Saturday, March 6, 2021

March 4, 2021 Statement by President Joe Biden on the House of Representatives Passage of H.R. 1

 

The White House Logo
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2021
 

Statement by President Joe Biden
on the House of Representatives Passage of H.R. 1

In the wake of an unprecedented assault on our democracy; a coordinated attempt to ignore, undermine, and undo the will of the American people never before seen in our history; and a new wave of aggressive attacks on voting rights taking place in states across the country, I applaud Speaker Pelosi and the House of Representatives for passing H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021.
 
The right to vote is sacred and fundamental — it is the right from which all of our other rights as Americans spring. This landmark legislation is urgently needed to protect that right, to safeguard the integrity of our elections, and to repair and strengthen our democracy. It will rein in the outrageous gerrymandering that distorts our democracy. It will empower the Justice Department to crack down on laws that curtail voting rights along racial lines. It will reform our campaign finance system to amplify the voices of the people — not the powerful. And it will modernize and secure our future elections against all manner of threats.
 
I look forward to working with Congress to refine and advance this important bill. And I look forward to signing it into law after it has passed through the legislative process, so that together we can strengthen and restore American democracy for the next election and all those to come.

March 4, 2021 President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Amends Cahuilla Band of Indians Disaster Declaration

 

The White House Logo
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2021

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Amends Cahuilla Band of Indians Disaster Declaration

Yesterday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. made additional disaster assistance available to the Cahuilla Band of Indians by authorizing an increase in the level of federal funding for Public Assistance projects undertaken as a result of severe storms and flooding on February 14, 2019.
 
Under the major disaster declaration issued for the Cahuilla Band of Indians on March 28, 2019, federal funding was made available for Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation at 75 percent of the total eligible costs.          
 
Under the President's order today, the federal share for Public Assistance has been increased to 90 percent of the total eligible costs.
 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

Remarks by President Biden Before Meeting with a Bipartisan Group of House Members on Infrastructure

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2021
 
Remarks by President Biden Before Meeting with a Bipartisan Group of House Members on Infrastructure
 
Oval Office 
  
2:18 P.M. EST
    
THE PRESIDENT:  Hey, everybody.  I brought a group of bipartisan leaders on infrastructure, among other things.
 
We're going to talk about infrastructure and American competitiveness and what we're going to do to make sure we once again lead the world across the board in infrastructure.  It’s a -- it not only creates jobs, but it makes us a hell of a lot more competitive around the world if we have the best infrastructure in the world.  We're going to be talking about that. 
 
And I welcome all my colleagues here.  And thank you all for coming on in.  Thank you.
 
Q    Mr. President, Republicans have been trying to slow down the coronavirus bill.  Republicans have been trying to slow down the coronavirus bill.  Have you been reaching out to them to try to bring them along?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I've been talking to a lot of my Republican friends in the House and the Senate, and continue to do that.  And -- and we have.  We've met -- had a number of meetings with Republicans on the coronavirus bill and -- House, Senate, and a combination of both.  So we're keeping everybody informed.
 
Q    Are you comfortable with having to limit the direct payments?  Are you comfortable with having to limit the direct payments?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Am I comfort- --
 
Q    Comfortable with having to limit the direct payments?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.  Thank you.
 
Q    Does the proposal include the Gateway Project, Mr. President?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I'm sorry.  Can't hear him.  Thank you all for coming in.  Thank you.
 
2:20 P.M. EST

March 4, 2021 Readout of Vice President Kamala Harris Call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2021
 
Readout of Vice President Kamala Harris Call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel
 
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke today by phone with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and underscored the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to the U.S.-Israel partnership. The Vice President emphasized the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. She expressed strong support for Israel’s recent groundbreaking normalization agreements with countries in the Arab and Muslim world, and stressed the importance of advancing peace, security, and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians alike. The Vice President and Prime Minister agreed on the importance of continuing close cooperation and partnership on regional security issues, including Iran’s nuclear program and the regime’s dangerous regional behavior. They discussed the importance of advancing scientific cooperation between our two countries and efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. They also noted their respective governments’ opposition to the International Criminal Court’s attempts to exercise its jurisdiction over Israeli personnel.

Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America

 


- March 4, 2021 -

Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America

The Wall Street Journal editorial page continues, knowingly, to fight for globalist policies such as bad trade deals, open borders, and endless wars that favor other countries and sell out our great American workers, and they fight for RINOS that have so badly hurt the Republican Party. That's where they are and that's where they will always be. Fortunately, nobody cares much about The Wall Street Journal editorial anymore. They have lost great credibility.

 

To set the record straight, there were two reasons the Senate races were lost in Georgia. First, Republicans did not turn out to vote because they were so angry and disappointed with Georgia Republican leadership and Governor Kemp for failing to stand up to Stacey Abrams and the disastrous Consent Decree that virtually eliminated signature verification requirements across the state (and much worse), and was not approved by the State Legislature as required by the Constitution—having a major impact on the result, a rigged election. Second, Senator Mitch McConnell’s refusal to go above $600 per person on the stimulus check payments when the two Democrat opponents were touting $2,000 per person in ad after ad. This latter point was used against our Senators and the $2,000 will be approved anyway by the Democrats who bought the Georgia election—and McConnell let them do it!

 

Even more stupidly, the National Republican Senatorial Committee spent millions of dollars on ineffective TV ads starring Mitch McConnell, the most unpopular politician in the country, who only won in Kentucky because President Trump endorsed him. He would have lost badly without this endorsement. 

 

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March 4, 2021 Remarks by President Biden in a Call to Congratulate the NASA JPL Perseverance Team on the Successful Mars Landing

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2021
 
Remarks by President Biden in a Call to Congratulate the NASA JPL Perseverance Team on the Successful Mars Landing
 
Via Teleconference
Roosevelt Room
5:04 P.M. EST
 
DR. WATKINS:  Mr. President?
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Yes.
 
DR. WATKINS:  This is Mike Watkins at JPL.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Hey, Mike.  How are ya?
 
DR. WATKINS:  I want to thank you so much.  We are very well, especially after the -- after February 18th.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I tell you what: You did an incredible job.
 
DR. WATKINS:  We thank you for that, and we appreciate that.  And it's our honor to be given these kinds of tasks; it’s what we live for.
 
And so you may see here I'm surrounded by a few hundred of my best friends in this and a couple of other control rooms and online.  You know, these are really big team efforts, and it's important to us to get as much of the team to join with us today as we could.  And we really appreciate your time.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Appreciate it.  I'm flattered you’d take the time to let me talk to you.
 
DR. WATKINS:  Well, we would love to have you out here someday.  In fact, I've got two badges for you and the Vice President.  So when COVID winds down, I hope you come out here and have a chance to meet the team directly.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I'll be happy to do that.  I'll be happy to do that.
 
Am I supposed to speak now or is Swati?
 
DR. WATKINS:  Thanks.  We would love it.  You know, one of the things I wanted to also note -- I think -- you know, you -- I know you watched -- I saw pictures of you watching the landing coverage.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.
 
DR. WATKINS:  And, you know, that was a great opportunity, you know, for us to show, I think, the country what, you know, we can do -- and the world, really -- but also, you know, to bring a whole new generation of STEM, you know, into the fold.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  That’s right.
 
DR. WATKINS:  And I think we had a lot of people watching who didn't know that they were STEM people, but now they are --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Yep.
 
DR. WATKINS:  -- after having watched that.  And it’s something we -- you know, it’s very important to us.  It’s a major part of what we do here at JPL and, of course, NASA as an agency.  And we’re -- it’s just great to have that -- you know, that bully pulpit to showcase that talent.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  It’s incredible talent.
 
Now, am I supposed to speak or is Swati going to say something?  I was told I was going to hear from Swati.
 
DR. WATKINS:  So, either way -- any way you’d like to do it is fine.  We have Dr. Mohan here with me.  She -- of course, you know her from the landing coverage.  But --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Hey, Doc.  How are you?
 
DR. MOHAN:  I’m doing very well, Mr. President.  Thank you for --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I just want you to know --
 
DR. MOHAN:  -- for taking the time to speak with us.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Are you kidding me?  What an honor this is.  This is an incredible honor.  And it’s amazing.  Indian -- of descent -- Americans are taking over the country: you; my Vice President; my speechwriter, Vinay.  I tell you what.  But thank you.  You guys are incredible.
 
Did you want to say something?  I’ll be quiet.
 
DR. WATKINS:  Absolutely.  You know, tell us how you felt on landing day and, actually, what path brought you to here at the lab.
 
DR. MOHAN:  Absolutely.  So my path actually started way back when I was a child, watching my first episode of Star Trek.  In addition to those fantastical scenes of space, what really captured my attention was this really close-knit team who was working together, manipulating this technological marvel with the sole purpose of exploring space and understanding new things and seeking new life. 
 
You know, Perseverance is my first mission at JPL where I’ve gotten to work from the very beginning of formulation, all the way through operations, and it made me feel like I was part of that crew.  Being able to work with this incredibly diverse, talented team that has become like a family, spending years creating our own technological marvel has been a privilege. 
 
You know, those last days and weeks leading up to landing day, it was pretty smooth, but we were all still really nervous and, frankly, terrified until we got through those final seven minutes.  To be able to call “touchdown” safely, to see those first images come back from Mars, to see the place where we have never been able to go to on Mars before and go there -- reach there for the express purpose of seeking out new life just made it feel like I was living in a dream. 
 
Now that that tremendous relief has passed for the team of being able to be there safely, all that's left is the excitement and the thrill of all the scientific discoveries that are yet to come and what Perseverance can actually find -- and hopefully find those signs of past life on Mars. 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I tell you what, you said you feel like you’re “living a dream” -- you've created a dream for millions and millions of young kids, young Americans.  You talk about STEM.  You -- it was -- look, the thing that I found so exhilarating about this: You all did this -- the whole team -- the team I can see now and the entire team at JPL -- what you did: You restored a dose of confidence in the American people. 
 
They were beginning to wonder about us.  They were beginning to wonder: Are we still the country we always believed we were?  You guys did it.  You guys gave a sense of “America is back.”  It‘s -- it's astounding what you did.  You should not underestimate it.  You should not underestimate it.
 
You know, you did it the most American way: You believed in science, you believed in hard work, and you believed there wasn’t a darn thing you couldn't do if you put your minds together.
 
One of the reasons why we're such an incredible country is we're such a diverse country.  We bring the best out of every single solitary culture in the world here in the United States of America, and we give people an opportunity to let their -- let their dreams run forward. 
 
And you just -- I can't tell you how much -- you know, everyone was so down the last years about: Is America still the -- the, you know, the fount of change?  And are we still the country that has hopes and develops and pursues the most unlikely things to happen?  And we are.  And you all demonstrated it. 
 
I'm not being -- look, I’m not -- I really mean this.  It's so much bigger than landing Perseverance on Mars.  It's about the American spirit, and you brought it back.  You brought back in a moment we so desperately need it.
 
I was reaching -- I was talking to a head of state who was calling me about thanking me -- or not thanking me -- congratulating me on becoming President.  And then I later heard from another head of state, saying, “America has changed so much.  They -- they used to be so competent to do great things, and here they can't even deal with a coronavirus.  Look how badly organized they are.”  That was said by a head of state. 
 
And America’s image in the world -- and it matters.  It matters because democracies have to demonstrate they can run as efficiently and more efficiently than autocracies.  There's a big battle going on.  Your kids are going to be studying about when democracy once again reestablished it could do anything, as opposed to autocracies that can just command things.
 
I just -- I just can't tell you how much I believe historians are going to write about what you did at the moment you all did it -- at the moment you all did it.  You should take such great pride -- such great pride in what you did. 
 
We can land a rover on Mars.  We can beat a pandemic.  And with science, hope, and vision, there’s not a damn thing we can’t do as a country.  We have never, ever, ever failed to meet a goal.  We’ve set our mind to it, and we've done it together.  And that's what you all showed.  So it goes way beyond -- way beyond the whole notion of what you just recently did. 
 
And God only knows what is going to come from this.  God only knows what's going to happen.  But you all are incredible.  All of the dreams you've created in other people's minds -- other young kids. 
 
I tell you what: I just wanted to thank you and tell you, you know, you -- it just seems that, you know, we're on the side of the angels.  Just at the moment when things look like they're really dark in America over our history, something has come along.  Something has come along.  And you guys came along and you did this. 
 
And so I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart and tell you how presumptuous of me to say I'm proud of you, but I am so proud of you.  And -- and, Mike, the teamwork that still exists there, the importance of it, the consequence of what you're doing -- and it's only just the start. 
 
I had a group of folks in my office not too long ago -- House and Senate members -- I mean, House members -- Democrats, and Republicans -- talking about infrastructure.  And I have in the -- on the shelf in my Oval Office, a moon rock.  And they walked over and said, “This is actually a moon rock from the moon?”  And I jokingly said, “You ain't seen nothing yet.  Wait until see what comes home from Mars.” 
 
So, anyway, folks, thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.  You’re great Americans, and you’ve demonstrated it again: There's not a thing we cannot do when we set our mind to it. 
 
God bless you all.  Thank you.  Thanks, Mike.
 
DR. WATKINS:  Thank you very much, Mr. President.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  And by the way, I'm like a poor relative, Mike.  When I'm invited, I show up.  So be careful.  You know, the poor relatives, they show up even --
 
DR. WATKINS:  We will --
 
THE PRESIDENT:  They stay longer than they're supposed to.  I'm one of those kind of guys.
 
DR. WATKINS:  Well, we will be more than happy to have you, and stay as long as you want.
 
THE PRESIDENT:  I'm looking forward to seeing you all in person.
 
Thank you.
 
DR. WATKINS:  We’ll get you an office here. 
 
THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  Thank you.  Appreciate it.  Bye bye.  Godspeed.
 
DR. WATKINS:  Thank you, sir.  (Applause.)
 
5:14 P.M. EST

March 4, 2021 Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with President Alejandro Giammattei Falla of Guatemala

The White House Logo
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 4, 2021
 
Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with President Alejandro Giammattei Falla of Guatemala
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with President Alejandro Giammattei Falla of Guatemala. The President expressed his condolences for the thirteen Guatemalan migrants who were killed in Northern Mexico. The two leaders also reviewed joint efforts to address the impact of hurricanes Eta and Iota, and reaffirmed their commitment to addressing the root causes of migration by combating corruption, promoting economic opportunity, and enhancing civilian security. Both Presidents agreed for their respective teams to meet in the coming weeks to develop an effective and humane plan of action to manage migration.

March 5, 2021 White House Announces Additional Policy Staff

 

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2021
 

White House Announces Additional Policy Staff
 
Today, President Biden and Vice President Harris announced the appointments of additional policy staff who will serve with the White House COVID Response Team, Domestic Climate Policy Office, Domestic Policy Council, and National Economic Council. These qualified, impressive, and dedicated individuals reflect the diversity and strength of America and will play critical roles advancing the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to tackling the crises we face and building back our country better.

Biographies of the appointees are listed below in alphabetical order and by White House office:

COVID Response Team
 
Charles Anderson, Director of Economic Policy and Budget for the COVID-19 Response Team
Charlie Anderson has most recently served as the Senior Advisor for Tax and Economic Policy to Senator Michael Bennet of Colorado, developing policies to reduce child poverty, curb evictions, reform unemployment insurance, enact automatic stabilizers, and address the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that, he served in the Obama-Biden Administration as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Senior Advisor to the Director at the White House National Economic Council from 2014 to 2017; in various capacities at the Department of the Treasury from 2010 to 2013; and at the White House Domestic Policy Council from 2009 to 2010. He was also the Deputy Field Director in Georgia for the Obama-Biden 2008 campaign. Born in New York and raised in North Carolina, Anderson is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard’s Kennedy School.
 
Sam Berger, Director of Strategic Operations and Policy for the COVID-19 Response Team
Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Sam Berger was Vice President for Democracy and Government Reform at the Center for American Progress. During the Obama-Biden administration, he served as a senior policy adviser at the White House Domestic Policy Council, where his work focused on the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, as well as at the Office of Management and Budget in various roles, including senior counselor and policy adviser. Born in Buffalo, New York, Berger is a graduate of Swarthmore College and Yale Law School. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and two children.
 
Domestic Policy Council (DPC)

Philip Giudice, Special Assistant to the President for Climate Policy

Phil Giudice has more than 40 years’ experience in the energy industry as a geologist, consultant, entrepreneur, executive, CEO, board director and state energy official. Phil served as Massachusetts Undersecretary of Energy and was Treasurer and Vice Chair for the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), board chair National Association of State Energy Officials and member of DOEs State Energy Advisory Board, Energy Efficiency and Renewables Advisory Committee and EPA/DOE’s State Energy Efficiency Action Network.  Phil earned geology degrees from University of New Hampshire and University of Arizona and an MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth.  Phil is the father of two grown sons as well as the grandfather of two toddlers who provide enormous joy and delight in his life. 
 
Domestic Policy Council (DPC)
 
Chiraag Bains, Special Assistant to the President for Criminal Justice
Chiraag Bains was recently the Director of Legal Strategies at Demos, a national public policy organization where he led voting rights litigation and advocacy across the country. Before that, he was a senior fellow at Harvard Law School and at the Open Society Foundations. From 2010 to 2017, Bains served in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, first as a prosecutor of civil rights crimes and then as senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General. He was a member of the team that investigated and sued Ferguson, Missouri, for constitutional violations. Bains clerked for the Honorable Karen Nelson Moore on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and Judge Nancy Gertner in the District of Massachusetts. He graduated from Yale College, the University of Cambridge, and Harvard Law School.
 
Kelliann Blazek, Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture and Rural Policy
Kelliann Blazek most recently served as the first director of Wisconsin’s Office of Rural Prosperity, created by Governor Tony Evers in 2020 to support the state’s rural communities. Previously, Blazek worked as counsel to Congresswoman Chellie Pingree and taught food law and policy at the Antonin Scalia Law School. She has also worked at the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Blazek holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School and grew up on her family’s farm in Wisconsin.
 
Pronita Gupta, Special Assistant to the President for Labor and Workers
Most recently, Pronita Gupta was the director of job quality for the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). Prior to joining CLASP, she served as the deputy director of the Women’s Bureau in the U.S. Department of Labor under President Obama. She also previously served as senior director of programs for the Women Donors Network (WDN) as well as research director for Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy. Gupta also served as research director for SCOPE/AGENDA in Los Angeles, and for the Living Wage Campaign at the LA Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE).  Early in her career she served as executive director of Institute for Southern Studies and legislative director for the U.S. Student Association. Raised in Rochester, NY, Gupta holds an MPA from Columbia University and a BA in Government from Clark University.
 
Catherine Oakar, Special Assistant to the President for Community, Public Health, and Disparities
Catherine Oakar most recently served on the Biden-Harris Transition. She was also a Senior Advisor at Waxman Strategies consulting on public health, nutrition, and health care issues. During the Obama-Biden Administration, she served at the White House as the Associate Director of the Let’s Move! initiative in the First Lady’s office and as a Senior Advisor in the Office of National AIDS Policy. Oakar was also the Director of Public Health Policy in the Office of Health Reform at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She began her work in Washington, D.C. as a Winston Health Policy Fellow. She has also conducted community-based research with low-income cancer survivors and safety net clinics. Oakar graduated from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She is originally from outside Cleveland, Ohio.
 
Alex Pascal, Special Assistant to the President and Executive Secretary for the Domestic Policy Council
Alex Pascal previously served on the National Security Council (NSC) staff at the White House in various roles, including as Senior Director of the NSC Executive Secretariat, and as Senior Policy Adviser to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Most recently, Pascal was a Non-Resident Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and an adjunct faculty member at New York University. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
 
Erin Pelton, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the Domestic Policy Advisor
Before joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Erin Pelton co-founded Puerto Rico Live, a social enterprise that connected U.S. thought leaders to Puerto Rico, and was a principal at Pinpoint Strategies. A U.S. Foreign Service Officer until 2014, Erin served as Director of Communications and Spokesperson at the United States Mission to the United Nations; Assistant Press Secretary and Director of Communications and Media Relations at the National Security Council; Deputy Spokesperson for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, and overseas at the U.S. Embassies in Mexico and Saudi Arabia. She holds an M.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a B.A. in international affairs and Spanish from Drake University.
 
Erika Poethig, Special Assistant to the President for Housing and Urban Policy
Before joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Erika Poethig was Chief Innovation Officer and Vice President for the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute, a social and economic policy research organization founded by President Lyndon Baines Johnson.  In the Obama-Biden Administration, she held several positions including Acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and was a leading architect of the White House Council for Strong Cities, Strong Communities. Poethig led housing policy portfolios at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and at the City of Chicago’s Department of Housing.  Poethig graduated from The College of Wooster and the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.  
 
Donald K. Sherman, Special Assistant to the President for Racial and Economic Justice
Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Donald K. Sherman was Deputy Director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a non-partisan government accountability watchdog. Sherman previously served in various roles, including as Chief Oversight Counsel, to the late Rep. Elijah E. Cummings on the House Oversight Committee as and as Senior Counsel to Senator Claire McCaskill on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Sherman served in the Obama-Biden Administration, as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel for Oversight and Investigations in the Office of General Counsel at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A native of Queens, NY, Sherman earned his BA from Georgetown University and his JD from the Georgetown University Law Center. He currently resides in Washington, D.C. with his wife and kids.
 
Terri Tanielian, Special Assistant to the President for Veterans Affairs
Terri Tanielian is a nationally recognized expert in veteran policy as well as mental health policy. Most recently, she served as a Senior Behavioral Scientist at the RAND Corporation where she led several landmark studies examining the needs of military service members, veterans, their families, and their caregivers. She has expertise in suicide prevention, sexual assault prevention and response, and behavioral health. In 2019, she served as a RAND Congressional Fellow with the House Committee on Veterans Affairs where she informed evidence-based policy making designed to reduce veteran suicide. She has also served on several national advisory committees related to improving mental health responses to disasters, terrorist incidents, and public health emergencies.  She has more than 100 peer-reviewed publications on topics ranging from improving access to and quality of mental health and substance use treatment, improving public health emergency preparedness and response, and improving support systems for veterans, military families, and caregivers. Born in upstate New York, Tanielian graduated from Boston University and received her Master of Arts degree from The American University.
 
Maureen Tracey-Mooney, Special Assistant to the President for Education
Maureen Tracey-Mooney worked on the domestic policy team on the Biden-Harris Transition and supported the development of President Biden’s PK-12 agenda. Previously, she worked on President Obama’s campaign and transition. She served as then-Vice President Biden’s Deputy Domestic Policy Advisor in the first term of the Obama-Biden Administration, working on education, labor and other issues. In that role she supported the development of the Obama-Biden Administration’s successful Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge and President Obama’s Preschool for All plan. She left the Vice President’s office to earn her MPA from Princeton University and transition to local education work. Immediately before joining the transition she worked for the Newark Board of Education in New Jersey, where her work focused on the development of new teachers. Originally from Ohio, Maureen graduated from the University of Chicago; her life is possible because a generous friend gave her a kidney.
 
Justin Vail, Special Assistant to the President for Democracy and Civic Participation
Justin Vail most recently managed policy development and advocacy initiatives at Protect Democracy. During the Obama-Biden Administration, he served at the White House as the Deputy Director of Private Sector Engagement. Vail also served as an aide to Senator Claire McCaskill and clerked for the Honorable Rodney W. Sippel of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Honorable James F. Holderman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Originally from Missouri, Vail graduated from Truman State University and Washington University School of Law.
 
Libby Washburn, Special Assistant to the President for Native Affairs
Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, Libby Washburn served in senior leadership roles at New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico, focusing on building compliance structures and strengthening ethics requirements and Title IX processes. Previously she worked in the Obama-Biden Administration at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Washburn worked for Sen. Jeff Bingaman, serving as both the State Director and Legislative Counsel. She practiced Native American law for several years for the federal government and in private practice. Washburn graduated from the University of Oklahoma and University of New Mexico School of Law. She is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma.
 
National Economic Council (NEC)
 
Leandra English, Special Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff for the National Economic Council
Leandra English was the Director of Policy for the New York State Department of Financial Services where she managed the department’s portfolio of policy initiatives involving consumers, financial services, and other issues. Prior to joining DFS, she served in a variety of roles at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau including Acting Director, Chief of Staff, and Deputy Chief Operating Officer. In addition, Leandra held senior roles at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).  English also previously served as Director of Financial Services Advocacy for the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) in Washington D.C. She received her B.A. from New York University and a M.S. from the London School of Economics.
 
Seth D. Harris, Deputy Assistant to the President for Labor and Economy
Seth D. Harris was the Biden-Harris campaign’s principal labor policy advisor and a member of the Labor Department transition team. He was Acting Secretary of Labor and Deputy U.S. Secretary of Labor from 2009 to 2014 and served for six and one-half years in the Labor Department during the Clinton Administration. Harris is an attorney, business advisor, and former trade unionist. He also is a Visiting Professor at Cornell University’s Institute for Public Affairs. He has co-authored three books and authored scholarly articles and op-eds on labor, employment, leadership, retirement, and economics. A native New Yorker who currently lives in Maryland, Harris earned a bachelor of science degree from Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations and a juris doctor from New York University’s School of Law.
 
Daniel Hornung, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy
Daniel Hornung most recently served as a judicial law clerk to Judge Merrick Garland on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. During the Obama-Biden Administration, Hornung served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Policy Advisor, focused on climate policy, economic policy, and judicial nominations. Prior to that, he worked in the Office of Management and Budget. A native of Chicago, Hornung has also been a fellow at Chicago CRED, an organization focused on reducing gun violence and creating economic opportunity in Chicago neighborhoods. Hornung holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and a B.A. in economics and political science from Yale College. He and his wife live in Washington, D.C.
 
Elisabeth Reynolds, Special Assistant to the President for Manufacturing and Economic Development
Elisabeth Reynolds is a principal research scientist and executive director of the MIT Industrial Performance Center as well as a lecturer in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning (DUSP). Prior to joining MIT, Reynolds was the director of the City Advisory Practice at the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC), a non-profit focused on job and business growth in urban areas. She has been actively engaged in efforts to rebuild manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., most recently as a member of the Massachusetts Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative. She is a graduate of Harvard College and holds a Master’s in Economics from the University of Montreal as well as a PhD from MIT DUSP.
 
Samantha Silverberg, Special Assistant to the President for Transportation and Infrastructure Policy
Samantha Silverberg served on the Biden-Harris transition team as a volunteer on the domestic and economic policy team and on two Agency Review Teams. Previously, she served as Deputy Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Director of Capital Planning at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Silverberg began her public service as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Office of Management and Budget and U.S. Department of Transportation.  Silverberg is a graduate of the University of Virginia and holds a Master in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. Originally from Queens, NY, she currently resides in the Boston area with her husband and son.
 
Tim Wu, Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Competition Policy
Tim Wu was most recently a Professor at Columbia University law school. He previously served as senior enforcement counsel to the New York Attorney General, as a senior advisor at the Federal Trade Commission, and an advisor at the National Economic Council.   He was also a law clerk for Stephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court and Richard Posner of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Born in Washington D.C., Wu is a graduate of McGill University and Harvard Law School. He lives in New York City with his wife and two daughters.
 

March 5, 2021 Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

 

The White House Logo
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2021

Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
President Joseph R. Biden spoke today with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He underscored his support for the European Union and his commitment to repair and revitalize the U.S.-EU partnership. Noting our shared values and the world’s largest trade and investment relationship, the leaders agreed to suspend the tariffs related to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Aircraft disputes for four months and to work toward resolving these long running disputes at the WTO.  They discussed the importance of close U.S.-EU cooperation to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and enhance global health security, pursue a sustainable global economic recovery, tackle the climate crisis, and strengthen democracy.  The leaders also agreed to coordinate on issues of shared interest, including China, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and the Western Balkans.
 

March 5, 2021 Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials

 

The White House Logo
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2021
 
Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
Via Teleconference 
11:04 A.M. EST
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Thank you all for joining us.  It was an eventful week at the White House and around the country.  I want to take a moment to step back and remind people where we’ve come from and where we’re going.
 
Over the past six weeks, we’ve seen the nation rally together in an unprecedented way.  Together we’ve recovered from a storm, kept vaccination sites open late, packed and shipped vaccines throughout the night, seen companies across America make major commitments to masking and vaccinations and to underserved communities. 
 
And just this week, we went from a J&J authorization to shots in arms in three days.  All that was topped off by an announcement from two rival drug companies, Johnson & Johnson and Merck, of an unprecedented collaboration to increase our vaccination capacity along with the U.S. government.
 
We have increased vaccine supply to states, tribes, and territories by more than 77 percent, launched programs to get vaccines into thousands of additional convenient and trusted locations, like pharmacies, community vaccination centers, and community health centers.  And there are thousands of Americans -- from our military servicemen and women, to retired doctors and nurses, to members of the National Guard -- all vaccinating Americans across the country.
 
The nation is coming together on this pandemic response, and we are throwing everything we have at this virus.  As much sacrifice as this requires from everyone, we are making progress.
 
Six weeks ago, only 8 percent of seniors -- those most vulnerable to COVID -- had received a vaccination.  Today, nearly 55 percent of people age 65 or older have received at least one shot.  Altogether, we’ve administered more than 82 million shots -- more than any country in the world.  And we’ve opened or expanded more than 450 community vaccination sites.
 
Today, we are announcing the addition of two new FEMA-supported high-volume sites.  The Atlanta Falcons Stadium in Georgia and the Wolstein Center in Cleveland, Ohio, will turn into FEMA-supported community vaccination sites with the capacity to deliver 6,000 shots per day each.  Both of these sites sit in neighborhoods hit hard by the pandemic and are well known in the community.
 
This brings the total to 18 FEMA-supported sites across seven states with the ability to administer more than 60,000 shots per day.
 
But I want to be clear: We owe the public straight talk, whether the news is promising or challenging.  Progress demonstrates we can defeat COVID-19, but it does not equal success. 
 
It may seem tempting in the face of all of this progress to try to rush back to normalcy as if the virus is in the rearview mirror.  It’s not.  Now, years of watching football on TV has shown me that it’s better to spike the football once you’re safely in the end zone, not after you’ve made a couple of completions.
 
The CDC and public health officials -- locally, at the state level, and nationally -- are all clear: Wear a mask -- not forever, but for now.  Wear a mask now so we can get to a place where you don’t have to.
 
And this is not just the voice of cautious public health experts.  It is what businesses who want to remain open and many public officials of both parties who have lived through the last year are saying.
 
And as you will hear in a moment from Dr. Walensky, it is also what the data from the last year is telling us.
 
And with that, I’m going to turn it over to Dr. Walensky.
 
DR. WALENSKY:  Thank you so much.  It's a pleasure to be back with you today. 
 
I know there have been many questions about when CDC is going to release its guidance for fully vaccinated persons and activities they can resume.  These are complex issues, and the science is rapidly evolving.  CDC is working to ensure that the communication we release on this guidance are clear and that the American public can act on them.
 
Our goal and what is most important is that people who have been vaccinated, and those not yet vaccinated, are able to understand the steps they can take to protect themselves and their loved ones.  We are making sure and taking the time to get this right, and we will be releasing this guidance soon.
 
Now let's shift to an overview of the pandemic.  CDC’s most recent data shows cases continue to fluctuate around 60,000 to 70,000 cases per day, with the most recent seven-day average of 62,000 cases per day.  We also continue to see deaths hovering around 2,000 deaths per day with the latest seven-day average of 1,900 deaths per day.
 
The current numbers remain concerning.  Cases and deaths are still too high and have now plateaued for more than a week at levels we saw during the late summer surge following six weeks of steady declines.
 
This is why I'm asking you to double down on our prevention measures.  I know the idea of relaxing mask wearing and getting back to everyday activities is appealing, but we're not there yet.  And we have been -- we have seen this movie before: When prevention measures like mask mandates are rolled back, cases go up.
 
An article published today in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report highlights the critical importance of these prevention strategies and the real risks when prevention measures are eased.  This study looked at the relationship between COVID-19 cases and deaths, and both state-issued mask mandates and restaurants resuming on-premises dining from March to December of 2020. 
 
The researchers found that increases in both daily death rates and COVID cases and deaths slowed significantly within 20 days of putting masks mandates into place.  And protective effect of the mask mandates grew stronger over time.  In contrast, increases in daily death rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths grew more quickly within 40 to 80 days following restaurants being allowed to resume on-premises dining.
 
This report is a critical reminder that with the current levels of COVID-19 in communities, and the continued spread of more transmissible virus variants, which have now been detected in 48 states, strictly following prevention measures remains essential for putting an end to this pandemic.  It also serves as a warning about premature lifting these prevention measures.
 
There's a light at the end of this tunnel, but we must be prepared for the fact that the road ahead may not be smooth.  And that is within our control.  By continuing to wear masks and following CDC’s public health recommendations, while we get more people vaccinated, we can bring this pandemic to an end.
 
Thank you.  I look forward to your questions.  But first I'll turn things over to Dr. Fauci. 
 
Dr. Fauci?
 
DR. FAUCI:  Thank you very much, Dr. Walensky.  I'd like to take up a bit on what Dr. Walensky just said.  If I could have the first slide.
 
I'm going to spend the next couple of minutes talking about the daily trends in the numbers of cases that have been reported and how this relates to both … I’m going to spend the next couple of minutes talking about the daily trending in the numbers of cases that have been reported, and how this relates to both the evolution of variants and how you handle variants. 
 
If you look at the far-left part of the slide, on the area between January and June, you remember -- many of us will recall very, very vividly -- in the end of the winter and the beginning of the spring, we had a surge that was dominated by the New York Metropolitan Area.  After the surge, what we came down to was a baseline of about 20,000 cases per day.  That is a very high baseline, relatively speaking.  When we tried to open up the country on the second peak, in the middle of the slide, the same thing: After we peaked, we started to come down, but we plateaued again at a very high baseline -- in this case, 40,000. 
 
We've just now recently experienced the worst surge -- on the right hand part of the slide -- which now, as you see, is starting to come down in a very nice deflection curve. 
 
The issue is -- if you look on the very far right of the slide -- as Dr. Walensky has said, we are starting to plateau.  I’ve blown that up in a little section, which is now sitting in the middle of the slide.  That plateau is about 60- to 70,000 cases a day.  When you have that much of viral activity in a plateau, it almost invariably means that you are at risk for another spike. 
 
Next slide.
 
In fact, as the Washington Post reported yesterday, many countries in Europe have seen just that.  They had a decrease in cases over a six-week period.  They plateaued.  And now, over the past week, they saw an increase in cases by 9 percent, something we desperately want to avoid.
 
Next slide.
 
How does that relate to variants?  Let me just go through this.  I refer to it as virology 101.  What it really is is some fundamental tenets of virology; namely, RNA viruses, like SARS-CoV-2, tend to mutate.  They have poor proofreading mechanisms.  A virus cannot mutate if it doesn't replicate.  And it replicates in infected individuals. 
 
A high baseline level of community spread of virus favors mutations and the evolution of variants.  Now, variants get evolved because of selection pressures, namely just fundamental pressure to enhance its own replication and propagate itself, as well as pressure to evade neutralizing antibodies.  This has important implications for vaccines, as well as the potential role of immunosuppressed people who get infected, don't clear the virus very rapidly, and allow it to mutate in the individual.
 
So a suboptimal immune response favors the generation of variants.  That's very, very clear when you're dealing with RNA viruses.
 
Next slide.
 
In fact, I had showed you in a previous press briefing what the issue was when you have a first dose of, let's say, for example, Pfizer vaccine -- very similar to the Moderna: you get a response that is protective.  In this case, it would be about 52 percent.  However, the second dose brings that level of antibodies quite high, which gives it redundancy to prevent the evolution, as well as to protect against viral variants.
 
Next slide.
 
Said in a just plain and simple way: Suboptimal immune responses to wild-type virus promotes the generation of variants, and the lack of potency or redundancy of an immune response to protect and suppress variants is another issue of concern. 
 
Next slide.
 
And so, how do you address these threat -- which we clearly are facing -- of a number of viral variants?  On the one hand, vaccination: Maximize the immune response against the wild-type virus.  You can do that by the proper adherence to the regimens shown on the clinical trial, or even plan -- as some companies are doing -- of, in the distance, giving a booster to the wild type. 
 
Also, as I mentioned in a prior conference, perhaps plan, as we are doing with Moderna, to boost with a very variant-specific vaccine. 
 
But importantly, there's another tool in our armamentarium, and that is what was emphasized by Dr. Walensky: namely adherence to the public health measures in an arena of a high baseline of infections -- with masks, distance, avoiding congregate settings, washing hands. 
 
And on the next and final slide -- just yesterday evening, in JAMA, John Moore, a very accomplished virologist, actually gave a nice description and hit upon many of the things that I just described to you.  So if you want to look at it in some detail, I recommend you take a look at this article that came out yesterday. 
 
I'll stop there.  And back to Andy. 
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Thank you.  Okay, let's go to Q&A.
 
MODERATOR:  Great.  First question we will go to Sam Whitehead with WABE Atlanta.
 
Q    Hey, thank you all for taking my question.  I'm wondering if you can share some more details on this mass vaccination site you all are going to be setting up here in Atlanta.  You know, I have been covering the active mass vaccination effort from our county health department there, and I've heard from people in some parts of south -- like the south side of Atlanta, the Mercedes-Benz is still kind of a hard place for them to reach.  So is there going to be further outreach to make sure people have access to this site and not just that it's set up?
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Sam, thank you for the question.  So I can't give you the specifics on this site, on this call.  We will be glad to follow up with you. 
 
But I will say that with all of our mass vaccination site efforts, the first week we really see a lot of adjusting to the needs of the local community, including how appointments are reserved, including whether there are mobile vans and clinics that need to be set up, including transportation issues and in arranging transportation. 
 
You may be aware that Uber and Lyft -- to pick two -- have a donated millions of rides.  So we're going to try to make sure all those things are packaged neatly so that it is easier for people, particularly those who have a more challenging time getting vaccinated, to get there and get vaccinated.  So thank you for the question. 
 
Next, please.
 
MODERATOR:  Next we’ll go Arlette Saenz at CNN. 
 
Q    Hi there.  Thanks for taking my question and doing this call.  I have a few questions when it comes to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  You guys have acknowledged that there's going to be a little bit of a break, as far as the shipment and distribution of that.  So what are you doing to prepare for the coming lull in the J&J supply?  And how is that going to impact places that have already incorporated this into their vaccination operations?
 
And then, separately, you know, you've spent a lot of time stressing that J&J is equal to the other vaccines and that everyone should take it as soon as whichever vaccine is available to them.  But we heard Detroit's Mayor Duggan saying that he's declining that initial allotment of J&J in part because he believes that Pfizer and Moderna are better vaccines.  So what exactly do you guys plan to do to counter this type of messaging, especially if it's coming from a local official?
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Yeah.  So, look, I'm going to actually ask Dr. Fauci to talk about the comparability of these three very successful vaccines in a second, but I do think it's important to clarify that that was not actually the mayor's intent, and that was not the mayor's comment. 
 
We've been in constant dialogue with Mayor Duggan, who said, in fact, that was not what he said or -- however it was reported.  In fact, he is very eager for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  And I think we would reiterate the message that, for all of us, the first vaccine we have an opportunity to take makes absolute sense to take.  So thank you for allowing us to clarify that.
 
But, Dr. Fauci, maybe you want to reiterate the guidance around these three vaccines.
 
DR. FAUCI:   Yes.  Thank you, Andy.  As we've said many times and happy to reiterate it right now, we have three highly efficacious vaccines with a very good safety profile.  Each of them are very effective in preventing clinically apparent disease.  But importantly, all three of them have a very important effect of being extraordinarily effective in preventing severe disease, and particularly preventing hospitalizations and deaths.  That's point number one.
 
We don't compare one to the other.  The only way that you can effectively do that is by having head-to-head comparisons in a clinical trial, which was not done. 
 
And so, as Andy said, and I'll reiterate, it's a question -- if you go in and a vaccine is available to you, I would take the first available vaccine because the most important thing to do is to get vaccinated and not to try and figure out what one may be or may not be better than the other.
 
I'll stop there, Andy. 
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Yeah, thank you.  And I realized I didn't answer one element of your question, which is: How are we preparing states and others in the distribution system for the pattern of vaccines that are coming off the line at Johnson & Johnson?
 
The same thing is true for Johnson & Johnson as it is for Moderna and Pfizer: Everyone we're distributing to -- all the states and jurisdictions -- have a -- at least a three-week-forward view as to their vaccinations that are coming.  They're able to plan for them.
 
And thankfully, to date -- even if you just look at the Pfizer and Jo- -- Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, we've taken them up about 77 percent so far, and we will aim to continue to increase as much as possible.
 
So next question.
 
MODERATOR:  Next we'll go to Tamara Keith at NPR.
 
Q    Great.  Can you hear me?
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  I can.
 
Q    Okay, excellent.  I am -- and you probably don't have the answer to this -- but how soon is “soon” on this guidance for people with vaccines?  There are now millions of people who are fully vaccinated and making life choices, like some grandparents I know who are getting on an airplane today.  So there is a sense of urgency there. 
 
And then I have one other question.
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  So, noting your sense of urgency, maybe -- maybe I will -- and, look, you're not alone.  Everybody is eager to see what's next.
 
The burden that falls on the CDC is not only to get the science right, but to communicate clearly in a way that’s not confusing.  But maybe I'll get -- go back to you, Dr. Walensky, for you to reiterate some of your points.
 
DR. WALENSKY:  Yeah, I will just reiterate that it's coming soon.  We know that people are interested.  I think the anecdote that you raise is one that is exactly why we want to make -- to ensure that the communication is crystal clear -- and that is because everyone has their specific scenario of what they're trying and wanting to do.  And so we really just want to make sure that it's very clear and can be easily adapted for individuals, their households, and their loved ones.
 
Q    And the other question I have is: When do you expect this crossover to happen, where it will go from a scarcity problem to then an administration problem -- you know, having enough people to put shots in arms -- and then from there, to a hesitancy problem? 
 
And on the hesitancy: Has anyone in this administration tried reaching out to President Trump, who got his vaccine privately, about maybe doing a PSA?
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  So, Tamara, thank you for the question.  So your question is: When do we go from having a situation where we have a shortage situation, which we have today, to one where we have an oversupply situation?
 
And I think the best way to answer that question is not with a precise date, but the fact that it's not a switch that flips, but it's a sliding scale, and it happens differently in community by community. 
 
And I will tell you that there are some communities we're already very engaged and very focused on communicating with people about the questions they have about getting off the fence and taking the vaccine.  That's already begun. 
 
This has been a massive week of outreach, led by Dr. Marcella Smith, but with many people across not just this administration, but experts across the country participating in that dialogue, and it's happening increasingly on a local basis.
 
So, from our view, this is not something that will start at some magical day in the future; it has begun today.  And it's something that we have to make sure we're addressing.
 
Did you have another part of your question?  I'm sorry, I feel like I forgot one thing you asked.  Okay, well -- yes.
 
Q    Yes.  Here.  I'm back.  The question was whether anyone in this administration --
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Oh.
 
Q    -- has reached out to President Trump, who quietly and privately got vaccine, but would seem to be a perfect spokesman for a public service announcement to supporters who might be experiencing hesitancy.
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Well, we're glad that everybody who has taken the vaccine is talking about it, including him.  We'll also note that we have governors of both parties who are -- who have taken the vaccine and who are being very public about it, and others as well. 
 
I think many people are, you know, waiting their turn.  But we find it helpful for everybody -- I particularly like the Dolly Parton song myself.  Ev- -- that's one of my favorites. 
 
All right, next.
 
MODERATOR:  Next we'll go to Yamiche Alcindor with PBS. 
 
Q    Hi.  Thanks so much.  You guys can hear me?
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Yes.
 
Q    Great.  I -- it sounded like you touched on this a bit, but I want to go back to the idea of the Detroit mayor declining his city’s allotted J&J vaccine and saying, in fact, that it's a good vaccine, but that Moderna and Pfizer are the best.  How often is that happening, and what are you doing to try to avoid this?  And what else can be said or done to make sure that cities aren't going to follow in his footsteps?  And how problematic, if at all, is that? 
 
And then, I have a second question on vaccine hesitancy, but I want the first -- that -- the first one about the Mayor of Detroit.
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Yeah, let me reiterate the mayor's office has indicated, after we talked to them, that that was a misunderstanding; that was not the intent of those remarks. 
 
So -- and thankfully, I think, as Dr. Fauci said, we're seeing widely across the country, people are grateful and we're seeing an overwhelmingly positive response to having this third vaccine. 
 
And I think people understand the fact that they are not directly comparable, given the time periods with which they were tested, and that they all make -- make it past the most important test, which is that they are able to prevent disease, and particularly severe disease and death, and at the 28-day at 100 percent level.  And, by the way, that's including testing in South Africa, where we have one of the most dangerous variants.
 
Maybe I'll go back to you, Dr. Fauci, again because I don't think we can say it enough.  ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  And -- and I think it -- I will tell you that it's a great question, but the message is getting through.
 
DR. FAUCI:  Yeah, Andy.  I -- we've got to get away from this issue of comparing one with the other, except to say that we have a highly efficacious group of three vaccines.  And the critical issue that you said to repeat again, in the important area of preventing against very severe disease leading to hospitalization and death: It is virtually 100 percent in that regard.  That is really good news. 
 
And, again, people want to get vaccinated.  And you go to a place that will have a vaccine -- almost all will have one or the other -- I would just take the vaccine that is the most readily available to you.
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Thank you.
 
And did you -- did you have a follow-up on hesitancy?
 
Q    Yeah.  I had a follow-up on hesitancy.  I know there’s been a lot of talk about, obviously, African Americans and hesitancy, but I was also looking at hesitancy among Republican voters, in particular.  There was a poll that showed, in Michigan, only about 29 percent of Republicans said they would get the coronavirus vaccine.  I'm wondering if there's a special push for Republican voters, for conservative voters who, according to polling, are showing a big amount of vaccine hesitancy.
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Yeah.  You know, the only thing I would say -- we've seen obviously a lot of the same information.  We are engaged with stakeholder groups across racial and ethnic minorities, rural Americans, to reach young Americans.  All of those are important.  Our whole perspective is: Leave nobody behind. 
 
And, in fact, I just -- the only thing I would take slight issue with is we don't think this decision is a matter of political identity.  And I think -- and I can tell you, everybody from evangelical leaders to media figures, like Hugh Hewitt and others, reinforced the fact that while there may -- there may be different pockets of populations that may, in fact, identify with whether it's their location or political identity, and so forth, it's not driven necessarily by their politics.  And that's a good and important thing because we don't think that this is about political identity. 
 
So we are targeting specific groups with conversations and answering questions that people have.  And those questions may differ based on where you live or how you identify.  But this is not and nor should it ever become something that is a question of politics.
 
Do we have another question?
 
MODERATOR:  Last question will go to Kristen Welker at NBC.
 
Q    Hi, everyone.  Thank you for the question.  Really appreciate it.  I want to follow up with you on the report that you all referenced today: the fact that areas with mask mandates have seen decreases in their daily cases, and yet areas where restaurants were open have seen increases in cases and even deaths.  What's the broader message here?  And does this mean that restaurants should close down, or does there just need to be more vigilance? 
 
And then just as a quick follow-up: I know that the CDC data shows that a larger share of white -- of the white population has been vaccinated as compared to Hispanic, Asian, black populations.  What's being done specifically to address that right now?
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  Okay.  Dr. Walensky, do you want to take the first?  And welcome to obviously talk about the second, if you'd like, as well.
 
DR. WALENSKY:  Yeah.  You know, I think the science is now following the messaging that we have, and the messaging has followed the science.  We have demonstrated that masks work.  We have demonstrated that in-person dining -- this is not the first report that demonstrates the impact of in-person dining and how cases and deaths will follow after in-person dining.  So I think all of this is very consistent. 
 
I think we've known that restaurants have led to cases, have led to clusters, so I think this is yet another report at a population level -- at a large population level, over a durable period of time, that has demonstrated that you have decreases in cases and deaths when you wear masks, and you have increases in cases and deaths when you have in-person restaurant dining.  And so we would advocate for policies, certainly while we're at this plateau of a high number of cases that would listen to that public health science.
 
ACTING ADMINISTRATOR SLAVITT:  So I’ll just -- I’ll just add to that.  Number one, we are following the science and we are following the data, and we are following with the work the CDC says.  It’s very clear that these interventions work and they save lives.  Why somebody wouldn’t take advantage of a small intervention to save people's lives, that -- that would be surprising.
 
Second, so with -- just very clear -- we’ll say it -- all three of us have said this: We’re not done.  We're not done. We're making progress, but there are also disturbing signs on the horizon.  And every time we've gone through this pandemic, we've learned that you can look a few weeks ahead, and in the world you see a few weeks ahead, it will not look like the world you live in today.  And the signs of what you will see ahead are with you at the present, if you look at them.  And I think Dr. Fauci and Dr. Walensky have been very clear about what we're seeing today.  Very clear.  We -- and so we -- we have to be straight with the public.
 
In terms of health equity, particularly with racial and ethnic minorities, we have been, I think, the first ones -- the first ones to come out and say, “This is a challenge, and this is a hard challenge, and this is an important challenge.”  It's -- and it's been a pillar of everything we’ve focused on.  It doesn’t mean it's easy.  But I will tell you that there are three major thrusts to this initiative.
 
The first is we have to meet communities where they are.  We have to go to where people are.  We have to make sure the transportation, working hours, et cetera, hit people to allow them to get vaccinated.  And this is in large part, as we all know now, an occupational disease, and it's a disease of living conditions. 
 
So we cannot allow just a system where we generically throw out vaccine supply and let whoever comes to get it, get it.  We have to make these focused efforts.  And we have some evidence in the case of our community vaccination centers, in the case of retail pharmacies, in the case of the emerging program on community health centers that these steps are working.
 
Second, trusted messengers.  We are spending a lot of time with people locally who people need to hear from and want to hear from to feel comfortable whether they should be taking the vaccine.  People have legitimate questions.  Let me be clear: A question about whether I should take the vaccine or not is not an illegitimate question.  These are legitimate questions, and they need to be answered in a straightforward way with people who they trust.  Because the record of these vaccines is just outstanding from an efficacy and safety standpoint.
 
And third: data, data, data.  The more we can look at this, the more we can see the problem, the better we can solve it, the better we can focus on solutions.  So we need more states to be contributing data to this effort.  We are committed to trying to solve it.  It doesn't mean it's easy, but we're committed to trying to solve it.
 
Thank you for all the questions today, and I hope everyone has a good weekend.
 
11:36 A.M. EST
 


To view the COVID Press Briefing slides, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/COVID-Press-Briefing_5March2021_for-transcript.pdf