. Pass it for the American people. Pass it for America." </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>See also:</b> <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/economics-professor-rips-manchin-e2-80-99s-e2-80-98worst-possible-timing-e2-80-99-to-support-e2-80-98economy-killer-e2-80-99-amid-recession-fears/ar-AA104BPA" target="_blank">Stagflation?</a></span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On the GDP: </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"Both Chairman Powell and many of the significant banking personnel and economists say we're not in a <span class="il">recession</span>. ... we have a record job market, record unemployment. We've created 9 million new jobs." Noted foreign businesses are investing in the U.S. and the rebound. Added the CHIPS bill would help. </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"That doesn't sound like a <span class="il">recession</span> to me," Biden concluded his remarks. </span></p></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Republicans slam the administration's economic package, while having no concrete path forward of their own.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We want to hear from you. <b>Do you believe America is in a recession?</b></span></p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-25392795070367060132022-07-28T10:33:00.003-07:002022-07-28T11:30:17.669-07:00The Right Thing To Do: Invest In Underserved Communities.<p><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>Equal opportunity for all.</i></b></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">The Biden administration has announced new initiatives that would allocate billions of dollars to America's underserved communities.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0a2458; font-family: MercurySSm-BookItalic, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Read complete Fact Sheet <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/28/fact-sheet-vice-president-announces-new-private-and-public-sector-efforts-to-align-tens-of-billions-in-investments-in-underserved-communities/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a2458; font-family: MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28.16px; margin: 0px auto 25px; max-width: calc(50% - 20px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; width: 586.667px;">Twenty-one corporations and 3 foundations have come together to create the Economic Opportunity Coalition, committing themselves to aligning major investments in communities of color with investments made by the Biden-Harris Administration. The EOC will coordinate across public, private, and social sector organizations to develop and deploy products that solve challenges in getting resources where most needed and drive towards outcomes for meaningful action.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a2458; font-family: MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28.16px; margin: 0px auto 25px; max-width: calc(50% - 20px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; width: 586.667px;">The founding members of the Coalition include Ariel Investments, Bank of America, BNY Mellon, Capital One, Citi, Discover, Ford Foundation, Goldman Sachs, Google, Key Bank, Kresge Foundation, Mastercard, McDonald’s, McKinsey & Company, Micron, Momentus Capital, Moody’s, Netflix, Next Street, PayPal, PNC, The Rockefeller Foundation, TIAA, and Upstart.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a2458; font-family: MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28.16px; margin: 0px auto 25px; max-width: calc(50% - 20px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; width: 586.667px;">The EOC members have made significant commitments across each of its four focus areas, including a number of investments since the group formed earlier this year. The below illustrative commitments made by EOC members to date signal a promising new era of historic investments in underserved communities.</p><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a2458; font-family: MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28.16px; margin: 0px auto 25px; max-width: calc(50% - 20px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; width: 586.667px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;">Investing in CDFIs and MDIs. The EOC has committed <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: MercurySSm-Bold-Pro_Web, serif;">more than $3 billion of investments into CDFIs and MDIs, including $250 million in long-term, low-interest debt and over $70 million in grants to CDFIs and MDIs.</span> In addition, six Coalition members will provide technology and personnel to CDFIs and MDIs through secondment programs, pro-bono consulting, and pro-bono technology. Taken together, these investments will provide CDFIs, MDIs, and their ecosystem partners with the long-term funding, technology, and personnel required to scale and deliver the increased capital made available by the Biden-Harris Administration through the Emergency Capital Investment Program (ECIP). To support these efforts, the federal government is actively working to provide private sector and philanthropic partners with rigorous guidance on where private investment, technology support, and human capital development can generate the greatest impact among CDFIs and MDIs.</li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a2458; font-family: MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28.16px; margin: 0px auto 25px; max-width: calc(50% - 20px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; width: 586.667px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;">Supporting entrepreneurship and minority-owned businesses. The EOC has committed to <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: MercurySSm-Bold-Pro_Web, serif;">purchase more than $6 billion in products and services from diverse suppliers and has invested more than $500 million in funding to Black- and Hispanic-owned and -led equity funds</span>. In addition, six Coalition members are making investments in technology and technical assistance programs that will help entrepreneurs access capital and build capabilities in e-commerce, financial management, and hiring. These capability investments will help entrepreneurs effectively access the nearly $10 billion in loans and equity investments made available to support small businesses through the American Rescue Plan’s $10 billion <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0875" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(0, 100, 188, 0.25); box-sizing: border-box; color: #0064bc; padding-bottom: 2px; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-underline-position: under; touch-action: manipulation; transition: all 0.2s ease 0s;">State Small Business Credit Initiative</a> (SSBCI), as well as up to ten times that amount in additional private capital that can be leveraged from these federal investments.</li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a2458; font-family: MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28.16px; margin: 0px auto 25px; max-width: calc(50% - 20px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; width: 586.667px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;">Expanding inclusive and equitable access to credit and other financial services facilitating financial health. An EOC member is announcing a <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: MercurySSm-Bold-Pro_Web, serif;">$40 million investment in a</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: MercurySSm-Bold-Pro_Web, serif;"> new research center and incubator to promote innovation in financial services products for underserved consumers</span>. The same EOC member also plans to invest $35 million in a new fund to finance early-stage companies developing next generation financial services solutions for low-wealth consumers and small businesses. In the coming weeks and months, the White House, the Department of the Treasury, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an independent agency, will convene Coalition members and other industry stakeholders, data scientists, advocates, and agencies to share data and assessments of existing credit reporting practices – especially during disasters and other anomalous events – and discuss potential policy and industry action.</li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a2458; font-family: MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28.16px; margin: 0px auto 25px; max-width: calc(50% - 20px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px; width: 586.667px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0px;">Making infrastructure investments that create more community wealth by preserving and expanding affordable rental housing and homeownership in underserved neighborhoods. Members of the Coalition have committed over $25 billion towards expanding the supply of affordable housing, including a real estate impact fund that has already <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: MercurySSm-Bold-Pro_Web, serif;">deployed $3.5 billion and intends to deploy another $11.5 billion by 2026 to invest in the preservation and improvement of affordable housing and community revitalization </span>to support building inclusive communities that have been historically underserved. These resources will complement the Administration’s actions to boost the housing supply through preservation and production of affordable homes announced in May 2022, economic development investments in 60 regions across the country through the American Rescue Plan’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge, and the new $1 billion Reconnecting Communities Program through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.</li></ul><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0a2458; font-family: MercurySSm-Book-Pro_Web, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 28.16px; margin: 0px auto 25px; max-width: calc(50% - 20px); overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; width: 586.667px;">These commitments, which represent only a small fraction of total commitments from the EOC, show the immense resources these founding members bring to the table, but they acknowledge they must do more. Over the coming months, the EOC will build on investments the Biden-Harris Administration has made and develop new solutions that reimagine how capital, technology, and talent are deployed in underserved communities. They will be built with and for the community, leveraging existing strengths and assets to address the root causes of economic inequality.</p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-90824777771708856452022-07-28T10:23:00.003-07:002022-07-28T13:52:50.558-07:00President Biden tests negative for COVID-19<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In an announcement in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday the president said that after isolating for five days, and taking PAXLOVID, he has tested negative for COVID-19.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">"I'm feeling great", the president said.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He thanked those concerned for their well wishes, and credited his being vaccinated and boosted for his quick recovery.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">He also reminded Americans that the BA.5 COVID variant is still among us and admonished everyone to do the work to protect themselves, including getting vaccinated and boosted with readily available vaccines.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NSLFJSRsNhA?start=15" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: helvetica;">"You can now prevent most </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: helvetica;">COVID</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: helvetica;"> deaths", he said. "And that’s because [of] three free tools my administration has invested in and distributed this past year: booster shots; at-home tests; easy-to-use, effective treatments."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"We’ve got through </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">COVID</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> with no fear -- I got through it with no fear. A very mild discomfort because of these essential, lifesaving tools."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"Americans can go to <a href="http://covid.gov">covid.gov</a>, insert their zip code to have COVID tests mailed to their home, for free."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">"There's no excuse", he said.</span></span></p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-54464818039487816242022-07-22T21:46:00.000-07:002022-07-22T21:46:08.154-07:00H.R.3771: Revelations in Asian American heart health. <p> </p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_6325845136605607035templateContainer" style="background-color: #fafafa; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; max-width: 600px !important; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td id="m_6325845136605607035templateHeader" style="background: none center center / contain no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom: 0px; border-top: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_6325845136605607035mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_6325845136605607035mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top"><div style="text-align: center;"><strong>S</strong><strong>TATEMENT OF </strong><strong>A</strong><strong>DMINISTRATION </strong><strong>P</strong><strong>OLICY</strong><br /><strong><u>H.R. 3771 – South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022</u></strong><br />(Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-WA, and 32 cosponsors)</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td id="m_6325845136605607035templateBody" style="background: none center center / cover no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom: 2px none rgb(234, 234, 234); border-top: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-top: 20px;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding-top: 9px;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="m_6325845136605607035mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="m_6325845136605607035mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; word-break: break-word;" valign="top">The Administration strongly supports House passage of H.R. 3771, the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022, and looks forward to working with the Senate on this critical bill.<br /> <br />South Asian Americans carry a disproportionate risk of cardiovascular disease and related disorders like type 2 diabetes. Worldwide, despite comprising just a quarter of the population, South Asians account for 60 percent of all heart disease cases. In the United States, South Asian Americans have a significantly higher risk of mortality from coronary heart disease than the general population. Earlier recognition and treatment of this community’s specific risk factors for heart disease is therefore essential to mitigate disease burden and reduce disparities in care and outcomes.<br /> <br />The South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2021 will make important investments in protecting communities at high risk of heart disease. H.R. 3771 authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to disburse up to $5 million over five years to States to develop culturally appropriate educational materials and promote awareness of heart health among high-risk communities, including South Asian Americans. It also authorizes funding for research into these communities’ risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and establishes an internet clearinghouse for cataloging existing evidence-based research and treatment options – creating further opportunities to address this deadly disease.<br /> <br />H.R. 3771 represents an important step forward for advancing research, awareness, and prevention of cardiovascular disease among those communities it disproportionately affects. The Administration strongly urges the House to pass the South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act of 2022, and looks forward to working with the Congress on this important legislation.</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-30962756014694375052022-07-22T21:35:00.003-07:002022-07-25T07:28:22.669-07:00Vice President Harris' Internet initiative<p> WHITE HOUSE <strong style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">FACT SHEET:</strong></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><strong>Vice President Harris Marks Important New Milestone in Administration’s Efforts to Cut Costs for American Families</strong><br /> </div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><em>Vice President announces that since GetInternet.gov launch in May, Administration has signed up 1 million new households to save hundreds of dollars a year on internet service</em></div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><br />Access to high-speed internet is no longer a luxury. Still, too many families go without high-speed internet because of the cost or have to cut back on other essentials to make their monthly internet service payments. That’s why President Biden and Vice President Harris worked with Democrats, Republicans, and Independents to include the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D3c0b3dd212%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1658508530457000&usg=AOvVaw2k_foEl6vL3o1qN0WVf6w7" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=3c0b3dd212&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">provides $65 billion</a> to expand internet for all — to ensure that every American has access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet. </div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><b>See also</b>: <a href=" https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/HR-6929-SAP.pdf" target="_blank">The Susan Muffley Act</a></div><div style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XOYsVBYHDEpHQQm-IlXJz627eSfLc2l_z6rqSBg9568CJf6K4vHZj6vfRHArVtDnprQBTFyIcK7t9miyH85HsuveQZSowCKumca5v5IQ-1TpP11cRJKlLcbyl4oVvPpXQv2gPJWWXR9C3kfGASHbWq0lNs4ON68uMU9IUzVpGfaYavbI2449RWeyiw/s1128/Screenshot%20(729).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="1128" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XOYsVBYHDEpHQQm-IlXJz627eSfLc2l_z6rqSBg9568CJf6K4vHZj6vfRHArVtDnprQBTFyIcK7t9miyH85HsuveQZSowCKumca5v5IQ-1TpP11cRJKlLcbyl4oVvPpXQv2gPJWWXR9C3kfGASHbWq0lNs4ON68uMU9IUzVpGfaYavbI2449RWeyiw/w640-h296/Screenshot%20(729).png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo/Verizon home Internet</span></div><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;">The ACP, administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), provides eligible households up to $30/month (or $75/month on Tribal lands) off internet bills, as well as a one-time $100 discount off a connected device. To further lower costs, in May, President Biden and Vice President Harris announced commitments from internet service providers across the country to offer high-speed plans that are fully covered by the ACP—meaning millions of working families can now get high-speed internet without paying a dime. They simultaneously launched </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Df6b5d12729%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1658508530458000&usg=AOvVaw1cuBlzjbQiVZrw5xRN1GLF" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=f6b5d12729&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">GetInternet.gov</a><span style="font-size: 14px;">—a one-stop shop to check eligibility and sign up.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;">Today in North Carolina, Vice President Harris is announcing that, </span><strong style="font-size: 14px;">thanks to the Administration’s “all of government” enrollment drive,</strong><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><strong style="font-size: 14px;">1 million new households have signed up to save on home broadband through the ACP.</strong></div><div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size: 14px;">The Administration’s efforts increased the rate of ACP enrollments by about 35%.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;">To build on this success, today the Vice President called on the nation’s governors to join the Administration’s enrollment drive, sending them letters describing key steps they can take to boost enrollment in their states. For example, today, the State of North Carolina committed to email 5 million households to let them know they can lower their internet bill by visiting GetInternet.gov to check eligibility and sign up.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /><strong style="font-size: 14px;"><u>THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION’S “ALL OF GOVERNMENT” ENROLLMENT DRIVE</u></strong><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /><strong style="font-size: 14px;"><em>Partnering with state and local governments</em></strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">: The Vice President’s call to action today builds on the Administration’s existing successful partnerships with state and local governments to spread the word. For example:</span><ul style="font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Michigan texted about 1.3 million likely eligible Michiganders and gained 25,000 new ACP enrollees as a result.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Albemarle County, Virginia now includes a “P.S.” about GetInternet.gov in every client communication by county social service workers.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Massachusetts recently texted more than 1 million Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) beneficiaries about GetInternet.gov and saw their rate of enrollments double in the five days following the text.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">The City of Mesa, Arizona reports that constituents who hear about ACP are extremely interested. Mesa’s texts to residents about GetInternet.gov have a 10% clickthrough rate, as compared to a usual 1-5% rate for other Mesa governmental outreach.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">New York City sent backpack flyers about ACP home via 1,700 principals to reach about 1 million children who attend Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Community-Eligible Schools, and it will advertise GetInternet.gov at bus stops in zip codes with a high number of households likely eligible for ACP.</li></ul><strong style="font-size: 14px;"><em>Leveraging all of the federal government</em></strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">: In addition to working with state and local partners, the Administration is using every tool in its toolbox to get the word out—including communicating directly with households that are automatically eligible for ACP due to their participation in other federal government programs. For example:</span><ul style="font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;">The Social Security Administration (SSA) emailed all 1.7 million Supplemental Security Income recipients who have a “my social security” account letting them know that they are eligible for ACP. SSA plans to send a second email to recipients this summer. The agency is also running PSAs on Social Security Television, broadcast in more than 1,200 local social security offices nationwide.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">This summer, the Department of Education will email over 6 million Pell grant recipients who are eligible for ACP. It will also conduct a Back-To-School campaign with information about ACP.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">The Department of Veterans Affairs sent information to its 12 million VetResources email subscribers and 120 Community Veteran Engagement Boards, as Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit recipients are eligible for ACP. This summer the Veterans Benefits Administration will also directly mail all 380,000 Veterans and Survivors currently receiving pension benefits a notification letter and flyer.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">The Department of Housing and Urban Development emailed over 3,000 Public Housing Authorities with information about the ACP to share with their over 3 million families who receive Federal Public Housing Assistance and are eligible, and is currently doing follow-up engagement.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Trust Funds Administration reached out to over 400,000 beneficiaries with a direct mailing to let them know about ACP. The Department also trained over 200 call center and field staff who work at the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration to disseminate information and answer questions about eligibility and how to enroll in ACP.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Broadband infrastructure grant programs operated by the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Commerce are all requiring grant funding recipients to participate in the ACP, helping ensuring federal funds are used to deploy networks that are actually affordable.</li></ul><strong style="font-size: 14px;"><em>Working with advocates and digital navigators</em></strong><span style="font-size: 14px;">: The Administration is also working with trusted community leaders to get the word out and enroll eligible households. For example:</span><ul style="font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;">The FCC has registered over 40,000 individuals and organizations to be ACP outreach partners. To build on these efforts, the FCC is in the process of standing up a new grant program to empower partners to engage their communities and has reserved up to $100 million of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to conduct ACP outreach efforts, including consumer research, focus groups, paid media campaigns, and grants to outreach partners over the next five years.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">The Administration partnered with civil rights groups to kick off a Week of Action in June, in which the Leadership Conference and partner civil rights organizations reached out to communities to encourage households to sign up for ACP.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Thanks to Administration outreach, United Way will share information about ACP in communications reaching at least 15,000 people per month.</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">The Administration also worked with Propel, a financial technology platform used by SNAP beneficiaries that reaches over 5 million low-income households. Propel is running an ACP <span class="il">promotion</span> campaign through July.</li></ul><strong style="font-size: 14px;"><u>THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM (ACP)</u></strong><br /><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;">The ACP is a key part of the Administration’s </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Defdcebfb4b%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1658508530458000&usg=AOvVaw3D4S7YZk5WEkTpxXZfkRVy" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=efdcebfb4b&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">Internet for All</a><span style="font-size: 14px;"> initiative and the largest internet affordability program in our nation’s history. Experts estimate that </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3De4de5c3c99%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1658508530458000&usg=AOvVaw0hGeMy46vu3TCzg77BxmqN" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=e4de5c3c99&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">48 million households</a><span style="font-size: 14px;">—or nearly 40% of households in the country—qualify for the ACP either because their income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level, or because a member of the household meets one of the other criteria below:</span><ul style="font-size: 14px;"><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Participates in one of the following programs:<ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Medicaid</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Supplemental Security Income (SSI)</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Federal Pell Grant (received in the current award year)</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Lifeline</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Certain Tribal assistance programs, including Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations</li></ul></li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating broadband provider’s existing low-income internet program.</li></ul><span style="font-size: 14px;">As of now, more than 1,300 internet service providers participate in the program, and about 13 million households have signed up to receive the ACP benefit.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;">Households can check their eligibility for ACP, sign up, and find fully covered plans by visiting </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D4d304bd92b%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1658508530458000&usg=AOvVaw3mA_2fyKPvMWf3vMm4OJRT" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=4d304bd92b&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">GetInternet.gov</a><span style="font-size: 14px;">. They can also learn more by calling (877) 384-2575.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;">The ACP enrollment drive is just one part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D7a326ac560%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1658508530458000&usg=AOvVaw0p39AuPAj4IHifOCg13-iC" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=7a326ac560&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">Internet for All Initiative</a><span style="font-size: 14px;"> to ensure that every American has access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a $65 billion investment in high-speed internet access—on top of </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dfc0f31d8ba%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1658508530458000&usg=AOvVaw1aQvyHbXW2T0N0iqyPdg6S" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=fc0f31d8ba&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">billions</a><span style="font-size: 14px;"> in funding for high-speed, affordable internet provided by the American Rescue Plan that is currently being deployed across the nation. </span></div></div>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-43605831724444449932022-07-21T09:44:00.009-07:002022-07-28T09:50:56.030-07:00President Biden tests positive for COVID<p>The President, just returning from a several-days overseas trip to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/07/09/joe-biden-saudi-arabia-israel-visit/" target="_blank">Middle East</a>, has tested positive for COVID-19.</p><p>The White House has confirmed that the president, vaxxed and twice boosted, has "very mild symptoms" and is expected to continue working during isolation. The president has taken the anti-viral drug <a href="https://people.com/health/what-to-know-about-paxlovid-the-anti-viral-drug-that-president-biden-is-taking-for-covid/" target="_blank">Paxlovid</a> to guard against serious COVID illness. The president's symptoms have included runny nose and dry cough.</p><p><b>READ</b>: Remembering <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/02/11/covid-trump-was-sicker-from-coronavirus-than-first-said.html" target="_blank">President Trump's COVID illness.</a></p><p>The White House has decided to get out front of the news, being transparent in the moment.</p><p>The president's wife, First Lady Jill Biden, speaking to reporters in Detroit after a visit to a <span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Horizons National </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">summer learning program held at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT said of her husband's condition, "He's fine."</span></p><p>The president, age 79, co-signed his wife's comments shortly thereafter tweeting in Joe Biden fashion, "I'm fine, folks."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcp9SrgPHrpRixwRs47Rd9T6vEkxd6sIGm4xaTY1BDPn3hVC6vk1bGlVVHI-HQC36rZJ6N2JTqogXCtVJyMtsrWOKNdOCz3Fz5nMi0Gsm3MB9oIEz73z4kFX0bITTF2qUb11nDEZqYXAZpgJbCekER2o0vJXYopWhJwhdk0cI0xGZkIvIQDWPu6n-nQ/s893/Screenshot%20(727).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="893" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUcp9SrgPHrpRixwRs47Rd9T6vEkxd6sIGm4xaTY1BDPn3hVC6vk1bGlVVHI-HQC36rZJ6N2JTqogXCtVJyMtsrWOKNdOCz3Fz5nMi0Gsm3MB9oIEz73z4kFX0bITTF2qUb11nDEZqYXAZpgJbCekER2o0vJXYopWhJwhdk0cI0xGZkIvIQDWPu6n-nQ/w400-h353/Screenshot%20(727).png" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">President Biden tweet/@POTUS.</span></p><p>While the White House thinks it's a good thing for America to see the president still doing the job for the American people, former COVID testing czar, Admiral Brett Giroir, speaking on Fox News, recommends the president get rest.</p><p>"I would not push him too hard", said Giroir on whether the president should continue working. "Give him so time to recover. He deserves that just like everyone else in the country."</p><p>Giroir also suggested that the president needs to be closely monitored as the drug Paxlovid may interfere with the president's anticoagulant (blood thinner) drug he takes for his heart arrythmia.</p><p>Giroir also had advice for First Lady Jill Biden. "She should have a N-95 mask, not just a surgical mask", he said. </p><p>The first lady has not tested positive for COVID.</p><p>It is expected that more information will be revealed during today's White House press briefing, scheduled at 2:00 p.m. </p><p>No remarks, to date, from Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Advisor to the president who has been the leading medical expert since the COVID pandemic began.</p><p>This is a developing story.</p><p><br /></p><p>**Updated ** 2:31 p.m., 7.25.22 - Statement from Biden physician</p><p>Dr. Kevin O'Connor states that the president's symptoms "have now almost completely resolved", and that the president is "responding to treatment as expected." Read entire statement <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Update-7.25.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p>**<b>Updated </b>** 2:55 p.m. 7.21.22 - <b>White House briefing </b></p><p>President Biden's oxygen level is normal.</p><p>No word on what virus strain the president has.</p><p>WH cannot pinpoint where the president may have gotten COVID; contact tracing is underway.</p><p>Close contacts encouraged to reveal whether they have symptoms.</p><p>No change to staffing protocols, or staff reduction.</p><p>President felt normal up to this point, per <a href="https://www.brown.edu/news/2022-03-17/jha" target="_blank">Dr. Ashish Jha</a>.</p><p>=======</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post sponsored by <a href="https://cmbb.site" target="_blank">CMBB Solutions.</a> For sponsorship opportunities, email politicsop@gmail.com</span></p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-76446399913131723362022-07-14T19:39:00.000-07:002022-07-14T19:39:23.156-07:00Active Shooter Alert: H.R. 6538<p>The Administration strongly supports passage of H.R. 6538, the bipartisan Active Shooter Alert
Act of 2022.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXbipi0HGUjUH6AeF7-NBUHoLMGuDa5um4KEpEhMxdmwyID1jbKVR5yypTWjJw0KXZfBrlslQa7lwdmkWNBNFHPD8PQmhn4p1wOGNNGoMdtvMnZ7-UvUIYpcMd6-pOM8V0ZU7jDFnb1S-veTl-SBvfcl2jJ63qiG-HlAcPW1NgXHYQjgxhj3CQBGw1w/s392/AS.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="392" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEXbipi0HGUjUH6AeF7-NBUHoLMGuDa5um4KEpEhMxdmwyID1jbKVR5yypTWjJw0KXZfBrlslQa7lwdmkWNBNFHPD8PQmhn4p1wOGNNGoMdtvMnZ7-UvUIYpcMd6-pOM8V0ZU7jDFnb1S-veTl-SBvfcl2jJ63qiG-HlAcPW1NgXHYQjgxhj3CQBGw1w/s320/AS.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">image/salisburgfirearmsacademy.com</span></div><p>Over the Fourth of July weekend, a mass shooter in Highland Park, Illinois, killed
seven people. For hours before the arrest of the alleged perpetrator, police warned that the
gunman was still at large and should be considered armed and dangerous. </p><p><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/13/us/uvalde-shooting-surveillance-video-wednesday/index.html" target="_blank">Uvalde shooter video released.</a></p><p>That same weekend
in the United States, over 220 other people were shot and killed and over 570 people were
injured as a result of gun violence. </p><p>The Active Shooter Alert Act would enable law enforcement to send out alerts about nearby
active shooters. This common-sense bipartisan legislation is backed by more than ten leading
law enforcement agencies. These agencies know firsthand the urgent need to share accurate and
timely information to the general public during an active shooter situation. The bill would
enhance the safety of communities and the officers who are sworn to serve and protect
them. </p><p>As communities continue to experience gun violence every day, the Administration calls for
swift passage of this life-saving legislation.</p><p><br /></p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-45064236279057085532022-07-08T13:35:00.006-07:002022-07-14T10:36:02.024-07:00President Biden's Reproductive Healthcare Executive Order<p>On Friday, the president took action to preserve the reproductive rights of women. His <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/07/08/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-sign-executive-order-protecting-access-to-reproductive-health-care-services/" target="_blank">Executive Order</a> seeks to advance reproductive healthcare services and promote access to critical reproductive healthcare services, including abortions.</p><p>"It remains the policy of my Administration to support women's rights to choose and to protect and defend reproductive rights', wrote Biden. "Doing so is essential to justice, equality, and our health, safety and progress as a Nation."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriI05i4wzq9R_onl8FAV8vbd9dIvyZPYARPKmk-1TxvTEPiaYfriKZaKoBWNWRdRBTTHaeqey4Zvbv_RLM3adqnBQHAnysR28X8E9inOcT0Y5gOTWOh74XCiTJ30zbpCF2nvDcn6JTag5vbJsJS698-8lBN0681QWwbXpp4-qvJ_guJKD_ctUX8K_ZA/s1350/Screenshot%20(724).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="582" data-original-width="1350" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriI05i4wzq9R_onl8FAV8vbd9dIvyZPYARPKmk-1TxvTEPiaYfriKZaKoBWNWRdRBTTHaeqey4Zvbv_RLM3adqnBQHAnysR28X8E9inOcT0Y5gOTWOh74XCiTJ30zbpCF2nvDcn6JTag5vbJsJS698-8lBN0681QWwbXpp4-qvJ_guJKD_ctUX8K_ZA/w640-h276/Screenshot%20(724).png" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/biden-vote-overturn-roe/" target="_blank">1982 v. 2022 Biden</a>.</p><p>The president's Order calls for members of his cabinet to submit a report, within thirty days, that contains information on free, or reduced cost, reproductive healthcare services through Health Resources and Services Administration-Funded Health Centers, Title X clinics, and other providers while considering actions that would make reproductive healthcare for women as unencumbered as possible.</p><p>Additionally, the Order seeks to promote awareness of, and access to, contraceptive services as well protect people from fraudulent schemes or deceptive practices.</p><p><b>Read: </b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrietta_Lacks" target="_blank">The Henretta Lacks story.</a></p><p>While the debate over the Supreme Court's Roe v Wade decision has been mixed with some women supporting the court's decision, and others vehemently against it, men have also been vocal and have <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/reports/a40470766/men-abortion-rights/" target="_blank">weighed in</a> on the matter in the same vein, some going as far to suggest that the morals of women have gone astray. </p><p>"All these women shouting, 'My body. My choice', said Mike V. (whose last name is being protected). "Maybe they should stop being hoes", he said, suggesting that women have lost sight of God. </p><p>BREAKING: <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/louisiana-abortion-ban-ruling-constituational/" target="_blank">Louisiana Abortion Bill</a></p><p>"Seems like they are going away from God", he said. "If they don't want children, they can always just use a condom."</p><p>We'd like to point out that it is men who most likely wear condoms, and not women. </p><p>The president has urged those who oppose the SCOTUS' decision to vote for pro-abortion rights candidates in the November midterm election.</p><p>"There's an election in November", President Biden said. "For God's sake vote, vote, vote, vote."</p><p>Read President Biden's entire Executive Order <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/07/08/executive-order-on-protecting-access-to-reproductive-healthcare-services/" target="_blank">here</a>, </p><p><br /></p><p><i>Updated 7/14/2022 </i>to include OMB's <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SAP-HR8296-Womens-Health-Protection-Act-of-2022.pdf" target="_blank">Statement of Administration Policy</a>, H.R. 8296, the Women's Health Protection Act of 2022.</p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-91536280189576211472022-07-07T20:57:00.009-07:002022-07-10T08:49:45.159-07:002022 Medal of Freedom Class Honored at White House<p><i> "This Is America."</i></p><p class="MsoNormal">Seventeen Americans were honored Thursday at the White House
with Medals of Freedom. The honorees included civil rights attorney <b>Fred
Gray</b>, women's U.S. soccer player and World Cup winner <b>Megan Rapinoe </b>(who <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/06/26/megan-rapinoe-says-shes-not-going-white-house/" target="_blank">declined</a> the previous administration's offer to visit the White House), <b>Steve Jobs</b> and
<b>John McCain</b> (both posthumously), and Olympic gold medalist <b>Simone
Biles</b>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It’s a huge honor; I’m excited to be here”, said Biles. “I
put in so many years of hard work and being recognized by the president is so
special”, Biles said to reporters after the ceremony. <o:p></o:p></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7Uo23f4bHNU" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></div><p class="MsoNormal">A preschool teacher, awe struck after seeing Biles and fiance <a href="https://pagesix.com/article/who-is-simone-biles-boyfriend-jonathan-owens/" target="_blank">Jonathan Owens</a> as she
was leaving the White House, couldn’t believe her eyes. She told us that Biles
is an inspiration for all girls, from pre-K to twelfth grade. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“I watch her every time they’re in the Olympics”, she said.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The main draw on the afternoon (perhaps), actor and producer
<b>Denzel Washington</b>, was absent from the ceremony (to the disappointment of many) due to a positive
COVID-19 test. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Said Secretary of Health and Human Services, <b>Xavier Becerra</b>,
“you know that COVID is real when you miss your own ceremony [because of it]", suggesting
that we should all still take COVID seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Becerra mentioned that he, too, has had COVID even after being vaxed and
twice boosted.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Listen, I’m double-boosted and I got COVID twice”, said
Becerra. “I’ve probably had every variant there is.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">New York nurse <b>Sandra Lindsey</b> was also among those honored
Thursday. Lindsey made news for being the first person in the U.S. to take the COVID-19
vaccine. She is being honored for “becoming a shining example of exemplary
civic service.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After all the recipients were honored, the president
remarked, “This is America”, a nod to the nation’s diverse class of honorees in
equally diverse life missions and industries.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Attendees in the crowd included former U.S. Senator (D-CT)
Joe Liberman, Liz Cheney, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, the president’s son,
Bo Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.</p><p class="MsoNormal">--</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span>This post sponsored by </span><a href="http://cmbb.site" target="_blank">CMBB Business Solutions</a><span>. Contact politicsop@gmail.com to become a sponsor.</span></span></p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-60563190750222922042022-07-05T14:08:00.008-07:002022-07-05T18:37:15.209-07:00President Biden discusses America's economy during July 4th address to military families.<p><span style="font-family: times;"><i>"Our Economy is the strongest in the world."</i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"> "</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span>.</span><span>.. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Our economy is growing, but not without pain. Liberty is under assault -- assault both here and abroad. In recent days, there's been reason to think that this country is moving backward, that </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">freedom</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> is being reduced, that rights we assumed were protected are no longer. A reminder that we remain in an ongoing battle for the soul of America, as we have for over 200 years. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl9BpthSo1xkA4TKN8HyhiKmDzawN8CKB3YEFz2AJ0OLPypcww7g7icYu1oQseURw0f1FwdoxW1Obt2o2D7gbMBjBAzFdlybNhfF8KpPzv4zHOMzOcDNq8HMtHbHEOjgUzgSc2vxquJS_3T-77iJtd7CXctiCQvHvY17UBmcetkiQG_JgRslVRNZ6ng/s873/4th.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="873" data-original-width="674" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl9BpthSo1xkA4TKN8HyhiKmDzawN8CKB3YEFz2AJ0OLPypcww7g7icYu1oQseURw0f1FwdoxW1Obt2o2D7gbMBjBAzFdlybNhfF8KpPzv4zHOMzOcDNq8HMtHbHEOjgUzgSc2vxquJS_3T-77iJtd7CXctiCQvHvY17UBmcetkiQG_JgRslVRNZ6ng/w494-h640/4th.png" width="494" /></a></span></span></div><span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: times; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">4th of July photo courtesy of - the Internet.</span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 14px;">I know it can be exhausting and unsettling. But tonight, I want you to know we're going to get through all of this -- for all that we have faced, that we are going to get through this, and look how far we've come. </span><p></p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">We're reclaiming our way of life in a pandemic. Vaccines are nearly available to every American, restrictions lifted, the Fourth of July together again at the White House. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">And for all the challenges, America has the strongest economy in the world. More people are working and starting businesses, more young people graduating from high school and college than ever before.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">I just returned from an important trip -- the military will understand -- to Europe, to the NATO meeting. We’re relying on what we can do to rally the free world to defend </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">freedom</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div><span><b style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nba/he-takes-this-to-heart-biden-has-read-brittney-griners-letter-white-house-says/ar-AAZdqWI" target="_blank">Brittney Griner pens 'freedom', 'liberty' letter to President Biden</a>.</b><span style="font-family: times;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: times; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Before I left for Europe, I signed a law -- the first real gun safety law in 30 years. (Applause.) And things will get better still, but not without more hard work together. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">You all heard what happened. You all heard what happened today. But each day, we're reminded there's nothing guaranteed about our democracy, nothing guaranteed about our way of life. We have to fight for it, defend it, and earn it by voting to refine, evolve, and extend the calling -- (applause) -- of America to move forward boldly and unafraid. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">And this day reminds us of what brought us together long ago, what binds us still, and at our best, what we strive for. It’s “We the people.” Not a hollow phrase in America. “We the people” doing all we can to ensure that the idea of America and the cause of </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">freedom</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> and justice and equality does more than survive the divisions of our time, but that it shines like the sun to light up the future of our world. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">I know -- I know we can do this. I know many Americans look around today and see a divided country and are deeply worried about that fact. I understand. But I believe we're more united than we are divided. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Even more, I believe it's a choice we make. And I believe it's within our power to choose unity and unity of purpose. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">As I look out tonight, here at the White House, I see so many military families who understand the essential American truth. It's a greatest honor to serve as your Commander-in-Chief. And Jill and I are humbled to be with you tonight. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Tomorrow, we'll be bestowing the </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Medal</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> of Honor, the highest military award, to heroic service members who represent the best of America, the backbone, the sinew, the spine of America. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">And Thursday, I'll bestow the Presidential </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Medal</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> of </span><span class="il" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Freedom</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">, the highest civilian award, to extraordinary Americans who embody and endure -- the enduring character of this nation.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">All of them, all of you are reminders that we're a great nation because we're a good people. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">It’s because of you I've never been more optimistic about America than I am today. An optimism that digs deep and never gives up -- that's America. That's America. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">So, on this day, amid the storm and strife, may we commit ourselves to a principled patriotism for the large and complex mission to protect and make a -- more perfect our union, make real the declaration of our independence, and ensure that America is forever a place not marked by the thirst for power at any cost, but by a covenant of trust and hope and promise. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 14px;">Happy Fourth of July, America. May God bless America, and may God protect our troops. Enjoy the day." </span></span></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;">--</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: black;">This post sponsored by </span><a href="http://cmbb.site/" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #25a186; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">CMBB Business Solutions</span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">. Contact politicsop@gmail.com for sponsorship opportunities.</span></span></span><o:p></o:p></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, "Lucida Sans Typewriter", "Lucida Typewriter", monospace; font-size: 14px;"></span></div></div>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-34524372768440916582022-06-22T21:05:00.006-07:002022-12-25T06:54:02.582-08:00In Support of Mental Health<p>Amid mass shootings and other acts of violence, thought to be spawned by mental health crises, the White House has announced measures to support those with mental health issues through H.R. 7666, <span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/tabitsokay" target="_blank"><b>Taking a mental break is okay.</b></a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0FYFxrD7PzlXPmTjFrrMeg2sJrUIYFdZINIpvgtr6kXEe5a4rsXje6STM4NFRICrvktvWflnrazUKi6alZHisH4cCFn6SW1Du2zezg9au2IX0UUKZWAvT_xj98-X4Im2QFVn67IooZw09knVXq9dbFUVaRmfSb5N8tqlVrPyeAWB2kmEJbJldDsIfg/s758/Screenshot%20(719).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz0FYFxrD7PzlXPmTjFrrMeg2sJrUIYFdZINIpvgtr6kXEe5a4rsXje6STM4NFRICrvktvWflnrazUKi6alZHisH4cCFn6SW1Du2zezg9au2IX0UUKZWAvT_xj98-X4Im2QFVn67IooZw09knVXq9dbFUVaRmfSb5N8tqlVrPyeAWB2kmEJbJldDsIfg/w422-h640/Screenshot%20(719).png" width="422" /></a></div><br /><p>States the Office of Management and Budget, "<span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Our nation faces an unprecedented mental health crisis among people of all ages, one that has been exacerbated by the pandemic and continuing acts of mass violence. At the same time, more than one million Americans have lost their lives to drug overdoses over the past two decades, devastating their families, our communities, and nation as a whole."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">H.R. 7666 reauthorizes critical programs to deliver and support mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services, including those focused on people experiencing homelessness, underage drinking, and jail diversion programs. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">A full statement can be found <a href="https://whitehouse.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0b118f06efd1af82b1ed474c3&id=fe5f417ac5&e=5e03ab324c" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: small;">Contact politicsop@gmail.com to become a sponsor.</span></span></p><p> </p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-29688731919231058532022-06-07T17:00:00.002-07:002022-06-07T18:49:58.471-07:00Praise given for President Biden's EO to enhance effective, accountable policing and CJ practices, says White House.<p><strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Civil Rights Advocates, Law Enforcement, and Leaders Across the Country Applaud President Biden’s Executive Order to Enhance Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices</strong></p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>SEE ALSO</b>: <a href="https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2022/06/enough-pastors-call-for-accountability-police-reform-in-wake-of-patrick-lyoya-killing.html" target="_blank">Pastors call for accountability, police reform in wake of <b>Patrick Lyoya</b> murder</a>.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yslO7v0eSQYncSqcE6hvSYECAMJwBmXa0mStpZcV0Mhxlot6LKiNfeO5i-0OrzYs1rfZjT8JxxXX0EPbvNi6jvBU0C0zleXt1iNSP8duLCkXIO9FoYg_rJb4RMRzp1EdGhp9NmElZI5RDA2u0VUBdUZsk5muJsttSLXQ9TA7yq8otPdS5kKSomn8Sg/s927/Screenshot%20(699).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="927" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yslO7v0eSQYncSqcE6hvSYECAMJwBmXa0mStpZcV0Mhxlot6LKiNfeO5i-0OrzYs1rfZjT8JxxXX0EPbvNi6jvBU0C0zleXt1iNSP8duLCkXIO9FoYg_rJb4RMRzp1EdGhp9NmElZI5RDA2u0VUBdUZsk5muJsttSLXQ9TA7yq8otPdS5kKSomn8Sg/w640-h452/Screenshot%20(699).png" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div>Two years ago, the murder of </span><b style="font-size: 14px;">George Floyd</b><span style="font-size: 14px;"> exposed for many what Black and Brown communities have long known and experienced—that we must do more to ensure that our Nation lives up to its founding promise of fair and impartial justice for all under the law. The murder sparked one of the largest social movements this country has ever seen, with calls from all corners to acknowledge the challenges in our criminal justice system and in our institutions more broadly.</span></div><div style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;">The President strongly supported the House-passed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and repeatedly urged the Senate to pass meaningful police reform legislation that includes accountability when law enforcement officers violate their oaths. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans rejected enacting even modest reforms that many in law enforcement supported. As the President said then, this moment demands action, and he promised would take executive action on police reform.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>RELATED</b>: <a href="https://glennfosterjr.com/justice-for-glenn-jr/" target="_blank">Who was Glen Foster, Jr.</a>?<br /> <br />Today, President Biden makes good on that commitment by signing a historic executive order (EO) to advance effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices that will build public trust and strengthen public safety. This executive order will make a concrete and major impact – not just for Black and Brown communities, but indeed for all Americans, including for law enforcement – the guardians of our communities.<br /><b> </b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>RELATED:</b> <a href="https://www.wisn.com/article/no-charges-joseph-mensah-jay-anderson-death/40169545" target="_blank">No charges in Jay Anderson, Jr. death</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /><em>Families who have lost loved ones in encounters with police, civil rights leaders, major law enforcement organizations, and elected officials applauded the President’s executive order. Here’s what they are saying:</em><br /> <br /><strong><u>Families Who Have Lost Loved Ones in Police Encounters</u></strong><br /> <br /><strong>National Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump, George Floyd Family, and Legal Team: </strong>“On behalf of George Floyd’s family and the families of other victims of police violence, we extend our gratitude to President Biden for using the power of his office to impose meaningful federal police reform through an executive order. While this action does not have the long-term impact that we had hoped for with the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, it does represent incremental progress, and we need to commit ourselves to making progress every day because the safety of our children is worth the fight. This order will help ensure that officers with a track record of violence are identified so they don’t move from venue to venue. It will help to roll back the militarization of police. It restricts use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants by federal law enforcement and imposes use of force standards at the federal level. This is a start that should serve as a model for law enforcement everywhere. We urge President Biden to hold the Attorney General accountable to implement these changes quickly. And, given that most police violence against people of color occurs at the hands of local law enforcement, we need to see similar changes embraced by America’s 18,000 local law enforcement agencies. We thank President Biden for this meaningful step, and we urge him to use every lever he has to push for similar reforms to be adopted in every state and municipality in the country.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D31072e3fd9%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw21cDer04TdMdY7z0NIIfCT" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=31072e3fd9&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>RELATED</b>: <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/21/us/police-stops-race-stanford-study-trnd/index.html"><b>Study of 100 million police stops finds Black motorists are more likely to be pulled over </b></a><br /> <br /><strong>Ben Crump, Attorney for the Family of George Floyd</strong>: “BREAKING: @POTUS signed an executive order on police reform. Among other changes, this order rolls back the militarization of police, restricts the use of chokeholds and no-knock warrants by federal law enforcement, and imposes use of force standards at the federal level.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D6c36b5e4e8%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw06zuad7ZQ6-dCulR-g0-Kg" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=6c36b5e4e8&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong><u>Law Enforcement</u></strong><br /> <br /><strong>International Association of Chiefs of Police and Fraternal Order of Police</strong>: For months the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) have been engaged in extensive discussions with the Administration in good faith to develop the Executive Order on Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety. We applaud the Administration for listening to our constructive feedback and incorporating our suggestions into the Executive Order. Our organizations, which represent our nation’s chiefs and the majority of rank-and-file officers, believe that it marks a significant step in our continuing efforts to strengthen the trust of the public in police and the criminal justice system. [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D93933be11c%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw0mkRXGar-PSwQZPaRvOWQo" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=93933be11c&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Major Cities Chiefs Association: </strong>“Today, President Biden will sign an Executive Order to advance effective, accountable policing and strengthen public safety. Police reform and public safety are not mutually exclusive and MCCA member departments demonstrate this reality every day as their officers protect and serve while abiding by professional law enforcement practices that are fair, equitable, transparent, and procedurally just. The Executive Order will build upon this work by promoting accountability and best practices throughout the law enforcement profession and will enable law enforcement to take the enforcement action that is necessary to decrease violent crime. The Administration extensively consulted the MCCA while developing this Executive Order, and the MCCA greatly appreciates that a significant portion of our technical assistance was incorporated into the final product.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D6376c780b8%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw2uv3ChMZXmxD9GYdBi3rDZ" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=6376c780b8&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Frederick L. Thomas, President, The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives: </strong>The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) supports President Joe Biden’s executive order signed today – the second anniversary of George Floyd’s death – promoting police reform and creating a registry of law enforcement officers fired for misconduct. The order is also expected to have a significant impact on state and local police, tightening restrictions on chokeholds and no-knock warrants. Biden said this executive order will deliver “the most significant police reform in decades.” It is NOBLE’s opinion that the executive order demonstrates the administration’s ongoing commitment to comprehensive law enforcement reforms and equal protection under the law for all Americans even in the absence of congressional action. Since the death of George Floyd, NOBLE has supported the call for immediate action and accountability to protect our communities and delivering meaningful police reform. This executive order is critical to restoring public trust that has been breached. “The cries for justice, accountability, and law enforcement reform resounded loudly but unfortunately were not heard with the same vigor that tribalism and political polarization seem to engender within our national leaders,” said NOBLE National President Frederick L. Thomas, who was at the White House for the signing. “President Biden’s Executive Order reminds NOBLE of the hopes and dreams that were displayed the summer of 2020 that went unfulfilled and many communities unheard and frustrated. This is a first crucial step as we call for change on a federal level. NOBLE hopes that this executive order encourages state and local police to make every effort to make gains in the law enforcement arena that both address issues of crime and needs of our nation.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D347e351c71%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw1avhJEBuMcAmzIwGer8BBv" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=347e351c71&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Larry Cosme, President, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association:</strong> The EO is a “national role model for all law enforcement around the country. We’ve engaged in hundreds of hours of discussions, and this can inspire people in the state and local departments to say: ‘This is what we need to do.’” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dada993844c%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw0zkmPbIIBiMwk0ohK38ZfX" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=ada993844c&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Quote</a>, Washington Post, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Chuck Wexler, Executive Director, Police Executive Research Forum:</strong> “The White House did significant outreach with us and tried to listen to our concerns. This final executive order is substantively different from the original version, and that’s made a big difference to many of us in law enforcement.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D5c92eb0fac%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw2EjjFRPstP502x9oAlCoop" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=5c92eb0fac&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Quote</a>, New York Times, 5/24/22]<br /> <br /><strong><u>Civil Rights Leaders and Advocacy Organizations</u></strong><br /> <br /><strong>The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People:</strong> “The NAACP commends efforts by the Biden Administration in this week's Executive Order on Police Reform. The timing of this announcement with the anniversary of George Floyd's murder is a reminder that policing in America is uneven when it intersects with Black America. The Executive Order is a good step forward. Policies outlined by the Biden Administration are needed to ensure alignment on use-of-force policies across the country and to tighten restrictions on practices like chokeholds and the use of no-knock warrants that have resulted in the death of Black Americans. Although these policies are needed, the NAACP remains focused on ensuring that policing is centered on public safety. To that end, we call upon the U.S. Senate to address core elements that continue needing reform: an end to qualified immunity, resources for implicit bias training, and community-based alternatives that aid in mental health crisis response. All too often, Black Americans have been most impacted by the misalignment of policies that create incentives for police misconduct. As midterm elections approach, the NAACP and its two million members will continue to monitor policing within our communities to ensure that federal, state, and local elected officials respond to the public safety needs of Black Americans.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D0b23d73978%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw04SG9tjKEN-VlqOOu5FvZJ" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=0b23d73978&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/24/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President, National Action Network:</strong> “Tomorrow’s executive order is an important step toward dealing with the issues of accountability and public safety. We are glad President Biden took the initiative as we waited two years to see a national response to an egregious act. George Floyd woke us up, and we should not go back to sleep. The failure of the Senate to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act is still something that we will never give up on. But an executive order will give us a step toward federal legislation and will set a tone in this nation that no one is above the law – and that no one in our society or those charged to protect society to have the knees on our necks.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dcb11f29dbe%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw10tVLB0bQJe4zSgudEQGYT" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=cb11f29dbe&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel, NAACP Legal Defense Fund:</strong> ““The Executive Order issued by the Biden Administration today is an important step toward addressing police accountability – including the development of a law enforcement accountability database, limits on chokeholds and carotid restraints, restrictions on no-knock entries and limits on the transfers of military equipment to law enforcement agencies. The Order also includes the <span class="il">promotion</span> of several promising initiatives that may encourage significant shifts toward a new vision of public safety, such as a nationwide study by the Department of Health and Human Services on the physical, mental, and public health impacts of law enforcement violence on communities, and identifying resources to address these impacts. Similarly, an interagency endeavor required by the Order which seeks to promote alternatives to arrests and incarceration, restorative justice practices, as well as alternative responders, has the potential to reduce criminalization. The measure is critical in light of the United States’ record of mass incarceration that reflects the highest rate of incarceration in the world and the disproportionate bias that Black people face at every step in the criminal legal system, from policing onward. This Executive Order is necessary because of the failure of the United States Senate to advance meaningful legislation to address police accountability and transform public safety. We commend President Biden for helping to fill this void of leadership in the Senate by using his executive powers. We also commend the many advocates, protesters, activists and families of victims of police violence whose unrelenting demand for change compelled this action. Much more can and must be done at the federal, state, and local levels to enact needed measures of accountability and advance equitable systems of safety, particularly in Black and Brown communities that are underserved and over-policed.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D93590da81b%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw19S33B54N6h321fZqhVd19" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=93590da81b&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel Emeritus</strong>: “I appreciate @POTUS Biden for using the powers he has to sign today’s Executive Order & for being explicit abt the need for legislation. Those of us who worked so hard on the #GeorgeFloyd Justice in Policing Act will not stop pushing to end qualified immunity for police.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D3848ed99e5%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902305000&usg=AOvVaw1VGpUqyePvBdPSucgqUsuC" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=3848ed99e5&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League:</strong> “National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial today called President Biden’s executive order on policing a necessary step forward and urged state and federal lawmakers to build on the order to achieve comprehensive reform. The order incorporates several elements of 21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Community Trust, the National Urban League’s own plan for enhancing public safety and restoring trust between communities and law enforcement. “While a limited executive order is no substitute for the broad federal legislation we have sought, it represents a measure of meaningful change and a critical acknowledgement of the pervasive systemic racism that has shattered the trust between police and communities of color,” Morial said. The tragedy of George Floyd’s murder highlighted gross inequities in policing and our justice system. However, in the absence of comprehensive legislative action, in the two years since the murder police have killed more than 2,000 people in the United States – even more in 2021 than in 2020. Black Americans remain nearly three times as likely as whites to be killed by police. President Biden’s directive to build a diverse, inclusive, and expert workforce among federal law enforcement agencies – consistent with 21 Pillars – is critical to reversing both the violence and the disparity. “Social parity, economic empowerment, and civil rights cannot be achieved in a world of unjust policing,” Morial said. “Today’s executive order, guided by the principles outlined in 21 Pillars, can be the basis for safer, more effective and community-centered law enforcement across the nation.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dec59f8f810%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw0TT4KKNtYtkqKJsU2YjHG9" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=ec59f8f810&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law:</strong> “@POTUS’ executive order on police accountability is a historic first step to protect Black communities. As @DamonTHewitt said, “this sets not a ceiling, but a new floor.” It’s time for elected leaders at every level to take action for Black lives.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D56f65c7e5c%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw3YhkCXdj3grb5V1ZakQzNw" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=56f65c7e5c&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Maya Wiley, President of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights:</strong> “#POTUS asks Gianna Floyd, daughter of #GeorgeFloyd to come and sit at the desk where he signed his Executive Order on police accountability and it is impossible not to ache with the pain of loss and appreciate the strength of the families who have fought for this!” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D2b77f61c89%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw2Rxyl-lxXkBi42Q4a48Wia" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=2b77f61c89&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Melanie Campbell, President and CEO, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable: </strong>“As we observe the second anniversary of the death of George Floyd at the hands of a racist police officer in Minnesota, I want to thank President Biden for using his power of Executive Authority to bolster police accountability in this nation. The order, which will create national accreditation standards, a database for problem officers and incentives to ban chokeholds and no-knock warrants, is a tremendous first step in protecting all citizens, but especially those of color. These efforts will enhance public trust and strengthen public safety. The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Black Women’s Roundtable also actively supports and encourages the President to continue his fight for the eventual passage of the ‘George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.’ Only then will we begin to truly feel safe in our own communities.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D98e8d41b7b%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw26t6JAMMUNtaOvTpdQfkzC" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=98e8d41b7b&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Udi Ofer, Deputy National Political Director, American Civil Liberties Union:</strong> "Today marks the two-year anniversary of the police murder of George Floyd. This tragedy galvanized the nation to take to the streets to protest police violence and racism. That movement continues today and is still seeking a new vision for public safety in America, one that rejects racism and toxic policing. We commend President Biden for taking much-needed action on police reform. This executive order takes an important and necessary step forward in light of Congress’ failure to act on police reform – but it is only a first step. Proper implementation of this order will be vital for its success. Words on paper alone will not end police violence. More<br /> <br /><strong>Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC</strong>: “Today's Executive Order provides important steps forward at a time when community safety is as urgent as ever. We appreciate the Biden Administration's actions, and at the same time recognize that passing legislation is critical to achieving the long-term systemic change needed.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dc718f34179%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw3-CHVw1n2vmIKFODLGE9a6" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=c718f34179&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Curt Decker, Executive Director, The National Disability Rights Network:</strong> “The National Disability Rights Network applauds the Biden Administration’s Executive Order on policing which comes two years after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The Executive Order is an important move toward helping ensure safer communities while also holding law enforcement, the people entrusted with our safety, accountable for their actions. In the absence of Congressional action to address police accountability and police brutality against people with disabilities, people of color, immigrants, refugees, members of the LGBT community, and members of every religious group, this action by the Administration is more important than ever. ‘We applaud the President and his Administration for taking this important first step toward grappling with our nation’s legacy of police violence while also trying to keep our communities safer,’ said NDRN <a name="m_3998884037072393695__Hlk104381599" style="color: #0064bc; text-decoration-line: underline;">Executive Director Curt Decker</a>. ‘Police brutality and accountability is a disability rights issue. A countless number of people with disabilities have lost their lives at the hands of the police. The time to address this is long overdue and this Executive Order demonstrates a clear commitment from the highest levels of government toward creating a nation that is safe for all,’ continued Decker. While the Executive Order is much needed, it unfortunately will only move us so far toward achieving a lasting solution to police brutality. The Senate’s continued failure to take up meaningful police reform legislation is a hindrance to the progress needed which can only be achieved through legislation. We again call on the Senate to take up the police reform legislation passed by the House. In the interim, NDRN will continue to work with the many civil rights groups who share our values of community and inclusion for all and with the Administration to help implement this historic Executive Order. [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dbe3bf011fe%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw3AU0Qm1CNOsImL5DauUA0o" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=be3bf011fe&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>American Constitution Society: </strong>“Good news that President Biden's EO creates a central database for tracking police misconduct, bans chokeholds (although not entirely, they can be used when deadly force is authorized), creates new limits on use of force, and other positive steps. However... (1/2) The EO only applies to federal law enforcement, while the vast majority of law enforcement exist at the state and local level. Meaning, Congress must reform the filibuster and pass meaningful policing standards that apply to state and local law enforcement. (2/2)” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3De56a0cbb44%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw2mXGgSLe6fKuE122C3LsPe" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=e56a0cbb44&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweets</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong><u>Members of Congress</u></strong><br /> <br /><strong>New Jersey Senator Cory Booker</strong>: “I’ve been working closely with this administration for months to advance policing reform and I applaud President Biden for taking action with this executive order. It will enhance accountability, improve transparency, and raise policing standards in an effort to help end the horrific incidents of violence that we often witness, like the murder of George Floyd. That the families of those impacted by police violence, law enforcement groups representing our nation’s officers, and civil rights groups are standing with the Administration in solidarity to embrace this executive order shows that positive change is possible. Federal action was and is still urgently needed. Across the United States, there is a deficit of trust between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect – particularly Black and Brown communities. And discriminatory policing and excessive and deadly force used against Black and Brown people feeds into that. Properly honoring the lives of the victims of this violence means taking concrete steps now to prevent it from occurring in the future. While an executive order alone cannot right every wrong, today’s announcement is a step forward and, I hope, a catalyst for further change. Congress must embrace this moment and act to pass legislation, and I will not stop fighting until we achieve change that restores trust in our communities, improves policing, and better protects public safety.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dc68f2119ee%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw3cZs0_Ao2LmTm_tpGanpSL" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=c68f2119ee&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>California Congresswoman Karen Bass</strong>: “I successfully led the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act twice in the House of Representatives, but both times it stalled in the Senate. I refuse to take no for an answer. I believe that change will always find a way – and today is evidence of that. When the Senate failed to act, @SenBooker and I went to the President and asked him to act. We worked closely with the White House and came up with an executive order that will help bring transparency and accountability to law enforcement. Today, on the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd, I'll be at the White House with President Biden as he signs this historic executive order. This is about public trust and public safety in our communities. We can have safety and justice at the same time.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D39c92c53ec%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw2inJs4mZl5ifAz8VjCEpfw" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=39c92c53ec&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweets</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Colorado Senator Michael Bennet: </strong>“@POTUS’s actions today take a step forward, but there’s more Congress must do to ensure no one is denied justice or their own life because of what they look like. We can get there if we join together and recommit to justice & equal protection for all.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D977e429b73%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw2km2Wx0psYDEeRKacXqhAE" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=977e429b73&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Majority Leader Steny Hoyer</strong>: “I was glad to hear of President Biden’s executive order today promoting law enforcement accountability while enhancing recruitment and retention and supporting officers who serve honorably.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D36a32b25d6%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw3MOGwO1wYYSxkFrCn5hz7x" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=36a32b25d6&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Majority Whip Jim Clyburn</strong>: This EO is the first step of many needed to protect communities by improving policing and holding bad actors accountable. @TheBlackCaucus and @HouseDemocrats will continue the fight to send the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to the President's desk. [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Defd0651db0%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw07JcMXah8e5TMlHRLFG8CR" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=efd0651db0&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>House Judiciary Committee Chairman, New York Congressman Jerry Nadler</strong>: “This is a much-needed and well-thought-through move by President Biden,” said Chairman Nadler. “Almost two years ago, the Judiciary Committee passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which included many of the provisions that are listed in this Executive Order. Unlike our Republican colleagues in the Senate, President Biden has made it clear he will not allow the momentum of police reform to fizzle out. This Order is an exceptional step in the right direction, and while there is more work to be done, I am thrilled to have an ally like President Biden in this fight.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D12baed085c%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw0Skabl3khlluUtrN68pKe8" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=12baed085c&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>House Education and Labor Committee Chairman, Virginia Congressman Bobby Scott: </strong>““Americans from all walks of life took to the streets after the senseless murder of George Floyd to protest police brutality and demand accountability, transparency, and reform to our justice system,” said Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03). “That is why I was very grateful to see President Biden mark this solemn anniversary of Mr. Floyd’s murder with action. The President’s executive order seeks to improve public trust between communities and law enforcement with enhanced transparency and accountability measures. An important part of achieving this goal is comprehensive data collection of use of force and deaths in custody. Nearly eight years after Congress passed my reauthorization of the Death in Custody Reporting Act, I am very pleased to see President Biden’s executive order call for its full implementation so that the American people can finally have accurate data on the number of deaths that occur in police custody and in our jails and prisons. This data will be critical to policymakers at the local, state, and federal level to enact initiatives to reduce incidences of avoidable deaths in our justice system and to identify problematic law enforcement agencies.” [Statement, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty</strong>: “Today, on the second anniversary of George Floyd's murder, I will lead @TheBlackCaucus to the White House as @POTUS signs a historic executive order to combat police brutality. This is progress, and a meaningful next step on our march to nationwide policing reform. (1/2) This order comes after countless hours of consultation between the CBC and the Administration, and we are confident this will begin to bring Americans transparency and accountability without sacrificing justice or safety. (2/2)” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dd2180ce7ac%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw0Td4fmNXvN8IgxreFGZm32" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=d2180ce7ac&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweets</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal:</strong> “Two years ago today, the country watched George Floyd’s murder by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. Before he was a globally recognized name, he was a father, friend, brother, and son. On this painful anniversary, our thoughts are first and foremost with his family and community. We thank the Floyd family for sharing George’s memory with the world, including with the honor of their presence at today’s signing ceremony. President Biden has taken a very important step today to increase police accountability by executive order. In particular, the President's order addresses the policing asks from our Progressive Caucus <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D98921d9073%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw3hd3SlzmKud-2qRU5U1syu" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=98921d9073&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Executive Action Agenda</a>: to collect and publish data on the use of force in police departments across the country; to establish strict national standards governing the use of force; and to demilitarize law enforcement by preventing the transfer of certain excess military-grade weaponry to federal, tribal, state, and local police. We applaud the Biden administration for this executive order, and the Progressive Caucus stands ready to work in partnership to ensure these actions are implemented in a manner that maximizes their impact. [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dc8b19e43a6%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw2HDz3hBDmYHwQGb6JN_u0h" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=c8b19e43a6&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>New Jersey Congressman and Co-Chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus Bill Pascrell</strong>: “For our nation to truly be united, we must mend frayed trust between our communities and the law enforcement departments that serve them. This landmark action by the Biden White House will strengthen community policing across the board by improving training and guidelines for federal law enforcement officers, promoting transparency and accountability measures to address misconduct, and centering federal use of force policies around de-escalation. I thank the Biden administration for working closely with a range of stakeholders, including myself, to develop this order that has the support of both local community and law enforcement leaders. The chorus of support in favor of this package of reforms demonstrates that leaders at the local, state, and national levels are working together here.” [Statement, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Florida Congresswoman Val Demings:</strong> Today, Rep. Val Demings (FL-10) commented on a new federal police <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D95c932b226%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw25UQAvb-gKOvQVitI34Q_1" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=95c932b226&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">initiative</a> that would provide additional funding to police departments to implement programs supported by police and communities which would help keep officers and communities safe. Rep. Demings was the first female Chief of Police of Orlando, Florida. Said Rep. Demings, “Today’s announcement will have three clear effects: more resources for law enforcement, greater coordinated response to quality-of-life issues, and commitment and accountability for all. As a 27-year law enforcement officer, these are steps in the right direction. “Today’s effort takes good ideas from legislation I’ve led in Congress, including officer mental health support, increased grant funding, and community and officer accountability. These measures are common sense, which is why both law enforcement organizations and victims’ families stood in support. “The overwhelming majority of men and women in law enforcement are good, decent people who work every day to keep us safe. Today’s initiatives will increase transparency and accountability and refocus America’s police on their core mission: to fight crime and protect our communities from those who work to do us harm.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dac5b3749c0%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw2TcYhAzoYFqjVOm-rrsKcK" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=ac5b3749c0&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee</strong>: “After more than a decade of serving as a member of the House Judiciary Committee and working to reform policing in America, I am grateful for the collaboration of all the stakeholders from civil rights advocates and groups to families who lost loved ones, and representatives of law enforcement agencies and officers, who have come together to bring about the creation of the President’s Executive Order. I am reminded of the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act and End Racial Profiling Act, anti-bias legislation, laying the groundwork for passing that bill into law, and the legislation of many other members of Congress that are included in the Order. Today’s anniversary serves as a painful reminder of why the President’s action today is necessary. This is the right step at the right time.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Df507c95340%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw3lmOUCBVgdVZ5LYB5fYZm3" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=f507c95340&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Michigan Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence</strong>: “Today marks two years since George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, was murdered by a police officer. His death sparked a movement across the world, and the American people were calling for real, actionable change. While there’s nothing we can do to bring back George Floyd or the countless other Black and Brown Americans whose lives were taken due to police violence and brutality, President Biden’s executive order is a step in the right direction toward police reform. This EO increases police accountability, bans the use of chokeholds, improves public safety, and so much more. President Biden listens and acts, and I’m grateful for his leadership. As we applaud this historic EO, let’s not forget that we still have work to do to fully reform our criminal justice system.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dbec7945532%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw0G0AU2SzN-x5HfMOURuyYw" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=bec7945532&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Illinois Congresswoman Lauren Underwood:</strong> “Today marks the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. His life mattered. I will honor his memory, and so many others who have lost their lives, by supporting legislation that ensures accountable policing and keeps communities safe. The executive order @POTUS plans to sign is an important step toward advancing effective, accountable policing, prioritizing equity, and improving public safety in our country. There’s much more work to be done to meaningfully address the many inequities in health, education, economic opportunity, justice, and safety that Black people in our country have faced, and I will work tirelessly to support policies that end these disparities.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3De3a367ce02%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw0q27ojGItOY2l44Bu4dbYg" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=e3a367ce02&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweets</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush:</strong> “I commend President Biden for taking the long overdue step of enhancing transparency and ensuring greater accountability in the American policing system. While today’s executive order is not exhaustive and much more needs to be done, we know that it will help save lives. In the two years since millions of us took to the streets in the largest racial justice protests of our generation demanding justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the House has twice passed legislation aimed at holding law enforcement accountable for abuse and misconduct. And twice the Senate failed to pass it. All the while police killings have reached record highs in this country. All the while St. Louis continues to lead the nation in police killings per capita. All the while, the demands of families and communities affected by police violence have gone unanswered. Today’s executive order is a positive step in the right direction, and it represents an inflection point in our collective struggle for justice and accountability.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D7bd226c6f4%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw1elQQDspTt3sqR1EkNBQKT" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=7bd226c6f4&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar</strong>: “I want to thank President Biden for taking steps in addressing the demands of criminal justice advocates this week, including a national database of police misconduct, strict limits on the use of chokeholds and anti-bias training.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dad98a997bc%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw0Xfrj8TcjkiOEAMVaAx5ql" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=ad98a997bc&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig:</strong> “Two years ago, George Floyd was murdered in MN. I'm glad to see @POTUS honor his memory by working toward a more just law enforcement system and supporting our police officers so that they can protect public safety in our communities. We must do both.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dc20f240dcc%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw1lgbKSSg74af-cWqodSeoE" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=c20f240dcc&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Pennsylvania Congressman Dwight Evans:</strong> On the 2-year anniversary of the murder of #GeorgeFloyd, I want to acknowledge the ACTION @POTUS has taken to advance accountable policing. Today’s executive action by @POTUS represents real progress. But there is much more that must be done. @HouseDemocrats understand this, and we have also taken action! I voted for the George Floyd #JusticeInPolicing Act, which would: Ban chokeholds; End the use of no-knock warrants; End the transfer of made-for-war weapons to local police departments It’s time for the Senate to ACT! [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dc7627e9a93%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw0DAnMlWYe8RYK-CFBa_RHi" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=c7627e9a93&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>California Congresswoman Sara Jacobs</strong>: “George Floyd was murdered two years ago – a tragedy that followed centuries of injustice. Today, President Biden announced a new Executive Order to promote accountability and reform federal law enforcement practices.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Da847c112df%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw2j4GwHIutHHuoGSPcdJkUC" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=a847c112df&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Pennsylvania Congressman Mike Doyle</strong>: “Today, 2 years after George Floyd's murder, @POTUS signed an executive order to promote accountable policing & criminal justice practices that build public trust & strengthen public safety. It promotes accountability, increases transparency, & reforms the criminal justice system.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dc7e0705d38%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw37vB_tgkdoaTKlDKY9niFK" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=c7e0705d38&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>California Congressman Tony Cardenas</strong>: “Two years after the murder of George Floyd, we still have a long way to go to fix our broken police system. Thank you, President Biden, for taking a step towards a better future for our communities today.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3De17929226d%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw3KPXPhZCHRD5YqvWBeO_tU" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=e17929226d&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>New York Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney</strong>: “As we mark two years since George Floyd's murder, a moment of silence isn't enough to honor his memory. We need solutions. That’s why the House passed legislation to reform policing and, today, @POTUS signed an Executive Order to implement many of those reforms.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D41c1b6a294%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw2HEs-ME5jtLaadw86HvCLi" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=41c1b6a294&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Pennsylvania Congressman Mike Doyle:</strong> “Today, 2 years after George Floyd's murder, @POTUS signed an executive order to promote accountable policing & criminal justice practices that build public trust & strengthen public safety. It promotes accountability, increases transparency, & reforms the criminal justice system.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D3847e077eb%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw0j02d0fSuRLZuTt5Hhb47N" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=3847e077eb&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>New Mexico Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury</strong>: “Two years ago, as the world grappled with the murder of George Floyd, our nation committed to passing meaningful police reform. Yet today, the Senate still has not summoned the political will to act. I'm grateful for @POTUS's administrative actions today as the work continues.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D9782179fc4%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw1HaBwsHfnF1HMfCe5c5edn" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=9782179fc4&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum</strong>: “I applaud President Biden’s executive order directing all federal agencies to revise their use-of-force policies and creating a national registry of officers fired for misconduct. [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D3c6c7541df%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw1_YX6A3XZhbcQPoSf8JH16" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=3c6c7541df&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Washington Congressman Adam Smith: “</strong>Two years ago George Floyd was murdered on the streets of Minneapolis when a police officer knelt on his neck and he couldn't breathe - and the world watched in horror. In the aftermath, waves of protests calling for reform to our justice system took place across the country. Today @POTUS signed an Executive Order that will promote accountability within law enforcement, reform the standards for use of force and deadly force tactics, improve law enforcement systems and training, and strengthen transparency and oversight of use of force incidents. AND the Executive Order will create a new committee tasked with producing a government-wide strategic plan to advance front-end diversion, alternatives to incarceration, rehabilitation, and reentry to reform our broader criminal justice system. The tragic murder of George Floyd cannot be forgotten. Congress must work together to advance legislation that creates meaningful change within our policing system so that every person feels safe in their community. Until that day, I commend @POTUS for taking this important step.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D49d9313589%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw1hQNq7N3XgQWOunCdJcxkH" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=49d9313589&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong><u>State and Local Officials</u></strong><br /> <br /><strong>Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro: “</strong>Today marks two years since the murder of George Floyd under the knee of a now-convicted former police officer in the streets of Minneapolis. I'm encouraged by the Biden Administration’s steps to further the national effort on police reforms, as law enforcement and community leaders did hand-in-hand here in Pennsylvania in the wake of Mr. Floyd’s murder.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D98318b7108%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw1SlA8Kg9HWfh9u90rw7xQt" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=98318b7108&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Acting New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin:</strong> “Honored to join @POTUS at the White House today, the two-year anniversary of George Floyd's murder, for the signing of an Executive Order on police reform.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Dfe391d1680%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw23Eu4GgjlKa17M9OI_X3L4" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=fe391d1680&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates Adrienne Jones</strong>: “Since George Floyd’s death, Maryland has led some of the most transformational police reforms in the country. It’s great to see a national approach to improving public safety, and there’s always more work to do. If we can reform policing, we can reform our gun laws.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D72e0c05758%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw3W5Vjvl4sbU80WzMxamOnx" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=72e0c05758&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Texas State Representative Carl O. Sherman: </strong>“Today I join @POTUS at the @WhiteHouse for the signing of an executive order designed to address police accountability; specifically, the use of force and body cameras.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D972870a140%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902306000&usg=AOvVaw2awCmem8xtdxb_OU4JrqZh" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=972870a140&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott: </strong>“Grateful for @POTUS taking a meaningful step forward to address police misconduct and accountability. There is still more to do in order for Black and Brown communities across our country to feel safe, protected, and served within our law enforcement and criminal justice systems.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Df91fb5b640%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902307000&usg=AOvVaw0fYadFwwnz12O9L3L-lnP6" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=f91fb5b640&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>National League of Citie</strong>s: “NLC supports President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) to increase accountability in federal law enforcement and provide additional federal tools such as guidance on best practices, training and technical assistance, and grantmaking to support reforms at State, Tribal, local, and territorial law enforcement agencies. Many of the policies outlined in the EO are also included in NLC’s resolution on the Use of Force by Law Enforcement Officers, including implementing and improving racial bias and de-escalation training; improving mental health and wellness services to law enforcement officers; and establishing a national database of decertified officers that local governments can use to vet officers who have been dismissed for such issues as unnecessary or excessive use of force, abuse of power, racial discrimination, and violation of individual’s civil rights.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D7011fcda0b%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902307000&usg=AOvVaw2N5n4cDqrrhwQGwCQIaNHB" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=7011fcda0b&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director, United States Conference of Mayors </strong>Today, on the second anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, President Biden announced an executive order to reform policing in America. In it, he directs federal agencies to revise their use-of-force policies, create a national registry of officers fired for misconduct, use grants to encourage state and local police to tighten restrictions on chokeholds and no-knock warrants, and restrict the transfer of most military equipment to law enforcement agencies. Many of these actions are in line with those that the U.S Conference of Mayors (USCM) has championed in its plan for police reform and racial justice. Welcoming the order, Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the USCM, released the following statement: “We thank the president for his leadership on this important issue. America’s mayors know that we must reset the relationship between our police and residents, and that we can only do so by advancing policing practices that respect and protect human life and ensure safety for all. These measures will help. They’ll improve policing in America, and many of them mirror the very proposals suggested by the United States Conference of Mayors in our 2020 report produced by our police reform and racial justice working group. “America’s cities and mayors know that reform and public safety are not mutually exclusive—and that inaction is unacceptable. Until we reckon with the failures of our current system, especially for communities of color, until we recognize how those failures have spawned dangerous divides between police and communities, until we make a real effort for change, we cannot improve public safety. “It’s time to renew the compact between people and the police and to restore trust and accountability, and the president’s executive order is a vital step in that direction.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Da51740c65f%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902307000&usg=AOvVaw1LK6-P0sMi6Lc4KkA_Nz9_" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=a51740c65f&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong><u>Faith Leaders</u></strong><br /> <br /><strong>Joan F. Neal, Deputy Executive Director and Chief Equity Officer, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice:</strong> “Today’s executive order is a welcome start toward achieving the long-denied justice due to George Floyd and other victims of police violence. We are grateful for this action, and remain committed to working to dismantle white supremacy in policing by ending practices that allow law enforcement officers to murder or maim Black people with impunity. People of faith have a duty to demand the end of state-sanctioned violence and the systemic white supremacy from which it stems. Failure to act would be an abdication of our moral and civic duty and a blatant disregard for the humanity of Black lives. We urge Congress to immediately pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (H.R.1280) to continue the critical work of making permanent, robust policing reforms that provide the guidance, support, and accountability U.S. law enforcement needs to protect and serve every person equally, regardless of their race.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D1c05308daf%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902307000&usg=AOvVaw1bqjhJ0dn1qKe2r7ug2SV4" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=1c05308daf&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Mary J. Novak, Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice:</strong> “President Biden’s Executive Order is an important and historic first step in the direction of justice in policing. This executive order will move federal law enforcement agencies toward increased accountability, transparency and fairness. We affirm the importance of creating concrete systems to hold federal police accountable to the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. We applaud President Biden’s efforts to ban chokeholds, restrict no-knock entries, restrict the transfer of most military equipment to law enforcement agencies and to incentivize state and local officers to do the same. The time is long overdue for reforms that hold law enforcement accountable and responsible for protecting and serving everyone in society equally. Today’s actions from the Biden-Harris administration are significant first steps toward modernizing and standardizing police practices and accountability throughout the United States and I urge Congress to continue this vital work.“ [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D0b6b68eba5%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902307000&usg=AOvVaw244tJjyVlbAsHYuYycDVw3" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=0b6b68eba5&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Statement</a>, 5/25/22]<br /> <br /><strong>Rev. Adam Russell Taylor, President, Sojourners:</strong> “The Executive Order on Accountable Policing, which @POTUS will sign today is an important step toward strengthening police accountability, but it is no substitute for the federal legislation and state and local leadership we so desperately need to truly transform policing.” [<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3Deb4f41ad91%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1654730902307000&usg=AOvVaw2X6BlZaajd04HDI0t3gcPH" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=eb4f41ad91&e=c9ce1cfb8e" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">Tweet</a>, 5/25/22]</div>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-10188558843208099852022-06-07T15:37:00.014-07:002022-07-07T21:04:29.840-07:00At the White House Matthew McConaughey gives impassioned plea for gun control.<p style="text-align: left;">After meeting with law makers on Capitol Hill, actor <b>Matthew McConaughey</b> took to the podium during Tuesday's White House briefing to make an impassioned, public plea. </p><p>McConaughey joined <b><a href="https://www.wkbw.com/news/local-news/buffalo-mass-shooting/watch-garnell-whitfield-jr-speaks-at-senate-judiciary-committee-hearing-on-buffalo-mass-shooting" target="_blank">Garnell Whitfield</a></b>, the son of <b>Ruth Whitfield</b> who died during the Buffalo, New York <b>Tops </b><a href="https://nypost.com/2022/05/14/buffalo-supermarket-shooting-witnesses-recall-horror-of-massacre/" target="_blank"><b>grocery store massacre</b></a> in May, as well as other families of gun violence.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtwl93BTMZXiUsw40BT8qTVhpBp0nImuvdnw-Gr9OzsZAmjkaUZPEQu3H7V5cLyGh3GlqbhDSlSWdCsk2MwpLbVCUr9Riiki6krZ2VTmLmzaV-IwtMntWk7AEw2POSYay4Ud1KiqZu_W91EOOqSvXUxa4iGN2OyV_z7V1W9YHAxaFYjUFMU9lSfJuvw/s630/km.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="630" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtwl93BTMZXiUsw40BT8qTVhpBp0nImuvdnw-Gr9OzsZAmjkaUZPEQu3H7V5cLyGh3GlqbhDSlSWdCsk2MwpLbVCUr9Riiki6krZ2VTmLmzaV-IwtMntWk7AEw2POSYay4Ud1KiqZu_W91EOOqSvXUxa4iGN2OyV_z7V1W9YHAxaFYjUFMU9lSfJuvw/w640-h360/km.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> McConaughey remarks on Uvalde school massacre.</span></span></p>"<a href="https://youtu.be/BhCvvBx1dVs" target="_blank">My mother mattered</a>", said Whitfield as he asked lawmakers what they are doing to save lives. "You're elected to protect us and protect our way of life", said Whitfield.<p></p><p>Watch, and listen (at the1:08 mark) as McConaughey (a native of Uvalde, Texas) talks about the mass shooting at a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/texas-school-shooting-victims-uvalde-robb-elementary/#:~:text=What%20we%20know%20about%20the%20victims%20of%20the,Alexandria%20%22Lexi%22%20Aniyah%20Rubio.%20...%20More%20items...%20" target="_blank">Uvalde middle school</a> that took the lives of 19 young students and two teachers, and why he says <b>now is the time</b> for gun reform.</p><p>"We have a life preservation problem on our hands", McConaughey exclaimed.</p><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post sponsored by <a href="http://cmbb.site" target="_blank">CMBB Business Solutions</a>. Contact politicsop@gmail.com to become a sponsor.</span></div>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-91895015315762078172022-05-25T15:07:00.006-07:002022-05-25T16:08:05.751-07:00What the Biden Administration Hopes His Police Accountability EO Will Do <p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Two years ago, the murder of George Floyd exposed for many what Black and Brown communities have long known and experienced -- that we must do more to ensure that our Nation lives up to its founding promise of fair and impartial justice for all. The incident sparked one of the largest social movements this country has ever seen, with calls from all corners to acknowledge the legacy of systemic racism in our criminal justice system and in our institutions more broadly.</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br />President Biden signed a historic executive order (EO) to advance effective, accountable policing and criminal justice practices that will build public trust and strengthen public safety. Police cannot fulfill their role to keep communities safe without public trust and confidence in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. Yet, there are places in America today where the bonds of trust are frayed or broken. To heal as a nation, we must acknowledge that fatal encounters with law enforcement have disproportionately involved Black and Brown people.<br /> <br />President Biden’s EO will enhance public trust by promoting accountability, transparency, and the principles of equality and dignity in policing and the larger criminal justice system. Increased trust makes policing more effective and thereby strengthens public safety. Without that trust, victims do not call for help. Witnesses do not step forward. Crimes go unsolved. Justice is not served. The EO mandates measures for all Federal law enforcement agencies, leveraging the President’s direct authority over the executive branch. The EO also requires the use of federal tools such as guidance on best practices, training and technical assistance, and grantmaking to support reforms at State, Tribal, local, and territorial law enforcement agencies that will strengthen public trust and improve public safety across the nation.<br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><u><strong>Promotes Accountability</strong></u></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /><strong>Creates a new national database of police misconduct</strong>. The EO orders the Attorney General to establish a National Law Enforcement Accountability Database, in which all Federal law enforcement agencies (Federal LEAs) must participate. The database will include records of officer misconduct (including convictions, terminations, de-certifications, civil judgments, resignations and retirements while under investigation for serious misconduct, and sustained complaints or records of disciplinary actions for serious misconduct), as well as commendations and awards. The database will have due process protections for officers. All federal agencies must use the database in screening personnel, and it will be accessible to state and local LEAs, who are encouraged to enter their records as well. The Attorney General will make aggregate data, by law enforcement agency, public, and will assess what whether and in what form records from the database may be accessible to the public.<br /> <br /><strong>Strengthens Pattern or Practice Investigations. </strong>The EO requires steps to improve the investigation and prosecution of criminal civil rights violations, including directing the issuance of best practices for independent investigations and improving coordination to address systemic misconduct through pattern-or-practice cases.<br /> <br /><strong>Ensures timely and thorough investigations and consistent discipline</strong>. The EO requires Federal LEAs to adopt measures to promote thorough investigation and preservation of evidence after incidents involving the use of deadly force or deaths in custody, as well as to prevent unnecessary delays and ensure appropriate administration of discipline.<br /> <br /><strong>Mandates the adoption of body-worn camera policies. </strong>The EO orders all Federal LEAs to adopt and publicly post body-worn camera policies that mandate activation of cameras during activities like arrests and searches and provide for the expedited public release of footage following incidents involving serious bodily injury or deaths in custody.<br /> </div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><u><strong>Raises Standards</strong></u></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /><strong>Bans the use of chokeholds and carotid restraints unless deadly force is authorized, and restricts the use of no-knock entries. </strong>The EO orders all Federal LEAs to adopt policies that ban chokeholds and carotid restraints unless deadly force is authorized and restricts the use of no knock entries to a limited set of circumstances, such as when an announced entry would pose an imminent threat of physical violence.<br /> <br /><strong>Requires new standards that limit the use of force and require de-escalation for all federal agencies. </strong>The EO orders all Federal LEAs to adopt use of force policies with requirements that meet or exceed those in the Department of Justice’s updated use-of-force policy, which authorizes force only when no reasonably effective, safe, and feasible alternative appears to exist; authorizes deadly force only when necessary; and emphasizes de-escalation. The policy also imposes a duty to intervene to stop excessive force and a duty to render medical aid. Federal LEAs must conduct annual training on those policies, implement risk management tools to facilitate appropriate interventions before problematic behavior escalates, and ensure accountability for policy violations. The policy is publicly available on <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D7a9678c4b9%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1653568929735000&usg=AOvVaw2Zjv4ZKlZJWqslT3FsfZ-4" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=7a9678c4b9&e=c9ce1cfb8e" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">DOJ’s website</a>.<br /> <br /><strong>Restores and expands upon the Obama-Biden Administration’s restrictions on the transfer of military equipment. </strong>The EO imposes sensible restrictions on the transfer or purchase with federal funds of military equipment that belongs on a battlefield, not on our streets. The list of prohibited equipment is broader than under the Obama-Biden Administration, and the EO’s mandate is broader than the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (GFJPA) in that it pertains to all relevant programs, not only the Defense Department’s 1033 program. The EO continues to ensure that state and local LEAs can access and use appropriate equipment for disaster-related emergencies; active shooter scenarios; hostage or search and rescue operations; and anti-terrorism efforts.<br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><u><strong>Supports Law Enforcement with Improved Systems and Training</strong></u></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>Requires an updated approach to recruitment, hiring, promotion, and retention of law enforcement officers. </strong>The EO requires Federal LEAs to develop best practices to attract, support, and retain an inclusive, diverse, expert, and accountable law enforcement workforce, including by implementing screening tools to ensure that agencies do not hire or retain, or partner with on task forces, individuals who promote unlawful violence, white supremacy, or other bias on the basis of protected characteristics. The working group also will identify ways to expand mentorship and leadership opportunities, and ensure that performance evaluations and promotions are tied to an officer’s adherence to these policies.<br /> <br /><strong>Reimagines Crisis Response. </strong>The EO directs the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue guidance and identify federal resources for innovative models to respond to persons in crisis, including co-responder and alternative responder models, community-based crisis centers, and post-crisis care. It also orders guidance on the use of pharmacological agents such as ketamine outside the hospital setting.<br /> <br /><strong>Prioritizes Officer Wellness</strong>. The EO directs DOJ and HHS to publish best practices and standards to promote officer wellness and to identify resources to support wellness programs, and requires each Federal LEA to assess and improve its own Officer Wellness program. The Attorney General must also recommend measures to the President to help prevent officer suicide, after consultation with HHS and stakeholders.<br /> <br /><strong>Requires new standards for accreditation and for accrediting bodies. </strong>The EO requires the Attorney General, after consultation with stakeholders, to formulate standards for bodies that accredit law enforcement agencies. Those standards must include that the accrediting body requires policies consistent with those of the EO, and that the accrediting body conducts independent assessments of agency compliance rather than rely on the agency’s self-certification. The Attorney General must also incentivize and support agencies in seeking and obtaining accreditation, including through grantmaking.<br /> <br /><strong>Implements a new, evidence-informed annual anti-bias training requirement</strong>. The EO requires development of an evidence-informed training module for law enforcement on implicit bias and avoiding improper profiling based on the actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, limited English proficiency, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), or disability of individuals. Federal LEAs must conduct that training annually, implement procedures to respond meaningfully to complaints of bias, and reassess a 2014 guidance on use of certain protected characteristics by law enforcement.<br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><u>Improves Data Transparency and Oversight of New Technologies</u></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /><strong>Tracks data on use of force incidents. </strong>Within six months of the date of the EO, all Federal LEAs must collect and submit on a monthly basis all data on incidents involving use of deadly force compiled by the FBI’s Use of Force Data Collection. The Attorney General must also facilitate the contribution of this data, as well as data about officers killed or assaulted, by STLT LEAs, and report to the President his plan to fully implement the Death in Custody Reporting Act.<br /> <br /><strong>Studies the impact of use of force incidents on communities. </strong>The EO directs HHS to publish a nationwide review of the physical, mental, and public health effects of use of force incidents on communities, including any disparate impacts, and outline available resources to support mental health and support services. It also tasks the Attorney General to issue best practices for conducting law enforcement-community dialogues, and for ensuring timely and appropriate notification of deaths in custody.<br /> <br /><strong>Safeguards the use of facial recognition technology and other sophisticated algorithmic tools. </strong>The EO directs the National Academy of Sciences to conduct and publish a study of facial recognition technology, other biometric technologies, and predictive algorithms that assesses any privacy, civil rights, civil liberties, accuracy, or disparate impact concerns with their use. This study will then be used to make any necessary changes to Federal law enforcement practices.<br /> <br /><strong>Enhances data collection and data transparency. </strong>A working group will write a report to the President on how to collect and publish data on police practices (including calls for service, searches, stops, frisks, seizures, arrests, complaints, law enforcement demographics, and civil asset forfeiture), and on the practices and policies governing the acquisition and use of advanced surveillance and forensic technologies.<br /> </div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><u>Reforms Our Broader Criminal Justice System</u></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"> <br /><strong>Directs a government-wide strategic plan to propose interventions to reform our criminal justice system</strong>. A new committee with representatives from agencies across the federal government will produce a strategic plan that advances front-end diversion, alternatives to incarceration, rehabilitation, and reentry. The Attorney General will also publish an annual report on resources available to support the needs of persons on probation or supervised release.<br /> <br /><strong>Improves conditions of confinement. </strong>The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, will update procedures as necessary to increase mitigation of Covid-19 in correctional facilities; expand the publication and sharing of vaccination, testing, infection, and fatality data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, sex, disability, and facility; and to identify alternatives to facility-wide lockdowns and restrictive housing to reduce the risk of transmission. The Attorney General will also report to the President on steps to limit the use of restrictive housing and improve conditions of confinement, including with respect to the incarceration of women, juveniles, and persons in recovery.<br /> <br /><strong>Requires full implementation of the FIRST STEP Act. </strong>The Attorney General will update DOJ policy as necessary to fully implement the FIRST STEP Act and to report annually on implementation metrics, including an assessment of any disparate impact of the PATTERN risk assessment tool and steps to correct any such disparities.</div></div></div>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-87836347481061288112022-05-25T14:55:00.007-07:002022-05-25T14:55:58.281-07:00"Food Is Love"<p>First Lady Dr. Jill Biden touched on two recent events as she spoke Monday as baby formula arrived at Dulles Airport.</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Said Dr. Biden, "The sudden, senseless massacre in an elementary school—little children and their teachers, Eva and Irma. Let us pray that God cradles these broken families in the palm of his hand. But let us also pray that we use the will and courage that God gives each of us so we can act—united with common sense—to protect our children.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">I’ve always said that food is love. But food is life, too.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Like all of us, I have been heartbroken to hear the stories of parents searching for formula. As a mom and a nana, it’s impossible to hear stories of children suffering and not imagine your own children in the same position. Food is the first and most important way we nurture our children.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Joe and his team have put solutions into place to get formula back on the shelves.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Thank you to Nestle and FedEx for your partnership in this. Thank you to Tarun Malkani, and Gerber, for his leadership. And I want to thank the devoted service members of U.S. Transportation Command for their critical role in Operation Fly Formula. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">There’s more to do. We know that. Joe knows that. As Dr. Murthy said, these shipments are only one part of the strategy.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">I am here today to say to parents: You aren’t alone. At the highest levels of Joe’s Administration, he and his team understand what you are going through. They won’t stop until every parent can get the formula their child needs. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Thank you. "</span></p>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8462619262016949659.post-65424110471964372182022-05-16T19:51:00.003-07:002022-05-16T20:03:07.954-07:00How the Biden Administration is working to combat the infant formula shortage. <p><strong style="color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: center;">FDA Encourages Importation of Safe Infant Formula and Other Flexibilities to Further Increase Availability</strong></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Georgia, Times, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing a guidance that outlines increased flexibilities regarding importation of certain infant formula products to further increase the availability of infant formula across the country while protecting the health of infants. The agency is encouraging infant formula manufacturers worldwide to take advantage of these flexibilities.</span><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong>“The FDA is leaving no stone unturned to further increase the availability of infant formula. We are doing everything in our power as part of the all-of-government efforts to ensure there’s adequate product available wherever and whenever parents and caregivers need it,” said FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D. “Today’s action paves the way for companies who don’t normally distribute their infant formula products in the U.S. to do so efficiently and safely. We are hopeful this call to the global market will be answered and that international businesses will rise to the occasion to assist in bolstering the supply of products that serve as the sole source of nutrition for many infants. With these flexibilities in place, we anticipate that those products that can quickly meet safety and nutrition standards could hit U.S. stores in a matter of weeks.”</strong><br /></p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">The U.S. normally produces 98% of the infant formula it consumes, with the primary source of imports coming from trading partners in Mexico, Ireland and the Netherlands. However, given the production and distribution issues that have led to reduced supplies of infant formula in some parts of the country, the FDA has outlined a process by which the agency would not object to the importation of certain infant formula products intended for a foreign market or distribution in the U.S. of products manufactured here for export to foreign countries. It also may provide flexibilities to those who manufacturer infant formula products domestically for export and may be able to increase further domestically produced product for the U.S. market. </p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">Companies seeking to take advantage of these flexibilities should submit information for the FDA to quickly evaluate whether the product can be used safely and whether it provides adequate nutrition. For example, labeling, information on nutritional adequacy and safety testing, and information about facility inspection history. The agency intends to prioritize submissions for products that can demonstrate the safety and nutritional adequacy and have the largest volume of product available and/or those who can get product onto U.S. shelves the quickest. The FDA is already in discussions with some manufacturers and suppliers regarding additional supply. </p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">As part of a number of <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D86f1c658be%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1652839184254000&usg=AOvVaw3jLBIccuCWaucVQaZrZKBp" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=86f1c658be&e=c9ce1cfb8e" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank" title="FDA Takes Important Steps to Improve Supply of Infant and Specialty Formula Products">significant actions the FDA has undertaken since February</a> to increase supply, the agency had already implemented a streamlined process to facilitate the importation of infant formula at U.S. ports of entry so that formula coming from abroad can be dispersed quickly throughout the country. This work has already resulted in more infant formula coming into the U.S. Imports of infant formula year-to-date are up more than 300% from last year. The FDA has and will continue to actively work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.K., and European authorities to expedite entry for products made abroad.<br /> </p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">All of this around-the-clock work has already begun to improve supply and availability with most manufacturers, now producing at normal or expanded capacity. The FDA expects that the measures and steps it is taking with infant formula manufacturers and others will mean more and more supply is on the way or on store shelves moving forward. <br /><br /></p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">Data from Information Resources Inc. (IRI) indicate that in-stock rates in retail stores are improving and the FDA’s actions are expected to continue to increase product availability. While some data suppliers have reported lower in-stock rates, the most complete data sets available from IRI are showing nearly 80% in-stock rates at the week ending May 8. The agency’s best current assessment is that with all of the current actions, including today’s announcement, and the potential for Abbott Nutrition’s Sturgis, Michigan, facility to safely resume production in the near-term, the supply of infant formula will continue to improve over the next couple of months. In the meantime, the agency is encouraged to see that as of early May the amount of infant formula sold in the U.S. continues to rise. </p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">It is important to understand that only facilities experienced in and already making essentially complete nutrition products are in the position to produce infant formula products that would not pose significant health risks to consumers. The agency continues to <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D8ab1440aa6%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1652839184254000&usg=AOvVaw2FNEyHYYaBtHDJDkpRwAz3" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=8ab1440aa6&e=c9ce1cfb8e" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank" title="FDA Advises Parents and Caregivers to Not Make or Feed Homemade Infant Formula to Infants">advise against making infant formulas at home</a>. Caregivers are encouraged to work with their child’s health care provider for recommendations on changing feeding practices, if needed. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has also released a fact sheet with <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Dc97630621baff8c44fe607661%26id%3D253b34d4d3%26e%3Dc9ce1cfb8e&source=gmail&ust=1652839184254000&usg=AOvVaw3Ho4mhd_D9PM9Zh6v2phWw" href="https://whitehouse.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c97630621baff8c44fe607661&id=253b34d4d3&e=c9ce1cfb8e" rel="noreferrer" style="color: #0064bc;" target="_blank">information to help families find infant formula</a>.</p><p style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 30.96px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><br />The FDA will continue to dedicate all available resources to help ensure that infant formula products remain available for use in the U.S. and will keep the public informed of progress updates.</p></div>Politics On Pointhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08898024143742987827noreply@blogger.com0